The Manicured Life

I have had enough! After fighting the last week or two with my...

Sun, 26 May 2013 15:16:53 -0400

I have had enough! After fighting the last week or two with my white nail polish as a base for my multiple neon colors with its pulling and inconsistency I knew there had to be a better way… I wanted a good white and black polish that would go on smoothly and opaquely and not cost a ton of money… I debated buying a pricy brand since I knew I’d get what I wanted from a creamier, thicker polish with decent amount of pigment. But then I thought maybe a wide brush would also help…

I had just purchased what as far as I know is a bit of an off brand at Sally’s, Nina Ultra Pro in SOLAR FLARE last week and really liked the way it went on, so yesterday I went by and snagged BLACK & FRENCH WHITE as well and I can say they are both winners… Unfortunately I didn’t catch them on sale, retail price is 4.69 but I think it’s well worth it : )

It can definitely go on thin & pull a bit if there isn’t enough paint on the brush but with the nice wide brush it’s extremely easy to apply beautifully : ) Happy painting!

Double ruffian nails : ) Base of China Glaze - RARE &...

Thu, 16 May 2013 21:55:01 -0400

Double ruffian nails : )

Base of China Glaze - RARE & RADIANT

Followed by Color Club - PUCCI-LICOUS

Topped with Maybelline Color Show - PORCELAIN PARTY (not shown (white)) to make China Glaze - SUN WORSHIPPER pop

I did 2 coats of the base color, 1 coat of the purple & white and 3 coats of sun worshipper, enjoy!

An Experiment of Epic Proportions… Well… I tried...

Sun, 12 May 2013 20:18:22 -0400

An Experiment of Epic Proportions…

Well… I tried some hex glitter placement and Mylar strips…

Well, I have 2 bits of advice…

Hex glitter should be much bigger & I have no idea how to place the glitter with accuracy… Also moving the glitter after it is place is a giant “not gonna happen” lol… I tried a bit but it was starting to dig into my still tacky polish, this the tack is what held it in place until top coat…

Second, I bought really cheap Mylar at a dollar store figuring what the heck… It’s garbage and doesn’t lay flat… I feel like I have Freddy Kruger nails, lol… I put 3 coats of Poshé & it’s only the thought of all this product waste that I am forcing myself to at least wear it til tomm : (

Wish I’d have stopped before the glitter as the blue turned out very pretty…

Oh well… U win some, u lose some…

Hands down girls, I think I’ve pretty much decided that Poshé is so much better than Seche...

Mon, 06 May 2013 07:42:13 -0400

Hands down girls, I think I’ve pretty much decided that Poshé is so much better than Seche Vite… I got a bottle a few weeks ago (At Sally’s) and used it several times now… It’s still going on as smooth as when I first got it & I am well into half the bottle… No getting too thick or any of the other issues Seche has, I’m sold… So far so good anyway… It’s about the same price, maybe a smidge cheaper… I don’t remember : )

Ok, so this is my attempt at ombré/gradient nails, lol… I’ve...

Sun, 21 Apr 2013 19:07:09 -0400

Ok, so this is my attempt at ombré/gradient nails, lol… I’ve done a bit before, blotting paint on nails from a card with a makeup sponge with decent results, but this time I did the paint into a wet makeup sponge technique which I think is easier & gets a better overall result… Or so it seems from other people’s post, lol…

I found it to be a bit tricky, I guess with all things, practice makes perfect & I didn’t want to exert the effort of perfecting it so I went with what came…

I started with a base of Icing - OCEAN VIEW, which got completely covered in my over exuberance, lol. It’s sheer & has a sparkly sheen, but sadly was covered over, lol… I gradiated Hard Candy - SKY, Sally Hansen’s Insta-Dry - BLUE-AWAY & finally Pure Ice - FRENCH KISS.

The only one that I feel really came out is my ring finger on my left hand (first pic), maybe some on the right, but I’ll tell you the right thumb (I’m right handed) was a bi-otch! I kept smudging instead of sponging : ( I fixed it, well sorta, lol… Happy Sponging!

*I realize now in hindsight I didn’t sponge onto a card after I painted the colors on & before I applied it to my fingers, ie. to blend it & kinda spread out the excess, so I think if I had done that I’d have had more control over the colors & the application… I was not extremely patient going into this : / next time! Lol

My attempt at grunge nails… I found Nails Adored’s...

