Personal Faves of 2014

The clock is ticking, so I will make this post short :)

I have made so many different pieces of nail art this past year!  I'm really happy.  Painting nails really does bring me much happiness :)

The following are my favorite nail arts from 2014.  I have 3 categories: favorite holiday themed, favorite "inspired by", and favorite original design.

So here goes!

Favorite holiday themed: 

My Easter and 4-20 nails!  Ha...how I do love this coincidence so very much.  Click here to read more about these nails! :)

Favorite "inspired by":

Inspired by Pokemon Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire and by Super Smash for WiiU!  I enjoyed these nails as much as I enjoy the games themselves.  And also Nintendo.  I love Nintendo and you should too!  Click here to read more about these nails! :)

Favorite original design:

This I had titled as an "interrupted gradient".  I think that really was an appropriate name.  I love these designs because it forces me to combine what little talent I have with the plethora of colors I own to create an original design.  It's designs like these where I can really start to grow and develop as an artist!  Click here to read more about these nails! :)

Overall, 2014 has been a crazy year for me.  Who would have thought that I would actually start a nail art blog?  Also I'd like to publicly thank my sister for helping me come up with a name for my blog.  She's always there for me when I need her :D

That's it from me for 2014!  I will see you guys all in 2015 with more nail art and more designs!  Happy New Year!

Final Festivities

So...2014 is about to end.  I'm actually surprised I was able to keep up a blog for an entire year!  Good for me :)  Also thank you for reading this blog however often you have read it.  It makes me content to know that other people enjoy my art as much as I do :D

Here is my last manicure for 2014:

For this manicure:

• Base Coat - Base Coat by Finger Paints
• Base Color - Jillian by Julep
• Accent Color - Surreal Sunset by Finger Paints
• Stamp Color - white by Konad
• Stamp Plate - SH 215 by Shany
• Studs - 2 mm fluorescent studs from bornprettystore
• Top Coat - Top Coat by Out the Door

Approximate Completion Time: 1.5 hours

Shany makes decent image plates, but even those full-sized images are a bit short for my short nails...so I'm gonna have to start investigating into larger image plates.

Thank you for following me in 2014 :)

I will be making one more post before the year is up (no new nails though), but stay tuned in 2015 for even more nail art, and...well I'm graduating in May 2015.  And have to find a job.  But hopefully those don't interfere with this blog.

Stay warm out there!

Winter Chevrons

I seem to be capable of painting winter-themed nails only when I'm in the presence of snow and coldness.  California doesn't do that for me, which is why it helps that I'm currently in Colorado right now, with all the snow and cold outside.

For this manicure:

• Base Coat - Base Coat by Finger Paints
• Base Colors - Bess by Julep & Avalanche by China Glaze
• Chevron Colors - Jeanne by Julep & Char by Julep
• Top Coat - Top Coat by Out the Door
• Tools used - chevron stickers from BornPrettyStore, makeup sponge

Approximate Completion Time: 2.5 hours

Most of my time was spent waiting for the blue base to dry so I could overlay it with the chevron stickers and the gradient which would ensue.  But that's just nail art for you.

Be on the lookout for more winter/holiday-themed nail art soon!  But until then, stay warm out there! :)

Inspired by: Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 ReMIX

Hello!  I know I'm a day late, but for those of you in the know, I hope you're enjoying playing your Kingdom Hearts HD 2.5 ReMIX on your PS3! :)

There was an event to celebrate the game's launch at the Disney Burbank Lot, and my boyfriend had gotten me a ticket to attend.  It was interesting.  I haven't played any of the KH games, but that didn't stop me from making this nail art:

For this manicure:

• Base Coat - Base Coat by Finger Paints
• Base Color - aruba blue by essie
• Nail Art Colors - Tribeca Silver by NYC, Nadia by Julep, Bess by Julep, Black Out by Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear
• Top Coat - Top Coat by Out the Door
• Tools Used - dotting tool, striper brushes

Approximate Completion Time: 1.5 hours

And a picture with flash.

Oh, and on another note, I have an instagram now!  Follow @rosieharmony for mostly nail art pictures.  I would post pics of my puppy if I had one.

And remember, "the heart may be weak, and sometimes it may even give in, but deep down there's a light that will never go out!" (Thanks, Sora)

Game on, nerds.

Inspired by: OR/AS and Smash WiiU

It's happening, you guys!  It's finally finally happening!  SMASH WIIU IS COMING OUT TONIGHT AT MIDNIGHT AND GUESS WHO'S GONNA BE PLAYING IT TONIGHT?  ME.  And also maybe some of you.  And maybe some of you others prefer to play Omega Ruby or Alpha Sapphire.  All personal choice.

