Blue Kisses:)

Happy Valentine's Day Dolls!!!!  This is by far one of the most over-rated holidays to me, either you need to go above and beyond to show your love for your SO... or you get the reminder that you are alone:( And even though I am very happily married, I think that flowers or candy on a random day mean more. But that is just me, and I have a lot of friends that LOVE this holiday and relish in all things Valentine:)  So this one is for the lovers of all things Valentine🎔🎔🎔

 The base for this is Barry M Gelly in Blueberry. I stamped on Sinful Colors Pink (neon from a couple of years ago) and China Glaze That's Shore Bright. The kiss designs are from Bundle Monster Plate BM-303 and Cheeky Plate CH29:) I followed it all up with a matte top coat by Butter London!

I hope you have a fantastic Valentines Day no matter your relationship status!!! You all deserve to be pampered and loved on everyday of the year!!!

🎔 Melissa

Glitter with Half Moon Stamping

Hi Dolls!!! So today's mani is a little sparkly and flashy, exactly what I need to shake away these winter blues!!!

 I did a base of Zoya Reagan with two coats of Orly Bubbly Bombshell!  Bubbly Bombshell is like most glitter bombs because even though it is packed full of glitter it is still has a clear base that would take 3+ coats to get the coverage I wanted! So I did a base of Reagan! I then stamped a half moon design using Bundle Monster Plate BM-215 and China Glaze I'd Melt For You!!!

Now I usually shy away from glitter bombs, solely because they are a pain to remove!!! This mani reminded me that even though they may be a pain, the sparkle can't be beat!!!

🎔 Melissa

Snowflake Gradient

Hi, Dolls!!! So we had our first and probably only snow last weekend (turned out to be more ice than anything) but we did have some awesome visible actual snowflakes toward the end of it!!!  This is the first time I had actually seen a "traditional" snowflake so I was pretty excited!!! So of course I had to do a mani inspired by it!!!

I did a base of white and a gradient of China Glaze So Blue Without You (this gem is from their holiday collection 2013)! I then stamped on some white snowflakes using Ejiubas EJB-

03. Followed it all up with a coat of SV!!!

 I love the way this turned out!!! and this China Glaze is one of my favorites, it has a foil like finish and is such a bright color:)  

Here is a pic I snapped of the snow flakes:) 

 🎔 Melissa

Red Gradient and Gold Stamping

Hi Dolls:) So today I have a festive Fall mani for you, even though Fall is almost over:(  For this mani I used a base of Zoya Janel and did an added gradient of Courtney. I then stamped on a feather design using Essie Good as Gold and Ejiubas Plate EJB-01.

Lately I have become a bit wary of full nail stamping on all nails, mostly because I generally think less is more. Also it seems that nail trends are changing as I am seeing less and less full-on Nail Art mani's. But at the same time I think that trends are a waste and you should do whatever you want on your nails!!!!  

❤ Melissa

Sharpie Nails with Double Stamping!!!

TGIF Dolls!!!! Wow what a week it has been:) and here comes the weekend with the threat of Hurricane Matthew!!! But as of the latest forecast it looks like the effects will be minimal here in eastern NC:) So the mani I have for you today is a "sharpie mani" with some double stamping:) I used a basic white creme as the base. I them diluted some sharpie squiggles with rubbing alcohol and painted a random design. I then did a black stamping using konad black and BM-313, then a silver stamp of the same pattern just slightly off from the black:) Finished it all off with a coat of SV!

The only thing I will do different next time is amp up the intensity of the colors in the base but otherwise I LOVE it!!! It looks like magical fish scales!!!! Hope you have a great week end!!!

♥ Melissa

Pink with Shell Stamping:)

So today I have a mani that I did a couple of months ago:) I totally meant to post this after I did it but I forgot!!! Like forgot that I even did the mani at all!!! But I ran across the pics this morning and well here you go:)  So for the base I used China Glaze I'll Pink to That, a bright bubblegum pink! I stamped on a shell design from Plate JQ-L20 from LadyQueen in Black.  I love the designs on this plate however I could not get 90% of them to pick up... I have approx 10 plates from this company and all of them have the same pickup ratio... I've tried different stamping polish and different stampers; same results:) I added a simple silver stud to the tips and followed it all up with a coat of SV.

I like this mani but I struggled with the stamping, I really love the designs but don't think I will ever be able to use them because they don't pick up:( Do you know anyway to try and salvage stamping plates that don't pick up, let me know!!!

