H&M Nail Tattoo

Good evening, dolls!

I meant to have this post up earlier this afternoon, but... I got side tracked.  On the flip side, I re-did the layout of the blog!  I wanted something clean/professional looking while still being whimsical and fun.  It's a work in progress (any thoughts or suggestions are welcomed!).  Anywhosy, on to the nails!

I did this manicure almost 2 weeks ago.  I've fallen very behind in posting because life has gotten in the way, but that means that I have a nice store of mani's to pull from...

 Colors Used: Daisy Nail Lacquer - White Diamond, Orly - Shine On Crazy Diamond

Sometimes you've just gotta keep it simple you know?  I picked up the nail tattoos at H&M for about $4.  It came with a variety of designs on 1 sheet.  The tattoos can be used on both skin and nails.

I started with 2 coats of my white polish and I let it dry completely. I then peeled away the plastic cover, placed the tattoo on my nail at the desired angle and, with a cotton swab, I dabbed water onto the paper backing.  If you've ever put on fake tattoos as a child, then you're familiar with the process.

I topped each nail with my Orly glitter and top coated.  'Twas a cinch!

I think this is the first time I've ever really enjoyed a bow on my nails.  I like that it looks like a bow and not a crazy mess haha.

Has anyone else every tried nail tattoos or water decals?  Do you have a brand that you recommend?

Until next time!

Stef <3

Like The Night Sky

Hello, darlings!

Quick post for you today :)  This mani was inspired by a sponging mani I did for my sister in-law and Nailasaurus' tutorial of her pastel galaxy nails (super cool!)...

Colors Used: Sally Hansen - Blue-Away, Love & Beauty - Bright Cobalt and Periwinkle, Daisy Nail Lacquer - White Diamond, China Glaze - Fairy Dust

My hubby told me that it looks like the night sky, hence the posts title.  A friend of mine told me that it made her think of Neverland which I also really loved :)

I started with 2 coats of Blue-Away and then sponged on Cobalt and Periwinkle.  I added one coat of Fairy Dust, followed Nailasaurus' instructions for star bursts and then topcoated.

Altho I feel like the star bursts could use some work, I really like the way this turned out :D

Has anyone tried out some new techniques recently?  I'm looking for a challenge ;)  I hope you all are having a fabulous week!

Until next time!

Stef <3

Something Old & Something(s) New

Hello, dolls!

It's almost the weekend, get excited!!  The mani I have to share with you today is one that I did late Monday night.  I was super sleepy, but felt deserving of a pampering haha.  I pulled out an "untried" and used it with some new polishes that I bought in a recent haul...

 Colors Used: Daisy Nail Lacquer - White Diamond, Savina - Blue For You, Sally Hansen - Mermaid's Tale

Can you tell which one is the SH?  Even tho navy blues are usually saved for Fall and Winter, I decided to rock it anyway.  I've had Mermaid's Tale since the begining of Spring and never tried it.  Which is a shame because it's so dang pretty!

 

 white Diamond and Blue For You are new buys.  I like white diamond because it's thick and opaque.  2 thin coats and it was good to go :)  Blue For You is interesting.  In these photos it leans towards blue, while on my phone's camera it looks very green.  In person... I'd say it looks like mint and turquoise had a gorgeous baby.  There is a down side *sigh*.  Like most Savina's that I've tried/own, this beauty is super streaky. I was a little surprised during application because it looks so thick and opaque on the brush (it was the deciding factor when I purchased it).  I did 3 thin-ish coats.

I used my handy dandy striping brush for the design on my ring finger (Julep mystery polish was used for the navy blue)...

Clean-up isn't great but I really liked the way these photographed!  Wandering what happened to my thumb shot?  I forgot that I hadn't photographed this mani and started my removal process lol.  Would have been a shame not to have gotten these ;)

I hope you all are having a fantabulous week!

Until next time!

Stef <3

Let's Go Angels! (again...)

