Showing posts with label freehand. Show all posts
Showing posts with label freehand. Show all posts

Friday, January 4, 2013

Freehand Snowflakes

Real quick, since I'm writing this at 12:30 am when I have to be up in less than 7 hours;



That's "Ivory Skull" (Sally Hansen) applied with a dotting tool over the gradient I showed you on Monday.

Have a good one!






Friday, November 9, 2012

A Nano Post for NaNo Nails






Inspired by National Novel Writing Month, which has eaten my soul (and all of my free time):

Colors used:
Pure Ice "Touch Me Here" (black)
Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure "Ivory Skull" (white)






I know I've said multiple times that I'm swearing off Sally Hansen, but I found this polish on clearance at Target for $4.88. I've kind of been needing a new white polish, and of the three I've tried, this is my favorite so far. It's a slightly thicker formula than the others, and a little more opaque (I still had to use three coats though). The dry time isn't too bad, either.

Now if you will excuse me, I need to get back to my writing.

Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Fall Fail

Okay, so I lied. I skipped Monday because some real life stuff happened, so now you get a Wednesday post. You can tell, because I forgot to take a picture of this manicure and wore it for a day or two before I managed to get photos. Note the chipping:

For this manicure, I used Sally Hansen "Vivid" for the base and drew little leaves and swirls on it with Essie "Sequined Sash." I think it came out okay, but not great. I would have preferred to use a stamp, but I don't have any fall stamps.


Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Polish & Skully

I've got another Halloween manicure for you today:

Colors used:
Black--Pure Ice "Touch Me Here"
White--Maybelline Color Show "Porcelain Party"
Details--Claire's nail art pen in black
Topcoat--Seche Vite



Enjoy your Wednesday!

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

I'm melllting....

It's time for the first Halloween manicure of the season:

For this I used Brash "Green Machine," and freehanded the conical hats with a Claire's nail art pen.


I love the way it turned out, and Green Machine is the perfect Oz-y witch color.

Friday, October 12, 2012

Pretty in Pink






Are you getting sick of the PSAs? I promise I'll make this one short, since a picture is worth a thousand words.


 

 

P.S. A handful of those thousand words would read something like this: "My great aunt is an amazing woman who has been battling a very rare and aggresive form of breast cancer called Inflamatory Breast Carcenoma, or IBC, since the late 90's. She has a book about her experiences available here." 



Sunday, September 16, 2012

Urk.



I have been a lazy, lazy blogger this week, wearing the same chipped manicure for the past three or four days. I've been either too tired, too busy, or some combination for the two to put together a decent mani. I know the design I want to do next, but I also know that there's a bit of time that will have to be invested in it and I just haven't had it to spare. So in the mean time, here is a quick and easy one I did last week that I got a ton of compliments on:

Colors used:
Sally Hansen Insta-Dri "Lightening"
Maybelline Color Show "Porcelain Party"
Claire's Nail Art Pen in black

This was super simple to do. I used tape to mask of the white area after doing the yellow base, and freehanded the rest. It was very attention getting and everyone loved it. I wore it to a car show to the delight of all.

Happy Monday and hopefully on Wednesday I'll be back with something a little newer.

Monday, September 3, 2012

Arg.


I tried twice, but neither of my attempts at an Ultimate Geek Manicure turned out the way I had them in my head. It turns out that it is harder than expected to replicate fabric in nail polish.

The first time (the manicure that my camera ate) I made my pinky look embroidered, painted quilt blogs on my thumb and ring finger, and attempted to make index and middle fingers appear knitted. It didn't turn out so well. So for the redo, I used a different method of representing the knitting (which just became a blurry mess as soon as I put on my top coat) and thought, "hey, a doticure would be a great way to approximate a colorwork chart!" but it turns out it just looks like a doticure:

So I guess this one falls into the category of "fail."

It's been a lot of fun doing the Geek Challenge with everyone. What do you say we try again next year?

Monday, August 20, 2012

Geek Nail Challenge: Games and Gaming


Well. I kind of fell off the blogging wagon the past couple of weeks, didn't I?

