Encircled Black and White Nail Art

Black and White day of the 31 Day Challenge is always my favorite, because everyone’s nail art always looks so striking. There’s something just so magnetic about black and white as a pair, isn’t there?

I didn’t have any particular inspiration for this nail art, but I did know that I wanted to do white patterning on a black base. I started out with two coats of Orly Liquid Vinyl, and then used my trimmed town super skinny striper brush to add on some arcs and circles with Formula X White Matter. Thin lines were a priority for me this time, so if my white lines got too fat in any areas, I went back in with black and thinned them down. 

I added a coat of quick dry glossy topcoat, let it set, and then finished the manicure with a layer of Nicole by OPI Matte Topcoat. If you’re ever doing a matte topcoat, I recommend going glossy first to seal in your nail art, flatten the profile, and provide durability.

More black and white nail art:

• Tuxedo nail art
• Black and white wiggles
• Midnight smoke nail art
• Black and white mesh framed half moons

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Black Blooms Floral Nail Art

Though this design isn't explicitly Halloween, it is pretty morbid/somber and definitely seasonally appropriate. These black roses are a variation of my sweet rose floral nail art that I shared during the 31 Day Challenge, with a monochromatic twist. I paired the black blooms with ugly/pretty chartreuse leaves for a pop of color.

Nail polishes used:
Orly Highlight (base)
Formula X Dark Matter (black)
LVX Oyster (light grey)
LVX Anthracite (dark grey)
Deborah Lippmann Weird Science (chartreuse)

I began by applying Highlight as my base. I wasn't thrilled with the formula of this one, though I do love the color. It was fairly thin and sheer. I used three coats here.

The roses were simple. I put down a black blob shape, then used a small nail art brush to add the dark and light grey detailing. Chelsea Queen has a great rose tutorial you can check out for guidance. I then added the leaves, making sure they ended in points, and sealed everything in with HK Girl topcoat.

This is the second time I've been pleasantly surprised by the weirdness of a Deborah Lippmann shade; the first time was I Wanna Be Sedated. It's cool to see a brand that I usually associate with "pretty" shades do something odd, and the shimmer/foil in this one is showstopping.

I often do florals, but they are usually softer and more delicate. I am enjoying the contrast in this manicure, and still feel like I'm getting in the mood for Halloween!

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Nailbox Pre-Fall '14 Trendbox Geometric Gradient Nail Art and Giveaway

As you may recall, back in August I showed off the Nailbox Pre-Fall 2014 Trendbox, which I curated! The box includes four nail polishes plus a matte topcoat, and I've used all five bottles in my nail art today. Nailbox has also given me the chance to offer a giveaway for the box, so head to the end of the post to enter to win!

Nail polishes used:
LVX Cashmere
NCLA Santa Monica Shore Thing
Orly Hot Tropics
Priti NYC Chyrsanthos
Essie Matte About You

I love the way these colors look together. I'd hope that I would, anyway, seeing as how I chose them! You've got the nice neutral base, two bright and fun shades, a metallic for some pizzaz, and a matte topcoat (because I am obsessed with all things matte).

The gradient effects are entirely handpainted. I didn't use tape or vinyls in this look, and honestly, these days it's just become easier for me to try to freehand it than to go through the process for anything else. The lovely periwinkle color between the aqua and the pink was created by mixing the two together, and I brushed it on loosely to sell the transitional effect.

My Pre-Fall 2014 Trendbox is available as a single box for $35 (a $65+ value) or you can purchase the one year subscription for $126. Boxes are curated by nail bloggers and trendsetters. GET IT WHILE IT'S HOT!

Feeling lucky? Try your hand at winning a Trendbox! Giveaway is open to US residents and ends October 28th, 2014. Prize provided by Nailbox.

Nailbox Trendbox Giveaway
Disclosure: I was compensated for my participation in the Pre-Fall Trendbox, but was not paid for this giveaway. Good luck!

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Glittery Skull Cameos

I always take the opportunity to use "glitter" day of the 31 Day Challenge to do some hand placed glitter nail art. I don't have the strength of mind to attempt it most other times. This time, I had some new triangle glitter I wanted to play around with, so I grabbed that and some glitter skull decals and went to town. I ended up with these pretty kickass skull cameo nails!

