Saturday, September 29, 2012

Swatch, Review & a Little Halloween Fun: "Day Glow" by Serum No. 5


One magical day, I stumbled upon another blogger's review of "Day Glow" by Serum No. 5.
I was instantly obsessed, and decided I had to have it.
It is so much more vibrant and better than any other glow polish!  It even glows in partial darkness!
You can check out the Glow in the Dark Skeleton nails for comparison with another glow polish.

I had a feeling that "Day Glow" would be in high demand and I was right.
By the time I checked Etsy, the full size bottles were sold out so, naturally, I ordered 2 minis.
By the time my order was completed, "Day Glow" had been completely out of stock!!


Here is my little mini, in all of it's glory.
3 coats of "Day Glow", over 1 coat of Essie "Fiji" - it's recommended to use a white (or almost white, in this case) base color to make the "Day Glow" a little more opaque.
In full darkness. 
 Added some fun Halloween designs :)
In partial darkness.
For comparison, this skeleton was done with China Glaze "Ghoulish Glow", shown in partial darkness.
You couldn't even see it on my camera in full darkness because the glow wasn't strong enough.
"Day Glow" is far superior.


Let me just say I am absolutely in love with Serum No. 5 "Day Glow".  
Application was a dream, it's not streaky or lumpy like other glow polishes. 
The price is reasonable - $6 for a mini and $12 for full size, and they were shipped very promptly.
Keep an eye on Serum No. 5's Etsy store for updates on restock!

Thursday, September 27, 2012

Teach Me Something Thursday: Ikat Patterned Nails

My friend Michele from shortgirllongisland has a fun feature on her blog called "Teach Me Something Thursday".  
She had asked me a few weeks ago if I'd like to do a special nail art tutorial exclusively for her blog, and of course I was more than happy to oblige! 
I did ikat patterned nail art, which is a lot of fun and pretty easy to do.
Ikats are patterned textiles and fabrics produced by tying and resist-dying threads before weaving, similar in process to tie-dying.

**For the full tutorial, check out Michele's feature Teach Me Something Thursday: Volume Four **


There was a bit of a glare indoors so I ventured outside to get another photo :)

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Half-Moon Mani: Round 2

Yesterday's half-moon mani colors were just too... old ladyish for me.
I decided to re-do them this morning.

This time, I opted for a matte graphite color by China Glaze called "Stone Cold" as the half-moon base color. (I reviewed and swatched  it not too long ago)
On the rest of the nail, I used China Glaze "Liquid Leather" which is a very shiny patent leather black.
I also topped off the black with a coat of Seche Vite to make it extra shiny so the matte of the half-moon stands out even more.
I can actually see my reflection in the sleek black shinyness!
I like this look much better.  It's more sultry and modern, but still has a classy vintage appeal.

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Tutorial Tuesday: Half-Moon Mani

This week's featured tutorial is the half-moon mani.
The half-moon manicure actually was very popular from the 1920's to the 1940's and has recently made a comeback.  Who doesn't love a modern twist on a vintage style!?
This was my first attempt, and even though these colors are so not something I'd typically choose, I'm happy with the outcome.  Very fall-like. 
The half-moon mani is done in a very similar fashion as last week's tape mani, except instead of scotch tape, we will be using the small circle paper-reinforcement stickers.  They can be found at any office supply store.

How To Choose Colors For This Design:
You have a lot of artistic freedom with a half-moon mani, since nothing really has to coordinate.  
You can do similar colors, you can do completely different colors, use the same color but matte and glossy, neons, neutrals, glitters.  In the 1930s & 40s it was very popular to leave the half moon of the nail natural, and only paint the tip. There's lots of options!


Suggested Materials:
ANY brand is fine, listed below are the ones used for this particular mani
- Base coat - Seche Clear
- Top coat - Seche Vite
- Top color - Essie "Sew Psyched"
- Half-moon Base color - Essie "Love and Acceptance"
- Circle paper-reinforcement stickers
- A clean, small paintbrush or cotton swabs, for cleaning the cuticles afterwards (optional)
- Nail polish remover (optional)

Before you begin painting your design:
These steps are optional, but definitely recommended!
• Put down some paper towels on your work area, in case of any spills. 
• Be sure to remove any old nail polish.
• Gently file nails into desired shape and remove any deep ridges with a buffer
• Push back cuticles with a cuticle pusher or orange wood stick and trim if desired.
• To make things easier to find (and because I'm super neurotic) I always set up my polishes in the order that they will be used.
• Apply a base coat to protect from potential staining from color polish; wait for it to dry completely.


