Seaweed-y

Happpppppppy Monday!!

T.T

Why does the weekend never seem long enough?

At least I can look at these pretty nails while I'm at work and imagine myself at the beach instead ;) 

I just got a new stamper on Friday, the creative stamper! And let me tell you it's ahhhhh-mazing <3 Along with that the bunches of mini stamping polished I ordered from Mundo De Unas came in too! Time to play, and play is just what I did!

I started off with a base of Color Club Kismet. While my base was drying I reverse stamped using Born Pretty Store plate BP-L017 with Mundo De Unas Green and filled it in with Maybelline Color Show Green With Envy. I top coated it and let it dry and then carefully peeled it off of my stamper and placed it on my nails. I cleaned up the excess and applied a layer of Seche Vite to finish it off.

I ended up liking this design so much more then I thought I would. I don't reverse stamp very often, this is actually my second time doing it so I'll admit that I still need some practice but man, these looked pretty bad ass from far away ;) 

What do you guys think? 

Enjoy your Monday! ;)

Tear Drop Patterned Nails

I've been so into abstract / patterned nails lately. It's really renewed my love of free hand nail art and I'm so glad because I am SO proud of these nails! I got my inspiration for this abstract tear drop design from a pattern on Pinterest, are you ready to see what I came up with?!

I started this design off with a base of Color Club Nail Robi on my middle and ring fingers, Maybelline Color Show Iced Queen on my index, and OPI This Gown Needs A Crown on my pinky. I created the tear drop design using white and light purple acrylic paints and a small flat nail art brush. I sealed everything in with a layer of Seche Vite and that was it.

I really am just so in love with these nails! I realize that I say that with almost every design but I'm totally serious this time!!! I definitely want to try this pattern again in some different color combinations. When kind of colors would you guys like to see?! I'm thinking a pretty mint with black and white tear drops!

Keep an eye out on my Instagram and YouTube Channel for tutorials on this look a little bit later!!

Thanks loves :) 

White to Gold Reciprocal Gradient Reverse Stamping

Talk about a mouthful of a title right?

LOL I swear these nails are way easier to create then they sound. I wanted to try some reciprocal gradient nails and I though what better way to try then to add in some stamping too. Bring it up a notch ya know? Keep reading to find out how I did it.

I started with a base of Sinful Colors Snow Me White. When that dried I created the gradient using Sinful Colors Snow Me White and Maybelline Color Show Bold Gold. Then I stamped over top of the gradient using the same colors and Bundle Monster Plate BM-408 making sure that the white half was stamped over gold and vice versa. Finally I sealed everything in with some Seche Vite and the design was finished. 

I know it sounds difficult but honestly this design was so easy to create. Time consuming? Yes but hard? No way! I encourage you guys to try it! And make sure you tell me so I can see all of the beautiful designs you come up with :) 

What do you think guys?

Make sure you keep an eye out on my Instagram and YouTube Channel for tutorials on this look! I will update this post with links once they are posted.

Thanks loves :) 

Twinsie Tuesday: Endometriosis Awareness

Happy Tuesday!

I hope your week is going well, I'm counting down the days until Sunday because DAYLIGHT SAVINGS! I can't wait for it to be lighter out later, just one more step closer to summer ;) 

Anyways since today is Tuesday that means it's time for Twinsie Tuesday! The theme for today is Endometriosis Awareness. Now to be honest I know nothing about Endometriosis, so I decided to do a little research. From what I read I understand Endometriosis as a painful disorder that occurs when the tissue that normal lines the inside of the uterus grows outside of the uterus. This causes discomfort which can sometimes be severe and also fertility issues. Man, that sounds terrible. I'm glad that the theme for today is Endometriosis Awareness because I really don't think many people know about it, myself included, and I think it's important for everyone to know. The color for Endometriosis Awareness is yellow so I've got a bright yellow design below. Keep reading to see what I came up with!

