Feather Nails

I've always loved the look of feather nails, but I just do not have the patience to freehand a feather, or, even moreso, use a real feather.  So, when I saw this design in my new SHANY plates, I knew I had to give it a try.  To complete this look, I...

1. Painted my nails a base color of Nails Inc Black Taxi.

2. Using China Glaze Adore, I stamped the plume design from SHANY plate SH24

3. Applied a coat of topcoat on my ring finger and applied 3 2mm light blue rhinestones to the design on my ring finger.

4. Sealed in the rhinestones and the stamped design on the rest of my fingers using Sally Hansen Insta-Dri.

I know I've said it a thousand times, but outside of the specific stamping polishes, the China Glaze Romantiques (like Adore) are absolutely perfect for stamping.  I don't think they are in China Glaze's regular line-up, but they still are available.  I got mine, years ago, from Victoria's Nail Supply, but you can find them all over the internet.  

Nails Inc Black Taxi was provided for review.  Other products within this post were purchased by me.  The included link is not an affiliate link.

Golden Lace Stamped Nails

For this manicure, I used 2 coats of Zoya Goldie as a base and then stamped a design using 2 stamping designs and Konad Special Polish in black.  

I recently purchased Goldie during Zoya's 3 for $10 Share the Love promotion.  I had been wanting to try it for quite a while, but never got around to purchasing it.  Golds are so iffy with me.  I have mentioned my love/hate relationship with gold polishes several times on this blog.  I adore gold polishes in the bottle.  Unfortunately, if the gold polish is a bright and strong shade of gold, it makes my hands look not-so-good.  So, when I read on Zoya's website that Goldie is in the "cool" family, I thought maybe, just maybe, it would work my skin.  Sadly, it gives me red-hands as well. 

Because of this, I figured I would have to use Goldie as a base for layering or for nail art.  That's when I decided to try this design.  It had been floating around in my head for a few weeks, and I really love the way it came out.  To create the lace, I first stamped the fishnet design from Konad plate m57.  I then stamped the all-over roses design from Konad plate m65 over the fishnet.  I then topped the whole thing with 2 coats of Sally Hansen Insta-Dri topcoat (it was still a little rough after one coat).

Zoya Goldie was purchased by me.  The above link links to the product page for Zoya Goldie on Zoya's website and it is connected to my Share the Love account.  When you make a purchase using my referral link, I will receive points which I can use towards Share the Love promotions.  If you prefer not to use my Share the Love link, please go to www.zoya.com.  

Happy Fourth of July!

Happy Fourth of July, US girls.  :)  

This is a manicure that I have had floating around in my head for about 3 months, and I finally had a chance to do it.  :)  I just love the way it came out.  

Here's what I used...

Thumb and index finger - BB Couture Fairy Blood

Middle finger - Revlon Royal with Konad White Special Polish

Ring finger - Nails Inc Floral Street with Konad Red Special Polish

Pinky finger - Jessica Majesty Blue with Dollish Polish It's a Me Mario

Stamping plate used was BundleMonster plate BM20.  

I hope everyone in the US has a safe and happy Fourth of July, and that everyone in the rest of the world has a safe and happy Wednesday.

Happy Father's Day!

I wanted to do a special manicure for Father's Day, but I couldn't decide on what.  This idea is one that has been floating around in my brain for several months now, and I thought Father's Day was the perfect occasion for which to make it happen.  And for any other "Good Eats" nerds out there... yes, this was inspired by Alton Brown's mixer.  :P

I think it turned out perfect.  :)

This is 2 coats of Deborah Lippmann Stormy Weather, a rich, graphite grey creme, as a base.  I then applied the flames using BundleMonster plate BM12 and Konad Special Polish in red and yellow.  To create the swirled effect in the flames, I first covered the design with the yellow stamping polish and then topped that polish with drops of the red stamping polish and used the pointed end of an orange stick to mix them.  I then scraped the polish and applied the stamp as usual.  

On my ring fingers, I wanted to create an accent nail, so rather than starting with the yellow polish, I first put down the red polish and then topped it with drops of yellow.  I then sealed in the whole thing  with Sally Hansen Insta-Dri topcoat.  

I love this look.  Even Tim, who usually couldn't care less about my manicures, said this one looked "bad ass".  I hope you love this one as much I do, and for any dads reading... I hope you have a fabulous day!

Minnie Mouse Nails

Right before I was getting ready to remove Zoya Layla, I decided to play around with stamping and nail art (this has become a common occurrence for me).  This design was created using the polka-dot stamp from BundleMonster plate BM19.  I used Konad Special Polish in white for the dots.  I then added a black french and a silver glitter, using a glitter striper to hide any unevenness in my line.  To create the black french, I first stamped a french design on my nail using BundleMonster plate B39 and Konad Special Polish in Black.  I then filled in the design of the french, making it solid, using Color Club Where's the Soiree.  It's not a traditional way to create a french, but so much easier than freehanding or using french guides.  

