Sunday Nail Challenge - Use French Tip designs

So for this weeks challenge in Adventures in Stamping, we were to use any plate with the French tip designs.  This was my first time doing a full mani with french tip plates so I was more than willing to take on this new challenge.

I started with a new base coat (had some minor splitting on my right hand, and wanted to get something to try to help repair)  So I picked up some Sally Hansen (I'm a Sally freak!!) Salon Manicure Base coat.  I am trying this on for size and will let you know what I think after at least a week of wear.

I then decided to keep a more traditional French Manicure style and sponged just my tips with several coats of Orly "Decades of Dysfunction".  This is a Great off white cream with just a hint O' pink.  I may need to buy a back up bottle just in case it goes MIA (as with any polish I fall in love with seems to do!!!)

I was getting ready to stamp with my french tip design and couldn't resist the beauty that was staring at me from my work station (impulse buy when I picked up the new base coat.)  so I ended up adding extra bling by doing a gradient with Orly "You are not alone"  Beautiful glitter in Pink for Breast Cancer awareness.

Sadly, I didn't get pictures of the before stamping with either of the Orly's.

I then stamped with Sally Hansen's Insta Dry in "Silver Sweep" using plate BM-218.

As you will notice, I couldn't leave well enough alone and decided that I needed accent fingers so on my thumbs and ring finger I added stars from BM-05 using Kleancolor Metallic Red then accented further using purple rhinestones in the shape of stars.  I essentially turned my Sunday challenge into a Breast Cancer Tribute through nails.

Hope you enjoyed this weeks glimpse into my stamping and polish addiction.  Stay tuned because I went on a major nail spending spree and will be posting my first "haul" post.  Which also means that I am "officially" on a NO BUY for the entire month of October, man is it going to be a LOOOONNNGGG Month!!!   

Humpday Mani!!!!!

Happy Wednesday!!  Hope everyone is enjoying there Hump day!!

For this mani I decided that I needed more neutral colors to off set the brightness of Sunday's mani challenge.  I started with Sinful color's base coat.  then I added two coats of Julep Maven's Sophie a gorgeous brown cream, and topped with SV.  Now I meant to get pics of Sophie by herself and totally got wrapped up in the heat of the Mani and forgot til I was getting ready to post this and then wanted to kick myself!!

Couldn't resist myself and had to add stamping from the newest Bundle monster set, BM-314.

 

For accent nails (ring fingers and thumbs)  I added some pink rhinestones to give it that little extra pop of color.

This was a short, simple mani to tone down my week.

Hope you have a good rest of the week!!

Ta ta for Now!!!

Sunday Challenge - Husband Picked my Mani!

So for this weeks challenge in Adventures in Stamping group, we were to allow someone else to pick our Plate or Image.  So unless I wanted one of my dogs to pick, it was up to my Husband to help me with this challenge.

He is very supportive of my addiction to begin with, so he was more than willing to help me with this.  He decided that if he was going to be picking the image than he was also going to pick the colors too.  So the following is my Husband's mani that he picked out for me.

Started with my Sinful Colors base coat.  then I added two coats of Julep's Alma.  She is a rich yellow creme.  I decided that she needed a shot of her own.

Then he said that I needed some sparkle to it so I added one coat of Kleancolor Silver Star.  I forgot to get a shot of just the yellow and glitter.

To top off the mani, my husband decided to use BM-304 the one I have dubbed "the one with all the smileys" (Sorry I am HUGE Friends fan.)

 

For the stamping I used Sinful Colors Black on Black and topped everything with a coat of SV.

My Husband really enjoyed helping me pick this week and I think he did a really good job, he said that I have to leave it on til at least Monday night or his feelings will be hurt. ( I just think he is daring me to wear it to work, and why wouldn't I? It is a super cute Mani)

Really loved the challenge this week, hopefully you all liked what my hubby picked out!

Ta ta for Now!!

Review and Swatches...Sally Hansen Luster Shine, Scarab

So I finally found Sally Hansen's new Luster shine polishes and picked up two of the new beauty's with more to follow.

Tonight I have Scarab, It is a lovely Teal duo chrome that shows a hint of green.  I wish I would have gotten my nails done in enough time to take some sunlight pictures, I will be sure to take some tomorrow and update.

I started with a Sinful colors base coat, then added two coats of Scarab.  First I will post some pics without top coat, then with.

