nail art – Page 9 – Adventures in Polishland

Tag: nail art

DIY Chalkboard Nail Art – Fabulous & Affordable Edition!

Posted on May 10, 2013August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Friday! If you are a nail art enthusiast, you may have heard about the new Chalkboard Manicure kit that Ciaté recently released. This kit comes with black nail polish, four water-soluble nail art pens, and a matte top coat, and retails for a whopping $25 on Sephora’s website HERE. I thought the idea behind the kit was cute and creative, so I decided that I would recreate the look using nail polishes that I already have in my collection. There is no need to go out and spend $25 on this kit when you already have the necessary tools! Let me show you how you can create a fabulous and affordable chalkboard manicure.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED:

Any base coat
Any black nail polish
Various nail art pens
Any matte top coat

I am using, from left to right, the Sephora Collection base coat, Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics in Tarred, Revlon Nail Art Expressionist duos, L.A. Colors Art Deco, and butter LONDON Matte Finish. You can use products from any brand you choose, but these are the just items I have in my personal collection. That’s what makes this so great — I didn’t need to buy any additional materials! Now, onto step one!

The first step in creating your chalkboard manicure is applying your base coat and the black nail polish. I used two coats of Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics in Tarred, but any black will be just fine. Make sure you let the black polish dry completely before moving on to step two.

Once the black polish has dried, take your nail art pens and add some fun designs to your nails. I stuck with the basics — a smiley face, a heart, and some abstract designs. You can use any colors that you wish for the “chalk” part of your manicure. I used white, pink, and blue since those are the colors I owned! After you paint on your designs, make sure you let them dry completely before moving on to the final step. You don’t want to smudge your nail art!

Last but not least, apply your matte top coat. Your nails will now have a super cool, chalkboard look! The best part is you didn’t have to purchase a kit for $25, but instead used affordable items, or better yet, polishes already in your nail polish stash. The only difference between this fabulous and affordable version and the Ciaté kit is that you can’t wash off the “chalk” art if you make a mistake. Other than that, the look is the same, and you will have just as much fun painting your nails and showing them off to friends. Who said having fabulous nails had to come at a high price?!

Let me know what you think of my chalkboard manicure in the comments!

Gold 3D Nail Stickers from Born Pretty Store!

Posted on May 8, 2013August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Wednesday! Today I am excited to share with you some more nail art supplies from the online retailer Born Pretty Store. Back in March I tried out some Hello Kitty nail art stickers (see that post HERE), and loved them. Now I have a similar product that I think is something anyone can wear and enjoy! Let me show you these gold nail stickers!

Above is what the sheet of nail art stickers looks like! As you can see, you get an amazing variety of designs to choose from. I love that there are bows, hearts, flowers, crowns, and even teddy bears! At the same time, there are frames and other decorative stickers as well. All of the stickers are gold toned, and since they do have a slight thickness to them, they give a cool 3D effect on the nail. I decided to try out a few of the designs for one fun manicure!

Here is my manicure using the gold stickers! First, start with a regular manicure in any color of your choosing. I happened to still be wearing LVX in Virdian, and I thought the emerald green would nicely compliment the gold. If you are starting with a freshly painted manicure, make sure to let your base color dry completely before applying the stickers. You don’t want any smudges! When you are ready to apply the stickers, simply choose the design you like and carefully peel it off the sheet. This can be a little tricky, especially for the smaller stickers. If you like, use a pair of tweezers to gently grasp the sticker. Next, place the sticker on your nail and gently press down. Follow up with two layers of top coat to even everything out, and you are done! Voila! A fancy manicure that was quick and easy to create!

While using these stickers I did come across a few things that I wanted to share with all of you. First, don’t get discouraged if the stickers rip or break when you are trying to apply them. They are a bit difficult to get the hang of, but once you have tried one or two you will get a feel for how to handle them. Second, do not skip out on the top coat! I experimented and I woke up the next day with the gold tone completely rubbed off! The top coat helps to seal in the gold color, as well as ensure the stickers stay put.

All in all, I am seriously loving these! They are so easy to apply, and the designs are perfect for accent nails, or even a fancy manicure like the one I created here! The best part is, this sheet of stickers retails for just $4.51! Plus, with my discount code of FZL91 you can get an additional 10% off. As always, shipping is free internationally with Born Pretty Store. You can purchase these gold 3D nail stickers by clicking HERE.

The products in this post were provided for my unbiased review, and the links above are affiliate links. All opinions are my own. See my Disclosure Policy for more information.

A Follower Inspired Jelly Sandwich Manicure!

Posted on April 8, 2013August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Monday! Today’s post features a fun manicure that was inspired by my Facebook fans back in March. I thought it would be fun to put together a look that was created by you, so I asked for ideas. Lori suggested I use Barbie pink and glitter, Alex suggested glitter as well, and Stephanie called for a jelly sandwich design. Let me show you the result when I put all three of these thoughts together!

