Abstract Candy Corn!

Hello dolls!

I'm continuing on with my Halloween manis and I decided to try out a design I saw last year and absolutely loved.  It's called "Abstract Candy Corn" and I was inspired by the ever so talented Adventures in Acetone...

 Colors Used: Sally Hansen - White On, American Apparel - Manila, L'Oreal - The Muse's Inspiration

After the time consuming eyeball mani from yesterday I decided I wanted something simple.  I had considered sponging, but wasn't really feeling that mess haha, so I decided on striping instead :)

After applying my base coat of white,  I went back with my yellow polish and , using the brush, painted the top half of my nails yellow. I then went back thru with a striping brush and added my abstract-y middle.  Everything was top coated and... tada!  That;s all there is to it :D

Really loving the way this turned out!

#thisishalloween ;)

Until next time!

Stef <3

Autumn's In Full Swing!

Hello dolls!

While the weather in Southern California refuses to accept that it's now Fall, I won't let it keep me down!!  Haha my home is decorated, my candles are burning and I already have my favorite soup recipes lined up and ready to go.  I also have a new favorite polish that sums up this season for me...

 Colors Used: Noodles Nail Polish - Pumpkin Spice And Everything Nice, American Apparel - Manila, Acrylic Paints

I am so in love with this crelly!  A mix of peach, caramel, bronze, and orange hexes in a nude crelly base... this polish just screams warm-fuzzy-goodness!  It applied easily with an even disbursement of glitters.  2 coats is all that's needed to achieve opaqueness.

On my ring finger, I free-handed  a tree branch with some acrylic paints and a thin striping brush.

Come on weather, get it together!  (Ha! That rhymes...)

Natalie (owner of Noodles Nail Polish) put the sweetest note in the package along with my polish which really made my day.  It's the little things like that which keep me buying from indies.  I will definitely be continued customer of this brand :)

Anywhosy, stay tuned for a challenge post later this afternoon :)

Until next time!

Stef <3

* This product was purchased by me for review.  I received no payment or other compensation for the review of this product.  The opinions stated here are completely my own.  The contents of this review are based on my direct experience with this product.

Pink Lemonade Glitter Gradient

Hello lovies!

Today's post features 2 neon matte-glitter polishes I bought while vacationing with the hubs last weekend!  I know what you're going to say... "You made your poor husband go polish shopping with you while you were on vacation??".  Yes. Yes, I did.  And I have no shame!!

 Colors Used: Urban Outfitters - Pink and Yellow

I love love love Urban Outfitters polishes!  The formula is consistently great, the colors for the most part follow the current trends and at 2 for $8.00... I mean c'mon!!

 Rachel of Nailed Kit commented on a pic I shared of the bottles (via IG) saying that together they looked like pink lemonade.  I just knew I had to combine them in a fun mani.  But nail art with glitter can be difficult/time consuming... and I was really impatient about wearing these beauties haha.  So I went with a glitter gradient :)  This is 2 over lapping layers of the glitter polishes over a white base.  It was that simple!

Neeeooooonnnn!!

I know that Summer is quickly winding to a close, but I will probably be rocking neon polishes for a little while longer.  While Autumn is my favorite season of the year, I need bright colors in my life ;)  Have any of you tried a simillar glitter gradient before?  I am now on the hunt for more matte-glitter polishes :D

Until next time!

Stef <3

A Summery Gradient

Hello lovelies!

I hope your weekend is going well :)  Today I have a simple gradient to share with you.  I did this a few weeks ago and never got around to posting it... oops!

 Colors Used: Colors Club - Flamingo, China Glaze - Son of a Peach, OPI - I Just Can't Cope-Acabana, Spellbound Nails - Pishsalver (Drink Me)

I just love gradients!  I have to resist doing them all the time lol.  There are some really great tutorials on the interwebs for gradient nail art.  I find what works best for me is a good make-up sponge (I prefer the triangles from Target) and being sure to blend the colors; not only overlapping the polishes when applying on the sponge but slightly shifting the sponges position up or down the nail as I dab :)

I started with a white base and let it dry.  Sponging over polish that is still tacky is a nightmare, trust me haha.  I then layered my 3 colors on a sponge and went to work.  I usually go over each nail 3 times to reach full opacity.  After clean-up (the worst part of doing this nail art, even if I tape off my cuticles :\) I applies my oh so favorite white glitter polish from Spellbound Nails, "Drink Me"

Woohoo!

Enjoy your weekend dolls, I know I plan too ;)

Until next time!

Stef <3

Kiss Nail Dress - Comic Nail Strips

Hello lovelies!

Today I have a mani featuring some nail strips that I found while I was out shopping a couple of weeks ago...

 

A new trend that I'm seeing with this particular brand is that they're offering both full nail and french tip strips in the packaging.  I think it's a cool concept :)

 

Application of these strips is very simple.  You don't need a base coat (although I always use one), just make sure your nails are clean.  Match the right sized strip to you your nail and then peel it from the plastic sheeting and apply.  I recommend using a cuticle stick/pusher to press down the edges.  Fold the strip down and file away the excess.  That is the end of Kiss's instructions, but I always add top coat at the end to secure my free edges ;)  This time around I used a my favorite matte top coat from Mentality Nail Polish.

