12 Manis of Christmas: Snowflakes!

Hello lovelies!

I'm back today with another wintery mani :)  This time I chose to do snowflakes...

 Colors Used: Milani - Blue Zoom, White Acrylic Paint

I started with my cobalt base (2 coats) and then, once it dried, I took a detail brush and painted snowflakes with white acrylic paint.

 I looked at some illustrations of snowflakes via Google Images and then just sort of went for it haha.  I used a small dotting tool for my polka dots and then I top coated with OPI Matte Top Coat so that all of the details would pop.

Yay snowflakes!

Two manis down, ten more to go!

Until next time!

Stef <3

I Survived Black Friday!!

Hello lovelies!

Today I thought I would share the mani that I wore while "Black Friday" shopping.  My inspiration?  The crazy expletives I heard when my husband and I made the mistake of stopping by Wal-Mart on our way home from Thanksgiving dinner.  We just wanted to pick up a bag of hay for our baby bunny and what we got... mass chaos!  So, when we finally got home, I blacked out my nails and started to doodle...

 Colors Used: KBShimmer - Eclipse, White Acrylic Paint, OPI - Matte Top Coat

This was a pretty simple one.  I started with 2 coats of Eclipse and then with a detail brush, I painted my symbols with white acrylic paint.  Looking at a keyboard definitely helped haha.

I top coated with OPI's Matte Topcoat and that's it!

I'm a survivor!

On the plus side, I scored awesome deals on a sound bar, flannel sheets and a big fluffy bath robe.  Black Friday rocks!  Did you happen to catch any sales?  Or did you stay home like a sane person?

Until next time!

Stef <3

My First Attempt at Houndstooth!!

Hellodolls!

I have a really quick post to share with you because I'm super excited that I actually did it, but I have to run to a rehearsal... agagagagaaahh!!

 Colors Used: Painted Polish - Holo Hangover, China Glaze - One Track Mind, Sally Hansen - White On, Acrylic Paints

 Ok so for a quick summation of this mani, I applied 2 coats each of my creme bases (CG and SH).  I then sponged on the glittery Holo Hangover (a technique I plan to go in depth with in a later post!).  Then I poured over multiple houndstooth tutorials I found through Google and with a detail brush and scrylic paint, I painted my design :)

 Whew, that was A LOT of work!

I hope you all have been having a fabulous week :)  I gotta run!

Until next time!

Stef <3

Halloween Stained Glass

Happy Halloween dolls!!

It's here, we've made it!  This is the last Halloween nail art I'll be doing this year (woohoo!!) and since it is also the last day of the month, that means this is a Proud Beauty Bloggers of Color Collaboration!  The theme this month naturally is Halloween colors...

 Colors Used: Acrylic Paints

I opted to try a look that I've never done before, stained glass.  I'm pretty pleased with how it turned out :)  I didn't really use rhyme or reason with this pattern... I just sort of winged it haha.

I only used acrylic paints for this along with a striping and detail brush.  The only polish used was top coat!  Looking at them now I wish I had topped them with CG Fairy Dust but alas, I did not :P

Definitely a look I want to try again!

I hope you all have a very safe a fun evening!  Try not to get too sick off of all those sweets ;)

Until next time!

Stef <3

An InLinkz Link-up

Arrows!

Hello lovelies!

I have a super simple mani to share with you today :)  One polish, one acrylic paint, one detail brush and one dotting tool (altho a toothpick and bobby pin could definitely be used instead)...

 Colors Used: China Glaze - Friends Forever, Right?, Acrylic Paint

I started with 2 coats of FFR, from China Glaze's new The Giver Collection.  It's a really pretty pale pink polish that surprised me with it's application.  the first coat was quite streaky but then the second coat made everything all better haha.

With my detail brush, I painted vertical lines for my arrows.  Just like I do with dotting, I started with the center and worked my way out, being sure to keep them symetrical.  I was in a bit of a hurry because I had somewhere to be, so the arrows aren't quite as neat as I wanted *sigh*...

I keep wanting to say, "Pew, pew, pew!" lol...

Nailspiration credit goes to the lovely Gianna over at Nailstorming :)  I hope you all have a wonderful weekend...

Until next time!

