Dr.'s Remedy Hot Hot Hot Summer 2011 Collection- ON ME!

You know, I wrote about the Dr.'s Remedy Summer 2011 collection a few days back, but the press release photos just did NOT do these beauties justice! Once I got these in my hands, I couldn't wait to put them on immediately!

Unfortunately, the metallic colors didn't fare so well over the deep color I had on already, so I had to take it all off and start over. Awww, shucks, such a shame... more time playing with my polish! *wink* Don't worry, I ended up with lovely shots of all the colors, and I'll share them all with you after the jump!

Recycling Fun- Making a Set of Funnels for Frankening

Ok, once again I've gotten crafty and creative with some of my recycling. I got super excited after I was done because the finished product worked so well, and after a bubbly tweet, I realized other people might be interested too! (Ok, it was the requests for photos that suggested other people might be interested, but hey... at least I figured it out, right?) So let me share with you the story of how I made two tiny funnels from an empty eye drop bottle!

It all started with frankening, of course. I've mixed colors for as long as I've played with paint in any form. In fact, I made a glitter paint several years ago to use on a pair of red canvas sneakers! Unfortunately, it gets really hard to put glitter into nail polish bottles. Up til now I'd been rolling up paper to make a temporary funnel, but that got messy and annoying. What to do, what to do...

Yes, I know there are mini funnels you can buy, but as you may have noticed? I'm frugal. Exceptionally so, and if I don't absolutely have to buy something, I generally won't. Plus I really do love finding ways to make whatever I want/need. It's sort of the best of both worlds!

So, today I was working on a paper mache art project (more to come on that later!) when I realized that hey, I had an empty eye drops bottle, and hey, that bottle was perfect size to go into a nail polish bottle, and HEY, what if... 

Some of my best projects start with "what if..." So, if you would like to make some tiny funnels, here's what you need!

• An empty eye drops bottle.
  Mine was a generic brand, but as far as I'm aware they're all pretty much the same- flexible sturdy plastic with a tiny tip.
• A coarse file or some sandpaper.I used my 8-step buffing block that came from the Dollar Tree. I've used this thing on SO many projects, and most of them weren't nail-related. Hmm...
• Scissors.This one's fairly self-explanatory. We'll get there in a few minutes.
• An X-acto knife.This may or may not be important. I don't know if it's totally necessary or not, but it's good to have on hand.
• A dotting tool, bamboo skewer, or something else long and thin.Again, I'll explain what this is for farther in.
• Plenty of elbow grease.This could be done using a dremel tool, but I didn't feel like digging it out and plugging it in and having to deal with all that. I used what I had on hand, and so can you!

First, I decided to turn the cap of the bottle into a funnel. I felt fairly sure there wasn't all that much plastic to remove to get things open, so I held the bottle upside down with the cap on and started rubbing it back and forth on the buffing block.

I know it seems like it would take forever, but it really didn't. After maybe two minutes the top of the cap was gone and I had a funnel. Unfortunately, there were little bits of leftover plastic inside the opening, which would be a disaster to try and use.

Top right- outside of funnel
Bottom right- inside of funnel
Click for larger image.

This is where the long skinny utensil comes in handy. I used the large dotting tool to push the shreds out from the inside and fold them over. Then I removed the dotting tool and sanded them away with a few more strokes on the buffing block. This took 4 or 5 different repeats of poke out the shreds, then sand them away. However, once they were gone I was left with a lovely tiny funnel, just perfect for glitter, micas, pigments, or even other polishes!

After finishing the small funnel, I looked at the bottle and wondered if I could make it into a funnel too! I sanded a bit on the bottom of the bottle, but it wasn't responding nearly as well to the buffing block as the cap did.

That's when I pulled out my scissors. I squished¹ the bottle flat and grabbed my scissors. I was expecting to have trouble cutting the plastic (like when I cut a soda bottle to use as a large funnel or a container for organizing stuff), but my scissors cut right through it, taking the very end off in one clean cut. YAY! (Although now I'm looking at the bottle end and thinking how perfect it would be as the base for a hat for one of my paper mache critters... I know, I need help, but this really does keep me sane! Imagine how bad it'd be if I didn't make stuff!!)

Then came the hard part- removing the part of the bottle tip that keeps the eye drops from squirting out in a stream. I had no idea how to do this, but since when has that ever stopped me? I grabbed my dotting tool again and put it through the open end of the bottle and pressed down, forcing the droppy-tip out nicely! What a surprise!

Once the very tip was out, I could see the dropper mechanism inside. Unfortunately, it was part of the tip so I couldn't just pop it out. I grabbed my X-acto knife to try cutting it out without realizing that I could just cut the very end of the dropper off. That would have worked much better than what I did, and it's what I suggest you do if you decide to make some funnels.



Once I got the dropper part out, I was finished with an awesome result: two adorable funnels that only cost me a few minutes of time. They're even easily stored- the cap still screws on to the bottle! I can't wait to use them next time I'm frankening!

