Cupcake Nails

1. Gather all the polish and tools you need to complete this fun mani

2. Make sure your nails are clean and dry

3. Using a good base coat to protect your natural nail, paint all your nails 

4. With the base color you have chosen, paint two coats of the polish on all your nails and halfway up your ring fingers (forming the base of the cupcake)

5. In a contrasting color, draw some vertical lines on the cupcake base

6. With a dotting tool dipped in white polish begin to create the icing on the cupcake

7. Allow the polish to dry for a bit then with a tooth pick or small tipped dotting tool, create some sprinkles with a red polish or polish of your choice and with a bigger dotting tool create the cherry on top

8. Allow your design to dry and then finish with a good top coat to seal in and protect your design

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#ShabbatProjectTO #KeepingItTogether nails

The Shabbat Project Inspired Nails

This week is The Shabbat Project...Jews from all over the world will be keeping shabbos together...
We are starting off here in Toronto with an AMAZING Challah Bake #kneadingittogether!
So this weekend was the inspiration for this nail design. On one hand candles, on the other a challah.
Enjoy!

1. Collect all the polishes you will need for this design.

2. Begin by applying a good base coat to clean and dry nails.
3. I started with the design nails and left the solid nails for last.
4. Using some various shades of brown polish, begin making the fishtail design (for our challah)
This is a great tutorial:  Fish Braid Tutorial

5. I then began making my candles on the other ring finger between stripes to allow a bit of drying time.

6. Paint the rest of your nails a neutral colour (I used Essie Marshmallow).
7. Allow to dry for a few minutes and finished with a good top coat!

You're done!!

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The Mismatched "Gilded" Mani

The Mismatched "Gilded" Mani

(for those of you who can't decide what colour to use... use 'em ALL!)

1. Choose the colours you would like to use. You can choose neutrals, brights, complimentary colours, whatever you like...have fun. I choose "Gilded" colours... all metallics and one neutral.

2. Use a good base coat to start.

3. Choose which nails will have which colours and paint two coats of polish on each nail.

4. Finish with a good top coat.

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Summery dots...

This week I have chosen a fresh, fun and simple dotted mani...

1. Start with clean nails. Paint a good base coat on your nails.
2. Chose a colour as a base. I chose an OPI called Pandamanium Pink.
3. With a dotting tool create some dots in a darker shade of purple. Repeat with another purple shade and perhaps a green like I chose. Use both the big and the small ends of the dotting tools for variation.
4. Allow to dry for a bit and then protect your design with a good top coat.


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July 4th Nails...

July 4th Nails...

Since I am American (Canadian too, but always an American!) I did some July 4th Nails for the holiday as well as my birthday trip to NYC!!


1. Paint nails with a good base coat.
2. Paint the first and second nail a red, Paint your middle finger a bright blue, your ring finger white and your pinky silver. Do the same on both hands.
3. Using a glitter polish, coat your index fingers with the glitter polish over the red.
4. Using a dotting tool dipped in white polish create a star-like effect on your middle finger by placing dots over the whole nail.
5. Paint a coat of a silver glitter polish over your white ring fingers.
6. Allow your design to dry for a few minutes and generously coat your design with a good top coat.

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!!!


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World Cup Brazil Nails

World Cup Brazil Nails

1. Start with fresh clean nails
2. Apply a good base coat on all nails
3. Apply a green polish on thumb nails (2 coats)

4. Add a yellow circle looking shape for the ball

5. Draw a black pentagon shape in the centre, with lines coming from each point. At the edges of the lines form triangles (to give a soccer ball look)

6. Paint the rest of your nails a bright blue colour

7. On the other thumb I made a green, blue and a yellow stripe (it was easier and added some contrast)
8. Finish with a good top coat to seal in your design!

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Movie Reel Nails

Movie Reel Nails...

Sorry I have been MIA for so long...had a Bar Mitzvah for my second son which was fabulous and then was in NYC for a Dinner honouring my sister! So proud of her!!
I actually did this nail design for the Dinner as the theme was "Opening Night" and Movies...

