Make Like a Tree

Whew. Day two of 14 hour work days is done. I've worked 28 hours in the last 2 days. That's a lot, in case you were wondering. :-D I learned a lot of great stuff today, and my trainer is awesome though, so I'm stoked.

Yesterday's glitter manicure was surprisingly easy to remove, I used the cotton ball/tin foil technique, and it softened it enough that it mostly came off in one thick sheet. Today's manicure utilizes one of the new American Apparel polishes, I bought the rest of the collection after work yesterday. (I had a Groupon for $50 worth of American Apparel for $25! :)) I totally dig this color, it reminds me of split pea soup, and is very nearly a one-coater!

I used American Apparel MacArthur Park as a base, with American Apparel Hassid for the leaf lines. Topped it all off with a coat of Seche Vite top coat.

Bedtime.

ButterLONDON Sale at Hautelook!

I'm a fairly recent ButterLONDON convert, actually my first polishes from them were purchased during a sale at Hautelook.com! Today they're having another sale!! There isn't a huge selection, but the polishes are only $5, vs $14! That's a great deal in anyone's book. :-D

I might just pick up another Minger. I love that color!

They also have some roller scents on sale!


Check it out!

All That Glitters Isn't Gold...

It's Gems, too! Sorry today's manicure is a quickie, I worked both jobs today- it was my first day of training at Apple!! 14 hrs of work+ bathing = not much time to do pretty nails.

However, I had these new polishes that I grabbed from Milani's latest and greatest (not officially set to release until Feb, but a few CVS stores have done a pre-release. These polishes are amaaaaaazing. Most of them (not the FX) are one-coat glitters (yes, you read that right!!)

This manicure is SOOOO reflective, but also SUPER thick, since I layered about 90 coats of the gold to get full coverage. :-P

I used Milani Gold FX as a base, with Milani Gems FX sponged on the tips. Topped it all off with 2 coats of Seche Vite top coat.

Stila Sale at Hautelook!!

Hey all! There is a Stila Cosmetics sale at Hautelook!

Also- because today is their 3-year anniversary, shipping is only $3!!!! (awesometastical!)

On sale are a few sets, some Barbie stuff, the Makeup Player, bronzer, lipglazes, lipglosses, mascaras, eyeshadows, eyeshadow duos, and brow powder.

Check it out!! :)

Pitter Splatter

I'm back! Sorry for the brief hiatus, I was sick all weekend. I even left my friend's wedding earlier than I wanted to and went and slept on the floor at the airport because I felt so rotten. Guess that's what I get for overdoing it. (work, blog, projects, etc) After sleeping all day yesterday and most of today as well, I'm feeling marginally better. Hating the hacking and sinus pressure, but I'll live.

Anyway, enough whining, moaning, and talk of lung butter. On to the nails!! ;-D Most of the colors I used in today's nail design are part of the new release of 12 colors by American Apparel (review to come in a few days), these colors are every bit as awesome as their previous releases. They even included a shimmer polish!

I used American Apparel California Trooper as a base, with American Apparel Raccoon for the dark brown, American Apparel Port for the wine color, American Apparel Trenchcoat for the yellowed khaki color, American Apparel Makeup for the pinky tan color, and BB Couture Kelly's Green for the avocado color (totally in love with this color!!). Topped it all off with 2 coats of Seche Vite top coat.

Disclosure: Several of the colors used in today's post were sent to me by the manufacturer for review.

I've Got Chills, They're Multiplyin'

Ok, I don't have either. I have a sore throat, but that's neither here nor there. Tomorrow I set out for the airport at 4:30 am. That's right, A. M. Ugh. I'm flying to San Francisco for one of my close friend's wedding. I fly into San Francisco at 6:30 a.m., then arrive back in Las Vegas around midnight. I'm going to be deaddddd. ANYWAY. The wedding tomorrow is my friend Jordan's. He and I go way back to my days as a educational software designer...he was my programmer! :) During our time working together, we developed a friendship, and he is one of the awesomest, nicest, most generous, caring people I've ever had the pleasure of knowing, and I couldn't be happier for him. (his bride is a lucky gal!) One thing Jordan is not, however, is an awesome Dr. Mario player. (I corner the market on that) He and I have had battle upon battle, and I always win. (he blames it on the game and tells people that he beat me so badly I was in tears <----I let him have his lies out of pity) In honor of his wedding tomorrow (and since I won't be able to paint or post new nails tomorrow), I did Dr. Mario nails. On the thumb is Dr. Mario, on the index, middle, and ring fingers are the viruses and pills, and on the pinky is the purple and black checkerboard in the background, behind the bottle (? is it a pill bottle? a test tube?)

