Inspired by: Harlequin Hardware Manicure

Did you ever heard for Harlequin Hardware manicure? Well I haven't but I saw pictures on Tumblr all the time. :D Here's a picture...

http://makeupforlife.net

“Harlequin Hardware” manicures created by CND‘s Candice Manacchio at the Diego Binetti show. To create these gorgeous looks, Candice stained models' nails in CND Colour in Raspberry Parfait and Frosting Cream before capping them in gold and silver metal.

The gradient looks so perfect and airbrushed on pictures and I already knew I won't get same smooth effect but I really wanted to try it out. :D Tips are probably mirror gold stickers, as you can see on her pinkie it started lifting. :i

It looks much better from far away as on macro photos. :i

First I started with 2 coats of OPI Sweet Heart. Then I applied Sweet Heart and Hot or Not? on sponge and started sponging pink near the cuticles and blending pink with the lighter color. It's even messier than a normal gradient, because you need to be careful not to get pink in the middle of nails. I literally had pink fingers all around cuticles. :) Then I add just Sweet Heart on sponge and tapped it in the middle of nails in case there were pink spots. I added coat of top coat and left it for a day. Yesterday I made gold french tips with China Glaze 2030 and stripping tape and finished everything with another coat of top coat.

Without Golden Tips

I got so many compliments and lots of them were wondering if my nails are fake or how I did them. :)

Sun

OPI - Sweet Heart / 2 coats

Sponging: OPI - Sweet Heart & Catrice - Hot or Not?

 Beauty Secrets TC Fast Finish Polish Dryer

Funky french: China Glaze - 2030 & Stripping Tape

Beauty Secrets TC Fast Finish Polish Dryer

Yup, gradient effect is grainy if you look closer but I don't care, it's still pretty. ^_^

This technique is a bit messy and time-consuming but when you're done, you have a pretty awesome manicure going on your nails. :L

Btw, follow me on instagram @ivanathinkspink, I joined a few days ago . :)

What do you think? Would you wear it? :i Thanks for reading! :h

Edit - 18th September 2012 ~ Adding video tutorial :)

Xoxo,
Ivana :k

Inspired by: Chanel Fall 2012 Couture Nails

Few days ago I was spending my time on Tumblr checking nail art pictures, when I spotted this gorgeous manicure. Of course I googled more for details and after seeing more detailed pictures, I knew I had to try it myself. The manicure I'm talking about was done by Chanel and here's a picture.

http://www.vogue.co.uk

For the autumn/winter 2012-13 couture show, nails were painted in a limited-edition Silver shade from 2007, before spring 2012's May was applied in an oval shape.

Two colors that were used on Chanel Haute Couture Fall 2012 runway were Silver (2007, discontinued) and May (Spring 2012). 

I don't own any of those, well I actually don't have any Chanel's nail polishes, because they're too expensive, so I decided to make something similar. :i

Two colors I decided to use were China Glaze Cheers to You and OPI Sparrow me the Drama. This is some kind of ruffian manicure but a lot easier version, because there is more free edge on sides of nails and with a flat brush like OPI has, you're done in 3 brush strokes. :) 

I made lines even cleaner with brush soaked in remover. I gently removed the pink where needed without ruining the silver foil underneath, because foils really stick on nails. Of course you can always apply top coat over silver and before pink. to be really sure you won't ruin the base color with brush and remover.

OPI Nail Envy Nail Strengthener

China Glaze - Cheers to You / 2 coats

OPI - Sparrow me the Drama / 2 coats

Beauty Secrets TC Fast Finish Polish Dryer

I'm very excited to post this manicure today and I hope you'll like it too. :i I did my best to show you my both hands, but nothing can't compare to the original though... So, all you need is a metallic or foil silver and bubblegum pink and you can rock these as models did. ^_^

Let me know what do you think about Chanel's nails, would you wear them? :) Thanks for reading! :h

Edit - 20h September 2012 ~ Adding video tutorial :)

Xoxo,

Ivana :k

Step by Step: Color Blocking Manicure

Color blocking became a huge trend so I decided to do something my way on this theme. :e

I decided to use my new polish I just got from Morgan (I'll show you what I got soon :L ). Beach Cruiser is part of Orly's Summer Feel the Vibe 2012 collection. As soon as I applied it, it became my 2nd favorite Orly, right after Fancy Fuchsia. <3 It's bright vibrant neon pink with great formula. If you're careful, you can get away with 2 coats, if there are still some bald spots, you add another thin coat. It has satin finish so for a glossy look add a layer of TC. :)

I decided to match it with Wanna Kiss? from Essence. First I wanted to use neon with nude, but since I don't have one, I chose muted pastel pink. :) And to play with my manicure a bit more, I reverse the colors on my other hand. ^_^

Daylight

I also did one quick tutorial how I did this manicure. Pictures in this post aren't the best, because the weather was really gloomy today. :/

Step 1: Add striping tape on fully dry base color.

