Llama Nails: M is for... Minnie Mouse

       Happy Monday!  Today I have for you my weekly installment for the ABCs of nail art challenge in the Facebook group, Llama Nails.  Each week we have to do nail art related to a specific letter and this week's letter is M.  I decided to do Minnie Mouse.  I couldn't be happier with the way this turned out.  I tried a new base coat with this mani and it lasted two days!  My manicures never last this long.  I picked up the Fiberized Ridge Filler from the Pro FX line.  I got it at WalMart and a 2.5 fluid oz. bottle cost me right around five dollars.  I am so glad that I picked this up because I used it on this mani and the one I did yesterday, and my mani's have never stayed on my nails better!

Base coat: Fiberized Ridge Filler from Pro FX

Base color: Red Red from Wet N Wild - 1 coat.  UMM CAN YOU BELIEVE ONE COAT?!?!  YEAH, ME NEITHER.  OK, done freaking out about that.

White on the Spot from Milani -2 coats

White dots: Superstar from Pure Ice

Minnie Mouse: All acrylic paint is from Artist's Loft that I bought at Michaels

Black-Lamp Black

Face-Titanium White, Burnt Sienna, and Yellow Ochre

Bow-Crimson Red and Titanium White for the dots

Tongue-Crimson Red mixed with Titanium White

Top coat: Seche Vite

I used a dotting tool to apply all the polka dots that are not on my accent nail.  I used my smallest brush for all of Minnie except for the eyelashes; I used my striping brush for that.

You can check out these other "M" challenge's using the codes below.  I hope you enjoyed my Minnie Mouse mani.

Saran Wrap Nails Using Pure Ice Outrageous and OPI Black Cherry Chutney

       Happy Saturday everyone.  I hope that you all enjoyed your Saturday.  I am just now relaxing after ten and a half hours of work, dinner making, and some laundry.  Ahh.  I wish I could say it is relaxing, but I am actually really irritated.  Tomorrow is my only day off and I am helping a dear friend move.  I hate helping people move, but no one else was willing to help.  I can also hear my neighbors music through my walls, and my husband is screaming at the X Box.  I want to leave, but have no strength or motivation too.  I may just put some ear plugs in here pretty soon.

     I picked up Outrageous when I was ignoring my crazy mother-in-law at WalMart, (talked about in the second paragraph of this post) a while ago.  I picked up this color mainly for stamping purposes, which I completely managed to let it slip from my mind.  I almost got mad after I swatched this because this polish is not very forgiving.  It shows EVERYTHING thanks to its metallic-y finish.  After I put this on my nails, I almost removed it, but then remembered my beloved saran wrap mani's and decided to fix my problem with that.  I am so glad I tried this because I love the finished product.

Base coat: Sally Hansen Triple Strong Advanced Nail Gel Fortifier

Base color: Outrageous from Pure Ice - 2 coats

Top color: Black Cherry Chutney from OPI

Top coat: Seche Vite

Taken inside with flash

Taken inside without flash

Please let me know what you guys think in the comments!

Stamping With Mash 42 Over Sinful Colors Gradient

       Happy Sunday everyone!  I am typing this with one hand because I have a baby on my lap!  But it is OK, because he is the cutest baby on the face of the earth, and my best friends baby.  Although, I'm sure mine will be cuter. ;-)  Today's post is for the Facebook group, Adventures In Stamping.  Each week we vote on a challenge, and this week the challenge is for us to stamp over a blue base.  I decided I wanted to do a blue gradient and it turned out beautifully.

     I also thought today would be a great way to use some of my whites that I haven't tried stamping with, to see how they worked.  We get a lot of questions referring to cheaper polishes to stamp within the group, and I figured my left hand would be a great way to kill two birds with one stone.  As you will see, my cleanup is terrible with my non dominant hand, and I'm also hiding a brutal hangnail.  It is so brutal, I couldn't even apply acetone to it to clean it up.  :-(  Winter is so harsh on my hands!

Base coat: Sally Hansen Triple Strong Advanced Gel Nail Fortifier

Base color: Cinderella from Sinful Colors - 2 coats

Gradient colors: Cinderella, Why Not, and Hot Spot from Sinful Colors

Topcoats: Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Anti-Chip Top Coat and Essence Gel Like Top Coat

Stamping colors: Stamp Me! White from Essence, White On The Spot from Milani, and Superstar! from Pure Ice

Stamping image: Mash 42

This picture was taken outside.  All stamping is done with Stamp Me! White from Essence

This picture was taken inside without flash.  All stamping was done with Stamp Me! White from Essence.

