31DC Day 11: Polka Dots- Ladybug (Happy Halloween! Happy November! + a quick & easy mani for short nails)

Ahhh yesterday was Halloween, and I meant to post this yesterday, but I got too caught up in the holiday activities! :) For Halloween, I dressed up as a ladybug, and did my nails to match the costume (and 31 day challenge!) ☺

The base color is Wet N Wild Red Red. For the black dots I used Wet N Wild Ebony Hates Chris.

I recently chopped my nails down real short (oh no!) and this was a great design to do for short nails. After painting the base color, take a dotting tool (or toothpick...), dip it in a different color, and just make dots all over. They don't even have to be the same size, so easy!

31DC Day 10: Gradient (Ombre + Tutorial)

The prompt for day 10 of the 31 day challenge is gradient. I was having trouble trying to decide what exactly I was going to do for this mani, but I remembered Sarah's (at Chalkboard Nails) gradient mani she did last year, and I loved it! It's an ombre gradient using all 5 nails.

I only used one base color for this look: OPI From A To Z-urich from the Germany collection. It's a pretty dusty red.

(This shot was taken after a few days of chipping and peeling!) With flash

Supplies to use:

• Piece of blank white paper
• Cotton swabs (Q-tips)
• Base color (From A To Z-urich)
• Mix-ins in black and white (Wet N Wild Black Creme and NYC French White Tip)
• Acetone/polish remover

Note: I used the same brush (base color brush) to mix the different colors, but you have to be careful to thoroughly clean it several times throughout the process if you choose to do it this way. Using a clean, separate brush is recommended. Also, try not to ever get any acetone in your polish bottles, because it can ruin polish!

Now let's begin!

Start with a nice base coat. I usually use the Seche Vite base coat, but I tried one I got from Claire's, it worked pretty well!

Paint both of your middle fingers the base color of your choice. (For this manicure, make sure to do both hands at the same time.)

Drop some base color onto the paper, and mix in only ONE DROP of black. The color gets dark very quickly so start with one drop and take it from there. Mix it in and paint onto the nail next to your middle finger. Repeat by adding about another drop of black and paint onto the next nail.

Clean off your brush, as we are going to mix lighter colors now.

Pour some more of the base color onto the paper, this time mixing in white. You need a lot more white to make the color lighter than you needed black to make it darker. Mix in enough white to make the base color a tint lighter. When you are happy with the color, paint it on the other nail next to your middle finger.

Repeat by adding more white to your already-lighter mix, and paint on your final finger.

Top with your favorite topcoat! (Seche Vite is mine ☺ )

(No flash)

Hope you like it & try it out!! :)

31DC Day 9: Rainbow

I was excited for day 9 of the 31 day challenge, since the prompt is rainbow! I had a hard time thinking of what I would do for this, but then I came across Jane's 31DC Day 9  from Nailside. It's so cute, and I loved it so much that I had to try it out.

What I used over China Glaze Snow:

Sally Hansen Diamonds & Rubies

petites #34 Mango

Claire's Yellow Brick Road
Mix of Claire's Yellow Brick Road + L'Oreal #530 now you sea me
L'Oreal now you sea me
Wet N Wild Sapphire Blue
Sally Hansen HD  Hi-Definition #01 Cyber
China Glaze Fuchsia

31DC Day 8: Metallic

Today's date = 10-11-12 ! ☺ Cool, right? 

The Jonas Brothers are performing their first show in YEARS at Radio City music hall in NEW YORK City TONIGHT!! ♥

I'm sorry, I've just been such a huge fan of them, and I am SUPER excited for their comeback. Remembered the date because it's a cool date, huh? 

Anyway, the 31 day challenge Day 8 prompt is Metallic.

I went with a simple mani for today. I used a metallic nails polish I had bought on sale from Claire's (Spoiled Rotten | Point the Finger in "Pink"). I think this was about two layers.

I had it just like this for a couple of days after I decided to add the finishing touch on my ring finger, a cute little pink holographic heart sticker! :) 

31DC Day 7: Black & White

For day #7 of the 31 day challenge, the prompt is Black & White. I really wanted to do tuxedo nails for this, but I opted for a more simple design and I figured I'd save the tuxedos for another time. 

I started with 2 coats of NYC French White Tip and let dry.

