Nails: Sinful Colors 30 Courtney Orange + FM Update [This Is So BS]

What I'm wearing: 

Sinful Colors 30 Courtney Orange 

LA Colors Pro-Gel Topcoat 

Wow, what a week it's been! On Wednesday, I got an official diagnosis for what I knew I had all along- Fibromyalgia. I was prescribed Robaxin (methocarbomol 500mg), which, I think it's making my condition worse. Yesterday was terrible. The pain spread to places I'd never felt it in before, and my muscles wouldn't stop spasming. So I went to the ER that afternoon and was prescribed more pain pills until I can call the doctor Monday morning. I was also told to keep taking the Robaxin until then, which I am not at all happy about. 

But I'm doing as I was told, to make sure it is definitely the medication, and not just a bad flare-up. Today is generally the same so far, but at least I have something to help with the pain. 

It's not easy, and I do all I can to stay positive, like painting my nails fun colors and watching Flula. I also walk/hike a lot, which is confusing to those who don't understand my condition- the more I stretch and use my muscles, the less they hurt. This is great in the way that it encourages me to exercise, but I can't ever relax or get comfortable. Within minutes after I sit down, the muscles in my back start to tense, and it builds up to excruciating pain, and spreads to other parts of my body. Before I was put on meds that help me sleep, I was only sleeping once every 3 days or so, when I was finally too exhausted to do anything else. I did this for 6-7 years. 

I'm so happy to finally have medical coverage so I can get the help I need. I've been spending a lot of time at the hospital lately, but I'll do what I must to find a way to manage this better. There is no known cause, no cure, and it will never go away, but I can try different medications and hopefully soon find some sort of relief. 

Nails: Maybelline Color Show 25 Mystic Green

I love holographic nail polish! Especially Maybelline Color Show 25 Mystic Green. 

The Color Show line is definitely my favorite of all nail polishes- this stuff will last almost an entire week without chipping (on its own, without a base and topcoat)! I'm rough on my nails (I play guitar and electric violin)- this stuff is AWESOME. And they have so many great colors to choose from! 

maybelline color show

<3 

sunny spring days! | Vikings | green tea with peppermint 

Rimmel Natural Bronzer | Chuck-Chucks Jewelry [50% Off Discount Code] 

Nails: Sinful Colors 853 Cloud 9

In a sort-of celebration of warmer weather, I donned flipflops and Sinful Colors 853 Cloud 9, and took a walk with Gary in the sunshine. (However, it's still a bit chilly for flipflops, and they're the only thing I can wear on me feet at the moment... I busted up my heel and Achilles tendon pretty good over the past week.) 

I love this color- it makes me think of fruity alcoholic drinks at the beach. And it sparkles beautifully in the sun! 

Pedicure: Sinful Shine 1224 Set The Mood

I didn't paint my skin too much... LOL

Upon seeing the new Sinful Shine [with gel tech] nail polish display at the local Walgreens, I immediately started agonizing over which ONE color I was going to buy and try... 

[FYI Sinful Shine is the new glossy line from Sinful Colors- check it out.] 

I settled on 1224 Set The Mood, which is a beautiful dark overcast-blue. 

The application was amazing. My toes only needed one coat, and it was so smooth and shiny! 

I'm going to pick up more colors (like white) in the very, very near future. I can't wait to get creative with this stuff! Definitely digging the new Sinful Shine nail polishes. 

Nails: Fresh Paint #WINNING

I recently painted Gary's nails with Fresh Paint professional nail lacquer in #WINNING, which I picked up at Five Below (3 for $5) the other day. 

The application was a little uneven, but not unmanageable, and only required two coats. It took longer than normal to dry, with a base and topcoat, but a hair dryer set on low helped. I really like this color and intend to use it a lot in future manicures. 

Have you tried Fresh Paint #WINNING? What do you think? 

Silver Nails Like Disco Balls

The other day I picked up the Maybelline Mirror Image base and topcoat duo for $1. 

(It's been discontinued for a while, so good luck finding it!) 

I made the mistake of painting on an additional clear topcoat, and it dulled the polish dramatically! Like, the difference between the shiny and dull sides of aluminum foil. 

(I'll be doing my toes with this stuff soon, minus the additional topcoat, so you can see what it really looks like.) 

Don't get me wrong though- the dull-side-of-the-aluminum-foil silver is great, too. 

BTW as usual, Gary was my victim. 

Blue Striped Nails Tutorial: Maybelline Color Show 360 Sapphire Siren and 370 Shocking Seas

What I used:
Maybelline Color Show 360 Sapphire Siren (dark blue)
Maybelline 370 Shocking Seas (light blue)

How I did it:
1) Paint the entire nail with the dark color (Sapphire Siren). You may need 2-3 coats. Let dry.
2) Once dry, paint a stripe down the center of each nail with the lighter color (Shocking Seas). Again, you may need a couple coats. Let dry.