Hello, hello!

It is that time of the year again, when we take the summer camp kiddos to an Angel's game :)  Let me preface by saying I'm really not a fan of baseball.  Never have been.  But growing up in Orange County, my father took me to games all of the time.  I never root for any other team so I guess that makes me a "fan".  But seriously... baseball bores me to tears.

  Colors Used: Sinful Colors - Ruby Ruby, Daisy Nail Lacquer - White Diamond, Sally Hansen - Butter-fly Stroke, Julep - Mystery Blue, America and Fireworks

I decided to go old school with the Angel's "A".  The team has always had some sort of "A" as their logo and when I stumbled upon this image online, I knew I had to do it.  Yes, in answer to your question, it was a pain in the buttocks to do.  That's why my right hand got white polka dots instead lol...

I swear my middle finger nail is a navy blue (very navy).  I recieved it in a Julep Mystery Box last year and it did not have a name.  I just call it Mystery Blue.  I also used both of their 4th of July glitters in this mani.  Fireworks is on my index finger while America is on my thumb and pinky.  This mani is leaps and bounds better than last year's (yikes!).

See the smudgey on my "A"?  Stupid topcoat...

From what I hear, the team isn't doing do hot this season.  I'm sure we'll still have a good time tho *crosses fingers*.  Do any of you have a love for baseball?  Any particular team you root for?

Until next time!

Stef <3

If You Give A Girl A Strping Brush...

Hello dolls!

Late night post from em today (or early morning, depending on your global locale).  I should be going to bed but decided blogging would be a much better idea haha.  So, this mani is one I did last week out of sheer boredom...

 Colors Used: Sally Hansen - Blue-Away, Orly - Dazzle, Rimmel - Black Satin

Blue-Away is one of SH's Insta-Dri polishes.  Very thick/opaque and dries  with a nice glossy sheen.  I started with 2 coats as my base color.  Then only exception being my middle finger which received 2 coats of Dazzle.

I then just sort of went to town with my striping brush.  No rhyme or reason to it. I just painted with abandon and it was pretty fun lol.

Hmmm... I really wish I had something more interesting to add to this post.  I don't tho.  I'm very sorry.  I hope you all have a loverly night/morning :D

Until next time!

Stef <3

Mint Manis For Talia Joy

Hello there, dearies!

Just a quick post in honor of a very special girl.  Talia Joy was a 13 yrs old.  She was battling nueroblastoma and preleukemia.  On Tuesday morning she went home to heaven.  Nail Polish Wars came up with the idea of creating/posting mint manis in memory of this incredibly talented individual who touched millions of people in her short here.  Here is my contribution...

 Colors Used: Bongo - Mint Chip Madness, Essie - Mint Candy Apple, Sally Hansen - Mint Sorbet and Sour Apple (Sugar Coat), Sephora by OPI - Read My Palm

I decided to pull 5 minty polish out of my hoard and then applied them at what I thought was random but kind of became an ombre... kind of haha.

More after the jump...

Step Into Summer - Ice Cream

Hello, hello my lovelies!

Quick post this evening.  I've been M.I.A. because it's been another busy week.  I swear this won't last forever lol.  Onto the mani!

I did another installment of the Step Into Summer Challenge...

 Colors Used: Love & Beauty - Pink Icing, Sinful Colors - Nirvana, Sally Hansen - Butter-fly Stroke and White On, Julep - Denver

It's ice cream!!  I looooove ice cream haha.  And drippy nails are always fun to do :)

 I started with 3 coats for Pink Icing as my base.  This polish is what I like to call an insta-jelly-sandwich.  Easy to apply and super cute without much effort at all.  On lazy days (or days when I'm limited on time), I reach for these kinds of polishes.  Anywhosy, I then applied the drips and sprinles with a combo of dotting tools and a striping brush.  I top coated and was done!

