Nik's Easter Stripes

I really had the intention of doing a themed mani more in line with the real meaning of Easter, but I couldn't find a stamp that I liked enough. Next time.

I really had a million ideas (give or take) for an Easter mani and couldn't decide, so my friend Candace helped me pick this one.

Base: Sally Hansen - French Tip
Thumb: Zoya - Portia
Pointer: a mix of white and a Wet N Wild Orange that the label was worn down and I couldn't read the name
Middle: Sinful Colors - Unicorn
Ring: Finger Paints - Tiffany Imposter
Pinky: Revlon - Lily

I used three coats of the white and let it dry completely. Then I ripped ten pieces if scotch tape and cut ten pieces if striping tape. I de-stickified the scotch tape on my palms because I find it keeps it from yanking off layers of base coat.

I securely attached the scotch tape over the bottom half of each nail at a diagonal, and then the striping tape parallel just above it.

I painted each tip and peeled off the tape before moving to the next.

I photographed my nails, then, after deliberation with Candace, decided to give them all one coat of Wet N Wild - Hallucinate for added sparkle. Used my Ol Trusty too coat - Nutri Nail. Then more photos.

Thoughts?

Hot Pink and Purple Gradient

I did this manicure with polishes I purchased.

I guess I could have done this as a picture tutorial... But I didn't. And I did it yesterday so the photos show tiny chipping on a few nails.

Goodness, was this more of a process than it needed to be. Started with spilling acetone in my coffee. And then using the wrong color for the base and needing to remove it and then smudging it immediately and needing to reapply the base. And then dripping polish on my shirt.

What on earth?! So... It took hours from start to finish. But, I persevered.

I used:
Finger Paints (a hot pink color I forget the name of but will hopefully remember to look)
OPI - Casino Royale
OPI - Road House Blues
Sinful Colors - Pinky Glitter

The correct method I used (correct for my standards), was:
Two coats hot pink FP. Let it dry.
Soak a makeup wedge in water and squeeze it out. Helps keep it from absorbing all the polish.
Brush three lines of polish onto a plastic cottage cheese lid (it's what I had on the counter anyway)- hot pink, dark pink, dark purple. Sponge it up with the wedge, and press firmly against the nail a few times. Repeat as necessary.

When that was dry, I used the smallest amount of the glitter I could get on the ring nail, because its a hot pink and using a lot was screwing with the visual of the gradient and I only wanted slight sparkle.

Two coats if Sally Hansen Insta-Dry top coat sealed it off.

The last photo was post sponging before any clean-up. Haha.

Striping tape fail.

I'm not a pro manicurist by any means. Don't ever think I am.

Here's proof. Tonight, I decided to try striping tape. I received Finger Paints... Art.... Something.... Hot pink in my first nail art society box this month (the rest of the box except a file and dotting tool was crap which was frustrating) and decided to try it out tonight.

I used Zoya -Arizona, a yummy orange sherbet cream color, as a base for two accent nails, and after they had dried for twenty minutes or so, I put on striking tape and then gave all of my nails two coats of the hot pink.

I let them dry another ten or fifteen minutes, and peeled the tape off slowly.

The results were disastrous.

Someone give me tips?

My prize polishes!

Thanks, An Accent Nail, for this prize!

http://anaccentnail.blogspot.com

I entered a massive giveaway hosted by two other nail bloggers, Lace and Lacquers (www.laceandlacquers) and Naked Without Polish (http://nakedwithoutpolish.blogspot.com) back in January. I was beyond surprised to receive an email saying I was one of 40 winners!

My prize arrived today. OPI - DS Mystery and Finger Paints - Flecked.

Had to swatch them together really quick. Of course, I did an accent nail with the Finger Paints. Seemed appropriate given the blogger who donated my prize!

The OPI is a.... Black... Or crazy dark purple.... Polish with gold shimmer. It's pretty! Looks black or brown or something in the bottle but the first coat of polish seemed purple or so... Regardless. It's pretty!

I used two coats of the Finger Paints on my accent nail. The flecks are green and blue in the light. Also pretty.

Not sure about the combo together but I had five minutes to try and run out in the sun before Spencer finished his lunch!