Coral-red-caramel color block ruffian design with striped tips and flowers

Wow! Had no idea what to call or how to concisely describe this mani. I guess I have been going to SEO school too much as that is what it reads like. I wanted to personally use my new Zoya Cashmeres (that I won - thx Zoya NZ). I have used four of the six colours on clients already, but I wanted a turn at it. My next mani will probably be blue based (to celebrate my son coming to visit!!), so I wanted something very non-blue.

The base is a two-tone. I started with one coat OPI Live.Love.Carnaval over the whole nail. This is an absolutely fab summer coral - bright and carefree. My fav from the Brazil collection. I applied a second coat only on the cuticle end and up the one side. Then I applied two coats of Zoya Livingston on the one side, steady Freddy in a line up the middle. Livingston is a good dense red. A tad orange-toned vs blue-toned but still red. Doing your own nails is goofy as you approach your hands at an angle (well, I do) so some of my middle lines are slanted. Funny enough, my right hand looks leveler than my left.

Using Zoya Flynn I created a ruffian on each nail. Two coats here. Flynn is a beautiful shade and very cashmere-y. A camel caramel latte light brown. Definitely opaque in two coats with the red and coral underneath. I can imagine this being a really good year-round base for glitter and nail art. I top coated with Out the Door and started mixing acrylic paints.

The tips were painted using four shades of red, orange, coral and rose pink. I used a long thin striper brush, alternating colours between the nails. I think I started with coral and worked from there. When done I placed some white dots randomly around the tips. I think this would be a good idea for the entire ruffian as well – but I was too lazy to do that and left it with the tips. The tips almost look like sugar spun, kind of. From a distance.

I thought I was finished but the nails needed more, of something. So I painted petals with Livingston and using black acrylics added wisps and lines. In the middle of the flower I applied a dot of China Glaze Blonde Bombshell, a really thick micro gold glitter. Another idea was to apply rhinestones but that would be a waste as I am sure I will redo my mani Sunday night. Another coat of top coat and done. Also, I only did my left hand  and my accent right as time - and patience – was running out.

right hand without accent done but with harvey

This is a very warm soft feeling mani. The caramel shade looks like tanned summer skin and the coral and red together just give a Caribbean vibe.

Thai Manshong blue with hand drawn flowers

Hi girls. Did a new mani! All by my alone, too!  The Mr. decided to go watch rugby and I stayed in the bungalow to do my nails. Ahhhh, perfect evening for both! Rugby is fine, don't get me wrong, but nails were more important!

My old mani was on its 12th day and had finally given up its steam. I did absolutely nothing to them for 12 days, so am pretty impressed at the result. I removed and then did a two coat base of a new Manshong blue.

I intentionally traveled with no polish as I knew I c(w)ould buy here (only brought base and top coat, and one glitter). First base was CG adhesion base coat, then two coats of the blue. A very robin's egg blue. Bright, cheerful. Top photo is outside natural light, bottom indoor. Pretty shiny cream, too. No cuticle clean up as I did not bring brushes with me and my brushes here are for painting only!

Then I set up my acrylics on a very poor low rattan table under some very poor light! I went for Polynesian hibiscus in coral red and yellow. In a "normal" environment I would probably have painted more flowers, but my back started to give out because of the super low table. This is definitely evident on my right hand (below).

Using your non-dominant hand is always "involved" but made worse under poor working conditions. I managed something, though. I top coated with Out the Door, and done! Personally I really like the coral on bright blue combo. Looks happy and island-y. Let's see how long this mani lasts!!

Bye ya'll!

Vibrant vacation mani!!

I have no idea what clothes I am taking but had my mani sorted for days! That said, I ended up changing it up a bit! Now we are getting down to the wire. The Mr is home, bubbles are flowing, housesitter over soon - paradise isn't far away (OK, we live in paradise, but this is the tropical kind). But first.....

I must pay homage to my last starburst mani. Eight (8) days!!!! The pics above are from this morning, eight days in! Still going exceptionally strong. Come on, you can't tell me this is because of the CG base coat.... Whatever it is, I'm hooked. And, am still totally in love with the starburst, so amended my holiday mani.

I have been wanting to wear OPI's Live. Love. Carnaval since I got it - burning a hole in my pocket! But I knew it would make a fav holiday mani so have waited. This is the most beautiful coral shade - truly truly pretty. I applied two coats over a CG Adhesive base. Then I topped with two coats of OPI Pirouette my Whistle (the faintest lightest glitter). And one top coat.

