Category Archives: Nail Art

Black and White Classic Marble | Nail Art

24 Thursday Mar 2016

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I’ve been dying to do a classic black and white marble ever since I purchased Pipe Dream Polish’s “Clearwater”! Every time I attempted one in the past the white and black polishes blended together. The final result lent a cool effect but it was never the look I had in mind.

I have to say, this came out exactly the way I wanted and I have an all new zest for water marbling!!!

I was going to reach for my usual white base polish SinfulColors “Whiteboard” when I came across my long forgotten “White Matter” by Formula X Nails. I have to say, this white is almost perfect! I get an even opaque  application after two coats. I received this sample with a Sephora purchase almost five or six months ago and the formula is still relatively thin and in good condition…it does pool into the cuticles but honestly that doesn’t bother me too much!

I hope you like this look!

bwmarbleBase: Formula X Nails White Matter

Marble: Wet n Wild Black Creme

Dots: China Glaze Pop the Trunk

 

Hi, my name is Monica and I have RA.

St. Patty’s Day Green Waterfall | Nail Art

21 Monday Mar 2016

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Tools provided for review. All opinions are my own.

I am surprised I didn’t hop on the St. Patty’s green bandwagon this year. I own more green nail polishes than any other color but I felt like I had used them all too many times. Surprisingly, there are very few (if any) green polishes I never use!

However, I knew I had to dress up my digits for the “holiday” so I went with something simple and RA-friendly: a waterfall manicure.

For this look, I used some new Born Pretty Store nail art brushes. The one I bought from Sally’s Beauty frayed recently and I wanted smaller strokes than my other brushes could give. This trio of brushes is nice and I can sometimes get a rather thin line but each was a little thicker than I originally anticipated. They are cute, easy to control and sturdy so I really have nothing bad to say about them!

brushes

I hope you like the two looks I created!

 

greenwaterfallBase: American Apparel Parakeet, Deborah Lippmann Mermaid’s Dream

Waterfall: Zoya Yara, Giovanna, Goldie, Cult Nails Deal with It

Brushes: Pink handle nail art brushes ($4.60/3pcs set)

 

bluegradientI’ve also included another look I created with the brushes when I first recieved them last week! I hope you like this one too!

Base/Gradient: Milani Power Periwinkle, China Glaze UV Meant to Be

Details: Pipe Dream Polish Sonic Transducer, Serum No. 5 Sleepy Holo, SinfulColors Secret Admirer

Brushes: Pink handle nail art brushes ($4.60/3pcs set)

 

Hi, my name is Monica and I have RA.

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Red and Metallics Watermarble | Nail Art

08 Tuesday Mar 2016

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Hello everyone!

 

My latest infusion kicked in and I feel less tired than usual which means more nail art!

I recently got my paws on Pipe Dream Polish’s elusive “Clearwater” polish. This is a clear polish exclusive for water-marbling so you can still see a base color through a watermarble design!

Now all I want to do is watermarble! Unfortunately, it has been so long since I did a true marble I am more than a little rusty. That’s okay, I practiced a little and am getting back into the swing of things.

 

watermarble3Amy from the Instagram account McPolish is hosting a 31-week version of the September 31-Day Challenge. Instead of tackling daily prompts we are attempting one prompt a week. This challenge will take us well into this years #31DC2016 so I may cut out early or maybe I will overachieve and do both! ….Too bad I can’t predict or gauge how I will feel that far into the future…

#31DC2016weekly (the tag on social media accounts) started last Saturday but for the life of me I could not think of anything to do. I tried a red dotticure which looked nothing short of hideous. I attempted a skittle which fit less than five separate jigsaw puzzles. I took a step back and picked one red to base an entire look and I fell short. I realized early on that red is an uninspiring color for me! I’ve never liked how true reds look against my skin tone so in general I steer clear of the color.

 

watermarble2_edited-1I settled on a watermarble because well, why not and I am so pleased with the final result! I practiced creating the marble a few times because the gold and red (from separate brands) did nor want to play together and refused to spread properly. Eventually, I managed a few bullseyes I could get on board with. I hope you like it!

 

watermarble1Base: OPI “I Drive A SuperNova”

Marble: Pipe Dream Polish “Clearwater”, OPI “Ro-Man-ce on the Moon”, Zoya “Goldie”

 

Hi, my name is Monica and I have RA.

