Pink chevron mani

The inspiration for this mani comes from this beautiful design by @carlysisoka.

I probably should have stick more to the original ;) I like the color combination, although a paler glitter polish would have been better, right?

Base color: Barry M Coconut (ivory alternative to OPI's My Vampire Is Buff)
Chevrons: chevron-shaped tape stickers from Nail Vinyls, Dance Legend Glam Rock and pale pink China Glaze Go-Go Pink Read More......

31DC2013, Day 30: Inspired by a Tutorial. Camo Nails!

It was hard to go back to the  31 Day challenge from last year, but with only two manis left,  I just have to finish it!!!
The last "Inspired By" topic is "Inspired by a tutorial". There are so many techniques I haven't tried yet - lead light + stamping, pond manicure, free handed roses, etc., etc. I also though military/camo manicures look kind of cool... So here are my first camo nails:

I planned to add some dark, almost black green as well, but after I did my thumb I chickened out and left the rest as it was:

A friend of mine said she liked my thumbs better. And I still cannot decide ;) Maybe my thumb just had too many small spots... Next time I'd go for bigger shapes as on my middle and ring fingers.
Which alternative do you like more?

Pointer and pinkie: dark teal Leighton Denny Femme Fatale (got in a set in TK Maxx)
Camo Pattern: light green OPI Stranger Tides, medium green Formula X Fearless (my NY super haul), Leighton Denny Femme Fatale
Studs: 3mm square studs from ebay

There are a lot of tutorials on how to create military nails, but I these these two the best for me:



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Retro stripes with KB Shimmer Sky Jinks

Last weekend a friend of mine had a retro themed birthday party. So naturally, retro nails matching my outfit were a must :)

The blue polish is a fantastic creme from KB Shimmer Spring 2014 collection called Sky Jinks. The formula is a dream and the opacity is amazing - I'm wearing one coat! The color is probably the matter of taste, but I think it is awesome - bright blue like the summer sky, with a hint of dustiness. Not a neon, just a beautiful blue.

Base color:  KB Shimmer Sky Jinks, bought from Harlow & Co (they ship internationally).
Stripes: free handed with a striper brush and Essence Flashy Pumkin   Read More......

How To: easy clean up

Everyone knows what a mess a gradient or water marbling can be. My cuticles are very dry, so I try to avoid using too much nail polish remover on my skin. This post is about some great ideas of how to minimize your clean up.

Easy gradients with masking fluid

Couple of moths ago I saw this genius trick: use masking fluid to protect your cuticles!

Masking fluid is a kind of liquid latex, used in watercolor painting to preserve areas of the painting you want to remain white. Once the fluid is dry, it has a waxy, rubbery surface and paint won't stick to it. Check out this youtube video to see how it works in watercolor. Some fellow nail addicts use white PVC glue to protect the skin around the nails. Masking fluid has a similar effect, but it is water resistant - which is perfect, if you want to rinse your hands while your gradient is drying and you're not completely done yet. Normally, I'd apply a thin coat of the masking fluid around my nails and let it dry. After I did my gradient, I'd just rub the layer off.

Masking fluid is also called frisket or liquid mask (Rubbelkrepp or Maskierflüssigkeit in German and маскировочная жидкость in Russian).

Tape: remove excess stamping 

Wacky Lacki posted this great tip for stamping cleanup. It works like a charm! If you're fast you can even remove stamping from your nail, if it didn't turn out well.

Check out the full tutorial by clicking on the pic:

Tape for water marbling

Taping your nails is very easy, but you cannot tape both hands at the same time - a no go for gradients. But it works perfectly for water marbling. My Simple Little Pleasures has a great tutorial on how to do it:

Do you have any tricks? Please share! :)

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