Don't Be a Flake!

I picked up a couple of the new China Glaze polishes at Sally's the other day and couldn't wait to play!  Here is the look I came up with for Don't Be A Flake.

Other colors used, OPI My Vampire is Buff, Nicole by OPI It Starts with Me, Essie In the cab-ana, Julep Princess Grace and Sally Hansen Black Heart.  All topped with Glisten & Glow HK Girl topcoat.

If you don't already, be sure and follow me on Instagram, sometimes I post mani pics there that don't make it to the blog for whatever reason!

Dots and Lines

For today's look I used all colors by Julep.  I wanted to use the two newest colors I got Mariska a beautiful neon orange with the slightest of simmer (this one dries to a satin finish, if you don't like that look, be sure to add a topcoat) and Caitlin a neon pink shimmer.  To make them pop even more I used Bunny a white with gold shimmer (though I really don't notice the shimmer on the nail...) as a base.

If you are interested in signing up to become a Maven, click here and use code "freebox" to get your first box FREE!!

Mardi Gras Nails

My computer is being super slow tonight so this is going to be a quick post since I have to get up far earlier than I want to...
A few different techniques used here for this years Mardi Gras nails.  What do you guys think? Do you do "theme" nails or opt for a more "traditional" look?

Snow Day!!

I had another snow day today!  While I often feel overwhelmed with work, I am very thankful to be working for a company that puts the safety of their employees first.  

Since I had an unexpected day off, I had some time to do my nails and try out some new polish.  I also purchased some stamping plates before Christmas and have not had much of a chance to play with them either so today was the day! 

I started with a base of Sally Hansen Lavender Cloud on all except my middle finger.  My bottle seems a bit wattery so I actually used 3-4 thin coats then topped it with Seche Vite.  My middle finger is 3 thin coats of Julep Love from the February box.  I used Pueen plate 35 for the design on my ring finger with nails inc. victoria for the stamp color.  Finally, I added some studs from Born Pretty Store that I painted with victoria so they would blend in with the look.

Abstract Nails

Day 14 of the 33 Day Challenge!  You really can't go wrong with abstract nails, even if it doesn't turn out quite right...it's abstract so who is going to know?  One of the most forgiving styles in my opinion.  There are many ways to achieve an abstract manicure, I chose an acid wash.  I have done only one in the past and loved the way it turned out, you can check it out here.  This time, I started with a base of Julep Ingrid, a beautiful harvest orange, then layered on Julep Charlotte, a dusky purple shade, and topped it all with Sally Hansen Black Heart.  After a few minutes of dry time, I took a brush dipped in acetone and went to work "erasing" spots.  When I was satisfied with how it looked I added a topcoat (this time one by OPI)  It's a very fun style and I love how this one turned out as well.

Inspired by...a pillow?

Today's theme for the 33 Day Challenge is "a pattern in your home".  I had done something like this before with my trashcan nails, so it wasn't much of a stretch to do it again; this time with throw pillows.  I wasn't able to exactly match all the colors (8!) but I'm still pleased with the results.

First off, here is the pillow.

And the results!

Colors used are: OPI My Vampire is Buff

Essie Mochacino 

China Glaze Mahogany Magic and Desert Sun

Butter London Lady Muck

Julep Susie

Zoya Dree

Sally Hansen  Black heart

Decisions, Decisions

Today's theme for the 33 day Challenge is "most used color"...that should be easy, right?  Well...I'm sort of ashamed to admit that because I have so many choices, I rarely wear the same color.  I use a lot of black and white for nail art and such but other than that, I have too many choices!!

That said, my "go to" color for now is Zoya Stacy.  This color is beautiful and sort of "classic" without being over the top.  I sort my stash by color and this is one I have a hard time deciding where it belongs.  Sure, it looks like a red...but in some lights it looks purple; Zoya describes it as "A dark raspberry creme with purple and wine or oxblood undertones. A lighter take on a vintage vampy shade". 

Then I cheated a bit and added Julep Oscar to the tips and topped it with Seche.

Let the Challenge Begin! #33DC

The time is finally upon us for the 2013 Crumpet's Nail Tarts 33 Day Challenge!  I am excited about getting back into the swing of things but also a bit apprehensive, hoping I can keep up!  I always love seeing what everyone else comes up with for the themes as well, that is half the fun.  Please don't forget to check out the links below and see what the other participants come up with!  As always, don't hesitate to leave feedback or ask questions!
 Now on to the nails....
Today's theme is Dots.

