#31dc2015 Day 30: Inspired by a Tutorial

I got the idea for these from Meliney on YouTube/Naiqnaiq on IG. See how to here: https://youtu.be/QCUsMwFfJVM

I used Nailtini Silver Sipper as a base, then used Zoya's Ali, Jancyn, and Pippa in between the striping tape. 

Who inspired your mani today?

#31dc2015 Day 29: Inspired by the Supernatural

I love Halloween time--I'm big into SFX painting so Halloween is my faaaave! I used various polishes and stamping played for this mani, so I'm just going to post a pic of the polishes and list the plates. Some of the nails are glow-in-the-dark but they didn't photograph well, so I'm sorry they are blurry! 

Plates: Born Pretty Store BP-57, Winstonia W116, and W221. 

Polishes: 

What did your nails look like today?? 

#31dc2015 Day 28: Inspired by a Flag

Today's prompt was inspired by a flag, so of course I picked Old Glory! 

I started with a base of OPI Alpine Snow on the last four fingers, and a base of Zoya Ibiza on the thumb. I used a striper from Shany Cosmetics in 07 (red). For the thumb, I used plate BP-L013 from Born Pretty Store and white stamping polish to stamp the thumb. I added a top coat from all nails.

Which flag were you inspired by today? 

#31dc2015 Day 27: Inspired by Artwork

I really love Leonid Afremov's artwork--it's all so bold and bright! I didn't do the painting justice but here it is! Haha! 

I did a gradient-style nail using the following polishes on the thumb and pointer fingers: 

These were the ones for the middle finger:

These were the ones for the fourth and fifth fingers: 

I painted all the details with acrylic paint, then finished with a top coat. 

What artwork inspired your nails today? 

#31dc2015 Day 26: Inspired by a Pattern

I honestly really didn't have a clue where this was going until I already had the base color down 😂 I got this polish in my Ipsy bag this month and figured I'd try it out; it's Sephora Formula X in Ignite. I think it's a really pretty fall-ish color. 

I looked through my stamping plates and thought this design would be perfect. It's Bundle Monster number 404. I stamped the image with Mundo de Uñas 01 (White). I finished with a top coat. 

What pattern inspired your nails today? 

#31dc2015 Day 25: Inspired by Fashion

I saw this dress in a magazine the other day and I knew it would be a gorgeous nail design! 

I started by applying fake nails. Then I added 2 coats of Zoya's Dot. When dry, I stamped an image from a Born Pretty Store plate BP-17 with Mundo de Uñas 19 (Bronze). I finished with s quick dry top coat. 

What did you use for inspiration today?

#31dc2015 Day 24: Inspired by a Book

I decided to do nails inspired by the book The Martian by Andy Weir. I loved that book and when I saw they're making it into a movie, I almost pooped my pants! Hahaha! 

I painted the thumb with Zoya's Tamsen; on each adjoining nail, I painted less and less of the nail to make it appear planet-like. I filled in blank spaces with Wet n' Wild Ebony Hates Chris. I dabbed Zoya's Louise on the red areas, and Autumn, Dream, and Aurora on the black areas to do a galaxy design. I painted stars with white acrylic paint. I painted my astronaut with white acrylic paint. I painted his visor with Zoya's Ki; I outlined him with black acrylic paint. I finished with a top coat. 

What book did you pick for inspiration today?

#31dc2015 Day 23: Inspired by a Movie

For today's mani, I picked the movie Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles! My favorite scene in that one is where they're going up the elevator and they start doing beatbox and rapping--DJ Mikey!!

I saw this mani done by Promise Phan last Halloween and have been wanting to try it ever since! Haha!

I started by applying fake nails. Then I painted them with Zoya's Dot. I then used various acrylic paints to paint each fingernail. 

What movie did you pick for inspiration today?

