4th of July Nails

Hey there!
I hope everyone had a stellar 4th of July! If you are reading this from another country, I hope you had an awesome Wednesday celebrating you :)  Every year I try and do some sort of festive nails for the 4th.  In the past I have done more literal versions of patriotic nail art, but this year I wanted to try something a little different.  I apologize ahead of time that there is only one photo, I was only able to get one good one before I started doing things and dragging the design around (I'll explain in a second).  Anyway, here it is!

So I started with a peel off base coat, since I had to take the polish off the next day for work.  I think this is what caused the dragging.  The design wasn't smudged (at least not from this), but it looked like the whole nail was pushed to the side.  I think this may have something to do with the fact that this base coat is meant to peel off relatively easily.  I plan on eventually doing a  comparison on some different peel off base coats when I've tried some more and have some more experience using them.

Anyway, for the base color on all the nails except the ring finger, I used Essie Gel Couture polish in Fairy Tailor.  I may do a post at some point about this line and the polishes I have within it.  I really enjoy this polish as a nice sheer wash of color on the nails.  I used two coats and still have a visible nail line, but that was fine since I covered up the tips anyway.  The colors I used for the dots were OPI Unfor-Greta-bly Blue, Zoya Vanessa (red), and Pop-arazzi Icing on the Cake (white).  I started by putting each color on a business card.  I used several different sized dotting tools to achieve the fading effect.  If you don't have dotting tools, you can use toothpicks and just vary the amount of polish you use.  I tried to make the dots decrease in size as they got closer to the cuticle.  I decided to do each size at once, not each color (does that make sense?), which may have been to my detriment.  The dots of polish on the business card started to dry a bit after a while, so they got a little gummy.  If you could see my other hand you would see little strings of red from after I placed some of the dots.  I kept having to add more polish so that wouldn't happen.  All that to say if you try this I would recommend either doing all of one color at once or testing the polish between rounds.

For my ring fingers I used the same white polish as a base and topped it with OPI Happy Anniversary.  I also sponged on some of OPI Pirouette My Whistle for that glitter.  Not gonna lie, this was not the look I was originally going for.  I originally wanted sparkly silver glitter, but I am totally in love with the result I ended up with! I'm definitely going to have to do this on all my nails sometime.  I've never sponged on this glitter, but now that I've tried it I realize how necessary it is.  It is ordinarily so hard to get those big glitters in there, but sponging is a big help.  I will say, however, use a makeup sponge or something along those lines.  Don't use a sponge-tipped eye shadow applicator like I did.  Not nearly as effective. I topped everything off with Seche Vite top coat.

So those are my 4th of July nails!  Let me know what else y'all would like me to write about, and if you did anything fun for the Fourth I would love to see!  Hope y'all have a great week!
~ Mary Elizabeth

Fun with Zoya

Hey Guys!
So today's post is my messing around with some new zoya polishes that I ordered online.  These are definitely some of the best ones I've used from this brand.  Hope y'all enjoy!

The color on my ring finger is Zoya  Magical PixieDust in Cosmo, and the rest of the fingers have Zoya Blu.  Cosmo is definitely my favorite of the PixieDust line.  It is mostly silver glitter with other colors and holographics throughout.  I like that there is a combination of big and small glitter, yet it's not as rough or sharp as the first round of the OPI liquid sand ones which were the same kind of deal.  It takes a few coats to get the glitter solid, but it looks beautiful once you build it up.  Blu is a great, solid baby blue.  I've really been into light, creme finish polishes lately, and this one definitely fits the bill!  I used two coats out of habit, but I probably could have gotten away with one.  I also really like the way that these two polishes go together.  Cosmo makes a great accent nail!  I have really grown to love Zoya as a brand, and I can't wait to try more!

I hope y'all enjoyed this post, and please feel free to leave comments below on other posts you like to see.  Have a Marvelous Monday!
~ Mary Elizabeth 

Nudes n' Brights

Hey Everyone!
Today's post is a cute look that I thought I'd give a shot.  It's an interesting combination on nude polish and a bright color.  If you try this out feel free to substitute the green I used for any other bright color you like. 

