You Really Turn Me On

Today's manicure is another nerdy manicure. :-P They were inspired by the power button on your computer, monitor, XBOX, TV, etc. Silly, I know, but I like doing nerdy designs. Plus, I have been on the XBOX waaaaay too much lately. I watched the entire five seasons of Weeds on streaming Netflix in a matter of days. Yeah, I don't half-ass stuff, I go ALL out. :-D I call it dedication, others call it sad. :)



I used China Glaze Millennium as a base, and I have to say, as much as I love and rave about this color for nail art and Konading, I do NOT like it as an all-over color on me. For the On symbols, I used China Glaze Millennium mixed with American Apparel Hassid. Topped it off with Seche Vite top coat.

What a turn-on.

Ch-Ch-Chain of Fools

Today's nails were inspired by the obvious... chains. :-D My friend at work said I should've done whips on the other hand and gone with a whole bondage theme. :-P I've have this idea milling about in my head for a while now, and finally decided to do it. Originally in my brain, it was more complex, with shading and depth and whatnot, but once I laid down the initial shapes, I liked it simple and graphic, so I left it. :) (hope you like it too!!)



I used American Apparel Hassid as a base, with China Glaze Millennium for the silver chains, and China Glaze 2030 for the gold. :) Topped it all off with 2 coats of Seche Vite top coat, because I wouldn't want the chains to break, right?!

So in closing, I feel the need to add this.... because it kept coming up when I was trying to think of titles for this post....

You ARE the Weakest Link.... Goodbye! :-P

(p.s. none of you are weak links, I just found this amusing :-P )

BB Couture Polish Sale

Hey all!! There are few BB Couture Polishes on sale for 50% off on bbnailpolish.com

Go here to see the sale polishes!!

The sale ones are all the way at the bottom! :)

Hurry though, rumor has it that these are only on sale through March!!

Flight of the Bumblebee

Fun fact of the day: Melissa means bee/honey. It comes from Greek mythology, where Melissa was a nymph who discovered honey and its uses, and fed Zeus honey when he was a baby instead of milk. Crazy, eh? Today's nails are inspired by my name! :)



I used Orly Snowcone as a base, with American Apparel Hassid for the flight path, and for the black outlines/stripes of the bee, American Apparel Manila for the body of the bee, and a mix of American Apparel Cotton and American Apparel Mount Royal for the wings. Topped it off with only one coat of Seche Vite top coat, as I was running low on time.

Where do you think the bee is heading to?

Maybe to see his 'honey'? haha!

It's like But-tah

Today's nails were inspired by the fact that I wanted to use my new butterLONDON polish in Rosie Lee. :-D I'm usually not a pink girl, but I this is a very purty glitter. :-P Adding the halftone dots make it less girly, right?! RIGHT?! I just finished Season 3 of Weeds on Netflix Instant Queue or whatever its called when I watch it through my XBOX. That makes 3 seasons in less than a week. I think I may have a problem. Or drink too many caffeinated beverages, not sure.



I used butterLONDON Rosie Lee as a base, with American Apparel Peacock applied with Konad Plate m60. Topped off with two coats of Seche Vite top coat.

That's Just Grey-t

Hey there kids!! (Don't worry, I call everyone kid, regardless of their years) So the Bad Religion concert las night was PUNK-tastic. I had a blast, and got a rad t-shirt that earns me dirty looks when I wear it. (Google Bad Religion images, you'll see why) Today was a busy day- I went and tried on (and bought) the bridesmaid dress for the wedding I'm going to be in in May, and it was surprisingly VERY flattering. (the color will be a different story- Guava is not a color that should be in a redhead's vocabulary. (or wardrobe). After that, I helped a good friend paint his bedroom- Ground Cumin is the color, and it turned out fantastic. He was smart not to question my interior design skills. :-P I love picking out paint colors for people, perhaps one day I'll have my own house and can do it for myself!! I managed to squeeze in a nap in there, which was great, too.

Today's nails are simple, but I really like them, and despite the beginning of my experience with butterLondon (took 5.5 weeks to get my polishes due to Paypal marking the order as complete, and no one returned emails from BL), I am 100% in love with the one polish I've tried out of the 3 I bought... Billy No Mates! It applied smoothly, and only took 2 coats to be opaque.



