Negative Space Triangles

Hi everyone! Today I have this totally simple--but still flashy--negative space nail art to share with you! I really loved how this one turned out, and it's a look that even the most nail art challenged lacquerista. Also, I think single triangles/chevrons like the ones on my middle and index fingers are great for making short nails seem longer. 

For the chevron nails, I cut a small triangle of regular Scotch tape and applied it to a totally dried layer of topcoat. Then, I brushed a single, generous coat of OPI - Eurso Euro over top of the tape, and removed it immediately. This left me pretty clean lines, but I also cleaned up the edges a bit using a Bundlemonster striping tool. I used the same color on my pinky, and two coats of OPI - My Signature is "DC" for the accent nail.

NOTD: Pastel Mermaid Nail Art

Nail babes, I have a confession to make. Since my first attempts at nail art in March 2013 and starting my blog almost a year ago, I have never...NEVER... done mermaid nails. I know, I'm a fraud; a failure. What kind of nail girl isn't obsessed with mermaids? And doesn't create mermaid-esque masterpieces on her claws to celebrate the summer? I don't know what took me so long to come to my senses as a mermaid-loving nail artist of the 21st century, but the good news is that I finally did.

Let the healing begin.

NOTD: China Glaze Gradient & Lumina Lacquer

TGIF, nail babes! Today I wore this summery gradient topped with one of my favorite glitter toppers of all time. It was a fabulous way to celebrate the end of a long work week!

NOTD: Stripes, Studs, and Chevrons

My nail of the day is this girly, simple design that I did on top of a sheer white base.

I started out with four thin coats of OPI - Don't Touch My Tutu, a white crelly polish. Here I've topped it with Sally Hansen Big Matte Topcoat. I absolutely love this polish--it's perfect for a palate cleanser. Using this for the first time in a while,  I realized how much I've improved with using sheer polishes. It really does require practice!

NOTD: Neverland Lacquers - Sunkissed

Today's nail of the day is this awesomely unique thermal polish from Neverland Lacquers (formerly Popculture Cosmetics--I think. Her Instagram has changed to Neverland Lacquers, and the polishes were labeled as such, so that's what I'm going with). It took me a while to get into thermal polishes; for some reason I just didn't get the appeal. Once I finally tried one, I was hooked, and have been trying to expand my collection ever since. This one stole my heart the second I saw this glorious transition!

Sunkissed is a sheer, jelly thermal polish packed with gold, iridescent flakies. These photos show four thin coats topped with Seche Vite. The formula was excellent. It was on the thinner side, which is good, since the polish is quite sheer and I imagine most people would want to apply at least three coats. Also, the flakies were plentiful, and spread evenly across the nail. The sheerness allowed for a fabulous, multi-dimensional shimmer.

In its warm state, Sunkissed is a nude/rose gold. It's definitely sheer, so there's a bit of visible nail line. I love jellies though, so that didn't bother me. You could probably get away with adding a fifth coat, which would make the polish more opaque in its warm state.

The photo above shows a macro of Sunkissed in its warm state, and the photo below shows it in transition. Again, I just love these gold flakies so much!

In it's cold state, Sunkissed is a surprisingly vibrant and fully opaque tangerine shade. And you can still see that gold shimmer!

And here's the macro! I was really pleasantly surprised by this polish. The transition was much more dramatic than I expected, and again, the formula was flawless. This polish is available at the Pop Culture Cosmetics website!

NOTD: Hare Polish - For Margot Tenenbaum

My dear ladies and germs, (and gents, if you're out there) today I have the distinct pleasure of sharing my new favorite polish of all time with you! Without further ado, I give you a polish I love in name as much as I love on my nails, For Margot Tenenbaum by Hare Polish.

For Margot Tenenbaum is a mint/aqua jelly with gold glitters in various sizes and gold hued flakies throughout. These photos show two coats with top coat. Formula is fabulously smooth to apply, and glitter spread evenly with each stroke. This is my first polish from Hare, but it definitely lived up to its stellar reputation.

I honestly fell in love with this polish the very fist time I saw it. The color of the base is stunning, and I adore the glitter mix within. I am also obsessed with the Wes Anderson and his classic film The Royal Tenenbaums. Gwenyth Paltrow plays the sullen, emotionless Margot, the namesake of this polish, which is somewhat ironic since she's missing a finger in the movie. I think Wes would approve. 

Naturally, I had to pair this stunner with a polish that could complement its beauty without taking center stage. The lovely OPI - Love.Angel.Music.Baby. seemed an ideal choice. I honestly never get tired of the beautiful satin finish in this polish. The turquoise studs are from the Born Pretty Store, item #5603. If you order from them, be sure to use the coupon code JNJ61 for 10% off your order!

