31 Days of Nail Art Challenge - Day 31 - Re-Create Your Favourite Challenge

Okay, so I'm not actually doing my favourite day, but one that I wanted to have another go at.

Truthfully there was about 6 days I wish I could have done again, but I picked Day 10 - Gradient Nails because at the time I wasn't confident about my gradient skills so did a glitter gradient instead. I liked what I created the first time found but felt like I wanted to do a "proper" gradient, so here it is:

I used two of the new Barry M Gelly Nail Paints in Key Lime (green) and Guava (blue). They made the whole process so much easier because the formula was brilliant! I then added a layer of sparse iridescent glitter and then mattified it.

Here's what it looked like before the glitter:

 I really really like these! And I feel like my gradient skills have improved vastly!

Look forward to seeing more gradients from me, I just love the look of them!

31 Days of Nail Art Challenge - Day 30 - Inspired by a Tutorial

Tutorials.

I actually really like them, because they help make rather difficult things really quite easy.

So for this weeks theme I decided to use a tutorial for a style I've never tried before... Braided Nails! I used this tutorial by fellow Brit Blog - Lucy's Stash.

And it was amazingly SO easy! Because all it is really is stripes! And you don't need any special tools or equipment, just some one coat polishes!

Seriously, if you've ever wanted to try these but thought they would be too difficult, go have a try and tell me how they went, I bet you'll be surprised!

31 Days of Nail Art Challenge - Day 29 - Inspired by the Supernatural

The Supernatural.

To be honest I don't really believe in any supernatural thing like aliens, religion or ghosts.

But the one thing I do like is magic.

I don't believe there is any real magic out there such as miracles but I like the performance version of it. So I decided to base this weeks theme around that.

Okay so I don't know what to think of these. I just sort of on each nail put a 'magical' polish on (i.e, holographic, flakies, etc...) and on my pinkie I created a star shower sort of thing...

Well I do like the layers of flakies on my middle finger anyway:

I guess this is what magic looks like in my head, haha.

Hmm, either way my camera refused to pick up all the holographicness on my index and ring so they did look a bit better in real life.

31 Days of Nail Art Challenge - Day 28 - Inspired by a Flag

Flags.

Well not much to say really...

Anyway, I decided to recreate the two flags that represent my background:

India because that is my heritage and UK because this is where I was born and have lived my whole life.

I painted other two fingers black to represent my future... I mean, who knows where I'll end up??

31 Days of Nail Art Challenge - Day 27 - Inspired by Artwork

Artwork.

I like art and some may even say I'm good at it.

But I chose not to persue it any further than secondary school KS3 (year 9) and I admit I have looked back and wondered what if...

But anyway for this theme I chose to take inspiration from Mondrian, a Dutch painter.

I freehanded this all because I was being lazy and it seemed quicker than using striping tape. It came out better than I though it would!

To make it more like a 'painting' I mattified it:

This is the image I used as inspiration (called Composition II in Red, Blue, and Yellow):

Source Wikipedia

31 Days of Nail Art Challenge - Day 26 - Inspired by A Pattern

Patterns.

Not much to say about them.. I like pretty/vintage/whimsical/girly/delicate kinds of patterns.

The only problem was that this week has been so crazy busy for me that I didn't have time to do the nail art I was planning on doing, so I've posted an old photo of my first attempt at water decals that I did about 6 months ago. You can clearly see how bad they look :/ They are wrinkled and jagged.

I wish I'd had the time to do something better but oh well, life goes on...

31 Days of Nail Art Challenge - Day 25 - Inspired by Fashion

Fashion.

For those of you that know me, you will know I'm very into fashion.

So much so that within my group of friends I am the girly/creative/fashion-y 'one'.

For this theme I decided to go simple and so this is inspired by my favourite vintage dress.

I used Avon Suede in blue Royale as a base and then a dotting tool and white polish to add the dots.

I love these! I think dotticures can look so simple yet stylish!

31 Days of Nail Art Challenge - Day 24 - Inspired by a Book

Books.

I love to read but because of all these exams I just don't have the time! :(

So for this theme I decided to base it on something from my childhood again. And so I came up with.... The Mr Men and Little Miss books!

I know they aren't great but it was fun drawing instead of stamping for a change!

From top to bottom: Mr Messy, Mr Daydream, Mr Strong, Mr Happy

When I was little I had about 12 Mr Men and Little Miss books... I just found out that there are 80+ Mr Men and Little Miss books available now!

31 Days of Nail Art Challenge - Day 23 - Inspired by a Movie

Movies.

I love watching films but I can never find the time to watch them anymore :(

So for this theme I decided to base it on a film character from my childhood.

And that is... Minnie Mouse!

Instead of actually drawing her, I used bits of her 'look' (basically her dress and hairbow) to recreate.

For the base I started with Revlon Mon Cherry, which is one of their scented polishes. It smells pretty nice, but not of cherry unfortunately. Then I added the white dots using Models Own Snow White and a dotting tool. For the bow I added a coat of China Glaze Ruby Pumps before adding the dots, and then drew on the bow.

I love how it is such and iconic look that even people on the bus commented saying it looked like Minnie Mouse nails!

31 Days of Nail Art Challenge - Day 22 - Inspired by a Song

Music.

Not much to say about it... I like listening to music as much as the next person.

So for this theme I chose the song LaserLight by Jessie J.

No reason in particular, it just so happened to be playing while I was thinking about what to do for this theme.

I did a laser mani using striping tape. It was actually pretty easy to do.

