Quick Post

Just a quick post while we have some tech issues here at work. 
Tried my hand at Galaxy Nails for the challenge (which I am failing so bad about), did not work so well with the polishes I had.

Wet'N'Wild Wild Shine Black Creme, sponged with Zoya Pru, China Glaze Magnetic II Get Charged & Sparks Will Fly, Wet'N'Wild Megalast in Break The Ice, and dotted w/ Sinful Colors Snow Me White.  It turned out not so great, but super shiny!  

Bought 2 sets of polish last weekend at discount stores, a set of Color Club Fiesta collection, and a Kleancolor mini set in greens.  Also found a Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure in Loves Me Not, and holy cow is that my new favorite purple polish!

Had to nub my nails last night cause I had a break and no time to do a fix. Currently wearing Color Club Mamba. This is 2 coats topped with Seche, which I finally bought since my usual go-to top coat caused shrinking w/ my China Glaze polishes.

Summer Nails Wordless Wednesday Edition (Plus 2 other manis I've worn so far this summer)

This Post Brought To You By....

My new Samsung Chromebook!  Sorry I've been MIA for a bit, been in a polish funk lately, and not feeling creative.  Been trying to organize my polishes and take updated pictures for a new stash post, since I've been getting new polishes.  Here's a couple of nail looks that I've done in the past week:

First up is a rainbow skittle mani using China Glaze Magnetix II collection.  Found the set hiding at Marshall's, one of my favorite places to find polish deals.  I can usually find Color Club sets for only $9.99.  

Had some major shrinkage cause I rushed and used thick coats and didn't wrap my tips, plus my topcoat didn't help either.  Still working on getting better with my timing with the magnet, the blue didn't turn out too well as a result.  All the colors shown worked great and had gorgeous effects with the magnet, but the collection came with an orange color that's magnet effect was not as strong, and I thought didn't look good with my skin tone.

This is what's on my nails currently: 

I used Color Club Poptastic and Twiggie, SinfulColors Last Chance, Wet'N'Wild Wild Shine Black Creme, and topped it China Glaze Fairy Dust.

I'm going to be working on a tutorial for removing polish using soaker pods like these from Amazon.  My friend +Jamie Cannon and I got each other a set mainly out of curiosity, but they actually do work really well!

Blue frost for Autism, a new base, and a nostalgic love.

I failed at trying to do a flag-inspired mani last week, and I haven't gotten around to doing this week's challenge, so here's my mani that I did for Autism Awareness.

I used Color Club Chelsea, and sponged Wet'N'Wild Break The Ice for the tips.  I loved how shimmery and  frost-like it looked.

I bought the O.P.I. Original Formula Nail Envy at Marshall's for $7.99, and it came with this adorable charm bangle.

Also, I love Ring Pops.  One of my favorite candies from my childhood, along with those bug-shaped SweetTart-like candies in the jar that could be reused as a bug jar.

A Grey Day

I used SinfulColors Snow Me White and Wet'N'Wild Wild Shine Black Creme and mixed them together for the grey base. I used Color Club Poptastic for the dots.

Bonus Easter nails using my new fan brush.  SinfulColors Candy Coated and Color Club Warhol.

Cinnamon Roasted Almonds and Stripes

A while back, I found an awesome garage sale find, a Back To Basics Nut Roaster.

I had wanted to get one of these as kind of a joke for my aunt, who has a love for Cinnamon Roasted Almonds, (Whenever we'd go somewhere they were, she'd exclaim "I smell my nuts!"), but I never ended up buying one and they disappeared from the shelves.  So when I found this one brand new and never used for $3, I snatched it up!  So now I make a batch of almonds to take to family get-togethers, and sometimes just because!

I've found that they're best when I dry-roast them in the oven first.  Not only do they taste better, but the whole house smells awesome!  I just toss them onto a cookie sheet/baking dish and put them in a 350 F degree oven for about 20-25 min (I've found that the time will vary depending on ovens, so just keep an eye on them near the end and make sure they don't get to dark).

After they've roasted, I put them in the pan and add the cinnamon and sugar, and turn the burner on to medium high heat. Then I add the water and vanilla extract.  Then you just slowly stir and stir and stir until the liquid evaporates and the nuts are glazed.

This is the recipe that came with the pan, you can tweak it depending on how much sugar/cinnamon/vanilla you'd like(just don't use a ton of cinnamon, you'll end up with a goopy mess that looks like tar!).  You don't have to use a special pan, any heavy bottomed pan will work (like cast iron).  

1 C sugar

1/2 Tbsp ground cinnamon

2 C nuts

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

1/4 C water

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This week's nail challenge was stripes, and I just did a very simple design.  I used Wet'N'Wild Wild Shine Black Creme as a base color, then used N.Y.C. Matte topcoat on it.  I then painted a single stripe down the center of my nail with a shimmery dark cherry color polish, but that didn't really look nice to me.  So I got SinfulColors Let's Talk and painted over the red.  I loved the color combo, and also loved how pretty the shiny purple was against the matte black.

