Sprites thread of Nail Art and stuff

[Sprites]

Ok I mentioned in recent purchases that I'd purchased 6 new polishes and I also mentioned how the blue was going to send me into raptures. It's Barry M again and it's their 'Silk' collection. Which basically translates to matte shimmery finish without the frostiness/visible brush stroke look and they're so pretty, delicate and girly looking because all of them are pastel shades so absolutely perfect for spring/siummer time, if anyone wants I'll certainly swatch them all. I'm really excited about using these for nail art in the future, Hello pastel galaxy nail art again

Anyways here's the pic, also I included the one where I accidently covered the flash as I took the pic, because it looks funky

"Where's the Valentine's nail art??"

Well to be honest I didn't feel like doing any, I'm not that into the day of lurrrve genuinely, I'm not just saying the because I'm single, even if I was with someone I wouldn't make a big deal about it, so I'm not going to do any based on something I'm not into, I'd rather post the stuff I get excited about

 

[Sprites]

Well now this post should come as no surprise considering what day it is in Ireland tomorrow
Figured I have to do some St. Patricks day nails and make an effort, last time I just painted my nails a holographic green, this time I've gone for the colour of our Flag in Polka dot form.

Polishes used are all BarryM: A bright green from their limited edition collection, no name, Pearl from their Silk collection (polish that dries to a silk matte texture) and Tangerine, just a regular orange shimmer polish and a Double ended Dotting tool to create the dots but obviously you could use any types of greens, oranges or whites for this. I did mess up one White dot on my index finger unfortunately but hey no one's perfect

How to:
1. Start with two coats of Green polish and let dry.

2. With your chosen white polish and the larger end of the dotting tool apply dots in whatever manner you feel like on your nails, don't however apply too many as you want room for your orange ones.

3. Using the smaller end of the dotting tool and your orange polish fill in around the gaps of the white polish with the orange polish.

4. Apply a topcoat to seal the design and you're done.

Very simple and easy to do

Happy St. Patricks Day!

 

[trash panda]

Have you marbled your nails in water before? Sooooo neat. 8]

 

[Sprites]

I've attempted it before and needless to say the technique sucks for me, just can't seem to pull it off so I tend to stay away from it, I love the nail art that comes from water marbling but unfortunately it just doesn't work for me

 

[Sprites]

Another post

This time I'm showcasing a technique to create the 'Tie-dye/marbled effect on the nails and your best friend in this? Cling film! Yup that's it, just standard Cling film, the Tie-dye/marbled effect is created by scrunching up pieces of cling film and dabbing them gently onto wet nail polish coats, it's a little messy but it creates some really awesome results.

One more thing I decided to change the shape of my nails from squared off to a more rounded style. Unfortunately in work, I usually end up snagging the ends or corners of my nails which causes me to have to cut or file them down to make them even again, so hopefully a more rounded style will help with that problem, I really do like my nails squared but I don't mind them rounded off either so it's no major biggie.

For this I've used 3 colours, two are a brand I don't know the name of in a blue and a berry colour, the other is a trust Barry M limited edition Yellow. Before I applied the Blue I was really tempted to just keep the Yellow and orange as it look like I had a fire raging on my nails, next time I'll stick with it but the pale blue sets it off really nicely. Two colours that contrast nicely work really well but using 3 takes it to a really lovely finish or if you just want to experiment.

So here's the step by Step process, I don't unfortunately have pics of the step by step process but I'll put a link to a tutorial from a Blog I went to, to figure out how to do the technique if my steps don't make sense, feel free to click on it

1. If you're worried about the mess then Tape around your nails and cuticles so there's not a much of a clean up, the apply a clear base coat.
2. Take some Cling Film and scrunch it into 10 balls, don't scrunch it too tight so that you loose the creasing in it, the reason for 10? It works so much better if you use one separate piece of cling film for each nail.

2. Paint one thick coat of Yellow nail polish and allow to dry, it's probably more advisable to use a fast drying top coat and leave 5 minutes inbetween each layer so that the fast drying topcoat is completely set.
*For this next step you need to do it one nail at a time as you want the next layer of polish to be completely wet

3. Using your Berry/purple colour apply one thick coat then immediately after take a wadded up piece of Cling film, use a light dabbing motion over the polish, this will cause some of the polish to lift creating your tie-dye/marbled effect, a couple of dabs on each nail will do the trick but you can go as heavy or light as you want depending on the effect you're after and don't worry about the mess, once you clean up it'll look great.

4. Apply a fast drying topcoat to dry the nails quickly, the top coat also smooths the effect and makes it look softer and more blended.

