City Skyline Nail Art

Hey guys! I went to New York City this past week for a visit to the Museum of Natural History, and I did my nails to match!

These are my city skyline nails...

Here's how I did it:

I started off by doing a sunset gradient. I used a makeup sponge and blue (Sinful Colors Blue By You), pink (Sinful Colors Cream Pink), and yellow (Sally Hansen Mellow Yellow, the original). 

I then used black (Sinful Colors Black on Black) and created buildings by stroking down with the brush. Using the same yellow, I used a tiny dotting tool to make windows. I then finished off with topcoat.

Done!

I love the Museum of Natural History. The human origins exhibit is my favorite. Have you ever been there? What's your favorite exhibit?

XOXO

Is

Sinful Colors Midnight Blue

Hi guys! Today I have a quick swatch to show you. This beauty is Sinful Colors Midnight Blue.

Perfect in two coats, this dark blue had a gorgeous lit-from-within glow.

My camera couldn't capture the depth it has, but the next photo is closer to reality....

The flash really shows off its depth.

I'm thinking this'll look great mattified. Thoughts?

XOXO

Is

I've Got the Blues: Two-Tone Nail Art

Hi guys! How are you all on this lovely day? Today I have some simple nail art to show you.

Look, it's light blue!

No, it's dark blue!

No! It's...two-toned!

For this manicure I started off with the beautiful but streaky Essie Bikini So Teeny, the light blue. (Three coats.) I used a small paintbrush and Sally Hansen Pacific Blue (the original, bright, medium blue) to section off half of my nail and filled it in. Then, using a dotting tool and OPI Happy Anniversary! (a sheer white pearly shimmer) to make dots at the midpoint between the two blues. I finished off with Wet n Wild's matte topcoat and then added NYC Grand Central Station topcoat on the dots for some shiny contrast. 

The great thing about this nail art is that the sectioning doesn't have to be perfectly neat because you are covering the midpoint with dots. This look is very versatile. You can do it with any colors and maybe even use studs instead of dots down the center! What do you think?

XOXO

Is

Nails Niche Peeks: Sally Hansen Tickled Pink and Sinful Colors Glass Pink

Three coats of Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Tickled Pink, a light pastel pink, topped with Sinful Colors Glass Pink, a sheer pale pink with gold shimmer.

So pretty! SFW and delicate, with some pizazz!

XOXO

Is

Spoiled by Wet N' Wild Spam

Hi guys! Yesterday I showed you swatches of a high-end brand, Deborah Lippmann, but today I'll be sharing some polishes that are a bit more affordable. Priced at only $1.99 per bottle exclusively at CVS, they're practically giving them away!

First up is The Parking Meteor Expired. (ha, ha.)

Flash

Normally I always try to show you pictures in natural light, but this polish was tricky. The Parking Meteor Ran Out is a blackened teal shimmer with a slight purple duochrome in the bottle which sadly does not show up on the nail. Bummer! This polish looks pretty much black in most lights, but in broad sunlight the teal shimmer comes out to play! It is very subtle, but a nice alternative to plain black. The formula was okay, a little thin, so be careful as it might flood your cuticles.

Next is Paying With Platinum!

Natural Light

Natural Light

Natural Light

Paying With Platinum is a gray polish with a lavender to green duochrome. The duochrome isn't majorly strong, but it is there. The purple is visible at most angles in the murky gray base, and at extreme angles the green can be seen. The formula is quite thin and sheer. You could probably build it up to full opacity in three or more coats, but I chose to layer it over a dark gray, Maybelline Impeccable Grays. Duochromes tend to show their full shifts if layered over a darker color, anyway.

The last polish I have to show you is Club Rat. Gross name, but such a pretty polish!

Artificial Light

Flash

Club Rat is a pretty pink jelly with magenta/purple shimmer! For the first picture (mmm... so squishy) I used three coats of Club Rat on its own for the first picture. This creates a full coverage, squishy jelly look that's so fun and sunny! For the second picture I layered one coat of Club Rat over my favorite black creme, Sinful Colors Black on Black. This creates a COMPLETELY different look! I love layering sheerish shimmery colors over black. It brings out the colors of the shimmer like you wouldn't believe! Over black it shows a cool purple and magenta shimmer blast! So pretty.

What do you think about these colors? I just want to talk a bit about the brush. Spoiled brushes are wide and round, and are sometimes cut very wonky. I have had good luck with the brushes, however. The brushes in these particular bottles of mine are cut fine, and although the wideness and roundness of the brush takes some getting used to, it is manageable. Honestly, most nail bloggers out there make such a big fuss over it, but it is really okay.

After looking at Amanda's (from Pretty Girl Science) Instagram, I've discovered that CVS is introducing a new exclusive line of polish at the same price as the Spoileds called Pop-arazzi. The color she tried out seems to be identical to Spoiled I Only Eat Salads, which leads me to think that the Spoileds may be fazed out soon and replaced by the Pop-arazzis, but I am not sure. Thoughts?

Thanks for reading and I'll see you next time!

XOXO

Is