Glamrock St. Patrick's Day Mani!

St. Patrick's Day is right around the corner, so today I have for you a tutorial for a glamorous shamrock manicure.  It's fairly simple and you can modify it so many ways that you can really make it your own.  For this design you will need:

Materials

I originally intended to use black but
then later decided against it.

• Medium to dark green polish
• Gold polish
• Irridescent or shimmery gel polish (optional)
• Tape
• Dotting tools
• Base and top coat

After applying your base coat, apply your base color.  For this design I used China Glaze's Rainbow.  This is optional but I wanted something that added a little shimmer to the nail without being a strong color.  This did the trick very nicely (I really don't feel the pictures does this color any justice).  For my accent finger, in this case my ring finger, I applied Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Go for Gold.

China Glaze - #137 Rainbow & Sally Hansen - #120 Go for Gold

Let that dry completely before continuing on to the next step.  If you are in a rush or very impatient like me, apply a quick drying top coat and some drying drops to speed up the process.
  

This is what you should have after applying your base colors.

This is what happens when you get
a pocket under your tape.

Once your polish is completely dry tape of the tip of all your fingers excluding your accent finger leaving your tips exposed.  Use whatever tape you like as long as it doesn't ruin your polish.  I used scotch tape because its inexpensive and it doesn't leave a thick ridge.  Make sure that your tape is pressed down firmly and that there are no little pockets for polish to get into.

Tape all of your fingers before you start painting this will save you from having a few oopsies.

Paint your tips with your green polish. For my design I used Revlon's - #330 Emerald. Give a few seconds for the polish to set (don't wait too long though) and remove your tape.

If you are anything like me you will probably have to do a little clean up around the cuticle area.  Simply take a q-tip dipped in acetone or nail polish remover and rub off any excess polish on your skin.

After you've removed the tape it time to add some little gold coins to our green french tips.  Using a medium to small dotting tool dipped in gold polish make a row of dots across your green tip, spaced slightly apart.  Repeat on all green tips.

I preferred to start in the middle and then dot on either side.

With tips completed it's time to do the accent finger.  Add a cute shamrock shape by drawing four hearts with their points, pointing to each other with your green polish.  You can either connect them at the points or leave a little space.  I decided I liked it better with a little space.  I drew the hearts using a medium to large dotting tool.  Dot two dots relatively close together and then create a v-shape connecting the two dots, this gives you a heart shape.

Don't forget to apply a top coat when you are happy with your design, to protect your design and add a little extra shine.

Whether you want to show a little St. Patty's Day spirit at work or school, or you want to head out to the pub this Glamrock manicure has got you covered.  Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Your Fellow Plebe,

P.S. ~ Be safe and responsible, this St. Patty's.  Don't drink and drive, better yet volunteer to be the D.D.  Everyone will appreciate you for it.

O.P.I. Study

OPI was found in 1981 and is a family‐owned company.  OPI has prided themselves on being industry leaders and setting the standards for the Professional Beauty Industry.  They have more than 200 lacquer colors available  (www.opi.com).  Not to mention all of their celebrity endorsed nail lacquer lines, like the Gwen Stefani Collection and there soon to be released Muppets Most Wanted Collection.  In addition to all their lovely nail lacquers OPI, is animal friendly, never testing any of their products on animals (www.opi.com).  OPI is also committed to helping those in need around the globe, donating to local causes, matching fund donations, and assisting with child education.  Fashion forward and community driven OPI is a brand that almost anyone can get behind.

Price Range ‐ $4 ‐ $15

Average Price ‐ $7 ‐ $8

(Moderately priced)

My Intial Impressions

O.P.I. has hundreds upon hundreds of colors to choose from, with so many choices it can be a bit overwhelming to decide what colors you really want or must have.  In the past, I have often passed on O.P.I. because I overwhelm easily. Here are my intial impressions of O.P.I.

Initial Impressions
Packaging	Simple.	2
Uniqueness	Typical bottle shape, but the O.P.I. logo is on the applicator handle. Not to mention the fun names they call their colors.	3
Storing	Simple bottle shape makes them easy to store.	3
Labeling	Clear and precise, no small print.	2
	Total	10/12

The Application

After applying my base coat, I applied two coats of O.P.I.'s NL S63 Chicago Champagne Toast.  After my experience with the China Glaze study when the polish just wouldn't dry I expected to be sitting still for a very long time.  However, I was pleasantly surprised  by how quickly this polish dried.  In 15 minutes it was dry to the touch, by 25 minutes it was completely dry.  I test to see if its completely dry by pressing on my nail with my thumb to see if  it leaves any finger print.  

I was disappointed to see that there was a few bubbles in the polish (you'll see this in the pictures below).  From my experience this occurs when the polish is too thin. Though it appears to give full coverage with two coats this may not be the case. If I had done a third coat or applied it thicker bubbling may not have occurred.  Here are my scores for the application process.

Application
Applicator Handle	Easy to hold, easy to maneuver.	3
Applicator Brush	Firm but flexible, very smooth.	3
Polish Thickness	Not too thick, but bubbled when dried after 2 coats.	2
Number of Coats	2 coats to achieve desired appearance.	2
Drying Time	Dry to the touch in 15 minutes.  Completely dry in 25 minutes.	3
Similarity to Color in the Bottle	Looks exactly the same.	3
	Total	16/18

Day to Day

I applied this late Tuesday evening after the baby went to bed.  I do most of my nail art, maintenance, and polish projects when the little one is sleeping.  It really is the best time.