I've been working on several projects lately that are just not polish friendly, even with Seche Vite to speed things up (I'll have more about that on my personal blog in a couple of weeks). In addition, I've been having some nail problems. As I've mentioned before, I've been battling peeling nails all summer. I've tried vitamins, nail treatments, diet changes, everything I can think of. I've had a little bit of improvement, but I think that what they really need is to not be coated in varnish for a while, so I'm giving my nails a couple of days every week where they can breathe. I did find a base coat/treatment that seems to be working pretty well, but I want to give it another week or two before I talk about it, just to make sure it works in the long run. Hopefully, I can kick this soon. I miss my long nails!

This week's manicure is actually a redux of my very first nail art, the one that sent everything else downhill. Back then I was just fooling around with polishes and pens, I had a very limited pallet, and the idea of not flooding my cuticles was a foreign concept, but I had so much fun doing it and even though the white wasn't nearly as opaque as I wanted (that was about thirty layers with a Claire's Nail Art Pen, by the way), I was very pleased with it.

Colors Used:
White: Maybelline Color Show "Porcelain Party"
Yellow: Sally Hansen Insta-Dri "Lightening"
Blue: Sally Hansen Insta-Dri "Blue By"
Green: Sally Hansen Insta-Dri "Just in Lime"
Black: Claire's Nail Art Pen
Red: Pure Ice "Siren"

I started playing Mario when I was eight or ten on a black and white gameboy pocket that belonged to a friend, and have been hooked ever since. It is still not only my favorite game, but one of the few I actually play (other than Arctic Thunder, Mortal Kombat, and Twisted Metal). I actually have a collection of the candy tins you see around gaming stores and Hot Topic, but they are at my parent's house currently, since shelf space is at a premium in our place.
Can I just say that you ladies do awesome work? I am continually floored by the designs I've been seeing as part of this challenge. If you haven't yet, check out some of them below.




Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Geek Nail Challenge: TV and Movies


You know when you get really excited about doing something, and then when the time comes to do it you just draw a complete and total blank?

That was me this week.

Now don't get me wrong, I love all sorts of geeky shows and films--Joss Whedon can do no wrong in this house, and I love the comic book movies being made. When I manage to catch Big Bang Theory in the break room at work, it makes my day. But I just couldn't find a theme that felt right.

And then I had a Duh moment.

Because really, can you get any geekier than spaceships and Klingons?
I decided to go original Star Trek on this one, even though "my" Trek is actually Next Generation. I remember being in about third or fourth grade, sitting on the floor of our living room with my mom on the couch, both of us working on crochet projects during a cold, wet Ohio winter that made outside extremely unpleasant.
I am inordinately pleased with the way this came out. My roommate just rolled her eyes. I can't wait to show this off to a friend at work (who works at StarBase Columbus) and will properly appreciate it.

Colors used:
Red: Pure Ice "Siren"
Yellow: Sally Hansen Insta-Dri "lightening"
Blue: Essie "Smooth Sailing"
Black: Claire's Nail art pen
Topcoat: Seche Vite

Wondering why McCoy and Spock are wearing glitter? Mostly, it's because I can't find my go-to blue at the moment. But also, this is closer to the actual color of the costumes. And who doesn't get a giggle out of the idea of the two of them wearing glitter?

Yellow is Kirk, obviously.

Wondering who the Redshirts are?

Does it really matter? They won't be around for very long, anyway.

Live long and polish.




Friday, August 10, 2012

Banananananana

BATMAN!

I had to do two. You know this, right?

I decided to go a little more subtle for this one:

I painted each nail black (Pure Ice "Touch me Here"), then sponged on a combination of black, purple (Wet n Wild "On a Trip"), silver (Wet n Wild "Metalica", and white (Maybelline Color Show "Porcelain Party").

For the Bat signal, I used Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear "Night Lights" with a couple drops of "Porcelain Party" added for opacity, and drew it on with a toothpick. Once it was dry, I did add a thin layer of glow in the dark acrylic paint, just where the grey is (note to self: top coat keeps glow in the dark paint from charging/glowing).





Monday, August 6, 2012

Geek Nail Challenge: Commence!




