31 Day Challenge: Inspired by a Pattern!

Well I am SO far behind on this challenge, it ended nearly two weeks ago. Kudos to Kelsie and Stephanie for finishing on time and posting everyday! I thought I was prepared for all the manis but…well…obviously that was not the case. While I enjoyed doing the challenge, I felt too rushed and would do mani after mani after mani, sometimes 5 a day…This way I get to enjoy my mani a little longer. This one I am pretty proud of. While it’s not perfectly polished, I think I captured my inspiration pretty well. I have seen lots of owl manis and many are wayyyy better than mine, but I still think its cute. :) Warning there’s lots of pics in this post!

The Pattern for my inspiration comes from my Nook Tablet skin. I love little owlies, they have become pretty popular lately. I just love this, every time I look at it!

And, the mani!

And two more:

Thank you all for reading!

*Erin*

31 Day Challenge: Day 21: Inspired by a Color!

I have so many favorite colors and polishes it was hard to figure out what I wanted to do until I spied it: Claire’s Candy Shop. I bought it a month or two ago and has sat untried until yesterday. Apparently it is a ‘dupe’ for a Deborah Lippmann polish by the same name. I don’t own the Deborah Lippmann (and never will, I draw the line at $18 for a bottle of polish) but the Claire’s is so darn cute.

This is my attempt at drawing a lollipop. My free hand skills are a little crude but it turned out okay. Would you know that was a lollipop if I didn’t tell you? Be honest! I thought I could ‘swirl’ some wet polish in the center, but no I couldn’t. Be proud of me that I messed this up once, and I actually removed it and tried again instead of saying Eff it! lol.

I gave Candy Shop a little extra boost with Sephora by OPI’s Sparkle-tacular. That polish is just dripping with glitters. One brushstroke and you’re covered.

My cuticles are so damn dried out from all these manis. I was actually going to keep this mani on until this happened:

It was like I just FORGOT I had just painted my nails. D’oh!

I think I might try this again. I wish I had a stamping plate with lollipops, candy, etc. I’ve seen them but don’t own them. :(

Check out the other inspirations today!

Kelsie at www.kelsiesnailfiles.blogspot.com

Stephanie at www.alittlepolish.blogspot.com

Amanda at www.noxnails.blogspot.com

Jess at www.nearlynaturalnails.blogspot.com

Thanks for coming by!

-Erin-

PS I can’t believe there are only 10 days left in this challenge! May is flying by!

31 Day Challenge: Day 19: Galaxies!

This was a trend that I had never seen nor heard of until I started blogging. I thought it looked sooo hard to do – after a quick Google search, I discovered this is SO easy to do and it really is super cute! I think it would be really hard to mess this up since there is no precise design you have to follow.

The base is CG Smoke and Ashes, then I sponged with a whole bunch of colors. Mint, turquoise, a coral, a shimmery blue, white dots for stars, and all topped with glitter. I used Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Disco Ball.

I feel as though I redeemed myself from that horrid tribal print I did yesterday. These galaxy nails are so cute, so easy to do, and I would definitely try this look again. I am looking forward to seeing how the other girls’s galaxies turned out!

Kelsie at Kelsie's Nail Files

Stephanie at A Little Polish

Amanda at Nox Nails

Jess at Nearly Natural Nails

Thanks for coming by!

-Erin-

31 Day Challenge: Day 9: Rainbow!

Today’s challenge was rainbow. I interpreted this to mean simply a rainbow of colors, since we are still in the colors portion of the challenge. Thank goodness, because I absolutely suck as using nail art brushes so drawing a rainbow would have been very interesting.

Here goes:

Can someone PLEASE tell me how to clean up foil/metallic/glass fleck polishes??? Every darn time they are nearly impossible to remove from my cuticles, and they leave shimmer residue all over my skin! So I apologize for the cuticle-y polish-y mess, but I had the hardest time getting it cleaned up. As you can see, my thumb turned out nice so I suspect it is the type of polishes I used! I use regular acetone and makeup brushes, but it’s not working with me on this!

