Sidewalk Chalk Nail Art!

Hey!

I hope everyone is familiar with sidewalk chalk because it is something I loved as a kid. In fact, I still love it so much that I have a some in my trunk, just in case!

I decided to some nail art dedicated to sidewalk chalk and this is what I came up with.

For this manicure I used: Nicole by OPI - Unknown, someone please tell me if you know the name of this great black/gray matte. Revlon - Waterfall, Sally Hansen - Yellow Kitty, Essie - French Affair and Funky Fingers - Mint Montauk.  I topped it off with a coat of Hard Candy - Matte-ly In Love

I used very small paint brushes to create the "chalk" look.

Thanks for looking!

Frank-tastic Nails!

Hi everyone!

So I have decided to change My Boyfriend's Pick of the Week to Frank-tastic Nails (a name picked by Frank, my boyfriend) This week's post is very special because Frank himself picked out the colors AND painted my nail for me! Let me tell you, it was amazing! Take a look at his work.

He chose to use Funky Fingers - Peacocky (a name I love) with OPI - Black Shatter as an accent on the ring finger. I have used OPI Shatters planty of time but I have never had it come out as good as it did here. I might have to have him do my Shatter for me for now on!

So I would like to say a BIG thanks to Frank! I love how my nails turned out and I will be sad to take this off!

Has anyone ever had their boyfriend/husband/significant other paint their nail for them? How did it turn out?

Check It Out!

Giveaway Day!

Another great giveaway for you guys to check out! Beauty by Kayla Shevonne is giving away two Deborah Lippmann nails polishes in honor of her one year blog anniversary!

Michelle

Check It Out!

Another Giveaway!

This time it is Pretty Edgy Nails! She is having a fantastic giveaway, featuring products from OPI and Coach! Check it out!

Michelle

Check It Out!

Hey again!

I have another awesome giveaway for you! Midnight Manicures is have a great giveaway and there are six prizes! That's right! SIX! How great is that? I would love for you all to take a look!

PS If you do take a look, mention TheCarpentersNails so I can have an entry to win one of her prizes. Thanks!

Michelle

Check It Out!

Hey!

Spooky Nails is having a giveaway to celebrate her one year blogging anniversary! She has some great prizes too! You should check it out!

Congratulations!

You Can Use Duct Tape For EVERYTHING!

Hi!

I was trying to come up with some original nail art idea, but it is very difficult because there are so many other great bloggers out there. After pondering about it for a while, an idea struck me. I searched the web and popular nail blogs and I didn't find anything even remotely close to my idea so here it is...

DUCT TAPE NAILS! Now I know they don't look all that great, but this was my first ever attempt. I actually like how it wrinkles on some nails because then it has that true duct tape look. This took me less than ten minutes to do and it was a lot of fun.

If you have any questions on how I did this, please comment! I would also love to see other attempts!

A couple of posts ago I mentioned an OPI giveaway and, don't worry, it is coming soon!

Michelle

Check It Out!

Hey there!

Tara over at For Your Nails Only is having a great nail polish giveaway to celebrate her 1013th follower. I suggest checking it out because she is very talented in so many ways!

Congratulations!

Collection Update

Hey Everyone!

I just wanted to let you all know that I updated my Nail Polish Collection Spreadsheet. To view my collection just click on the tab at the top of the page that says "My Collection." Then click on the link!

Please email me at michellereneebrandley@gmail.com with any questions, requests, or comments!

Thanks!

PS: Stay tuned for an OPI giveaway coming soon. :)

Funky Fingers Fridays

Sorry, sorry, sorry this post did not happen yesterday! It was such a busy week! Anywho, these retail 3 for $5.00 or $2.00 each at  Five Below. Click on the link to see if there is one near you!

Week Five: Volts
     Volts is a nice bright creme blue. It was very sheer on the first coat, which made me nervous. After three coat I could still see my VNL (visible nail line) but putting on another coat would have made this manicure too thick.

Below I have Volts with two coats of Matte-ly In Love by Hard Candy as a top coat. I have seriously been obsessed with this matte top coat. I love putting it over a manicure that is showing signs of wear. It makes it look brand new again!

