OPI

The One With the Random Pink Manicure

9:00:00 AM

Nothing to Disclose 


Hi, hey, it's me.  I'm sorry, I know, I went MIA again.  I am trying my hardest not to do that again.  A little bit of what's been going on.  Well, you know that I work in healthcare - so that should be enough of a statement in itself to explain what's happening.  My workplace had a tad bit of COVID going around, dealing with new mandates, rules, guidances, etc.  It's been crazy. I went back to swatching plain colors on my nails, and when I do that, my nails get super weak and break.  I had little nubbies I didn't want to paint, and honestly I was so tired at the end of the day, I had no energy to paint.  Heck, I didn't even want to look at this blog to post something out of the archives due to my exhaustion.

I have some posts to edit and I did paint a Valentine's Day design (shocking, I know), so I have to get back into the swing of things.  I wasn't going to write a post tonight, but remembered I had a cute pink manicure in my archives that is perfect for the week before Valentine's Day.  Then I'll get back to the snowflakes.  Just kidding....maybe.

Let's take a Look! 


I'm just going to spare you the whole Colors Used thing because I'm just going to embarrass myself trying to remember what the colors are.  I do know that the white is Alpine Snow, which is slowly becoming my favorite white polish.  For years I avoided it because of my love for Orly White Tips, but goodness, this is amazing.  Two coats, super fast drying, and lovely bright white finish.  What more can you ask for?!  The reason that this is slowly edging up to the number 1 spot in my heart is because of how quickly it dries.  Whites are used a lot for the base of nail art, so you need something that quickly sets so you can get to work.


Now, I'm not a pink person, but I am in LOVE with this design.  It would probably look amazingly gorgeous with a mint or baby blue also.  Oooo or a pastel purple.  Regardless, this was one of those designs I kept on for a week because of how much I loved it.  I'm very proud of my leaf work also.  I always impress myself each time I do flowers or leaves.  I really have grown.

What do you think?  Like this look?  Love the pink?

Until next time, <3.


OPI

The One With the Really Separated OPI Polish, but Still Works

9:00:00 AM

Nothing to Disclose 


Hey there Polished World!  Sorry that I took a week off, but I needed to focus a tad on my work life.  I also went back to a week of swatching because my nails were peeling and I had to cut them down short again.  Now, I should have gone into the archives and posted from there, but I kind of forgot and here we are now!

Today's design is one from the archives since I have been painting swatches.  When I went into the drafts, this one was actually painted a year ago.  Yes, that's how far back the archives go here on The Little Canvas.  Since this is a fall-ish colored looking floral design, I decided it was appropriate to look at.

Let's take a look!


Colors Used:
  • OPI - I'm Feeling Sashy
  • ORLY - White Tips
  • Some Gold Polish I Can't Remember
I'm going to give myself points for remember which OPI polish that I'm holding. That's mainly because I used it the other day for a swatch.  Despite the fact that this polish is extremely separated, it still applies wonderfully.  Two coats and fully, shiny, beautiful coverage.  One of my favorite colored polishes as well.  


I don't know what else to say about this manicure because it was so long ago, but it's cute!  Absolutely love the floral look.  I really need to re-create this design this year, maybe with one of my newer OPI polishes which aren't separated.

What do you think?  Fan of this?

Until next time, <3



OPI

The One With the Re-Creation of Yet Another Floral Manicure

9:00:00 AM

Nothing to Disclose


Good Morning, and welcome to another Monday!  I apologize for posting only weekly, but life has been crazy.  I'm not going to lie though, I'm super proud that despite the crazy, my nails are grown out again and I've been creating nail art.  That means I'll just have a lot of content coming your way!!  Not to mention, I also have a lot of new polishes that I need to start using.  That just means more nail art!

Today's design is a re-creation of one of my all time favorite rose designs.  I did the design years ago when I first purchased this OPI.  I loved it so much that it was my profile picture for ages on my Facebook and Instagram.  Then I got fancy and had the little logo made, then I just now opt for selfies.  How the times have changed, but one thing that hasn't is that this is one of my favorite designs.

Let's take a look! 


Colors Used:
  • OPI - Crawfishin For a Compliment
  • OPI - My Vampire is Buff
  • OPI - I'm Sooo Swamped
Isn't it adorable?!  Those dainty little roses paired with that gorgeous peach polish!?  Crawfishin For a Compliment was one of my first polishes in this gorgeous shade.  I never bought anything like it before because I didn't think it would look good on me, nor was it a color I usually gravitated towards.  I'm glad I bought it oh so long ago, because it's one of my secret favorites.  Two coats and you have full perfect coverage.


