nail art – Page 5 – Adventures in Polishland

Tag: nail art

’50s Sock Hop Nails | Easy Halloween Tutorial

Posted on October 18, 2014August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Saturday! I got a great response from my last Halloween nail tutorial (see it HERE) that I decided to create another one! Growing up, one of my favorite Halloween costumes was a ’50s inspired Sock Hop outfit. My mom sewed me a custom poodle skirt and black bolero, and I was ready to rock to some doo-wop tunes! If you’re going to don this classic outfit idea on Halloween, I’ve got just the nails for you. Plus, stay tuned to find out how to take this manicure from ’50s Sock Hop to Punk Rock in one easy step!

All you need to create this look is a pink nail polish, black nail polish, dotting tool, and nail art brush. Start with a pink base, and let that dry. Then draw a straight line on your pointer finger using a nail art brush for the G-clef. Use the dotting tools to create the noteheads in any way you choose. Now comes the tricky part! Carefully draw on the rest of your G-clef and the stems for your notes. It’s okay if the lines aren’t perfect – mine aren’t! Finally, let your manicure dry and follow up with a glossy top coat.

Here are the exact products that I used in this tutorial, but feel free to use what’s in your stash!

Sally Hansen Insta-Dri in Fuchsia Flare [BUY]
Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics in Tarred [BUY]
Born Pretty Store Nail Art Brush [BUY] (10% off with code FZL91)
Dragonpad Dotting Tools [BUY]

If you’re going for more of a Punk Rock costume this year, simply add a black and white glitter polish on top of the already existing manicure! That will add some pizazz to your nails and give the look a bit more of an edge. I used Milani in Sprinkles, but whatever you own will be great. For even more flare, use some holographic glitter as well!

I hope you enjoyed today’s Halloween nail tutorial! Whether you’re dressing as a ’50s Sock Hop girl or Punk Rocker, this manicure will be sure to add a little something special to your costume. Please let me know what you think in the comments, and let me know if there are any other tutorials you would like to see for Halloween!

This post contains affiliate links. All opinions are my own. See my Disclosure Policy for more information.

Zoya Matte Cloud Nail Art | Fall 2014

Posted on October 9, 2014August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Thursday! Today I have a fun fall manicure to show you that I created using some of the Fall 2014 Zoya Nail Polish colors. I’ve been wearing Margo a lot lately, and decided to add some bling to the beautiful creme by adding in the Ultra PixieDust shades. Let me show you how I combined these polishes!

First, I started off with a base of Margo and let that dry. Then, I used each of the Ultra PixieDusts one at a time to create an ombré cloud. I began with Oswin, and then added on Arianna and Noir letting each coat dry in between. Finally, I used a matte top coat over the top to create a uniform finish. The ombré is subtle, but really pretty!

All in all, this manicure is super easy to create, but really nice for fall! You can learn more about the polishes I used in this post be reading my full reviews HERE and HERE. Let me know how you like to rock the Zoya polishes seen here in the comments!

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

Abstract Floral Nails with Born Pretty Store Water Decals

Posted on October 7, 2014August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Tuesday! Today I have a review of some floral water decals from Born Pretty Store. Water decals are such a fun and easy way to create a nail art look, and I’ve always enjoyed testing them out in the past. You can see the other manicures I’ve created with water decals HERE, but let’s jump right into today’s look!

This set of water decals contains a beautiful floral pattern with red flowers. There are two rows of five blocks that can be cut into any shape you desire. I love that these decals are quite customizable. You can shape them to fit your entire nail, or cut them into funky shapes. The sheet itself retails for just $1.99 and can be purchased HERE.

I decided to go with an abstract look, and began with a base of Jordana Merry Mint (full review HERE). Once my green base was completely dry, I began adding on random pieces of the decals. I finished with a glossy top coat, and I’m loving the result! It reminds me of vintage wallpaper, and looks like a collage project. I know it won’t be everyone’s style, but the colors and pattern are really cool to me.

All in all, I love using water decals to easily dress up any manicure! As always, you can find these decals and many other nail art products on Born Pretty Store’s website at amazingly low prices. Use my discount code FZL91 for an additional 10% off! Let me know in the comments how you would use these water decals!

DIY Ghost Manicure | 3 Easy Steps

Posted on October 5, 2014August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Sunday! Now that it’s October, I’m in the mood for everything Halloween related. I decided to create a super easy manicure to get the season going, so if you’re looking for some spooky inspiration look no further! All you need to create this cute little ghost is a black nail polish, white nail polish, and a dotting tool. I created an iconographic so you can see the tutorial step-by-step.

The specific products that I used for my ghost manicure are as follows:

Michael Marcus in Once You Go Matte [BUY]
Milani Color Statement in Spotlight White [BUY]
Dragonpad Dotting Tools [BUY]

Of course, use whatever polishes and tools you have in your own collection. I went with a matte black base because I thought the glossy finish on the white would stand out more, but the finish is up to you! My only added tip to the tutorial above is to let each layer dry before continuing on. That’s all there is to it!

All in all, I hope you found this DIY Ghost Manicure a cute and fun way to kick off the Halloween season!I love the simplicity in this look, as it is festive yet not over the top. If you have any requests for seasonal looks, let me know using my Review Request Form HERE. I hope to create a few more festive manicures this fall!

This post contains affiliate links and a product that I was sent for my unbiased review. All opinions are my own. See my Disclosure Policy for more information.

Foil Nail Stickers from Born Pretty Store

Posted on September 27, 2014August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Saturday! Today I have a quick review of some nail wraps from Born Pretty Store. I’ve really loved the nail stickers I’ve tried in the past, so when I saw that Born Pretty Store offered a foil set that looked like mirrored nails, I just had to try them! I’ve wanted to achieve mirrored nails for a long time, but oftentimes the polish reviews I read show quite a streaky result. Thus, I thought nail wraps would be the perfect way to get mirrored nails. Let me show you the result!

Here is what the set of nail wraps looks like in the packaging. They are designed to wear for 11 days and have a great shine. The set retails for just $4.55 on Born Pretty Store’s website HERE.

I applied the foil wraps just as I normally would, by peeling off the sticky backing, smoothing out the wrap on my nail, and filing off the excess. Unfortunately, the result wasn’t what I was hoping to see. My first issue was with the size of the wraps. The smallest size was way too big for my pinky finger! This made the edges look awkward, and it was clear that I had stickers on my nails. I also experienced some issues getting the wraps to lie flat, and some of the edges got crinkly. I almost feel like I’m wearing tin foil on my fingers!

Unfortunately, these foil wraps are a miss for me, but I still love the other nail wraps that I’ve tried from Born Pretty Store. See reviews of those HERE and HERE.

All in all, I didn’t get the mirrored manicure that I was hoping for, but I’m still glad I was able to test out the foil wraps and report back to you on my experience! I still hope to try out other nail wraps from Born Pretty Store in the future, since I’ve had good luck on the others I’ve tried. As always, you can shop for nail art supplies at Born Pretty Store and get 10% off with my discount code FZL91. Please let me know in the comments if you’ve achieved a mirrored manicure before, and what product you used to get the look!

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.

Epica 18-Loop Scarf Hanger Review & Matching Nail Art!

Posted on September 22, 2014August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Monday! I have a fun review for all of you today! I got the opportunity to test out a scarf hanger from the brand Epica, and was inspired to create a nail art look as soon as I got it in the mail. I’ve definitely been in an organizational mood lately, so anything that helps me declutter and keep things in order is a win in my book. I had been storing my scarfs in a plastic drawer set under my bed, but I often forgot about them. This hanger gave me the opportunity to move all of my scarves into my closet! Let me show you how it works!

EPICA 18-LOOP SCARF HANGER

The Epica Scarf Hanger is a ready-to-use hanger made out of a heavy metal with a chrome finish. There are 18 loops in varying sizes designed to keep all of your scarves together in one place. This hanger is snag-free, so it can hold your more delicate scarves, and works for ties and belts, too. I was really impressed with how heavy duty this was when I got it! I wasn’t afraid to start stacking on my scarves!

Epica Scarf Hanger | Adventures in Polishland

Here is the hanger with all of my scarves on it. I own some large pashminas, but also some thinner spring scarves. I was able to fit them all on with room for more! I like how I can see the scarves easily, and how they are less likely to be wrinkled when I have them hanging up instead of folded in a drawer. While the hanger did feel bulky once I loaded it up, I was impressed with how compact it was in my closet. As you can see in the photo on the right, the scarf hanger takes up a little extra room than your average hanger, but not too much. This is the perfect hanger for the tiny closet space I have!

NAIL ART

I knew I wanted to create a nail art look to go along with this blog post, and thought this was the perfect opportunity to get more practice with my dotting tools. First, I started out with a base of Zoya Genevieve and let that dry. Then, I grabbed my dotting tools set, and picked a large dot for the first round. I wanted to capture the metallic look of the hanger, so I used Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear in Celeb City as my large dots. I applied them in any way that I thought would fit onto my nails, knowing that I didn’t have to exactly mimic the hanger’s design. I let that layer dry, and then grabbed a smaller dotting tool to finish out the look. I grabbed Genevieve again, and made a dot in the center of each silver dot to make the holes look like loops. I really love how my manicure came out! It looks so fun and abstract, and I’d definitely recreate it again.

