New Year's Striping Tape Nail Art

One more manicure to finish off the year 2013! Nothing reminds me more of New Year's than dark colors and silver or gold, so I went with a black and silver theme for this striping tape manicure.

On my middle and ring nails, I started with a base of OPI This Gown Needs A Crown, and on my outer nails I used the textured OPI It's Frosty Outside. Then, I taped off my nails and painted with Essie Licorice.

As the year comes to a close, I look back at what a great year it's been, especially for my blog! Not only have I improved as an artist, but I have made so many new friends and followers through nail art, and I am so grateful for every single one of you. It makes my day to see your comments and likes! I love blogging and I can't wait to see what next year will bring.

Here is a close up of the striping tape. I love those clean, crisp lines! And of course, I had to put a textured polish in this manicure, since it was such a big trend this year (and I don't think it will be fading any time soon!)

What was your favorite nail art trend from 2013? Hope you all have a wonderful New Year's!

New Year's Grungy French Manicure

With New Year's coming, I figured I should show you all some simple nail art you can wear for the special occasion! I love the idea of doing a funky French manicure, and I decided to take it one step further by using the brushstroke technique from this manicure, but only on my nail tips.

I went with a base of OPI Miss You-Niverse, which is a gorgeous dark eggplant creme that I reviewed here. Then, I took Essie Good As Gold and with just a tiny bit of polish on the brush, swiped it upwards from the tip of my nails. Doing this also left little flecks on the rest of the nail, which are barely visible in the photos but had a nice effect in the light.

This is a great, elegant style to wear, especially for New Year's! And, it's so easy to do. I can't wait to try this style with other color combinations.

What are your plans for the new year? Any resolutions?

Zoya PixieDust Carter Swatch and Review

Hi guys! Today I want to showcase my very first Zoya PixieDust polish, one of the presents I got from my boyfriend for the holidays this year. This color is called Carter, and it was released as a Fall 2013 shade, but since "Radiant Orchid" was just named Color of the Year for 2014, I figured it would be appropriate to swatch this gorgeous purple for you all.

Carter is a stunning purple textured polish filled with shimmer. It took three coats to reach opacity on the nails - this polish is a bit on the sheer side, and it requires completely drying in between coats to get the textured effect. The polish does feel rough to the touch, but not rough enough to scratch yourself with or get caught in your hair!

This color was so difficult to capture on my camera, but these photos are color accurate to the best of my ability. I can't believe I never owned a PixieDust before this! I feel like I have been missing out - this polish caught the light so beautifully, and there is so much depth to it.

Here is a macro shot of the polish. You can see it's a little patchy at the tip of this nail - the polish requires careful application, because it does not self-level, and I was a little lazy with it! But I still love the way it turned out. I imagine Carter would look stunning with top coat as well.

Do you own any PixieDusts? Which ones should I get?

Mi Amor Swatches And Review

Hi guys! I hope everyone had a lovely holiday yesterday. I have some swatch spam from a new to me brand called Mi Amor Polish, a 3 free indie polish brand that features some gorgeous glitter toppers! I had so much fun pairing them with colors, and I loved the results. I have six polishes to show you today, so let's get started -

Under The Sea is a mix of green, yellow, and blue satin glitters in various shapes and sizes, including squares! This color is definitely one of my favorites from the bunch, because it's got some of my favorite colors in it! I think it paired really well with purple, too. It required no fishing or dabbing, but I would suggest storing all of these polishes upside down because the glitter does settle a bit. Shown above is one coat over OPI You're Such A Budapest - there is some bubbling in the photo above, but it was due to my Seche Vite, not the glitter topper! (Seche has been such a pain lately - does anyone have a new top coat recommendation for me?)

Galactic Sparkle is a holographic glitter topper with multi sized holographic hex glitters, and various matte black glitters as well. This was the only polish that gave me any trouble, because I didn't store it upside down for long enough - so I couldn't get enough glitter on the brush. However, I do think the effect of this glitter is pretty and I will definitely be using it as a glittery accent (using more coats, of course). Shown above is one coat over OPI Suzi Says Feng Shui.

