Flower of Life Sacred Geometry Nail Art

Flower of Life Sacred Geometry Nail Art

31DC2015 deborah lippmann freehand geometric gradient grey nail art purple red

Today's challenge prompt is geometric. I wanted to attempt some sacred geometry, and a quick Google search revealed that I would probably have the easiest time attempting a Flower of Life design. Of course, I knew it still wasn't going to be a walk in the park, and not only was it not, but it was actively really super challenging! Getting those petals even and spaced nicely was H-A-R-D!

I used the three creme shades from the new Deborah Lippmann Roar Collection for my color palette.

I began with a base of Deborah Lippmann She Wolf, a creamy taupe. The formula was excellent, by the way, went on smoothly and evenly and covered in two coats.

Next, I added the freehanding with Deborah Lippmann Miss Independent (purple) and Respect (red). I blended the two shades together in equal parts for the middle of the nails where they meet.

Last year was the first year that included "geometric" as a prompt (changed from "tribal" to be more culturally sensitive). I chose a handpainted geometric gradient design similar in style to this one, actually!

Lavender Blossoms Floral Nail Art

Lavender Blossoms Floral Nail Art

31DC2015 china glaze favorite floral flowers freehand indie polish lvx nail art polish my life purple

Delicate print is always a challenging day in the 31DC, because it's fairly vague yet still specific at the same time. I wasn't sure what I wanted to do this year, but I recently had some training on essential oil soaks at work and one of the blends included lavender. I thought that lavender blossoms would make a great "delicate" manicure, and I'm so so beyond pleased with how these nails came out.

These nails were really easy -- I'd say the biggest key is making sure you have a super tiny nail art brush. If you don't, you can create one by thinning down the bristles of a thicker brush with cuticle nippers.

I started with a base of Polish My Life's Muscat Martini. It's an extremely pale purple, it's almost grey looking. Then, I painted on my stems with China Glaze - Take a Hike. Definitely place your stems first, as it allows you to keep an eye out for the overall balance of your art. I mixed Take a Hike with a bit of China Glaze - Trip of a Lime Time and added some lighter leaves.

Then, I used the tip of my nail art brush to dot on oblong blossoms. I did the bulk of the buds with LVX Aster, then went back in with LVX Currant and added some more (sparingly!) for additional dimension.

Check out my previous delicate print manicures:

• Henna style nail art
• Dragonfly patterned nail art
• Delicate glistening spiderwebs
• Spifster-inspired delicate linework

Orchid Petals Inspired Nail Art

Orchid Petals Inspired Nail Art

31DC2015 dots floral flowers indie polish lvx nail art opi polish my life purple

It’s “violet” day in the 31 Day Challenge! I decided to do nail art inspired by some gorgeous orchids that I spotted in our local grocery store. The pattern on the petals was so compelling that I just had to snap a pic of them to use for future nail art.

This was maybe the easiest nail art in the world, and I love how it turned out. I started with a cream colored base, and then used a large dotter to add the magenta patterning. I grabbed a smaller dotter and added purple to the pattern, inside of the larger dots. Then all that was left was to finish with topcoat!

Polishes used:

Polish My Life - Birthday Suit

OPI - Get Cherried Away

LVX - Shiraz

More 31 Day Challenge violet manicures:

• Violet color blocking
• Purple People Eater
• Violet hippie mix
• Violet watercolor wash

Floral Bouquet Accent Nail with OCC Cosplay Nail Lacquers

Floral Bouquet Accent Nail with OCC Cosplay Nail Lacquers

floral flowers freehand grey matte nail art obsessive compulsive cosmetics orange pink purple shimmer

Way back in the day, when I was first getting into nails, Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics held a sale. I think they were changing their bottle shape and wanted to clear out their old inventory. I figured it'd be a good opportunity to try a new-to-me brand, and picked out "Grandma," a pretty coral, and "Ghostly," a lavender-grey. When I gave them a go, I remember being really impressed with the formula.

Now, here we are, some three or four years later, and I'm still just as pleased with the quality of OCC products. You may already know them for their Lip Tars, but if you haven't tried out their nail products yet, I definitely suggest picking a few of them up.

