TopCoatIt

Today we’re choosing the challenge for ourselves. We’re revisiting a past challenge we enjoyed. I spent some time going through my posts deciding what I was in the mood for. I was feeling a happy rainbow again.

I went with all acrylics and no top coat today. What?! I know, I’m all about a good top coat, but I like the matte, textured look of unsealed acrylics. It makes me feel like I’m an artist painting a canvas. I tried a couple different patterns before deciding what I liked. That’s why my pinkie is different.

Be sure the check out all the other manis today:

Amanda of Amandalandish
Anna of Going to the Showing
Anne of Grape Fizz Nails
Ashley of Art Evolve
Chelsea of Nailed Blog
ChiChi of I’m Just Me…ChiChi
Cordia of Seriously Swatched
Elizabeth of Did My Nails
Katherine of Haul of Fame
Kelly of Tuxarina
Lakeisha of Refined and Polished
Maribeth of Obsessive Cosmetic Hoarders Unite!
Marisa of Polish Obsession
Meredith of Polish and Charms
Nory of Fierce Make Up and Nails
Sarah of See Sarah Swatch
Traci of DrinkCitra

Do you all remember back in elementary school when you would take your crayons, draw a bright, colorful picture, then cover it all up with black crayon? Then you’d get out a pencil and scratch a picture in to the black crayon to reveal the fun underneath? Why not apply that same technique to your nails?

I first used this technique on my Game of Thrones nails after seeing this tutorial.  I love this application.  I can’t get over how the lines of the scales look variegated.  They’re each their own little rainbow.

To get this look I used Zoya Mitzi, Robyn and Arizona, and NYX Girls Pink Strawberry in random blobish spots so that my whole nail was covered. I let that dry as long as my patience would allow. The drier the better. Then polish on one moderate coat of black polish. I used China Glaze Liquid Leather. You’ll want to do one nail at a time. As soon as you paint on the black, take a small dotting tool and gently scratch in to the black polish to create your design. Be gentle so as to avoid scraping the colored polish off as well. This is why it’s important that your color underneath be as dry as possible, although, the black polish over the top of the color may re-wet it. Work quickly and gently.

I’ve already got my next one planned.  This is a fun new technique for me that doesn’t require really any clean up.  What’s not to love?

On this episode of Twinsie Tuesday we’re sporting rainbows or yay-bows if you’re my two year old.  Being that we’re on the cusp of autumn and it’s not really rainbow season (if there is such a thing) I attempted to go with slightly more autumnal colors for my yaybow.

I’m not impressed with myself.  This looked so much better in my head.  I wish you could see the mental image I have.  This definitely does not live up to my expectations.  I sponged on some Sinful Colors Alpine Snow to act as a base behind my colors and to peek out as a cloud.  My rainbow is made up of OPI Uh-Oh Roll Down the Window, Essie Alligator Purse, Zoya Petra with Sinful Colors Amethyst over the top because Petra was too dark, the unnamed yellow dollar store Color Craze polish and Revlon Chic.

Once I got all my stripes done and decided that it was a failure, but didn’t want to start over, I added some glitter to see if that would help.  I don’t know why.  I never do that.  I know glitter is not the way to resuscitate a dying mani.  Oh well.

Be sure the check out all the other manis today:

Amanda of Amandalandish
Anna of Going to the Showing
Anne of Grape Fizz Nails
Ashley of Art Evolve
Brandi of The Collegiate Nail
Chelsea of Nailed Blog
ChiChi of I’m Just Me…ChiChi
Cordia of Seriously Swatched
Elizabeth of Did My Nails
Jenn of All That is Gorgeous
Jenna of I’m Still Thinking
Katherine of Haul of Fame
Maribeth of Obsessive Cosmetic Hoarders Unite!
Marisa of Polish Obsession
Meredith of Polish and Charms
Nory of Fierce Make Up and Nails
Sarah of See Sarah Swatch
Tara of Polishy of Truth

I’m really loving these, what I’m calling, dart manis lately. I seem to think of a new color combination that I want to try each time I sit down to do my nails. I’m restraining myself though.

I love the idea of this one a lot more than I love the actual result.  It’s just not that clean and it’s really bothering me.  I didn’t actually keep it on very long because of it.  Again I used acrylics for my rainbow because of their opacity.  Try layering a red polish over black and you’ll need at least three coats to get decent coverage.  I guess I could have done a white dart, then layered my rainbow over the top of the white and been able to use polish.

In the process of this design I also learned that using acrylic paints with a tape mani is a bit trickier than a polish tape mani.  With polish you want to take the tape off quickly, while the polish is still wet.  With acrylic I learned you should wait for it to dry, and even then, the tape may pull some of the paint off or stretch it out.  Not a fan of taping with acrylics.  Lesson learned.  However, I can’t promise I won’t try it again in the future and learn this disappointing lesson all over again.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day everyone!  I’m sure you’re all wearing your most festive green polish.  I’ve been showing green manicures since March 1st and I’m happy to move on to other things.  This is a super fun one.  While it’s not predominantly green, it’s 100% St. Patrick’s Day.

I did my leprechaun basically the same way I did my Santa Claus for Christmas.  Just change up some of the colors and you’ve got a leprechaun.

Most of my colors are acrylic.  The only actual polishes are China Glaze Liquid Leather, Color Club Reddy or Not and OPI Pink Friday.  My rainbow ruffles are kind of bumpy from all the acrylic paint, but I sort of like it.  It adds some texture.  You know those bubblegum balls that are all bumpy and shaped like fruit that you get out of bubblegum machines?  That’s what my bumpy ruffles look like.  This ruffle design came from Sarah over at Chalkboard Nails.  I’ve actually been wanting to do this ruffle since I saw her’s and this was the perfect opportunity.

Of course, I say this a lot, this was yet another one that I was sad to take off.  It was just so cute.