Next I have Volts with one coat of OPI - White Shatter. I love how vibrant Volts looks peeking through the White Shatter.

Lastly I have pretty exciting news! Funky Fingers came out with...Scales! Their version of shatter/crackle/fracture nail polish! The best part is that it is the same price as the regular colors. That's right, you can own Scales for only $2.00! I have also heard that they have a white Scales but it was not at the Five Below I went to. Don't worry though, I will keep you updated!

I was shocked to see that I didn't have any dupes for this electric color. Can you guys think of any?

Funky Fingers Fridays

Hi again!

Before I start, Steph over at Imperfectly Painted is having a giveaway this month in honor of her birthday! I would definitely suggest checking it out! 


Remember, these retail 3 for $5.00 or $2.00 each at Five Below. Feel free to click on the link to see if there is a Five Below near you!

Week Four: Purple (Not the actual name because there is no name on the bottle! Oh no!)
     Purple is a very deep, almost black looking creme purple. It covered completely is two coats and it dried super shiny. I think this color looks amazing. I believe some people would classify this color as a "vampy" color. All I know for sure is I love this color!

Below I have Purple with Matte-ly In Love by Hard Candy as a top coat. At first I didn't really like this color matte but after a few minutes I decided differently. Once Matte-ly In Love dried completely I decided I loved it. Even now while I'm typing I can stop glancing at it!

Below I have Purple with a coat of Northern Lights by Out The Door. I have came to the conclusion that I am in love with Northern Lights. It can seriously make any nails polish pop, just like it did with this Funky Fingers.

I searched my collection TWICE for a dupe and I couldn't come up with one. Does anyone think they might have a dupe for this awesome color?

Funky Fingers Fridays

Hi Hi!

First off I would like to apologize for the lack of posts this last week. I left for Jamaica on Thursday and just got back on Tuesday. My plan was to preset some posts while I was gone, but I ran out of time. But I'm back now and I will make up for it!

Since I missed Funky Fingers Friday last week, I will post two today. In this post I would like to feature lasts week's Funky Fingers. Remember these retail 3 for $5.00 or $2.00 each at Five Below. Feel free to click the link to see if there is a Five Below near you!

Week Three: Semi-Automatic
     Semi-Automatic (I love this name!) is a black/gray shimmer. Most nails needed three coat to make them completely opaque because I had some issues with bald spot. I am a huge fan of this color! It is black without being so bold, yet it is definitely not plain.

Below I have Semi-Automatic with Matte-ly In Love by Hard Candy as a top coat. I am really liking this polish as a matte! It looks so smooth and even. Someday soon I will do a post dedicated to turning regular nail polishes matte.

Below is Semi-Automatic with a coat of OPI - Silver Shatter.

I looked through my collection and found what I thought might be a dupe, a black no name by L.A. Colors. Once I put it on my nails I could see the differences though. The L.A. Colors is blacker with a more defined shimmer.

Funky Fingers Fridays

Hey all!


Remember, these retail 3 for $5.00 or $2.00 each at Five Below. Feel free to click on the link to see if there is a Five Below near you!

Week Two: Bourbon St
     Bourbon St is a gold micro glitter that is crazy shiny. It took four coats to make it opaque, but it was so worth it! All of the photos were taken in artificial light because it was raining when I completed my nails. :( I will have to do this manicure again when it is sunny because I have a feeling this color is going to look even more amazing in the sunlight!

Below I have Bourbon St layered over Orly - Liquid Vinyl

I searched my collection for a dupe and came across OPI - Take The Stage. Take The Stage is definitely more orange than gold, but it is pretty similar to Bourbon St. The finish is almost identical since they are both a micro glitter. I have Take The Stage on my left finger and Bourbon St on my right.

UPDATE: I just wanted to show all of you how great this polish really is. Even though it is a cheap nail polish it is a great nail polish. Below is a picture of my hands after an eight hour day of work and they look as good as they did last night when I did them. Just encase you haven't read my profile, I am a carpenter. So that means Funky Fingers can last through eight hours of ripping out a kitchen, cutting wood, pulling nails, etc. 

