ehmkay nails: June 2013

Sunday, June 16, 2013

True Blood Inspired Nails for Tonight's Premiere

I've been watching True Blood since episode one, and granted with Billith and all, it's gone a little off its original path, I can't wait for tonight's premiere. I've only read through book four but I'm hoping to catch up to season 6. I have to admit the books don't grab me as much as a show (shhhh yes I'm a literature lover so please don't tell on me).

Well apparently, I'm in such a daze, I almost forgot about tonight's premiere. Jen from My Nail Polish Obsession asked me what nails I was going to do for the premiere, and I can't believe I forgot. I threw this "skittlette" mani together in about twenty minutes and I'm proud! Skittlette manicures are manicures with two design nails and then plain nails to complement the design.

Index: 3 coats of OPI Solitaire (although two would have sufficed).
Thumb/pinky: 2 coats of Essie Bonded
Design accents: Gradient of Orly Au Champagne, Zoya Sookie (appropriate, right?), and Loreal Raven's Strength topped with Sonoma Nail Art Deadly Zins.

I LOVE the end result. I was nervous the mix of textures/glitters would be too much and contradicting but I don't think so. Hope you enjoy!

True Blood Inspired Nails

EDIT: The sun came out so bonus pictures:

True Blood Inspired Nails

Will you be watching tonight's premiere?

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Wednesday, June 12, 2013

My One Year Blogaversary with my Birthday Nails

So one year ago, I started Ehmkay Nails as an outlet to post my nails, mostly art and glitter layerings, and I can't believe it's been one year. I think I've grown in my nail care, shaping, and mostly, picture taking. I'm not exactly where I want to be with my blog, but I look forward to the future as I progress and learn.

My birthday was June 6, and like last year, I thought I would share my birthday nails. If you follow me on Instagram, you have seen these already but I thought I would give the details here.

I knew I wanted to use Cirque Polish XX because it was a long time lemming and I finally got it at Artist and Fleas last month. I went with a base of two coats of Elevation Polish Wuyi Mountain which I snagged as a small batch prototype last month, but it will be available again. I then added one coat of XX to my middle nail and thumb.

I wanted to do a cupcake but not full blown cupcakes like last year. This cupcake has A LOT of frosting! I used white (Orly Au Champagne--my go to white) as a base for the confetti and the cupcake. Then with a small dotting tool and a striping brush I went in with a variety of neon colors and filled it in. LOVE. It got a lot of compliments too and felt very festive.

I took pictures of my nails at a garden and I think it was super pretty, so enjoy the flower background. You will want to enlarge these.

Birthday Cupcake and Confetti Nail Art

I love summer, neons, glitter, and cupcakes--everything that this manicure means to me.

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Wednesday, June 5, 2013

Femme Fatale Keeper of the Grove with Quick Flower Nail Art

I love lime green. The walls of my bedroom are lime green, my bedding was lime green in college--it's just such a vibrant and fun color. When I saw Keeper of the Grove, I HAD to have it. And I did.

I did one coat of Illamasqua Radium which I got at Sephora during their $7 Illamasqua sale (and I hauled quite a bit during that sale) on all my nails except two coats on my accent. I then topped it with Keeper of the Grove which is in a light green jelly base and packed with so much bling and random hearts. I love it. So hard.

On the accents, I topped Radium with one coat of SOPI Hollywood if I could and then painted quick freehand flowers. I used China Glaze Love's a Beach and Wet N Wild Magic Trident for the petals and Sally Hansen Going Green for the leaves.

Not my best flowers, but I wasn't really aiming for that. Lime green is all I wanted.

Femme Fatale Keeper of the Grove


Femme Fatale Keeper of the Grove

Femme Fatale Keeper of the Grove

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Tuesday, June 4, 2013

Layla Turquoise Splash with Crowstoes Um...He Went to the Pawnshop

If you've been to my Facebook page and noticed my manis, I love the matte suede polishes. They are a weakness. I mostly love them for how they look top coated, which some might say defeats the purpose. In comes Layla Soft Touches and I snatch up half the collection. Today I started with Turquoise Splash or 10 (number on the cap). This is up there in my top fifty polishes (and I have a lot). Guys, you are need to head to Ulta and buy.this.polish. The blue is so vivid without being subdued by the gold shimmer and just wow. Two easy coats (or one careful one).

Then I used Umm..., He Went to the Pawn Shop (I really hate this name, and almost couldn't buy the polish over it. Weird, I know). It is really beautiful, but I have to say this was one of the worst formulas ever. When I get nail mail, I usually immediately swatch it on a nail wheel. Upon arrival it was so thick and gloopy, I had to thin it. Not even three months and it was a clumpy, thick mess again. But, I was out of thinner so I had to make due (and use a crap ton of patience and top coat).

I attempted to create a half moon with opaque glitter. Had the formula been better, this wouldn't be difficult. It was mostly dabbing and came out uneven. To streamline the halfmoons, I mixed a little bit of Milani Key West and a white creme and created dots. I loved the end result despite the glitter problems.