Canadian Cottage Scene

Hello!

More wintry themes from me!

I started with a base of Quo by Orly Prepster for the sky, Canvas lacquer Polar Bear Dip for the frozen skating pond, Elevation Polish Alpine Heights (Carlit) for the trees, Nails Inc Oxford St for the cabin with just a hint of bondi nyc Chasing the Sun for the warm glow through the window, a combo of CoverGirl Silver Lining and Sally Hansen Whiteout for the all the snow and smoke out of the chimney, then topped everything off with Canvas' Winter of '99 for the snow falling. Konad Gold Black for added depth. Phew! All freehand.

Let me do your nails next Saturday! Come by 224 Wallace Ave, Unit 104 on Dec 6 for our Pop Up event!

-L

WINTER HAS ARRIVED

Hello!

Wow. Winter has seriously walloped North America. I did this mani on Saturday, not realizing how fitting this would be today.

If you didn't already know, Polar Bear Dip is inspired by a frozen Lake Ontario, and here it is portrayed as a frozen Lake Ontario! Our Winter of '99 is inspired by the infamous year our mayor called in the national army to help us out of a storm - and here it is falling over the city skyline.

I started with a base of Colors by Llarowe Precious Metal, it has beautiful shimmer that didn't come through in my pix. The skyline and tree is freehanded with my Konad Gold Black. For a bit more silvery icy-ness I added a bit of CoverGirl Silver Lining on the lake and building up under the tree.
I'm so proud of this mani!

To be serious for a second though - our thoughts are with those in Buffalo right now. Please don't go out if you don't have to, keep your loved ones close and cuddle your fur buddies!

Stay safe!

-L

31C2014 Day 23 - Inspired by a Movie

Hello!

yeah, yeah, yeah - not even close.
To be fair I did, and posted this on Instagram on the right day - it's just taken me awhile to get the details here - sorry guys!

OMG TOTORO!!! Seriously, if you can't find anything charming about Miyazaki or anything else from Studio Ghibli, you have no heart. My Neighbor Totoro is a fave of mine, but the dust sprites are also featured in my other fave Spirited Away. Yes people - two movies in one mani - can I collect extra points? Anyway...

I started with a base of OPI My Vampire Is Buff.

Next I freehanded the soot sprites with Essie Licorice (black) and Sally Hansen White On. Totoro is Misa Paint My Nails @Work, Licorice, White On and Sally Hansen In the Groove (green).
I stamped the stars using pieces of an image from VividLacquer 014 and used In the Groove, Sally Hansen Brisk Blue and Sally Hansen Presto Pink.

I was absolutely gleeful with the way this turned out! I don't do 'cutsie' very often, but I'll always make an exception for Totoro.

-L

31DC2014 Day 22 - Inspired by a Song

yup - I started skipping again. I was very, very busy this weekend doing ALL kinds of nail art things, but you'll have to wait to hear about that later...

My song inspiration is I'm A Survivor by Destiny's Child.
My bf DJ's and I guarantee he will play a handful of Beyonce/Destiny's Child songs at EVERY. GIG. How can I not love him for that?!?

I remember in the video they were on the beach in these sexy camo outfits, so I turned to our very own CANVAS lacquer G.I.Jane for my base (available now at our Etsy shop).
With a detail brush I freehanded the camo splotches using Misa Paint My Nails @Work, Maybelline Color Show Bold Gold and a few black accents in Essie Licorice.

I originally intended to stamp a camo print in gold from a Vivid Lacquer plate, but my friend had borrowed it so I improvised instead. I think a gold stamped camo would have turned out very different, more GLAMO (get it, glamorous camo!) but I still like my rustic rando version. And it does mean another camo mani is to come in the future!

-L

31DC2014, Day 5 - Blue

Hello!

Day 5 - Blue

So far one of my most popular Instagram posts ever! I loved how this turned out and was so sorry to have to take it off!

Whoo! This was NOT a lazy interpretation, but it didn't take hours either. The base is Cirque Tibetan Nights, a fave blue, but damn does it stain! The clouds were freehanded using a combination of bondi blue skies, Misa Blue Over a Boy, bondi nyc NYPD and a bit of Sally Hansen White On for highlights and stars.

The moon I stamped since I didn't trust myself to freehand a circle! I used Konad Silver and VividLacquer 017.

Sometimes I impress myself.

-L

A Rip in Time & Space

Hello!

