Floral Mani with White+Mint Stripes!

Hey guys! I’m back with another nail art design. It was a bit time consuming, but I loved the way it turned out. Sadly, I can’t take credit for this design. There are hundreds of variations of this design, so if you’re interested in recreating it, you’ll have plenty of inspiration! And as always, you can create this look with any colors or brand.



Here are the products I used!



1. Rock Hard Nail Hardener Base Coat
2. Nail Striping Tape
3. Julep Ramona
4. Julep Maddy
5. Revlon Minted
6. OPI Jade is the new black
7. Julep Brigitte
8. Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat

Here are the steps I used to create this look, as well as a close up.

1. I started with a thin coat of my base coat.
2. I applied two coats of Revlon Minted.
3. After it was completely dry, I applied nail striping tape to my pinkie to create vertical stripes. I painted a thin layer of white polish and quickly removed the tape. I repeated this on the rest of my nails, with the exception of my ring finger.
4. While the stripes were drying, I then used a dotting tool on my ring finger to create a pink blob flower.
5. I used a thin nail brush to gently add the light pink accents inside the flower, as well as the leaves.
6. I repeated the previous steps to the rest of my nails, making small light pink flowers and accenting them with the darker pink.
7. To prevent smearing, I gave my nails about 10 minutes of dry time before applying my top coat.


Hope you enjoyed this look! I had a lot of fun doing it!

Simple Gradient/Summer Mani!

I’m so excited to show my very first nail art design! Well, I can hardly call it art. And it certainly isn’t a design. This look is actually pretty darn simple. All you need is the polish of your choice, a makeup sponge, and some tape! Can’t beat that.

I like this look because it’s simple, but makes a statement. Of course, you can recreate this with ANY colors you want, from any brand. Get creative!



Here are the products I used!

1. Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat (My holy grail)
2. Orly Beach Cruiser
3. Julep Brigitte
4. Scotch tape (I used the cheap stuff. You can also use painters tape or washi tape!)
5. Rock Hard Nail Hardener Base Coat
6. Julep Flora (One of my favorite purples of all time!)
7. A non-latex sponge (Non-latex allows the polish to absorb into the sponge for better blending)
Here are the steps to recreate the look, as well as a close up.

1. I started with a blank canvas of white nails. This allowed for a brighter pop of color and a bit more contrast between the bright colors and the white.
2. I polished my ring and index fingers.
3. After the white polish had COMPLETELY dried, I painted stripes onto my sponge and began stippling it onto my thumbnail. (The key to an opaque finish is thin layers. Continue applying polish to the sponge and then to your nail until you get the desired look.)
4. I saved my middle finger for last. I used the corners of my nail for a guideline, and applied the tape to create a “V” shape. I repeated the same sponge technique as the previous step until it was the desired brightness.
5. Seal everything with a fast drying top coat!



I will admit, it’s not the cleanest manicure I’ve ever done, but I still like it. Hope you enjoyed this look!




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Julep Swatches (June 2014)

Hey y’all! Before I get to swatching, I have to say a HUGE thank you to everyone that has taken time to check out my blog. I know it’s still in the very early stages, so to break over 200 views on my first day was completely unexpected. Thanks to everyone that shared my page, followed it on Blog Lovin’, and supports it in any way. Love you guys!

Time for some swatches! For some odd reason, I love swatching nail polishes. It’s a weird, cathartic hobby of mine. As I mentioned in my last post, I only loved one color out of the entire “Three Wishes” Collection. Although the colors were pretty, but I couldn’t help but see lots of purple and LOTS of shimmer. (Shimmer just isn’t my thing.) After going through each color, I knew Bergen was the only color I really had to have.



It has a shimmer finish, but it’s much more subtle than I thought it would be. The color is definitely darker than what Julep depicted on their site, but I still enjoy it. I pictured it as a pale gray-blue, but it has much more blue than gray. It’s a calming, quiet shade. The formula was perfect to work with. Not too thick, not too thin.

Overall verdict: I like it! With the cool, calming tones, I would almost classify this as a neutral (and I love me some neutrals).

Next we have Majorie. I have to preface this swatch by saying that I really do not like the color orange. It’s my LEAST favorite color. Maybe I have hostility towards it because it’s really the only color I cannot wear. (Lots of yellow undertones in my skin + orange = Oompa Loompa status.) I would have never purchased this color for myself, but because it came as a free gift for choosing three add-ons to my box, it was out of my hands. I have to admit, I was kind of bummed when I opened the box and saw it. But, fair is fair. I decided to give it a shot.



Like Bergen, it has a very slight shimmer. It’s definitely a bright, fun, summery orange. The website describes it as a sheer finish, but I found that it was completely opaque after two coats.

Overall verdict: It’s okay (for me). I would recommend this color to others in a heartbeat. It’s just not my personal favorite based on my skin tone and preference. The formula is great to work with, and although I don’t see myself reaching for it for a complete manicure, it’s good to have around for nail art.

Last but not least, we have Veronica. Finally a crème formula! I LOVE the crème formulas that Julep offers. It’s a nice, mauve pink and it’s completely opaque after one coat. (You can’t beat one-coaters.) It’s obviously a thicker formula than the sheers, but still incredibly easy to work with. Like Majorie, I’m not sure if I would have picked this color myself. I tend to stick with pale pinks because they’re so neutral. However, I’m really happy they chose this color to give away. It’s very feminine, without being over the top.



Overall verdict: Love it. I can see myself reaching for this color quite a bit. I love that it’s a deeper, more wearable pink. I think it’s great for all ages and skin tones.




*Thanks for being patient with me as I continue to improve upon these posts. Please excuse picture quality, lighting, and/or typos. It’s still a learning curve and will improve with time!