Elevation and Kiko Cupcake Skittle Manicure

Pastel explosion time!! I had all these new Elevation polishes and I took them out with my 5 Kiko Cupcake polishes and whoaaaaa they actually matched well! I just had to somehow use them together but then I wracked my brain and stopped--simple was the way to go!

Elevation and Kiko Cupcake Skittle Polishes

Happy Earth Day with Lumina Lacquer Extraterrestrial

Happy Earth Day! I had all these complicated manicure ideas and then did something somewhat complicated that ended up getting covered in glitter. Go me.

 Lumina Lacquer Extraterrestrial

Easter Egg French Manicure

Hi all! I just wanted to share what I ended up wearing yesterday as my Easter tribute. I actually only had a little bit of time to do a mani, but wanted something festive. It has been YEARS since I wore a French manicure. I feel like that's what I wore before I really knew how fun nail polish could be. So this is somewhat of a throwback to my previous polish days. These photos were my "quick and dirty" photos (meaning no cleanup, moisturizing, etc). But I actually had fun playing with the goodies I put in my boyfriend's basket, that I mangled my manicure beyond fixing (I literally let my mani dry for 3 minutes and left, whoops).

Easter Egg French Manicure

Shy Bunny Easter Nail Art

I am seriously lacking in the Easter nail art department, so I painted this randomly last night. I hope to get one more design in, but this is soooo cute! This bunny is shy, so he is showing you his cottontail! Maybe I'll make my mani chip so I have to remove it :-P

Shy Bunny Easter Nail Art

Shy Bunny Easter Nail Art

My cousin randomly went to London last week, so naturally I had to beg her to pick me up some Barry Ms and she did! She grabbed me the three new colors from the Gelly Collection: Sugar Apple (green), Rose Hips (pink), and Huckleberry (blue) and I felt they were just too perfect for Easter! She also grabbed me Lady and Duchess from the Royal Textured collection. 

Shy Bunny Easter Nail Art

Shy Bunny Easter Nail Art

Shy Bunny Easter Nail Art

I had Red Dog Designs Bunny Sprinkles since last year--but got it after Easter, so I have held onto this for a year! I am actually not a bar glitter fan at all, but I weirdly love this! I did a gradient of Sugar Apple and Rose Hips with one coat of Bunny Sprinkles.

On my middle nails, I painted three coats of Barry M Huckleberry (all these pastels are three coats). I allowed that to dry and then did a template of the bunny and the bunny butt. I added the eyes toward the bottom of my nail (he's super shy!) and topped it with one coat of top coat. Then using Barry M Lady and Princess, I went over the bunny template (which I painted with OPI My Boyfriend Scales Walls) so that my bunny would be textured.

Shy Bunny Easter Nail Art

Shy Bunny Easter Nail Art

Shy Bunny Easter Nail Art

Shy Bunny Easter Nail Art

Do you love this?! I do! I think his cottontail is just so cute! And the pastels are so springy and perfect.

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Born Pretty Review: Neon Studs over Neon Color Block Texture Nail Art

Press Sample

My next review from www.bornprettystore.com are these awesome neon fluorescent nail art studs that I used for an extremely bright and fun manicure. Born Pretty is a great site for all your nail art needs and other items (they also have adorable phone cases and other accessories!). Normally you see studs placement at the cuticle, but I decided to try out some color blocking.  Make sure you read through the post to grab the coupon code at the bottom of the post!

Neon Studs over Neon Color Block Texture Nail Art

Using a variety of neon textures to make the studs, I color blocked my nails with the polish brush. After two coats of each color, I dabbed a little bit of top coat in the center, and using a dotting tool, I picked up each stud and placed it. Once this is done, you could top coat the stud, but I wanted to keep the texture polish as is. I suggest using a quick dry top coat to secure the studs. I found they last longer on my nails that way (vs. the ones I used a normal drying top coat).

This manicure is SO loud, but it is awesome.  I used Red Dog Designs Neon Sands for the green, pink, purple, and blue. OPI You're So Flippy Floppy (yellow) and Julie G Tangerine Dream (orange) for this look.

You can find the candy fluorescent  studs and other nail art supplies here or http://www.bornprettystore.com/350pcs-candy-fluorescent-light-color-round-square-stud-rhinestones-nail-decoration-wbox-p-7276.html.  They are $7.59 for 350 and I don't see myself ever running out!

Make sure you enlarge the photos!

Neon Studs over Neon Color Block Texture Nail Art

Neon Studs over Neon Color Block Texture Nail Art

Neon Studs over Neon Color Block Texture Nail Art

Neon Studs over Neon Color Block Texture Nail Art

Neon Studs over Neon Color Block Texture Nail Art

Neon Studs over Neon Color Block Texture Nail Art

Neon Studs over Neon Color Block Texture Nail Art

Neon Studs over Neon Color Block Texture Nail Art

How fun are these studs? They are so bright and really bring in spring and warm weather. If you want to place an order, you can get 10% off your order with the discount code PDX31 at checkout. There is a variety of merchandise at the store and many items are already on sale AND you can use this code for an additional 10% off!

