Wednesday, April 22, 2015

Girly Gradient Nail Art with EverGlaze by China Glaze

EverGlaze Gradient Nail Art by @chalkboardnails

This spring, China Glaze throws their hat into the ring of longwearing polish systems, joining the ranks of lines like CND's Vinylux and Sally Hansen's Miracle Gel. These systems are set apart by claims of gel-like wear and shine, without the need to cure in a lamp or the lengthy removal process. China Glaze's EverGlaze system brings CG's signature bold colors and fun finishes among more traditional color choices, ensuring that there's a shade for every type of gal.

EverGlaze Gradient Nail Art by @chalkboardnails

The system includes a nail prep solution, the range of colors, and the EverGlaze Active Top Coat. The prep solution is similar to a nail dehydrator, and it is meant to remove dirt and oils from your nail plate before polishing. This helps the polish stick longer! The Active Top Coat comes in a UV protected bottle.

For this nail art, I used:
EverGlaze Case of the Mondaze
EverGlaze Adrenaline Rush
EverGlaze A Toast to You
EverGlaze Back to Black

Case of the Mondaze is actually a gorgeous cobalt blue, but when I sponged it over Adrenaline Rush in my gradient, it turned purple! A happy accident, I say!

The Active Top Coat is thick and shiny, dries quickly, and doesn't smear nail art. It's a winner, and I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked it (I can be very picky with top coats, you know).

EverGlaze Gradient Nail Art by @chalkboardnails

Unfortunately, I'm unable to do a wear test of my own at this time -- nail school is tough on polish, and even my full-fledged lamp cured gels don't hold up sometimes!

EverGlaze Gradient Nail Art by @chalkboardnails

EverGlaze is available now in Sally Beauty stores and on SallyBeauty.com.

Thursday, April 16, 2015

Quick and Simple Scaled Nail Art [VIDEO TUTORIAL]

Simple scaled nail art tutorial by @chalkboardnails

I wasn't (and still am not) sure what to call this look. It seems kinda scaly, kinda alien, kinda fantasy-esque, almost like alligator skin... In the end, I decided on scaled. You can call it whatever you like, but the fact is that this nail art is super easy and pretty chic! Read on to check out the video tutorial.

Simple scaled nail art tutorial by @chalkboardnails

I used three Ella & Mila shades.

Ella & Mila Honeymoon Bliss
Ella & Mila Ibiza Breeze
Ella & Mila In Line For Wine

In Line For Wine is actually a satin-matte polish! It's luxe either way, but in this instance, I've covered it with topcoat and stripped it of its leather finish.

To achieve this nail art for yourself, all you need is a small nail art brush. Just dip the brush in your polish of choice and dab it onto the nail in rows. Don't worry about being too precise, I like the spots where the dabs were larger or smaller than average.

Simple scaled nail art tutorial by @chalkboardnails

And of course, as promised, here is the short video of this nail art in action!