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!

Where's my goldfish?

Hi, everyone!
I love the fish scale pattern.  It's one of my very favorites to play around with.  I normally can't get my colors quite right, but I'm in love with the way this one turned out (so expect  A LOT of pictures!).

For this mani, I used Color Show Sweet Clementine, Milani Metallic Mango, Orly Prince Charming, and Milani Blackberry Baby.

I used Milani Metallic Mango as the base and Prince Charming and Mash 39 for the stamping.  The metallic really adds to the scale-like shimmer.  I made little U-shapes at the bottom of random scales with a dotting tool and Sweet Clementine.

For the accent nail, I used a base of Sweet Clementine and a decal made from plate A48 using Blackberry Baby - darker and more metallic than Prince Charming - and Metallic Mango to fill in the fish's body.

I love the shimmer and the compliment of the lighter color.  I keep peeking at my nails to see whether it looks "really fishy" or just like splotches.

I think I'll be staring at this one for a while, Konaddicts!  Hope your weekend ahead is a great one!

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!

Gone green!

Hi everyone!  I wanted to share a design "from manicures past".  This is an easy two color mani using a base of Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Mint Sorbet stamped with Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Sea Breeze.  The plate is A16.

It's a simple and easy combo, but I received lots of compliments on this one!  I love the A-series plates (I get mine from eBay).  I don't have all of them, but some of the designs are really fun to try out!  

I hope you're having a great week, Konaddicts!

Summer Island Nails

Summer is here, and thank goodness for that!  Here's a summer island mani to celebrate summer.

I started with two coats of Kleancolor Pastel Blue.  I stamped the wavy tips using Kleancolor Beach Blue and one of the French manicure designs on BM216.  I stamped my "islands" using plate A33 and Sally Hansen Insta Dri In-a-Blink Blue for the wave, Revlon Top Speed Espresso for the palm tree trunks, and Revlon Top Speed Emerald for the tops. (I love these polishes; what would I do without my Top Speeds?)

My waves/island bottom didn't blend like I (magically) expected them to, but this breezy mani is fun all the same.

I hope it's smooth sailing for you, Konaddicts!

Black and Purple Holo Nails

My holographic nail obsession continues.  I've even treated myself to a few bottles of Layla Hologram Effect polish.  While I'm waiting for that bit of "nail mail" to arrive, I decided to work with what I had - a very old bottle of Sally Hansen Magical Nail Makeup in a holographic purple.  

I stamped using plate A-03 and Milani Black Magic.  I used my standard topcoat so that dulled the holographic effect somewhat, but it still had a cool multi-dimensional look to it.  I only wish that I could capture the entire color effect on "film"!

Here's another look at it:

Okay, Konaddicts, tell me I'm not alone.  What are your current polish obsessions?

Greta Silver Holo and Pink

I'm still entranced by this polish!  I decided to see how Make Up Store's Greta would look with a stamp.  I chose A-10 and Milani Hot Orchid for the dots and dashes.  I used a top coat, which dulled the holo effect a little, but you can still see the color gleaming through!  The colors must have distracted me, though, because my stamping is bit wacky!

Sparkle and shine, Konaddicts!  (Can you tell I've been watching Toddlers & Tiaras?)

Fish Fingers

I originally bought plate A-48 for the cute patchwork pattern on the left..

When the plate came, I remember looking really closely at one of the images, trying to figure out what it was.  Then I got it - it's a fish!  It's not a Nemo-like cute fish.  It isn't engaged in song with nearby starfish or adorable sea horses.  It's a fairly cold-blooded, realistic image of a fish you might find in a lake (or at your supermarket deli counter!), not to mention that the placement is a little strange and some of the head and tail are cropped (and what the heck are those swirly things?).

I thought  "Who thought this would be a good choice for an image plate?" and "Who on earth would put this weird looking, goggle-eyed fish on her nails?"

I had, of course, answered my own question.

So, for now, I have (weird) fish fingers!