 

Two coats, no top coat

Two coats, no top coat.  Still working on picture quality.

Then I added a coat of Seche Vite.

Then, not wanting to disturb the beauty of the polish itself but, wanting to play with my new "toys" (striping tape), I added a couple of accent nails.

I have to admit, love the polish as always ( I am a Sally fan, always have been.)  wasn't a fan of clean up (never am though) tedious work if you ask me!!

Well, have to go to bed.  At least tomorrow is Friday and then i have the weekend to play with all my goodies from this week!!

Ta-ta for Now!!!

Late.......

So, I haven't posted since Sunday, and I really feel as if I should have.  I did my nails the other night and thought that they turned out horrendous.  Hence the reason why no post since my challenge on Sunday.

I received the newest installment in the Bundle Monster Plates (300 series) and new dotting tools, I should also have striping tape and some other rhinestone goodies soon.  My striping tape should be waiting for me tonight when I get home and I have been waiting on this for almost a month and a half!! Damn turtle done died one me!!

I promise to have new post of hopefully a nice mani up tomorrow!!  Also, this weeks challenge for the Adventures in Stamping should be really interesting.  The "let someone else" pick your image or plate won and my Husband is more than just a little excited about this!!  He says that my mani will have multiple "layers" to it, so stay tuned to see what he can come up with!!

Ta-ta for Now!!

Sunday Nail Challenge - Leafy!!

So I joined this group on Facebook called Adventures in Stamping and every week we vote on a theme and then post pictures on Sundays.  This week the challenge was "Leafy"  while I also voted for this theme, I have been mulling all week over what to do and had tried several different "leafy" nail designs before finally settling on the look I am about to share.

I started with my Sinful Colors base coat, then added two coats of Orly's Mirror Mirror, which is a gorgeous gray on it's own and I have to add a couple pictures of it by itself.




Orly "Mirror Mirror"



Orly "Mirror Mirror"  Love this Gray!!



I then added Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear "Grey Area" to half my nails using scotch tape.

 I then added my top coat (Seche Vite) and let dry completely before stamping.
After they dried completely I stamped with Sinful colors "Black on Black" and Bundle Monster Plate BM-210. 

 I think I actually prefer the way that my right hand (non dominant) looks compared to my left.  Overall I really love the way the whole thing ties together.  I also added another layer of Seche Vite on top to seal it all in together and make sure that the mani lasts longer (although it will probably be changed by Wednesday anyway.)

I have a whole bunch of nail mail on the way, including the final set to the Bundle Monster collection and dotting tools, which any nail addict will tell you means lots more fun stuff to come!!

Hope everyone has a great Sunday!!

Another great giveaway, this time hosted by Lydia's Nails.  Check it out at: 

http://lydiasnails.blogspot.com/2012/09/giveaway.html?showComment=1347815717158#c630983845551861104

Just a quick post to let people know about an awesome giveaway hosted by Spellbinding Nails!!  Check it out at:

http://www.spellbindingnails.com/2012/09/my-2000-give-away.html

She has some awesome prizes available!!

2nd post on the first day, thought I would share nails that I did tonight.  I had run out of my top coat (Seche Vite) and tried to do my nails several times this week without it, much to my dismay I failed miserably anytime I tried to do anything cool without the beloved topcoat.
 
Tonight, I did my first successful gradient with stamped accent nails.
 


I used Sinful colors for the base coat and for the stamping

 


Sorry for the poor quality photos, will have to find my good camera
 
 

 



Colors I used for the gradient were:  Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear: Fuchsia Power, Blue me Away, and Purple Potion. 
 
Stamped with an unnamed plate set I got at Sally Beauty with Sinful Colors Black on Black.
 

 
 
Had to show off the thumb.

I got the rhinestones off of eBay for dirt cheap!

I know right now I am blogging for my own sake and no one Else's but, if you happen to read this and have questions feel free to leave comments!  Night All!

The Beginning of an Addict!

So, where to begin.  I am new to blogging, I am new to Nail Art so I guess I am a polish virgin so to speak!!  My name is Brandi and I recently came into Nail art and all things polish and thought this would be a good way to show off my work without overwhelming all my nail art pics on family and friends on Facebook!!

I have been following lots of great polish blogs and have been inspired to try my hand at it.  I don't think I will ever be as good as some of these women on here, but I will give it a true effort!!