Gradient Mani

The One With the Candy Corn Spider Web

9:00:00 PM

Nothing to Disclose


Happy Friday to everyone!  How are you all doing??  Started out sunny here then turned into a rainy day really fast.  Yes, I'm posting this in the evening when I usually post in the mornings, but I was a total space case and forgot to write up the post and actually publish it.  Edited the photos the other day, uploaded them, pre-published the post, but then never wrote anything.  I really am wondering if I'm losing my mind.

Today's design is a re-creation of my candy corn spider web design.  Again, I'm in a little bit of a funk with new ideas, so I'm hitting up the oldies but goodies.  It's been awhile since I've created a gradient, and what better time to do one than with the candy corn colors?! 

Let's take a look! 


Colors Used:
  • Sally Hansen - Electra-Cute
  • Sally Hansen - Blacky O
  • Sally Hansen - some white that the label fell off of
  • ORLY - Mirrorball
Yeah, I had to break away from using only Sally Hansen polishes in this manicure because I just needed to have a holographic accent.  How can you blame me, Mirrorball is amazing and by far one of my favorite silver holographic polishes.  Plus, it really makes this whole manicure pop, don't you think?


I'm going to have one of those pat myself on the back moments with this design.  I'm very proud of my gradient, spider web, and my nail length.  You have no idea how long it has taken me to strengthen my nails and get them long again.  Now if I can only keep them this way through the Christmas season....

What do you think of this design?  Are your nails ready for Sunday??

I have one more post for you for Halloween.  Nothing fancy, but still worth sharing since I did it.

See you soon! <3 


Animal Print

The One With the Fun Leopard Gradient Re-Creation

9:00:00 AM

Nothing to Disclose


Hey all, and welcome to another Wednesday!  Here we are, smack dab in the middle of another work week.  I feel this week is going by super slowly, but that's probably because I'm just really looking forward to my Sleep-in-Saturday.  I feel like last weekend I was busy decorating for Halloween and running errands that I truly didn't have that fully relaxing weekend like I normally have.  Don't get me wrong, it was relaxing, but I just prefer more sleep.  What can I say, I work in healthcare, I'm always tired.

Today's design is a re-creation of an oldie but a goodie.  This fun gradient leopard print came up on my Facebook memories and I couldn't stop thinking about it, so of course I had to re-create it.  I need to continue to grow my nails out because I feel the design looks better when the nails are a tad longer, but overall, I still loved it.

Let's take a look!


Colors Used:
  • China Glaze - Capacity to See Beyond
  • Some purple that I don't know the name of
  • Serendipity Polish - Holoday Lights
  • ORLY - Liquid Vinyl
So, Capacity to See Beyond by China Glaze is part of The Giver collection.  I can't help but laugh that each time I a description of the collection it starts off with "Fun colors inspired by the movie The Giver". Last time I checked The Giver wasn't a fun movie or book and was actually quite dark.  Pretty sure it's one of those books we all grew up reading that now aren't allowed in schools kind of like To Kill a Mockingbird or The Catcher in the Rye.  Literary classics, but you know, whatever.


Despite the premise of the book, the polish truly is a gorgeous fun blue that works wonderfully for gradients and nail art.  I actually have about three back up bottles of this color because I loved it so much when it came out.  I actually need to start investing in China Glaze again because they truly do make gorgeous polishes, I just always forget about the brand.  And, I'm not going to lie, the bottles are awkward to hold for photos so I kind of shy away from them.  Dumb reason not to use my China Glaze, but again, whatever. 

What do you think?  Fan of this look?

Until next time, <3.


Gradient Mani

The One With the Green Gradient for St. Patrick's Day

9:00:00 AM

Nothing to Disclose


Good Morning and Happy St. Patrick's Day!!!!  Hope everyone is decked out in green today!!  You'll find me in crazy leggings and plain green nails.  Sadly not the nails I'm sharing today because didn't I break one of them and the whole thing was just ruined.  Such is life.  If you follow me on Instagram, you know that I'm currently in the mood of blaming everything on Daylight Savings, so the nail break clearly is because of that also.  Seriously though, I cannot get into the groove of anything since Sunday!  I'm so thrown off.  I'm actually shocked I'm getting this post up, that's how thrown off I am.

