Neon Green Waves

Hi friends! Well I actually did it. I pulled out my brushes and did some intricate free hand nail art! I had this mani from Sarah at Chalkboard Nails pinned for ever and since I have all the awesome neons (except the blue) from KBShimmer sitting on my desk, I figured I might as well play!

Matte White & Gold Triangles NOTD

Hey y'all! How is your summer going? We have already had a few summer-time adventures in the two short weeks the kiddo has been out of school. I'm hoping to do some swimming in Barton Creek pool soon. It is one of my favorite things to do!

Today's NOTD is totally summer appropriate and would be a killer pool-side mani. White nails are some what of a classic summer look, but I kinda feel like it's a little too bland for my taste. So I decided to jazz up the white nail with something a little shiny and shimmery. Cause that's how I roll.

LOOK Proud Memorial Day Nail Art

Hey all, happy Memorial Day weekend to all my US friends! Today's post is a bit different than the NOTD/nail art posts I normally publish. A couple of weeks back, I posted a swatch review of a new drugstore brand called LOOK Nail Color (read the original post here) and had a very unpleasant experience with the brand. After my review, LOOK contacted me stating they had inadvertently sent me "hand poured" samples which they use for promotional photos and that they would be sending me "production quality" samples as well with no expectation of an additional review.

I did do a comparison swatch between the two set and attempted the original nail art design I was planning for the first post with the new samples and in all honesty, these are much, much better. If I had gotten the "production quality" samples, my review would have been very different! The formulas on all three are so much easier to work with and apply a lot better. I am a bit annoyed by the "hand poured" discrepancy but I am impressed that LOOK took the time to reach out to me and correct their mistake.

So! Now that I got all that out of the way, I can show you my original design that I had planned the first time around!

LOOK Nail Color

Hi all! So today I have a new drugstore polish brand to share with you all! You may have seen a few displays popping up at your local Walgreens already. The brand is called Look Nail Color and it is geared towards nail art! Fun, right? I was sent three polishes from the first promo set called "Look Proud" and was released on May 1st.

Please Note: Products shown were provided by the company/creator for review purposes.

Look Nail Color in Broad Stripes Bright Stars, Oh Say Can You See, and Rockets Red Glare

Twinsie Tuesday: Match Your Nails To Your Car

Hey there guys and gals! Today's Twinsie Tuesday post is kind of an odd one for me. The theme is match your nails to your car. Welp. I drive a white Honda Fit. I love my car. It is fun to drive, gets great gas mileage and looks pretty sweet. But it's white - which I love on cars. I think a white car, especially one like the Fit looks awesome, not really inspiring though. At least for me anyway. So here it is folks! My nails matching my car!

Ethereal Gradient NOTD

Hey y'all! So I actually did some nail art that isn't related to my TT posts! Not to say that I don't being a part of the Twinsies, but it has been a long time since I have felt inspired to do much nail art outside of our weekly prompts. But I seem to have come out of my slump! Hopefully this creative energy will stick around a while!

KBShimmer Happily Ever Aster

Hi friends, a very happy Monday to you all! Last year, I really slacked off on my swatch posts. Lest than half the polish I got ended up here on my blog. So as part of my "blogger resolutions" I am trying to be more active with my swatch posts and putting more content up.

I am starting with my untrieds from the holidays. I received an excellent gift package full of KBShimmer goodies from a Secret Santa swap the Twinsies had this year. Along with some nail/skin care goodies (omg the KBShimmer scrub is amazing!) I got two polish from the spring 2014 collection that were on my wish list. So today I have swatched Happily Ever Aster!

Please Note: Products shown were gifted to me by a fellow polish lover for my personal use.

KBShimmer Happily Ever Aster over KBShimmer Radiant Orchid

Indigo Bananas Swatch Spam

Hi friends! How was your weekend? It was so frickin cold and wet the whole time! I don't mind cold weather, but when it is cold and rainy, I get whiny, lol!

Today I have some swatches from the indie brand, Indigo Bananas! This is a long post with a lot of pictures, so be prepared! I selected four different polishes to swatch from the current offerings that, I think, best represent the brand. And not to spoil the post or anything, they are all really great!

