14 Days of Pink: Jamaica Me Crazy Busted!

Today's another fun pink manicure in honor Valentine's Day!

 This is Pure Ice Jamaica Me Crazy with Pure Ice Busted over it. I adore Busted. It's shear and adds such a pretty light sparkle to any polish as a top coat! Pure Ice is available at any Walmart for $1.97 a bottle!

Pure Ice Jamaica Me Crazy and Pure Ice Busted

14 Days of Pink: Black Dot Funky French on glitter

This MAY be a little over the top for some, but the pink glitter is so pretty underneath!

Weeee! I just did 3 layers of Finger Paints Hue Left A Message? and then, using a dotting tool, I added dots and a french tip with black!

Finger Paints Hue Left A Message? and Pure Ice Black Rage (no pictured, dotting tool)

14 Days of Pink: Pink leopard

Another day, another animal? Sure, why not!

This is one of those "looks better moving" types of manicures. But it was still a lot of fun and easy to do with a dotting tool! Just make irregular circles and then do "C" shapes around them!

Sally Hansen Sweetheart, Pure Ice Jamaica Me Crazy, China Glaze Heaven

14 Days of Pink: Pink Zebra stripes

I'm digging pretty deeply now, arn't I? This is a much harder challenge than I thought it would be! lol!

So why not a pink gradient zebra? The gradient was actually some of my best work...the stripes...eh. But it was still pretty!

Sally Hansen Sweetheart, Rose Amore, Pure Ice Jamaica Me Crazy and Art Deco white

14 Days of Pink: Stamping white on pink

Today is Stamping Sunday---but the challenge of the group I belong to didn't match with my pink theme, so I'll have to share that manicure another day! But here's a really pretty manicure I did a while back!

Pretty, huh? This was my first stamping using Sally Hansen's Insta-Dri and it worked great! Nice smooth images without any smeary! Hurray! I may ACTUALLY be getting better at stamping! Here's what I used:

Revlon Cherries in the Snow, Sally Hansen's Insta-dri Whirlwind White MASH plate 14

14 Days of Pink: Hot pink and glitter

Glitter, glitter, glitter! What's Valentine's Day without glitter? Today I paired a flame hot pink with a lovely pink glitter!

Wee! Arn't they pretty together? I used China Glaze Purple Panic (Neon). It goes on sort of matte because it is so pigmented, but once I put the glitter on and a top coat of Seche Vite it was great!

China Glaze Purple Panic (Neon) and OPI Excuse Moi

14 Days of Pink: Red Hearts on Neutral

I admit, I love this manicure. It reminds me of my mom. Many years ago when I was fairly young, my mom took a folk art painting class. She learned to paint (I always thought she painted so well!) among other things, the "Dolly Parton heart". On a few of her projects, I was put on Heart detail--it was my job to paint the hearts.  Here's how to paint a Dolly Parton heart: paint two dots with a dotting tool (he he, like...er... you know) and then drag some of the paint down for the heart point. Easy peasy!

Red Hearts on a lovely neutral

My husband picked up this pretty China Glaze as a surprise for me last week. The application is a little tricky, but I love the color (China Glaze's Heaven). Simple, but fun for Valentine's Day!

China Glaze Heaven and Wet n Wild Wild Shine in Red Red, dotting tool

14 Days of PINK!: Daisies on pink

Another day, another post! Today's manicure is so cute! Who DOESN'T love pretty daisies?

This is so easy using a dotting tool! It looks so complicated but when you break it down, it's only dots! You can do this!

Pure Ice Super Star!, Xtreme Wear Mellow Yellow and Pure Ice Love and dotting tool

14 Days of PINK!: hot pink half moon funky french

Phew! How's THAT for a title?!  In honor of Valentine's Day I'm going to do a new manicure every. single. day from February 1st until the 14th! Not only will they be rapid fire manicures--but they will all be predomeniently pink or red! Weeee! That's some challenge! Here's today's retro half moon funk french:

Hot pink half moon funky french manicure

Weeee! So fun and retro! Using hole reinforcers is the key to a pretty darn cool half moon manicure. Here's what I used:

Pure Ice Super Star!, Pure Ice Jamaica Me Crazy, Hole reinforcers

Fun with stamping: MASH 20, silver and teal

I'm going to challenge myself to pratice more stamping. I apologize for the lack of posts--with my birthday, my sweet Joe's 3rd birthday and going out of town this weekend it seems like just now I'm able to sit down and take a little time for myself! My mother in law bought me the lovely color underneath!

The color is Respect The World by Nicole by OPI. It's a super thin color but it builds great and dries wonderfully.  I used Pure Ice's Silver Mercedes for stamping.  Wow! What a great polish to stamp with! Way to go, cheapo Walmart polish!

Pure Ice Silver Mercedes, Nicole by OPI Respect The World, MASH plate 20

Stamping Sunday: stamping with a "7" plate

This weeks' stamping challenge was to use a stamp that had a number "7" in it. Most plates are numbered.  I'm still such a stamping newbie that I don't have many. I used MASH stamp number 17.  Sadly, this was my first and last time using it. I took it out of it's wrapper, used it to stamp one hand and then took it outside to take a photo. It rolled down into the crack between my front steps and my porch...never to be seen again. I didn't even get a picture of it! Dog gone it.

