Simple Vintage Floral Inspired by Lacquerstyle

Simple Vintage Floral Inspired by Lacquerstyle

31DC2015 china glaze favorite floral flowers formula x for sephora freehand nail art

We are nearing the end of the challenge! Today's prompt is "inspired by a tutorial" and I've taken inspiration from the talented (and Queen of Florals), Lacquerstyle. For this particular look, I've followed her Simple Abstract Floral Tutorial, which not only features a fun and easy design, but has gorgeous cinematography and photography to boot.

I wont detail how to do this look -- if you want to visit the tutorial, just click on the link above!

I used Formula X Cloud Nine as my base. The flowers are painted with China Glaze Make an Entrance, while the blue blossom sprays were done in China Glaze First Mate. I created the leaf shade by mixing China Glaze Take a Hike and American Apparel Crescent Heights.

I love this look, though mine aren't quite as perfect as Kristin's! The smaller blue sprays really add a lot to the completed manicure.

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

• Cutie owl half moons
• Candy mermaid scales
• Floral pond manicure
• Reverse stamped glow in the dark stars

Pinstripe and Damask Nail Art Inspired by Tory Burch

Pinstripe and Damask Nail Art Inspired by Tory Burch

31DC2015 blue favorite floral flowers formula x for sephora freehand lvx nail art red stripes

Ladies that are also attempting the challenge with me... Are you getting tired of this yet? I've hit my yearly breaking point, but as always, I will push through and prevail. Today's prompt is "inspired by fashion," and I've drawn inspiration from a Tory Burch look that was just shown off at New York Fashion Week.

View image | gettyimages.com

I love these patterns and colors together, they're very textile-meets-Hamptons. Bold meets soft. Rigid meets organic.

I used Polish My Life - Saint as the base, and then mixed together Formula X - Glorious and LVX - Paraiso for the pinstripe color. I added the floral designs on with Formula X - Push the Limits and finished with topcoat.

Previously, on "Inspired by Fashion" day:

• Max Azria spring look
• Betsey Johnson bright gradient with "silly string"
• McQueen textured skull scarf
• Donna Karan inky negative space

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

Electric Daisy Floral Print Nail Art

Electric Daisy Floral Print Nail Art

31DC2015 black favorite floral flowers nail art neon wildflower's nail shop

Floral print! I love a good floral and have been doing a lot of these varied-size daisies for clients lately. I decided to pop them onto a dark background with some smoky swirls of color and ended up with these electric daisies. I've never been to the Electric Daisy Carnival, but I imagine these would fit in there, too!

I started by polishing my nails with two coats of Salon Perfect Oil Slick and letting it set.

Next was the colorful smoky background. I mixed a few shades of Wildflowers Art Paints with some water to thin them out, then loosely brushed them on to my nails and let them dry. The shade I chose for this look are Kisses, Bright Blue, Pollen, and Pansy.

I painted on the white daisies with Formula X White Matter, then added the centers with the same art paints that I used in the background.

More floral prints for you!

• Stargazer lily nail art tutorial
• Magenta floral nail art
• Plumeria print nail art
• Sweet red roses

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.

TUTORIAL: Easy Splattered Floral Nail Art, Inspired by Nail'd It!

TUTORIAL: Easy Splattered Floral Nail Art, Inspired by Nail'd It!

floral jesse's girl julie g lvx matte negative space orange pink tape tutorial video video tutorial

Tonight is the season finale of Oxygen's Nail'd It!, and I, for one, couldn't be more excited to see who takes home the $100,000 prize. THE SUSPENSE!

As a part of their final challenge, the competitors are asked to create nail art inspired by their signature look and artistic point of view. Today, I've got a tutorial for you that includes a taste of my artistic point of view! It includes lots of my favorite design elements, so let's take a look and go on a learning journey together.

P.S. In case you missed my television debut on the show three weeks ago, I'm making my triumphant return on tonight's episode to share a quick, 30 second glitter gradient tutorial!

For this tutorial, I incorporated a long list of my favorite things. First of all, I knew I wanted it to be matte. I am obsessed with matte nail art so it was a must for my design. Second, I wanted it to include bright colors and negative space. Third, I wanted it to be easy.

Wait, what? "Easy" is part of my artistic point of view? Well, kind of! While I love tackling intricate nail art and difficult patterns, I also love showing people that nail art isn't as scary as it can seem sometimes. It doesn't take mountains of time or an arsenal of expensive tools to pull off a really interesting, chic effect.


