Shot of the Day: 2013 Halloween Nails #4

This is one of my favorite looks I've done so far this season:

For this look, I used 'Where Art Renoir?' by Finger Paints, which is a really smooth, creamy formula with fine silver glitter.  I stamped with a Sally Hansen white.

Pretty witchy, right?

Shot of the Day: 2013 Halloween Nails #3

Ok so technically this is more of an El Dia de los Muertos look, but it definitely works for the season!

By the way, this base color is 'Iconic Orange' by Finger Paints.  See more swatches here.

Shot of the Day: 2013 Halloween Nails #2

In keeping with the Halloween spirit, I've been incorporating a lot of Halloween-themed nail art lately, so for the next couple of day I'll be posting pictures of those.  Here's from a day where I went a little stamp crazy...

If you can't see the designs clearly enough (sorry for the poor photo quality...I was having camera and lighting issues) the images include: A haunted house, a spider, a cloud of bats, "boo!," and two tombstones.  I added America Apparel's Glow in the Dark top coat, and it really enhanced the green and gave the polish more of a matte finish.

The kids at the library loved these when I went to work, by the way!  Of course, they didn't get to see the glow-in-the-dark effect, but still...I am loving getting to do all these Halloween manis.

Shot of the Day: Sinful Colors "High Strung" + Stamping

For this look  I used "High Strung" from Sinful Colors and stamped with China Glaze's "Liquid Leather," which is my favorite black stamping polish.

For the accent nails, I used "Clearly Spotted" from the Maybelline Color Show Polka Dots collection

Shot of the Day: Green and White Bubbles Mani

For this look, I used Zoya "Hunter" and stamped the bubbles with a Sally Hansen white.

Shot of the Day: Bejeweled Barbie Mani

I recently purchased a bottle of China Glaze's "You Drive Me Coconuts" and I absolutely adore the color.  Usually I'm not into so much Barbie pink, but when I added a layer of Essie's "A Cut Above,"  the glam factor skyrocketed as you can see:

It's so fancy, I'm calling it my Bejeweled Barbie look.  Well, I guess I still can't decide between bejeweled or bedazzled.  Either way, it's pretty fabulous!

Shot of the Day: Galaxy Nails

Hey y'all!  Hope you had a great weekend.  Now that my husband and I have finished moving into our new place, I have been seriously trying to restore my pitiful, chipped and broken nails.  Now that I've got them looking decent again, I thought I'd celebrate with one of my favorite looks - the galaxy mani.  Here's a picture taken in natural lighting:

For this look, I used Nina Ultra Pro's Purple Xing as a base color, which worked great because this particular shade includes fine-medium multi-color glitter which really adds to that "deep space" look.  Next, I used a cosmetic sponge to dab on the little galaxies.  I outlined each little nebula in white first, then added depth and color with layers of pink, yellow, and dark blue.

Next, I used Essie's Set in Stones to add the little "stars, and then I finished by adding a coat of Out the Door's Northern Lights Hologram Top Coat in Silver.  And by the way, this was my first time using this particular top coat, and let me just tell you how wonderful it is, especially for a look like this.  Just like Out the Door's other top coats, Northern Lights dries quickly and offers great nail protection, but it also adds a subtle holographic shimmer, which kind of gives a 3 dimensional impression.  I will definitely be purchasing Northern Lights in Gold.  Anyway, here's the galaxy look in darker lighting, which really seems to glow with this top coat:

And remember, this is what it looks like in a brighter setting:

Pretty amazing, huh?  I must say, I'm quite proud of myself for pulling this off so well.  I did take me nearly two hours, but I think it was worth it.  What do you think?

Shot of the Day: Tiger Stripes

So I've kinda gone a little stamp crazy this summer, and to be honest, I've stamped my nails so frequently that I couldn't keep up with all the products I was using.  So for the next few weeks, I'm basically just going to dump a bunch of stamping photos here.  It would take me forever to go back and figure out exactly which polish and product I used in all of my pictures, but if you really want to know a polish color name or stamping plate ID, just say so in the comments and I'll do my best to track it down.  Enjoy!

China Glaze base color:

And now for the tiger stripes:

So what do you think of my mani?  Pretty wild, huh?  :)

Shot of the Day: Finger Paints Iconic Orange

If you haven't noticed, I am absolutely loving the neon nail trend!  I took a little trip to Sally's the other day and couldn't help but purchase this little beauty:  Iconic Orange by Finger Paints

Isn't this color amazing?  And this is only two coats over a base coat of OPI Nail Envy.  A lot of neon shades require a white base coat to really make the color pop, but not this one. 

And OMG the application!  This polish is basically magic...it goes where you want it to go.  It was so creamy and smooth and I didn't notice any staining when I removed it.

Needless to say, I am very impressed with this polish (this is my first Finger Paints polish) so of course I had to  go back to Sally's to get more.  If you're looking for bright summer neon shades that are easy to apply and highly pigmented, look no further than Finger Paints!

Shot of the Day: Gatsby Inspired Nails

Have you all seen the new Gatsby movie yet?  I haven't had a chance so far, but I'm a big fan of the book!  Anyway, I am loving all the Gatsby nail trends I'm seeing these days, so I thought I'd do a Great Gatsby manicure of my own! I wanted something very deco but also super sparkly, so I used Urban Outfitters Smokin as my base color:

This picture doesn't do it justice.  This polish is so glittery and sparkly, and it keeps that wet look, which really makes it shimmer in certain lights.  It usually looks like this champagne-gold color, but in certain fluorescent lights it looks more silver.  This polish also had one of the best applications of any glitter I've ever used, so guess what I did!  I went back to Urban Outfitters and bought a bunch more of their glitter polishes.

For my Deco stamp, I used Winstonia plate W111, which applied really well!  This black is probably my favorite black stamping color and it's from the Forever 21 Red Carpet Kit.

This photo was taken under fluorescent lights, and it definitely looks more silver here than gold.  I got so many compliments on this manicure, and it really popped with the black and gold accent jewelry I wore.

For this look, I used OPI Nail Envy as a base coat and Seche Vite as a top coat.  So what do you think?  Pretty fancy, huh?

Shot of the Day: Milani Texture Polish in Aqua Splash

So my Milani texture polishes just came in the mail, and I was pretty pumped to try them out.  Since the weather's warming up and I'm longing for a trip to the beach (or the pool at least), I decided to use Aqua Splash first:

My camera couldn't pick up the exact shade, and it definitely looks more blue in person, but I still really like it.  It's much more thick and rough than the Zoya Pixie Dust collection, but I had no trouble with the application.  Since it's a textured polish I didn't use a top coat, but that was no problem at all because this stuff dries SO fast!  I'd say it was completely dry in less than 15 minutes, but dry to the touch in only 2 or 3.  Impressive!

So what do you think?  Have you tried any of Milani's textured polishes?

Shot of the Day: Cinco de Mayo Nails and Margaritas!

I hope you all had a wonderful Cinco de Mayo!  Here in Tennessee, it was rainy and cold, but that didn't stop me from bringing the fiesta to my mani!

For this look, I used Essie's Blanc over a base coat of OPI Nail Envy.  I have to say, once again I am disappointed with an Essie polish.  Less than 24 hours later I had some major chips, even with a Seche Vite top coat.  For the dots and stamping I used the red from my Forever 21 Red Carpet Kit and NYC's High Line Green.

Here's an upside down shot so you can see the stamp better.  This stamp is from Gals plate GA9. I didn't have time to do any of the complicated Aztec designs, so I just decided to go with Mexico's national colors and some "Margarita" glasses.  They might actually be martini glasses but let's use our imaginations.

And look how good they look with a drink in my hand! Ok well yes, everything looks better when there's a drink in your hand...My husband made these margaritas for us this weekend to celebrate the holiday and boy were they strong!  Here's the recipe if you dare:


2 oz tequila
2 oz triple sec
Key Lime juice to taste
Salt rim (if desired)

Shot of the Day: Forever 21 Neon Polish and Stamping

I recently went on a shipping trip and came home with two nail polish sets from Forever 21: The Red Carpet Kit and the Summer Lovin' Kit.  I love them both so much! I was really surprised by the quality, especially considering that these kits are only $6.80 apiece!!  Here's a couple of swatches of the Highlighter Yellow color from the Summer Lovin' Kit:

My friend Cameron is a local artist here in Knoxville, and he was quite interested in my new stamping plates, so he decided to decorate my nails for me.  Some of the designs are from stamps, others are free-hand.  Here are a few pics from our epic nail art session:

Pretty awesome, huh? We used all kinds of stamps so I couldn't keep track of the plates we used, but I believe they all came from my MASH 26-50 Stamps and my Winstonia Plates.

Shot of the Day: Celebrating with China Glaze (Champagne Bubbles) and Gold Glitter

Well, I found out this week that I passed my comprehensive exams for my graduate program so I am celebrating the fact that I will have my master's degree in just three weeks!  I wanted to make my nails fit my mood, so I thought China Glaze's Champage Bubbles would be a perfect base for a sparkling celebration mani!

The gradient isn't perfect, but it sure does shine!  I used a base coat of OPI Nail Envy, then I used China Glaze Angel Wings as my first glitter layer toward the tips.  Angel Wings is a gold/green fine glitter with slightly holographic undertones. My second coat was Color Club's Gold Glitter, which is a slightly chunkier glitter that is very pigmented, and it has an amazing application.  It's very smooth and offers pretty full coverage.

The final coat I used for this glitter gradient look was Nicole by OPI's Kissed at Midnight.  It is a part of the Selena Gomez collection and it's one of my new favorite glitters.  The application is comparable to Essie's Luxeffects glitters.  It has a clear base with various sizes of gold round glitter, which are plentiful and easy to apply with the brush.  I seriously love this glitter and I will definitely be buying more glitters from the Selena Gomez collection!  It isn't goopy and thick like most highly pigmented glitters, and I think it added the perfect touch to my champagne celebration nails!

