31 Day Challenge - Day 23: Inspired by Nature

     I really wanted to do a snowflake mani, but didn't really have any snowflakes stamps.  This is the closest one I could find in my tiny collection of 25 plates, and it turned out better than I imagined.  I have heard metallic polishes stamp really well, so I tried out this one and I was really impressed.  

Base coat: Pro FX Fiberized Ridge Filler

Base color: Ibiza from Zoya - 1 coat

Stamping color - un-named Color Club

Top coat: Seche Vite

  

31 Day Challenge - Day 22: Inspired by Fabric

       This post for the 31 day challenge had to be inspired by fabric.  This design reminds me of some blankets we used to have around our house when we were kids.  We had a black one, and a red one, and they had scotty dogs all over them.  The scotty dogs wore little bandanas with this design on them.

Base coat: Pro FX Fiberized Ridge Filler

Base color: Red Red from Wet N' Wild Wild Shine

Stamping color: Stamp me! Black from Essence

Stamping plate: Mash 50

Top coat: Seche Vite

31 Day Challenge - Day 21: Merge or Melt

       I am only four days behind on posting this.  Man, I suck at challenges.  As I have said before, I manage to get the work done, but struggle with the time it takes to do my blog post.  Are any of you having this issue as well?  I doubt it, because you all rock!  I don't really like how this turned out, but it is what it is!  I used my striping brush to apply the polish in the pattern that you see.

Base coat: Pro FX Fiberized Ridge Filler

Base color: Blue Midnight from Pure Ice - 2 coats

Other colors starting with the closest to my cuticle:

     Olympia from Sinful Colors

     Breezy Blue from Sally Hansen Hard as Nails Xtreme Wear

     Lavenbaby from Kleancoloe

     Commander In Chic from Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure

Top coat: Seche Vite

Welp, I hope someone enjoys these!!

31 Day Challenge - Day 20: Texture

       This post features one of the "velvet" polishes that Pure Ice released a few months ago.  They released 55 new polishes that hit the polish world one day and were gone the next.  Everyone was up in a storm trying to find these because Pure Ice is exclusive to WalMart; some received them and some did not.  I stumbled upon these polishes by accident, and Blue Midnight was found by sheer luck.  The first time I bought some of the velvet polishes I passed on this one.  I saw a swatch and went back to WalMart to find it, but the display was gone!  I figured this would happen, but I wanted to check the clearance aisle just to be safe.  As I was walking by, I saw a little basked full of random Pure Ice polish, and cosmetics, and so it began... I became one of the crazed polish people, crouched down on the ground, pulling all the polish out, looking at the names.  But alas, I found it, and I couldn't be happier.  Look at this beauty.

Base coat: Pro FX Fiberized Ridge Filler

Base color: Blue Midnight from Pure Ice - 2 coats

31 Day Challenge - Day 19: My Favorite Polish

       Today I get to show you my favorite polish!  I have shown it before, but never like this.  This is almost identical to how I had my nails on my wedding day.  The only difference between the two days, is that I had acrylics on for my wedding.  If you are wondering why my middle finger looks so weird, it is because I have a nail patch on.  When I am wearing a darker polish you can't even tell, but with these lighter polishes, you can see it.  :-(  Oh well.  After I did this mani on Saturday, I started cleaning my bathroom, and when I say cleaning, I mean spring cleaning.  I scrubbed the wall and doors and some other stuff that doesn't need to be said, lol.  Well, needless to say, I forgot that I had used a PVA base coat and wasn't wearing any gloves.  About an hour into my scrubbing, I looked at my nails and they were peeled back pretty bad.  I was so sad because I wanted to get some pictures in the sunlight on Sunday, but that wasn't in the cards for me.  I'm sorry! :-(

     To achieve this look I had to wait for the base color to dry completely.  Once that was done I applied a binder reinforcement to each nail, working with one nail at a time.  I painted on the pink base and then removed the reinforcement.  After I had done this to each nail, I went back to the first nail, applied another reinforcement, and then painted on the glitter.  A little time-consuming, but honestly, not too bad.

Base coat: PVA base coat

Base color:  Audrey from Zoya - 3 coats

Base pink: Charming Rose Creme from NYC - 1 coat

Pink glitter: Sparked from Wet N' Wild Wild Shine - 1 coat

Top coat: Seche Vite

31 Day Challenge - Day 18: My Oldest Untried Polish

       This color and I go way back.  We go so far back, that I owned it when all of my nail polish fit into two 32 ounce cottage cheese containers!  Oh, those were the days.  I remember going to WalMart and buying this one because I wanted to try something that was different, (read not pink or purple).  A lot of good that did me.  It has been sitting in my untried pile for two plus years.  I really didn't want to use this for this day because, well, because, it's yellow.  Yellow and I don't really see eye to eye.  You will see why below!

