Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Nail-Aween Nail Art Challenge - Any Halloween Inspired Mani

It's day ten of the Nail-Aween Nail Art Challenge, which came at a really bad time for me, so this is not the most impressive mani ever, but hey it's done. And just barely on time. Take a look. 

Ruby Red Gradient Manicure

So, I wanted to do a black & red manicure with some sort of nail art. By the time I finished the gradient, I just really didn't have time to draw anything on there, so this is all you get. I thought the gradient was pretty, so I'm kind of glad that I didn't draw anything over it. I used Nicole by OPI Sealed With  A Kris and Milani Garnet Gems for the gradient. Here is a pic of Sealed With A Kris all by itself. It wasn't pretty. It's a great color, but after three coats it was still this streaky.

Nicole by OPI Sealed With A Kris


Thanks for looking, and be sure to check out the other participants in this challenge!


Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Nail-Aween Nail Art Challenge - Pumpkin Mani

It's day nine of the Nail-Aween Nail Art Challenge, so today I have pumpkins on my nails. But before I show them off, I just want to send my safe wishes to everyone on the east coast. I have a lot of friends and family all along the coast, and while I am happy to say that they are all fine, I know others were not so lucky and my heart goes out to all of you. I wish I could say that I got away unscathed as I live all the way in Ohio, but our proximity to the lake made things quite bad here, too. The wind was crazy and it just continues to keep raining. I had a 45 minute commute to school this morning turn into a 5 hour commute due to some issues with the lake deciding to take over the freeway and numerous power outages. Other than the stress and anxiety, though, I am fine.

 So, on to the nails. I couldn't just do pumpkins...I had to be different. Of course. So I thought about one of my favorite food in the autumn that the word 'pumpkin' always brings to mind - pumpkin roll! Check out my pumpkin roll nails. :)


I started out with a coat of China Glaze Desert Sun, then added a coat of Nubar Black Polka Dot (to look like nutmeg and other delicious spices). After that, I stamped in white using Mash-40. I then traced the outline, with a mixture of white and Sinful Colors Unicorn to make my cream cheese filling. Mmmmmmm cream cheese filling....

Anyway, that's all I've got for you today. Hope you like my pumpkin roll mani. Tomorrow I will have my last post for this nail art challenge. Thanks for looking, and be sure to check out the other participants in this challenge!

Sunday, October 28, 2012

Nail-Aween Nail Art Challenge - Witch Nail Art

It's day eight of the Nail-Aween Nail Art Challenge, and today's theme is witch nail art. So, are you a good witch, or a bad witch?? I, of course, am a good witch, and I have just the mani to prove it! :)

 


This was done using LEX Cosmetics Tuilleries. I bought this a while back from Sneakpeeq and still haven't had a reason to use it, but it was perfect for this mani. I added a coat of Revlon Stuuning and Nubar White Polka Dot for extra glitz, and then created a gradient with Revlon Stunning  toward the tips of my nails. The wand was painted on with a small nail art brush using NYC Tribecca Silver, and I used bits of glitter from Revlon Stunning to accent it, painstakingly placing them in the star shape to represent Glinda's wand. This is such a girly manicure, I love it!! Who knew I could turn a Halloween manicure into a girly, floofy one?? :) Here is a picture of Tuilleries all by itself.



Thanks for looking, and be sure to check out the other participants in this challenge!

Saturday, October 27, 2012

Nail-Aween Nail Art Challenge - Spider Nail Art

It's day seven of the Nail-Aween Nail Art Challenge - almost done! Today, I did a spider theme for my nails. Take a look!

My poor spider only has 6 legs. One of the kitties must have got to him. haha

 This was done using China Glaze Man Hunt as a base. Then I added my webbing in OPI My Boyfriend Scales Walls, and China Glaze I'm Not Lion. I drew in the spider using Wet n Wild Black Creme. I kind of wish that I had a smaller brush to make the webbing even more fine, but this was the smallest brush I own. Overall, I like how it turned out other than that. Here is a picture of China Glaze Man Hunt all by itself. It is a great blue!


Thanks for looking, and be sure to check out the other participants in this challenge!

Thursday, October 25, 2012

Nail-Aween Nail Art Challenge - Frankenstein

It's day six of the Nail-Aween Nail Art Challenge, and I have a Frankenstein-inspired mani for you today. I call it Franken-Mani! This was one really fun, and I don't want to remove it, but I have 4 more manis to get in before 10/31. :)

 


I started out with a different color on each finger, and then added additional colors/topcoats in sections. After that, I used my Orly striper in Jet Black to make the "stitches".  I used Sally Hansen Pronto Purple, Pure Ice Wild Thing, Orly Sunset Peach, L.A. Colors Current, Sinful Colors Last Chance, Zoya Arizona, Spoiled Jail Bait, and Nubar Black Polka Dot. :) I love love LOVE the way this mani turned out! Here are a few pics of base colors before I added my nail art, so you can see what they look like by themselves.

Left to Right: L.A. Colors Current, Orly Sunset Peach, Sally Hansen Pronto Purple, and Pure Ice Wild Thing.

Thanks for looking, and be sure to check out the other participants in this challenge!

Monday, October 22, 2012

Nail-Aween Nail Art Challenge - Ghosts & Goblins

It's day five of the Nail-Aween Nail Art Challenge, and I have some spooky nails for you today! Ok well they are actually more cutesy than anything. :) I have some little ghosties for you! Take a look.