I love accenting a deep blue with a lighter blue, and these shades are bold but not overpowering.

maybelline color show

Dark Glitter Stripe Nail Art Tutorial: Maybelline Color Show 420 Wine & Dined and 765 Amethyst Couture

Another super-easy nail art tutorial- dark nails with a glitter stripe! (Thanks again to Gary for being my hand model.) 

What I used:
Maybelline Color Show 420 Wine & Dined (wine red)
Maybelline Color Show 765 Amethyst Couture (glitter)

How I did it:
1) Start with your main color (Wine & Dined) and paint the entire nail. You may need 2-3 coats.
2) Once dry, paint a stripe down the center of each nail with the glitter (Amethyst Couture).

maybelline color show

Nails: Wet N Wild FastDry 230C Saved By The Blue

I picked up this amazing bold blue the other day- Wet N Wild FastDry 230C Saved By The Blue for only $0.49 at Walgreens (sale + $1 off coupon)! 

The color (actually darker than shown here for some reason) is awesome, however my manicure (2 coats) took about 10 minutes to dry, and I'm not too thrilled with the brush. The bristles remind me of cheap children's plastic watercolor brushes, and does not spread as evenly as I'd hoped. However, totally worth it for the price.

Have you tried Wet N Wild FastDry nail polish in 230C Saved By The Blue? What do you think?

Wet n Wild Fast Dry Nail Color Saved By The Blue 230C

Feeling Lucky? Dice Nail Art Tutorial: LA Colors NP392 Amethyst and Simply Sweet Black Nail Art Pen & Brush

Yesterday I found myself playing with the lesser-used products in my nail polish collection, and came up with a bold purple with black dots arranged as you'd see them on a six-sided die... Too bad I don't have six fingers. (Or, should I be thankful?)

What I used:
L.A. Colors nail lacquer in NP392 Amethyst
Simply Sweet nail art pen & brush in black

How I did it:
#1) I applied 3 coats of my base color (Amethyst), and let dry.
#2)  Then I drew on the dots with the (black) nail art pen.

Super simple!

I do have my gripes about the L.A. Colors nail polishes though- most colors require you to apply several coats, and even then, it's still streaky and uneven. I love the Amethyst color, but it's such a pain in the ass!

Have you used these products? What do you think about them?

6 Easy Nail Art Tutorials [photos]

After my 9 Must-Try Nail Art Tutorials linkup post, I found several more cool ideas to try out!

Dark Glitter Ombre Nail Art Tutorial: Sinful Colors 1134 Black Magic and 265 Rich In Heart

The ombre glitter effect is probably the most popular nail trend right now. Here's a deep red take on it, and Gary was a good sport, allowing me to make his nails sparkle!

dark glitter ombre nails

What I used: 

Sinful Colors 1134 Black Magic (glitter) 

Sinful Colors 265 Rich In Heart (deep red) 

How I did it: 

#1) Start with your base color (Rich In Heart). Paint the entire nail. You may need a couple coats. 

#2) Then take your glitter (Black Magic) and remember, a little goes a long way! Paint a thin layer on the bottom 2/3 of the nail. Once that dries, follow up with another layer over the bottom 1/3, to create a gradual 'fade' effect. 

Sinful Colors nail polish in 1134 Black Magic and 265 Rich In Heart

It's super easy to do, but may take a few tries before you get it right. Practice makes perfect! 

While I see it done mostly on long nails, I think the ombre glitter effect looks especially nice on shorter lengths. It looks great with the glitter fading down from the top too, so play around and have fun with it! 

Maybelline Color Show Nail Polish 875 Mod Moss (Limited Edition)

I did Gary's nails in my favorite leather-effect nail polish, Maybelline Color Show 875 Mod Moss. I absolutely love this matte neutral greenish hue!

Gary's blog - The Art Of Oddity

Amazing color, right?? Love, love, LOVE it! Too bad the vintage leather nail polishes are limited edition only...

maybelline color show

Striped Nails: CoverGirl Outlast Nail Polish 305 Eternal Oceans + 290 Constant Caribbean

I have a thing for contrasting striped nails right now, especially purples and teal/greens. Why play by the rules? Loosen up and have some fun!

What I'm Wearing:
CoverGirl Outlast 305 Eternal Oceans
CoverGirl Outlast 290 Constant Caribbean

I really like the CoverGirl Outlast nail polishes. They carry some especially bold (and awesome!) colors, and as for durability, they're the second best I've tried (next to Maybelline Color Show). Love them!

What are your favorite nail polish lines right now?

