Archive for the 'Nail Art' Category

ALU’s 365 of Untrieds – 4th of July Manicure with Milani One Coat Glitters

milani one coat glitter red sparkle blue flash china glaze cloud nine nail polish ALUs 365 of Untrieds   4th of July Manicure with Milani One Coat Glitters365 of Untrieds is my personal challenge to weed through the polishes in the ALU stash that I’ve been wanting to try but just haven’t gotten around to.

To celebrate Independence Day in the US, I decided to get my red, white & blue sparkle on. I even planned to get all crafty incorporating scotch tape and the result ended up being one giant mani-fail! Of course, instead of getting down on myself for it, I’m learning from my mistakes and sharing my missteps with you.

To create today’s look I went straight for my Milani One Coat Glitters in Red Sparkle and Blue Flash. When you want full-on sparkle without multiple, thick layers of polish, look no further. It’s just a shame they didn’t come out with a white version to complete my manicure.

In order to conserve my favorite white sparkler, China Glaze White Kwik Silvr, I pulled out another untried, China Glaze Cloud Nine from the Specialty Glitters collection.

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ALU’s 365 of Untrieds – Color-Block Nails with Orly Ancient Jade

orly ancient jade nail polish 365 untrieds ALUs 365 of Untrieds   Color Block Nails with Orly Ancient Jade365 of Untrieds is my personal challenge to weed through the polishes in the ALU stash that I’ve been wanting to try but just haven’t gotten around to.

Color-blocking was all over the Spring 2011 runways but being that my own personal style doesn’t really mesh with color-blocking, I translated the trend to nails. As much as I love how bright colors look on others, I tend to stick to neutrals when it comes to my own wardrobe. My nails are my color statement.

Inspired by a dress I saw while online window shopping on Nordstrom.com, I incorporated Orly Ancient Jade from the Precious Spring 2011 Collection to create a color-block manicure.

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MAC Wonder Woman Obey Me & Spirit of Truth Swatches, Review & Nail Art?

mac wonder woman nail polish nail art MAC Wonder Woman Obey Me & Spirit of Truth Swatches, Review & Nail Art?The recently launched MAC Wonder Woman collection brought out the little girl and “nail artist” in me.  That’s right Fanatics, you didn’t misread the title, I said “nail artist.”  You can check my forehead for a fever all you like but I’m perfectly healthy AND loving my Wonder Woman themed foray into the nail art.

I’m sure my fellow Gen-Xers will happily stroll down memory lane with me to the days of Wonder Woman Underoos and raven haired beauty, Lynda Carter, flying into living rooms nationwide in her invisible airplane.  At just four years old my Wonder Woman doll was my most prized possession next to my Donny Osmond doll, purple socks and all, of course.  Way before my Barbie obsession took hold, I was imagining myself lassoing evildoers to confess their crimes.

The MAC Wonder Woman collection includes two new Nail Lacquers in WW’s signature colors; red (Obey Me) and blue (Spirit of Truth).  As easy as it would be for me to just wear the colors as a mani/pedi combo or a multi-colored manicure I decided to take it one step further, inspired by one of my fave nail art lovers, Nail Art Junkie’s Keri B.

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Celebrity Manicurist Kimmie Kyees Nails Rihanna & Katy Perry at The Grammys

Now that I’m home from New York Fashion Week, I finally had a chance to catch up on the Grammys and check out the fashions and nails.

rihanna katy perry grammy nails nail polish nail art Celebrity Manicurist Kimmie Kyees Nails Rihanna & Katy Perry at The Grammys

Being a huge Joan Rivers fan, I actually watched E!’s Fashion Police before the actual show.  Joan cracks me up and I love how Kelly Osborne & Giuliana Rancic lose it almost every time she opens her mouth.  The actually Grammy show was kind of meh but I did love Cee Lo Green & Gwyneth Paltrow singing “F*ck You” and seeing Eminem perform.  I have an out of character crush on Eminem and ended up watching his performance twice.

We’re in the height of award season and of all the shows, The Grammys, tends to be the most noteworthy nail-wise.  We already learned about Lady Gaga’s bright yellow nails from Deborah Lippmann and now Celebrity Manicurist Kimmie Kyees shares her work on Grammy night with clients Katy Perry and Rihanna.
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Runway or Everyday? – butter LONDON’s Nail Polish Rings at Vena Cava

butter london vena cava finger bands nail polish rings nyfw Runway or Everyday?   butter LONDONs Nail Polish Rings at Vena CavaLast season we saw nails elevated from accessories to full on jewelry at Diego Binetti. This season at Vena Cava, butter LONDON‘s Nonie Creme is pushing the boundaries, bringing nail polish to a whole new territory; skin.  That’s right, she’s taking over “real estate” from the skin and by creating jewelry with nail polish applied directly on fingers.

Nail art savant Melissa from The Daily Nail has extended her designs on to the skin in the past but this is the first time I’ve seen the actual nails ignored entirely.  Nonie applied “finger bands” of color to two fingers on each model, some single, some double, and a simple coat of clear Hard Wear top coat to the nails.

To replicate the look follow Nonie’s tips: Start with clean, dry skin.  Swipe with remover.  Start below the first knuckle.  Only paint a few fingers or else it will look too tribal. Allow 15 minutes to dry and expect 24 hours of wear.

vena cava butter london finger bands nail polish rings Runway or Everyday?   butter LONDONs Nail Polish Rings at Vena Cava

Get the Vena Cava look using butter LONDON Royal Navy, Scoundrel, Tramp Stamp, and Union Jack Black. The orange, Flouro Orange, is not yet in production.  butter LONDON polishes retail for $14/ea and are available online at butterLONDON.com and Beauty.com.

My question to you is… is this look runway only or something that could be worn in the everyday world?  Would you apply nail polish on your skin on purpose?  What do you think of the “finger bands” look?

pixel Runway or Everyday?   butter LONDONs Nail Polish Rings at Vena Cava