Contrast Multi Dots

My friends always make fun of me when I say "dotting tool," but let me tell you -- those things are the best. Today's manicure features some polka dots.

I've decided I'm going to try doing "read more" posts to reduce loading time for the home page. So read more and see more pictures after the jump!

Elevation Polish Nararsuk + Contrast Gradient

I love color. I love making colors pop by layering them over contrasting colors, too! So that's what today's nail art is all about.

Look at that contrast. Black and white and orange and blue. I love it.

I started by making the gradient first. I used Au Champagne by ORLY, a shimmery white. Then I used a makeup sponge to dab on a gradient of Orange You Hot? by China Glaze, a neon orange.

I let the gradient dry, and then I added a coat of Nararsuk by Elevation Polish on top. Nararsuk is a really stunning glitter topper. It has black, turquoise, and blue glitters in a clear base. The glitters are matte and satin. There are hexes and squares in various sizes. It goes on so easily and is very glitter dense.

Elevation Polish can be purchased here; they restock on the 7th and 22nd of each month.

Subtle Saturn Stamping

Last week was Carnegie Mellon's spring break, so sorry for the lack of posts! I went to San Juan, Puerto Rico with six of my friends. It was so much fun! And I got a little tan, too :)

Anyway, today I have a stamping manicure for you. I've gotten so much better at stamping since I've started, so it just goes to show that practice really does make perfect.

I started with a base of Butler Please by Essie. I let that dry, and then I used a Saturn image from the Cheeky Summer Collection stamping plates. I used Comic Fate by Color Club, an orange holo, for that stamping.

I really think the use of a credit card type object as a scraper has been the key to my success. Previously, I used a regular scraper and always had trouble getting it to scrape cleanly.

I really love stamping manicures, so look out for more in the future :)

Bronze and Blue Arrow

I'm a big fan of the clean lines of tape manicures, but usually I'm too impatient to wait for things to dry. But I had a lot of time on my hands when I decided to do this one.

I started with a base of the lightest color, the bronze-y orange gold NARS Kismet. I let that dry, then used two pieces of tape to make a downward arrow shape. The next layer was Milani One Coat Glitter in Blue Flash. I let that dry and used two more pieces of tape to layer on a coat of China Glaze Harvest Moon.

Top coat is key for a manicure like this -- it smooths everything out really well.

I really wish I had the patience to do these more often. They always come out so pretty!