Sorry it's been awhile. A few different things have been keeping me busy the last couple weeks, but it's all been good!

A couple weeks ago I did this mani, and for the first time tagged myself into a trending theme. This thread was started by The Nail Art Guild, a small group of nail bloggers I follow on Instagram. I'm happy to say this mani has gotten more likes than I've ever received before! For a newbie like myself, hitting just over 100 likes (about 105 last count), is very thrilling!

This theme was Time & Space, so I decided to interpret a wormhole, a rip in the space-time-continuum.

nebula, before the rip

I actually freakin' love this nebula look before I added extra streaks and sparks - but it didn't represent the theme well enough for me so I had to take it to that next level. However, next straight-up galaxy mani I do HAS to have a nebula like this!

I started with a black base of Essie Licorice. Then with a makeup sponge I did a bit of a circle gradient plus random spots with Sally Hansen White On, bondi nyc Blue Skies, Misa Blue Over a Boy, China Glaze Orange Knockout, Misa A Sunny Smile Makes Me Go Wild and bondi nyc Fuschia-istic. Using a few of those colours I also took a detail brush and drew light outward streaks from a centre point - the tiny dot is actually Dance Legend New Prisms Optical Illusion.

wormhole mani!

I continued to add the coloured streaks, added a few light black streaks on top of the colour for dimension, and a few white spots. To soften the look I added little splotches of white and grey in the form of Nfu-Oh Jelly Syrup 01 & 04. Topped with KBShimmer I Only Have Ice For you and a coat of Cult Nails Wax That (after Seche Vite, of course).

I'm so proud of these results that I plan on tagging myself into more themes in the future!

-L

Glow In The Dark Jellyfish

Hello!

I haven't done freehand stuff in awhile - so here we go!

I wish I had taken a photo of the subtle blue "sea". It looked pretty cool and I will probably do something similar again. I started with 2 coats of bondi NYC Midnight Mystery. I dabbed on bondi NYC NYPD, Misa Blue Over A Boy and Quo by Orly Prepster.

I didn't think of using glow in the dark polish until the very last second, detail brush in hand. I dug into the CANVAS lacquer stash and used Beyond the Wall, one of our best sellers. I also used Serum No 5 Skylights, another glow polish, to layer the glow power. With my Quo by Orly Instant Artist polishes in Black and White, I tried to add some outline details using the bottle brushes. For added shimmer I layered a bit of Misa Candy Girl. In person the jellyfish shimmer and sparkle so much more, I wish it had translated.

Yes, it's a crappy photo - but you get the gist of it right?

I know I still need to work on my freehand skills, but I wouldn't call this a fail. I also think I may try this again, but without limiting myself to glow polish.

-L

Impressionist Floral, Nails of the Day

Hello!

I’ve really been on a floral kick lately! I think I’m trying to make up for the fact that the real flowers are a bit behind this year, due to such a cool spring.

I started with a taupe-y grey base of Misa Paint My Nails @Work (love the name!) I have no idea how old this is or from what collection it’s from, but here’s a swatch anyway (since I hardly swatch).

I used so many polishes for the flowers I couldn’t keep track of them all. The larger ‘roses’ and leaves were done with a tiny brush while the little orange flowers were done with a dotting tool.

I know not all bloggers paint their other hand as intricately, but I try -- I need the symmetry! But with this other hand I kept the colors slightly more muted, I can’t decide which I like better!

the rarely seen right hand!

…and a bonus pic.

-L

Monet on my nails, Nails of the Day

Hey hey!

After my sister mentioned that one of my galaxy manis reminded her of Van Gogh (quite the compliment!), I decided to pay homage to another artist.

Monet's Waterlilies series has always been a favorite of mine - I hope I haven't done it too much injustice!

My thumb turned out the best. I think it's due to composition. Since my thumb is the largest 'canvas' (see what I did there?), the scale of which I made the pads and lilies really works. I kept the same size on my other nails, but I should have made them a wee bit smaller. Live and learn!

I need to work on my freehand art, but part of the problem is definitely not having a lot of practice with nail art brushes. Lots of bloggers say they cut their brushes down to size. I've done so, but not sure I did it right.

Monet on my nails

Overall, I'm still pleased with this. Not having a lot of practice, I think I took on a pretty lofty challenge and did OK! It helps that impressionism doesn't require a great deal of precision.

I finished this mani with a coat of Cult Nails Wax That, since I figured an old painting shouldn't look too glossy.