#SallySquad

The One With the Candy Corn Spider Web Manicure

9:00:00 AM


Good morning, Polished World, and Happy Halloween!!!  Is it just me or is anyone else feeling anxious because of tonight's Blue Moon?  If you work in healthcare like me, you already know how a normal full moon affects the industry.  Hospitals, nursing homes, you name it, all things weird and crazy happen. Prayers to all my healthcare workers who are working today!  Hopefully I won't get called in.  Seriously though, leave it to 2020 for there to be a Blue Moon on Halloween.

Anyways, I almost forgot today's post, which is crazy because this is my favorite Halloween manicure to date. On Instagram, I have been obsessing over Sammie's Halloween manicures.  My first design this season was inspired by her, and if my nails were longer I would have re-created her pumpkin design.  Maybe I will put a Thanksgiving twist on the pumpkin and recreate it then.

Well, Sammie came up with a really cool orange ombre spider web design that I really wanted to re-create.  After my last mani with a nude base, I was really hating the idea of attempting another nude look, even if it was an ombre.  Then, it hit me....the candy corn gradient!  How cool would a spider web look on top of that?!  I always love doing the candy corn gradient, but hate it on it's own.  I've always wanted to put something on top but never knew what.  Now, that all changed...

Let's take a look!


Colors Used:
  • Sally Hansen - Electrocute
  • Sally Hansen - Blacky O
  • ORLY - White Tips
  • ORLY - Mirrorball
  • OPI - Exotic Birds Do Not Tweet
Seriously....isn't this the BEST Halloween manicure ever?!  Hands down it is my one of my all time favorite designs.  It honestly might be my favorite. Actually, I did like this naked nail with a black jelly, vampy accented spider web nail.  Getting off topic, but this is amazing.


I debated on having glittery black nails framing the manicure, but I decided for the plain black and am so happy that I did.  Then I was thinking of adding little googly eyes on the index finger, but thought it would take away from that awesome accent.  You know, my perfect candy corn gradient.  It's been a long time since I've attempted a gradient and I was beyond thrilled to see I still can accomplish one, especially one nubby nails like I have right now.

What do you think?  Fan of this Halloween design?

I hope that everyone is super safe this evening and has fun!

Until next time, <3.


Dot Mani

The One I Don't Really Like But Am Posting Anyways

9:00:00 AM

Press Sample 


Hey polished world.  Yes, you are reading the title right.  This is the manicure that I don't really like and am posting anyways.  I did this manicure last year too and I hated it then.  So I'm not really sure why I re-created it this year.  I think maybe in my mind I didn't hate it, then once I was finished it hit me how much I disliked it.  

Also another part that I dislike about it was the whole editing process.  I cannot get the colors to balance, therefore I'm legitimately not giving two craps and am not watermarking it or anything.  Watch, this will be the post that blows up and goes viral.  Oh well, again, don't really care because I don't like this manicure.  It looked a million times better on Coffee and Nail Polish's nails who inspired my original design last year.

I feel it's important to share though the manicures we don't like.  I feel sometimes we get lost in this world of perfection where we only show our most perfect sides of ourselves.  Look at Facebook.  No one is ever going to post on there how miserable they truly are.  Instead they are going to show you their perfect life, which in turn causes people who aren't having a perfect life to feel insecure or even more upset.  I don't know, it sound stupid but I feel we need to normalize showing our imperfections or things we dislike so others out there can see they aren't alone.

So, here I am, posting my imperfect manicure on my blog where I typically only show what I consider to be masterpieces.

Let's take a look!


Colors Used:
  • OPI - My Vampire is Buff
  • OPI - Alpine Snow
  • OPI - Exotic Birds Do Not Tweet
  • OPI - No Tan Lines
See how the photo just looks blah.  And how my dots are blah?  What you can't see are all the little air bubbles that popped up around the dots after I added the top coat.

Overall the manicure is a fabulous idea, but on my skin tone it just doesn't work.  I think if I went with a naked nail base I would really like this.  You know, like the negative space.  For me, the nude doesn't work.

What do you think?

I can't wait to show you my last Halloween design.  I can tell you, that one for sure is a masterpiece in my mind.

Until next time, <3.


#SallySquad

The One With the Candy Corn Patchwork

9:00:00 AM

Press Sample 


Good morning, Polished World!  How are you all doing on this fine Sunday?  Can you believe I am here for yet another post?  I haven't disappeared yet.  Nor am I planning on it.  I can't begin to tell you how grateful that I am to be back to painting my nails, posting, and sharing them on Social Media.  Sure, I'm not where I was when I disappeared a few months ago, but I'll get back there again.  It's been relaxing for me to find an escape again from my work life.

Today's design is a different Halloween design which I do not believe that I have done before.  The other night when I sat down to do my nails it was close to 11pm.  I didn't want to do just a swatch so I went to my Pinterest board for some inspirations. I came across a candy corn patchwork design and I settled for that.  At first I was going to do it on on my nails, but alas, it was 11pm and I didn't want to go all out like that.  So, I opted for the easy peasy accent nail.