I started with a base of Lime Crime Crema De Limon. When it was dry I stamped over it using Bundle Monster plate BM- 321 and Orly Glowstick for a subtle ribbon effect. When that was dry I used my cancer ribbon vinyls from The Little LacquerBean and painted over them with Maybelline Color Show Bold Gold. To finish this design off I sealed everything in with one coat of Seche Vite. 

I have to confess, I hate yellow nail polish. It's always difficult and I hate the way it looks with my skin! But I surprisingly didn't mind this mani, the two yellows really complimented each other and the outcome didn't close with my skin like I thought it would. Maybe I'll be trying out some more yellow designs in the future!

Don't forget to check out everyone else's Endometriosis Awareness manis for today, I'm super excited to see what everyone has come up with!

Alaina at The Little Canvas

Amanda at Amandalandish

Amanda at Fashion Footing 

Amber at Nails Like Lace 

Bridget at A Painted Nail 

Chelsea at Nailed Blog 

ChiChi at I'm Just Me...ChiChi 

Jessica at Blue Velvet Lacquer 

Kristine at Pink and Polished Nails 

Lakeisha at Refined and Polished 

​Lisa at The Polish Playground 

Marisa at Polish Obsession 

Róisín at Cuti-CLUE-les 

Savannah at Addicted to Polish 

Tiffany at Polished To Precision

Thanks loves :) 

An orange a day with Zoya Destiny

Moving on with my untrieds, I have Zoya Destiny. I'm not going to lie I was SO excited to use this color. It's actually not necessarily an untried since i've used it once before but I never posted it up on the blog so it doesn't really count right? LOL

Zoya Destiny is a juicy golden orange polish, so sparkly! Destiny is a PixieDust polish so it dries textured and I actually quite like that. This was also my very first textured polish I ever bought and it was the perfect one to start off with. I love that it doesn't feel really gritty, and it doesn't catch on stuff like some textured polishes do. And if you top coat it, the depth of this polish is amazing! Want to take a look at what I came up with?

I started off with a base of Zoya Destiny (2 coats). When it dried I stamped over it using Bundle Monster BM-308 and Maybelline Color Show Bold Gold. I cleaned up and didn't apply top coat because that would ruin the textured effect. But after I took my first photos I did end up top coating it with Essie Good To Go so you guys can see the depth that this polish has. 

I'm not really an orange person. Unless it's neon orange I probably won't use it. But this is the exception to that. Zoya Destiny is really such a beautiful orange you can't help but fall in love with it. And when it's top coated, man it's just stunning! I thought that an orange stamp would be perfect to compliment this polish because I mean... orange... oranges... perfect right?! LOL 

What do you guys think? What's your favorite orange polish, if you have one that is. 

Thanks loves! :)

Golden Chevrons with Zoya Feifei

As I sat down to paint my nails the other day I really wanted to use some colors that I haven't tried before. I always seem to reach for the same colors so my untried list is rather large and when I opened up my drawers I realized that my Zoyas get almost no love. What?! Why don't we change that, like NOW.

The first shade that I grabbed was Zoya Feifei. What a wonderful and unique polish. It's an icy blue foil with so many different gold / copper based micro glitters which gives this polish an almost duo chrome effect. So lovely. I knew I wanted to pair this up with some gold art so I hope you guys like what I came up with!

I started of with a base of Zoya Feifei (3 coats for full coverage). When it was dry I used Bundle Monster plate BM-423 and Maybelline Color Show Bold Gold and stamped over each nail. For a little extra fun I used plate BM-317 and Sally Hansen Silver Sweep and stamped the little bow image on my ring finger. I sealed it all in with Essie Good To Go and that was it. 

I love how well the gold stamping compliments this polish. It's a little difficult to see in the photos but the copper / gold micro glitters were really prominent in real life. And I just think that little bow is too damn cute ;) 

What do you think guys? What is your most untried brand?

Thanks loves :) 

NYE Grungy Glam

Hi guys!