 I used American Apparel Hassid as a base, with American Apparel Manila for the yellow, Essie Foot Loose for the pink, Zoya Yummy for the blue, Barielle Grape Escape for the purple, Sally Hansen Professional Lavender Cloud for the white, a mix of Barielle Choco Bar, American Apparel Cotton and Essie Vermillionaire for his hair, a mix of American Apparel Cotton and American Apparel Palm Springs for the skin tone. Topped everything off with 2 coats of Seche Vite top coat.

Raising the Bar

So, as you probably read, a few posts back, I did a nail art event at Beauty Bar last night! In honor of the night, I did Beauty Bar nails! The walls in Beauty Bar are painted with glitter, so I did stripes of all colors of glitter on all the nails, then added the Beauty Bar silhouette logo on my thumb! (I'll add pictures of the event tomorrow when I have more time)  I broke the middle finger nail, so I just chopped them all off. The middle one is soooo short, it hurts. :(

I used CND Green Scene as a base for the green, ALDO See You in Ibiza for the blue base, Orly Shine as a base for the silver, Orly Luxe for the gold base, Essie Foot Loose for the hot pink base, Essie Vermillionaire for the orange base, and Barielle Grape Escape for the purple base. For the glitters, I used Color Club Object of Envy for the green, Nubar Green Silver Glitter for the other half of the thumb. For the gold, I used Color Club Sultry Diva, the purple, Nubar Violet Sparkle, for the red, I used Milani Melt Down, for the blue, OPI Absolutely Alice, silver on the middle finger is NOX Twilight Disco Darling, Zoya Astra for the pink, OPI Extra-va-vaganza! for the orange, then Amour Rain Glitter for the pinky. For the logo, I used American Apparel Hassid. I then topped it all off with 2 coats of Seche Vite top coat.

Sorry for the quick post tonight- I've been going out of my mind busy lately!

ZOYA wants 20,000 Fans!

We like our fans, well actually, we LOVE our fans.

We are a small, independent cosmetics company that understands and values the importance of each and every one of our customers. Zoya views our fans as ambassadors of our products. Your dedication and feedback via our social media outlets has helped shape us into the successful company we are today. We continue to grow with your input and support. During this holiday season we would like to show you our appreciation with an incredible offer to start off the new year.

Please, allow us to share our wonderful nail polish and treatment products with your like-minded friends! We are hoping for 20,000 "Likes" on facebook by January 3, 2011, and if we get them, we will provide a code for 3 free bottles* of Zoya Nail Polish to all fans and followers in the Continental US. Yes, we love our international followers too but due to international regulations and restrictions we can only offer this promotion domestically at this time.

“Like” ZOYA on facebook and make 2011 a year of nail polished perfection.


Here's what you need to do...

Not already following ZOYA on facebook?

Do you love nail polish? Then you should follow Zoya for daily updates, promotions and fun on facebook! Simply go to www.facebook.com/zoyanailpolish and press "Like"! With over 300 colors and treatments to choose from, there is always something for you and your fellow nail polish lovers to talk about. While you are at it, make sure to spread the word about Zoya to all of your friends.


Already following ZOYA on facebook?

You "Like" us - we LOVE you! You already know about the great giveaways and promotions we do! Don't keep Zoya to yourself! Spread the word! To help reach the 20,000 tell 4 friends (or more!) to like Zoya!


On January 3, 2011

...or sooner, when we hit the magic number of 20,000, Zoya will release the 3 FREE BOTTLES of Zoya Nail Polish code on facebook.

Cuttin' a Rug

Phew. Long night tonight! I've been preparing for tomorrow's 'Martinis and Manicures' event at Beauty Bar all night! I'm super excited (but a tad nervous too!!). Today's manicure was inspired by a rug pattern I saw a while back. I loved the color combination, and the graphic nature of it, so I thought I'd try it as a manicure. Sorry for the middle finger's roughness, still patched that one.

From The Daily Nail

I used American Apparel California Trooper as a base, with Color Club High Society for the lines, Essie Mink Muffs for the darker brown, and a mixture of Essie Vermillionaire and Essie Tart Deco for the corally color. Topped it all off with 2 coats of Seche Vite top coat.

Wish me luck tomorrow night!! :)

Kitty Glitter

I'm running out of animal prints to do in glitter! :-P I totally love this manicure, and it's one that I kinda want to keep for more than a day... I may, I may not. :-D Nubar makes the best glitters out of any polish brand I've used, They're freaking awesome, and glitter packed!

I used Nubar Petunia Sparkle as a base, with Nubar Violet Sparkle for the spots, outlined in American Apparel Hassid. Topped it all off with 2 coats of Seche Vite top coat.

