for a more neutral Viv

I still decidedly HATE the Kiss Nail Art Stencils. Either that, or I just really don’t know how to use them yet.

After the last fiasco with the stencils, Viv encouraged me to try them again with a more neutral base. The results this time? Better than that horrible blue, but still needs marked improvement.

Since I altered the regular French manicure on this one, I’ll have to try another stencil with a “standard” French manicure and see if there is any redemption for these wack little “almost sticker” contraptions which do an incredible job of leading you to believe your nails will look amazing once you have these tiny nail art design tools. ALL LIES.

Nope, I’m still completely unimpressed…. so on to the photos:

Sinful Colors “Easy Going” tips &
OPI “Malaysian Mist”

I could have kept this French manicure variation for a little while. It was a nice little deviation from my “all bright everything” preference in polish these days. But the stencil and the silver wrecked it for me.

So, Viv?? do you still like these stupid stencils?? lol

…..snow….. continued

Jan13 by Cheryl Cheryl

I really do love snow…. Smile and I wanted to give my right hand some air time.

the only down side to this snow thing is that it is FREEZING outside….. and windy. The wind chill is killing me. And since they have cleared out a lot of the snow, now it’s just blah.

SNOW!!!! ……finally

Jan12 by Cheryl Cheryl

I couldn’t wait to get snow again…. like REAL snow…. so-I-can’t-drive-to-work snow; need snowplows and boots snow; may have to leave work early snow!!!

And even though they aren’t forecasting a blizzard or a very large accumulation…. I’m still crossing my freshly manicured fingers – well, nails – in the hopes of the forecast just being WRONG, and flakes blanketing this place into halting.

Snow is so calming to me. And at the same time, excites me. I might even like it more than sunny days…. but that race is definitely neck & neck.

There was obviously no question about what theme would cover my nails…. it was more a query of how the interpretation would play out….

I went with the typical, and with shimmery silver….. but I tried my first “gradient” and “sponging” manicure. There. will. be. repeats. TRUST. ME.

It turned out to be much easier than I expected and I love the look.

I used OPI “Moon Over Mumbai” as my base.
Then sponged on:

Color Club “Sheer Disguise”
OPI “What’s With The Cattitude”
Essie “Coat Azure”
China Glaze “Sky High-Top”
Sinful Colors “Midnight Blue”

I used a white nail art striper (and a silver glitter one to add to one snowflake on my ring fingernail) to create my snowflakes. White polish with a tiny dotting tool for random dots of snow falling, and Sinful Colors “Queen of Beauty” for some shimmer over the snowflakes.

Sounds like a lot, and I definitely didn’t need to use that many blues…but it was still faster than some of my “regular” manicures!!

Pucci-licious

Jan10 by Cheryl Cheryl

I need a new camera. Clearly.

This is the prettiest PURPLE! But all my camera seems to pick up these days is blue Sad smile . I’m not even a real “blue” fan…. I mean, I checked my polish stash and I have PLENTY of blues there…. but when I’m polishing PURPLE, I want PURPLE to be seen… SMH.

I have to get a new camera SOON! I thought my Nikon was good too. oh well. On to the polish….

Color Club “Pucci-licious”
w/ yellow acrylic paint dots

Smooth pretty creamy luscious purple. Set off by little yellow dots….my favorite. Soon I will have to do a “polka dot month” of manicures. I’m certain of it.

Just to brag some more on my Automatic Nail Polish Remover Machine….. it removes bright red like a miracle!

my previous polish

Sincerest Flattery

Jan10 by Cheryl Cheryl

Even in this short two months that I’ve been posting, the support and positive energy I have received has truly been overwhelming.

You all make me smile! THANK YOU so much for sharing in my hobby (& extreme distraction). luv u all!!!

– – – – – – – – – –
On Saturday my roomie, Renée (from undergrad) surprised me with the most wonderful text:

You Inspire Me!!!:-)

I couldn’t have been happier to see this manicure again…..
____________________________________________

Then, that evening, one of my closest friends, Aisha, sent me an email with this beautiful OPI gel manicure… she said I inspired her to get color (she’s more into the neutrals)!! yayyy!!

a beautiful choice!

