Showing posts with label nails. Show all posts
Showing posts with label nails. Show all posts

Monday, June 18, 2012

Nail Art Inspiration: Candy Paint

Well, I battled my "Nail Art ADD".  After some web surfing around some nail blogs, I stopped on one of my favourite pages: Candy Paint.  Her designs are always wonderful!  Her page is where I got the idea for my ring finger on this mani
Holla!



Sweet right?!  Totally.  So when I saw these, you know I HAD to try it!


Mesmerized, I got out my newest, prettiest neon pink (Orly's La Vida Loca), my favourite blue (Sally Hansen's Blue Me Away), gold (Sally Hansen nail art pen brush thing) and black (China glaze Liquid Leather). As with all my nail art, the best representation is always my left hand (since I am right-handed). After a few splotchy mistakes on my thumb, I was pretty pleased with how my index finger turned out.



And after more messing around with my sewing pin and makeup sponge, I was pretty proud of my left hand

Today's nails

My right hand isn't as pretty but it still looks cute. I definitely love Candy Paint's way better than my version but at least I tried, right?!  I was getting lots of compliments (especially from the Big Boss' little ones).  Now that I feel confident in my animal prints (again) I might try another all-over animal print with a technique Christian shared with me.  Or I could go to her but I need a plan first.  I think I'll make my appointment with her before my trip.  Where am I going?  I won't say right now but know this: I am very excited!

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Nail Art ADD

After seeing all the fun stuff on various nail blogs and Instagram accounts, I've been feeling rather inspired to try mo things. Maybe I just really want to be a Wah Nails girl but sadly, the Wah Nails crew is in the UK (and sometimes NYC) and I'll admit that I'm not exactly sure how to locate my nearest nail boutique for some sweet nail art (besides Christian at Sugarcoat) and I'm sure there's some Cosmetology School stuff that's involved so, like most things, I take matters into my own hands and just do it myself.
While I enjoy a proper mani with the soaking and the cuticle oils and all that, I like the fact that when I do it myself, my indecisive Libra nature isn't holding any other appointments back. No, I don't know how to execute the proper mani because I don't get proper manis on a regular basis - which could be why my cuticles look mangled most of the time...
So now since there's nothing on TV this summer, I've been left to my own devices. I could write more music but I haven't been feeling that inspired, unfortunately. After scrolling through my nail art-heavy Instagram feed, I decided I'd do a potpourri of nail art. A walking nail wheel, perhaps. I think I described it the best when I was with Lauren on Friday night. I told her I'd probably redo my nails on Saturday but she said I should keep them and I said I felt like an old lady who put on all of her jewelry before leaving the house. I'll show you what I mean.
Here's my right hand

Pinky: Pink / blue gradient
Ring: Galaxy
Middle: Googley eyes
Index: Pink / black / white polka dots
Thumb: Purple / gold gradient

And here's my left hand

Thumb: Galaxy
Index: Pink / blue gradient
Middle: Purple / gold gradient
Ring: Pink / black / white polka dots
Pinky: Red and navy "Dalton Academy" heart

I had every intention of making them match but I didn't want them to be too matchy matchy (if that makes sense). And I saw that the Glee 3D concert movie was on HBO so I fast forwarded to the Dalton Academy section and felt compelled to have one Dalton Academy nail (my pinky on my left hand). But I only wanted one. So what should I do on the corresponding finger on my right hand? Enter the green base with the "googley eye" pattern. I was feeling very inspired by one of the people I follow on Tumblr and Instagram who has a very impressive googley eye collection: photographer Chloe Rice.
If you haven't checked out her stuff, you're seriously missing out! Her work is always great and funny and just entertaining overall. And she's got tons of googley eye adventures. I like the way the nail turned out so much that I think I might mix the googley eye nail with the pink, black, and white polka dot nail for another mani... PS - Chloe liked it too!  Fangirl moment!
It looks like I'm getting the hang of the lovely gradient mani as well. It still needs more work but it's definitely better than my first attempt.  I think the flaw in my first attempt was that the colours were too close to each other. Either way, I'm happy with the purple / gold and the pink / blue variations.
The pink / black / white polka dots were cute and girly and the galaxies are always fun to do.

I'm thinking of maybe learning the mani basics and possibly extending my nail art adventures to nails other than my own.  I can't do every design but I learn quickly!  Who wants their nails done?

Monday, February 20, 2012

Nail Art!

If you know me, you know I like to have little pops of WTF in my daily life.  A place where you will most certainly see that is with my nails!  I always try to mix it up with a different colour on each nail or with some weird design.  Lately, A LOT of my inspiration has been coming from Nailside.  Her tape mani tutorials are great and I've learned a lot from checking her tutorials out!
Along with Nailside, there a bah-zillion other blogs out there dedicated to nail art.  Some are fantastic sources of inspiration!  I'll give you a short list of my faves:
Nailside
The Illustrated Nail
Wah Nails
Madeline Poole Nails
Daaaang Girl!
Pretty Nail Swag
So So Fly Nails 
Love The Nails
Rebecca Likes Nails
SuPa Nails
Disco Nails

There are many MANY more but these are the ones I remember off the top of my head.  And that's a lot of good stuff right there!  Here are some great (and not-so-great) photos of nail art I've attempted.

  Finally found what I wanted for my Thanksgiving manicure! Galaxy nails 42/366: To outer space again... Triangles
1. A two-toned french tip mani based off of a mani I got when I attended my Goddaughter's Communion.
2. My 3 favourite Glee by Sephora colours (Blue: Slushied, Glitter: Celibacy club, Pink: Miss Bossy Pants)
3. Gold with OPI's black crackle
4. The most fun lightning bolts ever!  Based off of a black/gold lightning bolt I saw at The Illustrated Nail.  I call it the "Robin Hood" since I remember I was watching the BBC series while doing these...
5. Blood splattered
6. Rainbow splatter
7. I was attempting a Nailside explosion design but it didn't quite come out right...so I dubbed them Birthday Crowns since I did them for my birthday last year
8. Some lovely Butter London nail skins I got at Ulta
9. Hello Kitty bow fakesters I got at Target
10. 1st attempt at galaxy nails (based off of a You Tube tutorial I saw)
11. 2nd attempt at galaxy nails
12. Current mani - purple-pink triangles with blue glitter accent nail

Nail art is fun!  Sometimes I'll zone out and do my nails while watching TV or I'll see a design on a nail blog and I'll want to try it right away.  Lauren and I have talked about maybe having a nail art party in the Spring - which would be awesome because I'd LOVE to try and see some new designs!  When we do, I'll be sure to post lots and lots of photos!

Do you have any favourite nail art blogs or inspiration?