Today's post is by far one of my favorite manicures to date.  I really wasn't feeling anything crazy for St. Patrick's Day this year.  Usually I do the pot of gold, shamrocks, and rainbows, but I don't know what it is.  My nail art self wasn't wanting to do all of that.  Then came the next best thing, a green gradient with a top coat of a gold flake.  I'm so glad I skipped the crazy nail art and went with this.

Let's take a look!


We will just pretend that I posted the colors I used here.  Literally painted this manicure the other day and cannot figure out for the life of me what polishes I used other than the Serendipity in the photo.  Which, I don't recall the name of it and I'm too lazy to go get the bottle and check.  Since this polish is discontinued, I don't think it's that big of a deal since you all won't be running to buy it and honestly it's a dupe for like ten other dark green polishes on the market.

I'm rambling.  Regardless, this manicure was created by painting my nails with a base of a light green polish.  That polish was one of my Sally Hansen Miracle Gels.  I was convinced that it was going to stain my nails since most light green polishes do that.  However, that beauty did not.  99.9% positive that the base was Sally Hansen Wet My Thistle.


When my base was dried, I used three shades of green to create that beautiful gradient.  I debated on rotating the gradient and having the dark at some of the cuticles, but my brain wanted to be OCD and keep everything uniform.  I'm actually happy I stayed uniform because I think the overall look was better in the end.

That glitter topper is Maria Luisa by Zoya.  My favorite gold flake which I will never forget the name of as long as I'm living.  I think it was that perfect little pot of gold look to add to it.

What do you think?  Perfect St Patrick's Day Manicure???

Everyone have a safe and happy day!

Until next time, <3.


FingerPaints

The One With a Re-Creation of a Gradient Splatter Manicure

9:00:00 AM

Nothing to Disclose 


Welcome to yet another Sunday!  How was your week last week?  Are we all ready for yet another fun filled week?  I know I am....not.  One thing I am excited for is the weather.  It's been very cold and blustery here the last few days, and next week it's going to be in the 40s and 50s.  While to many this seems horribly cold, it's a lot better than the 20s and 30s.

Today's manicure is a re-creation of one I did a few years ago which so happens to be one of my all time favorite manicures.  It came up on my FaceBook memories and I just had to re-create it.  Now if I can only figure out how to re-create my nail photos to look just like they did back then, I'll be all set.

Let's take a look!


Colors Used:
  • FingerPaints - The Mural of the Story
  • ORLY - White Tips
  • ORLY - Liquid Vinyl
Ahhhhhh isn't it gorgeous?!  I literally love everything about this manicure.  the gradient, the splatter, the colors.  I cannot find one thing wrong.  This is one of those manicures that I wore for more than my usual 3 day period because I love it so much.  Does anyone remember how to do these splatter manicures?  I feel it's been forever since I've seen anyone create them.  Wait....is the splatter out?

Regardless, to get the look you take one of those mini coffee stir straws and you dip it into the nail polish.  Then you hover it over your nail and just blow through the straw.  It's one of the messiest things ever, but the payoff is so worth it.


I forgot how much I love The Mural of the Story by FingerPaints, and well, how much I love my FingerPaints polishes all together.  Is this brand still around?  I haven't stepped foot into a Sally Beauty Supply in over a year and feel like I'm way out of the nail polish loop.  If the polish isn't coming in the mail to me, then I'm not going looking for it. 

What do you think?  Fan of this manicure?  Love the look as much as I do?


Until next time, <3.


Gradient Mani

The One With the Pink Snowflake Manicure - Take Two

9:00:00 AM

Nothing to Disclose


Good morning Polished World!  How are you all doing on this fine Tuesday?  It's the dreaded Valentine's week where I am going to attempt to be festive, but will fail miserably at it.  Honestly,  I don't think I'm going to do any pink heart nails this year.  Sorry to disappoint, but I'm truly not feeling it.  If you've been reading this blog for awhile, you know that I'm not a fan of Valentine's Day, so this shouldn't come as a huge shock.  Maybe next year, or randomly in the middle of the summer when I'm feeling like doing heart nails for no reason whatsoever.