5. Repeat Step 3 with your Blue colour or if you'd rather leave it as a two-colour manicure then skip to the next step.

6. Have a few cotton buds handy and dip them into nail polish remover to clean up mess around your skinn and cuticles, trust me you WILL need them.

7. Seal one last time with another round of Top Coat.

Here's a tutorial link if my steps aren't understandable
http://donotrefreeze.com/2012/07/easy-peasy-nail-art-saran-wrap-manicure.html

 

[Sprites]

Welp, Here's another tie-dye style, slightly different technique used but the exact same polishes minus the blue. The difference? I decided to use a thin white plastic bin liner instead of Cling Film as I heard it also works.

As you can see, it works very well and makes the tie-dye look more distressed so if you don't want that marbled effect and want a more edgy tie-dye style then go for using a bin liner. Just one thing, the bin liner I used was one of those very thin plastic ones, like the super stretch kind of plastic, so I think a stiffer type like a carrier bag would have a different effect.

Honestly this more distressed effect with this colour combination I LOVE it because it looks like flames on my nails. I knew I was going to attempt this colour combo when I did it two days ago before applying the blue because I knew the Purple and Yellow made a fire tie-dye when they were merged but I'm so glad I used a bin liner instead of cling film because Cling film wouldn't have made it look as 'rough'.

Honestly I can see this being used as a base for some LOTR Eye of Sauron nail art or even dare I say it? Some FFVII Sephiroth walking into a burning Nibelheim nail art. I'm not quite ready to attempt drawing that just yet but I think if I outline the silhouette with a Nail art pen and make a few attempts then I should eventually get there

The steps used are the same as in my previous post just using a bin liner instead

 

[Ghost X]

I'm curious of what all your nail varnish bottles in a row would look like.

I like your more textured stuff too, as opposed to flat colour, but that is of course personal taste .

 

[Sprites]

it looks a bit like this

 

[Sprites]

Very quick post, Two creme polishes with black glitter in them from a lovely little make named Smitten Polish, one called Cookies and Cream, the other Purple Polka Dotty (guess which one is which). I've had these polishes for a while and they're both really lovely on their own but I decided to use them together for this.

Anyhoo I 'mattifyed' them with a matte topcoat to remove their shininess and give them a more matte-rubbery finish and now I'm strongly reminded of Cabury Mini Eggs

 

[Cabaret]

Whoa mama! That's a whole lotta nail paint! I'm diggin your nail art, very cool

 

[Sprites]

Post time.

Something just a little different with an accent nail and some of my new Barry M polishes I bought the other day from their Aquarium range, which basically translates to duochrome polishes that mimic fishtail/mermaid tail colours. The polish I used was Pacific a turquoise blue polish that flashes green or a deeper blue in certain lights. On my ring finger are iridescent small nail sequins that match perfectly with this polish like completely perfectly so my ring finger really does remind me of the scales of a mermaid tail. Anyways I have some small steps on how to apply the sequins, it's worth noticing the Aquarium range are very sheer so they're better layered over something, honestly the best colour to really make them 'pop' is black, the duochrome comes out to play more against the black.
]

1. Paint two coats of Black Nail polish

2. Paint one coat of Pacific.

3. Apply a fast drying to top coat to every nail except your ring finger, you will need this to remain tacky for the next step.

4. Spread your sequins onto some paper, this will also make them easier to transfer back into the jar at the end then onto another sheet of paper or plastic spread either clear nail polish or a top coat into a small puddle. In my case I used one of my thicker, less quick drying top coats so that it doesn't dry in as quick on the paper.

4. Using a tooth pick, dip the tip into the clear polish, then with the same tip use it to pick up a sequin and place it on your nail, the polish will still be tacky as long as you didn't apply topcoat and will cause the sequin to stick to the nail rather than stay stuck to the end of the toothpick. Apply as little or as many as you want to the nail depending on what you want, in my case I wanted my ring finger to be more accented.

5. Finally finish off with a layer of a fast drying topcoat to seal the sequins in place and remove any tacky looking marks left from placing the sequins.

Simple, easy and also really pretty. Just on another note there are special wax pencils that are used in nail art to also pick up sequins for the same reason, but I find the toothpick dipped in clear polish method works pretty well.

 

[Sprites]

So sometimes I like to wear a nude polish rather than crazy colours or do nail art and sometimes if I find a polish I really like as in my top 10; I love to talk about it and this time it's a nude polish. Nudes are great, they're wonderful pallet cleansers after wearing a lot of bright colours, one coat of a nude will clear stained nails and brighten them and they're really quite sophisticated. I have a few nude polishes, some pink toned and some very beigey cream toned ones. This one I have on my nails is a little bit different as it has a shimmer running through it and some glitter but it is as it says...Barely There.

