Sugar Spun Chocolate Strawberry Nail Art

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Hello guys! I've got another scheduled post coming for you today as I enjoy myself in Las Vegas! I hope you are all having a great weekend so far.

So, I recently cleaned out my computer of all my old files and I came across some really old nail art looks that I absolutely loved (although my photography skills were definitely lacking back then!), and I thought it might be fun to recreate some of my favorites! Back in May 2013 (http://www.thenailpolishchallenge.com/2013/05/deadly-sins-challenge-day-3-gluttony.html) I did this really funky chocolate covered strawberry design using the sugar spun method, and it was actually one of my favorite designs from back in the day, so I decided to redo that manicure:

Inspired Neon Rainbow Dotticure

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Hello guys! I know that summer feels so far away (especially with all this cold dreary weather lately), but I couldn't help doing some bright neon nail art to cheer myself up. I saw this manicure by Ida Nails It and I just had to recreate it with some of my favorite China Glaze neons.

31 Day Nail Art Challenge, Day 8: Polka Dot Nail Art

Hello guys! Today I have potentially one of my favorite manicures that I have ever done! The prompt for Day 8 of the challenge is "polka dots", and I decided to keep it simple by just doing plain ol' polka dots. (But I picked some pretty cute colors!)

I started with a base of Essie Take it Outside (which I just recently reviewed), and with my large dotting tool, I dotted on Essie Urban Jungle, China Glaze At Vase Value, and China Glaze Feel the Breeze. I topped it all off with matte top coat, which made the overall manicure look super soft and pastel-y.

How is this potentially one of my favorite manicures of all time, you ask? Well, besides totally loving this color scheme (definitely reminds me of ice cream!), I'm really pleased that the polka dots are pretty well lined up. It's surprisingly difficult to make even polka dots!

It actually took me a long time to figure out the right color scheme for this manicure. Usually I try to pick colors of the same brand, or at least from the same season, but these colors are all over the place! (a spring polish, two summer polishes, and a fall polish!) And yet, I think they go together really nicely.

This manicure has definitely inspired me to practice more dotticures. I really love the simplicity of dotted manicures!

Here are the colors I used. They are all from HB Beauty Bar, and you can get them (and anything else you order there!) for 15% off with the code POLISHCHALLENGE at checkout.

Don't forget to check out what Meghan and Lindsey have created for Day 8 of the challenge!

An InLinkz Link-up

Dotticure With Elle Nail Lacquer

Today's nail art is inspired by one of my favorite nail blogs, Lucy's Stash. Her starfish dotticure is flawless, so I decided to do an inspired manicure!

I used a base color of OPI I Saw... You Saw... We Saw... Warsaw (this polish name is WAY too long!) and created the dots with Elle Riviera Blue.

I could definitely use some dotting practice - I can't imagine how other nail artists get them so perfect! But let's talk about this Elle Nail Lacquer -

Here is three coats of Riviera Blue on it's own. I got this gorgeous metallic blue polish from my boyfriend as a birthday gift, and I had never heard of the brand before. The color is great and opaque after two coats, but I added a third for good measure. It's probably perfect for stamping!

What do you think of this inspired dotticure? Do you own any Elle Nail Lacquer? Let me know in the comments!

Neon Cabachon Ring Nails!

I recently won an amazing giveaway from Chorubim on Instagram, and I got a package FULL of amazing prizes! But what caught my eye before all the polishes was a beautiful cabachon ring that she made. (For those of you who do not know, a cabachon ring is a ring made with nail polish!)

So, I decided to make a manicure to match the ring!

Alright, so I didn't get the colors EXACTLY right, but I still love it!

I used a base of Essie Blanc, and then with my dotting tool I put on Essie Bottle Service, Sinful Colors Anchors Away, Serum No. 5 Day Glow, China Glaze I'm With the Lifeguard, OPI Suzi Says Feng Shui, and Essie Big Spender. Wow, what a mouthful!

Classic bottle shot ;) I am trying to find a happy medium between my old photos and my new photos! Let me know what you think.

Pink Leopard Print Nails

I am not too sure how I feel about these nails, so you guys will have to decide whether they are a fail or a win!

I wanted to use the gorgeous Matte OPI La Paz-itively Hot as a base for this manicure, but I couldn't resist adding top coat!

I used ORLY Dazzle and Sinful Colors Black on Black for the details with a dotting tool.

What do you guys think? I am going to practice my leopard print so I can do better next time!

Inspired Purple Nails for Boston

Today's manicure is inspired by a pattern created by Will Paint Nails for Food - one of my favorite nail bloggers! I also decided to use purple in honor of the horrible tragedy that occurred yesterday in Boston.

I used China Glaze Tart-y for the Party as a base, and then dotted on China Glaze Fancy Pants, OPI My Boyfriend Scales Walls, and Orly Dazzle.

I also am having a bit of a change as far as photography goes - so let me know what photography you like the best lately.
I think I might go back to using a lightbox.

Pastel Easter Dotticure

I so hate this manicure, but for whatever reason, my readers love my dotticures so I figured I should post it anyway!

I used ORLY Powder Puff as a base, and dotted on OPI You're Such A Budapest, Julep Sasha, China Glaze For Audrey, and China Glaze Electric Pineapple.

I feel like a clown - literally! This seems like the manicure a clown would wear. This is coming off as soon as I'm done with this post ;)

Have a great Easter!

Matte Polka Dots

This manicure isn't too great but I figured I'd post it anyway -

Base: OPI Nein! Nein! Nein! OK Fine

Dots: China Glaze For Audrey

Top Coat: Hard Candy Matte-ly In Love

Flower Nails With OPI Skyfall Collection

What a misleading title ;) I used OPI On Her Majesty's Secret Service as accents for my manicure, but the rest of the colors are from different brands.