And you know what? The placement wasn't even that bad or time consuming!

Nail polish and products used:
Nicole by OPI Yoga Then Yogurt (white base)
Orly Glowstick (neon yellow)
Black holographic triangle glitter (use code CHALKBOARD15 for 15% off!)
Joby glittery skull decals
White wax rhinestone picker pencil

I started off by painting my nails with two coats of white, and then two coats of neon yellow. The white base helps the neon pop! I did my topcoating strategy a little differently (read: poorly), but if I had it to do over again, I would have done a layer of quick dry topcoat next.

Then, using a slow drying clear polish as the glue, I stuck on the pieces of triangle glitter one by one. I basically worked in edges, painting a thin stripe of clear along one side of my nail, placing the glitter using the wax pencil, and repeating until the outline was complete. I used tweezers to attach the skull decals. At this point, if you were following my ideal topcoat strategy, you'd apply a final coat of topcoat to seal in the glitter and the decals.

There's no such thing as too much glitter, so be sure to check out my glitter manicures from years past!

• Wet N Wild Correction Tape
• Hand placed glitter party nails
• Midnight Mermaid glitter placement

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Nailbox Pre-Fall 2014 Trendbox Curated by Chalkboard Nails

The newest Nailbox Trendbox is out, and guess what... I curated it! I am so proud of the box that I was able to put together -- it feels very "me" and I think you'll love it as well. My Pre-Fall 2014 Trendbox costs only $35, and includes four lacquers (two cremes, a neon shimmer, and a metallic), a matte topcoat, and a set of bonus nail wraps from Nailbox. You get a tremendous value for a fraction of the price, and the box is available as a one time purchase or as a quarterly subscription. Let's take a look at some swatches.

LVX Cashmere is a soft greyed out nude shade. It covered perfectly in two coats and is my ideal fall neutral.

The Trendbox also contains Essie Matte About You, a matte topcoat that can be applied over any polish for a chic, shine-free finish. Here is Cashmere with Matte About You.

NCLA Santa Monica Shore Thing is a minty turquoise. I love this color family and the formula was flawless at two coats.

Here is Santa Monica Shore Thing paired with Essie Matte About You.

Orly Hot Tropics is a bright fuchsia with heavy golden shimmer. The shimmer is absolutely gorgeous and goes especially well with the matte topper. I used three coats for the coverage shown.

Hot Tropics with Matte About You.

Priti NYC Chrysanthos is a sparkling gold metallic polish. It's one of those flecky metallics, which means it really catches the light beautifully. It has a twinge of silver to it, so I'd classify this as a "champagne." Two coats.

Chrysanthos with Matte About You.

As an added bonus, Nailbox has also included a set of NCLA nail wraps with every box! These Aly En Vogue wraps are sticker style, in a cute floral print.

I really tried to pick shades and finishes that I love for this box, while still selecting some brands that you may not have had a chance to try yet. This is a great way to introduce yourself to niche brands, since you receive the product at a discount when you purchase the box! I really hope you love my choices as much as I do.

My Pre-Fall 2014 Trendbox is available as a single box for $35 (a $65+ value) or you can purchase the one year subscription for $126. Boxes are curated by nail bloggers and trendsetters.

Disclosure: I was compensated for my participation in this Trendbox. When you purchase my Pre-Fall Trendbox, you help to support Chalkboard Nails!

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Cosmoprof North America 2014: What's New in Nail Polish

This year, I attended Cosmoprof North America for the first time, as press. There were so many brands to see and keep up with, plus fun developments in beauty and nail technology. Today I'm covering tons of information about what is new in the world of nail polish, and I've also got some additional posts in the works about other facets of the experience.

As you're running through this post, don't forget to click the photos to enlarge them! If you'd rather just flip through all of the pics, check out my full album of Cosmoprof photos instead.

