Neon Bursts

I can’t get enough neons lately.  I just keep thinking of more and more designs I want to do with them.

Maybe because it’s so freaking hot pretty much across the entire United States right now.  Neons just seem appropriate.  I used my NYX Girls White, NYX Girls Pink Strawberry, NYX Girls Bubble Gum and NYX Girls Hot Orange.  Then Milani Rad Purple and Milani Fresh Teal.  I love all of these colors together!

A thin striping brush makes this design really easy to pull off.  You want it to look sort of messy, so it’s a hard one to get wrong.

Black and Gold Mish Mash

I LOVE THIS MANI!!  I seriously can’t stop looking at it!  And it photographed so well!  Monica was looking for some ideas for black and gold combinations.  This is what I came up with.

I’ve got five different ideas to show you here.  First, on my pinkie, how can you go wrong with a gradient?  My black is China Glaze Liquid Leather.  Then I sponged on Sinful Colors This Is It and a little Milani Gold Glitz.  On my ring finger, I started with a base of Sinful Colors This Is It, then with a fine striping brush on some feathery, grassy stripes with Liquid Leather, then a few stripes of This Is It on top of the black.

On my middle finger, I used some craft scissors to cut a fancy edge in some tape, then polished This Is It over Liquid Leather.  Then sponged on some Milani Gold Glitz to help bring out the gold.    On my index finger, I started with Milani Gold Glitz then free handed “the claw” design.  Just in case anyone was wondering why I call this “the claw,” it’s because the colored part resembles a talon to me.

My thumb is my favorite!  I seriously couldn’t stop looking at it!  Again, the black is China Glaze Liquid Leather, but I cheated a little with the gold.  It’s an acrylic craft paint.  It’s a gold metallic and it’s fantastic!  I used a small striping brush just like on my ring finger, but started from the side.  I might have to do a whole mani like this.  So pretty.

Twinsie Tuesday: Patriotic

I can’t believe it’s July already!  This year is just flying by!  I love Independence Day because I love hearing all the patriotic songs (some of which make me well up) and I LOVE fireworks shows!  I love when a huge firework goes off and not only do you hear that giant boom, but you feel it in your chest.  I love that!  When I started thinking about a patriotic mani, I couldn’t think of just one thing to do, really, I couldn’t make up my mind.  Hence, I ended up with a patriotic mish mash.

I collected a bunch of my red, white and blue polishes and sat down without really having any direction.  I knew I wanted to do a leopard, but that was it.  I just love doing leopard nails.  A while back we did a Twinsie Tuesday that was our “Go To” mani and I really should’ve done leopard.  It’s usually at the top of my list.

On my thumb, I used Barry M Red Glitter over Color Club Reddy or Not.  Once it was dry, I applied my striping tape and put a coat of Julep Marisa over the top, then quickly and carefully pulled off the tape one strip at a time.  I used Sally Hansen White On for my polka dots.

My index finger starts with Sally Hansen White On, then I sponged on Color Club Reddy or Not, then some China Glaze Dorothy Who?  On my middle finger I used Sally Hansen Snow Blast Crackle over Color Club Reddy or Not.

On my ring finger I started with Jordana Smooth Blue.  The white of my leopard spots is Sally Hansen White On with Color Club Reddy or Not and Barry M Red Glitter on top.  The in between spots are Essie Borrowed and Blue with the same reds.  For my pinkie, I decided to use my striping tape for it’s intended purpose.  I started with Essie Borrowed and Blue, sponged on some OPI DS Magic.  Once it was dry enough, I added the striping tape and white dots in Sally Hansen White On.

I topped all of these off with a quick coat of Cult Nails Wicked Fast then finished them with Jordana Quick Shine top coat.  I find that if I use a thin top coat under a thick one( that tends to cause shrinkage), I’ll have all the shine and glory that comes with one of those thick ones (ie Seche Vite or Jordana Quick Shine) without the shrinking.  It adds an extra step and occasionally a little smearage, but don’t we all loathe shrinkage!?  I know, it sounds funny.  I heard it when I wrote it, but thought it might give some of you a good laugh. 😉

Be sure the check out all the other manis today:

Amanda of Amandalandish
Anna of Going to the Showing
Anne of Grape Fizz Nails
Ashley of Art Evolve
Brandi of The Collegiate Nail
Chelsea of Nailed Blog
ChiChi of I’m Just Me…ChiChi
Cordia of Srsly Swatched
Jenn of All That is Gorgeous
Jenna of I’m Still Thinking
Katherine of Haul of Fame
Marisa of Polish Obsession
Meredith of Polish and Charms
Nory of Fierce Make Up and Nails
Sarah of See Sarah Swatch
Tara of Polishy of Truth

Gold Star Burst

Happy Groundhog’s Day everyone!  Earlier this year I toyed with the idea of doing a groundhog mani then redoing and reposting the same thing every day.  You know, like the movie.  Probably would’ve just confused everyone.  Guess it’s probably good that I forgot about it.

I saw a design similar to this on Pinterest.  So simple, yet so glamorous.  I feel like this is a mani I would wear to some formal event.  Very fancy.I started with the Zoya Petra I was already wearing.  The bright gold color is a metallic acrylic and the glitter is Color Club Art Club Gold Holographic art polish.  This was such an easy design.  Anyone with a small striping brush can do it.  It literally took less than ten minutes.

It would be really fun in bright colors too.  You might see a few more of these in the future.  I’ve already thought of a few fun color combinations to try out.  I love these burst designs; tape and freehand.

Barry M Sunburst

I was itching to change my mani, so I dressed up this Barry M Red Glitter with some tape and China Glaze Liquid Leather.  I LOVE IT!!Look at that glow!  I liked this matted yesterday, but I love it even more all shined up.  Holy cow.

Look at the ‘glowing embers’ effect in this blurry shot.  I wish it looked more like this all the time, but I just don’t see these flecks of orange with regular wear.  I’ll add this mani to the list of designs I plan to try in other colors.