Sun, 14 Apr 2013 18:20:16 -0400

My attempt at grunge nails… I found Nails Adored’s version which which I saw pinned on Pinterest (I don’t have pinterest or the version of blog she uses so thats as far as i got). To my knowledge this is the original version of this color combination… Well, I scoured the ‘net of a tut & found this one http://girlsguideto.com/articles/mani-monday-grunge-nails-how-to by Cat Meeker.

I didn’t at the time have the POPtastic collection so I thought it could improvise but as you can see on the far right nail swatch regular colors come out muted. Also my acetone technique was mucking up the colors as well. It seemed like I needed more acetone to cut thru the colors, maybe that’s just me. But I can tell you it didn’t seem that way with the neon colors, and I would think any colors deemed neon would probably work…

That being said, one nail over the the left I tried layering a coat of white over the black but under my grunge colors trying to make them pop… Dunno why I thought that would work…

Moving on, a few weeks ago (end of March 2013) while I was shopping in either a TJ Maxx or Marshals I happened to see the Color Club POPtastic Collection package, and for a mere $10 I might add, and I grabbed it up with a quickness! I have to say although I have no idea what I’m going to do with the rest of the colors, besides the green I love & I’m currently wearing, I’m sure I’ll find plenty of uses for them : )

So last but not least the final swatch on the left (next to the China Glaze - Prism from the Prismatic Chroma Glitter Collection (more on that later)), I finally got a chance to do the tutorial the way it was intended, and I can say I’d highly recommend it… My first attempt did not involve any neon type colors, and as I added colors they just seemed to blend together and murk out. The Color Club colors stand out on their own and stay as bright as they look in the bottle over each layer, and personally I think that’s the secret : ) unfortunately I got a little acetone happy & stripped off more than I wanted to. I wanted a subtle washing effect like the original example but ended up causing a big hole : ( well, practice makes perfect, lol

Do a search for grunge nails and hunt down the original posts and artist, not to mention the various versions and attempts by others!

Colors I used are:

Pure Ice - BLACK OUT

Followed by Poshé fast drying topcoat to help protect the black from being worn down to bear nail

Color Club POPtastic Collection -

WHAM! POW!
TWIGGIE
WARHOL & CHELSEA GIRL

Wait to top coat again until after the effect

I’ve been working at a jewelry store & a sterling...

Sun, 14 Apr 2013 12:56:28 -0400

I’ve been working at a jewelry store & a sterling silver ring with a hideous band with a most interesting stone caught my eye… The stone reminds me of Swarovski’s Crysolite colored crystal which is a lighter peridot type color, almost like a sea foam green…

The colors used are Color Club - TWIGGIE from the POPtastic collection with Pure Ice - SHEER LUCK over top. SHEER LUCK is a bit of a sparse formula so I have included pics with 2 thicks coats and the final result with 3 thick coats… The pic with both hands shows both, the front most is 2 coats and the hand behind has 3… Pic 1 is the final by itself and pic 3 is 2 coats by itself… Enjoy!

I’ve taken up matchy matchy as my new hobby…...

Thu, 04 Apr 2013 07:43:19 -0400

I’ve taken up matchy matchy as my new hobby… I’m on extended vaca in FL to hang out with my daughter so I got nothing else better to do, lol…

So the first pic with the shirt is inside with the flash, the second is outside in indirect morning light…

I used OPI - SKULL & GLOSSBONES & CONFETTI - WHITE for the wings.

Lol, my right ring & pinky finger look more like leaves… Whatcha gonna do, lol, I’m right handed : )

Mani I just did using temporary tattoos on my nail, this was a...

Tue, 02 Oct 2012 01:20:16 -0400

Mani I just did using temporary tattoos on my nail, this was a big image of a bow I cut up to span across my nails… I used a pink franken as the base.

My right hand is plain pink cuz there was only one bow in the pack… I thought about doing an accent nail but undecided at the moment…

chalkboardnails: 31 Day Challenge 2012Day 23: Inspired by a...

Wed, 26 Sep 2012 14:20:32 -0400

chalkboardnails:

31 Day Challenge 2012
Day 23: Inspired by a Movie

These Eye of Sauron nails are inspired by the Lord of the Rings movie trilogy! My other two nails are painted solid black. You can see the other photos in my full blogpost.

