Neon Double Stamping and some thoughts on blogging

So it has been a while since I have posted. I just haven't been feeling up to blogging much lately. The world of blogging has changed so much since I started... It is way more about photo-shopping skills these days for both bloggers and makers. I used to look at 40 - 50 blogs per week, looking at new collections, swatches, nail art designs. Now I look at maybe 4 for swatches because I trust those bloggers not to photo-shop the polish (for color, effect, holo-ness). It is so disheartening. There are several other reasons too, but I am still painting and doing nail art all of the time! Here is a mani I did a couple of weeks ago. 

I did a base of white with a coat of Nina Pro Solar Flare, a highlighter yellow neon!!! I double-stamped black and holo using a clear jelly stamper and Ejiubas plate EJB-02. This mani turned out exactly as I wanted it to. But it did make me realize I need some new stamping plates!!!

🎔 Melissa

Gradient Cheetah

Hey Dolls!!!! A quick fun wild mani for you today:) I did a easy 3 color gradient using China Glaze Sorry I'm Latte, Zoya Nyssa, Sinful Colors Black on Black. I then stamped the cheetah design using BM 221 plate and my clear stamper (link) in black. I followed it up with a quick coat of SV!

I grabbed the idea for this mani off of pinterest ages ago... I can't even find the pin for it now:( I like it even more now... the stamping fading into the gradient just does something for me!

♥ Melissa

Freehand Flower

Happy Friday Dolls! For today's mani I decided to do a little bit of freehand nail art. I used China Glaze Bite Me as my main color and painted my 2 accent nails in Sinful Colors White on White. I added a few quick black dots to my middle finger:) For my ring finger I used China Glaze Bite Me, None of Your Risky Business, Pool Party, and That's Shore Bright to do an impressionist style of flower and added some black dots to highlight the center :)

This kind of freehand art is so easy, there are no straight lines and no way to really mess it up:) and it looks fantastic:) Hope you all have a wonderful relaxing weekend!!!!

♥ Melissa

For Lily

It is Friday again dolls! Sorry for the delay in this post, my last fur puppy passed away last weekend from bone cancer:( Lily was my beautiful, sweet, and gentle 13yr old Rottweiler! It has been super quiet around my house without her:(  

 In Honor of Lily (or Beanie as we called her) I did a black and tan mani for her markings!

I did a simple black base with dotted design using China Glaze Sorry I'm Latte. On my accent nail I did a black and tan water marble. Have a great weekend!

♥  Melissa

Negative Space Stamping Mani!!!

Hey Dolls:) Today's mani has been a while in the making!!! I have always loved the look of negative space manis, but I have never been able to execute them correctly:( I always would manage to smear the black somehow and then after multiple attempts I would get fed up and do something else!!! So I used a different method for this!!!

 I used Bundle Monster Abstract Set and stamped onto my silicone mat and covered it with a coat of SV (waited patiently for it to dry):) Then I placed the pre-stamped sheet over my wet nail (clear base coat) and cleaned it up with some acetone and sealed it all with SV:) On my accent nail I used China Glaze Daisy Know My Name? over white and used the same method!! Now for the downfall of this mani.... This sucker peeled off about halfway through day 2:(  I think it was maybe the base coat wasn't thick enough to fully secure the "sheet" to my nail or maybe I got sloppy and didn't fully seal the tip with SV!?!?! I will say that I will definitely use this method again as I love the crispness of the stamping (with no fear of it not fully transferring) but I will be tweaking my method of application!!!!  

Do you use this method??? Any tips or tricks to share??? Would love your input!!!

♥ Melissa

China Glaze Cheers! Swatches and Review

Hi Dolls!!! So it's Thanksgiving week and I don't know about you but I'm ready for some turkey! So this week I have China Glaze Cheers! Holiday 2015 for your viewing pleasure:)

*press sample*

First up is Better Not Pout, this is a merry berry pearl:) Not dark enough to be considered vampy but not bright either but definitely classic!!!

Wine Down for What? is a rich red cream almost like a good Merlot without the purple undertones:) So Beautiful!!!

Peppermint to Be is a glittery ruby shimmer:) I really like this because it has an orange undertone which brings a different feel than most holiday reds!!! I Love this for Christmas:)

Don't Get Elfed Up is a glistening deep emerald shimmer that has teal and blue undertones!!! It also has a hidden purple shimmer but you can only see it at certain angles:)

Mix and Mingle is a a deep purple cream!!!! This color is kind of the odd ball out in this collection, but I kinda of love that:) A great base for Glitter and Nail Art!!!

