Pastel Blossoms

I believe I did these nails sometime around April, quite a while ago it seems. They are really colorful, and I think the colors work really well.

I started with a base of Zoya Leslie. I think I used two coats, possibly three thin ones, it tends to be a little sheer. I then used a bobby pin to create petals – Zoya Sia and Sephora Formula X High Frequency – and the center of the flower. I ended up using two coats of Sinful Colors Let’s Meet as it is kind of sheer also.

These nails were easy to do, due to the bobby pin. DIY-ing works every time!

Geometric Designs (tutorial)

So today in this sort of tutorial I have some geometric designs that I did on top of Zoya Tiana. Everything I did I used striping tape as my guidelines, so no artistic talent necessary.

Let’s start off with the designs: (please excuse the cat hair 🙂 )

They’re easier shown than described, but basically I cut a bunch of striping tape pieces, then stuck them all on my nails. The complexity ranges from a simple V french to the triangle pattern on the last two nails.

Next I used a cosmetic sponge to apply a gradient over the striping tape. From left to right: Revlon High Stakes, Sephora Formula X Orbit, Zoya Mirajane, and Zoya Willa. (Note: Zoya Mirajane did not really show up, mostly because it is a neon polish not designed for this)

I applied this gradient vertically using Zoya Willa near the base of my nail and Revlon High Stakes near the tip. For the french nail, I used the gradient horizontally, with the colors growing darker towards the edges of the nail. After several coats, I peeled off the striping tape, let it dry, then added a topcoat.

So that’s about it! I hope you all enjoyed and see you next time!

Cartoon Drips

🎉 This is my 100th post!!!  🎉

These are some cute dripping nails using Sephora Formula X High Frequency and black and white acrylic paint. After painting the black drips, I decided to add some white highlights to create a cartoon effect.

I used the same technique to create The Jungle inspired nails, you can check them out over here.

This is one of my favorite designs to do when my nails have grown out a bit and I don’t feel like changing them. They hide the gap created by my growing nail with some super cute nail art. I received quite a few compliments, this is a great way to have interesting and detailed nail art without spending hours.

I also enjoy working with acrylic paint, just because you can erase any mistakes with a toothpick – as long as you add a topcoat first!

Let me know if you want to see how I create this design!

Sephora Formula X High Frequency

Please excuse my cuticles. This is one glorious coat of High Frequency by Sephora Formula X. The color is slightly off, my camera wouldn’t capture it fully – it’s actually a slightly deeper teal. But this polish is very opaque and vivid and a little hard to control. The brush is fairly wide, which I like, but the polish threatened to fill my cuticles. I had to be careful about the application, but the payoff is amazing! The color is really pretty and bright.

Day 23: Inspired by a Movie

I’m back with the 31 day challenge, hoping to finish it ASAP. This mani is inspired by The Little Mermaid, one of my favorite childhood movies. It’s a subtle take on Ariel’s fin, bra, and hair, as the three colors have the potential to easily clash. So I decided to take a more subtle approach and use the colors as a french tip.

Using Sephora’s Formula X Astronomical, I painted on two coats. Next I used Zoya Purity to freehand a white tip in order to make the colors really pop. I then free-handed the vibrant colors (Zoya Livingston, Sally Hansen Lacey Lilac, Sinful Colors Rise & Shine) over top the white tip.

I hope you liked this manicure, the next prompt is ‘Inspired by a Book.’