China Glaze

The One with the Blue Dot Flower Manicure

9:00:00 AM


Good morning polished world! How are you all doing on this fine Saturday?  I cannot begin to tell you how excited I am to sleep in today.  I'm writing this post Friday night, and I'm half asleep already thinking about how I'm not leaving my bed until noon tomorrow.  Maybe later.  Especially since I see that Orange is the New Black Season 6 is on Netflix.  Maybe I won't leave my bed at all.

Therefore I need to get through writing this post right now.  At 12:45am!  Today's nail design is one that is inspired by hjs_nails on Instagram.  While scrolling the awhile back, I came this pretty tan based mail with different blue dot flowers.  I added a tiny twist to them, but loved them none-the-less.

Let's take a look!


Colors Used:
  • China Glaze -  All the blues (honestly cannot think of the names right now and I don't feel like getting up)
Isn't it cute?  I didn't think I was going to like it at first on my nails because my flowers kind of blurred together.  Then when I added the black centers, everything became so clear.  I didn't like the naked nude space, so I went through and added a few black dots to fill it in.  I feel that really pulled it all together.

What do you think?  Like this design?

Until next time, <3.


Dot Mani

The One With the Orange Floral Manicure

9:00:00 AM


Good morning polished world! How are you all doing today?  I apologize for not getting a post up yesterday, but I literally relaxed all weekend and refused to do anything blog related.  Unfortunately, my resident passed away at the end of last week, so that kind of threw me for a little loop.  So with that, just be on the look out for lots of a daisy designs because that's what I always painted on her nails.

Today's design is one I did a week or so ago before everything occurred.  Still a daisy design, but not planned for my little lady.  The design is inspired by one created by mvargas_nails on Instagram.  She didn't have the dots, but since it's been so humid here lately, my polish is bubbling no matter how long I wait for it to dry, so I had to add dots to cover that up.

Let's take a look!


Colors Used:
  • OPI - No Tan Lines
  • OPI - I'm Soooo Swamped
  • OPI - Alpine Snow
Isn't it adorable?!  Absolutely fell in love with this design and the orange base!!  No Tan Lines by OPI covers completely in two coats.  Such a unique orange shade, truly perfect for summer.  It's not like a pumpkin orange, if that makes sense.  Honestly, I don't know how to describe it so I should just give up!



Cute, isn't it?  What do you think?  Something you'd do?  Simple yet fun?

Until next time, <3.

Flowers

The One With the Abstract Daisies

9:00:00 AM


Good morning polished world.  How are you all doing today?  I meant to publish this post yesterday, but alas my week got away from me.  It's been a sad week at work.  One of our long time resident's is passing away.  Kind of caught us all off guard, but it is part of the job.  People ask me all the time how I can work in senior living and if I sure that I want this to be my career, and I always say yes.  When you walk into my job, you can not only feel the love, but you can see it.  My co-workers are amazing and I'm blessed to be apart of the team.  And in a world where love and compassion seems to have disappeared, I wouldn't want to be anywhere else.

Today's manicure is a fun, abstract daisy design which was inspired by CourtDoesPolish on Instagram.  I stumbled across the look a few weeks ago and it reminded me of a dress that I own and shockingly haven't worn yet this summer.  Anyways, I was planning on wearing it when I created this design, but it only lasted about two days before it chipped off.

Let's take a look!


Colors Used:
  • Serendipity Polish - #GoalDigger
  • Serendipity Polish - Building My Empire
  • Serendipity Polish - Orange County Girl
  • Serendipity Polish - Bottomless Mimosa
Cute, right??  Something different!  Courtney's were a million times better than mine!  I actually was kind of OCD with this design and it became difficult for me to get them to look how I wanted them.  As I was doing them, I took a few steps back and remembered that they didn't have to be perfect and were allowed to be messy because they were an abstract flower.

The design received a lot of compliments.  I wasn't sure what people were going to think because, again, Courtney's were a million times better than mine and I was being super critical.  After the compliments came rolling in though, I was sad that they chipped and I had to take them off so soon.

What do you think?  Fan of this design??

Until next time, <3.


Orly

The One With the Pink Smoosh Manicure

9:00:00 AM


Good morning polished world!  How are you all doing on this fine Monday?  That's right, we are back to another Monday.  Where did the weekend go?  Actually I got a lot accomplished despite the fact I slept most of my Saturday and Sunday away.  I'm feeling positive and re-energized ready to take this week on.  Watch, my post later this week will be like "oh my goodness, this week is HORRIBLE."  Let's hope it doesn't turn out that way.