#31dc2015 Day 22: Inspired by a Song

I will have to say--this one had me stumped for awhile, I had no clue what song to pick. I went to a restaurant and Ellie Goulding's "Burn" came on and I was like Ahhh I could do that!! The "burned newspaper" idea was sent to me by a friend on Pinterest, and I've done flame nails like the other hand before. 

For the burned newspaper, I used Zoya's Cho as a base and added a quick dry top coat; I let it dry for about 20 mins or so (long enough for me to paint and stamp the other hand). Then I cut out small chunks of newspaper. I dipped my finger and the newspaper in isopropyl alcohol, then placed the newspaper on the nail and applied pressure for 15-20 seconds. Carefully peel it off and the print should have transferred to the nail. Do this for each one. Then using a black nail polish, I outlined the areas that I wanted "burned". Using a small chunk of sponge, I added Zoya's Louise to the borders; then I sponged black toward the inner parts. Using a q-tip and acetone, I swiped away polish from the inner parts of the circular burns and from the outer edges of the side ones. I added a quick dry top coat. 

For the flames, I did a base of Wet n' Wild Ebony Hates Chris. When dry, I stamped two different flames. With Mundo de Uñas 32 (Reddish) and MoYou London Rockstar Collection 01, I stamped the "base flame"; over top, I stamped the flame from Born Pretty Store plate L012 with Mundo de Uñas 27 (Neon Yellow). I added a quick dry top coat. 

What song inspired your nails today?

#31dc2015 Day 21: Inspired by a Color

I was inspired by some nails I saw on nailsbynivea's instagram. Hers were blue, but I really wanted to do this purple/pink color--I have a container of glitter this color and wanted the nail color to match. 

I started with a sponge around the same length as my nail; I painted it with OPI Alpine Snow on most of the sponge, then on the very tip, I painted Zoya's Mason. I sponged this on each nail, doing multiple coats until desired opacity was reached. 

I painted a small area at the base of the nail with clear polish, then using a fan brush I sprinkled a bit of glitter on top. You'll want to do this step one nail at a time so the clear polish doesn't dry before you have a chance to add the glitter.

Finish by cleaning the edges with acetone and adding a top coat. What color inspired you today?

#31dc2015 Day 20: Watermarble

I got the idea for this particular design from @yagala on Instagram. You can see my YouTube video for some other basic watermarble designs here:  https://youtu.be/xXDSfWoxUqI

or here: https://youtu.be/uVRv705gnjQ

For today's I used all polishes from Native War Paints polishes: Tickled Pink, Lala Orange, Canary Yellow, Patty O'Green, Rainbow Brite, and Shy Violet. I dripped them into a cup like a regular watermarble, then drew them out from the center. I did do this one with a white base, also. What are your nails today?

#31dc2015 Day 19: Galaxies

Galaxy nails are so frustrating to try to photograph! The colors in real life are so much cooler, but this was the best I could do for a pic. 

I started with a base of Wet n 'Wild Ebony Hates Chris; I added a quick dry top coat. Using small chunks of sponge, I randomly added bits of Zoya's Tanzy (gold/orange), Dream (blue), Aurora (purple), and Ray (green). I added dots of white acrylic paint with a small dotting tool. Then I placed a couple of small silver stars from The Sparkly Shop on each nail. I finished with a coat of Seche Vite. What are your nails like today? 

#31dc2015 Day 18: Half Moons

I saw this design by @yagala on Instagram and put it in my collection to recreate--I thought this would be a perfect time to do it! 

I started by painting half moons with China Glaze Happy Go Lucky using a small nail art brush; you don't have to be super precise because the dots will cover up any small mistakes. I then painted the rest of the nail with Madam Glam Midnight. Then I used two dotting tools, one small and one larger, and Wet n' Wild Ebony Hates Chris--I made larger dots along the border between the purple and yellow, smaller dots under those, and larger ones next to the cuticles. I cleaned up with acetone and a flat brush, and then added a quick dry top coat. What are your nails today? 

#31dc2015 Day 17: Glitter

I got a bit carried away today. Pretty sure this mani goes above and beyond "glitter" and into the "straight up bling" category :S Whatever, I like it anyway! Haha! 