Green and Brown Dots | Nail Art

22 Monday Feb 2016

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I felt pretty uninspired as of late when it came to nail art. I skimmed through different Facebook groups, I ❤ Random Nail Art, and other social media, in general. The list of want-to-try looks increased but when I attempted them, they looked awful. I was being overly critical but I just couldn’t post my nails to the blog.

I wondered if this lack of motivation had anything to do with the increased fatigue I felt last week. I did not experience a flare but I was uncharacteristically tired. I wasn’t even in a lot of pain but the lethargy came out of nowhere! And, unfortunately, there was nothing to do but let it pass.

Eventually, I just felt the pull of social media and sat down to a tried and true favorite: the asymmetrical dotticure!

I hope you like it!

 

Green and Brown Dotticure | The Rite of Aging

Base: Zoya Charlotte

Dots: Zoya Giovanna, Louise, Goldie, SpaRitual Howl, butter London Scuppered

 

Hi, my name is Monica and I have RA.

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Chocolate Drizzle Nails | Nail Art + Tutorial

15 Monday Feb 2016

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Nothing to disclose.

Why does Valentine’s Day exist? Shouldn’t we show our love year-round? I do have to admit, I enjoy the discounted chocolates on February 15th.

I have a soft spot for truffles and chocolate-covered strawberries (hint hint, nudge nudge) so what better way to show that than with a fun white chocolate drizzle nail art?

Before you scroll down and see my latest sugar-spin don’t forget to…

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IMG_0754Base: Zoya Louise

Sugar-Spin: OPI So Many Clowns…So Little Time

 

Unlike most people, I like the thicker strands but they can be tricky to get right. If you’re interested in how I do this sugar-spin nail art, check out my tutorial below!

 

 

Hi, my name is Monica and I have RA.

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Summer Vibes Neon Gradient | #nailart #easynails

09 Tuesday Feb 2016

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Eeek! I finally succeeded in photographing neon nail polish! My skin tone came out a bit wonky but you can’t win it all with these pesky neon colors. I am really very happy with the polish capture, though.

Initially, I wanted to stamp a design on top but this neon gradient just looked so lovely on its own. I finally left well enough alone and I was thrilled. I wore this easy gradient nail art for almost four days with minimal chipping.

Gradients are generally an easy, arthritis-friendly, and pain-friendly nail art technique because there is no perfect way of doing it. That being said, neons are finicky and require a little more time and effort but it is so worth it!

If you are interested in the process I have linked a great tutorial from Ane Li below!

 

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2-IMG_0518Base: SinfulColors Whiteboard (no longer available)

Alternative polish: SinfulColors Snow Me White*

Gradient (cuticle to tip): Zoya Pippa, Color Club Wham! Pow!, Warhol

 

Hi, my name is Monica and I have RA.

Like what you see? Please consider supporting my content by donating through PayPal or Venmo: @Monica-Sengupta!

Transparent Liquid Container with Pump | Born Pretty Store In-Depth Review

07 Sunday Feb 2016

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Items provided for review.

I came across this cute pump container on the Born Pretty Store website one day and was keen to try it for my nail polish remover. Currently, I pour it into a little bowl but the liquid quickly evaporates and I waste a lot of expensive product (hello! Zoya Remover Plus). This bottle looked like it would solve my dilemma and keep a good amount of liquid for easy access without having to constantly refill it!

 

2-fullbottle_edited-1There are no size specifications on the website but I assume it holds at least two fluid ounces.  The flip lid securely fits over the push-down pump inside so even if the container falls, liquid does not spill. The one feature I appreciate the most is the straw attached to the pump. It reaches the bottom of the bottle so I do not waste product! The entire top screws on and off easily at refill time.

 

1-zoyabottle_edited-1A full pump releases enough liquid to saturate a cotton swap while four or five pumps wet a cotton ball. It is definitely quicker to soak the cotton ball directly from the remover bottle.

 

4-cottonbottle_edited-1

3-foodcoloring_edited-1This container costs $3.00 which makes it a steal. I sometimes notice cheap imitations come with broken springs and unmovable pumps. Even though this pump is a little stiff it is not unusable. I easily use it one-handed which is great while I paint my nails. It is also a lot more convinient to move than my 25 ounce bottle of remover.

Any liquid works so it is not exclusive to nail polish/art. I switch out the nail polish remover with rubbing alcohol, hydrogen peroxide or water to fit my needs.

 

You can check out the item here and don’t forget to use my 10% off code if you place an order!

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