Nail polish-strip Tutorial

Happy Valentine's Day to all my lovely readers! <3
Unfortunately I couldn't make Valentine's nails for myself, since I have to keep my nails without nail polish for a while because of a piece I'm currently working on... (The background is a collage, and the glue that I'm using kept removing and messing my manicure, so I decided to wait until I finish it.) It's a shame though, I love Valentine's Day! I'll definitely do a late Valentine's mani later... ;D
Anyway, I do have another tutorial for you. OMG Nail Strips also sent me nail polish strips to try, and I was actually looking forward to try these more than the nail foils, because I got the idea that these would work better on curved nails. So I saved the best for last! I chose the Cheetah Nail Polish Strips, because I wanted something I couldn't create by stamping or polishing. Also I love animal prints on nails! Here's how they turned out:

I love them! Since nail polish strips are very easy to use, I wanted to do something extra...and then I maybe went a bit over the top. :'D Now for the tutorial:

1. Pick the size that fits on your nail the best.
2. Remove the clear plastic from the top of the nail strip.
3. Remove the paper from the bottom.

4. Place the nail strip on your nail so that the round edge is towards the cuticle. It doesn't matter if the nail strip is too long, you cut the extra off later.
5. Push the nail strip with your finger starting from the middle towards the edges. You can strecth the sticker to fit perfectly even on curved nails. Smooth out any bumps or wrinkles with your finger and remove the excess nail strip from the tip with nail scissors or file and smoothen the edge of the nail strip by pressing it firmly on the tip of your nail. Top coat isn't necessary, since the nail strip itself gives a shiny finish, but I thought that it would secure the edges from peeling off.

I'm actually in love with these now, I love the fact that these are stretchy and the end result is so smooth! Even though I eventually found a way to apply nail foils smoothly (my previous post), the nail polish strips are so much easier to apply, and even get a better result! Also, needless to say, that print is just gorgeus.
I wanted to save some of these for another manicure, so I only did two nails with full cheetah print and just the tips for the rest. You don't need base coat with these, so I just did the tips first and then applied base coat and Winmax Nail Sparks 87 on the rest of the nail, not polishing over the tip. Then I added a layer of top coat and sticked the micro pearls and rhinestones on the wet polish, and added one more top coat layer over the decorations to keep them at place. Despite all the 3D stuff poking out, these surprisingly lasted for over a week, until I decided to change them. :)

What do you think? Any experiences with nail polish strips, good or bad? :)

Red & Gold Christmas Nails

I hope everyone had a peaceful christmas! ^^
Here's how my nails looked like during the christmas holidays:

I wanted to use the mini polishes by OPI because I was so inspired by their christmasy colours! :D So first I polished my nails with two layers of Goldeneye. Then I sponged The Spy Who Loved Me on the tips, and started decorating! ^^ I used Golden Rose nail art polish for the snow flakes, and I'm so happy with the way they turned out, since it's been so long since I last did snow flakes... Then I felt they needed a little something more so I added the rhinestone on the ring finger. :)

Whee, they are so sparkly! :D I loove Goldeneye, I actually think it's my favorite polish at the moment!
See you guys soon, enjoy the holidays! ^^

Diamonds & Gold

Hello everyone!
I recovered (hopefully!) from my previous blogger crisis... Let me know if you can see the pictures, I have now started to use Photobucket, hopefully successfully! :) Thank you so much for the advise, shiny! Huh, maybe I've learnt my lesson - from now on I'll think before I upload. =_= Still, I love posts with lots of pictures, why does blogger have to be so greedy? >:(

So, as I promised - my latest nails! I hadn't done anything special on my nails for so long, that I almost went over the top.... :'D But I am so happy with the result! Also I kinda felt I had to prove myself I can still create beautiful nail art and details!

I used Be a Dahlia Won't You? by OPI and Golden Rose nail art polish in gold for the swirls. I just love that polish, it would've been gorgeus even without the decorations but oh well. The diamonds and micro pearls are from a local craft store. :)
Also, lately I havent been happy with the quality of the pictures on my old Olympus digital camera, so I've tried to take my nail photos with my Canon supercamera... xD Sadly I only have this huge zoom lense, which is perfect for taking pictures from long distance, not so great for trying to take close ups from your own nails if you know what I mean... :'D Haha, I need my own nail photographer if I wanna keep up with that camera. :P What do you guys think of the quality? worth it?

