Strawberry & Flowers Spring Mani

Happy Manicure Monday!

I hope you all had a fun filled Easter weekend. Even if you aren't celebrating for religious reasons, I'm sure there were lots of chocolate and candies to be had by all. :3 

In light of the lovely weather we have been having lately, 

I wanted to do a fun and fresh Spring look.

And what else says Spring more then some sweet, succulent Strawberreis!?    

Somehow...everything in my life is often associated with foods >_>;;;

So here is my take on the Strawberry Mani.

I know Strawberry Mani is not anything new or groundbreaking, so to jazz it up a bit I decided to throw in some of their cute, little white flowers into the mix. I did the flower with a dotting tool, and then added in some vines with a toothpick to finish off the look. 

I also made a quick little Photo Step - by - Step on how I did my Strawberries.

Lately, I'm really into using shipping labels as my nail art guides. I find them easier to cut into when you are various shapes (like the scalloped edge here) and I love that it isn't sticky until you peel off the back. 

I always have issues with the tape strips sticking everywhere but my nail. So the shipping label was a nice solution. Also I find these labels to be stickier than the normal hole punch protectors.

I cut this edge with some craft scissors, but I'm thinking you might be able to get some interesting shapes with a die cut punch! Can't wait to try! :P 

Here are my nails after Strawberry-ing them all up! I had originally done both hands as the fruit only, but decided that it wasn't exciting enough ^^; 

Lacquer List

Sephora by OPI - Personal Shopper as the red base

China Glaze - Entourage as leaves, vines, and flower centers 

Sephora by OPI - A-ha! Moment as flowers 

Pretty simple, but I think its nice and fresh for spring!. 

So I hope you guys enjoy this look! I think I might try a whole fruit series soon. Just trying to make a list of what other fruits would be Nail-able. If you have any suggestions lemme know in the comments too! 

-wanyachu

Clovers and Stripes St. Patty's Day Nails

Hello lovelies!!! 

I have a quick little manicure for you today. I know I usually post Mondays but, ever since my doggie emergency my Nail schedule has been thrown off. >_< So I hope you'll bear with my as I work my way back on track!!! 

 

I saw Pauline's flower nails over at omgnoodles and fell in love with the blossoms! (And her too! Her nail art is too awesome for words! This lady is crazy talent <3 ) SoI though I might give it a try but wanted to do them as shamrocks instead....unfortunately it was kinda fail T_T 

They still look like flowers to me...I should've added stems or something but I'm pretty sure that is beyond my skill level. 

The base is Sally Hansen Xtreme wear in Mint Sorbet. I am in LOVE with this lovely pastel shade of green and just had to have it when I saw it at the store. :3 I had been looking for a fresh minty color for quiet a while but I find that many of them are either too green or too blue for my taste. However, this polish definitely found the happy medium and brought my minty hunt to a happy conclusion. 

 I used my dotting tool and some scotch tape to make the "clovers," dots and stripes with OPI for Sephora in A-ha! Moment. Then finished up with some top coat loving. 

Looking closely at it now I wish I had just made them flowers instead :P Then I could've covered up the middles with some cute crystal or polish.

Lots of people thing they are more Easter-y and I can totally see why. They really do look like Easter Eggs especially with the pastel color, dots and stripes. >_>;;; So I guess I already have a plan for that week's nails! 

Hope you all enjoy and have a deliciously filled St. Patricks day ^___^ Honestly isn't this Holiday mostly about the good food and drinking? Whats not to enjoy!? 

-wanyachu    

Mod Plum & Green Two Tone Manicure Tutorial

Hi lovelies, I'm back again for another Manicure Monday look!

This time I tried to do something a little different and put together a picture tutorial for you all. 

(If impatient click here for Picture Tutorial)

But first here is the completed look I'll be sporting this week on my nails. I wanted to do something colorful and fun for the lovely weather we have been having in the Golden state.  

The color palette for this look actually comes from some bowls we are selling at work :P I thought it was such a fresh combo of lime and plum that I couldn't resist trying it out on my tips. So see! Work is not a complete drain of creative energy, sometimes it can be an inspiration as well!

Luckily enough I went home and dug through my polish box and came up with these two beauties.

The Nail Polishes:

I received the FACE polish as a gift, but never got a chance to try it out. The color is a sensuous medium tone violet called, Plum Forgotten. I had never heard of their polishes before and was pleasantly surprised with how smooth and saturated this lacquer is. Interestingly enough it also dries slightly matte, but you can't tell here because I top coated over the final look.

The lime green on the left is China Glaze in Entourage. This is a very saturated yellow-green, bordering on chartreuse with fun micro glitter. I've actually had this polish for quite a while, but it is just so overpoweringly electric when worn by itself I never gave it much thought. So when I stumbled upon it again I realized what great potential it had as an accent color! And thus this look was born! :3

So without further ado here is my little step by step. 
Lemme know if you guys have any questions!

Tutorial

Step 0: Paint your nails and let completely dry! Sorry forgot to take a picture of that but ya'll know the drill. I did alternating colors of Plum Forgotten and Entourage.

Step 1: To make a clean curve between the two colors I hole punched circles out of envelope labels. I wanted to use those paper hole protector thingys...what are they called even!? The reinforcement stickers that kind of look like donuts....

Anyways, the point is that I didn't have any, probably because I don't even know what they are called =_= So I improvised!

You can really use anything that will stick to your nail and has a curve to it. I even had a friend once who cut masking tape to match the arc she wanted...but that's super dedication I don't have v_v;

Step 2: Stick your guide (tape, label, hole protector...) onto your nail! Be sure to center the curve or else you will get crooked a crooked arc. Make sure the edge where you will be paint over is securely pressed down so you don't get any leaks.

Then go to town and Paint 'em up!