Cosmic Rainbow is a rainbow topper with multicolored satin mini hex glitters, as well as larger matte black glitters. I love this glitter! It looks like sprinkles over the white base. Like the others, this polish should be stored upside down so that the brush can easily grab the glitters.

We all know how gorgeous black and white glitter polishes are, and Graffiti is no exception! This topper contains black and white matte microglitters, as well as larger hex glitters and squares, and even bar glitters! This is a must have for any black and white glitter fiend. Shown is one coat over ORLY Gumdrop.

Red Hot was a surprise favorite for me - this polish is the warm-toned sister to Under The Sea, filled with various red, orange, and yellow satin glitters. It wasn't until I paired this glitter with Essie Licorice that I realized how stunning it looks! I am obsessed with this combination, it reminds me of a fire at night! Shown above is one coat.

And last but not least, we have My Sunshine, another warm glitter. But this one is packed with metallic glitters in red, orange, and yellow, and even yellow holographic glitters! This polish truly sparkles in the light, and unfortunately I wasn't able to capture it in my photo. I paired two coats with Essie Sand Tropez.

Overall, I was impressed with these glitters! The color combinations are lovely and I'm happy to add them to my collection, especially since I have been so obsessed with glitter gradients lately. However, like I said, they definitely need to be stored upside down to get the glitter on the brush easily. My favorites are Under The Sea and Red Hot - which ones do you like best?

All of these polishes and many more are available on the Mi Amor Etsy page for $9.00 USD each, and you can follow them on Facebook for updates.

* These products were sent to me for my honest review.

Merry Christmas!

Hello everyone! It's officially Christmas here in New Jersey, so I think it's time for one more festive manicure. I have been seeing this simple abstract tree nail art lately, but I just loved this one from Mary Monkett, and I had to recreate it.

I used a base of Zoya Giovanna on all nails except my detail nail, which was a base of ORLY Gumdrop. I created the abstract tree using a small nail art brush, and drew on the star with Essie Good as Gold.

I think this color is perfectly festive for Christmas, but I will be wearing it all winter. Out of all of the Christmas manicures I have done this season, this is definitely the most simple - but isn't it so elegant? I really like it.

I hope everyone has a lovely holiday! Merry Christmas!

PS: I entered this China Glaze contest, and it would mean a lot to me if you vote for my manicure! In order for your vote to be valid, you have to vote for three manicures (hopefully including mine) and then click the link in the email they send you. Thanks :)

Christmas Polka Dot Nail Art

Hi all! Just one more day until Christmas! Is everyone excited? Today, I have yet another festive manicure to celebrate the season - red and green polka dot nails! This nail art is pretty simple, but the colors make it cheery and fun. And anyone can do it! Check it out -

The gold accent I used is ORLY Luxe, and on my other nails are OPI Jade is the New Black and China Glaze Merry Berry. I used a dotting tool and OPI My Boyfriend Scales Walls for the polka dots.

I think this manicure is pretty cute - I have so much trouble making my dots the same size, even with the dotting tool, but I think I did well with these nails! And I am still getting the hang of taking multiple photos with different angles, so bear with me here.

What are you planning to wear on your nails this Christmas?

Christmas Holly Nail Art

Hi guys! Today I have some festive nail art for the holidays to show you! I love this time of year, because everyone is so generous and giving, so I have really been enjoying having festive manicures. Today's nail art is some freehand winter holly.

I started with a base color of China Glaze Dandy Lyin' Around, which was released as a spring color this year, but I found myself picking it up and deciding that it would make a beautiful snowy background for a winter manicure. Once it was dry, I used a small nail art brush and painted on leaves with Zoya Suvi, a beautiful wintergreen. Then, with a dotting tool, I made little berries with China Glaze Long Kiss.

I love this combination of colors. They all have a beautiful shimmer, and together, they make my nails sparkle.

Here is a close up of the nail. You can see all the shimmer from the different polishes.