I used 2 coats of butterLONDON Billy No Mates as base, with 1 coat of Essie Matte About You, then for the moons, I used about 8,000 coats of Urban Outfitters Grey 1, it was pretty hard to get opaque and even. For the ring finger moon, I used American Apparel Berry. I also used American Apparel Berry for the 'stitching' on the grey moon fingers, and Urban Outfitters Grey 1 for the stitching on the ring finger.

How is everyone's weekend going? I get to wake up early for class, blargh. :-D My weekend off last week because of Spring Break felt nice. :)

Dukes of 'Hazard'

ACK! People are sick here at work, everywhere I turn, *cough* *HACK* *sniff*. Gross. Major gross. They inspired today's nails... the Biohazard symbol. :) I really hope that I don't get sick, that is about the last thing I need right now. :-/ On the bright side, going to a Bad Religion concert tonight- woo! :)



I used Electric Orange as a base, with American Apparel Hassid. Sealed the deal with 2 coats of Seche Vite top coat.

Put your dukes up!

I Ain't No Ho-Ho!

:-D ok, I'll admit, today's title cracks me up. I'm SUCH a dork.

The inspiration for today's nails came a few months ago via email from Niki C., of Polish on Digital Paper fame, and while I've gotten inspiration from other designs people have sent in before, (with permission, of course ;)) I usually don't copy them stroke for stroke... These however, were too awesome not to, I loved their quirky simplicity. Thanks Niki, you rock! :)



I used MAC Showy as a base (can't find it for sale), then used my white Migi Nail Art Pen for the frosting swirl. Topped it all off with 2 coats of Seche Vite top coat to simulate the tasty glossy chocolate frosting. Oh damn, I know what I'm going to buy at lunch. *drool*

Anybody got any milk?!

Fit As a Fiddle

Today's manicure was inspired by violins/fiddles/guitars, etc. I came up with the technique of layering several colors, and then using a big fluffy brush that was wet with acetone and brushing lightly, until the colors from underneath started to show. I'm fairly pleased with how it turned out, it gave the effect of aged, varnished wood, which is precisely what I was going for. :-P I'll probably try this again at some point with crazier colors.



I used 2 coats of American Apparel Manila as a base, then 2 coats of American Apparel Pinto, then two coats of Sally Hansen Leather Frost, which I got at the Dollar Tree. Topped this off with 1 coat of Seche Vite top coat, let it dry, then proceeded to brush off the color with the acetone remover. For the F holes, I used American Apparel Hassid. Topped everything off with Seche Vite top coat.

Stila Cosmetics Sale on Hautelook - everything is 40% off!!

Stila Cosmetics on sale on Hautelook today!!

Everything from the Barbie Paint Can to palettes, Barbie Smudge Pots, lipglazes, eyeshadows, tons of stuff- and everything is 40% off!!! Awesometastical!!

The link:

Stila Sale on Hautelook

Et tu, Brute?

Today's nails are simple, and remind me of toga embellishments, or borders in roman art/architecture. Today has been a super long day, got a new project at work that I'm excited about- wish I could say more, but confidentiality agreements put the kibosh on that. :-P Went to the dentist today for a routine cleaning, and #1 found out that Sonicare toothbrushes are the shiz, and really DO work, and #2, I need a root canal. *cry* Luckily, I'm assured that it won't hurt, as the tooth is not inflamed, just an old sports injury (one where I caught a softball with my face) is coming back to haunt me. *sigh* Ah well, at least NCIS is on tonight. ;)



I used American Apparel Cotton as a base, with China Glaze 2030 from Khrome Collection for the pattern. Topped it off with 2 coats of Seche Vite top coat.

Man, this makes me want some salad... Caesar, anyone?

I Have a Code to Protect

...a BAR code.

Today's nails are inspired by UPC codes. They're on EVERYTHING we buy, no matter what. I'm a total shopaholic, (If I were a dinosaur- I'd be a Shopasaurus Rex) so I see these bad boys on a VERY regular basis. I used to have to create them at my old job, too, so I'm fairly familiar. I couldn't fit an entire one on a nail, so they're just bits and pieces, buuuut, yeah. :-D (I wonder what these nails would cost if they were whole bar codes?!)