Please Note: Products shown were provided by the company/creator for review purposes.

 Indigo Bananas Enchanted Lake, Gods & Monsters, 2% Butterscotch Ripple & Chill Out

Happy New Year's Eve!!!

Hi friends! Sorry I have been M.I.A. for the past few days. All the holiday celebrations over the last week have kept me quite busy with little time to blog! Can you believe it is New Year's Eve?! I just can't get over how fast this year has gone. What a whirlwind it has been.

Since it is NYE, I had to do something and end the year with some nail art! I just wouldn't be a proper nail blogger if I didn't, lol!

Snowy Nail Of The Day

Ohhai friends! Well we are back from East Texas, technically since Monday afternoon, and the mound of dirty clothes from the trip has dwindled down enough that I had time to do a little something with my nails!

The weather has turned cold and dreary, so I figured I would do something seasonally appropriate. And I had this gorgeous bottle of Love Angeline Love At Frost Sight sitting around waiting ever so patiently to be used. 

Summer Nail Art Series: Matte Neon Gradient Cut Outs

Hello friends, happy Thursday! I am trying to get myself back into the nail art groove and along with the Twinsie Tuesday posts, I have decided to add some summer nail art looks to the ol' blog. If you read my blog, you know that summer collections, glitters, and bright polishes are my absolute favorite, so why not do some fun nail art with it?!

Used:

O.P.I. - MBSW

Floss Gloss - Lean

Floss Gloss - Pony

Sally Hansen - Big Matte Top Coat

Blue painters tape

Make up sponge

I have wanted to do a peach/purple gradient for ever and also the cut out gradient. And then the matte top coat. UGH. It is so soft and glowy and perfect for summer. Can I just do this all the time? Would you guys get bored, lol?

Pro tip: using blue painters tape will give you cleaner lines than scotch tape, since it is made for painting!

I will have more summer time nail art in the coming weeks. So hopefully you guys will find some inspiration to decorate your digits this season!

Sunday Stamped: Matte Blue and White with MoYou London Explore

Hello wonderful friends! How is your weekend? Mine is immensely better after yesterday. I am sadly, extremely nearsighted and my glasses broke last Sunday night. I resorted to wearing a really old pair of contacts but they felt horrible so I have been going with out all week. I finally got to see my optometrist yesterday and have a brand new pair of contacts and will be getting my glasses very soon! Let me tell you it is no fun walking around in a hazy blurry world! I couldn't even paint my nails! As soon as I got home yesterday, I remedied that and did a little stamped mani with an idea I have had floating around for a while. 

Used:

O.P.I. - MBSW

Essie - Hide & Go Chic

Sally Hansen Big Matte Top Coat

MoYou London Explore Set - #3

It's funny how an idea can translate so perfectly sometimes (and horribly fail others!). I saw a set of nail wraps on my IG feed a few weeks ago that were white with blue detailing. The simple color play was incredibly eye catching and I knew I wanted to recreate the look with some stamping. And for the finale touch, I even used my matte tc, which I always forget about. The final result is pretty damn awesome, if you all don't mind me saying so! I am still wearing them and don't want to take them off! But I have my next Twinsie Tuesday mani to plan for. Sigh... But it will be fun!

Hope you all have a great rest of your weekend! And be thankful if you don't have to worry about your vision. It can be a huge pain sometimes!

Frozen Lattice Gradient with Pure Nail Polish And My First Video Tutorial

Hey guys and gals! Just a quickie post today. It's brrrrrchilly all over the dang place, and we have record temperatures here in Austin! We honestly don't know how to handle anything below freezing! But in the spirit of the frozen weather, I have a fun design and a bit of an announcement!

 

I have my very first video tutorial! I will be doing a series of videos for Pure Nail Polish, as a featured nail artist! I am super thrilled and have so many fun ideas for you guys! The first one I did is a frosty version of the Lattice Gradient nails I did over the summer.

 

Please Note: Products used were provided by the company/creator for artistic purposes.