Today's design is one of my favorites....a smoosh manicure!!! I haven't done one in awhile because A. they're messy, B. my fingernail was broken, C. did I mention they're messy?  They're actually super easy to do, but they do take some time, patience, and a whole heck of a lot of painters tape.

Let's take a look!


Colors Used:
  • ORLY - Put the Top Down
  • ORLY - White Tips
  • ORLY - Liquid Vinyl

Despite the pain in the butt they are to do, they end result is so well worth it!  First, I start off with a base coat of white polish.  While that's drying, I take some painters tape and tape off my edge of my nails.  I have tried that peel off base coat, Elmer's glue, and liquid latex, but honestly, I feel like those are more of a pain and a mess than using the tape.  After the nails were taped, it was time to get to work.

I then take my squishy Morgan Taylor clear stamper and drip polish onto it.  Usually I do two drips of each color, so for this design I did two drips of white, two pink, and two black.  I don't pile the drips on top of each other, I usually do them all side by side where they are overlapping a tad.  Then I smoosh the stamper on a paper plate where it marbles it on the stamper.  Then I immediately smoosh the stamper onto the white nail.  Remove the tape, clean the edges, slap on some top coat, and bam....you got yourself a smoosh manicure!

What do you think?  Like this look?  Fan of the pink/black/white combo?  I wasn't too sure of it at first, but really did love it!

Until next time, <3. 

Flowers

The One With the Dainty Dot Flowers

9:00:00 AM


Good morning polished world!  How are you all doing today?  I apologize for not getting a post out sooner, but my week kind of got away from me.  I also just realized that I do not have any posts with photos edited other than this one.  How this happened is beyond me.  Sigh, I need to sit down and really work on this blog this weekend.  Really though, how is today Friday??  Where did my week go?!

Today's design is a cute dainty floral nail art.  I absolutely loved everything about this manicure.  The color theme, the little tiny flowers, and just how it turned out.  It took awhile to get the look because I used only tooth picks, but it was TOTALLY worth it!

Let's take a look!


Colors Used:
  • OPI - Alpine Snow
  • OPI - Crawfishin' for a Compliment
  • OPI - Having a Big Head Day
  • OPI - Polly Want a Lacquer?
  • OPI - I'm Soooo Swamped
Adorable, right?!  Cannot even stop looking at the photos of this design.  I received so many compliments on this manicure.  People couldn't believe me that I did the design myself and thought that they were stickers.

I first started out with a white base coat, and when it was dried, I went through adding the dot flowers with a tooth pick.  I started with Crawfishin' for a Compliment, then filled in other colors as I went along.  When the little bunches were on the nail, I went through and added some flowers along the edges.  Threw in some little leaves, and added the little centers.  Top coat and bam, pretty floral nails!



What do you think?  Like this look?  I loved it so much that I had to take another photo of it!!!

I just realized it's Friday the 13th.  In the words of Michael Scott, I'm not superstitious, but I am a little sttious.

Until next time, <3.

Bug Mani

The One With the Butterfly Nail Art

9:00:00 AM


Good morning polished world!   Happy Monday to you all!  Should happy and Monday go in the same sentence?  My weekend didn't last long enough.  I did absolutely nothing.  Seriously had a "me" weekend where I lounged around.  Honestly, wish I had more days like that, probably could use at least two more then I'll be ready to go back to work.  Alas, I will be at work by the time this post is published running around not knowing my name.

Today's manicure is the annual butterfly manicure.  Last year I switched it up and did purple butterfly nails to raise awareness for Epidermolysis Bullosa.  This is a disease which commonly occurs in children.  Their skin is super fragile and sensitive and they can develop blisters easily.  Those children with this disease are known as butterfly children, because they are fragile like butterflies.  Last year, my good friend Meagan's friend Taylor passed away from this disease, giving me the idea for the post.

This year I wanted to do that again, so I turned yesterday's purple base into butterfly wings.

Let's take a look!


Colors Used:
  • FingerPaints - Lavender Love
  • FingerPaints - 50 Shades of Ashley
  • Acrylics
Now I don't need to gush again over this base like I did yesterday.  But look at how wonderful it is for the base of this design!!  I cannot get over how it gave the butterfly wings such dimension!  They shimmered and sparkled, and I received so many compliments on them.

What do you think?  Like the butterfly wings?

Until next time, <3.


FingerPaints

The One With the Random FingerPaints Swatch

9:00:00 AM


Good morning polished world!  Happy Sunday to you all!  How are you all doing today?  I hope everyone had a happy and safe Fourth of July.  I meant to have a post up yesterday, but sleep in Saturday became an all day event, and I'm still exhausted.  That tells you how busy my week was.  It was completely thrown off too because of the holiday being right smack dab in the middle of the week.  I felt like I had two Monday's.

