Peacock Feathers

Hello, everyone!

It's been a long time since I've posted, but I couldn't miss an opportunity to share these delightfully festive fingers with you!

This is a base of Sally Hansen Insta Dri Jade Jump.  To add sparkle, I double stamped the peacock pattern, first with the shimmery Nicole Mer-Maid for Each Other and then with the crisp Kleancolor Military Green.  The feather pattern is from a plate simply labelled Jumbo Plate B.

I used a nail brush to fill in the eyes of each of the feathers.  The brown is the sparkly Revlon Copper Gleam.  I dotted on Insta Dri Brisk Blue and the lovely, rich indigo Insta Dri Quick Jeanius.

Thanks for reading!  Have a great weekend!

Full of Hot Air

Hi, everyone!
Today, I'm sharing my hot air balloon mani.  It didn't come out exactly as I had hoped.  I was trying to go for a brighter, lighter, look.  Even though it wasn't exactly what I had in mind, it was still fun to wear.

I used Sally Hansen Insta Dri Blue Blast for my sky.  For the background clouds, I used NYC French White Tip and the cloud image from Mash 37.  The balloon image is from the Cheeky European Romance plate.  I used Milani Black magic for the stamping since I didn't want to risk smearing as I filled in the balloons.  Then, I just grabbed a bunch of colors and a tiny nail brush and got to filling in the balloon colors.

If I were redoing this mani, I would probably start with a lighter blue - or even a pastel or pearly blue.  That might have brightened up the sky a bit and have allowed for lighter balloon colors.  I guess I'll know what the try the next time I feel "flighty"!

Up, up, and away, Konnadicts!

Pashmina

Hi everyone!
Today's mani was inspired by my favorite pashmina scarf.  I started with a simple blue - Sally Hansen Insta Dri In Prompt Blue.  I added a little glitter - though it's hard to see - with Vivid Lacquer Late Bloomer.  I used a design from Cici & Sisi 03 and China Glaze Passion for the stamping.

It makes me feel very elegant!

Have you all seen the new Bundle Monster Art Polishes?  I've already ordered a few, so I'll be sure to give you skinny on them!

Thanks for reading, Konaddicts!  I hope you're having a wonderful week!

China Vases

Hello, everyone!  I'm so glad to have a post today!  I know it's been a while since my last post.  I got an iPhone!  I went from a basic "just makes calls" phone to a smartphone and I seriously haven't looked up from it in over a month!

I have finally (!) stopped asking crazy Siri questions, playing Threes, and downloading apps that I'll never use long enough to polish my nails!

This is a base of NYC French Tip.  I stamped it with Sally Hansen Insta Dri In a Blink Blue using a design from the Cheeky European Romance Jumbo Stamping Plate.  I used the sheery Pure Ice Splash to fill in some of the patterns.  I dotted it with Kleancolor Cappuchino
and filled in the center square with Kleancolor Metallic Yellow.

Thanks for stopping by, Konaddicts!  I hope each of you is doing well!  Thank you for reading!

Jenkies! I'ts Scooby Doo!

Hey, everyone!  I couldn't wait to show you my latest nails.  I finally got around to trying out Scooby Doo pattern from the MJ Special Edition plate!  I love classic Scooby Doo - I own the first couple of seasons, along with the movies, and the Dynomutt and Batman episodes - so I knew I wouldn't be happy with this mani unless I had time to get it exactly right.

It was so much fun because I got to use some of the Halloween designs in it!  The ghost is from Winstonia W221, the bats from Winstonia W116, and the haunted house from BM224.  I had to incorporate those crazy psychedelic flowers, so I used Cheeky CH114.

I used saran wrap to create the backgrounds.  I started with darker versions of the blue and purple - Sally Hansen Insta Dri Brisk Blue and Insta Dri Urgent Orchid.  I used saran wrap and a lighter color over the top - Kleancolor Pastel Blue and Salon Perfect Lavendar Fields.  When I needed contrast for the stamping, I added a little darker color - Rimmel Blue Eyed Girl and Kleancolor Love Affair.

Scooby is a decal made with Konad Special polish in black and Kleancolor Mocha. The plate is the oh-so-cool MJ Special Edition from My Online Shop's facebook store.

Thanks for stopping by!  If Scooby Doo teaches us anything, it's that things are rarely as scary as they first seem and that there are few situations that you - along with help from your best pals - can't make it through. :)

Raggedy Ann Patchwork Nails

Hi, everyone!

