The Lacquer Legion: Lucky

As always, this too non-specific topics are giving my a hard time. I know that the reason behind it is St. Patrick day, but I didn't want to go with a green, gold and clover. Every time I tried to think about a nail art, Daft punk's Get Lucky song kept playing in my head. After I found the cover art for the single, I just knew it would transfer beautifully to my nails, so I did just that!

You know that feeling when you just feel too bad to do this extra step on your nail art? That every step is good enough on it's own? This is what I like to call an "Evolving Manicure". My base color- Ga-de Peach sorbet (that you can actually see only on my thumb) is very gorgeous on it's own, and the gradient  (using Ga-de Tangerine and Life 299) can pass for a nail art every day. I did the shape of the sun using OPI German-icure, and added the silhouettes with Ga-de Black swan.

I'm interested to see what everyone else did today, and how many of them didn't stick to the green :)

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From day to night in a simple twist

When I've noticed that my tips are starting to break, I realized I need to shorten my nails again. But it felt like such a shame to give up this length, so I decided to use it before I lose it. I came up with an idea for a subtle, office appropriate manicure, with some bright, flashy inner tips. This way I can keep it appropriate, but don't feel all sweet and soft for a long time.

I went with 3 coats of Ga-de Angelina, so I can reach opacity, and on top I added OPI Pirouette My Whistle in a dabbed coat, just to add this little something extra.
I didn't want to color on my inner tip to affect the look of my normal manicure, so just so I'll be on the safe side, I painted a coat of white polish, Wow 350, before applying Ga-de Tangerine.

I had so much fun wearing this manicure, and I just loved the looks on people faces when they saw the inner side as well. I will defiantly be doing more double sided manicures in the near future!

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Cool toned skittlette

So, I've decide to practice my mix and match skills, so prepare yourself for many skittlettes in the near future. It also makes a great opportunity for me to practice my stamping skills without getting frustrated from a full stamping manicure. I still haven't tried the Skittlette goddess's formula, but this one is quite close.

So- two stamped nails, two plains and one texture later, this mani was done! Ok, you may notice that the stamping is less then imperfect, but I honestly believe that with this specific print, the missing parts aren't as visible, so I kinda douched the bullet with this one.

Both the bright blue (Wibo 482)  and the light green (Life 279) were too sheer, with the blue actually being a jelly, so I painted them over a white base (Wow 350). I stamped with Bundle Monster BM-206, and Wow 393. The texture polish is Chic 05.

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Q's & Heys! - Chalkboard Nails

Ok, I feel like some explanation is due to who ever is not following my Facebook page. I've decided on a new segment in the blog, in which I'll interview different people from the nail art world, such as bloggers, polish makers and more.

So to start things off, I have an Interview with the lovely Sarah Waite from Chalkboard Nails, that I'm sure you all know of. If you are not familiar with her blog, this will be a great starting point for you, and even if you do- you'll get to know a bit more about the blogger behind the nails.
So let's start!

-First of, tell us a bit about yourself, aside from the nail artist side.
I live in Arizona, USA with Sean, my boyfriend of seven years, and my darling bichon poodle mix Chowder. I love reality TV, cheese scones, and sleep. When I need to unwind a bit, I like to play video games.

Nail art for Chowder's 6th Birthday

-What was the first nail polish bottle you owned?
I don't remember the very first, but when I first started getting into nails I bought two together: Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear in Gunmetal and Sinful Colors Dream On.

-What is your most precious bottle of polish? Why?
Clarins 230. Not only is it rare, expensive, and beautiful, it's the only bottle of polish that Sean has ever given me!

Clarins 230

-What is your worst nail-habit?
Sometimes I am guilty of picking off my polish if it chips!

-Which nail shape will you never try, and which one you are just building up the courage to change to?
I just gathered the Courage to change my nail shape to round from my usual square, and I can't believe I waited so long to do it! I love round nails! I would like to try going a bit more almond someday, too. There's not much I wouldn't try, as long as they weren't too long. Long nails drive me crazy.

Reinventing her own nail shape

-Why and when did you start your blog?
I started blogging in July 2011 after I saw a leopard print nail art tutorial online. I thought it was the coolest thing ever and rushed out to get the materials I needed immediately. I decided to start a blog to document my adventures in learning about nail polish, and it all just kind of grew from there!

Leopard nail art from July 2011

-How did you get into nail polish it the first place?
After the initial tutorial got me hooked, I joined a polish group called Polish-aholics Anonymous on Facebook. Oh my goodness are those girls enablers! I saw so many shades, finishes, and brands that I didn't even know existed. They definitely nurtured my polish addiction (indirectly).

-Where do you get inspiration from?
Some of my favorite manicures to do are the ones inspired by pop culture or fandoms that I like. I've done Mythbusters, Adventure Time, Lord of the Rings, Mario, and Despicable Me nail art, just to name a few. It's always fun for me to share those with people, especially when they like the subject as well.

Despicable me 2- Minions nail art

-You've claimed yourself quite a spot in the nail art community. How do you feel about the fact that so many of us look up to you? Does it add any pressure?
I honestly can't believe how much my blog has taken off as much as it has. I feel really lucky to have made this little space for myself in the nail art realm. Having people look up to me only motivates me to keep improving and coming up with new ideas!

-Not so long ago, Nicole by OPI did a big interview with you and shared it online. What did you feel when they first approached you? How did you prepare yourself [and your nails] for such an event?
Oh god such a range of emotions. I was excited at first, and then nervous about doing a live video interview, and then conflicted about what to do on my nails. The videos were filmed in my house, which really helped put me at ease, and I made sure to look my best so I could just focus on answering the interview questions. I chose to do a simple but eye-catching nail art look with Nicole b OPI textures; I wanted it to be something anyone could do but that still had impact.