Step 3: Quickly but carefully remove your guide. I suggest taking it off right after you lay down your lacquer. You don't want to leave your guide on for too long, or else any leaks that did manage to seep under will get a chance to dry.

***more taping off tips at my Pink Petite Four Tape Tutorial***

Step 4: Get out a dotting tool (toothpick, bobby pin, whatever floats your boat) and go dot away! Here I used OPI for Sephora – You don't know Jacques and A-Ha! Moment.

Ta dah! Now you're done and ready to rock this playful retro, manicure!
Sorry ended up being more wordy that I had anticipated. So to make it up for your candy starved eyes some more pretty pictures:P

Are you guys sick of seeing my garden foliage yet?
I will try to come up with more interesting props next time!

Thank you for reading! And please leave me any questions, comments, criticism, love...it will all be much appreciated!!!

-wanyachu  

Mutt and Meow Manicure

I have kinda been in a manicure rut lately but, after doing the nail party post I was feeling pretty inspired by my friend's panda nail pictures. So I thought, why not give cute animals a shot too.

Also, since we had our holiday meeting at work coming up and I wanted to get into the spirit of things I thought what better way than to use our very own store mascots! A Haute Dog and Cool Cat duo.

Store mascots

Nails.

I think my doggie doesn't look too bad, but the kitty was really difficult for me to get exactly. >_<

I won't lie, since this was all hand painted by yours truly this manicure took me the better part of two pain staking hours of fume inhalation until I deemed it perfect. And really that judgment is mostly reserved for my left hand since I am not incredibly ambidextrous.

Left hand glory *g*

Right hand meh. >_>;;;

I did alternating colors on each hand; starting with the cute doggy on my left thumb and then the kitty on my right. Followed up with the classic paw prints in the corresponding colors and then finished with some polka dot fun on the pinky nails.

And here is my polish list. If I had planned this out better I would've looked for the corresponding colors but it was kinda a last minute decision so I ended up using what I had on hand.

Sinful colors – Mint Apple: Previously featured at this post here.

OPI for Sephora – A-Ha! Moment: My go to white nail polish for frenchies

OPI for Sephora – Never Enough Shoes: A gorgeous black with the tiniest hint of sparkle flecks to it.

Essie – Tart Deco: A lovely coral color. I can't tell you how long I spent looking for the perfect coral nail polish but when I found it, this was it!

Thanks for reading.

Sinful Colors - Mint Apple

Just as I promised here is the Sailor Neptune color from my previous post!

Nail Polish: Sinful Colors – Mint Apple

Hue: Green

For all the lovely lacquers that I own I must admit that I kind of have an aversion to green or orange nails. >_>;;;; Its like how most people would never dream of wearing red eyeshadow, unless trying to imitate a geisha. I just find most shades of green or orange on my tips to be distracting and kinda funky looking...

But then I realized its all about shade! *hohohooo* So Mint Apple is what I would call a seafoam green. *cough* So I might be cheating a little as seafoam does imply a mix of blue in there....but it goes from a marine bluish tint to a nice sage green depending on the lighting.

Overall I love this nail polish. Its good to go in two coats and the color is wonderful, mostly because it reminds me of magical girls transforming *g*

I nabbed this one from Target for 1.99 and I've seen this for sale at Rite Aid as well for the same price.

Finished up the look with some Konad stamps (my new nailsession <3) in Sally Hansen Insta Dry – Whirlwind White.

So next step is to find an orange I can love too :P

Magical Girl Interlude!

Neptune Power Make Up!!!

Sinful Color Professional - Mint Apple

The color totally reminds me of Sailor Neptune! ^_^ More pictures and review here!

Of course no magical girl would be complete with out a trusty companion!

So co-staring the magical girl, calico kitty Star!

Shes actually my BF's cat. I sneakily let her nap on his bed while he was away >3 Hohoho ~ Kitty Fuzz Attack leaves deadly White kitty hair everywhere!!!

Finally no super heroine is complete without an evil nemesis!

Chipping Nail Polish! :<

No worries folks. This is not my nail which has been removed during a gruesome interrogation session. It is actually 6 coats worth of Nicole...Spotted, which I had so persistently applied while trying to color match the bottle in the previous post.

It just peeled right off two days later in the shower >_> So moral of the story is more polish does not equal longer wear. In fact it just makes you feel like some kind of gross, peeling swamp thing with your nails falling off T_T;;;

I actulally might try Mint Apple under Nicole....Spotted! I think the colors are close enough to get me the effect I wanted :D So hopefully I can share again with you soon! ^_^

Nicole by OPI – Nicole...Spotted!

So I have another glitter polish for you today! Lately sparkles on my fingertips has become an obsession and the only type of lacquer I've been buying. :P

Nail Polish: Nicole by OPI – Nicole...Spotted!
Hue: Blue/Green

So I love, love, love this color in the bottle! The transparent blue, green gel base filled with lots of glitter and some bigger hexagon holographics reminds me of Ariel's under the sea grotto sparking with treasure. And who doesn't love some hidden treasure when it comes in a duo pack for only $6.99 from T.J. Maxx. Woohoo! It came packaged with a silvery glitter polish from the same Gossip Girl collection: Scandal, Secrets & Sparkles (which I'll review later). But really what a steal :P

Comparison of 6 coats vs. 1 coat!

However, its a completely different story once it gets on your nail. With just one coat its a weak bluish tint that makes me think of nail fungus so I doubt I'll be wearing this color alone too often.

I had to layer on six coats to get this look and I think I could still go for more to match the color in the bottle. Since it is a gel base it dries pretty quickly but, it was still a pain doing so many layers.

Nevertheless its a beautiful color if you're willing to put in the time. I do want to try using a blue or white base coat first to see if it will help amp up the color and cut back on the layering.

-Bunny