Star Bright - Reverse Stamped Glow in the Dark Stars

Star Bright - Reverse Stamped Glow in the Dark Stars

31DC2014 black glow in the dark indie polish neon reverse stamping serum no. 5 stamping vivid lacquer white

We're almost at the end of the 31 Day Challenge! Today's prompt is "inspired by a tutorial" and I took the opportunity to try reverse stamping, a technique I've never tried before. I always like the results other people get from it, and the Challenge is all about pushing yourself, so advanced stamping seemed like the way to go. I did struggle, but the finished product doesn't look too shabby! I used this tutorial from Drama Queen Nails for my guidance.

Nail polishes used:
Formula X Dark Matter
OPI Angel With a Leadfoot
Serum No. 5 I Gleam In Pink
Serum No. 5 Solar Power
Serum No. 5 Orange You Sunny
Serum No. 5 Ultra Violet
Serum No. 5 Indi-glo
Vivid Lacquer plate VL002

If you wanna try out this technique, be sure to visit Drama Queen Nails for her tutorial. The basic gist of it is that you create your own decals by stamping and painting on a plastic bag or a piece of wax paper. You peel the "decals" off, flip them over, and stick them on your nails.

I used five of the Serum No. 5 neon glows for this look, and it was AWESOME in the dark. Tiny little glowing stars, floating around. I love that they glow different colors, too.

Check out the other tutorials I've tried in the past:

• Cutie owl half moons
• Candy mermaid scales
• Floral pond manicure

Raava and Vaatu - The Legend of Korra Nail Art

Raava and Vaatu - The Legend of Korra Nail Art

31DC2014 china glaze favorite freehand michael kors misa nail art polish my life pop culture television

It's day two of my Avatar double feature! Yesterday I shared my flag nail art inspired by the nations in the Avatar universe, today I have some supernatural nail art inspired by Raava and Vaatu, the spirits of good and evil, from The Legend of Korra. I painted their markings on my middle nails, and then added their matching tail ribbons on the outer nails.

Nail polishes used:
Polish My Life Stripped
China Glaze Too Yacht to Handle
Michael Kors Impulse
American Apparel Hassid
Polish My Life Don't Snap My Dragon
Misa Peach Passion

These nails were painted freehand. The pattern was pretty fun to paint, actually! I'm not sure what it was, but I just really liked assembling the pieces of their markings.

When the story first introduces these ancient spirits, they are entangled in a battle of good vs. evil. I tangled their ribbons on my thumb to represent that.

On a related note, if you are a Korra fan and haven't seen the trailer for the final season yet -- WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR!? It's epic. Check it out! (Spoilers, obviously.)

Not (yet) a Legend of Korra fan? All of the episodes are available for watching on Nick.com!

See more of my supernatural nail art:

• Glow in the dark ghosties
• Glittering Edward nail art
• Phoenix feather nail art

National Flags of Avatar: The Last Airbender

National Flags of Avatar: The Last Airbender

31DC2014 blue freehand green jinsoon lvx misa nail art opi polish my life pop culture red television

Today's 31 Day Challenge prompt is "inspired by a flag," a prompt that no one seems to really care for. It's not my favorite either, but it does often get me thinking outside of the box!

I chose to do nail art inspired by one of my favorite cartoons, Avatar: The Last Airbender. For those of you unfamiliar with the show, there are four nations in the Avatar world: the Water Tribes, the Earth Kingdom, the Fire Nation, and the Air Nomads. I represented each nation's flag on my nails, and put the flag of the Order of the White Lotus on my thumb.

Nail polishes used:
Misa Blueberry Blast
JINsoon Cool Blue
OPI Jade is the New Black
LVX Midori
OPI All I Want for Christmas (Is OPI)
American Apparel Hassid
Misa Great Grape
Polish My Life Stripped

All elements of this manicure were painted freehand. I have the Water Tribes symbol on my pointer, the Earth Kingdom symbol on my middle finger, the Fire Nation flag on my ring, and the Air Nomad insignia on my pinky.

I needed a fifth finger design, and the Order of the White Lotus seemed like a perfect choice! They transcend the four nations, and are good guys in the series. And um, hello, who doesn't love Iroh?

