Orange and Black Mani Swap Circle

Hello Lovelies!  Its time once again for a Mani Swap Circle nail art design.  This time the color scheme is orange and black just in time for Halloween.

This time I had the opportunity to recreate one of the lovely @aaaratednails beautiful nail art designs.  I had a really hard time choosing just one.  At one point I had about 15 that I wanted to recreate but I narrowed it down to just this one.  I choose it primarily because it involved gradients which we all know I love.   

Materials I used:

Base coat - IAMCCC  "Cement" 

Cuticula liquid latex

Orange polish - IAMCCC "Yahoo Y2K"

Black polish - Chaotic Glitz "Little Black Book"

Makeup Sponge

Straight vinyls or striping tape

Topcoat - Together We Image "Bubbles the Clown" Scented

I started off with my favorite sticky base coat, to protect my nails and create a longer lasting mani.  I also protected my skin with my favorite liquid latex which smells like lavender, by the way!

To recreate @aaaratednails reverse gradient design, I started with a vertical gradient.  Instead of sponging layer upon layer, I first painted one half of my nail orange and the other black.  Than using a makeup sponge, I dabbed the gradient to blend the colors.  This pre-painting method is ideal when working with darker colors. I did apply a quick drying topcoat at this point. 

For part two of this nail art design, you have to reverse the gradient.  Once dry, I applied straight vinyls horizontally across my nail.  I than dabbed the same colors but in a reverse order.  I apologize but I forgot to take still pictures of these steps. (I will be posting a quick video on Instagram later.)

When I was happy with the blend, I removed the vinyls and the latex, performed a tiny bit of clean up with gentle acetone and a brush.  I, of course, topped it all off with one of my favorite scented topcoats from Together WE Impact.

I loved this design so much that I sacrificed sleep and did it on both hands for a change.  Its so sad when you have to choose between a good nights rest and a complete mani :(  I did, however, wear this mani for about 4 days which is a record for me as of late.

I highly recommend you go checkout @aaaratednails on Instagram for more beautiful nail art designs. Also if you are interested in joining in on all future Mani Swap Circles follow @natasha_dauncey or @glacewing.  There is a link in their bios to sign up for the next swap, please be sure to read all the rules, and only apply if you can truly commit.  

While you're over on Instagram, be sure to follow me @polish_plebe, and like my most recent nail art designs and swatches.  I post more frequently there in general, plus I will be posting a video tutorial of this mani later today.  Oh, and what do you think of my new nail shape, mini coffins!  I'm not sure if I like them, but maybe they'll grow on me.  I hope you enjoyed this mani swap and found this tutorial useful.  Up next Smooshy Nail Sunday!  Thanks for stopping by, see you next time.

Your Fellow Plebe,

Candy Corn Fan Gradient

Hello Lovelies!  Life is been so hectic lately that the only nail art I've been doing has consisted of Instagram birthday collaborations and various prompts (not that I don't love participating in them).  It has been so long since I've created any nail art just because I really wanted to.  I finally had a break, and I was sent these adorable water slide decals as an extra goody in an order I placed for my trick or treat swap girl from Ribbit Stickits, that I have been itching to use.  Surprisingly they also work for this week's Nail Art Nation prompt, Autumn nails.  So here they are...

Materials I used:

Base Coat - IAMCCC 'Cement' Sticky Base

White polish - Salon Perfect 'Sugar Cube'

Yellow Polish - Butter London 'East End'

Orange Polish - Butter London 'Brick Lane'

Black Polish - Sweet & Sour Lacquer 'Scotty Doesn't Know'

Cuticula liquid latex

Fan Brush

Uber Chic Mat

Topcoat - Together We Impact 'House of Horrors' scented

For this nail look I did the candy corn colored fan brush gradient on my thumb, pointer, and mid fingers.  For my fellow plebes that have not done a fan brush gradient, it is not difficult, however, it does not create a smooth seamless gradient like a sponge gradient.

Like most gradients, start with a base coat of white polish or the lightest shade in your color combination, mine just so happens to be white.  Apply liquid latex to the surrounding skin, for easy clean up.  Using a fan brush, line your three colors on a surface, and swipe the brush to pick up the polishes.  Then swipe the fan brush across your nail, repeat until you are satisfied.  Pretty simple.

For my ring and pinky I used these totally adorable decals sent to me with the order I placed.  To make a long story short, I ordered some custom decals for my swap girl, and Kristy added these in for me.  Kristy blew me away with her excellent customer service, she realized a mistake with the customs I ordered after she had shipped them and contacted me to point it out before hand. If she hadn't I may not have ever noticed a problem, and my swap girl would have ended up with decals that weren't usable.  I highly recommend you check out Ribbit Stickits awesome selection of vinyls and decals, and if you need something special just shoot her an email.

