NCC Re-creations #2

Hey! I hope you're all staying cool in your neck of the woods, tonight. I am loving the summer sun and heat we have been having and I hope it continues!

I'm here with my second re-creation for the Nail Challenge Collaborative's July theme. And, I'm featuring two polishes that were recently released by Buffalo indie lacquer creator, Gridlock Lacquer, as part of the Niagara Falls collection (which I'll be reviewing soon).
The mani I'm re-creating is this one:

Let's look!

I used three coats of Gridlock Lacquer Grape Expectations (named for the Niagara Wine Trail) and a quick-dry topcoat. Once that dried, I laid down two pieces of striping tape in an X and used Gridlock Lacquer Lock It Up (named for the locks of the Erie Canal). I did one finger at a time and lifted the tape after painting. One more swipe of topcoat and I was done.

I do have to say, I like this type of manicure with glitter accents better and I might try it with some Deborah Lippmann's I picked up recently.

Be sure to check out what the other ladies re-created!

NCC Black & White-Week Four

Hey! Happy Monday (that's actually an oxymoron).
I have my final Nail Challenge Collaborative post for the month of June, tonight. Nothing like going down to the wire!!

For this cute kitty, I started with two coats of Zoya Storm on all fingers but my ring finger. That one took two coats of NYC French White Creme. I topcoated everything and waited a few minutes. Once it was dry, I took Wet N Wild Black Creme and drew my kitty friend. I started with a half-circle outline, filled it, added triangles for ears and added detail using Color Club Flamingo for the ears and nose, and French White Creme, Icing Get Lei'd, and Black Creme for the eyes. I let it all dry and topcoated once again. It was super easy and I'll definitely be doing this again for Halloween :)

I took the top two pictures in indirect sunlight, so below is Storm in full sun so you can see all the holo-y goodness.

I'm really proud of myself for doing all four manicures. I really want to impress the girls in this group-I look up to them all so much and have been reading their blogs for a long time. I can't wait to work on next month's theme!!

Be sure to check out the grand finales from the other NCC ladies, below!

xo, ali

Nail Challenge Collaborative: Black and White-Week 2

Hello! Happy Tuesday! I hope that your week is going well :) I'm in planning mode because my best friend's bridal shower is on Sunday and I'm trying to tie up a few loose ends with the other girls in the wedding party.
Tonight, I have my second Nail Challenge Collaborative mani for this month's theme-Black and White. This time, I added a pop of color!

Julep Bunny, Zoya Raven, and Urban Outfitters Bandeau

For this mani, I did two coats of Julep Bunny, which is a white creme with faint gold sparkles throughout. The formula is actually pretty decent for a white if you take your time. I used Beauty Plus Salon top coat and waited a few minutes. Next, I placed a piece of washi tape on each finger at a diagonal and painted Urban Outfitters Bandeau, which is a blue-leaning purple (and that's why it looks blue in my pictures). I top coated and waited. Once those layers were dry, I used more washi tape to create a french tip and used Zoya Raven-black with sliver shimmer. After removing the tape, I top coated once more.

I love this mani. I've done it a few other times with different colors and it just looks so cool and really modern to me.

Be sure to check out the other Week 2 manis from the talented members of the NCC!

xo, ali

The Nail Challenge Collaborative-Black and White #1

Happy Monday! I hope you all had a great weekend. I know I did :) Saturday was my busy day-my dude BFF from this post came to visit and we went hiking. We got lost in the woods, but we made it out without snapping or yelling at each other, even once. After he left, I went to my other best friend's birthday party for a bonfire and some snacks. I was happy to be lazy on Sunday, have a Google+ hangout with my mom and play with some legos.

I also did a manicure for June's theme of the Nail Challenge Collaborative, which I was just accepted into. That was a very exciting day for me. I am in some amazingly talented company and I definitely have my work cut out for me. I'm really hoping that this will help me to hone my nail art skills and step out of my comfort zone.

For this mani, I started with two careful coats of NYC French White Tip and topped it with my quick dry Beauty Plus Salon. Once the white dried, I took washi tape and placed it at a diagonal. Then I used Color Club Revvvolution, which is a gorgeous black, linear holo. The finishing touch was a few dots of contrasting color on each side of the diagonal. More top coat and it was a done deal.

I really hope you all liked my very first NCC mani. I have lots of ideas for the remaining three manicures and I absolutely can't wait to see what each month brings.

Let me know what you thought in the comments and be sure to check out what the other NCC ladies did for their first mani of the month!

xo, ali

Wearing My Heart On My Nails

Hey Y'all! Happy Friday! We made it!

