Turquoise

Boring name for a post, I know.  I'm running very short on sleep here - got home earlier today from a few days on tour performing with a ballet company, and I have to get up and do a full day of classes tomorrow again...  It was such an amazing experience though, totally worth it!  Anywho, somehow what started out as plans for a pastel blue galaxy mani ended up looking like turquoise, so I'm just rolling with it. 

I started with a base of China Glaze Re-Fresh Mint, and when that was dry I randomly sponged on a bunch of different blue polishes.  I can't remember exactly what I used since I did this a few weeks ago, but I'll try my best!  On the nail you're most likely seeing Essie In The Cab-ana and Rock The Boat, OPI I Have A Herring Problem and Can't Find My Czechbook, Orly Snowcone, and piCture pOlish Honey Dew.  

It's all topped off with one coat of Orly Prisma Gloss Gold, which is where I think I went wrong with the whole pastel galaxy idea.  In retrospect, it really needed a silver glitter topper instead of a gold.  I then decided to add a coat of Essie Matte About You, which made me like the look a bit more.   

Overall, I wasn't too happy with this look initially, but it did grow on me throughout the day as I wore it!  What do you think of this look?  :)

Navy Galaxy

Somehow, I very quickly went from refusing to give up my bright summer polishes to craving the dark and vampy colours of fall!  I decided to do a simple navy galaxy mani the other day, since galaxy nail art is quick and easy, but always looks great!  

I started with two coats of Butter London Big Smoke, a dark shimmery navy.  I then randomly sponged on the galaxy with Orly Snowcone, OPI Ink Suede, OPI Russian Navy, Orly Fowl Play, and OPI You're Such a Budapest, in that order.  

To finish off the look, I topped it with a coat of OPI Pirouette My Whistle.  I love using this polish as a topper for galaxy manis because it gives you different sizes of "stars", as well as being much quicker and easier than hand-painting them individualy, haha! The whole look is smoothed out with a coat of Seche Vite. 

I absolutely love how this came together with all the different blues; relatively simple but so beautiful!  

Recoil

And... I'm back!!  I'm so excited to get back to nail art after all the swatching last month (though I still have a ton more to do...)  I really missed doing my Castle Mani Monday posts during January, and I've got one today!  (P.S. There's a tutorial at the end of the post!)

Tonight's episode is 5x13, Recoil, so I've done some dragon-inspired nail art.  Those of you who regularly watch the show (or obsess over it, like myself) should understand the reference here.  Just to clarify, I'll leave you with this still from the episode. 

Nathan Fillion, Penny Johnson Jerald, Stana Katic, Jack Coleman

If you don't watch the show are just aren't up-to-date with it, I won't explain so as to keep this as spoiler-free as possible.  Just enjoy the pretty nail art!  ;)

I started with two coats of OPI Skyfall, and then sponged on the scales with Essie Good As Gold.  Topped with one coat of Seche Vite.  Tutorial time!!

1. Start with your base colour, and add a coat of fast-drying top coat to speed up the process. 

2. Once the base is completely dry, take a piece of tulle and stretch is over your nail.  I have a ton of this stuff lying around from making tutus, but you could get some small pieces of it in remnant bins at fabric stores for pretty cheap. 

3. Paint a little bit of your second polish on a makeup sponge, and dab it on through the tulle.  The key here is to be irregular, make sure you only have a little polish in random spots on the sponge and apply it lightly. 

4. Carefully remove the tulle. 

5. Repeat on the rest of your nails, and finish with a top coat! 

This is a pretty darn cool look in my opinion, and super easy to do!!  I think it would look great in a whole lot of colour combinations, I just might have to re-do this for when I go to see the second installment of The Hobbit! ;) 

Anyways, tonight's episode promises to be an eventful and exciting one, I'm really looking forward to it!  If you're a fellow Caskett shipper, are you excited for tonight?  If not, did you at least enjoy the nail art? :)