If you are a fan of the Avatar universe, be sure to check back in tomorrow! I've done some Legend of Korra nail art for "inspired by the supernatural." Consider it a double feature!

Previous "inspired by a flag" manicures:

• Racing checkered flag
• Arizona state flag nail art
• Textured American flag nail art

Nail Art Is Dead - Barbara Kruger Inspired Nail Art

Nail Art Is Dead - Barbara Kruger Inspired Nail Art

31DC2014 american apparel artwork black brush strokes favorite freehand grey opi polish my life pop culture red streaky watercolor white

This year, for "inspired by artwork" day of the 31 Day Challenge, I tackled an idea that I've contemplated in the past. My nails are inspired by the work of Barbara Kruger, a conceptual artist who often addresses how words and images, particularly in the media, can affect our identities and assumptions about truth.

Her signature style features black and white photographs overlaid with declarative text, often accentuated inside red rectangles. Notable Kruger pieces include "I shop therefore I am," "Your body is a battleground," and "No." I got a little cheeky with my interpretation and chose "Nail art is dead," a sensationalist idea that I occasionally see pop up on my feeds. Clearly I disagree!

Nail polishes used:
Polish My Life Storm Clouds
Polish My Life Saint
American Apparel 7th and Alameda
American Apparel Hassid
INM White Porcelain
OPI Coca Cola Red

I'll tell you what, this was horrifyingly time consuming. The letters are freaking tiny and I needed them to look a certain way to match the font that Kruger uses. The base was easy -- I used a square nail art brush to paint on some brushy marks in the style of the Nailasaurus streaky watercolor nail art.

Then I freehanded the red rectangles and text, which took me a good hour and a half to two hours. I was constantly refining the shape of the letters and had to re-do one of the nails once. Still, I think it is a huge success! Except now I'm blind from the tininess of the letters.

Previous nail art inspired by artwork:

• Jackson Pollock's One: Number 31
• Warhol drip nail art
• Kaws' Kawsbob

Ruby Red Japanese Floral Print

Ruby Red Japanese Floral Print

31DC2014 american apparel favorite floral freehand glitter nude opi red shimmer polish

One of the most flexible prompts in the 31 Day Challenge is today's prompt, "inspired by a pattern." I once again enlisted the help of my friend Kristi for brainstorming, and she suggested a gorgeous Japanese bookplate floral print from designer Tory Burch. I loved seeing a floral done entirely with shades of red; it really stood out to me.

Nail polishes used:
OPI Steady As She Rose
OPI Coca Cola Red
American Apparel Port
Shimmer Polish Cindy

I love the contrast of the soft, neural base, with the bold, sumptuous burgundy. I painted the floral print freehand, and layered a red glitter over the dark cabernet as an accent on my thumb. Overall, I am so happy with these nails. Another winning idea from Kristi! Maybe I should start paying her...?

Previously, on "inspired by a pattern":

• Dark, matte, and dotted
• Partial checkerboards
• Pretty paisley

Inky Negative Space Nail Art Inspired by Donna Karan

Inky Negative Space Nail Art Inspired by Donna Karan

31DC2014 american apparel black distressed indie polish negative space polish my life tape white

Today's 31 Day Challenge prompt is "inspired by fashion." One upside to doing the challenge in September is that this day always follows New York Fashion Week, so there is plenty of inspiration to browse. I flipped through a massive Harper's Bazaar slideshow and fell in love with this Donna Karan dress. I made sure to include not only the inky shapes, but also the black detailing and negative space of the neckline.

Nail polishes used:
Polish My Life Birthday Suit
American Apparel Hassid
Painter's tape

I taped off skinny triangles at the base of my nail, and then painted on the cream shade. I removed the tape, and used the distressed/dry brush technique to add the inky shapes in black. Then, I used a small nail art brush to add the delicate black V details at the tips of the triangles, as well as a few smaller splatter details.

I love the graphic, splattered look of this, and the black and white palette only enhances the graphic effect.