I started with a base of Zoya's Ana, one of their satin polishes. When dry, I used one of those circle labels and placed it on the outer third of each nail. I also used Simply Peel liquid latex to protect the edges of my fingers. Then I took NYX nails polish in NPS-209 Ice Glitter and used a latex-free cosmetic sponge to sponge on the glitter. Using a sponge with glitter gives you a greater concentration of glitter with less coats. Next I coated the whole nail with a top coat and, working quickly before the polish dried, I added rhinestones and studs to the glittery areas. I didn't use any top coat on top of the rhinestones because it tends to smooth them over and I wanted a lot of texture on this mani. What do your nails look like today?

#31dc2015 Day 16: Geometric

I wasn't at all sure what to do for today, so this is what happened lol! 

On all fingers but the 4th, I painted Serum No. 5 Lights Out (black glow in the dark); on the 4th fingers are Serum No. 5 Krypton-Brite (green glow in the dark. 

Using Uber Chic beauty plate 3-02, I stamped the image using Mundo de Uñas stamping polish 39 (avocado) on all but the 4th fingers, where I used Mundo de Uñas stamping polish 2 (black). I finished withy a top coat of Revlon 720 matte coat. 

What did you do for your nails today? 

#31dc2015 Day 15: Delicate

I had no clue what I wanted to do for this prompt, so I started looking through my stamping plates and inspiration hit! I used Zoya polishes in Dot (pink) and Yummy (blue). I stamped the images using Mundo de Uñas Lavendar stamping polish and Uber Chic Beauty plate Fairytale-01. I added a quick dry top coat; then I added a cute little bow from Born Pretty Store to the ring fingers using nail glue. 

What are your NOTD?

#31dc2015 Day 14: Flowers

I saw something similar to this design on Instagram but I'm not sure who the artist was because I didn't screen shot it. Anyway, I recreated it using Sally Hansen Pacific Blue (original formula) as a base. 

Using my Uber Mat from Uber Chic Beauty, I put down a coat of clear polish, then stamped an image from Uber Chic plate 4-01 using Mundo de Uñas black stamping polish. 

I filled in the petals with OPI Alpine Snow and a thin nail art brush. 

I used Zoya Goldie for the center. 

I peeled up the design and trimmed it down, then I applied it to the nail. Then I finished with a top coat of Seche Vite. 

What do your nails look like today? 

#31dc2015 Day 13: Animal Print

I saw this super cute design from _nailoving_ on Instagram a couple of months and I wanted to recreate it, and now was the perfect time. I wish I would have gotten my cheetah print a little bit thinner-lined but cest la vie! 

I started with a base of Zoya Neely on the thumb, 2nd, and 5th fingers, and Zoya Sage on the 3rd and 4th fingers. I made random cheetah print shapes on the thumb, 2nd, and 5th nails using Wet n' Wild Ebony Hates Chris. Using Zoya Arizona and Madam Glam Heart Stone, I filled in some of the centers of the cheetah print. I used feather water decals on the 3rd and 4th fingers from Born Pretty Store. I finished them with a Seche Vite top coat!

What are your nails like today?

#31dc2015 Day 12: Stripes

Yes--these are fake nails! I wish my nails could grow that fast over night, but unfortunately that's not physically possible. That and my hair...but I digress! 

Today was stripes, and I wasn't sure was I was doing when I started. I painted a base of OPI Alpine Snow and thought about it while I put that down. Did I want to do striping tape? Meh, that takes forever. Did I want to do a stamp? Gah the fake nails are too long for a stamp to fit! I decided I'd just use a nail striper and neon polishes and do a "sloppy" stripe! Haha! Neons used are from Native War Paints (Lala Orange, Canary Yellow, Patty O'Green, Rainbow Bright, and Shy Violet). I just grabbed the striper and slopped it on in diagonals 😂

What do your nails look like today??

#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!