NOTD: Winter Tree Branches + Tutorial

My second Sephora-sponsored video, this is a little more difficult than the first design which I considered to be a simpler design.  With Formula X for Sephora White Matter as a base, I sponged with White Matter & Gray Matter, then with Dark Matter and a striping brush I added the branches:

Here's the tutorial:

I hope you guys enjoyed =)  Thanks for reading.

~Colette
 (These were sent to me for review) 

Guest NOTD: China Glaze Smoke & Ashes (+ Sponged Glitter Tips)

Mom is also a Hunger Games fan - so of course she wanted to try some of the colors I had from the Hunger Games collection =) These pictures don't quite do justice to the hidden teal shimmer, but here she is with China Glaze Smoke & Ashes:

I think this is probably the darkest color she's ever worn on it's own.  After a few days she covered up the tip wear by sponging with ... something.  Probably China Glaze Dorothy Who? although I could be wrong LOL - but it was a blue glitter & it was pretty awesome:

Thanks for reading.

~Colette

NOTD: Acid Leopard

This was really, for me, out of the box.  But I had a lot of fun with it & got a ton of great compliments too.  I was inspired by an Acid Leopard eye makeup tutorial I saw on YouTube, and so I translated it into a manicure.  I created the rainbow by sponging with Icing Hot Date, Suntan Lotion & Blue Carribean - all 3 from the Cancun Spring Break collection.  The leopard design I did with a Black Sally Hansen Nail Art Pen:

& I've now got a blacklight, just for some fun pics!

I think I had this on for a full week, and towards the end I added some China Glaze Matte Magic top coat:

Here's the tutorial:

And here's the eye makeup tutorial by Klaire de Lys that inspired me:

What do you guys think of this neon-bright nail art look?  Sometimes it's good to step a bit outside of your comfort zone =)

Thanks for reading.

~Colette

Guest NOTD: Blue Sponged Gradient

So, this is the oldest thing I have in my backlog, from a good week before Halloween - Mom has done her own sponging before, but this was her first time using 3 colors.  She also got her own sponge instead of the artist's sponges I use - one a little coarser so she got a spongier look. 

 

The palest blue that she started with as the base is Wet n Wild Bird Bath, then she used OPI Suzi Says Feng Shui for the medium blue, and the darkest is China Glaze Rodeo Fanatic:

 

 

After having it on for a few days, she "happened" to choose this shirt subconciously & had people at church asking if she did her nails to match LOL:

 

 

One of her favorites lately & I really liked it too =)  Thanks for reading.

 

~Colette

Guest NOTD: Revlon Copper Penny + OPI Baby it's Coal Outside

Mom hiding her tip wear with sponging again =) I would totally sponge away tip wear if I ever had my polish on long enough to get tip wear in the first place LOL.

 

Her base color is Revlon Copper Penny, then the sponging is done with OPI Baby it's Coal Outside:

 

Got a haul to post, got some crackle swatches to do, and just finished a new water marble on my nails - now, to fit all that editing in & actually make posts =)  Thanks for reading.

~Colette

NOTD: Ruby Kisses Tropical Green + China Glaze Techno Teal

So, as I mentioned in my last post, I nearly duped one of my own manicures again - I wanted something bright so I started with a base of Ruby Kisses Tropical Green, then I sponged the tips with China Glaze Techno Teal:

 

And I loved it!  & then ... I started getting that feeling ... that deja vu feeling.  After some searching I found a mani I'd done way back in January 2010 with China Glaze Entourage sponged with China Glaze Watermelon Rind - you can check out the original post HERE.  It was more green on green, and this one was like neon green with teal, but they are definitely very similar.  I suppose the longer I blog the more often & likely this is to happen LOL!

Thanks for reading =)

~Colette

Guest NOTD: China Glaze Delight + Something Sweet & Matte Magic

Mom's evolving manicure - she wore China Glaze Delight on its own for a few days, and I didn't get a pic of that, but then she decided to cover up the tip wear with China Glaze Something Sweet (sponged) - I actually kind of liked it, even though it's not a combination I would pick myself:

 

 

She told me she loved it ... and then she began to have doubts.  And then she decided she didn't like it LOL, but it was quite late.  I suggested she matte-ify it, and she liked it again:

 

And a bonus pic for you guys!  I coaxed Frisky outside, it was nearly 60 - what's considered "warm" after winter in MN LOL.  She didn't stay out too long but how adorable is she?

 

 

Thanks for reading =)

~Colette

Guest NOTD: Savvy Blush + Maybelline Jewel's n' Berries

I think this is really soft & pretty - Mom started with Savvy Blush, which is not one of my favorites on it's own because it's just a watery, clear pink color - but with Maybelline Jewel's n' Berries sponged on the tips, it makes the perfect base color:

 

Thanks for reading =)

~Colette

Guest NOTD: Zoya Irene + China Glaze Flyin' High

Mom did her very first sponging - and she did do it, I didn't help her past supplying the sponge & of course the polish.  She'd already been wearing Zoya Irene for a couple of days, and decided she needed to cover up the tip wear so she sponged on China Glaze Flyin' High.  She loves it & so do I, it's a really cute combination for some reason:

 

I love that I've so thoroughly corrupted her LOL =)  Thanks for reading.

 

~Colette

NOTD: Red & Black Sponged Hearts - National Wear Red Day

Today is National Wear Red Day, part of the Go Red for Women heart disease awareness campaign.  Just as good of an excuse to have red & hearts on my nails as Valentine's Day =)

 

I started out with 2 different base colors on my nails, Orly Liquid Vinyl on 2 nails each hand, and the rest done in Nubar Fire Sparkle.  After the base was dry I applied heart stickers & sponged the opposite color over top, removed the stickers & ended up with:

 

I am about .... mmm 85% happy with this mani LOL.  I wish I'd gotten a little bit of a sharper edge on my hearts, I kind of wish I'd maybe done just one heart each nail, and a few of the nails ended up with a little too much polish, not as spongey of a texture as I originally intended.  These are my favorite nails; ring & thumb from each hand:

 

 

 

And here is the tutorial:

 

 

Are you wearing red today?

 

Today at grandma's we're going to attempt to make homemade pot-stickers ... I'll take pics & post them up later as long as it's not too much of a disaster =)  Thanks for reading.

 

~Colette