Now as I look at this design, I kind of want to try to do some peach fruit nail art with these colors.  Maybe little branches with peaches hanging off of them?  Ehhh I won't get it to work.  I think I'll stick to the dainty little roses.

What do you think?  Love the colors and the flowers?

Until next time, <3

OPI

The One With the Pinterest Manicure that I'm Obsessed With

9:00:00 AM

Nothing to Disclose


Good Morning, Polished World!!!  I know, I've been missing again.  I apologize but work became crazy again and I have been working a lot of 12 hour days.  It's exhausting, but at the end of the day I truly don't want to be doing anything else.  The light is at the end of the tunnel, and I'm going to focus on myself again and start painting my nails more than just a swatch.  Now, don't think I'm 100% work obsessed, I've been spending a lot of time in my vegetable garden which is looking amazing.  Broke a few nails in the garden, but it's well worth it.

Today's design is one I did towards the end of May which I am OBSESSED with!  I saw a similar manicure on Pinterest and I fell in love.  It was a color combination I never imagined doing, or thinking that it would look good on me, but here we are!

Let's take a look!


Colors Used:
  • OPI - My Twin Mimmy
  • ORLY - As Seen on TV
  • OPI - My Boyfriend Scales Walls
  • Black Acrylic
Isn't this amazing?!  Look at that color combination?!  The gorgeous pastel pink/purple mixed with the BRIGHT yellow!!!!  Then that vine design?!  It all blends and works so perfectly.  I was beyond upset with this manicure chipped and I had to remove it.  Especially because I feel I have finally mastered the nail art vine.


Just look how I got those leaves to perfectly flow across the nails.  And the leaves actually looked like leaves.  Sure, it took me about 5 attempts on each nail to get it just right, but it's ten times better than when I would try, get frustrated, and then remove the polish all together.

So now I'm in the market for more fun ideas like this.  Tag me on Instagram if you find any!!!!

Until next time, <3

Dot Mani

The One With A Floral Manicure Inspired by SRG.Nails

9:00:00 AM

Nothing to Disclose 


Well, good morning and Happy Tuesday to you all!  How's the weather where you are?  Finally it's getting a tad warmer here, but it looks like it's going to drop down again later this week.  Kind of upsetting to me because my seedlings are doing really well and I'm getting impatient and I want to plant them into my garden.  You should see how much I've grown this year so far.  Tomatoes, onions, cucumbers, and a mixture of flowers.  Oh the flowers, I'm going to have a huge flower garden before I know it.

And since the flowers have sprouted, that means it's time for me to start floral manicures.  Today's design is yet again inspired by SRG.Nails.  I've done something similar to this in the past, but this time I switched up the color of the flowers.  I wasn't feeling the red like she did, I wanted that Spring umph.

Let's take a look! 


Colors Used:
  • Zoya - Dahlia
  • OPI - My Boyfriend Scales Walls
  • ORLY - Liquid Vinyl
  • Acrylics
Now, the pink and purple are nail polish, but you guessed it....I can't remember what colors!!!  In the end, I did remember that I'm holding Dahlia, one of my all time favorite Pixie Dust polishes from Zoya.  Who else thinks that Zoya needs to release a new collection of these beauties?!  Maybe a holographic PixieDust line?!  I'm just imagining how beautiful it would be.


I love how this manicure turned out.  I'm super impressed with my leaves this time around.  That's one thing I've struggled on in the past few years, the little finer details.  Finally, I think I'm starting to get it.  Stay tuned because you know me, I get obsessed with a look or a design and I re-create it a million times in a row.

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

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.

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.


OPI

The One With the Re-Creation of an Old Snowflake Manicure

9:00:00 AM


Good morning Polished World!  How are you all doing on this cold, January day?  I'm low key proud of myself this month for posting as much as I have been.  As you all know, last year I took a bit of a hiatus when my life got crazy.  I didn't start painting my nails again until the Fall when life slowed down.  Now I'm finding that my biggest issue with blogging is editing the photos.  I have a lot of downtime in the evenings, so I really have no idea why I don't edit photos.  I think I got so used to not blogging that the whole idea skips my mind.  That is until I realize I have 5 posts to edit and another 4 to still share.  I'm getting there, and soon I'll be blogging like I used to....hopefully.  Despite the hiatus, I'm amazed that people are still here taking a look at my nails. My views are at an all time high since returning and I never expected that.  Thank you all for sticking around!

