Category Archives: Nail Art

Nail Art: Strawberries and Cream

26 Monday Aug 2013

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I was painting my nails when I was reminded of the snacks my mother used to make me after school. She suffered from Lupus and kept a healthy diet which I followed. I rarely ate ice cream or cake. I never had soda or any other carbonated beverage. I even drank fresh vegetable juice. 

I never had a big sweet tooth but my favorite after-school snack was strawberries and cream. My mother sliced strawberries in a bowl of milk and sprinkled a little sugar on top. 

Zoya "Kissy" and SerumNo5 "Happy Special Day" over China Glaze "Fuchsia"

Strawberries and Cream

I started with two layers of China Glaze “Fuchsia”. It is a great bright pink. It is a little too bright for my skin tone but I think it is pretty anyways. The formula is thin but not runny. It did not streak on the nail even on one coat.

I added a coat of Zoya “Kissy”. It is a dense pink shimmer suspended in a clear base. There are a few shiny silver rectangular glitters as well. The formula is smooth and the pink glitter is dense. It is very difficult to find any of the rectangular pieces, even after shaking the bottle. Within seconds they collect at the bottom.

I can not help layering Serum No5 “Happy Special Day” over everything! Especially if I am not doing any nail art. I have ranted about this polish here.

 

My diet has definitely changed since my diagnosis: I stay away from starch, cut out most junk foods and lower my lactose intake. Even so, I will always enjoy my strawberries and cream.

 

Hi, my name is Monica and I have RA.

Nail Art: Bright Lights in the Tunnel

25 Sunday Aug 2013

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I have been overwhelmingly low recently so I have not prepared any posts. I finally got myself to paint my nails. I decided to go bright colors in hopes that I might feel better.

I started with two coats of Essie “Blanc”. I then used the cling-wrap method to splotch the colors on top. For the colors I used Urban Outfitters “Westside”, Milani “Peacock”,  and OPI “Red Lights Ahead…Where?”. I alternated adding the colors in dots and stripes just to see if the effect would be different. It splotched the same.

Bright Cling-Wrap Mani

I let the colors dry for about 30 seconds before adding a very thin layer of butter London “Knackered”. I cling-wrapped lightly. It added a little shimmer without being too overwhelming. It is a very sheer color so it did not affect the colors underneath. I finished the look with a coat of Seche Vite Top Coat which softened the look and then added a coat of INM Northern Lights Holographic Top Coat. It is an amazing glitter top coat. The shimmer is very sparse and subtle. It adds a little finishing touch.

Hi, my name is Monica and I have RA.

Nail Art: A Little Too Circular

22 Thursday Aug 2013

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After my last post I had circles on the brain.

Since June 2011 (when I was diagnosed) I have noticed certain patterns: In June, I laugh at the sheer ridiculousness of how my life has turned out; in August, my mood drops; in November, I worry about how my body will react to the weather and if I will get sick; February is always an awful month; between April and June, I am the happiest. 

When I worked two jobs I drove in a circle. I started at home, I drove to the first job, took the road that connected both jobs, and then I took the highway back home in the evening. A diamond without the sharp edges. 

It is unfortunate that my health is tied to my father’s but that is how life is. As Newton’s Third Law of Motion states: For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.

Urban Outfitters “Blue Velvet” over Milani “Peacock”

I apologize for my sloppy stamping, I am still practicing getting the polish onto the rubber stamper.

For this nail art, I applied two coats of Milani “Peacock”. This has a fantastic formula for a pastel blue creme. It is not goopy or runny and has the right consistency for an even, thin layer. It dries quickly which is always a plus.

I used a bobby pin to apply dots of Milani High Speed Fast Dry “Quick Teal” and OPI “Red Lights Ahead…Where?”.

I used Bundle Monster’s plate “322” and Urban Outfitters “Blue Velvet”. This was such an impulse buy. I was itching to buy a new nail polish and I was standing in line at the Urban Outfitters check out. For four dollars I thought ‘why not buy one?’.  Honestly, I did not expect to like this polish. I mean, most times you get what you pay for! This polish is absolutely amazing. The polish is on the thinner side. That is my personal preference. It is easier to apply even coats and I do not need as steady a hand. By itself it is absolutely electric. I am not a huge blue fan for my nails but I really love this color.

Urban Outfitters “Blue Velvet”

Hi, my name is Monica and I have RA.

Nail Art: Sprinkles

20 Tuesday Aug 2013

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There is this great independent ice cream parlor near my house called “Sprinkles”. They make the most amazing black and white milkshakes. If you are unfamiliar, the black and white milkshake is vanilla ice cream with chocolate syrup mixed in. Of course, you can substitute the vanilla for any flavor.

My first Etsy purchase was from SerumNo5: Happy Special Day! I love this sprinkle nail polish. It is a multi-colored shimmer top coat primarily comprised of white hexagons of multiple sizes. There is also an assortment of thin rectangular, hexagonal, and square pieces in different colors and sizes. This nail polish has a great formula and it is not hard to get a lot of product on the brush. This polish is so much fun! Each nail looks different and I never stop looking at my fingertips when I am wearing it. Recently I noticed that the pieces even vary in opacity!

Every time I wear this polish I constantly think of the ice cream parlor and crave a milkshake. In honor of this craving…nail art!

