Gimme a Kiss!

One more Valentine's Day nail design! This was today's nail art, and I am excited to show it to you because my super kickass boyfriend surprised me with a package from Amazon today- something to help with the blog. What was it, you ask? A tabletop lighting set for my lightbox! You can say that not only am I head over heels for Chris, but he lights up my life --->Literally! lol  The reason I'm excited to show you this design is because I got to try out the new lights when I took the pictures. I definitely have a lot of learning/experimenting to do before I get everything how I want it, but the colors are far better with these new lights. I'm already super pleased!

This Valentine's nail design is another twist on a half-moon inspired design- Hershey's kisses! :) I'm totally in love with China Glaze Adventure Red-y, despite the fact that I usually loathe red polishes. Dunno, something about this one. the coverage, color, and application are fantastic.

Anyway, to the nails, I hope you like them!

I used:

Red: China Glaze Adventure Red-y
Silver: Zoya Trixie
Silver Shading: Zoya Trixie mixed with American Apparel Hassid
White: American Apparel T-Shirt
Blue: Zoya Yummy mixed with American Apparel T-Shirt

Basecoat: Cult Nails Get it On

Topcoat:  Seche Vite

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NAIL ART REWIND — Bacon is Great!

Now that I'm closing in on finishing my 3rd year doing this blog, I've taken some time to look back on designs that made this blog what it is. Unfortunately, there were designs that:

• I loved, but took with a crappy camera, so I have a picture that probably would've been clearer if I took it with my iPhone.
• I loved the concept for, but the execution sucked.
• Were ok to begin with, but I think I can make them better now.
• My cuticles/nails were in HORRIBLE, embarrassing, disgusting shape.

I've decided to do a new feature where I choose designs from the past every once in a while- maybe every 2-3 weeks or so? Maybe each month? and redo them the way I think they should be done NOW!

For the first of this series, I of course chose Bacon is Great! Seriously, did I have any other option for the inaugural design?!

So here you go, the design that put this blog on the proverbial 'map' — Bacon!

I used:

White: American Apparel Cotton
Red: A mix of-
               China Glaze Hey Sailor
               American Apparel Manila
               American Apparel Pinto
               Barielle Coco Bar
Pink: A mix of-
               American Apparel California Trooper
               China Glaze Hey Sailor
               American Apparel Manila
Topcoat: Seche Vite

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Feelin' Blue-berry?

Growing up, there was an abundance of things to do during the summer break from school. One of of them was NOT saying 'I'm bored!' Those two words strung together were simply not allowed in my house. What did this mean? You went outside. Yes, I grew up before video game consoles were in every household (we DID have a Nintendo and B/W Gameboys as we grew older and a super awesome Texas Instruments game/keyboard thingy though), we didn't even *GASP* have cable TV. We had 4 channels: ABC, CBS, NBC, and PBS, and if it wasn't on one of those channels, you didn't need to watch it. You relied on your brain and creativity to keep yourself busy. As long as the sun was out, my sister and I managed to find something outdoors to do...luckily, we grew up in the middle of a forest, so there was an abundance of things to do and discover. We shot BB guns, rode 4-wheelers (we weren't supposed to), rode bikes, built forts, hiked through the woods, played in the yard, played with the dogs, even went fishing in our neighbor's pond. Luckily, we weren't girls that were concerned with getting downright filthy. I rarely wore shoes, and could run barefoot on gravel. Anyway, one of my favvvvvorite things to do in the summers growing up was pick all the wild berries growing around the house, we had wild strawberries (which are teeny tiny), raspberries (my favorite), and wild blueberries. I loved walking through the woods, pulling berries off the bushes and popping them in my mouth, now THAT was summer. (That and begging our parents to take us for ice cream at the local ice cream parlor, Zanner's, which was in one of the oldest buildings in town.)

Because I'm feeling nostalgic and admittedly, missing home, I decided to do blueberry nail art! I used the new polish that I got as part of a Klout Perk from Essie - Bikini So Teeny, a periwinkle blue with a barely noticeable hint of silver sparkle. You may also notice that my nails are a very different shape than usual, too. :) I was bored I guess, I've had the same (or similar) nail shape for as long as I can remember - at least 10 years or more. It was time for a change, right?! I'm still undecided whether I like this new shape or not, hoping it grows on me or grows OUT fast! :)  What do you think of the new shape?

 

I used:

Light Blue: Essie Bikini So Teeny
Dark Blurple: American Apparel Mount Royal
Blurple Highlight: American Apparel Cameo Blue
Blurple Shading: American Apparel Passport Blue


Now, I usually use the padded files from CND, they're my absolute favorite. However, I recently became a part of the Tweezerman Ambassador program, and in the kit they sent were 3 different types of files (amongst some other pretty fantastic stuff, but that will come later), so I thought I'd give one of them a go. I selected the Sansational nail file, a Coarse/Medium grit file that made seriously quick work of my nail reshaping. Another great thing about this file is that is can be washed and disinfected, which is always a plus. This file is a bit too gritty for regular filing, but for reshaping, it was absolute perfection.

