LA Splash Glitter - Precious Crystallina

This is a manicure I did a while back... It's hard to tell from the photos but this is a (very) subtle gradient of OPI "Bubble Bath" and OPI "Funny Bunny". After the gradient dried, I applied a layer of topcoat and quickly sprinkled on some glitter. Afterwards, I used Seche Vite top coat to create a smooth final surface...

How to Apply Loose Glitter

This might not be the "right" way but it works for me! Work one nail at a time... Apply clear coat to a nail. Set your freshly painted nail next to the glitter container. Quickly dip a small, dry paintbrush into the powder. Then, while holding the brush over your nail, lightly tap it on the container to force the glitter off. It'll fall to your nail and create a natural dusting across the surface.

I bought this glitter from our local Walgreens. It cost $3.99 per container, or $7.00 for two. I got this one, "Precious Crystallina", and "Onyx" (charcoal). Fun!

Monday, December 13, 2010

Rhinestone Storage!

Tools/Storage 12 comments

Quick post today. Thought I'd share with you an alternative to those annoying spin wheels for storing little beads, rhinestones, or other nail embellishments! This is a plastic wheel that I found at a Michael's craft store. It has 8 compartments; each with its own snap lid! Best part... it only cost $1.99! I bought two :) Oh and by the way, CNN, I will NOT stop using emoticons. Did anybody else read that article from yesterday?

I wish the compartments weren't so deep, but I suppose that is nice for storing
items larger than itty bitty rhinestones!

Thursday, December 09, 2010

Half Moon With Liquid Palisade

Reviews 37 comments

Half Moon Manicure

I've seen the "half moon" manicure so many times online but I was never really THAT excited by it... until I saw it in black and white. Black-and-White is my thing! I wear a lot of zebra print... b/w stripes. I also love houndstooth... And just plain black OR white. They never go out of style. When I saw them together in this manicure, I just HAD to try it.

Liquid Palisade

This was also the perfect opportunity to try my sample of Liquid Palisade, which is a paint-on product that creates a seal for any surface you don't want polish! It's great for nail art, french manicures, or just to keep your cuticles clean during normal polishing! I'm especially excited about trying it for pedicures!

It's as easy as 1, 2, 3 . . . 4!

Liquid Palisade works exactly like it is said to work. It's so easy too! There's virtually no learning curve... you just need to get used to painting with the brush (I hope you have a steady hand!). Believe it or not, this was my first attempt at it. Seriously. E-A-S-Y. Follow the four easy steps described below (Paint, paint, paint, and peel)! You simply paint it on where you don't want polish to be, cover your nail with the desired color, and then peel the Liquid Palisade off. The idea is absolutely genius. I only wish I had thought of it first :)

How To Use Liquid Palisade

*See diagram below*

1) Paint your nails with your base color and allow to dry completely.
2) Draw a design onto your nails with Liquid Palisade (I went over my design twice so the Liquid Palisade was thick and would be easier to pull off. Also, make sure to apply extra Liquid Palisade off of your nail so you can later grab it with tweezers!). Let the Liquid Palisade dry for a couple of minutes and then...
3) Paint over Liquid Palisade with your next color. (Use a one-coat polish because you have to remove Liquid Palisade when polish is still wet).
4) IMMEDIATELY start to remove the Liquid Palisade (I suggest using tweezers so you won't accidentally touch the wet polish and because Liquid Palisade tends to fling up at you since it's stretchy!).
P.S. Only "polish-and-peel" 1 finger at a time. You don't want it (for example: the black polish) to dry before you take off the Liquid Palisade or you might pull up some of your polish.

Liquid Palisade was sent to me for review :) You can see more about it HERE.

Friday, December 03, 2010

Essie "Turquoise And Caicos" Plus Glitter

Essie, Nfu Oh 23 comments

What It Is

Nfu Oh's "GS01" (a Glitter Series polish) over Essie's "Turquoise & Caicos" (from the 2010 Resort Collection). GS01 is an almost pastel, multi-colored glitter. "Turquoise & Caicos" is a semi-sheer polish that can build [eventually] into an opaque finish.

Application

Loved the color of "T&C" but its application was a pain in the butt! Runny and sheer. Bad combo. I tried thicker layers to get better coverage but the polish ended up flooding my cuticles and causing bubbles. I was able to mask them with the glitter though :)

I know I show you Nfu Oh "GS01" ALL THE TIME but I love it! The glitters are small and not in-your-face... so, so pretty! Have I convinced you that you need some Nfu Oh's yet? :) I've seemed to convince myself that I need another one! You can check out my other Nfu Oh's by clicking HERE or visiting my "Inventory (Nfu Oh)" link on my navigation bar above!

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Lollipop And Pink Polka Dots

Konad Nail Art 41 comments

Everything You'll Need:

Light Pink-	OPI "Mod About You"	3 coats
White-	OPI "Alpine Snow"	3 coats
Dark Pink-	Zoya "Kiki"	2 coats
Image Plates-	Konad M79	(Polka Dots)
Image Plates-	Konad M14	(Lollipop)
Rhinestones-	Aurore Boreale (Swarovski)	5MM
Rhinestones-	Clear (Swarovski)	9SS
Stamping Polish-	Konad "Psyche Pink"	Over white/light pink
Stamping Polish-	Konad "White"	Over dark pink
Top Coat-	Konad & Seche Vite

I saw this idea of a nail-art table at Lacquer Boudoir Blog. Genius, right? :)

Inspiration

Lately, I've been obsessed with Japanese / Kawaii nail art. I love all of the embellishments (rhinestones, pearls, 3D acrylic accents, etc) and the fact that each nail is its own design but still, no doubt, belongs to the set! This is NOT my attempt at it. It's just me heading more towards that direction. I've also really been inspired by Emerald Sparkled Blog's skittle manicures. Check it out and you'll understand why!

Make It Happen

I waste A LOT of time trying to decide what I'm going to do to my nails. I'm very indecisive. My thought process is a mess: "If this nail is light pink, that nail should be dark... but where is the white nail going to go? I don't want any patterns; it has to look random. Blah-blah-blah". This time I decided to start at the drawing board. I used Adobe Illustrator to create my plan of action! Below is a simple, colored illustration of my nails:

Do you pronounce it "Polka dots" or "Poka dots"?

Saturday, November 27, 2010