Valentine Hearts & Stripes Nails

When it comes to Valentine's day, some of us like to get all decked out in red, pink, and hearts galore, and some of us want nothing to do with it. I think I fall somewhere in between. I don't like to overdo it, but I wouldn't think of not wearing a pink or red top to celebrate a little bit. This year I thought I'd let my nails join in on the party and show a little extra Valentine's spirit. This decision has probably led me directly into the "overdoing it" category, but I'm going with it anyway!

Be forewarned that this look takes some patience, as it's very important to let each coat dry completely before moving onto the next. I started with a white base coat, then used scrapbooking tape to create the stripes using Essie's "Turquoise and Caicos". Again, I used the tape as a guide for the pink "Cute as a Button" stripes, and then drew the hearts with a toothpick and a steady hand.

What do you think? Would you paint your nails like this for Valentine's day, or are you more likely to try something a little more subtle?

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Black & Gold Manicure

My friend and I were recently discussing how much the black & gold trend is picking up steam lately. I think black & gold is a classic color combination that's always going to be around, but it seems to be showing up all over the place these days, especially in fashion, design, home decor, and even makeup.  It's especially noticeable after just having celebrated the new year where black & gold decorations were seen at so many parties. I bet if you open your Pinterest page right now you're going to see the trend somewhere. For example: Black & Gold Celebration // Black & Gold Decor // Black & Gold Fashion // Black & Gold Makeup.

Today I decided to try my hand at the trend, literally, with a black & gold manicure. This is an easy one!

I started with 2 coats of black polish. I let them dry completely before moving on to the next step. Easy enough, right?

I marked off a small triangle shape at the tip of my nails using Home Recollections scrapbooking tape that I bought at Michaels, and painted over the section with gold glitter polish. I have to say, of all the different tapes I've tried using for nail design ( frog tape, scotch tape ), this was the absolute best! It was just sticky enough to stay on my nail while I needed it, but peeled off easily and left perfectly straight  lines. I may invest in some more of this tape specifically to do my nails with it!

After about a minute (before the polish completely dried) I pulled the tape off and then let my nails finish drying. Finally I applied a clear top coat, and voila, now I have a funky black & gold manicure!

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Spread The Word ... Talk With Your Hands

There are so many different ways that people raise awareness for breast cancer. Whether you participate in a walk, run, or ride, donate to a charity, wear pink, etc... there are many opportunities to show your support. Today I want to show you a fun little way to get involved in the fight and to show your support simply by "talking with your hands." Join me in getting the conversation started with a Pink Ribbon manicure...

Start by painting your nails pink (of course!) and your ring finger nails white. Did you know that Essie Nail Polish has an entire Breast Cancer Awareness Collection?! Well they do... 31 shades of pink for each day in October! Any one of those colors will work for this manicure.

Just to add to the fun, give your ring fingers a pink french tip.

Here's the tricky part... you'll need a steady hand! Using a toothpick draw a little pink ribbon on the white of your nail. I actually used a light colored paint pen to draw the ribbon first as a guide and then used the toothpick and nail polish for the final design. Since the polish for the ribbon  might be a little thick, I recommend letting it dry for more time than usual then apply a clear top coat.

I think with all forms of raising awareness, you should be informed of what you're actually supporting. I suggest that you head over to the Pink Ribbon website to learn a little bit more about what they're all about. And remember who we're doing this for...

PS if you try this manicure, or come up with another creative nail design for supporting breast cancer awareness, I'd love to see your work! Send your photos to CreativeSoulSpectrum[at]gmail[dot]com.

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I Heart Manicures

Sometimes adding a lil' somethin' extra to your nails can make a big impact. This summer I really liked the trend of painting your nails one color but painting your ring finger nails a complimentary or contrasting color. Sticking with that kind of theme, I decided to add my lil' somethin' extra to my ring fingers only. 

I started off with my new favorite fall polish; Essie's 'Smokin Hot'. I've said it before, and I'll say it again, it's totally ok if you 'color outside the lines' when applying your base coat - it's way easier to just clean it up afterwards. 

I complimented my 'Smokin' Hot' base with a 'Sand Tropez' heart that I painted on using a small paintbrush. I found that the nail polish brush was just a little to thick for the fine detail of the heart.

