•rachel•

Hello! It’s been forever hasn’t it, but today I have a very special nail design to share with you guys. I am meeting Dan and Phil as of tomorrow and in order to celebrate the occasion I did some nail designs inspired by them (and with the help of Pinterest obvs). I used a lot of nail polishes for this so I am just going to make a huge list below. Nail polishes used:  On all nails - Revlon Base + Top Coat, Sally Hansen’s Miracle Gel “Get Mod” (#789) On my thumb-   Blackheart Beauty “Deep Sky Blue”, Sally Hansen’s Miracle Gel “Pink Tank” (#220), Insta-Dri “In Record Lime” (#50), Insta-Dri “Black to Black” (#360), Opi “Primarily Yellow”, and Insta-Dri “Rapid Red” (#280).  On my index finger- Insta-Dri “Black to Black” (#360), Candie’s “Concrete Jungle” (#2191), and Wet n Wild “Tough Girl” (#34206). On my middle finger- Insta-Dri “Black to Black” (#360), Insta-Dri “Sand Storm” (#113), Essie “Mink Muffs” (#624), Blackheart Beauty “Deep Sky Blue”, and Miracle Gel “P

Hey peeps, how’s it going? I hope you are having a nice holiday so far. I decided I wanted to start updating this blog again because I truly miss it and I think it will be good for me. I can’t promise everything will be as routine as it used to be, but I will try my very hardest to post as much as I can. I’m making it one of my goals for 2016, so I can’t fail right hahaHA. Ahem… anyway, if you didn’t notice I have made some improvements to my blog’s layout. I have a new background, different fonts, tab colors, etc. I think it looks quite nice. I also updated my About Me section and my Nail Polish Inventory, if you were curious about any of that.   So, for the reason you are probably reading this, here is my nail design for this Christmas.  I decided to go with something simple yet still festive. I started with my Revlon Base + Top Coat, and then carefully added a red French tip over my nails. It’s actually quite simple to free had French tips; just lay your hand on a table

Hello everyone! Today I have a fun new design for you guys. It's received tons of compliments and I really like it a lot. This is my butterfly nail look, inspired by Pinterest. The polishes I used for this design were NYC's “Strip Me Off” Base Coat (#001) and “French White Tip” (#134), Sally Hansen's "Presto Pink" (#15) and "Brisk Blue" (#430), and Essie's "Licorice" (#720). I also used a nail dotter, makeup sponge, and a clear coat to finish it off. I started by applying my base coat which is a peel off so I can quickly remove the look when it's time for a new one. Then I did a typical ombre, which I have done many times before (you can refer to any of my other ombre looks if you want to know how to do that). Over the ombre I copied a butterfly wing design by painting a thick diagonal triangle by the tip of my nail, another black diagonal line towards the bottom of my nail, and connecting those with short, black lines. I added wh

Hello everyone! I feel bad for not posting much this month (I’ve only done one nail design!?), but I have had no inspiration since my April Nail Art challenge. Finally I have figured out what I’ll be doing for the rest of May and a bit of June and the first design is Peacock nails. I got this idea from Pinterest (obvs). The polishes I used for this design were Sally Hansen’s Miracle Gel shade in “Combustealble” (#540), Insta-Dri shades in “Brisk Blue” (#430), “Mint Sprint” (#440) and “Lickety-Split Lime” (#29), Essie’s “Good As Gold” (#941), and Blackheart Beauty’s “Deep Sky Blue”. I also used a small nail art brush and a nail dotter. I started with “Combustealble” as a base. Then, using my small nail art brush, I painted diagonal lines starting at the corner of my nail across my entire nail. I did this with the blue, mint, and green polishes (in that order), layering the colors over each other. Using my nail dotter I added a gold oval shape towards the far, top right of my

Hello everyone! As part of my nail art April challenge I have taken on the task of doing a braided nail design. This is the first time I have ever attempted this, so I’d say that they turned out ok. I did make the mistake of making the pink overlap instead of just touch, but I’ll learn (hopefully). The polishes I used for this design were Sally Hansen’s Insta-Dri shades in “Jade Jump” (#450) and “Pink Blink” (#205), and Essie’s “Good As Gold” (#941). I also used a squared nail art brush and my usual Base + Top Coat. I started with the color “Jade Jump” as my base and let it fully dry. Next, using my pink polish, I painted a thick, diagonal line coming up from my cuticle all the way towards the middle on my nail. I did the same thing using the gold polish, except coming from the other side, making the two lines crisscross. I continued to crisscross the pink and gold until my whole nail was covered, making sure to leave some of the base color visible. Seal that off with a clea

