Neon Splatter Mani with Cirque Polish Electric Circus

This manicure was one of effort and so messy and I'm not sure I will ever splatter mani again! I also tried a FULL nail wheel of combos to put Electric Circus over...then chose white. Talk about frustrating.

I started with two coats of my go to white shimmer, Orly Au Champagne. I used one coat of Cirque Polish Electric Circus over my ring and thumb. Using the colors of the glitters, I decided to splatter mani. I used China Glaze Surfing for Boys, Wet N Wild Nerd Alert: Screech, and Color Club Wicked Sweet (which is awfully scented, but I love the color).

Here's the thing: DO NOT CUT YOUR STRAWS IN HALF. I figured I would be "green" but cutting my straws in half...well, I ended up getting nail polish all over my hands and face and you can see the wear of this mani on my thumb. I was literally cleaning this mani for days! I do love the outcome but oh man, I will need to try a splatter mani on a day I feel more patient. I then used one coat of IMN Northern Lights over the splattered nails.

Neon Splatter Mani with Cirque Polish Electric Circus

Neon Splatter Mani with Cirque Polish Electric Circus

Neon Splatter Mani with Cirque Polish Electric Circus

Any other tips on how to make the splatter mani any easier?


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My First Skittlette of Many: Gradient Dotticure with Texture Polishes!

That title is a mouthful. I love skittlette manis; although I posted a True Blood inspired skittlette HERE, this was actually the first skittlette I tried on my nails and I was immediately hooked! So easy, you use lots of untrieds, and it's just gorgeous! And yes, I am very backlogged of manis in my drafts!

This manicure started when I noticed all my new blues and they looked amazing sitting together on top of my helmer.

On my index nail, I have two coats of Julie G Blueberry Crush from the Gumdrops collection. On my thumb and pinky, I have two coats OPI Tiffany Case from their Bond Girls Liquid Sand collection. On my middle and ring finger, I have 2-3 coats of Orly Pretty Ugly. This color is anything but! It is a gorgeous baby blue with blue shimmer! Using both textured polishes, I did gradient dots. You can do a more complicated design, but I was short on time. 

Skittlette Gradient Dotticure with Texture Polishes

Skittlette Gradient Dotticure with Texture Polishes

Skittlette Gradient Dotticure with Texture Polishes

Skittlette Gradient Dotticure with Texture Polishes

Skittlette Gradient Dotticure with Texture Polishes

P.S. I was nervous to use Tiffany Case because I heard it was a stainer. Well it didn't stain my actual nails! Rather, I was sloppy removing and stained my cuticles as I removed it. So be cautious!

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Dior Lime and Sunnies Gradient with Fuzzy Glitter Gradient

I feel so silly! Because of my vacations, I missed a month of blogging and showing some pretty awesome summer manis. But if you're like me, you don't care about seasons and wear whatever you want on your nails! I hope you don't mind me showing some brighter manis before summer is officially over. Plus, this mani can be used with any colors!

When my mom went to Las Vegas in May, I asked her to hit up the Dior store to find me some colors no longer available. Using Dior Lime (which has an amazing two coat formula---lime greens can be tricky) and Dior Sunnies, I created a gradient. Sunnies looks a tad darker here because it's layered over the green

Then using the Sally Hansen Fuzzy coats Fuzzy Fantasy and Peach Fuzz (which I got for 99 cents, what a steal!) I started where the gradient met and dabbed in the opposite direction. I was obsessed with this!

Dior Lime and Sunnies Gradient with Fuzzy Glitter Gradient

Dior Lime and Sunnies Gradient with Fuzzy Glitter Gradient

Dior Lime and Sunnies Gradient with Fuzzy Glitter Gradient

Dior Lime and Sunnies Gradient with Fuzzy Glitter Gradient

Do you love this look as much as I do?!

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Strawberry Kiwi Nail Art

Happy Labor Day! I hope if you're off from work today, you enjoy the day off and what it means. The weather is pretty dreadful on the East Coast, but I'm catching up on life before the teaching semester begins tomorrow.

I had been thinking of doing these nails for a while and realized summer is just about over, so they needed to happen. I'm actually wearing this mani as this post goes up--which is pretty rare for me.

I started with alternating my nails with a base of Red Dog Designs Strawberry Shortcake and Essence Kiwi. Strawberry Shortcake is a gorgeous pink shimmer base with red, green, and white glitter with black microglitter (I think). Kiwi is a green shimmer base with green microglitter. Both were an easy two coats.