For this mani I used a series of Color Club polishes which I believe might be a new summer release for a series called “Take Wing.” I was really impressed with these; they are my first Color Clubs, and they were only $8 for the whole set of 8 (7?) polishes! I also used Zoya Sooki for the red, and Apple for the green. Those four fingers were topped with Ulta Pinata-Yada-Yada. My thumb is Ulta Bam-Blue-Zled. I think that Ulta cremes are my favorites, they formulas are excellent and the polishes always look perfect. Then Spoiled Correction Tape dotted on for clouds.

Check out the other rainbow manis at:

Kelsie @ www.kelsiesnailfiles.blogspot.com

Steph @ www.alittlepolish.blogspot.com

Amanda @ www.noxnails.blogspot.com

Jess @ http://nearlynaturalnails.blogspot.com/

-Erin-

31 Day Challenge: Day 7: Black and White!

Hey!! How is everyone doing today? Are you enjoying the challenge so far? I have to admit, it certainly is challenging! :) But fun too, and I am always up for a good challenge! Today is black and white, which I was not very excited about because I’m not a big fan of black and white color schemes. I always think of polka dots, but wanted to do something else. I’ve seen variations on this theme around on Pinterest, and I love it.

My thumb, middle finger, and pinky are free handed with nail art polishes and my index finger and ring finger were stamped with a Shany plate, using Spoiled Correction Tape and China Glaze Smoke and Ashes. I wish I had used a regular black polish but it turned out okay. Of course, a GEM on my thumb! :) I love the look of free-handed leopard spots but I need lots of practice.

While this isn’t an exact Monkey See, Monkey Do, I was ‘pin-spired’ by this mani which linked to here.

Thanks for stopping by! Be sure to check out the rest of the challenge participants today!

Kelsie @ www.kelsiesnailfiles.blogspot.com

Steph @ www.alittlepolish.blogspot.com

Amanda @ www.noxnails.blogspot.com

Jess @ http://nearlynaturalnails.blogspot.com/

-Erin-

Also don't forget the MSMD manis today! While I didn't really 100% participate, I know they cooked up something awesome today!

Laurie http://dressedupdigits.blogspot.ca/

Missy http://gnarlygnails.blogspot.ca/

Carrie http://lesamowen.blogspot.ca/

Cristina http://theclockwisenailpolish.blogspot.pt/

Nievys http://maquiclubgirl.blogspot.ca/

Ashley http://followtheyellowpolishroad.blogspot.ca/

Kristin http://manicuredmonkey.blogspot.ca/

Emily http://macabremanicures.blogspot.ca/

Nayade http://www.toxicvanity.com/

Erin http://www.erinsbeautybumbles.blogspot.ca/

Debbie http://thecrumpet.blogspot.co.uk/

Melissa http://www.misadventuresofawannabemartha.com/

Kristin http://geekyowl.blogspot.ca/

Angi http://www.angelinaswelt.blogspot.de/

Julie http://ofknitandnails.blogspot.ca/

Kerrie http://pishposhandpolish.blogspot.co.uk/

Jewli http://www.fanningthefumes.blogspot.ca/ 

Alyssa http://www.fancyphalanges.blogspot.ca/ 

Jen http://jenspaintedtips.blogspot.ca/

31 Day Challenge: Day 5: Blue!

My favorite color! Well, one of them anyway. So, I’ve been waiting FOREVER to get my Zoya polish from their Earth Day promotion. I was getting rather impatient, and was out running errands, which COINCIDENTALLY took me past Ulta. So strange. Lucky me, they had buy two, get one free on their polishes. While I knew I had Zoya Zuza on her way, wellll…I spotted Zoya Charla and had to have her too!!! I couldn’t help myself! Please tell me you all would have done the same thing! :)

So here she is:

Geez, another gem! That is four days in a row now! I promise tomorrow there are no gems in sight! But you understand WHY I had to have a gem for this mani:

They  match my ring! I wish I could capture the sparkli-ness of the ring. So pretty!

