Day 358) Easy Christmas nails

Hi all,

In exactly half an hour my family comes over for a Christmas party.
Not much time to blog or make a nail art today.
Therefore I kept it really simple.

On the index finger, middle finger and pinky:
- China Glaze 1252 Just Be-Claws
- Essence Metal Glam Gold Topper

On the accent nail (ring finger):
- China Glaze 1117 Angel Wings
- Water decal Santa

 

 

Merry Christmas!

Day 357) Santa hat nail art

Due to this week's challenge "3D Christmas nails" I thought it would be nice to use some rhinestones for this mani.

 

 

Day 356) Merry Christmas

Maybe just a few more Christmas nail arts and then I'll be doing New Years nail arts.
Counting down now...almost reaching my GOAL and achieving my wonderful challenge!
Hopefully you'll be there with me on the 31st!

Thank you so much for following!

But first things first. Here is another "Merry Christmas" nail art

 

Polishes used:

- China Glaze 1261 This Is Tree-Mendous

- Rimmel Salon Pro 323 Riviera Red

- Only You White French

- Catrice Ultimate Nail Lacquer 39 Black To The Routes

 

Day 355) Christmas nails with subtle 3D

This week's challenge is "3D Chrismas nails".

Although I like the 3D accessories on others, it's not really my thing.
I keep touching it and within a few minutes my mani is already ruined.

In the Netherlands we also have a saying: When you're acting normal, you're already acting weird enough.
Which means that over the top bling is considered to be more trashy than classy.
Not that I care :D but like I said it's just not really my thing...practical wise.

Therefore I've made some Christmas nails with subtle 3D

Thumb: Candy striped nail with nail piercing (star)
Index: Rudolph with rednose rhinestone
Middle: Christmas tree created with striping tape, star stud and beads (caviar)
Ring: Christmas wreath created with green velvet (flocking powder), beads and fabric bow
Pinky: Santa hat created with red velvet and rhinestone. Above Christmas lights with rhinestones.

Day 354) Easy Christmas nails

Who says creating something a bit more special for Christmas needs to be hard?
Not me ;D
Especially towards the holidays you can get craft stuff for Christmas at many stores.
Products like glitters, flitters, stars, mini snowmen, stickers etc.
All you got to do is look with a creative eye and as long as it fits the nail it will be fine.

Today I created some nails with these kind of products.
Paint your nails in the same or other color and use the wet polish as glue for your accessories.
Additionally: Add a topcoat.
DONE!

Artificial light

 

Natural light

Day 353) Nail art Christmas Angel

Today just a quick post of my nail art.

 

 

Polishes I used:

 

- Catrice Ultimate Nail Lacquer 39 Black To The Routes (base and lines angel)

- Only You White French (angel wings, dress and stars)

- Claire's 60484 Glitter Pink/Purple (sides dress, sky)

- Essie Beyond Cozy (dress, crown, sky)

- Professional Cosmetics nr. 11 (angel hair)

- Essence Me & My Ice Cream 04 Icylicious (skin angel)

 

Day 352) Reindeer nail art

This nail art isn't actually so hard as it looks.
Silhouettes are much easier to paint than full detail images.

Polishes used:
- Rimmel Salon Pro 323 Riviera Red
- Claire's 60553 White
- Maybelline Forever Strong Pro 720 Green Miracle

Day 350) Mickey Mouse Christmas nail art

Day 350!
I can't believe I'm almost there!
Only 15 days left and although I know these days will fly by it feels real heavy.
Not only because it's going to be hard to fit those nail arts in my busy days but also because it's the end and it already feels a bit like a goodbye.
I know I will still be around but I promised my dear ones to take a break and I really have to keep this promise.

Saving the tears for later ;D
Here is today's nail art. Inspired by an image I found on the Internet.

Have a Merry Mickey Christmas

 

 

 

 

Day 348) Little drummer boy nail art

This week's challenge is "Christmas songs".

First a little story again:
My parents had their own store and worked like 6 and a half days a week.
The whole month of December was a crazy period; my birthday, Sinterklaas, Christmas, my parents their birthday, ice skating, fireworks, New Year, accounting etc.
But Christmas time (which is for the Netherlands on the 25th and 26th) was for the family.
Two days of no work, presents, playing family games, watching Christmas movies and going to church.
I guess this is why I'm still loving this time a year: family time, showing each other your love, feeling some kind of inner piece.

What was I going to tell?
Oh yeah, my mother sings in a church choir and at Christmas time they sing Christmas songs in church. Some only with the choir, some with all the people.
I enjoyed going to church with Christmas time. That huge Christmas tree in the centre, all the big candles, the beautiful windows, the harmony between the people and singing songs together.
I then fell totaly in love with "THE LITTLE DRUMMER BOY" (Carol of the drum).
Pa rum pum pum pum

When the choir sings, it looks a lot like this version above.
I love it so much! Also the story behind it and the lesson people can learn.

