Starry Gradient

I read quite a bit.  I haven’t always.  Last summer I started and haven’t looked back.I recently finished The Fault In Our Stars by John Green. I LOVED IT! Highly, highly recommend it. Another favorite is Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins. I’ve read it and listened to the audiobook more than once. This design is inspired by these books. One is fairly obvious from the title. The other, you’ll just have to read to see why. 😉 I started with OPI Vant to Bite My Neck then sponged on some Jordana Smooth Blue and finished off the gradient with NYX Sepia. The stars are a vanilla colored acrylic. I love this gradient! So pretty.

If you’re a reader, you neeed to check out these books. They’re two of my top picks.

Twinsie Tuesday: Copycat Take 2

A while back we did a copycat theme week. Today is take two.

I was given Chelsea’s Nailed Blog to find my inspiration this week. I chose to do her Saran Wrap Mani.

Of course I had to put my own twist on it and try it as a gradient. After doing my base color of CND Asphalt, I painted half of my nail with OPI Do You Lilac It and the other half with Sinful Colors Innocent. Then went to town with my Saran Wrap. It made for a cool effect. What do you think of this Saran wrap gradient?

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 Beaulieu Review
Chelsea of Nailed Blog
ChiChi of I’m Just Me…ChiChi
Cordia of Seriously Swatched
Elizabeth of Did My Nails
Jamie of Polish, Please!
Katherine of Haul of Fame
Maribeth of Obsessive Cosmetic Hoarders Unite!
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

No Clean Up Splatter

Doing a traditional straw splatter can not only be super messy, but can waste a lot of polish.  Why not paint it on?I know, this looks totally different from a straw splatter.  This is a little more cartoonish.  I’ve actually done a mani very similar to this before.  I must have liked it to almost duplicate it.

My base polish is one I just picked up; China Glaze Moonlight.  It’s pretty sheer and needed a good three coats to get decent opacity.  I love the color though.  It’s a very muted soft white.  Really, it is the color of the moon.  The other colors are acrylics.

Twinsie Tuesday: Ruffian

Twinsie Tuesday, so good to me.  In case you didn’t click on that link, you’re supposed to sing that line to the tune of Monday, Monday by The Mamas & The Papas.  I have no idea why that popped in to my head.  It’s a bit before my time.  Anyway, this week we are doing Ruffians.

Sometimes I just open up my drawers of polish and pick a color, then start building a manicure around that polish. My first pick was Color Club Fashion Addict and I decided to pair it up with Sinful Colors Amethyst. Both beautiful purples. Fashion Addict is a great holo to add to your collection if you can track it down.

Of course I can’t leave well enough alone and had to add a little viney florish in purple acrylic. I like that since it’s tone on tone, it blends in a bit and you just get a little peek of it here and there.

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 Beaulieu Review
Chelsea of Nailed Blog
ChiChi of I’m Just Me…ChiChi
Cordia of Seriously Swatched
Elizabeth of Did My Nails
Jamie of Polish, Please!
Katherine of Haul of Fame
Maribeth of Obsessive Cosmetic Hoarders Unite!
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

Checks

More spring colors.  I hate that all the Easter candy is out in stores already.  Too much temptation!This manicure basically represents what my daughter’s room looks like.  She’s got an accent wall that is painted just like this.  Her colors are a bit softer, but this was the best I could do.  Obviously I freehanded this.  I don’t mind the organic lines.  They’re better than spending hours waiting for polish to dry so I can tape my nails off to do the next color.

I used Jordana Chiffon and OPI Do You Lilac It and brown and green acrylics.  I topped it off with Chill Zone top coat.  I think I was a little too hasty in my application, because I had a ton of bubbles.  Operator error.