Today's design is one I created about a year ago now.  It's probably the most festive you'll get out of me for Valentine's as it has the perfect pink gradient.  And you guessed it, it's a snowflake design.  I don't remember where I got the inspiration from for this design, but it's one of my all time favorite snowflake manicures.

Let's take a look!


Colors Used:
  • Jessica Cosmetics - Mojave Desert
  • Jessica Cosmetics - Festival Fuchsia
  • Serendipity Polish - Holoday Lights
  • Sally Hansen - Blacky-O
Isn't this manicure perfect?  I kind of want to re-create it with a blue gradient.  Although I'm burning out on the whole snowflake thing, and I'm sure you all are tired of seeing them as well!  Maybe next year.  Anyways, these two pink polishes work wonderfully to create a gradient. I started off with a base coat of Mojave Desert, the most perfect baby pink polish ever.  Two coats and you have complete coverage.  When it was dried, I took a make up sponge and dabbed on the Festival Fuchsia.


When the gradient was dry, I went through and added the snowflake with acrylics.  Yes, I cheated a bit but when creating a snowflake, I'm a tad OCD and want the art to look as perfect as possible.  As you can guess, this flake took about 5 tries to get it how it is here, and I'm still finding issues with it.

What do you think? Fan of this look?

Okay, I think I'll move on from snowflakes. Maybe I'll enter a flower phase again.

Until next time, <3.




Dry Brush Mani

The One With the Blue Gradient Dry Brush Manicure

9:00:00 AM

Nothing to Disclose 


Hello Polished World, and welcome to a post that was in my drafts prior to COVID!  The date on this was January 28th, 2020.  I seriously feel like that was AGES ago.  After going through my drafts I realized I have about 10 or so posts I need to share.  They're a mixture of pre-COVID posts and then random nail art I did during the COVID crisis when I wanted to get my mind off of work.  COVID be damned, I'm not giving up on my nail art again. Truly it's been something that I've missed and I know it sounds weird, but I feel more like myself when my nails are all fancy.

Today's manicure is a gradient dry brush manicure which I am beyond obsessed with.  I've done gradient designs before where I then add a black and white splatter over the top and loved the end result.  I clearly remember when I did this manicure I debated on doing the splatter, but I wanted something different.  Thus, the idea of the dry brush came to my mind.

Let's take a look!


Colors Used:
  • OPI - Gelato On My Mind
  • OPI - Can't Find My Czechbook
  • OPI - My Pal Joey
  • OPI - Alpine Snow
  • OPI - Black Onyx
Can we take a minute to appreciate how lovely that blue gradient is.  I started off with a base coat of OPI Gelato On My Mind, which is the light baby blue.  Perfect two coat polish.  Once that was dried, I took a make up sponge and applied the three blues and dabbed it on each of my nails.  As many of us nail artists known, the gradient is the most tedious part of any manicure.  Multiple dabs to get the color just right, a top coat to ensure that the colors blend properly, and then of course, the cuticle clean up.


After the gradient was just how I wanted it, I started with the dry brush.  I first added the swipes of Alpine Snow, then went through with Black Onxy.  Added another layer of top coat and called it a day.  Overall the whole thing took probably an hour and a half since I'm crazy and have to have all 10 of my nails matching.

What do you think?  Like the gradient and dry brush look?

Until next time, <3.

Gradient Mani

The One With the ILNP Gradient Manicure

9:00:00 AM


Good morning polished world! How are you all doing on this fine.....what day is it, Wednesday?  I swear my days just keep blending into each other.  Every single day I ask "what day is it?"  I'm not the only one though, so I don't feel so bad about it.

Today's manicure is a simple ILNP Gradient that looked better in my head.  After my New Year's manicure where I did a gradient with Versailles, all I wanted to do was another type of gradient using some of Barbara's holographic polishes on top of a black.  I couldn't get the color combination exactly right, but it doesn't look too shabby.

Let's take a look!


