Stained Glass Twin Nails

Today I have a fun twin mani that I did with Tracey, also known as @missbellatracey on Instagram.

She suggested we do a neon stained glass mani, so I picked a few neon shades from my collection that would somewhat match her OPI neon set (that I totally covet! Even though they're not technically neon...they're so pretty!) I can't speak for her, but mine are WAY brighter in person, as is often the case with neons. Even with that, I think they both turned out really great!

Winstonia Nail Art Brush Review

The last couple of weeks have been really great for me as far as nail art. Some of that is being out of school, giving me more time for designs, and some of it is the change in the season, which has inspired me to mirror the brightness and sunshine outside on my nails. However, a big part of my recent success is that I've been using Winstonia Professional Nail Art Brushes for most of my designs. An artist is only as strong as her tools, so I was thrilled when Winstonia contacted me about reviewing this brush set. I opted to use the brushes over a few weeks to develop a full opinion on them, which I've described in the post below!

Brushes provided for review. All polishes purchased by me.

Photo property of Winstonia. Text/arrows added by me!

I added the labels to the photo above so you'd know what I'm talking about throughout the post in reference to which brushes I use for each technique.

Since the first photo was taken from the Winstonia website, I included this photo of my actual brushes to show what they looked like upon arrival. The bristles were also encased in a plastic cover for protection.

After using these brushes multiple times over the past couple weeks, I am very impressed with their durability. I do all of my designs with polish, (mostly because I'm stubborn about using acrylic paint) so the brushes have to be cleaned in pure acetone. They have maintained their shape nicely, and don't seem to have been immediately deteriorated by the acetone.

For this design, I used four of the five of the Winstonia brushes:

Striper ~ Black and silver stripes on middle finger (done using Sinful Colors - Black on Black & a-england - Excalibur)

Medium liner ~ Outline of chevron on middle finger, (done using OPI - Jinx) silver and orange outline of teardrop on index finger, outline of iris (done using OPI - Fly) and pupil in eyeball

Thin liner ~ Outline of eyeball, eyelashes, and small chevrons on index finger

Thick liner ~ used to fill in silver portion, iris, and pupil of eyeball, chevron on middle finger, and teardrop on index finger

The glitter that inspired this whole look is Milani - Sugar Rim. I was surprised to find such a wonderfully unique glitter mix at the drugstore! It includes small teal hexes, tiny yellow, black, and coral hexes, and mid-sized silver shards. All photos show two dabbed coats; on my index and pinky nail, Sugar Rim is dabbed over OPI - Fly, and on my thumb (macro above) it is over a-england - Excalibur.

The lovely Milani glitter mix reminded me of this cool bracelet I had, which was the other inspiration for this mani.

I've seen lots of people doing "evil eye" manis lately, and unfortunately, I think mine turned out a little more creepy than trendy. I love how the entire look came together, though!

Here are four other manis that I used the Winstonia brush set for over the past few weeks. Like I said, it's been a fantastic couple of weeks for me, and I definitely credit these great brushes for a lot of it! I want to mention that I used the thick liner brush to paint the orange studs on the top right mani. If you've ever tried to paint studs, you know what a pain it is to use a regular sized polish brush!

Here are the close ups. For the outline of the "V" in the top left, the light pink portion of the roses in the bottom left, and the outline, horn detail, and mane of the unicorn design in the bottom right, I used the fine detail brush. I've previously had to trim brushes to achieve such fine detail, and I loved having a brush that arrived read to complete these more detailed designs!

Overall, I was very impressed with this set. The brushes held up much better than others I've used in the past despite exposure to polish and acetone. I found the brushes easy to manipulate, and love that the bristles held their shape. Finally, I liked the variety in length and thickness, and loved that I didn't feel the need to trim the fine detail brush. 

The 5 piece Winstonia brush set, which you can get (along with lots of other beauty products) at their Website. You can also follow them on Instagram for info about promotions and giveaways!

Polish Pusher - Unicorn Sneeze

Good morning and happy memorial day to my USA nail babes! Today I have a fabulous design inspired by an even more fabulous indie polish -- Unicorn Sneeze from Polish Pusher.