Color Club In True Fashion duo French Tips

Trying to get back into the habit of posting, and following the Challenge.  This week is French Tips, and my cousin Jen had suggested pairing 2 of my Color Club polishes together, so I figured I'd give it a shot.  I started with my normal nail strengthener and base coat.  I then used Wet'N'Wild Wild Shine in Black Creme as an undie for Color Club Personal Stylist.  Here's a shot I took before stamping and clean-up, to show off how gorgeous this color is!  This is 2 coats, with top coat.

I then used my MASH plate and stamped Color Club Editorial in the fish scale pattern.  I then did a french tip and added top coat.

It was insanely shiny and shimmery, and I didn't want to take it off!  I did eventually take it off, since it was starting to chip and snag.  This design reminded me of fishing lures for some reason as well.  I want to get more stamping plates!

Inspired by Nature

Things have finally started going back to normal around here, so I've resumed the 52 week challenge.  Last week's challenge was Inspired by Nature.  I decided to try to do a natural-looking nail, but with polish.  

I used Sally Hansen Smooth and Perfect in Dune as the base color, and Wet'n'Wild Megalast in Break the Ice for the tips.

Week 12

I'm sick, so just a quick post this week.  This week's challenge is 'Inspired by a song', and cause so much Christmas music is playing, I was going to do snowflakes and some Christmas lights for "Blue Christmas".  I feel like crap though, and am so tired all the time, so I only have gotten my base color down so far.  I'm hoping to finish them, so there may be an update later in the week.

Wet'N'Wild Fantasy Makers Black, Color Club Personal Stylist, top coat

Can't even tell where I nick'd my nail while shaving my legs! Lol, anyway, here's some candy cane nails, and what my nails look like naked so this isn't such a sad post (Naked nails happened before I filed them down for the candy cane nails):

SinfulColors Snow Me White, Tokyo Pearl, and Sugar Sugat, top coat

Saran Mani Week 8 / Wordless Wednesday

Black and … Week 7

This week is supposed to be black and white, but I could not get my idea to translate to my nails.  I wanted to do pirate skull and crossbones, but could not get it to look like anything more than an 'X' with a dot above it, even with trying to use my skull stamp.  So I ended up doing black and silver bar glitter.

Wet'N'Wild Black Creme, Kleancolor Grand Finale, and Sally Hansen Top Coat.

The bar glitter was a pain to apply.  I'll need more patience with it next time I guess.

Until next time
Jess

Gotta Catch'em All!

The choice for this week's nails was an easy one.  I've been wanting to do Pokeball nails for a long time, but haven't been able to get my nails long enough without breaking.  I love Pokemon, and am actually trying to collect all the games.  I'm slowly getting there, but having problems finding the Gold and Crystal versions for Gameboy Color within my budget.

Please excuse the horrible picture taking skills.  Probably should have done another coat of the red, but I was in a rush :)  I used Elmer's Glue as my basecoat, SinfulColors Snow Me White and Go Go, and Wet'N'Wild Black Creme.  No topcoat.  Striping brush for the black stripe, then dotting tool for the black and white button

This is 2 coats Snow Me White.  I love this white because it is so pigmented, but my bottle is needing a little thinner added to it, it has thickened up cause I left the cap off for to long a couple of times :(  I am also not really good at clean up on my right hand yet, but still better than it was lol.

Until next time

Jess

Halloween Nails week 5

So late with posting this.  Orange polish is not a color I like on me, so trying to do something creative was difficult.  I finally was inspired while painting pumpkins with my son.  

The nails: 

I started out with a new base, that I got as an accident.  Was meaning to get more top coat while we were at Walmart (where we rarely go anymore), and wasn't paying attention to which one I grabbed.  Oh well, was needing base coat anyway!  Black Creme from Wet'N'Wild, then dotting with SinfulColors Snow Me White. My dotting was not very clean, as Snow is pretty thick, so there are little stringy things everywhere. I then went back with Color Club Wham! Pow! for my orange dots.  Cause it was for Halloween, I also used Wet'N'Wild's Fantasy Makers Glow in the Dark polish.  Ended up smudging the dots a bit, but it wasn't to obvious off-camera. Finished off with top coat.  The glow wasn't to obvious on Halloween, but I was also carrying around a giant glowstick while taking my son and my cousins' kids Trick or Treating.  

I need to find out how much the nail salons around here will charge just for shaping my nails, I just can't get them even when trying to square them off.

I wish I had remembered to take pictures while making the mini Oreo cheesecakes, so that I could make a proper post for them.  They were a big hit with my family, even my mom liked them.  