Bernadette Thompson

• Bernadette Thompson - This is the more affordable, mass-market line of lacquers from Bernadette. There are 71 colors in the line, and there are new colors added to the line all the time. 
• B by Bernadette - This is the high end, luxury line from Bernadette. She is also debuting a box including five nail treatments plus two on-trend seasonal B by Bernadette shades.
• Wipe Out Remover - This orange-hued remover contains Argan Oil and Vitamin E oil. It is non-acetone and non-dehydrating to the nail plate, and yet Bernadette says it will still soak off acrylic and gels. It's won the Cosmopolitan Beauty Product of the Year Award and was named a favorite product in Oprah's O Magazine.
• Celebrity creations - Many shades in the Bernadette range were created on set with celebrities. She has worked with Kate Upton, Claire Danes, and Karolina Kurkova, just to name a few.

China Glaze
"The China Glaze girl is not afraid to play with color. We love that about her and we just want her to go wild with it!"

• EverGlaze Polish System - EverGlaze is a new brand launching from the makers of China Glaze. It's a gel-lacquer hybrid that applies and removes like lacquer, but lasts for at least a week. The color and topcoat fuse together in natural light, no curing required. The launch includes 36 brand new colors (no China Glaze repromotes) and will be debuting at Sally Beauty in early 2015.
• New Gelaze shades - This cured gel system shares many shades with China Glaze nail lacquer and does not require a base coat step. This year, they are adding 23 new shades to the lineup like CG favorites Too Yacht to Handle and That's Shore Bright.
• The Giver Collection - Coinciding with the release of the feature film, The Giver collection is made up of 12 polishes including two interesting glitter shades. 
• All Aboard Collection for Fall 2014 - This is another 12 set collection in deep, dramatic shades. Choo-Choo Choose You jumped out at me as a favorite -- it has a pretty shimmer that lights it from within.
• Apocalypse of Color for Halloween 2014 - China Glaze's Halloween release got me pretty excited! Among 5 other colors, they are re-releasing Ghoulish Glow, their glow in the dark topcoat. Rest In Pieces was another favorite for its prismatic effect.
• Celebrate Courage - This is China Glaze's breast cancer awareness collection. The display features three repromoted pink shades and three new matte cremes. They are very matte and very lovely.
• Twinkle for Winter/Holiday 2014 - This twelve piece collection has the sparkle you'd expect from a holiday collection with a few surprises! I'd Melt For You is a silver chrome, while Chillin' With My Snow-mies is a snowy white glitter topcoat.
• Matte Magic, the China Glaze matte topcoat, is being released in full size.
• Flip Flop Fantasy - Many of you have bemoaned the change in Flip Flop Fantasy! I'm happy to report that they are in the process of getting that shade back on track.

Wheel Swatches

Collection Displays

CND

• Modern Folklore Collection - This six piece collection is CND's Fall 2014 release. It features jewel tones inspired by rich woven tapestries and bespoke fashion.
• I got a peek at the winter collection and new products but unfortunately I can't talk about them just yet. There are some innovative new things happening and you'll definitely want to keep an eye out for them, especially if you are a nail pro or a fan of the Shellac system.
• Shown below are the nails Jan Arnold was sporting. They are inspired by birch trees in Aspen!

Color Club

• Paris in Love Collection - This collection is not new, but I did see a cute nail art kit that I hadn't seen before! It includes two Paris in Love shades plus a wheel of tiny macarons for use in nail art. Um, hello? Yes please, I'll take ten.
• Celebration Collection - Also not a new collection but I haven't seen much about it. This set of 12 glitters is sure to have something for everyone.
• Seven Deadly Sins Collection - These shades are described as matte, textured glitters and are currently available for purchase. 
• Made In New York Collection - This set of seven features shimmers and is being released in mid-September. Definitely a couple of intriguing colors here.
• Fiber Optics Collection - This collection is coming out in mid-October and features bar glitter topcoats. There's even a black and white combo (my weakness)!

(Extra photos courtesy of Work/Play/Polish)

Essie

• Though I'm not allowed to discuss what I saw at the Essie booth, there are some great new developments for pros on the horizon. I also had the opportunity to meet Naja! More on that later...