Do any of you remember Raggedy Ann and Andy?  I remember them!  I've had the idea for this design in the back of my mind for a while - I just never quite got a chance to try it out.  Well, with a season of The Closer on DVD, I decided I would sit down with my polishes to see what I could come up with.

The lovely L'Oreal Walk on the Beach is my base color.  I used Konad Special in Black and plate A48 for the patchwork stamp.  I filled in the patches using a nail brush with Milani Sail Away and the gel-like Sally Hansen Royal Red Creme.  To add a little variety, I dotted some of them with NYC French White Tip.  

The adorable Raggedy Ann design is from the MJ XVI plate (I think I purchased mine from Etsy).  I could not color her "within the lines", but I tried, using the lighter Wet n Wild Red Red and the more sheer Sinful Midnight Blue.

I can't decide whether my Raggedy Ann came out cute or a little bit creepy - or maybe some of both! - but I'm enjoying this little trip down memory lane all the same.

Thanks for stopping by, Konaddicts!  I hope your week is off to a great start!

Nailasaurus Waterfalls

Hi, everyone!

I've been watching the evolution of Sammie at Nailasauraus's Waterfall nails.  Wow, they're just stunning!  When she posted a tutorial, I decided I would give the style a try.  You start with a base color (in this mani Sally Hansen Mint Sorbet) and paint in the lines in varying colors with a long nail brush. 

I used five different colors for the lines: Sinful Mint Apple, SH Insta Dri Blue Blast, Sinful Midnight Blue, SH The Real Teal, and the very beautiful metallic Nicole Mer-Maid for Each Other.

The execution wasn't as difficult as I imagined it would be.  I think the trick is a steady hand (obviously not me!), a good brush, and an eye for color (okay, that's a couple of tricks!).  I think it's the color selection that really sends the design over the top - have your seen Sammi's Fiery Waterfall? ...sigh.... Polish genius!

So...what do you think?  Is this style on your To Do list?

Harlequin Nails

Hello, everyone!  If you're here in the US, I hope you've got a great long weekend planned!

I finally had a little time for some much needed polish therapy; I decided to make the most of it!

This is a little tape mani made with Salon Perfect Baby Blues, Salon Perfect Pure Azure, China Glaze Spontaneous, and Sally Hansen Insta Dri Blue By.

I had my camera handy, and a couple of nails to redo, so I figured this would be a chance to take some step-by-step photos.

I'm redoing my pinky nail here.  You can see my base coat of Baby Blues with a freehanded bottom of Azure.

Here is the nail taped up, and ready to polish.  I pressed down the edges as firmly as I could to try to get those crisp lines.

Here I've polished Blue By and Outrageous over the tape.

I pulled the tape off and voila!

So, I wasn't ready to end my polish therapy, so I decided to add an accessory.  I couldn't choose between pale blue rhinestones and nail tape, so I chose both!

I couldn't find my good topcoat, so I had to use my kind of goopy one.  Other than that, I like it!  I'm sure it will look better tomorrow, when I've really had a chance to clean up the edges, but I'm always afraid that all the tapes and rhinestones will fall off before I get a good picture!

Well, Konaddicts, thanks for stopping by!  I really enjoyed by polish play time today; I can't decide whether to wear this one for a while or to pull off all the colors and start again!  

Sea Creatures

Hi all,
Today I've got a beach inspired mani  to share with you.  I wasn't exactly sure what I wanted, so this one kind of evolved as I went along.

I started with a base of Sinful Colors Cinderella.  I used a nail brush to add a "shore" of Kleancolor Mocha, and dotted it with NYC Fashion Safari and Revlon Top Speed Stormy.

I decided to add decorations to my beach shore.  I tried stamping a little crab but it didn't really work well with this color set up so I decided to switch to the "decal method" for the designs.  The outline provides a lot of detail and really makes the design stand out.

So, for the decorations, I used these plates:
Octopus - Mash 37
Palm Tree - Shany SH19
Crab & Seahorse - Cheeky CH39
Starfish - Gals 42

In some places, the polish got a little thick from the layers and the stamp decal, but it's a small price to pay to keep company with such cute little critters.

Keep swimming, Konaddicts!

Maybelline Color Show Polka Dots

Hi everyone!  I'm excited to finally get a chance to post.  It's been another busy week.  First, I had a leak and woke up to a small swamp in my apartment (argh!).  I was also preparing for a family reunion - which turned out to be a great couple of days with family.  It was wonderful to be able to be able to see my aunts and cousins, some of whom I haven't see in years!