I wanted to honor this story and this song and the best memories it has given me by making a lovely nail art.
This has been quite a challenge and it took me about 3 hours to make it. I'm not good at painting human beings.
All that time I've been listening to this song and other Christmas songs ♥ (There is a 3 hour playlist of Christmas songs on YouTube!).

Hope you love this nail art as much as I do!

Day 345) Nail art Christmas gift

For today's nail art my inspiration was "Christmas gifts".

The middle finger, ring finger and pinky have a gift ribbon design. At the crossing of the ribbons I've painted a poinsettia.

The index is my favorite.
As inspiration I've used a cut-paper work design (cut art).
It existed of two pieces of paper, different color. One is used as base, the other is used for cutting.
The cut paper design then is placed on top of the other paper, making it somewhat 3D. Sometimes 3D pieces are also applied to increase the effect.

I used almost the same design as I've seen, but sized to finger nail and a little simplified.
This is all hand painted and perhaps you think you'll never be able to do this.
Well, I thought about that and came to the idea that you could stamp on your base first and only have to paint the outlines and cross of the gift or just a cross if you're making a window.

Day 344) Easy Christmas nail art

Let me tell you a story :D
This morning, after bringing the kids to school, my hubby and I were on a quest of finding a new Christmas tree.
We've had a fake Christmas tree for years now and the top had broken off which we fixed last year with the tube of the vacuum cleaner :-/
This year I didn't want to do that trick again.
Of course at the first store we saw a beautiful tree with led lights and nicely priced.
But...my hubby had seen an advertisement of an other store with a cheaper tree.
We went there and the tree was ugly (and this is an understatement).
No time left, so back to school to pick up the kids. They have their lunch at home and then have to go to school again.
After bringing the kids again we went back to the first store and guess what....yeah, all sold out grrrrrrrr.
Not only is my broken tree up again, I had to refurbish, refurnish and redocorate my complete living room (duh, I'm a woman :D)
Well, that's why I'm late today but you'll forgive me right?!

Today an easy nail art.
I actually wanted gold glitter on red matte but my gold glitter isn't fine enough.
But I do think this is prettier. So, if you decide to do this and you do have the needed products...go with this combination.

Here is my version:
After the basecoat apply a gold polish (opaque)
After a little drying time apply a matte topcoat.
This needs to be completely dry otherwise your glitter is everywhere.
Then take a striper brush, topcoat and red glitter (this is what I've used) or a glitter nail art pen or even a glitter striper.
With the striper brush and topcoat I've made a horizontal line across the nail, applied the red glitter and went to the next nail.
After each line, take a brush and remove any extra. Then make a second line, glitter and remove surplus and so on till you're pleased with the look.

Day 342) Nail art Christmas ornaments

For today hand painted Christmas ornaments

 

 

Day 341) Simple Christmas nail art

My parents came over for a surprise weekend :D
If you were wondering where I am, I am spending quality time with them...and doing my mother her nails of course ;D

For today a simple Christmas nail art.

Step 1: After the basecoat apply a white polish:
Claire's 60553 White

Step 2: Apply glitter polish over the white. Just one half on the ring finger nail:
Claire's 60731 Fabulous
"Fabulous" is a perfect glitter for Christmas. It's a clear base filled with red and gold micro glitter, squared gold glitter and purple hexagons. I'm not sure if I can get it opaque that's why I've layered it over white.

Step 3: On the other half of the ring finger nail I've applied silver/holo glitter but if I had to do it all over again I would just keep it white because it doesn't really add anything.
Morgan Taylor 50069 Fame Game

Step 4: Use a nail art brush/striper to paint 3 lines on the lightest half and end the lines with 3 big dots/balls; Christmas balls.
I've used a purple polish for the Christmas balls to link back to the hexagons.
Catrice Ultimate Nail Lacquer 800 Heavy Metallilac

Day 340) Abstract Christmas nail art

For today an abstract Christmas design.
I thought it would be too much for all the nails but just perfect as an accent nail.

As base color I used the following polish:

China Glaze 1117 Angel Wings

 

 

"Angel Wings" is a gold glitter polish with a lot of holographic glitter in it.
It dries to a matte finish (first picture) which is very helpful. Not only does it dry very quickly it also makes it easy to apply a next coat.
This comes in handy because this polish needs 3 thin coats to be opaque.
A topcoat makes it more shiny and it seems to do the colors more justice.
The camera had trouble to catch all the beautiful Sparks but believe me when I say "It is beautiful and full of holographic parts".
Only disadventage is: it needs a certain light to sparkle. Otherwise it's just a 'plain' gold glitter.

For the nail art I was inspired by Mondriaan (a Dutch painter). His work consisted of a white ground on which he painted a grid of vertical and horizontal black lines and the three primary colors.
Instead of the white background and primary colors I've used Christmas colors.

