Rainbow Gradient Nails + Tutorial!

On Instagram last week, a bunch of nail accounts (111!) joined together to create some rainbow nails as part of one big collaboration hosted by @nailslikelace.  I always love to participate in collaborations with others; it's really exciting to see so many different interpretations of a general theme.

For my rainbow nails, I decided to create a simple rainbow gradient.  This was my first time using so many colors in one gradient, but I'm very happy with how it turned out.  I figured my rainbow needed a pot of gold, so for my accent nail I used two coats of Chanel Gold Fingers, one coat of Gosh Greed, and then I placed some loose holographic gold glitter to create a glitter gradient effect.

Zoya Sooki, China Glaze Sun Worshiper, Orly Glowstick, Love & Beauty Neon Green, and Essie Avenue Maintain

I've been slacking on YouTube (I really need to get a routine going!), so I decided to film this look as well!

Here is the tutorial:

Let me know what you think, and as always, thank you for reading! :)

Kristin

My Mint Mani for Talia Joy

On Friday July 19th, many of the nail art accounts on Instagram joined together for #mintmanisfortaliajoy.  Talia was wearing a lovely mint color on her nails in one of the last photos she posted on her Instagram.  She touched a lot of people, and my thoughts truly go out to her friends and family.

For my recreation of Talia's nails, I tried to use the closest color I had to the one she was wearing, and I really love how they turned out.  I used Ruby Wing Gypsy in a gradient with Essie Absolutely Shore on three nails, and topped it with Essie Shine of the Times.  On my accent nails, I wore Gypsy topped with inm Northern Lights top coat, then I placed some loose silver glitter in the shape of a heart and outlined it in white.

Thank you for reading! :)


Kristin

Monochromatic Sparkly Skull Skittles

I went with a monochromatic look for today's nail art, but of course I had to add some glitter and a skull (my first ever!).  I usually don't even think to use rhinestones in my nail art, but I found this cute little set that I hadn't even opened, and the black stones inspired me as soon as I saw them.

Here is a list of the polishes I used since every nail is different:

Thumb: CND Blackjack (one coat), Face It Glam Stud and inm Northern Lights Top Coat

Index: Elevation Polish Mountain Air (two coats) and black rhinestones

Middle: CND Brilliant White (one coat) and Orly Peaceful Opposition (one coat)

Ring: CND Blackjack (one coat), inm Northern Lights Top Coat, and an outline of Milani White Canvas

Pinky: Elevation Polish Mountain Air (two coats), tiny CND Brilliant White polka dots, and a Nubar Black Polka Dot gradient

Elevation Polish Mountain Air, Nubar Black Polka Dot, CND Brilliant White and Blackjack, Orly Peaceful Opposition, Milani White Canvas, Face It Glam Stud

I was playing around with the rhinestones on a piece of paper for a while, trying to figure out how I could create the shape of a skull.  It finally came to me after a few tries, and I'm pretty happy with the end result.

One of my first tries creating a skull

I really love skittle manicures.  They give me a chance to use a few polishes I have been wanting to try at the same time, and I love the challenge of trying to tie in each nail with the next.

I hope you enjoyed these nails.  Let me know what you thought of them; I always love to know!

Thank you for reading! :)

Kristin

Abstract Fireworks Nails

Happy Canada Day (I know I'm a bit late!) and Fourth of July!

Well, I attempted some nail art that is supposed to look like fireworks, and while they don't really look that much like fireworks, I actually quite like the outcome.  I think they turned out a bit more abstract than I was imagining though, so I guess that's what I'll call them!

Here's a basic run down of what went into creating this look, for those who would like to know:

First, I painted my nails with one coat of a-England Lancelot, a gorgeous nearly black red creme.  Then, I sponged on a bit of Essence Jacob's Protection (in a few spots) for a hint of blue shimmer.  I then sponged on Nails Inc. Stratford and Finger Paints Hollydazzle in circular shapes, and made a whole bunch of random exploding dots (with a dotting tool) using CND Brilliant White and Layla Ocean Rush.  I finished the look with my beloved Northern Lights top coat, of course.

Layla Ocean Rush, Nails Inc. Stratford, Finger Paints Hollydazzle, CND Brilliant White, Essence Jacob's Protection, and a-England Lancelot

Let me know what you thought of this look, and if you have any fun nail art planned for your your Fourth of July festivities!  Or, what nails you wore for Canada Day, if you're a fellow Canadian. :)

Have a lovely day!

Kristin

Galaxy Nails Take 3 + New YouTube Tutorial!

I love galaxy nails.  This is my third go at it, and it turns out to be a completely different look each time, which is one of the reasons I love it!  It is a very simple design to achieve, but it can take some time layering different colors for the outcome to be just right.  I went a little overboard this time because I thought the colors wouldn't show well on video, but I'm still very happy with them!

Here is my finished look, this time around:

Polishes used: Pupa 702, a-England Camelot, CND Brilliant White, Orly Skinny Dip, Misa Ripe Raspberry, Essie Lights, OPI Ate Berries In the Canaries, inm Out the Door Northern Lights topcoat

I took this photo midway through the tutorial!

As a little bonus, here is my previous set of galaxy nails (I think they're my favorite so far!):

And, as requested by many of my lovely followers on Instagram, I made a new YouTube video on how I create my galaxy nails!

If you have any other questions or comments, please do not hesitate; I absolutely love answering them all! :)

Kristin

China Glaze Chasing the Sun Ombre Set Swatches + Review

Hi everyone!

I passed on all of the recent ombre sets from China Glaze (the pink, purple, and turquoise ones), but I spotted one of the new sets called Chasing the Sun at Sally's recently and I knew it had to be mine.  They had another one (Wave Runner), but I had a few of the colors already, so even though I was tempted I just came home with this one:

White On White, Sun Worshiper, Pool Party, and Flying Dragon

I was so happy that I had none of these polishes in my collection, and I had been wanting them for quite some time now, so it was perfect.

White On White is a pretty decent white polish.  It's not my absolute favorite, but I used it for the base (as directed) and it worked just fine!  Sorry for my lack of cleanup; I used two coats, and I took a quick photo before I started with the gradient:

I thought the sponges that came in the set were just going to be like any other cosmetic sponges, but I was wrong.  They worked like a dream!  I only had to apply the polish to the sponge once (!) to do all five nails on my left hand.  When they were dry (which was extremely fast), I reapplied, then went over a couple spots that needed a touch up.  This was hands down the fastest gradient I've ever done, and if you're one who has trouble getting a smooth gradient, you might want to try this!

I'm very happy with how they turned out, and I ended up topping it with one of my favorites, inm's Northern Lights top coat.

I think these sets are fun, especially for summer, and it definitely takes the thinking out of finding coordinating colors in my collection.

Here's a little bonus video:

Let me know if you have tried any of these ombre sets, and what your thoughts are!  

Have a great day! :)

Kristin