Week 20- Bows manicure

For my bows manicure I applied FingerPaints: Well-Cultured Pearl on my thumb, middle, and pinkie finger. I also used the polish to do a French tip on my pointer and ring finger. I used So Easy Stripe Rite in Silver Mettalic to line the ridge between nail and nail polish, and applied a top coat after. I used bow stickers next on the pointer and ring fingers. I don't know what was wrong with these stickers, since I have used this brand before, but they did not want to stick to the nails and kept curling on the edges. The ones in the picture are actually the second set that I applied to my nail, as you can see my pointer finger got a bit of a smudge.






The Iron King by Julie Kagawa (I almost always spell her last name wrong,) is another young adult/teen book (I read a lot of those.) While the beginning is typical, girl suddenly finds out she is party fairy, the plot and ending are not typical (I don't want to give it away.) There are currently four books in the series, with another book and a collection of novellas coming out. I got my sister-in-law hooked on this series, so I think that is a good recommendation.

Week 19- Floral manicure

For my floral manicure I polished my thumb, middle finger, and pinkie in Pure Ice: Super Star! I polished my pointer and ring fingers in Pure Ice: Watermelon Ice.

I applied stickers on my pointer and ring fingers, they are the same stickers I used for my Easter manicure, seen here.



These products were bought with my own money for review by myself.




Clockwork Angel is actually the first book that I read by Cassandra Clare, but it is actually the first book in her second series. It is set in the same world as the Mortal Instruments, but in the Victorian era.

Week 18- Cartoon Manicure (Sailor Moon)

I think this was the most time consuming manicure that I have done yet. For my manicure I did a cartoon from my childhood, Sailor Moon.

Sailor Moon

COSMIC MOON POWER!

On my thumb I put the Crescent Moon Wand and the Silver Crystal. The image is a bit blurry, sorry, there is a better one below.

The base color is FingerPaints: Watermelon Watercolor, then I drew the shape of the crescent and wand with the gold Stripe Rite, and over that I added the opalescent glitter Stripe Rite. And finally added the clear rhinestone.

Sailor Mercury

Mercury Bubbles Blast!

For my base color I used Finger Paints: Raspberry Taffy (from the Gumdrops and Lollipops collection.) Then I used the opalescent glitter Stripe Rite and drew tiny circles for the bubbles.

Sailor Mars

Mars Fire Ignite!

I used FingerPaints: Curator's Crimson for the base color, then with a very fine nail brush I added FingerPaints: MichelTangelo (you can't see it very well in this picture,) and I added Finger Paints: Lemon Sour (from the Gumdrops and Lollipops collection. Lastly I dabbed Jordana Pop Art 509 Golden Artist the the tip of my nail.

Sailor Venus

Venus Love Chain Encircle!

I actually placed Venus and Jupiter in the wrong order, but by the time I figured it out I didn't want to go back and do everything over.


For my base color I used Finger Paints: Lemon Sour (from the Gumdrops and Lollipops collection), I then used the gold glitter Stripe Rite and made a wide stripe down my nail. I used the gold Stripe Rite and made hearts, but the were hard to see so I outlined them with the white Stripe Rite.

image

Sailor Jupiter

Jupiter Thunder Crash!

For Jupiter I used FingerPaints: Go Van Gogh! as the base color. I used the gold Stripe Rite and a yellow rhinestone to make the lightening rod that comes from Jupiter's tiara, I used the white and opalescent glitter Stripe Rite to make the lightening.



And here is all of them completed


These products were bought with my own money for review by myself.






The book recommendation for today is Timeless (The Parasol Protectorate) by Gail Carriger. It is the last in this series, but if you love the books like I do don't despair. Ms. Carriger is writing two different serieses, I believe both are set in the same world.

Week 17- Earth Appreciation manicure

I am so far behind on the weekly challenges that it is sad. But I will try to catch up.

Here are the colors I used:


Finger Paints: Paper Mâché and Be a Pal-ette, with So Easy's Stripe Right in Gold Glitter, gold/yellow and green glitter. (I have never found a proper name or number for the Stripe Rite products.)