Colors Used:
  • ORLY - Liquid Vinyl
  • ILNP - Float On
  • ILNP - Tidal Wave

As expected, the polishes were amazing to use for a gradient.  My only, minor, tiny, little complaint is that the colors weren't as vibrant as I would have liked.  Don't get me wrong, they were pretty bright, but I think Tidal Wave blended too much into Float On.  I really should try this with say a pink and a purple.


Regardless, I felt like the manicure had a real mermaid vibe to it.  If I was really feeling artsy, I probably would have painted some scales on the accent nail, but it was midnight when I did this manicure, and well, I didn't have time for that.  Honestly shocked I did a gradient on all ten of my nails.

What do you think?  Like this gradient?  Think I should try other color combinations?

Until next time, <3.

Dot Mani

The One With the New Years Eve Manicure and ILNP Versailles

9:00:00 AM


Good morning polished world!  It's New Years Eve!!!  And it's rained consistently for the past 48 hours.  Great way to end the year by raining the whole way right up until the end.  Mark my words, we will probably start the New Year off with flooding, maybe an ice storm, and then a lovely winter storm.

Minus the weather, I'm kicking off the New Years right by having a wonderfully, golden, holographic manicure.  Before Christmas, I purchased four new bottles of ILNP, one being the beyond gorgeous Versailles.  My whole plan was to use this polish for Christmas manicures, until I realized it was the perfect polish for NYE.

Let's take a look!


Colors Used:
  • ILNP - Versailles
  • ORLY - Liquid Vinyl
Isn't this the most gorgeous, beautiful, gold holographic polish!?  This polish reminds me of the gold version of Mega X, my favorite silver holographic by ILNP.  Two coats and gorgeous color.  I have received so many compliments on this polish because it catches the eye with the holo.



My favorite thing about this polish; the way it did a glitter gradient!  I've never used any of my ILNP polishes for a gradient until now.  I'm truly kicking myself that it's taken so long because it's such a stunning effect!  I cannot wait to do this with my others.

What do you think?  Fan of this New Years look?  Loving Versailles?

Happy New Year, everyone!  See you in 2020!

Dot Mani

The One With the Heart Manicure

9:00:00 AM


Good morning polished world!  Welcome to yet another Monday here in 2019.  We have entered into the week of the dreaded Valentine's Day.  At least I have a super busy week so I can ignore the fact that everyone is being super extra.  I'm a firm believer we should show our love for eachother every day, and not be forced to do it one day a year.  Now we all know that Valentine's Day didn't start out as a Hallmark Holiday, society commercialized it into what it is today.

Despite my hate for the holiday, for the blog (and my resident's), I festively paint my nails.  Today's manicure is for sure out of my comfort zone because of all the pink.  So.much.pink.  I wasn't sure of it at first, but then when I finished it off with the rose gold accent.....well, you'll see.

Let's take a look!


Colors Used:
  • INM - Celine's Jelly Bean
  • ORLY - White Tips
  • ORLY - Lucid Dream
Gorgeous, right? Celine's Jelly Bean is a perfect pastel pink polish.  Two coats and full coverage.  I was scared this would be a three coater because typically light pinks like this are more sheer and crelly like, but this one isn't.  Perfect cream polish which I think I might be using again around Easter time.



I can see myself wearing more pink manicures because of this design.  Lucid Dream by ORLY is a perfect accent to balance everything off.  It is a two coat, rose gold polish from the Deep Wonder winter collection.  Polishes like this are why I continue with the ORLY Color Pass each year.


What do you think of this manicure?  Think I should do more pink manicures?

Until next time, <3.


Dot Mani

The One With the Random ORLY Gradient Manicure

9:00:00 AM


Good morning polished world!  How are you all doing today?  The weekend is almost here, as is July.  Seriously, can you believe the Fourth of July is next Wednesday?  Goodness I haven't even thought about any red, white, and blue manicures yet.  I need to get on that....maybe tonight.

Since it's going to be super hot this weekend, it's only fitting that I have a super neon manicure which makes me look tan.  Honestly I'm not looking forward to 98 degree highs with humidity.  I'm perfectly okay with the heat, as long as it's a dry heat.  For all you lovelies who live in Florida, I do not know how you deal with that humidity all.the.time.

