HANDS, NAILS, ETC.

What I did on Sunday.

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e66/LimitedLiabilityGirl/BlackFrench.jpg

Yeah yeah the nails look great but OMG BRACELETS.

I tried to photo them in this light but they don't come out. One is plain white, one is a twisted rope design in dark grey-green, and one is a wooden square.

<3

I wore a square wooden bangle today. :)

ooh your nails look awesome! i want to do that! how to do?

i know it's not rocket science, but i don't actually understand how french manicures work

i guess i could it up on the internet

Paint black. Either wait half a day for it to be really, REALLY dry, or use a quick-dry topcoat and wait like an hour at least.

Then apply normal Scotch tape leaving the tips free. Dab with white polish, not too thin or too thick (this is where I need practice). Pull off tape as soon as you're done with the painting; if you let the polish dry with the tape, it'll chip when you lift it up. So you only get once chance to get the tips right. Once tips are done, let dry and seal with topcoat.

I have straight-across nails but if yours curve more, Erica has suggested those large hole reinforcing grommet sticky things, from stationary stores. You can use those for half-moon manicures too, just put the sticker at the base of the nail instead of the tip.

Oh that looks GREAT! I love it!

Thx for instructions! Will try!

Scotch tape! All these years I thought everyone just had better fine motor skills than I did.

Tape works wonders when it comes to nail art!!

That's not a real French manicure, btw. That's just creative nail-painting. Real French manis involve whitening pencils and stuff.

Reversed that mani this week, white with thick black tips. Getting better at the taping.

Also have discovered why people create nail polish blogs: because you have to tell someone and no one except the internet cares. I got two new shades of polish in the mail today and can hardly stand it!

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NCgSiQE2a-U/T7z3rhFUTOI/AAAAAAAANZk/mHIbOzkiL_4/s1600/I%2527m%2BNot%2BLion%2BSwatch.JPG

My goal was/is to recreate this look, more gorgeousness from chalkboardnails.com:

http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m72eewOLtI1qmxbvdo1_500.jpg

Oooh! I found leopard spots to be a lot easier than I thought they'd be. Post after pics.

Last week I had an awesome flat grey color (Berlin there Done That from the OPI Germany collection) on top of which I painted black french tips. I meant to take a pic but forgot and yesterday got a gel manicure just cause I have a couple busy weeks coming up and don't want to have to think about them for a bit. It's a very nice deep wine color.

If I paint mine a solid traditional color I feel like my boss and every other aging Midtown lady. It's too much. I may have to stick with the nail art and strange shades.

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e66/LimitedLiabilityGirl/Whitefrench.jpg

Love!

the nails are super cool but your head and dress also: SUPER COOL
agl all around, incl balmstain

Haha balmstain indeed.

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e66/LimitedLiabilityGirl/Sparkle%20tip_zpsc02b627d.jpg

Got annoyed with the wear-off on the black & white polish job because the contrast makes every tiny scratch show through. Went with something v low contrast instead:

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e66/LimitedLiabilityGirl/Sparkle%20tip_zpsc02b627d.jpg

Whoah, sorry! Wasn't supposed to be the same pic 2x.

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e66/LimitedLiabilityGirl/Sparkle%202_zps109183f8.jpg

so pretty!
no half measures for you!

No, when I go crazy, I go all the way crazy.

A Tiffany-blue shade came in the mail today, will try on the weekend. :)

Wearing Butter London Chimney Sweep with Nails Inc. Electric Lane top coat. Sparkly!

And Illamasqua's Phallic (lol) on my toes.

Wow, only the best for you! I have not yet succumbed to any Illamasqua polishes but their "rubberized" finish is extremely tempting.

I should say, today's polish job is China Glaze Desert Sun, with China Glaze I'm Not Lion on the tips. Finished with two coats of SV topcoat to seal the glitter in.

I am intriguied by LLLamasqua's polishes too but have never tried any. I saw a gorgeous Nail's Inc shade on a blog earlier.

I am in love with Berlin there done that from the OPI Germany collection right now. It's the perfect shade of grey.

I keep thinking I want to buy more Illamasqua polishes but then when I'm at the store I think "these shades are so similar to ones I already have." They do last a decent amount of time though.

I like the names of the Nails inc. polishes.

Dotting tools on a slow boat from China (literally) so I used the tip of a bobby pin for this. China Glaze "For Audrey" with Essie Blanc and a crappy mini of bargain yellow.

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e66/LimitedLiabilityGirl/Dots_zps28f92695.jpg

i am really envious of all you ladies and your prettily shaped nails

I organized my polishes today. How did I get so many? Yikes. Half are those mini ones, but still.

Can't take credit for the shape of my nails, the lady at the salon does the cuticles and cleans them up for me. In between visits, I just change the polish.

The best manicurist in the world couldn't make my nails look like that

My nails are so messed up. THANKS, WORK.

ooh those dots are so fun!!

i didn't have time to paint my nails all week, but i painted them yesterday afternoon and then went to a little dinner party at a new friend's house. she was like 'omg your nails! you should be a hand model!" i told her that the brightness of the orange polish was obv doing its persuasive job.

My first attempt at leopard print! I am less than fully convinced by it, I need to look at more actual leopards to get a better feel, but it's a nicely showy option.

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e66/LimitedLiabilityGirl/Glitterleopard.jpg

The pinky especially did not turn out, I need to space that one differently in future. I think you have to experiment to know how many spots there is room for on each nail and still make them look "random."

Looks pretty good to me!

I want to use these pink and black damask print nail decals I got SO BAD but I have a client meeting on Monday and that seems like a bad idea. I can totally get away with them when it's just a normal work week, though.

I've been so tempted by the decals in the stores lately! They come in some very nice patterns.

They can be a reward for surviving your client meeting at your New Job(tm). How awesome is it to be a Real Lawyer who can still wear nail decals??

just free-handed some grey tips on dark plum nails - sweet colour combination!
my left-handed job looks 'charming.' practice practice...

UGH my nails and toes are DISGUSTING because I haven't been able to get to the salon.,. and I won't for some time because I am broke(ish). How can I make these hideous raptor claws look okay without spending too much money?

Oh nooes! A manicure here is only $12-16. Is that not possible where you are?

I am in love with Berlin there done that from the OPI Germany collection right now. It's the perfect shade of grey.

Bought it and totally in agreement with this.

Am thinking might soon go with a bare nail and red tip. Because...because.

All red at the moment.

Laurel - I'm so glad you like it! I really think it's just the best grey I've found. Speaking of grey, I got a Shellac mani last Saturday and here it is just now. This is therefore day 5 and it still looks totally brand new:

http://i.imgur.com/9OBcR.jpg

You can't tell the color because I can't get it in good lighting but it's a very light grey that I like a lot (tho obv not as much as Berlin There Done That). Got Shellac because I'm goign away for 5 days starting tomorrow and it's longevity is good for trips. I heard that you can paint and do nail art on top of Shellac so when I get bakc next week I'm going to try to do BTDT tips. I think the grey on grey might be pretty neat.

please excuse typos and incorrect "it's" and whatnot - I am multitasking and all caffeined up right now

I guess I always get Shellac manis so I forget a regular one is pretty damn cheap.