Be sure to thank Nintendo at some point tonight.

In honor of this amazing time of my life, I painted my nails to match the occasion:

Yes yes.  The perfect conglomeration of Pokemon and Smash.  I'm really excited.

Oh and guess what!  I decided to change my blog again.  A lot of my designs involve multiple nail polish colors, and since I'm rarely at home with my polishes, it's hard for me to recall exactly what colors I've used.  So until I'm set in a more regular pattern (aka post-graduation probably), I will not be listing the polishes I've used.

If you want to learn about a specific polish, just message me or comment on the post.  But this is really it for now.

SETTLE IT IN SMASH!!

Anniversary Nails

I recently got to celebrate my 3 year anniversary with my boyfriend.  We went to a French American restaurant that was both quaint and semi-formal, so my nails had to match.

For this manicure:

• Base Coat - Base Coat by Finger Paint
• Base Color - My Vampire is Buff by OPI
• Stamp Color - white by Konad
• Stamp Plate - SH 211 by Shany Cosmetics
• Studs - black half pearls from Claire's
• Top Coat - Top Coat by Out the Door

Approximate Completion Time: 1 hour - 1.5 hours

It's a very subtle design, which is good, because I need some subtle designs to balance out my crazy colorful other designs.  I have some of those coming up for y'all real soon!

But until then, stay safe and stay classy :)

Inspired by: Interstellar x Big Hero 6

Both movies are opening this week...end?  Weekday?  What kind of a day is Friday anyways?  But yes, that is happening.

I just saw Interstellar.  I have plans to see Big Hero 6 next weekend, but in terms of Interstellar...let me tell you this much: as a science major, I am very much amazed at how Nolan tried so very much to adhere to the rules of physics (and other theories).  But because I am not a physicist, I cannot say if all the rules were followed.  Plus I am flooded with emotions and numbness from too many emotions.

Anyways, here are my nails dedicated to both movies!

For this manicure:

• Base Coat - Base Coat by Finger Paints
• Interstellar colors - Black Out by Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear, Snow Me White by Sinful Colors, Bess by Julep, Laree by Julep, Char by Julep, Nan by Julep, Endless Blue by Sinful Colors, Pink Punk by Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear, coral glitter by Shades of the Season, blue glitter by Shades of the Season, silver glitter by Shades of the Season
• Big Hero 6 colors - Snow Me White by Sinful Colors, Black Out by Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear, Molly by Julep
• Top Coat - Top Coat by Out the Door
• Tools used - dotting tool, striper brush, make-up sponge

Approximate Completion Time: 1.5 hours

I urge you all to go see this movie in IMAX.  I know it's a good IMAX movie because I felt motion sick near the end.

A Splash of Pink

So I'm trying to figure out whether I have been blogging for me or for attention, and as I try to figure this out, I will not be posting as often or as frequently.  Ultimately, I want my blog to be an extension of my own creative efforts, and I don't want it to be a means through which I gain popularity or attention.  But if you do really enjoy this blog, thank you so much for your support :)

I have been feeling so...bland recently.  I can't conjure up clear images of what I want on my nails.  However, I have also been experimenting a lot with eyeshadows and different eye looks, so I am still playing with colors in that sense.

For this manicure:

• Base Coat - Base Coat by Finger Paints
• Base Colors - aruba blue by essie, I Gotta Blush on You by Sephora by OPI, & Shrimply Devine by Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure
• Pink Matte Glitter - Blush Pink by KleanColor
• Filigree Decal - from bornprettystore (HL 201)
• Top Coat - Matte Me Crazy by NYC

Approximate Completion Time: 1.5 hours

I had learned online that to make a gradient easier to clean up, you can simply apply glue around your nails and letting that glue dry before sponging on the gradient.  That's what I did, and it worked very well!  I enjoy having less to clean up.  Plus, glue is fun to peel off your fingers.  Reminds me of my childhood days...

I don't know when I'll be posting again, but please stay tuned! :) You can follow me via email, on tumblr, or even on twitter!  All those links are to the right (in the side bar).  Aside from that, I hope you all have a wonderful day! :D

Butterflies

I had an eventful weekend, and I met a very important person, so I decided to keep my nails simple and I painted both of my hands for once.

For this manicure:

• Base Coat - Base Coat by Finger Paints
• Base Colors - Penelope by Julep & Tribeca Silver by NYC
• Top Coat - Top Coat by Out the Door
• Stickers - XF409 from BornPrettyStore

Approximate Completion Time: 1 hour

Simple...and clean.