Again, I am proud of myself that I got back into the swing of it.  Some nights I'm more inspired than others.  Last night I just did a plain swatch because the inspiration was at a zero, but since I have so many posts to share, it didn't bother me.  I took the time to edit today's post which is a re-creation of a snowflake manicure I did a few years ago.  I loved it then and I truly still love it now.

Let's take a look!


Colors Used:
  • OPI - I Believe in Manicures
  • OPI - Champagne for Breakfast
  • ORLY - Liquid Vinyl
Could have had a manicure utilizing all OPI polishes, but no, I had to grab my beloved ORLY Liquid Vinyl.  I wonder if I even have a bottle of Black Onyx by OPI.....I should research that.  I have to ask, is it an amazing black polish?  I don't know if I can be converted from ORLY's Liquid Vinyl.  I'm getting off track; can we talk about how awesome a black accent is for this snowflake manicure?  I just love the look with the stunning blue, the holographic silver, and then the black snowflakes.



What I especially love is OPI Champagne for Breakfast.  A polishe released in 2016 as part of the Breakfast at Tiffany's holiday collection (seriously this was released 3 years ago), this polish was a liquid sand holographic silver glitter.  I love the textured polishes and OPIs take on them were fabulous.  This polish is no exception.  I think OPI needs to re-release it ASAP.

What do you think?  Fan of this look?  Love the combination?  Think I should do a more formal then and now series?

Until next time, <3.

China Glaze

The One With the Pretty Blue Color Block

9:00:00 AM

Nothing to Disclose

Good Morning polished world!  How are you all doing on this cold, chilly Monday?  We are in the middle of a lovely snowstorm. Yesterday we had a good inch or so of icy sleet, and then now we are supposed to get snow on top of it.  I'm thanking the Lord for all wheel drive and heated seats! Makes for the longer commute to be manageable.

Since it's cold and chilly, I figured I would share my blue color block manicure I did when we had our first snowstorm in early November.  I wanted to wait to share it because I felt that it had a winter/Christmas feel because of the color pallette.  Honestly, I probably should have accented it with some snowflakes.

Let's take a look!


Colors Used:
  • OPI - Set Apart by Tile Art
  • China Glaze - Combat Blue-Ts
  • Zoya - Dream
  • Serendipity Polish - Holoday Lights

Set Apart by Tile Art is such a wonderfully gorgeous polish by OPI.  I bought this one because I thought it was a dupe of My Boyfriend Scales Walls, but it wasn't 100% identical. What I found was something even more wonderful than my beloved My Boyfriend Scales Walls.  This polish leans towards a light blue tint versus the grey tint of MBSW.  Two coats, full coverage, and just wonderful off white that adds something unique to the manicure.


I think that if I used a regular white instead of Set Apart by Tile Art, I wouldn't have liked this manicure as much.  It blended so well with the gorgeous blue of Combat Blue-Ts and Dream.  Anyone else find that Combat Blue-Ts can be a tad difficult to work with because it dries so fast?  It's well worth the pain that it is to apply.  It looks GORGEOUS without a top coat because it has the most perfect matte finish.

What do you think of this color block manicure?  Perfect for this time of year??

Might have a Christmas manicure to post next!  Stay tuned.

Until next time, <3.

Halloween

The One With the Pumpkin Nail Art that I Really Don't Like

9:00:00 AM

Nothing to Disclose

Good morning polished world! How are you all doing on this wonderful Monday?  I apologize for not posting but I got distracted and thought I had posted.  Actually I'm even behind on Instagram too.  Not quite sure how that happened since I feel I have been diligent, but who knows.

Today's nail art is something that looked MUCH better in my head than it did on my nails.  Remember the other day when I posted the graveyard coming from the cuticle and I said pumpkins by my cuticle would be a cute idea.  Yeah, they would probably be cute if they weren't jack o'lanterns.  I ran out of room, so I just did the eyes, and well I really did not like them.  But since I'm all about the blog again, I figured I would post them.

Let's take a look!


Colors Used:
  • OPI - I Can Never Hut Up
  • OPI - No Tan Lines
  • ORLY - Liquid Vinyl
  • Acrylics
The thing I really liked about this manicure was the base.  I used two coats of I Can Never Hut Up, which is one of my all time favorite grey polishes by OPI.  When that was dry, I went through with a black polish and created the dry brush look.  I then added the pumpkins first by outlining them with a black acrylic.  I then filled in the orange and green and added some darker orange shading.



Then came time for the jack o'lantern faces.  This is where the manicure took a turn for the disaster-cure.  I didn't plan the spacing out enough and had no room for the little mouths, therefore I had tiny triangle eyes, at first.  I tried to fix my mess, and made the triangles larger, which I wasn't happy with.

