New Job, New Manicure, New Me

L.A. Colors Circuits, Sally Hansen Blue Me Away! and Disco Ball, Sinful Colors Snow Me White

Tomorrow, I begin my summer job, working as a TA (Teaching Assistant) for Upward Bound! We just finished a week of training, and the students arrive tomorrow! I'm so excited to learn, grow, and challenge myself in a new way! That being said, I feel like this summer is going to be a busy one, so I needed my nails to match! I am exhausted, so I fell on a go-to: a mix and match!

I fell in love with the glitter (Disco Ball, which I inexplicably overlook all the time) over a solid black polish, and just went for it with the designs. Nothing earth-shattering here, but I'm so thrilled with the combo of polishes, along with the matte finish. I would use it more often, but it takes forever to dry, and it always smears (#struggles)!

That's it from me! I'll try my best to keep up with weekly posts, but with the way my schedule is looking, painting my nails may have to be put on the back burner :(

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!

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.

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:

Boy, Do I Have a Swatch for You!

OPI Totally Tangerine 

Okay, you guys, this is supposed to be Beyoncé's favorite nail polish color, so when my good friend Jordan gave it to me, I was (and still am) over the moon!

Not only does it have the celebrity factor going for it, but it's a really great polish (I expect nothing less from OPI). It's a creme, but just barely so, with a subtle gold shimmer. This is 3 coats, though you probably could have gotten away with two slightly thicker coats. There was a bit of a brushstroke issue, but not a deal breaker in the slightest. It's lovely.

I originally planned to do some nail art over this, but after wearing it for a day, I couldn't bear to cover it, so I wore it alone for a whole week, including to the Spring Gala at my school (see below picture).

Here's a photo from the Gala:

Jordan and I, with an appearance from Totally Tangerine

I just kinda went for it...

China Glaze Nude with Sally Hansen Blue Me Away!, Revlon Empower  and Essie Devil's Advocate

Yesterday, I worked on a lab report until I couldn't see straight, so I decided to take a break and do my nails (slash watch the Amazing Race season finale). All I knew was that I wanted to use the nude from China Glaze that my friend recently gave me. I then picked three contrasting colors and did whatever came to mind with a small nail art brush and my trusty dotting tools.

I like how they turned out: a bit modern, yet abstract.

in indirect sunlight

I can never resist a full hand of dots, so behold my left hand: