Nail Art Samples... I couldn't make up my mind!

Last night was frustrating. I wanted to do my nails, but I couldn't decide what I wanted to do. Even a quick look-through of my inspirations folder did nothing for me. I started three designs and gave up on all of them because my nails just weren't cooperating. Then Magic_Maid inspired me with a comment about trying a sponged gradient. She's nervous about doing it, so I thought this would be a perfect time to try making my first tutorial.

I will be, as well, except that as soon as I finished taking the pictures of the finished tests, I was so sleepy that I crashed hard. At the moment, all I have are sample pics, but I think they have value on their own, so this will be the preliminary to the tutorial. When you want to do something, do a test first!

That first image is the first design I fiddled with. It's got potential, but I'm not terribly thrilled with it. I'll think about it for a while, let it kick around in my mind. Next, I tried doing a gradient without using the sponges. That would be the pic to the left of this paragraph. It's definitely interesting, and I may keep this method in mind if I want to do firey nails anytime soon. But as for this as a gradient? I'm not sure about it...

The colors are still fairly linear- you can see a band of red, a band of orange, and then a band of yellow. This just isn't what I want. I want a smooth transition from bright yellow down to sparkly red. So, I grabbed my makup sponge and did test #2.

See the difference? This one is smoother through the colors, although it's still heavy on the red. But I think I'm getting closer to what I wanted. Tomorrow will be a test of not only sponging this style/gradient but also of cleanup. I don't want to have to spend hours cleaning my cuticles of sponged polish.

So, I'll have someone take pictures for me while I paint my nails in this pattern, and hopefully soon I'll have my first tutorial up. I've been writing tutorials for years for various techniques and procedures, so this should be a lot of fun for me. Hopefully it will be useful for you, as well!

Until next time!
   <3 Laynie

PS: Please fill out my little survey, if you haven't already. If nothing else, it lets me know what people enjoy, and what people could do without. I'm enjoying everything, but I also want to be read. For those who have filled it out, thank you thank you thank you! :D

Some polishes were provided by the companies' PR for evaluation.
See my disclosure statement for more information. 

Quick Layniefingers Post- Share Your Opinions!

I've been having so much fun writing here, but now I want to see what you're enjoying. Or, you know, not enjoying. So I've put together a few questions that I'd really like you to answer. It will only take a few minutes, and it will not only make me happy, it could make the blog even more fun for you to read!

Thanks in advance!
      <3 Laynie

Simple Storage for Tiny Nail Art Supplies

Let's be honest- if you're into doing nail art at home, you've probably got a bunch of supplies that you're not quite sure how to store. There are hundreds (if not thousands) of conversations all over the web about how people store their nail art items, brushes and polishes, striping tape and rhinestones. Many  people use a carousel or a rhinestone case to store their rhinestones and other tiny decorative items. The problem is that these can be hard to find locally, and expensive to buy online once you pay for shipping.

I ran into this problem with my order from Viva la Nails. They have so many fun things for your nails, but they come packaged in tiny bags. This is great, because it's a low cost way to package the items, and those low prices get passed on to you when you buy. However, trying to use the items from their little baggies is a pain in the butt! What to do, what to do...

Well, I found a cheap solution that works like a dream. I was shopping in Walgreens yesterday when I saw it- a medicine organizer! Most of the time these are fairly expensive, but Walgreens has simple translucent seven-compartment pill organizers for $0.99! I think it's perfect for the job because the compartments close securely, are transparent, and are the perfect size. I don't have to worry about them popping open and spilling tiny bits everywhere, and I was even able to label the back with where they came from!

To label the back, I cut the label away from one of the small bags and used clear tape to affix it to the back of the pill organizer. This way, I don't have to rely on memory to know where the goodies came from! I can easily open one compartment, use a picker to grab a single rhinestone or whatever, without having to worry about things sticking to the adhesive strip on the baggie or spilling it everywhere. I love my little organizer, and it's totally worth the $0.99 I paid for it!

What about you? How do you store your tiny bits for nail art? Leave me a comment, I love learning new ways to do things!

Nail art supplies were provided by Viva la Nails for evaluation.
See my disclosure statement for more information. 

Nail Art Take Two- A Simple Design Using Sinful Colors Dream On

Yesterday I showed a very simple nail art design using Sinful Colors' Dream On, a warm fluorescent purple polish. Because I paired it with silver, the overall effect was very cool-toned. However, by swapping the silver for gold I can make the same polish look warm and rich. It's fun!

Just like yesterday, I used my base coat and then two coats of Dream On. But instead of silver, I wanted to try a warmer look. I grabbed a gold Sally Hansen Nail Art Pen, thinking it would complement the purple nicely. (That's color theory for you... but that's a completely new topic all together!)

