Tropical Brights Gradient

Every now and then I get into a super rut with my nails.  Usually when I'm super stressed out about something.  This one started with our move, and hasn't ended yet.  With moving in, unpacking, applying for jobs, having job interviews... My nails have really taken a beating.  As have my poor cuticles.  In these times of crisis, there's really only one way to get myself back on top of my game- I have to spend a long time doing something cool with my nails (here is just one example).  Normally I try to do something freehand, or water marble.  It's time consuming and (usually) looks pretty awesome, and knowing that I spent a lot of time and effort on a certain design is the ONLY thing that can override my need to nibble when I'm stressed.  So this morning I spent two hours (yup) doing my nails with a pretty sweet, tropical bright gradient mani.  It took so long because I used a white base coat first, and then redid my entire left hand because I didn't like the way it turned out.  Plus, cleanup was just awful.  But anyway, enough with the words and the sad stories- onto the pics!

I really needed these brights today- you can see the 

rain droplets in the picture!

Products Used:

Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear in White Out (basecoat)

Orly Fabulous Flamingo

Zoya America

Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear in Sun Kissed

Orly Ingenue and Alabaster Verve

I recently posted a swatch of Orly's Alabaster Verve.  I don't have a lot of Orly polish in my collection, so when I was at the store I went ahead and got myself three bottles.  I also purchased Ingenue, when was labelled with a little "new" ring around it but really isn't new- it's from the winter/holiday collection.  It is a pink based loaded up with tiny, shimmery gold glitter.  It is also basically identical to a bunch of other polishes floating around, but I don't own any of those and this was on sale so into my bin it went, and onto my fingers.  I love it layered over Alabaster Verve.  This is two coasts AV and one coat of Ingenue with Seche Vite as a top coat.

I'm really not a fan of gold.  I'm much more of a silver/white gold person as far as personal taste goes.  However, my skin tone disagrees- gold looks pretty great on me (if I do say so myself, heeey!).  I love this color with my skin tone!  

I'm back! And on East Coast time!

Our adventure is over, we are all moved in.  My nails are little nubbins (surprise surprise) after a whole ton of stressful events but I'm trying to get myself back on track.  Once my crafting space is all set up, I'll be able to get some nail polish racks up and going and then we will really be in business.  For now, just a quick swatch of a new (to me) color.

This is Orly's Alabaster Verve.  It's a perfect dusty pink and it has a hint of silvery shimmer.  It's perfect for work without being boring.

My ridges are pretty bad, huh?

Lovely!  

Another Freehand Floral Mani!

I really loved a few of the floral manis I did previously (here and here) and I'm not opposed to tooting my own horn, so I did another!  I tried out a lovely pink color I got from a friend for Christmas.  It's really bright and gorgeous, so I went with darker grey and black for the roses.  And sprinkled in some little white accent dots and glitter for fun and variety!

Also notice my poor little nubbins? :(  I had a super turbulent flight on the way home, combined with returning to internship, wedding planning, and the Praxis II that I'm taking on Saturday.... and yowza, my nails have had it!

Here you can sort of see the glitter I slapped on there.

Products Used:

Orly Fabulous Flamingo

Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear in Wet Cement

Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear in Black Out

Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear in White On

Essie Pure Pearlfection

Hope everyone is having a fabulous beginning to their 2012!  And may you never have to take the Praxis II!

Orly Space Cadet- Picture Heavy!

I don't really even have words for an introduction, so I will let these (many) photos speak for themselves....

Right?!?!?!  Where do I begin?  There are so many colors here.  There's pink (which was hardest to capture), green, bronze, gold all set in a blue/teal base.  Every time you move your hand you see a different color- or a different shade of a color you knew was there!  It's so cool!

The pictures about show three coats.