I used Sally Hansen All the White Stuff as a base, with American Apparel Hassid for the bar codes. Topped it off with 2 coats of Seche Vite top coat.

butterLONDON sale on Hautelook!

Heck yeah! butterLONDON polishes (usually $14 each) are on sale on Hautelook for only $5 today!!! They also have leg and foot lotions for only $10 each! (usually $28)

KICK A$$!

the link:

Hautelook sale

The Moody Blue(brown)s

Hey all!! So I thought I'd try my hand at making a polish out of one of my MAC pigments that I particularly love, and thought would make a killer polish...BLUE BROWN! It's far more red brown with the polish added, but the bluey-green sheen comes through nicely in person... not so much on camera, but I tried.



I used the Blue Brown homemade polish as a base, with Claire's new Mood Polish in Peaceful/Confident for the Swirls. Topped it off with Seche Vite top coat, which for some reason made the blue brown polish pucker as soon as it hit it. Did the same thing on the swatch nail I made, not sure why, I've never had it happen before. I kept it, because I thought it made an interesting texture because the puckers reflected the light differently.

The swatch, though it doesn't show off how blue/green the reflect is:

A 'Mary' Widow, Perhaps?

The title is a spin (pun intended) of the term Merrywidow- a type of lingerie, and because the colorful gender of Black Widow spiders are the females....the males are dull and brown. (I know the title is a stretch, but I tried. ;)) In just a few short months, our backyards will be overrun with these stupid things, with their ominous-looking red hourglass markings, and their venomous bite. I had never seen one until I moved out west, and man, they're everywhere. Creepy buggers.



I used American Apparel Hassid as a base, and then painted the hourglass with China Glaze Salsa over Sally Hansen All the White Stuff. Two coats of Seche Vite top coat to seal the deal.

OMG, Like, Totally 80s!

Sorry for the lateness of today's post, I estimate that of the past 24 or so hours, I've been awake only a handful of them..maybe 4? Today's mani is also simple, and I get to use one of my new polishes that I got the other day from ROSS!! (Super cheap, too!) The colors totally remind me of 80s fashion colors, hence the title.



I used Color Club Pure Energy from the Electro Candy Collection as a base, with Massini Power Pack applied with a pipe cleaner. Topped it off with 2 coats of Seche Vite top coat.

Back to bed. Sleeping is my only relief from the neck and shoulder agony right now. It even hurts to breathe. The chiro yesterday didn't help much, but it didn't hurt that he was smokin' hot, either. ;)

I'm With the Band-ana.

Howdy, y'all!! (best read with a country accent) Today's nails have been in my mind for ages, ever since I got the plate actually... I totally think that the paisley design on plate m60 looks like a Bandana print... so I did bandana nails.



I used China Glaze Salsa as a base on the red nails, and American Apparel Mount Royal as a base on the blue nail. For the pattern, I applied Sally Hansen All the White Stuff with Konad Plate m60. Topped it off with 2 coats of Seche Vite top coat, so my nails will be ready for any rodeo that comes along!! :-P

K, I'm going to lay down, just got back from the Chiro, which felt good for about 5 min after, and now I'm in pain again. *sigh*

Drink Me, I'm Irish!

Ok, so I'm not Irish, but with my naturally pale skin, freckles, and red hair, I certainly look the part! :-P Sooooo, in honor of St. Patty's Day, I painted pints of Guinness on my nails (and some shamrocks, of course!!) My favorite part is that the brown I used is MAC's Rick, Dark, Delicious....could there be a more PERFECT color name to use for Guinness?!



I used MAC Rich, Dark, Delicious as a base, then mixed with American Apparel Cotton for the 'head' or foam. For the Shamrocks, I used Pure Ice Wild Thing. Topped everything off with 2 coats of Seche Vite top coat.

And, to match my nails.....

GUINNESS CUPCAKES!!!!





Here is where I found the recipe, since so many people were interested in it:

Guinness Cupcake recipe

Sláinte!

I'm Not at 'Liberty' to Say

Sorry today's post is late today, I fell asleep on the couch last night while watching TV, and woke up late this morning, too late to do my nails before work. SOOOOO you get after-work nails!! YAYYYYY! Tonight I get to make Guinness Chocolate Cupcakes for St. Pat's Day tomorrow!!! They're delish!! MMMM.



