Monday, July 30, 2012

The Northern Lights Nail


A few weeks back the Northern lights were visible from where I live. It was a rare occasion and I happened to be awake at the late hour showing.The green was very faint. But that fact I could see anything was amazing. It got me thinking...
I have seen galaxy nail and have done a couple myself, but what about the northern lights? After playing around with different colors,polishes and techniques, I finally settled on a design I like. I might in the future add purple to the base black.
The polishes I used:
Orly in Liquid Vinyl, Shine on Crazy and Swizzle Stick
Sally Hansen in Extreme wear Lime Light
And Finger Paints clear coat
For my base and top coat I used Seche Vite






Start with a basic black. Any will work. Here I used Orly Liquid Vinyl

Then I took the Orly Shine on Crazy and placed it randomly. I did not to a full coat. When looking at the Northern Lights, the stars are very much in the back ground. Sometimes not noticed at all. So, when adding your glitter,less is more.


Then I started taping for the marbling process. To learn How to marble click here for my 2 part video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kGmXjBHxyMI&feature=plcp

I used a shot glass for this marbling effect. I really wanted the colors to come thru. But also fade nicely. If the glass is to large, You wont be able to get that effect.
Two drop each color is what I used here.

And then one drop of the clear coat.

Next swirl to resemble the flow of the Northern Lights. It may take a few tries until you get the right design.

Next dip your finger.

After repeating with the rest of the nails, remove the tape and clean the edges with a q-tip and polish remover.

And finish with your favorite top coat.
 
 




See you soon!

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Friday, July 27, 2012

Whimsical Mossy Wood

I love to go hiking. And I have been wanting to do this mani for a long time now. The last time I went hiking on my own, I took many picture. I became more inspired looking at them recently. So this is the outcome of my imagination.Even now looking down at my nails I half expect a fairy to land on them.If it's something you're not ready to tackle, I hope you enjoy the video anyway. Love and positivity to you and our beautiful land.

The polishes I used:
Base color was O.P.I ChopStickingToMyStory And Finger Paints FigureOfArt
I stamped with Essie LittleBrownDress and Sally Hansen Vivid
For the Moss:
Sally Hansen GrassSlipper
Magic Nails In Military,VikiniGreen,and Yellow
My base and top was Seche Vite









              
                                                   Click on the pictures for a larger view

O.P.I. and Finger Paints

Stamped with Essie and S.H.


I found a use for my eye shadow applicator that I usually throw away. I am able to sponge with precision now.
Colors I used for the moss.


Different angles and lighting.


Left and right

See you soon! Xoxoxo

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Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Cant sleep? Paint nails!

This was the outcome of not being able to sleep last night. Of course being so tired I didn't film or take pictures. But I thought why not post it. It came out OK.

Ombre Stamping

This has become one of my favorite stamping techniques. What you can do with this easy process is endless. I will most likely do a few more tutorials using the same technique. So stay tuned.
I am going to show you the basic idea of this mani. Ombre nails have become such a popular mani. And I personally cant get enough of all the pictures I see of the different color combos.


Start off with a base color.
For this mani I used Orly in Lollipop.
One coat is fine.And then for my stamping colors I used
Essie in No more Film and Sure Shot.
Start by placing 1 stroke of each color on the plate design you desire.One at the top and the other below it.
Next take your scraper and scrape HORIZONTALLY on the plate. It will take up to 5 or 6 scrapes to get the colors to blend just slightly. The scraper should keep some polish on it to help the blending process. Note: When going to use the scraper for the next finger make sure its wiped off.

Once its blended to your desire, go ahead and stamp it.


As with most stamping, it might take practice.Try to work quickly.But I really enjoy doing these. So its worth it! Have Fun!





See you soon!





Monday, July 23, 2012

Matte Stamping? It Can Be Done!

This tutorial will show you a subtle stamping technique that will have people doing a double take at your nails.
Let me start off by saying that this mani only works with medium to dark colors. The matte wont show up at all for light to very light colors. In fact the color I used for this tutorial is about the lightest You can go. There are exceptions though. The neon's tend to work well. But for the most part stick with the darks. It looks beautiful!
Also if you have not invested in a matte yet,be sure to choose one that only needs one coat.I realise butter london is pricey, but I haven't purchased another yet. It lasts a very long time. I bought it in February and I still have 2/3 left. Essie, I hear, is a good one as well.

OK, for this mani I used:
Sinful Colors in Dream On 80
Seche Vite Fast Dry top coat
And butter London in Matte Finish
If you choose to use a base, then pick your favorite.

First I painted two coats of Dream on
Next I put one coat of the Seche Vite

Next pick your stamp your going to be using. Any will work. Even just a flower or even just the tips. Or something different for each nail!

With the Matte finish, your going to need to work faster. The finish tends to dry fast. But don't get discouraged. If you mess up,just add another coat of top coat and try again. I needed to do that for my thumb. Super easy.

You don't need much on the plate. One stroke of polish. No need to waste.
Then scrape right away and stamp.

As I am doing this on my own,I wasn't able to take a pictures of the stamp going on to the nail.

Give this a try! Let me know how it turned out for you!
See you soon!