TIHC Oct 31: Recreate your favorite from another challenger

I've been waiting to do this design for a couple of weeks now. Once I saw Somewhere Over the Polish Rainbow come up with it, I knew this was the design I was going to recreate. You can find her version here.

I spent a looong time going through my nail polish collection trying to find colors similar to the ones Shannon used. As it turns out, I don't have nearly as many oranges and reds as I do blues and greens. I had a lot of purple, but none of them sparkled.

That's when I decided to use different colors instead. I know this is part of a Halloween challenge, but I'm posting this in November. I don't think it matters too much anymore, so I hope...

Anyway, I absolutely LOVE how well this turned out. This has to be my most favorite design I've done to date.

I didn't follow Shannon's design too well. My gradient wouldn't blend too well and I made the dots way smaller, closer together, and in even lines. Honestly though, I love it. The idea of the challenge was to recreate, and not copy the manicure, and that's exactly what I did.

For this design, I used a lot of nail polishes. I'll try and make order of them as best as I can.

Base/ Gradient

• China Glaze Electric Pineapple
• China Glaze Entourage
• China Glaze Custom Kicks

Dots starting from the middle

• Orly Instant Artist 24 K Glitter
• Piggy Polish Irish I Was Irish
• Revlon Radiant
• Sinful Colors Kissy

I hope you enjoy this design as much I do!

TIHC Oct 30: Trick or Treat!

There were two approaches I could take for this design:

          1. Do a cute design

          2. Do a creepy and disgusting design

I went with 2 ;)

There is nothing cute about blood oozing from my cuticles. Mwahaha!

For this design, I wanted to keep it real simple. I chose a off-white color similar to my skin color, but different enough that you could tell the difference. Then I used my brightest red to simulate the look of blood.

I really love the way it turned out. The first time I did this design, the way I painted on the blood looked weird. I didn't try making it look like slime, so it looked kind of blobby and clumpy.. Not what blood should look like.

For this design, I used 5 costs of China Glaze Oxygen for the base. Since it was such a sheer color and I wanted it opaque, 5 coats were, unfortunately, necessary. Then for the writing and the oozing blood, I used China Glaze High Roller.

TIHC Oct 29: Graveyard

So sorry this took a while to get up! I don't know if you've heard, but a tropical storm named Hurricane Sandy hit the East Coast in the United States this past Monday (The day this prompt was due). Well, I live on the East Coast, and my state was hit pretty hard. Millions in my state lost power, and more than a million still don't have it back. My heart goes out to them.

Anyway, better late then never, right?

I originally was trying to polish my nails the night before the hurricane was going to hit, but everything I did turned out awful, so I gave up. Then you know what happened from there..

For this design, I had a hard time coming up with anything. My friend sent me a picture suggesting I do this. It's awesome, right? My nails weren't nearly long enough though, I didn't have glequins, blah blah blah.. So I tried my best with my own version.

I think it turned out alright. I absolutely love the purple I used. It's my favorite shade that I own.

When I first attempted this design, I used a shimmery yellow instead of the silver that I used here. It just looked awful. The yellow and purple clashed so horrendously that I had to redo it. At least it turned out better this time around. Minus the ghosts.. Those were better last time. 

For this design, I used China Glaze Coconut Kiss for the base. The I used Piggy Polish 6 Impossible Things for the ghosts, Sinful Colors Secret Admirer for the tombstones, and Stripe Rite in silver color who's name was torn off from the previous owner.

TIHC Oct 26: Witches

Today's challenge was a little, well, challenging. I didn't want to to paint ugly witches on my nails because I had to go to work and serve food. Instead, I thought of what makes up a witch, and came up with witch's brew!

For this manicure, I used the saran wrap marble method. I think it turned out pretty cool. 

After the saran wrap marble dried, I free-handed the black strip at the base of my nail, resembling a cauldron.

Last, I added iridescent flecks on top of the green part to give it a bubbly look, like there are chunks of awesome in the brew. 

For this manicure, I used Piggy Polish Lemonade 5¢ for the base. When that dried, I painted a thick and opaque layer of Revlon Nail Art FrenchMix All the Rage and used the saran wrap technique. Then I used Maybelline Color Show Onyx Rush for the stripe. Then I used China Glaze Luxe and Lush on top of the green.

You can view that upcoming challenges here.

witches inlinkz

TIHC Oct 22: Gradient

This is going to be a very quick post. I wasn't even planning on participating today, but decided that I could fit in something quick.

I originally wanted to do candy corn gradient, but decided against it. I figured several people would do it, and I was right.

I love the way the purple and black look together. It's very spooky!

(I'm really sorry about the lighting, the quality of the photos, and my really bad attempt to clean up my nails)

So, I don't know if you can tell, but all of my nails are gooooneeeee. It's so depressing. They all got in an accident over the weekend :( I was playing frisbee and figured out a bit too late that long nails are not meant for it. I broke 3 nails (and one of those I broke twice) and had to even them all out. They look so stubby to me..

For this design, I used Maybelline Color Show Onyx Rush as the base. Then I used China Glaze Coconut Kiss for the gradient effect. Once that dried, I sponged some Fantasy Makers Rest in Pieces right on top.


Wish me luck on my US1 midterm tomorrow!


You can view the upcoming challenges here.

TIHC Oct 19: Bats

When I think of the word bat, I think of the object I could use to chase my brothers around the house with. That thought inspired my design for today.