Kapow!!

I love nail strips because they make it easy to do a fun mani when you're short on time (which is happening to me more and more as of late haha).  These strips are supposed to last a week but I only had them on for a couple of days.  Looking for strips with more staying power?  Stay tuned in ;)

Until next time!

Stef <3

Some Floral Inspiration!

Hello dolls!

Today's post is inspired by a blogger who fueled my obsession with nail art, Chalkboard Nails!  I have admired Sarah's work for a long, long time and I've had her "Hawaiian Floral" nail art pinned to my inspiration board for over a year.  I finally got the perfect polishes (in my opinion) to execute the look...

 Colors Used: Polish My Life - Birthday Suit, Drip Drop Nail Paint - Prototype #211, L'Oreal - Jolly Lolly

Original credit for this idea and design goes to Mr. Candiipants who inspired Sarah and thus inspired me :)  I really love the way this turned out!  

       I used a couple of awesome indie polishes in this mani.  The base is an ivory creme from            Polish My Life and it's amazing; 2 even coats of perfection.  The mustard jelly is actually a prototype from Drip Drop Nail Paint that I received when I purchased a grab bag on her site.  I call it Tampico because that's how it looks in the bottle haha.

 After applying my ivory base, I went thru with my jellies and blotted out some petals using the brush from the bottle.  I then took stripers in 2 different shades of green and brushed on some leaves.  Lastly I went back with my ivory polish and a small dotting tool to apply some dots to the center of my flowers.  I top coated and that's it!  It really is much easier than it looks, I promise ;)

Definitely a new favorite!

I'm trying to slowly make the transition from Spring to Summer with my manis.  The last couple of posts were pretty... bright lol.  I'm so close to just doing a neon overhaul!  Maybe it's time for me to resurrect "Neon Week"?

Until next time!

Stef <3

* This product was purchased by me for review.  I received no payment or other compensation for the review of this product.  The opinions stated here are completely my own.  The contents of this review are based on my direct experience with this product.

Simply Charming

Hello dolls!

Today I have another simple mani to share with you.  It features another new-to-me indie, Bliss Polish (*disclaimer)...

 Colors Used: Bliss Polish - Charming, China Glaze - Metro Pollen-Tin

Charming is from the Bliss Polish Son's Of Anarchy Collection (one of my guilty pleasure shows!) and it's a white crelly with some gold flakes and shimmer mixed in.  Very subtle and oh so pretty!  I applies 2 coats over a white base to start...

 I then used a chevron guide that I bought over at Nail Vinyls to apply my yellow tips.  Side note... This is my new fave yellow, application was a dream!  I then took a large dotting tool and dotted away :)  Everything was top coated with my "mystery" top coat...

Kinda reminds me of sunny side up eggs :P

Happy hump day!

Until next time!

Stef <3


* This product was purchased by me for review.  I received no payment or other compensation for the review of this product.  The opinions stated here are completely my own.  The contents of this review are based on my direct experience with this product. 

I'm Feelin' Cheesy

Hello dolls,

Today I decided to be adventurous and try out s mani that I saw from the always awesome Christabell Nails!  I saw her mani on IG and she had mentioned also having a video tutorial so I figured it was worth a shot haha...

 Colors Used: Sally Hansen - Lightening, OPI - The "It" Color, Julep - Blake

I friggin' love the way this turned out!  I just think it's super cute :)

I followed Christabell's easy-to-follow instructions and it really was a cinch!  I top coated with my new favorite matte topper from Mentality.  They seriously make the best matte polishes... ever... for reals.

 

Eep!

To find out how this look is achieved, check out the video link above!  I hope you all have a fabulous day :D

Until next time!

Stef <3

Twin Post - Absrtact Art with My Adventures in Nail Art

Hello lovelies!

Today's post is my first ever "twin manicure"!  I recently joined a twin mani Facebook group where I got paired with the lovely Gemma of My Adventures in Nail Art.  We were assigned an abstract pattern and through our correspondences, decided on bright primary colors along with squares and dots.  Gemma described to me her yellow base with red and blue squares and green dots and I thought it sounded fabulous so here's what I came up with...

 Colors Used: Sally Hansen - Butter-fly Stroke, Sinful Colors - Ruby Ruby, Love & Beauty - Bright Cobalt, Essie - Mojito Madness

I like the playfulness of this look.  It's a very whimsical combination of colors and patterns.  Gemma knocked it out of the park with this concept!

 I started with 2 coats of Butter-fly Stroke.  I then used a striping brush to free-hand my squares.  Last, I used a dotting tool to place random green spots on my design.  Easy peasy!

Be sure to check out Gemma's twin mani that 's posted on her blog!

Until next time!