Stef <3

I'm Ready for Fall!

Hello lovelies!

I have a quick post for you this evening :)  I made the mistake of going in to Bath & Body Works today and they have all of there new Fall products on display... *sigh*... it was glorious.  So now I am desperately longing for the seasons to change.  I want cool air, changing leaves... I want to wear some boots! 

A big theme with their decor items is squirrels.  I don't know why, but squirrels.  I decided to do some cute acorns (inspired by Lacq Lustre)...

 Colors Used: Love & Beauty - Beige, Acrylic Paints, Mentality - Matte Top Coat

I'm still practicing with acrylic paints and while these didn't turn out as flawlessly as I would have liked, I do think they're pretty cute :P

 I started with my beige base and let it dry (I actually went to work and then when I got home, I continued my nail art-ing haha.  Anybody else ever do that?).  I then used a nail art brush and acrylic paints to paint the acorns.  Lastly, I applied a generous matte top coat (Mentality Polish Matte Topper which is my fave!)...

It's growing on me haha...

I hope you all have had a wonderful week!  I now must dash off...

Until next time!

Stef <3

Forrest at Twilight

Hello dolls!

So, I was sitting around yesterday trying to find some nailspiration and nothing was coming to mind.  I looked outside my window and the clouds were an array of purples, pinks and oranges.  I decided I would do a twilight gradient...

 Colors Used: Revlon Parfumerie - Wild Violets, Love & Beauty - Purple, China Glaze - Peonies & Park Ave, American Apparel - Manila, Black and White Acrylic Paint, Mentality - Matte Top Coat

This is one of those rare times where I'm wearing what I'm posting haha.  I can't stop staring at my hands!

I started with a white base of Sally Hansen White On, just one coat so that it would dry quickly.  I then layered my 4 polished on a make-up sponge and dabbed away.  After I cleaned up that whole mess, I painted some pine trees with black acrylic painy (my nerd of a husband said, "Oh! You painted confiers!").  I dotted the stars with some white acrylic paint.  I topped it all off with Mentality's Matte Top Coat and tada!

Makes me wanna go camping!

I think it's time for a nap, looking at these makes me sleepy.  It could also be the eucalyptus-mint candle that I've got burning haha...

Until next time!

Stef <3

Painting the Roses Red

Hello dolls!

I have a quick post for you this evening (I have to go start dinner for the hubs haha).  I bought a set of cheap acrylic paints at Wal-Mart last week in the hopes of advancing my nail art skills because I feel like it's time for me to challenge myself a little bit more.  I need to step out of my cutesy comfort zone ;)  So, I decided to try a floral design over french tips...

 Colors Used: Daisy Nail Lacquer - White Diamond, Orly - Beverly Hills Plum, Acrylic Paint

I started with a basic french tip (white tips, pink base).  I then took a thin nail art striper and painted black branches.  After the paint set I continued with that same thin striper and painted the green leaves; first with the darker green, then the light.

For the roses, I took out a detail brush and painted dark red blobs.  I tried my hand and definition with red orange and pink.  I top coated and was done.

Ta-da!

I think what I love most about acrylic paint is that it dries incredibly fast!  I can wait to continue my education in actual art hahaha :P  Oh and thank you all for the lovely comments on my bubble mani!  I haven't had a chance to reply but it seriously made my week.  Love to you all!!

Until next time!

Stef <3

A Bright Bunch of Bubbles!

Hello dolls!

Today's mani features a new nail art technique that I am seriously loving.  I'm not sure who came up with it but I'm so very glad she did haha.  It's bubble nail art and it's actually pretty simple once you get the hang of it...

 Colors Used: Daisy Nail Lacquer - Diamond White, Acrylic Paints

I started with my white base polish.  Once it dried, I watered down a dollup of teal acrylic paint and proceeded to dot blobs on my nails using the wand of my nail art brush.  I then went back over those blobs with a light touch of a Q-Tip and sucked up the excess liquid.

I repeated these steps with pink and orange paint and then top coated.

 

As a first attempt, I think these turned out pretty cute?  I definitely need some practice and I need to work out the paint to water ratior.  I do love how colorful it it tho :)  What do you ladies think?  Any color combo suggestions??

Until next time!

Stef <3