KOTD: Lavender Leaves

I really wanted to do some Halloween inspired nails, but sadly don't have any themed stickers/konad plates. Booo. :( I might do a few Halloween colored ones though I guess.



Picture source: Nail Crack

Nail Trends For 2010/2010

Not only do clothing trends evolve... it seems nail polish colors and styles also come and go out of fashion. Ok, maybe "going out of fashion" doesn't really exist in a polish junkies world, but there will be times that some nail designs and colors will be popping up more then others. What's exciting to me, is the fact that there are so many nail trends going on at once!

Below are the hottest trends in nail polish colors for 2010.




  1. Red – This isn't a new one. Red has always been a color that exudes sex appeal and femininity. Just like lipsticks the key is finding the right red for your taste and skin tone, but since it's fall I find dark reds are gaining more attention.

2. Glitter polishes - I used to hate these, because they're so hard to get off and though hard to admit, I used to find them tacky. That was until I saw some bloggers layering them over contrasting OR matching base colors. Love it.

3. Camouflage for nails--> Grays, Khaki's and Taupe's – For me this is a must have. I first began noticing the trend back in April when I saw Rihanna wearing a flesh toned/taupe polish and now it's everywhere - in shimmery and creme versions. I haven't seen many versions of jaw dropping Khaki polishes though, aside from the collection which was released by Chanel recently.

4. Autumn Hues – think orange, purple, brown and deep green.

5. The "Ruffian" or reversed moon manicure - this look was created by Creative Nail Design (CND) especially for the NYFW Ruffian Fashion show months ago. Since then everybody has been calling this manicure the Ruffian, but it isn't till recently that I've seen it popping up more frequently in the blogsphere.
How to "do the ruffian manicure": I think it looks the best as pictured above: matte dark polish wish a light metallic half moon. But obviously  you can experiment and tweak it to your own taste. The easiest way to do it would be to apply your metallic color first, then with french manicure guides finish with the darker color. Or... you can just free hand it if you have the patience.

6. Navy - This was hot in 2009 but so far the trend hasn't died out yet.


What are your favorite nail trends and which do you hope will make it into 2011?


(Polishes pictured:
Butter LONDON in Royal Navy
NARS 'Vintage' Nail Polish
NARS Nail Polish - Dovima
Givenchy Nail Lacquer in 172 Vintage Garnet
Deborah Lippmann Across the Universe Nail Color
CHINA GLAZE `Tis the Season Holiday 2010 Collection in Party Hearty
Chanel Khakis Nail Polish Collection for Fall 2010
MAC Venomous Villains Collection for Fall 2010
Orly Space Cadet - Cosmic FX Collection, Fall 2010)

NOTD: Mandarin Mambo

I've finally started experimenting more with my Konad plates, and by that I mean using more then just 1 color or image plate to attempt some real nail art. Using just one color can look great but after a while you just want to be more creative. Working with average sized nails also requires picking just the right sized patterns so you don't end up making them look shorter.
I think that's why the Konad M57 is my favorite and I'd recommend to anyone thinking about trying stamping.

What I used:

Vogue Fantastic nail polish in Mandarina

Colorbar nail polish in Raspberry (looks more frosty champagne)

Konad special nail polish in Red

Sally Hansen clear topcoat
Konad M57 and M21 plates

Konad: Sea Blue Siren

Here's an aqua blue KOTD I tried out. This was my first time trying out the M21 nail plate. The paint splat nail design is the whole reason I ordered this plate, but sadly I'm on the fence about it the end results.

What do you think?

Using: Konad M21 Plate, Wet N Wild White Creme Nail Polish, LA Colors in Sea Siren (one coat)

Mini review: I found this LA Colors Color Craze nail polish for only $1.50 (though you could probably get it cheaper) and was excited to run out to buy more. After using it more then once I realised that the consistency is way too thick. I like that it gives full coverage in just one coat and is so cheap, but dislike how difficult it is to remove/clean-up ---> mildly left my nails stained blue even though I only had it on for less then an hour.
That beign said, these polishes make horrible all over nail colors, but are perfect for Konad Nail Stamping.

