iPolished

Valentine's Day, Part 1

2012-02-10T23:29:00.001-06:00

Officially I have started my Valentine's Day manicures. Here are a few. I will have a few more for you before or on the day (promise).

Sparkle Hearts:
I painted three coats of both Zoya Ali and China Glaze Salsa. Once fully dried, I hand painted the hearts on each nail and added glitters from LA Splash Cosmetics in Fashionista and Hazardous. Seche Vite was my top coat.

Love, Love, Love:
Was three coats of Orly Au Champagne and images from Bundle Monster plates BM202, BM09, Konad plate m59 with Konad Special Polishes Violet, Black and Psyche Pink. A few words were handpainted with China Glaze Liquid Leather. I completed the look with one coat of Seche Vite.

Mermaid

2012-02-10T22:55:00.000-06:00

My Girlie Girl manicure started me on the pastel/glitter band wagon. (I think it's because Valentine's Day is on its way). But OMG, I loved this manicure. I fact I loved it so much, I did something I haven't done in years.....I painted it twice. The first version only had a day to show itself off before it died in a pool, so I felt it deserved a 2.0. It was a surprise in it's multi-dimensional qualities. It had several different looks--hence the numerous pictures.

I painted three coats of Zoya Marley and added a blue iridescent glitter (I don't have a brand) with larger bright pink hex glitter from Esther's Nail Center. To finish the look, I used one coat of Seche Vite on top.

Girlie Girl

2012-02-10T22:42:00.002-06:00

A few cute toddler girls that have birthdays in January inspired this manicure. It was so pink and girlie, I fit right in at one of their princess parties. It was hard to capture the iridescence, but you can pick it up in some of the reflections.

I painted three coats of OPI Mod About You and added holo purple and iridescent blue large hex glitter and LA Splash Cosmetic nail glitter in Red Heart Spangle (minus the hearts). Seche Vite was used as the top coat.

Purple Opal

2012-02-10T22:27:00.000-06:00

I don't have the right name for this manicure, but it is the first installment in my step towards Valentine's day nails.

I painted three coats of Zoya Mira and added Bundle Monster image disk BM218 with Konad Special Polish in Violet. I painted one coat of Finger Paints Flecked with one coat of Seche Vite.

Outer Space

2012-02-10T22:08:00.000-06:00

I'm doing a 2-4-1 with this post. These two manicures seem to go together and I loved them both.

Celestial: This is three coats of China Glaze Up All Night and LA Splash cosmetic glitter in Silver Wave with larger hex glitter from my collection from Esther's Nail Center (a mutil-colored copper mix). I added one coat of Seche Vite to finish the look.

Nebulous: This manicure was inspired by the flakie glitter showed in this manicure. I just pictured a space theme with the colored flecks and loved this final look. I painted three coats of China Glaze Liquid Leather. For the nebulous, I dotted the center with Orly Glitz & Glamour and China Glaze Icicle, hand painted accents with China Glaze Cyberspace. Over the entirety I painted two coats of Finger Paints Asylum and added one coat of Seche Vite for the top coat.

Odd Couple

2012-02-10T20:12:00.000-06:00

I was really feeling the ugly/pretty vibe and nothing is more ugly/pretty than this China Glaze color, a hot pink accent and glitter flakies.

I painted three coats of China Glaze Trendsetter and added a Bundle Monster image from disc BM222 with Special Konad Polish in Psyche Pink. I added one coat of Essie Shine of the Times and one coat of Seche Vite to finish the look.

Purple Swish

2012-02-10T19:50:00.002-06:00

In an effort to get caught up, I'm posting this manicure quickly and concisely (as well as the rest of my posts). I got some MAC sample nail polishes for Christmas and this color was a feature. I really liked the simplicity of this manicure.

I had to paint four coats for this purple to be fully opaque. It's MAC Dark Angel. I added a swish of China Glaze Icicle and Ulta Material Girl. One coat of Seche Vite was used for the finishing touch.

Drag Marbling

2012-01-25T01:07:00.000-06:00

This is my first attempt at drag marbling, a manicure technique often done by a blogger I follow, My Simple Pleasures. I think it turned out pretty well, but all the foil finishes make it look a bit un-crisp in the photos.

I painted two coats of Milani Blue Lightning and while the third coat was wet, I used my dotting tool and China Glaze Icicle and Mistletoe Me and a toothpick to drag/swirl the dots together. I sealed the manicure with one coat of Seche Vite.

Fowl Flower

2012-01-25T00:33:00.000-06:00

Orly's Fowl Play is a great base for a manicure. I ended up adding a lot of design to it and may have taken away from its awesomeness. But you can click on the link to my swatches of the color to see it in its full glory.

I painted three coats of Fowl Play and added Bundle Monster plate BM201 with Konad Special Polish in Violet and plate BM207 with China Glaze Platinum Silver. One coat Seche Vite was used to finish the manicure.

Red Feather

2012-01-25T00:12:00.000-06:00

This manicure started with the glitter and the sponged black layer. However, I didn't like it enough. It needed more. Then I added the Bundle Monster stamp and it was complete.

Before:

After:

I painted three coats of China Glaze Liquid Leather and added LA Splash Glitter in Midnight Star and sponged Liquid Leather on the bottom half of the manicure. I then added Bundle Monster image BM216 with China Glaze Platinum Silver. One coat of Seche Vite was used to finish the look.

V Neck

2012-01-24T23:55:00.002-06:00

I might be behind the original trend, but now that flakies are coming out in full force this season, I'm in full support. It's such a great addition to a manicure that isn't full glitter.

This manicure was base coated with China Glaze Up All Night. I added in V formation, Essie Shine Of The Times and Zoya Lisa. I added one coat of Seche Vite.

Leather And Lace

2012-01-03T23:56:00.001-06:00

Today was my nine year wedding anniversary and it coincided with me needing to paint my nails. So I looked up traditional wedding gifts for year and nine and the options were either Traditional: pottery, UK: copper or US Modern: leather goods. I thought pottery was not a concept I wanted to get into in terms of a manicure, so I thought I could go modern US and go leather. That got me thinking and it immediately triggered the song Leather and Lace by Stevie Nicks and Don Henley. Especially since my husband oddly requested we sing this duet karaoke (something he rarely does these days) but mostly odd because he wants to sing the Stevie Nicks part. ;) So I first I tried to find lace in my home and came across some lingerie from my bridal shower (how fitting) that I no longer wear and cut 10 to fit my fingers. However, it didn't work well as a concept because I used a black polish base (China Glaze Liquid Leather, of course. To keep with the theme) and when a clear polish was painted over the red lace, it lost all its contrast. So plan B was to use Konad design and a nude nail for the lace background.

And there you have the long back story to this manicure. I was happy with my stamping, I've been really trying to improve my accuracy since I had to use two different images. I like the lace mostly for it's tie to the manicure's nostalgia, but it's scratchy and hard once a top coat is applied, and I'm not sure if I actually like real lace manicures. Either way, happy anniversary to me!

