Jumping Through Hoops

It Ain't Easy Being Cheesy


    Today's nails were inspired by something... and I'll give you a hint... They're little, and cheesy, and sometimes I have them for breakfast with my Dr. Pepper.... If you guessed Cheetos- YOU'RE RIGHT!! :-D I mixed both the mascot - Chester the cheetah's spots, with the orange funk that always covers your finger tips after a few of the electric orange morsels of deliciousness.



    I used Sally Hanson Hard As Nails Xtreme Wear in 06 Sun Kissed as a base, with Zoya Raven applied with Konad Plate m57. For the orange Cheetos film on the tips, I sponged Electric Orange over the Konad pattern, and then sponged Essie Matte About You over top of it. For the shiny portion of the nail, I used Seche Vite top coat.

    Dangerously cheesy.

That's Gonna Cause a Gummyache.


    Ok, so today's nails are an homage to Fish. Not the cold, scaly, stinky kind, but the dude I work with, whose nickname is Fish. The plan today was to test his theory that he could eat a 5 lb gummy bear in one sitting. Unfortunately though, the company we work at caught wind and said 'No way Jose, not on OUR property!' So we went to Buffalo Wild Wings for lunch and he attempted the gastronomical feat there. The goal? See how much he could eat of it in a mere hour. Let me say, we were ALL impressed. He ate over 3 POUNDS of gummy bear in 1 hour. PLUS- the only reason he stopped is because we had to go back to work, he came back from lunch and promptly ate a sandwich. Seriously. In honor of what was to originally take place today, I painted gummy bears on my nails- even the best flavor - clear (pineapple) on the pinky nail, even though it is hard to make out what it is. :-P OVER 3 POUNDS! I feel nauseous just thinking about it. The thing was the size of a baby. No joke. Fish ate a baby.



    I used OPI Alpine Snow Matte as a base, which chipped horribly within 2 hours. For the red bear, I used China Glaze Salsa, for the orange bear, Sally Hanson Hard As Nails Xtreme Wear in 06 Sun Kissed, for the yellow bear Urban Outfitters Yellow 1, for the green bear, OPI Green-wich Village, and for the clear bear, I used Maybelline Banana Puddin', which I can't find a link for, but I got mine from a lovely Aussie girl on Makeupalley.com. Everything was mixed with Sally Hansen All the White Stufffor the highlights. For the clear bear, I used Urban Outfitters Yellow 1 to distinguish the shapes on the bear (eyes, belly, etc). Topped everything off with 2 coats of Seche Vite top coat.

    The maiden bite. He bit off his face because the bear was supposedly 'looking at him funny'.



    After 3 lb. 3 oz was eaten.



    And...because I found it amusing... the Spork, which isn't really a spork, but a Star Trek fork.



    Eat Long and Prosper.

    My teeth hurt.

I Feel So Desert-ed.


    Hey everyone!! Today's nails are an homage to the seemingly endless span of desert that surrounds the lovely city of sin, booze, hookers, and gluttony that I reside in. :-P No, those aren't bats, they're vultures- the Hunter S. Thompson/Fear and Loathing/Steadman nails are to come in the near future I think. :-D



    I used Zoya Yummy as a base, with American Apparel Palm Springs for the desert, then mixed with Zoya Dea to shade. For the cacti, I used L.A. Girl Army Green, that I got at Urban Outfitters, Pure Ice Wild Thing to highlight, and Nubar Forest
    for shadow. For the vultures, I used Zoya Raven. Topped everything off with Seche Vite top coat so it'd dry superfast, then topped off the sand portion with Essie Matte About You. :)

    Note: No bodies are buried in the desert pictured, unlike the desert surrounding Vegas. ;)


I've Gotta Go No. 2.


    hahha. Did the title worry you? :-P

    I was laying on the couch last night trying to think of what to do on my nails, and totally not wanting to go out to my car to get my idea notebook. Suddenly it dawned on me, based on my nails yesterday, to do pencils!! :)



    I used a mix of China Glaze Salsa and American Apparel Palm Springs for the eraser, China Glaze Millennium for the metal band, and then mixed with Zoya Raven for the shadow on the grooves on the band. For the pencil portion, I used Diamond Cosmetics #319 Lemon Yellow Zest for the pencil color, and then mixed with Electric Orange for shading on the sides of the pencil. Topped off the pencil and metal parts with Seche Vite top coat and the eraser with Essie Matte About You to give it that rubery look, but my lotion made it sorta shiny. damn. Oh well, now it looks like one of those old, hard erasers. :-P

LORAC sale on Hautelook!