I had an image in my head of how this would turn out and while it isn't exactly as I had planned, I was satisfied with it nonetheless.  I hoped the two tone dots would "swirl" a bit more (sort of like the middle on the yellow/green finger) but it didn't exactly turn out that way.
I started with a base of Milani White on the Spot, then moved on to the colors.  On my work space, I dropped a drop of Zoya America and Sinful Colors Big Daddy next to each other (touching) and started with one shade, then the other, then dipped my dotting tool in the middle where the two colors met for the middle dots.  on my middle finger is Julep Catrina and China Glaze Starboard, ring finger is Nails Inc Baker Street and OPI Roadhouse Blues.  On my pinkie I had intended to just use a "violet" shade but Zoya Pinta ended up looking almost black so I went back over with dots of L'Oreal Paparazzi Pleaser a bit offset of the others then topped it all off with a coat of Seche.

Patriotic Nails

Today's theme is "Inspired by Your Country".  This was another one that I was rushed to get finished but I really didn't want to miss any more so it isn't really what I wanted...though I'm not sure what I would have done if I had more time...Anyway, ring finger is a base of white and three coats of Lush Lacquer Snap Crackle Pop; pinky is Orly Shockwave stamped with Julep Kate.

Tape Mani

 I wanted to do something much more detailed for today's post but it just didn't work out.  This is going to be a very short post since it is so late in the day.  Base for this one is Zoya Kristen stamped using Cheeky plate CH7 and Julep Helena.  I then taped off the corners and applied Helena to the tips and sealed it all with NYC.

Juelp Nora

Sorry for the absence lately guys, I have been on vacation!  If you have "liked" my page on Facebook, then you already know that my nails did not fair so well while I was gone.  They were starting to peel a bit before I left but the dry air really did a number on them.  I hope to have some new stuff up in the next few days but be forewarned, my nails will be short!
This was the last polish I wore before heading out on vacation.  I have been a Julep Maven now for quite some time now and I have quite a collection of polish that I have yet to get up on the site!  Nora is from the November box and is a lovely shade that Julep calls a "silver aubergine".  The silver I see, the aubergine is not as noticeable to me in person as it is on the site.  Unless you hold it next to a silver polish, it really looks more silver.  That said, I still do like the color.  I used the "sandwich" method with this one to increase wear time; one coat polish, one coat tc, final coat polish.  I managed to get two days from this one before I had to remove it, for a matte/suede that is pretty decent, and part of that was due to my nails themselves peeling, not the polish.

Julep Nora

For me, the monthly Maven program is by far the way to go, Julep can now be found at Sephora but the perks and discounts of the program are a better option for me.  If you aren't a member yet, you can sign up here.

Evolution of a Halloween Manicure

Things have been insane around here lately with work, school, and trying to plan a vacation that includes three dogs!  I had no real plan in mind while working on this Halloween manicure but I knew it needed to include some of the amazing test products I got from KKCenterHk.  They contacted me a while back about testing some of their products, you will be seeing more from them in the future!!
I started with three thin coats of Julep Parker on all nails except my ring finger and painted those black.  I selected a few decals from this set.  I tried soaking them for a few seconds and sliding the decal off (typically how water decals work) but couldn't get it to work so I just pressed it to the nail and that worked perfectly.  The only difference is if you do it that way, you will end up with a silver decal and your design will be flipped.  (I did go back later and try it again and they will slide off with enough time in water, 20 seconds or so and some pressure) Remember to seal it with a topcoat!

Then I added a coat of Lush Lacquer Hey Jack! to my index finger, (amazingly easy to use glitter with a clear base) added a decal on my ring finger and sealed it all with a coat of Seche.

Another Nail Challenge

I had a blast doing the Summer Challenge with the girls over at Crumpet's Nail Tarts so when someone suggested a Halloween Challenge I knew I would be in!  I missed the first day for several reasons but I am in the game now and ready to see what everyone comes up with!  The theme for today is Black Cats.  It has been a while since I have done much of any sort of nail art so I wanted to try to freehand at least part of it.  This one started with a base of Ulta Celbutante, a lovely true purple creme.  I used black polish to freehand the cat then Zoya Meg for the eyes and China Glaze Riveting for the collar.  The tiny little nose is Essie Raise Awareness.   On the index finger I used Julep Kate  and Bundle Monster BM13 for the spider web.  The other nails are dots of Meg and Riveting.  I love the way this turned out!  I know my freehand work still needs some improvement but from where I started I am proud. I can't wait to see what the others come up with, be sure and check out their blogs as well!

