I *Heart* You

And I heart this manicure, too! Like stars, hearts are one of those things I don’t free-hand particularly well. But I am powerless to resist a pink, red and white colour combination (here a pond manicure using Nfu Oh’s cerise-hued jelly, JS24) which always calls to mind very Valentiney things, hearts included. So I went all-in, painted on an allover heart design, and in the end I think things turned out quite well. My husband said they look like nail decals (well, he said “decnals” in the vein of the Trailer Park Boys’ Ricky, a man who mangles the English language with tremendous flair) which is just about the best compliment I can think of. 🙂

Strawberry Jelly Sandwich

Today’s weather has been an unpleasant thing – cold, downpourey, dark – so this manicure, a summery, ultra juicy-looking jelly sandwich, feels like just the thing to let the light – any light! – in. And I’m one of those weird people who like it when it’s overcast and sort of drizzly, but this? Actual cats and dogs are pouring from the heavens. Total anarchy. Time to turn off the tap, Mother Nature.

Still, as bummy as this day has turned out to be weather-wise, I smile when I look at these cheerful nails. Here I sandwiched a favourite glitter topper, OPI’s red, white and hot pink Minnie Style, between a couple of coats of a polish I simply don’t show enough love, Nfu Oh’s syrupy raspberry, JS24, to create a manicure that reminds me a lot of juicy, seed-flecked strawberry jam. Fun nails to brighten up an otherwise crappy day.

100th Post How-To

Happy 100th blog post, me! I is proud of my commitment to (nearly) daily blogging. Top shelf, it be. But given those last three sentences, I may need to spend a little less time on my nails and a whole lot more on my English language skills (I kid, I kid; I know I talk good.) 😉

In honour of my 100th post, I thought I’d share a manicure that combines everything I love about nail art – a fun (and simple) new technique, glossy polishes in fruity, juicy colours and funky matte glitter toppers. It’s the little things, you know?

To do these one-colour, no sponge gradient nails, I started with a sheer jelly polish, Nfu Oh’s JS24, and brushed one light coat onto my nails. After a moment or two of dry time, I brushed a second coat on starting just a smidge down from my cuticles. After yet more dry time, I brushed on a third coat of polish, starting just a bit down from the second bit. Finally, I brushed a fourth coat just onto the tips of my nails. What you’re doing here is creating a gradient using the polish’s natural “buildability,” starting at your cuticles with the sheerest bit and working up to full coverage at your nail tips.

But like all good things, there’s a bit of a catch. Unless you have a super steady hand and can control the flow of polish off your brush (which would make you Queen of All Things Nail Polish, I wager), a gradient done in this fashion won’t be as seamless as one done with a sponge. Indeed, if you compare my thumb and ring finger in the photo above, you’ll be able to see the difference between going slowly and carefully and…not!

But all’s not lost, and that’s where your matte glitter topper comes in. Simply swipe on the topper of your choice (here I went with Sephora’s Formula X in Chaotic) and watch as your nail art sins simply disappear. Then stand back, admire your claws and pat yourself on the back, because your nails look dope and you’re the (wo)man!

Double the Glittery Fun

One super fun glitter, two great looks. On the left, Candy Lacquer’s Fairyland over top of Nails Inc.’s St. James Park, a lush, tropical pink. And on the right, a may-have-spiralled-out-of-control jelly sandwich done with Fairyland and Nfu Oh’s JS24, a gorgeous, syrupy jelly in juicy, raspberry red.