Gradients

I've been doing quite a few gradients lately and have been loving them!  Here's one I did not too long ago!

Started with a base of two coats of Sally Hansen Contempor-airy, no top coat.

I always find that my gradients work out better if I top coat and let them dry, so added a coat of KBShimmer Clearly on Top, then let the nails dry for about 10-15 minutes.  

Did a sponged gradient using Sally Hansen Contempor-airy and Sinful Colors Endless Blue.

Topped with KBShimmer Clearly on Top.  

Stamped with image from UberChic UC 15-02 using Painted Polish Blanc Slate.

Finished with a final coat of KBShimmer Clearly on Top. 

I really liked that this was a bright pop of colour during this late summer when I'm still wearing brights as it's too early for fall nails yet!

Thanks for looking!

Happy Birthday…..To Me!

I'm blessed to celebrate another birthday today!  Thanks to all my family and friends for the birthday wishes!  These are the nails I'm wearing today!

Started with a base of one coat of OPI My Boyfriend Scales Walls on a coat of Cupcake Polish White Pop, then topped with KBShimmer Clearly on Top.  After it was dry, sponged using BKind Mojito, BKind Sapa Valley and OPI My Boyfriend Scales Walls. 

Topped with KBShimmer Clearly on Top.

Clear Jelly Stamper CjS-257

I made stamper decals for all nails except the pinky using images from Maniology M458 (index), MoYou London Happy Birthday 02 (thumb and middle), and SugarBubbles SBS 28 (ring).  The layered stamping on the pinky is using Clear Jelly Stamper CjS-257.  Stamping polishes used are MdU 11, 52, 53, 65 and 91, with Painted Polish Midnight Mischief.  

Added lots of individual stars using images from Chez Delaney Fete 001 and Maniology M458 using MdU 11.

Finished with a final coat of KBShimmer Clearly on Top.  

I did Ms. Cindy a little different but was all me with floral daisies from Maniology X Carole Annette M415 using Painted Polish Blanc Slate with MdU 11 centers, on a base of BKind Sapa Valley with accent nails topped with Sally Hansen Instadri Limelight, then topped with KBShimmer Clearly on Top. 

 Looking all that the next 365 days bring!  

I also used this mani for #MusicManiMonday but didn't pick a birthday song as I just used Happy Birthday for my son's bday a couple weeks ago, so used Taylor Swift's August, which is appropriate too!

Thanks for looking!

Cringe Worthy

I'm going through archived nails for posts while I think these turned out OK, I know I didn't post them because I didn't think they were post worthy due to the cleanup.  I can't believe there was so much polish left at the edge....even with latex barrier!  Please overlook this as you see what I came up with!

Lina Mad for Mandelas 01

After applying a base of Fancy Gloss Neon Yellow, did a radial sponged gradient using Fancy Gloss Neon Yellow, Neon Orange and Tomato Soup. 

After (not so great) cleanup, stamped using Lina Mad for Mandelas 01 using Painted Polish Midnight Mischief.  I have since changed my sponged method as I always apply the lightest of the polishes then apply the top coat and let it dry as I find when this is done, the polish doesn't come off the nail, versus on it, which sometimes happens when there is a lot of polish saturation with sponging.  You can see it happen on these nails too, which is why I do it differently now. 

Topped with KBShimmer Clearly on Top to finish. 

Thanks for looking!

Walking on Sunshine

Late to posting but these nails are for #Music Mani Monday, this time inspired by Walking on Sunshine by Katrina and the Waves.  A great summer song and appropriate for the summer weather we had all long weekend long!  A little smoke hazy at times from the wildfires up north, but it was a good weekend spent with the family, which was nice.

Started with a base of Sally Hansen Writing on the Walls with accent nails of Quo Latte Love, no topcoat. 

Topped with KBShimmer Clearly on Top.

After the topcoat dried, did a sponged gradient on some nails using Morgan Taylor Let's Do A Makeover, Sally Hansen Catch Me if You Clam and Sinful Colors Power Moves.  I had to do some improv on the pinky but knew I'd be stamping over it so it didn't have to be perfect.

