Tag Archives: Nail Art

31DC2013 Day 8: Metallic Nails

08 Sunday Sep 2013

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I am finally getting the hang  of water-marbling!

For today’s prompt I decided to go with something very subtle. It took me forever to get a photograph that picked up the design.

Metallics Water-Marble

I applied two coats of Chanel “Peridot” and one coat of Seche Vite top coat.

I like adding a top coat before I water-marble because it really defines the design. This is especially important when the colors are so similar.

I used Orly “Bonder” and Zoya “Goldie” for the water-marble. Bonder spreads more evenly and thinly than the top coat I was using and does not dry as quickly.

I finished with one coat of INM “Northern Lights.

 

Hi, my name is Monica and I have RA.

31DC2013 Day 7: Black and White Nails

07 Saturday Sep 2013

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I practiced my black and white manicure for two days. Whenever I think B&W, I think water-marbling. It just seems the best way to incorporate both colors in a fun and different manner. I love water-marbling but I just do not seem to get a good handle on it.

Thankfully, I stumbled across a great tutorial by Mucking Fusser who’s finished marblings look beautiful! The trick I got from her was to use a clear coat so that the colors do not mix in the water.

I decided to add a little colored glitter just because I love color!

Black and White and a little Color

Bases:

          Pinky Finger: Three coats of Urban Decay “Creep”; one generous coat of Seche Vite (to bring out shine).

          Middle & Ring Finger: Two coats of China Glaze “White on White”.

          Index Finger: One coat of Milani High Speed Fast Dry “Black Swift”.

 

Index Finger: I added three coats of Milani “Sprinkles” and then one coat of Cult Nails “Wax That”.

Middle Finger: I added two coats of Nails Inc London Sprinkles “Sweets Way”.

Ring Finger: I water-marbled Wet n Wild “Black Creme” and Seche Vite top coat. I added one coat of INM “Northern Lights”.

 

Hi, my name is Monica and I have RA.

31DC2013 Day 6: Violet Nails

06 Friday Sep 2013

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I love purple. I also have a ton of purple polishes. My possibilities are endless for this prompt.

I actually made two different manicures for this and I had a lot of trouble choosing one to showcase.

Violet Nails Prompt!

Violet Nails Prompt!

I used China Glaze “White on White” on my pinky finger,  Color Club “Mrs. Robinson” on my ring finger, and Chanel “Taboo” on my third and index finger.

I spun Color Club “Pucci-licious” and China Glaze “Caribbean Temptation” on the tip of my pinky finger.

I spun Zoya “Adina” (I finally found a use for it!) and China Glaze “White on White” on my ring finger. I also used White on White on the base on my index finger.

I layered one coat of Nfu Oh Opal “Nfu 51” on my third finger.

 

Hi, my name is Monica and I have RA.

31DC2013 – Blue Nails

05 Thursday Sep 2013

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Blue, just like the green, does not look good on me. Rather, I do not like how it looks on me. Regardless, I still have many blue polishes in my collection because otherwise it feels incomplete.

I practiced the “sugar spun” technique for a few days. It was difficult to get the timing right but I finally managed to get a product I liked!

31DC2013 - Blue Nails

Blue Nails Prompt

I stared with three coats of China Glaze “White on White”. It was runny but three coats evened out any flaws.

I used a toothpick to “spin” Urban Outfitters “Blue Velvet”, Color Club “Pucci-licious”, and Milani “Peacock” from the tip of the nail to the cuticle.

I originally wanted to sugar-spin one nail but I did not like the blue base color on the other nails. The sugar-spun looked so good I decided to go for all of them.

Hi, my name is Monica and I have RA.

#31DC2013 Day 4: Green Nails

05 Thursday Sep 2013

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I sat down to start today’s prompt feeling very unmotivated. Green never looks good on me and I do not know how to make it look good. I stared at all my green polishes for a good few minutes before it dawned on me that I had just settled down with a bowl of Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream.

My favorite!

I then realized I had all the right colors for a Mint-inspired manicure!

Green Nails Prompt

Green Nails Prompt

I started with two coats of Color Club “Twiggie” on my index, middle, and ring finger.

I used two coats of Milani “Mint Chip” (hah…) on my pinky finger.

I used a small brush to apply strokes of butter London “Knackered” on my ring finger before adding a layer of Serum No5 “Happy Special Day”. Unfortunately, the butter London polish was so sheer it did not show up under the sprinkles top coat.

I applied small brush strokes of Essie “Blanc” to my index, middle and ring finger to mimic mint chip ice cream.

I quickly applied two coats of Milani “Sprinkles” to my index and middle finger; and one coat of Seche Vite to my ring finger. I wanted to blur any sharp lines.

Once my ring finger dried I used Bundle Monster plate “BM-307” and Milani “Quick Teal” to stamp a cupcake!

I applied a very light coat of Sprinkles on my ring finger to seal the look.

I am not a fan of the base colors but I really like green mint ice cream so I went for it!

Hi, my name is Monica and I have RA.

Nail Art: August Blues

03 Tuesday Sep 2013

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To see the accompanying post click on the image below.

I tried many blue manicures for over a week. I am not a huge fan of blue polish so I had difficulty settling on something. I finally decided on this one. It had a soothing effect on me because it reminded me of the ocean and the waves crashing on the shore.

While I feel calm looking at my nails, I know that they accurately show how I felt back in August. I had no control over my emotions. I very rarely feel so low and I felt confused and helpless. I could not find a way to boost my spirits.

August Blues

August Blues

I used two coats of Milani “Blue Moon”. I am on the fence about this polish. The formula is thick but easy to work with. It dries quickly. However, the brush is not great. The bristles are uneven which makes it difficult to apply the polish around the cuticles. Otherwise, it is a great color. It is a heavily shimmered navy blue.

I then used a small brush to apply random strokes of Essie “Blanc”, Milani “Peacock”, and Color Club “Pucci-licious”.

For my ring finger, I water-marbled the same colors minus “Blue Moon” and the addition of Zoya “Crystal”.

I finished with Cult Nails “Wax That” effect top coat.

Hi, my name is Monica and I have RA.

#31DC2013 Day 3: Yellow Nails

03 Tuesday Sep 2013

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Today’s 31 Day Challenge theme is yellow nails! I really love yellow. I usually only wear it on my toes since it looks great with sandals. Since I did the red nails, on the first day, I have had fire color schemes on the mind.

Yellow Nails Prompt!

I started with three coats of Color Club “Almost Famous”. I am not a fan of the formula but I love the color. It is a bright neon yellow. The formula is thick and hard to work with. When I try to use thin layers they streak. When I use thicker layers they dry unevenly.

I let the base color dry. I marbled Color Club “Mrs. Robinson”, OPI “Red Lights Ahead…Where?” and Cult Nails “Feel Me Up” on a paper plate before using my finger to pat it on each nail.

I used a mix of nail polish remover (Zoya Remove +) and Feel Me Up to add more yellow while “watercoloring” the red and purple.

I applied one coat of Sephora by OPI “Be-Claus I Said So” before the polish dried to blur any sharp lines.

31DC2013

Hi, my name is Monica and I have RA.