Polka Dots & Dance in the Rain

Happy 2015, everyone! After an extended hiatus, I am officially back in action and excited to get my blogging groove back! As I'm sure you'll notice immediately, the holidays, my crazy semester at school, and lack of sleep due to hours spent on my thesis have taken a serious toll on my talons. I am reduced to the shortest nubs I've had in over a year! But this is all part of being a polish head--breaks happen. I'm going to work on a series celebrating nubs and maybe even some tutorials (!!!) with ideas for ladies that rock shorter nails all the time.

I thought it would be best to re-enter the blogosphere with a simple, colorful look that complements my new shorter style. I started with two coats of OPI - You're So Vain-illa on my index and middle fingers, then used a small Bundlemonster dotting tool to add polka dots in OPI - Hey Baby (pink) and China Glaze - Wait N' Sea. For my ring finger and pinky, I started with a base of OPI - Love.Angel.Music.Baby, and dabbed three-ish coats of Lumina Lacquer - Dance in the Rain on my ring finger.

Cherry Blossoms + Born Pretty Fleur-de-lis

Nail babes, it's official: spring has sprung! One of the most iconic signs of spring here in DC is the annual cherry blossom festival. People travel from all over the world (seriously!) to marvel at the beautiful pink trees all over Washington. Fortunately for my allergies, but unfortunately for the tourists, the blossoms have been reluctant to bloom after this year's brutal winter. They're beginning to peek out, so I figured I'd encourage them and add a little DC pride to my nails!

Fleur-de-lis nail decoration provided for review. All other polishes and tools were purchased by me.

I started out with my base colors: Sinful Colors - Snow Me White on my middle and ring fingers, a no name mint Color club on my index and pinky, and OPI - Hey Baby on my thumb. Using a small dotting tool from my Bundlemonster set, I added a polka dot pattern to the white nails. I painted the branches using OPI - My Private Jet and used a variety of dotting tools dipped in white and several shades of pink (Delush Polish - Make Me Blush & OPI - Shorts Story) to create the blooms. Then I topped it all with a thin coat from a fresh bottle (sighhh so refreshing!) of HK Girl Topcoat.

I affixed this cute fleur-de-lis charm (Item 9399 #10 from the Born Pretty Store) to my ring finger by applying an additional, thicker layer of HK Girl, and placing it using a pair of tweezers. I love how it adds some dimension and maturity to this whimsical manicure, and love the detail in the metal! You can find this and tons of other affordable nail art decorations and supplies at the Born Pretty Store--free worldwide shipping, and 10% off your order using the code JNJ61! I'll be reviewing a few other items from them this week, so stay tuned.

Overall, I'm pleased with how this mani turned out, especially after not doing much nail art in the past few weeks. I attempted cherry blossoms nearly a year ago, and I see a ton of improvement. Not only do my blossoms look a lot more complex, I like how the look is more detailed, precise, and polished. Not to mention vast improvements in my nail care routine, posing abilities, and photo quality. Just goes to show you how far practice can take you!

 

Gwen for OPI Triangles

I am, and have been since adolescence, a HUGE No Doubt/Gwen Stefani fan. Tragic Kingdom was my angsty soundtrack through most of middle school, and when Gwen broke out on her own, I was in awe of her artistry and ability to distinguish herself as a solo performer. Naturally, I was thrilled when I started seeing the hype of this enormous style icon's collaboration with OPI. Like many others, I was slightly disappointed when the collection was first revealed. To me, it didn't have that "it" factor, the stand out star quality that Gwen exudes 24/7, the rockstar devil-may-care attitude that spits in the face of mainstream trends.

Well, I was wrong.

After taking in the evidence through various other bloggers and keeping an eye on OPI's social media campaign around this collection, I think it actually is pretty innovative. The experimentation with different finishes sets these polishes apart, especially in what seems to be the downward slide of grainy textures. I also appreciate how OPI seems to be embracing the nail art trend by providing ornamentation with Gwen's signature shade, and the development of a nail art app. This post is me biting my tongue, acknowledging my foolishness, and maintaing that Gwen is kickass and still an innovator, as she really snuck up on me with the uniqueness of this collection.

This mani features three polishes from the collection: 4 in the Morning, Love.Angel.Music.Baby (both of which have satin finishes) and I Sing in Color (which has a glossy finish). The triangle tips were freehanded using the polish brush, and the multi-triangle accent nail was done using striping tape from the Born Pretty Store.

I really, really love the satin finish of 4 in the Morning (black, base on middle finger and triangle tip on thumb) and Love.Angel.Music.Baby (gold, base on thumb, pinky, and ring fingers, and triangle tip on index). I applied two coats of these without topcoat, as recommended. They have a subtle shimmer, are velvety to the touch, and aren't quite fully matte. I hope this finish becomes a mainstay in future OPI collections!

I Sing in Color (base on index, triangle tips on middle and pinky finger) is a deep, vampy burgundy shade, that applied smoothly and evenly with full coverage in two coats. I especially love how this stands out against the black of 4 in the Morning on my middle finger.

I initially only ordered these three and one other polish from this collection, but after falling so entirely in love with them, I might need to pick up more. What do you think of the Gwen for OPI collection? Has it grown on you as it has on me?