Lavender & Glitter Manicure

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Something about having well-groomed hands makes everything I do feel so much more elegant. Even if I'm doing something nasty like cleaning the toilet, it makes me feel like at least I'm cleaning the toilet with class. 

Unfortunately I was cursed with brittle nails and the overwhelming desire to pick at my cuticles during long lectures, which makes it nigh impossible to have beautiful natural nails. 

Enter gel nails, which I've had on/off for the last few years. I won't lie, they can be a massive pain in the ass to maintain and expensive, but they make me feel so good about myself that it's usually an expense I'm willing to pay. 

I do have a problem however with being daring when it comes to my nails. I almost always default to the classic french look. It's elegant and I never have to worry about it clashing with something I'm wearing. But after spending a few hours in the nail salon watching other clients who unabashedly will get neon orange nails with green tips (something I would never, ever do) I've started trying to dip my toe into less conventional manicures. 

Today's mani was a big step for me, because I had them painted lavender with pink glitter, which is kind of depressingly still really basic... but at least I'm making an attempt at stepping out of my comfort zone. They look refreshingly spring-like, so at least they're seasonally appropriate! I provided both of the colors myself, both are Essie and are called "Bond With Whomever" (Lavender) and "A Cut Above" (glitter.)

I'm scouring Pinterest as we speak trying to find some new inspiration for future polish. What are your digits currently colored? Tell me in the comments! 

Summer Essentials 2012

Even though I still have two weeks of classes left, the weather says Summer is definitely here which means time to go shopping for light weight fabrics and the latest trends. Thankfully, I've never been much of a trendmonger. I follow what's in style mainly so I can find out what will be easy to find in stores that already matches my personal aesthetic. I'm excited for pastels and retro themed items, though I'll definitely be skipping over the stylized athletic look.

As a girl who loves her layers and cardigans, there is unfortunately a huge hole in my wardrobe where stand alone Summer pieces should be and I've found myself a bit uncomfortable in the heat lately. I guess a trip to the mall is in order, and here's what's on my absolute must have list for Summer of 2012!

1. Cat-Eye Sunglasses (Mossimo, $16.99)
For some extra oomph, try adding a DIY touch like pastel tips or rhinestones.

2. Silk Scarves (Roberto Cavalli, $198)
For days when I just don't feel like styling my hair I like to wrap it in a lightweight scarf, Old Hollywood style.

3. Lace Dress (Miss Selfridge, $68)
Lace and pastel dresses are a bit reminiscent of Spring time, but I don't see why that can't carry over to Summer. Ultra-feminine pieces like the one above make me want to have a picnic in the park and bring a parasol.

4. Clean Scented Perfume (Acqua di Gioia, $39.50-$82.00)
I like to have a different perfume for every season. Spring was Versace Bright Crystal, but Summer calls for a fresher fragrance.

5. Beach Tote (J.Crew, $49.50)
Even if you don't live near a beach, oversized totes are great for festivals and pool parties too. You can keep your sunglasses, swimsuit, sunscreen, flip-flops or anything else you may need in one of these.

6. High-Waisted Shorts (Jane Norman, £ 32.00)
I don't like wearing normal cut shorts. Lucky for me, the high waisted variety not only give off the retro vibe that I love but they also sit much more comfortably on my hips.

7. Bright Nail Polish (Essie, $8.00)
I don't even think I should have to explain why bright nails and Summer go together like ice cream and cake. I'm in love with Essie brand nail polish lately, the staying power is way better than any other brand that I've tried.

8. Polka Dot Bikini (Betsey Johnson, $67.20)
It doesn't necessarily have to be itsy-bitsy teeny-weeny, but I love polka dots in most anything; especially swimwear.


What are your favorite Summer trends? What's on your absolute must-have list for the season? Tell me in the comments!

Space Nails!

(Source)

I saw a gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous image on Tumblr the other day of a space/nebula themed manicure (which I no longer can find, boooo) and thought to myself "Hey! That's cool, let's try that!" and then I did.

Not wanting to dive completely headfirst into an area I'm not particularly good at (I can apply a base color and a glitter top coat, and that's usually as complicated as my nail designs get) I consulted the Google for instructions on how to go about getting space on my nails. I kind of chose the techniques that I liked a la carte and had at it.

So, here is the final result. Honestly, I think they look a lot cooler in person, I guess I'll have to futz with my camera more to find the right settings. Also as a side note, I have a very difficult time growing out my nails so they tend to have very little room to work with.

The basic technique of pretty much every tutorial I found was to apply a dark base in either black or dark blue, and then use the tiny corner of a makeup sponge with tweezers to dab on little clouds of color starting from lightest to darkest. To finish up, use a similar color to the base to blend the clouds and finish with a glitter topcoat. One of the cool things is that you can use whatever colors appeal to you most. A lot of other space nails use yellows and oranges, but I'm more inclined to cool colors so I stuck with those. 

The colors I used were: (OPI) Black Onyx, (China Glaze) White On White, (Hello Kitty Sephora) Minty, (China Glaze) Spontaneous, (Covergirl) Fuchsia Girl, (China Glaze) Sexy in the City and (Essie) Set in Stones. 

The entire process took about an hour and a half, so it was quite time consuming. Looking back, the things I would have done differently:

• Not gotten too excited about using the colors. It's hard not to get over zealous in the first stages of blotting on the clouds because it doesn't look the way you want it to yet, so next time I would be careful to be more subtle about the colors. 
• Used a more "3-D" glitter coat. "Set in Stones" is the color I used for the stars because the glitter comes in different sizes, but it's also a flat silver color which takes away some of the dimension. 
• Been more careful around the edges. I tend to just slather nailpolish on and then clean up my cuticles afterwards, and what I miss usually gets taken off as I wash my hands throughout the day. The absurd number of topcoats I put on made it a little more difficult for me to clean up around the edges, so next time I'll be less sloppy. 

Overall I'm pretty happy with the results, even if I don't think my pictures were able to do it justice. If you have an hour or two to burn, I'd highly suggest giving space nails a try.