    Woot!! LORAC Sale on Hautelook- everything starts at $4, almost everything is $4 or $5, and the most expensive item is a palette for $16.50 Head on over. LOTS of e/s, l/s, cheek colors, and palettes. :)

    Hautelook


Playing Fast & Loose(leaf)

Liquid Hot MAG-MAH.


    Hey everybody!! :) I've been wanting to do this ever since I remembered the Cover Girl Crackle Polishes from long ago. Unfortunately, I cannot find a BLACK bottle of Cover Girl Crackle to save my life. However, I found this bottle of no-name crackle polish at a Halloween store, and finally decided to try it. Unfortunately, as it dried, it turned from Black to grey, but you can see where it stayed black in some spots.. :( Oh well, I still think it give close enough to the desired effect. I marbled red and orange underneath the crackle polish to give the feel of swirling lava.



    I used Sally Hanson Hard As Nails Xtreme Wear in 06 Sun Kissed as a base, with China Glaze Salsa and Electric Orange marbled on top. I then brushed a coat of the aforementioned no-name black Halloween store crackle polish. Once it crackled, I topped it all off with 2 coats of Seche Vite top coat.

    And for those that might remember the game, for those who love Daniel Tosh (of Tosh.0 and comedy fame), and for my friend Jordan....

    THE FLOOR IS LAVA, THE FLOOR IS LAVA!

You've Crossed the Lines


    For those of you that are new readers, I am a part-time culinary student in addition to my full-time employment, as well as this lovely blog in the browser before you. Today's class was awesome, yet brutal. Therefore, I'm thoroughly exhausted, soooo, simple nails. (sorry) I am using two things in this mani that I haven't yet used, Zoya Harlow Matte, and the line pattern from Konad Plate m65.



    I used Zoya Harlow Matte as a base, with China Glaze DV8 applied with Konad Plate m65 as well as freehanded on the tips. No Seche Vite today.. it must be a sin, right? (and on Sunday, no less)

    k, I'm off to enjoy my goodies from class!! :)

I Can See Clearly Now...


    ....the Rain is Gone. :-P

    Welcome, all, to Day #3 of Hey, I'm Going To Get a Song Stuck in Your Head! Today's song of choice? 'I Can See Clearly Now' by Jimmy Cliff :-D You're welcome.

    Sorry today's post is so late tonight. 10 p.m.! I was out of the house all day helping my friend Jessica with wedding stuff! :)



    I used Orly Snowcone as a base, with Sally Hansen All the White Stuff sponged on to make clouds, which were shaded with Urban Outfitters Blue 2 sponged over the white. For the sun, I used Diamond Cosmetics #319 Lemon Yellow Zest and Electric Orange. Topped it all off with 2 coats of Seche Vite top coat.

    Note: It's going to be a bright...bright, briiiight, bright sunshiny dayyyyy. :)


Rubber Ducky, You're the One...

Walk Like an Egyptian


    I am completely obsessed with Egypt. With ancient civilizations. With awesome. I have been a history nerd for longer than I can remember, I was the kid in the biography section of the library of the elementary school, the one checking out books on dead presidents and historical figures. I could watch History Channel all day long. Egypt, however, will always top my list of fascinating subjects, faraway lands, architecture, civilizations, etc. I just find it incredible to see things that were built or made thousands upon thousands of years ago that are #1. still intact and #2. made by hand without any of today's modern conveniences. I love going to Egypt exhibits in museums, and it baffles me that a cane, or a necklace, or a chair still exists, wholly intact, with the paint still vibrant and beautiful, which was made forever ago, but a pair of jeans I bought less than a year ago, or a dish that I have only had for a short time, etc. has long since broken or fallen apart. Our generation won't leave anything like that behind, it rather saddens me. But enough about nerdy history talk... on to the nails!! Today's nails were painted with actual Egyptian hieroglyphics!!