1. Start with fresh clean nails.
2. Paint your nails with a good base coat.
3. On one hand (I choose my NON-dominant one) you will be creating a camera and movie reel, and on the other your box of popcorn.

Beginning with the movie reel:  
4. You will paint your nails with a white polish.
5. With a dotting tool in black polish you will begin creating the camera. Make two dots for the top. Then with a striping brush draw a rectangle for the body of the camera. Connect to the top with two small lines. Make 2-3 lines at the bottom as a stand. Create a small triangle for the front of the camera.
6. With a gold polish create the "reel" making rectangular shapes...can be a bit abstract.
7. Outline the "reel" with your black striper.
8. With the striper, connect the camera with a small line to the "reel". Allow the black to dry a bit.
9. With a small tipped dotting tool dipped in white polish create the little holes in the film of the reel (see pics).
10. Now wait for that to dry and then seal in your design with a good top coat.

Now for the popcorn:
11. You will paint all your nails a neutral colour.
12. Create french tips with a white polish.
13. Draw a thin red line above each white tip, except for the ring finger.
14. To create the popcorn you will mix a yellow polish with a bit of white to get the light yellow colour.
15. With a dotting tool dipped in the polish start to create the look of popcorn in a container. You will highlight the popcorn with the yellow to look like butter. With a dotting tool dipped in a brown polish add some dots for definition of the popcorn. You can press the dotting tool in a bit to get the texture.
15. Now draw your red line and vertical red lines with red striper to create the popcorn box.
16. Allow your design to dry and then seal and protect with a good topcoat.
And your done!!!

This design is definitely more challenging but looks so cute!

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Ice Cream Nails...

Ice Cream Nails...

Great for summertime or for the holiday of Shavous...

1. Make sure your nails are clean and dry. Choose 2 yummy colors as your base colors. Have a brown polish handy to create your chocolate sauce. Have some different and bright colors and a tooth pick ready to create your sprinkles.

2. Paint your nails with a good base coat to protect your natural nail

3. Paint your nails, alternating colors, with your chosen base colors

4. On the ring finger, using your brown polish, create a dripping effect by starting with a french tip and then a dotting tool to create the "drip"

5. Allow to dry and then with a toothpick dipped in a bright color, randomly place sprinkles of different colors

6. Allow to dry a bit again and protect your design with a good top coat

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Golf and Beer Nails...

Golf and Beer Nails...Is it spring yet?????

Gather all the polish and tools you need for this mani. I used a green base polish, mixed with some white for the lighter green, a red, brown, black and gold polish.
You will need a plastic baggie to mix colors on, a dotting tool, and polish remover for clean up, close by.

1. Begin with clean and dry nails.

2. Use a good base coat to protect your natural nail.

3. Use 2 coats of a green polish as your base color, leaving your ring fingers blank.

4. Create the golf theme on one hand by creating "the green" and the "flag, ball and hole". To create the "green" you will mix a bit of white polish into the green on your baggy to make a lighter green.

5. Using a dotting tool, create your flag and ball. Take your time, this should be fun and creative.

6. On the ring finger of the other hand, with your gold polish paint your nail about 3/4 of the way up.

7. With a black striper, create the beer mug lines for definition.

8. With a dotting tool dipped in white polish begin creating the foam of the beer using a "stippling" motion. 
(Wikipedia: Stippling is the creation of a pattern simulating varying degrees of solidity or shading by using small dots. Such a pattern may occur in nature and these effects are frequently emulated by artists.)

9. Allow your design to dry and then protect with a good top coat.

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Ombre Pink Nails

Pretty Pink Ombre Nails...

1. Make sure your nails are clean and dry

2. Choose a hot pink polish. You are going to add various amounts of white polish to the pink to get the Ombre effect

3. Paint your first nail the hot pink

4. Draw a stripe on the top of the ring finger

5. Mix a bit of white polish into the pink to achieve the next shade

6. Paint onto next finger and paint a line below the dark one on the ring finger

7. Continue these steps for the rest of your fingers...I recommend doing fingers on both hands with each color ie. Hot pink...do both thumbs and both ring finger lines, lighter pink do both index fingers and lines across ring fingers...etc.