Til next time!

¹ Squish: very technical term. Only the best for my readers. 

When does the hurting stop?

See my disclosure statement for more information.

Cracked Up Flowers- a fun floral manicure using crackle polish

I'm an experimenter, and sometimes my experiments turn out a little scary or just downright sad.Today, however, I've got an experiment that I actually like the end result! The best part is that it's super simple!

I do wish I'd used a different base color for this, but overall I still think it turned out really cute. This would be perfect for an accent nail, since placing all the stones does take a bit of time. Still, it's definitely something people can accomplish without a lot of stressful painting!

It's easy enough to create. While I'm going to mention brands, keep in mind you can use any color or brands you like better. I just happened to use what I have and what I like. Use what you have, and what works well for you.

First, I used a base coat. I can't repeat this enough: a good base coat and top coat are the most important part of your manicure. They protect your nails from staining (some, at least) and protect the polish on your nails. If you're going to splurge on something, splurge on top coat! Even the 98 cent Wet n Wild polishes can wear like iron if you use a good base coat and top coat!

... woops, I seem to have landed on a soapbox! How did that happen? Getting back to the manicure, it's simple. It goes like this:

1. Base coat.
2. Background color. Use 2-3 coats, whatever it takes to have a nice, solid background. I used a somewhat dusty metallic pink.
3. Once this is totally dry, I painted China Glaze Broken Hearted (pink) crackle polish in a rough triangle on the top half of my nail. I then used Sally Hansen Vintage Violet (purple) crackle polish on the bottom half trangle. 
4. After the crackle polishes have dried, I used my white Art Deco striper to paint a somewhat thick line separating the two crackles.
5. After everything had dried for a few minutes more, I placed the various rhinestones into place, using my clear topcoat as a glue to keep them in place. These rhinestones came from the Fingrs Flirt package, which I absolutely LOVE!
6. Finally, I added a coat of top coat to seal everything into place and protect everything, and we were done!

Let me know what you think of this one. I think it'd be fun to have pink crackle on my thumb and first two fingers, the accent nail, and then purple crackle on my pinky. Weird, but fun!

Ah well... til next time!

Some polishes were provided by the manufacturers for consideration.

See my disclosure statement for more information.

Nail Art Inspired by Katy Perry's "Last Friday Night" Video

Celebrities often wear the latest trends, and Katy Perry not only follows the nail art trends, she sets them! In her latest video "About Last Night," Katy wears a vibrant, colorful look that's very reminiscent of the 80's. (I can remember wearing colors like those back in the 1980s, and my hair was almost as high as hers!)

Dr's Remedy Nails- Summer 2011

I'm having a horrible time with my email lately. I don't know why, but suddenly lots of emails are ending up in my spam folder that shouldn't be. I'm so glad I started looking through it every few days, although I really don't want to think how many mails I missed that I would have wanted to see...

Thankfully, I found the email from Dr's Remedy Nail Polishes telling me about their new summer collection! These colors are LUSH! The orange is calling my name, and I cannot WAIT to see the blue on my nails. I also have a feeling that I might actually be able to wear the nude pink... we shall see!

The descriptions for the polishes really make me want to try these. Just look for yourself!

* Lovely Lavender: a pale purple with matte depth and charm
* Glee Gold: a shimmer-infused coin of perfection
* Tranquil Tangerine: a bold, but wonderfully wearable, slice of juicy delight
* Bold Baby Blue: an aqua-meets-turquoise take on every boy's favorite color
* Nurture Nude Pink: a delicate, damsel-in-distress barely-there beautiful

Aren't these fab? That lavender looks like it might be one of those almost grey, almost lavender, neutral and lovely colors that's so popular at the moment, and really, do I need to say anything about those shimmers? I'm absolutely bouncing at the idea of getting to try these!!

Dr.’s REMEDY Enriched Nail Polish is DBP, Toluene & Formaldehyde free and is exclusively available for $17 online at www.remedynails.com, or call 877-323-6756.

Images and information were provided by the company for consideration.

See my disclosure statement for more information.

Coming Soon From China Glaze- the Metro Collection!

I'm sure you've heard about the upcoming China Glaze Metro collection. Still, I have to say that I am really looking forward to it!I love the way the colors look all together in the above image! The colors are so rich and yummy! Let's see what's in there!

First off, there's the Downtown collection, a 6 piece box set which includes Skyscraper, Concrete Catwalk, Westside Warrior, Trendsetter, Loft-y Ambitions and Midtown Magic. The polish descriptions sound so interesting!

* Skyscraper: A sparkling, glitter blue reminiscent of the sky over the city.
* Concrete Catwalk: Steel grey crème is amazing for a chic mani.
* Westside Warrior: For the trendsetting woman this camo green crème is to die for.
* Trendsetter: Mustard yellow shimmer translates beautifully from hot dogs to nails.
* Loft-y Ambitions: Burgundy shimmer and cocktail hour – nothing better.
* Midtown Magic: Burgundy base with flecks of gold shimmer captures the latest fashion trend.

