#31dc2015 Day 11: Polka Dots

So this was kind of interesting to see, and it's a great example that your stamping polishes are super important! The ones I used are from the same brand--Mundo de Uñas--but for some reason, some of the colors stamped better than others. The ones I used were 29 (neon pink), 28 (neon orange), 27 (neon yellow), 39 (avocado), and 24 (aqua). 39 and 24 stamped the best and boldest on the black. The others either skipped a bit or transferred over to the plate and left little dots between the pattern. 

The black base is Wet n' Wild Ebony Hates Chris (one of the best black polishes I've ever tried) and I used a matte top coat from Revlon (790). 

The stamping plate is from Uber Chic (1-03)

What are your nails for today?

#31dc2015 day 10: Gradient

I have seen these gradient nails done around Instagram and I've wanted to try them for awhile but I just haven't done it, so I thought it would be a perfect time to do it for today's challenge! It's a nude gradient into a "French tip" and I think it just looks so elegant and natural. 

I started with a base of Zoya's Melanie. When dry I covered two-thirds of the area of the sponge I was going to use with Melanie, then the top third with OPIs Alpine Snow and sponged this over the nails. I went over them 3-4 times to get full opacity. 

The only problem I had with these was by the last few nails, my sponge was starting to shed, so I had little chunks of sponge littering my mani. If that happens to you, just use a new chunk of sponge! What do your nails look like today?

#31dc2015 day 9: Rainbow

I saw these awesome nails on PiggieLuv's YouTube channel (see how-to here: https://youtu.be/7icF-ChqApU) and I thought I could tailor them to today's prompt. Mine don't look nearly as good as hers; in fact, they kinda look like shit! But I think with some practice they could look really cool! My one-stroke isn't the best, so I definitely need to do it more. 

Anyway, I started with a base of OPI Alpine Snow. When dry, I used various acrylic paints to make the different squares. I finished with a top coat. 

What are your rainbow nails for today?!

#31dc2015 Day 8: Metallic

Today I kept my design fairly simple. I used a base of Essie Penny Talk. It's a beautiful metallic copper color--if you don't have it I definitely think it's worth checking out! It's mostly opaque in 1 coat, but I put on 2 just to be sure there are no spots I missed. I then used Mundo de Uñas stamping polish in black and Uber Chic stamping plate 1-01 and stamped each of the nails. I finished with a quick-dry top coat! What are your nails today? 

#31dc2015 Day 7: B&W

I saw these nails on @kristypiespolish over on Instagram and have wanted to recreate them for awhile now. I saw them in my stash of nail inspiration and thought it would be the perfect design for today's prompt!

 I used OPI Alpine Snow as a base. When completely dry, I used Mundo de Uñas black stamping polish and Born Pretty Store plate number BP-L004 and stamped each nail. I finished with a top coat of Seche Vite! What are your nails for today?? 

#31dc2015 Day 6: Violet

Sooooo...I realize this isn't "violet", but I figured purple is purple! Haha! I used a base coat of Madam Glam's Lilac Madness. I put a coat of Seche Vite quick dry top coat and let dry for about 10 minutes. I then cut up a flash tattoo and applied it to my ring finger - apply it just like you would on your skin by placing it, getting it wet, holding it down for about 30 seconds, and then remove the backing. Go over with another coat of quick dry and you're done! The only thing I noticed with this was that the tattoo cracked somewhat after adding the quick dry, so you may want to try it with a regular top coat and see if it stays intact that way. What are your nails of the day today?

#31dc2015 Day 5: Blue

Since yesterday's were so amazeballs (lol jk!! I'm just too lazy to come up with something different for today!) I decided to do a blue watermarble for today! I used 4 different blues along with a white to get this design. To see how I watermarble, check out my YouTube video here: https://youtu.be/xXDSfWoxUqI

The polishes I used from lightest to darkest are: Ibiza, Dream, Robyn, and Rocky, all from Zoya Polish. White is OPI Alpine Snow.

What did you do for today??

#31dc2015 Day 4: Green

For day 4, I decided on a little watermarbling! I used 4 different greens and a white to get this design! To see how I watermarble, check out my YouTube video: https://youtu.be/xXDSfWoxUqI

The greens, from lightest to darkest, are: 

Ray, Giovanna, Shawn, and Tilda, all from Zoya Polish. The white is OPI Alpine Snow.

What does your green mani look like today?

#31dc2015 Day 3: Yellow

Day 3 of the 31 day challenge is yellow! I chose Fair Maiden polish in Look At The Bright Side (yellow) and dots with Aim to Misbehave (green). I did two coats of the yellow, then used a small dotting tool to make little green dots on my ring fingers! It's a very simple mani but cute and fun anyway! What's yours today?

#31dc2015 Day 2: Orange

Day 2 of the challenge is orange, and orange is my favorite! I had done these nails almost 2 years ago and thought they would be perfect for today. I saw them on Jenny Fox's YouTube. 

I painted each nail completely orange with Madam Glam's Tiger Balm. 

Then I painted (vertically) about 2/3 of the nail with OPI Alpine Snow. 

With a large dotting tool, I made a vertical line of dots with the orange just inside the white border. 

I then used the same dotting tool and white polish, and made white dots overlapping the orange dots and running over into the orange 1/3 of the nail. 

With a small dotting tool and orange polish, I made dots within the large white dots, and also a row of orange dots in the white 2/3 section of the nail. 

I finished with a top coat--this part is essential as it will really smooth the design over and make it look seamless. 

Let's see your day 2 nails!

#31dc2015 Day 1: Red

September 1st means day 1 of the 31 day challenge by Chalkboard Nails! Day one's prompt is "red" so here's what I came up with. 

I started with a base of Zoya Tamsen. Using a small nail art brush and OPI Alpine Snow, I painted French tips and half moons on each nail. I finished with a top coat. Easy peasy! Let me know down below if you're doing the challenge and what your IG name is so I can check out your designs!

31 Day Challenge--Chalkboard Nails

I follow Chalkboard Nails on IG (@chalkboardnails) and every year she does the 31 Day Challenge during September. Anyone can join, so everyone bust out your polishes and your creativity, and get ready for this thang! Head over to her blog to read all the details and get your prompt pic. Also, be sure to #31dc2015 so that we can all see each other's work! Happy painting!

http://www.chalkboardnails.com/2015/08/the-31-day-nail-art-challenge-2015.html