Sunday, July 15, 2012

Summer Fun: Beach


I love layering polishes. It's such an easy way to create an effect, or expand your pallette.

I really had no idea what to do for this theme. At first I though I'd do nail art. But I didn't know what image/pattern to do, and I only have one brown, and it's not the right brown for a beach.

So I went a little further and thought, "Ocean." I love the ocean, and I love blue polish. A water marble, perhaps?

My forays into watermarble have not really been what I would call successful, however. They turn out okay...but not great. More practice is needed.

I did one marbled accent for this manicure, and layering for the rest. For the marble, I put down a base of Brash "Green Machine" (1 coat) and for the marble I used Maybelline Color Show "Porcelain Party," Sally Hansen Insta-Dri "Blue By," Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure "Calypso Blue," and China Glaze "Dorothy Who?"

On my thumb and pinky, I used a base of "Blue By;" for the ring finger I put down 1 coat of "Green Machine", and on my middle finger I used a single coat of Sally Hansen Chrome Nail Makeup "Aquamarine Chrome" (for those wondering, I added a few drops of nail polish remover to that one, which solved the thick/dry issue completely. It is now the fabulous one-coat polish I remember from high school once more).

On top of each of those, I did one coat of "Calypso Blue."

I love the way the layers came out. Each base brings out something different in the shimmer of Calypso, which is one of my favorite polishes. I LOVE blue nail polish--it is second only to my love of foils.


I know I've been kind of blah this week on the nail art front, but bear with me because I do have something special planned for Fav. Summer memory on Tuesday.

Speaking of which, what is your favorite white nail polish? I need something that's going to be opaque; I'm thinking I might have to resort to acrylic paint, if I have any left from my art school days. Is there such a thing as a good, opaque white?



7 comments:

  1. Amazing marble, it really looks like great big wave...or even a pipeline <3
    Good job!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. I use the same white I have had for probably 20 years for nail art. Doesn't even have a label anymore. This was great.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I love how you water marble turned out. Specially because this is not very easy nail tehnicque. ;)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks. You notice I only did it on one nail! I think it actually looks a bit better in the photo than in real life; you can't see some of the flaws!

      Delete
  4. I like how your water marble came out in a wave shape. Did you try to get that effect? Either way, I love it and the colors are great together. Also, I use a cheap-o polish from Walmart called Pure Ice (Super Star!). If you want a nice opaque base, you have one in two thin coats. I have also used it for dotting and line work and it usually comes out pretty opaque for that too.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I wasn't trying for it, it just kind of happened.

      I love Pure Ice--they make my favorite red and black polishes. I'm kind of sad though, because our walmart has only been carrying their pastel colors lately. None of my bright, shiny favorites.

      Delete