Disclosure: Some products in this post were provided as a Perk through Klout Perks, or were provided for consideration by the manufacturer. My opinion is my own.

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16 (+15 more) Candles

So yesterday was my birthday, and it was (despite turning a year older- 31, eek!!) awesome. Its the first time in a long time that I really enjoyed and celebrated the day. No, it wasn't a day punctuated by presents (other than those that I gifted myself, haha), but that wasn't what I wanted my birthday to be. I got to spend my day with my sister...after she patiently waited for me to get a mani/pedi! (she's not the mani/pedi type) Speaking of which, I got it done utilizing a Groupon that I'd purchased on a whim, but the lady that did it, Melanie, at The Getaway Salon & Spa in Grand Rapids, MI, did a faboo job. The Groupon was for a Shellac mani and regular spa pedicure, so I opted for red toes, and clear Shellac for my mani so I could paint over it, and I seriously can't stop looking at my hands. I NEVER EVER have plain, shiny, natural nails, but she did such a great job on my poor cuticles and whatnot that my hands and nails look so pretty and shiny. She even managed to get a lot of the staining off!

After the mani/pedi, we went downtown Grand Rapids to enjoy Festival of the Arts (my sister's first time!) and I ate the most amazing veal, mushroom, and onion sandwich on the most scrumptious butter-grilled bun from the Bosnia Center's booth. (Please, no lectures on veal. I know, I know, but it is one of the cruel foods that I have a complete and utter weakness for), I also ate a Walking Taco (a strange, yet delicious combination of taco meat, cheese, and lettuce added to an individual size Fritos bag), some of my sister's Souvlaki from the Greek booth, some Pavlova, and a cinnamon elephant ear. After all that eating, we went craft shopping (a nerdy favorite of mine), and then later that evening, I enjoyed the company of some great friends at a local beer bar, HopCat! I drank a raspberry lambic (a must if you've never had it), and an odd honey and sage beer called Sage Against the Machine. Mind you, I was driving, and I'm a bit of a lightweight to begin with, so I stopped there...along with 3 glasses of water, an order of Crack Fries (amazingly seasoned–and aptly named–french fries), and Killer Mac & Cheese (the menu description states that 'resistance is futile', and they aren't lying!). It was a super awesome day, and now to top off my birthday weekend, Stacey and I are taking a roadtrip to IKEA and Trader Joes!!  YAY! (I double-heart both places!!)

So anyway, these are my birthday nails, which were done before I got my manicure!  I used two of my favorite types of polishes- neons and holographic!! (and of course, Hassid!!) Since I am 31 this year, I thought it'd be fun to paint all kinds of different 31s on my nails over the crazy brightness of the neons. For the holographic, I used a topcoat that I made with Seche Vite and SpectraFlair, which was Krystal from Polish Galore's suggestion/idea, and a killer one at that! I can make ANY nail polish holographic now!! HELL-TO-THE-YES!!!

I used:

China Glaze Flip Flop Fantasy
China Glaze Sun Worshipper
Urban Outfitters Neon Orange
American Apparel Hassid
SpectraFlair topcoat made with Seche Vite topcoat.

Some of the day's food/drinks!! :-D

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Sweet Talkin'

Who doesn't like candy? I'll admit, while I'm a mostly salty/savory kinda gal, I love to indulge in my fair share of sweets. In fact, I have an entire desk drawer at work devoted to sweets, and I have at each job I've held for 7 or 8 years. :) What can I say, I like variety, one kind of sugar won't do the job– I need SEVERAL. So tonight, when I was sitting at my nail desk stumped after 3 failed nail designs for the evening, I finally resorted to...the list. The list is a list (really?!) of nail designs that I want to do at some point, and I tend to avoid using it unless I'm totally uninspired or stumped for a design idea. Otherwise, I tend to do whatever pops into my head when I sit down (Hence the 3 earlier failed designs). Sometimes this method works fantastically; other times, not so much. So in any event, I knew that I had been neglecting the blog for too long after the contest and that I wanted to get a new design posted today. Speaking of the contest, I forgot to mention the winner on the blog (not to worry, they've been contacted and got their prize already), so I'll mention that AND the answer in another (quickie) post, not that you guys needed the answer- almost everyone got it right!

On with the show (all that candy reference actually had a point), I decided to do nails inspired by the rainbow-colored sweetness that we all know and love, the rainbow lollipop. You know– the coiled rope of twisted, colored goodness that sits atop a stick. It's funny, I never intended to leave the white at the tips, but I ended up liking it as I was doing it, so I kept it. :) The amusing thing is, I never noticed that I inadvertently made a funky french manicure of sorts until I looked at the photos and the white blasted me in my rods and cones. :)

I used Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear White On as a base, with:

Red: Zoya Carmen

Orange: Zoya Arizona

Yellow: CND Bicycle Yellow

Green: CND Green Scene

Blue: China Glaze Flyin' High

Black: American Apparel Hassid (duh) :-P

Topped it all off with 2 coats of Seche Vite top coat.

Do you guys like how I listed the polishes used better this way or my normal way? I want to make it easier for you to see what I used!

This manicure makes me want to go see a dentist.