China Glaze Happy Go Lucky
Zoya Myrta
Sally Hansen Insta Dri Rapid Red
China Glaze Prey Tell
OPI Black Onyx
OPI Alpine Snow

Oooooohhhhhhh : )

scallawag: maleficents | kittencreamery | catladysoul | madonnax...

Thu, 20 Sep 2012 02:43:50 -0400

scallawag:

maleficents | kittencreamery | catladysoul | madonnax:

tw: abuse

June 1987, Madonna was rushed to the Cedars Sinai hospital for an X-ray after her then-husband—Sean Penn hit her across the head with a baseball bat. At the time, they had been having a heart-to-heart talk about reconciling.

Madonna did not make an official complaint because Penn was about to serve a short jail term for attacking a film extra and violating the probation he’d been given for punching a fan. It was a decision she would come to regret. In the late afternoon of December 28, 1988, Penn scaled the wall surrounding the Malibu house and found Madonna alone in the master bedroom.

According to a report filed by Madonna with the Malibu sheriff’s office, the two began to quarrel. Penn told her he owned her “lock, stock and barrel”. When she told him she was leaving the house, he tried to bind her hands with an electric cord. Screaming and afraid, Madonna fled from the bedroom. Penn chased her into the living room, caught her and bound her to a chair with heavy twine. Then he threatened to shave her hair. Penn was “drinking liquor straight from the bottle” and the abuse went on for nine hours, during which he smacked and forced Madonna to perform a “degrading sex act” on him.

He went out to buy more alcohol, leaving Madonna bound and gagged. Some hours later, he returned and continued his attacks, then finally untied her. Madonna then fled the house and ran to her car. Penn ran after her and was banging on the windows of her Thunderbird while she spoke to police on her mobile phone. Fifteen minutes later, she staggered into the sheriff’s office.

Because you need to know.

Jesus, Christ, I had no idea… I guess I was quite young then, crazy…

nails-love: Make Your Own Alkaline Vitamin Water Find yourself...

Sun, 16 Sep 2012 16:11:53 -0400

nails-love:

Make Your Own Alkaline Vitamin Water

Find yourself needing a vitamin boost?

Click here, for complete recipe and directions of my five signature colour-free, sugar-free and bpa plastic free alkaline vitamin waters or get inspired to make your own combinations.

Recovery - This vitamin water is ideal for recovery post-workout or after a large bout of physical activity. Blackberries and Cherries aid in replenishing oxygen in the blood while pomegranate and glutamine help to restore and repair muscle tissue damage

C*Power - This vitamin water gives you a boost of anti-viral and anti-inflammatory vitamin C. With natural citrus fruits and camu camu powder, c*power is ideal for boosting your immunity after an illness or just keeping your body empowered. This is an excellent combination for weight loss

Stressless - This is my favourite combination, the blend of watermelon and rosemary is divine. This vitamin water is ideal for helping you balance stress on a mental and physiological level. With the addition of B vitamins, hydrating watermelon and calming rosemary this combination is best used during times of stress or intensity

Digest It - Excellent for aiding in digestion and stimulating the colon and digestive tract. With the combination of pineapple’s digestive enzymes, soothing, cooling mint and warming ginger, stimulating lemongrass, immunizing lychee and probiotics this water will aid in internal balance

Detox - Purify your blood and body with this awesome vitamin water! Detox is ideal for the morning after a night out or when you are cleansing. Created with hydrating coconut water, and fresh cucumber, nutrient rich coconut meat, detoxifying milk thistle and anti-oxidant loaded raspberries and blueberries, this combination will cleanse your body from the inside out

I want to try this

Whoo!!!! I think I’m in love!!!

poisonzombie: New blog post up Featuring: Illamasqua ‘Phallic’...

Sun, 09 Sep 2012 23:30:59 -0400

poisonzombie:

New blog post up

Featuring: Illamasqua ‘Phallic’ & ‘Stance’ gradient mani

The only “talons” I have ever liked… I just don’t like that shape myself… But these colors make it look HAWT!!!! ; )

Finished caviar manicure. I painted my mails with China Glaze...

Sat, 08 Sep 2012 17:32:44 -0400

Finished caviar manicure. I painted my mails with China Glaze FAST TRACK and accented my thumb with a leopard print of A-TAUPE THE SPACE NEEDLE by OPI with Kleancolor MOCHA for the middle… See the next post for the left hand (since the Tumblr app doesn’t have a way to post multiple pics >: (

OH BOY! Have I got a post for you! Lol, I’ve had these...

