Bejeweled Galaxy Nail Art

Bejeweled Galaxy Nail Art

31DC2015 black china glaze color club galaxy girly bits glitter lvx sponging

IT HAS ARRIVED! Galaxy day of the 31 Day Challenge! I love this day because I never do galaxies, even though I should, and they're so easy to do, and they always turn out lovely, and the sparkles are overwhelming, and yeah. Galaxies are the best.

As with all my galaxy manicures, I started with a base of black polish.

Then, I tore off tiny pieces of a makeup sponge, and used it to create layers of the following shades:
LVX Cameo
LVX Viola
Girly Bits Hoop There It Is
Color Club Peace Love and Polish

Next I added the bitty stars! I always use China Glaze Fairy Dust for my stars. The key is to swipe it on randomly, instead of covering the entire nail!

The final step was to add the individual stars. I used a pinpoint dotting tool and Polish My Life's Saint, then added some lensflares on a couple of the stars.

I totally love how these came out and honestly they took me maybe 30 minutes to do. A win all around!



Check out my galaxy nails from years before:

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

Pattern-Blocked & Woven Stripes

Pattern-Blocked & Woven Stripes

31DC2015 brown color club geometric lvx polish my life red stripes tape yellow

Well, today we've arrived at my first challenge flop. Truth be told, I just finished these, after working a full day at the spa and then taking a nap. So I'm not surprised that they aren't exactly my magnum opus. Maybe you guys will like these more than I do? (Fingers crossed!)

It was unintentional, but once I had finished this manicure I was surprised by how much it reminded me of a woven rug. So we are calling it "blocked and woven stripes." Go figure!

Despite the fact that I don't care for the design of these much, I do love the color palette. I used LVX Sienna, Color Club Je Ne Sais Quois, Polish My Life Birthday Suit, and Salon Perfect Oil Slick. Very retro, maybe 60's?

Most of the elements are freehanded, though I did use tape to create the three main blocked shapes.

More striped manicures:

• Dusty green tape stripes
• Rainbow blocked stripes
• Green ombre vertical stripes
• Marbled blue swimming pool stripes

Nude and Mauve Ombre with Lacy Glitter

Nude and Mauve Ombre with Lacy Glitter

a england color club glitter nude ombre purple sally hansen white

I recently received a package of some current Color Club shades. As I pulled the bottles out of the box, fate took control and lined up four of the shades from lightest to darkest. They looked gorgeous in an ombre together, and I had to oblige the universe's wishes.

Of course, I was still missing a fifth shade, and while I was searching for the perfect polish, I figured it couldn't hurt to add some glitter, either.

So, the four fated Color Clubs that I was destined to use are:
Color Club Blank Canvas (white)
Color Club Barely There (light tan)
Color Club Get a Mauve On It (mauve)
Color Club Midnight Mulberry (plum)

Then, I grabbed A England Elaine for the thumb, and added a layer of Sally Hansen Eyelet from the Luxe Lace line on all the nails. The glitter density was good, but I ended up with a lot of bubbles on the nails. Not sure what happened there.

I haven't done an ombre in a while, but I totally should wear them more often. They're really gorgeous and chic, especially in shades of nudes/neutrals like this. Big thanks to the universe and to Color Club for setting me up to hit one out of the ombre park (IMO)!

TUTORIAL: Easy Sideswipe Nail Art with Negative Space

TUTORIAL: Easy Sideswipe Nail Art with Negative Space

blue color club distressed essie half moon julie g matte negative space pink tutorial video video tutorial yellow

Who's up for a super quick and easy nail art tutorial? This look is a variation on the distressed nail art tutorial that you may have seen around these parts before. I changed the direction, added a bit of negative space, and made it matte. Easy, easy, easy. Perfect for the gal on the go. Hit the jump to check out the tutorial and see this technique in action.




For this look, I used:
Color Club - Je Ne Sais Quoi
Essie - Too Taboo
Julie G - Cabana Boy
Glisten and Glow - HK Girl Topcoat
Essie - Matte About You Topcoat
Kolinsky 777 French/round brush
Pure acetone

If you don't have a round brush, give it a go with whatever clean up brush you have handy! Of course, if you'd rather, you can always go for the classic hole-punch-reinforcement-as-half-moon-stencil method, too.

Mix things up by grabbing different color combinations, skipping the matte topcoat, or using a nail vinyl as your negative space stencil. The possibilities! Share your versions with me on Instagram by tagging @chalkboardnails and hashtagging #hellochalkboardnails.

Autumnal Matte Pyramid Dots

Autumnal Matte Pyramid Dots

color club dots essie indie polish matte orange polish my life red white yellow zoya

Is anyone else as obsessed with a matte white nail as I am? I put together this look quickly for an afternoon outing and really loved wearing it. It's super simple, super fast, and super chic. You could easily change up the colors to suit your mood, as well.

Nail polishes used:
LVX Porcelaine
Color Club Je Ne Sais Quoi
Zoya Arizona
Polish My Life Don't Snap My Dragon
Essie Matte About You

The process is simple: after painting on your base color, add three rows of dots in a pyramid shape. I used a dotting tool but you could also grab a bobby pin, toothpick, or other alternative! Finish with a layer of quick dry topcoat and then a layer of matte topcoat.