ESSIE new colors !

‘Slip Into Something More Colorful’ is the new Essie Summer Collection! Come down to Topshop WAH Nails and pick up one of these amazing polishes! You can choose from ‘Miss Matched’, ‘Haute As Hello’, ‘Knockout Pout’, ‘(My Favorite) Vermillionaire’, ‘Demure Vixen’ and ‘Pretty Edgy’


P.S. I wonder who comes up with these names

KOTD: Lavender Lace

Last week I came across some cute nail polish colors by Vogue Fantastic. In case you didn't know, Vogue is a South American brand- made in Colombia. I'd secretly been holding off on posting swatches seeing as my nails are rather short at the moment, but then I decided I didn't really want to wait for weeks till they grew out. Once they do, I'll post updated pics and better Konad nail art looks.

I got 3 colors, my favorite has to be FRESH PETALS, a light purple hue, that reminds me so much of Mac's Limited Edition Lavender Whip lipstick. I have it on my toes too, and it looks slightly pink against my tan skin.

Paisaje, Fresh Petals and Mandarina

(I was really kicking myelf for buying Paisaje, since it comes with a nail art brush, not a nail polish one. I'll have to find an alternative brush for it I guess so it doesn't go to waste. So if you don't want nail art laquers, stay away from the pink bottle tops.)

Check out my Konad Look using Mandarina here.

Product claims:
"Long lasting, Fast drying and Glossy."

Pro's:

-relatively inexpensive

-a few cute colors

Con's:

-you'll need at least 2-3 coats to get good, even coverage.

-limited colors available

Newho, without further a do here is the nail swatch:

VOGUE Fantastic in Fresh Petals (23):

Oh yea, and it retails for about $2.50.

I used the Konad M57 Plate, my Wet N Wild White Creme Nail polish along with Vogue Fresh Petals to achieve this simple look- which is great for short nails:

KOTD: Purple summercat

It's summer and I've been going crazy with every bright nail polish in sight..Here's a purple Konad zebra/animal print I did... taken the day after.

Using: Jordana in "Black" and "Love Bug", Konad M78 plate



Konad M78



This plate was really easy to use and get fool proof results. It may be a problem for people who have really long nails though. Mine are short-medium lenght, but if they where a few millimeters longer the print may not have covered the entire nail.

Oriental KOTD

Before:

After:

Using: Jordana in "Grape" and "Black", Collection 2000 in "Spangles", M21 Plate, S4 Plate



Also, I just found out that as of March 2010, Konad suppliers have banned online sellers from giving out discount codes. Booo.. Just as I was getting excited to order my next batch of plates.

Hot Pink Zebras

I never was one who could be bothered to do her finger nails, but since I've gotten my hands on the Konad Nail Art system, I've been looking for excuses to change up my nail polish as much as possible, ha.

Of course, I couldn't NOT try out a hot pink zebra look:

I used 2 coats of Jordana Nailpolish in "Flamingo Pose" and "Black" and the Konad M57 Plate.
If you're an animal print lover like me, this is probably the one plate you really want to have in your collection. It also contains a cheetah print design. :)

As you may tell my ringfinger turned out a bit smudged and I didn't have time to do it over. (On camera it's much more obvious than in person... plus I'll probably make an excuse to re do my nails tomorrow.)

M57

Konad Haul

I was so exstatic when I finally received my Konad Nail Art supplies in the mail the other day. Due to a boatload of school projects that had to be tended to first, I only got around to trying the Konad today. And yes... I can say it IS worth the money. I was dying to try the other designs out on my sister or ANYbody else for that matter.

I ordered from OCNailArt.com, and thanks to entering the coupon "scrangie" at checkout managed to save a whopping 30% ($25!!). My order came out to about $58 total.

