Stripes and Flowers

I've got a super easy mani for today! I started with two coats of Zoya's Neely. I then used a darker green striper from Shany Cosmetics to make diagonal stripes on my nails. I cut thin slices from a yellow flower Fimo rod and stuck these to my ring and thumb nails using a clear polish. I finished with a top coat of Seche Vite. All done!

Stripes and Checks

I was inspired to do this awesome nail art from YouTuber Meliney (search for Meliney nail art!)--she posts lots of cool nail art tutorials, so you should go check her out!

I started with a base of Zoya's Rocha. I then used a red nail striper from Shany Cosmetics to make vertical stripes down each nail. I used a Fimo rod I purchased from Amazon and a razor to cut a few thin pieces. I adhered these to the nail using clear polish, then sealed them on with a top coat of Seche Vite. I did this with each nail except the ring finger.

For the ring finger, I did a base of Rocha, used the red striper, then painted a coat of Seche Vite. I let this dry about 10 minutes, then, using a piece of Scotch tape, I taped off the top 2/3 of the nail, leaving the bottom 1/3 exposed. I painted this portion with Zoya's Purity. I waited for this to dry for a couple of minutes, then went in with a flat nail art brush and Ebony Hates Chris to make the checkered pattern. I then added a Fimo rod flower to the center of the nail and finished with a coat of Seche Vite. 

Ssssamantha Copycat Nails

I don't know how many of you watch Batalash on YouTube or follow @ssssamantha on IG, but I've always LOVED her nails! Unfortunately no places around here (or online that I can really find) sell stiletto nails like the ones she wears, and last time I tried shaping ovals into stilettos, they just didn't turn out great. So, I just stuck with the ovals--I still really like how they turned out!

I started with a base coat. I then took those round stickers and cut them into the appropriate arc-shape. 

I then stuck it to my nail and painted over the top. Now, you can either cut individual stickers for each and every nail, or you can take the lazy way out and use the same one over and over--this also ensured each gap was the same size. No matter which you choose, you'll have to clean up with a q-tip and nail polish remover. I also went in with a thin nail art brush and more black and painted on the edges to make sure they're crisp. For some reason, at least with me, stickers, tapes, etc never perfectly stick to my nails, and I thus have polish that seeps under it somewhat and I have to clean up. Anyhoo, I finished with a top coat and BAM!! all done! :) 

If you haven't seen Samantha's videos and you're a makeup fan, you need to go to her channel and check out her tutorials--amazing I tell you!

Geometric Nails

I had a friend request that I do these nails (original from IG @hannahroxit, featured on @lulus) and I thought they were so darn pretty! 

I started with two coats of Sinful Colors This Is It (gold). I then used a thin nail art brush to make the black (polish is Wet and Wild Ebony Hates Chris) vertical strip of the nail. I then used the brush from the polish to make the straight horizontal line across the nail and filled in the ends. I finished with a top coat.

Chevron Gradient Nails

I saw a picture on Instagram on gradient chevron nails by @thesammersaurus - you can also check out her post on thenailasaurus.com! 

I painted a layer of white (Zoya's Purity). I then applied some chevron nail vinyls from NailVinyls.com. 

When I got them on the way I wanted them, I painted a strip of yellow (Zoya's Pippa), orange (Zoya's Jancyn), and red (Zoya's Tamsen) on a makeup sponge. I then dabbed this over my nails. I did two quick coats and then peeled the stickers off. I added a top coat and that was that!

Back to School Nails

I have been MIA lately!! I already mentioned this in a previous post, but I've actually been doing a collab on Instagram with a group so I've been doing some nail art stuff there and just haven't been posting it here. Anyway I decided it was about time to do one! I saw this design from Elle over at ellesees.blogspot.com - if you haven't been to her blog you need to go check it out right meow! She does all sorts of fun stuff from DIY's to reviews to tutorials!

It's very close to that time...Back To School!! A kid's worst nightmare and a mom's dream come true! I used SO MANY polishes in this mani that I decided to just take pics. First one--the nail stripers! They're from Shany Cosmetics. They are an OK brand of polish...not my very favorite but I have a whole set of stripers so I use them when I need them! I used a silver glitter, a pink, a sky blue, and a bright red.

Next from Zoya! I absolutely LOVE Zoya! First, it's a great quality polish and it usually lasts a decent amount of time. Secondly, when you go to their site and you click on a color, one part of the description tells you how opaque the polish is--that wins me over hands down over any other polish brand! I can't tell you how many times I've bought a polish and thought it was so beautiful, only to get it home, try it on, and find that in order to get the color that's in the bottle I'll have to throw on 16 coats of polish. I absolutely HATE that! So, the fact that Zoya specifically tells you how opaque a polish is, it's just a dream come true for me! I never have to wonder if it will actually show up when I paint with it! Hooray!! So...I used a black (Raven), a matte black (Dovima), dark grey (Kelly), a mid-tone brown (Dea), yellow (Pippa) and white (Purity). 

And last, I used two Nailtini polishes. They are also a great brand for polish. I get a Lacquer Cabinet subscription from them every month and that is really fun to find in the mail! If you are interested in trying that out, head to their site at https://www.tinibeauty.com/product/lacquer-cabinet/ . You can also buy the polishes individually if you don't want to do a subscription service. I used a red (Bloody Mary) and a lime green (Absinthe).

Now, for the nails!! I painted a base of Purity on the thumb, pointer, and middle fingers. For the thumb, I used the blue and the red nail stripers and painted lines to look like notebook paper. On the pointer, I used the red striper to draw a pennant flag, then a thin nail art brush to trace around it with Raven. I used a dotting tool and Bloody Mary and Raven to make various-sized dots, and the thin brush and Raven to draw a "C" in the flag. I drew an apple on the middle finger using a dotting tool and Bloody Mary--I made two dots with the sides just barely touching, then two closer together and overlapping a bit; then I connected the two to make the edges smooth. I then used Dea to make a stem, and Absinthe to make a leaf (using the thin nail art brush). I also cut off a thin strip of apple from a fimo rod and stuck it in the corner. I'm not sure I like that part of it, but hey, it was a good thought haha! The ring finger was the funnest one! I used Dovima to create a "chalk board", then used my nail art brush and Purity and drew a "2+2" and an "A+". DO NOT put a top coat on this, because it will make the matte polish shiny, and obviously that would be a moot point. For the ring finger, I painted a base of Pippa, then drew a strip of Kelly, and finished with a strip of the pink nail striper. I also added the silver glitter striper over the Kelly. I finished with a top coat of Seche Vite (except on the ring finger!!). 

On Elle's post, she used permanent markers which would be a great alternative for anyone who either doesn't have nail art tools or who is uncomfortable using them. Her's came out awesome!

Are you excited for back to school?!