Holographic Pedicure: Maybelline Color Show in 25 Mystic Green and Nails Inc. Special Effects in 162 Cheyne Walk

I love holographic nail polishes!

In fact, I'm addicted to the gorgeous shimmery, wild colors. I just can't get enough!

And last night, after months of neglect, I finally gave myself a pedicure! It was a long overdue, necessary feel-good act I need to do more often.

Who says purple and green don't mix??

What I'm wearing:
Nails Inc. special effects nail polish in 162 cheyne walk
Maybelline Color Show nail polish in 25 Mystic Green

(flipflops by Teva)

I'm very fond of the simple stripe down the middle. It's quick and super easy to do, and adds a little extra flair that gets a lot of attention.

maybelline color show

Rimmel Lasting Finish Pro Nail Lacquer in 282 Hard Metal

A little over a week ago I found Rimmel London Lasting Finish Pro nail polish in 282 Hard Metal on clearance for $1.19 at Walgreens (reg. $4.49), and so, here it is! 

The brush is pretty cool- it's very full, and kind of flat and wide, and coats the nail really well so you need less brush strokes. Great for solid coverage, not so good for detail work.

The polish itself is pretty sheer, so you're going to need 3 coats for full coverage. In the above photo, I only did 2, and you can see some spots where it's uneven... Not noticeable if you just glance at my nails, but you can definitely tell if the light and angle are right.

As for the color itself, I love it! I've always been a fan of gloomy grey-blues that shimmer.

Have you tried Rimmel London Lasting Finish Pro nail lacquer in 282 Hard Metal? What do you think of it?

Striped Nails: Teal and Sapphire

I painted some simple stripes on Gary's nails with: 

Sinful Colors nail polish in 293 Gorgeous 

Maybelline Color Show nail lacquer in 360 Sapphire Siren 

It was super easy to do- paint on two coats of the teal and let dry, then paint a stripe down the center with the sapphire blue.

** Note: If you want to make sure the Sinful Colors polish stays put longer than a day, use both a base and top coat. I love a lot of the colors the brand offers, but they won't stay on their own.

maybelline color show

Revlon Parfumerie Scented Nail Enamel in 150 Wild Violets

Last Saturday I went nail polish shopping and, after checking it out a few times, finally purchased Revlon Perfumerie scented nail enamel in 150 Wild Violets for just short of $6.

Over the summer I bought Revlon scented nail enamel in 310 beach. I was amazed by how long both the bright color and scent lasted. And it is probably the longest lasting (both in wearability and smell) that I have ever tried.

Well..... this didn't quite live up to that standard. But that doesn't mean I hate it. Not at all.

It has an amazing wild violet scent and is the greatest deep purple ever, and I love it!

But the scent gets weak fairly quick, and it chips much sooner than 310 Beach. Perhaps it is a flaw in the new vs. old scented nail enamel. Or maybe it is just this color...?

Have you tried Revlon Parfumerie  Wild Violets? What do you think?

9 Must-Try Nail Art Tutorials

Need nail design ideas?

Here are 9 nail art tutorials that are inspiring me right now...

Nail art tutorials:
Inspired by Gucci Pre-Fall 2014 - thetrendynail.com
Watercolor Effect - sheknows.com
Distressed Nail Art (punk/grungy effect) - chalkboardnails.com
Nimbus Nail Art - thenailasaurus.com
Everyone neeeeeds Night Lights in their life - chloesnails.blogspot.com
Vintage Wallpaper - onenailtorulethemall.blogspot.com
Snakeskin Manicure - polishalcoholic.com
Water Marble - laquerish.com
Burned Paper Nails - jackymulek.blogspot.com

Do you have a nail art tutorial you'd like to share? Link to it below!

Sinful Colors Nail Polish - 265 Rich In Heart

Yesterday I went nail polish shopping, and because I wasn't quite yet ready to battle the the crazy glitter polish I'm wearing right now, Gary lent his nails so I could see Sinful Colors 265 Rich In Heart.

I have a love/hate relationship with Sinful Colors. Great stuff if you have time to apply a base coat, the color, and a top coat as well- they have a lot of awesome colors to choose from. However, the polish alone has horrible staying power. I always find it chips a lot by the end of the day.

(That's why I'm in love with the Maybelline Color Show line... it sticks!)

But really, what do you expect from such a cheap product?

I love the consistency of it, and it glides on so smoothly. No clumps whatsoever. It only took two light coats to achieve this beautiful deep red, and dried quickly.

I'm a sucker for deep jewel tones, and I knew I wanted it the moment I saw it. So I've got to take a couple more steps with this one- it's worth it!

You can see more of Gary's art on his blog- The Art Of Oddity

What do you think about the Sinful Colors nail polish line? Love it or hate it?