This picture was taken inside without flash.  Stamping was done with White On The Spot from Milani on the pointer and ring finger, and Superstar! from Pure Ice on the middle and pinky finger.

This picture was taken outside and stamping is done as described above the previous picture.

As you can see, the difference is pretty dramatic between the three whites I stamped with.  I will keep using the stamping polish from Essence, unless I can find something better.  I know the last two pictures look fuzzy, but it is actually the stamping that is making them look fuzzy. :-(  Crazy, huh.

ABC Nail Art Challenge: K is for...Keyboard

       Happy Friday everyone.  I hope that everyone that celebrates Thanksgiving had a great day.  My husband and I went over to my aunt's house, enjoyed some yummy food, and then went over to our friend's house to lie on their couch and relax.  :-)

     Today's blog post is another installment in the ABC nail art challenge that is being hosted by the Facebook group, Llama Nails.  I wasn't sure what I was going to do for the letter K, but I remembered seeing someone using a stamping plate that I owned that had a keyboard on it.  I'm so glad I saw someone use this image because ever since I received this set of plates, I have been wondering what the hell this image was.  I was pretty impatient when I did this mani, and you can see it in quality of this one.  Not one of my best ones.  :-(  Now I know for next time.

Base coat: Sally Hansen Triple Strong Advanced Gel Nail Fortifier

Base color's: Black Creme from Wet N' Wild - 1 coat, Superstar! from Pure Ice - 3 coats

Stamping plate: Mash 44

Stamping color's: Stamp Me! White and Stamp Me! Black from Essence

Top coat: Seche Vite

What do you guys think?

Pure Ice Femme Fatale With Treasure Hunt Accent Nail

       Happy Monday!  Today started out crappy, but towards the end of my workday things started looking up.  My husband finally got a job!  He starts tomorrow and I am so freaking excited.  I have been having far too many meltdowns lately, and having a $40.00 food budget for the month is way too hard.  With all the damn rice I have been eating, you would think I would have lost some freaking weight!  Ugh.  Oh well.  One thing at a time.

     Today I have two of the new Pure Ice polishes to show you.  Pure Ice is sold exclusively at WalMart, (as far as I know) and they retail for less than $2.00.  I have been using this brand for years and years and still really like it.  About a month ago I was at WalMart and my mother-in-law walked up to my husband and me.  In an effort to avoid talking to her I started looking at all the pretty nail polish that just happened to be right in front of me.  I grabbed a handful of them and then went to the normal place where the Pure Ice is, logged onto Facebook to see which ones I needed for a stamping project, and lo and behold, I found out that the display I was just looking at was brand new.  They had just released 55 new shades and they were right there in front of me in all of their glory.  If I had $110.00 you bet your ass I would have bought them all, but I had like $20.00 so I got five of them.

     Femme Fatale is from their Velour line of this release.  In my opinion, they are just like the suede polishes that OPI and Avon have come out with.  This is a beautiful dark forest green polish that also has lighter green matte flecks throughout.  I did use a matte top coat over these because I could not tell a difference in the finish with or without it.  I painted half of my nail with the top coat and the other half without and it looked exactly the same.

     Treasure Hunt is part of their Diamond Couture line in this release.  Treasure Hunt is a light green glitter suspended in a clear base with green and purple diamond glitter sprinkled throughout.  This is so much fun, but it reminds me more of spring than anything.

Base coat: Sally Hansen Triple Strong Advanced Gel Nail Fortifier

Base color: Femme Fatale from Pure Ice - 2 coats

Accent nail: Treasure Hunt from Pure Ice - 2 coat

Top coat: ***Not on accent nail*** Essence Nail Art Special Effect! Topper

               On accent nail - Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Anti-Chip Top Coat

This next picture is in a different light.  I really want you to see the lighter green flecks in Femme Fatale.

Have you been able to try any of these new polishes from Pure Ice?  If yes, what are your thoughts on them?

 

Llama Nails Presents the ABC's of Nails : I (And Stamping With Mash 30 Plate)

     Happy Thursday everyone!  How has everyone's week been so far?  Mine has been a little all over the map, hence not posting since Sunday!  What the heck man!  Well I missed the post for last week, which was H, but don't worry, I did it.  I will most likely be posting it tomorrow.  "I" was a tricky letter for me, (aren't they all) but as I was in the shower saying igloo, irritated, irate, intimate, and then icicle I stumbled upon Ireland!  Now that was something I could do on my nails.