My Boyfriend's Pick Of The Week

Hello again!

I am hoping that at least once a week I can paint my nails a color that my boyfriend, Frank, picks out. For this week he picked a random number and I picked the nail polish that matched it, but some weeks he would like to hand pick the color.

Week One: Orly - Lift The Veil (Valentine's Day Collection)
     Lift The Veil is a pink creme with the slightest hint of shimmer I have ever seen. You might be able to see the shimmer if you click on the pictures to enlarge them. It took four coats to get the polish almost opaque, but I still wasn't happy with the results. It was streaky at times and I can still see my nail line, which it just annoying, but it is a really pretty color. I'm thinking next time I wear it I will just put two thin coats on and wear it as a sheer, letting my natural nail line show.

I searched my collection for a dupe and came across L.A. Colors - French Nails Purple. This polish turned out to be more purple rather than pick like Lift The Veil though. L.A. Colors is on my left nail and Orly is on my right.

Overall I really like the color of Lift The Veil but the application bummed me out a little bit. What do you think of Lift The Veil?

Luau Nail Art

Hey hey

My sister, Jennifer, had a luau themed party to go to at her church this week so she asked me if I could do some nail art to match. This is what I came up with (these are her hands)

For this manicure I used: OPI - Charged Up Cherry, China Glaze - Happy Go Lucky, and Pretty Women - Orange and Green.

OPI - Charged Up Cherry is a great summer pink. It goes on super smoothly and it was almost opaque after one coat! The picture mutes the color a little bit though. :( It is so much vibrant.

I did this free hand, using a very thin brush I bought at Michael's.

My Collection

I have recently updated my nail polish collection spreadsheet for you all to see. You can find it by clicking on "My Collection" on the tab above or by clicking here.


Please feel free to email me any corrections, comments, or questions at michellereneebrandley@gmail.com

Zoya Promotion

Hey Guys,

I just thought I would tell you about a promotion Zoya is offering right now. You can get Charla and Ivanka for free with any purchase (other than a color spoon) while supplies last or until Thursday the 16th. Here is the link to Zoya'a website:

http://zoyanailpolish.blogspot.com/2011/06/limited-quantity-act-now-free-ivanka.html

I took them up on this offer and ordered myself a bottle of Edyta. Hurry up if you want to participate in this promo!

Michelle

Lady Bugs!

Hey there!

Before I start I wanted to send a big thanks to Mercedes over at Nails & Nonsense. She replicated my Memorial Day nail art and she did a fantastic job! So thanks Mercedes! Maybe she would be willing to try this one next:

Lady Bugs! I got this idea from a cute little stuffed lady bug I have in my room. So for this manicure I used:

Pinky (which I know is upside down, hence the right-side-up picture below) - OPI - No Room For The Blues, Who The Shrek Are You. Color Club - Reddy Or Not. Orly - Liquid Vinyl.

Ring - Milani - Ruby Jewels. Orly - Liquid Vinyl, White Tips.

Middle - OPI - No Room For The Blues. Color Club - Reddy Or Not. Orly - Liquid Vinyl

Pointer - Orly - White Tips, Liquid Vinyl. China Glaze - Happy Go Lucky, Goin' My Way Color Club - Reddy Or Not

Thumb (which spell out LADY BUGS encase you didn't notice) - OPI - Who The Shrek Are You, Don't Mess With OPI.

I had a lot of fun with this manicure and it was not as hard as I thought it was going to be. Feel free to ask if you have any questions about how I did anything!

Everyone Loves Nerds

Hola!