Previously, on "Inspired by Fashion" day:

• Max Azria spring look
• Betsey Johnson bright gradient with "silly string"
• McQueen textured skull scarf

Nail'd It! Extended First Look - Watch a Full Quick Dry Challenge!

Nail'd It! Extended First Look - Watch a Full Quick Dry Challenge!

nail'd it pop culture television

We are getting so very close to the premiere of Nail'd It, the nail art competition show! Can you feel my excitement? It combines two of my favorite things: nail art and television. If they could find a way to work my pup Chowder into it, I'd be set...

The premiere is less than two weeks away, but I know you just can't wait until then. Never fear - I've got nearly 15 minutes of an actual episode ready for your consumption!


Don't forget to set your alarms, DVRs, calendars, and post it notes to catch the premiere on October 7th at 9/8c, only on Oxygen!

Still want more Nail'd It? Be sure to check out the the recap of my on-set visit for thoughts from judges Jan Arnold and Terrance Terry, and the host, Adrienne Bailon.

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by reps for Oxygen.

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz Nail Art Blocking

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz Nail Art Blocking

31DC2014 floral freehand green nail art pop culture tape yellow

In the 31 Day Challenge, some days you win, some days you lose. And you probably won't have the time or the energy to scrap a mani that you may not be crazy about! So here we are.

It's inspired by a book day, and I decided to get creative and try doing three distinct segments of nail art, all related to The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. From top to bottom, we've got the Emerald City, the yellow brick road, and the poppy fields. I love the idea in theory, but my execution leaves a bit to be desired.

Nail polishes and products used:
China Glaze Happy Go Lucky
Dermelect Belle Epoque
Polish My Life Birthday Suit
OPI Coca Cola Red
Sally Hansen Going Green
Formula X Dark Matter
China Glaze Running In Circles
Painter's tape

So I'm calling this one "nail art blocking" vs. "blocking nail art" because I am actually making blocks of different nail art looks. Blocking nail art, to me, is when the blocking is the essence of the nail art. How's that for logic?

I started by painting my nails yellow and adding the yellow brick road detailing. Then, I added a coat of quick dry topcoat and waited for it to dry completely. I taped off the triangles with painters tape, and then added the Emerald City and poppy fields blocks. A final swipe of topcoat and the mani was done!

If I were to do this again, I think I'd try freehanding the sections instead of taping them. I'd also use a lighter color for the brick outlining.

Previous literary manicures include:

• Invisible Monsters by Chuck Palahniuk
• The Missing Piece by Shel Silverstein
• 1984 by George Orwell

Anna Inspired Frozen Nail Art

Anna Inspired Frozen Nail Art

31DC2014 black china glaze deborah lippmann essie favorite fishtail floral formula x for sephora freehand gold metallic misa movie nail art pop culture

It's "inspired by a movie" day in the 31 Day Challenge and I've done some nail art inspired by a movie that is sure to be a popular choice among other participants this year: Frozen! These tips are inspired by Anna's dress, which itself drew inspiration from a traditional piece of Norwegian clothing called a bunad. Her look features a black bodice, gold lacings, and flower details.

Nail polishes used:
Formula X Dark Matter (black)
Deborah Lippmann Autumn In New York (gold)
Essie Mojito Madness (green)
China Glaze Happy Go Lucky (yellow)
Misa Loveliest of Lilacs (purple)
Misa Lovely Lychee (pink)

I painted my nails black and then added the gold tips using the fishtail technique. The flowers and stems were painted freehand using my Edinburgh Realism #4 brush, and I used a pinpoint and small dotting tool to add the decorative dots. Everything is sealed in with two coats of Glisten and Glow HK Girl.

I have done quite a few movie manicures in the past! Check out what I've done previously for the challenge:

• Star Wars inspired nail art
• Eye of Sauron nail art from the Lord of the Rings trilogy
• Titan nail art from the movie Hercules

Undone (The Sweater Song) Nail Art

Undone (The Sweater Song) Nail Art

31DC2014 contrary polish essie floss gloss freehand matte nail art purple

If you want to destroy my sweater, hold this thread as I walk away...

