P2 - Mint Flavour Dots, layering and swatch

Let's have a small pause from the textures and look at some glitter instead!

I was happy to find this polish called Mint Flavour Dots from P2's LE Just Dream Like; spring fav nail top coat. It's a clear base filled with tiny white dots, white matte shredded glitter and matte hexagons in light and bright green and blue. I used three dabbing coats here over the aqua colored KIKO - 341. This teal blue ensemble is also my contribution to Blue Monday where you can check out more blue manis.

I'll show KIKO - 341 alone in a future post and all and all I liked Mint Flavour Dots. I'm really fond of shredded glitter. xD

Closeup of the glitter ^^

Bought at DM for (I think) 2.25 euro.

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KIKO - 854, swatch

854 is a light turquoise green creme, it's definitely more green than blue, and therefore I call it legit for Green Wednesday. 854 is too dark for a pastel but still lighter than a regular turquoise even though it looks much darker on the nail than the bottle. The formula is super thin (as I've experienced with many KIKO's) and the round brush saves the application by miles but I still needed 4-5 coats depending on the nail to get rid of the "streakyness". These round bottles are also suppose to be fast drying but I guess that the many coats of polish makes them slow drying even with seche vite. Too bad because I liked the base color. What do you think?

Bought at a KIKO store on sale, payed like 1 euro or something like that.

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Kicks - Moondust, swatch (matte and shiny)

Moondust is dark color shifting glitter texture from Kicks Sugar Lacquer collection from 2013. The glitter is typically teal/green but in certain angles it looks pink. In the bottle it looks even more fantastic shifting from green, teal, blue, purple, pink and all the way to gold... but that's mostly just visible in the bottle. The formula is good and it takes two coats to cover and I don't remember the drying time to be a problem. After I had tried the matte version for awhile I decided to make it shiny so 2-3 coats of tc I managed to get it smooth. (If you apply 2 coats you have to reapply tc the next day or by the evening.)

Bought at Kicks for a "buy 3 pay for 2-deal", which meant I payed about 50SEK (5 euro). The ordinary price was 79SEK (~8 euro).

Do you like this? Do you prefer it shiny/glossy or matte textured?

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Cirque Colors Metropolis Collection Swatches: November & December

Cirque's Metropolis collection, a series of creme nail polishes inspired by New York City, continues to grow! There are new polishes added to the line every month, and today's swatches cover the November and December releases. You can check out the September and October releases in my previous post.

Kickerbocker is a deep chocolate brown creme. It's very dark, almost black. Two coats.

Tavern On the Teal is a dark teal shade. It's slightly more green than my swatch shows here. Two coats.

The Devil Wears Cirque is a rich red creme. I love the name on this one so much. Two coats.

I don't have any complaints about the formula on these; they were all easy to apply, smooth, and glossy. The shades do feel very New York chic, though maybe I'm projecting a little too because of the collection name. "NYFW" does still reign supreme as my favorite Metropolis shade, though I do love the richness of Tavern on the Teal now, too.

The Metropolis collection is available now on CirqueColors.com, where each shade retails for $13.

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Blocked Green Plant Tendrils

I'm all for florals, but leaves and tendrils aren't things that get a lot of love from me. For today's 31 Day Challenge prompt, "green nails," I decided to let them be the star of the show. Then, for a bit of extra visual interest, I added a pinch of negative space and a little bit of blocking to the mix.

Polishes used:
OPI My Vampire is Buff (cream)
OPI Jade is the New Black (dark green)
LVX Midori (wasabi green)
Essie Go Overboard (teal stripe)

This look is entirely freehanded with a small nail art brush, including the pesky horizontal teal stripes. I like the style of the leaves but think I could have finessed them a bit more. The middle nail is my most favorite. I guess we are all our own worst critics, though!



Check out my green looks from previous years:

• China Glaze Ghoulish Glow
• Bulbasaur Nail Art
• Green Jade Nail Art

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Claudia - 611, swatch

Today I'm showing Claudia - 611 which is a dusky teal blue creme covering with 3 coats (maybe 2 thick would work too). For some weird reason I'm never drawn to teal polishes, however I'm realizing that I really like wearing them after all. This was almost not bought at all but because of the good price and I was buying the other colors this one couldn't be left alone. ;) In general these Claudia polishes has really impressed me with good quality and their low price.  As you might remember this was part of my last contribution to Nail Art Sunday and this will appropriately also be my contribution to Blue Monday. :P

Bough at food store (ICA).