RAWR!!

Beauty Bar Ladies Night Manicure Event! :)

I've had so many people asking about the event Wednesday night that it was hard to respond to everyone in a timely manner, so here is the info you've been waiting for!!

Come get your nails painted by me! :) (I really want a ginormous turnout!!)

Wednesday Ladies Night

Where: Beauty Bar Las Vegas,

              517 Fremont St # 150

              Las Vegas, NV 89101

When: December 1, 2010, Doors open at 9pm

What: Open Bar for ladies 9pm - 10pm

DJ Stabb

$1 wells / $2 call drinks for ladies 'til midnight

Nail Polish changes and nail art by Melissa Osburn of The Daily Nail

Free!

Disco Animal

Getting so excited, I started painting nail wheels tonight in preparation for the event Wednesday at Beauty Bar! Tonight I wanted to use a polish that I've had since April, but haven't used yet- a Nubar Glitter that is super sparkly and pretty!

I used Nubar Green Silver Glitter as a base, with MAC Deep, Dark, Delicious for the zebra stripes. Topped it all off with 2 coats of Seche Vite top coat.

Also, if you follow me on twitter, I mentioned being excited for an amazing 6-course meal that was upcoming. Today, I have the pics from the photoshoot! The food was created by Chef Frank Otte, an AMAZING chef who creates Haute Cuisine. Saturday night, he prepared the absolute best meal that has ever passed my lips. I don't say this lightly, he was so amazing at his craft that he managed to take items that I generally will NOT eat, (beets, brussel sprouts, peas) and transformed them into something that created nothing short of an 'o' face. He introduced me to foods I've never tried before (swordfish, juniper oil, creamy sauerkraut), which I will forever be grateful for. Seriously, how did I LIVE before creamy sauerkraut? Really? Anyway. Check out his website, Chef Frank Otte - Haute Cuisine, you won't regret it. (well, after seeing the photos you may, they're drool-inducing)

To the menu!

Course 1: Salad of micro greens, roasted beets, avocado, pear with toasted walnuts, shower of goat cheese, and balsamic beet reduction.

Photo Credit-Chris Sneddon used by permission

Course 2: Celery root soup with petit brioche croutons and scallion oil.

Photo Credit-Chris Sneddon used by permission

Course 3: Tar tar of wild Scottish salmon with basil and coriander, Persion cucumber carpaccio, Greek yogurt, dill oil, and avocado mousse.

Photo Credit-Chris Sneddon used by permission

Course 4: Sage and prosciutto wrapped Atlantic Swordfish "saltimbocca", with creamy sauerkraut, thyme roasted apple, and fingerling potatoes in Juniper oil.

Photo Credit-Chris Sneddon used by permission

Course 5: Roasted crepinette of game hen breast with herbs, cauliflower ragout, brussel sprouts, and pomegranate gastrique.

Photo Credit-Chris Sneddon used by permission

Course 6: Cabernet braised short ribs with handmade carrot gnocchi, English peas and gorgonzola sauce.

Photo Credit-Chris Sneddon used by permission

Dessert: Caramelized puff pastry "mille fuille" with chestnut pureé, fresh clementines, pomegranate syrup, and vanilla sauce.

Photo Credit-Chris Sneddon used by permission

I ate everything except one piece of the crepinette of game hen (not because I didn't like it, but because I was to the gills at that point! lol), and most of the peas. I was sooooo full I was in pain, but it was a good pain. lol My favorite dish was the Swordfish, it was beyond incredible. *yum*

Sparkle Sparkle

Today's manicure is simple, still recovering from yesterday I think, but I'm totally worn down and just blah in general. I did a different take on a sponged gradient, sponging at the cuticle edge instead of the tip edge.

I used Essie Vermillionaire as a base for the orange nails, Zoya Yummy for the ring finger, with Absolutely Alice sponged on the blue nail, and Extravaganza! on the orange nails. Topped all nails off with 2 coats of Seche Vite top coat.

See you tomorrow!

Right on Target!

Midnight in Las Vegas, 27°F, a long-sleeved t-shirt, hoodie, zippered fleece jacket, ankle-length 'bag lady' plaid jacket, hand-crocheted slouchy hat, skull scarf, borrowed magic stretch gloves, shearling lined suede VANS, knee socks, jeans, double layered blanket. Yep, that was me...outside of TARGET. I'm one of the crazies that LOVES Black Friday. LOVE it. By nature I'm a deal hunter, and rarely pay full price for anything, but Black Friday is the high holy day of shoppers... myself included. Four of us went together, my roommate, Maris, two friends, Dallas and Greta, and of course, me. We had our divide and conquer plan all figured out... Dallas is the tallest and strongest, her job was to get the 40" HD 1080P flatscreen for $298. (she did) Greta and I were to go to Electronics and get the camera, hard drive, digital picture keychains, iTunes Gift Cards, and video games. (we did) Maris was to get the DVDs, housewares, etc. (she did). We left poor and happy, and saved over $1,000 between us. We also were approached to be on the local news, which was doing live coverage of the crazies like us. (Was anyone awake at 6:30 am to see it? <---Channel 13, Las Vegas.