Step 2: Paint the opposite color between tape.

Step 3: Carefully remove tape, while the color you just painted is still wet..

Step 4: Add a layer of top coat to smooth the surface.

Daylight

Essence - Wanna Kiss? / 2 coats

Orly - Beach Cruiser / 2 coats

Beauty Secrets TC Fast Finish Polish Dryer

I'm in love with Beach Cruiser <3 I definitely need a back up! :$ Do you like my take on color blocking nails? Do you find these kind of tutorials helpful?

Xoxo,
Ivana :k

Subtle Baby Pink

Subtle manicure for summer? Why not?! :i

I wanted something girly but soft, so I finally tried Baby Pink from Barry M, which I got from Kvacka months ago. :h I had to add 3 coats to even up the color. Then I decided to use the pattern I used almost every time I did my nails when I started this blog, and it's still one of my favorite. :L

Daylight

Sun

OPI Nail Envy Nail Strengthener

Barry M - Baby Pink / 3 coats

Stamping: Konad m64 + Essence Stamp me! White

Beauty Secrets TC Fast Finish Polish Dryer

What do you think? Do you prefer pastels, bright or dark colors for summer? I love wearing brights, but from time to time I also love wearing pastels. <3

Xoxo,

Ivana :k

How to capture neons on picture?

When I tried CH Nail #14 I wanted more neons like that so this time I got CH Nail #04. It looks like it's super pink but it's not, so don't let the pictures on their page fool you. It definitely has red undertones, so it's more like a pinkish red. Unfortunately my pictures aren't color accurate, it looks way to orange as in person, so I have only one picture for you.

It has great formula. almost one coater if you're careful. Remember, it's bright but red. :i It looks more pink in the bottle as on nails, maybe I should try it over white too.

Daylight

Es?sence Nail Art - Protecting Base Coat

CH Nail - #04 / 2 coats

Don't forget to use code J10X31 to get 10% off on your order if you're planning to order on Born Pretty Store . ;)

How do you take color acurrate photos of neons? Any tips and tricks?

Xoxo,
Ivana :k

*Product in this post was sent to me by Born Pretty Store! For more information read my disclosure policy!

Bow & Dots

Just a quick post...

I got these cute 3D Bows from Born Pretty Store, which I always wanted to try out. I'm not really a fan of anything 3D on my nails, but these were too cute to not give them a try. You get 10 pieces in a package for less than $2. They're pretty big too, but I think they're perfect for accent nails. I decided to match one bow with polka dot pattern on other nails. I glued the bow with nail glue on my ring finger.

They're not really practical but they give a special touch to the manicure, don't you think? Bows are flat but they get stuck on my nails where the bow knot is. They probably don't last long if you're not careful or if you're like me, who have a need to pull things like this off my nail. ^_^

Color Club - She's so Glam / 3 coats

Dots: Essence Stamp me! White & Dotting Tool

Beauty Secrets TC Fast Finish Polish Dryer

I think these are perfect for special occasions, when you want something special, but I wouldn't wear them all the time. But if you're a fan of 3D stuff on your nails, you can't go wrong with them. :D

What do you think about 3D nail art? Thanks for reading!

Xoxo,

Ivana :k

*Some of the products in this post were sent to me by Born Pretty Store! For more information read my disclosure policy!

Hang-Ten Toes

I told you I'm wearing bright colors almost all the time right now and this is one I wore for almost a whole week. I won it in giveaway at Canadian Nail Fanatic and I simply love it. I got so many compliments while wearing this beauty - always make me feel even better. :i

Hang-Ten Toes is part of China Glaze's Summer Neons collection. It's a blue based pink with shimmer. I wasn't really sure about shimmer but once it was applied, I was loving it. I'm wearing this color on my toes too, really compliments my tanned skin. :D

Formula is great, 2 easy coats and a layer of top coat. :L Pictures aren't fully glossy, because they're taken in front of bathroom window, which isn't clear. :)