First I began with two coats of Sitting Pretty from the brand Tip Top Nails South Africa. I love the bright pink of Sitting Pretty. This polish also has a great application, but the jelly formula takes forever to dry. In fact, I receive linen imprints on my nails even days after putting this one on. Luckily, I knew any marks wouldn’t be noticeable with this jelly sandwich manicure, so I grabbed Sitting Pretty since I love the color and the formula is just what I was looking for!

I completed my manicure with one layer of Equinots from A Rhyming Dictionary Polish (see that review HERE), and one final layer of Sitting Pretty. I just loved the end result! The red, purple, and pink glitters from Equinots stood out well beneath the jelly of Sitting Pretty. I loved how all of the ideas from my followers came together in this fun and bright manicure! I thought the colors were just perfect for spring!

While the polishes I used in this post are not readily available for purchase at the moment, you can recreate this manicure with any jelly nail polish and the glitter of your choice! You can see my past jelly sandwich manicures HERE and HERE to get more inspiration! Let me know what your favorite combinations for jelly sandwich manicures are!

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

Hello Kitty Nail Art Stickers from Born Pretty Store!

Posted on March 29, 2013August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Friday! Today I have another review of a product from the online retailer Born Pretty Store. While I was not impressed with the Sweet Color nail polish (see that review HERE), I am loving these adorable nail art stickers! As a lifelong Hello Kitty fan, I was super excited that I got the opportunity to review these stickers for you. I hope you love them as much as I do!

Above you can see the nail art sheet as it comes. I love these stickers because they are glittery and have different sizes and shapes! This sheet retails for $5.23, but if you buy more than one you get a discount. As always, there is free international shipping from Born Pretty Store! I chose the sticker sheet in number XF314, but they come in a variety of designs. You can see all of the choices on the Born Pretty website HERE!

I was so impressed with how easy it is to apply these stickers! First, I painted my nails with Zoya Blu from the lovely collection (see that review HERE). Once my manicure was completely dry, I chose the stickers I wanted to apply, and carefully peeled them off the sheet and put them on my nails. I pressed each sticker down firmly, and then layered top coat over them. And that’s all there is to it! The smaller stickers are a bit tricky to handle, but I used a pair of tweezers to steady my hand. I can’t get over how much I love these stickers! I chose to wear one on each finger for this manicure, but you can use them easily for an accent nail as well. I love that just one sheet of stickers can be used for multiple manicures, and you can mix and match the designs!

All in all, I’m so happy I tried these Hello Kitty stickers! They are so easy to apply, and are perfect for someone like me who prefers not to do her own nail art. This design is also perfect for spring, but there are so many to choose from on the Born Pretty Store website. If you are looking for some great nail art supplies, be sure to head on over and see everything Born Pretty has to offer! Use the coupon code FZL91 to get 10% off your order as well! Happy Shopping!

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

Sweet Color Nail Polish from Born Pretty Store!

Posted on March 23, 2013August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Saturday! Today I have a polish from the online retailer Born Pretty Store to show you! Born Pretty Store is one of the best places to find affordable nail polish, nail art tools, and much more online. Shipping is always free, and you can save an additional 10% with the coupon code at the end of this post. One of the nail polish lines the site offers is Sweet Color, an eco-friendly polish that comes in the cutest packaging! I knew I wanted to give it a try.

Here is Sweet Color in number 337. The polish does not have a color name, but I would call it a dusty mint green with a creme finish. This polish has a tricky formula — it’s streaky and sheer, and takes three coats to be opaque. Luckily it has a gorgeous color payoff! This polish is perfect for spring. At first I thought that the result was worth the troublesome formula, but I got multiple chips and dents in my nails just hours after application. Needless to say I’m quite disappointed with this polish. The good news is this is only one polish in the Sweet Color line, so I’m hoping this is the one dud! I can’t be sure without trying more of them. Let me know if you have tried any polishes from this line!

All in all, I was disappointed with this nail polish from the Born Pretty Store. Stay tuned for another review in the coming week where I will have some nail art stickers to show you! Also, make sure to check out all of the great products Born Pretty Store has to offer. The prices are great, plus use code FZL91 for 10% off your purchase! Click the photo below for direct access to the store!

The product in this post was provided for my unbiased review. All opinions are my own. Please 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.

New Subscription Service: Nail Art Society!

Posted on February 14, 2013August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Valentine’s Day! Today I have an exciting post reviewing the new monthly subscription service Nail Art Society! Similar to Julep, Nail Art Society will send you a package each month for $19.95. Inside you will find nail polish and other nail art tools that you need to create a complete manicure. If you are just getting into nail art, this is definitely the program for you. Stick around because at the end of this post I’ll let you know how to lock in your membership for just $9.95 each month!

Here is everything that came in my first Nail Art Society bag. In the first photo, from left to right, is a Cherimoya Nailed It Nail Art Pen in Black, Layla Magneffect in Turquoise Wave, a container of Swarovski crystals, and tweezers from Stella Beauty Products. There is also a card that gives you step by step instructions on how to use all of the products for the month. The second picture just highlights the other literature in the bag. On the left is detailed instructions from Layla about applying the magnetic nail polish, and on the right is a card showcasing the current nail art trends. Let me show you the manicure I created with all of these goodies!