Today's 31 Day Challenge prompt is "inspired by a song." I had a lot of ideas knocking around in my brain, including stormclouds with male symbols raining out of them (It's Raining Men - get it?), but ended up going with a literal representation of the lyrics in Weezer's Undone - The Sweater Song. I did a minimal, sketchy style, and though I wasn't crazy about it at first, it's really started to grow on me!

Nail polishes used:
Contrary Polish Purple Egg
Floss Gloss Moon Baby
Essie Matte About You

I used two coats of Purple Egg as the base, and then freehanded on the sketchy sweater and thread with a small nail art brush and Moon Baby. I added a layer of topcoat to seal and protect, and then finished with a layer of matte topcoat. How freaking divine is Purple Egg mattified? I'm baaaasically obsessed.

See how I've been inspired by songs in the past:

• Tik Tok - Ke$ha
• Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend
• Lose Yourself to Dance - Daft Punk

Dermelect Bejeweled Collection for Fall 2014

Dermelect Bejeweled Collection for Fall 2014

brown dermelect duochrome green purple red shimmer texture

Though I'm not much for fall color palettes, there are a few shades in the Dermelect Bejeweled collection that really appeal to me! Keep reading for swatches and my thoughts, and be sure to let me know which ones you are digging in the comments.

Belle Epoque is a dark chocolate creme polish. The formula was smooth, but it was still a tiny bit streaky after two coats. I've used three here. It looks very near black indoors, but when you get it in the sunlight, the brown shows better.

Gilded is similar to Chanel Peridot or OPI Just Spotted the Lizard, but with a very very intriguing twist... it's textured! I used two coats for the swatch here. Isn't it just gorgeous? I'd love to try layering it over black, as well. I know textures have started to fade away but I'm happy to see this one.

Heirloom is a deep, blue-purple shimmer. Like Belle Epoque, it's quite dark, but this one has a bit of that "glow from within" to it. I only needed two coats for coverage, but beware: the blue base on this one stains.

Lustrous is a brick red with heavy shimmer. This was one of my favorites in the collection. It's very autumnal, almost like spiced cider. Lustrous was close to full coverage at two coats, but I went with three for good measure.

My top picks are Lustrous and Gilded. Lustrous is the perfect fall shimmer, and Gilded is just so strange and cool. The other two shades are too dark for my personal taste.

Dermelect polishes are available on Dermelect.com, in Ulta stores, and on Ulta.com.

Louis Vuitton Pattern Freehand Nail Art

Louis Vuitton Pattern Freehand Nail Art

31DC2014 brown china glaze deborah lippmann flakie freehand gold nail art

Today is "inspired by a color" day in the 31 Day Challenge. I always take this prompt to mean "take inspiration from a polish color," particularly drawing inspiration from the name. This year, I reached for China Glaze's Lug Your Designer Baggage from the All Aboard collection for Fall 2014.

Nail polishes used:
China Glaze Lug Your Designer Baggage
Deborah Lippmann Autumn In New York

My inspiration for this look came from Michelle's review of the collection on All Lacquered Up. She mentioned that the name of the polish, plus the color in it, reminded her of a Louis Vuitton trunk. The color alone is really interesting -- it's a dark brown with golden flecks. I needed two coats for coverage.

I initially had trouble creating this pattern, and even came close to giving up on the look entirely. I posted my pinky on Instagram, intending to show off the one nail that had turned out well, but felt so encouraged by everyone's comments that I decided to try it one more time. My final attempt was passable, so here we are!

Check out my "inspired by a color" looks from past years:

• OPI Skull and Glossbones
• China Glaze Kalahari Kiss
• Color Club Wild Cactus

Tattered Monochromatic Spray Marble

Tattered Monochromatic Spray Marble

31DC2014 black china glaze formula x for sephora glow in the dark gradient grey halloween indie polish jessica cosmetics polish my life sponging water marble water spotted white

I never look forward to the water marble day of the 31 Day Challenge. This year, instead of putting myself through all of the pain, I went straight to a technique that I do have fun with: the spray marble! This technique is a sister to the water marble, and I actually prefer the edgy, tattered outcome.