After your nails are completely dried and hardened, clean any excess polish off your skin using warm water and soap. Now go on, show your nails a little love!

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Pastel Rainbow Nails

I recently saw this awesome nail design on the Nailside blog and wanted to see if I could create something similar myself. Since I was successful, I wanted to pass my knowledge along to you. You'll want to avoid drinking too much coffee before attempting this style, as a steady hand and patience are key. 

Start with a white base coat and let it dry completely. Then, choose your first color. I used Essie 'Cute as a Button'. Here's where the steady hand comes into play... Allow the polish to form into a small ball at the tip of your brush then apply the first stripe of color. The small ball of polish will create the rounded side of the stripe. After that has dried, repeat the process with each color, varying the length of the stripes as you go. 

FYI: The other colors I chose to use were Essie 'Play Date' and 'Turquoise and Caicos". 

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Seaside Mani

Essie nail polish has quickly become my go-to brand for pretty polish, and I'm loving it more and more with each new bottle I add to my collection. When deciding on my next polish purchase, I look for 2 things... the perfect color and the perfect name. I'd rather have bottles of "cute as a button" and "play date" sitting on my shelf than plain old "pink" and "purple". Luckily, Essie never fails to have adorably named products. That being said, this seaside mani was inspired by my two new favorite beachy hues, "turquoise and caicos" and "sand tropez". They sound like a match made in heaven, and they look like it too! 

Start with 2 coats of "sand tropez" and then let your nails dry completely.

Next, add a french tip using the "turquoise and caicos". Since this step can be difficult freehand, I suggest using frog tape as a guide to get perfectly straight edges.

After you apply the polish to the tip of your nail, remove the tape immediately. You don't want the polish to start drying while the tape is still on!

Finally, add a top coat of clear polish. Now that you have a miniature shoreline on your fingernails, it's time to hit the beach!

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Fourth of July Spirit Fingers

If you're like me, you've been waiting for this week to roll around so you could finally get your hands on your red, white, and blue nail polish to give your fingernails a little Fourth of July flair. I decided do go with the good ole stars and stripes look and I'm pretty certain that I couldn't feel any more patriotic than I do right now! 

Start with your base colors. Ring fingers get blue polish and the rest get white. Let your nails dry completely before going any further. You'll have a big mess on your hands (literally) if you don't wait it out. 

Next, cut strips of tape and lay them on each nail and paint over them with red polish to make the stripes. Peel the tape off immediately after applying the polish or it won't come off. For the blue nail, use a toothpick to add dots of white polish for the stars. Finally, top it off with a layer of clear polish.

These fingers were made for flag saluting!

I have to be honest, this look took a lot of patience, so if you don't have a lot of time on your hands (pun intended) here's a simpler second look you can try. Just do red nails with white tips and then on the blue nail add a coat of glitter polish for the stars!

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The Midas Touch

With summer right around the corner, I've been finding myself inspired by warm colors lately.

One of my current favorite color combos is coral and gold. I've been seeing it everywhere, and I love it!

Since the forecast for the next few days is looking a little gloomy, I decided to use this inspiration to bring a little sunshine to my fingertips.

To create this gold-dipped look, just apply the coral nail polish regularly. When that is dry, apply glittery-gold polish to the tip of your nail like you would for a french manicure. I used "Terracotta" by ORLY and "Chelsea Embankment" by Nails Inc London.

They call me Heat Miser, Whatever I touch, Starts to melt in my clutch, I'm too much!

Geometric Mani

Want to know the secret to creating a funky geometric manicure? Scotch tape!

Stretch out a piece of scotch tape and paint it with the nail polish you want to use. Let it sit until it's dry. I waited about 20 minutes just to be safe.

In the meantime paint your nails a solid color. I chose white. It's ok if it's not perfect (perfection isn't my style anyway) because you can touch everything up later.

Make sure the polish is completely dry on your fingers AND on the tape.

Cut out teeny tiny geometric shapes from the tape.

Stick them on your nails anyway you like!

Add some more shapes! When you're satisfied with the look you've created, apply a clear topcoat of polish.

Rock on!

Luck O' the Irish Nails

Just a quick little post for some St. Patrick's Day inspiration.

The lineup...

The results...

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!