Geometric and Blue/Green/Yellow Leadlight Nails

This week's Pick N Mix Challenge was Geometric and Blue/Green/Yellow. Also in the Stamp One, Stamp All Ten group, the prompt was leadlighting. I combined all three to create this look I'm sharing today!



To begin, I pulled out Indigo Bananas Bridal Veil, which is a silver flakie polish that glows indoors and has a great holo finish when outside or under direct light!



For the next step, I stamped my nail with geometric images from Bundle Monster Plate BM-605.



Then to complete the look, adding in the leadlight technique and the Blue/Green/Yellow combination, I broke out my Rica Squish the Rainbow jelly polishes and filled in various geometric shapes!

I really liked the overall look, it reminded me a lot of the 1980s, with it's almost neon various shapes!

That's it for today, my internet at home has been terribly spotty lately (and I haven't had the time to duke it out with the cable company), so I won't write much more. I got some awesome nail mail this week (if you're following me on Instagram, you most likely got a preview), and I hope to play with some of those as soon as I get some time!

As always, don't forget to check out the others taking part in this challenge, listed below!


   

    An InLinkz Link-up

   

Freehand Heart Nail Art

Today starts a week of nail art posts all dedicated to Valentine's Day. Now I'm not really all that into Valentine's Day all that much, never meant very much to me or my husband. Maybe he'll give me flowers or something, but it's not really a holiday we actively celebrate.

But holidays always bring on the themed nail art challenges, and so here I am. Sharing with you a week of nail art (not all of it is V-Day inspired).

Today I have a look inspired by 52 Week Pick and Mix Challenge, this week the challenge is purple and hearts.



For the base of this look I used two coats of Zoya Chantal, the best nude creme polish I own. And the real stunner of this whole look, a coat of Elevation Polish Aguja St. Exupery. Aguja St. Exupery is a holographic top coat with golden flakies throughout. It is delicate and beautiful. And I can already tell I will be using this topper again and again.



Next step was to add some hearts and purple. The purple is a stretch here (only one of the hearts is purple-ish), but I was going for a delicate heart vibe. I used a dotting tool and Zoya Brigitte, Rue and Odette to create the hearts. I added a little white dot to each heart to make it look more 3D.



I really did love these nails, I think it is a subtle nod to the holiday without being so in your face about it. What do you think? Are you a big Valentine's Day celebrator?

And don't forget to check out the other ladies in the challenge, listed below!


   

    An InLinkz Link-up

   

Cherry Blossoms over Fair Maiden Polish Times Square

So this week's prompt in the 52 Week Pick 'n Mix Challenge was pale blue and flowers. I combined the two and I knew just what blue I wanted to use!



I had been looking forward to using Fair Maiden Polish's Times Square again! I only used this during a swatch-a-thon I had on New Year's Eve, and I just knew I had to use it in some nail art. Times Square, which was a part of Fair Madien's New Years Collection, is a gorgeous light blue holo with the most beautiful pink flashes, that my photos hardly do justice to.



I just knew with that pink flash, this polish would be perfect to pair with a floral themed mani! And what better floral to use in a mani, than the beautiful cherry blossom?!? Now I've never really been to DC to see the cherry blossoms bloom, but I've always wanted to and all the photos I have seen of the blossoms just leave me in awe.



Now the above photo isn't the best in quality, but in the shade it shows that pink flash this polish has that for some reason my photos can't quite capture in all it's beauty!



Now to complete the look, I used a real small nail art brush to paint the branches, using Zoya Louise. For the flower buds, I used a larger dotting tool using Essie The Girls Are Out and went back over those dots with a smaller dotting tool using Essie Go Ginza.

I really loved the final result of this look. I like that it was freehand, but not that complicated. And I really loved how the pinks played off the pink flash in this polish. And word on the street is, I heard from a very good source, that Times Square might be released in Fair Maiden's next restock on Saturday. Check their Facebook page for more information on the exact time of the restock.

And don't forget to stop by the other ladies who are partaking in this challenge!


   

    An InLinkz Link-up

   

Fishtail Braid Nails

Today, as a part of Crumpet's 52 Week Pick and Mix Challenge, I attempted a new to me nail art technique: The Fishtail Braid nails.

I google'd a few tutorials and watched them first, just so I got the hang of it, but basically this is braiding strokes of three different colors.



To begin I used two thin coats of LynBDesigns Seize the Day, Boys, a lovely teal holo polish with gold flashes. The application on this was perfect, very impressed with the quality of this polish. It is a bit jelly like on the first coat, but evens out by the second coat.



After that I went to work on the Fishtail Braid technique. It was a little difficult at first, but once you get the hang of it, it isn't so bad.



To complete the look I added a dotticure to tie in the three colors on the other nails. I was originally going to do a skittle look, but I accidentally went nuts with the dots so I didn't get there unfortunately.



The coral/red polish is Zoya Rocha and the silver is Essie No Place Like Chrome.



Overall I liked this look, and trying a new technique, but I found it a bit time consuming trying to make sure the layers were dry between strokes. I think this technique probably works best with one coaters, which Seize the Day, Boys was not. The polish does build up on the Fishtail Braid nail, so you have to be extra careful not to dent it.

What do you think? Have you tried this nail art technique before? Do you have tips to share?

And don't forget to check out the other ladies taking part in this challenge today!

    An InLinkz Link-up

   

Three Greens Nail Art Challenge

Hi everyone, I'm back with another Crumpet's 52 Week Pick and Mix Challenge. This week I chose the prompt three shades of green and/or yellow (the other prompt was fire and I couldn't quite figure out how to tie the two together, but Serene at Copycat Claws did an amazing job!).

So I didn't just pick out three greens, I picked four, because I just love green. It is my favorite color!



I started out with two thin layers of Color Club Kismet, because, I guess I can't do a manicure with out some holo!!! Kismet is a great super linear holo that is almost lime green leaning yellow green, just lovely.



Then I took three Zoya greens, from top to bottom, Noot, Hunter and Shawn and stamped them using this scale-y design.



It's harder to see the three greens in the light because, um, hello holo, but I think the effect is nice in the shade and in the sun!



The stamping plate I used is Lily Anna 09. I just love my Lily Anna plates, I seriously probably use them for more jobs than anything other plates I own (I own Lily Anna Plates 6-10). I think I want to collect them all because all the looks are so versatile. I might ask for some for my birthday (coming up in early March).

Overall I called these my dragon nails, because I just love the look of the scales and the green was just so dragon-esque!

My original concept for this mani was using Noot as the base and various green holo polishes in a dotticure gradient.



The reason I didn't stick with this one is because I feel the three shades of green holo get lost in each other. I decided to show it off though because look at how amazing Noot looks as a base. I can't believe this was an untried for me. I will definitely be breaking this out again for a nail art project in the future. Just look at how creamy and dark it is. Such a strong color, without being super black, which you can get with a lot of dark creme polishes. Just stunning!

Anyway, that is it for today. Don't forget to check out the other ladies taking part in this challenge!!!


   

    An InLinkz Link-up