Magic and Clouds

For today's look I started with CND Sticky then two coats of OPI DS Magic.  It is a beautiful color on its own but I wanted something a bit different so I pulled out my stamping plate stash and finally settled on Bundle Monster's BM-312 plate because one of the designs looks like clouds to me...what color to stamp with?  I have had issues with white, they never seem to be as dense as I want them to be.  I have tired several including the stamping polish from Born Pretty Store which I still didn't like.  I finally decided to try Julep Kate which is actually a pearl white...but it works!
If you aren't a Julep Maven yet and are interested in learning more or signing up, click here.  Also for those of you who are interested, I have also started a flickr account here

Base Color: OPI DS Magic
Stamping Color: Julep Kate
Stamping Plate: Bundle Monster BM-312

Mermaid Nails

I had good intentions for this post but for whatever reason my internet was jacked up last night (or very early this morning to be honest) and I just gave up and went to bed.  So this is actually Friday's post for the Summer Challenge.  I made notes on the print out I made of the challenges for ideas and this was one that I had some idea early on what I wanted to do.  My Zoya order came in the mail yesterday as well and was perfectly timed for this!  For this one I started out with two coats of OPI Mermaid's Tears (perfect name and color for this theme!).  On my ring finger I placed a mix of silver and blue glitter from Born Pretty Store while the polish was still tacky and topped it with my newly acquired Zoya Frida which also turned out to be perfect for this.  On the other nails I sponged Julep Portia on the tips in sort of a gradient and added a coat of Seche to help speed they drying process and make it smooth.  Once that was dry I stamped the "fishnet" pattern from the Bundle Monster BM-209 plate and China Glaze Adore and then a quick topcoat of NYC to finish everything off.

Circus Peanuts Swatch and Review

Circus Peanuts is the absolute perfect name for this polish, it is the exact color of candy circus peanuts that I used to love as a kid!  I have a few Finger Paints polishes now but really haven't gotten around to posting many of them here, I'm not really sure why.  I have a very pale skin tone and this one is almost *too* bright for me.  I am not really a fan of neon polish on my hands because I am so pale (seriously, I could fit in with the Cullen clan!) and this one ranks up there close on my particular skin tone.  That said, the formula of the polish was great to work with, I may have been able to get away with one coat but I did two out of habit. Topcoat of Seche.

Finger Paints: Circus Peanuts

One of the most popular search terms that brings people to my blog is "dupe for Julep Hayden".  I did a mani here using Hayden but I haven't found a dupe...yet.  Here is a bottle shot of these two for reference.  As bright as Circus Peanuts appears on me, Hayden is brighter and a bit more yellow.  I will keep looking for a dupe, if you know of one and want to share, fell free to let me know!

Giveaway Time!!

Ok guys, you have seen me post a lot lately about Julep polishes so now I think it is time for you to see just how great they are first hand!  Julep will be sponsoring a giveaway so one lucky reader will win an introductory Maven box for FREE!!  Can't wait?  You can sign up now by clicking HERE and use code MAVENINTRO to get your first box for only a penny!  How great is that??!!

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Hot, Hot, HOT!

The theme for today's Purple Crumpet Fairy Summer Challenge is HOT, HOT, HOT.  Earlier this week I eluded that there would be an upcoming post using both of the polishes from this months Julep Maven box.  Well, this is it.  I started with two coats of Courteney and then taped off sections and painted on Lily.  Once that was dry, I free-handed the gold lines using Selena, also a Julep color and topped it off with a coat of Seche.  What do you think?  Be sure and check out the other participant's blogs as well to see their take on today's theme!

Julep Courteney

My June Maven box showed up the other day and the first polish I wanted to try was Courteney.  I had some trouble deciding which box to get this month, I usually go with the "It Girl" box because it nets me 3 polishes instead of 2.  However, since they recently started allowing add on polish for $4.99 each, this month I switched it up and got the American Beauty because I was more drawn to the colors.  I have some ideas for some nail art with Courteney and Lily so keep your eyes peeled for them in the future together.  But for now here is Courteney all by herself but still gorgeous!

Julep Courteney

Shown here with two coats and a coat of Seche.  If you aren't already a Maven, you can sign up here.  If you are a Maven, which box did you get?  Do you like the colors?

Revlon Midnight Swatch and Review

Revlon's Midnight is a gorgeous teal-blue cream shade from their Colorstay line. It has been in my ever growing pile of "untrieds" for a while now and finally made it to the top. There really is no means to my madness when it comes to that at this point. Anyway, I started with Julep's basecoat and then two very easy coats of Midnight. I probably could have gotten away with one if I had been a little more careful but I did two just to be sure I didn't have any bald spots. Love the color and the formula!

(No topcoat here)