On my first attempt I tried to leave my nails white and paint a recycle symbol on my ring finger, but that did not work out. So I did this little flower with the sun:


Here you can see all the nails:


I think if I did it again I would have done the sky blue with clouds, it looks a bit weird other wise.

These products were bought with my own money for review by myself.








The book recommendation for today is Blameless (The Parasol Protectorate) by Gail Carriger, the third book in the series. I can't say enough about this series. I love it.

Week 16- Dotticure manicure

When I was searching on how to do this manicure I saw a lot of manicures that were obviously not dotticure (crackle, gradients, French tips, half-moons and splatter.) I went with what seemed most obvious (and hopefully the right one.)

I used the same colors from the last manicure challenge.

From left to right: FingerPaints Lemon Sour(from the Gumdrops and Lollipops Collection), Blue Raspberry Taffy (also from the Gumdrops and Lollipops Collection), Pea-Body, and FingerPaints: Watermelon Watercolor.

I painted my nails and then started shifting the colors over one nail.

I think I placed the yellow and green too closely together, and you can see the huge tear in my thumb nail. I could not find my dotting tool, so I just used the nail polish brushes and a straight pin.

I'll read everyone's comments and blogs when I get home!

These products were bought with my own money for review by myself.


I love the The Parasol Protectorate series by Gail Carriger. If you like vampires, werewolves and the Victorian Era, then you will probably like this series too.

Week 15- Easter Manicure

Hello everyone! By now I should be in Oklahoma with my daughter. We are visiting my dad and my best friend from high school.


Today we have, from left to right: FingerPaints Lemon Sour(from the Gumdrops and Lollipops Collection), Blue Raspberry Taffy (also from the Gumdrops and Lollipops Collection), Pea-Body, and FingerPaints: Watermelon Watercolor.


I had originally planned to have my ring finger pink with white flowers and the rest of the nails white with pink stickers (that's why you can see some white polish left over in the cuticles), but that started to seem more for Valentines and less for Easter. But now looking at the picture the nails seem more tropical and not for Easter. :\

Well, I don't think I'll be buying any new nail polishes in Oklahoma, but you never know. I'll read everyone's comments and blogs when I get home!

These products were bought with my own money for review by myself.

Week 14- Stripped Manicure

I am getting ready to go on Spring break. This post is scheduled to publish on April 1st at 1AM. I am just testing to see if it will work while I am gone.


From left to right: Sketch N Etch, and So Easy Stripe Rite in Gold Glitter. I didn't want to take off all of my polish from the previous manicure, so I just removed it from my ring finger and then painted it with Sketch N Etch. Over that I used gold glitter to paint the stripes.



I am going to be gone from April 7th to the 15th. I will read all of your comments and blogs when I get back!

These products were bought with my own money for review by myself.

Week 13- Ruffian Manicure

I am catching up, but I have to do extra posts because I won't be here during Spring break.

I was not confident about this manicure, I have shaky hands, so I I only did it on the ring finger.


Here we have from left to right: Finger Paints:Sketch N Etch, and Cerulean Seascape.

I painted all my nails, except my ring finger, with Sketch N Etch. I painted my ring finger with Cerulean Seascape, and after it dried with Sketch N Etch.


Also I don't know what is wrong with my nails. I have another crack forming on my left thumb nail, this one is also over the nail bed. Hopefully it will grow out before it fully cracks. I wonder if the cracks are happening because I am dieting? I don't know, but I am taking extra calcium now and hopefully that will help.

These products were bought with my own money for review by myself.

Week 12- Skittle Manicure

From left to right we have: FingerPaints: Curator's Crimson, MichelTangelo, FingerPaints Lemon Sour(from the Gumdrops and Lollipops Collection), Go Van Gogh!, and Blue Raspberry Taffy.


This was a pretty simple manicure. The Blue Raspberry Taffy was supposed to be on my pinkie, but it currently barely has a nail.

These products were bought with my own money for review by myself.

Week 11- St. Patrick's Day manicure

Before I had a chance to get to this manicure I broke another nail, my pinkie nail, and this one is through to the nail bed.



I don't dare put any polish on it, since just water makes it sting. So, for the next couple of weeks I will be doing three fingers and a thumb pictures.