I'd learned something about these pens yesterday. They don't contain traditional nail polish, which makes using them a bit different. The key to using these is to let the base polish dry thoroughly- if they're tacky at all, the pens won't slide over the polish. Instead, they catch and basically put dots and dents into the polish, which is the opposite of what I was going for. However, once the base polish is dry, they slide across the nail leaving a beautiful line of solid color.

I drew a diagonal line across my nails from one corner of my free edge to the opposite "corner" at my cuticle. That alone took a bit of effort, since I was working with my left hand! But patience is key, and I was able to sketch out a basically-straight line eventually. I then slowly filled in each bottom half, leaving a solid gold portion on each nail. The pen did get kind of dry periodically, but I would press the nib into the pen again (like when you first start using it) to get the paint flowing again.

Because of the way the gold goes on it gets a dimensional look, almost like gold leaf. It's absolutely gorgeous. At that point, I thought about several options- stamping on top, maybe drawing flowers on the purple side. But the more I looked at it, the more I liked the simplicity of the purple and the gold together. I finally decided to add three dots of gold in the far purple corner as a simple accent. This way there was something to connect the two visually, but not enough to totally overwhelm the design. A coat of topcoat and this look was done!

As you can see, this is a very simple look that completely changed the overall tone of the Dream On. With the gold, it seems warmer, richer. It was a lot of fun to hold my hands side by side and compare the looks, too! I had to put the two side-by-side so that you could compare them as well... isn't the difference cool?

So, what do you think? Do you prefer the wintery silver accents or the summery gold? Do you think you'll be experimenting with color combinations in the future? If you do, leave me a comment, I'd love to see what you do!

Nail art pens were provided by PR for evaluation.
See my disclosure statement for more information. 

Purple Filigree Nail Art- Two Ways To Wear Sinful Colors Dream On

I have to be honest for a minute here... I don't usually think about the different ways polishes can be worn, and how that changes the way they look. The nail art you use on top of a nail polish can actually make the color look totally different! As an example of this, I've got two looks to show you over the next couple of days using Sinful Colors' Dream On.

By itself, Dream On is a fabulous neon purple, warm and rich color that's so intense it gives full coverage with just one coat. (This means it's an absolute dream to stamp with, too!) I did two coats because I'm not the neatest when it comes to application. It dried in no time, as neons do, to a very matte, almost plastic-looking finish. It's an interesting look, but I wasn't ready to stop there.

I'd received a wonderful package of Nail Art Pens to evaluate from the folks at Sally Hansen, and I thought this was absolutely the perfect time to test them out. I used two different metallic pens, one on each hand. I chose silver for my left hand, and thoughtfully doodled gentle swirls and dots to create a filigree effect. The Sally Hansen Nail Art Pens are really good for this if you happen to make a mistake, since they wipe off easily without affecting the base polish. I wiped off several nails' worth of mistakes! Finally I had a filigree pattern I was happy with, but I realized I wasn't finished yet.

I decided to pull out the package of nail art goodies I got from Viva la Nails to see if there was anything that would happen to work with these colors. Sure enough, there was a package of tiny blue faceted rhinestones that I felt would accentuate the swirls perfectly.

I pulled out my topcoat and dabbed a tiny bit onto a spot, then used a manicure stick to pick up a single stone and press it into the sticky spot. I made sure to apply a good bit of pressure to ensure a good bond between the stone and the polish. Then I started the process again, continuing until I had three stones per nail in varying positions. I feel like this created a fun, whimsical effect to the design that really made me smile. This would also work with clear diamond-like stones, or with silver studs. I'd LOVE to do it again with silver studs!

A final coat of topcoat on top finished things off. I really like the look of this, and it cooled off the warm tones of Dream On significantly. I used the gold nail art pen on my right hand in a totally different pattern, and you'll get to see that one tomorrow. It's been fun to see the two contrasting patterns and to see how different they look side by side.

One problem with this look, though, is that my son's school called today to have us come pick him up early. This means I had to go to my son's school wearing my totally different nails, sign him out, and let everyone see my totally different designs on both hands! Honestly, I don't think anyone noticed, but I was definitely self-conscious about it! I get silly about the weirdest things!

So the next time you look at your polishes with an intent to do some nail art, think about the different ways you could combine things to create a whole new look. Keep an open mind, be willing to experiment, and most of all have fun! It's nail polish, after all... it's supposed to be fun!

Nail art pens were provided by PR for evaluation.
See my disclosure statement for more information. 