I know these are a bit out of focus, I have to use auto focus because I can't focus manually with one hand. ::D Well, I keep practising, see you soon! ^^

Christmas & New Year's nails

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2012  to my beautiful readers! <3 These are the nails I made for new years celebrations. :)

I went to manicure at 25th and the polish was still flawless so I just decorated the nails. :)

I wanted them to look like fireworks... So I started off with silver and gold nail art polishes...

...and finished the nails with LOTS of glitter! :D

Writing with my left hand felt too challenging so I just put the 2012 on thumb. :P

It's amazing how fast last year went by, and how much happened to me! Luckily mostly good things. ;) I moved abroad and I have met so many amazing people I never even dreamed about. Last year was definitely unforgettable, and I wouldn't change a thing! I just hope that this year will be as good for everyone. x)

Polishes I used: H&M "Gold" and CND "VIP Status" to add some sparkle. :)

These were my christmas nails! I wanted something quite simple but christmasy, so I used colors that remind me of christmas, gold and red. :) I really liked the result, and I had these on for quite long, since even the rhinestone stayed on. :)
I hope you all had wonderful christmas and that everyone's year has started off nicely! ^^

Oriental

Hello!!
Long time no see, and this time I have quite resent nail design to show you! :D Ok ok I made these few weeks ago but it's still recent compared to those I did in Finland. :'D
I used The One That Got Away from OPI Katy Perry collection, it's one of my favorite polishes! :D I did the golden ornament things with Golden Rose nail art polish. :)

ps. Thank you everyone for your sweet comments in the previous post, I really appreciate it! <3

Eli vähän uudemmat kynnet pitkästä aikaa, pohjana käytin OPIn Katy Perry kokoelmasta The One That Got Away, yksi mun lempparilakoista tällä hetkellä! :D Kultaiset kiemurat tein Golden Rosen koristelulakalla. :) 

Gold & Bling

Haha I know I said I'll post something new this time but this is another design from summer. :D
This was quite a lot of work because I had to place every tiny sequin one at a time... :'D My original idea was to do all the nails as the ring finger, but I was too lazy... And I figured it might be too much. And then I only kept this on my nails for a day! :'DD Not that I didn't like them, I just had new inspiration... :D

I used H&M 'Gold' and sticked the sequins on when the polish was still wet. ^^

Pidin näitä lakkoja vain päivän, vaikka näiden tekemiseen meni aika paljon aikaa... :'D Käytin pohjana H&Mn Gold -lakkaa, ja tökin sitten nuo mini-paljetit yksitellen märkään lakkaan. Tykkäsin näistä kyllä, mutta sain uuden idean ja oli pakko vaihtaa. :DD

Gradient zebras

Yeah, finally I have some nail art to show you! :'D I did this design before coming to Finland, and I liked it so much that I actually wore it about three weeks.... o_o That's some kind of record for me!^^

Sinful Colors - Daddy's Girl and Forget Now

First I made the gradient effect by sponging the two Sinful Colors polishes. I hadn't tried this kind of gradient effect, you know with two colorful polishes, before. I really like it! I'll definitely do something like this again. :)
Then I thought it might look even better if I added something on it, and so I ended up to do these golden zebra stripes. I used the Golden Rose nail art polish. Hehee, I liked this design! ^^
Okay then. I've decided to take summer vacation from blogging... I'd really love to keep blogging, but I simply have no time now when I'm in Finland. :P So I'll enjoy my time here, and I'll be back in September, when my life has settled again! I'm sure I'll have lots of new stuff to share with you then... ;) Anyway,

Have great and warm summer, everyone! <3

Pitkästä aikaa taas kynsiä! :D Tykkäsin näistä kynsistä niin paljon että pidin niitä suunnilleen kolme viikkoa... Se on kyllä ennätys, ainakin minulle. xD 
Ensin tein liukuvärjäyksen töpöttämällä Sinful Colorsin Forget Now:ta kynnen tyveen, ja sitten Daddy's Girliä kärkiin. Lopuksi tein raidat kultaisella Golden Rosen nail art lakalla. 
Päätin pitää kesälomaa bloggaamisesta... Minusta olisi mukava kirjoitella tänne, mutta nyt kun olen Suomessa, niin en yksinkertaisesti ehdi. :P Aion nauttia kesästä täällä, ja palaan bloggailun pariin syyskuussa!

