geometric nails – Adventures in Polishland

Tag: geometric nails

Geometric Rose Garden Nail Art featuring Nail Stickers from Born Pretty Store

Posted on February 1, 2014August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Saturday! It’s still officially winter, but my nails are ready for the spring! Born Pretty Store sent me some beautiful rose nail stickers to review, and I decided to put together a geometric rose garden manicure. I’ve been really inspired with nail art lately, so I hope you like what I’ve put together. Let me show you the rose stickers and the look I created.

Here is the sheet of nail stickers from Born Pretty Store. The sheet contains 28 golden rose stickers in a few different designs, and retails for just $2.22 HERE! Instead of just placing these on a solid background, I thought it would be fun to use both green and pink together to symbolize the flower and stem colors.

I began my manicure using Julep Payton as a green base. You can see my full review of Payton HERE, but I thought the bright green color and creme finish would be the perfect base for my rose garden!

Next, I let Payton dry completely, and then used scotch tape to mark off sections of each nail. I did a different design on each nail, but you can do each nail the same if you like. Once the tape was in place, I used Julep Drew as my pink, rose color. Before Drew dried, I carefully peeled off the tape. I have a few minor mistakes, but no worries – my roses can go right on top of the less-than-perfect parts! I let Drew dry, and then used butter LONDON Hardwear Topcoat to even out the edges.

Finally, I added a rose nail sticker to each nail. It is so easy to use these stickers. All you have to do is peel and place! I followed up with another layer of top coat to seal everything in place. I chose to use a sticker on each nail, but this look is customizable to you! Use the stickers on an accent nail, or use the same design on each nail. The sticker sheet has enough stickers for 2+ manicures, depending on how many you use.

All in all, I am really loving this geometric rose garden nail art! It is simple to create, yet looks funky and feminine at the same time. As always, you can purchase fabulous and affordable nail art supplies on Born Pretty Store’s website HERE. Use discount code FZL91 for an additional 10% off. Let me know in the comments what you think of my manicure!

The products in this post were provided for my unbiased review. This post contains affiliate links. All opinions are my own. See my Disclosure Policy for more information.

Indie Spotlight: Shimmer Polish Part IV

Posted on March 15, 2013August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Friday! Today I have the final installment of my Shimmer Polish posts for all of you. Shimmer Polish is an indie brand featuring a line of beautiful glitter nail polishes. Each polish is unique and versatile, and can be worn in a number of ways. In Part I and Part II, I wore each polish alone, and in Part III I layered each polish over a base color. Today, I used some Shimmers to create some fun nail art looks! Let me show you the manicures I created using Shimmer Polish.

For my first look, I asked my Facebook followers how I should use the glitter. Stephanie suggested a glitter gradient, and it worked out perfectly that the name of the polish is also Stephanie! I began with a base color of Sally Hansen Virtual Violet, and then added on Shimmer Polish Stephanie for the gradient effect. Stephanie is full of blue and purple glitters, with some pink thrown in as well. To achieve the gradient, I lightly tapped the brush across the top of my nails and lightly dragged the glitter down to about the middle of each nail. I found this technique to be much simpler than using a cosmetic sponge, and the glitter is very forgiving! Make sure to follow up with a layer of top coat to even out the finish.

Next I decided to do some geometric nails using the scotch tape method. I began with a base of Wet ‘n Wild in Fashionista Lisa, and let that dry completely. Then, I placed tape on my nails and rotated it to get a triangle cut out on either the top, bottom, left, or right of my nail. Finally, I applied two coats of Shimmer Polish in Tracy on top and peeled off the tape while the polish was still wet. Tracy is a gold, holographic glitter polish. I think it looks great against the purple shade of Fashionista Lisa! I also used my Butter London Matte Finish top coat to complete the look. I just love the combination of matte glitter and the geometric shapes!