Son of a Nutcracker is a fiery red/orange pearl!!!! This is my favorite of the collection:) It is slightly coral and it for some reason it just speaks to me:)

I Soiree I Didn't Do It, is a bright and cheery green glitter!!! It has a sprinkling of holographic glitters with a ton of greenish teal glitters in a blackened teal base:)  So Beautiful!!!

Ugly Sweater Party is a multidimensional red glitter in a red jelly base:) Not what you think when you think of ugly sweater party because it's not ugly at all!!!! It's Stunning:)

Brand Sparkin' New Year is a deep prismatic purple glitter in a purple jelly base with holographic glitters sprinkled throughout:) One of my favorites from this collection!!!

Coal Hands, Warm Heart is a black jelly with holographic glitter throughout:) I love the contradiction in this Polish with the inky black base and the holographic glitters and then it's got a midnight blue Shimmer to it that is just beautiful!!!!

Break the Ice is packed full of prismatic silver shreds in a clear base:) Unlike most shreds these lay down super easy and are super stunning!!!! I did a accent gradient over Out Like a Light from the Twinkle Collection:)

Bring on the Bubbly is the last in this collection:) It is packed full of gold and holographic glitters in a clear base:) Great for adding a little sparkle to any mani!!!

 I think my favorite part of this collection is the names!!! Son of a Nutcracker, Break the Ice, Coal Hand, Warm Heart, and Brand Sparkin' New Year are my favs from this collection:) I would really have loved to see Break the Ice in gold vs. Bring on the Bubbly, I just feel like this kind of glitter topper has been done before:( All swatches are 2 coats except for the glitter toppers:) Now I'm off to work on some turkey nail art:) 

♥ Melissa

*Press Sample: Some of the products in this post were sent to me for review. I was not paid for my review of this product and all opinions are my own*

Chirality Halloween Gradient:)

Okay so it has been a couple of weeks since I have posted:( Nothing crazy going on I just haven't been feeling it... But I had to show off this easy Halloween mani!!!! The polishes I used are from Chirality, one of my all-time favorite indie makers EVER!!!! For this mani I used Just Before Dawn a pumpkin orange scattered holo beauty:) I then added a gradient of Dark Matter a simple creme black on just the tips!!!! 

A simple but super festive mani!!!! 

♥ Melissa

Stamping Penny Talks

Happy Friday Eve Dolls!!!! I have been trying to paint my nails for DAYS!!!! But I have a very cranky 1yr old who is cutting teeth like crazy!!! Last night my Hubby gave me a couple of hours to myself (THANK YOU HUBBY) to paint my nails and decompress!!! I went with a basic black and then stamped on some Essie Penny Talks using Born Pretty Plate W-10. Simple Elegant and perfect!!!!

I feel like I am getting a renewed desire for nail art!!! And I have so many ideas floating around in my head, I can't wait to show you:)

♥ Melissa

I Want it NOW!!

And It is Friday AGAIN!!!! So another simple mani for you today:) The base is SC black on black with random triangles taped off and Smitten polish I Want It Now over:) This particular polish I got several years ago (pretty sure it is not available at this time) in a grab bag and just never used it, but couldn't seem to part with it either it was just tooo pretty!!! Well I decided today is the day, and I couldn't be happier!!! I Want It Now is a dark green tinted base with green, teal and a few black glitters:) And It is not a topcoat eater like I would have thought:)

Check out those Macros!!!! Such a pretty color!!!!  Have a great weekend!!!

♥ Melissa

All products in this post were purchased by me and all opinions are my own

Red-y to Rave!!!

A few months ago China Glaze came out with the Electric Nights Collection, and I just knew I had to have them!!!! One of the first colors in this collection that caught my eye was Red-y to Rave:) This is a super bright Red/Orange neon that does not play well with my camera at all (like most neons)!!! I used China Glaze Liquid Leather as an accent for this mani:) I love the contrast between the two colors!!!!

Love, Love, Love this mani!!! Neon and black is always a good color combo no matter the design!!! and China Glaze has done a fantastic job with this collection of Neons!!!!

♥ Melissa

All products in this post were purchased by me and all opinions are my own