These stickers are bomb-diggity.  Easiest way to spice up your mani WITHOUT requiring too much skill.  I mean, I don't think I could have even painted these butterflies onto my nails.  Also this is a friendly reminder that I have a code that gets you 10% off from BornPrettyStore :)

Anyways, good luck with exams and essays and homework!  You can do it, friends!

Royal Filigree

I honestly thought painting my nails would help me de-stress and get the worries of my bathroom being flooded out of my mind.  Because my bathroom was flooded.  It's an amazing story that I'd rather not tell.

But at least these nails make me feel fancy.

For this manicure:

• Base Coat - Base Coat by Finger Paints
• Base Color - Mary Lee by Julep
• Stamped Color - Good as Gold by essie
• Top Coat - Top Coat by Out the Door
• Stamped Image - SH 211

Approximate Completion Time: 1.5 hours

My bathroom is not flooded anymore, in case you were still wondering.

Thanks for reading!  I hope you have a wonderful day :)

A Study in Blue

Hello all!  I hope you are all feeling great :)

I'm enjoying these nails, but only for so long.  My art is temporary.

For this manicure:

• Base Coat - Base Coat by Finger Paints
• Base Colors - Bess by Julep, Endless Blue by Sinful Colors, Char by Julep
• Stripe Color - Tribeca Silver by NYC
• Top Coat - Double Duty Strengthening Base & Top Coat by Sally Hansen
• Stars - white stars from Claire's
• Tools Used - striping brush, striping tape

Approximate Completion Time: 1 hour

I've been thinking about this design for the longest time, so I'm very satisfied with my end result!

That's it from me for now.  I'll talk to you guys soon, but until then, I hope you live a satisfying life and make good choices :)

Bling Bling by the Beach

I went to a beach bonfire type of party the other day, so I had to dress up my nails appropriately :)

For this manicure:

• Base Coat - Base Coat by Finger Paints
• Base Colors - Black Out by Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear, My Vampire is Buff by OPI, Tribeca Silver by NYC, silver glitter by Shades of the Season
• Gradient Colors - Cloud 9 by Sinful Colors, Pink Punk by Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear, Myrtle by Julep, Dream On by Sinful Colors, Endless Blue by Sinful Colors
• Top Coat - Double Duty Strengthening Base & Top Coat by Sally Hansen
• Studs - white half pearls from Claire's

Approximate Completion Time:  1.5 hours

Studs are fun.  Studying can also be fun.  Dating a stud is great.  Wearing stud earrings is cute.  Okay I'm done - go back to your books, kids.  And I will see you soon :) 

Fight On!

Since this is my last year of college, I thought it would be appropriate to wear school colors (for football and stuff).

EAT THAT CARDINAL AND GOLD RIGHT UP IN YOUR FACE.

For this manicure:

• Base Coat - Base Coat by Finger Paints
• Base Colors - Molly by Julep & Golden-I by Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear
• Top Coat - Double Duty Strengthening Base & Top Coat by Sally Hansen
• Rhinestones - from Sukan Rich

Approximate Completion Time - 1 hour

Thanks for reading :) I will see you all next time!

Summer Dragonfruit

School is starting up soon, and I already know that this year will be my busiest and hardest.  Please be patient with me - I might not be able to upload regularly.

For this manicure:

• Base Coat - Base Coat by Finger Paints
• Base Colors - Too Yacht to Handle by China Glaze, Avalanche by China Glaze, My Vampire is Buff by OPI, Shrimply Devine by Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure
• Fruit - dragonfruit decal from claire's cosmetics
• Top Coat - Double Duty Strengthening Base & Top Coat by Sally Hansen
• Tools Used - striping tape, binder reinforcement labels, striper brush

Approximate Completion Time: 2 hours

I like dragonfruit, but too bad it's pretty expensive fruit so I can't buy it often.  Thanks for reading.  I hope you have a wonderful day!

Vibrant Summer

My summer work is done, so my summer break is starting up again!  Just kidding though, because I'll be doing a lot of moving around.

For this manicure:

• Base Coat - Base Coat by Finger Paints
• Base Colors - Snow Me White by Sinful Colors, Water Melon by Sally Hansen Triple Shine, Marjorie by Julep, In the Lime Light by China Glaze
• Spotted Polish - Clearly Spotted by Maybelline Color Show
• Dot Color - Pink Punk by Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear
• Top Coats - Matte Me Crazy by NYC, Double Duty Strengthening Base & Top Coat by Sally Hansen
• Tools Used - striping tape, dotting tool

Approximate Completion Time: 2 hours

And because I haven't mentioned this before, you can now see what polishes I own and how much I'm spending on nail art supplies and such each month! 