So now...back to the nails!

I picked up this bottle of Maybelline Color Show Polka Dots Blue Marks the Spot (which must be the longest name is polish history) and wanted to try it out.  I used Rimmel Blue Eyed Girl as a base then I added the Blue Marks.  This polish is packed with glitter; one coat is probably enough.  I was being a bit of a glitter glutton, so I went for two.

To add a little variety, I polished the glitter over manicure tapes on the ring finger and decided to stamp the thumb.  I used Pueen 8 and Kleancolor Pastel Blue for the stamping.

I haven't tried many glitter polishes with different sizes and shapes of glitter.  What have I been doing?  This stuff is awesome! The variety of glitter adds interest to your nails, even if you're just wearing it over a simple polish. Blue Marks was the only one left on the shelf, but I'd really like to try out some of the other ones!

I hope you're enjoying your summers, Konaddicts.  Can you believe we're creeping into August now?

Thanks for stopping by!

Festive Fourth Nails

So...I don't usually do 4th of July nails.  Typically, they turn out to be a great big mess.  This year, I thought I'd give it another try and, well, I just couldn't stop - stars and glitter and flags and the Statue of Liberty and dots!

In my head, I had some kind of lean and sophisticated look going, but in fact, it's like The Party Store exploded all over my nails...and I kinda like it. :)

I used Wet n Wild Red Creme and Revlon Urban as the base colors.  I went about it the easy way and polished the whole nail red, stamped my stripes with Sally Hansen Whirlwind White, painted the blue tips, and stamped the stars over that.  Cheeky CH4 provided the perfect stars and wavy stripes.  I used Cheeky CH51 for the star image on the thumb and Essie No Place Like Chrome for the stamping.

My favorite part of the mani is the way over the top image of the Statue of Liberty on the accent nail.  This plate is Winstonia W114 and, boy, is it cute! Decorated with a little red glitter and silver dots, it's a fun added touch!

Well, thanks for stopping by, Konaddicts!  If you're reading here in the US, I hope you have a wonderful and safe holiday!

Anchors Aweigh! Nautical Nails Twin Post with Jajuana from Mani's by Moore

Thank you to Jajuana from Mani's by Moore for suggesting a twin post of nautical nails!  I've never tried this theme before, so it was a fun challenge!

There was a lot of back and forthing on this this one - I pulled out every anchor, star, and wave plate that I had.  I did a lot of experimenting with colors and created one very horrendous manicure before I stumbled on a look like that I liked.  The bonus was that I got to add buttons - one of my favorite stamping designs.

This is two coats of the lovely, navy Revlon Urban.  I stamped the tips with Cheeky CH 24 and I used BM 201 for the wavy lines on the accent nail.  I used a dotting tool and a big dollop of Urban over the tip to create a solid background before stamping the button from Konad M16.  The anchor is from BM 08.  I used white Konad Special polish for the stamping.

Now all I need is a sailor - haha!  I hope he's a singing and dancing one!

Have a great weekend, Konaddicts!  Can't wait to see the awesome mani Jajuana posts!

Spring Blue

Hello, Konaddicts!
Today I'm wearing a quick and easy two-color mani using a cute design from the Pueen Love Elements set of plates. This is Sally Hansen Insta Dri Blue Away stamped with Brisk Blue (one of my very favorite polishes!).  I used Pueen 32 for the full nail design and the cute little butterfly from Pueen 13.

Sweet, simple, and easy!  I hope you've got blue skies, Konaddicts!

Icy Winter Nails

Brr...
It's finally beginning to feel a little like winter outside!
I have been mulling over ideas for an icy manicure for a while.  The weather's changed, so it seemed like a good time to give it a try.

I decided to start by sponging Milani Sail Away, the darker Kleancolor Metallic Sapphire, and Pure Ice Superstar over a base of Kleancolor Pastel Blue.  That gave me a few high and low lights for my ice.  I used BM 208 and Konad Special Polish in white for the "cracks" in the ice.

Good...but...what else can I add?

I decided to go with holographic glitter - Covergirl City Lights - to add a little sparkle to my ice.  I decided I would finish by adding snowflakes.  White wouldn't show up over my lines, so I decided to use Sail Away again for the snowflakes.  I used BM232 for the tiny snowflakes on the fingers and I used A39 for the larger one on the thumb.