– – – – – – – – –

Changing hands, one nail at a time. Smile

I love you guys!

****Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. – Charles Caleb Colton***

Sinful Colors–Feeling Great

Jan6 by Cheryl Cheryl

& Essie “We Can Do It Pink”

I started here:

just couldn’t make a decision…. Hannah chose the stripes…. Nikki chose the polka dots.
After a trial…. Nikki’s choice looked better on… and then, I do still have that affection for polka dots. LOL.

Essie “We Can Do It Pink” & Sinful Colors “Feeling Great”

I feel like I’m in a strawberry patch. Smile

Pink gone wrong

Jan5 by Cheryl Cheryl

I couldn’t decide:

So Hannah told me to do the stripes…..

I started. It was beautiful!!!!!

China Glaze “Empowerment”
and I felt empowered and pretty. lol

then, apparently, I got out of line…. and ended up with this. -__- me no likey.

so I erased them faster than the time it took me to paint them.

Polka Dots always win

Jan3 by Cheryl Cheryl

Shamefully, this has become a sort of “go-to” design when my brain cells go blank.

Drawing a blank is the worst for any artist, I’m sure.

So sitting there with random-sized dotting tools rolling across the desk in front of me, and my latent desire to just use acrylic paint ALL OF THE TIME…..

of course, dots came. I let them happen whatever way they happened this time. Had no clue what my nails were going to look like.

China Glaze “Concrete Catwalk” w/ acrylic paint dots

My sister would say my nails look like they have leprosy or something… and for several moments I thought “Why did you basically hide that beautiful charcoal gray polish?” But the Dotter in my spirit won out… and I love these dots even more than the dots that have come before.

Glitter is making a comeback

Jan2 by Cheryl Cheryl

….as if it were ever really gone. Though glitter is evil; GLITTER RULES!

I was on a glitter hiatus until I got my Automatic Nail Polish Remover Machine….
it arrived, and seems to work nicely. So now to test out one of polish remover’s nemesis: GLITTER.

…and to try a tape design, as inspired by Audrey (mine still wasn’t nearly as complex or creative as hers… but I’ll get there Smile ).

I had an impromptu polish haul at Bed Bath & Beyond. They had everything in their nail section. I was surprised! Nicole by OPI, Essie & Sinful Colors had full out displays with a quite impressive collection selection. So I picked up 5 bottles of polish, including these 2 Color Club selections…. that I certainly didn’t NEED. But what’s need got to do with it?!

Color Club “Wild And Willing” & “ Revvvolution”

“Wild & Willing” “Revvvolution”

I wish “Wild & Willing” was more opaque… “Revvolution” is perfect. Reminds me of OPI’s “My Private Jet” and has a very smooth and covering formulation. Just nice all around.

I’m still not a fan of tape Sad smile . I guess I’m just too impatient. I want to get on with the design. I almost feel like I could have done just as good a job on the diagonal lines freehand… but that might just be my confidence on swell. Tape works. lol. You just have to waaaaaaiiiiiitttttt for the base color to dry.

Instant Vintage

Jan1 by Cheryl Cheryl

I have no reason to explain changing my nail color, except that I was experimenting with my new automatic nail polish remover machine when I came home from the New Year’s celebration….

I ordered the machine online from TransDesign.com. For $18, it was a good purchase!! I’ll definitely save on cotton squares. I told myself I wasn’t using glitter again until I received it…. as we all know the huge HASSLE glitter presents at removal time. I haven’t yet used any heavy duty glitter polish, so we’ll see how it responds when I do.

After I finished my dot design, it just kept reminding me of some retro wallpaper or something…vintage. And I actually liked the results on my right hand better than my left! My right hand always gets neglected when it comes to picture taking… had to give the right hand some camera time today.

Essie “Sand Tropez”
acrylic paint dots