My Post-It Inspired Mani

I can't deny it... I find ideas for nail art/color combos in the most random places. The mani I did last night is no exception! My inspiration... Post-It's!! Yup! 

"The little yellow things with the stick 'um on the back." Sorry, but I just had to throw in the 'Romy & Michele' reference... :)

Anyway... Friday at work (I work at a doctor's office), I was getting patient charts ready for Monday. I used one of the neon Post-It's on my desk & a hot pink highlighter to make myself this reminder note:

After staring at it for a few minutes while making phone calls... I really began to like the color combo! I had to try to re-create it in mani-form!! :)

After my regular base coat, I used 2 coats of Jesse's Girl JulieG as the base color.

I thought the bright, cream coral was a great match to the neon, peachy Post-It! :)

I didn't know what design I wanted to do, but I knew I wanted to use OPI Dim Sum Plum as the "pink highlighter" color. :)

I finally decided to stamp one of the flower patterns from Bundle Monster image plate BM12.

Add a SV top coat... and done!! I think it turned out pretty nice & good for summer! :)

Click photos to enlarge. :)

 

base colors: Jesse's Girl JulieG

stamp color: OPI Dim Sum Plum

image plate: Bundle Monster BM12

♥ Stacey

 

Pink Wednesday Marble

Alrighty... so, today is Thursday, but I did this mani last night... so, this still counts as a Pink Wednesday mani. Right?? 

First... I'm gonna expose my naked nails! Eeeek! I'm just so thrilled that they have grown out again, that I had to show off... please ignore the stains! ;-)

I wanted to use some of my neglected OPI pinks, so I decided to do a water marble mani. I haven't done water marbling since my Peacock mani, and I thought it'd be pretty. :)

I started with a base coat & 1 coat of OPI Pink of Hearts 2010 (an icy, pink shimmer... created to help support Susan G. Komen for a Cure).

For my water marble, I chose OPI Pink of Hearts 2010, OPI And This Little Piggy, & OPI Mauve-lous Memories.

I like it! It turned out light, subtle, & shimmery pink. :)

base colors: OPI Pink of Hearts 2010

marble colors: OPI Pink of Hearts 2010, OPI And This Little Piggy, OPI Mauve-lous Memories

♥ Stacey

Just a little something...

Hello, loves!

I feel like I have been neglecting my blog! I promise, I'll try to do better!

This is a mani that I started Sunday night. After the base coat, I used 2 coats of OPI Diva of Geneva (magenta plum with bit of shimmer).

I wore it as a solid for about a day, but I had to add something for the 2nd day. I opted for a bit of silver. I  used Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Silver Sweep to stamp the wiry, wavy lined pattern from Bundle Monster image plate BM-209.

I rotated the image 180° on alternating nails, to mix it up. I added Confetti Ice, Ice Baby (bluish-aqua iridescent, micro-glitter in a clear base) & a top coat of SV.

TTFN!! :)

base colors: OPI Diva of Geneva

stamp color: Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Silver Sweep

glitter: Confetti Ice, Ice Baby

image plate: Bundle Monster BM-209

 

♥ Stacey

Purple Nails for Caylee

I found this event on Facebook this morning... and of course, I had to participate! Here's the link --> "Purple Nails for Caylee Anthony"

I started with 2 coats of OPI Rumple's Wiggin (a light, soft lilac purple cream). This polish just happened to be in my stash of un-swatched polishes... un-swatched no-more! ;-)

In honor of Caylee, I added some little-girl fun... glitter stars! I added Nicole by OPI Let's Get Star-ted. This polish is really pretty in the bottle (holographic purple stars in a clear, micro-glitter base), but it's a pain to apply. I felt like I was trying to fish the stars out of the bottle. I was able to apply 3-4 stars per nail, and it really requires a good top coat (Seche Vite) to smooth out the stars/glitter. In all, definitely worth the effort. :)

Well... goodnight, loves! :)

base colors: OPI Rumple's Wiggin

glitter: Nicole by OPI Let's Get Star-ted 

♥ Stacey

Water Marble Photo Tutorial

A couple months ago, I created a water marble photo album for my personal Facebook page. I have decided to upload the pics to my blog!! Photo heavy!! Enjoy! :)

Here's what you'll need: (l-r)  base coat, toothpicks (or an orange stick), Scotch tape, small cup of ROOM TEMPERATURE water, 2-5 polishes, top coat, nail polish remover, cotton swabs, & clean fingernails! :)

Start with a good base coat... so ya don't stain your nails. :)
(My pinkie is still kinda blue 'cause I forgot to use a base coat on it a couple weeks ago. Meh.)