 Anyway, since Target was the main stop of our shopping morning (yes, we went to the mall after that!!), I decided to do Black Friday Target nails! :)

 I used Nubar Sexy Red as a base for the red nails, American Apparel Hassid for the ring finger, and Sally Hansen Professional Lavender Cloud for the white. Topped it all off with 2 coats of Seche Vite top coat.

What deals did YOU get?

Also, sorry for the 2-day hiatus... I was preparing a HUGE Thanksgiving day dinner for 8 people!

This was a difficult Thanksgiving for me, it was the first Thanksgiving that I haven't spent with my family in my 29 years. Because of this, I decided to host a Thanksgiving for my 'orphan' (because of distance) friends that live out here that are also from Michigan...

I brined my turkey for the first time ever and it was incredible. It looked like Martha Stewart herself made it, and I've never tasted white meat that was so juicy! I made pumpkin pie and muffins from scratch (read: actual pumpkins, no canned here!!), mashed potatoes, sausage stuffing, I baked rolls, made homemade vanilla bean ice cream, corn, broccoli, cranberry sauce, and a ton of other stuff. It was amazing, AMAZING. lol I love Thanksgiving SO much!!  I hope that your Thanksgiving was incredible!! :)

Rise and Shine!

This morning I was up bright and early, 5 a.m. to be exact! :-D Mind you, I'm not up that early usually, but this morning I got a call from Pakistan!! A while back, VJ Sehrish, a lovely woman who hosts a show on Pakistani TV network ARY Musik, called 'Girls Rupublic', contacted me about being a guest (via phone) on her show. Of COURSE I said yes, I mean, how cool is that?! It still amazes me that people from so far away follow my blog...and like it! :-P So anyway, in honor of my phone chat with VJ Sehrish on her show, I did Girls Republic nails! On the Thumb is the Girls Republic logo, on the index and pinky finger I did super glittery pink nails, on the middle finger nail, is (obviously) the American flag (to represent me), and the flag of Pakistan on the ring finger (to represent Sehrish!) :).

I used Sally Hansen Professional Lavender Cloud as a base for the thumb and middle fingers, butter LONDON Rosie Lee as a base for the index and pinky fingers, and CND Green Scene for the ring finger. For the crescent and star on the ring finger, I used Sally Hansen Professional Lavender Cloud, for the American flag, I used Nubar Sexy Red for the stripes, ALDO Sea You in Ibiza for the blue. For the Girls Republic logo, I used American Apparel Berry for the darker berry color, and Sally Hansen Vavoom Violet Creme for the hot pink. For the darker pink glitter on the tips of the index and pinky, I used Nubar Petunia Sparkle. Topped everything off with 2 coats of Seche Vite top coat.

Thank you VJ Sehrish!!

Stop Being So Controlling!

A while back, reader Dave R. suggested that I do an old school Nintendo controller, and what could I say? It was a bad ass idea, so I had to do it!! I'm not too proud to admit that I'm still a proud owner of an original NES in working order, with controllers, games, Duck Hunt gun, AND NES Advantage joystick. Yeah, I said it. (I even still play it!! I will SO kick anyone's ass in Dr. Mario :-P) Today's nails make me wanna play, and how freakin' rad would it be to hold the controller with THESE nails?! :-P I'm such a dork.

I used American Apparel Hassid as a base, with a mixture of Orly Mirror, Mirror and American Apparel California Trooper for the light grey plastic, essence Pointbreak for the darker grey, a mixture of Nubar Sexy Red and CND Electric Orange for the red buttons, shaded with that mixture and American Apparel Hassid, highlighted with that mixture and American Apparel Cotton. I also used a dab of American Apparel Cotton on the 'edge' of the button for a reflection. Topped off the matte parts with Essie Matte About You and the shiny parts with Seche Vite top coat.

Who wants to play?