All in all, I definitely recommend picking up the Epica 18-Loop Scarf Hanger if you need some organization in your life. With winter right around the corner, I know it will be really helpful to have my scarves within reach in my closet instead of living under my bed. This hanger retails for just $19.95, but is on sale as I type this for just $8.95! That is such an amazing deal, so make sure to snag it on Amazon HERE. Let me know what gadgets you use to organize at home, and what you think of my nail art in the comments!

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Simple Fall Manicure featuring Born Pretty Store Studs!

Posted on September 8, 2014August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Monday! Today I have a simple nail art look to share with all of you! I recently got some new products from Born Pretty Store to review, one of which was a wheel containing both square and rounded studs in a variety of colors. I wanted to test them out right away, so I layered them over my manicure. Let me show you the result!

Here is the complete set of studs. I’m using a stock photo courtesy of Born Pretty Store in this post, because my wheel arrived all out of sorts due to the mail. I wanted you to be able to see the different colors and shapes easily! This wheel retails for just $5.15, which is an awesome bargain considering the number of times you can use the studs! HERE is the direct link to the product.

Here is my complete manicure! I was already wearing Zoya Ryan (see full review HERE) and didn’t want to change polish colors, so I simply added a fresh coat and dunked my rink finger into the rounded studs for a caviar look. I love that the studs have a flat bottom so they stick onto the nail easily! Then, I placed a square stud at the base of each nail. I decided to go for all green, as it looks great with the dark blue polish. I finished up with a top coat and I was good to go!

All in all, this nail art look is so simple to create, yet looks fun! I think the colors are perfect for fall as well. The studs in this kit can be used for a variety of different designs, so I’ll be sure to get creative with them again in the future. If you pick up a set, be sure to use code FZL91 for an additional 10% off your entire order!

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.

Bringing Art Back to Nail Art | Piet Mondrian & Pop Art Nails

Posted on July 21, 2014August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Monday! Today I am extremely excited to share with you two amazing nail art looks created by the one and only Valerie Star! I first met Val at the Caravan Summertime Lounge Event (more info on that HERE). She told me about the intricate nail art designs she does, and how she loves to bring art back to nail art. As you all may know, I struggle with nail art! I don’t have a steady hand, so I stick to basic designs. That’s always fun, but when I had the opportunity to let Valerie turn my fingernails into art canvases, I jumped at the opportunity! We decided to put together two nail art looks that would satisfy any art critic! All of the polishes used in this post are from Zoya, but you can use any polishes you have in your collection. Now, onto the art!

Piet Mondrian Nails

We began with a nail art look inspired by Dutch painter Piet Mondrian, who is known for his piece Composition II in Red, Blue and Yellow (see the original HERE). Not only is this a well-known painting, but it’s one that is easily recreated on the nails with a bit of patience.

Step 1: Paint your nails with a white nail polish and let dry. Any white will do, here we are using Zoya Snow White.

Step 2: Use a black nail polish to stencil out some rectangles on your nails. A nail art brush with a fine tip comes in handy here. There is also no set formula for the rectangles, but have fun mixing up the pattern! We are using Zoya Raven as our black polish.

Step 3: Fill in the black rectangles using a red, blue, and yellow polish. Mondrian uses the three primary colors in his work. You can choose to stick with his original color scheme, or make it your own. For example, we used a pink instead of a red. The polishes used are Zoya Layla, Robyn, and Pippa.

Step 4: Go over your black outline again to sharpen the lines. Once your manicure is completely dry, add a top coat!

I’m completely obsessed with this Piet Mondrian manicure! I think it looks amazing, and definitely represents a well-known piece of art! We stayed true to Mondrian’s original piece, but you can use this same tutorial to create something more suited to your own personal style.

Pop Art Nails

For those who love more modern and funky designs, we also created a pop art manicure styled after the era of Andy Warhol. This look is a bit more difficult to recreate, but if you have patience and a steady hand you can definitely put together this nail art design!

Step 1: Paint your nails a light blue base. We are using Zoya Robyn.

Step 2: Use a foam wedge and a dark blue polish to create an ombré manicure. Don’t worry about getting a neat edge – we will clean everything up later! The dark blue polish in this look is Zoya Song.

