Sweet Sally

Hello, dearies!

I have a simple manicure to share with you today.  Surprisingly, as simple as this mani looks, it was a challenge that I took up.  I was determined to make this polish work for me...

 Colors Used: Sally Hansen Insta Dri - Petal Pusher, Sally Hansen Extreme Wear - Mint Sorbet

I have had Petal Pusher in my collection for about 4 or 5 months now and half the bottle is already gone.  You're probably thinking, "Wow! She must really love that polish!".  Nope!  This polish is a pain in the rear-end to apply.  Not only is it thick, leaning towards goopy, it is also very streaky *sigh*.  But I am of the mindset that you can make any polish work, so work work work I did...

First and foremost I have to tell you that I have added polish thinner to my bottle of Petal Pusher to make it more manageable.  I've found that I've had to do it with the majority of the Insta Dri's that I own.

I started with one thin, streaky coat on all of my nails.  I then went back and added a second thicker coat to add coverage/opaqueness.  I then went back over them again with a third thin coat to even out the streaks and color.  With a large dotting tool I added polka dots to my ring finger using Mint Sorbet.  I then top coated with Color Club Clear.

I have to say that I do not hate this polish.  I love the delicate color and  I figured out how to make it work for me so I wouldn't have to throw it in the garbage bin haha.  

I'm curious to know how you ladies have faired with the Insta Dri line of polishes?  Love it or hate it?

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...

Sour Solitaire

Good day, dear hearts!

Today's manicure is one that I did while playing with some new textured polishes that I bought over the weekend.  I have been striving for a really fantastic ombre for a long time now.  I thought I'd give it  a whirl with textures...

 

Colors Used: OPI - Solitaire, Sally Hansen - Sour Apple

Solitaire is from OPI's newest sand collection, The Bond Girls.  Sour Apple was just recently realeased in SH's Sugar Coated collection...

I really am in love with both of these polishes!  Alone, Solitaire is just elegant.  She is frosty and glittery all at the same time.  Sour Apple is the complete opposite with it's creamy minty color and matte finish.  I wish the ombre popped more in the pictures as it did in real life.  I loved rocking this mani :)

I know textured polish isn't for everybodybut I've definitely got the bug lol.

Guess what?  I finally got some inspiration for the TPC this month and it's not patriotic!  Yayyyy!!  Lol stay tuned :)

Until next time!

Stef <3

Lush Lacquer Clowning Around

Hiya pretties!

Today's post features my first indie polish purchase *squeal*!!  I saw this polish swatched on Chalkboard Nails and I knew I had to have it...

 Colors Used: Bongo - Mint Chip Madness, Lush Lacquer - Clowning Around

Aaahhhh I love it so much!

I started with 3 coats of Bongo's Mint Chip Madness.  This brand of polish is new to me.  I just bought this bottle at Kmart (literally... I got it like an hour ago lol).  It's a very light mint with a pretty golden-rainbow shimmer that I couln't pick up on camera *tear*.  I then applied 1 coat of Clowning Around, a super fantastic neon glitter :D

I don't want to take this polish off, it's just so pretty...

This bottle of polish was $9.00 USD.  I paid $3.25 for shipping, so $12.25 total and I don't regret it haha.  You can find Clowning Around and other awesome polishes at Lush Lacquer's Esty store.

What do you think about this polish?  Also, do any of you own Bongo polishes?  I found this one to be super streaky, but that's not really uncommon with mint polishes.  I have a pinkish-red (Perfectly Polished) that I bought as well to play with :)

Until next time!

Stef <3

JLB Cosmetics' Mint Candy

Happy Sunday!!

I usually do a "church appropriate mani" as my Sunday post, but I'm giving my nails a break and doing a little bit of nail therapy.  I'm rocking Julep's Oxygen nail treatment today. So, I'll be sharing one more mint mani with you instead...