I decided to follow the manicure idea that Nail Art Society provided subscribers with this month. First, I started off with the magnetic polish from Layla in Turquoise Wave. I was very impressed with this polish. I’ve tried one other magnetic from this line, but Turquoise Wave was much more user friendly! It is a gorgeous light, metallic blue when you first apply it, but with the magnetic effect it adds a dark dimension. The easiest way to apply this polish to to first paint one coat on all of your nails like you would normally do. Then, add a thick coat of polish to one nail and quickly turn around the brush to hold the magnet right above the nail for a few seconds. If you work quickly you will get a great result!

To complete my manicure, I used the Cherimoya Nail Art Pen to create a tiger pattern on my ring finger. Then I used the tweezers to place some of the crystals on my pointer finger in a vertical stripe. To do so, layer a think coat of top coat on your nail, and then carefully press the crystals down firmly. Follow up with another layer of top coat to finish the look!

What do you think of my manicure? It is definitely funky! I’m not sure that I would wear this every day, but it was fun to try out the look and learn some new nail art techniques. Plus, I think it is great that Nail Art Society shows you how to create a complete manicure using all of the tools they give you in the bag each month. I do wish they had included the value of everything in the bag, because when I tried to research the price of some of the products I didn’t have much luck. I do know that Layla Magneffects sell for around $15, so that’s a great value on its own!

If you like what you see, make sure to sign up for the Nail Art Society program! You can lock in your membership for $9.95 each month by using the promo code PUREICE when you sign up. I am not aware of the coupon’s expiration date, so be sure to use it before it’s too late! Simply click HERE to join!

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

Valentine’s Day Skittle Manicure!

Posted on February 10, 2013August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Sunday! Today I have a fun post for all of you featuring a Valentine’s Day skittle manicure. What is a skittle manicure, you ask? It’s when each nail is painted differently from all the rest, whether it be all different colors or patterns. I thought a skittle would be a cute idea for Valentine’s Day, and it would help me practice some nail art techniques! Let me show you my Valentine’s manicure!

I used Sally Hansen Fuchsia Flare as the base color for my manicure, and an accent nail of Zoya Jacqueline. Fuchsia Flare is a beautiful bright pink nail polish that is opaque in two coats. The formula was easy to apply, and spread out evenly. I thought it would make the perfect base for some nail art, especially for Valentine’s Day! I also used a fast dry polish so that I could get to work on the nail art as soon as possible — I don’t like waiting for polish to dry!

The next step was to begin the skittle! I first started out with Fuchsia Flare again, and ever so carefully did a free-hand heart on the accent nail of Zoya Jacqueline. To do so, I wiped off almost all the polish from the brush, and made two sweeps of the polish in a V shape. It was rather simple to do with a steady hand, and I’m thrilled the way it came out!

Next, I completed my manicure using all of the other polishes. It’s very important to make sure your base color is dry before beginning these next steps, or you will experience smudging. Working from pinky to thumb, I first did a french tip with an unnamed red OPI. To do so I used scotch tape as a guideline. Next, I did a glitter gradient on my middle finger using Equinots from A Rhyming Dictionary. I put a dab of the glitter polish at the bottom of my nail near the cuticle, and slowly dragged up the glitters until about half of the nail was covered. On my pointer finger I used Milani Digital to do another scotch tape design, this time in a vertical stripe. The result here wasn’t very good — Digital was not opaque over Fuchsia Flare, and I didn’t get a clean line after removing the tape. Nonetheless, I completed the manicure with a thin coat of Elixir Lacquer A Cool Fool on my thumb nail. This gave that nail a beautiful, holographic shine.

Overall I am loving my Valentine’s Day manicure! There are some imperfections, but that is fine by me. Be sure to try out your own skittle manicure by wearing a different color or design on each nail. It’s a fun way to experiment with new styles and impress your friends. Be sure to share your Valentine’s Day manicures with me on my Facebook page HERE!

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

Celebrating the Season with Christmas Tree Nail Art

Posted on December 7, 2012August 12, 2015 by Adventures in Polishland

Happy Friday! Today I have a short post telling you about the Christmas themed nail art I did for a contest on Facebook. Many of my readers have been requesting more nail art, so ask and you shall receive! I am in no way a nail art expert, but I am super proud of my little Christmas trees. Let me show you the manicure!

Here are my two little Christmas trees! First, I started out with a base of Zoya Ziv. Once Ziv was completely dry, I used scotch tape to block off a triangle on my nails in the shape of the Christmas tree, and painted on Zoya Logan. (See Ziv and Logan alone HERE). Next, I took some yellow polish and carefully added a drop to the top of my Christmas trees for the star. As a final touch, a did some polka dots with red polish for some ornaments! I don’t have any dotting tools, so that’s why my circles aren’t perfect, but I think this manicure still looks really festive! I decided to go with polishes that all had a shimmery, metallic finish, but you can choose any polishes you like. I also did two accent nails just to keep it simple. I love the finished product!

What do you think of my Christmas tree manicure? It’s so simple that anyone can do it! Let me know what you think in the comments, and feel free to share your holiday and winter themed nail art, too!