Tag: Spring

Nails

   Midweek Manicure // Abstract & Colorful

Kimberly

Finally a midweek manicure! It’s been a while. These were inspired by a post I saw on Sally Hansen’s Instagram feed. The design is nice and bright and colorful. Finally it’s starting to feel like Spring around these parts.

Abstract Colorful nailsI used:

  • Sally Hansen Diamond Nails (base coat)
  • China Glaze – Liquid Leather (black base – 2 coats)
  • OPI – Mod About You (pastel pink)
  • OPI – Can’t Find My Czechbook (blue)
  • China Glaze – Passion for Petals (dark pink)
  • Seche Vite (top coat)

You could do this with any combination of colors you like. I started with a base coat of China Glaze Liquid Leather, then added random brush strokes of each color, one layer/color at a time. I just kept it really loose and random. I love how it turned out.

Happy Almost Friday!

kimberly

Nails

Midweek Manicure // Watercolor Nails

Kimberly

A nail tutorial that’s a lot easier than it looks (we know I like those). Nice and springy but also a fun Easter nail art idea!

Watercolor Nails

I used:

  • Base coat
  • Ulta Snow White
  • OPI Nail Lacquer Thinner
  • China Glaze Re-Fresh Mint (green)
  • OPI Can’t Find My Czechbook (blue)
  • Sally Hanson Complete Salon Manicure Rosy Outlook (pink)
  • China Glaze Tart-y for the Party (purple)
  • Nail polish remover
  • Small paint brush
  • Nail rhinestones
  • top coat

Pastel Watercolor Nails

To create the watercolor effect, I first painted a white base coat on all of my nails except for my index finger on my left hand, and thumb and ring finger on my right hand. I painted only half of those nails white. Using one color at a time,  used the green, blue, pink and purple polishes to create a watercolor effect. To do this, I placed a dot of the color on a piece of foil, and added a few drops of nail polish thinner and mixed it with a paint brush to thin out the polish to a watery consistency. Then I’d just use the nail polish brush to dot the color onto my nail in various places, repeating this process for each color. Be sure to clean the brush off with nail polish remover each time you switch colors.  I used a bit of topcoat to adhere a rhinestone onto the nails that I only half-painted.I then added a top coat and it all came together.

There are a lot of great tutorials for this on youtube!

kimberly

Nails

Midweek Manicure // Spring Thinking

Kimberly

As I was photographing my flowery, Springy nails last week, this was happening on the porch:

Snowy Porch

But, I’m happy to say that I think Spring is on its way now.

Purple Flowers Mani

I used:

  • Base Coat
  • Ulta – Snow White
  • Essie – Sand Tropez
  • Jafra – Raspberry
  • China Glaze – Tart-y for the Party
  • China Glaze – Re-fresh Mint
  • Tiny Round Silver Nail Studs from The Nail Room
  • Dotting Tool
  • Aluminum Foil
  • Top Coat

After a base coat on all nails, I painted two nails Snow White, and the rest Sand Tropez. I chose to add little purple flowers on the ring finger and thumb nail of each hand.

How to Paint Flowers

To create the flowers, I dropped a bit of Snow White, Raspberry and Tart-y for the Party on a piece of aluminum foil. I then used a dotting tool to swirl the colors together and then dotted the swirled colors on my nail in various places to make the flower pattern. Sometimes, I’d add a bit more of each color to each dot to make it more or less white, or more or less purple, depending. You can find various tutorials on youtube for this.

Floral Nails Detail

I then used a smaller dotting tool (you could also use a toothpick) to add little green “leaves” coming out from either side of each flower-dot. After it was all dry, I affixed a tiny silver stud to my index fingernail on each hand with a bit of topcoat, then added a coat of topcoat on all nails, and was finished!

Let’s not talk about how awful my cuticles are right now. Actually, maybe we should talk about it. I struggle. If anyone has any recommendations for cuticle repair, I’d love to hear them!

kimberly

Nails

Midweek Manicure // A few colors from the China Glaze Avant Garden Collection

Kimberly

Happy Wednesday! I just finished planting some more seeds for our vegetable garden which means spring is definitely here! I also have a whole new host of mosquito bites from being outside this evening….least favorite part of the season for sure.

This week I’m sharing three fun and bright spring colors from the China Glaze Avant Garden collection.

First is this really lovely bright pink, Passion for Petals:

China Glaze Passion for Petals

China Glaze Avant Garden Passion for Petals

Sunday Funday – a really bright blue:

China Glaze Sunday Funday

China Glaze Avant Garden Sunday Funday

Lastly I tried Tart-y for the Party. I pretty much had to get this color if only for the name (anyone watch Real Housewives of Atlanta??):

China Glaze Tart-y for the Party

China Glaze Avant Garden Tart-y for the Party

So many great spring/summer colors in the collection, I wish I could try them all!

kimberly

Nails

Midweek Manicure // Yellow Lines

Kimberly

Spring is officially here, although you might not know it if you live in New England. Right now it feels like a balmy 32 degrees outside. But, I am defying the weather by wearing bright pink pants and colorful nail art. This week I’m sharing an easy-to-do  colorful yellow and white(ish) Spring mani:

Yellow Lines Nail Art

I used:

Milani Yellow and Essie Mashmallow

I started with two coats of marshmallow and then when that was dry just started painting lines with the yellow in various directions across my nails.

Yellow Lines Nail Art How-To

(this is the kind of nail design that will warrant a little bit of clean-up at the end. Just use a nail brush (or a small paintbrush from Michaels – that’s what I use), dip it in nail polish remover and run it it around the edges of your nail – anywhere you’ve gotten polish where it isn’t supposed to be!

Yellow Lines Nail Art

And there you have it! I’d love to see some other early spring-inspired nail art. Feel free to share!

kimberly