Disclaimer: Zoya links in this post are Share the Love links, and all points accrued from these links will apply to giveaways, and are never for my personal use. By signing up and purchasing through these links, it means that I'm able to do more giveaways!

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Pop Culture Giveaway - Day 5!

Ok, so this is the last design of the Pop Culture Giveaway here on The Daily Nail, but I've had so much fun doing these pop culture-inspired designs that I've decided to make it a series on the blog! Might be once a week or once every two, but I hope you guys like 'em!

I'm super-stoked that so many of you guessed Day 4's inspiration- there were almost NO wrong answers in the entries!! For the final day of this giveaway, I used a movie that I loved so much that I saw it 4 times...in the theater. The imagery and characters were so kickass in this movie, I loved every second of it!

The hints:

1. Living is easy with eyes closed.

2. One of the lead roles was played by a young man who was also great with numbers.

and an extra clue...

3. There's a nail polish with the same name

You have 35 hours- GO! 

Remember, only Rafflecopter answers count!

Because some people apparently hate 'the claw' (TheSwatchaholic, I'm lookin' at you!)

This was my favorite strawberry. :-D

a Rafflecopter giveaway


For those interested in the nails, I used Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear White On as a base, with Zoya Carmen and Zoya Arizona mixed (and used separately) for the base color of the strawberries, then I shaded them with American Apparel Lipstick and American Apparel Port. For the highlights, I used CND Bicycle Yellow and Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear White On. For the green, I used Nubar Forest. Topped everything off with 2 coats of Seche Vite top coat.

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Creme of the Crop?

I can only stomach about one regular sized one per year, or a few of the mini ones, but I LOVE Cadbury Creme Eggs. I love the chocolate, I love the gooey inside. YUMMMM!  I wish they were sold here! Unfortunately, they're not, so I decided to do an homage to them on my nails for Easter. :) I must confess though, this wasn't the original design. I started out with a manicure that featured a variety of delicious Easter candy treats. When I finished that manicure, the only nail I really loved was the middle finger- the opened creme egg, so I decided to redo the rest of the nails!

Here is the final design:

and the original design:

For the final design, I used:

Thumb: The egg!

Nubar Milk Chocolate Creme as a base, shaded with a mix of Nubar Milk Chocolate Creme and American Apparel Hassid, and highlighted with a mixture of Nubar Milk Chocolate Creme, American Apparel Cotton, and CND Bicycle Yellow.

Middle: Opened Cadbury Creme Egg!

American Apparel Cotton as a base for the filling, with Nubar Milk Chocolate Creme over it for the chocolate shell. For the 'yolk', I used American Apparel Manila. To shade, I used Nubar Milk Chocolate Creme mixed with American Apparel Hassid, and to highlight, I mixed Nubar Milk Chocolate Creme with American Apparel Cotton.

Index, Ring & Pinky: The foil wrapper!

Zoya Trixie as a base, with China Glaze First Mate for the Blue, CND Bicycle Yellow for the yellow, and American Apparel Downtown LA for the red. For the white, I used Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear White on!

For the original design, I used:

Thumb: Easter basket with Peeps Bunnies

American Apparel The Valley as a base, with CND Bicycle Yellow for the bunnies, shaded with Zoya Jancyn. For the basket, I used Color Club Yum Gum, shaded with OPI Do You Think I'm Texy, and American Apparel Crescent Heights and Nubar Forest for the grass.

Index: Creepy closeup of chocolate bunny eye

Nubar Milk Chocolate Creme as a base, mixed with American Apparel Cotton to highlight and American Apparel Hassid to shade. For the eye, I used ORLY Lemonade shaded with Zoya Jancyn and Zoya Robyn for the pupil. I also used Essie Matte About You over the eye since they're that crunch sugar royal icing type candy.

Middle: Opened Cadbury Creme Egg

American Apparel Cotton as a base for the filling, with Nubar Milk Chocolate Creme over it for the chocolate shell. For the 'yolk', I used American Apparel Manila. To shade, I used Nubar Milk Chocolate Creme mixed with American Apparel Hassid, and to highlight, I mixed Nubar Milk Chocolate Creme with American Apparel Cotton.

Ring: Cadbury Mini Eggs- MY ONE TRUE LOVE.

ORLY Lemonade as a base, lightly sponged with a mix of acetone and Nubar Milk Chocolate Creme, then topped with Essie Matte About You to get that matte candy shell look.

Pinky: Jellybean

OPI Do You Think I'm Texy as a base, with American Apparel Port to shade and sponged lightly to create the spots. Highlighted with a mix of OPI Do You Think I'm Texy and American Apparel Cotton.



In case you're wondering what is all over my hands, it's mehendi! (or mehndi, depending who you ask)

Here are the pictures of it! These pictures were taken when it still wasn't at its darkest- on my palms it was so dark it was nearly black in places!

Oh, and have you guys seen/heard of this?

The Cadbury Creme Egg Twisted?!?!  WHAAAAAAAT?!  Can someone send me this? Please?  

Cadbury, are you listening?!

Ok, enough candy/chocolate p o r n for tonight.  Happy Easter! 

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