I'm wishing I had this kind of ice cream sundae in front of my face right now.  I'd annihilate it lol

Before I post the links to this challenge below, I thought I would let you all know about "Min Mani's for Talia Joy" happening tomorrow.  Talia was a beautiful 13 yr old girl who lost her battle with cancer this week.  She was a whiz with make-up/nails and in memory of her Nail Polish Wars is encouraging everyone to rock mint mani's tomorrow (Friday, July 19th).  I plan participating and showing the love, I hope you will too :)

Until next time!

Stef <3

Tealquoise...?

Good morning, dolls!

It's the weekend!  Hallelujah!!  Haha it's just been one of those weeks I suppose.  I plan to do some therapy shopping with my girl, the fashionista, and I can't wait :D  Seeing as I need to start getting ready, let's get to the mani...

I saw a manicure recently where the girl used teal and turquoise as her pallete and absolutely fell inlove with it.  She did some flower stamping that was adorable, but I decided to take mine in a different direction...

 Colors Used: Color Club - Edie, Love & Beauty - Teal, Julep - Harper, Sally Hansen - White On

I'm really loving stripes right now and I'm finally getting my striping back into shape.  This means you will probably be seeing a lot of stripey nails up on the blog in the near future ;)

So, both my middle and ring fingers got teal polish to start.  This teal from L&B is actually pretty sheer and need 3 thin layer to build opaqueness.  Middle finger was topped with 2 thin coats of Harper, a super compacted opalescent glitter that makes me think of mermaid scales :) My thumb and pinky got 3 coats of Edie.  She's a little bit streaky but such a beauty!  Striping and polka dots were acheived with they're respective tools...

I only have 2 photos for you today because my camera decided to make my hands look like they were on fire.  They were so ridiculously red before editing and after fixing 2 photos, I was done lol.

I hope you all have an absolutely wonderful weekend filled with joy and fun :D

Until next time!

Stef <3

Step Into Summer - 3D

Hi there, lovlies!

I want to apologize for the infrequency of my posts.  Summer is the busiest time for me at work with summer camp.  By the time I get home, the last thing I want to do is paint my nails and post.  Usually I'll just pass out on the couch until my hubby comes and puts me to bed lol.  I have fallen really behind on my summer nail challenge because of it... Ooops!

Today I'm knocking out the "3D" mani...

 Colors Used: Love & Beauty - Strawberry (scented), Rimmel - Black Satin, Essie - Beyond Cozy

Originally I wanted to do a mani with fimo slices.  I have a ton of them, so the sky would be the limit.  But it was swim day at camp and I was afraid of them falling off in the pools and such.  This summer is ruining my life lol...

I opted for studs instead.  I picked these ones up over a month ago while perusing nail stuff at Claire's.  it came in a variety wheel that also includes micro beads, rhinestones and pearls.  Again, because of summer, I haven't gotten a chance to really play with them.

For application, I would topcoat 1 nail, apply the stud(s) and move on the the next nail.  I them applied a 2nd layer of topcoat once all of the studs had set, for extra security.

I think my thumb's my favorite haha :)

Here's hoping I can muster up the energy to do my nails again tonight...

Be sure to check out all of the awesome nail art in the links below.  You're bound to find something that suits your fancy :D

Until next time!

Stef <3

My Sissy's Gettin' Hitched!

Good morning, dearies!

Today is the "big day" for my sister-in-law and I am so excited for her :)  Family and friends will be gathering today at an intimate ceremony overlooking the beach, showering the bride and groom with love and blessings.  Gaaah I love weddings!  Correction... I love attending weddings.  Planning them is a whole other story lol.

So, the mani I did for the occasion was inspired by a pin that I stumbled upon yesterday morning.  I just knew I had to reproduce it...

 Colors Used: Julep - Joanna, Love & Beauty - Purple, Rimmel - Black Satin, China Glaze - Turned Up Turquoise

The colors in this mani coincide with the colors of the dress I'll be wearing.The photos don't do the dress justice!  The one i have has a lot more turquoise and purple and a LOT less yellow lol.

