NOTM: Royal Nail Art

I named this royal because that is what I thought of when I saw how the colors came together. I think the maroon and gold really characterize this look.

Here's what I used:

• Nicole by OPI - Shoot for the Maroon


• LA Colors Striping Polish (Gold Glitter, Black, White)


• Ruby Kisses French White **for the dots


• Reinforcement labels for the french tip **not pictured

Step 1: Stick on reinforcement labels to act as a guide for the french tip.

I personally do not like these. The shape is too circular and it does not fit the shape of my nails well at all. Also, it didn't form a good enough seal so some polish got below the guide--this could be user error.

Step 2: Add the french tip

Step 3: Add black stripes, white, and gold stripes.

Step 4: Add dots.

Finished look. This was taken the next day in natural light.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bWTk-5akF4Y

My at Home Gel Nail Manicure

So I re-did my gel nails. I got some of it on the skin so the last manicure was lifting. I was sure to  be careful and clean the skin off this time before curing the gel. I think this set came out pretty good :)

Products used:

I first used my: Nail Tek Base Coat

Then I used two coats of China Glaze Champagne Bubbles

I then used two coats of this cheap gold glitter nail polish I picked up at a BSS years ago.

Next, the striping w/LA Colors Art Deco (black & white):

I then added dots using an orange wood stick and black & white polish.

I added some more white stripes, along with silver stripes and rhinestones.

I sealed with a gel top coat and flash cured two fingers at a time under my LED lamp for 10 seconds.

flash cure [flash] [kyoor]: to cure under light for a very short period of time.

Watch the video:

[embedyt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RqIKMlBdQ04[/embedyt]

Gel Nail Manicure

In my previous post, I talked about my gel nail manicure that I did. I like this pic and I just wanted to show it because it was taken in natural sunlight. At the time of this photo, the manicure was 4 days old. What I like about gel is that it stays on much longer than regular nail polish. I would have def had chipping by now w/o the gel top coat. The pink polish and the striping/dotting are all done with regular nail polish that has been sealed with a gel top coat.

 

 

 

My Gel Nail Extension Set + Nail Art

This is my first time doing gel nails on myself. I chose gel because I think it looks more natural. This is the kit I used.

Nail Bliss Pro SoakOff UV Gel Nail System.

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  I purchased mine at Sally's Beauty Supply for $30.99 w/my Sally's Beauty Club card and a $5 off coupon code (555148). If you order online, you can use coupon code: 555386 for 20% off. It is also available at Amazon for $39.99 + $5.95 shipping.

I also purchased a KISS LED lamp. I got mine at Walgreen's for $29.99.

See pics of the mani here:

Twisted Top Knot Bun on Stretched Hair

I stretched/straightened my hair this past weekend with a combo of the flat iron and foam flexi rods. I like the sleeker look it gave my hair style.  The technique I used is the same as in this style: http://hypnotic-glamour.net/blog/?p=29

This is a three day old stretch

 

Two Strand Twist Top Knot Bun

Can you tell how much I like buns? :D For this look, I put my hair up into a bun (leaving out the bangs). I divided it into 4 equal sections (left, right, front, back) and two strand twisted. Then, I gathered the front two by the ends and pinned in the back and gathered the back two by the ends and pinned up front.

For the bangs, I made 2, two strand twisted, rolled, and pinned.

See more pics here:

How To: Curl Those Twist Out Ends

Let me start off by saying this method will also work for a braid out. I don't know about you but when I used to do twist and braid outs, my ends always ended up either unraveling or keeping my natural curl pattern. It always ended up looking off :/ I came up with this method a long time ago and thought I'd share.

All you need to do is a loose bantu knot and the end of the strands like so:

The result is a nice curly "q" and the end :D

And here is the finished look!