Base coat:  Pro FX Fiberized Ridge Filler

Pinky and ring finger: Unzip Me from Pure Ice - 3 coats

Middle and pointer finger: two coats of Unzip me over two coats of White on the Spot from Milani

Top coat: Seche Vite

If I remember one thing for the rest of my life about nail polish, it will be to always wear white under yellow.  Look at that huge difference.  Had I never learned this and worn Unzip Me all by itself, I would have thrown this polish away!

What is your oldest untried polish, and what is keeping you from wearing it?!  

I also am interested in hearing what the most important tip you have gotten about nail polish is!

31 Day Challenge - Day 17: A New Technique

       Wow, what a crazy week.  Work has been insane.  I am pretty sure I have worked a minimum of 130 hours in the last two weeks.  This is why I haven't been posting.  I was so distraught about this mani.  I really wanted to try the water spotted mani or a fan brush mani.  I was unable to do either of these due to the fact that I didn't own a fan brush and I didn't want to spend so much time doing the spotted mani.  I have seen a few videos on how to do some sugar spun manicures and wasn't really too keen on doing it, but I was sitting here watching tv and I figured what could it hurt to try it out.  I used a quick drying white and was really pleased with how easy it was to do this.  I finally got the hang of this once I hit the pointer finger.  You will be able to tell in the pictures.  The blobs of polish are where I touched the dotting tool to the nail accidentally.

Base coat: Pro FX Fiberized Ridge Filler

Base color: Winter Wonder from Sinful Colors - 2 coats

White: White on the Spot from Milani

Top coat: Seche Vite

I am including these next two pictures so that you can see more of the shimmer in this beautiful polish.  I will need to wear Winter Wonder when I have more sun.

31 Day Challenge - Day 16: Color Opposites

     This was so hard for me to do because I do not like clashing colors!  I decided to go with red and purple.  I wish that the stamping had turned out better, but it didn't.  I really wanted to redo this one, but I left it alone.  Blah.  Can you tell how un-enthusiastic I am about this one?

Base coat: Pro FX Fiberized Ridge Filler

Base color: Red Red from Wet N' Wild - 1 coat

Stamping color: Lavenbaby

Stamping image: Mash 41

Top coat: Seche Vite

What colors do you hate seeing together?

31 Day Challenge - Day 15: Watercolor

       I guess it is just my lot in life to be behind on this challenge!  I am keeping up with the work, but can't seem to be able to find the time to post.  Work has been crazy busy.  I have basically worked 10 - 11 hours, six days a week, for the last two weeks.  We are so stinking busy and that is part of the reason my cuticles look like dog shit.  Normally I can apply my cuticle balm a few times throughout the day, but lately, I'm lucky if I get enough time to pee.  Any who.  I am so happy with how these turned out.  I had never done watercolor nails before, but these were super easy.  I loved that they didn't have to look so neat and pristine which made the watercolor part so easy.

     To achieve this look you want to paint your base coat and cover that with a top coat.  This will protect your base coat in the next step.  After that is completely dry, I placed random dots of color on the nail, and then with a striping brush dipped in acetone, spread the polish around.  If you don't apply a top coat over the base color, when you use the acetone dipped brush, it will QUICKLY eat through your base color and you will have to start all over again.

Base coat: Pro FX Fiberized Ridge Filler

Base color: White on the Spot from Milani - 2 coats

Watercolor colors: Blue - Scream from Pure Ice

                                Pink- Strawberry from Avon

                                Purple- Cherry, Cherry Bang, Bang! from Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure

Top coat: Seche Vite

Have you guys ever used this technique?  Did you like it?

  

31 Day Challenge - Day 14: Stamping

       Our challenge mani for today is stamping.  Stamping is something I really love to do, but for some reason, never do enough of it.  I think I just get intimidated because I don't like waiting for the base color to dry, even with a coat of Seche.  I don't really know what else to say about this, so I guess I will just show you!