I used a dotting tool with Zoya Apple, a yellow nail art polish, and Zoya Kimber. Then a red gem in the middle. You can see staining from Pool Party on my index finger!!! And also, if you have this color or are considering buying Charla, she stains…so make sure you put on a good base coat.

Check out the other girls’s challenge manis today!

Kelsie @ www.kelsiesnailfiles.blogspot.com

Steph @ www.alittlepolish.blogspot.com

Amanda @ www.noxnails.blogspot.com
Jess @ http://nearlynaturalnails.blogspot.com/

Thanks for reading!

XOXO

Erin

31 Day Challenge: Day 4: Green!

I was a little worried about this one! In case you have not forgotten the nightmare of the last Zoya Apple mani, here it is. I think I redeemed myself! I love this color so much, though I was just at Ulta and I spied Zoya Ivanka –yeah, I might like that one a little more. I guess I need both, really. So here’s Apple!

Maybe I could have used another coat; these pics are 2 coats. On my middle finger I used some nail art polish and I tried to put some neon yellow dots  but they are too sheer. You know me, I was not going to start over, especially since my lines turned out pretty good! I must sacrifice bad dots for good lines. lol.

I like this pic better, it shows the light shining through the gem. Ooooh pretty! :)

Guys, in case I have not mentioned before, my job requires me to handle paper, like, a LOT. So I get some paper cuts and scrapes on my fingers a lot. I will try to crop them out as much as I can but sometimes they will be visible. So sorry!

I love green, so can’t wait to see what the other girls cooked up today! Check ‘em out!

Kelsie @ www.kelsiesnailfiles.blogspot.com

Steph @ www.alittlepolish.blogspot.com

Amanda @ www.noxnails.blogspot.com
Jess @ http://nearlynaturalnails.blogspot.com/

Thanks for reading!

XOXO

Erin

Monkey See, Monkey Do Monday!

Small confession – I had seen this photo on someone’s Facebook foreverrrrr ago and I fell in love with it then. I looked for the perfect mint green polish, I ordered one from Avon, they sent an ugly light blue instead…then I couldn’t find the photo again so I couldn’t quite remember what it looked like. Guess my excitement when I saw it on Pinterest! This mani is what first drew me into nail art, really. I mean, I always liked to paint my nails, and ‘sometimes’ I played around with my stamping plates, but this picture is IT. I mean, look how cute!

Here is a side by side. The original was uploaded by ‘user’ and the watermark links to here.

Well. I think I did a pretty good job! I could work on my dotting tool skills. Her dots are super crisp and opaque looking. I just bought Spoiled Correction Tape so maybe that will improve. I also used Nicole by Opi Follow Me On Glitter for the striping. I also like how the original mani has more of a swoopy French effect.

The base is China Glaze Refresh-Mint or something like that. I have another confession – I don’t really like China Glaze polish. While I LOVE their colors, the formula just doesn’t do it for me and the brushes are always ragged. Every crème color I have chips after one day of wear. I don’t get it. Has anyone else experienced this and can you fix it? Unfortunately this cute mani had to come off after one day.

I hope you like it! Thanks for reading!

XOXO

Erin
Check out other MSMD manis on these awesome blogs! Let me know if you participated and are not on the list!