Supplies used:
Small nail art brush
Washi tape
LVX Cashmere
Julie G Old San Juan
Julie G Rio de Janeiro
Julie G Tahiti
Julie G Black Sheep
Glisten and Glow HK Girl
Essie Matte About You

Though I've used a nail art brush in my demo, this look could definitely be accomplished with a toothpick instead. Hop to it!

Tune in to the Nail'd It finale TONIGHT at 9/8c, only on Oxygen. Follow the show on their Facebook page, and join the conversation by following Oxygen on Instagram and using the hashtags #NailedIt and #ShowMetheMani. Don't forget, I'm briefly on tonight's episode!

Disclosure: This post has is sponsored by reps from Oxygen and Nail'd It!. Press samples provided by their respective representatives. All opinions are my own.

Black Blooms Floral Nail Art

Black Blooms Floral Nail Art

black deborah lippmann favorite floral formula x for sephora freehand green grey halloween lvx nail art orly

Though this design isn't explicitly Halloween, it is pretty morbid/somber and definitely seasonally appropriate. These black roses are a variation of my sweet rose floral nail art that I shared during the 31 Day Challenge, with a monochromatic twist. I paired the black blooms with ugly/pretty chartreuse leaves for a pop of color.

Nail polishes used:
Orly Highlight (base)
Formula X Dark Matter (black)
LVX Oyster (light grey)
LVX Anthracite (dark grey)
Deborah Lippmann Weird Science (chartreuse)

I began by applying Highlight as my base. I wasn't thrilled with the formula of this one, though I do love the color. It was fairly thin and sheer. I used three coats here.

The roses were simple. I put down a black blob shape, then used a small nail art brush to add the dark and light grey detailing. Chelsea Queen has a great rose tutorial you can check out for guidance. I then added the leaves, making sure they ended in points, and sealed everything in with HK Girl topcoat.

This is the second time I've been pleasantly surprised by the weirdness of a Deborah Lippmann shade; the first time was I Wanna Be Sedated. It's cool to see a brand that I usually associate with "pretty" shades do something odd, and the shimmer/foil in this one is showstopping.

I often do florals, but they are usually softer and more delicate. I am enjoying the contrast in this manicure, and still feel like I'm getting in the mood for Halloween!

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

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

Sweet Red Rose Floral Print

Sweet Red Rose Floral Print

31DC2014 china glaze floral freehand models own nail art nude red sally hansen

I had grand ambitions for today's 31 Day Challenge floral print, but when it came down to it, I just ran out of time. I will save my other idea for another time, though. I think it could be a really great manicure if I give it the time it deserves! I do love the way this rose nail art turned out. I think they are some of the best roses I've done and I like how clean the manicure looks overall.

Nail polishes used:
Models Own - Coconut Cream
China Glaze - Hey Sailor
China Glaze - Velvet Bow
China Glaze - Tree Hugger
Essie - Blanc
Sally Hansen - Night Flight

Okay, before we talk about the nail art, I'd like to take a moment to talk about Models Own Coconut Cream. I bought it kind of on a whim, and I freaking LOVE it. Great formula, beautiful off-white, and it's scented like coconut!

The roses are handpainted; their base is Hey Sailor, and I added the petal detailing with Blanc and Velvet Bow. The leaves are Tree Hugger and their detailing is in Night Flight. Chelsea Queen has a great floral tutorial you should check out if you are interested in rose nail art like this!

Flowers in your hair, flowers everywhere:

• Stargazer lily nail art tutorial
• Magenta floral nail art
• Plumeria print nail art

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

Blocked Green Plant Tendrils

Blocked Green Plant Tendrils

31DC2014 essie floral freehand green lvx nail art negative space opi teal

I'm all for florals, but leaves and tendrils aren't things that get a lot of love from me. For today's 31 Day Challenge prompt, "green nails," I decided to let them be the star of the show. Then, for a bit of extra visual interest, I added a pinch of negative space and a little bit of blocking to the mix.

Polishes used:
OPI My Vampire is Buff (cream)
OPI Jade is the New Black (dark green)
LVX Midori (wasabi green)
Essie Go Overboard (teal stripe)

This look is entirely freehanded with a small nail art brush, including the pesky horizontal teal stripes. I like the style of the leaves but think I could have finessed them a bit more. The middle nail is my most favorite. I guess we are all our own worst critics, though!



Check out my green looks from previous years:

• China Glaze Ghoulish Glow
• Bulbasaur Nail Art
• Green Jade Nail Art