For this mani, I started out with two coats of L.A. Colors Tropical Breeze. I used a dotting tool and small nail brush to draw the ghosts using Pure Ice Super Star!, and then used my small dotting tool to add the eyes using Wet n Wild Black Creme. Here is a picture of Tropical Breeze all by itself. Pretty, huh?



Thanks for looking, and be sure to check out the other participants in this challenge!

Thursday, October 18, 2012

Nail-Aween Nail Art Challenge - Mummy Nails

It's day four of the Nail-Aween Nail Art Challenge, and I had to think long and hard about how to do mummy nails. It's a look that I have seen so many times, I needed to figure out how to put my own spin on it. So, I thought about mummies and that led me to tombs, which led me to the fancy sarcophagi from ancient Egypt, and there was my inspiration. I decided to use what I learned in art history about ancient Egypt to help me out with this mani. Take a look.

with flash
in natural light
I started out with AVON Gleaming Gold, then added my stripes using Bath & Body Works #33 and Mash-46. The eye of Horus was done with the same blue using Mash-36 and then I filled it in with   Pure Ice Black Rage and Pure Ice Super Star!. I'm very pleased with the way this mani turned out! Here is a picture on AVON Gleaming Gold all by itself.

with flash

in natural light

Thanks for looking, and be sure to check out the other participants in this challenge!

Monday, October 15, 2012

Nail-Aween Nail Art Challenge - Bloody Nails with China Glaze Adventure Red-y

On day three of the Nail-Aween Nail Art Challenge, I am presenting my spin on bloody nails. Here's the thing...everyone's seen the blood splatter, and the drip mani. I'm over it, and wanted to do something unique. So, you get to see my interpretation of bloody nails. Take a look!

with flash
natural lighting - hmmm kinda looks like spaghetti-os :)

Bloody nails....under a microscope! I was inspired by my husband who is studying nursing. I remember seeing images of what blood looks like under a microscope with all these tiny blood cells, and opted to translate this onto my nails. I think it turned out pretty well. I started with a base of China Glaze Adventure Red-y. Then I used Priti NYC Red Ace Rose, Essie Apertif, and Essie Meet Me at Sunset to draw in and shade my little blood cells. Here is China Glaze Adventure Red-y all by itself.

with flash
natural lighting

Thanks for looking, and be sure to check out the other participants in this challenge!

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Nail-Aween Nail Art Challenge - Matte Dotticure

It's day two of the Nail-Aween Nail Art Challenge, and I am much more happy with the way this mani turned out. I started out with a gradient, turned it matte, and then added my dots. I've been desperate to use some purple and slime green on my nails for the Halloween season, and this was my chance. Woohoo! Take a look.

Green and Purple Matte Dotticure

For this dotticure, I started out with a gradient using Sally Hansen Pronto Purple, Pure Ice Black Rage, and Color Club Twiggie. Then I mattified it using NYC Matte Me Crazy, and added I dots with Pronto Purple and Twiggie. I so love the way this mani turned out! Here are a few pics of the process, so you can see the gradient before I mattified it and added the dots.

Matte Gradient

Thanks for looking, and be sure to check out the other participants in this challenge!

Sunday, October 7, 2012

Review: Rainbow Honey - the yokai! My first indies!


I am so excited to show off the first indies that I have ever owned. The packaging is beyond adorable, and the colors are equally as pleasant. This collection is called The Yokai and contains three pretty glittery polishes. These are limited edition, so I am very excited to have them. :) Take a look at these pretties!

 

This is what the packaging looked like. Cute, huh? I didn't want to open it.

 

This is kitsune - the magical white fox. What an awesome name! It is a neutral tan with small red, gold, and holographic glitters.


It went on it two coats and was a bit lumpy, but topcoat smoothed it out pretty well.


I was able to get a macro of this one, the others didn't cooperate with my camera.


This is oni - the malevolent wild demon. Seriously?! Love these names, haha! It is a brown base with small gold and purple glitters.


This polish went on in two smooth coats and did not require topcoat. I like this one a lot for fall.

This is kawako - the mischievous river child, and my favorite of the bunch. It is a navy blue base with tiny silver flecks and iridescent shred glitter. The iridescent bits are pretty large, and didn't show up in this mani well, but I was able to get a picture of one of my nails which had a couple pieces in it.

 

This polish went on in two smooth coats as well. It's like a galaxy manicure without all the work!

If you would like to pick up any of these, or all of them, you can purchase them between October 5th and 13th at Rainbow Honey's website.

*Products in this post were sent for review in return for my honest opinion.

Nail-Aween Nail Art Challenge Day 1 - Water Marble

Today is my first day of the Nail-Aween Nail Art Challenge. I'm so excited because it is the first time I have done a full water marble! I couldn't decide if I should go with fall colors or Halloween colors on this one. I had to think about it a lot. Here is what I finally decided on.


For this water marble, I used Zoya Arizona, Zoya Pippa, COS BAR Orange, and Pure Ice Black Rage. It;s not my best work ever, but it will have to do. This black polish hated being used for a water marble, and I tried the only other black polish I have and it was even worse.Here's hoping my next mani is better! For  a little redemption, here is Zoya Pippa all by her lovely self! Should have just stopped here! haha


Thanks for looking, and be sure to check out the other participants in this challenge!