Costumed Coral

Today's nail art started out being a possible holiday nail art idea, but ended up being something totally different. I liked it after I added the gold, but felt like it needed more, so I mentally scanned my nail polish collection to find a polish that would compliment both colors, and I came upon my Lotus Herbals Orange Alert, which was a gift from Chris when he came back from India, and happens to be one of my favorite polishes (and most rationed) in my entire collection. I can't get a proper picture of it, but it is the precise color of papaya flesh- that coral/orange/red combination, and I adore it. After adding the Orange Alert, it took on a look of coral and gold costume jewelry, not the original holiday look I was intending to make when I started! I actually like it better this way I think!!

I used American Apparel Berry as a base, with China Glaze 2030 from Khrome Collection and Lotus Herbals Orange Alert for the dots. Topped it off with 2 coats of Seche Vite top coat.

Anyone else getting excited for Thanksgiving?!!?!??! I'm sooooo hungry! I want to brine my turkey this year (I've never tried it before), anyone have any good brining recipes or tips?

Also- lots of people have mentioned they loved the Harry Potter shirts- email me HERE if you want one! :)

-M

Shawn Sparkles

Not quite Robin Sparkles, or Jessica Glitter, but it'll have to do...

Today's manicure utilizes a polish that I was told (by Zoya herself) that I was not allowed to wear, since it clashes with my skin tone. :-P I love this polish too much to let something like skin tone get in the way of wearing it! I wanted something simple today, for more than one reason... I fell asleep on the couch last night, which ALWAYS gives me a horrible 'crick in the neck' that lasts for a week or more, and the second reason was that I was in a hurry to get across town. Sorry for no post yesterday, I passed out on the couch after work and woke up this morning- gotta love having to work the day after midnight movie showings. :-P I got 3 hours of sleep. AWESOME. Anyway, to the manicure, I used one of the new OPI Burlesque glitters, ack!! THey're so sparkly. This pic doesn't show any of the glitz! (even though I added a blurry pic to sort of show the sparkle!) Also, ignore the middle finger, I broke it, and I had to mend it, so it's wonky looking.

I used Zoya Shawn as a base, with OPI Glow Up Already sponged on the tip. Topped it off with 2 coats of Seche Vite Top Coat.

Let's go to the mall!

I Feel so 'Hallow' Inside

Yes, I am one of those dorks that waits in line for the midnight showings of the Harry Potter movies... and books. :-D In fact, tonight we're going to go get in line at 9 pm!! I'm soooo excited. I even screen printed t-shirts!! On the front, they have a drawing of Harry's infamous round spectacles, and on the back, it says 'In Memoriam' with a list of all the good guys that were killed over the course of the books, I even included Richard Harris, the original Dumbledore, who died after making the second movie. (he counts!) Under the list, there is a skull and crossed wands, for which I used Voldemort's wand, and Harry's wand to make the 'crossbones'. I'm so beyond excited for tonight's showing, and hope that it's better and truer to the book than the last one.

I have had a Harry Potter manicure on the list since the very beginning of the blog, but couldn't bring myself to do it until now- when the movie is a mere 4.5 hours away!! I did the HP logo on the thumb, the icon of the Deathly Hallows on the index finger, the golden snitch is flying across my middle finger, and the ring and pinky feature Harry's hand and Quidditch robe sleeve reaching to catch it! (yes, I know that Harry doesn't play Quidditch in the last book/movie, but I felt that it was important over the course of the books, so I added it!)

Don't forget to check out my blog sale! :)

I used American Apparel Hassid as a base, with China Glaze 2030 from Khrome Collection for the HP logo, the Deathly Hallows icon, and golden snitch. For the hand, I used American Apparel California Trooper as a base, with a mixture of American Apparel Palm Springs and Zoya Alluria for the flesh tone, shaded with the flesh mixture mixed with MAC Rich, Dark, Delicious, and highlighted with the flesh mixture mixed with American Apparel Cotton. For the robe, I used a mix of Nubar Sexy Red mixed with MAC Rich, Dark, Delicious, then American Apparel Manila for the stripes. Topped everything off with 2 coats of Seche Vite top coat.

The shirts:

Finite incantatem!

BLOG SALE!!

The nail polish collection is getting out of control, and there are so many colors that I don't use, have never used, some HTF colors, and some I bought duplicates of, so I'm having a blog sale!! There are also going to be other things, like purses, jeans, some LE MAC items, and other random things that will be added periodically, so check back! The sale will always be listed on a separate page which can be reached by clicking the 'The Daily Nail: Sales!" link that is located directly under the logo header! :)

You can also reach it by going HERE.

Thanks!! ;)

Who You Gonna Call?

Growing up in the 80s, I was destined to love the movie Ghostbusters. (is it possible to NOT love this movie?!) It has everything...ghosts, laughs, Bill Murray?! I'll be honest though, since I was born just 3 years before it came out, I'm far more familiar with Ghostbusters II, with Vigo as the bad guy! Can't forget Slimer or the Stay-Puft Marshmallow man either! :) Anyway, at the recommendation of Chris, I did Ghostbuster nails today!!