Here's the HauL:

-M57

-M21

-M78

-S9

-S5

-M56

-M44

-Nail Stamping Kit D (which comes with 2 nail polishes, stamping kit and M3 plate)

-Black special polish

-Yellow special polish

And..... my first attempt at some easy nail art (it's not THE most creative, but hey.. nail stamping can be intimidating at first):

Using: "Spangles" by Collection 2000 and Jordana "Black" nailpolish, Konad M3 plate

Surprisingly enough, I didn't need to really use the black Special Polish to get it to show up. My regular drugstore one worked just fine.

Overall the kit is very easy to use, and all you have to really worry about is aiming the stamp so it lands on the right area of your nail.... before the polish dries. It takes a bit of practise, but nothing too complicated.

And.. my cleanup was quick and easy. Just make sure to have your nail polish remover and cotton pads handy so wipe clean the plates between stamping.

I can't wait to try some more looks to post for you guys.. ;)

Bargain Find: Jordana Basecoats

I did a post 2 years ago about my favorite budget friendly find: Wet N Wild base coat. It was great and only a buck. I never spend alot on basecoats- on topcoats Yes!
Whether you buy expensive or inexpensive basecoats, they're a must because they protect your nails and help manicures last longer.

Lately I've found another better brand that I've been blogging about: Jordana Cosmetics. I'm really drawn to their nail polishes and treatments -due to the polish formulas and packaging- and have grown to dislike Wet N Wild polishes after trying these. The brush allows for easier and smoother application since it's not too thin.

The basecoat I got is called Jordana Calcium Boost Basecoat with Calcium Gel. It leaves nails shiny and seems to actually strenghten my weak nails. Love it. Oh and did I mention it only cost $2?

I'll be doing swatches of these soon...
(I did a review for the last one on the right here - called Red Of Hearts)


What's your all time favorite basecoat?


[All these products where bought by me, and this is my 100% honest review.]

Valentines day nails: Red hearts

My newest nail polish addition: Jordana Red Of Hearts. Usually I'm not a fan of clear glitter polishes as they seem a bit.. 90s? But when I saw this heart filled bottle, I had to have it.

Red Of Hearts is a clear base with a slight reddish tint, loaded with red sparkles and red heart-shaped glitter. If you want more glitter, you can build the amount with additional coats- perfect for layering over your favorite polish. There have been several polishes similar to this available in the past: Maybelline Deeply In Love ($3.50) and the 2009 collection Nicole by OPI ($8). None of these compare to the one from Jordana because mine only costs $2. :)

Now, when I tried to swatch this polish I realised it wasn't gonna be easy to apply. But here's a great tip: the hearts probably won't come out of the bottle when you use the brush- only the glitter. Apply as many coats of the polish as needed to achieve the glitter look you want.

Then, take a toothpick/stick and go fishing for hearts. It is much easier to pick them out of the bottle than it is to try to paint them on with the brush. Once you've gotten the heart onto the toothpick, gently press it onto your nail. Apply as many hearts as you wish then seal with a topcoat. The hearts and glitter actually stay on very well... a bit too well?

Here is my Valentine's day inspired look- obviously you'll have to ignore my messy application:

Essie Mint Candy Apple Review + Swatch

On my trip to LA, everywhere I turned I was haunted by images of this nail polish. I knew I had to have it.

As the name says, it's a mint green creme nail polish - and FYI: I heart creme nail polishes. This is lighter then MAC's Peppermint Patti which kind of dissapointed me at first, but I got over it. :)

Also, I used to find Essies brushes hard to work with- and seemed to get way too much polish on my brush resulting in alot of polish on my fingers. But nothing to worry about as I've finally gotten used to that and now truly love it, because you can get an opaque coverage with 2-3 coats.

Here's some nail art using Essie's Mint Candy Apple (via Nail Crack):

Have you tried this color?



Jordana (in Grape): easy Valentine's day nails

This is one of my favorite cheap nail polishes: the packaging and formula are amazing. The brush is just so well designed and provides ease of application (=very important to me). And these babies only cost $1.50! The only downside is the limited colors available compared to OPI and China Glaze.

