Pink Ivy- Stamping with Milani

I got the chance to do a really fun manicure recently, and I loved it so much I kept it for a full week! It was hard to photograph, but I think I got a pretty decent representation of it. You'll have to let me know what you think, and if you'd wear this!

Since summer is here, I was feeling the urge for some bright colors. I also wanted to dig into some of my older polishes, so without much hesitation I pulled out Wicked Style from the China Glaze Electropop collection. I know, I wish I had multiple backups of these polishes, they're definite staples in my collection!

Then, to add a bit of whimsy and to use one of my semi-new stamping plates, I stamped a pretty floral pattern from the Pueen plate #33 using White Milani polish. This worked beautifully, as you can tell! And of course, since I'm me, I had to add a bit of sparkle to things. A single coat of Essence Colour and Go in Space Queen finished things off beautifully!

All in all, this was a fun, bright manicure that made me smile lots. There's something about having my nails done that just makes my day seem a bit brighter!

What colors are you finding yourself drawn to this summer? Are you feeling hot in pastels, or are neons singing your name? Leave me a comment and let me know what you're loving this summer!

Some polishes were provided by the brands for consideration.

See my disclosure statement for more information.

Shark Week - a Layniefingers animated tutorial

Hi everyone! Since it was Shark Week, I felt the urge to do something whimsical and maybe a bit on the gory side. Enjoy this quick animated tutorial I put together for you!

Sharks scare me. I'd rather swim in a pool...

See my disclosure statement for more information.

New Animated Nail Art Tutorial- Tropical Garden

Oops. I completely forgot to share my latest animated tutorial from YouTube. I'm starting a series of these, since people seem to be enjoying them. They're fast and easy to follow, and fun for times I haven't got something more complex recorded.

So tell me what your feelings are on these animated tutorials: Do you like them? Would you like to see more? Do they need music or a voice-over? Tell me what else you'd like to see!

Some polishes were provided by Jessica Cosmetics. I used them because they're gorgeous!

See my disclosure statement for more information.

Martini Summer- A Simple But Striking Nail Art Design

I'm not quite sure how I came up with this one. I wanted something with varying sizes of dots, and then I remembered the hole reinforcements I used to use in grade school. They weren't that great for their purpose, but they might be just what I needed for this look.

I dug through my polish boxes trying to decide what colors to use, and somehow picked out these four colors. I wasn't sure they'd work together, but I was willing to give it a try. I think it turned out nicely...

And since I didn't film a video of this experimentation, I put together an animated gif showing how I did this. The background is a bit backwards, because instead of painting a white nail and adding yellow dots, I did the opposite- I painted the nail yellow, then added my reinforcements and painted around the outside of them. Everything else was pretty straightforward.

Hope you enjoy it!

I so love lime green!

See my disclosure statement for more information.

Building a Design on a Background

Yesterday I posted photos of a nail design that was in progress. I could have happily worn that design on its own, but I wanted to add another design element to it. I decided to go with a tropical theme and add some big flowers.

I worked on two nails this time, one with a pastel gradient and one with the white pinstripes over the pastel gradient. I used creme polishes in bright pink and orange for the large flowers, and then added smaller flowers in a light dusty blue. I used deeper tones of pink and orange to add a bit of dimension to the flower centers, then used tiny white dots to help tie everything together. I also added leaves in a couple of shades of green to help fill in blank space. I did same thing to the nail with the white pinstripes.

Comparing the two, I think the nail with the pinstripes is a bit more finished-looking. I'm not sure why, but I feel like the white lines somehow add more of a unified feel to the design. That's always a good thing, right?

Now I find I'm wanting to experiment with another floral design, this time all in pale pastels. What's wrong with me?? *laughs*

I'll leave you with more photos of the pretty...

Some polishes were provided by the brand for consideration.

See my disclosure statement for more information.

Summer Messy Bun- tutorial?

Today's post is short and sweet. While I was in Gainesville, I wanted to put my hair up but still have it look cute. After a bit of fiddling, I came up with this messy side bun. It was simple and took all of 10 minutes to create, and I really liked the end result!

Since everyone was asleep, I didn't bother trying to film a tutorial for this one. However, if you're interested in seeing how to create a side bun like this, leave me a comment. It's super easy, and perfect for these 100+ degree days we've been having!

Til next time!

In summer, I often think about shaving my head!

See my disclosure statement for more information.

Win a Beach Bag FULL of Awesome Kiss Supplies!

Wow!! I just saw this amazing summer giveaway that might make me hate summer just a little bit less! It's doubly awesome because I love Kiss products!

Kiss Products, the leader in artificial nail technology, has teamed up with lovemyshoes.com for a “Step into Summer” Sweepstakes.  Each winner will receive the colorful beach bag shown above, a Kiss branded beach towel, an assortment of Kiss toenail and at-home pedicure tools, plus a pair of Havaiana Sandals from lovemyshoes.com.

                To Enter:

•       Entrants must “Like” the Kiss Nails facebook page, submit name, address & email to the contest form (click on image)

•       Facebook fans will have 4 chances to enter on 6/21, 6/28, 7/5 & 7/12 only.  One winner will be selected from each day’s entries using a third party random draw service.

To enter, visit:   Facebook.com/kissnails  & click on “Kiss Freebies”   

Til next time!

Information and photo were provided by KISS.

See my disclosure statement for more information.