Seeing Dots

On vacation on this week so I will leave you with this weeks look. With the sun in my eyes, I have been seeing dots!
I used Sephora's Ruby without a cause and Plum Valley Notions You Betcha Black with Million Points of Light holo glitter polish on some of my dots.

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A Little Color Goes a Long Way!

Today I want to share a color combo with you that is a beautiful dusty plum color paired with a cream soft creamy vanilla color. The colors are easy to mix and match with others and can be worn for either day or night!  This is a great look for when you are on the go. Three steps and I was ready for the day!  

First, I applied my Eye Primer to my entire eye lid.  Then I applied Athena to the entire lid and under my eye (also referred to as below the waterline).  Finally I added  Vanilla to the inner corner of my eye and blended into the center.  This is why the creamy color looks a little muted.  I did this so it was soft and not as outstanding as the Vanilla can be.  At this point you can add mascara, but I am generally not a mascara person.  Instead of an eye liner, I used an angled tip brush to mix a drop of foiling serum and loose shadow together (in the lid of my shadow container) and created a paste. Using the angled brush, I ran it along my eye lashes on top and then just below my waterline. 
For a more dramatic look you can always add more of the darker color to the corner of your eye, or even use a foiling serum  to create a cream shadow and intensify the color and shine. 

Vanilla: A soft cream color with some shimmer

Athena: Dusty plum color with some shimmer 

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*Please note I am not a professional make up artist. I enjoy creating color combinations with my products and sharing with you. I will always appreciate feedback in a positive and constructive manner.  Any rude comments will be deleted or not shared. Thanks ! 

Shadow look of the Day

I have been so busy with the polishes here that I forgot to share some of the other amazing products in the shop! So I decided to share a Shadow look of the day.

Today I want to share a color combo with you that is a beautiful blend of brown and cream. The colors are easy to mix and match with others and can be worn for either day or night!  This is a great look for when you are on the go. Three steps and I was ready for the day!  

First, I applied my Eye Primer to my entire eye lid.  Then I applied Gypsy in the outer corner and under the eye (also referred to as the waterline).  Finally I added  Mermaids Kiss to the inner corner of my eye and blended into the center.  At this point you can add mascara, but I am generally not a mascara person. 
Now for a less dramatic look you can always add more of the lighter color to the eye lid and lighten up the eyes, and save the darker look for the night out on the town! 

Eye Primer that goes over the lid
(smooth and easy to apply, does not separate) 

Gypsy - A nice medium brown color

Mermaids Kiss- a light gold color with
 a hint of iridescent green 

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Long Live the Queen

With all the hustle and bustle this week and traveling I have not done a tutorial.  I feel as though I have fallen so far behind I don't know where to start to catch up. But....... I did get a few minutes today to work on some goodies.  

I have created the last in the Holographic series of polishes, The Dark Queen.  It is an intense steel grey color with a hint of blue and holographic shine! 
It is amazing and has the most prismatic rainbow effect in the sunlihgt.  I just can't wait to do a tutorial with this color! 

Long Live the Queen!

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Just another Manic Monday

It has been a long weekend .....

With the chance of an even longer Monday.  We have been busy with Farmers Markets, Fair's and more but this week is going to just take it out of me.  I have to take my two girls to an airport today so they can fly off to Alaska, without me!    Granted they can do it on their own, but all the prep has been nuts!  

With all chaos this past week, I did not get a new nail done but I do have a color to share with you. Excalibur, a silvery gold holographic polish is new to our collection.  It has intense shine and sparkle.  I love it.  And of course I love the pattern I painted on it too!  
Even though I am ready, I am sure it will be just another Manic Monday.......

Next week...... a Manicure!
Happy Monday!

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The Checkered Sponge

image found on Google

I'ts a piece of cake! 

This tutorial will show you how to create a single colored checkered look that will amaze your friends.  All you need is two colors of polish, some thin pieces of tape or nail tape, a cosmetic sponge and a top coat of your choosing!

Lets get started…... Bring out your Checkered Sponge! 

This is the lighter color under the darker sponged color, just for a reference

Finished product with darker under lighter sponging. 

If you choose to share this tutorial, please link back to this post or re-write in your own words, Thanks! 

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Just another Fun Friday Treat! 

A quick and easy way to add a fabulous burst of fun to your manicure! 

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or you can find your own style with these great products:

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French Mani with a twist.... Bwahahahahaha!

Ok, so my evil laugh is not so evil.  It is really just goofy to tell you the truth but that is what makes me, ... well.... ME!

I had a little time tonight to play around with some more nail colors that I have recently made for my DragonFlies Collection on Etsy.
This tutorial is very easy to do. It is almost too simple yet dramatic and amazing!  You can switch up the colors to reflect summer, fall, Christmas, movie premiers and even the colors of your Dragon. This evening my dragon is the color of charred breath and gold treasure.
I used Dragons Breath that is from my DragonFlies Collection on Etsy, and I used the Finger Paints color Wild For Art.  These two colors are really great together but you can use any color really.