Topped with KBShimmer Clearly on Top.

Did beach waves on the middle and index using Clear Jelly Stamper CjS-208 using Painted Polish Blanc Slate and MdU 91.  Ring finger is Uprettego JR-424, pinky is MdU ZZ Summer 2 and thumb is SugarBubbles SB 031 using Painted Polish Midnight Mischief.  

Added footsteps in the sand on middle and index using images from CjS-208 and What's Up Nails A019 using Painted Polish Midnight Mischief.

I shrunk the image from SugarBubbles SB 031 to fit on my thumb.  Even shrinking it to the smallest size barely fit my small nails but at least it did fit!  Here's how much is shrunk; it really does make a big difference if you have small nails like me.  

Uprettego JR-424

Clear Jelly Stamper CjS-208

Finished with a final coat of KBShimmer Clearly on Top.  

 Hope you had a good weekend and are enjoying the themed music nails on Monday!

JAWS for Shark Week!

I watched the 50 year anniversary documentary on Jaws, which was really interesting!  Lots of background on what went into the making of it with great interviews with Steven Spielberg, Emily Blunt, George Lucas, and so many others.  Around the same time, I seen all the commercials for Shark Week, which started yesterday, so I thought it would be a great time to do a Jaws theme mani.  I also decided that I was going to do a new series to basically challenge myself to do some more interesting manis as I need some mani inspiration!  So I'm going to do Music Mani Monday's, and pair music with the mani.  For this first Music Mani Monday mani, who can forget the famous Jaws music!  Da-dum. Da-dum. Da-dum da-dum da-dum da-dum daaaaaaaa.  If you want to see the nails with the music, check them out on my IG page!

Started with a base of Sally Hansen Did I Blue That? and Lakur Silver Birch.  I know the coverage wasn't the best but I knew I'd be doing a gradient and hoped it would cover it.  Which wasn't the best but I'll know for next time!

UberChic Seas the Day

MdU Jaws

MoYou London Jaws Collection-01

KADS Ocean 009

MrFox LB018

Did a sponged gradient using Sally Hansen Did I Blue That?, Sally Hansen Dockside Dreaming and Sally Hansen Draw Blue in, no top coat.  I forgot that I was taking pix to share this mani as occasionally I paint my nails just to wear them plain and haven't been taking pix, so there's some stamping here but I'll share plate info below with the rest of them.

Topped with KBShimmer Clearly on Top.

Used Kads Ocean 009 (pinky), UberChic Seas the Day (thumb), Mr. Fox LB018 (middle fin and on index), MdU Jaws (ring) and MoYou London Jaws Collection-01 (words on middle).  Stamping polishes are red Konad special polish and Painted Polish  Midnight Mischief.

Topped with a final coat of KBShimmer Clearly on Top. 

Thanks for looking!

Failed Shadow Stamping

I did these nails on September 24, 2019.  I can't recall if shadow stamping was a thing then or not but if it was and I was trying it out, it clearly didn't work out here!  So many fails in these nails but they are kinda cool in their own way so thought I'd share now!  Here's what I came up with!

Started with a gradient base of Color Club East Austin and Youthquake, no top coat, with East Austin as the full base.  

Topped with KBShimmer Clearly on Top.

Stamped using an image from UberChic Of Art Magic using Painted Polish Blanc Slate and Midnight Mischief.  I'm not sure if I was shadow stamping, or just wanted something more obvious for the stamped image.  

Uberchic Of Art Magic

Topped with a coat of KBShimmer Clearly on Top.  This is obviously before my use of Apipila No Smear Top coat....or maybe it wasn't even out then.  Quite possible.  This was in the float your topcoat to not smear your stamping days and even though I always waited a bit before applying topcoat, sometimes like shown here, it wasn't long enough or too heavy of a hand was used.  Thank goodness, no smear top coats are available now!  Although, looking at these nails, it might have been cool if the smear was all through the nail on all nails as it kinda gives it a web look!

Thanks for looking!