Colors Used: JLB - Mint Candy, Gold Dust

I can't seem to get anymore pictures to load, I dunno what's going on :\  Regardless, This is 2 coats Mint Candy, 3 coats Gold Dust and then I used my striper for the design.  I feel like this mint leans more towards turquoise.  It was beautiful to work with, but the polish did have a bit of a funky smell to it lol.

I don't have much else to share right now except I wish i could get more pics to load :(  Alas, earwax!

Until next time!

Stef <3

Ruffian Mani In Mint

Good morning, dolls!

I'm continuing with the "Mint Manis" today and I've played with a new-to-me technique.  The mint polish I chose this time around is one that I would classify as a true mint polish.  Green and creamy... just how I like 'em :P

Colors Used: Sally Hansen - Golden-I, Essie - Mint Candy Apple

From what I can gather, the Ruffian mani was created a couple of years ago by the creative team of CND.  They made this mani for the New York Fashion Week Ruffian Fashion Show.  I've noticed it popping up again recently and gaining in popularity, so I thought I'de give it a shot.  

Love the mani, hate the photos lol.  I started with 2 coats of Golden-I.  I then applied Mint Candy Apple with the bottle brush, being sure yo leave a decent amount of gold exposed by my cuticles.  I went back with a nail art brush and swiped the gold polish around the curve so that I would have a clean line.

This is definitely a manicure that I want to do again, it was pretty quick to do.  I found an excellent tutorial by Lacquerized if you would like some visuals :)

Sooooo yea!  Happy Friday hehe.

Until next time!

Stef <3

April TPC - Day 4

Helloooooo, darlings!

It's the final day of April's Tri Polish Challenge and while I'm glad to tuck these bright polishes away, I'm a little sad too.  I've really enjoyed this month's challenge because the formula on these Color Club polishes has been amazing!  They're so much fun to work with haha.

Today's mani doesn't really have a theme, it's not inspired by anything.  My hubby said, "I don't know what it is, but it's awesome!!".  I'm inclined to agree ;)

I used the same 3 Color Club polishes as before... Edie, Jackie OH! and Koo-Koo CaChoo.  I also used a new silver polish, NYC Tribeca Silver.  And the white dots are my go-to Sally Hansen White On.

I started with Edie and Koo-Koo Cachoo as by base colors, each requiring 2 coats.  I then took my 3 CC polishes and painted  blocks of color on some transparent tape.  While I waited for that to dry, I took out my striping brush and applied my Jackie OH! stripes to my thumb, index and pinky...

Last I cut triangles out of my painted tape, layered them, dotted my white and applied my silver stripes.  I top coated them with Nutra Nail Speed Dry and that was that!

I've had a lot of fun creating manis for this challenge.  I'm not sure if I'll be doing it again next month, tho.  There is another FB group that I am apart of called the Hobby Polish Bloggers and the ladies have come up with a challenge for the month of May.  Granted, it's also 4 manis and there is no set schedule.  Maybe I could do both?  I dunno.  What would you all like to see?  Help meeeee!!!!  Lol ;)

Don't forget to take a peek at the other gals below...

Until next time!

Stef <3

April TPC - Day 3

Hello my dears!

Today's mani is day 3 of the Tri Polish Challenge.  I chose to do a mani that I saw on Pinterest waaaaay back when I first got into nail art.  It's a "Cardiac Monitor Mani".  Lol this is my attempt at sounding smart.  You can go ahead and call them heartbeat nails ;)

Same 3 Color Club polishes as before used in this mani.  My base is OPI My Boyfriend Scales Walls.  I wanted a light base so that the colors would pop, but I didn't want it to be stark white.  MBSW is a happy medium because it's an off-white with a greyish hue.

I started with 2 coats of MBSW and then used my striping to apply my lines.  My one complaint about this mani is that I wish I had blended the colors where they meet for a motre seamless transition.  But, it was late... and I was sleepy... zzzzzzzzz....

Anywhosy, dar i'tis!

As always, I invite you to check out the other mani's below :)

Until next time!

Stef <3

Trending Now

Hello, dolls!

I hope you all had safe and happy weekends :D  Mine was quite long but had moments of pure awesomeness lol.