I really wasn't even thinking of Minnie Mouse when I came up with the design.  However, once I completed it, I looked down and that's the first thing that popped in my head.  I think this design is so cute and if I wasn't ready to remove Layla, I probably would have kept it on my nails.

Green Zebra!

Because I can't leave well enough alone, I decided to add a stamped design to my Barielle Date Night mani.  As I had rediscovered my China Glaze Romantiques (again, lost in my previous polish mess.  LOL), I figured I'd use one of them.  But then came the "what design? question.  I stared at my stamping plates without getting any inspiration, and then I remembered this stamped design I did a few years ago, and decided to copy myself.  :P  

 I think I may like this one even more than the inspiration (which has been a favorite of mine since I did it).  This is 2 coats of Date Night topped with ChG Cherish and Konad Special Polish in white and Konad plate m57 for the design.  I love the contrast of the foily, light green against the deep emerald of Date Night. 

Also, I know I used to say it often in the past and then stopped because I stopped stamping, but the polishes in China Glaze Romantique collection are the best polishes for stamping outside of the Konad Special Polishes.  Lately, I've used only Konad Special Polishes, as I find that regular polish has a tendency to be too thin or doesn't adhere as well to the nail.  However, the polishes in the Romantique collection are perfect for stamping, even though I really don't like them to use for a manicure.  I still see the Romantiques on China Glazes website, so they still should be readily available if you are looking for some great polishes for stamping.

All polishes in this post were purchased by me.  The above links link back to posts within this blog and are not affiliate links.  

X Out Inspired Nail Art Project

Recently, I received an email from Gunthy-Renker's PR regarding a nail art project they are hosting for one of their brands, X Out.  X Out is a acne medication specifically for teens, created by the founders of Proactiv.

The idea behind the project is to create an nail art look inspired by X Out's packaging and manifesto.  For every participating blogger in this project, Gunthy-Renker will donate $200 to Pacer's National Bullying Prevention Center.  As soon as I read that, I was more than happy to participate.  <3

To assist with the idea process, X Out sent out a a PR image of their packaging for X Out, as well as their "manifesto"...

When I first saw the PR images, my mind immediately thought of a literal translation to take the letter "X" and words from their packaging, and put them on my  nails.  The only problem is that I kind of stink at freehand nail art and I really don't have any proper supplies for freehand art (my kids steal my brushes).  Thus, I realized I needed to think more outside of the box.

So I re-read the "manifesto" and remembered just what it was like to be a teenager.  I'm 37, which to teens may seem old, but honestly, I feel like I was just there (guess my parents really weren't as ancient as I made them out to be.  :P).  I remembered being pulled in a thousand directions, all-the-while trying to be somewhat cool and get my resume college-ready at the same time.  Now that I have a mortgage and kids and I'm 20 years out of high school, it all seems somewhat simpler than life now, but I definitely remember high school being a stressful time.  I also remember it being fun and a little (lot) crazy.

So I took all of that in to consideration and this is what I came up with...

Using the colors in X Out's packaging and "manifesto", I used Zoya Malia and Zoya Yummy to create a gradient as the base.  This is 2 coats of Malia with 2 coats of Yummy sponged over top.  I then used Konad Special Polish in black to stamp the "stars and arrows" design from BundleMonster plate BM20 over the gradient.  I then added one coat of Deborah Bring on the Bling over the stamp to add a bit of sparkle.  

I really, really loved the final product on this and it has spawned tons of other ideas in my head.  It also got me compliments from the drive-thru girl at Burger King (it makes my day when people ask to see my nails).  :)  

I hope you girls love this one as much as I do.  If you are interested in more information on X Out, please check out their website.  For more information on the Pacer's National Anti-Bullying Prevention center, please click on the link above.  

X Out packaging and manifesto images were provided by Gunthy-Renker's PR.  The links within this post are not affiliate links.

30 Days of Blues for Autism Awareness - Zoya Jo

Welcome to DAY 30 (!) in my "30 Days of Blues".  I care about this cause so much, and this was such a little thing for me to do, but dang if I don't want another color on my nails.  LOL.  

For today's manicure, I went back to probably my favorite brand, Zoya, and picked an untried for me.  This is Zoya Jo...

This is 2 coats of Zoya Jo, a medium, dusty, denim blue shimmer.  I used Nfu Oh 61 and BundleMonster plate BM21 for the bottom stamped design.  I then used Konad White Special Polish and BundleMonster plate B11 for the flower.

I kind of did this out of necessity because the BundleMonster full-nail designs don't completely cover some of my wider nails.  Thus, I applied the flower as a way to mask this.  However, I really love this design.  I'd forgotten just how much I love layering stamped designs.   

