Tag Archives: SpaRitual

Top Three Nail Polishes for Fall | Autumn 2015

11 Sunday Oct 2015

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Top Three Polishes for Fall | The Rite of AgingMost of the polishes I own are used only for nail art and when it comes to wearing plain nail polish on my fingers I am very fickle. Now that summer is long gone I decided to root around my polish cupboard and pull out my favorite autumnal colors. Below are the three I know I will wear over and over again this fall! Yes, only three!

 

SpaRitual – Howl (2 coats)

SpaRitual Swatch - Howl | The Rite of Aging

Howl is a dark brown with golden shimmer running through it. When the shimmer is prominent it elevates the color to a rich golden brown. The formula is a little thick but it is easy to work with and dries quickly.

 

OPI – Lincoln Park After Dark (2 coats)

OPI Swatch - Lincoln Park After Dark | The Rite of AgingLincoln Park After Dark is a deep almost black oxblood. The color generally looks black but every so often the light hits it and I get a glimpse of the subtle red tint. There is a reason this polish is a cult favorite. It looks great against all skin tones and I feel extremely confident wearing it. There is just something about pulling off a gorgeous dark shade like this. The formula is sheer but three coats covers any bald spots. This polish stains so I always use two bases.

 

Serum No. 5 – Sleepy Holo (2 coats)

Serum No. 5 Swatch - Sleepy Holo | The Rite of AgingSleepy Holo is a stunning deep silver holo. In normal indoor light the silver shimmers  beautifully but in the sun it explodes. The rainbow holo is out of this world (and you can probably see it from there too) and I cannot help but look at my fingers when I wear this.

 

Hi, my name is Monica and I have RA.

#31DC2015 – Inspired By a Color…Combination Dotticure Nail Art

21 Monday Sep 2015

Posted by in Community, Nail Art

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We are now on the home stretch of the 31-Day Challenge! I hope I finish as strong as I started!

How can I only choose one color for today’s prompt? I can’t! So, I created a dotticure with my favorite color combination: blue and orange. I know the colors are not typically found together but they go so well!

I hope you like it!

 

#31DC2015 - Inspired by a Color Dotticure Nail Art | The Rite of AgingBase: SpaRitual Running with Wolves

Dots: Milani Power Periwinkle, China Glaze UV Meant to Be, Pop Beauty Pacific Hoot, Color Club Wham! Pow!

 

Hi, my name is Monica and I have RA.

Follow me on Bloglovin’ | Twitter | or Facebook to keep up with me during the challenge!

#31DC2015 – Tortoiseshell Cat Animal Print Nails

13 Sunday Sep 2015

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You can probably tell I am not one for animal prints. They are just not my cup of tea. I only ever attempt them for challenges (primarily the 31-Day Challenge). In 2013, I painted White Bengal Tiger stripes which came out quite nicely and in 2014, I bit the bullet and attempted a colorful leopard print. I did not want to do designs from previous years but since animal prints do not inspire me, I was at a loss.

I flipped through my archives and came across a NAIL art I did of Sunsilk (linked here)! This was one of my first nail arts and I was really happy with it. Fast forward two years (almost exactly!) to see whether a little more experience under my belt makes any difference!

 

sunsilk tortieSunsilk is part Abyssinian with tortoiseshell markings. She used to have very prominent features but her undercoat lightened with age so it’s harder to see the telltale tortie spots.

It wouldn’t be me if the look wasn’t more abstract. I went with simple “fur” nails and I have to say I love how these came out! I hope you do too!

 

#31DC2015 - Tortoiseshell Cat Animal Print Nail Art | The Rite of AgingBase: Zoya Louise

Details: Zoya Severine, Goldie, SpaRitual Howl, Running with Wolves, Barry M Mustard, Urban Outfitters Westside

 

Hi, my name is Monica and I have RA.

Follow me on Bloglovin’ | Twitter | or Facebook to keep up with me during the challenge!

OMD3 – Sugarspun Nail Art for #mynailsandmydrink

29 Wednesday Jul 2015

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Check the sidebar for the link to challenge information.

Instagram has created a TUMBLER MONSTER. After the duochrome tumbler went viral on social media I became curious of the others…and I bought the sunset gradient one. Now, every few weeks, I stalk the website for new additions to the cold and warm drinkware pages.