Left Hand:

Right Hand:

On all fingers but ring, I painted three coats of China Glaze Liquid Leather and used Konad Image Disk m57 with China Glaze Passion. My ring fingers were painted with three coats Zoya Skye and then lace was added. Each finger was finished with one coat of Seche Vite.

Top Picks of 2011

2012-01-01T17:29:00.000-06:00

It's time for another retrospective. Here are my favorite manicures of 2011. Click on the links to be transported to the original posts.

10. Spirit Animals: Stepping It Up A Notch. This manicure was my first dabble with water decals. It was fun to give them to my friends and have a fun manicure time.

9. Poison Control. Maybe skulls are overrated and cliché, but I liked this manicure.

8. Purple Pop Water Marble. I loved the color combination of this manicure.

7. Leather Corsets. A manicure concept that worked from my mind to my nails.

6. Seriously Pretty. I still am into the holographic nail polish, and this manicure is proof of why!

5. Red + Green = Awesome. I love my glitters, but this manicure really popped. The green nearly glowed behind the red glitter background.

4. Hint Of Lime. Marbling! Still such a great way to debut a manicure. I really liked the glow of the green/lime neon in this manicure. Such a great color combo.

3. Cosmic Ring. Another marble, probably my favorite of the year. It truly glowed from within; truly pretty.

2. Golden Chameleon. This was my favorite sparkle of the year. It was a the perfect color combination and ultra sparkly.

1. Beauty In Darkness. My affinity for this manicure is not necessarily in the paint job, but more in it's emotional tie to me. Since this is the manicure I did for my aunt who passed away, one of the most significant events of my 2011, it has one of the most special places in my heart.

Runners Up

My runners up this year were my two claw manicures. Both fun, but I was proud to try a new medium with acrylic (even if it was totally impractical and I will most likely never do it again). Probably whey it didn't make my top picks.

Extreme claw

The Claw!

Happy 2012!

2012-01-01T16:10:00.000-06:00

This is the manicure I rang the new year in with. I wanted a glittery, confetti-type manicure, and was pleased with the result. However I was hoping my glitter would be more dense, but since I had made it myself and added a finer glitter to the mix, it wanted to adhere to my polish more than the larger glitter flecks did. Either way, I'm happy with the result. However, I am realizing with more and more manicures, my love for Seche Vite waning. I am pretty sure because of it's fast drying qualities, it makes my polish shrink. I have tip wear in these photos even though I just painted them. I'm torn because I love how shiny and fast it dries, but it bothers me it affects the tips of my manicures.

I painted three coats of Zoya Tao and to my pointer fingers I added LA Splash Cosmetics glitter in Silver Torpedo and mixed a glitter concotion of dots nail glitter flakes from Esther's Nail Center with LA Splash Cosmetics glitter in Silver Wave. I finished the manicure with two coats of Seche Vite.

Winter Wonderland

2011-12-24T23:44:00.000-06:00

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

2011-12-22T01:15:00.001-06:00

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

2011-12-21T00:41:00.001-06:00

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

2011-12-20T23:41:00.000-06:00

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

2011-12-13T23:05:00.003-06:00

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

2011-12-11T17:39:00.001-06:00

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

2011-12-07T00:00:00.001-06:00

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

2011-12-06T23:53:00.001-06:00

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.

Spotlight

2011-12-06T23:42:00.001-06:00

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

2011-12-06T23:28:00.001-06:00

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

2011-12-06T23:19:00.001-06:00

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

2011-12-06T23:05:00.001-06:00

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

2011-11-24T20:00:00.001-06:00

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

2011-11-09T01:23:00.001-06:00

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

2011-11-09T01:13:00.002-06:00

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

2011-11-09T00:47:00.000-06:00

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

2011-11-09T00:27:00.002-06:00

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.

Extreme Claw!!!

2011-10-31T00:00:00.000-05:00

You've already seen my first edition of claw nails this season. I loved them for their creativeness and practicality, but I knew I wanted to do something a bit outrageous for my second rendition. When I thought "claw," nothing said it like nail extensions. I spent the last week researching how to apply acrylic nails at home and decided to give it a go. A trend in the nail world is stiletto nails, that is what these are! Working with acrylic was tricky, and the whole process got harder the more nails I had finished on my fingers. I persevered. I'll say, for my first attempt, I did a pretty good job! (Though, I probably will never do it again. My house stunk something fierce!). Unlike my original claw nails, these nails are completely impractical! In fact, I had to use Dragon Dictation in order to help me write this blog post. Either way, as I loved my first claws, I love these as well. They went great with my costume. Good thing they will be coming off after they rock today for Halloween. Have a great day!

Claw with the paw:

I used to No Lift Nails Pro Kit for the acrylic system with Terrific Tips Classic Oval Nail Tips for nail extension tips. I filed the tips into points before applying them. Once the manicure was cured and filed to exactness, they were ready to be painted. I used three coats of China Glaze Liquid Leather and on top use LA Splash Cosmetic Glitter Splash in Rockstar from their Halloween 2011 collection. Seche Vite sealed the entire look.

Halloween Double Water Marble

2011-10-30T22:21:00.001-05:00

I knew I wanted to do a water marble with Halloween colors. I also had bought glow-in-the-dark polish. I thought it would be cool to do a double marble with glow-in-the-dark polish for the top layer, but when I went to try and marble with the glow-in-the-dark polish, it did not work at all to marble with. However, I didn't want to give up, but it's evident by the pictures from the pictures, I should have given up with the polish. So, this is barely a glow-in-the-dark miniature, however I like double marble look anyway and the end result turned out pretty nice.

Right Hand:

Left Hand:

No Glow....

For the base color, I painted two coats China Glaze White On White. The base marble used China Glaze White On White and China Glaze Liquid Leather. The top marble used China Glaze Papaya Punch, China Glaze Liquid Leather and Piggy Polish Nocture-nail. The entire manicure was coated with one coat Seche Vite.

Jack O Lantern

2011-10-25T12:42:00.001-05:00

I had this idea for a while. It's probably a spin off of my ghosts from last year. I think they turned out pretty well. Plus, at least these ones won't get eaten by squirrels or smashed on the sidewalk.

Left Hand:

Left Thumb:

Right Hand

Right Thumb:

I painted three coats of China Glaze Liquid Leather. For the faces I painted a base of China Glaze Passion and then added China Glaze Free Love and Sun Worshiper. I coated the entire manicure with two coats of Seche Vite.

The Claw!!!

2011-10-20T23:12:00.000-05:00

This year for Halloween, I am dressing up as a raccoon. I had my first Halloween party tonight and this is my first showing of companion nails for the costume (I'll have one more party next Saturday and have different nail plans for that party as well). This turned out great! So fun to hold out my hands and show off my claws.

I painted three coats of Zoya Skye and then hand painted the claws with China Glaze Liquid Leather. I finished the manicure with one coat of Seche Vite.

Pumpkinesque

2011-10-20T23:02:00.001-05:00

I wasn't going for a literal pumpkin, but these colors and this design concept is "pumpkinesque" to me. Orange and green speak Halloween manicure to me, so here you go!