Even though I wasn't happy with the design, other people thought they were cute.  They said they were peek-a-boo jack o'lanterns.

What do you think?  Hate them, love them?

Until next time, <3.

Halloween

The One With the Mani Swap With Coffee and Nail Polish - Graveyard Nails!

9:00:00 AM


Good morning, polished world!  How are you doing on this fine, fine Tuesday?  We are finally getting some Fall weather right in time for Halloween.  Life has slowed down for me during my favorite season and I actually am getting to enjoy the changing colors and crisp air.  I'm hoping the weather holds this weekend so I can carve my pumpkins.  I need ideas, so if you have any, let me know!

Today's post is a Mani Swap with Coffee and Nail Polish, you know, since two of my last three Halloween manicures have been inspired by her.  How could I not recreate her ghosts and candy corn dots??  When I saw her graveyard nails, I knew I had to re-create them as well.  After chatting about Halloween nail art, we decided to do today's swap!!

Let's take a look at my re-creation of her graveyard nails!


Colors Used:
  • OPI - I Can Never Hut Up
  • ORLY - Liquid Vinyl
  • ORLY - White Tips
  • Zoya - Troy
Aren't these graveyard nails neat?!  Just like her other designs, I never would have thought of this manicure.  Especially doing the little graves at the cuticle.  Why don't I think of doing more cuticle nail art?  It's so versatile and there are so many designs you can do from there.  I think I might do some Thanksgiving cuticle pumpkins.  That sounds weird, but trust me, I think it's going to be cute.



I really loved the base for this manicure.  To get the look, I started with a base coat of Zoya Troy.  It's a dark grey pewter polish from I believe the Urban Grunge collection.  During my blogging hiatus, it was a polish I discovered in my collection and wore a lot with a variety of holographic top coats.  You can get away with one coat of this beauty, but I typically use two.

When that was dried, I went through with ORLY White Tips and did a vertical dry brush unlike the normal random abstract dry brush that I typically do.  I then did a dry brush with I Can Not Hut Up by OPI.  One of my favorite light grey polishes with a subtle blue shimmer.  Then to make it a little more spooky, I added a bit of a dry brush using ORLY Liquid Vinyl.


Once my dry brush was completed, I added the cuticle nail art using acrylics.  Honestly, it was so much easier to create the nail art at the cuticle instead of at the tip of the nail.  Maybe because of the angle when painting.  Who knows.  Regardless, I really need to create more cuticle nail art.

I didn't plan the photo at the actual graveyard, it just was an interesting coincidence.  On a beautiful day this weekend, I went to visit some family plots before the winter to make sure they were in good condition when I realized I had the graveyards painted on my nails.  I had to take the opportunity for the photo.  I'm not going to lie, I find graveyards to be extremely peaceful and not so much haunting.  Just walking around and reading different graves you can learn so much.  At this particular graveyard, some of the graves are from the 1800s.  I just find it interesting.

What do you think?  Fan of this manicure? Do you get creeped out by graveyards?

Don't forget to check out Shannon's swap!!!

Until next time, <3.



Flowers

The One With the OPI Blue Floral Manicure

9:00:00 AM


Good morning polished world!  Happy Monday!  We are here beginning yet another work week.  Hopefully this week isn't as long as the last few have been.  I am looking forward to that looong weekend next weekend.  I hope that I can get my garden planted and ready to go because I feel like it's super late for me to start this year.  I also at some point this week need to get to the local garden nursery and buy flowers for the gardens at work, and you know, plant them all.  I do it for the residents.

Today's design is yet another floral manicure.  You're going to be seeing a LOT of florals over the next few posts.  I'm just hooked and I can't stop painting them.  Maybe I'll get sick of them one day, but right now I don't see that happening.  Especially after today's blue design.

Let's take a look!


Colors Used:
  • OPI - My Pal Joey
  • OPI - Gelato On My Mind
Absolutely.in.love.  If you are a long time follower of my blog, then you all know how much I love My Pal Joey.  By far one of my favorite blue polishes which applies perfectly in two coats.  I think I have 3 bottles of this beauty.  I sadly only have one bottle of Gelato On My Mind.  Clearly I wasn't thinking when that polish was in stores.  It's one of my favorite light blue polishes, which is also the perfect base for those pink flowers!


I need to work a little bit on my leaf work, but overall I think I'm coming along with my floral designs.  I think I need to trim one of my nail art brushes to have a few less bristles so I can have a more precise little palm leaf thing.  I don't know what else to call that greenery other than palm leaf thing.

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

Until next time, <3.