31 Day Challenge: Day 10: Gradient!

Does this mani remind you of something? Yesterday’s rainbow mani, perhaps? I didn’t realize how similar they were until I was editing photos! When I like something, I really like it and of course it didn’t help that I did this mani immediately after the rainbow mani. I used Zoya Zuza, Apple, and one of my new Color Club polishes. Blues/greens are my favorite so no surprise I was drawn to these colors. I topped it all with Spoiled Pet my Peacock, because these colors reminded me of peacock feathers. I wish I had a cool feather stamp or peacock design.

Enough talk, here’s the pics:

Do you see again the troubles I have with these type of polishes? My cuticle areas are a mess! Just ignore that part and look at the GLITTER!

I really liked this, I hated to remove it. Tomorrow is polka dots, so be sure to come back tomorrow and in the mean time, check out my partners in crime!

Kelsie @ www.kelsiesnailfiles.blogspot.com

Steph @ www.alittlepolish.blogspot.com

Amanda @ www.noxnails.blogspot.com

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

Thanks for reading!

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 8: Metallic!

I interpreted today’s theme to mean any polish that has a metallic finish. Well, I certainly had my pick! I have so many with metallic finishes, but in the end I thought a classic metallic gold would be perfect for today. I used Ulta High Roller, and I topped it with Pure Ice Gold Mist. Gold Mist is a fabulous color and if you don’t have it you should go get it right now. It’s a great layering polish.

Here’s the pics. Nothing fancy today. I was lacking inspiration, didn’t feel like taping or dotting or stamping. I was really more focused on cleaning up my cuticles, as you will see the next few days I am having troubles with this for some reason. I think it is because they are getting so dry even though I am going through cuticle oil and cuticle cream like crazy. Anyway…

No gems today! No gems for the next week either! :)

Check out the other girl’s manis today! I can’t wait to see what they came up with today since I was super simple today.

Kelsie @ www.kelsiesnailfiles.blogspot.com

Stephanie @ www.alittlepolish.blogspot.com

Amanda @ www.noxnails.blogspot.com

Jess @ www.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 6: Violet!

Hello and good afternoon! Did you all have fun celebrating Cinco de Mayo yesterday? I am a big dull dud and spend my afternoon filling out job applications and working on my International Business Operations final project, which is kinda cool because it requires me doing research on Zara, a wonderful clothing store that I wish we had here, and I just found out you can order online finally!!! Yay! Oh and of course I've been working on the Challenge!

Today is a double hit because it also satisfies the requirements of the Adventures in Stamping challenge this week: unnatural animals! So, I did violet nails, with blue zebra stripes.

Two more Zoyas today! They are probably my favorites of the moment. But I also own the most of them of any other brand so maybe that’s why. They have fantastic sales so I am always sure to take advantage! Speaking of sales, I found the entire Color Club Take Wing collection this weekend for $8! $8!!!!! Those colors are gorgeous and I'm so glad I bought them. Expect to see lots of them coming up. :)
This is Zoya Zara (purple) and Zuza (blue). I topped my ring finger with Pure Ice Cheatin’. I loved this mani! This is really my style as far as my nail art goes. I am not super inventive or adventurous. :)

I hope you like it! Check out the other girls’s violet nails today!

Kelsie @ www.kelsiesnailfiles.blogspot.com

Stephanie @ www.alittlepolish.blogspot.com

Amanda @ www.noxnails.blogspot.com

Jess @ www.nearlynaturalnails.blogspot.com

Thanks for stopping by!

Erin

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

31 Day Challenge: Day 3: Yellow!

Hello and good afternoon! I am apologizing in advance for the paper cut I have on my index finger, it is getting super irritated from all the nail polish remover…ANYWAY, on to the business of the day:  I have a cute one to share today. I own ONE yellow polish. And it is a nail art polish. I could not see the sense in attemping to paint my whole nail with a nail art brush. So, here’s what I did:

I wish I had known how easy it is to do a French tip with a nail art brush! It was SO EASY! Even I could do it!This would have saved me years of heartache. Those french tip strips have never worked for me.
And, no clean up required!You know not everything could turn out the way I wanted, so my flower got a little sloppy drunk looking. Kinda wishing now I had stamped something, but I had grand ideas for this gem and those white dots - wellll....I need to remember that my nails are much smaller than I imagine in my head. 

Miracle of miracles, I 'think' I figured out how to finally schedule posts and actually have them post when I want! It's the simple things, really...

I am sure the other girls have something amazing to show you today! Head on over and check it out!

Stephanie at A Little Polish

 Amanda at Nox Nails

 Kelsie at Kelsie’s Nail Files
 Jess @ http://nearlynaturalnails.blogspot.com/

Thanks for reading!

XOXO

Erin

31 Day Challenge: Day 2: Orange!

Well, it’s day 2! And I’ve learned that I really don’t like orange! haha! I tried THREE manis before this one made the cut, which just goes to show you how bad the other two turned out! First thing, is neons photograph horribly. The second thing is, the two oranges I have are so great on their own that the nail art should be great, well I am not so much great with the nail arts. So, this is what I came up with.

So I took a tons of pics and none really captured what this is all about. That neon just makes my little camera freak out. I used China Glaze Sun Worshipper on my pointer, with Sally Hansen Ring-a-Ding! for the glitter. The rest is Dots Neon Orange. All topped with a matte top coat but you can’t really tell. :/ No matter what, the neon is super eye catching, so still a win in my book. These colors really stained my cuticles, though. Haha and I just spied a piece of spare glitter on my thumb! Yikes! Honestly, sometime I should take a pic when I am in the middle of trying out some nail art because I make a holy hell mess. So no surprise I have glitter in strange places. ;)

Make sure you check out what the other girls did today! I loved the red manis from yesterday – I’m not much of a red nail polish person but maybe that will change. ;)

Kelsie @ www.kelsiesnailfiles.blogspot.com

Steph @ www.alittlepolish.blogspot.com

Amanda @ www.noxnails.blogspot.com
and Jess @ http://nearlynaturalnails.blogspot.com  has joined us as well! Lots of fun manis to look at today! Let's hope they turned out better than mine. :/ 

Thanks for reading!

XOXO

Erin

31 Day Challenge: Day 1: Red!

Hey ya’ll!!! Goodness my Blogger did not post this post as scheduled, so I am late! So Sorry!
Today marks the first day of a 31 day challenge I am doing with Stephanie at A Little Polish, Amanda at Nox Nails, and Kelsie at Kelsie’s Nail Files! They are some truly wonderfully talented ladies and I am happy they let me join them in all of this craziness! :)

So, here’s the first day: Red. I used Zoya Sooki (which I’ve mentioned before I bought this because of the name), then did a tape diagonal stripe and matted half of it. For fun I added a red gem. I hope you like it!

Make sure you check out the other girls’ manis today! 

Stephanie at A Little Polish

Amanda at Nox Nails

Kelsie at Kelsie’s Nail Files

Thanks for reading!

XOXO

Erin