I painted three coats of China Glaze Breakin' leaving space by the cuticle. I added Dots Nail Glitter Flakes in orange from Esther's Nail Center and filled in the gaps with LA Splash Cosmetics in Immature. At the cuticle, I painted two coats of China Glaze Liquid Leather. Over the entire manicure I painted one coat of Seche Vite.

Glowing Cat Eyes

2011-10-16T15:48:00.006-05:00

really wanted to do cat eyes this year and was so happy I had purchased my Layla Magneffects, because they made the perfect, real-life looking eyes! Enjoy, just beware of the black cat that crosses your path!

Sun:

Flash:

Sun:

I painted three coats of China Glaze Liquid Leather I used a coat of Essie Matte About You to matte the look. Once completely dry, I taped off the top lid of the eye and painted one coat (and then magnetized) both Layla Magneffects in Blue Grey Flow 03 and Golden Bronze 09. Around the outside of the blue eye I painted a rim of Zoya Jo and around the rim of the golden eye I painted a rim that was a mix of equal parts OPI Golden Rules and China Glaze Cyperspace. I added the iris with China Glaze Liquid Leather and atop the eyes I glossed them with Seche Vite

Hanging Spider

2011-10-16T12:22:00.003-05:00

Thank goodness for Bundle Monster and Konad for making quick, fun Halloween manicures possible! I knew I wanted to do a spider this year and thought a dangling spider would be a fun concept. The photos aren't exactly true to color, but just know that it was a great neon orange: my flash pictures are more on the yellow side and my side photo isn't neon enough. Think somewhere in between!

I had to so some layering to make this color scheme possible and so I first painted two coats of China Glaze Peachy Keen for a good opaque base and then painted two coats of China Glaze Sun Worshiper on top, but still had a few spots I wasn't happy with, so an addition of one coat China Glaze White Cap brought everything together. I used Special Konad Polish in Black with Bundle Monster plate BM13 and Konad image disk m28. For the line dangling the spider, I free handed the line with Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure in Midnight in NY. Finally I used one coat of Seche Vite to seal the look and finish the manicure.

Halloween Sparkle

2011-10-11T21:09:00.002-05:00

Since Halloween is just under three weeks away, I thought I had better start doing some holiday themed designs. This one is pretty tame for Halloween, but I thought it was good to start off slow.

I painted three coats of China Glaze Free Love and then added Light Purple Dots Nail Glitter Flakes from Esther's Nail Center and painted atop a coat of Sally Hansen Rockstar Pink and finished the look with one coat of Seche Vite

Magneffects

2011-10-09T12:33:00.007-05:00

This upcoming trend of Magnetic nail polish is SOOOO COOL! I have been over crackle for a long time and hopefully this will replace it soon enough. It's so easy and the effects really are fantastic. I decided I was going to make a video because it's a process that still pictures don't do justice. Although I was originally going to do a cheap, quick tutorial, I live with a filmmaker and he wouldn't let me get away with my iPhone video. So check out this great product and finishing result (Here is a link if video imbed isn't working):

Magneffects is made in Italy, but there are online retailers that sell the products. I purchased mine from Brigette's Boutique and had a great experience. They are located in Wisconsin, which is close to me. I ordered on a Wednesday night and received my polishes via first class mail by Friday. So fast! Be warned, that the polish is $15.50, which is a on the high end for polish price points. But I'd keep in mind for nail art, it's comparable. Think about it--you need two bottles of nail polish for crackle, so $15.50 might be worth it!

Left Hand:

Right Hand:

These photos show two coats of Blue Gray Flow 03 and Golden Bronze 09 with one coat of Seche Vite for the top coat.

Thanks to Munqs for the background music for the video.

Riverbed

2011-10-09T12:13:00.003-05:00

I had a planned this manicure thinking I would add my own created "river rocks", but they didn't turn out, so this was the resulting manicure. I liked in anyway, but the design wasn't fully realized. It happens.

I painted three coats of Zoya Cynthia and then added China Glaze Digital Dawn with Bundle Monster BM209. Seche Vite was the top coat.

Purple/Pink Sparkle

2011-10-09T12:04:00.003-05:00

I've needed to find a way to showcase my new Ulta Nail polish, and this was the result. It was pretty and simple. The pictures don't show the multi-sized glitter flecks as well, but click on the link below for better swatches.

Flash:

Lamp:

i painted two coats of China Glaze Below Deck and then added to the tips Ulta Tink-Her-Bell with the finishing touch of one coat of Seche Vite.

Autumn Marble

2011-10-09T11:46:00.003-05:00

Even though it marks the end of summer, Fall is really a great season. This marble was to reflect some of the great colors of fall. While I liked it on my nail--even if it was on the dark side, I hate the photos. Too much definition that you don't see with the naked eye.

I painted a base two coats of China Glaze Trendsetter. I marbled with the same and China Glaze Loft-Y Ambitions and China Glaze Midtown Magic. I used one coat of Seche Vite to finish the manicure.

Spongy

2011-09-27T22:06:00.003-05:00

I love this base coat from Orly's new line Mineral FX. It's so multi-faceted and pretty. It's a more pink red with awesome purple and orange glitter undertones. But I have committed myself to never just to a single polish, so I added some other purple colors via sponging. It was fun and a great final look.

Muted Light:

Flash:

I painted three coats of Orly Mineral FX in Emberstone and sponged the following colors: China Glaze Grape Juice and Zoya Valerie. Finishing top coat was Seche Vite.

A Splash Of Glitter

2011-09-27T21:56:00.003-05:00

This manicure was so fun to have on my nails. It wasn't originally what I had in mind, I actually was going to do a more all over glitter, but when I started and the first nail I glittered was clustered and asymmetrical, I loved it! So even though it's full of bling, less was more all said and done!

Flash!

I painted three coats of Zoya Paris and then added Silver holo dot nail glitter flakes from Esther's Nail Center. I finished the manicure with one coat of Seche Vite.

Change of Color

2011-09-27T21:21:00.003-05:00

I'm having a hard time accepting that it's fall, but I'm working on it. Even if it's hard to part with summer, the one great thing fall brings is color, color, color. This manicure is a step in the right direction for me embracing cooler temperatures and the seasonal retirement of my two-wheeled vehicle (boo).

I painted three coats of China Glaze Brownstone and added to the bottom of the manicure LA Splash Cosmetics nail glitter in Pot 'O Gold. To the tip of the manicure I alternated three colors of Konad Special Stamping Polish in Apple Green, Psyche Pink and Yellow with Bundle Monster plate BM209 with the final touch of Seche Vite on top (one coat).

Eye Spy

2011-09-27T21:09:00.002-05:00

This was a quickie manicure after a failed attempt before it (different design scheme with no photographic evidence left behind). This stamp reminds me of eyes, obviously, so my fingers were following me wherever I went.

I painted three coats of China Glaze Loft-Y Ambitions and used China Glaze Platinum Silver with Bundle Monster plate BM212 and finished the manicure with one coat of Seche Vite.