    I used OPI Sand in My Suit as a base, Zoya Dea for the hieroglyphics and sponged VERY VERY lightly over 2 coats ofEssie Matte About You.

    BTW, Good luck with getting that song out of your head...


Stereotyping Suburbia


    These nails are inspired by and dedicated to the stereotypical suburban dream. I can just picture the Nuclear family (Parents, 2.2 kids, dog), waving from the other side. :-P Not sure what made me think of it. I think there was a white picket fence mentioned on tv while I was watching. Who knows. lol



    I used Orly Snowcone as base, Sally Hansen All the White Stuff
    for the picket fence, and both BB Couture Poison Ivy and Green Scene for the grass. :) Topped off with 2 coats of Seche Vite top coat.

Luxurious Rage


    Hey everyone!!! Totally spaced on it being Mardi Gras today, having yesterday off threw off my schedule... I was convinced yesterday was a Sunday, so my apologies, no Mardi Gras nails... :-/ However, I was lucky enough to find a Sally Beauty that was selling the ORLY Foil FX collection, even though I'm thinking they weren't supposed to have them out, since it wasn't in their system, and I can't find anywhere selling it online yet. These colors are amazing. Like AMAZING. I wanted to do a design that would let the colors I chose shine.. literally. I bought all three, Rage, Luxe, and Shine, but only employed 2 in this design. When these polishes are for sale online, I will change the polish names to links like I usually have.

    UPDATE: Head2toeBeauty is selling these polishes online, so click on the name of the polish below the pic to take you to the site where they are available for purchase- thanks Mood Puppet for the heads up! :)



    I used Orly Rage as a base, which is a gorgeous Rose Gold foil, then sponged a little bit of Orly Luxe (the gold foil) on the tips, and then applied Zoya Raven with Konad Plate m70. Topped everything off with 2 coats of Seche Vite top coat.


    Tip:
    When stubborn glitter/shimmer wont leave your cuticles, use a nail cleaning brush to remove after polish is dry and you've cleaned up the cuticles with remover and a brush.

Laura Mercier Sale at Hautelook!


    Hey all, another cosmetics sale at Hautelook- Laura Mercier!!

    There are brush sets, candles, palettes, eyeshadows, mineral eyeshadows, lipsticks, tanner, etc..

    Hautelook sale




Slow Down, Don't RUSH more!


    Hey all!! Guess what today is? (Besides a day I got off of work?) PRESIDENT'S DAY! (Hence the day off work!!) In honor of the holiday, I decided to do my depiction of Mt. Rushmore on my nails.. :-P They're immortalized on money, in stone, and now in nail polish. ;)



    I used Orly Mirror, Mirror as a base, and mixed with varying amounts of Zoya Raven for line work and shading. For the sky, I used Zoya Yummy. Topped everything off with 2 coats of Seche Vite top coat.

    Happy President's Day! :)

A Little Less Conversation, A Little More Action


    Hey everyone- just thought I'd show the naughtier side of Valentine's Day today, since yesterday's nails were so sickeningly sweet (literally ;-P) Anyway, I know a favorite Valentine's Day pastime is doin' the naughty, and while I'm spending my day today in class, and watching episodes of Dexter from Season 1, I thought I'd do a tribute to everyone else's day. :-P



    I used MAC Abalone Shell as a base, which is a great color to match my skintone, especially in natural light. For the corset color, I used China Glaze Salsa, and Zoya Raven applied with Konad Plate m57 for the fishnet overlay and black. For the cleavage on the thumb, I used Zoya Dea. and for the bra part, I used heart gems from a store called Chika Chika that was going out of business in the mall. :) Topped everything off with 2 coats of Seche Vite top coat.

