Sneaky Sneek-e

Essie Sleek Stick Applique in Sneek-e

I'm always looking for ways to save time on a manicure, so when I found these Sleek Stick Appliques at my local Dollar Tree, I picked up a couple of sets to test them out. I was shocked to see them on sale for $1, seeing as they retail everywhere else for $9.99, but I love a good bargain!

They come in a pack of 18, so it's pretty easy to find a size match for every nail. It also includes a rough emery board-like file. 

The directions say to peel the sticker from its backing, smooth onto the nail, and file the excess from the tip. It was easy enough. But it was pretty difficult to peel the thin sticker from the plastic sheet. I found it better to use my tweezers instead of my fingers.

Once on the nail, the stickers were easy to stretch and smooth out. I was careful not to get the sticker on my cuticle, because it was tough to file down the excess once it was stuck. 

I experienced some wrinkling around my tips, due to my rounded nails, but it was minimal. Once I got the hang of filing down the edges, the wrinkling decreased. I was scared of peeling, so I wrapped my tips with Seche Vite. I didn't want to put top coat over the whole nail, because I was afraid of warping the sticker.

Even though I sealed my edges, the peeling with these appliques was gnarly! They barely lasted 3 days! I was so disappointed, but it could have been worse...

My tip is to put a base coat of nail polish under the sticker, for both aesthetic and practical purposes; the top coat will likely seal the tips better, and if the sticker does peel, you won't be left will a bare nail.

So here's the final verdict: I love the designs of the stickers, and if I can find them again at Dollar Tree, I'll purchase more. They are not worth $9.99 at all. They would be great for a night out or special occasion, but are not built for long-lasting wear.

Bright and Sparkly V-Gaps

China Glaze Nude and Icicle, Essie Devil's Advocate, Color Club Technicolor Doll

The v-gap style has become a favorite of mine, mainly because it's easy, and I can hide imperfections easily with a cute little border along the edges. It helps to have a striper brush to do this, but with a steady hand, I think it can be done with the polish brush. Here's what I do: I make a small line in the middle of my nail, from where the tip of the "V" is, to the tip of the nail. I then connect that small line to points halfway up my nail on either side. Fill in the section, and you're done! Don't forget to wrap the tips!

Plum, silver and pink is a winning combination in my book, and this mani is proof why.

Baby's Second Zebra Print

Sinful Colors Orange Cream, China Glaze Icicle, Kiss Striper Soft Blue

I don't know if I quite fulfilled my promise to do a zebra design with "all sorts of crazy colors," but I think I did an okay job!

I can't believe I've waited this long to try out a zebra print design, but I'm glad I did at all. It was super simple with a striper brush. All I had to do was begin the line from one side of my nail, then flick the brush toward the middle of my nail. Do this from both sides, and a couple of double stripes, and boom! Done.

This was also a good chance to practice my gradients, as they still need a bit of work. This is not a normal color combo for me, especially since the orange color made the silver glitter appear gold. But I'm not mad about it. It ended up warming and softening the mani!

She's Got the Whole World...

Base: Sinful Colors Snow Me White

This was my first foray into the world of water decals, and I must admit: it was much easier than I thought it would be! I saw this post on Moustache Manis and I IMMEDIATELY fell in love with the faded map look of these decals.

I ordered them from BornPrettyStore, and shipping took about 3.5 weeks. The wait was long, especially considering how excited I was to order them. But considering they were only $1, and shipping from Hong Kong, I let it slide.

I applied them the day I received them, and the process was not as painful as I thought it'd be. Here's the step-by-step:

1. Apply base coat.

2. Apply 1 or 2 thin coats of base color. I used Sinful Colors Snow Me White.

3. After base color is completely dry, peel plastic from decal sheet, measure out small piece of decal, and cut out.

4. With tweezers, immerse cutout in water and hold for 15-20 seconds. The decal will begin to slide away from the paper backing.

5. Moisten nail by dipping it quickly into water.

6. Separate decal from backing, and press it into position on nail.

7. Hold firmly to nail, while smoothing out wrinkles and bubbles.

8. When decal is dry, clean up cuticles with pure acetone.

9. Apply thick top coat to seal.

10. Repeat.

I used two sheets for my nails, one per hand. If I was smarter about measuring, I might have been able to squeeze 6 or 7 nails from one sheet, but that's being generous. My nail beds are fairly wide, so I do believe some of my more petite readers could get all 10 nails done with one sheet. And if not, accent nails anybody??
My only negative about these decals is that it takes SO MUCH acetone to clean up around the cuticle. I went through so many Q-tips, plus the acetone stripped all moisture from my cuticle and the surrounding skin, which explains my crusty skin in the photos.

All in all, I loved these decals! So much that I ordered three more sheets in different patterns. I'm still waiting on those, though...

Summery "Scallops"

Love & Beauty Lavender, Color Club Bright Pink, Kiss Stripers in Soft Blue and Light Green

This is one of those designs that started as one thing, but ended up being something completely different. I originally wanted to do something like a scalloped border around all of my nails, but I got halfway through my thumbnail, and decided to stop. I quite liked just one side being painted. I thought it edged up a fairly pink and pastel-heavy look.

This was one of my first designs of the summer, and it made me feel cheery whenever I looked at it. Next time I do something like this, I think I'll add some glitter, perhaps over the base, or outlining the "scallops."

 

Chip Off the Old Color Block

China Glaze That's Shore Bright and Tinsel Town, Sally Hansen Sun Kissed

I needed a change. My go-to color combo of blue, pink, and maybe another color was dragging me down. So I decided to use orange, which I rarely pull out of my stash, especially along with purple! I just went for a simple color block using masking tape to create a two-tone mani.

It looked good that way, but I needed a bit of sparkle. So I opted for a gritty silver from China Glaze. I freehanded the silver bits, and finished off with a thick coat of Seche Vite.

The result is an eye-catching, color blocked mani that pushed me out of my comfort zone. I even got compliments from a potential employer during a Skype interview!

I've Got a Bag on My Hands

Full list of polishes below!

For my second style-inspired manicure (see the first here), I decided to put my purse on my nails!

I was really looking forward to this manicure because there are so many designs to choose from! I ended up choosing just five for my right hand, and diving right in!

I realize I've got a bit of work to do on my steadying my hand, but I'm unbelievably proud of the way it came out! I love the bright colors of the purse, and I think the designs translated seamlessly into a mix & match mani. (Which you all know I love!)

There isn't much else to say! If you have questions, feel free to contact me on my Tumblr page! Enjoy the photos!

List of polishes:

China Glaze Nude

Revlon Empower

Nicole by OPI Candid Cameron

China Glaze Too Yacht to Handle

Wet 'N Wild Candylicious

Sally Hansen Sun Kissed

LA Colors Circuits

Pastel Sponging

Sally Hansen Lightening, Love & Beauty Sky Blue, NYC Times Square Tangerine Creme, Revlon Empower

I stand by what I said. The makeup sponge truly is a wonderful tool. I cannot stress how much I love manis that look complicated, but are extremely simple. There is also plenty of room for customization with looks such as this one. It's a great way to test out those unopened bottles, or to experiment with blend and formulas.

In my case, I knew I wanted to use these colors, but I didn't feel like creating any too involved. I also just wanted to see how these colors mix and play together. All I did was paint the colors in quadrants on the makeup sponge and stamp it, making sure to cover the nail. It helps to paint a single coat of the lightest color as a base, but if you'd like a more sheer look, simply sponge over a clear base or nude.

Read All About It

Base: China Glaze That's Shore Bright

Polishes: China Glaze Nude, Too Yacht to Handle (Please ignore those struggling cuticles)

I did it! I finally had a couple of successful attempts at newspaper nails, and I want to share the results. For both manis, I used pages from The Bowdoin Orient. After letting my base completely dry (topcoat optional), I cut small square shapes (about 15), and dipped them in rubbing alcohol. Holding the newspaper square with tweezers, I pressed it onto my nail and held it for 20 seconds. When removing the newspaper, be sure to peel it off (do NOT wipe, otherwise the ink will smear). Seal it in immediately with a thick top coat, and repeat!

Because newspaper is so thin, I found it worked best to find text that did not have much type or ink on the back side of the page. I made that mistake, and the ink from a cartoon bled through the words I was attempting to transfer.

I love how these manis came out, but it's clear I need more practice in orienting the words. I'm glad the effect remains the same even when the words are backward!

Dots + Chevron Tips

Wet 'N Wild Sugar Coat and Candylicious, Kiss striper in Soft Blue

This mani was pretty much directly inspired by this recent Chalkboard Nails post. All I did differently was opt for sharper, chevron tips, and a brighter color scheme. I needed to combat the constant grayness that is Maine winter.

I was surprised at how simple these nails were to complete. I thought it would be a process because the tips have about four coats of polish on them. But I was done within 35 minutes or so.

The dots were once again helpful with the grid pattern (see: Neon-Metallic Fusion Part II). The pattern helped me place the point of the chevron, and keep things even. If you don't want a dot pattern, and just chevron tips, try making a dot grid lightly with your base color, a nude, or even your base coat. Things will smooth out after a thick layer of top coat. :)

P.S. Follow me on Instagram @donithax for sneak peeks and manicures that don't make it to this blog!

It's my first Blogiversary!

Find a full list of polishes used at the end of this post!

That's right! Nails in D Major is a year old today!

I'm so thankful for all the support and encouragement that I've received over the past year. Without that extra push to create a "big girl blog," I likely would not be pushing myself to become a better artist every day.

On to the nails!

I wanted to do something cutesy and special, so I whipped up my favorite: a mix & match mani! Every design was created with a dotting tool. I love love love the little cupcake on my ring finger. I'm quite obsessed with it, so do not be surprised if you see a full cupcake mani soon! Because cupcakes are so simple to create (trust me, they're much easier than you think), there are a ton of tutorials on YouTube, and it shouldn't be hard to find one that works for your type of nail!

I'm not going to lie: the number 1 on my index finger was such a pain to get right. And it still did not turn out as clean as I would have liked it to be. Nevertheless, I am happy that my first foray into lettering was not a complete failure, and I'm so pumped to try again (and get better! ;))

It's been a wonderful year, and I look forward to many more!

Tumblr: nailsindmajor.tumblr.com

Instagram: @donithax

List of polishes:
Base: Wet 'N Wild En Voyage
Sinful Colors Snow Me White
China Glaze It's a Trap-eze
Wet 'N Wild Candylicious
Wet 'N Wild Tickled Pink
KleanColor Red Alert
Essie Devil's Advocate

Yay, super-saturation!

Back to Basics: Leopard Print

L.A. Colors Circuits, Sinful Colors Snow Me White, and Maybelline Color Show Clearly Spotted

I absolutely adore simple black and white. It is so chic, and it can make the wildest of patterns (see leopard print above) appear elegant.

I should do black and white manicures more often! I could not stop staring at my nails when I wore these, and I was quite pleased with my 20 minute mani!

I painted the leopard print with a mid-size dotting tool, after two semi-dry medium coats of Circuits. I love that about dotting tools: I can begin working almost immediately after painting all 10 nails twice. As long as I'm dragging the polish lightly with the tool, I don't dig into the base coats. Then I slap on a coat of Seche Vite, binding all the layers of polish together quickly and without smearing. Done!

Neon-Metallic Fusion Part II

See part 1 here.

Essie Devil's Advocate with China Glaze Icicle, That's Shore Bright, Flip Flop Fantasy and Too Yacht to Handle

This color scheme may seem familiar, as these are the exact same colors I used in my Deconstructed Roses manicure. I was only allowed so many nail polishes in my carry-on, so I just grabbed my favorites, and that was that.

In a way, it was more challenging trying to think of something different to do with the same colors, but I just picked up a dotting tool and did whatever felt natural. Everything was done with a dotting tool (someday I'll graduate to brushes...), so it was super simple to create this funky mani. On my thumb and ring finger, I did the dots in straight rows, as normal. I was going to leave them as accent nails, but it was too tempting to just use the grid as a pattern for more chevrons! I'll be using that as a tool from now on!

Just Plain Sophisticated

Essie Devil's Advocate, China Glaze Too Yacht to Handle, and China Glaze Icicle

As you all know, I'm such a fan of manicures that look like they took forever, but they really didn't. That's exactly what this is! If you have a couple colors of polish, some Scotch tape lying around, and a dotting tool (or make your own, if you don't have one), you can recreate your own version of this manicure within a half hour.

Instead of using a nude polish as a base, as I did in this tape mani, I just put on a couple layers of base coat (I use OPI Matte Nail Envy), and let it dry completely before proceeding. Granted, this might not be the best option if you have staining from a previous manicure. If you do have staining, I would suggest buffing your clean dry nails just a little bit to see if you can buff away the surface stains. Too much buffing will weaken your nails, and if the stains do not readily come out, just swipe on a thin coat of a nude polish (for this look), or your favorite creme.

Once the base coat dried, I taped off the bottom half of my nails on a diagonal, and painted Devil's Advocate on my tips, enough for opacity. I recommend putting the tape on your hand before putting it on the nails, because Scotch tape will readily rip up your base coat! I loved the look with the plain plum tips, but I tested out the dots on my left hand, and loved it even more! The dots can also function to help cover up a crooked tape line, or other tiny mistakes. It's a win-win! I finished with a coat of Seche Vite, and boom! Done!

I hope you enjoy these nails! For more manicures that don't make my main blog, in addition to mani updates right after I complete them, follow me on Instagram @donithax!

Christmas Nails!

BREAKING NEWS: GLITTER IS DIFFICULT TO PHOTOGRAPH, ESPECIALLY IN HORRIBLE LIGHTING.

This seems intuitive, but I went ahead and wore these glitter bombs I call nails for Christmas. Don't get me wrong, I love this manicure so much (especially when compared to 2012's Christmas nails). I wish I could've captured their beauty more accurately for all of you.

I'm at home in Georgia for winter break (whoooo! the semester's finally over!), and the lighting at home is very dim and yellow (damn incandescents). I resorted to taking these photos in the bathroom, where I could find the brightest light, so please excuse my conditioner and soap in the background...

This mani combines my favorite things: glitter, gradients (done with a wedge makeup sponge), and dots (with inexpensive dotting tools)! I hope you love them as much as I do!

Simple Manis Just to Get Me Through

Sephora Conceited and Sally Hansen Mint Sorbet

Finals period at Bowdoin is no joke! I couldn't stand the thought of going through the final stretch with bare nails, so I turned my break time into mani time! These are (very) quick designs that I did not think through; I just went for it. I knew I needed some glitter, because it always seems to cheer me up, and it lasts a long time.

I added an extra blurry photo of Conceited because there is no way to properly photograph this color, I'm convinced. I also tried here, but the struggle bus rolled into town once again...

At any rate, I hope you enjoy these manicures! They literally take only 10 minutes (even less with a fast-drying top coat, like Seche Vite or Dries Instantly)!

China Glaze Running in Circles and an unnamed light green Kiss Striper