Fire Web

2011-09-27T20:41:00.004-05:00

Sorry to be behind in posting. I have lots of legitimate excuses, but they probably don't really matter. So I'll get right to the posting. This was a great red shimmer that doesn't show off its subtle hue change in these photos. The top red and the red underneath the Bundle Monster stamp are not the same. I've shown several photos at my attempt to capture.

I painted three coats of Orly Rock-It and then sponged Orly Emberstone on the tips of my nails. At the bottom of the divide of colors I used Bundle Monster plate BM208 with Konad Special Polish in Psyche Pink and Yellow. I painted one coat of Seche Vite to finish the manicure.

Romantic Purple

2011-09-13T12:36:00.003-05:00

I needed something easy and quick and Bundle Monster (or Konad) is always a great way to get a fun manicure with minimal hassle. And spicing up stamping is by using multiple colors in the design.

Flash:

I painted three coats of Zoya Neeka and added Konad Special Stamping Polish in Violet and Orly Luxe. One coat of Seche Vite was used to seal the manicure.

Disco Sparkle

2011-09-13T12:21:00.003-05:00

As you can tell I've been on a sparkle kick again, but I'm adding a touch of water marbling to set it off. This manicure was hard to capture in photos. It is so hard to capture blues and purples sometimes and when I put them together, it looked awesome on the nail, but photos didn't really do them justice. I found the best ones I could and I'm sure you get the idea...

Right Hand:

Left Hand:

Flash:

You can also see my left pinky and I got in a major fight....

I painted on all fingers but my ring two coats of China Glaze First Mate. On those fingers I added royal blue, large dot flake glitter I bought From Esther's Nail Center and to fill in the space between the large dots, I added LA Splash Cosmetics Nail Art Glitter in Illusion. For my ring fingers, I added two coats of China Glaze Señorita Bonita and marbled with it China Glaze First Mate. For the entire manicure, I finished the look with one coat of Seche Vite.

Little Green Monster

2011-09-13T12:19:00.000-05:00

I wanted green sparkles and I ended up with something that seemed a bit reptilian. I think I was hoping the gray would shine through more, but this was definitely green on display more than anything.

I painted three coats of Zoya Tao and then added to the base of the manicure LA Splash Cosmetics Nail Art Glitter in Immature and to the tips used Bundle Monster Plate bm216 with Konad Special Stamping Polish in Apple Green. I added one coat of Seche Vite to finish the look.

Golden Chameleon

2011-09-04T17:27:00.004-05:00

I. LOVE. THIS. MANICURE. I haven't done glitter in a while and thought I'd come back with a bang. The results of this manicure are so multifaceted and shiny, it's nearly blinding. Well, not really, but it is very pretty. I was inspired by a dress I purchased recently that had a slate/gray base and rust colored birds. The contrast was so pretty, I decided to try and replicate it. Sometimes I have troubles finding just one photo I like, but this time it was the opposite. All photos were pretty and showed a different vantage of the manicure. So I'm including a lot of photos!

Sun Shot:

Flash with burst:

Low Light:

First I taped off my nails and painted two coats of of Zoya Kelly and added LA Splash Cosmetics nail glitter in Onyx. After it dried completely (the truth is after I finished my chores), I taped over the painted portion and added three coats of China Glaze Foxy and added a few pieces of glitter I purchased from Ester's Nail Center in a orange/rust color (they have no name, but in the photo on the site, it's the pot in the lower right corner) and in the spaces left I filled in with LA Spash Cosmetics nail glitter in Pot O' Gold. I then painted the entire nail with one coat of Seche Vite.

Apples And Oranges

2011-09-04T16:43:00.004-05:00

....and a bunch of other fruits. I'm trying to hold on to summer as long as possible, but when September hit us and it being labor day weekend now, it's hard. Things are in transition, kids are going back to school, days are getting shorter again. But the other day I picked up these scented polishes and I though this fruit salad manicure was a great way to keep up my summer spirits.

Right Hand:

Left Hand

I painted a base coat on all fingers but my ring of China Glaze's Lemon Fizz; two coats. Then I added two more coats of Revlon Scented Nail Enamel in Pineapple Fizz. On my ring fingers, I painted two coats of China Glaze Breakin' and then added one coat of Revlon Scented Nail Enamel in Watermelon Fizz. I used Konad Plate m55 and the following colors for the fruit:

Strawberry: Zoya Tamsen
Kiwi: Konad Special Stamping polish in Apple Green
Watermelon: Special Stamping polish in Apple Green, Psyche Pink and Black
Grapes: Special Stamping polish in Apple Green and Zoya Yasmeen
Blueberry: Special Stamping polish in Apple Green and Coral Blue, Zoya Yasmeen
Oranges: China Glaze Breakin', China Glaze Japanese Koi, China Glaze Papaya Punch
Apples: Special Stamping Polish in Apple Green, Zoya Paris, Zoya Tamsen

Psychedelic

2011-09-04T16:24:00.003-05:00

This manicure was so pretty and depending on how the light was hitting it, the colors could change. Blue, purple, pink. Very fun.

With flash:

I painted three coats of China Glaze Blue Iguana and then added Bundle Monster plate BM 223 with Konad Special Stamping Polish in Psyche Pink. I finished the look with one coat of Seche Vite.

Hot Pink 80's Marble

2011-08-27T15:24:00.003-05:00

Whew! I have successfully caught up on blogging. This is my current manicure and it definitely has an 80's vibe with its black, silver and hot pink color scheme. This idea wasn't my original, it is the result of failed previous water marbling attempts. My colors weren't working properly. These colors did and it stuck. I love it. Good things can come from failure!

Right Hand:

Left Hand:

Flash for Color:

I painted two coats of China Glaze Cheers To You and marbled China Glaze Liquid Leather and Platinum Silver with Orly Passion Fruit. The manicure was finished with one coat of Seche Vite.

Scaly

2011-08-27T15:14:00.002-05:00

Two brand new polishes showcased in this manicure. First it's Yara from Zoya's fall 2011 Smoke and Mirrors Collection and second is a new (to me) Special Yellow Stamping Polish from Konad. The pair was marvelous. However, it was a bit to fall for me yet on the color scheme. I still want to hold on to summer as long as I can! My side note is that I painted this while on vacation and I didn't have my camera. So the shot is after several days of wear and you can catch some tip wear in the photos.

I painted three coats of Zoya Yara on my nail and added Bundle Monster plate bm203 with Special Yellow Stamping Polish. Manicure was topped off with one coat of Seche Vite.

Purple Pop Water Marble

2011-08-27T14:57:00.004-05:00

It was water marbling time again. I really liked this manicure; the colors really blended together well. There were a few bald spots in the marble where you can see the silver underneath, but I kinda like that.

Right Hand:

Left Hand:

Flash for color:

I put a base coat of China Glaze Cheers To You and marbled Zoya Mira, Gemma and Cynthia. One coat of Seche Vite was used to finish the look..