Here are this week's cast of polishes:

From left to right:China Glaze: Cha Cha Cha, Northern Lights Hologram Gold Top Coat, So Easy Stripe Rite in Gold Glitter, Jordana Pop Art 509 Golden Artist, and Sally Hansen Super Shine

To begin I painted China Glaze: Cha Cha Cha on my ring finger and did French tips on my remaining fingers and thumb. I then painted Northern Lights Hologram Gold Top Coat on all of the fingers, but I think I should have left the Cha Cha Cha parts without it once I saw it afterwards. I then added a strip of gold with So Easy Stripe Rite in Gold Glitter and sealed with Sally Hansen Super Shine.



On the ring finger I added four tear drop shaped rhinestones, to make a sort of clover. I added both the So Easy Stripe Rite gold glitter and Jordana Pop Art 509 Golden Artist to cover the rhinestones and make a little stem for the clover.



And here is the whole look:


I am glad that I found Cha Cha Cha. The formula was wonderful and very easy to work with. It dried quickly, I didn't wake up with sheet marks the next morning, which happens to me so often since I tend to do my nails late at night.


These products were bought with my own money for review by myself.

Week 10- Polka Dot Manicure (Wonder Girls - Be My Baby inspired nails)

I am a week off of the challenge, but hopefully I will catchup this week.

So, I watch a lot of Korean television shows and Korean music videos. The Wonder Girls are really popular in Korea and parts of Asia, they also toured the U.S. with the Jonas Brothers. Their newest music video, "Be My Baby" actually came out a few months ago, but it was the inspiration for this manicure.




If you need subtitles just click on the closed caption (CC) option.

My inspiration was Sohee's yellow and green polka dot dress:


I didn't have yellow, so I just used a neon green. Here are the colors that I used:


They are Sally Mini Nail Polishes in Poser on the left and Pea-Body on the right.

First I painted my nails with Poser.



This is a really nice creme polish, it takes two coats for me and dries quickly.

On my first attempt, which I tried back in December, I used a dotting tool (for the first time) and it was blobby and kind of runny.




On my second attempt I placed a pair of peridot rhinestones first, I used the head of a straight pin for the larger dots and an art brush to make the smaller dots.


Here are some closer pictures:




I think my second attempt is much better than the first, not perfect, but better. What do you think?

I will hopefully get out the week 11 challenge in the next couple of days.

These products were bought with my own money for review by myself.

Week 9- Vintage manicure

I don't really know any vintage manicure designs, so I decided to use my oldest nail polish. This nail polish is Estée Lauder Pure Color #59 Ruby Red. I received this polish in 2003 from my mother. I tried to search on info about this polish, but I couldn't find anything so it might be even older. I think it maybe the same color that was also sold as High Gloss #42 Ruby Red, but I'm not certain.



Either way, this polish is almost 10 years old, or it already is 10 years old. It is still perfect. I love the gold shows in the bottle, but they get smoothed out when the polish is applied. The polish still applies easily, it isn't clumpy and it is my favorite red.



The bubbling you see is from my top coat and not from the Estée Lauder polish. I cannot give the polish enough compliments the formula is just great. Hopefully I'll be able to find the color again before I run out.

This product was given to me by my mother.

Week 8- Corest Manicure

I have been sick again, and over all blecky. My internet was also out for a couple of days, so I am really late.

I didn't take pictures of this manicure until it had been on for over a week, so as you can see in the pictures there is tip wear and chipping. :\

I really like manicures, so I was looking forward to this manicure. These picture were all taken indoors, so not the best lighting.


We have from left to right: The Color Workshop top coat, Northern Lights Hologram Gold Top Coat, China Glaze: Ruby Pumps, Stripe Rite: Silver, Stripe Rite: Black

Here is the full manicure:


The accent nail (sorry about the chipping):


And the waist cincher French tips:


I feel better now, but as you can see I am already late with the vintage and polka dot manicures, hopefully I will be able to post it tomorrow.

Unfortunately I broke one of my nails while trying to open a door :\


So I will be back to nubbins soon in the pictures.

These products were bought with my own money for review by myself.