 I started with 2 coats of Joanna as my base and then free handed the design with my striping brush.  My only complaint would be my nail length.  I had to give them a bit of a chop because they were getting weak and brittle from stress and lack of attention :\  I didn't want to have a really bad break so I took preemptive measures *sigh*...

Yay!

Well, I'm off to get ready for the day.  It's going to be busy busy busy!  Chissey... I'm so proud of you honey.  I know that you are going to make a beautiful bride.  While I'm sad to see you move clear to the other side of the country (waaaaaah!), I know that it's only a "see you later".  I love you so so much!!

Until next time!

Stef <3

Happy 4th of July!!

Hello there, lovelies!

Happy Independence Day!!  With all of the issues America has, I must say that I'm very thankful for my country and what it has provided me.  I'm thankful for all those that came before me, who fought and died so that America could be free.  It's a pretty awesome thing :)  With that being said... onto the mani!

Last night's post was just an "Oh... I should probably do something with my nails for the 4th" kind of a thing.  After I posted them, I said to myself, "Self!  You can do better!!".  So I did...

 Colors Used: Sinful Colors - Ruby Ruby, Sally Hansen - White On, Love & Beauty - Cobalt, Spellbound Nails - Drink Me

I started with 2 coats of each color as my base (same polishes I used for my last mani).  I then used my striping tool to apply the designs on my thumb and ring-finger.

 I applied Drink Me, an awesome white glitter, to my middle finger and then topped my nails with OPI RapiDry...

Simple, bright and oh-so patriotic!  Leaps and bounds better than last years manicure (yikes!)...

Happy birthday Amurika :D

Until next time!

Stef <3

RW&B Brushstroke Frenchie

Good evening, dolls!

I have a quick post to share with you and then I have to dash off to the kitchen to prep food for tomorrow's 4th of July festivities :D

This mani was inspired by a post I read from Gnarly Gnails this week.  If you are unfamiliar with her blog, she's definitely worth checking out.  Not only do I think she's an awesome person, her nail art is off the chain!!   Anywhosy,  I felt like I'd been living under a rock when I saw her nails.  How had I never seen/though of this technique before??  While I don't think I mastered it (I was falling asleep while painting lol), I do like the way it turned out...

Colors Used: Sinful Colors - Ruby Ruby, Sally Hansen - White On, Love & Beauty - Cobalt, China Glaze - Fairy Dust

First and foremost... I've lost my ability to make clean french tips and that makes me sniffle :(  I know that I'm just out of practice, I need to get my groove back haha.

 

 I think my favorite part is that the tips look distressed, which I always find cool ;)

 I don't have much to add.  You can learn more about this technique and how it's done by checking out Gnarly Gnails' blog.

Until next time!

Stef <3

A Green-Wish

Hello all!

It's Summer.  Wanna know how I know that?  Because is so ridiculously hot and humid!!  I've never understood this "looking forward to Summer" mentality.  Summer stinks and it makes me cranky.  It also makes me very lethargic.  At this point I'm just ranting... my apologies.  Moving on!  :D

Today's mani is focused around a polish that I was given for free during a recent haul at my fave nail supply store, A Green-Wish...

Colors Used: Daisy Nail Lacquer - A Green-Wish. Love & Beauty - Purple, Orly - Dazzle, Love & Beauty - Highlighter Glitter, China Glaze - Fairy Dust

A Green-Wish photographed turquoise but in person leans more towards kelly green.  If kelly green and turquoise had a baby... this would be their offspring lol.  It's a beautiful 2 coater that dries with a satin finish...

This mani was just an excuse for me to use one of my "untried" polishes and to practice my striping.  It's good to brush up on techniques from time to time ;)

I'd expound some more but I think I'll just let the pictures do the talking...

Until next time!

Stef <3