Stamping with Mash plate 17

This pretty dusty pink was a birthday present from a friend. I like to wear  more muted tones on Sundays for church so this was a great weekend color for me!

Revlon Berry Delicious, Insta Dri WhirlWind White and Pure Ice Dont' you Wish. I used Mash plate 17.

Inspired By: Birthdays: Cupcakes! It's my birthday!

Today is my birthday! Well, not JUST my birthday. I'm a triplet. I have two brothers. We were born in 1981 when triplets were totally a rare thing. My mom carried us for 38 weeks. We were all full term and BIG for triplets (Brother A was born at 9:59 am at 6 pounds 4 oz., Brother B was born at 10:00 am at 5 pounds 9 oz and I was born at 10:01 at 5 pounds 1 oz).  No NICU time for us! We all came home with my mother at 2 days old. Crazy business.  At any rate--it's cupcake day! Hot diggity! I made some super fun Shirley Temple cupcakes to eat AND got my nails did with the same theme!

Happy Birthday to ME!

This was a lot of fun and super easy with a dotting tool! I love it! I kind of wish I hadn't added the flecked topcoat (Sally Hansen Glass Slipper) but who can resist it!?

Pure Ice Love and Super Star!, Revlon Cherries in the Snow, Milani no name, Wet N Wild Everybody Loves redmond and Art Deco Hot Pink. No pictured: Glass Slipper (SH) topcoat.

Pink Wednesday: Pure Ice Love and Excuse Moi!

It's another One Wednesday We Wear Pink! I've been looking for a great bubble gum pink and found Pure Ice Love recently at my Walmart (under $2!). I like the formula--great coverage in 2 coats. But it needed a little something, so I added a top coat of OPI's Excuse Moi for a little glitter kick!

Pure Ice Love in direct light

This was a super simple manicure but so pretty! <3 Love love love.

Pure Ice Love and OPI Excuse Moi

Challenge Monday: Gradient nails

Another challenge! This challenge was to do gradient nails. I'm still new to gradients, so this isn't the best...but I liked the colors together.

Gradient Nails

I did a 2 layers of Finer Paint Sketchy Character and then used a cosmetic sponge and sponged on this no name bronze. It was really pretty in real life.

Finger Paint Sketchy Character and no name bronze

Stamping Sunday: Stars

It's another Stamping Sunday! This week's challenge was "stars"! I was able to get my hands on Matte About You and had to use it!  Here it is:

Star stamping manicure

I did two coats of the lovely Sally Hansen Black Tie (a beautiful duochrome) and then I used Matte About You on MASH plate 11 to add the stars to everything but my ring finger. It was really subtle and pretty.

Matte About You, Sally Hansen Black Tie and Mash plate 11

Pink Wedneday: Lollipop with Busted

It's another Wednesday! My poor computer got a cruddy virus late last night but thankfully I have a really talented IT guy for a brother so he was able to get it back into functioning order in just one day! Woohoo! So, here's Pink Wedneday!

Busted over Lollipop

These two colors together remind me of Miss Piggy. And the 80's. And Everything's Fine! I love them together! This was 3 coats of LA Color Lollipop and one layer of Pure Ice's Busted. Pretty Pretty!

LA Colors Lollipop and Pure Ice Busted

Monday Challenge: Crackle

ANOTHER challenge? Yep. So it seems. This Monday Challenge was to do a crackle mani.  I've never been very good at crackles. Oh well. Here's today's mess:

Boy did that white crackle pick up the pink polish. Bleh. I guess if  I had been LOOKING for a pastel rainbow look this would be fine. At any rate.. it's said and done. I did the rainbow under with a cosmetic sponge.

Hot Magenta, Crushed, Pure Ice Excuse Me, Sa-greena The Teenage Witch, Iced Eggplant and China Glaze crackle White (and a cosmetic sponge)

Stamping Sunday: Under The Sea

It's Stamping Sunday again! I'm a part of a group of nail polish stampers and every Sunday we have a challenge theme or color. Today's theme was Under The Sea. I'm brand new to stamping (like Konad stamping) and only have a handful of stamping plates so these challenges are extra challenging for me! I used MASH plate 11 and tried to make seaweed.  As a California girl, I grew up going to the Bay seeing the crazy looking seaweed that has inflated balls on the end to help it float. So, here's some seaweed. I'm glad it photographed so well. It was very subtle. but I think fulfilled my stamping challenge.

Under the Sea(weed)

I was lucky enough earlier in the week to grab a few Insta-Dri's from CVS that were 75% off. I had heard they were good for stamping and sure enough, it did just fine!

