Orchid Petals Inspired Nail Art

It’s “violet” day in the 31 Day Challenge! I decided to do nail art inspired by some gorgeous orchids that I spotted in our local grocery store. The pattern on the petals was so compelling that I just had to snap a pic of them to use for future nail art.

This was maybe the easiest nail art in the world, and I love how it turned out. I started with a cream colored base, and then used a large dotter to add the magenta patterning. I grabbed a smaller dotter and added purple to the pattern, inside of the larger dots. Then all that was left was to finish with topcoat!

Polishes used:

Polish My Life - Birthday Suit

OPI - Get Cherried Away

LVX - Shiraz

More 31 Day Challenge violet manicures:

• Violet color blocking
• Purple People Eater
• Violet hippie mix
• Violet watercolor wash

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Rival de Loop - Lavender Star, swatch

Today I'm showing some archive photos of the bright purple creme texture from a Rival De Loop LE collection called Colour Star Sand Effect. It's creamy and has a very pigmented formula which is easy to apply, could probably work with only one coat but I decided for 2 coats. Lavender Star isn't the most textured polish out there, however I like it and I'm looking forward using it in a nail art.

1.49 euro (on sale) at rossman.

I miss my long nails but I don't mind my current length either. :)

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Floral Bouquet Accent Nail with OCC Cosplay Nail Lacquers

Way back in the day, when I was first getting into nails, Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics held a sale. I think they were changing their bottle shape and wanted to clear out their old inventory. I figured it'd be a good opportunity to try a new-to-me brand, and picked out "Grandma," a pretty coral, and "Ghostly," a lavender-grey. When I gave them a go, I remember being really impressed with the formula.

Now, here we are, some three or four years later, and I'm still just as pleased with the quality of OCC products. You may already know them for their Lip Tars, but if you haven't tried out their nail products yet, I definitely suggest picking a few of them up.

All of the shades I used for this manicure are from their latest collection, "Cosplay." I thought it'd be nice to do a floral accent nail to show off the range of colors, and drew inspiration from Paulina's Passions' distinct floral aesthetic.

Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics - Silence (greyed beige, base)
Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics - Femme (pink)
Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics - Cosplay (green)
Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics - Cha Cha (orange)
Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics - Belladonna (purple)

I created the shade variations by mixing the colors with a white nail polish, and finished the manicure off with a matte topcoat.

The standout here, for me, is definitely Silence. It has this gorgeous silver shimmer to it and covered well in two coats. Super chic, very "me," I'm in love!

These lacquers are available now for $10/ea from occmakeup.com.

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Contrary Polish's When In Rome from the August "A Box, Indied"

Readers, meet Contrary Polish's first ever linear holographic nail polish! Yes, it's true... The brand best known for its gorgeous shimmers has branched out into the world of holo.

It's named When In Rome, and it's being released as a part of August's "A Box, Indied" polish box. The theme of the box is All Hail Holo, so holoheads... be sure to mark the release on your calendars.

The polish consistency is on the thinner side, but it applies evenly. I used three coats for the coverage you see here.

So let's break it down: not only is this an awesome shade of greyed-purple, WITH holo, but it also has a gorgeous flash of rose gold shimmer (in true Contrary fashion). You can check it out in the first pic up there; look at the area around the white light reflections.

In addition to Contrary Polish, the "All Hail Holo" box will include special releases from Colors by Llarowe, Cupcake Polish, Different Dimension, and Glisten & Glow. It is available as a monthly subscription or as an individual box.

Look out for the release on July 26th at llarowe.com.

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Nude and Mauve Ombre with Lacy Glitter

I recently received a package of some current Color Club shades. As I pulled the bottles out of the box, fate took control and lined up four of the shades from lightest to darkest. They looked gorgeous in an ombre together, and I had to oblige the universe's wishes.

Of course, I was still missing a fifth shade, and while I was searching for the perfect polish, I figured it couldn't hurt to add some glitter, either.

So, the four fated Color Clubs that I was destined to use are:
Color Club Blank Canvas (white)
Color Club Barely There (light tan)
Color Club Get a Mauve On It (mauve)
Color Club Midnight Mulberry (plum)

Then, I grabbed A England Elaine for the thumb, and added a layer of Sally Hansen Eyelet from the Luxe Lace line on all the nails. The glitter density was good, but I ended up with a lot of bubbles on the nails. Not sure what happened there.

I haven't done an ombre in a while, but I totally should wear them more often. They're really gorgeous and chic, especially in shades of nudes/neutrals like this. Big thanks to the universe and to Color Club for setting me up to hit one out of the ombre park (IMO)!

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How To: Party Like a Rockstar (In Purple Glitter Gels)

Whether you call them glitter gels or rockstar nails, there's no denying that the smooth, glassy finish of this gel style is to die for. They're super easy to do -- all you need is your gel foundation and topcoat, plus a loose glitter of your choice.

Rockstars are fun, whether you're wearing them as a full manicure like this or using them as an accent to nail art. They have great staying power, and DAT SPARKLE! Read on to learn how to get this gel look for yourself.

