Couture de Minnie Bow

The Couture de Minnie bow is a great design for an accent nail.  Just follow the nail wheel step by step guide to paint the bow.  

Here are some tips you should use while painting the Couture de Minnie Bow:

• Use ArtClub Nail Art Duo in Red to paint the red bow.  
• Get a dotting tool to make the black center dot.
• Take ArtClub Duo pen in Red and squeeze the pen a little and place a red dot over the black dot.
• Take a toothpick dipped in black nail polish for the bow's outline.
• Grab another toothpick to pick out the white confetti from the Minnie Style laquer.  Then place the white confetti on the red bow.
• Paint Minnie Style in the empty white spaces for an extra pop of color.
• Finish the manicure off with a good sealer.

Order from left to right:
Morgan Taylor Little Black Dress, OPI Alpine Snow, OPI Minnie Style,
ArtClub Nail Art Duo Red, Nail Art Club Sealer 

Nail Laquer of the Week: Minnie Style from OPI's Couture de Minnie

This week's theme is OPI's Minnie Style from the Couture de Minnie collection.  There are five nail lacquers in the Couture de Minnie line and this sparkle polish is just one of them.  The other four polishes are all red and pink tones.  

The other four nail laquers are:

• Chic From Ears to Tail- which is a light pink color 
• A Definite Moust-Have- this laquer is a shimmery coral pink color
• Innie Minnie Mightie Bow- this color has a red shimmer hue
• Magazine Cover Mouse- which is a red liquid sand **Liquid sand is a type of nail laquer that OPI makes.  When the liquid sand dries, it has a matte sandy look.  You do not want to use a top coat for these type of nail lacquers.**

Neon Flower Stickers with Essie's Boom Boom Boom

 Liven up your plain manicure with nail stickers!!  Here I used CinaPro neon flowers.  If you want your nail stickers to stay just follow these easy steps and your manicure will last:

1. Paint your nails a white base coat--I used OPI's Alpine Snow.
2. Wait a couple minutes to let the nails dry.
3. Paint your nails pink using Essie's Boom Boom Boom.
4. Let your nails dry.
5. Now use a high gloss top coat-- I used Dashing Diva Top Seal but you can use other brands too.
6. Wait till your manicure is completely dry.
7. Now take tweezers and peel off a flower nail sticker. 
8. Place the flower on one of your nails using the tweezers.
9. Repeat steps 7 and 8 as many times as you like.
10. Now take Nail Art Club sealer and paint over the nail stickers-- this will seal them on your nail and prevent them from lifting.  
11. Wait till your nails dry.
12. Now enjoy!!!

In order from left to right:
Dashing Diva Top Seal; OPI Alpine Snow; Essie Boom Boom Boom; Nail Art Club Sealer

**I got these nail stickers from CosmoProf, which is a beauty supply store for professionals.  You can buy similar ones from Sally's Beauty Supply.**

Neon Yellow Sparkles Tips with Essie's Boom Boom Boom

I love having bright neon nails!!  These neon yellow sparkle nails are perfect for my neon fix.  Follow these simple steps to create your own yellow neon tip mani!!

1. Paint a white base on your nails.
2. Let your nails dry for a few minutes.
3. Paint your nails pink using Essie's Boom Boom Boom.
4. Wait around 10-20 minutes or until your nails are completely dry.
5. Take a white nail laquer and paint the tips white- I used OPI's Alpine Snow but you can use any type of white laquer. 
6. DO NOT wait for the white to dry.
7. Use So Easy's Cracked Ice in Neon Yellow to sprinkle over the white nail laquer.
8. Tap off the excess sparkles.
9. Gently press the Neon Yellow Cracked Ice down so that the sparkles set.
10. Wait about 5-10 minutes.
11. Now take a clear sealer and paint over the nail- I used ArtClub's Sealer over the manicure but Orly has a nice sealer too.
12. Wait till your manicure completely drys.
13. Now you can go out on the town and enjoy your sparkly neon manicure!! 

