Winter Wonderland

I feel like Santa bringing a present on Christmas Eve.  Just in time!  to show off my holiday manicure.  I wanted to do a mixed medium manicure and think I got to incorporate several of my manicure techniques to pull off this look.  Wishing you all a Merry Christmas!

Left Hand:

 Right Hand:

I painted a base polish on all nails but ring, three coats, of OrlyAu Champagne.  On those fingers I marbled with the same and China Glaze White On White and Zoya Dove.  Evergreen trees were hand painted with a blend of Zoya Edyta and China Glaze Holly-Day and trunks with China Glaze Midtown Magic.  Deciduous tree was a base of China Glaze Liquid Leather and an overlay of China Glaze Midtown Magic; I added snow using a mix of Orly Au Champagne and China Glaze White On White.  Sleigh on my thumbs were first stamped with Bundle Monster plate BM213, using Konad Special Polish in Black (skate), Apple Green and Coral Blue (presents), China Glaze Crimson (sled) with China Glaze City Siren overlay painted afterward; I also added China Glaze Midtown Magic to the skate and China Glaze Icicle as silver ribbon and China Glaze Holly-Day for green ribbon.  All of these nails were completed with a sponging of Orly Winter Wonderland to mimic a snow-globe quality.  My glitter ring fingers were done by using tape.  First painting three coats of China Glaze Holly-Day on bottom, waiting for it to completely dry and then painting three coats of China Glaze City Siren and adding a glitter concoction of MAC pigment glitter in Red, LA Splash Cosmetic glitter in Silver Torpedo and Red and Silver hexagonal glitter for Esther's Nail Center.  Seche Vite was used to complete the entire manicure.

Candy Stripes

I needed a passing, holiday manicure to tide me over until Friday until I paint my "official" Christmas manicure, and holiday stripes seemed the best way to do that.  I like the final look, but I wish I would have thought about the fact that white stripes on red and red stripes on white are the exact same thing, but I guess since they are actually different colors, you can see that slightly, but it was kind of a fail in the color scheme of the final look.  Oh well!  

Left Hand:

Right Hand:

For base colors I used three coats of each of the following: China Glaze Ruby Pumps, Mistletoe Me!, Icicle, Orly Au Champagne, Orly Meet Me Under The Mistletoe,  . Stripes were painted with Konad Special Polish in Apple Green, Psyche Pink, White, China Glaze Icicle and Zoya Isla, using Bundle Monster Plate bm20.  Seche Vite, one coat, was used to finish the manicure.

Golden Gild

I made a few sparkle concoctions to mimic current nail polish trends in glitter polishes.  This is a second example (Red + Green = Awesome, being the first).  I like the result, but I'm not sure how festive it is.  I don't know why silver and blue is considered festive, but when I did gold and blue, not really so much.  Either way, the fingers shine and I like the touch of a holo water marble.

Flash:

I painted three coats on all nails of China Glaze Peace On Earth (forgot how much I love this color, very ugly/pretty) and added a mix of LA Splash Cosmetic Glitter in Golden Seahorse, Silver Torpedo and Yofi Cosmetics Skinny Dippin' to all fingers but ring.  My ring fingers were marbled with China Glaze L8R G8R and DV8.  One coat Seche Vite to shine 'em up!

Snowflakes

At first, I wasn't sure I really liked this manicure, but the more I had it on, the more I appreciated it and ultimately was happy with the result.  We barely have any snow here in MN, in fact, you can see more grass than snow at this point.  This makes my snowflakes wistful rather than obnoxious.

Right Hand:

Left Hand:

Trying to capture Shine Of The Times multidimensionality:

I painted three coats of Ulta Alter Ego on all fingers but my ring, and on my ring painted three coats of Orly Au Champagne.  I used the Alter Ego for blue snowflakes and China Glaze White On White for the white snowflakes.  Atop the entire manicure, I painted a coat of Essie Shine Of The Times and finished with one coat of Seche Vite.