Step 1:
Take a circle sticker and stick it to the palm of your hand.  Remove it, and re-stick it 4 or 5 times.  
This is to reduce the stickiness of the tape and makes it much easier to peel off of your nails later on.  


Step 2:
Apply 2 coats of the base color and allow to dry.
If you are using a light and dark color for this mani, try to use the lighter color as the base.  Most light colors tend to be less opaque and will not cover a dark color very well!
Don't worry too much about being super neat, you can remove excess polish from your cuticles later.
**It is VERY important to allow all polish to dry before applying the tape over it, otherwise the polish will get stuck to the tape and come off**


Step 3:
Gently  apply the circle stickers.  
Place the top half of the circle over the bottom of your nail and cuticle, and the bottom half of the circle should be over your finger. (You can click the photo to enlarge & see it better.)
I aimed to cover approximately 1/4th of my nail length. 
You can do more or less, depending on how big you want your half-moons to be!
The nail naturally curves, so the sticker might need to be adjusted a bit near the cuticle.
*Try to avoid any bubbles near the edges of the tape and cuticle, because the top color could get into the bubble and you'll have to start all over!*

Step 4:
Beginning at the outermost edge of the circle sticker, paint 1 or 2 coats of the top color over the base color.
It's better to paint a tiny bit over the sticker this way your edge will be clean.  You can click the photo to enlarge & see a little better.

Step 5:
Gently  peel the tape off once the top color is mostly dry.
Be very careful not to rip it off too quickly, or the polish could come right off.
Also, be careful if the polish is still very wet on the top of the sticker, it could get onto your base color.


Step 6:
This final step is completely optional, but it will really help to achieve a neat & clean looking mani.

You can use either a small paintbrush or cotton swab, dip it in nail polish remover, and use it to remove any excess polish on your cuticles and skin.
Be careful not to use too much remover, otherwise you will risk ruining your design.
If you opt for the brush, be sure to use brushstrokes in the same direction; don't "swish" the brush around because it tends to spread excess polish around rather than remove it.


Finish off with a top coat, and here's the final product!
I feel like a classy lady.
I will definitely be trying other color combinations with this, since it was so easy.

Monday, September 24, 2012

Halloween Themed Nails: Mix & Match

Halloween nails I did today on my co-worker Jackie.
Candy corn, spider web, jack-o-lantern, skull and bats :)
All done with acrylic paint over a white polish base.

Sunday, September 23, 2012

Halloween Themed Nails: Sugar Skulls

I warned you there would be more Halloween themed nails!
Here are some fun little sugar skulls.
Sugar skulls originated from Mexican tradition, and are used to celebrate the national holiday of El Dia de Los Muertos, also known as The Day of the Dead.
The sugar skull statues are a way for the living to pay tribute to friends, relatives and even pets who have passed on.
El Dia de Los Muertos is traditionally observed on November 1st & 2nd, but sugar skulls have become popular in American pop culture and are now also associated with Halloween.

For these, I used a combination of nail polish and acrylic paint and a striping brush.
The eyes are made out of fimo clay slices.

Enjoy!

Sunday Social

I saw my friend Michele had posted something called "Sunday Social" last week, and it seems like a fun & simple way to help your readers get to know you a little better so I decided I'd participate.
You can link up with your blog at ashleyscarnivalride and join in on the fun! :)

1. What is something you have wanted to do but were afraid of?
My biggest fear is heights.  I'm talking, like, paralyzing vertigo-inducing fear.
I also believe the only way to deal with your fears is to just face them.
With that being said, ever since I've heard of the Grand Canyon Skywalk, I've always wanted to go!

2. Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
Probably still working at a tattoo shop doing piercings.  I like what I do!
Hopefully in California, it's one of my favorite places in the world.
I visited San Diego almost a year ago and absolutely loved it.
If we don't make it to Cali, I'm totally okay with Florida too.

3. What are you looking forward to before the end of 2012?
I'm really looking forward to leaving New York.
I'm so sick of the hustle & bustle, attitudes and expenses of living on Long Island.