I like the frosty final look!

Take care, Konaddicts!  Stay warm and toasty!

Bollywood Paisley

Hi, everyone!

I'm loving today's manicure!  It's a design based on a beautiful sari I saw on Facebook.  I couldn't afford this beauty, and goodness knows that  I wouldn't know what to do with it once it arrived (haha!), so I decided I would see if I could capture the look in polish.

Wow!  Isn's that absolutely stunning?  The model's vampy look cracks me up.

I started with a gradient of Sally Hansen Inst Dri Sea Breeze, Nail Savvy Electric, and Sally Hansen Insta Dri Blazing Blue.  I gave it a coat of glitter, a purple glitter in a clear base - Rimmel 60 Second Twisted Chic.

The paisley is BM 315 and I used China Glaze Hi Tek for the stamping.

We've had pretty cloudy days so it's hard to show the actual colors, but I managed to snap a photo in sunlight (I hadn't finished the clean up, but the colors are closer to how they look in real life).

Well, I have to confess that I'm not smirking like the model in the photo, but it's hard not to feel glamorous with this design!

Take care, Konaddicts!  I hope your'e enjoying our Thanksgiving lead-up!

China Blue Roses

Hi all!  I hope you've had a chance to enter my giveaway!  I wanted to take a moment to show you today's nails.

This design started with a base of Sally Hansen Insta Dri Whirlwind White stamped with Insta Dri In-A-Blink Blue using BM 323.  I covered the roses with a glitter in a sheer blue base, Milani Glitzy in Denim.  It provided the right amount of sparkle and softened up the white "petal lines" of the roses.

Today's mani is quick and easy - just my style!

Vibrant Pink and Teal

This looked nicer before the cotton ball got stuck on my ring finger! :(

Hello, everyone!  I hope you're having a great Saturday!

Today's nails came about in a backward sort of way.  For several days, I've been wearing Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear The Real Teal.  I planned to stamp it, but I wasn't sure what design I would use.

I picked Wet n Wild Lavender Creme as a complimentary color.  Since my nails were already teal - and there's no way the creme would stamp over it - I polished my tips white with Sally Hansen Insta Dri in Whirlwind White.  Then, I polished the Lavender Creme over the white, to give me a bright vibrant pink.

I stamped the heartbeat line using Wet n Wild Black Creme using Mash 38.  I used a little nail brush to fill in any spaces missing colors.

Take care, Konaddicts!  Take time today to remind your loved ones how much you care for them.

Moons & Stars

Today, I'm wearing moons and stars!  I love moons and stars; they remind me of my favorite pair of comfy pajamas. I have searched and searched for an image of moon and stars together and couldn't find anything that fit the bill, so, for this mani, I decided to improvise.

I started with a base of Sinful Midnight Blue.  I sponged on some Sally Hansen Insta Dri in Blue Blast. I added some glitter with Wet n Wild Shine Kaleidoscope.  I stamped the designs with Konad Special polish in White and China Glaze Passion.

I used images from Mash 32 for the moon, Mash 33 for the shooting star, and Cheeky 4 for the star cluster.

It's cosmic!
I really like how this turned out (despite the dent I managed to get on my thumb)...

Sheesh...my nails are getting longer.  I think I might try some french manicure designs before one of them breaks!

Thanks for reading, Konaddicts!

PS:  Guess what?  My new set of Cheeky plates finally arrived in the mail!  Hooray!  I can't wait to try them out!

Blue Jean Nails

Hi, everyone!  A very busy week continues...but I wanted to take a moment to show you my denim jeans nails!

This is Milani Sail Away - a gorgeous, sparkly blue that is opaque in one coat - stamped with China Glaze Hi Tek using Konad M80.  I dotted centers to the flowers with Kleancolor Metallic Fuschia, Kleancolor Metallic Pink, and a silver nail pen.

Gotta dash, Konaddicts, but hope you had a great weekend and great start to your work week!

Scales Nails

Good morning, everyone!
I have had so much fun experimenting with the fish scales pattern on Mash 39!  I'd like to try this again - maybe with some blue and green sponging.

This time, I used a base of Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Real Teal topped with the blue and green sparkles of Sinful Colors Nail Junkie.  I used Mash 39 - the scales are a little more open than version on Red Angel plates - and Konad Special Polish in Black.

Shake your mermaid tail, Konaddicts!