Until next time,

Jess

Candy Corn! Week 4

Whew, what a long weekend.  Went to a local farm for their Pumpkin Festival on Saturday.  It was so much fun, kiddo had a great time and was super happy to get to pick out his pumpkin!  We also picked up some produce that grew on the farm from their produce stand.  While we were standing in line for the hayride, they shot off the Pumpkin Cannon, and I actually caught a video of it! (coming soon)

On to the polish portion of this post.  I figured I'd get a head start on this week's challenge and do a candy corn gradient.

basecoat

2 coats Snow Me White

Color Club Almost Famous for the yellow

Color Club Wham! Pow! for the orange

topcoat

I wore it like this all day Saturday, and actually had one lady compliment me on it at one of the booths (where they were selling some indie polishes along with their handmade soaps and bath stuffs. I didn't pick one up this time, but did pick up their card to see about ordering some later when I have some more money.)  But it was way to bright and loud for my tastes, and I just had to mess with it.  

(Please ignore my lack of clean-up, I was rushed to do these before my cousin's birthday party!) O.P.I. Black Shatter and Wet'N'Wild Black Creme helped tone down the neon-ness, and also gave me an chance to finally use my striping brush.  I was really shaky, but it looked all right I think.

I also managed to find a Kleancolor What Girls Really Talk About Mini set at R.O.S.S. for $4!  They also had a bunch of Color Club multi-packs that didn't really wow me, but I couldn't pass up these glitters!  

Until next time

Jess

Stash and Set Up Post

While I'm trying to come up with a blue nail design for this week's challenge, I figured I'd post the polishes I have now at the start of this blog adventure, and my set up for now.  I usually end up doing my nails late at night, after my son goes to bed.  I have most of my stuff set up at my desk in my room, but I have a pair of clippers, a file, and a cuticle pusher on the cabinet next to my chair in the living room for when I want to fidget with my nails while watching a movie or something.  My buffing block is out there too right now, come to think of it.

Here's my desk set up.  The black and red box is usually over on the computer tower, and my tools pouch is usually under the monitor.  Chromebook (Cr-48, the Pilot Notebook from Google), my awesome Thermos that keeps w/e I'm drinking cold for hours.  Big bottle of pure Acetone, and a bottle of regular nail polish remover.  In the box is my SinfulColors and Insta-Dry polishes, and in the lid is the rest.  My top coat, Elmer's Glue base coat, and cuticle oil are up by the monitor.  Cotton balls, make-up sponges, and q-tips on top of the tower.  Tools in pouch, and a little glass tea light holder that I use to hold acetone for when i use my nail brushes (currently has a cotton ball in it that I used to wipe off excess cuticle oil from my finger nails).

The tools in my pouch:

I got the pouch at Big Lots for $4, had a bunch of Ms Manicure items.  Left side has nail clippers, cuticle nippers, dotting tool, cuticle pusher, nail file, and 2 brushes I got at Michael's, one for nail art and the other for clean-up.  Right side has toe separators, Salon Express stamper set, old gift card for scraping, Born Pretty Store Hello Kitty plate I got for free one random night, and 2 MASH plates I got for a penny each on Copious.  Paper hole reinforcement stickers and couple of orange sticks are also in there.  

 

Now for the polishes.

Kleancolor Chunky Holo Bluebell, Kleancolor Chunky Holo Purple, NYC Matte Top Coat, Color Changing Blue/Green chrome, O.P.I. Turquoise Shatter, O.P.I.Black Shatter

Sally Hansen:

Nail Prisms Lapis Amethyst, Xtreme Wear Invisible, Complete Manicure Black Platinum, Advanced Hard As Nails Strengthening Top Coat, Xtreme Nails Blinding Blue, InstaDri Brisk Blue, Crackle Overcoat Cherry Smash, InstaDri Rapid Red, InstaDri Blue-Away

 

Tokyo Pearl, Ruby Ruby, Snow Me White, Last Chance

Frenzy, Cinderella, Ciao Bella!

Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Celeb City, SinfulColors What's Your Name, SinfulColors Queen of Beauty, Wet'n'Wild Black Creme, Wet'n'Wild Magnetic Igniting The Spark, and Wet'n'Wild Fantasy Makers Glow in the Dark Go With The Glow

I also have a SinfulColors Let's Talk, but my camera hates it and I can't get a close enough color accurate pic, so have a Google search image:

That's it for tonight, until next time

Jess

Rock Star Nails-Weekly Challenge Week 1

So this week's challenge is to do a Tape Mani, something I've messed around with before.  I had painted my nails just plain black the other night, so was looking for a way to pretty it up when I thought about starting this blog and saw the challenge.  I ended up only doing the tape on accent nails cause I'm tired and cause I thought it'd be to much.  And I liked the contrast of colors so much I used a dotting tool to add 'studs' to my other nails. XD  

Base: 1 coat Olan Laboratories Nail Treatment

2 coats Wet'N'Wild Black Creme

1 coat Sally Hansen Advanced Hard As Nails Strengthening Top Coat

accent and dotting: Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Celeb City

1 coat Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Invisible

Until next time
Jess