I was taught this rockstar method in nail school. Some of the students there had previously learned different methods, so there are other ways to do these, but I think this process produces the best (and sparkliest) results.

1. Prep your nails for a gel manicure. Push back your cuticles, remove any dead tissue from the nail plate, buff your nails, and cleanse with a nail cleanser solution and a lint free wipe.
2. Apply your gel foundation/base, and cure in your LED or UV lamp. Curing time will depend on your lamp type and product of choice.
3. Apply another coat of gel foundation. DON'T cure.
4. Sprinkle loose glitter over the wet gel. I like to do this over a piece of paper or a small paper cup so I can put the extra glitter back into the jar afterwards. Lightly tap your nails to remove any excess glitter, but remember that the nails aren't cured yet!
5. Pop your nails into the lamp and cure.
6. Using a nylon brush or other stiff bristled brush, brush away any glitter that did not get cured into the base gel. You can be pretty vigorous with this, as most of the glitter should be cured onto the nail.
7. Apply one coat of gel topcoat and cure.
8. Cleanse the sticky layer off of your nails, and then use a fine grit buffer (240 or higher) to lightly buff the gritty glitter smooth. Cleanse off any dust that you generated.
9. Finish with a final coat of topcoat to bring back the shine. Cure and remove the sticky layer.

I know it looks like a lot of steps, but rockstars are SO easy once you get the hang of it. 

Your options are endless when it comes to choosing a glitter to use. You don't need to use cosmetic grade or solvent resistant glitter, because it won't have a chance to bleed into the gel. At school, we used the Recollections glitter sets from Michaels (don't forget your coupon!). This manicure features Artiglio by Sarah Bland's "Heather" glitter. 

Just keep in mind that finer glitters usually produce better results (and they're easier to work with, too). 

Happy glittering!

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P2 - Violet Glace, swatch

Violet glaze is a warm toned purple pastel texture with red and (maybe) dark brown/dark violet shredded particles in it. It's that kind of purple which could be misinterpreted to be almost pink, but it's purple for sure. The color reminds me of Lilacs..which btw are starting to bloom here. I experienced the formula to be slightly thicker in this than Blue Dots, and maybe slightly slower drying time, 30 min. However it's 2 easy coats as before. I like it a lot :)

2.45 euro at DM. 

Bonus photo I took the other day (double petaled Lilac) and I just looove the scent:

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R de L Young - Two Face, swatch

This is a duochrome polish going from bright cold toned purple, to bright warm toned purple and all the way to brown. I just love this polish, other duochromes with brown color shifts can easily look "dirty", but this one never does, probably because the purple base color is so bright. The shifts are also easy to see and this looks great in any lights. Also I just love R de L Young's flat rounded brush and the formula was awesome. I needed 2 coats and I can only recommend it!  <3

I love the flat wide brush! Some of you has asked me how I get such a clean and even line close to the cuticles and it SO much simpler when the brushes are like this.

9 ML bottle and 1,3 euro at Rossman.

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Girly Gradient Nail Art with EverGlaze by China Glaze

This spring, China Glaze throws their hat into the ring of longwearing polish systems, joining the ranks of lines like CND's Vinylux and Sally Hansen's Miracle Gel. These systems are set apart by claims of gel-like wear and shine, without the need to cure in a lamp or the lengthy removal process. China Glaze's EverGlaze system brings CG's signature bold colors and fun finishes among more traditional color choices, ensuring that there's a shade for every type of gal.

The system includes a nail prep solution, the range of colors, and the EverGlaze Active Top Coat. The prep solution is similar to a nail dehydrator, and it is meant to remove dirt and oils from your nail plate before polishing. This helps the polish stick longer! The Active Top Coat comes in a UV protected bottle.

For this nail art, I used:
EverGlaze Case of the Mondaze
EverGlaze Adrenaline Rush
EverGlaze A Toast to You
EverGlaze Back to Black

Case of the Mondaze is actually a gorgeous cobalt blue, but when I sponged it over Adrenaline Rush in my gradient, it turned purple! A happy accident, I say!

The Active Top Coat is thick and shiny, dries quickly, and doesn't smear nail art. It's a winner, and I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked it (I can be very picky with top coats, you know).

Unfortunately, I'm unable to do a wear test of my own at this time -- nail school is tough on polish, and even my full-fledged lamp cured gels don't hold up sometimes!

EverGlaze is available now in Sally Beauty stores and on SallyBeauty.com.

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Essence - Break Through, swatch

Break Through is a warm purple creme with some subtle shimmer in it giving the polish some depth. The color is slightly dark, almost plum like. I like Essence's brushes, it's rounded and flat and makes it easier to paint that rounded line at the cuticle. Sadly the formula is of the thinner side which make it annoying to control however in the end I only needed 3 coats to make it cover, which is okay for me. The color looks slightly darker on the nail than the bottle, but I like the color. I had problems getting the color accurate on all pictures, but I think that the first, third and last are the most color accurate. What do you think?

Bought at DM (drogerie markt) for 1,55 euro.

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