I took my sister dress shopping at a local mall last night and we decided to take a look in Five Below. I am a huge fan of Five Below. Nothing is over five dollars and they actually sell name brands like Wet n' Wild, Garnier Fructis and many others. One thing I love most about Five Below is their selection of nail polishes. They have a big table full of different colors and brands. One of there most popular brand of nail polish is Funky Fingers and the best part is they are 3 for $5.00 or $2.00 a piece! You cant beat that. Anyway, I'm done confessing my love for Five Below now. While my sister and I were in there I noticed these:

Nerds scented nail polish! I was so excited I had to get it. Plus it only cost me five dollars, so how could I not get it!? This collection consists of the following .25oz "flavors:"

Wild Cherry

Strawberry

Grape

Watermelon

Wild Berry

Lemonade

I opened these suckers up as soon as I got home last night and they actually smelled pretty good! Even before they were on my nails!! Below are the swatches I did of each color.

First up we have Wild Cherry. Now I am not a fan of the smell of cherry or anything cherry flavored so for me this one didn't smell all that good. It reminded me of the smell of medicine.

The polish applied a little streaky, especially on my bigger nails since the brush was on the thinner side. I did two coats on every finger except for my pinky, which has three.

Second, we have Lemonade. This was my favorite scent of the six. It smells so fresh, just like a lemon.This polish applied the same as Wild Cherry did, streaky and sheer. Again, this is two coat on all of my fingers expect for my pinky which had three. This color was the most sheer of the six.

Next is Watermelon. This was my second favorite smell. It reminded me so much of summer! This polish applied less streaky than the others, however it was just as sheer. Again I did two coats on every nail except the pinky which has three.

Now we have Wild Berry. This one's scent was okay, I didn't really like it that much. I was expecting more of a berry smell, but this had a sour smell I was also expecting this polish to be almost opaque, but it ended up being just as sheer as Lemonade. :( It is a very pretty color though so maybe I will use it for layering. Two coats on every nail except the pinky which has three.

Now for my favorite color of the group, Grape. This picture doesn't do it justice though. The color is a lot more purple, with no blue hint to it at all. The smell was okay, not bad but not good either. This was the only polish that was opaque once I was done. In the picture you can faintly see my nail line but in person they looked great.

Lastly we have Strawberry. This one smelled really good wet and even better once it dried. This polish was sheer like the others but not as streaky. The color didn't do much for me though. It was just your average pink.

Overall I think these polishes are pretty awesome. It was my first experience with scented nail polish and I have a feeling it wont be my last. I would definitely suggest picking these up if you have a Five Below near you especially since they are only FIVE bucks!!!

Dose anyone have a favorite scented nail polish?

Funky Fingers Fridays

Hello there,

I am starting a new weekly post called Funky Fingers Fridays. I currently have 48 Funky Fingers nail polishes so I can almost make it through the whole year. These retail 3 for $5.00 or $2.00 each at Five Below. Feel free to click of the link to see if there is a Five Below near you!

Week One: Erin

Erin is a green glitter with a clear base. It took four coats to make it opaque and there are still a few bald spots, but WOW does it sparkle!

Natural Light

Artificial Light

I put one coat of Erin over black and white to give you an idea of how it looked layered. I used Orly - Liquid Vinyl for the black and OPI - Alpine Snow for the white. I LOVE Erin layered over black, it makes such a pretty color!

Natural Light

Artificial Light

I looked through my collection to see if I had a possible dupe and I came across Color Club - Object Of Envy from their Glitter Vixen Collection. Color Club and Funky Fingers are made by the same company (Forsythe Cosmetic Group) so I'm guessing that is why they are such a close match. however, I found that Object Of Envy applied nicer and was richer in color than Erin. I have Erin on the left and Object Of Envy on the right nail.


Natural Light

     Artificial

UPDATE: Just took this polish off and HOLY HANNAH! It took forever! But seriously, this is a great polish and an even better color so for me, it's worth the removal. :)

Super Mario Brothers

Hey, hey!

Today I am bringing you Super Mario Brothers nail art! So far this is my favorite nail art I have ever done.

For this manicure I used OPI - No Room For The Blues, Don't Mess With OPI, Who The Shrek Are You, Chocolate Shake-speare, Vodka And Caviar, and Alpine Snow and Orly - Liquid Vinyl.

I did this entire nail art free hand, using only the Orly Striping Brush. It's perfect for doing small designs because of the length and thinness of the brush.

If you have any questions on how I did this nail art, feel free to ask!