♥ Melissa

Neon Corner Nails

Hey Dolls:) I have a fun mani that I sported over the weekend that I wanna share with you today:) I did a white creme base and then flicked a random line of China Glaze What I Like About Blue, That's Shore Bright, Pink Voltage, and Home Sweet House Music in the bottom corner:) I top it off with a partial nail stamping using Ejiubas Wonders of Life plate and Konad Black :) Followed it up with a quick coat of Seche Vite!

Super Easy and quick!!! I love manis like this because the are really hard to screw up (which I do often) :) Have a great weekend!!!

♥ 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

Reverse Stamping Take 2

Happy Friday Dolls:) So for today's mani I did a reverse stamp. Now I have tried reverse stamping method before and it wasn't a real success as it peeled half way through Day 2:( So I tweaked some things and gave it another shot! I used just a silicone baking mat to do this method, but you could use a beauty mat or something similar. I put my SV top coat down and then stamped in black the pattern that I wanted. I filled in the design with OPI OPI on Collins Ave., Essie Good as Gold and China Glaze Too Yacht Too Handle. Once this was semi-dry I put China Glaze Girls Just Want to Have Sun over top of the design. Now working one nail/decal at a time I top coated the decal... waited a few min and put a base of CG Girls Just Want to Have Sun on my nail.  I carefully peeled up the decal and placed it on the wet base. I then cleaned up the edges and then top coat it again making sure to seal everything in. Rinse and repeat for the other 9:) Here is the finished product!

I am really proud of how well this mani turned out and it lasted 5 full days:) I still managed to smudge a few spots and it took a lot longer to do this method than I thought it would. There are lots of youtube videos that give great tutorials on this method. I found after several failed attempts to not let the decals dry completely, but you don't want them tacky either so somewhere right in between! That way the decal doesn't curl up and will lay down completely on your nail. I will definitely use this method again in the future!  Hope you all have a fabulous weekend!

♥ Melissa

Springtime Fun!!!

Hi Dolls!!! Now Springtime is full swing and pollen is EVERYWHERE:) They say inspiration can come from the strangest places... so here is my pollen inspired mani:) For this mani I used China Glaze Girls Just Wanna Have Sun for my base! I love this pale yellow creme it is so gorgeous!!! I stamped Zoya  Tilda a light grass green creme using Ejiubas plate EJB-01 from the Wonders Of Life collection:) 

This mani turned out better that I could have hoped!!!! I have always stayed away from stamping with colors mostly because it is so hard to find colors that stamp without having to buy "stamping polish"!!!! But really it is just trial and error to see what works, and this clearly works:) Hope you are having a great week!!!!

♥  Melissa

Modern French with a Twist

Happy Friday Dolls!!!! I have really had a surge of inspiration for nail art lately, I feel like I am finally getting back into my groove :) So for today's mani I did a modern twist on the classic french mani:) I did a creme gradient with full coverage pink and white, stamped on a square pattern in white and then matted the whole thing!!! 

I used China Glaze Pink or Swim and White on White for the gradient, stamped Konad White using Bundle monster plate BM-320! I finished this mani with China Glaze Matte Magic:) This is a super easy mani to wear, just like a classic french it goes with everything!!! Hope you all 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

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

Mood Boosting Mani:)

Happy Wednesday Dolls:) I have a random mani for you today!!! It is cold and rainy here today, so I needed something to brighten my mood!!! I used CG Shocking Pink as my base, added a scroll work stamp (BM -314) with Konad Black and then sponged a black gradient tip with Sinful Colors Black on Black!!! I really like the way this mani turned out!!!

 What do you think of this mani??? and what is on your nails today???? 

♥ Melissa

All products in this post were purchased by me

Born Pretty Nail Stamping Plate

Happy Wednesday Dolls!!! Wow what a morning I have had, it just seems like nothing is going my way today:( So I am gonna just dive right in to what makes me happy... Polish:)

*press sample*

I have been reviewing some nail art products from Born Pretty and I just had to try out their stamping plates:) I pick out the vintage floral arabesque  template, it has 13 designs!!!! I Love the way holos look on super dark colors so I picked OPI Honk if you Love OPI and stamped it with Color Club Cloud Nine:) 

I am super happy with this stamping plate, I love the design and had no problem with picking up the image:) You can get this plate from the Born Pretty Store and you can get 10% off  with the coupon code below:)

♥ 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*

Halloween Skittles:)

Happy Halloween Week!!!! and I'm baaaackkkk!!! Surgery went really well, I laid on the couch for 5 days straight with some pretty awesome meds:) I have been taking it super easy for the past 2 days and went back to work today (crazy, I know)!!! I was gonna take another week off of blogging and social media; but I have a couple of super cute Halloween mani's to show off and waiting till after Halloween just seemed wrong. So tonight I wanna show off my Halloween Skittle mani!!!