Now being the plebe that I am, I was thinking to myself, I love water decals but they are never as opaque as I would like.  Low and behold Kristy included instructions on how to do just that...and that is when I had my uh, duh momemt, forehead slap included.  It all seems so obvious now...

So here is how I interpreted the directions.  I started by trimming out the desired decals.  I placed the decals face down on a nail art stamper.  Using a q-tip saturated with water I moistened the backing by rolling the q-tip back and forth over the decal for about 20-30 seconds.  Using the q-tip I then applied slight pressure and slid the backing off the decal.  Using a small dotting tool and white polish, I filled in the picture, doing my best to stay within the shape.  Finally, I added a layer of quick drying topcoat and allowed to dry, before pealing it from the stamper and applying it to my nail.

I failed to take pictures of the decal application, but I've done this many times before in other posts.  You simply apply a layer of polish or topcoat to your nail.  I recommend allowing the polish to dry to a tacky state, then gently press the decal onto the nail and apply a final layer of topcoat and clean the excess decal with gentle acetone and a brush.  I will be posting quick video tutorials on my Instagram account later today, so check them out if you need a full motion visual.

As per usual I finished the entire nail art design by cleaning up with gentle acetone and a brush and topped it all off with a quick drying glossy topcoat.  My favorite topcoats at the moment are the scented topcoats from Together We Impact.  Not only do they smell awesome, but the profit goes straight to the Free the Children community in Kenya.  

It was so nice to sit down and do nails just for me for a change.  I hope you enjoyed them, and found the tutorial and tips useful.  Thanks for stopping by, see you next time.

Your Fellow Plebe,

Watercolour Fall Foliage

Hello Lovelies!  Today, I have a very easy, yet very pretty DIY watercolour mani for you.  I created these for this week's WNAC, this month's theme is elegant and this week's prompt is watercolour.  I think some of the most elegant nail art designs are simple and subdued, that is why I went with this design...

Materials I used:
Basecoat - SuperChic Lacquer "Bring it On!"
Base polish - China Glaze "Don't Honk Your Thorn!"
Sharpies in red, brown, orange, and yellow
91% Isopropyl rubbing alcohol
Small plastic or glass container, such as a shot glass or paint pallet
Small brushes
Brown polish - Color Club "Fondue for Two"
Topcoat - New York Color matte topcoat

I started with my favorite nude polish for a base color, China Glaze "Don't Honk Your Thorn!"  I opted for a nude base because I wanted my colors to be subdued, not too bright.  If you want your watercolour to turn out brighter, I would recommend a white base color.

I had to make my own watercolour because I don't own any.  I've seen many nail artist use Sharpies to make their own waercolours and I've used Sharpies to create watercolour nail art before but with a different technique (Sharpie Gradientish Stripes). For this nail art, I used the more conventional method.  Using a glass or plastic container, color the bottom with a Sharpie (I started using a shot glass, but switched to a plastic paint palette by the second color).  Then pour a small amount of rubbing alcohol into the container.  Use a brush to mix the Sharpie ink and the alcohol together.  For more opaque colors use as little rubbing alcohol as possible for less opaque colors add more rubbing alcohol.

I blobbed on my watercolours in random areas of my nail.  Continuing the process with various fall colors until I was satisfied with the layers and coverage.

Then using a thin brush and dark brown polish I painted thin trees and tree limbs to give the appearance of Autumn trees.

I cleaned my cuticles with rubbing alcohol and a brush, and applied a matte topcoat.

It has been a while since I have fallen madly in love with one of my nail art design, but this is a keeper.  I love the fall colors, I love matte texture, and I love the subtle, yet eye catching colors.  I feel this nail art design has a simplistic elegant feel to it.  How about you?  Do you think this is elegant?  If not what qualities do you feel a nail art design needs to be deemed elegant?

Whether or not you think this is elegant, I hope you enjoyed this nail art design.  I highly recommend you try creating your own watercolours using Sharpies.  It's easy to do and a great way to add some interesting color and texture to your nail art.  Thanks for stopping by, see you next time.

Your Fellow Plebe,

Autumn Moroccan Print

Hello Lovelies!  Oh, how the time is flying!  I can't believe November is already here, I barely had time to enjoy October.  Now that we are moving past Halloween, I feel it is time to get away from the dark and dreary, and move onto something brighter and more cheery.  So, I decided to create this bright yet Autumn-esque Moroccan nail art design...