    Happy Valentine's Day, kids!

Conversation With a Crunch

For Your Thoughts.

    Hey everyone! Guess whose birthday it is today? I'll give a hint... he'd be 201 years old today. He sported a lovely beard. He was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth. ;) Ok, if you haven't figured it out yet, its Abe Lincoln!! :-P In honor of our 16th President's birthday, I decided to do penny nails, since he's on both sides!! :-P It didn't turn out as well as I'd hoped, because I quickly discovered it is very hard to paint the detail of a penny on a fingernail with a nail art brush. :-P it'd have to be like a single bristled art brush! lol



    I used Milani Sassy Brassy, which to me looks more like copper, as a base, with a mixture of Zoya Raven, Zoya Angelina and Nubar Milk Chocolate Creme for the linework, and Zoya Raven for the black background, topped with Essie Matte About You. Penny art was topped off with 2 coats of Seche Vite top coat to really make 'em shine. ;)

    Now, how about your 2¢?

Cause & Effects

    Hey everyone!! Today's nails were inspired by the kick-ass new colors that were sent to me to play with by CND (Creative Nail Design) They are amazing, and I'm not just saying that because they were gratis. They are super easy to apply, and are so close to being opaque, that I could've gotten away with one coat, but did two for good measure. Green Scene is well on it's way to becoming my favorite green, and Electric Orange is the orange creme I've been looking for! Lol, I'm such a nerd, but you can even ask my roommate how excited and impressed I was when I tried these. Today's manicure is utilizing all 3 colours and 2 effects that were sent, (Thank you!) I tried Konad stamping with the effects, but it didn't work very well :-/ but I included a closeup of the pinky, where you can see some of the orange/copper reflect from Copper Shimmer Effect polish, and some of the blue sparkles on the ring finger from Sapphire Sparkle Effect polish. Lesson learned I suppose.





    I used Green Scene as a base, with Eclectic Purple sponged on the tips. For the Electric Orange stripe, I painted a thick strip of polish on my palette, and dipped my tip into it. :) On top of everything, I used Copper Shimmer Effect and Sapphire Sparkle Effect on Konad Plate m65, using each polish on half of the design. Topped everything off with 2 coats of Seche Vite top coat.

Domo-Arigato.

    :-D lol For those of you not in the know, today's nails are Domo, or Domo-kun nails. Domo is the mascot of a Japanese television station, and has also been shown in a few short animations on Nickelodeon, in Target's Halloween decor, and most recently on the coffee cups, etc. at 7-11. He is described as 'a strange creature that hatched from an egg'. I just think he's cute. :-P I decided to paint him on my nails after seeing a Domo stuffed doll on my co-worker Kevin's desk. :)



    I used Nubar Milk Chocolate Creme as a base, Sally Hansen All the White Stuff for the teeth and eye highlights, China Glaze Salsa for the mouth, and Zoya Raven for the eyes. Topped it off with 2 coats of Seche Vite top coat.

    Fun fact: Domo is known to fart repeatedly when nervous or upset. :-P

    *toot*


    And a treat for my non-Twitter followers...

    I found the surprise in the nail polish packaging!! (I think I'll stop buying nail polish from the Dollar Tree now)

    Your eyes do not deceive you, that IS in fact a broken fingernail INSIDE the packaging. The irony? It was for a strengthening polish!!

    I'm contemplating contacting the company and asking if anyone is missing their nail and would like it back. :-D



They're GRRRRReat!