4. What are your hopes for your blog?
I hope to inspire others to get creative and explore their artistic side.
I enjoy teaching people easy ways to do new things, so I genuinely have fun making tutorials.

5. Do you always see yourself living in your current town/city?
No, actually I've moved probably 6 or 7 times in my life, and in about 2 weeks my boyfriend & I are moving from NY to Florida.

6. What is your morning routine?
Pretty basic, I'm not very high maintenance at all.
Actually.. my nails are probably the girliest thing about me.
Typically: snooze at least 3 times, put glasses on, roll out of bed, shower, get dressed, style hair, brush teeth and make sure I have all of my important items in my purse- keys, phone, wallet.

Friday, September 21, 2012

Review & Swatch: Handmade Custom Etsy Polish

This is a review & swatch of my very first handmade custom polish purchase!
I found it on Etsy, at the GlimmerByErica store.  
From her super cute, 80s cartoon inspired Rainbow Brite collection, this polish is named "Starlite Shine" which was Rainbow Brite's beautiful rainbow-haired white pony!
It was described by the seller as a "white jelly base with all seven colors of the rainbow and an added rainbow holo sparkle"
I decided I had to have it.

The first thing my boyfriend said when he saw this polish was "Whoa, it looks like cupcakes" and my friend said it looked like Funfetti frosting, which was very accurate and definitely inspired me.
This is 2 fairly thick coats, and it's fairly opaque.
Later on I added a top coat & it actually brought out the colors and holo glitter even more.
(I only did 1 nail because I didn't want to waste it!)

The white jelly base gives it a unique milky/creamy quality, and the glitter makes it slightly textured.  These qualities make this the most perfect polish for...
..CUPCAKE NAILS!!
(It would also be great for ice cream nails too :D)

I really enjoy this polish.
I'm very happy with my purchase and I know I will be using it a lot in the future.

If you'd like a tutorial for the Cupcake nails, leave a comment!

Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Tutorial Tuesday: Tape Manicure (Requested)

I've officially decided that I will have "Tutorial Tuesday" as a regular feature on this blog, so you can learn something new to try with your nails each week :)

This week's Tutorial Tuesday will feature the tape manicure.
Last week my lovely friend & fellow blogger Michele of shortgirllongisland.com requested a tutorial for an easy way to do thick stripes.  In my opinion, the easiest way to achieve thick stripes is by doing a "tape manicure" which means using tape to block off the colors and then painting over it.  
For more intricate designs, some people use blue painter's tape and Exacto knife, but I'm keeping it simple so just regular scotch tape and scissors will do.

How To Choose Colors For This Design:
You have a lot of artistic freedom with a tape mani, since nothing really has to coordinate.  
You can do 2 similar colors, you can do 3 different colors, you can leave your natural nail showing and just paint certain sections, you can do the same color but matte and glossy.  There's lots of options!

Suggested Materials:
ANY brand is fine, listed below are the ones used for this particular mani
- Base coat - Seche Clear
- Top coat - Seche Vite
- Top color - Opi "Glitzerland"
- Base color - Essie "Bikini So Teeny"
- Scotch tape or blue painter's tape
- Small scissors or Exacto knife
- A clean, small paintbrush or cotton swabs, for cleaning the cuticles afterwards (optional)
- Nail polish remover (optional)

Before you begin painting your design:
These steps are optional, but definitely recommended!
• Put down some paper towels on your work area, in case of any spills. 
• Be sure to remove any old nail polish.
• Gently file nails into desired shape and remove any deep ridges with a buffer
• Push back cuticles with a cuticle pusher or orange wood stick and trim if desired.
• To make things easier to find (and because I'm super neurotic) I always set up my polishes in the order that they will be used.
• Apply a base coat to protect from potential staining from color polish; wait for it to dry completely.


Step 1:
Take a piece of tape and stick it to the palm of your hand.  Remove it, and re-stick it 3 or 4 times.  
This is to reduce the stickiness of the tape and makes it much easier to peel off of your nails later on.  
You can also now cut the tape to accommodate your nail length & width.


Step 2:
Cut out your shapes!
Simple shapes work best, so I went with thick stripes & a zig zag just for fun.
Try to cut these as evenly and straight as possible, so your stripes will be uniform in thickness.
You can cut a bunch of pieces just in case they rip, get messed up, etc.
Once they are cut, I like to stick them half way onto the edge of the table, with the end of the tape hanging off.  
This way they won't get lost or stick to each other and will be easier to find. 
Just don't stick it completely on the table or get it stuck to your clothing otherwise it'll be ruined.