I used American Apparel Hassid as a base, with Sally Hansen Professional Lavender Cloud as a base for the logo, Nubar Sexy Red for the 'no' circle, and OPI Who the Shrek Are You? for the slime that Slimer left behind on the ring finger. Topped it all off with 2 coats of Seche Vite top coat!

I am the keymaster.

Want to Get Your Nails Painted by Me?

Want to get your nails painted by me?

Will you be in Las Vegas on December 1?

Let me know! I'll be doing a night of manicures at a local hotspot! We need to get the word out so it's jam-packed busy, because if it is, this won't just be a one-time thing!! :) There will be super-cheap drink specials for the ladies, a DJ, and polish changes by me! (and yes, that includes nail art!)

Send me an email at thedailynail@gmail.com if you're interested in coming, and I'll make sure you get the details first about when, where, and what time! :)

XOXO
-M

If You Got the Bullets, I Got the Time

If you've read the blog for any length of time, you've probably gotten the idea that I am a nerd, and I love nerd manicures... Today's manicure features a bad guy from the Nintendo arsenal of villains, Bullet Bill! I remember many an afternoon spent with these dudes in front of my TV with my NES Advantage Joystick and ginormous box of Goldfish crackers. *sigh* Those were the days...

I used American Apparel Hassid as a base, with a mixture of American Apparel Hassid and Orly Mirror, Mirror to highlight, then another layer of just Orly Mirror, Mirror to highlight even more. I also used Orly Mirror, Mirror around the arms, and to shade the arms. I used Sally Hansen Professional Lavender Cloud for the eyes and for the arms, and American Apparel Hassid for the pupils. Topped it all off with 2 coats of Seche Vite top coat.

I love the fishes, 'cause they're sooooo delicious! Gone goldfishin'!

Go With the Flow-er

Man, I feel like I've lost my mojo. I hate 90% of the designs I've done lately, and that makes me SO sad. I'm not saying this to solicit sympathy, I'm saying it because I'm genuinely worried. lol  Designs that should be/usually are easy end up taking forever and looking like crapola. Anyway, today's nail art is simple, and was inspired by the cover of the journal/notebook that I write ideas and jot down my wish list, amongst other things.

I used Nubar Sexy Red as a base, with a mix of Orly Mirror, Mirror and American Apparel Hassid for the dark grey, and Orly Gumdrop for the flower's aqua center. For the white lines, I used Sally Hansen Professional Lavender Cloud. Topped it all off with 2 coats of Seche Vite top coat.

American Apparel launches 12 new colors!! PREVIEW

I've made no secret of my love for American Apparel's polish line. I use some of their colors almost daily, and I love their consistency, colors, and opacity. Imagine my excitement to read my email today and see this:

Yep, seriously dying over here. I cannot wait to get my hands on these. 

From American Apparel:

LOS ANGELES -- American Apparel (Amex: APP), the vertically integrated clothing manufacturer based in downtown Los Angeles, is announcing the addition of twelve new colors to its successful line of nail polish.


The company's Made in the USA nail lacquer is now available in 48 colors. The 12 new shades take inspiration from simple and straightforward elements of both Angeleno and global culture, reflecting the ubiquitous nature of the T-shirt on which American Apparel built its brand. Echo Park, a new shade of concrete grey, and MacArthur Park, a muted mossy yellow, both reference neighborhoods where the company first opened stores and where many of its employees live. Others, like Trenchcoat and Army Jacket, are nods to iconic garments and their evocative, eponymous tones.


"Nail polish is our favorite category for exploring color. We planned on releasing only six new shades, but we felt so strongly about all of these that we decided to release a full dozen. Its difficult to pick a favorite--they all compliment wardrobes in different ways. We can't wait to see the looks people create with them," said Marsha Brady, a creative director for American Apparel.


American Apparel Nail Lacquer has become one of the company's fastest-moving products. The two previous launches of colors quickly sold out worldwide. The consistency and quality of the polish has been universally noted in the reviews of the product and the company diligently oversaw the production process to ensure this standard again.


American Apparel Nail Lacquer is priced at $6 per bottle and is available in a 3-pack for $15 and 7-pack for $32. It is sold at American Apparel stores worldwide as well as online. The nail polish is DBP, toluene and formaldehyde-free. For a full view of color range, ingredients, swatches and photographs, please visit our online store.

