Twinsie Galaxy Nails

My sister and I did Twinsie Galaxy Nails recently and I loved the outcome.

I used Essie Licorice and Turquoise & Caicos, SinfulColors Snow the White, Sally Hansen Lacey Lilac, and Nicole by OPI Here Kim's the Sun.

Pop Stars

I was in love with this girly, bright and cartoony manicure for the weekend.

So here's how it happened. I started with my favorite base coat, Butter London Nail Foundation (Thanks again mom. I can't believe it has lasted me a year.) and then painted two coats of Essie Bond With Whomever for the base.

Then I sponged on Bond With Whomever and L'Oréal Members Only using a super cheap makeup sponge triangle. Note: I put both colors on the sponge, side-by-side so that the colors will blend better. Look up Gradients on my tutorial page for pictures on that. 

After the colors on each nail was blended just the way I wanted, I immediately applied Nicole by OPI Here Kim's the Sun. Applying it while the gradient colors are still slightly wet helps the colors blend even more. After Seche Vite top coat, the gradient was done!

So this is what happened next: I wasn't really happy with my nails...they were just too plain for my mood. So I got out Ulta Sun-Sational and painted a few squares on a new Ziploc bag, making sure that the squares were opaque. I let them dry overnight, and, in the morning, I got my star hold punch (originally purchased for scrapbooking...that never happened), gently peeled off the dried yellow polish squares from of the plastic baggie, and put them through the hole punch as if they were paper. Out came these brightly colored, perfectly cut stars.

To attach the stars, I just did a dot of top coat on my nail, applied the star, and cut off any excess with small cuticle scissors. Another coat of Seche Vite and this little beauty was the result.

Bows and Polka Dots

A friend of mine loves Hello Kitty and asked me to do a Hello Kitty manicure. She showed me a pic of it, but I don't know who originally did that manicure. All the nails, except the accent nail, were very much like my version of it. Unfortunately, I can't draw to save my life. So I tried to do Hello Kitty's bow instead of drawing her. I think my right hand turned our better but figured I would post both...it was my first time doing bows and this tutorial by The Daily Polish was really helpful.

I used SinfulColors Pink Forever, Orly Instant Artist Crisp White and Jet Black, Julep Kate, and, for the bow only, OPI Pink-ing of You and Nicole by OPI Here Kim's the Sun.

Left Hand

Right Hand

Underwater Abstract

I was inspired by Chalkboard Nails for this manicure using Nicole by OPI Mer-Maid for Each Other and Orly Instant Artist for the wavy lines. I wish I could find the exact post that Chalkboard Nails did, but she has such a great blog I recommend just exploring it and getting inspiration.

Because of the green/blue base and wavy lines, my nails ended up looking like abstract seaweed to me.

Nicole by OPI Mer-Maid for Each Other

I had been eyeing this polish for some time. I was mesmerized by the metallic finish and iridescent shift from green to blue. So far, I have not seen another polish like it. It has great application and I highly recommend it.

Soft Glitzy Pink

I create this soft pink and glitzy look, I painted two coats of OPI Pedal Faster Suzi and one coat each of Essie Shine of the Times and Nicole by OPI Here Kim's the Sun.

In the sunlight pictures, it looks like I have little bubbles in the pink but that is really Here Kim's the Sun. In the shade picture, Here Kim's the Sun is pretty much the only glitter that you see. 

Sunlight

Sunlight

Shade

Purple Jelly

Using Ulta Duty Free Shopping Spree, Nicole by OPI Rainbow in the S-Kylie, and two coats of OPI Passion on top, I created a cotton candy and confetti inspired jelly sandwich.

I love the way it looks in the picture, and that glitter is so pretty in the bottle but there is just something about it that I can't stand once it is on my nails. -_-

Glitter Gradient

For this look, I used Ulta Sun-Sational and Nicole by OPI Rainbow in the S-Kylie. My sister picked out the neon yellow and wanted glitter so we decided to go with a gradient. 

Nicole by OPI - Miss Independent

This is my first time using Miss Independent. My mom picked it out for herself so I did her nails as seen here. It is a silvery pink metallic color with smooth application. Even though it looks pink in the bottle, I think it looks more silver on the nail.

Minnie and Mickey Mouse Inspired

My sister saw a manicure she wanted me to replicate for our trip to Disneyland and California Adventure today. I really need to practice my freehand drawing. The only difference from the original manicure she showed me is that the ring finger had a white Mickey Mouse glove. I wasn't about to paint white over that dark color in case I messed up, so my sis said it was ok to do dots. They match her cute shirt too. (It's white with black polka dots, a black bib neckline, and a pink strip at the hem.)

I used Nicole by OPI Here Kim's the Sun, OPI Lincoln Park After Dark and I'm Not Really a Waitress, ChinaGlaze Love Marilyn, and Essie Blanc. The thumb is a red tip with a black bow that has a white center.

Rainbow Jelly

This Jelly Sandwich Manicure was created with Essie Secret Story and Nicole by OPI Rainbow in the S-Kylie.

Two coats of Secret Story and one coat of Rainbow in the S-Kylie.

The next step for the jelly sandwich: I added one thin coat of Secret Story to top it off.

Step-by-Step. Top: Two coats of Secret Story. Middle: Add one coat of Rainbow in the S-Kylie. Bottom: Finish with one coat of Secret Story.