I used Seche Vite as my top coat.  I love this top coat with glitters because it makes your nails smooth to the touch, not grainy or bumpy, which happens a lot with glitters.  Anyway, I think it's time to get this party started.  I'll begin by mixing a pitcher of Sangria!

Shot of the Day: Jesse's Girl Carolina Beach

As you know, I'm a little obsessed with neon polishes these days, and I love this bright color from Jesse's Girl Polishes.  This brand of polishes is a bit difficult to find in my neck of the woods, so I only have 2 colors, but I really love them both.  This color is called Carolina Beach and it is super duper bright!  I used three coats to get this effect, and while the application is a bit challenging as the the polish is very quick-drying and has a matte effect, it's totally worth the extra bit of effort.

Sorry for the poor quality of this photo, but you get the idea.  And in the sunlight, Carolina Beach is splashy and neon. This is a great color for spring/summer!  It wavers between a peachy-coral and a bright orangey-pink.

I also want to mention that Jesse's Girl polish stays on a loooong time.  Like I said, I only have two of their polishes, but both colors lasted on my toes for about 2 1/2 to 3 weeks with no chips.  Both times I have used OPI Nail Envy as a base coat and Sally Hansen's Insta-Dri Anti-Chip Top coat.

Shot of the Day: Scales Nails! Sally Hansen (Butterscotch) and Revlon (Posh)

I'm still waiting for my Konad stamper to come in the mail ( I have received my MASH 26-50 plates), but I felt like I couldn't wait for a little animal pattern.  So sans stamper, I made my own version of scales nails! I call them scales nails because they remind me of lizards, snakes, and dinosaurs.  But, before I applied the "scales" with my dotting tools, I took a quick photo so I could provide a swatch of Sally Hansen's Complete Salon Manicure polish in Butterscotch:

I love love love this color and I will definitely be purchasing more Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure polishes in the future.  I did two coats out of habit, but honestly, it looked just as good with one.  It's very pigmented so I'm expecting a bit of staining, but still, this is one of my new favorite polishes.  It has a very creamy application, dries smoothly, and shines brightly.  I used Butterscotch over a coat of OPI Nail Envy.  I seriously cannot wait to try it out as a stamping polish.  It's thick and pigmented and not a quick dry so I'm thinking it might be perfect.

 And here it is under more natural lighting.  I took this picture in my living room when the afternoon sun was shining in, and it doesn't look streaky or uneven at all.  Most of my mistakes show up best in natural light and either I've gotten really really good overnight or this polish is incredible.  Maybe both.

So anyway, next I dotted on Revlon's Posh in a downward/upward alternating gradient pattern using 3 different sized dotting tools.

So up close it kind of just looks like a dot gradient, which it is, but from a little further away it gives the impression of scales....at least to me.

See what I mean?  Kinda scaly/lizard-z/dinosaur-y, huh?

So I know I've mentioned this before, but I adore Revlon polishes, and Posh is no exception.  It applied just as well as the Butterscotch, just with a thinner texture, which makes it a perfect dotting polish!

I topped it all off with a layer of Seche Vite and voila! My scales nails mani is complete! What do you think?

All products used today (minus the dotting tools).

Shot of the Day: Neon Mani with Nina Ultra Pro (Solar Flare)

Well, I've decided that I want to join the neon bandwagon.  I always thought my skin tone wouldn't be very conducive to neon colors, but then I kept seeing all these beautiful neon manicures and I had to try it.  After a trip to Sally's, I came home with these little babies.  

For my first neon mani, I went with the Nina Ultra Pro in Solar Flare. It's a super bright highlighter yellow that is pretty blinding.  This polish is not for those who want a subtle pop of color, but I freakin loved it!  I could not stop staring at my nails!

See?  It's crazy bright in the sunlight!  I used OPI Nail Envy as a base coat.  The first coat of Solar Flare was pretty thin and sheer, and it dried surprisingly matte.  The second coat was better, but I got the color I was looking for on the third coat.  Some people like to do neons over a white base, but I was just experimenting with this one, and I'd say a white base isn't necessary.  Finished with a coat of Seche Vite and the color shines even brighter. Wow!

Have you jumped on the neon bandwagon?  What neons do you love?

Shot of the Day: Revlon Zealous with Retro Dots

Zealous looks like a questionable color in the bottle, but I love the way it looks with two coats.  It's bright, summery, and cheerful!  The application is a bit thin at first , but I got pretty full coverage after 2 coats.  The color wavers between a yellow-green combo with gold shimmery undertones. I applied two coats of the Zealous over a coat of Orly Bonder.

Next I used my dotting tools to add a layer of gray dots (NYC Sidewalkers), over top of which I applied smaller white dots (Sally Hansen Hard to Get). Finally, I went back to the gray polish for the small dot overlay.  I topped it all off with a layer of Seche Vite.

I'm really loving this manicure. I call it my 70s Soda Pop Mani.  For affordable drugstore polishes, these are great choices.  And I'm also really impressed with how easy these dotting tools are to use!  I'm surprised by how fast I've gotten the hang of it.