    So I get a lot of questions from readers, some from the comments, and some by email, but the MOST asked question is where do I get my inspiration? Today I'll give you a bit of a glimpse of where and how I arrive on a design. lol (It's a short one today, I promise) As I sat down to do my nails for today, I was at a loss for what to paint. I racked and racked my brain, yet nothing came, so I looked to the list for inspiration, and stopped upon the idea submitted to me by reader Ada C., Hot Air Balloons! :) This got wheels turning, and reminded me of air shows and hot air balloon shows that I went to in Battle Creek, MI when I was a kid with my parents. There were literally HUNDREDS of hot air balloons in every size and shape imaginable - one was even shaped like a slice of cake! :) Anyway, everyone in Michigan knows (as do those who are avid cereal eaters) that Battle Creek, MI is the home of Kellogg's! Then I thought to myself...'Self, What do you think of when you think of Kellogg's?' and then I answered myself...'Tony the Tiger!' and thus, Tony the Tiger nails were born.



    I used Urban Outfitters Orange 2 as a base for all nails, with Zoya Raven applied with Konad Plate m57 for the Tiger print nails. For the Tony nail, I used Sally Hansen All the White Stuff for the white, Pure Ice French Kiss for the nose, and then mixed with white for the highlighting. For the highlighting on the nose, I mixed Urban Outfitters Orange 2 with Diamond Cosmetics #319 Lemon Yellow Zest, which I also used for the eyes. Diamond Cosmetics Giddy was used for shading on the white parts of the face, and Zoya Raven was used for all black line work. For the background color, I used Zoya Yummy. :) Topped it off with 2 coats of Seche Vite top coat, so they don't get soggy in milk.

Faster Than a Speeding Bullet!


    Haha, the 'Super'bowl put me in a 'Super' mindset, so I decided to do Superman nails. I also find these nails amusing because for years and years and years, I went by the screenname 'SuperMel' on the interwebs... originally on theglobe.com, an online chatroom when I was all of 15. :-P Yes, I'm a dork, it's ok, I know I am.



    I used Pure Ice French Kiss as a base, with Diamond Cosmetics #319 Lemon Yellow Zest for the yellow, and China Glaze Salsafor the red border and 'S'. Topped it off with 2 coats of Seche Vite top coat to protect the nails from Kryptonite. (It's dangerous stuff I hear)

Kevyn Aucoin on Hautelook!

    Hey all!!! Just a quick note to tell you that Kevyn Aucoin beauty is on sale on Hautelook today, everything is $7 and under!!!

    The link:

    Hautelook

    WOOO!! Lots of good stuff, lipsticks, glosses, eyeshadows, pencils, etc.

Are You Ready For Some Footballlll?!

    So apparently here in the US, there is this sporting event going on today... the Superbowl somethin' er other. :-P I felt like I HAD to do Superbowl nails to commemorate the event, so I give you the Saints vs. the Colts... who will win in THIS epic battle? (I mean the one on my nails, not the one on TV) :-P Bread class kicked my ass today, and I promptly passed out on the couch in full chef regalia as soon as I got home. :-P (which is why the post is on the later side)





    I used China Glaze 2030 from Khrome Collection as a base for the Saints nails, Zoya Raven for the fleur de lis outlined in Sally Hansen All the White Stuff. For the Colts nails, I used Sally Hansen All the White Stuff as a base, with Pure Ice French Kiss for the horseshoe and Sally Hansen All the White Stuff again for the white dots. Topped off both teams with 2 coats of Seche Vite top coat.

    Ok, enjoy the Superbowl, I'm off to get some wings to mess up my pretty nails. *drool* They're all I can think about today.

I May Have Lost My Marble..s...

    Hey all!! Quick nail today- lots to do today! Concert tonight, plus I had my makeup done by the lovely MA, Britta, from Pennsylvania, who was at the local MAC store for the unveiling of the latest and greatest MAC collection. (picture to follow at the end of the post)





    I used American Apparel Cotton as a base, with American Apparel Peacock and China Glaze 2030 from Khrome Collection marbled, the 2030 didn't like to play well with Peacock, and instead of marbling, just got blotchy... oh well. Topped off with 2 coats of Seche Vite top coat.



    The makeup:



    closeup of the eye makeup:




    and one crazzzzzzzzzzy nail blogger photo:

Thank God It's FRYday.

Who Can Take the Sunrise...Sprinkle it With Dew...