 

 

 

Used:

 

Pure Nail Polish in -

Blameless (white)

Lucid (blue)

Committed (silver foil)

 

Makeup sponge

Nail art brush

 

So this is definitely one of my favorite designs I have done, and I love that you can use virtually any color combo! And it is a lot easier to accomplish than it looks! The key is to use a very thin, small brush. You can see a shot of it in the video.

 

Now for the awesome part, the video tutorial! Be sure to view it in the HD format. Unfortunately, it was uploaded to YouTube in HD, and a lot of the video quality was lost.  -__-

A very big thank you to my awesome husband who filmed/edited the video! He is quite fantastic and rather supportive of my addiction hobby!

So I hope you guys like the video, and be sure to follow the blog so you can see more videos in the future!

Please Note: Products used were provided by the company/creator for artistic purposes. For more info, please read my disclaimer.

Pure Nail Polish is available on line. Products retails for $5.00 a piece (clearance price)

Peppermint Twist - Holiday Nail Art Spectacular!

Hey y'all, hope all is well! We have a big winter storm blowing in today, and it is super chilly! I love cold weather as long as I am bundled up with a nice warm fire.

 

Today, I have more Holiday Nail Art Spectacular fun for you guys! A few months ago, I did a guest post for my lovely friend Casey Lane. I made my first attempt at doing spirals, and loved it! I knew it was something that I wanted to replicate again.

 

 

 

Used:

 

O.P.I. - MBSW

O.P.I. - First Date At The Golden Gate

Nubar - Ruby Red Glitz

 

Born Pretty nail studs

Nail Art brush

 

 It was a lot easier this time around, and I have to say, I am super pleased with how it turned out! My favorite part is the studs, of course. But I think it is so cute and fun. And a great "twist" on the standard candy can striped nails. See what I did there? Haha, yeah, I'm hilarious.

 

 

Hope you guys have a great weekend! It is ridiculously cold here (what evs, I'm from Texas) and I am spending my days inside!

Bliss Polish Breaking Bad Collection

Hello lovelies! Happy Monday, and Happy Labor Day to my American pals! Since my husband works today, we spent yesterday with my mother-in-law and her partner, swimming, relaxing, drinking a few beers and nomming on tacos (Portobello for me). Pretty much the best way to spend a weekend/holiday, IMO.

Today, I have a collection from a brand new Indie polish to share, consisting of three milky glitters and two creams with holo shimmer! Even better, it is inspired by the most awesome Breaking Bad.

Please Note: Products shown were provided to me by the company for review purposes.

 

Bliss Polish - Crystal Blue Persuasion

 

Crystal Blue Persuasion is a baby blue crelly (cream/jelly hybrid) with metallic blue and silver holo hex glitter and holo micro glitter shimmer. It's so pretty, I love this blue! It looks so squishy, and the glitter looks like it's floating. Perfect jelly sandwich! Nice thick formula, and 2 coats for full opacity, which is awesome for a lighter shade crelly. Application was a breeze, no need for fishing for the glitter. Topped with Glossy Glam to finish.

 

 

 

Bliss Polish - Chemistry

 

Chemistry is a grassy green with a holo micro shimmer. Best green ever! Definitely an easy favorite. The shimmer adds an extra bonus, little twinkling rainbows in different lighting. Super smooth formula and application, 2 coats, no issues.

 

Bliss Polish - Jesse Pinkman

 

Jesse Pinkman is a soft pink crelly with metallic pink and silver holo hex glitters and micro holo shimmer. So gorgeous and delicate. The shimmer really stands out in this color, I love it! Formula was the same consistency, but a tad bit more sheer, needing 3 coats. The glitter was a little harder to get, but that actually worked out to be the best, since I needed the extra coat.

 

 

Bliss Polish - Cooking

 

Cooking is a sunflower yellow with a micro holo shimmer. I love yellow, and this one does not disappoint! No streaking at all! So hard to find a yellow that doesn't take a million coats to cover. This was 2 easy coats, wonderfully smooth.