Sparkle Filigree

2011-08-27T14:47:00.002-05:00

Quick, simple, pretty manicure. This was so easy to create and very pretty to look at.

I painted three coats of Zoya Faye and added Bundle Monster plate bm201 with Special Pastel Violet Stamping Polish and topped the manicure with one coat of Seche Vite.

Hot Swirl

2011-08-27T14:08:00.003-05:00

I loved this manicure. It was so bright and fun. I purchased some new Konad Special Polishes from OC Nail Art. This pink was perfect and I had to get it.

I painted three coats of Zoya Pippa and added Bundle Monster plate bm210 with Konad Special Stamping Polish in Psyche Pink. I used a top coat of Seche Vite.

Flower Decals

2011-08-27T13:37:00.003-05:00

I've been working on my water decal skills and this is my second attempt at something. One things I've learned with decals is that I have to be computer and vector art savvy. One thing I'm not. But I'm learning. However, for these flower designs I found some free vector art on the Internet and made the decals with those. I liked the way the design turned out, but decals are still pretty tricky. So I'm hoping practice makes perfect. But for now, here's the latest:

Base paint

Left hand

Right hand

I painted three coats of China Glaze Re-Fresh Mint and added China Glaze Paper Chasing with Bundle Monster plate bm203. On top I added the flower decals and two coats of Seche Vite.

Retro Blue

2011-08-27T13:23:00.003-05:00

Finally getting around to posting this. I very much like this blue and have been having fun with my new Bundle Monster plates.

I painted three coats of China Glaze First Mate and then added Konad plate design m65 on my pinky fingers and on the rest used Bundle Monster Plate bm203 all with Konad special polish in White. I used one coat of Seche Vite for the top coat.

Where has August gone?

2011-08-24T00:43:00.003-05:00

So sorry readers for not being present enough to post my manicures. I promise to be better this week and deliver my recent manicures. But until then, here's just a taste of what's on my nails currently (full post to come):

EDIT TO ORIGINAL POST:

I'm adding another picture and details on the manicure:

I painted three coats of China Glaze Below Deck and sponged China Glaze DV8 across the middle. I then used Bundle Monster plate bm217 with Konad Special Pastel Violet Stamping Polish and painted one coat of Seche Vite to seal the deal.

Voting!

2011-08-04T12:32:00.003-05:00

I would make a bad politician because I don't like to solicit to gain personal momentum. I am great with people, but I am a horrible salesperson (which is what I think you have to be to be successful in politics). But alas, I will buck up and ask another day for your vote! Click HERE to be redirected to Facebook. Thanks again for your support those who are voting!

Aren't I cute!?!

Simple Pink

2011-08-04T12:09:00.003-05:00

I love this color from the Island Escape Collection from China Glaze. So much that I wanted to let the color shine and do something simple. This image from Bundle Monster reminds me of music notes at first glance, but either way I like it.

With Flash:

Florescent Light:

I painted three coats of China Glaze 108 Degrees then added Bundle Monster Image from plate BM-208 with China Glaze Passion. I finished the manicure with one coat of Seche Vite.

Spirit Animals: Stepping It Up A Notch

2011-08-03T16:00:00.000-05:00

Alright, I do know that I have a healthy self-esteem but I don't really like to brag. However, I was so excited with my new venture in nail art, that I was very proud of myself and hope you guys get a charge out of these manicures as much as I do!

As you know from my posts, I have recently entered a nail painting contest (vote for me here). As I was reading through some posts, I came across a manicurist who mentioned water decals that she made herself. Here is her blog, BTW, she has great landscape nails! I had to look into it myself to see if it was easy or hard. After getting some help from the Internet and having some inspiration due to an upcoming girls weekend, I decided to go for it. Water decal paper was a bit difficult to track down, but I found it and am excited to show you the results.

The back story on the following manicures is this: a group of my girlfriends have adopted Spirit Animals that either capture our heart, speak to us in some way and in general create an all over cheesy feeling. So I decided I would treat my friends to a manicure on our weekend getaway and make decals with their Spirit Animal. Here are the results!

Man Of War:

Painted with a base coat of Zoya Sienna and Konad Special Polish in Coral Blue with Konad plate m65.

The Loon:

Painted with three coats of China Glaze Sea Spray and using Konad Special Stamping Polish in Coral Blue and Bundle Monster Plate MB-209.

Bear:

(or as we like to call them dancing bears) Painted with three coats China Glaze Knotty and stamped with Bundle Monster Plate BM-213 with Zoya Areej.

Eagle:

Painted with three coats of Zoya Areej and stamped with Konad Special Stamping Polish in Black and Bundle Monster Plate BM-212.

Racoon:

Painted with three coats of China Glaze Turned Up Turquoise followed by a coat of China Glaze White Cap and stamped with Konad Special Stamping Polish in Black and White with Bundle Monster Plate BM-205 .

Patrick Swayze:

I know he might not speak to you as a Spirit Animal, but he did apparently call to my friend, Erin. Sometimes odd things happen, but he is glorious! Painted with three coats of Zoya Mira and on the ring finger glitter added from LA Splash Cosmetics in Dry Ice and stamped with Konad Special Polish in White and Black using Bundle Monster Plate BM-208

Each manicure was topped of with the special water decal seen and a coat of Seche Vite as the top coat and sealer.

Don't Forget To Vote!

2011-08-03T00:37:00.004-05:00

I hope you're inspired after the new posts to the blog enough to vote for my nails in the StyledOn nail art contest. You can vote for me here. I know you may have to do a few clicks, but I will be grateful!

Remember Me???

Somewhere Over The Rainbow

2011-08-02T22:38:00.003-05:00

I mentioned yesterday about being behind in posting manicures. Part of it is has been not having access to the computer, but the other part has to do with this manicure as well. This manicure was painted after getting the news that my grandmother had passed away. After having a difficult time already with my Aunt's passing, just two weeks later we got the news about my grandmother. It was expected as she had been having some health issues and has been living in a nursing home for a while, but I wasn't prepared to deal with another death so soon. In honor of her life and her passing, I thought rainbows and clouds were a great way to pay tribute to her long and wonderful life.

Right Hand:

Left Hand:

For the Rainbow nails I painted a base coat color with two coats of China Glaze Cheers To You and marbled with the following colors: China Glaze Papaya Punch, Electric Pineapple, and Paper Chasing, Zoya Sarah and Yasmeen.

For the Cloud nails I painted two coats of China Glaze White On White and marbled with the same and China Glaze White Cap and Sea Spray.

Over all nails I used one coat of Seche Vite.

Seriously Pretty

2011-08-02T22:01:00.003-05:00

I don't know what to name this manicure, but it was seriously so pretty. I couldn't have been more happy with the results.

I painted a base color of China Glaze Digital Dawn with two coats. I then sponged in the middle of the nail China Glaze DV8 and on the tips L8R G8R. On top I added Bundle Monster plate BM-203 with Konad Special Stamping Polish in Black and finished the look with one coat of Seche Vite.