Base coat: Pro FX Fiberized Ridge Filler

Dark blue: Ibiza from Zoya

Light blue: unnamed Color Club - I HATE that Color Club doesn't have names on their bottle

Top coat: Seche Vite

Plate: Mash 48

31 Day Challenge - Day 13: Your Cheer Yourself Up Mani

     Nothing cheers me up quite like a french tip manicure.  I know it sounds odd, but there is just something so perfect and so pristine about a french tip.  I used to get my nails done all the time and for years I just wore acrylics with the white tips.  I did this in two parts.  I did the pink first, layered on a coat of Seche Vite, and then went to the movies with my dad.  I totally forgot that we had a father, daughter date yesterday!  Good thing he called to see what time we should go.  After I got home from the movies, I used paper reinforcements to create the tips and applied a layer of Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Anti-Chip Top Coat.  I couldn't be happier with the way these turned out.

Base coat: Pro FX Fiberized Ridge Filler

Base color: Audrey from Zoya - 3 coats

Tip color: Superstar! from Pure Ice - 1 coat

Top coats: Seche Vite and Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Anti-Chip Top Coat

I would like to apologize for the cuts on my fingers.  :-( I cut my finger and fingernail while cutting an onion the other day. I have a tea bag patch on my middle finger that you can barely see.  When I wear darker colors you can't even tell, but under Audrey you can kinda tell.

What is your "cheer yourself up" mani?

31 Day Challenge - Day 12: Tape Mani

       For the third and final post of today, I bring you the correct post for today!  In case you're wondering what the hell I'm talking about, I posted two other posts today to help me get caught up on posts for the 31 day challenge.  I wish there was more that I could have done with this mani, but I simply was short on time.  All though I wish there was more I could do, I am very pleased with how this turned out.  I love I'm Not Lion.  It is the only polish in the Safari collection that I purchased.

     I'm sorry about the cut on my middle finger.  I was chopping an onion yesterday and cut my finger and fingernail.  I wanted to quit the challenge, but I really want to do it.  Hopefully it doesn't bug you guys!

Base coat: Pro FX Fiberized Ridge Filler

Base color: I'm Not Lion from China Glaze

Black: Black Creme from Wet N' Wild

Top coat: Seche Vite

31 Day Challenge - Day 11: Splatter

       I have another blast from the past mani for you.  I did this mani for the Halloween challenge originally, but I ended up not using it.  I'm glad I saved this pictures because it totally saved my butt.  In all fairness, I did do a real splatter the other day, but the colors were too similar in the indoor pictures.  By the time I could take pictures in the sunlight, I had sliced my finger and my fingernail open.  Yup, you read that right.  Finger and fingernail.  Thank God it was a clean cut and my fingernail was in the way because it was fast, and had my nail not have been there, I probably woulda taken a good chunk of finger off.  The only "bright side" to slicing my actual fingernail is that I was able to try the tea bag patch.  I must say, I am quite impressed with this!  I am not looking forward to applying patches over the next three months, but at least my nail can stay attached!

     I am pretty sure the reason I decided not to use this mani in the Halloween challenge, was because the gradient is so shy and secretive!  I need to be a little bolder in my color selection, and not so scared of contrasting colors.

Base coat: Not sure!

Base color: Clementine from Sinful Colors

Dark gradients at tips: Citrine from Sinful Colors

Stamping plate: Un-numbered Essence plate

Stamping color: Stamp Me! Black from Essence

Top coat: Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Anti-Chip Top Coat

Have you guys every cut your actual fingernail?  What did you do to remedy the cut?

31 Day Challenge - Day 10: Geometric

       Yup, I'm a few days behind!  I had the work done, I just haven't had time to post them to the blog!  I never realized how time-consuming a blog could be.  I wouldn't trade it for anything, but it just makes me wish there was more time in a day.  It also makes me wish for consistent sunshine!  Any other nail bloggers out there feel me there?  O.K.  On to the geometric mani.  

     I did this one prior to the challenge.  It was actually the first mani I did when I got my striping tape in the mail.  I saw this tutorial on Pack A Punch's YouTube channel and knew that I needed to do this as soon as my striping tape got to me.  It took me so long to do every single nail this way.  The next time I will probably do this design as an accent nail.

Base coat: Pro FX Fiberized Ridge Filler

Base color: Studio Mama from NOPI

Boxes - from lightest to darkest:

     Skull and Glossbones from OPI

     Athens from Sinful Colors

     Evvie from Zoya

     Ibiza from Zoya

Top coat: Seche Vite

I hope you guys like this!  