8. When you complete all the nails, wait a bit then protect your design with a good top coat

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And here is an alternate Tiffany design...

Tiffany Inspired Nails...

1. Make sure your nails are clean and dry

2. Paint your nails with a good base coat to protect your natural nail

3. Using a Tiffany shade of green, I used Essie Turquoise & Caicos, paint 2 coats of color

4. Draw a french tip across the nail with a white polish

5. Protect your design with a good top coat

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Tiffany Themed Nails

Tiffany Nails

In honour of my Nephew's Bar Mitzvah I did Tiffany themed nails.
The colours my sis chose were the blueish green tiffany colour, silver and white. So I did my nails to match.

1. Gather all the polishes you will need for this manicure. I used Sally Hansen Triple Shine Polish in Dive In, a silver striper, and Essie Blanc

2. Paint your nails with a good base coat.

3. Paint your nails with 2 coats of the Tiffany Blue polish allowing a few minutes of drying time between. It is important to try to make the coats thin as to prevent bubbles and depositing too much polish.

4. With a white striper, create a horizontal line and a vertical line (like the ribbons on a gift)

5. With the silver striper create a bow in the cross section of the white stripes.

6. Allow your design to dry for a bit and then add a coat of triple shine top coat to protect your design.

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A Polish Review... Sally Hansen Triple Shine in Reef-Raf

Sally Hansen Triple Shine Polish Review

For this week I am testing the Sally Hansen Triple Shine Polish in the colour Reef-Raf. The colour is a bright pink to get me into Spring and the Florida spirit!

-The colour went on pretty well. I used my Essie Base Coat and then applied 2 coats of the Triple Shine polish. 

-The key is to make sure the layers are not too thick or your drying time will be increased. Two thin coats is all you need and they should dry pretty fast. 

-The brush is rather large and flat which I found a bit awkward. 

-Two coats are needed for a nice opaque application.

-I allowed the polish to dry for a few minutes and then applied the Triple Shine Top Coat. 

My nails look FABULOUS...now for the test. What is the staying power of this polish? Will they remain shiny? For how long? Will it live up to the claims of:

"Water to workout, day in and day out, nothing will dull these nails. 

The gloss is protected with the Ultimate Shield Complex, exclusive to Sally Hansen, designed to help polish withstand the wear and tear of everyday living for non-stop shine. "

I will do everything as I normally do. We will see how it goes...I will report back in a few days to let you know how my mani is holding up!

Here are two pics of my mani just now...freshly done:

Edit Thursday April 10:

First Picture is mani freshly done Monday night. Second is Day 3 Thursday. Third is comparison between Fresh (top) and Day 3 (Bottom) 

So Day three is here and LOOKS GREAT!!!! So far I am VERY impressed... the true test will be how this polish holds up on my girls... will keep you posted!

Edit: April 24, 2014:
So the polish did not hold up too well on my girls but no polish does for some reason. I do have a pic of my nails from Day 9 and they still look GREAT!!!
So impressed!

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Double French Mani

Double French Mani

1. Begin with clean and dry nails

2. Use a good base coat to protect your natural nail

3. Paint all your nails a natural colour. I used Essie Sand Tropez. Make sure to let this layer dry before going on to step 4

4. Using striping tape or "Perfect Tips & Toes" strips, place about 1/3 down your nail

5. Paint a white line across, I used Essie Blanc


6. Peel off strips, allow to dry

7. Paint the tips with a darker colour, I used Essie Aruba Blue

8. Allow your design to dry and then protect with a good top coat

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Striping Tape Nails

Striping Tape Nails

1. Collect all the polishes and tools you need for this design.
-Polishes
-Striping tape


2. Paint your nails with a good base coat



3. Paint your nails with the white polish as the base, you can change up the ring fingers like I did (see final). Let your nails dry.

4. Add striping tape in the pattern you want

5. Paint with a black polish over the tape, peel off tape finger by finger as you paint them

6. Allow your design to dry and finish with a good top coat

And that is it. A bit more time consuming but not too difficult...

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