The 12 Days of Christmas Nails: Day 6 - Gold Gradient

This is one of my favorites so far from my 12 Days of Christmas Nails. It's a simple French gradient made with OPI's Bring on the Bling.

10 - Pinky Promise sponged with OPI Bring on the Bling

Bring on the Bling has always been one of my most favorite polishes. It's an awesome gold glitter with tons of multicolor glitter as well, and we all know how I love gold glitter. I feel like I've done this before, but I don't think I have - I've only gone it over red or just straight gold French tips (both shown here).  I actually did put a simple French tip in Orly Luxe underneath the glitter so I didn't have any bald spots, but I don't really know if it was necessary.  However, Liquid Palisade helps ENORMOUSLY on cleanup if you put it on the edges of your finger under the tip (since it's easy to accidentally sponge some glitter there).

So I have a confession. Some of these "12 Days of Christmas Nails" manicures are really only "swatches" (only four of my fingers are actually painted), like the present one yesterday. And I started this one off the same way. When I was sponging on the gold, it looked really dull and not very, so I figured "eh, another dud... I'll just take some pictures then move on to the next thing." Well, in this case I ended up putting on the top coat and my whole opinion changed and I put it on all the rest of my fingers for a full manicure!

Oh, I also wanted to share something with you. I got an email from a skin care company in Canada called ASK Cosmetics that's hosting a huge giveaway (their entire line!). If you want, you can check out all of the details and guidelines for entering on their facebook page here: www.facebook.com/askcosmetics. It runs until Dec 22nd.

The 12 Days of Christmas Nails: Day 2 - Frosty Night

This is my second holiday manicure for the 12 Days of Christmas Nails (check out all of Sammy's designs so far here)!

I think this one looks like a snowy winter night.

Snowy Winter Night - Misa Dance Fever sponged over China Glaze Little Drummer Boy

I've never been too successful with sponging, but I think it all depends on what kind of polish you use for it. This glitter, Misa Dance Fever, was the perfect density for the sponging and it was actually pretty quick and easy! Also, I've heard that this type of gradient has a killer cleanup, so I put Liquid Palisade around my cuticles. I basically had NO cleaup at all! It worked so well! I've never been able to create neat design using Palisade, but it does seem perfect for avoiding cuticle cleanup from messy types of manicures (if I ever try water marbling or splattering, I will SURELY use this again!).

I topped it all off with China Glaze Fast Foward top coat, which has some shrinkage issues like Seche Vite, so that's why the blue shows around the cuticle edge and there's a bit of shrinkage at the tips.

I love this and want to try in in different colors now! I think a glossy black base with gold glitter would look really classy!

Glitter Gradient - Finger Paints It's an Original and Ozotic Elytra 528

Now, before you move on to the pictures I want to say that this wasn't nearly as spectacular as it looks here. The first three pictures are taken underwater, and the rainbow is much more prominent than it is in person.

This is Finger Paints It's an Original (shown alone here) with Ozotic Elytra 528 on the tips (about three coats starting father down the nail each time).

The following two pictures are not taken underwater, but are in very indirect, dim light, which is the only other time I could see the rainbow at all (besides in the water).

Unfortunately, this was so disappointing that I ended up taking it off pretty quickly. Mostly, it looked like simply teal glitter on the tips of the purple, and it just didn't "pop" like I wanted it to. Oh well, at least the pictures look pretty.

Happy New Years!

I hope everyone is having a great New Year so far! Here are some of the colors my family and I sported for the beginning of 2011:

This is one coat of Zoya Trixie with two coats of China Glaze Nova on top. This is probably the most blingy mani I've ever worn. Check out that rainbow-y sparkle!

I got my sister some of the Sally Hansen Salon Effects for Christmas in Frock Star, and she decided to use them for NYE. These are really cool (very much like Incoco), and I will be doing a review post on another design from this line very soon. This one looks like a dupe for Lippmann Happy Birthday, but I don't have it, so I can't compare.

And these are my Mama's NYE nails. I used Barielle Berry Blue (2 coats), then used Nova to create the glitter gradient.

What's your favorite polish for New Year's Eve?

Some Holiday Manicures for the Festive Fingers Contest

After reading about Nicole by OPI's festive Fingers contest, I REALLY wanted to find the perfect holiday mani to submit. Here are a couple that I really like:




This is China Glaze Mommy Kissing Santa with Orly Hair Band as a glitter gradient on the tips.



This was the beginning of the following manicure - gold French tips done with OPI Glitzerland. Then I stamped the holly leaves in Jolly Holly using a Bundle Monster plate and dotted the berries first in OPI Royal Rajah Ruby then in China Glaze Red Pearl.



Which one is your favorite and which one should I submit to the festive fingers contest? Help me decide!