March 21, 2013
VIDEO: How to Apply Soak Off Gel Polish 10
I made a video that demonstrates how I apply gel polish. You can also read my written instructions here, and see a list of supplies needed here.
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March 21, 2013
Gelish Ocean Wave Swatch and Blue Comparison 1
This is Gelish Ocean Wave, a very fun, bright blue! I applied three coats for full opacity. Below you can see a comparison of this color with some of the other dark blue shades from Gelish.
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March 20, 2013
Gel Manicure Safety: Anti UV Fingerless Gloves 1
There has been a lot of buzz about the safety of using UV and LED lights for gel manicures and whether the exposure is enough to cause cancer. The media has definitely put a negative spin on the topic and is creating a bit of a panic. Studies have shown that there is very little risk associated with the use of these lights. However, little risk does not necessarily mean no risk. There are two very easy preventative things that you can do to protect yourself during a gel manicure:1. Apply a lotion or sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15 prior to your manicure.
2. Or, use anti UV fingerless gloves during your manicure.
Esther’s Nail Center sent me a pair of these gloves to try out. They cover your whole lower arm all the way up to the elbow leaving only your fingertips exposed. They’re super easy to use… you just have to remember to put them on BEFORE you start your manicure!
You can see here that just my fingertips are exposed. The fabric actually was very close to my nail on the ring finger, but it didn’t get in the way or cause any problems at all.
Ta-da! A perfect gel manicure using Gelish Plum and Done.
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March 19, 2013
Gelish Plum and Done 1
Hi everyone! Below are some swatches of Gelish Plum and Done, a lovely dark purple with some reddish undertones. The photos below show three coats of Plum and Done. My photos are a tad on the dark side, but the shade is darker with each coat applied. I also posted my purple comparison picture at the bottom to show you what two coats of Plum and Done looks like.
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March 18, 2013
Gelish Purple Comparison 0
Today I have a quick comparison of some of the dark purple shades that Gelish offers. Below you can see a side-by-side comparison of Night Reflection, Bella’s Vampire, Diva, The Perfect Silhouette, and Plum and Done. All of the swatches below are two coats except for Bella’s Vampire, which has three (and still has a bit of transparency). I hope you find this helpful when trying to find the right shade of purple to suit your tastes!
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March 17, 2013
Gelish Jet Set Swatch 1
I have a Gelish quickie for you today…. this is Jet Set. I’ve had this one on my wishlist for a while and finally got around to buying and trying it. Wow… it’s not the color I thought it would be at all. I always thought this was a really deep blue color, but it’s actually a dark grey-ish purple with a real subtle shimmer. I had a very hard time trying to capture this color on camera, so these aren’t my best swatches, but they’re the closest I could get.
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March 14, 2013
Ink SOG Gradient Manicure with Paisley 8
I tried a new brand of soak off gel (SOG) polish today called Ink by Glam and Glits. I wanted to try some colors that are springy since I’m soooo ready for some warmer weather! I started off with three coats of Ink Lime Sorbet, which is a lovely soft green color. I then sponged a teal blue color called Ink Calypso onto the tips. After applying and curing my top coat, I applied a paisley stamp using Bundle Monster plate BM315 and Konad black polish. I then applied another thin layer of top coat. I used my Gelish foundation and Top It Off.
Here is Ink Lime Sorbet all by itself before I applied the gradient. It’s actually slightly warmer in person. I thought this was what Gelish Mint of Spring was going to look like, but it’s actually blue and not green at all…. so I had to seek out a light green, and I’m totally loving this!
And this is the gradient before the stamp. I just used a makeup sponge to apply Ink Calypso onto the tips. I couldn’t get the opacity that I wanted, but I still like how it turned out. 
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March 8, 2013
Gelish Zig Zag Skittlette Manicure 9
This is a fun mani using three Gelish colors; Carnival Hangover, Sheek White, and Black Shadow. The zig zag pattern was created using these tape/stickers that I purchased on ebay. The studs on the pinky are from Born Pretty. I think the look is fairly simple, but also sleek and sexy!
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March 7, 2013
Shimmer Polish Swatches 6
I have some more beauties from Shimmer Polish for you today. These are all glitter polishes with clear bases that I paired with other colors. The glitter applies evenly and with ease, and as with most glitter it is top coat thirsty so I topped each mani off with two coats of Seche Vite for a smooth finish.
First up is Elsa, which has turquoise, gold and red glitter. I applied this over black (Cult Nails Nevermore).
Next is Lucie, a silver and red glitter mixture. I applied one coat of this over a silver holographic polish (Julep Rebel).
This is Nichole, a combination of red, blue and silver glitter. I applied Nichole over white (OPI Alpine Snow). This color combo reminds me of the 4th of July.
This is Julie, which is a mix of several different colored glitters. This one is really quite stunning over black (Cult Nails Nevermore).
And finally we have Jennifer, which has soft blue and periwinkle glitters. I paired this with a light tan color (OPI Did You ‘Ear About Van Gogh?).
I wanted to see what Jennifer would look like with a matte top coat, so I applied Essie Matte About You over top. I love how glitter polishes look with a matte top – it really accentuates the colors of the glitter.
*Products provided for review.
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March 6, 2013
St. Patrick’s Day Shamrock Nail Art 1
Yay… it’s March, and spring is just around the corner! I planted my seedlings this past weekend and I can’t wait for warmer weather. Last year St. Patrick’s Day was unusually warm for this time of year, and I’m hoping for a repeat!
I was inspired to do some St. Paddy’s Day nail art when I got my Square Hue box in the mail the other day. The three colors in the box were “Patty’s Pint” (dark emerald green shimmer), “Blonde Ale” (light tan/gold shimmer), and “Amber Lager” (amber/bronze shimmer). I used the first two colors in this manicure, and I applied Julep Vivien over the Blonde Ale for some gold glitter. I used China Glaze Passion and a dotting tool to create the shamrock, and then I added a few random green “glequins” for a little extra glitz!
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