Hello everyone! This is my final St. Patrick’s Day design and it is the most complex out of all of them. I wouldn’t say it is hard (because it’s not), but there’s a lot more to do.   I tried to replicate this look from a picture I saw on Pinterest; hopefully I did it justice. Here’s what I used. The colors I used where Sally Hansen’s Insta-Dri shades in “Jet Set Jade” (#180), “Black to Black” (#360), “Rapid Red” (#280), “Man-go Team!” (#30), “Lightening” (#250), “Lickety-Split Lime” (#450), “Brisk Blue” (#430), “Vigorous Violet” (#365), and Essie’s “Good as Gold” (#941). I also used gold balls from SHANY's Nail Art Decoration Kit, a skinny nail art brush, and a nail dotter. I started with my dark green as the base color for all my nails. Then, on my ring finger nail I painted a pot (that a leprechaun would put gold in) in black. Using a small nail art brush I then painted a rainbow going across three of my nails (index, middle, and ring fingers). I dotted on gold coming

Hello everyone! So, I decided instead of getting rid of my beautiful manicure from last week that I would just give it an upgrade. I turned my simple green and gold nail design into a clover manicure! Here’s how it’s done. The polishes I used were Sally Hansen’s Insta-Dri shade “In Record Lime” (#50), Essie shades “Good As Gold” (#941) and “Rock At The Top” (#962) , and the Base + Top Coat by Revlon (#965). I also kept the gold glitter from SHANY's Nail Art Decoration Kit that I used last week. For this mani I only changed one nail’s base color. I removed the green off my index fingers and painted on two coats of Essie’s “Good As Gold”. On my middle finger I used the same gold color to paint the clover’s stem and I used a nail dotter to make three clover petals. The trick for the petals is to just make them in a heart shape by connecting two dots. I made another clover on my index finger using the green polish. For the remaining green nails I added the gold glitter from

Hello everyone! I wanted to do one more simple St. Patrick’s day nail design before I did the complex stuff. This is super easy and will last a while. Here’s what you’ll need. The polishes I used were Sally Hansen’s Insta-Dri shade “In Record Lime” (#50), Essie’s “Good As Gold” (#941), and my new Base + Top Coat by Revlon (#965). I also used gold glitter from SHANY's Nail Art Decoration Kit. First, I used one layer of the Revlon’s Base + Top coat to protect my nail. I am hoping that this will prevent any more staining that way my nails can grow out and be stain free before prom. Anyway, I painted all my nails, except the ring finger, with my green polish and sealed that off with a top coat. For my ring finger nail I painted two coats of my gold polish and let that dry (this is here just in case the glitter doesn’t reach all areas of the nail). Next, I painted on a layer of clear coat and quickly dipped my whole nail in the gold glitter . Brush off the excess glitter an

Hello everyone! For my last Valentine's design I decided to stop stealing ideas off of my Pinterest board and try to come up with something on my own. I haven’t seen a design like this yet (that doesn’t mean there isn’t one though), so I’d like to present you with Cupid’s bow and arrow nails! The colors I used for this design were Sally Hansen’s Insta-Dri shades in “Pink Blink” (#205) and “Rapid Red” (#280), and Essie’s “Mink Muffs” (#624).   I also used a nail art brush and a nail dotter. To start off I painted my nails with “Pink Blink”. The color is beautiful, but since the polish is so old it took 3 coats lol; I need to buy a new one. I did a review of this polish last February which you can view here (I sucked at reviews back then gosh). Anyway, using my medium brown polish I painted a bow on my thumb nail. Make sure you paint it in the direction I did that way it will be aimed the right way. Using a skinny nail art brush I then painted an arrow across 3 of my nail