That's the name of this polish by an indie brand named Serum No5. They have some really beautiful polishes and they are also one of the only polish brands I've ever come across that stock a glow in the dark range, yeah that's right an actual glow in the dark range and from reviews I've seen, the glow in the dark effect is amazingly strong and in many different colours. I only own Barely There myself but I have at least 10 Serum No5 polishes on my wishlist, I've been trying to get hold of one of their glow in the dark polishes but they're very difficult to get. They've also just released a new spring collection which I have my eye on right now.

Barely there is a sheer nude polish with delicate silver shimmer, micro holographic glitter and larger silver glitter running through it, but as you can see, even after 3 coats the glitter is sparse and the shimmer is very delicate and you can as with any other nudes, still see my nail line, but unlike other coloured polishes seeing my nail line with a nude polish doesn't bother me, it looks much more sophisticated, like a subtle French Manicure which is great because I'm not a fan of French Manicures something about that white polish line being so glaringly obvious bothers me. If I was getting married I've always decided I would wear a nude type polish and for me this would be my number 1.

Two photos included here with the bottle so you can see the colour in the bottle and how it transfers to the nail and so you can see the holographic micro glitter when the light catches it.

P.S Please excuse my raggedy looking cuticles on my middle finger and ring finger I had a mishap when I was trimming down my cuticles and removed a bit of the skin from my fingers by accident while doing it, not sore or anything but does make the skin around my cuticles look quite dry, plenty of hand cream does the trick though.

 

[Cabaret]

I like nude nail varnish too, but I get annoyed with it because it never feels nude! Do you do any cool variations with the French Manicure? I saw a lady with pink nails and black tips that looked very cool. I love the spacey nails you did earlier in the thread - very cool.

 

[Sprites]

Ah, well French manicures all together aren't really my thing I think they work best though if you have quite long nails and I don't like to keep my nails overly long, they tend to snag on stuff if I have them any longer than what you can see in my pic. I do prefer colour contrasting ones to the regular style French Manicure.

I'd say my all time favourite plain nude as in no glitter or anything is probably the Barry M one, it's in my book a true nude and leaves your nails looking lovely when you apply it, for me it helps clear up the stainage when I want to wear something on my nails but don't want to wear something noticeable, I'd say most plain nudes are best as one-coaters but the polish I'm wearing in that pic is lovely if you build it up more, you could use it as a layer polish too

 

[Cabaret]

I used to do French Manicures and nothing at all adventurous, which is why I like what you do, very inspiring. Mind you I haven't really done anything nail wise for ages and keep threatening just to get shellaic on them and forget about 'em! But I worry that that weakens the nail too much. When I've used it in the past my nails don't come out too well from it. But then it's nice nails, hassle free.

I love cracking nail polish, they had some wicked ones in Martinique but they everything is so expensive there (island) and I promised I'd get some when I got back to Britain, but I've not really seen it here. Any recommendations on that front?

 

[Sprites]

I've only ever had a French manicure done once and that was when I was 18 for my school formal, way before I ever got into polish and even then I didn't like it, I remember removing it the day after.

Barry M for crackle effect nail polish definitely, they do some regular ones in different colours and they also do a 'croc' effect one which I own and looks awesome over a brightly coloured nail polish like orange or yellow, it also works incredibly well with gold or silver polish, I'll do a couple of swatches of it when I'm off next week

I mention Barry M a lot in my posts but it's because it's my favourite high street brand not even just for their nail polish they do amazing dazzle dusts for eyes too. They have an incredible colour pallet and are always bang on when it comes to the current colours and trends or releases in the polish world, also Barry M was what got me started on the whole nail polish addiction, I own more Barry M polishes than any other brand I own so I've definitely a soft spot for the brand.

Shellac isn't actually as bad from what I hear compared to full on Gel polish, but I think as long as you only do it every so often it won't do too much harm to your nails.

 

[Ghost X]

I just had a thought. If I painted your nails on a canvas, would it be a nail-painting-ception? A quick google search of such an idea suggests it has never been done. I could earn millions... and you'd get royalties, of course.

>.>
<.<

 

[Deleted member 546]

Shellac is used in the jewellery trade to stop heat conducting along metal. The idea is to protect stones but it's a bugger to remove. It's also made from the resin containing/excreted by lac bugs and their poop. Not particularly vegetarian-friendly.

If I need nice nails quickly, I buy stick-on manicures. They're a godsend for clumsy short-nailed bastards like me who just drool over your lush handiwork with envy Sprites.

I do like nudey nail polishes too, the subtleness appeals. Have you checked out the Boots Natural Collection ones? They're lovely IMO.

EDIT: Ghost, that's an amazing idea.

 

[Cabaret]

Ghost that's very cool indeed!