Yay! Today is the first day of the Geek Nail Challenge, which is all about comics and manga!

I was super excited about this one, since I've had this particular manicure in my head for a while.

Sailor Moon!

Sadly, my execution did not live up to my expectations (entirely my own fault and not that of the polish).

For those not in the know, those are the symbols/colors that represent each of the Sailor Scouts--the Inner Seishi, at least (5 main characters).

And because you know I love my theme songs, even if they get butchered in translation:



Sailor Moon was my first anime. I remember being five or six and sneaking into the living room at 6:30 in the morning on Saturdays to watch it while my parents were asleep. I had to be really quiet because my mom was a light sleeper and she hated Sailor Moon--still does. She thought Usagi--or Serena, as I knew her then--was a poor role model for young girls because she cried all the time. I disagree, especially since I'm kind of a crybaby myself, even now.

Please note the rating in the corner of the screen. For those unfamiliar with American TV ratings, "Y7" means that is considered appropriate for "Youths 7 and older".

*Cough* Obviously, a LOT got cut when SM made it's way here from Japan. Namely an entire season.

And how exciting is it that the manga is being released in the US, AND there's a reboot of the anime in the works? I'm totally pumped about this.


Colors used:
Pure Ice "Touch Me Here" (black)
Sally Hansen Insta-dri "Lightening" (yellow), "Blue By" (Blue), and "Just in Lime" (Green)
Sally Hansen Hard as Nails Xtreme wear "Sun Kissed" (orange)
Pure Ice "Siren" (red)

I was sort of hard on my nails after doing this mani, and the color started to chip before I got to take pictures. While I'm happy with the way my left hand turned out (mostly), My right hand looks like crap. I can't draw with my left hand, at all.

I'll try to do another manga/comic mani for later this week--hopefully with better luck!


Wednesday, August 1, 2012

Abstract



Just a simple abstract pattern to try out my new colors.

Colors:
Finger Paints "Tiffany Imposter"
Sally Girl pink
Wet n Wild "Metalica"

Happy humpday.

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Summer Fun: Sea Creatures


It took me a while to figure out what I wanted to do for this one, since I'm not much for sea life (partially because I live in Ohio). But, as a cancer, I have an affinity for the crab.

Colors used:
Blue: Sally Hansen Insta-Dri "Blue By"
White: Maybelline Color Show "Porcelain Party"
Orange: Sally Hansen Hard as Nails Xtreme Wear "Sun Kissed"
Brown: S•X•Y "Dreamy Cocoa"
Green: Sally Hansen Insta-Dri "Just in Lime"
Black: Claire's Nail Art Pen
Red: Sally Hansen Diamond Strength "Diamonds and Rubies"
Topcoat: Seche Vite

For the background, I sponged on a 3/1 mix of the white and blue. The rest is all bottle colors. I used a toothpick to add the bubbles. Everything else is freehand. Start to finish, this took about an hour and a half, mainly because my base color was a quickdry, and that saved a lot of time.

Unfortunately, the weather is pretty crummy today, which is throwing off my lighting. I had to tweak some of these shots a little just to get the details to show up. The crabs are much easier to see in real life.

---

Are you looking for something to do after the Summer Fun Challenge is over? Why not join me in the first ever Girl on a Shoestring Challenge?


Week 1: Comics and Animation
My Little Pony? Naruto? Batman? What tickles your geeky bone?

Week 2: Television and Movies
From the Lord of the Rings to Big Bang Theory, celebrate the nerdy side of Hollywood.

Week 3: Games and Gaming
It doesn't matter if you prefer Alice or D&D, or if Trivial Pursuit is more your speed. It's all about having fun!

Week 4: Ultimate Geek
We all have things we love--books, movies, games--but what is it that makes you a geek? Are you a math nerd? A science geek? Or are you just a fan of other geeks? (P.S. Nail polish is chemistry. Chemistry is science. It totally counts for geekdom!)

Since each week has a theme, you can post one manicure on Monday (or Friday, or whenever is convenient) or, if you're like me and having trouble choosing just one thing, you can post seven manicures (one every day!) if that floats your boat.