Sat, 08 Sep 2012 16:15:00 -0400

OH BOY! Have I got a post for you!

Lol, I’ve had these bullion things for a while but never really felt the urge for caviar nails myself… Then today I was trying to think of a nail design for my outfit for going out tonight & decided eff it, I’m going to go for it.

I decided on an accent nail cuz I really don’t see these things staying on more than a few hours, but we’ll see. I’m real excited about posting this even though many have done it before I didn’t consider it to be that special… Well, I’m here to tell you it is! : )

I decided on gold to match my outfit since my sweater (brr, starting to feel like fall weather here in OH) which is a champange/nude type color. As you can see from the photo I used Wet & Wild Crave in GOLDMINE and small vile of gold micro beads that were given to me. I painted one coat on my nail, gave it a moment to dry then painted on a thick second coat. On the first nail I attempted I quickly painted on a quick third right over the wet second and sprinkled the beads on my wet nail over a small silicone bowl I have, show in the picture, it’s lime green. I bought it at Walmart in the kitchen accessory aisle for $2 each I think. The second nail I did (shown in the photo) I only did 2 coats on.

Now I will note the difference.

The first got very good coverage as the polish was so thick beads were able to stick very well, and the result was a very packed layer of beads. Once I sprinkled I carefully pressed them in place to better secure them. This was a little tricky, I found as a pressed them in the whole layer started to buckle a little. Meaning pushing down caused some beads that were in place to kind of pop up in another area. All in all the result came out great, but the surface of the nail appears a bit bumpy in some areas when looked at carefully in certain angles.

Now on the second nail the first thing I noticed was that there are tiny little micro gaps between beads as there wasn’t as much polish on this one for them to stick to as the first. However, I also didn’t have the issue with the surface being bumpy, or really needing to push them down onto the nail. I believe I did any way & is probably a good idea so the polish really holds them on. Since the polish I used matches the beads pretty perfectly you don’t notice that they aren’t packed as densely so this is the technique I would recommend as the nail surface is much more aesthetically pleasing and you’ll use less and save more bullion.

Another thing I will mention is that the silicone bowl I used is a great size for sprinkling over a single nail and since its flexible silicone I had no problems squeezing the bowl sides together and funneling the beads right back into that tiny bottle opening!

Overall, this manicure sounds & seems like something one would not want to bother with but I for one am extremely impressed by how much fun it was for me! Now, maybe I won’t think so by the end of the night, but unless something changes I plan to do (at least an accent nail of) this again and again!

Crazy long post I know! But I’ll keep you posted on the completed look and update on more designs in the future… I’ve mostly been bummed about my lack of good lighting and the quality of pics so that’s why I’ve been slacking… Please forgive my haloing effect… My case in point : / Enjoy!

Feel free to let me know if you gave this a try, how you liked it and send pics if you like! I’ll repost & link back : )

nailsbycoewless: Cheshire-Cat on Flickr.“Can you stand on your...

Sat, 25 Aug 2012 17:46:14 -0400

nailsbycoewless:

Cheshire-Cat on Flickr.
“Can you stand on your head?” - The Cheshire-Cat

www.coewlesspolish.wordpress.com

Blah! I can’t read Swedish(??)!!!!! Anyone’s best guess on the China Glaze colors used??

biteofnothing: “yeah i’m one eighth black” OMG!!!!! LOL!

Mon, 06 Aug 2012 02:13:17 -0400

biteofnothing:

“yeah i’m one eighth black”

OMG!!!!! LOL!

thechriscrocker: (via sebastiandelin, applearts) They had me...

Sun, 25 Mar 2012 13:57:14 -0400

thechriscrocker:

(via sebastiandelin, applearts)

They had me up until the sugar part… Surely, something less refined…

Reblog if you would never, ever cheat in a relationship.

Thu, 08 Dec 2011 00:15:32 -0500

Cheating is for losers…

Halloween nails 2011 I just did these the other day, little...

Thu, 27 Oct 2011 09:53:39 -0400

Halloween nails 2011

I just did these the other day, little pink monster nails… The pink didn’t come out very well in the photo, it’s kind of a fuchsia/magenta pink. It’s LA Colors FIGI GRAPE, I believe. Anyways, *this* http://badkittyexoticwear.com/shop/index.php?main_page=popup_image&pID=2014 was my inspiration. Check out the rest of the site, there are a couple more cute costumes like the monster one on there too.