Ri-Yonce

Inspiration: Betsey Johnson: Ri-Yonce on page 32 of the July/August 2014 issue of Nail It!

Products: Square Hue Ala Moana, Sprout Purple Reign, foil in Cracked Gold

Thoughts: This is only loosely based on the tutorial in the current issue of Nail It! magazine.  Instead of using gold leaf, I opted for foil, which is easier to place.  I also left off the gold dots.  I really love how the gold stands out from the blue in a very summery way.  Only my thumbs were long enough to paint the undersides, and I have a feeling the underside polish is going to bug me.

Negative Space Knit

Inspiration: Emerson: Negative Space Knit on page 32 of the July/August 2014 issue of Nail It!

Products: Ruffian Ruffian Cire Noir, China Glaze Hook and Line, Julep Oxygen Smoothing Base Coat

Thoughts: I have never tried a negative space mani before, but this was really simple and the painter's tape worked excellently!  I love the look of the soft grey sponged over the black.

Look What I Won: Wantable July YouTube Prize

I have been subscribing to Wantable Intimates (clicking will take you through my referral link)since the beginning of the year, but have not tried their Make-Up box yet.  At the end of last month, they were running a contest on YouTube to win the top ten items from the July Make-Up box...and I won!  Of course, one of those items was a nail polish, Spellbound (an exclusive to Wantable brand) Belladonna, a pale pink.

What other goodies did I get?  Ofra Blush in Winter Rose Glow, Mosaic Powder in Roman 3D Mosaic, Liquid Blush in Pink Lady, Bella Il Fiore Rollerball Eyeshadow in Monet, (Pla)Beauty Lip Glam Lip Gloss in Sheer Beauty, Mica Beauty Felt Tip Eyeliner, Eddie Funkhouser Hyperreal Pure Pigment in Dollicious, GlamNatural Lip Cream in Love Affiar, and Vincent Longo SPF 15 Lip Stain Lipstick in Fleur de Flirt.

Bikini Beach

Inspiration:  Color

Products: Essie Bobbing for Baubles, Square Hue Wailea, Finger Paints Art Nouv-Yellow, Deborah Lippmann Defying Gravity, Julep Olivia

Thoughts: These muted hues made for a rather fun summer look - a good alternative to bright neons.  I do have to say, though, that I am very disappointed with this Square Hue polish (the tan).  This was my second time using it after getting it last month, and the polish in the bottle is forming an wonderful gradient as the dye all sinks to the bottom and it won't mix no matter how much I roll it.

Chemical Spill

Inspiration:  July 2014 Rainbow Honey Mini Mystery Box

Products: Rainbow Honey Chemical Plant, Viridis, and Deep Heart Sea

Thoughts: The polished in this month's Rainbow Honey mystery box had great shimmer and glitter.  Chemical Plant is one of my two favorites with its subtle gold shimmer.  Viridis also has some amazing clear shimmer along with fun glitter.  The base on Deep Heart Sea is a pretty blue that creates an awesome purple when layered over Chemical Plant, but I was not a fan of its glitter components.

Neon Pop

Inspiration:  Color

Products: Color Club Foxy Mama, Do the Twist, Not-So-Mellow Yellow, Go-Go Green, Kapow!, and British Invasion

Thoughts: I am in love with these color combos!  These neons are so bold and the white hexagons in these glitters totally make them pop.

80s Party Line

Inspiration:  Color

Products: China Glaze Platinum Silver, Color Club Tweet Me, tenoverten Spring

Thoughts: Here's a simple retro look that I never would have tried if one of my employees had not told me to paint my nails chartreuse.  Tweet Me went on fine over the Platinum Silver, but Spring gave me a lot of trouble.  I have never tried tenoverten before this, so I cannot say if it was a formula or something else.