Stef <3

Spellbound Nails - Victorian Romance Collection

Hello lovies!

Usually I prefer doing swatch posts on Sunday's, but I just can't resist sharing these beauties with you!  I ordered these polishes mid last week and received them in the mail yesterday. I immediately had to swatch them,  I'm so in love..

The theme of this collection is inspired by Victorian style Valentine's Day cards. Yellowing paper, lace, cherubs, soft colors... adorable right??  In this collection Ashley (maker of Spellbound Nails) has also added the option of Valentine scents (rose, wine, chocolate and strawberry)!  We all know how crazy I am about scented polishes, so I had to try them all lol.

 Cheeks Tinted Red

First up is a gorgeous bright red with subtle scattered holo shimmer.  This is a very pigmented red that is on the thicker side, but application was easy like buttah!  The holo glitter in this polish is beautiful in direct sunlight and so very subtle indoors.  I would definitely categorize this as a "work appropriate while still being fun" polish.  I had rose added to the polish and it is fabulous; floral and powdery :)  This is just one coat with top coat.  It's unlike any red polish I own, I love it!

 Parchment & Lace

This polish ended up being one of my very favorites in this collection!  It's a parchment-yellow crelly base with a mix of red, white, baby blue, and pastel pink glitters.  Application was very smooth with even glitter disbursement.  It's such a great formula for a crelly!  I had chocolate added to this one and it reminded me so much of a chocolate Tootsie Pop; I wanted to eat my fingers lol.  This built up nicely in 3 thin coats.  I used a trick I learned a while back and topped it with a base coat and THEN a top coat to make the glitter super smooth at the finish.

 Love & Devotion

This is a glitter topper mixed with red, white, and pastel pink glitters.  The formula of this polish is thick, but it is packed to the brim with glitter!  No fishing necessary, I used the dab and drag method and easily achieved an even spread of glitter.  I had rose added to this polish as well and again, powdery floral goodness :)  I applied a base coat and then top coat to smooth out the glitter.

 I'm All Aflutter

My second favorite polish in this collection... just look at it!!  Gaahhh!!!  It could be that I'm REALLY into the color blue right now... eeehhh... nope, this one is just a stunner!  This is a baby blue crelly with purple and pastel pink glitters mixed in.  It's surprisingly pigmented for a crelly and the application was a breeze.  The consistency is a little thick so I recommend thin even coats.  I had wine added to this polish and it smelled ah-mazing!!  If grape and cranberry had a baby... yep this would be it!  This is 2 coats topped with base and top coats. 

My Own Sweet Valentine

 

 Last but not least a pretty glow-in-the-dark!  A soft pink color with a golden shimmer, this polish has a thin formula that is easy to build upon.  I applied 4 thin coats to cover my visible nail line and then applied top coat.  I had strawberry added to this polish and the scent reminded me of a strawberry Ring Pop (can you tell I like lollipops? hahaha).  

The glow pigment in this polish is a mix of blue, green, and peach.  I didn't have an opportunity to charge this GITD polish so I am using one of Spellbound Nails' images from her Etsy shop...

Eeeeee!!  I can't wait to try this out myself!!!

I am so in love with this collection!  I seriously want to wear every shade at once... in fact that may just happen at some point before Valentine's Day lol.  These and so many more beautiful polishes can be found in Spellbound Nails' Etsy and Store Envy shops :)

Until next time!

Stef <3

* This product was purchased at discount by me for review.  I received no payment or other compensation for the review of this product.  The opinions stated here are completely my own.  The contents of this review are based on my direct experience with this product

Candy Corn Spooks

Good morning, dolls!

I told myself that I should calm down with the Halloween manis for a little bit.  You know, maybe pull some regular nail art from out of my picture vault?  Yea, no.  That didn't happen lol.  Last night I thought to myself, "Candy corn!".  But it's nail art that has been done... a lot.  heck, I did it last year.  So then I figured I could incorporate those colors without actually doing cany corn.  Right?  Right!

 Colors Used: Color Club - Almost Famous, Daisy Nail Lacquer - White Diamond, Rimmel - Black Satin, China Glaze - Toe-tally Textured, Sinful Colors Nail Art - Time Off

I started with my base colors.  3 coats of Almost Famous. 2 coats White Diamond, 2 coats of Black Satin and 2 coatts of Toe-tally Textured (which I bought on clearance specifically so I could use it for Halloween lol).

 

I used the water decals that I received/reviewed for KKCenterHK and placed my ghosts on my ring finger.  Then I took the Sinful Colors striperand added some stitching to my middle finger.  I threw on some top coat and that's all she wrote ;)

Boo!

The most challenging part of this nail art was finding a good yellow to use.  They are notoriously streaky, which is sad because yellow is one of my all time favorite colors.  Almost Famous is a really great yellow polish, but still... it requires 3 thinnish coats before the streaks are covered *sigh*.  Do you have any yellow recommendations?  I'm on the hunt!  Hahaha...

Until next time!

Stef <3