Thank you again for reading.  I have appreciated all of your comments and emails.  They have meant so much to me.  I hope you have enjoyed my "30 Days of Blues".  I will be posting a recap post tonight of all 30 of my blue manicures for the month.  I think after this, I will need a week of Pink Detox.  :)

30 Days of Blues for Autism Awareness - Nicole by OPI "Baby" Blue

Today is Day 28 in the "30 Days of Blues"...

This is Nicole by OPI "Baby" Blue, a light blue, as the base color.  I then topped Baby Blue with a coat of Nicole by OPI Rich in Spirit, a silvery-blue foil, on my tips.  I then stamped a design using BundleMonster plate B39 and Konad Black Special Polish.  

Sorry so short today, but I have a gazillion things to do.  Plus, it's one of those rare days where I'm just not feeling very wordy.  

Thank you so much for reading my "30 Days" posts.  Just 2 days left.  As always, you can email me at megan@apolishproblem with any suggestions, questions, or comments.

30 Days of Blues for Autism Awareness - Orly Snowcone

Today is Day 20 in my "30 Days of Blues".  For today's manicure, I had a specific look in mind... a blue/grey with a black Konad design.  Then I struggled with that look for over an hour.  Gave up, and applied an idea I had for later in the month...

This is 2 coats of Orly Snowcone topped with designs from Konad plate m77 using Konad White Special Polish.  

Snowcone is a cornflower blue creme, but you wouldn't know it from these pictures.  No matter how many pictures I took, I couldn't get complete color accuracy.  The bottle color in the first picture is probably the closest to the actual color.  Nevertheless, Snowcone is an amazing blue creme.  It came out with Orly's 2010 Sweet collection and it is still available.  

Thank you all so much for reading my "30 Days of Blues" posts.  I will be posting the Blogger Round Up later today (and it actually may be the early hours of tomorrow), but I will get to it... promise.

30 Days of Blues for Autism Awareness - I love "blue" "cherry" much!

Today is Day 16 in my "30 Days of Blues" for Autism Awareness.  Sorry for the completely corny title of this one.  LOL.

Anyway, for today, I decided I wanted to do another deep blue, but this time, I wanted to punch it up with some lighter and brighter color.  I chose a base of Nina Ultra Pro Sailor and then threw the kitchen sink at it...

I used 2 coats of Nina Ultra Pro Sailor (a rich, navy creme) and then applied a cherry stamp design using the all-over cherry design from BundleMonster plate BM21 and the single cherry design from BundleMonster plate B70 using Konad White Special Polish.  I then used my largest dotting tool and applied Zoya Shelby on a few of the cherries.  Last, but not least, I then added a coat of Deborah Lippmann Bring on the Bling.  

I think this one is so much fun.  Unfortunately, Sailor has been d/c'd, but to my naked eye, it looks to be relatively dupey to RBL Dead Calm and China Glaze First Mate (though I didn't do a direct comparison to First Mate and I blog-sold Dead Calm).  All the other polishes I used are easily obtainable.

Again, I want to thank you all so much for reading my posts during my month of blues for Autism Awareness.  It means so much to me.  As always, if you have questions, comments, or requests, please shoot me an email to megan@apolishproblem.com.

30 Days of Blues for Autism Awareness - Zoya Wednesday

Today is Day 15 in my "30 Days of Blues".  Part me is so happy I am half-way through with my 30 Day challenge.  That part includes my blue-stained nails.  LOL.  And yet another part of me is going to miss it when it's over.  I think even after this month is over, I am still going to have "Blue Mondays" every week.  

Anyway, today's blue is a relatively new addition to my collection.  I reviewed this polish when I reviewed Zoya's summer collection, but 1. because I got some flack for my swatches, and 2. it's just a freaking awesome color, I wanted to re-visit it...

I realize this is another color with which I may be stretching the definition of "blue", but hey... Zoya calls this one aquamarine, and aquamarines are blue stones, so that's good enough for me.  :P

This is 2 coats of Zoya Wednesday that I topped with one coat of Nicole by OPI Make a Comet-ment (a fine, holographic glitter top coat) on my tips.  I also added a stamp below Make a Comet-ment using Konad White Special polish and the floral design from BundleMonster plate BM04. 

Zoya Wednesday is available at Zoya.com and Nicole by OPI Make a Comet-ment is a Target exclusive, but as it's still on Target's website, I'm assuming that it's in the regular line-up and is still available in-store.

30 Days of Blues for Autism Awareness - Sonic Nails

Today is Day 14 in my "30 Days of Blues".  Today, I am cheating a little bit because right now IRL, my nails are naked.  I've had a crazy day and just haven't had a chance to sit down and paint them.  So, for today, I am bringing you one blue manicure that I have yet to post (though I did post on FB and tweet about it)...