Step 3:
Apply 2 coats of the base color and allow to dry.
If you are using a light and dark color for this mani, try to use the lighter color as the base.  Most light colors tend to be less opaque and will not cover a dark color very well!
Don't worry too much about being super neat, you can remove excess polish from your cuticles later.
**It is VERY important to allow all polish to dry before applying the tape over it, otherwise the polish will get stuck to the tape and come off**


Step 4:
Gently  apply your tape strips.  
Try to make sure the space between the tape is about equal to the width of the tape itself, this way your stripes will be nice and even.
The nail naturally curves, so the tape will curve with it.
*Try to avoid any bubbles near the edges of the tape, because the top color could get into the bubble and you'll have to start all over!*

Step 5:
Paint 1 or 2 coats of top color over the entire nail, making sure you have even coverage.
The best way to ensure even coverage is to paint in the same direction as the tape strips (vertical, diagonal, etc)
I chose just 1 top color, but you can use as many as you want.
Each section can be painted a different color if you'd like!

Step 6:
Gently  peel the tape off once the top color is mostly dry.
Be very careful not to rip it off too quickly, or the polish could come right off.
Also, be careful if the polish is still very wet on the top of the tape, it could get onto your base color.
As you can see, I did a different pattern on each nail; horizontal, vertical, diagonal, zig zag and random.
You can definitely re-use the tape strips, if they are still sticky enough and the polish has dried. 
More intricate designs, such as the zig-zag, might rip when it's being peeled off and can not be re-used.

Step 7:
This final step is completely optional, but it will really help to achieve a neat & clean looking mani.

You can use either a small paintbrush or cotton swab, dip it in nail polish remover, and use it to remove any excess polish on your cuticles and skin.
Be careful not to use too much remover, otherwise you will risk ruining your design.
If you opt for the brush, be sure to use brushstrokes in the same direction; don't "swish" the brush around because it tends to spread excess polish around rather than remove it.

After finishing off with a coat of Seche Vite topcoat, here's the final product!
If you'd like to request a nail design for Tutorial Tuesdays please leave a comment and let me know :)

Monday, September 17, 2012

Halloween Themed Nails: Glow in the Dark Skeleton

Halloween is my favorite holiday so just be warned: there will be more than one Halloween themed nail post :D
Here is a fun glow in the dark skeleton!
Really hard to get a pic of it - not only impossible to line up my fingers like that but also impossible to photograph in the dark.

Basically, I did glow in the dark polish as a base and painted the outline of the skeleton in black and then filled in the background solid black :)



Saturday, September 15, 2012

My First Custom Press-on Nail Sets!

So here are my first 3 sets of custom press-on nails!!
Pretty much did whatever came to mind.
This was my favorite set!! 
Mixed hand painted designs & 3D acrylic bows.. it's actually challenging to come up with 12 different designs using only 4 colors.
Simple zig zag tape mani done using my new China Glaze polishes :)
This one was hard to photograph.  If you click on picture you can see it a bit better.
Sponge gradient "ombre" and multicolor glitter topcoat, reminds me of a sunset.


So what's the verdict... Would you be able to look past the stigma of press-on nails and wear one of my custom nail sets?

Friday, September 14, 2012

Haul, Review, Swatch & The Return of Press-On's!

Just a small haul of nail products:
A couple of recent purchases I've made and wanted to share with you :)
From left to right they are: Ulta brand turquoise sparkle in a clear base,  Two of the China Glaze colors from the "Capitol Colors" collection which was based on The Hunger Games.  Each color represented a different district.  They were also on clearance, so why not?  The polish on the right is a color that I purchased years ago and absolutely loved, so I repurchased.  
And last but not least, those things at the bottom are... blank PRESS-ON NAILS! 
But don't worry, these aren't your typical 1980's lame press-on's.  I've purchased blank ones because I'm going to be hand painting them and I plan on selling them on Etsy :)