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Converging Chevrons: A Holographic Tape Manicure

It's been a while since I did a manicure using striping tape. The thin pieces of tape can often be finicky to work with, so I usually just reach for my nail art brush instead. However, there's no denying that striping tape produces incredibly crisp and clean results, and sometimes there's no other way to achieve the look it provides!

This manicure features a striping tape design on two accent nails. It also pairs two holographic shades from the I Love Nail Polish Summer 2014 collection for a cheerful and summery combo!

In this manicure:
I Love Nail Polish Funshine Smoothie - yellow holographic, 3 coats
I Love Nail Polish Rehab - teal holographic, 2 coats

Both holographic polishes applied easily and without issue, and the holographic pigment doesn't grey out the shades at all. They both flash a medium intensity "holo arc" in the sunlight.

Here's what the striping tape looked like when applied over a dry Funshine Smoothie manicure. After this, I painted two coats of Rehab over the top and then carefully peeled off the striping tape.


Isn't this just such a fun summer design? I want to rock these nails out by the pool with a tropical drink in hand. Ahh...I can feel the sun already!

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Explore With Me: Downtown Phoenix Inspired Nail Art (with Tutorial)

I’ve lived in Phoenix my entire life. I used to be less than impressed by this city, but I think I just didn’t understand it in my youth. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve really come to appreciate the cultural scene and have even gained some appreciation for the dry heat.

As I walked around downtown, I was really struck by how much variation there was. A polished and imposing office building positioned not two minutes away from a vibrant and colorful street taco joint. An alleyway filled with lively graffiti right next to an auto repair place. I found myself looking around every corner, wondering what little treasures I’d find next!

One of the first things to catch my eye was an empty alleyway with shadows of palm trees painted on the side of the building. I had to do a double take to make sure they weren’t real! It was a cool juxtaposition of organic and urban, and so Phoenix appropriate. I was definitely starting to feel inspired!

As I continued exploring, I found many spots that interested me, but it wasn’t until I saw the chalkboard that I knew I had found my second point of inspiration. The portable storage unit had been painted with chalkboard paint, and then passing people had doodled on it, written stories, confessed truths, and declared their love for pizza.

By this point, I was raring to go on my nail design inspired by these two spots. I knew I wanted to combine them together, so I assigned the palm tree silhouette to my accent nail and chose to go with stream-of-consciousness style doodles on the other nails. Give them a try… I bet they are easier than you might expect!

To achieve the doodle nails:

1. Paint your nail with the Sally Hansen I Heart Nail Art Neon in Pretty In Hot Pink. Let it dry completely before moving on to the next step.
2. Using the Sally Hansen I Heart Nail Art Pen in Black, draw on some random doodles and shapes.
3. Grab the nail art brush from the Sally Hansen I Heart Nail Art Tools Kit. Fill in the shapes with Triple Shine nail color in Dive In and Vanity Flare, and the I Heart Nail Art Striper in White. You can also use the dotting tool to fill in empty spaces between shapes.
4. Let the manicure dry completely before finishing with a coat of topcoat.

To achieve the palm tree nail:

1. Paint your nail with Sally Hansen Triple Shine Nail Color in Dive In. Let it dry completely before moving on to the next step.
2. Using the Sally Hansen I Heart Nail Art Pen in Noir, draw on a palm tree trunk that starts wider at the base and tapers in.
3. Sketch on the outline of the branches, and then fill them in.
4. Let the palm tree silhouette dry completely before finishing with topcoat for seal and shine.

I loved my city before, but there’s really something to be said for taking an afternoon to explore and find some of its hidden gems. I realized that we all want to be connected, we all want to make something beautiful, we all want to feel inspired and share our stories. I know I found my inspiration, and I hope you feel inspired to explore your city’s treasures now, too.

Be sure to check out Sally Hansen's #iHeartNailArt contest and enter for a chance to win $500 and a trip to NYC to compete in the Grand Finale*; the grand prize is $2000! Enter at www.sallyhansen.com.
This month's theme is Liquid-Mani, so be on the hunt for some nail inspiration and enter before the deadline.

*NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Contest ends 7/31/14 Open to legal residents of the U.S. and D.C., 13 or older. Void where prohibited. See official rules at www.sallyhansen.com for full details including entry/voting periods & requirements, judging criteria, and limitations. Sponsored by Coty US LLC.

This post has been sponsored by Sally Hansen.

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TUTORIAL: Carnaval Confetti inspired by Rio de Janeiro

It's that time of year again: Sally Hansen's I Heart Nail Art contest is here! This month's theme is "Color Destinations" and let me tell you...it's got me dreaming about travel. This confetti nail art look is inspired by the vibrant culture of Rio de Janeiro and their Carnaval festival, and I'm gonna show you how to get the look on your own nails!

Keep reading for the full tutorial and details on how you could win $500 and a trip to NYC!

You'll need:
Sally Hansen Insta Dri - Lightening
Sally Hansen Insta Dri - In Prompt Blue
Sally Hansen Triple Shine - Kelp Out
Sally Hansen Triple Shine - Dive In
Sally Hansen I Heart Nail Art Tool Kit


This quick and simple look will have you ready for the party in no time! Watch the tutorial and then fearlessly jump right in!

Change up the colors in these destination inspired nails and rock them on your birthday. Add streamers to an old mani to give it a midweek pick-me-up. Or just celebrate a little personal victory -- there's no occasion too small for confetti nail art!

Ready to take it one step further? Kick up the glamour with some gold jewelry like this gorgeous bondage chain ring from BaubleBar. Bring on the Brazilian bling!

Enter the Sally Hansen #IHeartNailArt contest at sallyhansen.com for a chance to win $500 and a trip to NYC to compete in the grand finale. The grand prize winner will become a Sally Hansen nail art ambassador and receive $2000! No Purchase Necessary. See Official Rules for full details.

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Sally Hansen. Products provided by PR.

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Bare Nail Textured Chevrons with Nicole by OPI Gumdrops

Recently, I was lucky enough to spend some time with OPI's social media gal, Jaqueleen. She stopped by my house in Phoenix where we talked polish, nail art, blogs, and more...plus she got to bond with Chowder as she gave him "noodles" (that's his word for dog treats).

I knew she would be checking out what I had on my nails, so I wanted to do a simple nail art manicure that was unique and fun. I put together this little somethin' somethin' with Nicole by OPI. Read on to see how to achieve this look yourself, plus check out the video interview series that I participated in!

This manicure is beyond easy to do at home!

1. Begin with bare nails. If you would like to apply a nail treatment or base coat, you can do so - just let it dry before moving on to step two.
2. Cut two wide stripes of blue painters tape. Connect them together to form a chevron shape, and stick the chevron on your nail close to the cuticle. Be sure to press down on the edges of the tape to ensure a good seal.
3. Paint two coats of Nicole by OPI A-Nise Treat on the exposed space nearest to your cuticle.
4. Paint two coats of Nicole by OPI That's What I Mint on the rest of the nail.
5. Remove the tape slowly and carefully. Let dry!

And for those of you who have ever wondered how awkward I am on camera, you are in luck! Here are the three videos in Nicole by OPI's "Behind the Blog" series featuring...me!

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Happy Birthday to Me! - Aqua and Purple Gradient

Today is my 25th birthday! This is the third birthday that I've celebrated on this blog (check out 2012 and 2011). I only got around to changing my polish around 11pm, so I was just going to put on some blingy glitter or something, but then I got this craving for a gradient and couldn't resist. Of course, I had to put a black and white glitter on top because UM HELLO black and white glitter is one of my favorite things!

This manicure was created with four polishes.
Essie Blanc (base)
China Glaze Too Yacht to Handle
China Glaze That's Shore Bright
Maybelline Clearly Spotted

This look is actually pretty reminiscent of my "no sponge required" syrup gradient manicure. I did use a sponge for this version though, as neither of my gradient polishes are jellies. I prefer this color palette over the other, too!

Tonight I am looking forward to enjoying a great dinner with my family at Benihana (I've been craving teppanyaki for MONTHS now!). These nails + onion volcano = winning.

Keep an eye out for a few more posts from me today, including day three of the 12 Days of Giveaways!

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