I was loving the look of matte glitter, so I used the matte top coat again for my next manicure. First, I applied Julep Morganas my base color. Then I grabbed Shimmer Polish in Tammy, a glitter filled with gold, purple, black, and silver! I didn’t want a lot of glitter on my nails, so I applied the polish a bit differently. Instead of brushing on the polish, I dabbed the tip of the brush all over my nail. It spread out the glitter quite nicely! Finally, I mattified the whole look. I think this is the perfect manicure!

Last but not least is a funky manicure of my own creation! I began with black as my base using Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics in Tarred. I was hoping to create a jelly sandwich manicure, and applied a layer of Shimmer Polish in Vanessa. Vanessa is a cool mix of silver, red, and black glitters, with hints of many other colors as well. My manicure went a bit crazy when I attempted to use another coat of Tarred for the top of the jelly sandwich. The glitter was almost completely hidden! I got creative and dabbed a tissue over the wet polish to remove some of the black. The result was this neat look! It’s unconventional, but I love the rock star look I achieved. It’s also similar to a galaxy manicure! Sometimes our nail polish mistakes can lead to fun looks after all!

All in all, I am still so impressed with Shimmer Polish. You really can’t go wrong with polishes that can be worn alone, layered, and used in nail art. These versatile polishes can be purchased on Etsy HERE. You can also like Shimmer Polish on Facebook HERE.

What do you think of these nail art looks?! How do you use glitter to spice up your manicure?

The products in this post were provided for my unbiased review. All opinions are my own. See my Disclosure Policy for more information.

DIY Nail Art Featuring the Milani Textured Creams

Posted on March 2, 2013August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Saturday! Today’s post responds to many of your requests for nail art! I loved the Milani Textured Creams so much that I decided to use them to create three, do-it-yourself nail art looks. These polishes were so easy to work with! You can see my full review of the collection HERE, but below is a quick reminder of what each polish looks like on its own.

Now, let me show you the nail art I created! The only tool you will need besides the nail polish is scotch tape!

First I did a simple, diagonal look using Tainted in Red and Spoiled in Fuchsia. I painted my nails with Spoiled in Fuchsia, and then waited for the polish to dry completely. Then I took the scotch tape and covered up half of my nail, and painted over the other half using Tainted in Red. Before the polish dried, I carefully peeled off the tape to reveal this fun manicure! This diagonal look is so easy to create, but looks really cool. You can easily add another color as well!

Next I did a cloud manicure using Aqua Splash as my base and Yellow Mark for the clouds. This technique is surprisingly easy to create. All you do is apply your polish in three strokes — a long stroke on the edge, a middle one, and a short one! It’s as simple as that! I love this manicure so much that I’ve recreated in many times. I think the cloud manicure is perfect with these Milani Textured Creams because you get the added dimension from the textured finish!

Last but not least is my take on a half moon manicure using Purple Streak and Shady Gray. First, I painted my nails with Purple Streak. After the polish had dried completely, I placed a piece of scotch tape at the bottom of my nail and painted the rest with Shady Gray. This gave me a half moon manicure with a straight line instead of a curved one. I love the geometric look, and this is an edgy take on the half moon! I also love the color palette!

All in all, these nail are techniques are so simple that I know you can do-it-yourself! I found the Milani Textured Creams to be really easy to work with, as they dry quickly and have the perfect formula. Be sure to see my last entry for my review of this collection!

The products in this post were provided for my unbiased review. All opinions are my own. See my Disclosure Policy for more information.

Make Your Mani Last: How I Wore Essie Stylenomics!

Posted on October 26, 2012August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Earlier this week I showed you Essie Stylenomics that I got from Klout as a free perk. Not only did I wear Stylenomics alone, but I did two mani upgrades with it. One of my Facebook followers suggested that I try matte stripes, so I gave that a try. Then, I changed the look again by adding some glitter. Let me show you both mani upgrades!

The first mani upgrade I did with Essie Stylenomics is matte stripes! All you have to do to achieve this look is place scotch tape across your nails in horizontal stripes, paint over them with a matte topcoat, and remove the tape. Voila! Your manicure will go from glossy to both glossy and matte in an instant. Matte stripes are the perfect way to upgrade your manicure if you are looking for a subtle change. For more information on how the scotch tape technique works, visit THIS blog entry.