A brief review of these polishes:
(From left to right)
-Ulta "Love Fern" - Clear base with small turquoise glitter and slightly larger turquoise sparkles.  One thick coat, barely any sparkles showed up.  I'm actually disappointed with this polish & will be returning it.
-China Glaze "Stone Cold" - Represents the masonry of District 2.  It's a gunmetal gray sparkle, but actually dries matte.  It reminds me a lot of a slate or graphite.  I don't usually like matte colors, but this is beautiful.  If you want to add a top coat, it looks a bit darker and the sparkles really stand out.  One coat is all that's necessary with this color.
-China Glaze "Turned Up Turquoise" - Had to use 2 coats of this, otherwise it's a bit patchy.  Beautiful turquoise color but it dries very matte & flat.  Once you add top coat it's quite brilliant and sparkly!
-China Glaze "Smoke and Ashes"- Photos just don't do this color any justice..  it's a beautiful glossy black with speckles of a dark bluish green.  Represents the coal mining of District 12.  Only needed one coat.



Press-on's have made a major comeback!  I prefer to call them "prefabricated" because it sounds fancy, but let's face it.. they're press-on's.  
Many people like them because they're quick and easy, especially for those who are.. nail polish challenged, and they won't damage your natural nails!  You can use adhesive tabs (which never  worked for me) or you can use nail glue.  If you are careful when you remove them, you can even re-use the same pair.  
I plan on painting a set tonight and will post some photos tomorrow :) 

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Review: Layla Cosmetics Hologram Effect polish

Everyone loves glitter.  And what's better than regular glitter?  HOLOGRAM GLITTER!
This is a review of Layla Cosmetics Hologram Effect polish. 

After reading reviews of other holos and looking at photo swatches, I decided on Layla Cosmetics brand.
All of them looked really pretty, but at $15 each I limited myself to 3:
"Mercury Twilight" which is a silver holo, "Flash Black" which is a charcoal/black holo and "Ultra Violet", my personal favorite of the three, a silvery-purpley-lavendar-ish holo.

The thing about holographic glitters is that they're really weird to work with.  The first time I'd used these, I was so excited to have holographic glitter nails that I skipped all of my normal pre-mani steps - file, buffer, base coat - and it came out really dull and streaky.  
Apparently, you're supposed use an "aqua base coat" (wut?).  I thought maybe another coat would help because more glitter is always better right?  Alas, it only made it horribly streaky and just not very pretty.  Then I put a coat of Seche Vite top coat over it, because it's super glossy and that should make it better... except it made it WORSE!  The top coat actually made it less prismatic.  What gives?  Why are holos so different from any other polish?!

After some research, and trial & error I found out a few things:  
If you are painting on natural nails, it's best to use a high shine buffer to smooth out ridges on the nail, and acrylic nails don't usually require any base just normal buffing.  
Seche Vite top coat is easier to find and a good alternative to aqua base coat.
Apply a heavy first coat, and wait at least 5 or 10 minutes before applying a second coat, otherwise the brush starts to pull off the bottom coat and it ends up very streaky & patchy.
I also discovered that the holos look very different in different types of lighting.

I painted 3 coats of each color on a nail tip, and took photos in various types of light.  I also painted the right half of the nail lengthwise with top coat so you can see how dull it makes the holo.  This kinda sucks because no top coat means it will chip or flake a little faster than a regular polish.




These photos below are from when I took my acrylics off for a week or so.  
I buffered my natural nails and used Seche Vite as a base coat, and no top coat.  The top one is a tape mani with all 3 colors and the bottom is just 2 coats of "Ultra Violet".  
They lasted pretty well for about 3 days, just a few small flakes came off on the free edge of my nail.  
 Pros:
It's absolutely beautiful!  
There is no other way to get that super crazy pretty glittery prismatic shine. 
If you can get a decent looking thick first coat, you don't have to use a second, so it will last forever.
If you have Seche Vite on hand, you don't need to buy an aqua base coat.
Layla brand was on the cheaper end but still really good quality and very prismatic.

Cons: 
They're hard to find, so they are a little pricey;
These were $15/bottle on Amazon, and I've seen Gosh holo go for $50 and up on eBay. 
Long wait time to dry between coats.
Top coat kills the hologram effect so it flakes off more easily.
Can't use normal base coat.

Conclusion:
They're really pretty, but definitely take some getting used to working with. 
If you have some extra cash to splurge and you love shiny things, go for it!

Have you ever used holographic glitter polish?  What are your thoughts?