Materials I used:
Basecoat - SuperChic Lacquer "Bring it On!"
Polishes - Color Club "Look, Don't Tusk", "Tribe and True", "Apple of My Eye", "Off Duty", & "Antiquated
Moroccan Vinyls from Lou it Yourself
Medium/small dotting tool
Topcoat - SuperChic Lacquer "Marvel"

I started of with a nice off white crème base, to keep the design light and bright.  Because I am using vinyls to create this design I applied a quick drying topcoat and allowed it to dry completely.

I then applied my vinyls.  A tip for using full nail stencils is to cut little slits around the edges to help it flex and lay flat.  I find this particularly helpful because my nails are so curved.  I cut one slit on each side of my nails as well as near the smile line and the free end to help the vinyl to conform to my nail.  Using a dotting tool I filled in each Moroccan bauble, working each color in a row vertically down my nail.

I repeated the color pattern on my pointer, mid and ring finger.  On my pinky and my thumb, I used a left over piece of vinyl and filled in one Moroccan bauble near the smile line of my nail.  As always I performed a bit of clean up with gentle acetone and a brush.  I applied a final layer of quick drying topcoat, being sure to float it over the design to prevent the colors from streaking.

I love working with vinyls, they are simple, quick, and easy to work with.  The biggest challenge creating this design was working quick enough and peeling the vinyl before the polish dried too much.  I did end up with a little pulling but the design makes up for the minor problem areas.

Autumn is my favorite time of the year for many reasons, one reason being the colors.  The colors in this nail art design are perfect for this time of year, they kind of remind me of the leaves currently carpeting my lawn.  I hope you too enjoyed this nail art design, thank you for stopping by, see you next time.

Your Fellow Plebe,

ZigZag Nails Inspired by @lifeisnails

Hello Lovelies!  Today, I have a mani I created because I was inspired by the wonderfully talented Ramie of : +Lifeisnails.  I have been following her on Instagram, @lifeisnails, for a while and when she posted her Colorful Zigzag Nails a couple months back, I knew I had to try them.  I finally got around to creating my own version of her nail art, and this is what I came up with...

Materials I used:
Basecoat/polishes/matte topcoat - all from the Butter London "Gears & Gadgets" Steampunk Trunk, I purchased last year.  It is no longer available on their site.
Vinyls - TwinkledT "Frisky Chevron" (I purchased these a while ago, and I'm finally getting around to using them.)

I'll share with you how I created these nails but I would recommend you checkout Life is Nails on G+ or Instagram for a video tutorial (links to both accounts above), it will help tremendously though this is not a difficult nail art design.

Start out by painting three diagonal stripes in three different colors across the nail.  I wasn't concerned about them being perfect, but it is important that they are wide enough for a single vinyl to cover.  Apply a quick drying topcoat, and allowed to dry.  With the base colors dry, apply a vinyl over each stripe.  Proceed by painting a different color between each vinyl, be sure to remove the vinyls as quickly as possible to avoid pulls.

After a bit of cuticle clean up with gentle acetone and a brush, I applied a matte topcoat just to change it up a bit.

I love the design created by Ramie, and it was fun to recreate it though a little time consuming.  The only major differences, between hers and mine, is that I tried for a more Autumnal color scheme, used different vinyls (frisky chevrons vs. standard chevrons), and I applied a matte topcoat. 

All in all, I like Ramie's better but that is because she created them first.  Ramie, Life is Nails, is a major inspiration of mine, and I hope to be half as good as she is some day.

I hope you enjoyed my version of Life is Nail's Zigzag nails.  I'm curious about who inspires your nail art the most, is it fellow nail artist, a celebrity, a family member or friend?  Who's art do you look to when you find yourself in the need of a little encouragement? Please comment down below, I love to discover other nail artists and techniques.  Thanks for stopping by, see you next time.

Your Fellow Plebe,

    

Fall Swirly Gigs

Hello Lovelies!  I hope you all had a wonderful weekend and start of the week so far.  I had a wonderful weekend, I got to enjoy some time with my best friend who I don't get to see often enough.  I didn't have much time for nail stuff because I was out of town, but I did wear these nails over the weekend...

I actually created these nails for this week's Nail Art Nation prompt: Autumn Equinox.  Plus I wanted to use some polishes and vinyls I purchased recently.  I love fall, and fall colors, this season for me is never long enough and is just a whirlwind of activities.  So, I chose these colors and the swirly gigs to represent fall.