Then, my friend (she really wanted to do my nails ☺ ) took a toothpick, dipped in Wet N Wild Ebony Hates Chris, and let me say I love this polish! I recently bought it to replace my other black nail polish and it goes on so smoothly and dries really quickly. She just started drawing on squiggly lines and they turned out much better than I expected. They remind me of Sarah's 31DC Day 7 nails at Chalkboard Nails! (Of course, hers are much more fabulous ♥ )

...And here are my other cousin's nails! My friend who did mine also did hers. :)

Something so special ♥

I just wanted to share this video with everyone. It is the most special thing ♥ made me cry. :'(

Justin Bieber - Drum Solo and One Less Lonely Girl - Believe Tour - Glendale, AZ

#staystrongJustin #BELIEVE #ollg #RIPAvalanna #RIPangel xoxoxxxxx ♥

RIP Avalanna ♥ 31DC Day 6: Violet (Angel Wings + Tutorial)

September 30, 2012.
Last Wednesday, 26 September 2012, one of the cutest and sweetest little girls you would have ever met passed away at age 6 due to a brain cancer she had. Avalanna Routh meant so much to so many people, including me. Her condition was AT/RT, atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumor, and there is no cure.
Avalanna was so sweet and such an inspiration. I really do miss her, when I heard she couldn't make it, my heart broke. I'm still so depressed, and so is Justin Bieber. I think he loved her the most. ♥

"@justinbieber: My angel"

"'@justinbieber: :) great night"

My manicure for day 6 of the 31DC is for Justin Bieber, who kicked off his #BELIEVEtour yesterday in Arizona, and of course, for Avalanna. love you ♥ xo

31DC Day 6 prompt: Violet

The base is two coats of Sally Hansen HD Hi-Definition nail polish #01 Cyber.

After that dries a little, I used L.A. Colors Art Deco in white to paint on the shape of an angel wing.

Then, I added swoops of glitter to make the wing more distinguishable, using L.A. Colors Art Deco in Silver.

These pictures really don't do the angel wing justice, but I like how it came out.

Rest in paradise, sweet Avalanna. I love you so much, you're in our hearts forever angel ♥ xxxx

31DC Day 5: Blue ( + Cloud Mani Tutorial)

Today is 24 September 2012, and the 24th day of the 31 day challenge. I am wayyyy behind, I just got so caught up with school and birthday parties and picnics, I haven't had time to post!
Sorry!

But, anyway day 5's prompt is blue. I chose to do a cloud mani, and I loved the results! It was my first time doing this, and I'm happy I chose this design. The tutorial I looked at is from Jane at Nailside.

I started off with 2 bases of NYC Empire State Blue.

I love the shimmer in this polish!

Using NYC French White Tip take a regular polish brush and make one stroke at the edge of your nail. Make sure it's rounded towards your cuticle.

Then, make two more smaller strokes next to each other.

Take a different color and, after the white has dried a little, do the same thing with the strokes. I used Orly Le Chateau.

Top it all off with Seche Vite and voila! Love love love how it turned out! Although I expected the navy to be a bit lighter.

This polish came with the cutest little file! I had to show this to you guys :)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY NIALL HORAN!!! + 31DC Day 4: Green

OMG OMG OMG! hahah Hello everyone! Well, as you can clearly see, today (13 September 2012) is Niall J. Horan's 19th birthday, and I am so excited!! :) for those of you who don't know Niall, he is the Irish 1/5 of the British-Irish boyband One Direction ♥ and today, he is 19. :') his twitter! ---> Niall Horan

Look at his cute little teeth :)

I have been waiting for almost a WEEK to post the "31DC Day 4: Green" but, I wanted to wait for Niall's birthday, since his favorite color is green, and in celebration of his birthday, to do these nails.
I'm kind of in a hurry to post this, as Niall's birthday is almost over...(London is 5 hours ahead of me!)

Explanation:

Since he is Irish, on my thumbnail I painted a little Irish flag using NYC Times Square Tangerine, LA Colors Art Deco in white, and a mix of Claire's Yellow Brick Road + Wet N Wild Bijou Blue (I didn't have the green I wanted to use for this!). Then, the next three nails spell out " H B D," short for happy birthday. On my pinky, I painted on "19" in white, and outlined it in LA Colors Art Deco in silver.

On my other hand, I spelled out his name, "N I A L L" and a little heart at the end ♥

Yellow Brick Road + Bijou Blue

All of the polishes I used

Left Hand

Right Hand

Thumbnail :)

31DC Day 3: Yellow (+ Half-Moons Tutorial)

So originally, Day 3 of the 31DC for me was supposed to be September the 3rd, and I am trying to catch up as much as I can. The prompt is yellow. Most people don't think yellow is a good color to polish nails, but I actually loved how this one turned out! I was so surprised with these results, and it was my first time doing half-moons :) loved it.

I started off with a base of NYC French White Tip.

Then, for the half-moons, I took a reinforcement for paper and used it on the bottom part of my nail (like I would do in a scotch-tape mani).

Paint the next color, Claire's Yellow Brick Road, over the top part (above the reinforcement).

Take it off before the newly applied polish has time to dry, and voila!

After, just take your favorite topcoat, mine is Seche Vite, to make your nails more smooth and shiny.