Pure Ice Excuse Me, Xtreme Wear Blue Me Away, Insta-Dri Grape Going, Mash plate 11

Leopard print: Leopard on Teal

I LOVE this. It just screams "wild child" to me! Either that or "cougar"... take your pick. This is remarkably easy. I just used my awesome dotting tools for all of the work. HERE is a great tutorial (why reinvent the wheel with ANOTHER tutorial?) for this surprisingly easy look.

RAWR!!!  Leopard print on For Audrey

ANY time I use my For Audrey it makes me smile because it was given to me by a good friend. But now, oh, I LOVE it! I'm going to keep trying these awesome leopard prints out! Here's what I used:

Pure Ice Black Rage, no name bronze, China Glaze For Audrey, dotting tool

Funky French: Chevron Nude/Black

This look may be a new favorite! It's simple, elegant and easy--but with a LITTLE bit of an edge.

Funky French Chevron

The technique is simple enough. One could even skip the base nude coat if one's nails didn't look neon yellow without polish on (eww). As you can see by the photo, I just winged the black chevron tips but that's okay.  I grabbed the sally Hansen' Insta-dri at CVS yesterday for only $1.37 (75% off!). I've heard it's pretty good for stamping with so I forsee that in my future!

Sally Hansen Insta-Dri in Beige Blast and Pure Ice Black Rage

Pink Wednesday: Fun With Dots: Pink, Brown and White

It's another Pink Wednesday! This pink is an o.g.  I've had it for years and years--so long that I cannot even remember when or why I got it. Here she is:

Neapolitan, anyone?

Fun, huh? I thought so. The brown is my first Finger Paint nail polish. It was part of my husband's foray into a Sally's beauty supply unsupervised.  He said, and I quote, "You like to wear brown, right?".  Yes, dear.  It really is a great polish though...ONE COAT! Shazam!

Pure Ice Super Star, Sally Hansen Rose Amore and Finger Paints Sketchy Character plus super cool dotting tool

Fun With Dots: Rainbow

This manicure was fast and easy. I LOVE these dotting tools my brother got me for Christmas. THESE are the ones I have.  My husband works all over the place and he happened upon a Sally's beauty supply shop. He called me to ask if I "needed" anything--um, yes! Finger Paints just came out with this amazing Special Effects collection that are flaky bits of pretty in a top coat. Apparently that sneaky husband of mine bought the whole collection for me, but he only gave me Asylum for now.  My birthday is just around the bend so I only have to wait a bit longer! But look how lovely:

Fun with Dots: rainbow

I'm not so crazy with how the yellow and green turned out, but eh. I'll just have to find the time to try again, right? Here's the line up of polishes I used:

Art Deco Pink, Yellow, Green, china glaze Purple Panic (I added this to my thumb nail), Pure Ice Black rage, Finger Paints Asylum, Dotting Tool.

And yes, somehow I didn't get the Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Blue Me Away in this photo. that was a lot of polish for one nail "didding"!

Half Moon (reverse french) Manicure: red and silver

I decided to do another half moon manicure for Sunday since it's a lot more subdued than most of my manicures. I love the look of the half moon manicure--and if you use the trick of using paper hole enforcers it's super easy! Check out this youtube video if you'd like to see it in action!

The half moon manicure or the reverse french manicure

I LOVE the vintage feel of a "moonicure"!  If you've never tried one, you should!

Wet n' Wild Fast Dry Silvivor and Nicole by OPI Stolen Kisses

Stamping Sunday: Green

Christmas was good to me this year! My brother bought me these fun Mash stamping plates. I've never done stamping before (the most popular brand seems to be Konad, youtube it if you want to know more). I'm also a part of a super cool new group called Adventures in Stamping on Facebook. Every Sunday we have a challenge called Stamping Sunday.  Today's challenge was to stamp with a green color. TRICKY for a girl like me with about 20 polishes! But, here's the finished product, my very first stamp manicure!

Stamping Sunday: green

I didn't have a TRUE green (other than an Art Deco nail polish, which has a tiny brush). I used Wet N' Wild in Caribbean Frost. It's in the green family--ish. At any rate, I did a base coat of Pure Ice Super Star and then 2 coats of Pure Ice Excuse Me (the banana yellow color). Then it was stamping time! I used Mash plate 16. The Mash plates are my first plates ever. I have small nail beds so I thought I would be okay with their smaller all-over images, but they don't cover my nails so I'm on a quest for larger all over images. I thought the star alone was kind of plain so I used my dotting tools and added a few dots. So far, so good with stamping!

Pure Ice Excuse me, Pure Ice Super Star, Wet n wild Caribbean Frost, Mash plate 16 and dotting tol

Pink Wednesday: Pink and Glass Slipper

I am so excited about finally finding Sally Hansen's Diamond Strength in Glass Slipper. It is such a pretty flakie!  Thankfully I had a giftcard to Walmart so I was able to pick it up today! Love love love it!

It's very understated in the photo...but awesome. I used 3 coats of LA Colors Lollipop (found at any dollar store for $1) and then topped it with lovely Glass Slipper. Pretty pretty!

LA Colors in Lollipop (any $1store) and Sally Hansen Diamond Strength in Glass Slipper