Le sigh. I don't know how I'm going to justify using any polish besides For Margot Tenenbaum from now on, because I am totally obsessed with it. Do you have a polish like that? And more importantly, do you love The Royal Tenenbaums?! (if your answer to that one is that you haven't seen it, RUN DON'T WALK and see it now! but only if you like hilarious, ironic, understated cinematic masterpieces...)

NOTD: Ladylike Golden Tones for Rei!

I have a special nail-of-the-day to share that was inspired by my numero uno nailbabe, Rei of Reinovate Nails! It's her birthday today, so I tried to channel her in my mani. To me, Rei's work screams class and simplicity, when she's not blowing me away with her mind boggling stamping skills. For some reason, I am unreasonably terrified of trying stamping, so I had to go the clean and simple route. I also wanted something that called to mind how wonderful and ladylike (lol) she always is. I'm really pleased with what I ended up with!

I combined Fancy Gloss - Golden Swan with Zoya - Godiva. I used two coats of each, and topped Golden Swan with HK Girl Topcoat. 

Fancy Gloss is a new to me indie brand, and I was very impressed with the quality! The polish has tons of silvery, gold, and holo glitters in a white crelly base, and I loved how much glitter I picked up in each stroke.

Godiva was one of the first Zoya polishes I ever bought, and it remains one of my ultimate favorites. I'm a total sucker for nudes, and this one is so understated and classy. Even though I've moved past my obsession for texture polishes, they definitely still have a special spot in my collection. Again, I'm often inspired by how Rei combines texture with glossy polishes for a really dynamic look.

If you've been following Rei for any length of time, (which, if you're not, what's wrong with you?! Find her here or here!) you'll know that her signature pose has caught out like wildfire all over the Instagram nail community. I love this photo style, and especially love when I see others using it and giving Rei credit for the idea. It's such a unique way to showcase the polish!

NOTD: Love, Angeline - Carry On

I wasn't planning on blogging about this mani, but as soon as I started taking pictures of it, I realized I would have to just for the opportunity to share more than one! As you may know, many indie makers have begun collaborating to produce monthly boxes that allow polish addicts to sample multiple lines in one order. One such collab is the "Pipe Down This Love is Bliss" box that includes polishes from Pipedream, Love, Angeline, and Bliss. The offerings are ALWAYS tempting, but this month I couldn't resist, largely because of the polish I'm wearing today. Obviously, it had to be the first one once my box came!

Love, Angeline - Carry On is a cool-toned gray crelly polish with gold hued iridescent shimmer and flakies. Photos show two thin coats topped with HK Girl Topcoat. This polish immediately caught my eye when I first saw swatches, and I'm happy to report it's just as stunning in person. The gold shimmer is so pretty and subtle, I know these photos don't even really come close to capturing it adequately. But I tried!

Part of why I was so excited to order this box was because I have never tried polishes from any of the indie makers, including Polish My Life, who had a guest spot in this box. I'm really excited to try the others and share them with you all!

NOTD: Pinwheel Polish - Fiesta Night Parade

Hi everyone! Since I got settled into my new place, I've gone on a serious nail polish ordering spree, making it really easy to be inspired (and to want to do my nails all the time!) Today's mani features a new polish that I just received yesterday, but I had to rip into it immediately.

Pinwheel Polish - Fiesta Night Parade is a clear based glitter topper with a beautiful variety of teal, pink, green, and holo glitters. These photos show two dabbed coats sandwiched between layers of L'oreal - Lilac Coolers. Glitter application was very even. As usual, I sat the bottle upside down before polishing, and gave it a good shake between coats. The bigger glitters were super easy to grab.

I've been really wanting to expand my collection of non-glitter jellies lately, and after doing some reading on the OPI Sheer Tints and the Sally Hansen Triple Shine jelly collection, I determined that neither really fit the bill for what I was looking for. My research led me to the limited edition collection of L'oreal jellies--I immediately threw six of them into my Amazon cart. This is the first one I've used, and the formula was fantastic! I applied two thin coats to each nail, then alternated layers of glitter and the jelly to get this look. My ring finger has three layers of the jelly polish topped with Zoya - Liberty in a taped design.

This is a really gorgeous and dynamic glitter topper, and I could imagine it looking fabulous with a lot of different base colors. I was forced into buying immediately when I saw a swatch of it over black--that might have to be the next combination I try!

Just look at the squish! Nom nom nom

Obviously, I had to try this one out with matte top coat. I was not disappointed! I love how the jelly polish takes on a frosty look when mattefied. 

Janna of Pinwheel Polish was also kind enough to offer a mini cuticle oil with purchase on the day I ordered. I opted for the "candy" scent--it smells just like rock candy! It seems to be a "dry oil," meaning that the aftermath of application isn't sticky or overly greasy. I'm a total cuticle care junkie, so I'm happy to add this little beauty to my collection.