I used MAC Blue India, the gorgeous new color from their Liberty of London Collection as a base, with Sally Hansen All the White Stuff sponged on the tips, and then two layers of Essie Funky Limelight sponged over that! :)

Thinking I might drink a Guinness while the cupcakes bake- good idea? I think so.

In Gilded Cage

The idea for today's manicure came to me a while ago, and I had it written amongst the ideas in my notebook. I think when I originally thought of the idea, I envisioned the cage black, but I think this way works too! :)



I used Orly Snowcone as a base, with American Apparel Manila for the yellow birds, and China Glaze Salsa over Sally Hansen All the White Stuff for the red birds. American Apparel Hassid for the legs and the eyes, and China Glaze 2030 from Khrome Collection for the birdcages.

Show Me Your Tooth.

Today's nails are simple, bread class wears me out, so I usually don't have much time to paint my nails before I fall into a bread class induced coma. I did, however, get a chance to use my new American Apparel Office polish that I got the other day. This polish, sadly, was less than stellar. The color is amaaaaazing, but it took 3, and probably should've used 4, coats to have full coverage, a far cry from my beloved 1-coat Hassid. Seems like the AA polishes are hit-and-miss pigment-wise. They're all great great great colors, but some are vastly more pigmented than others. Anyway.



I used American Apparel Office as a base, with China Glaze Millennium applied with Konad Plate m63. Topped everything off with 2 coats of Seche Vite top coat.

On the Dotted Line

Hey all! Today's manicure was inspired by a set of notecards that I found in the $1 section of Target!! I love graphic prints, and one of my favorite color combos is aqua and chocolate brown...soooo... here you go!

The inspiration:



The nails:



I used China Glaze For Audrey as a base, with Nubar Milk Chocolate Creme for the dots and lines. Topped it all off with 2 coats of Seche Vite top coat. (Kinda makes it look like they're wrapped in cellophane, like the notecards!! :-P

Flippin' the Birds

Hey all!!! Today's mani is inspired by Alfred Hitchcock's 'The Birds'. :-D For the accent nail I did the iconic Hitchcock profile graphic. :-)



A better view of the profile:



I used American Apparel Cotton as a base on all the bird nails, and American Apparel Hassid for the Hitchcock nail, as well as the birds.

I seriously can't get the Hitchcock intro music out of my head.

Vincent Longo Cosmetics Sale on Hautelook!

Hey all!! Just a note to let you know that Vincent Longo stuff is on Hautelook today and this weekend. everything is 65% off!!!


There are lipsticks, lip pencils, eye shadows, eye liners, colored mascaras, bronzers. lipglosses, etc. CHEAP!!

Hautelook

In a Heartbeat!

Ok, not sure what inspired this, but I thought of it as I was falling asleep last night. I'm glad I remembered this morning when I set out to paint my nails. :-P Just something simple, but recognizable (I hope? :-P)



I used American Apparel Hassid as a base, with Pure Ice Wild Thing and Nubar Forest mixed for the heart monitor line. Topped it off with only one coat of Seche Vite top coat, since I was in a hurry!

Ruff & Tuff

Hey all!! Jumping on the Ruffian-inspired manicure bandwagon. I instantly loved those nails when I saw them, and all the interpretations I've seen lately were lovely and made me want to try my own, with my own twist.



I used China Glaze Ruby Pumps as a base, and then freehanded the black with my newest love, American Apparel Hassid, using the brush from the bottle. The black is ONE coat. Seriously. I'm in awe of this polish. I topped it off with 2 coats of Seche Vite top coat.

Luminesse Air sale on Hautelook!

Luminesse Air Airbrush system is on sale at Hautelook!

They have starter kits, foundations, blushes, eyeshadows, and foundations on sale!

Check it out!

Hautelook

Mullet Mani

I call this mani the Mullet Mani because indoors it is reserved and toned down (for me I guess), but when you go outdoors- SHA-BLAM! It's red! (Party in the back/sun :-P) I bought this polish near the beginning of my blog, and I'm FINALLY using it!!

Indoors



Outdoors



I used Urban Outfitters Matte Nude 3 as a base, because my nails are stained from all the polish wear, but you could easily do this on bare nails. On top of that, I used Del Sol Ruby Slipper, which is a clear polish with silver glitter, which changes to red with silver glitter in UV light (blacklight/sun). For the black, I used my new holy grail favorite polish that I am seriously enamored with…American Apparel Hassid. Seriously, do yourself a favor and get one...at least! :-P I will never use another black again! :-D I used this color to freehand the tips, and with Konad Plate m51 for the flower design.