Hello everyone! The third Valentine’s Day design I have for you is quite simple, yet appropriate for the occasion; it's a neutral, polka dot mani with a cute little accent heart. I had originally planned to do a French tip, but my thumb nail finally gave up and broke, so I had to change things up. The colors I used for this design were Essie’s “Eternal Optimist” (#144) and “Licorice” (#720). I also used a small nail dotter. I started off with Eternal Optimist, which is a really nice mauve pink. I haven’t used this color in a while, but I really do love it. It's actually one of the first colors I remember posting about on Instagram before I ruined it with badly drawn lines that I didn't have nail art brushes for lol. Anyway, using my nail dotter, I made four columns of black polka dots. I basically dotted in straight lines until the nail was filled. On my ring finger I dotted on a small heart before adding the polka dots. Finish it off with a clear coat and you have

Hello everyone! For Valentine’s Day tutorial #2 I took inspiration from Pinterest to create a simple heart nail design. This one is ultra simple and quick, but it’s so adorable.   Here’s what you’ll need. The colors I used were Sally Hansen’s Miracle Gel polish in the shade “Pink Tank” (#220), Essie “Good as Gold” (#941), and Essie “Rock at the Top” (#962). I also used a nail dotter from Bundle Monster.  To start off, I painted all my nails using my pink polish and let it dry. Next, I used the Miracle Gel top coat to seal the polish and make it last an extra long time. Using a nail dotter I dotted a small heart by the cuticle of all my nails. Finally, I added the gold glitter to the hearts for an extra touch. I hope you all like this design! I’d like to comment that, yes, my nail is broken and I explained how that happened in my latest video which you can view here . The video includes the tutorial for this design as well as some updates. Also, I updated my nail polish i

  Hello everyone! First of all, I hope you guys have a wonderful Christmas or whatever holiday you may celebrate; spend time with family and spread joy with the gifts you give. I know I said I’d post twice before Christmas, but I have been busy and I just didn’t have time. I hope that’s ok. Anyway, this last nail design has the potential to be two, but I put them together to make the ultimate Santa nails! Here’s what you’ll need. The polishes I used for this design were Sally Hansen’s Insta-Dri shades in “Rapid Red” (#280) and “Sand Storm” (#113), Xtreme Wear shades in “White On” (#300) and “Black Out” (#28), and Essie’s “Good as Gold” (#941). I also used a nail dotter. The first part of this design is Santa’s belt. I started with a red base on my thumb and let that dry. Then I painted a white stripe vertically down the middle of my nail. Next, I added a black, horizontal line in the middle of my nail. Finally, using a gold polish I painted the square belt buckle. Add a top

 Hello everyone! My 5 th Christmas nail design, if you couldn’t tell by the title, is reindeer! I really like this design; it’s one of my favorites along with the Christmas trees. Here’s what you’ll need. The polishes I used for this design were Sally Hansen’s Miracle Gel shade in “Game of Chromes” (#510), Xtreme Wear shades in “Black Out” (#28) and “White On” (#300), Insta-Dri shade in “Wined Up” (#350), and Essie’s “Mink Muffs” (#624). You will also need a nail dotter. I started with a gold base coat and the top coat that goes along with the Miracle Gel polishes. After that dried, I used the medium brown color to make a semi-circle covering 1/3 of my nail with 2 ear shapes at the top. Using the same brown I drew antlers. Since the brush that comes with Essie polishes isn’t too thick I can use that brush for the antlers; no extra brushes needed. Next, using a dotter, I added two white dots for eyes and two smaller black dots for pupils. To complete the look, I added a larg

Hello everyone! Sorry this is up so late, but I got so into wrapping presents that I completely forgot. I was also out at Kroger for a while because it’s recently been remodeled and now there is a bunch of organic stuff. Anyway, I’m getting off topic; here is what you will need for this design. The polishes I used were Essie's “Good as Gold” (#941) and Sally Hansen’s Insta-Dri shades in “Wined Up” (#350), “Jet Set Jade” (#180), and “Silver Sweep” (#230). You may also need a skinny nail art brush. I started with a gold base and let that dry. On each nail I alternated between red and green “ribbon”, which is just a vertical line down the nail and a horizontal one across the nail. For the bow, I used the silver polish and my skinny nail art brush to draw a bow shape. Add a clear coat and you’re done!  I hope you like this design. I used all metallic colors, which was a complete accident, but quite festive anyway. I have to edit a video, but I don’t know if I’ll get it