Unicorn Sneeze is a vibrant, hot pink jelly polish with pink, blue, and orange small glitters and large blue holo dot glitters. These photos show three thin coats of squishy goodness, and these first three photos show it topped with HK Girl Topcoat. Without topcoat, this polish dries to a velvety, semi-matte finish. 

UVA Graduation

Hi everyone! Today I finally had a chance to post my mani from this past weekend. I was in Charlottesville, Virginia for my boyfriend's sister's graduation from the University of Virginia. I also graduated from UVA three long years ago, and I haven't been back since. I was so excited to revisit my alma mater that I did some Wahoo-themed nails.

Polishes used were Sinful Colors - Snow Me White, OPI - Eurso Euro, and a Nail Honey custom orange polish. The studs are regular gold studs from the Born Pretty Store that I painted orange using a small Winstonia brush.

My first Stitch Fix + inspired manis

My post today is a bit different from what I usually do, but I really hope you all enjoy the mix of fashion and nail art.

Have you heard of Stitch Fix? It's an innovative online personal styling service! Here's how it works: go to the site, fill out your style profile, and schedule a fix! That. Is. It. Within a few weeks, five items tailored to your size and style preferences will arrive in your mailbox, and you get to choose which ones get to stay in your closet. When you schedule a fix, you will be charged a $20 styling fee, which goes towards anything you keep in your box. Also, if you keep all five of the items, you receive a 25% discount on everything.

When I got the alert from my apartment building that my package had arrived, I practically sprinted home and tore into my Fix! I was immediately excited by the patterns and textures I saw, and found the personalized note from my stylist, Elle, to be a nice touch.

Your fix also comes with styling cards for each item with recommendations on what to pair each piece with. So, what was inside?!

First of all, I had specifically requested a maxi skirt or dress when I scheduled my fix. My first reaction here was conflicted: my stylist included both a skirt AND a dress (yay!) but they were also both horizontally striped (as a curvy girl who's always trying to drop 10-15 pounds...hmmm...) However, one of the cardinal rules of Stitch Fix is to try everything on, even if you think it won't work for you. So I followed the rules.

I was so surprised to find that I loved everything about the THML - Kahlo Racer Back Striped Maxi Dress ($78) dress. The pattern was (somehow!) figure flattering, the shape was surprisingly structured, and I love the pop of color and detail at the neckline. The length was also perfect, which I was concerned about since I'm on the shorter side. My only complaint about this piece was the price tag--$78 seems like a lot to spend on a dress without much structure or substance like this one.

I promised you nails, didn't I?! This mani was inspired by the dress above.

I applied two coats of OPI - My Vampire is Buff, and used a striper brush by Bundlemonster to add thin stripes of Zoya - Storm. I tried to replicate the loopy embroidery using a small detail brush and dotting tools by Bundlemonster in OPI - Live.Love.Carnaval.

Once I realized I loved the dress, I figured the similarly-styled skirt would be a definite return. Then I tried it on, along with the Fate - Antonietta Zip-Front Sleeveless Blouse as my stylist recommended:

For being, theoretically, almost identical to the dress, this is such a different look to me! The color pallet is more beachy and low key, and the shape more casual. This Honey Punch - Quincey Striped Maxi Skirt ($58) was a bit longer on me in length, but the foldover top made it adjustable to a certain degree, and I like having the option of pairing it with flats or heels. On the downside, I also found the price of this one to be a bit higher than what I would usually pay for such a simple piece.

On another note, the Fate - Antonietta Zip-Front Sleeveless Blouse ($58) is just SO me. I love white tops, I love zipper details, and I love sleeveless/tank styles that cover enough to be office appropriate, but are still wearable and fun for the weekend.

This paring also inspired a mani!

This mani began with a base of China Glaze - Too Yacht to Handle (index & middle finger) and In a Lily Bit (ring & pinky finger). I used striping tape to create the striping with Colores de Carol - 1912 and the lattice pattern with Sinful Colors - Snow Me White. I used a Bundlemonster dotting tool to enlarge the crosses to mimic the embroidery on the top.