Step 3: Use a white polish to create some zig-zig speech bubbles, and outline them in black. We used Zoya Snow White and Raven, and a nail art brush to create this look. Feel free to alternate where the speech bubbles are placed on your nails!

Step 4: Use a dotting tool to add pink polka dots over the blue ombré and a nail art brush to write some fun words in the speech bubbles. We used Zoya Ali for the pink, and Raven again as a black. Once everything is dry, finish up with a top coat!

As you can see, bringing art back to nail art is not only fun, but it’s a great way to pay homage to famous artists in a new way. Whether you’re recreating a masterpiece, or using a classic as inspiration, our nails can be a canvas for more than just your everyday manicure.

I want to give a huge thank you to Valerie at Caravan for creating these amazing nail art looks, and helping me put together this story for my blog! Make sure to check out her website HERE, and to follow Caravan Stylist Studio on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for more amazing beauty tips.

Let me know in the comments what famous painting you would love to see recreated as a manicure!

Feather Water Decals from Born Pretty Store | 2 Different Looks

Posted on July 9, 2014August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Wednesday! Today I have a review of some feather water decals from Born Pretty Store. I’ve seen people create feather manicures with actual craft feathers before, but I’m just not a fan of putting something furry like that onto my nails. When I saw these fun and colorful feathers on the Born Pretty Store website, I was excited to see how they would look! Let me show you the manicures I created with these decals.

First up, here is the sheet of water decals. As you can see, the feathers come in some really fun colors, and have some glitter running through them as well! This sheet is also $0.99 on the Born Pretty Store website HERE! There are eight different feather designs, so you can pick the one for you.

I first used the decals over Wet ‘n Wild Megalast in On a Trip. After my base color dried, a carefully cut out each feather that I wanted to use, removed the protective film, and placed the decal under water for about 15-20 seconds. Then, I carefully placed the decal on my nail. I really love how the feathers look over this purple color! The colors in the feather are still visible, but because they are faint I think they look like real feathers. Of course, I added top coat to get a really shiny finish.

I also wanted to show these decals over a white polish so that you can see how bright the colors are. I messed up my pointer finger a bit (user error here, there’s nothing wrong with the product!), but I’m still loving how vivid the feathers look. The base color of your manicure really changes the look of these decals, which I think is really cool!

All in all, I’m so glad I tried out these feather water decals! They are easy to use, and look great with almost any base color. Of course, you can use these for an accent nail, a skittle manicure, or any other type of nail art! At just $0.99 you can’t go wrong! As always, feel free to use discount code FZL91 for an additional 10% off. Let me know what you think of these feather manicures in the comments!

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

Kisspat Statement Necklace Review, Giveaway, & Nail Art!

Posted on July 5, 2014August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Saturday! I’m excited to bring you a fun blog post that incorporates fashion, nails, and a giveaway for all of you! I got the opportunity to review a statement necklace from the online boutique Kisspat, and thought I’d show you the jewelry, and in addition create a nail art look inspired by the piece!

NECKLACE REVIEW

Statement Necklace – Product Code KNSN-040M – $8.95 [BUY]

I love statement necklaces, and this design from Kisspat is definitely up my alley! The colors are beautiful, and I like the touch of rhinestones. This necklace is very lightweight, and good quality for the $8.95 price tag. The one main drawback, however, is that the chain turned my neck green! I wore this for about an hour, and had a green band around my neck. I was not a fan of that! I do really love this necklace, though, so I might try to wear it with a high-necked blouse in the future. There are 11 different colors for this product, so you can definitely find the shades that suit you best!

NAIL ART

I thought this necklace would make a great manicure, so I grabbed some polishes and rhinestones and created a nail art look! I used Color Club’s Aquamarine Azulino from the Gala’s Gems Collection for the blue and Julep’s Alexandra for the neutral shade. I used tweezers to place some rhinestones on my accent nail, and voila! I am loving this nail art look! It’s classy, yet still fun at the same time.

GIVEAWAY

I’m giving away one necklace from Kisspat! Please read the Terms & Conditions in the Rafflecopter widget before entering!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I hope you liked today’s fashion and fingernails post! Let me know if you’d like to see more posts like this in the future!

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

PLEASE NOTE: AS OF AUGUST 4, 2014 KISSPAT’S WEBSITE WAS REMOVED. IF FOR SOME REASON IT IS REINSTATED, I SUGGEST NOT USING THE SITE. EMAIL ME AT ADVENTURESINPOLISHLAND@GMAIL.COM WITH QUESTIONS.