Jessica Cosmetics

• Autumn in New York Collection for Fall 2014 - A six piece fall collection inspired by Jessica's travels, this set features four very dark shades plus two lighter pops of red and nude. 
• Holiday House Three Pack - Jessica is well known for their holiday polishes, which are released in the most adorable lightbulb shaped bottles. Keep an eye out for these sparkly shades -- I believe each three pack includes two glitters and one clear coat. 

Londontown
"Yes, it's a luxury brand, but it's definitely worth the money because your nails are just beautiful after [removing the lacquer]."

• lakur Enhanced Color - Londontown's lakur is a luxury brand of creme based polishes that wear longer than regular lacquer. Polishes are vegan, 5-free, gluten free, and cruelty free. Infused with the kur system, new polishes are released seasonally in sets of 8. Their Fall 2014 line (shown) is being released in 2-3 weeks. 
• kur Nail Treatment System - The kur nail treatment system is a luxury care system with pieces ranging from $18-35. The line includes products like Strengthening Lacquer Remover, Protective Top Coat, Fortifying Ridge Filler, and Restorative Nail Cream, among others.

LVX
"We're the only nail lacquer brand dedicated to high fashion. We give people the top colors... They can come to us and trust that we'll give them the best colors each season."

• Fall 2014 Lineup - LVX debuted their fall line which includes six (currently unnamed) polishes, directly inspired by the runway. They are on the top row of the photo below. I'm drawn to the greys, myself, but thought you'd be interested in seeing this pinkish shade up close! 

Morgan Taylor
"The quality of our lacquers, the color payoff, the density of the glitters, the shimmers, the bottle itself... Luxury is our goal."

• Neon Lights for Summer 2014 - This collection is currently out and features six neon shades. Morgan and Taylor mentioned that these neons are special because you don't need a white base to get great color payoff.
• Fight Light a Lady - Fight Like a Lady is the Morgan Taylor breast cancer awareness collection. It features three repromoted creme shades plus a special limited edition glitter topper.
• Halloween Collection for Halloween 2014 - This box set features a bright orange neon and a black creme, plus the Morgan Taylor topcoat.
• The Enchantment Collection for Fall 2014 - Their fall release features six shades in a somewhat unexpected dusty pastel palette. This collection drew its inspiration from the fall fashion runways, where Morgan and Taylor noted that many designers had chosen an anti-fall color range. 

Wheel Swatches

Collection Displays

Nubar

• A matte gel topcoat
• FALL-ing In Love Collection for Fall 2014 - This collection draws inspiration from the fall runways, but with a twist.
• World Champions Collection for 2014 - This collection is inspired by the World Cup in Brazil. 
• New glitters have been added to the gel line
• I was also told that within the next month or so, Nubar will be announcing a UV gel-style topcoat that does not need to be cured. I'm told it dries completely in two minutes, continues to harden as it's in the sun, and will work with any brand's polish. Very eager to see more about this!

OPI

• OPI kept their hand close to their vest and I couldn't get a peek at any upcoming collections this year. 

Orly

• Baked Collection for Summer 2014 - This set of six is already out, but still served as the eye-catching background for their booth.
• Smoky Collection for Fall 2014 - A lineup of six smoky fall shades inspired by the smoky eye. Edgy and Smoked Out (shown) caught my eye, and there's a lovely grey creme shade that I'm sure many of you will be drawn to as well.
• Halloween Collection for Halloween 2014 - I think a few of these are repromotes, but this trio features a neon orange, a black creme, and a black shimmer.
• BB Creme for Nails - Meant to be worn without base or topcoat, the Orly BB Creme is a nude shade that also acts as a nail treatment.

Seche

• Seasonal color collections have joined the core collection.
• 2015 colors are in development but were not ready to be previewed.

Young Nails

• Young Nails debuted their Caption manicure, which is a system that applies and removes like polish but is supposed to wear like gel.  The line features 60 core colors and 18 topper effects. The polishes contain shellac, volcanic glass, and "plant derived polymers," and are intended to strengthen the nail as well.

Zoya

• Zoya's new releases were there, but unfortunately we aren't allowed to share them just yet. 
• In the meantime, have you seen the recent press release for the Naturel Deux collection? I got to see the colors in person. If you are a fan of Naturel part one, you'll love these too!

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