Red + Green = Awesome

I am LOVING this manicure.  I was noticing the trend this year is both multi-sized glitters as well base glitter color with a single or dual glitter accent (think the holiday line Eye Candy, by China Glaze).  I figured I could do something as good, if not better, and I think I accomplished that.  I think this manicure is better in person to pick up on the red shimmer, but I'm happy with my pictures because the green really does pop IRL.

Flash:

Natural Light:

I painted three coats of China Glaze City Siren and then added Green hexagonal glitter (from  Esther's Nail Center) and filled in the gaps with MAC Pigment Glitter in Red.  I painted one coat of Seche Vite to compliment the shine.

Trimming The Tree

I originally took out all my darker, holiday-themed, green polishes and layered them three colors to a nail.  But the look didn't seem quite right.  I added the silver tinsel trimming and then they were true perfection.

Left Hand:

 Right Hand:

With my tree!:

I used the following colors for the green: Orly Meet Me Under The Mistletoe, Orly It's Not Rocket Science, OPI Glow Up Already, Ulta Envy, Zoya Apple, Zoya Suvi, Zoya Yara, Zoya Edyta, China Glaze Emerald Sparkle, China Glaze Paper Chasing, China Glaze Holly-Day.  The silver detail was hand painted on with China Glaze Icicle.  Manicure was finished with one coat Seche Vite.

Deck The Halls

Ok.  So I have gotten some new polishes for the holiday season (loving) and more importantly, after being sick (and tired), I decorated my house for Christmas and am finally feeling in the holiday spirit.  So I'm ready for the holiday themed nails to begin!

I painted three coats of China Glaze Holly-Day and added glitter from LA Splash Cosmetics in Midnight Flash.  I then added with China Glaze Passion and Bundle Monster Plate BM225 the Christmas Ball.  I finished the manicure with one coat Seche Vite.

Swipe

I needed a manicure that was quick and I would be ok if it chipped in a day since I knew it would after swimming.  This was it.

I swiped on my naked nail with Zoya Neeka and painted one coat of China Glaze Snowglobe atop with two coats Seche Vite to finish.

Polka Dot Road

Highlighting another new polish from China Glaze's Haunting Collection.  It was on sale, so it went in my cart.

I painted three coats China Glaze Crimson.  I added, freehand, two coats China Glaze Cheers To You with dotting tool adding back the base color as well as China Glaze Flyin' High.  Finished with one coat Seche Vite.

Hexed

I went on a polish hunt and was surprised to find seasonal Color Club products at a local Sally's.  I stopped immediately for this multi sized hexagonal glitter (and another one) and an added bonus is that it's scented!  This one is berry flavored.

I hand painted three coats of Orly Stone Cold and added two coats of Color Club Very Merry Berry.  Finished with one coat Seche Vite.

Pearl Drop

I haven't used these half pearls in a long while, I thought they deserved another go.

Three coats of Zoya Valerie and added these nail pearls from Esther's Nail Center.  I painted two coats of Seche Vite for top coat.

Vacation

I don't know where time goes, but I do know that I have been severely lacking in motivation lately.  But I feel guilty for not posting my recent manicures and am going to give you a quick update on the manicures I had on vacation.

Metal Magnets with Zoya Richelle and Layla Magneffects in Blue Gray Flow 03:

Holo Eyes with Zoya Isla, Bundle Monster plate BM207 with China Glaze OMG.

Happy Thanksgiving

Sorry for being MIA, but with being on vacation (something I'm very thankful for) and actually spending this Thanksgiving on my couch because sickness caught up with me, I've gotten behind.  So this post is going to be two manicures in one.  I did two themed manicures this week and here they are:

Cherry Pie.  Thanksgiving makes me think of eating.  And eating losts of great food is always followed up by pie.  I actually don't like cherry pie, but had the right colors for it, so here it is.  I painted three coats of China Glaze Salsa and added the lattice of the pie crust with China Glaze Classic Camel and outlined that with China Glaze Midtown Magic.  I finished the look with Seche Vite.