Sorry I haven't been posting, life's been a little crazy. But thankfully it seems to be settling, just in time for the new year! Can you believe it's almost 2015? When I was younger people would always tell me, just wait until you get older the years will just fly by. I never used to believe them but it's so true! These past few years have literally FLOWN by! But I've also learned to get excited about change, because it's going to happen wether or not you want it to ;) So I don't know about you guys but I'm so ready to bring in the new year! New opportunities, new everything. And new nails! 

Let's get on with it then shall we?!

I started off with a base of Color Club Beyond. Then I took a fan brush and dipped it in Maybelline Color Show Bold Gold and then Sally Hansen Silver Sweep and brushed it over my nails. I kept going back with all three colors until I got to a look that I liked. When that was dry I took Maybelline Color Show Navy Narcissist and stamped with Bundle Monster plate BM-H14. I sealed everything in with Essie Good To Go and that was it. 

I really loved these nails, I love the color that the three shades (CC Beyond, MCS Bold Gold, and SH Silver Sweep) created by using the dry brush technique. Kind of a grungy glam ;) ;)  And I think that the blue just gave it a really nice pop of color. 

What do you guys think?

Are you ready for 2015?

Thanks loves :)

Christmas Eve Dots

It's Christmas Eve! 

I really just love Christmastime, the excitement, the mystery, the friends and family. Sure it's stressful but when it comes down to it, it's always a holiday to remember. It's a little bit crazy here so I'm going to keep this post short and sweet ;) 

I started off with a base of OPI Bubble Bath. Then I took a few different dotting tools and created the dots with China Glaze Just Be-Claws, China Glaze Con-Fused?, Maybelline Color Show Bold Gold, and Sally Hansen Silver Sweep. I sealed it in with Essie Good To Go and that's it. 

Ahh, nothing better then a simple dotticure. I love designs like this because you can create them in so little time so they're great when your rushing around for the holidays and still want to make sure your nails are looking fabulous. 

What are you wearing on your nails for Christmas Eve?

Thanks loves :) 

Silver and Gold

So you've been looking for a holiday manicure to rock this season but you're sick of the green and red and cutesy designs? Do you want something more punk-ish? Want to spice it up a bit? I totally have the design for you! Keep reading to find out how to get this super fun and spunky silver and gold design.

Wow, is it just me or did I really sound like I was trying to sell you guys something up there? I should totally become a sales person! LOLOL 

Selling isn't for me, but this design certainley is! I mean don't get me wrong I love red and green and cutesy Christmas nails but sometimes I just crave a little more spice.

I started off with a base of Wet N Wild Black Creme. When it dried I used Maybelline Color Show Bold Gold and Sally Hansen Silver Sweep and created a water spotted design. Instead of top coating for a shiny finish I opted for NYC Matte Me Crazy. Finally I added some small tear drop shaped rhinestones. 

I love how this design looks, punk rock but still totally in the holiday spirit. 

If you want a better look at how I created these nails, because come on I'm really not that good at explaining myself, head on over to my Instagram (@pinkandpolishednails) I will be posting a video tutorial shortly.

What do you guys think?

Thanks loves :) 

Christmas Gradient Ornaments

It just isn't Christmas without at least one red and green design ;) 

But can I just say, red and green are being such jerks to work with this year! Because they are opposites they technically cancel each other out meaning that if you aren't careful a gradient can turn muddy and brown. I had to redo this gradient 3 times before I was happy with it! Ready to check it out?

I started with a base of Essie Blanc so that my gradient would really pop. When it dried I taped off my nails and created the gradient using The Little LacquerBean Sexy Red Suit and The Little LacquerBean Mistletoe Mania. I cleaned up and applied Essie Good To Go so that the stamping wouldn't smudge anything. When everything was dry I stamped over the gradient using Bundle Monster Plate BM-H03 and Maybelline Color Show Bold Gold. I sealed everything in with one final coat of Essie Good To Go and that was it. 

