Dreaming of the Beach!

It's getting so cold here!! Frost on car windows, clouds of breath floating in the air. Winter is definitely coming. So let's think of the beach! 

No, my nails did not just magically grow like 5 mm and change shape. Yes, I still have the claws. I'm finding them... difficult. I can't decide what looks good with the stiletto shape. So I'm gonna post some older manicures while these puppies grow out. 

I LOVED this mani. It's vaguely representative of a beach scene and I thought it turned out perfectly. 

Tutorial! 

Colors used were Zoya Shay for the base,  Zoya Robyn, Essie Bouncer it's me, and Zoya Blu. 

Alrighty yall! I hope you like this mani as much as I did! 

Thanks for reading! 

Rainbow Stripes (boyfriend approved!)

When I showed these nails to my boyfriend he said they were his favorite design so far. So that's cool :)

I don't know if you know this... But I love rainbows. Like, a lot. 

When I was in kindergarten I wanted to change my name to Rainbow, because I thought they were so awesome. So now you have fodder to embarrass me with. But I refuse to be embarrassed! Rainbows are RAD! 

Here are the polishes I used for the gradient: 

Zoya Ali and Robyn, and ORLY Glowstick and Purple Crush

TUTORIAL TIME! 

I'm now realizing that the sponge in this picture is a little misleading. I really did only use those four colors above, but I took the sponge picture after I had used it on a couple fingers so the colors started to blend together to create orange, green, and indigo. 

Anywho, I hope you're all having a loverly day! I went to the Orthodontist today for the first time in a billion years and I think they were honestly surprised to see me. 

Thanks for reading! 

There's No Place Like Home!

I'm super proud of these nails, guys. It was actually quite easy and I love how they turned out.

Dorothy Nails! I've been wanting to try Gingham print for a while but all of the ones I looked at weren't neat enough for me (it bugs me when the lines aren't straight. Does that make me anal retentive?). So I used tape and sponge!

By sponging on one layer of the blue color, it makes it a little less opaque than just the pure color from the brush. Then when you sponge on the next layer after applying the perpendicular tape, it makes the perfect gingham squares!

The red I used is China Glaze Ruby Pumps (because, duh. You have to). The white is Zoya Purity and the blue is Zoya Jo.

Tutorial!

Yay! I hope you like these as much as I do. Like I said, super easy!! Even if you just did the gingham it would be adorable in any color.

Thanks for reading!

What an Ordeal.

Oh, this manicure. So I did this about an hour before I had to leave for a bridesmaid dress fitting. I threw on some seche vite and thought all would be fine.

Aw, it's so pretty. 

Surely, nothing can go wrong! 

Turns out, even Seche Vite couldn't help me. The ends were just too thick. By the end of the fitting my nails were a MESS. I had to go to work right after, so there was nothing I could do, but the polish was still wet enough that I could kind of scrape it off. Which, because I'm one of those people that can't leave things alone, I of course did.

The cherry on top was I broke two of my nails at work, so now I've filed them all down super short. But hey! I redid this mani on my new little shorties.

At least it still looks cute on short nails. Even if the shape is all messed up on my middle finger. How appropriate that I was gonna call this the "silver lining manicure."

Anywho, Tutorial! I made this when I was clearly too tired to be making things and forgot to place the 2. in the corner of the picture before I saved it. So, ya know.. Good Job, Coralee.

Oh, btw: Colors are Zoya Blu, a-england excalibur, and Zoya Purity.

Thanks for reading as always :)

Interlocking Dots! (Plus Picture Tutorial)

Originally Posted: February 5, 2013

So on Wednesday, my high school choir director friend has asked me and another friend to come to one of his classes and teach Erato’s “Call Your Girlfriend” to his women’s choir. This same director-friend has apparently told some of his students that I do nails. Which, of course, means I have to have cool nails when I go there. And my last mani started chipping today. So I’m staying up all late just to make sure I have awesome nails so I don’t let anyone down. I hope you’re happy, director-friend!

SO! Here we have China Glaze Pink Voltage and Zoya Raven making an appearance on my little nails:

I also made a step by step picture tutorial!

Materials:

Two contrasting colors that are fairly opaque

Dotting tool. Or a bobby pin. Or the back of a paint brush. or any smallish tipped tool you might have around. I wouldn’t use a toothpick cause that will make super tiny dots.

Top Coat

The only step left out is the topcoat at the end… but I wasn’t sure how to make that obvious in a final photo. So I’m telling you now. Step 7: top coat that bizniz. Also, in case it wasn’t clear, the initial diagonal line in step 2 does NOT need to be perfect. It will get covered up by the dots.

Okay, and now it’s entirely too far past my bedtime. Thanks for reading!

PS: If you’re looking for a freaking neon pink, this one is amazing. It’s coming off as slightly more baby pink in these pictures, but trust me, it will make your eyes bleed with happiness.

Okay. Goodnight.

First Post!

Post originally created: February 2, 2013

On this, the first day of the second month of the thirteenth year of the second millennium, I, Coralee, being of occasionally sound mind and marginally acceptable body, announce my love of nail polish.

This infatuation has grown and blossomed from the moment I realized not all varnish was frosty pinks and dusty mauves. In other words… about two years ago.  Sometimes I’m slow; give me a break. 

So now I have these people in my life (some might call them, “friends,” or ”family,” or “that nice man on 8th st that thinks he’s Frida Kahlo”) that keep telling me I should claim a little corner of the internet as mine and document my budding obsession with all things nail art. I haven’t had a blog since Xanga was the place to be and bonding with internet strangers over my terrible, “blood-stained” poetry gave my 14-year-old life meaning. A lot has changed since then, thanks be to EVERYTHING. 

Anyway, that’s probably enough of an introduction. How appropriate that I should start this blog with a little bit of love and hearts:  

I used Zoya Marley, Loredana, and Sooki for these. I also made good use of some striping tape. 

If you got this far, thanks for reading! I hope this is the start of a lovely friendship. I’ll even call you Frida, if you’d like. 

Or Ms. Kahlo… that’s completely fine, too. I understand if you want to keep this relationship professional.