AIS Challenge: Spring Flowers

There was so many stuff I didn't post during the Holidays that now I'm way behind posting my recent ones, ugh! but I'm almost catching up.

This AIS challenge was for the week before Easter, the theme was spring flowers.  To kill two birds with the same shot, I decided to stamp over a previous manicure.  In my mind, stamping with black was a good idea, and in person it look ok; but it didn't translate that way in pictures; should have stamp all nails with white.

Still, was a good experience because I got to experiment stamping with white and use different plates.
On my thumb I used a stamp image intended for french manicures, then I mirrored it to cover the entire nail.  That was kind of neat! :D

What I used:

- to see the polishes used to create the gradient click here

Sinful Colors Snow me White & Kleancolor Metallic Black [stamping]

Bundle Monster plates 205 & 218

Rainbow Gradient with Kleancolor Metallics

I think gradients have become my favorite kind of manicure!

outdoor, no flash

the sun was insanely bright and hot!

indoors with flash

What I used:

Kleancolor Pink Lady (base)

Kleancolor Metallic Pink, Purple, Aqua & Green (gradient colors)

Tools:

Makeup sponge wedge

My first participation on AIS challanges

I recently joined the group Adventures in Stamping on facebook.  They do a poll to choose the theme for each weeks challenge.  The challenges are posted on Sundays but during the week members can share their stamping creations or any info related to stamping.

During my first week in the group, the theme was A plate ending in 6.
I took advantage of the pink gradient I was already wearing and stamped using Bundle Monster 206 and 216.

Butterfly ring from Charlote Russe :)

Kleancolor Pink Gradient Nails

I feel like I'm so behind on nail art trends! :(  Usually didn't try new techniques because some seem very difficult or impossible to get a decent result with my -frustrating- shaky hands. Recently I've become determined to be more adventurous and try whatever tutorial calls my attention.

In my opinion making a glitter gradient over a solid color base is easier.  With glitter you can use the nail polish own brush.  Making the solid color gradient with makeup sponges is more messy, but I learned that if you have patience, the results can be beautiful!

I'm very happy with my results :D

butterfly ring from Charlotte Russe :)

the pink really pops! on pictures taken indoors with flash

What I used:

Kleancolor Sheer Pastel Gray (base color)

Kleancolor Pastel Purple & Pink Lady (for sponging)

Wet n Wild Hallucinate 

Tools:

makeup sponge - the ones that comes in wedges

** Tips **

While you master the technique, choose a base color similar (but not the same) as the first color you are going to put into the sponge.  This way the gradient seems more seamless. 

Wet your sponge before putting nail polish on.  The chemicals on the nail polish could "eat" out synthetic sponges and therefore, leave small pieces of the sponge in your nails.  Thanks to Desi for pointing it out!

If you see some separation between the base color and the first sponging shade don't panic; topcoat usually helps blending the colors even more.

Acrylic paints are a good option for gradients because you can cleanup with water.

Green Sponged & Jeweled Manicure

Oh my! I'm on a roll experimenting with the different techniques to do my nails.
There are so many blog, YouTube, Fb pages, Instagram, Pinterest and what not accounts dedicated solely to nail art that every time I see a picture I'm like "Hell yeah, I'm gonna do that!"  LoL

I kept in mind St Patrick's theme to give some love to my green nail polish stash

Used Sinful Colors Beau Khaki as the base color.  Then sponged China Glaze Agro, Kleancolor Metallic Green & Holo Green.  The final touch where the green rectangle rhinestones in the middle finger.