Tag Archives: striping tape

The Week in Review: 11/8 – 11/14

26 Thursday Nov 2015

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Photos link to original post.

In case you missed any posts here is quick roundup of the past week!

 

I started my winter nail art early with stamped snowflakes over a simple gradient!

Snowflakes Gradient and Stamping Nail Art | The Rite of Aging

 

I stayed in the fall mood with some freehand leaves!

Freehand Autumn Leaves Nail Art | The Rite of Aging

 

Not a lot of time goes by without a fun dotticure!

Purple Dotticure | The Rite of Aging

 

And, I posted my first ever video tutorials! One for a saran-wrap mani and one for an autumnal waterfall look!
Starlight Saran-Wrap Nail Art | The Rite of Aging

I finished the week with an icy blue striping manicure.

Icy Blue Striping Tape Nail Art | The Rite of Aging

Icy Blue Stripes | Nail Art & Review

20 Friday Nov 2015

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Some products provided for review. All opinions are my own.

Some of you may remember that a few months ago I was all blue-d out. Yes, you read that right: blue-d out. All the looks I made in August were blue except for one and when I went into the 31-Day Challenge in September I was wholly uninspired by the color.

I filtered out it as much as possible to give myself a break and I finally decided to use it again. It was surprisingly easy to stay away from my favorite color. It is not only my go to in clothes and decorations but it is the hue I wear most often on my nails.

I also lay striping to the wayside but mostly because I do not like the technique. When I chose products to review from the Born Pretty Store I was immediately drawn to a striping tape holder. Maybe an actual holder, fashioned after a Scotch Tape dispenser might make the whole process easier!

 

Born Pretty Store Striping Tape Holder | The Rite of Aging

The striping tape comes out easily but it does not fit snugly into the canister so it constantly moves around inside. This affects the tape placed on the nail and continuously pulls it up. I have to use scissors to cut the tape as the mouth does not have ridges.

All this being said, the tape container keeps the striping tape from rolling back into itself and saves me the hassle of finding the end. I prefer this holder over a basic Scotch Tape one because it is closed, lightweight, and durable.

I expected more from this basic holder but looking at the website it is only advertised as a basic tape holder and that is what it is. As long as the end doesn’t stick back onto the roll I am happy!

 

Icy Blue Striping Tape Nail Art | The Rite of AgingBase: China Glaze UV Meant to Be

Glitter: SinfulColors Ice Dream

Sponged Top: Glitter Gal True Blue Aussie

Striping Tape: assorted colors bought from Amazon.com, BPS Striping Tape Holder ($1.59 here)

Hi, my name is Monica and I have RA.

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Striping Tape and Glitter Nail Art

07 Saturday Mar 2015

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Striping tape rarely makes it on to the blog (actually, for that matter, neither does negative space); but, last night, I had a dream about a glitter gradient peeking out from underneath a black layer. I recently noticed Instagrammers sponging over striping tape and I wanted to give it a try. It took longer to build up the color but it minimized pooling under the tape.

 

Striping tape is so not good for the OCD part of my personality. I think I did a pretty good job of keeping the stripes straight per nail but I was re-applying tape pieces for over an hour! On top of that, it irked me the nails were not the same. I wouldn’t mind so much if each nail was different but they were supposed to be the same so in my mind it looked messy. I know I am being super picky and hard on myself but this was everything I was thinking during the process!

So, what was the take-away? This was so not RA-friendly nail art! — Thankfully, I took a lot of Vicodin for my back and I was on the full steam nail art train!

 

That being said, I AM PROUD OF MYSELF. Given my complete inexperience with taping this came out pretty well…I almost stopped at the glitter gradient but I decided to go whole hog. I will definitely re-visit this simple gradient when I need a more RA-friendly option.

I absolutely love love LOVE how the index finger came out. I tried to fashion the other nails after it but that did not quite happen.

What do you think of striping tape? Yay or nay? If you are a fan of the technique, does it get easier or more enjoyable?

 

Subtle Glitter Gradient | The Rite of Aging

Negative Space Striping Tape Nail Art | The Rite of AgingI started with one sheer coat of Essie Mademoiselle.

I sponged Deborah Lippman Happy Birthday on the tips. Remember that time I only made a frivolous Sephora online purchase just to get hold of this 100-point perk? Yeah…don’t judge me! I evened the surface with a generous coat of Seche Vite.

I used striping tape, a makeup sponge and Wet n Wild Black Creme for the stripes.

 

Hi, my name is Monica and I have RA.

31DC2015 – Day 2: Tape Manicure

02 Friday Jan 2015

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I bought a 12-pack of striping tapes, from Amazon.com, for something like 5 dollars…maybe even less. They are not the best quality…but they work well enough for the typical tape manicure. Honestly, this is not my favorite technique. The tape is thin and small, cutting the pieces and applying them are tedious and very difficult for RA-ridden fingers.

This aside, if I do a nice base, I do like how it looks (it reminds me of the SkratchArt I did as a kid)…

I just had an “A-HA!” moment. The harsh lines! I don’t like the harsh lines. I prefer the abstract, fuzzy, undefined looks better than the straight, sharp, highlight every mistake looks. Of course, this is my personal preference. Maybe if I practiced the technique more I would like it better. Maybe not, after all, it would still be hard for my fingers to “grasp”. Teehee, see what I did there?

Anyways, I hope you like my creation. I just played around with different angles and I love how the ring finger turned out; not to mention, the cleanest.

Day 2: Tape Manicure | The Rite of Aging

I “water-marbled” my base with Barry M Key Lime, Cancun and Milani Power Periwinkle.

I applied the striping tape to two fingers at a time and applied a thick coat of Milani Black Swift before peeling off the strands. Does anyone else have trouble remembering in what order they appled the tapes??

I finished with a generous coat of Seche Vite.

 

Hi, my name is Monica and I have RA.

 

Don’t forget to check out the other Day Two manicures below!

Oh Mon Dieu Challenge – Day 3: Lavender

04 Friday Jul 2014

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The pain has been replaced by another bout of sinusitis which is complete with blood accumulation! Blood has been dripping out of my nose all day. My head kept pounding so I literally slept…all day. Seriously, I think I was awake for no more than three hours today. This happens quite often and the blood sorts itself out within a couple of days. I just wish I had not lost my steamer in the move!

When I feel better I will get back to my normal schedule but for now I cannot really keep up!

Today’s prompt for the OMD2 challenge is Lavender. I love lavender. It is not only pretty but smells and does wonderful things.

Today also marks the first day trying striping tape. Yes! You read that correctly! I purchased real striping tape and I kind of love it.

I hope you like today’s manicure!

 

OMD2 Day 3: Lavender

I started with 3 coats of Formula X by Sephora Thrilling. I got a sample as part of a Sephora purchase. So far, I like the colors and formulas but the sample size cap and brush are so small it is difficult to get a clean coat. It applied unevenly and dried in clumps. I do not think this was so much the formula as the brush.

I detailed with bubble wrap and Milani Vivid Violet, Black Cherry and striping tape. I re-use bubble wrap and some Pop Beauty joined the party!

 

Hi, my name is Monica and I have RA.

 

Don’t forget to check out the other lavender-centric manicures!