Leave it to me to pick a UV-sensitive polish on a day with overcast and, get this, SNOW. :-/ In Las Vegas. In MARCH!!

The Old Man is Snoring

Hey all!! So it rained all weekend here in Vegas. ALL weekend. Seems like all it ever does is rain here anymore- isn't this supposed to be the desert?! Well anyway, in honor of the monsoon-like weather (lightning, thunder, downpour, flooding) that we've been getting so much of here in Vegas this year, I did stormy nails. I even got to use my new American Apparel polish that I got yesterday. :-D I'm so happy they're back!! I managed to snag the ones I didn't buy the first time around because they were sold out.



I used American Apparel Factory Grey as a base, with Orly Mirror, Mirror for the clouds, Orly Snowcone for the raindrops, and American Apparel Manila for the lightning bolts. Topped it off with 2 coats of Seche Vite top coat to trap the storm on my nails so it can be sunny for a few days. :-P

And yes, that is my umbrella I'm clutching in the photo.

And the Oscar Goes to…

So, I'm watching the Oscars, and figured, what the hell, I'll do the Oscar Red Carpet looks!! :) I did two basic tuxes, a Robert Downey Jr. twist with the blue-green bow-tie, and then the dresses of Penelope Cruz and Tina Fey (or at least my nail interpretation of them). :-D



I used OPI Alpine Snow Matte as a base on the tux nails, and Urban Outfitters Matte Nude 3 on the dress nails. For the tuxedos, I used OPI for Sephora What's a Tire Jack? Matte for the main part of the tux, and then Zoya Raven for the lapels and buttons. For the RDJ bow-tie I used a mix of Zoya Jo, Zoya Raven, Nubar Forest, and Pure Ice French Kiss. I'm sure that I could've created the color by opening a bottle, but I seem to like making things difficult for myself. :-P For the Penelope nail (red dress), I used Zoya Dea for the cleavage, and Zoya Posh Matte for the dress. For Tina's dress, I used OPI for Sephora What's a Tire Jack? Matte as a base, and painted Amour Black Glitter over it. For the cleavage, I again used Zoya Dea.

Did your favorite movies/actors/actresses/etc win?

We're All Mad Here

So I went. A YEAR (give or take) of buildup. It was SOOOOOO worth it, it was amazing!!! I recommend it. It's amusing though, sometimes if you listen really hard at just the right time when Hatter is talking, you can hear Capt. Jack Sparrow. :-P Today I did another Alice in Wonderland themed mani, though today's design is from the 1951 version...the Cheshire Cat!! :)



I used Essie Lilacism as a base, with Eclectic Purple for the stripes, head, and mixed with Essie Lilacism for the tip of the tail, the face and the paw. For the black lines I used Zoya Raven, for the eyes, Diamond Cosmetics #319 Lemon Yellow Zest, for the smile, Sally Hansen All the White Stuff, and for the nose, a mix of China Glaze Salsa and Nubar Milk Chocolate Creme. For the background on the thumb, I used Zoya Dovima. Topped everything off with 2 coats of Seche Vite top coat.

All in all it didn't turn out as well as I envisioned, but what can ya do. Next time maybe? :-P Let's just hope that it's not off with my HEAD!!!! :-P

A in W

Hey all, I've saved up some Alice manis for the next few days in honor of the movie, which I am SOOOOOO beyond excited for. (I've had a countdown on my dashboard of my computer for I'd say about a year now?) Today's Alice nails are the backgrounds for the promotional character posters.



I used:



Thumb: Queen of Hearts/Red Queen/Helena Bonham Carter

China Glaze Salsa as a base, with a mixture of China Glaze Salsa and Nubar Milk Chocolate Creme sponged over it, then that same combo used to paint the hearts. On top of that I lightly sponged more China Glaze Salsa to get the grungy effect of the poster.



Index: Alice/Mia Wasikowska

Barielle Sweet Addiction as a base, with Zoya Envy lightly sponged, as well as used for the keyholes. Barielle Sweet Addiction was then again used to sponge on top.