For this look you will need two colors of polish, paper towel, tape, cotton balls or swabs and some polish remover. I was using a non acetone polish remover since I have acrylic tips on right now.
Step one:  Paint four nails a solid dark color.  Paint one nail the lighter color. Allow to dry.

So what I did here was paint the V shape on my nail to see how it looked before I added the color.  I unfortunately did not get a picture of the gold paint on this nail.... 

Next step is take the lighter color and create a V shape on each nail.  You can use tape to section off the lower portion of your nail if you don't feel confident enough to free hand this.  If you have a regular nail polish brush, it is pretty easy. This is two coats of the Wild For Art by Finger Paints over Dragons Breath. 

showing freehand and taped 

This is what it should look like when you are finished with the light over the dark

And this is what it looks like with dark over light!  I love the blend of these two colors! 

With your V-shaped manicure, your possibilities are endless.  

And Voila! 

You have a French Manicure with a Twist!  

If you choose to share this tutorial, re-type in your own words or use this and link it back to this post.

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Captain America is my Hero!

With Fourth of July around the corner, my thoughts turn Patriotic; red white and blue! So with a little patience and some great inspiration, I was able to create a sophisticated look with some good ole' fashion inspiration.
I thought long and hard about who I wanted to honor with my colors, and with what I could create to have a look that would go with just about everything.  Then it came to me, I looked down at my t-shirt and knew.... MY HERO!!!!

Image found on Google

With a little trial and error, I found some colors that would look good, be subtle and not overwhelm .... well, ME!  I used Julep nail colors.  I have so many that I never use so I thought this would be a great time to pull them out and see what I could dream up. I picked some great colors; Gunta a true blue color, Dendrie the steel grey, Jordan a sparkling black and silver tribute to stars everywhere and Glenn the shining red in every true American love. With these colors I was able to pull together a tribute fit for a hero......

Captain America, You're my Hero!!  

Here is my Julep Nail Tutorial in your honor! 

If you need to increase the size, please right click and save to your computer.  There you will be able to enlarge the instructions. 

If you choose to share this tutorial, re-type in your own words or use this and link it back to this post.

A little Summer Fun for your Nails

Not unlike many of us who sit for hours on Pinterest, I have found myself doing the same thing;

giggling at the funnies..............

Oogling the Oh So Hot............

And searching for things to do with my nails!  I have found a new obsession for sure!  There are thousands of photo's out there but not that many tutorials!  So I was hoping to get a few done this summer and share with you.  

This week I have pulled together the super cute and easy peasy Leopard Print for your nails!  I have created a lot of the colors that are currently in my shop and have tested them on these designs!  I hope that you enjoy this series of tutorials and find a little summer fun for your nails! 

To save the Tutorial to your computer, right click and "save image as". Once saved to your computer you can  enlarge the photo.

For more great products and these polishes, go to http://plumvalleynotions.etsy.com

If you choose to share this tutorial, re-type in your own words or use this and link it back to this post.

Ladybug Ladybug Fly away home....

You know, I love ladybugs.  I have ladybug hair pins, I love the colors red and black. My youngest daughter was my moms "Lucky Ladybug".

So in my mind, it stands to reason that I would find something crazy to do with ladybugs!

Image found on Google

Searching through the internet on new and exciting ways to paint my nails with the new polish that will be in my Etsy shop soon, I came across this tutorial on how to make ladybug fingernails....  I just had to try it!  And with an idea in my mind and the supplies to create the colors I needed, I was off!  

  

 I first started with two basic colors, a clear top coat and a dot tool.  The colors used are You Betcha Black and Hello Dorothy by Plum Valley Notions (yes... me).  I have an OPI top coat because I love OPI.  And last but not least, I have a dot tool.  Super easy to use and has two sides for small dots and for larger dots.

I made sure my hands were clean and dry then I applied two coats of the Hello Dorothy Nail Polish and allowed it to dry. 

Next, I did this part in two phases.  I went over the top of my nail as if I were giving myself a french manicure in You Betcha Black.  I allowed that to dry.  If you are not as steady to to this freehand you can always use the french manicure guides. 

I then went back over with a fine tip brush and drew a line from the bottom up and curved to the right slightly.  I repeated the step and then curve to the left.  I fill in the small "V" if needed with the You Betcha Black Nail polish.

Then came the fun part!  I added dots with the large end of the dot tool.  I added three dots to each side because my nails are so small!  (don't look at t hose cuticles!  they are in desperate need of love this weekend) I repeat this step by just dabbing the dot tool on the brush then onto the nail.

 Finally I finish with a top coat to seal all my hard work! And now I have 10 little ladybugs to keep me company!  And the best part is I find myself singing the rhyme... "Ladybug, ladybug fly away home"

If you have any questions, please feel free to ask!  I am not a professional nail artist but I do want to share what I can do with the new nail polish line that will be coming to my Etsy shop soon!  With bold new colors and great products, you will be able to primp and pamper all in one spot! 

Please note all the photo's are my own. IF they are not mine I have labeled where they were found.  Please do not use these photo's without permission from me.