Although I did like the look of matte stripes, I just had to add some glitter to my manicure! First I used a glossy topcoat over the stripes to erase the matte look. Then I grabbed Milani Jewel FX in Gems to use as a glitter topcoat. Gems is such a fun polish. It is a clear base filled with lots of multicolored glitters. I applied one coat over Essie Stylenomics to get the look in the photos. The best part is, Milani can be found at drugstores and department stores for around $4-5 per bottle, which makes it more affordable than similar polishes that range from $8-16. I just love the combination of Stylenomics and Gems!

Mani upgrades are the perfect way to make your manicure last as long as possible. By adding topcoats you lock in the original color, and with glitter you can hide the appearance of any chips you are starting to see. Plus, mani upgrades are a quick solution for the girl on the go who wants to change her polish as much as possible, but doesn’t have the time for a complete manicure.

Do you have any ideas for a great mani upgrade? Share them in the “comments” section and I will try them out!

Mani Upgrade with Geometric Glitter

Posted on July 8, 2012August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Remember my manicure from my last post? It was a beautiful nude color from Julep called Lynne. I loved it, but it was time for some sparkle. I knew I wanted to use another color from my July Julep Maven Box called Yumi, so I ran a short poll on my Facebook page to determine what style I should do. The winning trend was geometric glitter, and I was excited to try it out. I’ve done a few other geometric styles, but I hadn’t tried it out with glitter before. It turns out to be just as easy, and it looks super fun!

To get a geometric look, all you need is scotch tape and scissors! Simply cut small strips of scotch tape in any shape you want and place it on a completely dry manicure. You can do any design you want- stripes, diagonal lines, chevrons, etc. I like to do a different shape on each nail. Once the tape is on your nail, make sure it is pressed down so that no polish will leak through. Then, paint right over the tape with your new color. Make sure to take off the tape before the polish dries! For my mani, I used three coats of Julep’s Yumi. It is a beautiful, multi-dimensional glitter in a light pink base. It is very sheer so it is perfect for layering. It is also opalescent, so the colors shine in the light. It looks perfect with Lynne!

Above is a photo of my finished product! Notice how I used all different geometric shapes. I love this look! It is perfect for a mani upgrade because your nails will be already dry, plus you can cover up any imperfections with the new color. People will also be impressed with your nails, even though you know all you used was scotch tape. Have you tried out this trick yet? What colors did you use?

CameraZOOM-20120708094029219 — Macro shot of my thumb. Don’t you love this design & color combo?

P.S. Don’t forget you can join Julep Maven HERE! Enter code COLOR2012 to get your first box for one penny.

Neon Nails

Posted on April 26, 2012March 18, 2017 by Adventures in Polishland

This spring you may notice that neons are in, and luckily for me I absolutely love bright colors so it is the perfect opportunity for me to showcase my new nail polish. Last weekend my college had its annual spring event, complete with a mixer, carnival, and concert! Our tickets came with t-shirts, and mine was highlighter yellow. In order to celebrate the brightness, I purchased some new nail polish (duh). As I’m a girl on a budget I chose two colors from Spoiled by Wet n Wild — Did I Dye it Too Blonde? and Plastic Flamingo. You can buy this fantastic brand at drugstores for just $1.99!

I knew I wanted to combine the bright yellow and pink, so I used the technique featured on my Geometric Nails post. This time I did a diagonal on each nail with the scotch tape. Unfortunately I got a bit too excited and didn’t wait for the first coat of polish to dry completely before starting the next. Yet thanks to my special fixing skills, I was able to cover up most of my mistakes. And I’m convinced that during the night the nail fairy came to visit, because when I awoke they looked even more awesome! I am so glad I discovered the scotch tape trick on Pinterest because it’s really easy yet completely dresses up my nails. What do you think of my manicure? Have you tried this technique yet?

