2012 Top Ten Favorite Manicures

It's time again for my year in review of my favorite manicures of this year.  I have to say, I have done a few I really like, but for myself, I think I've kind of slacked this year.  I haven't posted as much as I should have.  I feel like I have had to do more "quick fix" manicures and, honestly, it's hard to continue to be creative.  I am probably speaking out of the tiredness that comes with the end of the holiday season.  My new job has changed my time table and energy to devote to posting.  Don't get me wrong, nails are still a love of mine and I am dedicated to continue to use these ten fingers as my mini canvases to have fun on and share with others.  I am going to continue to do my best and that is all I can expect for myself.  So here is a look back on my favorite of the year.  They may not all be the most creative, difficult or inspirational, but they are the ones that make me smile.  As always, click on the link for more pictures and for the original post.

10. Mermaid: You know glitter is my go-to.  This one was the right combination of duochrome, shine and girly perfection.

9. Spangled Stars: It was fun to find the stripe design under the solid color.  

8. String Of Pearls: I liked that this manicure was just a quick inspiration that turned out to be a pretty design.

7. Satin Flowers: This was one of my best use of stamps.  I love the multi-colors in the stamp.  

6. And May The Odds Be Ever In Your Favor: First, love Hunger Games.  This was so fun to find names, make some up and have my own reaping.

5. Hint of Lemon: I really slacked on the water marbling this year.  Love the highlighter pop!

4. Holiday Lights vs Winterscape: It's a tie.  I don't want to put two holiday manicures as separate numbers, so I'm putting them together.  Of my holiday manicures these were my fave.  

3. Halloween Night: I was obviously into scenes on my nails this year.  This was so fun and creepy for Halloween.

2. Dots The Best: Super simple, very pretty.  Loved the contrast in colors.

1. Tye Dye: Just a perfect summer manicure.  Bright, fun and totally me!

Bubbly

In honor on New Years Eve tomorrow, I am posting my manicure for the occasion.  It seems a bit subdued for me since the night always seems to need to be so epic, but I think it fits.  It's a representation of the toast I will be making to a great year and continue living a happy life once the ball drops at midnight!  Be safe!  Have a great night and spend some time with the ones you love.

I painted a base two coats of Zoya Richelle and added some glitter from Esther's Nail Center and La Splash Cosmetics in Pot O' Gold.  I painted a coat of China Glaze Swanky Silk on top and added a few more pieces of glitter.  I used two coats of Seche Vite to finish the look.

Twas The Night Before Christmas

Christmas Eve, Eve and I was working on my manicure like a good little elf. Hoping with last until Christmas.  Wishing all of you a safe holiday full of friends, family, good times and all you wish for.

Santa: Base Three base coats China Glaze Hey Sailor.  Use of China Glaze White On White, Liquid Leather and Orly Luxe.

Bricks and Stockings: Two base coats China Glaze Classic Camel.  Taped off and a two layers of China Glaze Foxy.  Use of colors China Glaze White On White, Classic Camel, Starboard, City Siren, Hey Sailor, Def Defying, Liquid Leather Ulta Envy, Orly Luxe & Au Champagne, OPI Golden Rules!, Zoya Trixie.  Use of Bundle Monster Plate BM11 with Konad Special Stamping Polish in Apple Green.

Chimney and Rudolph: Two base coats of China Glaze Up All Night.  Use of China Glaze Classic Camel, Foxy, Liquid Leather, Orly Au Champagne, OPI Golden Rules! Topped Rudolph's nose with a gemstone.

Seche Vite was my top coat.

Holiday Lights

I feel better writing this post.  I always have the best intentions to keep you updated, but then fall woefully behind in posting.  But now I got you six new manicures for the holiday season, and if I'm a really good girl, I'll get my Christmas manicure up and out to you as well (course I have to create it yet, but I have some ideas!)  I love the look of this manicure and was worth using most all of my oblong, colored gems.  The hand painting was a bit tedious, but I'm happy with the results.  I really tried hard to capture the fact that even if these lights don't actually plug in and light up, in the right light, they almost look like they do.

I painted three coats of Zoya Harley and then added the gems.  Once dried, I mixed Zoya Edyta and Yara for the strand.  I used Seche Vite as my top coat.

Winterscape

This manicure is shaping to be one of my favorites this round of holiday nails.  It was very simple, but so whimsical.  Even if snow can complicate our every day lives at times, I'm so glad to live in a place where I get to experience it.  Here's hoping it stays around for a white Christmas!

I painted two coats of China Glaze Liquid Leather.  At the base of the nail, I sponged Orly Au Champagne as my snow.  Atop, I added a layer of Orly Twilight for background sparkle.  I stamped using Bundle Monster plate BM214 BM205 with Konad Special Stamping Polish in White.  My final touch was using the dotting tool to make larger snowflakes with Orly Au Champagne.  One coat of Seche Vite used to shine the final product.

Icing and Sprinkles

Every year I get together with my college friends to bake cookies for the holidays.  I try to use that fun day as inspiration, and once I saw this sparkle polish from China Glaze Cirque Du Soleil, Worlds Away polish line, I had a cookie inspiration.  Layering the polish on underlying color, looked like icing and sprinkles: a perfect cookie topping.

