Patriotic Week - Day 5

Hi there!

This is my manicure today...

My nails painted with Julep - Brigitte, Gunta, and Salma.
Patriotic 4th of July manicure.

I painted 1 coat of Brigitte before sponging with all 3 colors, and then I topped it with a coat of Seche Vite.

I'm thinking that, maybe, this manicure needs something else. I'm not sure what, though. Would you wear it as is, or add something to it?

To see my other Patriotic manicure ideas, click here.

Until next time...

49ers Fishtail Braid Manicure

Hi there!

I'm really enjoying this manicure...

My San Francisco 49ers nails. NFL fishtail braid manicure.
Julep - Sienna, Glenn, and Johnny.

I painted 1 coat of Sienna to start... then I painted a stripe of Glenn, a stripe of Johnny, a stripe of Sienna, etc. until I was satisfied with the amount of stripes on my nails. I topped this manicure with a coat of Seche Vite.

Have you worn a fishtail braid manicure before? What colors did you use?

I will be posting more San Francisco 49ers manicure ideas over the next week. Click here to see what I've done so far.

Until next time...

Rusty Oil Slick

Hi there!

This reminds me of a rusty oil slick (in a good way)...

My nails painted with Julep - Zoe, Rachel, Boris & Nicole, and Glenn.

I painted a base of Zoe, and then randomly sponged the other 3 polishes onto my nails using a small piece of a makeup sponge. I topped this manicure with a coat of Seche Vite.

Outside underneath the dreary skies...

My nails painted with Julep - Zoe, Rachel, Boris & Nicole, and Glenn.

The bottles...

Julep - Zoe, Rachel, Boris & Nicole, and Glenn.

Have you noticed what today's date is? I get a chuckle out of calendars and clocks when the numbers are the same and/or they're successive. My favorite time is 12:34... day or night- I don't care. I just like the way digital clocks look when they display that time :-) Do you have a favorite time of day or night?

Until next time...

Happy Thanksgiving

Hi there!

This is the manicure I'm wearing today...

My nails painted with Orly - Scarlet and Golden Maharaja.

I painted 2 coats of Scarlet as a base- it's red with orange and copper shimmer. Once that was dry, I painted a stripe of Golden Maharaja- it's brown with brown and copper shimmer. While that was still wet, I used one of my dotting tools to place the gold stars where the 2 polishes met. I topped it with a coat of OPI's top coat.

I wish that I would have been able to capture just how pretty these 2 polishes are together... the shimmer in each of them is gorgeous in person!

Here's a similar manicure that I painted back in April...

My nails painted with Julep - Amy, Michelle, Oscar, and Sienna.

It has the same technique as the first manicure... but instead of stars, I placed dots of gold and gold glitter polish. Complete credit for this design goes to The Nailasaurus. A friend of mine saw her blog post and asked me to recreate it with only nail polish.

What are your plans for today? Hunny poo and I are spending Thanksgiving at home this year, and I love it! Our house is so warm and cozy, and I already want to take a nap :-)

Until next time...

Blue and Green Granite

Hi there!

Hunny poo and I recently toured new homes where all of the counter tops were done in granite. I've always liked the look of granite- especially because no 2 pieces are the same. Anyway, that's what inspired this manicure...

My nails painted with Julep - Gunta and Popova.

I painted a base of white polish to make the colors stand out a bit more than they would without it. Then I blobbed dots of Gunta (blue) and Popova (green) onto the back of one of my stamping plates. With a pre-cut piece of cosmetic sponge, I dipped into the dots 1 at a time and randomly placed the sponge on my nails. When I was happy with the color, I continued with the next dot of polish. I started sponging before the white base polish was entirely dry, and I'm thinking that's the reason there seems to be a little more depth than if I had sponged on dry nails. It also pulled the white through to lighten the jewel-toned polishes :-)

My nails painted with Julep - Gunta and Popova.