All of the shades I used for this manicure are from their latest collection, "Cosplay." I thought it'd be nice to do a floral accent nail to show off the range of colors, and drew inspiration from Paulina's Passions' distinct floral aesthetic.

Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics - Silence (greyed beige, base)
Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics - Femme (pink)
Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics - Cosplay (green)
Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics - Cha Cha (orange)
Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics - Belladonna (purple)

I created the shade variations by mixing the colors with a white nail polish, and finished the manicure off with a matte topcoat.

The standout here, for me, is definitely Silence. It has this gorgeous silver shimmer to it and covered well in two coats. Super chic, very "me," I'm in love!

These lacquers are available now for $10/ea from occmakeup.com.

Contrary Polish's When In Rome from the August "A Box, Indied"

Contrary Polish's When In Rome from the August "A Box, Indied"

contrary polish grey holographic indie polish purple

Readers, meet Contrary Polish's first ever linear holographic nail polish! Yes, it's true... The brand best known for its gorgeous shimmers has branched out into the world of holo.

It's named When In Rome, and it's being released as a part of August's "A Box, Indied" polish box. The theme of the box is All Hail Holo, so holoheads... be sure to mark the release on your calendars.

The polish consistency is on the thinner side, but it applies evenly. I used three coats for the coverage you see here.

So let's break it down: not only is this an awesome shade of greyed-purple, WITH holo, but it also has a gorgeous flash of rose gold shimmer (in true Contrary fashion). You can check it out in the first pic up there; look at the area around the white light reflections.

In addition to Contrary Polish, the "All Hail Holo" box will include special releases from Colors by Llarowe, Cupcake Polish, Different Dimension, and Glisten & Glow. It is available as a monthly subscription or as an individual box.

Look out for the release on July 26th at llarowe.com.

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)!

How To: Party Like a Rockstar (In Purple Glitter Gels)

How To: Party Like a Rockstar (In Purple Glitter Gels)

artiglio gel glitter holographic purple rockstar tutorial

Whether you call them glitter gels or rockstar nails, there's no denying that the smooth, glassy finish of this gel style is to die for. They're super easy to do -- all you need is your gel foundation and topcoat, plus a loose glitter of your choice.

Rockstars are fun, whether you're wearing them as a full manicure like this or using them as an accent to nail art. They have great staying power, and DAT SPARKLE! Read on to learn how to get this gel look for yourself.

I was taught this rockstar method in nail school. Some of the students there had previously learned different methods, so there are other ways to do these, but I think this process produces the best (and sparkliest) results.

1. Prep your nails for a gel manicure. Push back your cuticles, remove any dead tissue from the nail plate, buff your nails, and cleanse with a nail cleanser solution and a lint free wipe.
2. Apply your gel foundation/base, and cure in your LED or UV lamp. Curing time will depend on your lamp type and product of choice.
3. Apply another coat of gel foundation. DON'T cure.
4. Sprinkle loose glitter over the wet gel. I like to do this over a piece of paper or a small paper cup so I can put the extra glitter back into the jar afterwards. Lightly tap your nails to remove any excess glitter, but remember that the nails aren't cured yet!
5. Pop your nails into the lamp and cure.
6. Using a nylon brush or other stiff bristled brush, brush away any glitter that did not get cured into the base gel. You can be pretty vigorous with this, as most of the glitter should be cured onto the nail.
7. Apply one coat of gel topcoat and cure.
8. Cleanse the sticky layer off of your nails, and then use a fine grit buffer (240 or higher) to lightly buff the gritty glitter smooth. Cleanse off any dust that you generated.
9. Finish with a final coat of topcoat to bring back the shine. Cure and remove the sticky layer.

I know it looks like a lot of steps, but rockstars are SO easy once you get the hang of it. 

Your options are endless when it comes to choosing a glitter to use. You don't need to use cosmetic grade or solvent resistant glitter, because it won't have a chance to bleed into the gel. At school, we used the Recollections glitter sets from Michaels (don't forget your coupon!). This manicure features Artiglio by Sarah Bland's "Heather" glitter. 

Just keep in mind that finer glitters usually produce better results (and they're easier to work with, too). 

Happy glittering!