B&W Days 4 & 5: Glam/Cute and Faux Fur

I truly space cadet-ed about the timing of this challenge, so I'm making it up with a two-fer!
Glam/Cute: Lovely rhinestones on a clean white background!

Faux Fur: Rawrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr Siberian Tiger stripes.

Check out today's B&W Nail Art Challenge looks!

An InLinkz Link-up

New Milani Nail Polish Release: Fantastical Plumage and Retro Glam

Exciiiiting!  Milani has 2 new limited edition collections coming out in August, available at CVS and Meijer stores!  Click the images below for larger versions:

It looks like Milani is getting in on the black/white glitter mix trend, and I'm excited to try Sprinkles!

Artsy Wednesday: Re-do your first blogged Nail Art

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My first blogged nail art is here: Memorial Day Manicure.  Not too shabby for just starting out!  I decided an exact duplicate manicure would be boring, so this is more of an "Inspired By" type of thing :)

I busted out my good old Orly Stone Cold and Rock-It; these colors are so stunning I can hardly stand it!  Plus, they're one-coaters. I'll always fall in love with a one-coater.  The holo triangles and stars are Gosh Holographic Hero.

The white is Milani White on the Spot, and I just had to jazz it up a bit.  I won a  Shimmer Polish giveaway a few months ago, and that blue beauty was a perfect way to snazz up my manicure!  Shimmer Polishes are really impressive; packed with glitter, but not goopy, no taco glitters, easy application and not too topcoat hungry either.  Impressive!

Check out the other Artsy Wednesday bloggers; they all do some pretty gorgeous work!  And welcome to our newest blogger, M.A.S.P.O.O.A.S.E!

Lab Muffin

Maria's Nail Art

Valiantly Varnished

Unnaked Nails

Nail & Polish

Beauty Gnome

M.A.S.P.O.O.A.S.E

Artsy Wednesday: Color Block Manicure

I want it to be spring!  So I busted out some springy colors (China Glaze For Audrey and Secret Peri-wink-le over Milani's White on the Spot) and created a refreshing color block manicure.

Here's a quick how-to video that shows you my process; I love the clean white lines in this one!



Do you have requests for tutorials I could film?

I'm really honored to be able to participate in Artsy Wednesday, and you should all DEFINITELY check out these other, very talented Artsy Wednesday participants.  

Pretty Purple Polish

Lab Muffin

Maria's Nail Art

Valiantly Varnished

Unnaked Nails

Nail & Polish

Beauty Gnome

Lacquered Lunatic

10 Day Nail Art Challenge Day 6: Holiday Movie; The Santa Clause

I love The Santa Clause; a Christmas movie about doubt and belief, magic, generosity, good fun, family, falling off the roof, burnt turkey, ugly sweaters, snow globes and more? What's not to like!?

My little Santa suit nails are actually pretty easy to do, as evidenced by this video tutorial!

Field Test #1: Milani Digital

Why am I showing you a manicure with a chip in it and dry cuticles? Because I just spent the day stripping wire, wiring sensors, attaching the sensors to experimental trees, and generally crawling around on my hands and knees in the dirt endangering my nails.

I got a new job recently that involves a lot of fieldwork, and I figured it'd be a great opportunity to test out the durability of polishes!  Milani held up really well; that chip on my thumb was in a spot I dented last night after I painted my nails, so field work can't be held entirely responsible.  I used the Julep basecoat and Out the Door topcoat, with 2 coats of Digital between.

I think the Milani 3D line is highly underrated; a beautiful scattered holo polish with a fast dry time and only 2 coats to hide a visible nail line.  I just love them!  Here's a manicure with three other 3D polishes, Hi-tech, Cyberspace and Hi-Res:

GORGEOUS!

I'll be field testing (literally!) different polishes this summer, so stay tuned for durability testing galore!

Memorial Day Manicure

Click picture for larger

It feels a little frivolous to post a manicure on Memorial Day, but this is a blog for nail polish, so it seems fitting even if it is a little silly.  

A day set aside to honor Americans lost to war is  a pretty somber, serious and needful kind of day.  However, I feel like the atmosphere of the day has become one of enjoyment of our freedoms, spending time with friends and family, a day of gratitude.  That's how I choose to observe Memorial Day.  I'm certainly grateful for my life, and am grateful to know the people I know, live where I live, and to be able to do what I do.  Thank you, to anyone and everyone that has made this country a better place.