Polishes used:
- China Glaze 1117 Angel Wings
- China Glaze 1252 Just Be-Claws
- Maybelline Forever Strong Pro 720 Green Miracle
- Catrice Ultimate Nail Lacquer 39 Black To The Routes

Day 339) Candy stripe nail art Christmas

This week's challenge is 'Candy stripe'.

Candy stripe is of course perfect for Christmas and I've made some different designs for you:

 

Besides the white (which is from Claire's) I've used:

- China Glaze 1252 Just Be-Claws

- Sally Hansen Magnetic Nail Color 907 Electric Emerald

 

Index: Candy

Middle: One half candy stripes. Other half green and white water marble+pine tree and holly leaves

Ring: Candy cane

Pinky: Candy striped outline

 

 

 

Day 336) Easy velvet Christmas nails

For today a Christmas nail art everybody can do.

And we are going to use velvet/flocking powder:

- Green velvet
- Red velvet (Essence effect nails)








To make the list complete, here are some other materials you might need:


- Seche Vite (or any other clear polish, topcoat, basecoat)

- Nail art brush

- Brush

- Catrice Ultimate Nail Lacquer 08 Goldbusters
- China Glaze 1252 Just Be-Claws
- Maybelline Forever Strong Pro 720 Green Miracle

To shorten time I mostly don't use nail polish as base. I directly put the velvet on the nail using topcoat for glue.

Benefits for using nail polish as underground are:
- You have a design to go by
- If the velvet didn't stuck well at any place it won't show that good (if you use simular colors that is).


Step 1: I've started with the nail art brush and polishes to make my Christmas designs (Christmas tree, star, chevron, gift/present). Let the polish dry completely before you go ahead with the next steps.
This way you see the look that I'm aiming for (the red and green will get velvet in the next steps)

Step 2: Use the same nail art brush to apply topcoat on a figure.
Work the nail in steps (don't try to do it all in once). Also, if the topcoat already dried too much it won't catch any velvet. Big figures can be devided in steps as well.
And, make it easy for yourself!...For example on the index it's smart to start with the Christmas tree, middle-star, ring-red chevron, pinky-gift bow.
Get some velvet with your fingers or tweezers and apply it on the WET topcoat. Use something underneath (paper) to catch any surplus. Use the brush to wipe away excess velvet powder.
Now, this design could just as well be the end look (if you prefer).

Step 3: However, I wanted to be everything in velvet (except the gold part).
I repeated step 2 but this time applying the topcoat on the other parts.

Step 4: It's all optional of course but I finished the design with some details :D
Using the same nail art brush to apply topcoat for glue.

+ Star stud
+ Round rhinestones
+ Fabric bow

Day 335) Stained glass design Christmas

It's the first of December and this month you will mostly see Christmas designs.
So keep tuned for some easy and more artistic Christmas nail arts.

Today a stained glass look with of course a Christmas theme :D

I started with the black outlines using a black polish and detail nail art brush (000).
Then I colored it in by using some different kind of colors (polish) and the same brush.
I finished with a matte topcoat.

I'm pretty proud of these :D

Day 333) Water spotted Christmas nails

This week's challenge on NPQ (and you should all join the fun) is 'water spotted nail art'.
I'm not new to this technique and even made a tutorial for it back then.

Never the same nail art twice, so I needed to make it a bit different.

This time a Christmas version.

I've started with a great green Christmas polish by China Glaze:



 

China Glaze Happy HoliGlaze Collection 2013 - This is Tree-mendous

A clear base filled with gold (which shows silver in pictures)  and green micro glitters. It's amazing how it looks; when you look up close to the nail it looks like there is more gold than green but this should not be possible because it's definitely a green. To be opaque it needs 2 to 3 coats but it applies easily and dries pretty fast.
In conclusion: A verry pretty green for the Holidays :D

Next I took my water marble cup and dropped some red polish in it:
Catrice Ultimate Nail Laquer Limited Edition Thrilling Me Softly C04-Allure

Then I took a free perfume sample and used it to spray on the polish.
Depending on the polish and the perfume you use it's common to get small spots with one spray.
The more times you spray the bigger the spots...it's a polish monster...eating the polish away.
So, knowing this I tried to capture it on my nails

Index is one spray, the rest more and more (each time eating more polish and therefore showing more of the base color).
I prefer the ring and pinky but maybe that's just the color combo.

Now, to put some more effort into it I did a nail art on the middle and ring finger: Christmas bells

Polishes used:
* China Glaze - This is Tree-mendous (base)
* Catrice  - Allure (water spotted)
* China Glaze - Just Be-Claws (bow)
* Catrice - Black To The Routes (outlines)
* Rimmel Space Dust - Total Eclipse (rings on bell)
* Maybelline - Winner takes it all! (bells)