31 Day Challenge - Day 9: Saran Wrap

       What I am about to show you is not at all what I had planned for today. My original idea was to use some purples, blues, or pinks for this, but since I can't read I ended up with this.  In order to stay organized throughout this challenge I have a list of all of the manicures next to my computer. Once I have completed the manicure, I will put a little check mark next to that day, and once I have posted to my blog I cross it off my list.  Back on day six, after I finished my mani for the next day, I forgot to put a little check mark next to day seven, (ombre or skittle).  Along comes day seven, I post to my blog, and I forget to cross off for that day.  So, once I started on my mani for day eight, all I saw was skittle and went on my way.  After I painted on my white base coat for a neon skittle, I realized that I didn't actually have to do a skittle mani!  I looked down the list and figured I could make this the base for my saran wrap mani.

     I had originally planned to do something with pinks, purples, or blues for today's challenge, but since I already had on the white I decided to go in a dirrection less followed, by me at least.  Even though this is not what I intended it to be, I still really like it, and I am glad I went outside my box on this one.

Base coat: Pro FX Fiberized Ridge Filler

Base color: White on the Spot from Milani - 2 coats

Green: Olympia from Sinful colors

Orange: Sunny Side Up from Wet N' Wild - Wild Shine

Top coat: Seche Vite

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention one tiny important thing.  Unless you are going to apply your base coat and wait until the next day to do the saran wrap technique, I recommend that you use a top coat over your base color.  I did not because I thought waiting two hours would be long enough.  YOu can't really tell on this hand, but on my other I had a bunch of naked nail shining through because the plastic went through both layers of my base color.  :-(

How about you guys.  Have you ever done something completely different from what you wanted to, but been happily surprised when you were finished? 

31 Day Challenge - Day 8: Duochrome. Flakie, or Holo

       Hey everyone.  I had such a crazy day.  Eleven hour work day anyone?!  Oh well, I am just glad to be off my feet because they are sooooorrrrrreeeee!  Today is day 8 in the 31 day challenge and our topic is to do a mani featuring a duochrome, flakie, or holo polish.  I decided to go with a flakie polish.  I went crazy for this polish when I first saw it in the blogging world last year.  I couldn't find it anywhere and a fellow blogger told me they would send me one.  I was so excited.  I was walking around Fred Meyer one afternoon and and out of the corner of my eye I saw what appeared to be a bottle of Green Ocean, (the one I looked for all over town) but knew it was impossible because they didn't carry Sinful Colors there anymore.  But it was it!  The only Sinful Colors polish they had and it was a htf (hard to find) polish for me!  Well, that's my little story so I will let you see it now.  :-)

Base coat: PVA base coat

Base color: Black Creme from Wet N' Wild - 1 coat

Flakie polish: Green Ocean from Sinful Colors - 1 coat

no top coat

What is your favorite flakie polish?  Mine has to be Twisted from Finger Paints.  I didn't make this post about it because I have already shown it over black on the blog.

31 Day Challenge - Day 7: Ombre or Skittle

     Happy Monday all!  Did you all enjoy your weekend?  Mine wasn't long enough.  One day off is never easy.  I never seem to have enough time to get everything done.  Oh well.  At least I managed to get my nails done!  Today's prompt is to do an ombre or a skittle mani.  For those of you that don't know, an ombre mani features one color, but in different shades. I wish I had picked the color that is on my thumb, started with it at its darkest shade and gradually added white with each nail.  Had I done that, this probably would have turned out much better.  A skittle mani is basically like a bag of skittles with a different color (not necessarily skittle colors) on each nail.  I'm super bummed that you can't see the difference in the picture between my middle and pointer finger, but I promise, there is a difference.  I also thought I was going with creme colors and didn't realize one I added the top coat onto Phoebe (a matte finish) that it would have a shimmer to it.  

Base coat: Pro FX Fiberized Ridge Filler

Pinky: Vintage Blue from Avon - 2 coats

Ring: Phoebe from Zoya - 2 coats

Middle: Blue Me Away! From Sally Hansen - 2 coats

Pointer: Why not from Sinful Colors - 2 coats

Thumb: Textured Teal from Avon - 2 coats

Top coat: Seche Vite

Well, it isn't too bad for my first ombre.  I always thought those ombre kits that they sold were kinda silly, but now I may have to go buy one.  :-)

31 Day Challenge - Day 6: Your Favorite Color Family

       Happy Sunday!  My post for you today is the 6th post in the 31 day challenge being hosted by Debbie Crumpet of The Crumpet.  Today we are supposed to show our favorite color family.  Mine just so happens to be pink.  Like I said a few days ago when our challenge was pink, pink is my favorite color, but I try not to show it too much here because I would do every post with pink in it.  Lol.  Whelp, I don't really have much else to say.  This mani was pretty simple, but I really like it and I hope you do too.