The key here is choosing the colors for your dots; you want them to combine to create a gradient but also be distinct enough that they don't completely blend together.

So here's my question: what are some other great fall color combos for this look? I'm thinking a caramel base with shades of dusty blue for the dots would look gorgeous. How would you wear it?

Color Club Seven Deadly Sins Collection Swatches and Review

Color Club Seven Deadly Sins Collection Swatches and Review

color club metallic shimmer texture

One of Color Club's newest collections is called Seven Deadly Sins. It's a collection of seven textured nail polishes in indulgent shades. The textures are very low profile (read: not too rough) so if you are a fan of texture but don't like 'em scratchy, these are a great option for you. There are a few winners here and a few I'm not crazy about. Let's check them out!

Dirty Money is a pale gold textured shade with small hex glitter accents. I love this shade of gold and it looked flattering with my particular skintone. Two coats.

Fierce is a deep bronze textured shade with flecks of orange. A nice one for fall. Two coats.

Friends With Benefits is a pale, metallic lilac texture with small lilac hex glitters. This was one of the ones that I did not care for. The tone-on-tone glitter pieces didn't stand out from the base enough and just made the overall finish look lumpy. Two coats.

Indulge Me is a bronze, flecky shade. It's pretty sparkly and reflective, and looks a bit lighter here than it does in person. It also has flashes of green that for some reason did not want to cooperate in photos. Two coats.

Obsessed is a blackened textured base with gorgeous teal shimmer. Obsessed is right! This is easily my favorite shade in the collection. Just lovely. Two coats.

Under Your Spell is a purple textured shade with gold-green shimmer and larger purple hex glitters. This one would have been an instant favorite for me if it wasn't for the larger glitter pieces. Though they aren't as distracting as the pieces in Friends with Benefits, I just think this shade would be better off without them. Two coats.

You're So Vain is a moody purple base with flecks of gold and purple pink. I like this one, maybe partially because of the absence of any larger hex pieces. Two coats.

As for formula on these, they are okay. Maybe a bit on the thicker side, but that's par for the course with most textures. They certainly wouldn't deter me from buying, if I were hypothetically shopping a few of them, but it's maybe something to keep in mind.

To reiterate, if you like your textures on the mild side, these are all nice options. My top picks would be Obsessed, Dirty Money, and You're So Vain.

This collection is available now at colorclub.com.

TUTORIAL: Midnight Smoke Nail Art Inspired by The Sorcerer Heir

TUTORIAL: Midnight Smoke Nail Art Inspired by The Sorcerer Heir

black color club favorite formula x for sephora nail art smoke tutorial video tutorial watercolor

I'm happy to be a participant in the World of Weir Blog Tour today, leading up to the release of Cinda Williams Chima's new book, The Sorcerer Heir. Not only do I get to do some inspired nail art, but you guys get a new video tutorial! This magical, eerie smoke effect is really much easier than you might guess.


The Sorcerers are masters of material - they can create magical talismans, potions, poisons, weapons, and more. They are also known for their healing ability, and have strong ties to the color green. In my tutorial, I've combined what I know about the guild with some inspiration from the book cover, which shows a potion with mysterious smoke swirling around it. Who knows, you might even feel like a Sorcerer yourself with these nails!

For this look, you'll need black nail polish, light green nail polish, topcoat, 100% acetone, and a nail art brush or two.

1. Begin by painting your nails with two coats of black polish.
2. Apply a generous coat of topcoat to protect the black polish before we move on to the next steps. Let dry.
3. Using your green polish, paint loose, wavy stripes across your nails, roughly where you want your smoke to end up.
4. Using a nail art brush to lightly dab 100% acetone over your green polish. Don't dab too much or too hard, otherwise the acetone may begin to eat through your black base.
5. Repeat on all of your nails. I like to make it look like the smoke is most concentrated on my pointer and trails off as it moves towards my pinky.
6. Clean up your cuticles if necessary using an angled brush and nail polish remover.
7. Finish with topcoat.

Surprisingly easy, right? Now if only I could create magical potions with just as much effort...

ABOUT “THE WORLD OF WEIR” BLOG TOUR
Those with magical powers in The Heir Chronicles series by Cinda Williams Chima are known as the Weir. The World of Weir blog tour leads up to the release of the can’t-miss series finale, The Sorcerer Heir (in-stores October 21st) by celebrating the magical fantasy world and the five types of magical guilds. Follow along for playlists, nail art, and more inspired by the series, plus exclusive excerpts from the upcoming finale.

WEEK 1: THE WARRIORS September 14 – September 20
WEEK 2: THE WIZARDS September 21 – September 27
WEEK 3: THE SEERS September 28 – October 4
WEEK 4: THE ENCHANTERS October 5 – October 11
WEEK 5: THE SORCERERS October 12 – October 18

For more information, visit Cinda Williams Chima’s Official Site, follow her on Twitter, and check out Disney-Hyperion on Twitter and Instagram. Hashtag #TheSorcererHeir to join the conversation.

Disclosure: This post has been sponsored by representatives from Cinda Williams Chima's "The Heir Chronicles" series.