It's not such a matter of needing nails quickly, more one of laziness. if they are shellaced then they need no maintenance for a long while. Plus when I go on a crazy cycle I'm less likely to destroy them if they're shellaced. not really good reasons to run out and go to the hassle of booking an appointment, but I do keep threatening!

Thanks for letting me know about it not being very harmful though, that's very helpful to know I'll check out the Barry M cracking nail polish thanks - the choice I'm bombarded with often pushes me into inaction! Look forward to seeing what you come up with next

I had no idea it was produced by bugs, learn something new everyday!

 

[Sprites]

Awesome idea Ghost XD

I have an exciting post I'm going to do later, I bought some converse today, Galaxy ones to be exact and I'm going to match the pattern to my nails and wear them both to work tomorrow, I know I've done Galaxy Nails before but you've no idea how long I've been waiting for these converse and how long I've been dying to match my nails to them.....I'm such a dork

 

[Sprites]

Whelp, I did say I had a special post concerning my nails and some Converse. So these particular Converse, I've been waiting for them to finally arrive in the store I work since December time and I knew when I got hold of them, I was gonna have to match my nails to them, so here you are, my Galaxy Nails and my Galaxy converse, I did these nails tonight so they're all new and stuff, can't wait to wear my new Cons tomorrow

Annnd a shot of my index finger cause well...matching stars and stuff

P.s I'll stick a daytime photo up tomorrow morning, so you can see them in natural light


Here's a pretty good vid tutorial I found on how to do Galaxy nails as unfortunately, I suck at explaining the steps of this particular type of nail art, I quite like the design in this vid too.

 

[trash panda]

I think this is my favorite one!

 

[Sprites]

Awww thanks. I've had a lit of compliments from the staff in work today, they know I'm nail polish crazy and know I've been wanting to do that for a while.

Some customer compliments too, its a nice feeling

 

[Super Mario]

Those space nails man... <3

 

[Sprites]

Well it's definitely been a while since I updated, but as some of you know I was going through a period of time where I really wasn't feeling much up to doing it due to the sheer amount of stress and upset I was feeling over numerous things, I still painted my nails, as I find it to be a great stress reliever but for long time I wasn't inspired to do any nail art or anything exciting. Galway is a new start so let's see if I can update the posts on here again, so let's get started.

Firstly some sad news. So when I moved down to Galway I packed up around 80 of my favourite polishes mostly my bright summer time colours and bubble wrapped them all, but sadly one did not make the journey. Luckily it was one of my Barry M ones and very easily replaced, instead of one of my expensive online ones.

So one smashed bottle gave me an excuse to go into my local boots which is handily facing my work, so I nipped in to go get a replacement bottle but instead of buying it I found some brand new Barry M polishes and Sally Hansen nail art pens and went mental, my brain screaming at me "GEMMA YOU NEED THOSE IN YOUR LIFE, BUY THEM, BUY THEM NOW!!!"

From Left to right:
Barry M Gelly Highshine amson
Barry M Gelly Highshine: Kiwi
Barry M Matte: Malibu
Barry M Matte: Copa Cabana
Barry M Matte: Rhossili
Barry M Matte: Cancun
Barry M Matte: Miami
Barry M Matte: Waikiki
Barry M summer Limited Edition: Carousel
Barry M Summer Limited Edition: Bikini
Barry M Matte Top Coat
Sally Hansen Nail Art pens in White, Black, Pink and Orange. These have really fine nibs and act almost like a gel pen, so they're really easy to use, they're the easiest I've ever used.

So Naturally I felt up to experimenting and came up with this little simple piece of Nail Art.

I used Barry M Cancun for all but my Ring finger and used Malibu for the Ring finger. The matte polishes dry very fast but I applied a normal topcoat, to begin with to seal the bases for the art, this did turn the matte to shiny but I changed it back in the end.

For everything but my ring finger I used my orange nail art pen to draw three lines down each nail then using the inbetween bits as a guideline I used the pink pen to draw little triangles and reversed the colour combination for my ring finger.

After that I felt it still was missing something, so I used the white pen to make three dots in the space between the lines. I thought about using my black pen for the accent finger but I didn't feel it would pop out in the same way as the white pen, so stuck with the white.

After that I gave the pens about 10 mins to dry to prevent any smudging and re-mattified the design with my Barry M Matte top coat, it dries even quicker than the actual Matte polishes and gives them an even smoother finish, so they were dry completely within 30 mins.

The design is very simple but the pens are really helpful, and the easiest I've worked with and now hopefully I'll have a post once every 2 weeks at the most, I'm feeling more creative at the moment, the weather in Galway is AH-MAZE-ING at the moment, so I'm getting inspired to do lots of summer nail art!!