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.

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."

 

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.

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!

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!

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

Chaotic Graffiti Nails

Sinful Colors Snow Me White, China Glaze That's Shore Bright and Goldie But Goodie, Sally Hansen Blue Me Away!, Wet 'N Wild Candylicious, and L.A. Colors Circuits

 Here's the story behind these nails: I had done this beautiful matte color blocking manicure, and I COULD HAVE SWORN that my nails were dry, but because there were so many layers of paint on my nails (from the top coat between tapings), they ended up looking like crap by the end of the day.

So I scrapped those nails, and decided to try something different. I saw this Chalkboard Nails tutorial, and decided that I wanted to give it a shot (it looked very doable, and I didn't have much time).

I love how they turned out, though they're not quite what the tutorial called for. I just loved layering the colors, and the barely-any-polish-on-the-brush technique.

My mom said that they are "beautiful and absolute chaos," and I have to agree.

Deconstructed Roses

Essie Devil's Advocate with China Glaze Flip Flop Fantasy and That's Shore Bright, Wet 'N Wild I Need A Refresh-mint

 This design was inspired by a post at Paulina's Passions, one of my favorite blogs to follow. I was so intrigued by the kind of abstract rose that just seemed to form on the nail. I also wanted to practice painting my nails a dark color. Normally, I stay away from dark base colors because I always seem to mess up and stain my cuticles and it's an absolute nightmare. But practice makes perfect! And this was a relatively painless experience!

And it definitely helped that this is probably the best very dark plum/not quite black color ever! Devil's Advocate is so rich, and much warmer than plain black polish. It can pass for black without being so harsh. It was very smooth, and almost a one-coater, but two quick medium coats do the trick!

Serum No. 5 Pink Lantern

Let me just start off by saying that this polish in UNREAL. I had seen Serum No. 5's Dayglow all over, and it looked cool, but I didn't think I'd use the polish very much. But then! I was so moved by this Chalkboard Nails post that I immediately ordered Pink Lantern for Halloween, and didn't look back!

I love that it's a very wearable baby-doll pink in the light, and has such a warm glow in the dark. With only minimal charging (<30 sec), the glow was so bright, and lasted a long time. I charged them for about 2 minutes under my bright desk lamp before going to a Halloween party, and I came home 4 hours later with still-glowing nails.

I'm such a fan, and I will likely order again from Serum No. 5 (and not just for glow-in-the-dark polishes)! 

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)

Split Splat!

China Glaze Icicle,  Color Club Bright Pink, Sally Hansen Lightening, and Love & Beauty Lavender

I finally tried out splatter nails! I didn't have a straw or coffee stirrer on hand, so I used the end of a clicky pen, and that worked just fine. Cleanup was hellish, but I honestly think it was worth it. I'm such a fan of the technique.

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

Neon-Metallic Fusion

China Glaze Sun Worshipper and Flip Flop Fantasy, Sally Hansen Gunmetal

Hi everyone! I had my day off yesterday, so I obviously took the time to paint my nails (and catch up on So You Think You Can Dance). I really had no plan with these, I just really liked these three colors together. I needed something bright to combat the overcast skies in Maine. They almost glow; it's wonderful.

Hope you like them! :)

Old Faithful(s)

Nails, Inc. Haymarket, Revlon Empower, and China Glaze Tinsel Town

Hi, everyone! I'm back at home in Atlanta for a few days before I head back up to Maine for the summer. I can only bring a few polishes in my carry-on, so I stick with my favorites (the polishes with which I know I can create something without stressing myself out). So I know you've all seen these colors before, but I really wanted to try out this Chalkboard Nails design for Nails by Kayla Shevonne. Even though I couldn't find any tape, I thought I'd just go for it. (I just went back over the lines with Haymarket at the bottom). I really needed to paint my nails because they'd been bare for a little over two weeks! 

I have also been waiting that long to try Out the Door Topcoat. My impression: it definitely dries fast, with great shine, but it's a little thin. Shown are two coats. My nails are still fairly bumpy/gritty (due in no small part to the glitter of Tinsel Town), and I'll likely need another coat or two to smooth things out. I just can't stop thinking of my trusty Seche Vite that smoothed everything over in 1-2 coats...

All in all, this color combo is a favorite of mine, and I'm pleased with what I've done, especially considering that these photos include no cleanup! I ran out of nail polish remover, so I made sure to be careful when painting. It's comforting to know that I can actually paint my nails properly. I've been using that pure acetone as a crutch!

Summer is Here!

Wet 'N Wild Candy-licious and Sinful Colors Pinky Glitter with Nails, Inc. Haymarket and China Glaze Tinsel Town

Hey everyone! There isn't much of a story behind these nails. I just knew I wanted something bright, bold and glittery! I love these, although I was really tired, and things got sloppy toward the end there...

But I'm not going to sweat it!

They sparkle in the sunshine, though it's been nothing but rain here in Maine... Here are a couple of [unedited] flash photos to simulate the sun rays:

That's it from me! I hope to be updating more frequently, now that school has let out, but we'll see how well that works out once I begin my job...

Concrete Roses?

Pure Ice Kiss Me Here with Wet 'N Wild Tickled Pink Roses: Revlon Empower and Nails, Inc. Haymarket

So here's what happened with these nails: I attempted "simple" roses for the millionth time, in hopes of finally getting something right. I planned to do them on all of my nails, but gave up after the accent nail. So I covered my hand in polka dots. Nice. I planned on removing these the next day, and trying a new design, but I got lazy and exams picked up, so I am still wearing these nails 6 days later...

Also, they look a bit gloopy because I tried to salvage the last of a bottle of Sally Hansen Dries Instantly with Seche Restore, but it was a no-go. It still was horribly thick, and practically dried upon contact with open air. Wonderful.

Have a blurry pic on the house: