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!

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."

 

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

Been There, Done That

Base: Icing Champagne Bubbles

Colors used: L.A. Colors Circuits, Revlon Empower, Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear in Purple Potion, Green with Envy and Blue Me Away!

I have done this simple nail art many times before, on my own nails, and on those of friends. It never gets old, in my opinion. I wish I had "before" pictures, so I could properly show how much I've grown since first getting into nail art.

But to review: I painted two coats of my base color. Next, I made C-shapes and almost-closed circles with a bobby pin and a dark color (This time it was a black, LA Colors' Circuits). After cleaning my bobby pin acetone, I used it to fill in the Cs and circles with bright colors. Afterward, to fill in gaps, I used the black color to make small dots and lines all over the nail.

I only had a few minutes before I had to dart off for choir rehearsal today, and this was something I knew how to do. The "inspiration" for me recreating the design came from my phone! (The case, to be specific). It looks like this:

It's kinda cool having my nails match my phone. I've gotten some positive feedback, so for future projects, I'm going to draw inspiration from other sources close to me. (Maybe outfit inspirations? Hmmm...)

Experimental Sponging

Here are some pictures of nails I did one night when I couldn't sleep. They are very messy, and I don't think that the pictures do them any justice. I also topped them with a coat of Sally Hansen Disco Ball, which made everything "pop."

Full list of polishes used:

Sally Hansen Lightening (yellow base)

Love & Beauty Sky Blue

NYC Times Square Tangerine Creme (orange)

Revlon Empower (dark-ish hot pink)

The Brightest Ever?

Wet 'N Wild Candy-licious and Sinful Colors Pinky Glitter, with Kiss Striper in Soft Blue and Kiss Striper in [some unnamed light green]

It has definitely been a busy and crazy summer, so I wanted my nails to reflect that. I love this color combination!

I did these in about 25 minutes, right before I left to lead a study session. I liked the rush of not thinking about a design beforehand, and just painting whatever.

At the same time, though, I feel like I'm stagnating, depending on a few colors and designs. I really want to push myself, so expect something completely different for my next post (whenever that may be!)

P.S. Follow me on Instagram @donithax

The Makeup Sponge is a Wonderful Tool

These were so simple, and took me less than 30 minutes (including drying time)! All I needed was a makeup sponge! Here are the colors I used:

L to R: Wet 'N Wild I Need A Refresh-mint, China Glaze Snap My Dragon, Sally Hansen Lightening, Sally Hansen Green with Envy, and Color Club striper in Fine Gold

More after the jump! (Click "Read More" below)

Cheap in Price, not Quality

L.A. Colors Current and Jungle Fever, China Glaze I Herd That

I got these L.A. Colors polishes from Dollar Tree a few months ago, but I hadn't tried them yet. My friend Katie convinced me to go for the green, because that's probably the last color I go for when painting my nails.

These polishes went on better than I expected. I've used L.A. Colors polishes before, but I still breathed a sigh of relief when they didn't streak their way onto my nails. Probably the best thing to come out of this experience is Jungle Fever, which is my new favorite jade-teal shade. It's a jelly (albeit a fairly opaque one), which gave it great depth. I love it.

Current is a great shade, but this is four coats on my thumb, index finger, and pinky, and there is still a very visible nail line. Maybe if I layer it over a coat or two of a nude, I will fare better, but this will do for now.

I've been away a while...

And I am so sorry about that! It has been a crazy busy start to April, and it's not going to slow down until summer! That being said, I have a swatch and a simple mani to show you!

China Glaze Running in Circles

I love this color so much! I've read so many rave reviews about this one; it's said to be the "must-have" of the China Glaze Cirque du Soleil Worlds Away Collection, and I have to agree. I don't have anything like this, and I can't imagine there are any dupes! 

Also, for my BIRTHDAY, which was on the 12th, I did a quick surf 'n turf mani (it's supposed to look like the water and sand colliding)! I just sponged on gold glitter over blue nail polish, threw on a bit of Seche Vite, and I was good to go for my dinner and party. The theme was Under the Booty, so these nails were more than appropriate :)

China Glaze Splish Splash and Sinful Colors Nail Junkie with China Glaze I Herd That

I Splurged in Sephora. Whoops.

Nails Inc., Haymarket and Sephora Conceited

It was my first time in Times Square, and we were waiting on the rest of our group by the subway station... which just happened to be by Sephora. I decided to treat myself. I fell in love with these two colors, and told myself not to look at the price. The colors are so springy (even though a big snowstorm is headed to Maine as I type). And I expected them to be good quality because of the price, but wow. The application was so smooth, no streaks or bubbles. I'm such a fan, I couldn't bear to put any nail art over this mani.

Green Mix and Match

Sinful Colors Exotic Green, Sally Hansen Disco Ball with white striper polish

I let my brother choose the color, glitter, and everything for this design! I never paint my nails totally green, but I really liked this mani!

Free-Handed Half Moons

China Glaze Cast A Spell and I Herd That

I freehanded some half moons because I have seen them everywhere, but never got around to buying the hole reinforcement stickers used to create the look (I finally have them, but I'll try the technique later). Even though this took forever, I love the mani, and love the glitter combo even more!

Leopard-Mania!

Sally Hansen Blue Me Away! and Sally Hansen Mint Sorbet

When I first ventured into the world of nail art, leopard print was all I did. I strayed a bit, but returned to my Old Faithful with these. They're just the right kind of busy. 

Is It Christmas Yet?

I was really anxious for Christmas to come, because I really put a lot of thought into my family's gifts, and I couldn't wait to see their faces when they opened them! So I attempted a Christmas tree (of sorts). Colors: China Glaze I Herd That, and Sinful Colors Sugar Sugar and Exotic Green.