If you have younger brothers like I do, then you know that they can be ANNOYING, especially when they are both teenagers. Sometimes you just want to throw something at them! That's why I painted a baseball on my accent nail. It's the best of both worlds. ;)

For this design, I used China Glaze Oxygen for the base color. I used 3-4 coats. For the designs, I used Piggy Polish 6 Impossible Things, China Glaze High Roller, and China Glaze Mahogany Magic.

I hope you guys didn't think I was serious. I love my brothers (even though they CAN be annoying). My actual design for today is way cooler. Bats for me = BATMAN!!!!!!! This is the most excited I've been to do my nails since my last Batman design. Even more so because I finally got a break from studying. I'm smack in the middle of my midterms. I have 3 more next week.. Agh!

I hope these are worth it because of what little time I actually have to paint my nails now.

Instead of using the tradition Batman symbol, I decided to use the symbol that's in the Dark Knight Trilogy. 

(Don't you just love the awkward hand pose above? I had to hold the nail polish bottle upside down and rotate the picture the correct way when I was adding my watermark.)

For this manicure, I used Sinful Colors Secret Admirer for the base. Then I used Essie Marshmallow and Maybelline Color Show Onyx Rush. For my accent nail, I used Sinful Colors Kissy for the base. Then I outlined the Batman symbol with Piggy Polish 6 Impossible Things. Then I used Maybelline Color Show Onyx Rush and Piggy Polish Lemonade 5¢.

You can find the upcoming nail challenges here.

TIHC Oct 15: Zombies

Zombies are pretty cool. Anyone watch the Walking Dead? Anyone? Well, I don't, but everyone else I know does. I've seen a few episodes, and I think it would be really cool to be one of the zombies. So today, I took the first step in becoming said zombie. I made my hand look like one!

What I really wanted to do was buy fake nails and cut them up at the tips like a few of the people participating in this challenge did. Instead of buying those today, I went on a run in the rain instead. Crazy, I know, but it was totally worth it.

When I think of zombies, I don't really think of the pale skin. I think of blood and dirt everywhere, as you can see...

These nails are so gross. On the bright side, it was surprisingly easy to clean up considering that I didn't have mountains of nail polish on. I don't know if you can tell, but I let my natural nails show through on purpose.

For this manicure, I didn't use a base or top coat. I knew I wouldn't have this on for long and figured that the polish wouldn't stain my nails any worse than they already are. The polishes I used (in the order I layered them) is China Glaze Electric Pineapple, China Glaze Oxygen, China Glaze Dress Me Up, China Glaze Mahogany Magic, and China Glaze High Roller. In order to get this look, I let the polish dry slightly, took a cotton ball dipped in acetone, and lightly pushed the layers together while dragging away from my cuticles. I didn't care if I took of a little bit too much, since my natural nails are slightly yellow from a light green polish I used months ago without a base coat... Yuck.

So after I left my nails "dirty and bloody," I took the makeup kit I got so many years ago for Christmas that I never use (I'm not really an eye shadow person) and smeared it all over my hand to give it a grungy look. I just wish there wasn't a small amount of shimmer in it. Thank goodness my camera didn't pick that up! And instead of smearing red nail polish around, I used the red lipstick in the makeup kit.

Anyway, I took a picture of the kit in case any of you were curious. It's cheap makeup, and I don't even know if it's sold anywhere anymore.

When I take my pictures, I lean my hand against the wall so that there is less of a chance that they will turn out blurry. The makeup got ALL over my wall. Oy vey.

And here's a bonus picture! A creepy manicure needs a creepy hand pose.

You can find all of the upcoming challenges here.

I hope you enjoyed this manicure as much I did!

TIHC Oct 12: Jack-o-lanterns

I don't want you guys to think that I forgot about today. I didn't. I painted my nails today and I love them, but I hate them all the same. Since I have work, I won't be able to redo the design the way I want until later tonight. So, be patient! I'm just going to edit this post later when I have my pictures ready. Check super late tonight!

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It's finally later! I redid my nails after work and LOVE how well they turned out. I'm so excited to show you guys!

So, I actually got this idea from a fellow blogger. You can find the link to her design here. What I didn't realize until after I finished was that the girl had stamped the pumpkin faces onto her nails, and didn't freehand them like I did. I was a little taken aback about it at first, but then became proud because they turned out super well.

I probably should have saved this for my gradient design, but I was way too impatient. I had to show you all! Good thing I have something else in mind for that.

I've never been good at making my jack-o-lanterns look scary. Did I do alright?

I love how creepy they look. It's like they're waiting to freak you out.

For this design, I used China Glaze Riveting as the base. Then I used China Glaze Harvest Moon and Maybelline Color Show Onyx Rush to make the gradient. Last, I used Piggy Polish 6 Impossible Things for the creepy faces.

The link to future prompts can be found here.

Here are the other challengers. Add your link if you are joining in!

TIHC Oct 5: Water Marble

Today's challenge is water marble! I was a little nervous to do this since I've never tried it before. I was right to be nervous. I redid my nails 4 times and I still didn't get anywhere near what I wanted. At least it kind of looks cool..

Alright, it looks really cool. It just wasn't how I pictured it.

The nail polish I kept using wasn't exactly great for water marbling. It kept separating and let a lot of air pockets in. It still did towards the end, but I had given up by that point and let the bubbles stay.

The look I was going for was to make spider webs out of the marble. You can kind of see it because of the shapes I made, but it didn't turn out well at all according to what was in my head. The two closest are my middle and pointer finger.

For this design, I used Maybelline Color Show Onyx Rush for the base, and then used Essie Marshmallow (Fitting, right? :P), and Sinful Colors Secret Admirer.

Maybe I'll have better luck with my next attempt.

You can find a list of all the challenges here.