I decided to do a Valentine's day inspired look using this polish and a bunch of heart shaped nail stickers I bought at Forever 21 for $1.80.

The nail polish glides on without streaking, and gives even coverage. I added a basecoat, then the Jordana nail polish in Grape. With the first coat I was good to go, but I wanted it to be neater and added another. With a good topcoat my nail polish was chip free for 2-3 days.

Nails on day 2 (click to enlarge)

Hot Valentine's day looks

Got a date planned? Planning to enjoy the day single, fabulous and with friends? Either way, Valentine's day isn't just for couples so make the best of it and overdose on chocolates. You can spend the day treating yourself, your parents or even friends to something nice.

This Youtube user has unfortunatly disabled embedding so check out these 4 looks by clicking on the links for some really easy DIY nail tutorials for Valentine's day:

- Hot Valenine's Day Lips

- Valentine's day French tips

- Red and white striped nails

- Twisted polka dotted nails

Nail polish trends 2009: Metallics

What I love about nail polish is that you can keep your look up to date for a fraction of the cost, without giving yourself a make over. It's subtle, while still being a noticeable detail. Purples, red, burgundies where all covetted winter colors, but now it's time to break out the metallics.

Since being seen on fall runways, Silver nail polish has become a hot trend being worn by celebs (Rihanna, Lindsey Lohan, Paris Hilton, Kate Winslet) and the good news is metallics go with everything.

 If you're not into silver there's other choices like gold, graphite, chrome and bronze.

Rihanna loves her bronze and was seen sporting it since June '08:

Getting Started With Nail Art

Via Nail Crack

I did a nail art post some weeks back and decided to do another one. Decorating your fingernails is a quick way to spice up your wardrobe and your mood.
Step 1:

What you will need:

• Colored nail polish.
• Clear topcoat and basecoat.
• Nail art glitter pen.
• Nail glue.
• Decals, stickers, confetti – whatever decorative pieces you want to use
• Manicure sticks

Step 2:

Plan your design. I've made this mistake more times then I'd like to admit: you don't want to get stuck with glue on your nails before you realize that you hate your design or it doesn't fit. Assemble the decorative pieces you want on a flat surface, then lay them out for the look you want. Also, decide if you're going to decorate one nail to make a statement or if you want your entire set of nails to match.

Step 3:

Test design for fit. Fingernails vary in size (by individual and by finger): your pinky nail is smaller than your thumb nail. If you're doing a full set with the same design, test the design by holding it against your smallest and largest nails to determine if you like the look on each.

Step 4:
Prepare the surface. You can apply nail art to a nail already painted the color of your choice or a clear coat. Make sure that your nails are clean and dry before applying decorative items.

Step 5:

Adhere decals, stickers and/or confetti. Stickers, decals and confetti are available with or without sticky backing. The stickers are the easiest to use because they will stick directly to the nail without glue. If you need to use glue, use as little as possible. Put the decal onto the end of a manicure stick; apply a tiny dab of glue to the back, and then position the decal onto your nail. Press lightly with the stick and hold for a few seconds to set the glue.

Step 6:

Draw lines, outlines or shapes. Using a glitter pen or fine line polish, draw any additional design elements you want to add. Remember that your nail is a small canvas and you want to avoid cluttering the design with too much extra embellishment. I even like to plan this design ahead.

Step 7:

Apply top coat. Top coat should be applied once the decorative elements, glitter pen or glue have dried so they don't smudge and make all your hard work go to heck. Apply a layer of topcoat to seal in the design and create level surface. If you used rhinestones or thick decals you may need a second layer of topcoat to make sure it's properly sealed.

Step 8:

Sit back and let your nails to dry. Allowing nails to dry properly when you're done is important, but so is letting the polish dry between coats. If one coat isn't dry, the whole look will be ruined and won't dry at all.