Thursday, July 30, 2015

Palm tree Sunset gradient nails with Zoya Rocky!

Hey guys! This is a throwback Thursday post for me because I loved this mani so much I wanted to give it it's own post! These are the nails I wore for my trip to South Carolina to visit my friend Danele. She lives near Hilton Head and let me tell you, I was so impressed with the beach there!  I have been able to go to the beach more this year than ever before since moving away and it's only making me miss it more and more! Especially since school starts here in 2 weeks Boooooo!

This was only my second or third time doing a gradient, and I used my OPI peel off base on my skin around it, and it did help. I stay far far away from gradients usually because they never look the way I want and the clean up is a b*****. But, this is the first one I've done that I don't completely hate, and, dare, I say, I may be attempting it again!! Yikes!!



Zoya Rocky


These are the colors I used.... all Zoya :) Some purchased by me, some samples. I really wanted to use Rocky, which I have been wanting FOREVER and finally ordered during the last promo!

From left: Purity (base for gradient), Darcy (yellow), Rocha (orangy red), Rocky (blue), and Bar (glitter- Pixie Dust). I did the palm tree with black polish and a striping brush.

color pallete
Seriously. In love with these!

We did twin nails also! Her gradients are so good.  We used almost all the same polishes!

twin nails at the beach!

She is really into craft beer and I had my first one while I was there! This one had a coffee flavor so it was a good one to try :) I liked it!

bestie twin beer nails!

Tuesday, July 28, 2015

Picture Polish Nail Art Quarterly-my mani!

Hey guys! Here is my mani (posted on Instagram yesterday) for Picture Polish's first (new) competition called nail art quarterly! They are switching things up a little and are no longer doing their blog fest like in years past. They are doing something similar, separate from this, but if you have participated in the past you can't again! So I'm glad I was chosen to participate  this time!!

The challenge was to create a FREE HAND and FLORAL design using no vinyls, tape, stamping etc. Those are the 2 hardest things for me!!! I have the shakiest hands everrrrrrr. 

We also were only able to choose 3 PP shades to work with and black or white acrylic paint (or PP polishes) to use. That part was super hard too, especially for flowers!! I tried to think out of the box for my color combinations. (I actually did another design first with completely different colors but liked this one better! I'll post that one soon!) 

The color palate I chose was in mimicking fall bouquets of mums we get to place outside our door...most of which include Aggie maroon ;) 



The colors I chose were Beige for the background, and Bonkers and Sorbet for the mums! 



Thursday, July 16, 2015

Picture Polish Swatches and Review: Never nude, Tiffany, BonBon, and Cherish

Hey guys! This blog has been in my drafts for a while! I figured I'd publish it today since I was already on my computer doing something else, procrastinating on other things! A little while ago I made my yearly purchase from Picture Polish, and I bought 8 polishes! Here's my review of the first 4! Spoiler alert: I love them all :)
 
 
 
 
 
First up is Never Nude, a nude colored crelly with micro shimmer and purple and teal teeny tiny glitters! I love this so much! I just wore it on its own but can't wait to do some nail art with it soon!
This is 3 coats plus topcoat.
 
Never Nude


Never Nude


Never Nude
Next is Tiffany, which was on my wish list foreverrrrrrrrrrr. It's a minty blue-green, meant to be like tiffany blue! It's a little greener but still gorgeous! This is 2 coats plus topcoat.

Tiffany

This is Bon Bon, one of their newer polishes. But I had to have it IMMEDIATELY! I mean! This is my new favorite blue crème, like, of all time. I just could not stop staring at it!

BonBon

BonBon

This is a pic I snapped of Bon Bon next to my previous favorite blue cream of all time, OPI Ogre the Top Blue. They are pretty similar, Ogre the Top Blue is not as much darker as it looks in the pic.

comparison with Ogre the Top Blue

Lastly is Cherish, another new one from them and one I just needed right away! Its a beautiful nude shimmer cream! I believe this was 2 coats! I wore this on my anniversary date with my husband, so you know I really loved it :)




 

Saturday, July 4, 2015

July 4th mani 2015!

Hey guys! Happy Fourth of July! I just wanted to type up a quick blog about this mani and these polishes! :) I only had time to do one patriotic mani this year...oh well!



All 3 polishes I used were untried-yay!


The blue is OPI DS Lapis.....which I wanted foreverrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr and finally got on clearance last year and am just now using it! I will NOT wait so long to use it again! It is awesome!!! Super opaque, you barely need a 2nd coat. It also dries matte! What!! It really sparkles with topcoat.


The red is one of my few remaining untried Liquid Sands. It's "The Impossible" and its one of the original ones they put out. It's kind of an orangy red, kind of thin, I used 2 coats but it could use 3. There's also little star glitters in there that you really have to fish for. Meh, I probably won't be using it a lot.



The star of the show is Loaded Lacquer "Patriot", which Lexi just finally released to the public, so to speak! She made a one off for my friend Beckie, and I have been wanting it ever since I knew it existed! You better believe I snatched one up fast!

Loaded Lacquer glitters are super dense, but I went ahead and used a sponge anyway to get this look. I painted a white base (OPI Alpine Snow) and sponged on 2 coats of glitter and brushed on a third. I just love the way it came out!