Base coat:  Pro Fx Fiberized Ridge Filler

Pinky: Princesses Rule! from OPI - 3 coats

Ring: Lolly from Zoya - 2 coats

Middle: Charming Rose Creme from NYC - 2 coats and one coat of Sparked from Wet N' Wild

Pointer: Koala Bear-y from OPI - 2 coats with one coat of Essence Nail Art Special Effect! Topper

Thumb: White on the Spot from Milani - 2 coats with two coats of a no name pink neon from Claire's

Top coat: Seche Vite except for the pointer finger

I'm not sure what is on my pointer finger; I think maybe some snow fell on it as I was taking the pictures.

What is your favorite polish color?

Happy Saturday everyone all though I\'m sure it is Sunday for a lot of you right now.  I was really excited to wear Aurora from Zoya for this mani.  It is a part of the new Ornate Collection that was released last month.  I fell in love with Aurora when I saw the first swatches of it.  I received it in a secret santa swap that I did in one of my Facebook groups and I was pretty much jumping up and down when I got it.

     To achieve this look I painted two coats of  each polish onto each nail then a coat of Seche Vite to help it dry quick.  After it dried I applied striping tape to each nail and then painted each nail with one coat of the opposite color.  

Base coat: Pro FX Fiberized Ridge Filler

Accent color base: Aurora from Zoya - 2 coats

Main base: I\'ve Got Bieber Fever from Nicole by OPI - 2 coats

Top coat: Seche Vite

31 Day Challenge - Day 5: Purple

     Happy Saturday everyone although I'm sure it is Sunday for a lot of you right now.  I was really excited to wear Aurora from Zoya for this mani.  It is a part of the new Ornate Collection that was released last month.  I fell in love with Aurora when I saw the first swatches of it.  I received it in a secret Santa swap that I did in one of my Facebook groups and I was pretty much jumping up and down when I got it.

     To achieve this look, I painted two coats of  each polish onto each nail then a coat of Seche Vite to help it dry quick.  After it dried I applied striping tape to each nail and then painted each nail with one coat of the opposite color.  

Base coat: Pro FX Fiberized Ridge Filler

Accent color base: Aurora from Zoya - 2 coats

Main base: I've Got Bieber Fever from Nicole by OPI - 2 coats

Top coat: Seche Vite

I know this one is fuzzy but I wanted you to see the holographic goodness in Aurora.

Have you guys been able to try any of the Ornate polishes?  Tune in tomorrow for our "favorite color family" mani.

31 Day Challenge - Day 4: Pink

       All right, getting back on track.  For blog post two today I have the fourth mani for the 31 day challenge, pink.  As many of you may not know, pink is my favorite color.  I basically stay away from it because if I didn't every mani in my blog would be pink.  I got three new pink polishes for Christmas and I couldn't decided which one to use for today's mani.  With a quick google search I decided to do this design.  I love how it turned out.  If you look closely you can see my learning curve.  My pinky was the first nail I did.  While doing this nail I tried to apply the polish with the nail polish brushes in each bottle and tried to contain each polish to its own section.  I did the same for the second one and it was really runny and hard to control.  On my middle finger I applied the polish to each section with a striping brush.  On my forefinger I applied the lightest pink over the entire nail, then the middle pink starting from the light pink and all the way up the nail, and applied the darkest pink on just the tip.  This seemed to work the best.

Base coat: Pro FX Fiberized Ridge Filler

Base color: White on the Spot from Miani - 2 coats

Pinks from lightest to darkest: Princesses Rule! from OPI

                                                 Shrimply Devine from Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure

                                                 Koala Bear-y from OPI

Top coat: Seche Vite

Sorry for the light tip wear, but I couldn't get any pictures the evening I did this, so this one was taken the next day after working for a few hours.

Now for an explanation of this picture.  Below we have Princesses Rule! and Koala Bear-y from OPI.  They were given to me from my sister for Christmas.  Let me see if I can explain how this was given to me without confusing you.  When I received this gift it was handed to me in as two boxes tied together with ribbon.  The tag told me to open the smaller box first, (seventh box down).  I start opening and it is just boxes inside of boxes.  In the smallest one was a little scroll that said: "see bigger box for gift," which happened to be the box on the bottom.  I started opening and was laughing so hard.  Finally I got to my prize!  Lol.  

     I received Shrimply Devine for Christmas as well.  I bought it with a gift card I recieved from one of my customers!  How sweet was that!

All right, enough for now.  I am glad to be caught up.  I will see you all tomorrow for purple.