Pink and Gold Rococo Nails

Pink and Gold Rococo Nails

31DC2015 3d american apparel china glaze gold metallic nail vinyls ocean nail supply pink

Today’s “metallic” nails for the challenge are very unlike my usual personal style. It was nice to step outside my box though, as I was super happy with the way these turned out! Girly and fun and kind of rococo-esque, don’t you think?

My pink base is American Apparel Coney Island. I haven’t used an AA polish in a really long time… I always forget how great they are. Their colors are lovely and the formula is really nice.

The frame embellishments on my pointer and pinky are from a grab bag I ordered at Ocean Nail Supply. I can’t remember where I got the brass studs from, but I imagine you could find something similar from ONS or a site like Daily Charme.

I chose one of my favorite gold polishes for the accents: China Glaze Goldie But Goodie. I like the complexity of it — it has these gorgeous flecks and a sort of coarse visual finish to it. I used nail vinyls from Love, Angeline for the pattern on the middle and ring fingers.

More metallic manicures:

• Nfu Oh 61 silver holographic
• Magnetic metallic with gold leaf
• Distressed metallic gradient
• Matte metallic gold French tips

Bright-to-Vampy Sexy Pink Gradient

Bright-to-Vampy Sexy Pink Gradient

american apparel black burgundy essie gradient nail art pink sponging

If you follow me on Instagram, you saw a shot of this manicure quite a while ago. It took me a bit to get it up on the blog because of the Challenge, but here we are! This girly-yet-vampy gradient was a huge hit when I previewed it, probably because it's hard to resist the moody gradient with a pop of color.

Nail polishes used:
Essie Too Taboo
American Apparel Berry
American Apparel Hassid

There's not too much to this to explain; I used a triangle makeup wedge to sponge on the gradient. I grabbed a burgundy color to bridge the gap between the bright pink and the black shades.

Don't get discouraged if your gradients are coming out less-than-snazzy! You probably need to keep adding layers of sponging until you reach the desired look. I probably did four or five rounds of sponging to achieve the opacity here. Just be sure to give each round a moment or two to set before you begin on your next layer.

I loved this look and wore it for three or four days. What are some of your favorite gradient combinations?

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

70's Style Polka Dot Floral Print

70's Style Polka Dot Floral Print

31DC2014 american apparel burgundy color club diosa dots floral flowers green grey jessica cosmetics lvx nail art orange yellow

This 70's style, fall-appropriate floral is my polka dot nail art for the 31 Day Challenge. It looks fairly complex at first glance, but it's simple when you start to break it down! I just combined dots together in different sizes and colors to create a simple floral pattern. It feels very vintage, don't you think?

Nail polishes used:
DIOSA Dime Piece (light grey)
Jessica Cosmetics NY State of Mind (dark grey)
Jessica Cosmetics Meet at the Plaza (olive green)
Color Club Je Ne Sais Quoi (mustard yellow)
LVX Roux (coral)
American Apparel Berry (burgundy)

This nail art was really very simple, it just took a bit to put all of the unique dot floral pieces together! I used four different dotting tool sizes: my large flat rhinestone picker, a large dotter, a small dotter, and a pinpoint dotter.

I was just about ready to mattify this, but I've been using matte topcoat on so many things lately. I decided to let it rock the glossy look.

Check out more of my polka dot nail art:

• Ladybugs
• Polka dot pyramids
• Punchy dot mix

Black and White Mesh Framed Half Moons

Black and White Mesh Framed Half Moons

31DC2014 american apparel black framed half moon nail art negative space nicole by opi white

Black and white are a classic pairing that never goes out of style. I love looking at everyone's work for black and white day of the 31 Day Challenge! For my look, I've done a negative space half moon mesh manicure, with contrasting thin detail lines and a thick outline.

I blocked off the moons using half moon Nail Vinyls, then painted my nails with Nicole by OPI Yoga Then Yogurt.

Then, using a small nail art brush, I outlined the white areas with American Apparel Hassid. This was the trickiest part as I had to keep the thickness of the lines consistent! Tough stuff! I finished the look off by adding some thin black lines for a mesh appearance.

More black and white nail art:

• Tuxedo nail art
• Black and white wiggles
• Midnight smoke nail art