     I finally picked up some more Seche Vite Top Coat the other day and I can't believe the difference it makes in dry time on my manicures.  When I have wanted to stamp before I usually have to wait 30 minutes to an hour before I can stamp it. With one coat of Seche on I can stamp after ten minutes, tops.  I don't think I will ever go without.

Base coat: Sally Hansen Advanced Gel Nail Fortifier

Base colors: Pinky, thumb, and ring finger - Superstar from Pure Ice - 2 coats

                     Middle finger: Pretty Edgy from Essie - 2 coats

                     Forefinger: Clementine from Sinful Colors - 2 coats

Stamping colors: Pinky - Heat Flash from Sally Hansen Insta-Dri

                            Middle - Stamp Me White from Essence and Khloe Had a Little Lam-Lam from Nicole by OPI

                            Forefinger - Stamp Me White from Essence

Flage colors: Clementine from Sinful Colors and Pretty Edgy from Essie applied with a striping brust

Image plate: Mash 30

Top coat: Seche Vite

These were taken outside in indirect light

Here are some other "I" inspired manicures!

SassyNails Nail-Aween Nail Art Challenge: Day 10 - Any Halloween Inspired Mani

       HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!  So, I am not going out with my friends' to take their children trick-or-treating, but we are going over there for dinner.  I tried to take a nap before doing this, but couldn't fall asleep and I wanted to make sure this got posted today.  I would hate to have worked all month long on this challenge and be removed from the list of participants for not finishing in time. :-)  Today's mani is inspired from the lovely Sarah over at Chalkboard Nails.  This is one of my favorite blogs and if you have no idea why, just go, go check her out, you will not be disappointed.  We are not allowed to dress up for work so I knew this would be perfect for the challenge and my "costume."  I really need to get better at doing straight lines.  :-(

Base coat:  Sally Hansen Triple Strong Advanced Gel Nail Fortifier

Base color: Superstar from Pure Ice - 2 coats

                   Ruby Slipper from Avon - 2 coats

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

Stripes: Cobalt Blue from Artist's Loft acrylic paint

Dots: Ultramarine Blue from Artist's Loft acrylic paint

All photos were taken inside without flash

Here is a list of  all the manicures that we did for the challenge.

Check out all of the NailAween Nail Art Artists!

datyorkLOVES

Erica's Nails and More

DreamyMM Nails & Make Up

 Tes Did It Nails
Sassy Paints 
Nicole gets Nailed 
Wicked Tips 
Fancy Schmancy Nails
Delight In Nails
Polish Groupie 
My Nail Journey 
Get Polished Up! 
Just A Girl and Her Polish
Spellbound Nails
Le nail's corner d'Alex
Hello.Lacquer
Color the world with polish
Cutie Cuticles (nail art by Laraib) 
Wacky Laki 
Nail-Aween Nail Art Challenge October 1-31st, 2012 
GLAMOROUS NAILS 
Over The Topcoat 
Polish Gone Crazy 
tragedystipsandtreats
Susy In Color
Countess Nails 
(List includes blogs and FB pages)

SassyNails NailAween Nail Art Challenge: Day 3 - Bloody Nails

     Hey everyone!  Today I am skipping MSMD Monday to get along with one of my nail art challenges.  This one is hosted by SassyNails on Facebook.  I am on day three and today's challenge was bloody nails.  Now, I'm sure you all have seen  bloody nails around, especially around this time of year, and they all seem to be the same to me.  Now this is ok but I really wanted to do something different, so I came up with this idea.

     After I painted a white base on my nails and it dried, I painted on some red acrylic paint, waited about 30 seconds for it to dry a little and then rolled my finger through it to create a bloody finger print effect.  I think that this turned out pretty cool.  I went to clean up the mani but decided it looked much bloodier if I didn't.  What do you guys think?

Base coat: Sally Hansen Diamond Strength Hardener

Base color: Superstar from Pure Ice - 2 coats

Acrylic paint: Crimson Red from Artist's Loft

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

These were taken with the flash because it picked up the red the best

I hope you like these!

For more NailAween Nail Art mani's feel free to look at these other blogs!