To be honest, I love it just as an accent.  Let's take a look!


Colors Used:
  • Sally Hansen - Blacky-O
  • OPI - Exotic Birds Do Not Tweet
  • OPI - No Tan Lines
  • ORLY - White Tips
Isn't this a cool manicure?  I really, really loved this design a lot more than I thought I would.  It also received a lot of compliments.  To get the look, I started out with a base coat of white polish.  Then I outlined the patchwork boxes.  I then colored in each box with either yellow or orange.  When that was dry, I went through and again outlined with black, and then added the little sew marks.


Now, you all know my love of ORLY Liquid Vinyl.  It has been my favorite black polish for years and years.  Sally Hansen Blacky-O is now right at the top of the list.  This polish applies kind of thin on the first coat but builds up beautifully on the second coat.  It is beyond shiny and just like the other Miracle Gel polishes, it wears like steel and doesn't chip easily.

What do you think? Like this Halloween manicure?

Until next time, <3.


China Glaze

The One With the Creepy Drippy Manicure

9:00:00 AM


Good Morning Polished World!  Can you believe I'm back and posting again. You probably all thought I would disappear again, but nope.  Here I am.  I have too many Halloween designs to share to disappear back into the void of my busy life.  Getting back on Instagram and Blogging really felt good and I don't want to disappear again for awhile. 

Today's design is one I originally wasn't going to do.  I set out to create another spider web manicure, but my hand was quite shaky and my lines looked horrible.  Earlier in the day, I spray painted a pallet for a Halloween craft and I somehow managed to pull a muscle in my wrist while doing so.  I kid you not my arm hurt for a solid three days after.  Note to self: when I have to spray paint the top coat, I need to remember to alternate hands or take a break!

Anyways, since the spider webs didn't work out and I had a wonderful green base, I thought that some drips would look good and it would stick with the Halloween theme.

Let's take a look!


Colors Used:
  • China Glaze - Drink Up Witches
  • ORLY - Liquid Vinyl
Okay, so Drink Up Witches is one of the best neon green polishes that I own.  You can use this on top of a white with about one coat, or three coats on it's own.  You can get away with two coats if you are careful with how you apply it.  It can be a bit thin if you don't have enough on the brush since it's kind of a jelly consistency.  Regardless, gorgeous green.


I do enjoy the drip manicures.  They're really easy to do but took like they would take awhile to accomplish.  I always start off with an acrylic outline then fill it in with the polish.  Add a top coat and you have the perfect, eye catching manicure.

What do you think? Fan of this Halloween look?

Until next time, <3.


Color Club

The One With the Spider Webs

9:00:00 AM


Good morning, Polished World!  Yes, I'm still alive.  I keep meaning to put up a post about where I've been but everytime I go to write it, I just end up falling asleep.  Not to mention, I didn't have any nail art to post afterwards so I didn't want to bring the blog back with no content.  Now, I have content and I'm just too lazy to write the post about where I've been.  If you follow me on Instagram, then you've seen a few updates about my life and how the pandemic really turned my life upside down.  I don't want to get into it fully because I still kind of want to write that post.

Until then, I'm here to share with you Halloween manicures!!!  Yes, my favorite time of the year when the holiday themed manicures can start.  For the past few years, I've tried to do Halloween designs throughout the whole month of October. In September, I dusted off my nail art brushes, dotting tools, and practiced a bit with some floral designs so I could head into October 100% ready.

On Instagram, I saw an awesome spider web manicure by SRG.Nails and I knew right away that was going to be my first manicure of the season.  Of course, I was a little shaky on my spider webs, but overall, I am obsessed with this manicure.

Let's take a look!


Colors Used:
  • Color Club - Pucci-Licious
  • ORLY - Liquid Vinyl
  • ORLY - White Tips
  • ILNP - Mega X
Alright so they mega changed Blogger since I last posted so it is taking me a solid minute to figure out the new logos to get hyperlinks, spacing, bullets, etc.  It all pretty much in the same spots, but goodness, I'm too old and don't adapt well to change.  I also need to learn patience but that's a whole different story.  I really need to write that post on where I've been!


Look at me rambling, yet again. Isn't this manicure fabulous?  Pucci-Licious is a polish I have owned for at least 7 years and it still applies as if it were brand new.  Perfect purple for this time of year.  I love how the black spider web pops on top of it.  The best part?  Mega X!  It is the perfect accent for this design.  I really wish I could have done my white spider webs as silver ones like SRG.Nails did, but I really couldn't manipulate my silver polish that way. So, I cheated and used acrylic paint.

What do you think?  Fan of this manicure?  Something you'd try!

So happy to be back!  Hopefully I can keep this up long term. 

Until next time, <3.