Now each nail was done a little differently.  For the pointer and pinky, I started with a base of Zoya Mitzi.  This is a kind of sour green color.  It has a matte finish, so if you want it to shine you'll need a top coat.  I used some striping tape and made a diagonal.  Then I painted over the nail (below the tape) with OPI Don't Pretzel My Buttons.  This polish is really growing on me.  I was a bit hesitant about it when I first bought it but now I actually like it!  For my middle finger and thumb I started with Don't Pretzel My Buttons as the base.  Then I laid two pieces of striping tape in the middle of my nail in a chevron.  Then I went over it with Mitzi.  Be careful wen removing the tape so that you don't mess up the polish underneath.  On my ring finger I simply used two coats of OPI DS Classic.  Finished it all off with a coat of Seche Vite top coat.

I hope y'all enjoyed, and if you give it a shot then leave it in the comments below!  Have a wonderful week!
~ Mary Elizabeth

Valentine's Day Ideas

Hello there!
It's that time of year again  and I have some nail designs to share that you might like to try!  These are just fun, Valentine's Day themed nails that are simple and time friendly.  Hope you give them a shot!

 This first design is based on something I found on pinterest.  I used two coats of Zoya Mickey as a base color.  Then I used Essie Penny Talk for the french tips.  In the pinterest post they used tape to get the french tips, but I just kinda freehanded it.  This takes very little time if you have a steady hand.

This next design is my favorite of the two.  I used OPI Steady as She Rose as the base.  Then I used one of my dotting tools to plave two dots next to each other on the nail.  Then I dragged the dots together to a point in order to make the hearts.  For this I used OPI It's All Greek to Me.  Warning: I would wait a bit for the hearts to dry before applying top coat.  I smudged one of the hearts on my thumb because I used top coat too soon.  I love how cute and simple this one is.

I hope you get a chance to try one or both of these out for Valentine's Day!  If you do, I would love to see a picture of your take in the comments.  Have a terrific Thursday!

~ Mary Elizabeth

Zoya Color2014 Swatches!

Hey Everyone!
Many of you may know that during January Zoya did a promotion where you pay shipping and choose three nail polishes for free.  I apologize for not posting about it, but obviously I did an awful job of keeping up with the blog over the break.  Anyway, I wanted to show y'all some swatches of what I got.  I don't do very many swatch posts because I don't buy nail polish very often anymore, but I am going to try to swatch when I do buy.  I apologize for the photo quality.  I have the worst natural light in my room due to the winter conditions.  I used two coats in every picture.  Hope y'all enjoy!

 This first polish I got is Heather.  This is a light grey-ish purple creme shade with the teensiest bit of shimmer.  I really like this color because it is subtle and appropriate for just about any occasion.  The consistency is a little on the thin side but fairly easy to work with. 

 This polish is called Elodie.  It is a gelly consistency coral color.  This one was a bit of a disappointment.  I was hoping for a bit more opacity, but it's still a pretty color.  I might try this one over a white base and see what happens.

Before I continue I just want to apologize for the crappy pictures of this one.  I was struggling to take the photo with my left hand.  Anyway this one is called Vanessa.  This is a purple toned red.  I have been after this one for quite some time.  This one has a slightly gelly consistency also, but it's much more solid color.  I really enjoy this one.  I haven't worn it for an extensive period of time yet, but I have high hopes for it :)
I hope y'all enjoyed this post, and I hope to have some valentine's day looks this week.  Have a wonderful Wednesday!
~ Mary Elizabeth

September Nail Art Day 3: School!

Hey Everyone!
I apologize for this look being so late, but I've had a pretty busy weekend and haven't had time to write a post.  Anyway, the theme for day three is school colors.  My school's colors are red, white and blue, but I decided to substitute white for silver just so I could use a little glitter.  Cuz who doesn't like a little glitter, right? :)

For a base color I used Sally Hansen Complete Salon in Navy Baby.  I thought about using red as a base, but I think the navy is a little more classy.  Then I used Zoya Sarah to add a red stripe on the side.  The silver stripe was added with my Kiss silver glitter polish.  This is one of my favorite ways to do my nails lately, and I think it does my school's colors justice.  I hope y'all enjoyed, and stay tuned for more (day 4's design will be a little late too)!  Have a terrific Tuesday, and bow wow bulldogs!!
~ Mary Elizabeth

Striping Tape Fun!

Hey Everyone!
Sorry I haven't posted in a while, but I got a new job so i've been a little busy.  Also, my job requires me to open Pandora bracelets all day which takes a toll on my nails.  However I have been painting my nails, so I have some posts coming up soon! Anyway, today's post is more playing with my striping tape :) I'm really having fun coming up with designs using this tape.  Hope you enjoy!