Materials I used:
Basecoat - SuperChic Lacquer "Bring It On!"
Polishes - Frenzy Polish "Penny! Penny! Penny!" & "If You Don't Fight You Die" (both from the TV Frenzy Collection)
Swirl Vinyls from Lou it Yourself
Small dotting tool
Topcoat - SuperChic Lacquer "Marvel"

I started off with two coats of "Penny! Penny! Penny!" which is inspired by The Big Bang Theory.  I have never seen this show but I had to have this polish when I saw it.  I topped this with a quick drying topcoat. (Please excuse the misshapen mid finger, I'm having a bad nail week.)

Once the base color was dry, I placed two of the smallest swirly gigs on my ring finger.  I then applied two coats of "If You Don't Fight You Die" based on my favorite TV show, Walking Dead.  I immediately removed the vinyls, because the secondary polish is matte it dries very quickly so it was important not to leave the vinyls on too long.  I finished off the accent by dotting tiny dots around the outside of the swirls in my primary color with a very small dotting tool.

I did a little clean up with gentle acetone and a brush, however I did not apply another layer of glossy topcoat like I normally do, I wanted to keep the two different finishes.

This is a very simple, but (for me) a very accurate interpretation of Autumn.  I love the colors and the contrasting finishes.  Both of these polishes are gorgeous on their own but they also make a good team.

I hope you are enjoying fall (for those of you who get to experience it) so far, and I hope you enjoyed this nail art design.  Thank you for stopping by, see you next time.

Your Fellow Plebe,



Fall Foliage

Hello Lovelies!  Happy Sunday to you all!  Many people are not ready to give up summer and move into Autumn, but I am.  I love Fall!  The colors, the food, the festivals, the holidays, the weather; you name anything about Fall and I like it.  I decided it was time to create my first Autumn nail art design of the year...

Since, it has been about a month since I've created any nail art, and because I got some new stamping plates, I decided to do a nice easy layered stamping design.  Here is a list of the materials I used...

Base Coat - SuperChic Lacquer "Bring It On!"
Fab Ur Nails Stamper and Scraper
Uber Chic Beauty Image Plate 5-02
Mundo de Unas "Gold" Stamping Polish
China Glaze "Don't Get Derailed" & "Stop That Train!" (both are from the All Aboard Collection)
Top Coat - SuperChic Lacquer "Marvel"

I started off with mostly naked nails, only a base coat SuperChic Lacquer "Bring It On!"  This has become my favorite base coat, it dries fast and polishes just seem to stick to it.  I decided not to use a base color because the layered stamping will cover the majority of the nail.

I recently order the newest series of plates from Uber Chic Beauty along with an Uber Chic Mat.  I'm not going to go on about the mat, but I will say it's awesome!  For this design I used image plate 5-02, specifically the leaf pattern.

To create this look I simply repeated this print in layers on each nail.  I started with the most opaque colored polish, and layered the more translucent polishes over top.

The first layer is with actual stamping polish, Mundo de Unas "Gold," which was the most opaque...

The second layer is China Glaze "Don't Get Derailed."  Even though this is not a stamping polish it worked well enough but I did find I had to work fast otherwise it would not transfer.  I also found that using a direct press (pressing directly down with stamper) technique for both picking up and transferring the image worked best when stamping with both the China Glaze polishes.

For the third and final layer I wanted to add a pop of color, so I used China Glaze "Stop That Train!"  This was the most translucent (or least opaque) shade of the three, which allows the other colors to show through slightly.  Again this is not a stamping polish but it worked well. 

As you can see, I failed to prep my fingers before getting into the stamping process.  I was just so anxious to get to stamping that I decided to skip the cuticle cover up process.  However, I saw an Instagramer (I believe it was @mrswhite8907) use the scotch tape clean up method, so I thought this would be the perfect time to try it.  Simply, take a piece of scotch tape, lay it on your messy finger (avoid the nail as much as possible), and peel the tape up and the mess away.  Repeat this process until you have most of the mess cleaned up, its that easy!

After a quick tape clean up, I performed a close clean up with gentle acetone and a brush, then applied my new favorite topcoat, "Marvel" from SuperChic Lacquer.  This topcoat is super shiny and dries unbelievably quick, plus its not thick and sticky like most others.

This was a very quick and easy nail art design that was just what I needed to get back into the nail art groove.  I am so happy that I can stamp so comfortably and easily now.  I struggled with stamping for so long.

I am really looking forward to using my new stamping plates and mat, to do some reverse stamping and a few other things that I have in mind.  So be sure to stay tuned to see what I come up with next.

I really love the way these nails turned out, the colors and the layers create a perfect Autumn look.  I hope you enjoyed this nail art design as much as me.  Thanks for stopping by, see you next time.

Your Fellow Plebe,