This was my first holiday mani idea. To take me through the first week. But I was so in love with my starbursts that I decided to acrylic in some new flowers. So, out came my paint tubes and brush and I drew more starbursts and dots all over. Randomly.

Then another coat of top coat. Done. Certainly looks like summer to me! This will see me through man first days. In fact, I have now decided to not even take a coloured polish as there are so many in Thailand to buy. I am only traveling with base and top coat, 1 glitter (Pirouette), acetone, alu foil pieces and cotton squares.

right hand

That said, I am also traveling with way more hair product. Since I have invested more time into my curls (Curly Girl method and all that), now I need to take "stuff" with me. So, minimal clothes but lots of girly products. I will be in touch as I go - those who followed me last year will know the drill. It has been a tough year, so looking forward to some relaxation, plain fun, and time together. Ciao girls! Will be in touch!

Essie Resort Fling with sponged yellow tips

There has been a massive amount of nail mail coming through the door lately. I finally received my past Xmas, birthday and M-day gifts as Europe wouldn't allow anyone to send them to me with the post. Had to wait until someone actually flew to my country! So heaps of polish there. Then I invested in two new Essies from CandyGirl as they looked just too good to pass up. Up till now I have not been a fan of Essie. In the meantime, I have read up on them and, well, maybe I got a bad bottle.

This is Resort Fling from their 2014 Resort Fling collection. 'Tis a coral, but has an orange tinge to it. Not pinky coral like Selena from NOPI. A warm coral. Or soft orange. Now I read that Essie goes on streaky but the formula is supposedly so a-m-a-z-i-n-g that it all evens out as it dries. The only bottle I have is their Raise Awareness that gets a lot of use with my little old ladies. And I was never impressed with that.

True to form, the polish applied streaky and looked like it didn't cover. But I waited a tad before applying the second coat and yes! Coverage was absolutely there. A really pretty colour - great for spring and summer.... and holidays! This is two coats of Resort Fling.

I had another idea for this mani as I thought the colour was a jelly = sheerer. I wanted to do a sandwich with flowers, etc. But that did not work out as the second coat totally covered all the flowers! So, I jazzed up the tips a bit by sponging in gradient piCture pOlish Mellow Yellow and CG Foie Gras. From a distance the mani looks great, up close my nails look dirty!!! Ha! Note to self: brown on your tips is not always a safe choice.

This is late in posting as well. Seems I have a massive to-do list. Am trying to stay really positive but things are just crumbling around me it seems. We thought we had an offer in on the business, but that has yet to materialize, all so up-in-the-air. I owe so many notes and eMails, have been applying for jobs, and almost forgot my doctor's appt yesterday! Plan on doing my nails tonight, though. Oh, and packing up a pendant for Hollywood!

Slice of Summer: freehand drawn watermelon tips

Well, I saw this idea somewhere a couple of weeks ago. Now I just spent minutes going through my pinterest boards to see if I pinned it - want to give credit. And, of course, I didn't. Somewhere out there is a similar nail design. Oh well.

Had the idea but was totally totally jazzed that my newest destash polish (from Lisa) came yesterday. I was going to use another coral colour but this is absolutely perfect! Love it! Enchanted Polish Shrimp Cocktail. There is a luscious shimmer to the colour, like velvet almost. I think application would be good but that is hard to judge as I was only painting my tips and you kind of dab and stroke a bit then and there.

I started with two coats of OPI Bubble Bath. This is the perfect nude for me. Then I free hand applied Shrimp Cocktail on my tips. Probably went over twice and tried to get the sides. Sometimes I think I am such a wuss as I am so cautious with the sides as I do not want to touch my skin. But, you can always do clean up! Keep forgetting that. I top coated because the Mr was making dinner and I wanted to help.

Then, using a small dotting tool I applied the rind of the watermelon using piCture pOlish Jealousy. I love this green and between manis and jewelry will be needing another bottle soon! Jealousy is a mesh polish, meaning over-loaded with glitter. I knew I could not do fine lines so am happy that the tip lines are uneven. Rinds are uneven, too. Just used the dotting tool as a brush and connected them across the tips.

Then I used a simple black striper polish and dotted-slashed some seeds around. A generous coat of top coat was on the agenda after this. I showed the Mr and he even guessed "watermelons". Yeah, two points for him!

right hand with broken index :(

Today is "race day" across the road. So loud V8 cars going around in a circle. When it gets too loud across the road people venture over here for a relaxing cuppa. I'm on a cloud anyway today: reached 100 likes on my FB page, sold two pendants at the café, and one on etsy this morning! World domination of hand painted glass necklaces has begun!