Betsey Johnson Version II

My nails are still sad and nubbly... I really miss having my longer nails! It makes it harder to paint/do nail art sometimes. Anyways, today's nail is a different version of the Betsey Johnson nail challenge I did a couple weeks ago. While I liked that design better, the diagonal portion of gold seemed too much for short nails. I also used black rhinestones for the center of the flowers. I'm so addicted to the bright, summer nails!

I started by painting the base color: China Glaze Happy-Go-Lucky. Then, I made brown branches on the thumb and ring fingers using a small brush and China Glaze Wagon Trail. After that, I used a dotting tool to dot China Glaze Sugar High in a flower formation.

I then dotted some China Glaze Innocence (a sheer pink) in the centers of each flower, followed by a dot of white polish. I immediately dropped a black rhinestone in the center of each flower.

Nail Palettes - Golds and Yellows

Today's nail palette contains my golds and yellows. For a while, I was obsessed with finding the perfect gold. I thought (and still think) it goes very well with my tan skin, as I have yellow/gold undertones. However, I'm also trying to branch out and try new colors. This summer, I've stepped out of my nail comfort zone and bought a few bright colors and I love them! Previously, I didn't own many cremes or brights, and now I am a converted fan!

(From left to right: Sally Hansen Fairy Tale Ivory, Etude House Gold, China Glaze 2030, OPI Bling Dynasty, Cover Girl Gold Rush, China Glaze Happy-Go-Lucky)

Sally Hansen Fairy Tale Ivory: The picture did not do this shimmer justice! The color is a very light, beige color with a gorgeous shimmer. It's very sheer, but I use it in French manicures (just like Sally Hansen Pink Promise). This was one of the first polishes I ever got; my mom was the one who picked it out! Still one of my favorites of all time.

Etude House Gold: I bought this polish when I was in Korea last summer. I wasn't that into nail polish yet, which I totally regret! All the polishes were $1-$2, but I only got this one. It's a very pretty gold foil; the gold isn't too bright or gaudy, but not too light either. However, it takes several coats for it to be opaque.

China Glaze 2030: As I mentioned in the post about China Glaze 2030, this polish is an antique-looking rose gold. It appears more yellow gold in certain lights, and rose gold in brighter lighting.

OPI Bling Dynasty: Bling Dynasty is a mustard-y looking gold. It's very shimmery and gorgeous, and I love the name Bling Dynasty. The shimmer in it is darker than the base color; I almost want to call it pepper-y (or maybe I'm just hungry, talking about mustard).

Cover Girl Gold Rush: Cover Girl Gold Rush is gold glitter suspended in a clear polish. Not much to say about this one; it's gold glitter, exactly as one would expect. I wouldn't wear this polish alone, as it is in clear polish.

China Glaze Happy-Go-Lucky: This is a super bright yellow polish. It leans more towards the orange side of yellow than the green, as it is not a neon-colored yellow. I really love this color; it is pretty flattering on my tan skin tone.

Betsey Johnson Challenge

This is my very first blogger challenge ever! I am doing the Fashion Inspiration Design Challenge from Polish Hoarder Disorder. I decided to go with the Evening Satin Ombre Dress w/ Flower. Here is my dress that inspired my design:

Here is my nail design:

With flash was blurry, but I wanted to show the glitter a little better.

I first applied one coat of CND Stickey Base Coat, followed by two coats of China Glaze Happy Go Lucky. I followed that with a freehand diagonal strip of gold (I used a gold polish I bought from Korea last year), then I dotted the pink flower on with China Glaze Sugar High. I don't own very many pinks so the flowers are a bit darker than the Betsey Johnson flower - although the flowers are lighter than in these pictures too. After that, I dabbed a little bit of white polish in the center of each, followed by a tiny dab of China Glaze Sour Apple, and dots from LA Colors black striper. Finished it all up with one coat of Seche Vite.

Check out all the other pretty entries at Polish Hoarder Disorder's blog: http://polishhoarderdisorder.blogspot.com/2010/07/challenge-gallery-fashion-inspiration.html