Now for a base color. Do this 'cause the colors will look washed out without it.

You can use nude or white... but I use the lightest of the colors I'm gonna marble... it's just easier. :)

Now... tape off your skin. (This keeps the polish off your fingers & makes clean-up a heck of a lot easier!)

Start with one piece at the base of the nail, just under the cuticle.

With a 2nd piece... wrap from one side of your finger, around the tip of the finger, and down the other side.

Get as close to the nail as you can.

(the other side)

My taped-up fingers. :)

(You can do one at a time, if you prefer.)

Now the fun part!!!

Drip 1 drop of polish in the cup of water. Get kind of close to the water, without actually touching the surface. If it drips from to high up... it will bead up and sink to bottom of the cup.

The polish will spread out to cover the surface.

Continue dripping the other colors.

1 drop per color, 1 color at a time.

It will start to look like a bullseye.

I used 3 drips each.

Pink-purple-blue... pink-purple-blue... pink-purple-blue

Use the end of a toothpick to lightly pull the polish into your marble design.

I like to do a flower design. :)

Now, find a part of your design that you like and dip your taped nail right into it. Keep your nail flat, until your finger is completely in the water.

 

While keeping your finger under the water... use a toothpick to swirl around the surface of the water. This way you can "catch" the leftover polish on the toothpick & avoid "double-dipping" the nail & messing it up.

(Couldn't take a pic of me cleaning the surface... as one hand was in the water & one hand had the camera. LOL!)

Dipped nail!! (pre-clean-up... of course.)

Keep on truckin' with your other nails...

I just thought this one was pretty. ;-)

Messy!!

(Once you get more practice... you can do 2+ nails in the water at once)

For this hand... I dipped the middle & thumb together, the pinkie & ring finger together, and the index finger alone.

Carefully, peel off the tape.

After all the tape is gone... before the final clean-up. :)

Use cotton swabs dipped in nail polish remover to clean up the polish around the cuticles.

(I like to put my remover in a shot glass... LOL!)

Don't forget to clean-up the under-side of the nails... 'cause they'll be swirly too. :)

The aftermath!!

 Don't forget to use a top coat... to protect all of your hard work!!

(I use Seche Vite... it is the BEST EVER!! It stays super-shiny, you can put it on while your polish is still tacky, and it is DRY in about 5 mins!!! ♥ )

♥ The End ♥

♥ Stacey

Summer Sun

Yesterday I realized just how many polishes I have, that I have only used as nail art accent colors... so, I decided that I would swatch all of my untried colors. :)

I started this one with Wet 'N Wild The Wonder Yellows. It's pretty sheer, so I used 3 coats. 

This color reminds me of a highlighter... but, it's pretty. :) Under normal circumstances, I don't think I could handle lemon yellow nails all day... so, I added some nail art. I sponged OPI Flit A Bit (medium orange cream) & OPI Take the Stage (copper, orange metallic shimmer) over the corner tips. Then I used Konad Special Black to stamp the sun image from Bundle Monster image plate BM01. On my accent nail I added a yellow/gold rhinestone to the center of the sun. :) 

Just something fun to fit the season! :)

(Here is a fun "sunshine" tune!)

base colors: Wet 'N Wild The Wonder Yellows

accent colors: OPI Flit A Bit & OPI Take the Stage

stamp color: Konad Special Black

image plate: Bundle Monster BM01 

♥ Stacey

My 1st Neon Polish!

Well, my 1st neon polish since my 1980's childhood! :)

I found this little beauty at Rite-Aid yesterday. This is also my 1st experience with the brand, Jesse's Girl... this one is called Beach Baby. It's a bright, neon medium-pink. Once on the nail it looks dark pink indoors, but in sunlight, it has a very citrus-y, neon quality to it. It dries to a beautiful matte and the nails take-on a really cool, almost plastic-like quality! I wish I had taken a picture of it matte, but I did the mani last night & was too impatient to wait for the natural daylight! ;-)

The name "Beach Baby" inspired me to add palm trees & hibiscus flowers on accent nails. 

I added one coat of Seche Vite and it gave the nails an entirely different look, so glossy & bright! Gorgeous! :)

 

(This last pic was an afterthought... I realized that I hadn't taken a pic of the flowers. Please excuse the messy edges & tip wear... it's been a busy day.) 

base colors: Jesse's Girl Beach Baby

stamp color: Konad Special White

image plate: Konad m29

♥ Stacey