The next item I tried was the Pomelo - Kenedy Lace Crochet & Ikat Print Dress ($78). This is so perfect for spring and summer! This length can be tricky for my shape, but the flair in the skirt balanced out my bust and hips, and adding a belt (my own, not included in the fix) really accentuated my shape. Again, I love that I could wear this to work or to Sunday brunch. The material of the skirt is so soft, and overall it just felt like a nice, well made piece.

The final item in my box was Papermoon - Wynn Arrow Print Front Pocket Blouse ($48). I had seen this on some other bloggers who reviewed their fixes, and was so excited to pull it out of my own. This style top (gauzy, loose, and 3/4 length sleeved) is such a staple in my wardrobe, since it's wearable year-round depending on how you style it. Pairing something so light and airy with a cami is a great way to prevent sweating to death in the heat of DC summer.

Even though I love the pattern and cut of the shirt in general, I wasn't totally enthused about the neckline, and it was a little small in the shoulders.

This one also inspired a nail look!

I began with a base of Cult Nails - Time Traveler (middle & index fingers) and Riot (index & pinky finger). Using a Bundlemonster striping brush, I added the chevrons in Sinful Colors - Snow Me White and Riot.

When I initially scheduled my fix, I had planned on keeping two, maybe three of the items. However, once I had all these pretty clothes in my actual home, it was reaaaally hard to imagine letting them go. Even with my misgivings about the top and some of the prices, I took the plunge and kept everything. I'm glad I didn't sign myself up for monthly fixes right away, because I could see this being a serious drain on my bank account! Luckily, the 25% discount for buying all five items made one of the dresses free. I'm definitely a Stitch Fix convert...I scheduled my next fix that same day.

What do you think? Would you like to see another post like this when I get my next fix? Or should I keep to showing my hands instead of my face? Let me know in the comments! Also, if you're interested in giving Stitch Fix a try, use this link and I'll get a referral bonus towards my next purchase!

St. Patrick's Day Round 1 + X Striping Tutorial

I have two more untrieds to share with you in tonight's mani, and a tutorial for my X-design accent nail. This is my first stab at a St. Patrick's Day manicure, and I love how it turned out! I'm a birthday shamrock princess, so I always get really into my green looks. I think I'll end up trying to incorporate gold rather than silver in my final birthday design, but this was a great start!

Here's the tutorial for my accent nail. It's totally simple, and really doesn't require hardly any skill--just a steady hand and some patience! But I was asked to make one by a few people, so I figured why not?!

1. Paint your base color, and let it dry completely. I used Zoya - Neely (untried #1!)

2. I like to cut all my tape before getting started. Depending on how many X's you want, cut enough medium and small-sized pieces, plus some extras just in case. I got my striping tape from the Born Pretty Store.

3. Start with a single X dividing your entire nail. 

4 & 5 Add smaller V's within each quadrant of the X. 

6. If you want to add a second X, do so where you have space. Sometimes I skip this step if I'm in a hurry.

7. Apply one coat of your second color to the entire nail. Go for an opaque color that won't require multiple coats, since you want to remove the tape before it dries.

8. Carefully remove the tape using tweezers.

9. Clean up, top coat, and you're all done!

The other nails are a subtle gradient using Sinful Colors - Snow Me White and Zoya - Neely, topped with The Juicebox Lacquer - Nobody Likes You When You're Dead (untried #2!) 

Have you been sharing your untrieds with Rei and I on Instagram? Only two more days to join us on the #hiveminduntrieds tag for a chance to win some nail goodies!

Delush Polish XOXO Collection

Hi everyone! Today I have some nail art to share with you that I created from two polishes I ordered from the Delush Polish XOXO Collection. I absolutely love this indie line, and have been wanting to order from her again ever since my obsession with her Dexter-inspired Slice of Life Collection began in the fall. These polishes come from a trio of pretty Valentine's themed shades that are girly and so unique!