One for Fun

Posted on April 14, 2012March 18, 2017 by Adventures in Polishland

One of the latest trends this spring that I’ve noticed sweeping quickly through Pinterest is the “One for Fun” style. One for Fun is the name I’ve given to when you paint all of your nails one color except for your ring finger, which you paint with something else. Last night, my suitemates and I had a sleepover party as a part of our senior year bucket list. We ordered frozen yogurt, read Cosmo, gossiped about boys, and (of course!) painted our nails! Since this blog has suddenly made me a nail expert (not really), many of my friends requested to borrow my nail polish and asked me for advice. I talked a few into doing the One for Fun trend so they could be featured here!

Here’s a photo of my nails, complete with a few imperfections that you can overlook 🙂

For my own nails, I used Mellow Yellow and Celeb City, both by Sally Hansen Hard as Nails Xtreme Wear. I had bought Mellow Yellow earlier in the day, as I’ve been wanting a yellow, and it’s fun and bright for springtime. Celeb City is a metallic silver, and I think it contrasted nicely with the yellow. Of course, One for Fun wouldn’t be complete (on me, at least) without some sparkle. On top of the silver I added 2 light coats of my vintage Wet ‘n’ Wild clear glitter, which I’ve probably had since my sleepovers in elementary school and can’t bring myself to get rid of.

My other friends did something a bit different. Melanie also used a color from Sally Hansen Hard as Nails Xtreme Wear, hers a bright blue called Blue Me Away! Her ring finger wore the Don’t Be Cheesy! orange from Spoiled that was featured in the last post. Steph arrived at the sleepover with her fingers sporting her own bright pink. To complete the One for Fun style all she had to to was take the polish off of her ring finer and apply another color. She chose one of my all-time favorites, Rockstar Pink also from Xtreme Wear. This glittery goodness went perfectly with her already rockin’ nails.

Melanie, Steph, and I show off our One for Fun nails

One for Fun is a great way to spice up any manicure. Not only can you use a contrasting color and glitter, but you don’t have to stick to your ring finger either. I’ve seen people with their pointer fingers sporting One for Fun, too! Get creative! This is a great solution to those days where you JUST don’t know which color nail polish to use. By the way, if you were wondering what people thought of my Geometric Nails, they were a big hit! I got compliments everywhere I went, and people were amazed when I let them in on the scotch tape secret. Have you tried any of these trends yet?

Geometric Nail Designs

Posted on April 10, 2012March 18, 2017 by Adventures in Polishland

I remember back in high school when my mom bought me my first french manicure kit. Complete with stickers that were supposed to help me create the perfect french nails, this kit turned out to be a flop. Maybe it was my impatience, but after a few tries, I chucked that kit in the trash and never looked back. Thanks to Pinterest and this post from Birchbox, I’m no longer afraid to mix colors. All you need to create a funky, geometric look is scotch tape!

Last night I painted my nails with Don’t Be Cheesy, a bright orange from the new line Spoiled by Wet n Wild. I let this color dry overnight as Birchbox suggested, since putting scotch tape on wet nails is a no-no. Today I chose one of my favorite nail colors, Check Me Out by L’oreal Paris, and got to work with the tape. I loosely followed Birchbox’s ideas and cut the tape in all different shapes, some small strips and others larger, and placed them on my nails in varying patterns. Once the tape is secure, just paint your nails with the color you have chosen, and carefully peel off the tape while the polish is still wet. Here’s where my main advice comes in: it is important to smooth out the tape so that there are no air bubbles, but make sure you don’t crease it too much. My main problem occurred in peeling off the tape. Since I had pressed it down so much, it broke while I was trying to take it off! Luckily I was able to salvage most of my hard work, but I do have some mistakes (hey, I’m only human). I’m still proud of my new geometric nails, though. Check out the photos below.

Pretty cool, huh? Just make sure that once the polish is completely dry you use a top coat. Don’t put it on too soon or the colors will smudge. You can also get more adventurous than I did, and paint your nails all different colors. Or, if you want to add a special touch, put clear glitter over the finished product! You’ll soon come to learn that I am a bit obsessed with glitter, but more on that later.