I painted three coats of China Glaze Def Defying, Hanging In The Balance, Creative Fantasy as base colors.  I also painted three coats on my pointer and thumb with three coats of It's A Trap-Eze! and used two coats of the sparkle polish to top the solid colors listed above.  Seche Vite was the top coat.

Deck The Halls With Double Balls

Ok.  Terrible title of the manicure, but "Double Dots" didn't seem very festive.  I was inspired by some nail appliques I saw at a store for this idea.  Figured it would be easy enough for me to do myself.  It was!

I painted a base two coats of China Glaze Cast A Spell.  Dots were made with the following: China Glaze Hey Sailor, Def Defying, Starboard, Zoya Reva, Trixie, Orly Au Champagne, Ulta Jaded.  Seche Vite was my top coat.

Nude Snowflakes

Minnesota hadn't gotten a big snowfall before this manicure.  It was my way of calling it to us, because soon after we had a crazy snowfall!  It was amazing and aggravating at the same time.  For whatever reason, nude is tricky to capture on camera.  Plus, my sparkles were so subtle, I also had difficulty capturing it.  Oh well, on with the snowflakes!

I painted three coats of China Glaze Knotty and added LA Splash Cosmetics Nail Glitter in Golden Egg.  Using Bundle Monster plates BM03, BM14, BM202, BM204 with Konad Special Stamping Polish in White.  One coat Seche Vite to finish.

Snowy Trees

This manicure was inspire by a very heavy snow we had here in Minnesota.  The best part about snow is the way the trees look afterwards.  It's so magical.  My manicure doesn't live up to nature's beauty, but I tried.

I painted a base of three coats of China Glaze Winter Holly and then for the design I added branches, snow and contrast with Zoya Paris, Edyta and Orly Au Champagne.  I used two coats of Seche Vite for the top coat.

Thanksgiving and Black Friday

Yesterday was thanksgiving here in the States and I also participated in something I've never done before: Black Friday.  So in honor of those two events, here are the nails inspired by them:

Thanksgiving Feathers:

I painted a base two coats of Zoya Tiffany and sponged Zoya Sienna and China Glaze Riveting.  For the feathers I used Bundle Monster image disc BM214 with China Glaze Blue Bells Ring.  I finished with Seche Vite.

Black Friday: 

This manicure was fun with the layering effect.  I first painted two coats of China Glaze Liquid Leather and then added glitter with LA Splash Cosmetics in Silver Wave.  I then added a coat of Orly Androgynie for the final layer.  I used one coat of Seche Vite, but now after a day, I may add another for more shine.

Blood Splatter Expert Update

The post that draws the most attention to this blog is by far my Blood Splatter Expert.  And this year, before Halloween, it was linked on two blog sites for manicure ideas.  Now I get a lot of questions about how my flinging, Frankenstein contraption works.  So I took a short video that will hopefully shed some light on the how I get my splatter.  It's a bit tricky to do with your non-dominant hand.  It's also, obviously, extremely messy.  But I believe that the end result yields a better line of splatter than the straw method or the other experiments I tried.  Hope this helps.

Vote!

It's the eve of the Presidential Election here in the US.  So in honor, I'm encouraging all and showing my intentions to vote on November 6th.

Three coats of China Glaze High Roller was the base.  I used China Glaze White On White for the check box and with Konad Special Polish in White and Coral Blue with Bundle Monster image disk BM14.  Seche Vite was the top coat.

Happy Halloween 2012

I've been a terrible blogger to you, so in honor of Halloween, my treat is posting pics of all my October Halloween-themed manicures.

Bat-ter Up:

Skull And Crossbones:

Slimed:

Witchy:

Halloween Night:

Bat-ter up: China Glaze In The Limelight, Bizarre Blurple, Bundle Monster image disks: BM13, BM213 with Konad Special Polish in Black and Apple Green.

Skull and Crossbones: China Glaze Smoke and Ashes, Bundle Monster image disk BM211 with Konad Special Polish in Psyche Pink and White.

Slimed: I finally tried the splatter with a straw (didn't like the results as much as my frankenstein contraption).  I used the black light to try to show you the glow and the dark polish, but really it just showed the neon more.  Still cool.  Used Orly Au Champagne, China Glaze Piña Colada.

Witchy: Love this red/orange from China Glaze's Wicket Collection.  Painted three coats of Rougish Red and used Bundle Monster image disk BM13 with Konad Special Stamping Polish in Violet Pearl

Halloween Night: My actual Halloween manicure for the day.  Created a spooky nightscape.  Painted 3 coats of China Glaze Immortal; moon made of a mix of China Glaze Kalahari Kiss and White On White;  clouds of China Glaze White On White, Liquid Leather Orly Au Champagne.  Used image Bundle Monster Image Disks: BM213, BM224

Snaked

I very much liked the richness of this snakeskin manicure, it really gets me into the fall feeling.  I think I'm finally getting ready to let go of summer, but it truly was a wonderful one.  Fall is going to come whether I want it to or not, so let's get ready.  I was just thinking that I'm going to have to prepare for my October, Halloween manicures.  I better do a more consistent job of posting.  I'm kinda on a once a month kick, which is not nice for all of you followers, but since I got my new job and things have been transitioning, I haven't been very motivated to post.  Sorry.  Well, I've updated some highlights, and hope to post some more soon.

I painted three coats of China Glaze Brownstone and added Bundle Monster Plate BM224  with Special Stamping Polish in Black.  I used one two of Seche Vite to finish