Yellow + Blue = Green

2011-08-02T21:19:00.004-05:00

This manicure was a mini illusion. I recently purchased a new Shatter polish from OPI and paired that teal Shatter over a yellow manicure and green hues popped up all over the place.

I first painted three coats of Sally Hansen HD Hi Definition Nail Color in Lite. I added some yellow glitter to the top half of my nail and once the manicure was dry, I added OPI Turquoise Shatter and painted a thin line of China Glaze Platinum Silver to delineate the line between the color blocking. I painted one coat of Seche Vite to seal.

Green Neon With Blue Glitter Detail

2011-08-02T20:50:00.005-05:00

I love neon green. I also love sparkles. You might already know that. This was simple but fun that popped.

Flash:

No Flash:

I painted three coats on all fingers but my ring of China Glaze In The Limelight. I dotted each green nail and used a base of China Glaze Blue Iguana for my ring finger and then added glitter from Yofi in Caribbean Crush. I coated the entire manicure with a top coat of Seche Vite.

Vote for Me!

2011-08-01T10:23:00.002-05:00

Sorry I've been MIA, I have a list of several posts for you guys I hope to get up by the end of today or tomorrow. But in the mean time, I have entered a manicure of mine in a contest and am requesting your help so I have better chances of winning. If you own a Facebook account, you can vote for my Christmas Elves manicure "Santa's Little Helpers" by clicking on this link: Facebook Contest. You can vote every day. So I might be a little annoying in the next week and put a reminder up each day to vote, but it's because I'm so passionate about the originality of this design that I think it could win. I'd appreciate the extra time it takes to send out a vote and thank you in advance for the love.

Anyway, you can do what you will, but if you like it vote!

Here is the link again. And for your photographic memory, here is the pic I submitted (I could only put in one)

It All Ends: Harry Potter VS Voldemort

2011-07-15T12:24:00.003-05:00

I'm a huge Harry Potter fan and I had to do an honorary manicure for the last theatrical release of the series. I am pressed for time, so am doing a condensed version of materials used in order to the the photos to you on this day! I marbled the house colors of Hogwarts and hand painted my version of Harry and Voldemort. In my opinion, Harry looks like he's been stung with a stinging jinx, but I've never claimed I could really draw very well.....

Right Hand:

Left Hand:

Left Thumb:

Right Thumb:

Griffindor colors: Zoya Paris and China Glaze Passion

Slytherin colors: Ulta Envy and China Glaze Platinum Silver

Hufflepuff colors: Zoya Pippa and China Glaze Liquid Leather

Ravenclaw colors: OPI Yoga-Ta Get This Blue and China Glaze Ingrid

Harry Potter: From Zoya: Skye, Paris, Dove, Tamsen, Kelly. From Ulta: Envy, Black Diamond. From China Glaze: Below Deck and White On White.

Voldemort: From Zoya: Dove, Kelly, Tamsen, Paris. From Ulta Black Diamond. From China Glaze Liquid Leather and White On White.

Beauty In Darkness

2011-07-11T23:55:00.003-05:00

I painted this manicure purely experience and mood based. I don't get into too many personal details on this blog, but I will share a small piece of me in this post. I have been on a bit of an emotional roller coaster this weekend/week due to a death in my family. Today my aunt lost her battle with cancer. It was expected, but death is always sad no matter what you think you are prepared for. Yesterday I had just come from what was, as I know now, my last visit with her. My family was in a state of wait as we did not know when her last day would be. As I sat thinking about what to paint on my nails when I came home that evening, I was overcome with mixed emotions. Sadness over an upcoming loss and what it means for my family, her children, her husband but a desire for relief of her suffering and an overwhelming sense of beauty and gratitude for the life that she lead as my second mom. Death can be both: dark and beautiful. This was my reflection of that.

Unfortunately these pictures don't do this manicure justice. I really love it, it's very beautiful. However, these pictures were taken after a full day of wear (and a long swimming pool adventure) so you can see some wear.

I painted three coats of Zoya Kelly and then added nail decals from Sienna Diamond Nails sheets NA-04 and NA-10. I then used my new Bundle Monster plate BM-224 with Konad Special Nail Polish in White. One coat of Seche Vite was used for the top coat.

Beware Of Snakes

2011-07-06T23:34:00.002-05:00

I purchased the latest Bundle Monster set and had to try them out. What has improved with this round of plates is the size of the design. Previously the designs on each plate were pretty narrow; now they have widened and I find them much more user friendly. Besides wider images, they now have a paper backing, which in my opinion makes them easier to hold and seem more sturdy in their composition. Back to the manicure, it turned out well! It's bright, shiny and looks like snake skin.

Attempt to show the sparkle:

I first painted three coats of Zoya Pippa. I then sponged a layer of each Orly It's Not Rocket Science, China Glaze Kiwi Cool-Ada and Pippa. I stamped with plate BM-215 using Konad Special Stamping Polish in Black. For added shimmer, I coated the entire manicure with China Glaze White Cap and a top coat of Fast Forward Top Coat.

Stars and Stripes

2011-07-04T00:53:00.004-05:00

Time for another holiday manicure. It's Independence Day here in the U.S. and to be patriotic, I am going with a "stars and stripes" motif. It took a few attempts on color combos and what worked with marbling, but I very much like how it turned out. So if you are celebrating with me, enjoy the fireworks and have a safe and happy holiday!

Right Hand:

Left Hand:

Left Side:

I first painted three coats of China Glaze Cheers To You and and then stripe marbled (aka not swirling marble colors) with Go Crazy Red and Midnight Mission On top I used Bundle Monster plate BM21 with Konad Special Stamping Polish in White, then coated it all with Seche Vite.

Grayflower

2011-07-03T22:37:00.002-05:00

I needed something simple and easy. This fit the bill perfectly and ended up being so pretty in its understatement. Plus I love that gray has become a popular manicure color!

I painted three coats of Zoya Harley and added design from Konad plate m75 with Special Konad Stamping Polish in White. I used one coat of Seche Vite for the top coat.

Sensory Overload

2011-07-03T22:17:00.003-05:00

This manicure was the result of a vague idea of a sort of patchwork manicure. I just started to paint freely random patches of colors and this is what the result was. Of course, then I took it one step further and added the loose glitter and on top of that added a glitter top coat. Needless to say, it was a very bright manicure but I'm not sure I loved the results--but that's what happens when you experience sensory overload.

As I said, I randomly painted small sections on my nail with the following colors: Zoya Breezi, Mira, Pippa and China Glaze Heli-Yum. I then added LA Splash Cosmetics Nail Glitter in Dry Ice to each nail and then one coat of Ulta Pinata-Yada-Yada. One coat of Seche Vite was used for my top coat.

HInt Of Lime

2011-07-03T22:09:00.003-05:00

I had an idea of doing a gray scale water marble with one pop of color. This was vision come to life. I loved this marbling and it was fun to look at!