You can follow Born Pretty  on Tumblr at bornpretty2014 and on Instagram at bornprettystore.

Products were provided in this post for an honest review. 

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Red Dog Designs Flashing Lights and Wonder Bread Customs

I'm so excited to share these customs with you! I actually bought these in March 2013 but when I wore them, I had the most massive nail break so I didn't post them. And since I had them made to commemorate a special day in March (2008 actually), I whipped them out again as I plan to do every March!

Red Dog Designs Flashing Lights and Wonder Bread

I love these customs so much! My stipulations were that they had to have black and silver glitter, be sparkly, and represent the night. I think Gina of Red Dog Designs did them perfectly! There is so much holographic glitter in these, I could see them sparkle in the dark!

Flashing Lights is on my thumb and index and is glitter set in a vibrant blue jelly base. This was opaque in two coats. Wonder Bread is a glitter topper--I wanted both so it could be versatile. Both have moon glitters. They both embody exactly what I wanted them to represent! I used one coat of Wonder Bread over a gradient of L'oreal B. Fearless and OPI This Gown Needs a Crown (silver).

Red Dog Designs Flashing Lights and Wonder Bread

Red Dog Designs Flashing Lights and Wonder Bread

Red Dog Designs Flashing Lights and Wonder Bread

Red Dog Designs Flashing Lights and Wonder Bread, with flash

Do you have any custom polishes? These are the only two I have specifically for me, but I love them!

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Born Pretty Store Review: Flower Water Decals

Press Sample

Born Pretty is a great one stop shopping web site for all your nail art needs and other items (they also have adorable phone cases and other accessories!). For my first review, I played around with really easy-to-use flower water decals. I chose to do my outer nails in green to represent stems and the middle nails as the flower colors. I did my gradients and coated the polish with a fast dry top coat. 

Born Pretty Store Review: Flower Water Decals

After 5 minutes, I followed the simple instructions. I removed the clear film, submerged the decals for 15 seconds, moistened my nails, and slipped the decals on! You moisten the nails so that if you don't like your placement of your decal, you can move it around where you want it. 

The instructions say to then blow dry your nails. I used my blow dryer on a low heat for a few seconds. I'm not sure if it's needed, but it surely speeds up setting the decal. This is really easy nail art if you aren't great at nail art or short on time. 

You can find the water decals and other nail art supplies here. The water decals are $1.43 for a sheet and you get two full manicures worth.  Make sure you enlarge the photos!

Born Pretty Store Review: Flower Water Decals

Born Pretty Store Review: Flower Water Decals

Born Pretty Store Review: Flower Water Decals

Born Pretty Store Review: Flower Water Decals

Born Pretty Store Review: Flower Water Decals

Do you like what you see here? It's nail art in minutes! If you want to place an order, you can get 10% off your order with the discount code PDX31 at checkout. There is a variety of merchandise at the store and many items are already on sale AND you can use this code for an additional 10% off!

You can follow Born Pretty  on Tumblr at bornpretty2014 and on Instagram at bornprettystore.

Products were provided in this post for an honest review. 

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Nailventurous Swamp Princess

I'm taking it back, old school. When indies started exploding in 2012, Nailventurous was one of the top show runners in the indie game. Remember the days of Etsy refreshing and cartjacking (before people discovered Big Cartel). I was lucky enough to know the maker of the infamous Floam (which has been copied to death) and was able to set up a swap for some of the most amazing polishes. I had been holding off wearing this one, because I didn't want to admit that I will have no more new Nailventurous polishes to try, but it's just too pretty. I only have Shimmer Effect left to try.

Nailventurous Swamp Princess

Swamp Princess is a gorgeous green jelly packed with a variety of glitter. I love the mix of giant hexes with smaller glitters. It seems indies don't use giant hexes anymore and I miss those! The combination of holographic gold, copper, red, and pink work so well with the green base. I only needed two coats! Be sure to enlarge the pictures to see the glitters.

I then added accents nails of OPI L.A.M.B. Two coats and top coat because I didn't care for the contrast of jelly and satin.

Nailventurous Swamp Princess

Nailventurous Swamp Princess

Nailventurous Swamp Princess

Nailventurous Swamp Princess

Nailventurous Swamp Princess

Nailventurous Swamp Princess

Nailventurous Swamp Princess

What do you think of this one? Are there any older indie brands that you miss these days? Unfortunately Nailventurous no longer makes nail polish, but you can sometimes find them pop up in sales groups.

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