 

 

Bliss Polish - Mr. White over O.P.I. - MBSW

 

Mr. White is a white crelly with grey, white and silver holo hex glitters and micro holo shimmer. I had to layer it over MBSW for the photos, but it reaches full opacity on it's own. My camera kinda freaks out over solid white polishes, and wasn't able to pick up the glitters at all when I swatched it by itself. The glitter is deceptively interesting. The grey and white glitters create such depth and the holo glitter and shimmer shines over the white base. Sadly, my camera refused to get that little detail. But it's so pretty in person! Formula and application was identical to Jesse Pinkman, 3 thinner coats for full coverage.

 

 

The whole collection fits so well with the show, my favorite is definitely Chemistry. If you purchase the entire set, you will receive a limited edition black/holo glitter called Bad Bliss as an extra bonus!

 

Please Note: Products shown were provided to me by the company for review purposes. All opinions are my own. For more info, please read my disclaimer.

 

Bliss Polish is available online and retails for $8 a piece. The Breaking Bad collection launches September 6th.

Wet n Wild Pop Art Craze Collection

Hey guys and gals! Hope you all are having a fabulous Monday. Mine is not so great. Mother nature has decided to take my hormones on a roller coaster ride and I am not okay with it. So pardon me and the less than exuberant post. That being said, I have swatches and a review of the new LE Wet n Wild Wild Shine Pop Art Craze nail polish collection, and I wanted to share it with you guys so that you can get them while you can.

 

So let's get done to business. The formula for all of the polishes, except Stand The Test Of Lime, is pretty consistent through out, so I'll go over that here. All needed about 2 coats. The polishes are a cream/jelly hybrid (crelly) and have a fantastic shine without top coat. Because of the formula, I did experience slight cuticle drag if I was not patient and waited for each coat to dry. If you apply thinner coats, you may require a 3rd coat to level out any streaks or patchy spots. Dry time was nice and quick, but again, I had to wait between each coat to prevent bubbling.

Please Note: Products shown were purchased by me for my personal use.

 

 

Wet n Wild Wild Shine - Listening To Blue Reed (Pop Art Craze LE)

 

Listening To Blue Reed is a cobalt blue crelly, in the same color family as Nails Inc Baker ST. and Essie Butler Please, tho I'm not sure if they are dupes. Haven't done a comparison yet.

  

 

Wet n Wild Wild Shine - Stand The Test Of Lime (Pop Art Craze LE)

 

Stand The Test Of Lime is a bright green jelly. This is the only one in the collection that varies in formula and application. Since it is a jelly, I needed 3 coats for full opacity. Pretty standard for a jelly. Great color.

 

 

Wet n Wild Wild Shine - Who Is Ultra Violet (Pop Art Craze LE)

 

Ultra Violet is a red toned purple crelly. It is more red in person, but my camera and purple polish do not get along.

 

 

Wet n Wild Wild Shine - Teal Slowly And See (Pop Art Craze LE)

 

Teal Slowly And See is a bright turquoise blue crelly. This one is more cream than the others, but still has a similar formula. It also stains like a mother, so double up on your base coat!

 

 

Wet n Wild Wild Shine - The Clock Strikes Orange (Pop Art Craze LE)

 

The Clock Strikes Orange is a bright creamy orange crelly. This is my personal favorite from the set. It is a perfect orange, not too red or yellow.

 

 

Wet n Wild Wild Shine - A Blank Canvas (Pop Art Craze LE)

 

A Blank Canvas is a clean white crelly. It is super bright and my camera kinda bugged out! Sorry about that! The crelly formula gives it a really fresh look, not chalky at all. Also it is not streaky, which is a big plus for a white polish.

 

These are all really great polishes, and are a perfect set for some awesome nail art. So expect some posts to show up soon featuring these babies! Not only that, they are hella cheap, about a buck a piece, depending on where you go.

 

If you want any of these, make sure you hunt them down as soon as possible, because they are limited edition. Noveau Cheap has a fantastic map of all the locations where they are being carried.

 

Please Note: Products shown were purchased by me for my personal use. All opinions are my own. For more info, please read my disclaimer.

 

Wet N Wild is available at many drugstore locations, including Walgreens and Rite Aid. Wild Shine products retails for about $1.00 a piece.