Well, I've decided that my mani's this week (aside from the final installments in the Tri Polish Challenge) are going to be set around one color... mint!  It is an extremely popular color in fashion and style right now.  I feel like everyone has a different idea of what the shade of mint actually is.  I'm just going to be showing the options :)

 

Colors Used: China glaze - For Audrey, Sally Hansen - Blaze

I've heard a lot of people refer to For Audrey as a "mint polish".  While I don't necessarily agree, it is a fantastic polish to have in ones collection.  Personally, I would classify this beauty as more of a pale turquoise...

 Blaze is 2 coats of jelly-coral goodness.  Another great polish to have.  After trying to use chevron guides (and failing miserably), I elected to free-hand the design.  The lines aren't as clean as I would prefer but I do like the overall look of the mani :)

I'm excited about the manis I have to share with you this week!  The blog will be looking pretty diverse ;)

Until next time!

Stef <3

It's My Bloggiversary!!

Happt Saturday!!

It is a very happy day indeed.  I'm about to run out the door to a dress fitting for a certain someone special who apparently isn't letting the proverbial cat out of said proverbial bag yet (sneaky!).  But.... IT'S MY BLOGGIVERSARY!! :D :D :D  One year ago today I dove head-first into this crazy world of nail polish.  I didn't expect to make it this far or to have connected with as many people as I have.  I'm just so thankful for all of you who follow and support my blog <3

The mani I've chosen to do represents all of the things I said I hated/would never do when I first started doing nail art.  It's pink, it's glittery, it's girly....

Colors Used: China Glaze - For Audrey, Claire's - Candy Shop, Sally Hansen - Pumping Iron and Mint Sorbet, Spoiled - I Have No Reception, Julep - Scarlett

It's been a looooong time since I did a cupcake on myself.  it's the first real nail art that I attempted and I still think it's so cute!

 I was so proud of this mani when I finished and then... top coat disaster!  My thumb streaked like CRAZY!!  While I'm a little disappointed, I'm still plesed with how this turned out :)

I've elected not to have a giveaway, even tho it is the "thing to do".  To be honest, I don't have the sponsorship for it and I just can't pay for it out of pocket.  I wish I could but alas... earwax! 

Until next time!

Stef <3

Minted Holo Ombre

Good day , lovies!

I've been going back and forth on whether I should share this mani on the blog.  I did this about a week ago, after being inspired by some nail art that I saw my friend "the fashionista" wearing.  Once It was completed tho, I wasn't entirely pleased so I took it off...

 Colors Used: Sally Hansen - Mint Sorbet, Love & Beauty - Highlighter Glitter

Mint Sorbet is one of my very favorite mint polishes and I thought it would pair really well with the holo glitter. But it just looks sort of washed out...

It was also difficult getting an even ombre.  The glitter is so refelctive, it was a challenge to see what I was doing lol

I don't hate it but I don't love it either.  I want to try this again with a darker/more contrasting color.

Until next time!

Stef <3

It Started With An iPod...

Hello, hello, hello!!

I know I've been gone for-ever-and-a-day and I am so very sorry!  Work, rehearsals, singing, wedding planning... I haven't had much of a life for the past 2 weeks, it stinks :\

My poor nails have been neglected and I have been completely uninspired *sniff*.  I was looking through photos on my phone and found a pic of an ipod case I had seen a couple of weeks previously.  It was a very color/fun pattern but simple at the same time, so I thought I'd give it a shot.  Here's a pic of the case...

And here are the pics :)

 Colors: Wet n Wild - Chick Magnet Zack, Wet n Wild - I Need A Refresh-Mint, Sinful Colors - Dream On, O.P.I. - The "It" Color

So there you have it!  It may be a little lack-luster after my brief absence.  I just need to get back into the swing of things.

The next few of weeks are going to be a little hairy.  We are moving in to our first apartment together and we are finally tying the knot :D  My stress level is through the roof with all of the planning *sigh*.  But I should be back to my normail blogging schedule just in time for Fall/Halloween mani's... Yay!