And Happy Valentine's day :) I'm spending it by going to the gym and hanging out with my sister, watching My Bloody Valentine.

Basically, Jensen Ackles is my Valentine and he just doesn't know it.

Yasssss. I can't wait. It's become a tradition. This movie was my gateway to slasher films.

I've done a few heart and Valentine's Day theme manicure this year and you've seen them on the ol' blog. Today I have one more for you.

Fluorescent Light

Flash

This is three coats of Sally Hansen Triple Shine in Slick Black. Slick Black is a black jelly stuffed with iridescent flakies that reflect in shades of aqua and pink. It's got a lot more dimension than just a flat black and I love that. It's a staple but with a bit more oomph.

Slick Black went on really smooth but needed the three coats to build up opacity. This is one of the two Triple Shines that I currently have and I can't wait to try more!

For the accent nail, I took Color Club Age of Aqua-rius and made three dots. All you do is connect the dots! I thought this was simple and cute. Plus I love the color scheme!

That's all for me!

xo, ali

GOT: Valentine's Day!

Happy Thursday! Or the day we Parks & Rec fans know as Galentine's Day

[source]

Galentine's Day is the day to celebrate your girlfriends. I spent the evening with my mom and sister and two good friends for dinner.

I had the perfect mani to do it in, too. 

I started with two coats of Zoya Raven

 indirect light

flash

Raven looks like your typical black but there is a hidden silver shimmer that gives it a pearly sheen. It definitely sets it apart from the pack.

The next part, I'm really proud of. I tried the plastic baggie decal method and it worked!!

While I was at the gym, I had my sister help me out and paint two squares of two coats each of Zoya Chyna, one of the first PixieDusts that came out.

When it was fully dry, I carefully peeled the squares off the baggie and, using a heart-shaped craft punch, I punched out a heart from each. I topcoated my ring finger and placed my hearts.

Here's the finished product

I'm really proud of this manicure. And even though I'm cheating a little bit because I haven't had the polishes for a year (sorry, Debbie!), this is my entry for the Golden Oldie Thursday challenge.

I have one more Valentine's Day mani lined up for tomorrow and I hope you'll like it!

Check out what the other talented ladies did for this week's challenge, below!

xo, ali

Black and White and Red All Over

Happy Friday! I'm here with another installment of The Crumpet's Golden Oldie Thursday challenge. And just like last week, my Thursday night was booked and I keep forgetting to schedule posts. I had good reason, though! My best friend is getting married in August and I'm the Maid of Honor :D We went dress shopping last night, for the first time and she just looked gorgeous :')

I did have a mani done for this week's prompt, which was dots. And coincedentally, it was in the wedding color scheme. I must just have it on the brain lol.

Let's get to it!!

For this dotticure, I started with two easy-peasy coats Wet N Wild Wild Shine Black Creme, which went on so easy. It's also my go-to for black stamping. I did an accent of three coats LA Colors Energy Source, which is your typical white. It took three coats to even out the streakiness. I top coated with Color Club 0-60 Fast Dry top coat. Once that dried, I got out my dotting tools in assorted sizes and OPI Danke-Shiny Red and did my pattern. I lovelovelove this polish. It came out as part of the 2012 Germany collection. It's a bright red that has that lit from within effect, thanks to a shot of shimmer. You'll definitely see this on the blog again as a full mani but I knew it would be great for this dotticure.

I liked keeping it simple with just a pop of color. Black, white, and red is so classic and lends itself to so many puns (as in my subject line).

Be sure to check out what the other Nail Tarts did for this week and have a great weekend!!

xo, ali

Revlon Elusive

Hey lovelies!
Let's hear it for internet/Photobucket issues!

I'm back, a week later with a new fall polish for you that I found last weekend. Let's take a peek!

Revlon-Elusive

OPI Nail Envy Matte 

3 coats Elusive

Beauty Plus Salon top coat

Elusive is a black jelly full of different sizes teal hex glitters and filled with a blue/purple iridescent shimmer. This would be a great base polish for a galaxy manicure. It applied easily and dries to a matte finish. Elusive required two coats of top coat to get a smooth and shiny finish.

I have a few more shots of this gorgeous polish for your viewing pleasure, showing both the shiny finish and the matte finish. 

Full sun, so you can see how sparkly it is.

Elusive is from Revlon's Evening Opulence collection by Gucci Westman. Check your endcaps at Rite Aid, CVS, Walgreens, Target, and Wal-Mart. I don't believe this is part of Revlon's core line.

What do you think? Let me know in the comments :)

Hope to chat soon!!

-ali