Je Ne Sais Quoi is a white crelly polish with pastel pink and green glitters and large pink holo dots. These photos show three thin coats with two coats of HK Girl Topcoat on my index and pinky fingernails. This is the polish that literally forced me to order from Delush again--I saw some gorgeous swatches, and knew it had to be mine! Formula was wonderful, the polish applied evenly, and I didn't even have to dig for those big circle glitters that I love so dearly.

Macro shot to show the squish. And the light caught the holo at a really nice angle here, too!

Make Me Blush is a stunning, soft pastel pink with gold hued iridescent shimmer throughout. I tried so desperately to capture the gold, but eventually my camera battery died. Seriously. It's soooo incredibly pretty and feminine in real life. Photo shows two thin coats topped with HK Girl Top Coat under the rose design on my middle finger (and on my thumb that you can get a peek of in some of these photos!) This is the first glitter-free polish I've tried from Delush, and it applied like butter. I was also not sure how opaque this polish would be, and found that it build much quicker than I anticipated. 

This macro is terrible, but catches some of that gold. Honestly, you should all just buy this polish now so you can fully experience it. You will love it!

My accent nail is a Julie G textured glitter, (no name on the bottle) and I happened to have it right next to Je Ne Sais Quoi on my desk. When I realized it perfectly matched the pink glitters, I had to combine the two for the look! I also used the Julie G and Sinful Colors - Snow Me White for the roses, and Zoya - Wednesday for the little petals. 

These polishes, along with the third in the trio (which is Beyonce inspired, so sassy I love it) are available from Delush Polish right now! 

Inni Nail Strips

UPDATE: Inni Nails is now on Kickstarter! Try out these fabulous and unique nail strips and help this new company reach their funding goal!

Today I'm excited to share my review of a relatively new product on the nail scene. Before I really started to get into nail art and swatching, I went through a phase where I loved incorporating nail strips into my manicures as an accent nail. Since I hadn't ever tried to create designs on my own, but I was interested in mixing things up, this was an excellent option for me. However, I quickly found that there weren't as many designs available as I had ideas in my head, and that some brands of nail strips were just difficult to work with, and didn't create the desired effect.

Enter Inni Nail Strips! Through their website, you can design your very own nail strips, or browse the many designs uploaded by other users. I was intrigued by the concept, but wondered, how would the quality stand up? Read ahead to learn more!

Product provided for review.

On the Inni website, you can access the studio, (shown above) which allows you to create your own design using a variety of tools, or to even upload an image saved on your computer. The studio was very user friendly, and I played around with a bunch of different designs before eventually choosing a pretty lavender brocade pattern that had been uploaded by a previous user.

 Soon after making my selection (much sooner than I anticipated, as they travel all the way from Finland!) my strips arrived. Here's what you get: 30 strips printed with your chosen design in varying sizes, a file for shaping the strips to your nail, and a brief set of instructions printed at the top. Very simple and sleek, and I was really pleased with the number of strips and variety of sizes provided.

Here's a close up shot of the instructions. Straightforward and easy to follow. I definitely recommend following step 1 and swiping your nails with remover before application, even if they're already clean. Doing so made the strips adhere to the nail much better. Also, I love the measurement feature that allows you to select the right size for each nail.

By matching the nail to the strip, you get a precise measurement for the width of your nail, and can choose the appropriate strip for your size (each strip is labeled by size this way). This is a feature I haven't seen with any other nail strip kits, and found it to be very helpful! They also have a Youtube video that introduces the product and walks you through the steps.

Following the included instructions, I applied a strip to each nail, and shaped using the included file. The strips were very sticky, and adhered to the nail immediately. In this picture, you can see some slight lifting at the cuticle, which I addressed by applying a coat of top coat. That worked well, and the lifting wasn't apparent in real life, just in the super zoomed in photos. I also ran finer grit nail file over my tips to remove some of the "jagged" look from shaping the strips.

Here's the finished product. Notice how the lifting is less pronounced here.