Click image for a larger view of the polishes.

Then there's the Uptown collection, a 6 piece box set which includes CG in the City, Urban-Night, Traffic Jam, City Siren, Street Chic and Brownstone. The descriptions make me want to wear these!

* CG in the City: Glittering dusty purple, bronze and silver multi-tonal glitter, perfect for a pop of edge from West side to East side.
* Urban-Night: Exactly what you need for a night on the town – rich purple crème.
* Traffic Jam: Stop traffic with a breathtaking, raspberry pink crème.
* City Siren: The perfect deep, red crème to match any outfit.

* Street Chic: This gorgeous beige crème is the perfect go to shade letting your clothes do the talking.
* Brownstone: Burnt terracotta crème mirrors the quaint townhouses of the city.

Click image for a larger view of the polishes.

This collection looks yummy to me. I'm obviously drawn to the two glitter polishes (Hello, my name is Laynie and I am a glitter addict!), but that olive green is calling my name! The yellow looks interesting for nail art, and I'm just itching to get my hands on  the four middle Uptown polishes! Yea, I think I need to start saving my pennies!

The Metro polishes will be available as box sets of 6 and as individual polishes. China Glaze nail lacquers are free of DBP, toluene, and added formaldehyde, and are available through salons and professional beauty supply stores nationwide. For more information, visit: www.chinaglaze.com or follow China Glaze on Twitter: http://twitter.com/ChinaGlaze.

Til next time!

Images and information were provided by the manufacturer.

See my disclosure statement for more information.

OMFGPonies and Pengins, does it get any better than this?

I have to be honest here. I intended to post this earlier- maybe Saturday morning? I've lost track of time, thanks to the chest cold of doom that's descended upon our home. I've spent too much time hacking and coughing, wondering if I have the energy to cough again. And all this while, the penguin photos have been waiting for me.

It all started with me deciding I had to wear OMFGPonies and see what it looked like on my nails. It was a bit thick to start out with, so I thinned it with a few (maybe 10?) drops of polish thinner, and then it was absolutely dreamy!

Also, I apologize because I'm going to be sharing a few more photos than usual with this one. I'm sort of in love with it!! Also, I gave up on getting video of it, mainly because it would involve spending half an hour outside in weather that feels like it's 115 degrees so that my camera can adjust to the ambient temperature. Otherwise, the lens just fogs up and makes it impossible to take pictures.

One thing I didn't expect with OMFGPonies is the ending finish: it turned out to have a matte texture that really surprised me! It was easily remedied with a coat of Seche Vite, but I would have preferred a glossier finish. Ah well, not a huge deal.

One thing I didn't think about but was obvious in retrospect was the difficulty that occurred during cleanup. Big glitter = messy cleanup. Overall it wasn't too hard to clean up, but I definitely ended up with some glitter spots that made my cuticles look a bit messy.

After wearing OMFGPonies for a day, I realized I wanted some nail art. I don't know what prompted me to make red glitter penguins, but I really like them! Turns out they were simple to do, although they were a bit on the fussy side. Still, even my husband loves these!

While it never occurred to me to wear red glitter penguins, I'm glad I did because they make me giggle every time I see them! I'm also really happy with the positions of their eyes, and everyone who has seen them has commented on that as well!

So- how do you make them? I thought you'd never ask!

Items needed to make OMFGPenguins:

• White nail polish or acrylic paint
  This can be a regular nail polish, a nail art striper polish or even plain white acrylic paint.
  Use whatever you have.
• Nail art brushes
  These are optional, but a smaller brush can be easier to control when trying to make dots and shapes. Again, use what you have.
• Dotting tool, bobby pin, toothpick, etc
  I found using a dotting tool was easier for making the eye dots. It's optional. Use whatever you're comfortable with.
• Black rhinestones, black nail polishI used black rhinestones to create the pupils of the eyes, but you can use whatever you have. Are you sensing a trend here?

 and if you can't follow the how-to because it's upside down, I did a special one just for you!

Keep in mind that you can do lots of expressive things with the eyes. Keep the white parts small and the eyes will be tiny and cute, or make them HUGE and they'll still be adorable! Just look at the different expressions I've given this little guy, just by changing the position and size of the whites and blacks of his eyes!

As always, feel free to show me what you've done if I've inspired you at all. I love sharing with people, and feedback makes me smile for HOURS! :D

Til next time!

EDIT: I cannot believe I forgot to include this image. It's only the first image I edited, and the one I sent to my friends to make them giggle. Yea, I'm forgetful... it's what happens when you get old! Anyway, enjoy!

The penguins have eaten  my brain, it's true!

See my disclosure statement for more information.