Here's to this week though going better, especially since there is only one Monday!!  Still though, why does there even have to be a Monday??  Anyways, I'm getting off topic.  Today I'm sharing with you the base for the manicure I'm going to share with you tomorrow.  I was obsessing over the base, so I felt I needed to dedicate a swatch post to it.

Let's take a look!


Colors Used:
  • FingerPaints - Lavender Love
  • FingerPaints - 50 Shades of Ashley
Lavender Love is one of my favorite purple polishes.  Two coats of a beautiful cream lavender which saddens me that I'm getting close to the end because I fear I will never find one just like it.  I've used Lavender Love numerous times before, that's not what I'm here to drool over.

What I'm drooling over is 50 Shades of Ashley which was part of the Ashley Nell Tipton Collection that came out a few years ago.  Why I never used it yet is beyond me.  Maybe because I thought it was just a boring opal looking purple, but on the nail it is so much more!  I used one coat over Lavender Love and it added such a dimension to the polish!!!  I couldn't stop staring at it!

Wait until you see the design I did over it!

What do you think?  Like this swatch?  Do you think I should share more swatches?

Until next time, <3.

4th of July

The One With the Fourth of July Dot Manicure

9:00:00 AM


Good morning polished world and Happy Fourth of July!!!!  I'm kind of disappointed in myself, I only had time for one festive manicure this year, and it's one I've already done.  I blame the heat.  We have had higher humidity and temperatures than Miami.  I'm fine when it comes to the heat, but I am not fine when it comes to the humidity.  Nothing is worse than when you walk outside and cannot even breath because the air feels so heavy and wet.  Then add high temperatures....ugh it's unbearable.  It's supposed to be like that again today too.  Although, it does make for some wonderful nights, which means it will be lovely firework weather.

Anyways, as I said before I went on a weather tangent, I'm kind of upset that I'm sharing with you a manicure I've already done for the Fourth.  I believe when I was looking through my Instagram, I did this two years ago, so in the end it's okay to re-create.  Plus, I love the negative space dot manicure, and I haven't done one in awhile.

Let's take a look!


Colors Used:
  • OPI - Having a Big Head Day
  • OPI - My Pal Joey
  • OPI - Alpine Snow
I'm really digging the negative space manicures lately.  I posted one a few weeks ago, and I just need to do more now that my nail grew out.  The dot one is one of my favorites, and so easy to do.  First you start off with a normal base coat.  I use FingerPaints Gel Like Base Coat (seriously this is an amazing base).  When that's dry, I took my white polish and a large dotting tool and started adding dots.  When the white dried, I did the same with red, then the blue.

What do you think?  Fan of this manicure?  Do you like the negative space?

I hope that everyone has a Happy and SAFE Fourth of July!!!  Don't go blowing your fingers off with fireworks!!!  More importantly, don't drink and drive.

Until next time, <3.


Monthly Mani Favs

The One With June's #MonthlyManiFavs

9:00:00 AM

Good morning polished world!!  Happy July to you all.  Can you believe that the Fourth of July is almost around the corner?  Sadly I think I'm going to have one manicure for it this year, which I should probably post tomorrow since it's the 2nd today.  Goodness, I don't have enough time to breath lately it feels like.

Luckily though, here I am remembering to post my Monthly Mani Favorites for June!  Only had 7 manicures this month, which I don't even know why I didn't post more.  Other than the fact I did have a week of just wearing swatches while my nail grew out.  I bet that's why I did it because I was scared that I was going to run out of manicures to share.  I worry too much.

Anyways, let's take a look at my favorites!


  • The One With the Random ORLY Gradient Manicure - Love this design because I was able to get my gradient skills back.  Plus, do you see that neon?!  I need all of the neons in my life.  Has someone made a neon holo yet?
  • The One With the Negative Space Daisies - I love negative space manicures, and now that my damaged nail has grown out, I'm able to do them again.  Actually wearing one now as I type this.  I bet that means you're going to know what my next design will be.  Anyways, I have a bunch of negative space florals I want to try and cannot wait to share with you all!
  • The One With Daisies and ORLY Blue Suede - Guys, look how amazing Blue Suede is by ORLY.  Speaking of holo, I think that I need to make this holo using a top coat.  It's just so damn beautiful.  And of course, adding dots and daisies on top of it makes it even more fantastic.
  • The One With the China Glaze Tribal Manicure - I swear I've done this design a million times over, but it's still a good one.  Love the color combination, love the tribal design...it's just all beautiful.
What do you think?  Have a favorite?  Think I missed one?

Until next time, <3.