I went in with Barry M Spring Green and Greenberry to make the strawberry leaves. I used Wet N Wild standard black and white cremes for the kiwi details. This is my abstract version of strawberry kiwi but I still think it's cute. Enlarge the pictures to see the shimmer.

Strawberry Kiwi Nail Art

Strawberry Kiwi Nail Art

Strawberry Kiwi Nail Art

Strawberry Kiwi Nail Art

Strawberry Kiwi Nail Art--with flash

I struggle with food nail art. Remember my lemon half moons? I just need more practice! What do you think? 

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Vacation Haul! Picture Heavy Post

Wow look at that unintentional blogging break! In early August, I spontaneously (well, like 9 days notice) decided to head over to Europe to check out some sights. Little fact: I'm obsessed with the claymation Wallace and Gromit. When I went to London in 1996 (or around that), I found out about them, and have loved them ever since. So when I found out about Gromit Unleashed, I had to go. So I did. Then decided I needed to see Paris.

Then I got back, and four days later decided to go to San Francisco and less than 24 hours later, I was packed and ready to go. Very unlike me. But I liked that. So here I am today sharing my nail polish hauls AND the fact that I got to meet three bloggers/polish friends during my travels!

First London! I sported Dior Delice which was perfect and cheery despite the  grey of London. Because traveling with luggage and unpacking, etc. the polish chipped pretty fast. I barely had time for a mani change so I took a Barry M I purchased in London and created French tips. Here's the only picture I snapped of it.

Dior Delice with Barry M Papaya tips:

Then I just had to wear Zoya London in London. Here is two coats of Zoya London with some typical British Breakfast Tea. 

When I went to Bristol to see Gromit Unleashed, Kim from The Ides of Polish joined me. I made her walk for hours looking for Gromits. There were 80 total and we saw 31, which was an accomplishment for me. Here we are with the pirate Gromit! It was such fun, despite our feet being DEAD.

Here is my entire haul from Europe. Could have been a lot worse, but I restrained! I decided to try some new brands too! Check out my new Shakespeare duck that I got at Shakespeare's home in Stratford-Upon-Avon!

Model's Own Toxic Apple, Boogie Nights, Danicing Queen, Sunset Chill

Barry M Guava, Blueberry, Greenberry, Papaya, Key Lime

Random brands (close ups below)

Accessorize Dragonfly, 2true Shade 48, Accessorize Pink Spice

GOSH Frosted Purple (texture), No. 7 Star Shower, Seventeen Cameo Crush (texture)

Kiko Sugar Mats: 643, 644, 645

Kiko LEs: 427, 429, 432

Brown that my sister stole before I wrote it down *edit it's 373*, 338, 388

I came home to a wonderful package from my polish bestie, Jen at My Nail Polish Obsession! She had recently gone on vacation to Hawaii and sent me this amazing package! I may have eaten some of the Hawaiian nuts before I got to picture taking :-D In fact, I ate them in San Francisco.

Top row: OPI Alcatraz Rocks, OPI Rumple's Wiggin, Island Girl Island Heat and Hula Girl

Bottom row: Zoya Carter, Kiko 389, Tony Moly glitter, Crowstoes Love Stinks, KPT Being in the Pink

Then I went to San Francisco, and of course, I had to wear OPI Alcatraz...Rocks, which Jen sent me. Unfortnately, tickets at Alcatraz were sold out for the next 9 days (you read that right), so we couldn't go in but here's a picture with Alacatraz in the background.

The only polish I bought in San Francisco was one of the new Wet n Wild textures! It's so pretty. I also found the Claire's polish for 50 cents in a closing Claire's.

Wet N Wild Beauty is a Battlefield, Claire's Graffiti

While in San Francisco, I met up with Paulina from The Gore Princess. How fun! She showed me the Mission District and I tried a beer brewed in San Francisco.

On the last day, I got to meet Jen from My Nail Polish Obsession. We kind of always have ongoing packages to each other and I think I actually talk to her every day! I think it's awesome we got to make time to meet (and I met two of her adorable kiddos).

Our nails matched! How crazy!? She was sporting a purple (I forgot) with Lynnderella Oh Eric and I was wearing Polish by KPT Being in the Pink (another awesome gift from Jen).

Well I hope you understand my blogging break! You know fall is my favorite, so I can't wait to get back into nail art, especially with Halloween around the corner!

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