Nfu Oh 51 over Zoya “Gwin”, SerumNo5 “Happy Special Day”, Accented Ring – Milani “Hot Pink”

Base and top coat are a must. I started with two coats of Zoya “Gwin” which is a bright coral orange. It has a dense gold shimmer in the bottle that does not translate completely to the nail. The formula is sheer, not runny and totally covers the nail in two coats.

I added one thin layer of flakies amazing-ness Nfu Oh 51. This is the ultimate flakies polish. No matter what color the base coat is, it darkens it without changing the color and the flakes and shimmer pick up the original. I have seen that the base of some flakies lean towards warmer colors or cooler colors but rarely both. Nfu Oh has a variety of flakies polish available but 51 is the most universal.

Next up: Happy Special Day. I did not apply this polish in the regular way. I applied one thin layer with very little product (this way, I minimized the amount of white pieces). I went back and tapped extra pieces onto the bald areas.

On the ring finger I applied one coat of Milani’s “Hot Pink”. For a glitter polish this has a wonderful formula. It does not clump and applies evenly. Also, it does not dry so quickly that I can not move glitter pieces after application.

Can you tell I love sprinkles on my ice cream?

Just a note about Nfu Oh: the company recently discontinued their Nfu Oh Opal Glitter series. The polishes in the collection are on sale from the usual $12.50 to $11.25. If you are interested, take a look at the website here.

And one on SerumNo5: I purchased from the shop on Etsy but there is also a website. When I run out I am definitely going to repurchase and try a couple of other enamels I have my eye on. On my list: Happy Place, Starry Nights and May Flowers.

Hi, I’m Monica and I have RA.

Nail Art: Smile Like you Mean It

19 Monday Aug 2013

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Just a quick post today because I am feeling really unwell.

For this nail art, I started with base coat (CND Stickey). I used a sponge gradient method to apply Milani’s “Mint Chip” and Milani High Speed Fast Dry’s “Quick Teal”. For the stamping I used Bundle Monsters’ plate “BM 304”. EDIT: Racking my brains I realized that I had used “Mint Chip” which is a light green creme instead of “Peacock”. I should probably start writing these things down so I don’t forget!

Milani “Peacock” and “Quick Teal” Gradient with Smiley Accent

I love how the colors worked together. The Milani “Quick Teal” really stained my cuticles and no amount of nail polish remover would take it off. I had to resort to washing my hands frequently after the polish dried.

See below for the sponging method I used. I really like using this for two colors. When I tried three, the colors got very muddy in the center. Hopefully I get better with practice.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PXq2e-ULLDw#at=183

Hi, my name is Monica and I have RA.

Nail Art: Struck by Gold

17 Saturday Aug 2013

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Recently, I took advantage of Sephora’s polish sale (more information here) and the rewards that came with it. One of the nail polishes I bought was Sephora by OPI’s “212 – Sephora”.

It has a great formula that I applied with two coats. The polish goes on very sheer with one coat but intensifies after that. It is an awesome color! It is a dark brown with orange flakies and multi-colored shimmer mixed in. I am on the fence about the brush. It is a lot bigger than most nail polish brushes so  I have to use a very steady hand to apply, but the formula does not streak on the nail.

I am very happy with my purchases, which also include my favorite grey “Metro Chic” and a Jewelry Top Coat “Be-Claus I Said So”, so I used a lightening bolt stamp that mirrors my “struck by good fortune” happiness.

For the stamping I used Bundle Monsters plate “BM 305”.

"Struck by Gold" Nail Art: Zoya - Goldie, Sephora by OPI - 212 Sephora

Zoya “Goldie” over Sephora by OPI “212-Sephora”

Hi, I am Monica and I have RA.

Milani’s “Gems” vs. Deborah Lippmann’s “Happy Birthday”

16 Friday Aug 2013

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I have two lists: the must-haves and the lust-haves. One of the top lust-haves on said list is the Deborah Lippmann polish “Happy Birthday”. I can never justify buying $19 nail polish when I can buy Milani “Gems” for $6.

Well, as luck would have it, Sephora has a great nail polish sale on all their Sephora by OPI collection. 3 polishes for $10! On top of that, one of the 100 point rewards for Beauty Insiders is a sample size of “Happy Birthday”! I have no choice but to buy new polishes and “cash in” my rewards points. 😉

Below I compare the two polishes. Is it worth buying the full size version of “Happy Birthday”? We will see.

Milani’s “Gems”

Two coats of Milani’s “Gems” over Essie’s “Blanc” and Wet n Wild’s “Black Crème”. There are more large hex glitters than the smaller counterparts. They are mostly gold or silver with a few colored ones mixed in. The small glitters are blue, pink and purple and very sparse.

Deborah Lippmann’s “Happy Birthday”

Two coats over the same. There are fewer large hex glitters, in more colors, than the small hex glitters, also in more colors.

“Gems” on index and ring finger; “Happy Birthday” on third and pinky finger

There is very little difference when seen side by side.

There is a difference in formula though. The Milani formula feels thicker because of the amount of large glitter but it is still easy to mix in the bottle and does not clump. The Deborah Lippmann formula is thinner and easier to apply but on the flip side I do have to manipulate the brush to get more pieces.

Overall, I enjoy the Deborah Lippmann polish more because there is more color to it and the formula is better, but I have not decided yet whether I’ will purchase the full size since Milani is a great dupe for it.