In order from left to right:
OPI Alpine Snow; So Easy Cracked Ice Neon Yellow; Essie Boom Boom Boom

ArtClub Sealer

Stars and Sparkle Manicure using Essie's Boom Boom Boom

Want to create a fun star and sparkle manicure?  Just follow these easy steps and your nails will have a fun neon look!!

1. Paint a white base coast and let your nails dry.  
2. Now paint your nails a light neon pink using Essie's Boom Boom Boom.
3. Let your nails COMPLETELY dry.
4. Take ArtClub Nail Art Duo in white and make dots on your nail-- I made eight dots, but you can make as many dots as you like.  It all depends how sparkly you want your nails.
5. DO NOT let the white dots dry.
6. Quickly sprinkle sparkle chunks of So Easy Cracked Ice in Neon Yellow over the wet paint and tap the excess sparkle off.
7. Set the sparkles by pressing them down gently with your finger. 
8. Wait a couple minutes to let the sparkles set.
9. Take Wet n Wild's Fergie Hollywood Walk of Fame and paint it over your nails.  Try to place the stars from Hollywood Walk of Fame into empty spaces on the nail-- you can use a toothpick to do this.
10. Now, all you need to do is enjoy your funky stars and sparkle manicure!!!!!

Nail Laquer used from left to right:
ArtClub Nail Art Duo White; Wet n Wild ; Essie Boom Boom Boom

Stars and Stripe Design using Essie's Boom Boom Boom

Here's a fun stars and stripes DIY design using Essie's Boom Boom Boom.  The stars I used are from Fregie's Wet n Wild collection and I used ArtClub Nail Art Duo in White  for the stripes.  

Nail Laquer from left to right:
ArtClub Nail Art Duo White; Essie Boom Boom Boom;
Wet  n Wild Fergie  Hollywood Walk of Fame; Art Club Sealer

Nail Laquer of the Week: Essie's Boom Boom Boom

Essie's 2013 neon collection has six fun bright colors perfect for summer!!!  I can't wait to paint my nails with Essie's light noen pink Boom Boom Boom. ** For best results paint your nails with a white base before painting the neon color.**

Nail Doodles Part 3: "Moonlight Love"

What I used:

Nail Laquer used from left to right:
Urban Outfitters Westside; ArtClub Nail Art Duo White; Essie Matte About You

*The base color I used for this manicure was a really nice peachy color by Urban Outfitters called Westside.  Even though I love this color it chips very fast. So unfortunately I don't think I'll use it again.*

Nail Doodles Part 2: "Give Me All Your XO Love"

nail lacquer from left to right:
 Art Club Top Coat; Color Club Almost Famous; NailArt Duo Red; NailArt Duo White

Nail Doodles Part 1: "Love, Peace, & Nail Art"

Nail Lacquer from left to right:
OPI Stay the Night, ArtClub Nail Art Duo White

ArtClub Duo: Green and Blue Polka-Dot Manicure

This Week's Theme: ArtClub Nail Art Duo

My new favorite obsession is ArtClub's Nail Art Duo pen and striper.  This week I will be doing fun DIY designs with Nail Art Duo.  So stay tuned!!

OPI Pink and Blue Just Beachy Retro Design

Painting the Pink and Blue OPI Just Beachy Retro Design:

1. Paint your nails blue using OPI's No Room for the Blues.
2. Let your nails dry completely.
3. Paint a pink stripe down the middle of your nail using OPI's La Paz-itively Hot.
4. Wait 30-60 seconds and then use a dotter to dot four blue dots down the pink stripe.  *Since the pink and blue nail polish are both still wet they will blend together.*
5. Wait 10-20 seconds then dot pink dots over the blue dots.  
6. After waiting another 10-20 seconds, dot blue dot over the pink dots.
7. Let your hands dry on a flat surface so that the dots don't drip and run into each other. 
8. Once your manicure is completely dry paint a top coat over your nails. 