If you'd like to take part, please leave a comment below with a way I can contact you with the InLinks link.

I'm excited, how about you?



Friday, July 20, 2012

Summer Fun: Tropical Drinks



I'm a little late on this one. I didn't know what to do for a summer drink at first, mainly because I don't drink and I don't get the whole drinking for relaxation and socialization thing. I'll occasionally do a virgin strawberry daiquiri, but that's about it.

I do love my fancy drinks, though. It's just that I tend to go more for the kid-friendly side of the spectrum: smoothies, flavored teas and lemonades, and my favorites: Milkshakes.

Now I don't do plain old vanilla or chocolate, oh no. I like things like mint chocolate chip, or my favorite, banana-chocolate. I already did mint chocolate for this challenge though, and brown and yellow are really not my colors. So I went with my second favorite flavor: strawberry chocolate

For my base color, I used Essie "Exotic Liras," and while it was a great pink, it was a little too bright to invoke the color of a strawberry milkshake. So I put a coat of my least favorite polish over top: Cover Girl Continuous color 3 in 1 "Rose Quartz."

I've had this polish for years, and I've used it maybe once. It's a super pale pink in the bottle, with almost no color whatsoever on the nail. It's heavy on the shimmer, not so much in the opacity. This was a color that I bought back when I wasn't allowed to wear bright colors on my nails, and I hated it from the get go. Not because there's anything wrong with the formula itself, but because I couldn't stand the color on me. Even four coats isn't enough to make it opaque.

But it was just right to make "Exotic Liras" go from come-at-you bright to frosty and ice-creamy.

I don't think I've ever layered this color before, and I'm glad I did. It's given me a new appreciation for it. Even the polishes I least like in my collection have a place, if used correctly. Like "Plum Paradise" and my glitters, I think that this is a color best suited to layering, rather than trying to use it all by it's lonesome. It's a codependent sort of polish, and that needs to be addressed in order to use it to best effect.

I freehanded the swirl pattern using S•X•Y "Dreamy Cocoa" and a toothpick (really wishing I had a set of stamping plates right now!). And of course, I topped it all off with Seche Vite.



Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Heroes vs Villains #1: Mystique

So I'm sure that by now everyone has heard of the Heroes vs Villains challenge Nailasaurus posted about yesterday. As soon as I saw that post, I had to take part.

Week 1 is Marvel themed. When I was a kid, one of my favorite cartoons was X-Men, so for this one I picked two of my favorite characters from that world.

I started with my usual prep work* ( Natural Nail Growth Activator and Diamond Strength Instant Nail hardener), with one addition. My cuticles have been driving me nuts for the last few weeks, so I broke down and got something to help treat them. Target didn't have a lot of options, though, so I went with the Maximum Growth Cuticle Pen. I've only used it once so far, but I'll let you know how I like it once I've had it a little longer.

For the base of the nails, I did my pinky, middle, and thumb with Insta-Dri in Blue By! (1 coat), and my ring and index fingers in Hard as Nails Xtreme wear #300 White On (2 coats). On my ring fingers, I used a watermarble technique to illustrate her transformative power. It was my first time trying it, and while it didn't come out the way I wanted I still think it's pretty cool. Clean up is a bitch, though.



The eyes are the tiniest dabs of Hard as Nails Xtreme Wear in Mellow Yellow, Mystique's hair is a coat of Pure Ice "Siren" over a coat of White On, since I forgot to mask that bit off at the start. I just used Scotch tape cut to size for the masking. For the details on her dress, I used a Claire's Nail Design Pen (black). I finished everything off with a coat of my Diamond Strength clear coat (two, on the index fingers. The nail pens don't have a lot of staying power, even with a top coat).

I really loved the Insta-Dri polish. This was my first time using it and I really like the way it came out. It was a great, fast drying, single coat polish, and it was exactly the right shade for what I wanted to do.

Overall, I'm pleased with this manicure, but I wish I'd been able to come up with two more designs to replace the stripes with. I might still change out the pinkies once my brain isn't fried from being at work all day.

*All of the products I used for this manicure are by Sally Hansen, except for the Pure Ice "Siren."