Anyway! Today's nails were slightly inspired by One Nail To Rule Them All's flower and bead manicure, but I think mine have a different effect because I don't have the beads.

Wow, look at that bottle! What a stunner. I have yet to actually paint my nails with the new color, and it's my favorite from the Skyfall collection.

Well anyway, here is a clearer photo -

Base: Essie Bobbing For Baubles

White: Sinful Colors Snow Me White

Detail (Glitter): OPI On Her Majesty's Secret Service

I love the way this looks. I feel like it almost looks like those fake nail stickers!

Blue Leopard Print Manicure

Today's manicure was supposed to be water color nails, but it is impossibly hard to do! So I decided to go with a leopard print manicure. But I already had OPI Skull and Glossbones as a base, so I went with funky colors!

The spots are China Glaze For Audrey, and the outline was Bobbing For Baubles.

I love off-color leopard print manicures! I think this turned out better than my first time, but I still could use some improvement ;) I used a dotting tool for the details.

31DC2012 Day 1: Red Nails

So as you may know, I am starting the 2012 Nail Polish Challenge! This is my second attempt, and hopefully, I will get through it this time.

The first day challenge is red nails.

I decided to go with Essie's Head Mistress, because it is a gorgeous Fall red that I have been neglecting (and you can win a bottle of it here in my giveaway) and Layla Holographic Effects in Mercury Twilight.

I know the holographic effect isn't absurdly obvious in these photos, but I took them at night in my lightbox, so I couldn't capture them too accurately!

Either way, I like the way this manicure turned out. I did not use top coat because I hear that it kind of ruins the holographic effect.

You can see a bit of the holographic shimmer here in my middle finger.

Well, stay tuned for day 2 of the challenge!

Dotticure With A Blue Gradient (sort of)

When I saw this manicure from Ooh, Shinies! I just had to attempt to recreate it (and of course, it looks nothing like it!)

I started with a base of OPI Skull and Glossbones, and began dotting from lightest to darkest with Essie Bikini So Teeny, American Apparel Cameo Blue, and Essie Bobbing For Baubles.

So it didn't end up looking too gradient-y, but I still like the way it turned out! I used three different sized dotting tools and I might have gotten carried away with the lightest blue!

What do you think of this manicure?

Half Moon Dotted Manicure!

Well, originally it was going to be half moons. But I decided to just dot up the whole nail. Here is OPI Skull and Glossbones as a base, and Essie Bobbing for Baubles and an orange Sinful Colors that I totally forgot the name of and am too lazy to go check!

I think it looks rather festive! Even though my dots aren't exactly even. And technically, that essie color is a navy blue but it always seems to look black to me.

Here is a lovely macro of my thumb - I know I need to practice more even dots!

Polka Dot Manicure! (dotting tool day 2)

I was going to go with a stamping manicure today, but I just couldn't resist using my new dotting tool again - here is my polka dot manicure for the evening!

Please excuse the grainy photo, for some reason they all came out like that. This is a blue I got for a dollar at American Apparel and OPI Skull and Glossbones for the dots. I think the colors ended up looking really great together!

Here is a close up of my pointer and middle finger. I feel kind of nautical with these colors, I am liking it a lot :)

More (dotting) manicures to come soon!

Mermaid Scales! Nail Art

Today I received in the mail my long awaited dotting tools! As expected, the five tools really didn't differ too much but all I was looking for was a bigger dotting tool to work with, and I promptly painted my nails and designed them as per little nails' tutorial.

After three nails, I'd had enough of it so I decided, heck! Why not make them my accent nails.

Base is Sinful Colors Savage, and the dots are made of CG Platinum Silver, CG For Audrey, OPI What The Shrek Are You Talking About, OPI Suzi Says Feng Shui, and Finger Paints something-or other (if you would really like to know, just ask and I'll go check but I'm too lazy right now!)

Making the dots the correct size was a lot harder than I thought, I guess because some of the colors I chose were a bit watery.

Also, I have some (somewhat) good news! My internship ends next week so I will have plenty of time to paint my nails and blog about them. And my new Bundle Monster stamps have come in! Stay tuned for some of those this weekend.

Camo Nails!

So today I have my own interpretation of a manicure from Nails by Kayla Shevonne, an incredible blogger who has some really unique ideas for nails. You can view the tutorial for this manicure here. 

I'm not sure what this pattern would be called, but I think it kind of looks like camouflage! I chose OPI Suzi Says Feng Shui for the main color on my nails, and the pink and turquoise accents are OPI Sparrow Me the Drama and China Glaze For Audrey.
Instead of a detail brush, as the tutorial suggested, I ended up using my trusty dotting tool for the stripes and I think it worked really well for this. The best part of the manicure is that since it is so abstract, it is impossible to mess up!

I really love the way it turned out. What do you guys think?

Nail Art Challenge Day 5: Blue

So today is finally my favorite color for manicures - blue! I decided to do something special instead of just one boring color, so I made a special pattern inspired by the new Bundle Monster stamps (which I can't find a photo of right now but I will link you guys when I see it!)

This is two China Glaze colors - "Custom Kicks" and "For Audrey."

I know I have been using Custom Kicks a lot lately but it is so new and pretty so I can't help myself!

I used a dotting tool and a toothpick for this manicure.

Summer Clouds

I decided to try another cloud manicure with summer colors, since they just look so pretty!

(For those of you who haven't seen, Nail Side is famous for her nail clouds )

My biggest mistake was going to sleep with my nails still wet! Of course, I smudged almost all of them (and it looked SO pretty) but I was so tired and it was super late -

So besides the obvious smudging, what do you guys think of my second attempt?