Little Glitter Hearts Nail Art

Hi everyone! I’ve been under the weather recently, so I have just a short post for now. Today I have a quick bit of nail art that I was inspired to do by someone close to me who could use some extra love right now ❤ Why not show it with lots of hearts?

Subtle Glitter Sandwich Gradient French Tips

Hi everyone! I have a new manicure today that features gradient French tips done using the “glitter sandwich” technique, which is an incredibly simple and easy process. It’s so simple and easy, in fact, that I can make glitter sandwich nails even when my life gets crazy, as it will be for this entire month! Like I said in my last post, don’t expect elaborate or frequent nail art from me until November because I have a TON of things to do until then, and nail art is simply not high on my priority list. Nail art for me is a fun hobby – and a welcome respite from work-related stress – but I know my limits, and will have to cut back a bit temporarily.

I removed my previous manicure a little sooner than I may have liked because I had to go to an event this weekend with a conservative dress code, and I just didn’t feel comfortable going in gray and red nails. This glitter sandwich manicure is a relatively subdued and demure way to wear nail art, while still being fun and sparkly. And, of course, the fact that it is soooo easy to do is quite appealing. I’d highly recommend trying to do a glitter sandwich manicure if you’re a nail art beginner, and/or you want your nails to look subdued while still trying out glitter in nail art. The glitter sandwich was actually one of the techniques I learned in the very beginning of my nail art hobby, and the very first photo I ever took of my nails uses this technique. I’ve included the photo in this post as a throwback, just so you can see how far I’ve come. I’m almost too embarrassed to post it, but I’m gonna do it!

Modern Shiny/Matte French Manicure with Wet n Wild Roadwork

Hi everyone! I have some simple nail art today because this month is CRAAAAZY for me…and we’re only two days in! For work, I have a whole bunch of projects to finish, or significantly work on, by the end of the month and I’m quite anxious about getting everything done. And these are not small projects – these are really big and REALLY IMPORTANT. Therefore, I’m going to warn all of you readers in advance that my nail art this month may be a little underwhelming, and will be on the simpler/easier side. Most likely, I will also be posting less frequently (the last time I posted was over a week ago), so don’t expect too much from me this month. I was really looking forward to doing some really fabulous landscapes soon, but now I may have to postpone that until the somewhat less busy months of November and December.

Anyways, my manicure today is a modern French manicure that uses a brand new color from the Wet n Wild Megalast line called “Roadwork”. By “modern”, I mean that the colors I chose are not sheer pink or white, and that I played with shiny and matte topcoats on the different regions of my manicure. My idea for this manicure actually came from a set of fake nails at a drugstore that I saw and loved, so I decided it would be fun to do something similar on my real nails. Once I saw Roadwork from the new Wet n Wild Halloween collection, I knew I wanted it to be the base color and everything fell into place.

Rose-Colored Subtle Gradient French Tips with Zoya and Wet n Wild

Hi everyone! I have some really simple nail art for today: gradient French tips with rosy colors. The past week has been really hectic for me due to two unexpected family emergencies, and me trying to catch up on work. This means I haven’t had as much time for nail art as I would have liked, which is why I left my previous manicure on for 6 days instead of the 3-4 I usually do. With simple nail art, though, I can still do something slightly more than a solid color. Hence this stuff with muted, rosy colors Zoya Rue and Wet n Wild Sophisticated Lady. At the end of this post, I’ve got a short review of the Urban Outfitters White Rose perfumed topcoat, which I put over this manicure. Check it out:

My Favorite Things Series – Starbucks Passion Iced Tea Lemonade with Sally Hansen

Hi everyone! I’m adding a new entry to the My Favorite Things series today (a series inspired by my stuff), and this time my inspiration is readily available for purchase at your nearest Starbucks! For this entry, I was inspired by my current favorite Starbucks beverage: Passion iced tea lemonade (I’m going to refer to it as PTL from now on, since that’s what Starbucks does). I really love the fruity and refreshing iced tea/lemonade drinks Starbucks has been putting out for summer, and the Passion tea version is especially delicious. One morning, I got a big cup of it, and it just looked so beautiful (and tasty) I couldn’t help but want to honor its loveliness. So I turned it into nail art! I’m not trying to promote Starbucks here; this is purely a personal homage to my favorite drink.

Starbucks Passion Iced Tea Lemonade Nail Art

One of the things I’ve been rather disappointed about the My Favorite Things series is that none of the stuff I’ve been posting about can be purchased anymore. Past features have included designs inspired by a minty starry scarf, rainbow dichroic glass earrings, and gray and red poppy bedding, none of which are very easy to find since I either found the items in an obscure location or they are no longer in season. It makes me a bit frustrated with myself when I go on and on about how much I like something and, if anyone who reads my blog wants the same thing, they can’t obtain it. This time, I’m happy to report that you can purchase your own glass of PTL quite easily, and for a cost that’s probably less than $5 (Starbucks prices vary per region so I can’t give an exact price). Read on to see how it compares to the real deal!

Swatch: Wet n Wild Club Havana and New Instagram

Hi everyone! I have some news: I’ve started a new Instagram account (@emismanis) for my nails! Maybe you’ve noticed the nifty widget in the sidebar to the right… I intend to use it to post “action shots” of my manicures out and about in the world, as opposed to the photos I take for the blog against a black background. By this, I mean that the Instagram account is going to be a supplement to my blog that features more fun/less serious photos than on the blog (and won’t have a significant amount of text). Feel free to follow it if you like!

Today I have a quick swatch of Wet n Wild Megalast Club Havana: a bright red-toned orange creme. The Wet n Wild Megalast line is amazing for two reasons: all of the polishes are $2 and they actually are quite durable. Considering how cheap they are, it’s astounding that these polishes can last for as long as pricier brands (around 6-7 days before tiny chips appear on me, or I feel like removing it). With other cheaper brands, I can get big chips within 1-3 days, which is WAY unacceptable. I don’t even buy Sinful Colors any more for that reason. The polishes themselves typically have decent formulas, although the brush is hard to work with. The only downside to the Megalast line is the small range of colors offered. It would be awesome if there were, say, 50 colors in the line.

Wet n Wild Club Havana