"You make me feel good, You make me feel safe, You make me feel like I could live another day" - Jessie J LaserLight

And here's a video of the song:

31 Days of Nail Art Challenge - Day 21 - Inspired by a Colour

Colour.

I LOVE colour!

Like I've said before, probably the reason why I love nail polish so much!

So for this theme I decided to do a pink to purple scattered holographic gradient. I used Orly Miss Conduct and O.P.I DS Extravagance.

Initially I tried it by sponging on the two colours but it didn't look right because the holographic particles would just sit on top of the colour, so instead I painted on the two colours and layered them slightly in the middle, where I then stippled them to make a smooth blend.

I really really like this!

I liked it so much that I didn't want to take it off! And so I didn't, instead I jazzed it up a bit and wore it all weekend while I went to stay with my grandparents.

Anyway I'm off to school now, for 5 hours of maths, with my headteacher. I'm not joking. 

31 Days of Nail Art Challenge - Day 20 - Water Marbled

Water Marble.

A technique I was scared of doing because of the mess involved.

But for the sake of the challenge I gave it a go. And after two failed attempts, this is what I ended up with:

I used all three foil Limited Edition Barry M Xmas polishes and no base or top coat.

Hmm, I actually really do like the finished look but knowing how much work was needed beforehand (and the clean-up!) makes me weary of doing this very often.

31 Days of Nail Art Challenge - Day 19 - Galaxies

Galaxies.

Something I had never thought of creating on my nails.

But now that I have, I love them!

They were really straightforward as well!

What I did was first paint my nails with A England Tristam, then using the corner of a makeup sponge, dab on on A England St George and Color Club Eternal Beauty and Harp On It. Then once that was dry I very lightly sponged over it all with Color Club Beyond and topped it all off with Barry M Diamond Glitter. Then sealed it all in with some topcoat.

I love the fact that all the colours merge together but can all still be seen and the holographicness from the polishes and glitter topper just ties it all together.

So easy and so cool!

31 Days of Nail Art Challenge - Day 18 - Half Moons

Half Moons.

Something that never appealed to me much...

But I tried them out.

And as I suspected. They look awful. I did these quite a while ago, hence the rubbish painting skills, and before I thought about using hole reinforcers to get the shape -_- 

I'm not prod of these. At all. They are messy and ugly and look weird.

But every time I see others doing them, I think they look great! Sigh...

Maybe I'll try them again and give them another chance soon.

31 Days of Nail Art Challenge - Day 16 - Tribal Print

I realize now that I missed day 16 - doh! So here it is...

Tribal Print.

Something I hadn't actually done before.

But now that I have, I know I'm going to do it again. It's so easy!

All I did was paint my nails pink, with Barry M Dragon Fruit, then painted on the turquoise with Barry M Green Berry. When they were both dry I freehanded the black patterns and then topcoated. Easy!

And I actually like these! They're not the neatest but considering it took less than 20 minutes, I think its pretty good!

31 Days of Nail Art Challenge - Day 17 - Glitter

Sorry for the lack of posts this week. I stayed over at my aunts house during the week and had a major nail-catastrophe when i was taking my little cousin out of her car-seat. Basically my thumb nail bent backwards and just ripped off! It was painful. It was gory. It was devastating. But its healing, which is good. Although, because of it I cant even really hold a pen, let alone paint my nails, so I won't be posting anything new for a while (old swatches/beauty/stuff like that instead)... I won't disappear though, I promise!

Glitter.

I LOVE glitter.

But, I hate the removal process that comes with glitter polish so I don't wear it as much as I would like to. (And because of my nail disaster, this isn't what i was planning, but had it in my 'to-post' folder so had to use it instead.)

 This is a Color Club Glitter Rainbow Gradient.

I love how, when i look at my hand from one side, I see these four colours! Haha, simple things please me :P

And these are the polishes I used (I don't know any of the name because none of them have labels) :

31 Days of Nail Art Challenge - Day 15 - Delicate Print

Delicate Print.

Something I think looks so beautiful yet something I hardly wear on my nails.

So, to make my life easier, I chose stamping!

Instead of a full nail pattern I went for black lace french tips.

This is a base of 2true Fast Dry Colour Quick in Shade 11. Its a lovely nude creme, opaque in 2/3 coats.

I LOVE these! So dainty yet modern. And my stamping skills are really improving too!

31 Days of Nail Art Challenge - Day 14 - Flowers

Flowers.

An image that can be created in so many ways. And one that I've repeatedly produced on my nails.

At first I was going to do rainbow flowers over all my nails with a dotting tool but I was short for time, so I did the same thing but stamped!

I rarely wear crazy full nail patterns, let alone a different one on each nail, so this was a refreshing change.

I think they look like old fashioned wallpaper!

31 Days of Nail Art Challenge - Day 13 - Animal print

Animal print.

Not something I often have on my nails.

But I was totally up for the challenge! So instead of one print, I went for four!

Tiger, Giraffe, Zebra and Leopard.

Although I would probably never actually wear this as a full mani, I may begin to wear animal print as an accent nail. We'll see ;)

31 Days of Nail Art Challenge - Day 12 - Stripes

I know this was technically meant to be up last week but I accidentally took a chunk out of my middle finger last to last sunday and so couldn't paint my nails. But its healed now so here you go.

Stripes.

Another easy nail art technique.

They can be drawn freehand or done with striping tape and both give off a different look. I went for striping tape simply because it was just easier.

This is O.P.I OPI Ink with Barry M silver foil.

I love the clean lines striping tape gives and I can definitely think of so many manis that would look so much better by using it!

What do you think, do you prefer freehand or tape?