Nail polishes used:
Polish My Life Birthday Suit
Polish My Life Storm Clouds
Jessica Cosmetics NY State of Mind
China Glaze Ghoulish Glow
Formula X Dark Matter

I started out by using a triangle makeup sponge to do a gradient of cream, grey, and dark grey. Then, I painted on a coat of glow in the dark topcoat, because why not?

The spray marble began with filling a plastic cup with room temperature filtered water and taping off the area surrounding my fingers to minimize mess. I gently dropped one drop of black polish on the surface of the water, and then used a spray bottle to mist a 50/50 mixture of water and apple cider vinegar on the polish. I've seen other people use hairspray, perfume, all sorts of other mixtures to break up the polish on the water, but @madamluck was the first one I saw that used the vinegar mix. It worked great!

I dipped one finger in at a time, removed excess polish from the surface of the water, and pulled my finger out. Remove the tape, clean up, and topcoat; you're done!

The glow was stronger where it was layered over light polish. Looks kinda like alien eggs, doesn't it?

Previous water marble work:

• Turquoise water marble
• Starburst candy water marble
• Soft flower marble

Purple Galaxy Nails, Inspired by the Pelican Nebula

Purple Galaxy Nails, Inspired by the Pelican Nebula

31DC2014 black china glaze favorite formula x for sephora galaxy glitter lvx misa nail art nicole by opi pink purple sponging

Galaxy nails day for the 31 Day Challenge! I don't do galaxy nails nearly enough. They create such a stunning effect for so little effort. For this year's nail art, I was inspired by a photo of the Pelican Nebula that I found on NASA's Astronomy Picture of the Day (APOD). I didn't end up using enough pink in for the look to match exactly, but that's okay. I love the depth in these.

Nail polishes and supplies used:
OPI Who Are You Calling Bossy?!? (black)
Zoya Sailor (navy)
LVX Orchid (orchid)
Misa Loveliest of Lilacs (medium purple)
Nicole by OPI American As Apple Pie (red)
Nicole by OPI Yoga Then Yogurt (white)
China Glaze Lotus Begin (light purple)
Formula X Freaky Like Freud (holographic glitter)
Triangle makeup wedges
Edinburgh Realism #4 nail art brush

I started by painting my nails black. Then, I used a torn piece of the makeup sponge to apply a bit of navy on my nails -- admittedly, that part doesn't really show as well as I was hoping it did. Using new bits of sponge for each color, I sponged on streaks of red, then medium purple, medium orchid, and light purple.

I mixed a bit of white polish with acetone for a thinned out, watercolor effect, and used it to do a bit of freehanding inside of the light purple sponging (you can see it in the middle of the large purple nebula sections). A holographic glitter, used sparingly, gave the effect of distant stars, while white polish and a pinpoint dotting tool created some closer objects. The final step was to freehand a handful of stars with cross lensflare.

Go where one girl has gone before:

• Maroon and yellow galaxy nails
• Hyperspace jump nail art
• The Pleiades Star Cluster galaxy nails

Autumnal Gilded Half Moon Stamping

Autumnal Gilded Half Moon Stamping

31DC2014 duochrome enchanted polish gold half moon holographic indie polish nail vinyls nailz craze priti nyc stamping

Today is half moon day for the 31 Day Challenge, and the nail art I did is not exactly my most inspired! I do like the outcome, it's just not a showpiece. Truth be told, I was just not having it last night. We are a little more than halfway through the challenge now, and it is starting to catch up with me. Sleep was on my mind!

Nail polishes and products used:
Enchanted Polish Vampires Suck
Priti NYC Chrysanthos
Nailz Craze NC03 stamping plate
Half moon Nail Vinyls

After painting my nails with Vampires Suck and letting it dry completely, I blocked off the half moon shapes with the vinyls. I stamped over the vinyls using Chrysanthos, and then removed them to reveal the un-stamped half moons!

Since Vampires Suck is a gorgeous holo, I had to include some direct lighting shots, despite the stamping being harder to make out.

Take a trip down memory lane with these half moon manicures from previous years:

• Sweet and girly leopard half moons
• Retro striped half moons
• Delicate lace half moons