Check out all of the NailAween Nail Art Artists!

datyorkLOVES

Erica's Nails and More

DreamyMM Nails & Make Up

 Tes Did It Nails
Sassy Paints 
Nicole gets Nailed 
glitznglammer
Finger Food 
Wicked Tips 
Fancy Schmancy Nails
Delight In Nails
Polish Groupie 
My Nail Journey 
Get Polished Up! 
Just A Girl and Her Polish
Spellbound Nails
Le nail's corner d'Alex
Hello.Lacquer
 Countess Nails 
Color the world with polish
Nail Crime Nail Art
Coat of Mani Colors
Cutie Cuticles (nail art by Laraib) 
Wacky Laki 
Nail-Aween Nail Art Challenge October 1-31st, 2012 
GLAMOROUS NAILS 
Over The Topcoat 
Polish Gone Crazy 
tragedystipsandtreats
Susy In Color
(List includes blogs and FB pages)

Sat-ART-day Challenge: Tarts

     Hey everyone!  Today marks the start of a new art challenge!  Debbie Crumpet, owner of the Facebook group, Crumpet's Nail Tarts, decided to start a new challenge since our summer one ended.  I only participated in a few days of the summer challenge because I joined about half way through.  I also didn't know how fun they were!  The thing I love about a group challenge is seeing the variety of nails people can come up with for one theme.

     Today's theme was... tarts.  I know, I know, right?!  What the hell!  Debbie posted this in the beginning of September, ( I think) and I brainstormed the entire month!  I almost didn't participate but I figured, what the hell, it is a challenge for a reason!  Off to google I went.  Turns out there are two definitions for a tart.  One, "a small pie containing fruit or the like,"  and two, a "prostitute or promiscuous woman. " Both definitions come from the dictionary.  So, if you're anything like me, your jaw just dropped.  You know it did.  How the hell am I supposed to draw a pastry on my nails!  I sure as hell wasn't going to put prostitutes on my nails!  Welp, I believe I solved the problem.  As soon as I was done with these, I asked my hubs what was on my nails and he guessed on the first try, so I figure they can't be that bad, right?  Hopefully you can guess as well.

If you guess strawberries, you're wrong!  They're blueberries!  I am very pleased with how this turned out and I hope that you were able to guess what they were.

Base coat: Sally Hansen Diamond Strength Hardener

Base color: Audrey from Zoya - 2 coats

French tip color: Superstar from Pure Ice

Blueberries:

 light blue - Vintage Blue from Avon

 dark blue - Why Not from Sinful Colors (both applied with a dotting tool)

  stems - Scream from Pure Ice (applied with a small brush)

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

If you're curious as to how others approached this tart challenge, check out these other blogs!

Thanks for stopping by and feel free to comment! :-)

 

Sunday Stamping Challenge and Avon's Vintage Blue Swatch

    In the facebook group Adventures In Stamping, our challenge for today was the sky is the limit.  I don't have to many stamping plates yet so I wasn't planning on participating but a thought pooped into my head.  I had just bought an Essence plate that had a sneaker and a high heel shoe on it and I remembered when a bunch of kids in my neighbor hood threw a bunch of shoes over the telephone lines last year and I thought, hey, that is perfect.  This is what I came up with.  It seemed like such a better idea in my head but oh well.  It turned out decent but I don't know how long it will stay on my nails.  I spent a lot of time on it and don't know if I want to redo my nails again today, I'm pretty tired. :-)

 Without the shoes and powerline

Outside in natural light

 Inside without flash

 Inside with flash

Base coat: Chip Skip from OPI and Yello-Out
Base color: Vintage Blue from Avon - 2 coats
White clouds (applied with a dotting tool), power line, and power pole: acrylic paint
Red shoes: Ruby Slipper from Avon
Orange shoes: Clementine from Sinful Colors
Green shoes: Not Now from Pure Ice
Blue shoes: Why Not from Sinful Colors
Purple shoes: Midnight Plum from Avon
Top coat: Out the Door

I look forward to your comments.  Don't be shy!

Two of my favorites

I decided that I wanted to play with a little bit of sponging because I have only done it a few times.  I really like how this turned out though.  I will most likely be wearing it again soon because I love how pretty these two are together.

This is two coats of N.Y.C. Purple Pizzazz Frost

Then with a sponge I applied Sally Hanson Rosy Future.  The picture above and picture below were taken indoors with the flash on.

This is in side with out the flash.  Doesn't it just look so pretty.  :)

I didn't have time to do a new mani the next day so I just threw Pure Ice Cheatin on top.  Cheatin is a really pretty blue and purple glitter that I like to throw on top of any color for some extra sparkle.