Day 1 consisted of basic chores and laundry (yuck!).  I was a little sad to see that the polish had already chipped quit obviously on my right hand.

End of Day 1

Day 2 was a relatively lazy day, just some basic chores and bath time for baby girl.  I mention bath time because my hands spend a significant time in the water.

End of Day 2

Day 3 consisted of more chores (blah).  I also assembled a storage unit and tidied up the playroom.

End of Day 3

Day 4 I went out and did a little shopping.  

End of Day 4

Day 5 I put some things away in storage and I began a new crafting project.

End of Day 5

Day 6 I went to the gym and spent some more time on my crafting project.  I also spent a significant time typing.  I feel the typing is significant because your fingers spend a lot of time striking.  Unless your nails are very short this can take a bit of a toll on a nail finish.

End of Day 6

Day 7 I went shopping again.  I needed to pick up a few pieces for my craft project.  Are you curious what my craft project is?  It is kind of nail art related, comment down below if you are.

End of Day 7

Here are the daily scores for this O.P.I. polish.

Daily Scores
Day 1	8
Day 2	9
Day 3	9
Day 4	7
Day 5	6
Day 6	7
Day 7	4
Total	50/70

I was both pleased and disappointed with this polish.  It initial appearance, the application, the quick drying time were all very good.  Even the initial wear was good with just little nicks and chips here and there. Towards the end of the week the polish just couldn't hold up and really began to chip.  O.P.I. earned a total of 76 out of 100 points on my scoring system, earning them a B.  This is what I expected for this price range. In conclusion, I feel that O.P.I. is worth the expense.  Let me know if you agree or disagree.

Your fellow Polish Plebe,

Sold on Striping Tape

I'm sold on striping tape a.k.a. foil tape.  I have found them to be useful in so many ways.  You can make a boring manicure more elegant, you can use them to make unique patterns, or use them to cover a flawed freehand design.  To say the least I am in love with foil tape. Foil tapes are inexpensive, easy to use, and make you look like you've had your nails done by a professional.

Make a boring mani beautiful

Use striping foils to make a neat design

Practice your freehand and cover up flaws with foil tape

I've been only using these for about a week and have used them in four different manicures. Each in the way I described above, though I am no expert (I am after all a Polish Plebe) I have a few pointers about using them:

Cut tape slightly longer than your
nail.  Trim the tape a little shorter than
your nail once it is in the desired location.

•  Just like using any tape on a manicure make sure that your base coat/color is completely dry.  Laying striping tape is not always easy and you may have to remove or move it before you get it to the place that you like.  For each manicure that I applied the tapes I applied a quick drying top coat and drying drops to speed up the drying process.
• Make sure that your nails are completely clean to help the tape to stick. With one of my taped manicures I forgot to wash the residue from the drying drops so the tapes did not want to stick.
• I have read on many sites that it easier  to use your fingers or tweezer to place your tapes.  Honestly, no one way is the best.  I tried both and found neither to be easier than the other.  Placing tapes are pretty easy to begin with.  Obviously, just use whichever technique works for you.
• I found it best to cut the tapes a little longer than my finger and then cut it shorter once it was in place.  This made it easier to move the tape around. I tried using nail clippers to cut the tape but I found that I had better control with manicure scissors.  If you have a pair of curved manicure scissors they work really well to trip around the cuticle area.
• If your design has you running the tape all the way to the edge of your nail cut it slightly shorter than the nail itself.  I found when I took it right to the edge of my nail I could feel the tape and I didn't like it.
• After you place the tape make sure the edges are pressed down firmly.  I preferred to use my finger nail to press the edges of the tapes down along the cuticle but you may prefer to use a cuticle pusher.

  

  Push down your edges, you can use your finger

  

  or you can also use a cuticle pusher.

• When you are happy with your design make sure that you put on a top coat.  With my designs I placed two layers of top coat because I didn't like to feel the ridge of the tape.  This helps keep the tape in place, however, if the tape doesn't stick well to begin with don't rely on the top coat to hold it down.  I made this mistake with one of my manicures and had to take it off after less than a day.

For this demonstration manicure, I wanted to practice my freehand french tip technique.  This is something I need a lot of practice with.  However, time is valuable and I hate to do something and not recieve a desireable result.  This is one reason why I love foil tape so much.  So I started my manicure as always, by applying a base coat and then I practiced my freehand technique using a pretty aquaish blue.  I freehand a french tip on all but my ring finger.  At the last minute I decided to use this as my accent finger, so I painted it completely.

Though I did alright, I'm a bit of a perfectionist and would not be able to live with this manicure for very long.  Not only that but foil tapes just make everything prettier.  So I added some tapes to cover the edges.

Just like that you have a perfect french tip.

To add a little funk to this french tip manicure I placed five stripes horizontally across my accent nail.  There you have it a magnificent mani.  This is one that I am very happy with and won't want to take off.

No matter how you use your foil tape you can't go wrong.  Hopefully, these tips will help you out and keep you from getting frustrated and allows you to love your latest mani.  I hope you are as sold on striping foil as I am.  See you next time. 

Your Fellow Polish Plebe,