Are there unusual patterns that you've been drawn to, Konaddicts?

Oil on water

I'm not sure exactly how to describe this design.  Well, with its fanning and waving patterns, it looks to me a little like a drop of oil on water.  That was the closest to a name that I could come up with, so there we have it!

I got to use several of my absolute favorite colors with this mani.

L-R: Kleancolor Jazz Olive, Metallic Sapphire, Fashionista, Metallic Purple

The base is Kleancolor Jazz Olive - a color I love!  I stamped using plate A59, Kleancolor Fashionista, and Kleancolor Metallic Sapphire.  Fashionista must be one of the strangest colors that I've ever picked up (I've heard it described as "swampy").  I was excited to finally work it into a design.  Finally, I used a portion of one of the designs of Konad Plate M78 and Kleancolor Metallic Purple to stamp the semi-circular accents.

I love the texture this combo creates!  Thanks for reading, Konaddicts!

New Year's Nails

For this manicure, I have confetti and streamers (and a spotty glass of wine!) to welcome the new year.

The plate is A16.  I love, love, love the A-series plates (and eBay searches show that new designs have been released - hooray!).

I used Milani Black Magic as the base and Sally Hansen Chrome Nail Makeup in Gold Chrome for the stamp.  I used my brand new dotting tools to add color to the "confetti" in various metallics.


Best wishes for a wonderful start to the New Year, Konaddicts!

PS: Santa's Amazon Gift Card means that new nail plates are on the way - Red Angel, a brand I haven't heard of before (you can see them on Amazon here).  I'll give you the low down when they arrive, so stay tuned! 

Snowflake Nails

Snowflake Nails; Kleancolor Metallic Sapphire and Love My Nails Silver

I didn't have to look hard for inspiration for these nails! Brrr!  Stay warm, Konaddicts!

Butterfly Nails

The pattern of Plate A03 reminds me of butterfly wings.  I took a look at some butterfly pictures and gave the coloring a shot.

I started with a base coat of gold, Milani Morning Sunshine.  I sponged a bit of Kleancolor Metallic Mango for the color gradations.  For the stamping, I used plate A03 and Kleancolor Metallic Black.  I used a pin with a little silver for the dots.

This mani makes me smile and reminds me of warm summer days.  Ahh.... :)

Just peachy!

So, my Kleancolor metallics have arrived!  They are beautiful colors!  I got a set of 8, but here's a shot of my favorites.  I bought my set on eBay where they were a little over a dollar per bottle (great value!).

L-R: Kleancolor Metallic Sapphire, Metallic Fuschia, Metallic Mango, Metallic Green

They're a little tough to use for stamping because they dry pretty quickly and have a chunky consistency.  They're just so pretty and sparkly, though, that it's worth the effort.

For this mani, I used Plate A24, Kleancolor Pastel Peach, and Kleancolor Metallic Mango.

Here's a pic of the stamp close up.  It's pretty fun, and it matches my current crochet project!

Although, to be fair, most things match my current crochet project!

Have a colorful week, Konaddicts! 

Light and Feathery French Manicure

To restore balance after all of the spooky nails in October, I've tried a flowery and feathery French Manicure using GCOCL plates.  

I started out with two coats of Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure in Cafe Au Lait.  I cannot say how much I love this polish!  I searched long and hard to find a good base coat for French Manicures that fit my skin tone and had the right level of opacity.  After many tries across brands, I struck gold!   This is great polish!  One coat would probably have been enough to cover my nail line and I think I finally got the color right.  They have a number of color choices, so if you're looking for a good base polish for French Manicures, you should certainly take a look at them.

The design is from GCOCL plate A26.  One great thing about the GCOCL plates is that they usually feature mirror images of the designs so that you can easily get the same look on your right and left hands.

To complete the look, I added pink rhinestones for a dash of color. Presto!  Easy, quick, and very sweet!

Base color: Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure in Cafe Au Lait

Stamping color: Konad Special Polish in White
Plate: GCOCL A26