Left Hand:

Right Hand:

I first painted two coats of China Glaze Cheers To You and then marbled China Glaze OMG, Celtic Sun, Zoya Kelly and Dove. One coat of Seche Vite gave the final seal and shine.

I've Got The Blues

2011-06-21T23:21:00.004-05:00

I actually don't emotionally have the blues, but it's a fitting title for this manicure. I always get a bit upset with how my Konad manicures run a bit (I'm sure it's more that the flaws are heightened with a macro picture) but I'm getting over that. I do like the color combo on this manicure.

I painted three coats of China Glaze Sea Spray and used Konad plate m64 with Special Stamping Polish in Coral Blue Princess and one coat of Seche Vite.

Bottom Up and Top Down

2011-06-21T22:52:00.004-05:00

These manicures were painted back to back and in my mind went together. I loved the base polishes so much in this set I just wanted to do a little accent colors on the bottom and top. I really liked the way they turned out, but I had a very hard time capturing "Bottom Up" on camera.

Bottom Up:

Top Down:

"Bottom Up" is three coats of China Glaze Blue Iguana and I used a sponge to apply a dappling of China Glaze Cheers To You and one coat of Seche Vite to finish.

"Top Down" is three coats of Zoya Charla and I used a sponge to dapple Orly Glitz & Glamour and adding one coat of Seche Vite.

Dad's Day

2011-06-21T22:23:00.004-05:00

It was father's day on Sunday and I thought even though my dad isn't a lover of nail polish, I still owe him a manicure. I wish I would have had more time to post it on father's day. But he saw it in person and that's what counts!

I painted three coats of China Glaze Senorita Bonita and then hand painted the letters first with Zoya Tamsen and then to make it more noticeable, China Glaze Cheers To You. The heart is outlined with Zoya Apple and filled in with glitter I purchased from Esther's Nail Center. I used Seche Vite as a top coat.

Redesign!

2011-06-09T23:59:00.003-05:00

Hi Everyone! I have done a redesign of my site (if you haven't noticed). I added a secondary blog specifically for swatches and pictures of the polishes I use. I have a lot to upload, so bear with me, I'm not going to do it fast. But now all of my posts will have a link to a swatch of the color(s) I used in my manicures. So check out swatches now either from the navigation tabs above or at http://ipolishedswatches.blogspot.com/

Happy Polishing!

X Marks The Spot

2011-06-09T23:52:00.003-05:00

My nails are pretty long (for me) right now. I always think that long nails deserve red polish and that's what I painted. I decided to brighten it up with two of the colors from the China Glaze Island Escape Collection.

With Flash:

Shimmer Shot:

I painted three coats of China Glaze Go Crazy Red, used my dotting tool to add the dotted lines in Papaya Punch and Electric Pineapple. I finished the look with one coat of Seche Vite.

Muted Sparkle

2011-06-07T23:45:00.002-05:00

I was trolling my Blogger dashboard with recent posts and came across this one by Swatchaholic and thought her idea (taken by another blogger's idea) was a good one. As you know I'm obsessed with sparkles and thought layering over one of my traditional glitter manicures would be an interesting idea. My problem is that I don't really like jelly finishes typically in my nail polish collection, so I was limited in my choices. I do like the way this manicure turned out--it's very subtle (if you compare it to what it was before the top coat of polish) but still sparkly. It is very opalescent but I'm not sure that really translates in the pictures.

Flash:

Indoor:

I painted two coats of Zoya Skye and then added LA Splash Cosmetics Nail Glitter in Golden Egg and then added one coat of China Glaze Innocence over it and added a touch of Golden Egg in the corners of each nail and topped the manicure with one coat of Seche Vite.

Blue Moon

2011-06-07T23:15:00.004-05:00

I got the idea for this manicure while watching Water For Elephants. I can't show you any good screencaps from the movie of Reese Witherspoon's nails, but she had a version of a half-moon manicure using red nail polish and silver tips. I, of course, wanted more summery colors. This combo was fantastic and if you can't tell from the pictures, it was shimmery, bright and awesome!

Flash:

Indoor:

I taped off the bottom moon and tips of my nails with masking tape and then painted three coats of China Glaze Blue Iguana. I then freehanded the green tips using Zoya Apple. After I applied two coats of Seche Vite to finish the manicure.

Sunnyside Marble

2011-06-03T21:22:00.005-05:00

This manicure was a result of a idea inspired by a compliment on another manicure I painted. I wondered what a "half marble" would look like--and really if it would be even possible to achieve. I am happy with the results, but because of circumstances you can never anticipate when painting with your color choices, it was a bit painstaking in execution (I'll explain more below). It turned out pretty and that's why you're getting a lot of pictures.

Right hand:

Left Hand:

Side Shot:

Notice the shimmer!:

I first painted three coats of Zoya Pippa. (Pippa was not as opaque as I hoped, thus the three coats. It was also a bit on the thick side and didn't want to dry fast. I did apply Qtica Half Time Drying Accelerator, but my polish was still was not as dry as I wanted when I was ready to marble). Originally I wanted a completely dry base coat of color that I could tape off for the marbling. But since I couldn't get Pippa to dry fast enough, I decided to paint a light coat of petroleum jelly on the bottom half to protect that portion from letting the marble paint adhere. I then marbled Pippa, China Glaze Blue Iguana, and Senorita Bonita. When the marbled polish was dried, I carefully peeled back the nail polish that was covering the portion of the nail brushed with petroleum jelly. It was tricky, sticky and complicated, but eventually I got the hang of it. I washed my entire manicure off of the petroleum jelly and once all clean and dry, I did a few touch ups with acetone to get any remnants of polish that was where I didn't want it. I applied one coat of Seche Vite and called it a successful but tedious night!

Patriotic

2011-05-30T10:08:00.002-05:00

It's memorial day here and it's time to celebrate those who fight for our country. Something I, personally, could never do. In honor, it's a red, white and blue water marble for you!!!

Left Hand:

Right Hand

I first painted two coats of China Glaze Cheers To You as a base, then marbled with OPI Yoga-Ta Get This Blue!, Zoya Tamsen Ulta Angel Baby. I coated the final manicure with Seche Vite.

Pink Rock

2011-05-24T22:25:00.005-05:00

I've been avoiding posting because I've been irritated with Blogger. I was hoping to unveil some added flair to my sight with swatches and a new layout, but Blogger crashed a few weeks back and I lost my new design and am trying to patiently wait until all is restored. Hopefully it will be recovered soon, and until then, I'll persevere :)

This manicure was a result of having a new pastel pink and wanting to make it pop. I don't know why pink and gray make me think punk rock, but it does (and hence the name play). I like the new color and I like this manicure.

With Flash:

See the shine and sparkle?

I painted three coats of OPI Mod About You adding LA Splash Cosmetic nail glitter in Red Heart Spangle (not adding any of the large hearts). I sealed with a coat of Seche Vite, then added China Glaze Crackle Glaze in Cracked Concrete and sealed with one more coat of Seche Vite.