Thank you for reading.  We will meet again soon :)

Deep

Hello all!  While you're out enjoying life, please keep safety as your top priority and remember that life indeed is futile.  There was an unfortunate event here and it's been a grim reminder to me how fleeting my existence really is.

For this manicure:

• Base Coat - Base Coat by Finger Paints
• Base Color - Angela by Julep
• Stamp Color - White by Konad
• Dotting Color - Snow Me White by Sinful Colors
• Top Coat - Double Duty Strengthening Base & Top Coat by Sally Hansen
• Stamp Plates Used - SH 208 & SH 223
• Tools Used - dotting tool

The base color sends off these vibes of something that's mesmerizing and mournful.  I took a photo with flash to see if it had more dimension:

Mesmerizing and mournful.  I'm also listening to Zelda's Lullaby right now and it kinda fits the theme...

Thanks for reading my blog today!  I hope you have a wonderful day, and stay safe please! :)

Lace It Up

What started out as a simple manicure stayed as a simple manicure.

For this manicure:

• Base Coat - Base Coat by Finger Paints
• Base Color - Laree by Finger Paints
• Sticker - A20 from BornPrettyStore
• Top Coat - Matte Me Crazy by NYC

Approximate Completion Time: 1.5 hours

Don't forget that I have a discount code for BornPrettyStore!  In addition to nail art supplies, they have cell phone cases, cute pens, make-up, and jewelry, and then some.  Definitely worth checking out :)

I'll see you all in my next post!

Become

Hello all!  So I've been thinking...something must go.  I want to continue blogging, but I also want to experience so many things while I'm still young.  So the thing that must go is my old blogging style.  Say good bye to long posts, long paragraphs, and long explanations!  From now on, I will do my best to keep everything short - no more clicking that "read more" button to read more!

For this manicure:

• Base Coat - Base Coat by Finger Paints
• Base Colors - Mint Sorbet by Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear, Alexis by Julep
• Stripe Color - good as gold by essie
• Top Coat - Double Duty Strengthening Base & Top Coat by Sally Hansen
• Tools Used - tape, striper brush

Approximate Completion Time: 2 hours

Sweet, short, simple, concise.  It's going to be the new theme of my blog.  I hope you all have a wonderful day!  Thank you so much for reading my blog :) I will see you in my next post!

Nail Snap: Happy Independence Day!

Since it's Independence Day, I don't find it necessary to write a lengthy post.

Happy American Independence Day to all my American readers! :)

For this manicure:

Nail polishes used:

• Base Coat - Base Coat by Finger Paints
• Base Colors - Snow Me White by Sinful Colors, Endless Blue by Sinful Colors, Molly by Julep
• Stamped Colors - White by Konad, aruba blue by essie
• Top Coat - Double Duty Strengthening Base & Top Coat by Sally Hansen

Stamp plates used:

• SH 211
• SH 214
• SH 218

I will be enjoying some American food and watching American fireworks today while hanging out with my American friends.

I hope you all have a wonderful day today, whether or not you do celebrate the holiday :) I will see you in my next post!

Water Park Fun

Hello all!  I was going to upload this post sooner, but one thing led to another and now I'm finally able to do so, after making one thing of 10x native gel buffer and wiping down the legs of at least 100 chairs, maybe more.  I'm a strong woman.

I went to a water park yesterday with my boyfriend and some other friends :) my nails kinda match my swimsuit, but it's not too obvious...the water park was fun though!  For the first time in my life, I didn't have to carry all the tubes and stuff by myself.  This is what true love is - your significant other stepping up to carry all the tubes for the rides.  Just kidding.  True love is other things too, but for the sake of time we won't get into that.

We also got Dippin' Dots ice cream!  I love their ice cream.  I would eat it all day if my wallet didn't stop me.

Here's what my nails looked like for the event:

I know my nails look bumpy, but those bumpy things are actually just sparkles.  Now I know better than to try to photograph sparkles in direct sunlight.  I made my mistake.  I can own up to it.  I will live.  I will learn.  I will grow stronger.

Read on to find out more! :)

Summer Polka

Hello all!  How has your summer been so far?  And for any readers in the southern hemisphere, how is winter so far?  Please let me know in the comments section below :) every day is a busy day for me!  I wake up early, I go to work, I go to sleep early.  I think this is what it's like to have a real job, and I'm not sure if I'm ready to make that commitment with reality.