So the base color I used is Zoya Jem.  I hadn't used this one in a while, so I thought it would be a fun color to use.  I applied one coat of Out the Door fast dry top coat and waited about 10 minutes for it to fully dry (mainly because I didn't decide to do the gold until later).  Then I placed small pieces of striping tape diagonally along my ring finger nail and painted over them with OPI Glitzerland.  If you've been reading my blog posts for a while then you will know that Glitzerland is one of my favorite and most used polishes.  It's not one that I use all over my nails that often, but I use it all the time for details and designs.  I think these colors go really well together.  I know they're not very summery, but I was just feeling purple and gold.
I hope y'all enjoyed this, and if you're looking for striping tape you can find it pretty cheap on amazon.com.
Also, how would y'all feel about me doing some more personal posts/videos such as tags? Let me know in the comments below.  I think in the next few days I might show y'all my nail polish collection.  It's not huge, but I think it might be fun for y'all to see how I organize my polish and stuff.  Anyway, have a fabulous day!
~ Mary Elizabeth

Seaside French Tips

Hey There!
So today's mani is a fun, marine inspired french manicure.  I was going through my polishes and realized I hadn't used these ones in a while.  I figured this would be the perfect way to incorporate these colors.  Enjoy!

I started off with a base of Zoya Zuza.  This is a pretty marine green/teal color.  I don't know why I don't reach for this more often, cuz it's gorgeous!  The texture is great, and it is very easy to apply.  For the tips I used Zoya Charla.  I included this one in an earlier post a while back.  It is a beautiful teal color with green/gold shimmer.  I just kind of freehanded the french (I didn't use tape or anything).  I like how this mani is simple but has some subtle flair :)
I hope y'all enjoyed this post, and I hope you have a super Saturday!
~Mary Elizabeth
PS be sure to go check out my roommate's new blog, Polish and Prayers!

Swatch Spam!

Hey there!
Today I am kind of going through my archive of swatches and talking about the polishes that I swatched and took pictures of but never posted about.  I have to let y'all know that my posts will be mainly older nail art things for a while.  This is due to the fact that I broke the nail on my middle finger this week.  Not just a little crack.  Half the nail is gone.  I won't be painting that nail for a while, so I won't be able to swatch for a while.  Anyway, on to the post!

 First,we have OPI Brand New Skates.  This is from a really old holiday collection.  It is a dark grey with multicolored sparkles.  I think this a pretty color, but the formula is a little thin for my taste.  It took a good two/three coats to get the solid color in the picture.  I added little snowflakes in the corner with my Kiss glitter polish.

 Next up, Essie Leading Lady.  This is from the 2012 Holiday collection.  It is a red with red glitter.  I like this one because it is a darker red.  Bright reds don't really work on my skin tone.  I also like that the glitter is not as hard to get off as most glitters. I used two coats for this swatch.

 This one is Butter London Dodgy Barnett. It is a silver holographic.  What I like about this polish is that it is it is holographic but not too linear.  I find that sometimes super linear holos can get a little distracting.  The downside to this one is that it takes about three coats to get a solid color.  It is beautiful, and definitely worth getting!

Last but not least, Zoya Charla.  This is a beautiful turquoise color with green shimmer. I love this color! This is the kind of color that I am always reaching for in stores.  The only downside to this one is that it stained my nails a bit when I took it off.  Other than that I had no problems with this polish.  I used two coats for these pictures.

So that's it for my first swatch spam! I hope y'all enjoyed, and have a terrific Tuesday!
~ Mary Elizabeth

Confetti Fade

Hello Lovelies!
So today I have a look for you that I did using some of the polishes I got from holiday collections.  I hope y'all enjoy!

So I started with a base of OPI Tomorrow Never Dies from the James Bond collection.  The blue/purple is the kind of color that I reach for a lot.  It's a color that I can wear without being too crazy.  The glitter I used is Zoya Electra.  This is a very nice bar glitter.  I like this because it is finer glitter than OPI Save Me which I don't own, but I have looked at it and decided I didn't need it.  The problem I have with bar glitter on the tip of my nails is that it tends to catch on things and scratch me.  However, it makes a very unique glitter gradient that is subtle yet fun.  I hope y'all enjoyed, and have a terrific Tuesday!
~ Mary Elizabeth