Simple Nail Art Using Stuff In My Purse

Have I ever mentioned that I have a short attention span? Not all the time... sometimes I can sit and focus on one thing for hours at a time. But I like to be doodling at the same time, either sketching on paper or sometimes on my jeans or my shoes. Last night it just happened to be my nails I was doodling on.

I'd gotten some nail art pens to play with, and so right before I was ready to walk out the door, I decided to throw on a coat of silver nail polish using my Sally Hansen Color Quick Chrome in Silver. These pens are sort of strange at first, but I quickly got the hang of it. It's important to get enough polish into the brush. Otherwise, you end up with lots of problems with the polish drying in the brush and smearing the polish on your nails. Not pretty, but easily enough avoided. When you first open your pen, be sure to shake the heck out of it while it's closed, then click the top 5-6 times, until the polish is flowing nicely. When things get dry, click again for more polish.

It's a very sweet system, and in less than 10 minutes my nails were polished and dry! I even added some gold polka dots on top using the Sally Hansen Nail Art Pen in Gold. So, so easy, and kind of cute. I was very impressed, and ready to go in no time flat.

My family and I had gone to play cards, and I quickly felt like doodling. Before long I'd pulled out my Bic Wite-Out correction pen and started adding more dots to my nails. This was high-tech stuff, kids! It was interesting, but not enough... So then I grabbed my black Pilot G2 to add more dots and circles. This was it, and I absolutely loved the end result! I was scared it would smear, so I photo'd it without benefit of a topcoat. But surprise, surprise, it lasted just fine with the topcoat! Who knew?

This look could also be dressed up with some rhinestones or small flat-backed pearls. You could add one or two randomly to each nail or you could add several stones to one nail as an accent nail. You could even put chunky glitter on over this, although that might be a bit much!

So, today's lesson is that anything you find can be fair game for nail art. Don't be afraid to experiment with what you have on hand. You don't have to use fancy, expensive polishes and nail art tools. Sometimes the simplest things work too!

Nail art & polish pens were provided by PR for evaluation.
See my disclosure statement for more information.

My First Attempt at Nail Decals, or Hi, I'm In 6th Grade!

Ok, so it's no secret that I like to experiment. Well, unfortunately I've seen all sorts of fabulous manicures that incorporate nail decals, but no real tips and tricks as to how to do them well. I think I need those tips and tricks. Let's look at the damage, shall we?

The good news is that it's not horrible, totally. It's just a bit much. I used decals from the Little Fing'rs Girlie Nails Nail Art Variety Pack, the one with cheerleading decals, various animals, and these cute punkish skulls and hearts. I absolutely love them on the sheet, but I think I went a bit overboard with them.

I was hoping to add a touch of whimsy to my Deborah Lippmann Between the Sheets manicure. What I ended up with was more like a 12 year old girl putting Lisa Frank stickers on everything she owns. It's not bad, exactly, it's just not what I was hoping for.

Now, that being said, I have to admit that I love these decals. The little skulls and crossbones are so, so cute, and I adore the bit of iridescent glitter in the white middle of the bigger hearts. So CUTE!! And even if this was a bit over the top, well sometimes you simply need to go over the top with your manicure!

I learned some important lessons while working on this manicure, as well. First off, it's very, very important to make sure the edges of the stickers are away from the edges of your nails. If you don't, then those edges just might stick WAY THE HECK UP, and refuse to stick once you get your topcoat on. Then they will catch on absolutely everything until you've lost your mind, pulled the sticker off, and totally redone that nail.

Also unfortunate- stickers don't remove with nail polish remover. Instead, the nail polish remover will remove the polish all around the edge, letting the edge of the sticker come down enough to make a seal all around it, so that you then have a small raised sticker on your nail that refuses to come off, no matter how much acetone you throw at it. Those of you with some sense might be able to figure out a way to get that sticker off your nail without causing damage.

I, however, am not that sense-bearing person. I ended up scraping the sticker and the remaining polish off in one solid chip that left very angry, flaky, awful place on my pinkie nail. I then wanted to call a do over so that I could try again without being stupid. But it's life, and it's just nails, right?

When I took the rest of this manicure off, I did it in stages. I took off the clear topcoat just until I could see the sticker raised above the surface of my nail. Then, I used my pinkie nails to scrape the stickers off, and once they were gone I removed the rest of my polish. It took me an hour and twenty minutes to do this, and I am positive there's got to be a better way. I just haven't figured it out yet.

So, those of you who use nail decals... what did I do wrong? Is removing these little bundles of adorableness really that annoying? Is there an easier way to accomplish this? Help me, because right now I'm ready to never use a decal again!!

Polish was provided by PR for evaluation.
See my disclosure statement for more information.