 Hello everyone! The 3 rd nail design of the month is Christmas trees! This is my favorite so far. Here’s what you’ll need. The colors I used were Sally Hansen’s Insta-Dri shades in “Jade Jump” (#450) and “Jet Set Jade” (#180), Essie “Good as Gold” (#941), and Wet n Wild “Sparked” (#435G). You’ll also need some painter’s tape and a nail dotter. I started with a light green base. Then I used two strips of tape to make a triangle going halfway up my nail. I used dark green for the tree and waited ten seconds before removing the tape (that's important ok). For the star, I used a dotter; you can just make dots and connect them. Finally, I used pink glitter for the ornaments/lights on the tree. Protect your design with a top coat! I hope you like this design! I got my inspiration from Pinterest (of course). I still have 5 designs left for December, so make sure you come back. BYYEEE

 Hello everyone! Today is Thanksgiving and I figured I should do a festive nail design since I skipped the whole month of November on my blog last year. I decided to go for the classic turkey. The colors I used were Sally Hansen’s Insta-Dri shades in “Sand Storm” (#113) and “Lightening” (#280), Triple Shine shade in “Taheati” (#620), Xtreme Wear shades in “White On” (#300) and “Black Out” (#28), Essie “Mink Muffs” (#624), and a random Markwins International polish I stole from my mom’s bathroom because I couldn’t find my red polish anywhere.  I started with the tan base color on all my nails. For the thumb I took dark brown to make the turkey’s body using a nail art brush. The body is just a semi-circle with a small circle above it. I then used a dotter to add two white circles for eyes and a smaller dotter for the black pupils. I used a thin nail art brush for the orange beak. The multi-colored feathers where added behind the turkey’s body to represent its tail. For the

Hey everyone! My third Halloween nail design (inspired from Pinterest) is pumpkin nails! There may be a lot of polishes involved, but it’s actually pretty easy. It doesn't have to be just a Halloween design; you can use it for the whole fall season. The colors I used were Sally Hansen’s Insta-Dri in shades “Sand Storm” (#113) and “Lickety-Split Lime” (#29), Triple Shine shades in “Taheati” (#620) and “Play Koi” (#240), and Essie’s “Mink Muffs” (#624). I started with a tan, neutral base on all my nails. Then I used my lighter shade of orange to make a semi-circle by the tips of my nails and filled it in. I used my dark brown to make a short, thick line on the top of the semi-circle for the pumpkin stem and added a green line next to the stem for the vine. Finally, I used the darker orange to make the indentations on the pumpkin and to create depth. Add a top coat to seal it in and you've got pumpkin nails! Thanks for reading my post. I have one Halloween tutorial

Hey everyone! This week I did another accent nail because I’m very busy. I actually like this accent nail more than the first lol. The colors I used for this week were Sally Hansen’s Insta-Dri in the color “Flashy Fuchsia” (#220), Essie “Licorice” (#720), and Wet n Wild “Sparked” (#435G).  All I did for this design was paint my nails with the color “Flashy Fuchsia” and then on my ring finger nail I made diagonal lines with a nail art brush. I started with 3 lines in black and then 3 glitter lines right next to those, a little bit overlapping actually. I want to give a quick review on the color “Flashy Fuchsia” since this isn’t really much of a tutorial (I think most are self-explanatory). I’ve always loved this color; it’s like a hot pink with a little shine in it. It is great like most of the other colors in the Insta-Dri collection. Since the color really pops it’s more of a spring and summer color, which means I'll have to wait a while to use it again lol. Wel

Hello everyone! I have a pretty insane nail tutorial for you all today. It’s my Harry Potter inspired nail tutorial, when Harry and Voldemort’s spells meet in the Deathly Hallows Part 2 to be exact lol. I added glow in the dark polish as well to make it extra awesome! The video is up now so check it out here ! All the colors I used are below; I hope you all like it. BYYEEE Base: Sally Hansen Base & Top Coat, Essie “Licorice” (#720) Harry’s spell: Insta-Dri “Rapid Red” (#280), Expressions Glow Polishes (Pink) Harry’s Wand: Essie “Mink Muffs” (#624) and “Licorice” (#720) Voldemort’s spell: Insta-Dri “In Record Lime” (#50), Expressions Glow Polishes (Green) Voldemort’s Wand/The Elder Wand:   Essie “Mink Muffs” (#624), Insta-Dri “Silver Sweep” (#230) Explosion: Insta-Dri “Lightening” (#280), Xtreme Wear “White On” (#300), Expressions Glow Polishes (Yellow) (Inspiration for this design from Pinterest )