I think the most tedious part of this manicure was the leaves. They were not difficult to draw, but since Zoya Suvi is so sheer on the first coat, I had to go over the leaves several times to have them show up against the background.

I know I have gotten into the groove of posting only one photo per manicure, but today I decided to experiment and take a few photos to really show off the different aspects of this manicure. Which do you prefer - one photo, or several? Or is there somewhere in between? Let me know in the comments - I am constantly trying to improve my blog for you readers :)

31DNAC Day 28: Inspired By A Flag

I have been posting the challenge manicures more sporadically lately because it's a busy time of year, but I promise I plan to finish! Only a few more days left - I am feeling bittersweet about it. As much as I am looking forward to finishing, I am sad for the challenge to end! I think I have really pushed myself to work harder and be more creative when it comes to nail art, and as a result, I have found myself with some new followers! (Thanks for being interested in my little blog, guys!)

Anyway, today's prompt is "inspired by a flag." I am from the United States, but I have been seeing the United Kingdom's Union Jack flag everywhere lately, so I decided to incorporate it into a skittle manicure using some OPI colors.

I decided to go with a funkier color scheme, instead of primary red, white and blue colors. The base color of the flag is OPI My Vampire is Buff, and I painted over it with OPI Casino Royale (which is also on my index finger) and OPI I Saw... U Saw... We Saw... Warsaw! The textured polish on my alternating fingers is OPI Get Your Number.

In order to create the straight lines of the flag, I used striping tape, but they smudged a bit when I added top coat - I need to learn to be more patient, I know! But I am still proud of this manicure, and I hope I did justice to the flag it was inspired by :)

Be sure to check out my previous challenge manicures here.

HB Beauty Bar Glitter Gradient

When I posted this review of some Nanacoco glitters, I fell in love with the color combination of OPI I'm Feeling Sashy and Nanacoco Big Hit - I just had to use them togethr again. This time, I had to make a glitter gradient with this pair!

I'm Feeling Sashy is probably one of my favorite colors this season. It's beautiful, but muted. And paired with Big Hit, it looks perfect to wear at a festive party! I know I JUST paired these colors last week, but I had to fulfill this dream of making a glitter gradient with them, and I am so glad I did.

What do you think of this manicure?

Born Pretty Store Review: Leopard Chain Nail Art

Today, I have a product from Born Pretty Store to show you. This metal chain comes in several different colors, but of course I chose hot pink! I used a regular scissor to cut the chain into smaller pieces to use on my nail, and I used top coat as glue to seal it on my design.

I used Essie Licorice as a base on my two outer nails, and a base of OPI My Boyfriend Scales Walls on my middle and ring nails. Then, I painted my leopard design with Essie Bottle Service, and once that was dry, I taped off a section and painted over it with Essie Licorice. To finish it off, I placed my pink metal chains!

I had fun coming up with this design, and I think it translates well on the nails! What do you think? Would you ever wear a three dimensional object on your nails?

You can get this product and more from Born Pretty Store - don't forget to use the code RFL91 at checkout for 10% off your order. And now, you can pay with your credit card if you do not have a PayPal account!

*This product was provided for my honest review

HB Beauty Bar Review: Nanacoco Sprinkle of Color Collection

Hi guys! I have another review from HB Beauty Bar for you today - this time, I have four polishes from the Nanacoco Sprinkle of Color Collection, which retails for $3.50 and features glitter toppers and glitter filled crellies that are reminiscent of indie polishes.

All of these polishes applied wonderfully, and feature a flat, wide brush for easy application. These polishes did actually remind me of indie polishes, but they are so much cheaper! And, at the bottom of this post, I'll even share a 10% discount code. Let's get started with my favorite:

Big Hit is a glitter topper filled with blue, green, red, silver, and pink glitters in two different sizes. This color is gorgeous! I think it would be perfect for a glitter gradient. Here is one coat over OPI I'm Feeling Sashy (which I also got from HB Beauty Bar!). The glitters required no fishing or dabbing - all I did was a simple brushstroke over the nail to get perfect coverage!