Laurie http://dressedupdigits.blogspot.ca/

Missy http://gnarlygnails.blogspot.ca/

Carrie http://lesamowen.blogspot.ca/

Cristina http://theclockwisenailpolish.blogspot.pt/

Nievys http://maquiclubgirl.blogspot.ca/

Ashley http://followtheyellowpolishroad.blogspot.ca/

Kristin http://manicuredmonkey.blogspot.ca/

Emily http://macabremanicures.blogspot.ca/

Nayade http://www.toxicvanity.com/

Erin http://www.erinsbeautybumbles.blogspot.ca/

Debbie http://thecrumpet.blogspot.co.uk/

Melissa http://www.misadventuresofawannabemartha.com/

Kristin http://geekyowl.blogspot.ca/

Angi http://www.angelinaswelt.blogspot.de/

Julie http://ofknitandnails.blogspot.ca/

Kerrie http://pishposhandpolish.blogspot.co.uk/

Jewli http://www.fanningthefumes.blogspot.ca/ 

Alyssa http://www.fancyphalanges.blogspot.ca/ 

Jen http://jenspaintedtips.blogspot.ca/ 

Inspired by Music: An Adventures in Stamping Post

Happy Sunday!! Well, I’m not gonna lie, I thought I was going to have a lot of trouble with this challenge. (I guess you can decide that for yourself!)  I am not a huge music buff. I only listen to a few favorite artists, and I don’t know singers, album titles, song lyrics, etc…I usually just listen to whatever my boyfriend puts on the stereo. Hence, this mani. Inspired by DEADMAU5!! In case you are not familiar with Deadmau5, it is the  name for electronic artist Joel Zimmerman. My brother and boyfriend are huge fans. I like his music too, but like I said, I am not a huge music buff. So anyway, Deadmau5 is pronounced Dead’mouse’, and he wears these huge mouse heads when he performs. So here’s my take on it:

side by side of the mau5 heads.

Here’s a pic of Deadmau5 on stage:

Several things I want to say about this mani:

1) When I stamped the dot background, the whole glitter topcoat SLID across my nail and I had to SLIDE it back…omg I almost died. Really. I did not want to remove all of that stinkin’ glitter and start all over!

2) Stamping dot background WHAT? you are probably thinking..Yes, I did stamp on these nails but it is very hard to see…:(

3) My middle nail looks awful in these pics…it looks like I chopped off a whole chunk of polish around my cuticle. Well, I am practicing my clean-up skills, (my makeup brush seriously SUCKS) and I thought I did a gosh darn good job – until I crop my macro shots. In real life, the flaw is barely noticeable. Instead of redoing it and taking new pics, I’m leaving it – hence why I call this blog Beauty Bumbles, because I feel like I’m just bumbling around with all of this nail stuff….

4) The base color is Zoya Sooki, I stamped with Pure Ice Silver Mercedes (so glad I took the recommendation of the ladies at Adventures in Stamping!) and Sally Hansen Black Out (must take other recommendations for black stamping polishes, because it looks horrible on Sooki), and I used a Claire’s glitter topcoat.

5) I bought Sooki mostly because I LOVE TRUE BLOOD! And Charlaine Harris’s books too, of course. :)

So that’s it! I did not match my right hand to this, the coordinating mani is actually for my challenge tomorrow, Monkey See, Monkey Do manis inspired by my Pinterest board. The two look really cute together.

I hope you like it!

Thanks for reading!

XOXO

Erin

Zoya Kimber for Breast Cancer

Hey guys! I did this mani for my dear friend who was recently diagnosed with breast cancer. She has been my hairstylist and friend forever! So, this is for Shelley and everyone else out there struggling with this disease and friends and family of cancer patients.

And I want to thank the lovely ladies on the Adventures in Stamping Facebook group for rockin’ some pink today!!

Thanks for reading! I hope you like it. I am still no whiz at freehand nail art but improving a bit, I think.

XOXO

Erin

Let’s Go Cardinals!

Hey all! Well, this is my very first attempt at free-hand art using a nail brush…I think I did ‘ok’, I think I need a thinner, smaller, stiffer?  brush. Tomorrow is the home-opener for my home team the St. Louis Cardinals (who, if you do not know, won the World Series last year) so I wanted to do a Cardinals theme.

Here’s a side by side in case you don’t know what the Cardinals logo looks like. I guess its not too bad for my first attempt! Practice makes perfect, right?

Here’s what I used:

Orly | Top2Bottom, Avon | Vintage Blue (used on my pinky but appears white in pics), Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear | White On, Ulta | Indigo-go Girl, Essie | Lollipop, and NYC Topcoat

I have some goodies coming in the mail very soon, like some Zoya polishes, some new stamping plates, some dotting tools, and my Birchbox! So lots of goodies to share in the next week or so!

Thanks for reading! I hope you like it!

XOXO

Erin