Oh Bother

Just a quick update to let you folks know that I won't be able to do any nails for a bit =(  Work through this weekend will not allow me to do fancy fun time nails.  Expect to see something on Monday, and in the meantime I'll try to get something up on the mini-haul I got yesterday!   Have a fantastic week/end everyone!

31-Day Challenge: Blue

On to Day 5: Blue!  We're nearing the end of the rainbow, folks!  Jumping right in: colors used today: Sinful Colors - Love Nails & NYC - Pier 17.

And BundleMonster plate BM-225

2 thin coats of "Love Nails"

And some stamping with the NYC

The NYC is pretty transparent -- and I love how this looks.  It reminds me of etched metal.  Overall Satisfaction: Very Satisfied!

31-Day Challenge: Green

Day 4: GREEEEEEEEN!  I love green!  I was so excited about today!  It should have been yesterday, but there were complications.  What kind of complications, you may ask?  Dog complications.

Don't let the innocent look fool you.

This bugger made so much trouble yesterday that I had to attempt my nails not one, not two, or even three times, but FOUR TIMES.  Every time I made any sort of progress she would find a new and exciting way to create trouble and my nails went to hell.  After time four I gave up for the day and tried again this morning (when I had my hubby here for backup).

The Colors

Sinful Colors: Gorgeous & Sally Hansen: Green with Envy

The Nails

Cofffeeeeeeee!!!  I may have a bit of an addiction.

After yesterday's fiasco(s), I decided that I needed a quick, simple nail.  1-2 coats of Green with Envy (depending on the nail) and then some quick dots of Gorgeous to add a bit of interest.  

All I can say about today (other than I <3 Green) is thank goodness for backup!  And I <3 Green.

31-Day Challenge: Yellow

Remember my feelings on Orange?  Magnify that for Yellow.  I will apologize now about Yellow's Challenge.  I don't like it and when it didn't quite turn out, I said "fuck it.  I'm done."  Yellow is very sub-par.  I went with another dual-tone mani for yellow, but things that looked great on paper didn't turn out so well on the actual nail.

The Players

And their friend, plate BM-204

=======================================================================

THE MANI

Caffeine is essential

The plan was to go with a nice, sunny set of nails, as today is rainy and blah.  I started with 2 coats of Sinful Color's "Let's Meet."  One coat was actually a very pretty yellow, 2 coats turned it almost golden, which was very pretty as well.

Too much of a (potential) good thing.

The next stage of the plan was to make it look like I had a sunrise happening my nails.  I french-tipped them in Sally Hansen Insta-Dry "Lightening."  Then we followed with the ray-like stamp in the corners of 2 adjacent fingers.  Dots were added.  They should not have been added.

Less is more.

I learned my lesson (kinda) on my right hand and skipped the majority of the dots.

Verdict:  The biggest detriment to this mani (other than the dots) was that the yellows didn't go together well enough.  If I ever try this one again, I think I'll do a coat of white (the Let's Meet is really transparent), a coat of Let's Meet, and call that good.  I swatched the two yellows on my toes before starting and it turned out great... with one coat of everything.  Also less dots.

31-Day Challenge: Orange

Day 2: Orange.  Ugh.  I do not like orange.  We've never been good friends.  I did pick out a new Orange recently, however, that I don't hate, so we'll see.

I started with two coats of Cloud 9 by Sinful Colors.  I don't hate it, but it's Orange, so I don't really like it, either.

This is me trying to be artistic again.  Working?

To keep it from being too plain, I added some stamping!  I used NYC's Spring Street with BundleMonster plate BM-203 for a bit of a retro look.  Please excuse my fingerprints all over the plate.

Finished Product:

Upside-down label reading, anyone?

Overall Satisfaction: Somewhat Satisfied.  I'm pleased that the stamping turned out.  I used a different scraper which seems to leave more polish on the plate, giving me a less transparent stamp, so that part turned out awesome, but it's orange.  I still don't like Orange.

31-Day Challenge: Red

Alright, ladies and gents!  Here's kicking off my adventures in the 31-Day Challenge! After a fruitful trip to Target to find the right color red, it's time to start out with Challenge Day (Week)1: Red!


I used OPI's "The Thrill of Brazil" for a nice, bright red.  Then used a coat of Sephora by OPI's Matte Top Coat

I have to say, when I first saw matte nail polishes, I hated them.  I thought, "what's the point?"  Needless to say, it's grown on me ;) 

I finished off with a coat of shiny top coat to give myself a french tip effect, and I love it (inspiration here)!

Hopefully I'll be able to keep up with this regularly -- my apologies in the meantime while I get a schedule figured out!  Related: I just got a new job that involves not wearing polish (food service, yay), so this will probably be limited to my weekends =(

Stocking Up!

In preparation of the 31-Day Week Challenge, I used that as an oh-so-convenient excuse to expand my collection a bit!  I have been absolutely dying to try out matte nails, so I set out to my local Target store, as their website advertises they have Essie's Matte About You (spoiler: Two different Super Targets did not have it).  Lucky for me, I had to visit the mall, which has a Sephora store.  Teeeheeehehehehehe!

Along that line, this was my first time at Sephora, and I need to say: OH MY GOD.  Keep me away from there.  It's for my pocket book's own good.

On to the haul!

I got everything but the Sephora at Target, at what I would consider a pretty good price, but I'm unfamiliar with what these should cost, so who knows?

Left to right, you can see I scored OPI's The Thrill of Brazil, and four SinfulColors: Cloud 9, Let's Meet, Gorgeous, and Love Nails.  The Matte Top Coat is Sephora by OPI.

Here's looking forward to using each and every one of these in the upcoming weeks!

31 Day Challenge

Alright, folks!  I've decided that I've been doing enough nail art that it's time I start a blog!  We'll see if I have the will to continue!  Now what better way to start out a nail blog than by participating in the 31 Day Challenge?!

Here's the line-up:

This challenge is more likely to be a 31-WEEK Challenge, but we'll get there eventually! ;)

Let's Get Fancy!

Thanks to /r/RedditLaqueristas, I have been going nuts on my nails since about January.  I've decided that perhaps it's time to start a blog?

What about all those previous nail art masterpieces (I use the word loosely) I've created?  Those are still saved on Imgur.com and will remain there.  In the meantime, here are links to aforementioned previous works:

Gradient Nails
Stamping and Dotting
Dot Gradients
Red and Black Stripes
Cherry Blossoms
Stripes and Dots
The Beaded Curtain