Alright, so maybe this isn’t new. When I started traveling after college I wanted to collect something to remember my trip. The question was what? Postcards and stamps are cute but ultimately useless. Who is going to want to use either for their proposed purposes since they mail right out of your possession, completely nullifying adding them to your collection in the first place!

When I was little I used to collect little jars of sand from the places my family visited…once again though, cool but impractical.

I dug a little deeper. What could I stockpile that I could use? What do I love more than anything in the world? Coffee. Then it hit me. I drink coffee, hot tea and cocoa almost every day and what do I drink them in?? COFFEE CUPS. Not only can I drink from mugs but I can use them as holders of well, stuff! Literally all my shelves have one or two mugs, some hold my keys, others markers, and some I use to collect pistachio shells (heh!)

Now, back to the point…one afternoon while scrolling through the Starbucks website when I saw the new dog doodle tumbler! No contest. No question. I needed it. I mean, I am pre-freaking-vet and I love dogs. No hesitation. No buyer’s remorse for breaking my no-buy.

When you know you have to have something. You just know. Am I right?

 

For today’s prompt, I hit a little block. I knew which #mydrink I would use…but I did not know what #mynails I would do. I usually fill my cold drink tumblers with iced tea or water and take them in the car so I considered an Arnold Palmer gradient. However, I was just about to hit the treadmill and didn’t want to sip on iced tea during my workout. Since water is clear it opened up almost every nail art and I decided to pull from the green tennis ball…Hope you like it!

 

#OMD3NAILS - Starbucks Tumbler Sugar-Spin Nail Art | The Rite of AgingBase: SpaRitual Running with Wolves

Sugar-Spin: Girly Bits Cosmetics Supersonic

 

Hi, my name is Monica and I have RA.


OMD3 – Stamped Book Nail Art

13 Monday Jul 2015

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Check the sidebar for more information.

 

I am making it right under the wire today! I am teaching two half-day summer camps this week so in an attempt to make myself feel less tired today, I did all my chores yesterday but that just made me too tired yesterday to paint my nails! Ah, irony.

Just as well, though, because today’s prompt was a no-brainer. I only have one “handwriting” stamp and I wanted to create an old parchment watercolor base.

I am really digging this new watercolor technique. I use torn up pieces of latex-free makeup sponge completely saturated in acetone. I dilute the polishes completely and dab them on the nail to build up opacity until I am happy!

Hope you like it!

 

#OMD3NAILS Stamped Handwriting Nail Art | The Rite of AgingBase: Barry M Chai

Watercolors: Barry M Chai, Zoya Severine, SpaRitual Bismuth, Milani Dark Coffee

Stamping: Creative Shop stamper, Bundle Monster plate BM311, Zoya Louise

 

Hi, my name is Monica and I have RA.

Polka Dot Glitter Gradient Nail Art

11 Thursday Jun 2015

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Today I have something pretty easy. The Actemra is wearing off and I am feeling tired. On a brighter note, my new lighted magnifier came and I wanted to test it with a relatively simple design! It definitely helps my tired, dry eyes but I was pleasantly surprised to see how much it helped with cleanup! I didn’t realize how strained my eyes felt after nail art cleanup.

 

Polka Dot Glitter Gradient Nail Art | The Rite of Aging

 

Base: SpaRitual Running with Wolves

Polka Dots: Color Club Wham! Pow!, Zoya Charlotte

Glitter: Sephora by OPI Come to Pappa-razzi!

 

Hi, my name is Monica and I have RA.

Patchwork Nail Art: In Stitches

28 Wednesday Jan 2015

Posted by in Nail Art

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Well, Saachi was scheduled for surgery after she collapsed earlier this week. I don’t really want to go into a lot of details right now as she is still in recovery and we are waiting on some biopsy results. I am happy to report she is mending nicely and hopefully will be home on Thursday if everything goes as planned (EDIT: She is recovering so well she may be home a full 24 hours early!)

 

DSCF1955 - Version 2

Anyways, this is the first patchwork nail art I’ve done that hasn’t made me cringe. I used acrylic paint and while it is not particularly perfect by any means I am proud of my creation!

 

DSCF3058_fotorI started with Barry M Gelly Lychee and Seche Vite as my base.

I achieved the watercolor distressed look with a square paintbrush, acetone, SpaRitual Howl, Running with Wolves and Barry M Gelly Lychee.

I used black acrylic paint for the stitches.

 

Hi, my name is Monica and I have RA.