Daylight

Essence Nail Art - Protecting Base Coat

China Glaze - Hang-Ten Toes / 2 coats

Beauty Secrets TC Fast Finish Polish Dryer

I'm in love with neon pink trend and I already had a top but I wanted neon jeans too. I wasn't really wearing colored jeans before but these were love at first sight. :i It's funny how my addiction to pink nail polish spreads to clothes and random stuff. I used to think pink just when it came to nail polish but now... ^_^ Oh well, I need pink things to match my pink nails more often, right? :D These jeans reminds me of my all time favorite polish Fancy Fuchsia. <3

 Tally Weijl Neon Pink Skinny Jeans

Do you like this super bright neon trend? Or are neons out of your comfort zone? :)

Thanks for reading! :h

Xoxo,
Ivana :k

Pink Glittery Leopard Print

My nails are in bad condition atm, so I'm not really into making something special, mostly I'm wearing just bright and neon pinks. :i That's why I'm not posting really often. Week ago I got another parcel with goodies for review purposes from Born Pretty Store and I decided to bring my nails to life. :D

Final result...

Daylight

I got BK Nail Polish in #8850 (that's the number from the bottle, on BPS page you can find it here under #08). It's pretty bubblegum pink with not really matte but more like satin finish. Brush is wide and flat, formula is superb and it dries fast.

Daylight

Essence Nail Art - Protecting Base Coat

BK Nail Polish - #8850 / 2 coats

Then I decided to use my new goodies I got from Canadian Nail Fanatic that I won in her giveaway - Cheeky Plates and China Glaze - Full Spectrum. <3 I also tested BPS Black Nail Art Stamping Polish. You get 3 ml of thick black polish, which works great with stamping. I think once you pick the pattern with stamper, you have to work fast or it can dry before you manage to transfer the pattern on the nail. Or maybe it's just me out of practice, because I lately rarely stamp my manicures. :i

Essence Nail Art - Protecting Base Coat

BK Nail Polish - #8850 / 2 coats

Stamping: BPS Black Nail Art Stamping Polish  + Cheeky CH2

Dots:  China Glaze - Full Spectrum

Ring finger

BK Nail Polish - #8850 / 2 coats

China Glaze - Full Spectrum / 2 coats

Beauty Secrets TC Fast Finish Polish Dryer

What do you think? Are you already tired of animal prints here on my blog? :i

Don't forget to use code J10X31 to get 10% off on your order. ;)

Thanks for reading and have a lovely weekend! :h

Xoxo,
Ivana :k

*Some of the products in this post were sent to me by Born Pretty Store! For more information read my disclosure policy!

BeautyBird Stick Up Self-Adhesive Nail Foils

I've been really lazy so I'm not really wearing nail polish lately because of this heat we have (yay, Summer :L), that's why I decided to try out some stickers I have. :D

I got these from Nihrida months ago but I never got around to try them on. I got this super cute red polka dot pattern. <3 I was really sceptical about stickers, because I only tried Essence Studio Nails - Nail Fashion Stickers in Catwalk! so far, which didn't work for me at all. I wouldn't say these are foils (they do not need need adhesive glue) but stickers.

BeautyBird Stick Up Self-Adhesive Nail Foils

You get 20 self-adhesive stickers and a file. Your nails have to be clean, then you choose a sticker that will fit your nails and apply it. Smooth down with fingers and file off the excess. For better results you can add a coat of clear polish first.

I skipped this step and I applied stickers directly on clean nails. I had some problems with finding the the right size, so some of them don't fit perfectly on sides. Same with thumb - the biggest sticker is really rounded and since my thumb nail is really squared at cuticles, I cut off that rounded part of sticker and got perfect squared sticker. They're easy to smooth down, I used my fingertips and wooden cuticle pusher. Lastly I removed the excess with a file.

Final result....

Daylight

I applied them on Sunday and today on Thursday I'm still wearing them. I'm doing regular stuff I usually do on a daily basis, I took so many showers because it's so hot, washed dishes all the time, I even spent one day at pool... And after 4 days they look like this... :i

Daylight

Close up...

Some stickers are still perfect but some of them already lifted on tips but they aren't thick so they don't scratch my face when I touch it like those from Essence. You can't even notice these mistakes if you're not really searching them.To remove them you simply pull them off the nails. :)

The whole set costs 9€ and they offer lots of different designs. A bit pricey for my wallet, but I must say they worked great for me. Not something you could use every week but they're perfect for holidays, special occasions etc,... 

I got so many compliments so far and lots of them didn't believe that these are stickers. :i What do you think about these? Do you like wearing stickers? Thanks for reading! :h

Xoxo,

Ivana :k