Let's take a look at the manicure!


Colors Used:
  • ORLY - Summer Fling
  • ORLY - No Regrets
  • ORLY - Liquid Vinyl
  • ORLY - White Tips
  • ORLY - Mirrorball
Ahhhhh yes, I used all ORLY polishes for this design.  Isn't it nice when you use one brand for a whole design??  Andddd I was able to create a gradient again!  Remember a few posts back where I said I thought I lost my gradient touch?  Well it seems I was being a tad dramatic and just had a bad night....or two.

Absolutely love this bright color combination.  I can see myself re-creating this and putting a palm tree on the gradient or something.  I actually debated on doing some form of art over it, but it was so bright and perfectly done that I didn't want to destroy it if I messed up some art.  Plus my confidence was low that I was going to be able to re-create it perfectly if I did mess it up.

What do you think?  Like this design?  Into the super bright neons??

Until next time, <3.


China Glaze

The One With the China Glaze Tribal Manicure

9:00:00 AM


Good morning polished world!  How are you all doing on this fine Monday morning?  Sleepy like I am?  I can't sleep when it's like 100 degrees out.  It's beyond impossible for me.  Then I obviously don't sleep on Sunday's because I'm busy wondering what's going to happen at work on Monday.  All I do know is that it's going to be super hot tomorrow and I'm not ready for this heat yet.

Anyways, today's designs is a tribal one which I've done probably a zillion times over.  I decided to do it because I was trying to slowly get myself back into doing gradients.  I know a few posts ago I said that I had attempted to do a gradient but seemed to have lost my touch.  I am proud to say that since then, I have created a gradient design besides this one.

Let's take a look!


Colors Used:
  • China Glaze - Pinking Through the Window
  • China Glaze - Too Yacht to Handle
  • China Glaze - Bring on the Bubbly
  • ORLY - Liquid Vinyl
Cute, right?  Can you see why this is my ease into gradient design?  This is so much easier to do than your typical gradient.  You have to start off with a base of white.  Then you take pieces of a make up sponge and lightly dab the colors on your nail.  Then you add a quick top coat and it blends it together.

What do you think?  Like this tribal design? Fan of the color combination??

Until next time, <3.


Animal Print

The One With the Blue Zebra Print Manicure

9:00:00 AM


Good morning polished world!  How are you all doing today?  Tuesday is upon us and the work week is in full swing.  I'm hoping to have a calmer week compared to last, but I doubt that will happen.  Wishful thinking, am I right?  We are having GORGEOUS weather, which means I can start wearing my Spring/Summer dresses again!  Love this time of year.  Okay, probably everyone around me doesn't love it because I'm pale as a ghost and blinding everyone, but I love it.

Today's design is a fun, funky zebra print I did before the great nail injury of 2018.  It's been saved in the draft folder to share when I was getting tired of sharing manicures all with that silver or gold accent nail.  Update on the injury, it's almost to the edge of my nail, meaning probably in another week or so I can go back to painting my nails without a middle glitter accent.

Let's take a look at today's manicure!


Colors Used:
  • ORLY - White Tips
  • INM - Misty Blue
  • INM - Cotton Candy Dandy
  • INM - Northern Lights
  • Acrylic

Isn't it neat?!  Super simple design to create.  First you start off with a base of white polish.  I used my favorite, ORLY White Tips.  When that was dried, I sponged INM Cotton Candy Dandy, a light blue polish, on my nail randomly.  Then in I went back through and sponged Misty Blue in the blank white area making sure not to cover all the white or fully overlap the light blue.  When that was dried, I added a quick coat of INM Northern Lights to blend the sponged colors, and add a little sparkle.

I then went through with a small nail art brush and a black acrylic and added the zebra print.  It's been forever since I've done one but this design is like riding a bike.  Super easy, super quick and doesn't have to be perfect.  Added another top coat and called it a night.

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

I just realized I haven't done an actual gradient manicure in some time.  Hmmm, should probably do one again soon!

Until next time, <3.