Nauttikaa kesästä, kaikki! <3

Summer candy nails

Hello~! ^^ I shortened my nails a little and did those colorful summer nails I was talking about. I love them! :D I used my favorite polishes, and these really remind me from candy... xD

Before the konads

Things I used!

Konad plate m71

OPI - Simply smash-ing!, Sinful Colors - Forget Now and Orly - Halleys Comet

I wasn't planning to do the konads, but I'm really glad I did! They finish the look. ;) I hadn't tried those little laces before,  I think they're super cute! ^^

Viilasin kynsiäni lyhyemmäksi ja tein värikkäät kesäkynnet! ^^ Käytin lempparilakkojani, ja minusta näistä tuli tosi söpöt. :) Lakkoina siis OPIn Simply Smash-ing!, Sinful Colorsin Forget Now ja Orlyn Halleys Comet. Pienet pitsikuviot on konadin laatasta m71, ja käytin mustaa konadin lakkaa.

Swirly toe nails + new polishes

I'm sorry, my toes look crappy in these pics, but I liked this pedicure and wanted to share it here... :P Also it was so hot outside that I took the pics inside and the quality isn't the best. Anyway, I'm sure you get the idea of these:

First two coats of OPI Tease-y Does It and then the golden swirls with Golden Rose nail art polish, free hand. I was planning to just polish them quickly with some dark polish and leave it there, but then I remembered THIS design I made loooong time ago with that Golden Rose polish, and decided to do something with it again.

I also went shopping a little today, and found a shop which sells China Glaze and Sinful Colors polishes! I bought two new polishes:

Sinful Colors: Forget Now and Nail Junkie

Varpaankynsissä kaksi kerrosta OPIn Tease-y Does It ja päälle tein kiemuroita Golden Rosen nail art lakalla.
Tänään käytiin shoppailemassa ja löysin kaupan, joka myy Sinful Colorsin ja China Glazen lakkoja! Luulin että niitä ei saa täältä, mutta jess! Ostin sitten Forget Nown ja Nail Junkien. :)

Arabic swirls VOL 2

I decided to cut my nails back to squares. Round nails are beautiful too, but they just aren't my thing... I feel more comfortable with square nails, and I think that my nails are more beautiful in squares. ^^ Yes, they're now shorter and the C-curve is back, but I love my squares! :'D
Then I made new version of the Arabic swirls design I made while ago. This is more simple, but I like it!

First I polished three coats of H&M - Pink Mist. Then I sponged OPI - ink (That's also new polish, btw!)  to the tips for the gradient effect. Finally I made the golden swirls with Golden Rose nail art polish.

Things I used

OPI - Ink - gorgeus!

I have to do swatch of that polish, it doesn't really show up in that manicure.
Some pictures without the decorations...

They look a little like gel nails or something...?

Yeah, squares are definitely my thing! ^^
I really like this design and I think it goes well with the tattoo:

Päätin että pyöräksi muotoillut kynnet eivät vain ole minun juttuni, joten leikkasin neliöt takaisin. :P Alunperin leikkasin pyöreät kynnet, koska kyllästyin niiden kaartumiseen... Nyt C-kurvi on palannut ja kynteni ovat kyhyemmät, mutta tykkään näistä huomattavasti enemmän näin! ^^
Tämä manikyyri perustuu Arabic Swirls -kynsiin, jotka tein vähän aikaa sitten. Tämä versio on yksinkertaisempi kuin alkuperäinen, mutta tykkään tästä ja mielestäni se sopii hyvin hennatatskoihin! :)
Ensin laitoin kolme kerrosta H&Mn Pink Mistiä. Sitten töpöttelin kärkiin OPI Inkiä. Ihana lakka, teen sitä vielä swatchin kunhan ehdin, niin lakka pääsee paremmin oikeuksiinsa. Lopuksi tein kultaiset kiemurat Golden Rosen nail art lakalla.