 

So for this Mani I used 7 different colors!!!For thumb nail I used Zoya Darcy as my base and stamped on some fun bats with the Bundle Monster BM-213 plate:) My index finger is China Glaze Def Defying with some fun stiches freehanded on!!! For my middle finger Eyeballs were the way to go, a black base with Zoya Rocky for the blue and some well placed dots:)  My ring finger is a base of Zoya Thandie with a freehanded Jack-o-lantern face!!! and Finally my pinkie is a base of Zoya Livingston with a freehanded black and white mouth with fangs!!!!

So what do you think of my Halloween Skittles???? I am sooo happy with the way these turned out!!!

More Halloween fun to come this week:)

 

♥ Melissa

Black and Gold Geometric:)

Happy Monday Dolls:) I have a real quick post for you tonight, a simple fun mani:)  For this mani I used Zoya Kerry as my base:) I just can't even tell you how much I Love this polish!!! It really is the perfect yellow gold:) I've never been much of a fan of gold or yellow but Zoya has really changed my mind with the last couple of collections:) I stamped BM 319 with Konad Black. This mani is bold and sassy, just how I like them:)

 

Hope you have a great week:)  and just a quick FYI Zoya is giving away the Mini Instagram Trio (including Tinsley, Rocky, and Hazel) Free with a $10 + S&H purchase, just enter the code: 3SUM!!! This is limited, only 2,000 are available:)

 

♥ Melissa

Eurso Euro...Holo Fun:)

So let me begin by saying... I know that I have been MIA, I have had a ton going on IRL:( But I have a bunch of new posts coming up in the next few weeks:) and a really big surprise coming next month:) For tonight's post I wanna show you lovelies a gorgeous mani!!!  Eurso Euro! is a fabulous dark blue crème from the OPI Euro Centrale collection:)  I used 2 easy coats followed by a coat of SV:) I then stamped on Color Club Harp On It using Bundle Monster plate BM-319.  Oh my goodness how gorgeous is this:)

 

 

 

 

This is one of my favorite mani's of all time!!!! The blue was dark but not tooo dark and the stamping just added that little something extra:) So what do you guys think of this mani:)  And for some really great news.... Tomorrow's FRIDAY, tgif!!!!

 

♥ ~ Melissa

Shift Happens

So a few months ago I saw this awesome mani by Nicole over at Nail Polish Wars. I fell in LOVE with it as soon as I saw it:) I just knew I would have to try and recreate it, at some point:) But first I would need to get my hands on Girly Bits Shift Happens:) Well this past week I did:)  So I sat down yesterday and tried my hand at The Shifty Giraffe or Turtle as my son called it:)

 So for my base I use my trusted China Glaze For Audrey, a perfect creamy tiffany blue:) I then stamped Black Giraffe print (regular and inverted) using Bundle Monster plate BM 313. After a coat of Girly Bits Shift Happens, a gorgeous top coat that shifts from purple to red, this mani transformed in to EPICness:) A quick coat of SV and done!!!

This has got to be one of my favorite manis of all time:) it is an unusual combination but it just pops off the nail!!!! I hope you are all having a fabulous Sunday:) And I have a giant surprise for you coming really soon:)

 

♥ ~ Melissa

Holy Holo Stamping

I have a fabulous new mani to show you tonight:) I wore this mani for 4 days and that is un-heard of for me. I am just loving all of the new holo colors that have come out recently, and I can't wait to see the new China Glaze Collection scheduled to come out in the next couple of months.  For tonight's mani I used Color Club Halo-Graphic, a gorgeous pink Holo ,and Sinful Colors Black on Black.  

 

 Over the base color black I stamped with Halo-Graphic using the Bundle Monster plate BM-314. I was super surprised how well this polish stamped, most holos are too thin to stamp well with but this worked like a dream:) For my accent nail I just inverted the colors and stamp pattern:)

 

What do you think of Holos, I LOVE them. I'm also thinking about a giveaway soon... Maybe St. Patty's Day.  Green is one of my favorite colors after all.  What would you like to see as prizes???  Let me know and I hope you all are having a great week:)

 

♥ ~ Melissa