Blinged Out Bursts

As you make-up diehards may know, Nov 11-15, Sephora gave a 20% discount to their VIB customers. I went to the first night of the 'sale' for their shopping event. I'll be honest, since I'm broke, it was mostly to get the freebies, but when I saw this polish, I totally couldn't resist it, and at 20% off, what better time?! The color I'm talking about is part of their Holiday collection, and it's called 212 Sephora, which is a soft black with iridescent glitter, as well as gold glitter, and copper flakies!! It's seriously AMAZING. For today's design, I really wanted to use it, but I didn't want to cover it up, so I chose to do a simple burst in an olive color in the upper corner of the nail.

A different angle to show off the glitter better

I used OPI for Sephora 212 Sephora as a base, with Rescue Beauty No More War for the burst. Topped it all off with 2 coats of Seche Vite top coat.

'Tis the Season to be Jolly!

No, this isn't a Christmas manicure... and if it were, it'd be a totally morbid holiday manicure! Oh, wait, I DID do a skully christmas manicure last year. Oops. :-D Today's nail art is in honor of Robert Louis Stevenson's 160th birthday, which is today! :) As you may know, one of his famous works of literature is 'Treasure Island', a tale of pirates and buried gold. In reference to that, I chose to do Jolly Roger nail art today! (as if I needed a reason to do pirate nails :-P)

I used American Apparel Hassid as a base, with Sally Hansen Professional Lavender Cloud for the skull and crossbones. Topped it off with my still-fresh and amazingly well applying Seche Vite top coat. lol

YARRRRR!

Note Worthy?

Happy Friday, people!! Today went by about as slowly as a day could POSSIBLY go. It felt never-ending, but we made it, and the weekend has begun!! Today's manicure was based off a pattern that I found on some notecards that I bought a million years ago in the $1 section at Target! :) I love the retro pattern and colors, so I HAD to use it for a design! :)

I used American Apparel Cotton as a base, with Pure Ice Wild Thing for the green side of the nail and for the green spots, Zoya Jancyn for the orange stripes and dots, MAC Rich, Dark, Delicious for the dark brown dots, and American Apparel Esprit for the periwinkle/lavender dots. Topped it all off with 2 coats of Seche Vite top coat, have I ever mentioned how much I love the first manicure out of a brand new bottle of Seche Vite? So lovely. lol Nailgasmic, one might say.

Written in Ink

Tonight was an interesting night, I went with my friend (and new co-worker) Stephanie to a book signing for Kat Von D's new book. It was insane how many people showed up- they were wrapped around the outside of the building!! Luckily, Steph and I went early this morning and got our wristbands, and they were color-coded, so we got to cut the line to the end of our bracelet's color line. Fun fact that I learned tonight- Red Bull tastes great with mint gum (especially when the red bull is free), I also learned that I get super talkative with red bull in my system. lol Another fun part of the night (besides the free sample-sized Kat Von D eyeshadow primers) was that 2 other members of the LA Ink crew were there too!! Dan, who is delightfully adorable, and Rooftop! :-D All three signed the book, and I got a hug from Kat, and she was super nice and even complimented me on my jacket! :) (Did you know she is super tall?!) Anyway, in honor of the occasion, I did Kat Von D nails, I originally drew them in Sharpie, but as soon as topcoat hit them, they faded to almost nothing, so I had to go over them again in polish.

On the thumb is part of her lipstick 'Hollywood' tattoo, on the ring finger is her famous star eye area tattoos, and on the pinky is the LA Ink logo. The middle and index finger are just generic tattoos. Stupid OPI topcoat smeared the crap out of them. :(

I used MAC In the Buff as a base, with American Apparel Hassid for the black, and Nubar Sexy Red for the red. Topped it off with a coat of OPI Speed Dry, because I'm out of usable Seche Vite.

The pic of me and the crew (I swear I'm looking at the camera, but the glare makes both Kat and my eyes look weird):

The book I got signed for Krystal: (aka Keysgoround)

Let Down Your Hair!

I'm sure that if you watch TV at all, you've been seeing commercials for a little movie called 'Tangled' by a small, up-and-coming film company called 'Disney'. ;) For those living in a cave, Tangled is a movie about the story of Rapunzel, and is an animated feature. I was lucky enough to get a couple of advance tickets to it tonight, so of course my roommate and I went. (along with 2 medium (read: gallon sized) sodas, and a large tub of popcorn with layered butter) I have to say, the movie was adorable, and I highly recommend checking it out when it comes out November 24!

For today's nail design, I did the tower from the movie with Rapunzel's hair flowing out of the window onto the other 4 nails.