OPI's Oz the Great and Powerful Sparkles with Silver and Gold Foils

 Here are my silver and gold nail foil manicure using Light's of Emerald City gold sparkle polish and When Monkey's Fly! white sparkle polish as top coats.  This is such a fun easy manicure to do!! Just paint a base coat over your nails and lay down the nail foils over the wet polish.  After you do that, finish your manicure with a sparkle top coat!  I love blinging my nails out like this.  I hope you enjoy!!!!!

Polishes left to right:
OPI's When Monkey's FLy!, OPI's Lights of Emerald City

Pink Ombre Half-Moon Mani

Just follow these steps and create a fun light pink to dark pink ombre look with the half-moon manicure!!

1. First paint your nail with OPI's light pink, I Theodora You.
2.  Let the nail polish dry completely.  
3. Take sellf-sticking reinforcements and place them over the bottom of your nails to create the half moon.
4. Now take a make-up sponge and paint the tip with OPI's light pink I Theodora You  and OPI's dark pink La Paz-itively Hot.  *Make sure the two polishes are touching.*
5. Sponge the nail with the painted make-up sponge.  *Make sure that La Paz-itively Hot nail lacquer is concentrated toward the top of the nail. *
6. Once your nails are dry repeat step 5. 
7. Paint the very tip of the nail with La Paz-itively Hot.
8. After a minute paint over the top half of the nail with a high gloss top coat.  *This will blend the two pinks together.*
9. Let your nails dry.
10. ****If you want a gold sparkle accent nail, now is the time to paint the top half of your nail with OPI's When Monkey's Fly!.**** 
11. Now that your nails are dry, peel off the self-sticking reinforcements.  
12. Quickly seal your ombre half-moon manicure with a top coat.
13. Enjoy!!!!

Nail Lacquer from left to right:
OPI La Paz-itively Hot, OPI I Theodora You, OPI When Monkeys Fly!,  Dashing Diva Top Seal 

Pink Polka Dot Tips using OPI

Nail Lacquer from Left to Right
OPI La Paz-itivelyHot, OPI Lights of Emerald City,
OPI I Theodora You , Art Club Top Coat

Polishes of the Week from OPI's Oz the Great and Powerful and Just Beachy Collections

Polishes from left to right:  La Paz-itively Hot, No Room For the Blues

Just Beachy by OPI














Oz The Great and 
Powerful by OPI

Polishes from left to right: I Theodora You, When Monkey's Fly!, Lights of Emerald City

Weekend Beauty Tip: Olive Oil used as Deep Conditioner

Do you have dry hair and need a quick natural fix? All you need to do is go to your kitchen and grab olive oil!  Just take the oil and massage it into your hair!!  You should let the olive oil sit in for a minimum of 15 minutes.  I personally leave it in for an hour. Shampoo your hair after the olive oil treatment. *I have very porous, dry hair so I only need to shampoo my hair once after the olive oil treatment.  If your hair is prone to getting greasy you may want to shampoo twice after the olive oil treatment.*

Matte vs Glossy Contrast

If you want a simple fun matte look, just follow these instructions and have fun!! Paint your nails one solid color and then paint Essie's Matte About You top coat.  Once your nails have dried, take the color you painted your nails with and draw stripes over the matte manicure.  Let your nails dry and DON'T use a top coat.  Now you have a contrast between the matte base and your glossy design!!!

Matte Half-moon Manicure using Self-Sticking Reinforcements

Try giving yourself a half-moon manicure using self-sticking reinforcements.  Just place the reinforcements on the bottom of your nail, smooth the edges of the reinforcements, paint the tip black, let the paint dry, then slowly peel the reinforcement off.  Use Essie's Matte About You as a top coat and there you have your matte half-moon mani.  

Quick Tip: If the black nail polish drips down onto the white, carefully paint over the white making the half-moon line more definite. 

Polka Dot Nail Design using Essie's Matte About You

Here's a fun polka dot design I did using Essie's Matte About You.

Quick Tip:  Make sure your manicure is completely dry before painting the Matte About You top coat, and apply it with fast gentle strokes.