Nail Art
A Quick & Easy Gradation Manicure with Butter London Stroppy
Remember way back in February 2009 when I had a CalGel Gradation Manicure done at Sakura in NYC? If you’re not familiar, a gradation manicure creates an ombre effect where the polish fades down the nail. I wore a version with a purple tip that faded into clear but you can also fade two colors together.
As much as I loved the look of my CalGel mani, the thought of spending two hours at the salon to get it done and another half hour or longer to remove it does not sound appealing. There has to be an easier way. An at-home method to get the look for less. Enter butter LONDON Stroppy. |
Get The Look – The CND Ruffian Matte Moon Manicure
Brian Wolk and Claude Morais, the designers behind Ruffian, have declared the “moon manicure” their signature nail. After two seasons of incorporating the moon mani into their runway look, the nail world went nuts for the crescent moon inspired design from their Fall ’10 show (shown left).
Each season it’s not just about a moon manicure it’s about invoking a specific look or reference. The Fall ’09 ruby colored moon (below right) was inspired by a vintage Vogue cover while the Spring ’09 raspberry and black art deco design (below left) was pulled from a tapestry.
For Fall ’10 the nail came together in a magical way. After meeting with the designers, CND’s Jan Arnold was walking the Manhattan streets when she looked up to see a crescent moon glowing against the midnight blue sky. The moon had a golden cast to it and she was immediately inspired. When she spoke to the designers, they had also seen the moon and had the same thought to translate it onto a nail. |
My First (and LAST) Water Marble Manicure
I should really call this manicure “An Afternoon of Frustration” because that’s how trying to create a water marble manicure left me feeling; FRUSTRATED! Those of you who have mastered the technique, I bow down to you. I honestly have no desire to try this ever again but since I made the effort, I thought I’d share my experience with you.
A few years back when China Glaze introduced the OMG! holographic collection, they posted a tutorial for their “Color Swirl” manicure and I was intrigued but intimidated by the process. Since then a whole mess of YouTubers have made countless water marble tutorials including lots of great tips and tricks to make the technique easier. I found myself watching a few this morning and got inspired. Find out more about the water marble technique and my adventure trying to recreate the look after the jump! |
Let’s Talk Soak-off Gel Nail Polish
Last February I had my first experience with what is now becoming a major trend in nails; Soak-off UV Gel Nail Polish. You see my pal Heather Park from SeoulDiva had been raving for months about this NYC salon Sakura and showing off her wicked cool nail art designs using the CalGel brand of soak-off polish. Heather has managed to get more than a few of her friends hooked on Sakura including MAC Artist Keri B. who has posted some her designs on Twitter. You can read about my experience and see some more CalGel designs HERE.
Since that time Fanatics have emailed asking about CalGel and the other brands of soak-off polish on the market, including OPI’s new Axxium product so I’m giving you the 411 on the whole soak-off phenomenon after the jump. |
A Lace Nail Tutorial
I’m sure you remember seeing these amazing lace nails created by Celebrity Manicurist Elle. I posted about the lace nail trend back in September when Blake Lively and Jennifer Lopez were spotted wearing the look. Scratch Magazine loved it so much, they featured it on their December cover.
Since then I’ve seen various tutorials pop up on YouTube but none of them have looked as good or been as detailed as this one by LovelyInstinct so I thought I’d share. She uses a different method than Elle in that she applies a base coat of color underneath the lace and a lot more products. Those of you that aren’t a fan of seeing your natural nail through the lace, this is a great alternative. To recap, these are Elle’s instructions: |
Have any of you tried lace nails yet? Do you have any application tricks or tips? If you’re not a DIY gal, would you request this look from your manicurist?
Lisa N.
Ms Meatballhead
Birdie
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