Monday, July 18, 2016

OPI's Fall/Winter Washington DC Collection

I know, it's been actually FOREVER since I posted last.

But how can I not freak out that this year's OPI F/W collection is DC-inspired? WHEN I NOW LIVE HERE? AHH!

That being said, here's the full lineup. I'm gonna see what shades I can get my hands on, but I probably won't get every single one. I can already pinpoint ones that won't look good with my skintone.

The names are inspired by ABC's hit show "Scandal", with Kerry Washington herself as the face of the collection.


As soon as I get my hands on some of these babies I'll be posting swatches! Really digging some of the teal/green shades, as well as the nude, and OBVIOUSLY, Madam President.

-Happy Polishing!

Friday, May 8, 2015

Well, I'm back...#RockTheRed

Hey all,

It's been about 9 months since I last posted - and I apologize for the neglect. A LOT has changed over that course of time and I just haven't had the time or wherewithal to update this thing.

That being said, I now work for the Washington Capitals, who are in the middle of the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs! It's a very exciting time for us all here, and there certainly is no shortage of team spirit as both the Caps and Wizards pursue the highest reward in their respective leagues.

Here's what I've cooked up so far for the Caps as far as manicures go:

This first manicure I've started out with a set of clear tips and gel: from there I just sponged on a red gradient with China Glaze (unnamed red at the moment - can't remember). I then used Julep "America The Beautiful" over top to add a bit of patriotic sparkle. Simple, understated, wasn't sure how much I could get away with at work.



Then, I decided to take the red to the next level - I went with straight red tips and clear gel to make the red a bit more permanent and to make it a bit easier to change things out over top. This is a really nice clean look - I might be buying more colored tips in the future!


NOW, we're stepping in to the realm of acrylic hand-painted nail art. Going with a stars and stripes theme, I kept things rather simplistic for Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals against my once-beloved NY Rangers. 1 stripe and 1 star per nail, and then the Capitals secondary "weagle" logo on the thumbs. I then added a bit of sparkle (which I actually didn't end up loving too much" with OPI's "Make Light of the Situation" which would undoubtedly look a lot more stunning over any other polish color than the one that I've used here. It's a nice crystally glass-fleck and circular glitter topper - very pretty.


Stay tuned for more nail art as the playoffs continue - I certainly plan to get more and more invested in these as we move on! #RockTheRed

-Maggie



Friday, September 5, 2014

Football is here!

Hey guys, here's a quick look at my football manicure - with the season kicking off this week, I didn't want to be impartial to just ONE team!

This look is super easy to achieve. All you need is 1. Light brown polish (I chose "OPI Score's a Goal!" from their Brazil collection, since it has a nice reddish tint to it) 2. A Dark brown polish (I chose Essie's "Lady Godiva, honestly my favorite deep dark brown) 3. White nail striper and 4. Top coat!

Paint your nails with the lighter brown polish. I wouldn't worry TOO much about patchiness, but you do want a good level opacity. Then, using a fine-point dotting tool, use the dark brown polish to add dots! I like to let it thicken up a bit so that the dots add some texure. THEN, I apply the topcoat before adding the laces with my white striper...It might just be me, but the top coat tends to drag out and streak my white, no matter how long it's been left to dry.

Hope you enjoy!




Happy Polishing,

Maggie

Thursday, June 19, 2014

Rainbow Neon Gradient & Aztec Manicure

Hi All!

I wanted to share my latest nail art with you - this is the manicure I came up with for Firefly Festival/Birthday weekend!

This originally started out as black with a neon rainbow accent nail, and I decided it just wasn't enough!

The black is my FAVORITE black polish ever, Butter London "Union Jack Black". It's opaque in 2 coats, goes on super smooth and only where you want it to, and has such a high gloss finish that you don't really need a top coat unless you want it!

For the accent nail, I started with a base coat of OPI "My Vampire is Buff" - I find it goes on a lot smoother than Alpine Snow, but still gives your neon colors that POP!

After the base coat, I striped a cosmetic sponge with Essie "I'm Addicted", Orly "Glowstick" and Orly "Passion Fruit". Then, dab dab dab, and voila!

For the design, I was inspired by a photo on pinterest, though the designs are pretty arbitrary. This one I did freehand with a Sharpie, then allowed it to dry and then used Out The Door topcoat on it.

I hope you enjoy!








Happy Polishing!
Maggie

Monday, May 19, 2014

Hello world! I'm Back!

Hi All,

I'm so sorry for neglecting this blog. I've got a new full-time job that has been keeping me extremely busy! I do still paint my nails on a consistent basis (though not as often), and don't always have the time to take pictures or to share my manis here on the blog. I hope to get back into the swing of things soon, but for the time being if you're missing out on my manicures, be sure to check out my instagram!

Here are some of my recent favorites:

New York Yankees/Subway Series manicure. I used the OPI MLB Collection to create this look, using Short-STOP! (red) , Right Off The Bat (Metallic Navy), and Girls Love Diamonds (Cool White Shimmer). I used white acrylic paint for the NY logo.




Mother's Day Manicure. As soon as I *finally* picked up Essie's Knockout Pout I knew I wanted to do a white vertical stripe design. Roses done in Essie "Fiji" and "After Sex".



Glad to be back and hoping to post some more in the upcoming weeks!
Happy Polishing,
Maggie