Sarah's manicure for the Nicole by OPI interview

-Share with us some of your favorite bloggers.
Basecoat Topcoat- The things this woman can do with polish are mind-blowing. She has a really wonderful painterly style.
Adventures In Acetone- Jacki is a nail art machine! She creates tons of content & is blessed with a great eye for balance.
Nails by Mei- Mei is one of the most innovative nail artists right now. Her work is so fine tuned and precise, and her line work is unbelievable. I recommend keeping up with her Instagram for the latest pics!
Mr. Candiipants- Candice's work has such an effortlessness that I really admire. It's carefree without being messy.

-What is your favorite manicure of yours?
My favorite manicure in recent memory is the freehand radiant orchid that I did to celebrate Pantone's announcement of the 2014 color of the year.

Radiant Orchid nail art

-How do you organize your stash? Do you have any tips as to how to store a growing collection?
I store my collection in IKEA Helmers, sorted by brand. I have lofty dream of organizing by color but honestly I know that I just won't naitain that. My best advice is that you shouldn't invest a ton of money in a solution that isn't scaleable. I like the Helmers because they are all uniform and I can stack them on top of each other if needed.

-Any tips for the nail artists out there?
Be original! There's nothing wrong with taking inspiration from your favorite nail artists, but you'll make a name for yourself by creating things that are unique.

Sarah is not ALL about free hand

-Any tips for the bloggers?
Don't over-commit yourself. If your blog starts to take off, it can be tempting to say yes to every opportunity that comes your way. However, my advice is to take it slow and figure your personal limits so you don't get overwhelmed. Blogging shouldn't feel like a chore!

-Is there a goal in the nail art world that you want to achieve that you haven't already?
It would be awesome to have some of my designs used as inspiration for nail wraps (with permission, of course)!

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Recycling manicure

As shocked as I was about the bright pink polish fitting me, I really liked its bold look. And while the accent nails with the decal softened up the over look, I wanted to try and go BOLD. So I used the skittlette to my advantage and changed up only two nails.

So the stamping might have turned up awful, but I'm liking my bold move. I normally wouldn't have gone for such a bold manicure, but for those who does- such a bright look is perfect for the summer that gets closer and closer by the minute.

The pink polish is Life 276, and the stud on top of it is similar to the one here (You may use my coupon code YLX31 to get 10% off your order). My gold polish is Life 345, and I stamped over it using Wow 393 and Bundle Monster BM-410. Again, the added stud is from Forever 21, but you can get something similar by a quick search online.

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Eye catching Sakura

So, the story behind my untypical use of bright pink polish is this- a while ago I bought some water decals at a local store, and they were sitting unused in my drawer ever since. I felt like using the sakura brunches design, and my search for a matching nail polish has lead me to one of my barely used nail polishes.

So, on the the decals- after completely drying my nail polish, I cut a piece of the decal, took the plastic part off, and soaked it in water. When it was soaked enough, I pulled the design off of the paper using a pair of tweezers, and placed it on my nail. Quick tip- If your nails are wet, you can move the decal around even after you placed it, and then soak the water off gently. Don't forget to use top coat after applying the decals.

My pink polish is Life 276, and the base color for the decals is Wow 395. I used studs that I bought from Forever 21, but you can get identical ones from the Born Pretty Store here, and don't forget to use my coupon code YLX31 at checkout to get 10% off your order.

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Bloody round ruffian

I think I'm getting way too creative with naming my manicure lately... But what can I say? An artist's mind is an artist's mind.
Anyhoo, I had this vision in mind of a red ruffian over my dark silver base. Then I kept thinking it will be too dull, so I thought about adding stamping in an accent nail. But then, I remembered my self-promise to do more full manicures. So I did just that.

And I gotta say- my stamping skills are really improving! This time, my one and only problem was placing, with the print being a bit to small for most of my nails, and WAY to small for my wide thumb. I actually used the ruffian in my favor, and kept the spaces next to my cuticle, so the ruffian will cover it up.

My base color is Ga-de Vintage silver, and both the stamping and the ruffian were done using Ga-de Hypnotic red. The stamping plate I used is Bundle Monster BM-206.

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Oscar worthy

Call it last minute! I had this manicure in mind for MONTHS, and kept convincing myself not to do it just yet, and to do it so I can wear it during the actual ceremony. Well, that didn't work out so well. I've planned on doing it yesterday, so I'd have the time to edit the pictures and write the post, but my hands got weirdly swollen, so I decided to give it a rest and do it all at the last minute. Better did I know, my hand is still swollen! But I did my best to pose for you guys, and I'll top it all with a tutorial!

So, a quick over look first, and then move on the the detailed tutorial. I have the desired red carpet, and the statue it self on my index finger. I struggled alot about what I should to on my thumb, and ended up with cheering my [and the entire internet's] favorite.

On to the tutorial! I'll show it to you step by step, and will add a combined photo in the end.

Step 1: After your usual base coat, apply your base color. Here I went with a sheer milky-nude which is Astor 7.

Step 2:  Create some sort of a red french. I took it to the wider side here. You should keep the french her straight at the top, even if it doesn't follow your natural nail tip. I used my go to red polish- Life strawberry.

Step 3: Create the shape of the statue. I started with a rectangle at the base, with a line going from the midlle straight up. I added the oval shape of the head, and made sure I widen up the top of my line, so it will look more like shoulders. I used a mustered-y polish here, Chic It's a date.

Step 4: High light your statue. I used Life 345.

Step 5: Use your favorite top coat, and do some clean up, and you're golden! [ok, I'm really sorry about this pun. I didn't mean it at first, but then I just... couldn't help myself!]

Here is the combined picture:

and here I say goodbye and go to bite my nail [on the non-swatching hand!] till I know who won!

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