Mardi Gras Nails with Red Dog Designs (Here Comes)³ the Big Parade

Here's an extra tidbit about me: I love the South. While I was getting my Master's Degree, I was so lucky to attend conferences around the country to present my research. My favorite conference ever was the Mardi Gras Conference in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Yup, I got paid to present my work in Louisiana the week of Mardi Gras. I made a vacation out of it and stayed in New Orleans and fell.in.love.hard. So I needed to celebrate today!

On all my nails, I used two coats of OPI Catherine the Grape, which is an older purple shimmer that I found in CVS (so random?). Then I did a gradient over the purple with OPI Goldeneye and Illamasqua Viridian. Not enough. You all know I love glitter and I asked Gina at Red Dog Designs if she could create a Mardi Gras polish. Not only did she create (Here Comes)³ the Big Parade, but she blew my expectations out of the water. I will be wearing this gold, purple, green circle and hex glitter mix year round and I think it looks stunning.

On my accent nails (ring and thumb) I did a simple bead design in a variety of golds, purples, and green. Too bad Valentine's Day is so soon or I would keep this on longer! Here's a quick snapshot and I will post more pictures tomorrow!

You can purchase Red Dog Design polishes HERE. I highly suggest her product. I still have a ton more of hers to show you (she will also be my V-day mani) and I really can't stress how much I love this line of polish! 

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Valentine's Day Nail Art Spam

I thought I would post some Vday manis from last year that I was inspired by from blogs. Here's the thing: Can't remember which blog is from what, but just realize, these were inspirations. I could probably figure it out with Google, but I'm really short on time! Plus, I'm sure the originals were better. All I remember is that the owl nail art was inspired by Chalkboard Nails and the love birds were inspired by Adventures in Acetone. I just love nail art and thought I'd show you some old, not so great pictures from then! Enjoy :)

Valentine's Day Love Bird Nail Art

Valentine's Day Love Bug Nail Art

Valentine's Day Love Owl Nail Art

Valentine's Day Smooches Nail Art

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My Zombie Nails: Lynnderella Undead Red with Red Dog Designs The Engineer

You know what tonight is? The Walking Dead comes back after its mid-season finale in December and I couldn't be more excited. In fact, I may or may not have watched all of season one and season two this week to prep for it coming back. I need to know what happens between Daryl and Merle! So for the premiere, I decided of my version of zombie nails.

I started with one coat of Zoya Sooki, my go to red creme. Then I added one coat of Red Dog Designs The Engineer which is a gorgeous, red tinted glitter. You can make it opaque on its own, I am just a habitual layerer. Then to zombify my nails, I used one coat of Lynnderella Undead Red (get the zombie reference??). I love this polish. The microglitter in The Engineer still showed through Undead Red and I think they were a perfect matching which created a manicure full of depth.

I got loads of compliments on this mani which must mean what people say about red being the classic polish color as true. This clearly could be a Valentine's Day look but for me, I thought of the different tones of red for the blood, and the iridescent blue as the de-oxygenated blood. Or even blue veins. Hope I didn't just ruin this polish for you. Super glowy and tons of different shapes of glitter. Check out the giant ass square glitter on my thumb.

Lynnderella Undead Red with Red Dog Designs The Engineer

Lynnderella Undead Red with Red Dog Designs The Engineer

Lynnderella Undead Red with Red Dog Designs The Engineer

Lynnderella Undead Red with Red Dog Designs The Engineer

 Completely awkward thumb shot, but if you look at the bottom left of my thumb, you can see the huge square glitter I was talking about. Enlarge the picture to see it.

Lynnderella Undead Red with Red Dog Designs The Engineer

Any other fans of The Walking Dead?

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Valentine's Day Heart Conversation Candy Nail Art

I hate milky glitters. I own three. So those three are really special. Not sure why, but I needed Nails Inc when Sephora released them in July. Yeah, I bought a polish in July and wore it in February. Sigh. I actually much prefer the look of milky glitters layered, so I did one coat of Nails Inc. Sweets Way over one coat of Orly Au Champagne. LOVE. Then because it was so sweet looking, I added conversation heart candy! I only wish I had matted it before it got all chippy. Woe is me. I also really underestimated how small I can write in nail polish, but I still think the overall effect is here. 

In case you're wondering what the thumb means, that's my boyfriend's name :)

Valentine's Day Heart Conversation Candy Nail Art

Valentine's Day Heart Conversation Candy Nail Art

Valentine's Day Heart Conversation Candy Nail Art

Valentine's Day Heart Conversation Candy Nail Art

Valentine's Day Heart Conversation Candy Nail Art

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Green Glassfleck Gradient with Lynnderella Salad Days

I love green. So hard. I needed China Glaze Running in Circles and got it in an awesome swap (along with a Dior lemming!!) from Jen at My Nail Polish Obsession. I had been holding on to Salad Days for so long, not knowing what base to use. A quick messy gradient of China Glaze Running in Circles with Butter London Jack the Lad was it. 

Ugh, I just want to put this on again. You need to enlarge these.

Green Glassfleck Gradient with Lynnderella Salad Days

 

Green Glassfleck Gradient with Lynnderella Salad Days

 

Green Glassfleck Gradient with Lynnderella Salad Days

Green Glassfleck Gradient with Lynnderella Salad Days

Green Glassfleck Gradient

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