I used American Apparel Manila as a base for the hair nails, with American Apparel Manila and MAC Brown Bag marbled over it. For the tower nail, I used Zoya Yummy as a base, with Orly Mirror, Mirror as a base for the tower, shaded with Essence Pointbreak, and highlighted with American Apparel Cotton. For the roof, I used American Apparel Mount Royal and Nubar Milk Chocolate Creme for the wood beams. For the greenery for the background and growing up the tower, I used Zoya Shawn. Topped it off with 2 coats of Seche Vite top coat. Sorry it looks a little bubbly, my seche is getting ollllld and cloudy. Time for a new bottle!

BTW, for those that are like me....there's nothing after the credits. We waited. lol

Check it Out!

Today's nail design is an homage to where it all began... THIS was the design that I used to do all the time when I was younger, except way back then I used toothpicks or straight pins in place of a brush. Fun stuff right? What was YOUR first nail design? Also- because of the hugely positive response to the tutorial I posted yesterday, I decided to do another one. (you've created a monster!!) The tutorial at the end of this post is for Between a Rockabilly and a Hard Place. Fun fact: bother nail tutorials I've posted have been done 100% with my iPhone 4, from filming to editing to uploading! (Did you know that the iPhone has an iMovie app?! How rad is that?!)

I used Sally Hansen Professional Lavender Cloud as a base, with American Apparel Hassid for the checkerboard pattern. Topped it all off with 2 coats of Seche Vite top coat.

LEGO My Eggo!

Today's manicure is for my pal John. He is the biggest LEGO nerd I've ever met. EVER. When we used to work together, his entire cube had lego creations filling it! I've had this manicure on my list to do for ages and ages, so I decided that tonight was the night!!

I used Nubar Sexy Red for the thumb and index, Sally Hansen Professional Lavender Cloud for the middle finger, ALDO Sea You in Ibiza for the ring finger, and American Apparel Manila for the pinky. For the LEGO nubs things, I used Nubar Sexy Red mixed with American Apparel Hassid for the red LEGO, American Apparel Hassid mixed with Sally Hansen Professional Lavender Cloud for the white LEGO, ALDO Sea You In Ibiza mixed with American Apparel Hassid for the blue LEGO, and Zoya Jancyn for the yellow LEGO. To highlight them, I mixed each color with Sally Hansen Professional Lavender Cloud. For the logo on the thumb, I used Sally Hansen Professional Lavender Cloud, outlined with American Apparel Hassid, then outlined with American Apparel Manila. Topped it all off with 2 coats of Seche Vite top coat.

Also, since a lot of you expressed an interest in seeing a tutorial for What's the Mod-der, so you asked, I delivered! Hope you like it! :)

I Have the Power(Book)

I've made no secret what a huge Apple dork I am, so today's nail art should be no surprise. I decided to do nail art inspired by my trusty 7 year old Apple PowerBook Aluminum. (it's slow as hell, is missing an 'f' key, the 'd' key only works on occasion, and the case is separating from the right side bottom, but it still works, and I use it daily!) It's kind of hard to see the white apple logo on the aluminum colored background in the photos, but it's easier in person. I'm not happy with how this turned out, it was hard to get the white to be opaque, so it looks gloopy, which I hate.

I used China Glaze Millennium as a base, with Sally Hansen Professional Lavender Cloud for the Apple logo. Topped it all off with 2 coats of Seche Vite top coat.

Vive le Apple!

Now and Venn

Gotta love nerdy nails, today's nail art is math nerd nails, they're an interpretation of Venn diagrams! It's kind of a different interpretation of a moon manicure too! Even though this manicure was/is suuuuuper simple, I keep finding myself looking at it! If you want to try it yourself, you can use any colors, but sheerer colors work best!!

I used Sally Hansen Professional Lavender Cloud as a base, with Color Club Pure Energy and Nubar Sexy Red. Topped it all off with 2 coats of Seche Vite top coat.

Off to bed!

What's the Mod-der?

Obviously, since I write this blog, I tend to write about and paint things that I love. Today is no exception, the design in today's post was based off the background fabric in a picture I can across on a nail art site that I can't find again... if it was yours, tell me, so I can credit you. Anyway, the fabric had a really mod, retro feel, which I absolutely adore, and when I saw it, I knew that I had to do a nail art version! I don't know what it is about this design that I love so much! Plus- it was EASY! The only tool required was a dotting tool! :) Would y'all like a tutorial of this?

I used American Apparel Cotton as a base, with American Apparel Hassid for the flower shapes, then for the colored centers, I used Essie Foot Loose, Sally Hanson Hard As Nails Xtreme Wear in 06 Sun Kissed, Pure Ice Wild Thing, Zoya Yummy, and American Apparel Manila. Topped it all off with 2 coats of Seche Vite top coat.

And, as an added bonus- look at my new pet!! :)  (I found him when I got home from work!)