    ...Cover it with chocolate and a miracle or two.. the candy man can!! :) Ok, these nails are a tribute to one of the greatest movies of all time... Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory!!! I LOVE LOVE LOVE this movie, and Gene Wilder's Lovable, yet unsettlingly close to insane character. :-P I chose to paint Willy Wonka's purple velvet jacket, purple flowered shirt, and gold satin bow tie! I even used a Zoya Matte Velvet collection color for the VELVET jacket!!! :-P





    I used Zoya Savita matte for the jacket, mixed with Sally Hansen All the White Stuff for the lapels, and again for the purple on the shirt. For the white of the shirt, I used OPI Alpine Snow Matte, and for the bow tie I used China Glaze 2030 from Khrome Collection, then mixed with China Glaze Liquid Leather to shade, and tehn topped it off with Essie Matte About You to dull down the shine of the Khrome.

    Remember:

    "Invention, my dear friends, is 93% perspiration, 6% electricity, 4% evaporation, and 2% butterscotch ripple. "

    Oh, and the snozzberries DO taste like snozzberries.

Up, Up & Away!

Air Nail


    So I was thinking about the Daily Nail logo, and it made me think of other types of mail, like airmail, and I thought that airmail would be a fun look for nails!! So, I got to work making some french tip sticker guides out of painter's tape and a Konad plate as a guide for my X-acto knife, painted the stripes, and c'est voilà! - Air Nails! :-P Ok, I'm a dork, I'll freely admit it. I have to say though, I think it's hard to use guides, they drive me nuts, so I only use them when I have to- like for stuff like this.



    I used Sally Hansen All the White Stuff as a base, with Pure Ice French Kiss for the blue stripes, China Glaze Salsa for the red stripes, and China Glaze Liquid Leather for the cancellation stamp on the middle finger. Topped everything off with 2 coats of Seche Vite top coat for good measure. :-P

    (Thank goodness it didn't add on to shipping costs!!) :-P

I Keep a Good Luck Charm Tucked Under My Arm...


    Day 111

    Alright, so anyone that knows me knows that I'm a big Jason Mraz fan, and have been for about 8 years, maybe longer. I love his clever lyrics, and his happy, uplifting sound. It's damn near impossible for me to not sing along when I hear a tune of his, and some of my favorites are ones that weren't really ever released on an album. Anyway, as an homage to Mr. Mraz, his wordplay, his total hippie awesomeness, and his 2 Grammy wins last night (Best Male Pop vocal Performance and Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals), I give to you the 'Be Love' nails. (and an avocado) :)

    The significance of 'Be Love' is best said in his words:

    "It’s about choosing kindness over being right. It’s about cutting out the conditions in which you might think are required for love and going straight to the source, or rather, being the source yourself, that which is Love, unconditional. "

    (via his blog, Freshness Factor Five Thousand)

    To remind themselves to 'Be Love', he and a couple of friends (Mraz, Bushwalla, Tricia, and John) got their own individual versions of 'Be Love' tattoos. The avocado on the pinky is because Jason grows avocados, loves them, and it seems to have become a symbol of sorts of his.

    The tattoo reference for the nails:

    Be Love Four Ways

    Anyway, on to the nails. (I even used my awesome Jason Mraz-esque straw fedora that was given to me by a great friend as a prop)

    Also, accidentally did the head and shoulders one upside-down, my apologies!



    I used Urban Outfitters in Matte Nude 3 as a base for all nails except the pinky, in which I used Sally Hansen Trendy Creme . For all of the black, I used OPI for Sephora What's a Tire Jack? Matte, for the red of the heart on the ring finger, I used China Glaze Salsa. The avocado was shaded with LA Girl Army Girl green polish around the edges, and outlined in Zoya Envy, the avocado seed/pit was painted with Zoya Flowie, was shaded with Nubar Milk Chocolate Creme, and highlighted with China Glaze White on White mixed with Zoya Flowie. Topped it all off with 2 coats of Seche Vite top coat, as usual.


    How do you define 'Being Love'?

Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)

Total Pageviews