When Julep asked me to do a guest blog post for them, I thought, "heck yeah!" After I finished this manicure, however, I told myself I wouldn't be able to submit it because it wasn't unique... I was certain I had already done this combination in the past! Bummer. But then while I was folding laundry, it dawned on me why my manicure was so familiar... it's nearly the same colors as my favorite shirt (pictured first) that I've been wearing all summer! D'oh!

My nails painted with Julep - Gunta and Popova.

Click here if you'd like to see my guest post on Julep's facebook page. And click here if you'd like to become a Julep Maven. I've been a Maven for a year now, and I really like having nail polish delivered to me monthly. It's like a little treat to start the month off right.

What type of design might you try with these colors?

Until next time...

Ugly Manicure Monday - 23

Hi there!

This is a manicure I painted quite some time ago, and I just discovered the photograph buried in one of my laptops...

My nails painted with Julep - Carrie, Cameron, Natasha, and Molly.

I painted a base of Carrie, and then stippled Cameron and each of the other colors onto my nails. I had high hopes for this manicure... I imagined it looking as if each color faded perfectly into the next color- much like sponging produces. The brush I had on hand at the time was much too large and dense, so I think that was my main problem with blending. Additionally, the lines aren't delicate... and, instead, they look sloppy.

Have you tried something like this with a nail art brush? If so, how did it turn out?

If you have an ugly manicure, I'd love to feature it! Email me with what polish you used and what you intended your manicure to look like :-)

Until next time...

Patriotic Week - Day 5

Hi there!

Now this is something that anyone can do...

My nails painted with Julep - Marisa, Salma, and America.
Patriotic 4th of July manicure.

I painted 2 coats of Marisa, 1 coat of Salma, and a thick coat of America to achieve what's pictured. They all applied as expected :-)

Based on the promotional pictures of America, I expected to see silver stars among the glitter. My bottle had none, but I still think it's a pretty polish. If you received America, does your bottle have silver stars?

To see more views of Marisa, click here.

If you'd like to see my other Patriotic manicure ideas, click here.

Until next time...

Ugly Manicure Monday - 20

Hi there!

This ugly manicure comes courtesy of meeee...

Julep - Selena, Olivia, and Stella.

I painted 2 coats of Selena as a base. Once that was dry, I used the large end of one of my dotting tools to place 4 dots of Olivia onto each nail. With the smaller end of my dotting tool, I added dots of Stella in the middle of each dot of Olivia. I topped it all with a coat of Seche Vite.

This manicure isn't ugly by accident. I purposely went through my polishes and grabbed 3 colors that might not look so great on their own- and voila! I don't think it looks too bad... it's more of a pretty-ugly ;-p What do you think?

If you have an ugly manicure, I'd love to feature it! Email me with what polish you used and what you intended your manicure to look like :-)

Until next time...

Pink and Purple Water Marble

Hi there!

Another water marble post so soon? Yes!

My nails water marble with Julep - Renee and Eva. 

I painted a base of Renee and then marbled with Renee and Eva. These 2 polishes worked quite well together.

This design reminds me of comic book captions like SPLAT, KAPLOW, and BAM! What do you think?

Until next time...

Spring Splatter

Hi there!

This is a quick splatter manicure I did with Susan and Blake...

My nails painted with Julep - Susan and Blake. Splatter manicure. 

I painted 2 coats of Susan before I splattered with Blake.

I don't tape my fingers off before doing splatter manicures, however, I do lay protection down on my table- whether it's a paper towel or piece of plastic. While I can aim the straw and polish at my fingernail for the most part, there is often stray polish that ends up a few inches from my hand. Another tip for splatter manicures- I cut my drinking straws into 3 parts so I get more uses out of them.

I'm loving how this turned out :-)

Until next time...

Neon Purples

Hi there!

These are the neon purples I have...

Sinful Colors - Dream On, Color Club - Mrs. Robinson,
Julep - Helena, and Zoya - Charisma.