To take my mind off of these things, I painted my nails with a palette of colors that my boyfriend helped me choose hu hu hu :)

I'm going to be straying away from my traditional white background for my nail art pics.  Half of the reason is so I can keep the pics new and fresh - now you get to see nail colors in direct sunlight or with a different background color so as to give you more perspectives of colors.  The other half of the reason is because I'm always out and about now, and if I want to keep blogging, I have to be able to take pictures in these conditions so that I'm not putting a strain on the time I get to spend with others.

But back to the nails!  Read on after the jump to find out more :)

Soft Punk

Hello everyone!  I hope you are all doing great :) I know I'm posting this on Father's Day, but uh...holidays don't affect my posting schedule.  But if you're a father or if you have a father, go celebrate him.  Thank him for creating you.  And he'll probably thank you for his own tax benefits or something.  I'm still too young to understand parenthood.

But anyways, today I am bringing you these nails:

I think "soft punk" is an appropriate way to describe these nails...I really just wanted to stamp something onto my nails, and this is the end result.

Read on to find out more about this manicure! :)

How I Do It: Basic Manicure

Hello all!  I hope you're all doing well :) meanwhile, my stay at home has been wonderfully plagued with thunderstorm/tornado/flash flood warnings.  But that's okay because my mom makes the most amazing food.  Priorities, you know.

Anyhow, most of you may not find my nail art to be too practical...and that's okay.  I get you.  So here's a post on the basic manicure! :D It will be picture heavy, but I hope it's crazy helpful because if it's helpful, then I did my job right :)

If this interests you, please read on after the jump! :)

Textured Sunset

Hello all!  Here I am, back with more nail art - and I have to say, it's nice having time in the summer where I can paint both my hands and not just my left hand!  During the semester, I would usually only paint my left hand so that I could still do homework with my right hand and not have my blogging lifestyle be a hindrance to my academics.  But that lifestyle is on hiatus for now.

Here's the design I came up with today:

I'm so happy with this set of nails - I was out all day today, and I couldn't stop staring at them!  Just look at how crisp those lines are...DAZZLING.  MM. 

Read on to find out how I painted these nails! :)

Julep May Maven Bombshell Box Review

Hello all!  Today I will be reviewing my May Maven Bombshell Box from Julep.  The Maven box is a monthly subscription, and for $19.99 a month, you get a box of either two full-sized nail polishes and another full-size cosmetic item of their choice, or you can opt for just three full-sized nail polishes, or you can just get the cosmetic items.  They're also letting customers customize their own boxes now, and I believe that costs $24.99 a month.  For each box you purchase, you earn reward points, which you can use to purchase other Julep products or the next Maven box.  I paid $19.99 for my box, so this review isn't a paid review.  I dished out money for this.

This is what came inside my box:

The feature item of the month was their Plié Wand.  According to the Julep website, this wand is supposed to help you paint your dominant hand by giving you more accuracy and more control.  The longer handle improves leverage, comfort, and control, and leaves the user with a better manicure.  It also twists and turns to accommodate the user's grip and angle.

I attached the Plié Wand to my nail polish bottle, and you can either have the handle stick straight out like so:

Or you can have the handle bent, like so:

It really depends on the way you prefer to hold your brushes.  I painted my dominant hand using the straightened Plié Wand.  I must say though, this Plié Wand is really something.  Normally, even I hesitate for a little bit when I paint my dominant hand, but since the Plié Wand is so freaking long, it really lets your entire non-dominant hand grip around the handle, which does lead to increased stability and control.  I painted my dominant hand and did even less clean up than I would normally have to!  I would definitely recommend you trying this new Plié Wand, but only if you own Julep polishes...because at the moment, they're only Julep-polish compatible.  But if you're sick and tired of having a really awesome non-dominant hand and an okay-ish dominant hand, give this wand a go.  You'll see big improvements in your manicure :)

And this is what my dominant hand looks like:

Even I'm not the best at painting my dominant hand, but I'd say this was a pretty good job.  Read on to find out more about these lovely polishes! :)

Borderline Roses & Winstonia Brushes Review

Hello all!  Yes, I'm popping out posts like a crazy lady here (but I'm not crazy, trust me), and first of all, I'm excited to announce that I've recently partnered with Winstonia to do product reviews!! :D I think that's exciting news.  You should be excited too.  Now keep in mind that these product reviews will have my most honest opinion on said products, and these products were sent to me for free, and I'm NOT getting paid for my opinions.  No money was exchanged between my hands and theirs.

The product I'll be reviewing today is a set of 4 nail art brushes.  Here is a link to the brushes, and this is what they look like:

This set of brushes comes with three striper brushes (each is a different length - short, medium, and long), and a square brush.  I used all four brushes to create this awesome manicure:

Read on to find out more about these brushes, and about this manicure! :)