I wasn't sure that I was going to like this mani while I was creating it. It was just so messy and nothing was going right I almost gave up. But I'm glad I didn't because I really actually loved the final product. The ornaments hide the messy gradient line and it made for a really fun and festive manicure.

What do you think guys?

Talk to you soon!
Thanks loves :) 

The Golden Reindeer

There's something about gold and chocolate brown together that just makes my heart happy.

No really, it's a match made in heaven! And when I think of gold and brown around Christmas the first thing that comes to mind is reindeer! So hey give the people what they want right? 

I started off with a base of The Little LacquerBean Spiked Hot Chocolate, a yummy chocolatey squishy crelly. When it dried I stamped over it using Bundle Monster plates BM-H01 and BM-417 and Maybelline Color Show Bold Gold. To finish the design off I sealed everything in with a layer of Essie Good To Go. 

I really enjoy how well the Bundle Monster plates stamp. I mean look at how crisp that reindeer is! 

Are you guys feeling the Christmas spirit yet?! What's your favorite holiday design? I'm always open to suggestions! ;) 

Talk to you all soon!
Thanks loves :) 

A Thanksgiving Houndstooth

Darlings!

Ready for some more Thanksgiving-esque nails? I'm actually completely smitten with these nails, neutrals and houndstooth, yum! It's a little known secret that I absolutely love houndstooth print, I never used to until I met my best friend. She has been obsessed with houndstooth for as long as I can remember and finally it rubbed off on me. I just can't get enough! 

Ready to get this design started? Let's go! 

I started off with a base of The Little LacquerBean Sweet Irish Cream. When it dried I taped off around my nails and created a gradient using both colors from The Little LacquerBean Chill Chasers Duo, Sweet Irish Cream and Spiked Hot Chocolate. After I removed the tape and cleaned up I stamped over everything with Maybelline Color Show Bold Gold and Bundle Monster plate BM-322 (hey that's my house number! Shhhhhh) Lastly I sealed it all in with Essie Good To Go and that was it!

Best way to hide a less than perfect gradient? Stamp over it! I wish I had taken photos of my other hand, the gradient was horrendous because I was low on time but I stamped over it and it looked just as good as my other hand ;) Secrets secrets!!! 

On a side note, I LOVE the hint of holographic sparkle in this from The Little LacquerBean Sweet Irish Cream. It's just enough to catch your eye but not so much that it dominates the whole design. And this color combination pleases me, so many neutrals yet such a wonderful outcome. 

What do you guys think? 

Oh and incase you've forgotten... 4 MORE DAYS UNTIL THANKSGIVING! Because you know I'm counting down the hours until I can stuff my face.

Thanks loves :) 

31DC2014 Day 28: Inspired By A Flag

Ahoy!!!

The prompt for today's 31 Day Challenge 2014 is Inspired By A Flag. I was going to do the American flag but looking back on my manicures I've done at least two American flag manicures so I really wanted to change it up this time so......... PIRATE FLAG! I can't believe I never thought of doing this before, I love pirates and pirate flags! Want to see what I came up with? Keep on reading then :)

I started with a base of Essie Blanc on my pointer nail, Maybelline Color Show Bold Gold on my middle, Wet n Wild Black Creme on my ring, and OPI You Don't Know Jacques! on my pinky. On my pointer I used OPI Big Apple Red for the stripes and then I took Zoya 18K and E.L.F Gold Star to create the "gold" on my middle. I painted the skull flag on my ring using white and light grey acrylic paint and finally I painted the peg leg wood pattern with NYC Royal Chick. I sealed everything in with a generous layer of Essie Good To Go and that was it!

Love, love, love this! The only thing that I don't like is that my pirate skull looks a bit too happy... ;) LOL But really, I need to do more pirate themed manicures, it's just too much fun! 

But now it's your turn! Post a link to your 31DC2014 Inspired By A Flag nails in the comments so I can see!! 

Thanks loves :)