Middle: Mad Hatter/Johnny Depp

Pure Ice Wild Thing as a base, with a mixture of Pure Ice Wild Thing and Nubar Forest sponged on top, Nubar Forest for the hats, and then Pure Ice Wild Thing sponged on top.



Ring: White Queen/Anne Hathaway

American Apparel Cotton, with Urban Outfitters Matte Nude 1 sponged on top, as well as for the hearts. American Apparel Cotton was then sponged again on top.



Pinky: Cheshire Cat/Stephen Fry

Eclectic Purple as a base, with Zoya Pinta sponged on top, as well as for the stars. Eclectic Purple was also used to sponge on top.

Everything got 2 coats of Seche Vite top coat.


Lastly, a pic of two onesies that I screenprinted for a co-worker who is having a baby (I thought that since she is our trademark researcher/facilitator/whathaveyou, that it'd be funny to take the last name and add a ™ for the onesies, since a ™ is a source identifier, and, well it would be funny in my mind.) Luckily, she thought it was hilarious. :-D

Konad USA Puts Stop to Coupon codes!

From ocnailart twitter:

FYI Konad USA is requiring all Konad retailers to end all promotions, discounts and coupon codes! OCNailArt will honor them through 3/5.

Lame. Everyone shop shop shop all today and tomorrow. That'll be the end of 30% off from all Konad sellers. :(

OCNAILART.COM

Free domestic shipping for order $20 and over will still apply after 3/5! :)

Don't Make a Scene!

Today's nails were inspired by events that took place on March 3, 2010.

This is a dramatic representation of actual events.

I went to the LAPD Homicide/Crime Evidence Exhibit last night here in Las Vegas. There was evidence from heinous crimes like the Manson Murders (The Manson Murder Vehicle, ropes used to tie up Sharon Tate, etc), Black Dahlia, OJ Simpson (Gloves, hat, etc), and a number of other murders and assaults. It was fascinating, but truly disturbing/sickening to be mere inches from instruments of terror. One of the more disturbing things was seeing the footage of the Manson women, they were so enthralled with him, saying so many wonderful things about him, etc.

Anyway.



I used Diamond Cosmetics #319 Lemon Yellow Zest as a base, with Zoya Dovima painted over for the asphalt, and Zoya Raven for the lettering. For the chalk outline, I used OPI Alpine Snow Matte.

Envy & Rage

Wow, today's post sounds mean and horrible!! When I sat down to paint my nails for today, I'll admit, I wasn't feeling overly inspired. Marbles tend to be my fallback when that happens, so today, I give you a marbled design. :-P



I used Orly Shine as a base, then marbled Orly Rage, China Glaze Metallic Muse, and ULTA Envy. Topped it off with 2 coats of Seche Vite top coat.

Note: The Foil FX polish didn't like to play well with others, it separated badly when I tried to marble it.

Rock & Republic Beauty Sale

Rock & Republic Beauty Sale at Hautelook!!

Eyeshadows, Gel Liners, Lip Gloss, Blush, Eyeshadow Trios, and Brushes- all 40% off!!

Hautelook Sale

Check Out My New Weave!

hahahha. I'm such a dork. :-P Weave. :-D So at work, there is this game team called the Sin City Diablos, and they're a team of dudes that are my friends. They're super funny and sarcastic, and I'm working on being an honorary member. One of my tasks to become an honorary member is to paint their latest game art on my nails. Unfortunately, if I did that, I wouldn't be able to post them on the blog, since the game has yet to be released. SO, as a compromise, I painted an element of their design on my nails- a basket!! :-P



I used Zoya Dea for the vertical stripes, and then for the woven part, I started out with Sally Hansen All the White Stuff, then painted over it with Urban Outfitters Matte Nude 1. For the shading to make it look more like it was actually woven, I mixed the Urban Outfitters Matte Nude 1 with Zoya Dea. Topped it off with just one coat of Seche Vite top coat.

*sigh*

I feel like such a Basket Case today. ;)

Goldfingers

Today's nails are super simple nails, I'll admit, but I still like the effect quite a bit. :-D I also like the fact that they were accomplished in under 10 minutes. :-D



I used Orly Solid Gold as a base with Orly Luxe sponged on the tips. No Seche Vite top coat today. ;-P

Nail. Daily Nail.