31 Day Nail Art Challenge: Delicate

Hey guys and gals! Happy dance for getting the post up on time! I am honestly not sure how people do it daily. Talk about nerve wracking. Anyway, the prompt for today's post is "delicate." I'll be straight with you guys for a minute. I am anything but delicate. Inspiration-wise, this was the hardest day yet. Much harder than the horrid animal print post a few days back. Luckily, it turned out much better than that.

 

Used:

 

O.P.I. - Don't Touch My Tutu

I Love Nail Polish - Forever And A Day

 

I love a good jelly sandwich, but I've never done a glitter gradient and a jelly sandwich. I love the look, and I think it turned out to be a good representation of delicate. Of course it is all thanks to a super pretty glitter!

Next up is Tribal! I am super excited and nervous for that one. Lots of free hand!

Fashion Friday #8

Hey guys! I've got a Fashion Friday collab post for you all today! This week is all about stripes and color blocking. Both are very popular fashion trends and can easily translate to nail art!
 

 

 

Inspiration Look

 

Used:

 

Maybelline Color Show - Paint The Town

O.P.I. - My Boyfriend Scales Walls

Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear - Black Out

 

Striping Tape

 

The overall look of the outfit Camille put together has a distinct retro feel, and a classic color combo of red, black and white, really carries that vibe. I love the simple and graphic look of the stripes paired with the red nails.

 



 

Inspiration Look

 

Used:

 

Zoya Pixie Dust - Beatrix

Zoya Pixie Dust - Destiny

Zoya Pixie Dust - Solange

 

Striping Tape

 

I must say, the earrings in this particular post, are frickin' awesome. I need a pair myself! Even better when I can use the Pixie Dust polishes to make some badass color blocking designs to go with them! I have seen quite a bit of nail art done with Pixie Dust polishes lately, and I can certainly see why. They are ridiculously easy to use and look fantastic; very visually appealing.

 



More fun coming up this next week! I have another textured polish review for you guys, as well as, some Born Pretty studs and of course the 31 Day Challenge continues! On time...hopefully...

And be sure to give Camille's style blog some love. Especially if you have a soft spot for great hand made accessories!
 

31 Day Nail Art Challenge: Black & White

Hey everyone! Today is a challenge prompt day. Black and White is the theme, and I had such an awesome idea...in my head. On the nail, it didn't turn out as exciting as I was anticipating, and I kinda suck at free hand.

 

Used:

 

O.P.I. - My Boyfriend Scales Walls

Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear - Black Out

 

Rhinestone Studs

 

I know this is something that will get better with practice, but I am soooo impatient! I want to be awesome, right meow! Aside from the crooked lines, I kinda feel like the design feel a little flat and maybe I should have done more with the dots. Hindsight, as they say... Sigh.

 

Thursday's theme is Metallic, and I am using a couple of polishes from the UD Naked set (that I never swatched...oops) and hopefully it will turn out a little better!

Fashion Friday #6

Hey everyone! I am so glad it's Friday! This week has really dragged by and I definitely am looking forward to getting out of the house and spending some time with my little family. Sometimes, staying home with little ones can get very repetitive and tiresome. I am ready for some fun!

Speaking of fun, Camille picked out the cutest skirt for one of her posts, and I instantly fell in love. It is bright and super cute and definitely makes me crave summer time just a little bit. I had to use it as inspiration for this week's mani.

 

Inspiration Look

 

Used:

 

OPI - My Boyfriend Scales Walls

China Glaze - Sunday Funday

 

Nail Art brush

 

I may have gone a tad over board with the brush strokes. Oops! Instead of looking like fern leaves in the dress, I think it looks more like an abstract painting (but that's how I paint on canvas, soooo.....). Either way, I loooove it! Fun colors, and definitely appropriate for the season. On a side note, OPI MBSW is as great as everyone says. Such a great polish for nail art. I wish all polishes had this great of a formula.

 

I am going to try to get some swatched of new ILNP glitters posted by the end of the weekend, we shall see! Otherwise, more 31 Day posts next week!