My nails painted with Sinful Colors - Dream On,
Color Club - Mrs. Robinson, Julep - Helena, and Zoya - Charisma. 

Each nail is painted with a base of white and 2 coats of purple.

In order from my favorite to my least favorite:

1. Color Club - Mrs. Robinson (middle finger)... This is my favorite of the bunch because it had the easiest application and it dried the glossiest.

2. Julep - Helena (ring finger)... This also dries glossy, but it has more of a red/pink undertone than the others it was compared with.

3. Zoya - Charisma (pinky finger)... The application was easy, but it dries matte.

4. Sinful Colors - Dream On (index finger)... This is last because the first coat was somewhat patchy. It also dries matte.

I hope this helps!

Until next time...

Gumball Dots

Hi there!

This is a super simple gumball dot manicure I did...

Julep - Brigitte, Amy, Anne, Blake, Cameron, Mandy, and Taylor.

I painted a white base and then dotted random colors onto my nails with my dotting tool. I topped it all with a coat of Seche Vite. I must warn you... I think this technique is addicting! It's difficult to decide when enough is enough :-)

You can see this manicure featured on Julep's facebook, if you'd like... and if you want to become a Julep Maven, click here.

What are some nail art techniques you really enjoy?

Until next time...

Happy Green Day

Hi there!

I've been out of town meeting/visiting my new baby nephew. He's the cutest little thing I ever did meet! Anyhow, this is a water marble I did before I left town...

My nails water marbled with Julep - Leah and Emilie.

I painted my nails with 2 coats of Leah, then marbled with Leah and Emilie. I had some difficulty with this design because just as I was about to do my thumb nail, the heater in my house turned on and changed the room temperature quite a bit. It looks a bit blobby mid-nail, but I really don't mind it. Just keep in mind, room and water temperature matter when water marbling. I've found it works best with a room temperature of about 67-68°F and room temperature filtered water.

This design is also featured on Julep's blog if you'd like to check it out.

Whether you celebrate or not, I hope you have a happy St. Patrick's Day! Stay safe!

Until next time...

Spring Watercolor

Hi there!

This is my take on a watercolor manicure...

My watercolor nails painted with Julep - Brigitte, Amy,
Anne, Taylor, and Dendrie.

I kind of got carried away with all of my spots, but I was just having way too much fun to stop!

If you want to recreate this design, you'll need a cap full of polish remover and an art brush. Follow these simple steps...

Step 1: Paint your nails white.
Step 2: Drop 3-4 dots of your first color onto your first nail.
Step 3: Dip your art brush into polish remover.
Step 4: Place your art brush into your dots of your first color and pat it around your nail.
Step 5: Repeat steps 2-4 on each nail with as many colors as you choose.
Step 6: Apply a top coat and you're done!

I submitted this manicure to Julep's blog... you can see that here if you'd like.

Have you tried this technique? What do you like/dislike about it?

Until next time...

Purple and Gold Animal Print

Hi there!

The title is quite unique, right ;-p This is a quick manicure I painted and stamped with Konad...

My nails painted with Julep - Trina.
Stamped with Julep - Sienna and Konad image plate M78.

I painted 2 coats of Trina to achieve the base pictured. Though, I could have gotten the same result with 1 thick coat. I was kind of surprised to see how well Sienna stamped. This was my first attempt stamping it, and I had absolutely no difficulties. I added a coat of Seche Vite to top it all off.

Is this something you would wear?

Until next time...

Julep - Jodie

Hi there!

This is one of the polishes included in the March It Girl box...

My nails painted with Julep - Jodie.

I painted 2 coats of Jodie to achieve what's pictured. I'm happy with the formula, but I really like the shimmer...

Julep - Jodie.

There have been 2 releases of this shade as far as I know. The previous version looked more mauve with a golden shimmer. This version appears more red with a red/pink/silver shimmer. Either way, it's pretty.