Native.  Thanksgiving in America is a mix of European and Native traditions and this year my manicure reflect more of the native side.  I have trace amounts of Native American blood in me, and I think it's important today to reflect on how we all can come together and help one another and be thankful that we all have something to learn from everyone around us.  For the manicure, I taped off the top half of my nail and painted three coats of China Glaze Flyin' High and then painted the top half with China Glaze City Siren.  With Bundle Monster Plate bm204, I used Konad Special Stamping polishes in Yellow and Black to make the native design.  I topped the manicure with one coat of Seche Vite.

Triple Threat

I'm going on vacation Thursday (hence the amped up posting routine).  This is most likely what will still be on my nails when I leave.  I really liked the way it turned out.  I've named it such because I kept adding polishing mediums for the look: marbling, glitter and Bundle Monster.  I hope the pictures capture it's awesome holographic edge.  I love marbling with my old school China Glaze OMG polishes.

Left Hand:

 Right Hand:

 Holo Shot Left (click to enlarge):

 Holo Shot Right (click to enlarge):

I painted three coats of Zoya Edyta.  On my ring fingers I added LA Splash Cosmetics Nail Glitter in Onyx.  My marble was done with China Glaze L8R G8R and Sally Hanson Diamond Strength in Flawless.  The stamp used Bundle Monster image disc BM212 and China Glaze Passion.  Seche Vite was my topcoat.

One Hit Wonder

If you follow me and my nail polish style, you know I love glitter.  I'm drawn to their sparkle--it's so enticing!  But after this manicure, I have decided I hate glitter polish.  Ok, so I don't really hate glitter polish, but I have come to a decision about it:  It's only good as a top addition to a manicure.  I just have not had great luck with sole glitter polishes, mainly in wear.  This manicure is called "One Hit Wonder" because it barely lasted me 18 hours before it chipped.  (You may not know this about me, but when my polish chips, I have to do everything in my power to pick the rest of it off my nails ASAP.)  I've come to realize that I can do a way better full glitter look with my loose glitters than any polish can give me.  Plus glitter polishes are rarely dense enough to wear alone and I am a girl who 99.99% of the time goes for complete opacity in my manicures.  Ok.  Rant over.  This manicure was cute enough.  I wanted to capture the glitter shining through underneath, but not quite sure I did that.

I painted four coats of China Glaze CG In The City and used Konad Special Stamping Polish in White with Bundle Monster Plate BM210.  I painted one coat of Seche Vite to finish the look.

Discoteca

This manicure was so great in it's silver, holo awesomeness.  It really fun and sparkly. It's hard sometimes to catch glitters in their shiny, holographic, sparkly state, but I'm finding reflection works great to show some of the different dimensions of the polish itself.  On a application note, I used loose holographic bar glitter pressed in the not quite dry manicure, and although it looks great it ends up feeling awful; it would continue to lift during the entire time I wore the manicure and I would have to continue to peel the little bars of glitter off.  It almost reminded me of fraying fabric--or maybe in my dry hand state now, hangnails.  Good thing the whole manicure was so stacked with glitter power, it was hard to notice the waning glitter as the days went by.

I painted three coats of Zoya Dove and added loose bar glitter from CinaPro in Metallic Jewels "E" first and then LA Splash Cosmetics Face and Body Glitter in Silver Torpedo.  Atop the entire manicure, I used one coat Seche Vite. 

Butterfly Effect

From extremely long to extreme short.  Well artificial nails definitely ruined my nails.  Even if I was as careful as I could be: minimal buffing, 45 minute acetone soak to remove, the process of getting rid of them was not very fun.  I definitely loved my claw nails, but acrylic won't be in my future again any time soon. Besides being short, they are so weak.  It'll take me probably over a month to recover.  Oh, well.  All for the love of nail polish!

Getting on to this manicure post.  I have to say that I love the base color in this manicure.  It's from China Glaze's Metro Collection and It couldn't be a prettier brown shimmer. It has so many multifaceted colors: orange, yellow, brown, gold, red.  The glitter placement reminded me of a butterfly--hence the name.  Unfortunately, I don't feel I got a great picture without a lot of glare.

I painted three coats China Glaze Midtown Magic.  I added LA Splash Cosmetics Nail Glitter in Pot 'O Gold.  The manicure was topped with one coat Seche Vite.