The full Fiesta San Antonio collection is available from Pinwheel Polish right now. I love that this is one of the more affordable indie lines, so if you're on a budget, definitely take a look at what Pinwheel has to offer! Also, if you're a jelly fiend like me, be sure to scope out the L'oreal Miss Candy collection on Amazon; I was able to find all of them for $3 each or less!

NOTD: Polished by kpt - Plumeria

To lessen the blow of my full on nub-ification I decided to wear one of the new polishes I ordered from Polished by kpt's end of the year sale. It totally worked--throughout the day I found myself staring at my nails, especially anytime I put them under water. Plumeria is my very first thermal polish ever, and now I've got the bug and want them all! All photos show two coats topped with HK Girl Topcoat. Be kind about my sad little nubs!

In it's warm state, Plumeria is a silvery linear holo.

In it's cool state, it's a stunning muted rose holo with cool, purple undertones.

This photo (somewhat) shows the transition. Watching this happen is so entertaining! It's really amazing, and I'm impressed with how beautiful both shades are, and how well they complement each other.

And of course, a macro! I'm really getting the hang of this new camera, I think.

I was planning on putting some nail art over this, but it was so lovely and delicate on its own I couldn't do it.

The Polished by kpt online shop is currently closed, but be sure to follow her on Instagram for updates about future releases!

NOTD: Sparkles!

Hey ladies! I have a quick NOTD post that I did last night using a fabulous glitter topper from The Juice Box Lacquer called If I Still Had Eyes.

 

I hadn't seen this glitter over a light color, so I paired it with Nude Beach by Mermaid Lacquer. This is two even coats of If I Had Eyes topped with Seche Vite. Wow! Who knew all these colors were hiding in the midst of those iridescent and holo sparkles!

It looks much more blue/green in the bottle, and when layered over a darker color, which I think is a really gorgeous look as well! Glitter was easy to apple evenly, and I always got a variety of colors without fishing. 

I love how simple but unique this is! It's fun, but I totally rocked it in the office this afternoon and only maybe raised a few eyebrows. 

I think it kind of looks like sprinkles! What do you think?

Unfortunately, I recently snatched this pretty up in an epic clearance sale, so it is no longer available. But the good news is that many new glittah bombs are in the making over at The Juice Box Lacquer, so follow her on Instagram for updates!

NOTD: Blue & Gold Nail Art

Today I'm sharing a mani I posted on Instagram last week that I only felt lukewarm about. The idea was great in my head, but I didn't love how it looked on my nails. 

I love this color scheme and will have to use it again soon! The gold shown is Orly - Luxe and the navy is Cult Nails - Time Traveler. Chevrons were done free hand using a nail art striper, and the flowers were done with a dotting tool with a stud or glitter placement for the center.

This design was originally for a contest, but I ended up not entering because I wasn't pleased with the outcome. I ended up getting tons of positive feedback, which is why I'm posting them here. Sometimes we're our own worst critics! What do you think?

NOTD: Color Club - Holiday Splendor

Like any other red blooded, vaguely Christian American lady, I absolutely LOVE Christmas. The time with family, the food, the crafting (!!!)...it just takes me to my happy place. However, as much as I love Christmas, I have absolutely NO tolerance for pre-emptive Christmas spirit. If I hear Christmas music anytime before the day after Thanksgiving, someone is going to get it. When I was a counselor at a boarding school, I gave students who sang Christmas songs too early extra chores. (They called me a Grinch, obviously. But whatever)

Today, I am breaking my own rule, because I've had a revelation in the form of a polish from a past holiday themed collection. What kind of epicness is required for me to break this long standing personal rule? See below:

Color Club - Holiday Splendor

This polish is from their 2011 Beyond the Mistletoe collection, and I found it just sitting on a polish rack filled with other more recent releases. I had no idea it was a holiday polish, (obviously didn't read the name before throwing it into my basket) or that it was from so long ago. All I knew was that it was green, sparkly, and holo-y. I've had it for a few weeks now, and just got around to trying it...I have NO idea why I waited so long!

Holiday Splendor is an emerald green jelly polish filled with green and holo glitters. All of these photos show three thin coats over one coat of black polish, all topped with Seche Vite. Formula was easy to apply, and the glitter spread evenly, making it easy to achieve full coverage. 

I think this photo comes the closest to capturing the true emerald of this shade in real life. No filter, but I realize the lighting makes my skin look pretty lobster-y. 

Check out the holoooo! Even though the polish is described as having "scattered" holo, I find the holo effect to be quite strong and visible on the nail (and in the bottle). I see way more holo than I've seen in swatches of the China Glaze or Color Show "holos."

One more, just because. I took so many photos of this polish, because it look different (and beautiful!) in every possible light. I love the shade of green, and though it could easily be incorporated into a Chirstmas-themed mani, it doesn't immediately scream "holiday" to me (which is good--means I didn't break my rule too badly!)

As this polish is from 2011, I have no idea how available it is. I found it on a Color Club rack in a local nail supply shop. Happy searching, polish addicts!