You've probably already seen me using Snowflakes, a white glitter topper with small, medium, and large hex glitters and mini bar glitters. The glitters in this polish have a satin finish, so they are thin and delicate on the nail. Shown is one coat over ORLY Gumdrop. And I love it pairing it in a wintry skittle!

White Witch is a black and white glitter topper that has the same formula and satin glitter as Snowflakes. It features multiple sizes of black and white hex glitter, as well as white mini bar glitters. I paired this polish with Zoya Dove, and I love it! Black and white glitter polishes are pretty popular with the nail art community, so I'm glad to finally have one.

French Macaroon is a pale greenish blue crelly filled with large blue and green metallic hex glitters, medium green metallic hex glitters, and small orange metallic hex glitters. Shown above is three coats. This polish is so delicate and pretty, and it has an amazing formula! It definitely looks like something you would find from an indie brand, but with a lower price tag and an easy formula. I would definitely recommend looking into these crellies if you want the indie look for a better price!

You can get all of these polishes, and other brands like OPI, Zoya, and ORLY for great prices at HB Beauty Bar. And, when you use the code POLISHCHALLENGE10, you can get 10% off your entire order (with only $5 flat rate shipping)! You can also buy my favorite top coat, Seche Vite, for $3.25.

Which of these polishes is your favorite?

*Some products were provided for my honest review

Polish Addict Nail Color Christmas Swatches

Hi all, today I have a few holiday themed colors from Polish Addict Nail Color to show you. These polishes are 3 free and they are great for the season! I took my photos with a bottle of top coat, because the mini bottles were giving me a bit of trouble - hope you don't mind.

Santa Baby is a delicate white crelly with red, green, and pale blue glitters with the slightest shimmer. I painted two coats with top coat, and the formula was great - the glitters spread evenly over the nail. I think this color is just perfect for a snowy December day. It almost reminds me of a frosted sugar cookie!

The White Queen, The Red Queen is an off white crelly packed with red and gold shimmer, as well as some mini red glitters. This color is so elegant! I painted two coats without top coat, and again, the formula was great and easy to apply. I would definitely wear this to a Christmas party, but I think it would be great to wear for the new year as well!

Snow Angels is a white crelly packed with pink, blue, yellow, green, gold, and white glitters in varying sizes. According to the Polish Addict Nail Color site, this polish also contains pink and white snowflake glitters, but I did not see any in my bottle. Anyway, this polish just looks like a confetti cupcake to me! Yum! I applied three coats with top coat, and this polish was a bit thicker, but the glitter came out easily and gave a nice varied look on the nails. I could wear this all year!

And finally, Vintage Christmas Ornaments is a red tinted glitter topper with a TON of different types of glitter, in all different colors, but most notably black holographic diamonds, and red and pink dots (which I didn't get on my nails but there are plenty in the bottle!). I paired one coat over ORLY Gumdrop to show all of the colors, but this would look great over any Christmas color. I think this polish would look very different with more layers, but I like this subtle glitter look.

Overall, these are great polishes for the holiday, and you can pick them up at the Polish Addict Nail Color website here for $9 each - Santa Baby and Vintage Christmas Ornaments are on sale for $6 each! You can also follow them on Facebook for updates and sales.

Which is your favorite?

Candy Cane Striped Nail Art

Hi guys! I have been enjoying the holiday manicures popping up around nail art blogs this year, so I decided to paint another one. I was inspired by candy canes, the iconic treat associated with Christmas!

I used OPI My Boyfriend Scales Walls as a base, and then used striping tape to tape off my nails. Then, I painted with China Glaze Merry Berry and peeled the tape off to get these candy cane stripes! It's definitely not perfect, and the red polish really stained my nail beds because I made such a mess with the striping tape, haha! Also, the design dragged a bit when I added top coat. I need to learn to be more patient.

It's times like this that I wish I had a sparkly green textured polish, because I think using that as a double accent would have made a great Christmas manicure. But, I also like having stripes on all my nails. This is a great, bold manicure to wear for the season.

What do you think of this manicure? What other manicures would you like to see before the end of the year?