Cosmic RIng

2011-05-10T21:07:00.005-05:00

I couldn't let a sub-par return back into water marbling stop me. So I decided to give it another go with a fantastic piece of inspiration. I absolutely love this necklace made with a "Cosmic Ring" and subsequently LOVED this manicure. It almost wasn't working correctly marbling due to having problems finding the right color combo, plus my yellows weren't working properly. But then, I substituted my neon and it was fabulous! I'm including the inspiration in the shot so you understand how pretty this ring is.

Left Hand:

Right Hand:

Cosmic Ring:

I painted three coats of China Glaze Cheers To You. I marbled with China Glaze Ahoy!, Free Love, Celtic Sun, Grape Pop and Zoya Mira. I topped the marble with one coat of CND Super Shiney.

Soft And Sweet

2011-05-10T20:46:00.004-05:00

I haven't water marbled in a while and it was clear with the results of this manicure. It's not that I didn't like the color combo, but I kept nicking my manicure, smudging my nails. It was a hot mess but every manicure deserves to be seen.

Left Hand:

Right Hand

I painted three coats of China Glaze Princess Grace for the base and then marbled it and Below Deck. I painted CND Super Shiney as my top coat.

Purple Tips

2011-05-09T00:49:00.004-05:00

Tip One: Wear purple often. It's pretty in all variations

Tip Two: Adding an iridescent glitter makes purple glow

Tip Three: Don't expect purple polish to love you as much as you love it. I don't know if it's just me, but I find my purples have the least wear of any of my colors. They chip faster than most. I guess it's just a lesson that you can't always hold onto beauty.

For this manicure I painted two coats of Zoya Mira on my tips. I cleaned the edges with a soaked Q-tip in acetone remover and then added a layer of LA Splash Cosmetics nail glitter in Dry Ice. I painted two coats of CND Super Shiney over the entire nail to finish.

My Missing Roller Skate

2011-05-09T00:34:00.004-05:00

Last Saturday I had plans to see a roller derby bout with friends and I wanted to trick out my nail with an awesome roller skate. But I totally ran out of time to do this manicure, so it went without. I'm kind of sad, but ended up really liking my glitter and my very plain (but pretty) pointer finger.

I painted two coats of China Glaze Flyin' High and on all fingers but my left pointer, I added my own blend of glitters--so many randoms I can't even say what they are, but I do know that the larger sparkles are from a kit I recently purchased from Esther's Nail Center. I used CND Super Shiney for the top coat.

Neon Splatter

2011-05-09T00:17:00.004-05:00

I painted this manicure about two weeks ago and haven't gotten around to posting it. I wanted to do a fresh take on my "Blood Splatter Manicure" and neons were my inspiration. Of course, the trouble with neons is they don't always photograph well--in true form, but I think you get the idea from these pictures. I wanted a neutral background to make the color pop and had recently picked up this base color from China Glaze's Tronica collection. It's supposed to be holographic, which is kind of hard to tell, but you can see it in th enlarged flash photo.

With Flash:

No Flash/Indirect Sunlight:

I painted three coats of China Glaze Cyberspace. I splattered the following colors on top: China Glaze In The Lime Light, Flip Flop Fantasy and Solar Power. CND Super Shiney was used for a top coat.

Silver and Bronze

2011-05-04T00:54:00.002-05:00

Are still winners! After finishing this manicure, I liked it. But I wasn't crazy about it. However, it got a lot of compliments from others which always kind of surprises me. Anyway, I owe you a manicure. Here are the pics:

I painted three coats of China Glaze Poetic, added Konad image from disc m 60 with China Glaze Millennium and glitter on my ring and thumb fingers with LA Splash Cosmetics in Pot O' Gold. I finished the manicure with one coat of CND Super Shiney.

Easter Eggs

2011-04-24T14:40:00.004-05:00

It's Easter and this is my wonderfully, pastel, sparkly manicure!

Right Hand:

Left Hand:

Left Hand:

Right Hand:

I painted two coats of the following colors: China Glaze Something Sweet, Re-Fresh Mint, Lemon Fizz, Spontaneous and Color Club Factory Girl. I used acetone remover to clean up my cuticle edge to make the shape a bit more into an egg and then, in corresponding order, I added the following glitters from LA Splash Cosmetics : Fashionista, Immature, Golden Egg, Viola and for my Color Club nail I used YOFI cosmetic Sparkle Dust in Blue Moon. I painted with a thin brush a moon of white near my cuticles in China Glaze White On White and topped the whole manicure off with one coat of CND Super Shiney.

Fanfare

2011-04-19T23:03:00.002-05:00

I don't have any real story behind this manicure except to say it was a way to highlight two new shades in my collection. Zoya Areej and China Glaze White Cap. The layering was very pretty and the nail art was simple enough to let the colors shine!

I painted two coats of Zoya Areej and layered one coat of China Glaze White Cap on top. I painted the flower fans with China Glaze White On White with the top coat being China Glaze Fast Forward Top Coat.

Glitterazzi

2011-04-19T22:39:00.002-05:00

I was a personal attendant for a long-time friend over the weekend. Her bridal colors were purple and green. I needed a quick manicure as I had so many things on my mind and so little time. So what does that mean? You guessed it, GLITTER! It was blingtastic and the wedding was a blast.

For the purple nails, I painted two coats of Zoya Kieko and added LA Splash Cosmetics nail glitter in Trickery. The green nails were two coats of Zoya Apple and LA Splash Cosmetics nail glitter in Immature. I coated all nails with CND Super Shiney

Say What?

2011-04-14T23:39:00.004-05:00

Ok. I have no idea what to title this manicure. I can't decide if it's snake-like, girlie camo? Who knows. All I know is that I like it.

obligatory sparkle shot:

I painted three coats of Zoya Apple and then added OPI Black Shatter on part of my nail. I defined the edge of the shatter with a stripe of Zoya Areej and finished the manicure with one coat of CND Super Shiney.

Ketchup To The Sparkle

2011-04-14T23:20:00.003-05:00

This new color from the Zoya's Summertime Collection immediately reminded me of ketchup. I was not sure I liked it (but I think it was more that I didn't like the manicure). It also chipped the first day it was on my nails, so it promptly went away!

I painted three coats of Zoya Tamsen and added to all nails but my ring finger through sponging first OPI Extra-Va-Vaganza and then added on top and in the center OPI Gift of Gold. On my ring finger I painted one coat of China Glaze Golden Enchantment adding to all nails one coat of CND Super Shiney to seal the deal.

Leather Corsets

2011-04-14T23:01:00.003-05:00

I love the result of this manicure. It was inspired by a celebrated third year anniversary with my girlfriends. The traditional gift for three years is leather and I thought this was an excellent way to represent it!

I painted three coats of Zoya Skye and then added the black corset sides and ties with Sally Hanson Complete Salon Manicure in Midnight in NY. I dotted China Glaze Millennium for the rivets and used one coat of CND Super Shiney to seal the manicure before applying Essie Matte About You (I know it seems contradictory to paint shiny then matte, but I've found that Matte About You causes some bleeding or running in manicures and a top coat protects from that...).