Right before I was getting ready to remove OPI Swimsuit... Nailed It!, I decided to play around with stamping and glitter.  I used a Bundle Monster plate (I can look up the plate # if anyone is interested) and Konad White Special Polish and then topped it with OPI Gettin' Miss Piggy with It.  I called these "super-hero nails", but Blake called them "Sonic the Hedgehog" nails, so it kind of stuck.  

Hope you all are enjoying these posts for Autism Awareness.  I will be back tomorrow with a new blue manicure.  

30 Days of Blues for Autism Awareness - Zoya Breezi

Today is Day 12 in my "30 Days of Blues" for Autism Awareness and today's blue polish is Zoya Breezi...

I apologize for only have one photo today.  I've been trying to take more shots of my manicures, including outdoor pictures, but I just wasn't satisfied with any of the pictures I took for today, so I had to go with the one photo that was, in my opinion, relatively decent.

Anyway, Zoya Breezi is a dusty, medium-toned Aegean blue creme.  This polish is from Zoya's Summertime collection from Summer 2011.  It's dustier and deeper than Zoya Robyn.  The formula on Breezi is fantastic.  She was almost a one-coater, but I did 2 because there were a few thin spots.  I just realized that I have used several Zoyas in my "30 Days" posts.  I'm guessing that's because, at some point, Zoya has replaced OPI as my favorite brand.  OPI will always have my favorite pro-wide brush, but I am finding myself constantly impressed with Zoya's formula and their color range.

Zoya Breezi is available for purchase from Zoya's website.  Zoyas retail for $8 a bottle, though I highly recommend that you follow them on Facebook and/or Twitter, as they frequently offer promotions.

And because no manicure is no complete with out something over it, I went with a simply konad design over my tips in Konad Black Special Polish (which streaked on me something awful, despite waiting several minutes for it to dry) using a floral design from Konad plate m51.

Thank you so much for reading my "30 Days of Blues" posts.  I hope to be back posting collection reviews within the next few days, in addition to the blue polish posts.  I had a nasty break on my middle fingernail that I'm trying to grow out just a bit.


Zoya Breezi was sent to me for review

30 Days of Blues for Autism Awareness - Julep Taylor

Welcome to Day 11 in my "30 Days of Blues".  Today, I have for you a blue that, well, isn't really a blue at all... Julep Taylor.

Looks blue in the pictures, right?  Well, in all honesty, it's not blue.  It's a medium-toned periwinkle  creme that is mostly purple with the tiniest of blue.  The color kind of freaked out my camera and I could not get a true color picture of this one.  The top picture is the closest to the real color. 

It's kind of funny because I purchased this one because I wanted a blue periwinkle.  I got it, and it's purple.  Then I take a picture and it comes out blue. LOL.  It's a pretty purple, but I still wish I could find the perfect periwinkle.  Sigh.

Stamp is from Bundle Monster plate BM12 using Konad White Special Polish.

Julep Taylor is available on their website, www.julep.com.  Retail cost is $14 per bottle, though if you are a Julep Maven, you get 20% off and free shipping.

As always, thank you so much for reading and participating in "30 Days of Blues".  If you have any  blue requests/suggestions, please send them my way to megan@apolishproblem.com.  

30 Days of Blues for Autism Awareness - Nina Ultra Pro Out of the Blue

Hi all!  Today is Day 10 in my "30 Days of Blues".  I'm going to keep things short and sweet today (are you saying "thank goodness" LOL) because I have to run a thousand errands this afternoon.

Anyway, today's blue is Nina Ultra Pro Out of the Blue...

I originally purchased this one several years ago because I read it was a dupe to Chanel's Blue Satin.  I had fallen in love with Blue Satin, but I refused to purchase it at $23.  That was back in the day when spending more than $10 on a polish was a completely foreign concept to me.  So, I had read that there were a few dupes of Blue Satin floating around and Out of the Blue was one of them.  I must say, in pictures, it looks quite similar, but that's said without doing a direct comparison.

I had worn this one a few years ago, but today when I put it on, it was much darker and murkier than I remember.  Unless you are in bright light, the shimmer is completely lost in the deep navy base.  This is why I added the gold and silver chains (using ChG Passion and Misa Got to Be Real, respectively, with the chains stamp from Bundle Monster plate BM12) and the little rhinestones.  I was trying to do anything I could to liven this up.  It's still a pretty color, but if you are looking for a navy shimmer, and not just a dupe to Chanel Blue Satin, there are better ones to be found.

Nina Ultra Pro is a discontinued polish, but if you are looking for a Blue Satin dupe, I hear that Rimmel has one (Midnight Blue).

Hope you all are enjoying my "30 Days of Blues" posts.  I greatly appreciate you reading them, as this is an issue that is so near and dear to me.  I'll be back tomorrow with another blue polish.  I swear... after this, I'm going to have to detox with boring pinks.  :P