Until next time!

Stef <3

Out of the Vault: My Very First Water Marble (eek!)

Hey there :)  A very happy Monday to you all!

I have decided to share my very first water marble attmept with you all *bites bottom lip*.  I did this a little over a month ago and was so ashamed of it that I never posted about it (the process was that horrible.  I made a bazillion attempts for hours on end trying to get a good water marble and this was the best I could come up with...

 Left Hand

 Right Hand

Water Marbling is a very popular technique and when done well I think it looks amazing!  Mine are just kind of blech hahaha. The colors I used were Sally Hansen - White On, Sally Hansen - Mint Sorbet and Spoiled - Let's Get Sushi.  Love the color combo... and that's about it!

I really would love some advice from those who have done this.  I taped off the sides of my fingers, I used luke warm water, I turned off my fans and I tried to work as swiftly as I could but it still came out a failure :(  What could I have done differently?

For those who want to learn more about this technique and how it is done, check out My Simple Little Pleasures tutorial on YouTube.  She so stinkin' good at it!

Until next time!

Stef <3

Bye Bye Spring!

Hello there!  How are we all doing today?  Summer camp started off with a day of craziness and I'm still trying to recover lol.

Well, today I am saying goodbye to my favorite season of the year... Spring *sniff*.  I loved the pastels of this past season (especially all of the mint polishes that were available).  So here it is...

 Colors Used: Sally Hansen - Mint Sorbet, Revlon - Whimsical, Jesse's Girl - Spring Break, Sally Hansen - White On

Fun and cute, this mani was a cinch.  I'm in a kind of nail design rut (I'm open for suggestions!) and I'm unsure of what to try next.  Maybe a challenge?  Or a series on the nail fails in my picture vault??  Lol I dunno, I'll figure something out I'm sure.

One last piktar...

My next post (when I have time to sit and type it up) will be on my most recent trip to a nail salon with my sissy-in-law-to-be.  Boy, was that an experience!  Hahaha...

Until next time!

Stef <3

What's Your Flavor?

Happy happy HAPPY Thursday everyone!  I love Thursdays because they are my last day of work for the week and then I have a 3 day weekend to look forward to (altho I suppose I technically "work" at church on Sundays.  But it's a labor of love so it shouldn't count hahaha).

Today's mani is inspired by the one thing I can NEVER say no to... it's my Kryptonite... Mint-chip ice cream!  *sigh* I love it so very much, probably a little too much :P  I've been craving it for weeks and still haven't gone out to get any :\  The other night I finally mustered up the energy to go to the store only to come to the realization that it was closed.  I was going to whine about it but instead decided to get creative...

 

 Colors Used: Sally Hansen - Mint Sorbet, Sinful Colors - Nirvana, Jesse's Girl - Spring Break, Sally Hansen - Mellow Yellow, Sally Hansen - White On

I'd seen this drip nail idea on quite a few nail blogs and YouTube tut's and I thought it would go well as a sort of sundae look.  I went digging around in my fimo box for cherries but the only ones I could find were 2 attached to a stem, not quite right.  So I opted for strawberries :)

For those who are curious, I used my biggest dotting tool to draw the fudgey drips.  This is definitely a look I'm going to try again in the future to see if I can improve on the drippy look.

One last photo to send you off with!

 

 

I'd just like to say that I really love and appreciate all of the positive feedback that I've been receiving from you all!  You guys are amazing and I love you *gasp*... I said the L word!  Hahaha :P

Please feel free to comment and let me know what you think :)  If you have a suggestion for a mani you think I should try out or if you have any questions about how / what I do, leave those in the comments as well :)  Also, follow me!!  If you look on the left side toolbar you'll see a little thing that says "followers".  Click join this site and then I'll know that you're following me and I can send some love your way (I have a sneaking suspicion that there are more than 19 of you lol).  If I get to 25 followers I plan on doing a giveaway... because you guys are awesome and deserve one :D

Soooooo, with that being said...

Until next time!

Stef <3