This macro shot was taken after three days of wear! They really held up great, with only slight puckering on the left side of the nail. The website states they can last up to two weeks, which I don't doubt, but we all know I can't keep the same thing on my nails for that long.  :)

As I said before, my favorite way to utilize nail design strips is as an accent nail incorporated into a more dynamic mani, so I decided to include an example here! I paired the Inni Nail Strip with white studded nails (Snow Me White - Sinful Colors, studs from the Born Pretty Store) and Love.Angel.Music.Baby from the OPI Gwen Stefani collection.

Detailed nail art in seconds, what's not to love?! I would definitely put these strips in the same category as Sally Hansen strips, which are the most user friendly brand I've used in the past. (For reference sake, the worst brand I've used is Essie -- avoid those!) Though I'd say they're similar in quality to the SH strips, these are a very different material, and were a little tricky to work with at first just because they weren't what I was used to. By following the instructions and working slowly and carefully, I was able to get the hang of it, and was very pleased with the final result. Also, unlike the SH strips, they can simply be peeled off when you're ready to remove!

Inni Nail Strips are available with free international shipping through their website for $8.90/set. There are endless possibilities for designs, and you get a lot of strips for the price! Try incorporating one or two strips into a skitlette mani, or you can cut the strips into different shapes for a whole other look. I also think this is a great marketing option for organizations or fundraisers, especially if you have a logo that would be really difficult to create using freehand techniques. Enjoy, and let me know if you try them out!

Follow Inni Nail Design on Facebook and Pinterest! 

Juice Box Lacquer - Whoops, It's Christmas!

Happy New Year, everyone! Today I have three polishes to share with you that I chose from the Juice Box Lacquer Christmas collection, hilariously titled "Whoops, It's Christmas!"

First up is Tree Balls, Hold the Tree, a glitter topper in a clear base consisting solely of glorious multicolored circle glitters. Be still my heart!

In these photos, I have two dabbed layers over OPI - Don't Touch My Tutu, topped with Seche Vite to smooth everything out. It was very easy to get a good variety of glitters with each swipe/dab, but I did find the clear base to be a bit thick. You can see where bubbles appeared, especially over my middle and ring fingers. Because of this, in the future I will probably place glitters individually rather than dabbing, or use a sponge to soak up some of the base. 

Here I sandwiched Tree Balls, Hold the Tree between layers of Don't Touch My Tutu and topped with OPI Matte topcoat. I absolutely love how soft and whimsical this looks! Also, the layering and matte top coat made those pesky bubbles less visible.

This beauty is Golden Candy Canes, which contains yellow/gold and red matte hex and small dot glitters in a shimmering white crelly base. Photos show three thin coats with top coat, with minimal placement of larger glitters on the top layer. 

This one is so delicate and gorgeous, I only wish I had better captured the shimmer of the base! Application was perfect and even, and the base is the perfect balance of opacity to mute the layers below while still letting the glitters peek through. 

Though this is certainly the most obviously Christmas-y polish that I bought from the collection, I could see this incorporated into manis year round. It's really so pretty in person!

Last is my favorite of the three, Stairway to Holo Heaven, or as I've lovingly abbreviated it, S2HH. It is a glitter topper in a clear base with tons of small holo hexes, and larger holo dots and stars. Here I have two dabbed layers over Smokey Mountains Lacquer - Showstopper.

Hellooooo holo!! How could this one not be my favorite? It combines holo and circle glitters, and it really doesn't get much better than that.

As with Tree Balls, Hold the Tree, the base for S2HH was on the thick side, but still workable, and so worth the effort! While this one certainly lends itself to the holidays, I can't imagine limiting its use year-round, it's just too sparkly and magical!!

S2HH was also featured in my New Year's Eve mani! As I suspected, the thickness of the base was made much easier to work with by applying with a make up sponge. I applied S2HH on the tips of my index and pinky finger (over a black by Sinful Colors and a white by Wet'n'Wild) and used OPI - My Favorite Ornament as the accent, and over a taped "x" pattern on my middle finger.

One more shot of my NYE mani in the sun! I really loved this one!

These polishes aren't currently available from the Juice Box Lacquer's Storenvy shop, but be sure to keep checking there and on Instagram for updates, as Bre has hinted that they will appear either on clearance or in mystery boxes in the near future!