Until next time...

Valentine's Week - Day 6

Hi there!

I've wanted to try a newspaper manicure ever since I knew they were possible. This was my first attempt...

My Valentine's nails painted with Julep - Brigitte.
Newspaper manicure stamped with Bundle Monster plate BM02.

If you want to recreate this design, follow these simple steps...

Step 1: Paint your nails white. I painted 2 coats of Brigitte.
Step 2: Cut out strips of newspaper just large enough to cover your fingernails.
Step 3: Pour rubbing alcohol in a small dish.
Step 4: Dip 1 finger into the dish long enough to ensure the fingernail is wet.
Step 5: Remove your finger from the dish and press a newspaper strip face down onto your nail for 8-10 seconds.
Step 6: Remove the newspaper strip and apply a top coat to seal the text.
Step 7: Repeat steps 4-6 on the rest of your nails.
Step 8: Choose an accent finger or 2 and stamp a kiss design. Apply more top coat to the stamped nails.

It reminds me of a love letter ❤ Will you be trying this design?

Have yourself a happy Valentine's Day if you celebrate! If not, happy Tuesday :-)

Until next time...

(Brigitte was kindly provided by Julep for me to play with)

Valentine's Week - Day 5 and Ugly Manicure Monday - 05

Hi there!

I want to like this- really, I do. I love the idea... just not the execution...

My nails water marbled with Julep - Carrie, Cameron, and Salma.

I painted 1 coat of Carrie before I marbled with Carrie, Cameron, and Salma. These 3 worked alright together, but not well enough to allow for a design other than 1 or 2 lines drawn through. I was aiming to marble a heart design on each finger, but the polish dried too quickly. That wasn't my only dilemma with this design... if you look closely, you can see how terribly the top coat smeared everything!

Aye, aye, aye.

Anyway, here's a look at how I tape my fingers before water marbling...

How to tape your finger for water marbling.

Until next time...

Valentine's Week - Day 1

Hi there!

I enjoyed my Patriotic Week last year when I did it, so I figured I'd enjoy a Valentine's Week as well. While it won't exactly be a week full of ideas, I'll still show what I've got...

My Valentine's nails painted with Julep - Carrie and Salma.

I painted 2 coats of each polish to achieve what's pictured. Then I applied top coat on my ring finger and attached heart confetti. I waited until the top coat was mostly dry before I applied more top coat to seal the hearts.

You can achieve this look even if you don't have heart confetti...

Using a dotting tool (or ballpoint pen, sewing needle, fork prong, etc.), place 2 dots of polish next to each other. Then draw a "V" shape in the 2 dots to make a heart shape.

Will you be trying this look?

Until next time...

February Julep Maven - American Beauty and Boho Glam

Hi there!

This is a very pretty red...

My nails painted with Julep - Glenn.

I painted 2 coats to achieve what's pictured. Application was effortless.

Glenn with Oscar...

My nails painted with Julep - Glenn and Oscar.

I painted 1 coat of Oscar over Glenn. I still love the application and removal of this glitter polish!

My camera is still acting a bit funky when it comes to darker colors, so please forgive the orange fingers it gave me. Marisa is true to color...

My nails painted with Julep - Marisa.

I painted 2 coats to achieve what's pictured, though I could have achieved the same look with 1 thicker coat. Marisa is gorgeous, right?

A closer look at the blue shimmer of Marisa...

Julep - Marisa.

Marisa with Oscar...

My nails painted with Julep - Marisa and Oscar.

I painted 1 coat of Oscar over Marisa to achieve what's pictured. Though the addition of Oscar to this manicure dulls the blue shimmer of Marisa, it's still pretty.

If you would like to see what the February It Girl box looks like, click here.

Did you receive a Maven box this month? If so, which one? If you don't have a Maven subscription and you'd like to join... you can sign up here.

Until next time...

(Glenn and Marisa were kindly provided by Julep for me to play with)