Snowflake French

Happy Manicure Monday! 

I'm winter ready with this design. It's a hand painted white French tip with blue and white Konad stamped snowflakes, topped with glitter.

Krispy Kreme

What could be better than a hot doughnut?

Not much, right?

...or at least that's how my city feels. A month ago a new Krispy Kreme opened and people are acting like they've never seen a doughnut before! The drive thru line most of the time is still wrapped around the building and into the road. 

 Green dots. The logo. HOT sign.

The hot sign turned out kinda dark.

REVIEW: Sally Hansen Nail Polish Strips

Happy Manicure Monday!  

I decided to give Sally Hansen Salon Effects Nail Polish Strips  a second review. 

To read my initial review, click HERE. 

* Prep

 I took extra care this time around to prep properly and thoroughly. I removed my polish, making extra sure to remove every speck from my nails. I applied cuticle oil and pushed all my cuticles back. I made sure all the oil was removed and then I buffed with the included nail file. And used the remover one more time. Whew!

 * Application

Pretty simple. Remove backing and clear protective top layer and stick them on. However.... my nail beds are small, so this part was a pain and not so simple because I had to trim every strip. Only one strip actually separated (like ripped apart) but the gap is very small and not noticeable.The package has 16 strips that are quite long. I had the idea to get twice the strips by cutting them all in half because they are plenty big enough to cut and still have some left over. So, a process that should have been quick and easy, became a bit frustrating and time consuming. Filing them down seemed easier this time than the last time. I suppose because I knew what to expect. Although somewhat tricky to align, once I stuck them down, those little strips stuck pretty well. Some wrinkles formed but most of them I could smooth out.

  * Finished Product

I applied a top coat, even though the directions didn't say; they just felt so vulnerable, I had to top coat. The leopard print graphics are clear and better looking quality than the floral design I tried previously. The background is a glitter gold with orange-ish dots outlined in brown. The whole design is glittery. The edges showed wear on the first day but they didn't chip until day four, which really surprised me. I was expecting to chip sooner (I really think without a top coat, they would have definitely chipped, possibly the day of).

* Overall

I like them for a fun pattern occasionally. I got many compliments. If your nail beds are not as small as mine, then I'm sure you wouldn't have as much trouble. These strips could be a more budget-friendly option for a special event or a vacation instead of going by the salon. There are several designs available. I saw a French tip set out now that I would like to try, so I will at least buy one more box eventually. 

I do prefer to paint myself, though. I think I'll stick with that.

I added a gold accent nail on day 5 (no chips on this hand yet).

Have you tried these nail polish strips before?

Thanksgiving and Favorite Top Coat

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving and gained three pounds!! 

Just kidding. 

This is what I painted on my nails for Thanksgiving this year. 

It's a gray nail. I stamped a white leaf french tip using Konad plate m56 and lined it with gold glitter. At first I didn't like it. I was going for a leafy, golden, autumn vibe but it reminded me more of a sweater. It grew on me though and now I think I like it. It's different.   

 

I also need to rave about my favorite top coat. I painted this design a week ago. I used Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Anti-Chip Top Coat (see my original review HERE). I was in a rush and did it really quick, barely letting them dry before getting up, getting ready, and leaving. It was a thin coat and I didn't cap them and I thought for sure they would smudge or chip. They really needed a second layer. But no chips! No smudging! Currently, it's been a WEEK and a DAY since I painted them and they still look amazing. The edges didn't even start barely showing wear until Sunday, day five!


 
 The picture on the left is the day I painted them.
The picture in the middle is day 5, Sunday, just starting to wear on the edges.
The picture on the right is today, Thursday, day 9. Finally chipped today!

So, Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Anti-Chip Top Coat is my favorite top coat! 

I very highly recommend it. Again!