New for Mondays - Monkey See, Monkey Do!

Welcome to Monday! In an effort to make Mondays a little more fun I'm going to start posting my mani's from the Monkey See, Monkey Do Monday Challenge. It's part of a weekly challenge brought to you by the Purple Crumpet Fairy Challenge Group. The idea is to recreate a favorite mani you've seen. And I won't  just to be inspired by it, but I'll actually TRY to recreate it. Finally, a reason to rip off other people's nail art... just kidding! (But i do love my pintrest inspiration boards)

Here's mine! Sort of a neon tribal look. pretty fun! I changed the colors slightly, but only because i just got that Nails Inc. pink, and I REALLY wanted to use it ;) I also changed the thumb, because originally I couldn't see it in the picture. i don't know? weird.

The original is done by Nik Jones, I follow her on Instagram, and you should too! 

Thanks for the inspiration Nik!

 

Spring is in the air... and on my nails!

It's spring! and there's nothing you can do about it! i'm shouting it from the rooftops! and by rooftops i mean my nails. cause let's face it, i don't shout anything.

Here's a little background on this mani. Whenever I don't have leopard print on my nails, I want leopard print on my nails. and whenever I do have leopard print on my nails, I like it that way, and I'm happy all day long. DEAL WITH IT.

So this is my RIGHT hand, meaning, yes, I have acquired the skills to paint leopard print with my non dominate hand. pure talent right there. (jk, painting weird squiggly lines is my left hands specialty)

fun fun fun fun. I painted my left hand with more muted/dusty colors. and I like it better. maybe.

I added a matte topcoat to all of these of course! with such dainty little colors, they looked weird glossy... they were just asking to be mattified. ("oh pleeease, Joy! make us matte! we promise we'll look good, you don't need to smother us in Out The Door to hide our flaws!") or something like that...

Okay, that was my quick little nail update. back to packing, moving, and general polish scheming.  (i'm working on making my very first franken polish. but it's adding up to be quiet the investment...)

UNICORN MAGIC

"UNICORN FREAKING MAGIC!" was what i started thinking when i sat down to do my nails...Today's challenge from PCF spring challenge.

Slowly but surely i went through all my glitter, and picked out the best unicorn ones. then i picked out a pale pink, you know, cause that's what color unicorns are. then i thought, what if i did a chevron, that's sort of a unicorn horn shape? and I SORT OF forgot to add the glitter. (how do you forget about the glitter?!) but it's still magical to me. enjoy the fun....!

Gloomy Joy Gets Happy!

It's been a gloomy week here in Greensboro Gloomsboro, NC. so I created a little spring on my fingernails. i was inspired by this look from Kahtreenahh's tumblr.


Excuse the fact that is my instagram pic, but it gets the point across!

OPI Pink Friday, SH Lavender Cloud, Zoya  Marley, Barry M Mint Green, Orly Flirty.

I used Flirty on my first attempt at little flowers, which turned out looking more like jelly beans, but hey, it's cool!

The dots are from a stamping plate, which is sooo much easier than using a dotting tool!

But also, you can see on my thumb the drawbacks to stamping instead of using dotting tools, the design gets cut off on wider nails. :]

I suppose you could use the stamp as a guide for where to put your dots, yes!

Hope you enjoy a little taste of spring...!

Valentines Day Fun - Part 1

You know it's coming. There's nothing you can do about it. Single, or taken, Valentines Day wants to get into your personal space and make you feel warm and fuzzy. Don't blame me, blame a baby with wings, shooting love arrows. I'm getting started early on Valentines Day nail art because it's a good excuse to wear hot pink on your nails in the middle of winter. Enjoy! <3 <3 <3

 I've always wanted to do a double stamp, and i finally did with the two hearts,

I love the way it looks!

The holographic glitters in the Barry M polish really stand out in this pic,

it also has great magenta colored rectangles.

Thumb has a diagonal swept shatter coat on it. fun fun!

Hearts right side up!

From the Nicki Minaj OPI collection I bring you Pink Friday as my base color. LOVE it. Stamps were done in DS Reflection and DS Extravagance. Super Bass Shatter was used over two nails, and lastly Barry M rectangular glitter.
[sorry, i can't think of the name of that one right
 now and it's not showing up on their site.]

NOW GET TO FEELIN' THE LOVE!

Christmas Leopard is on the hunt...

...For presents! 

I'm short on time today, lots of xmas stuff to get done.

BUT I did paint my nails, please see below!

OPI Skull and Glossbones, SH Black Out, Sinful Color Envy,

Butter London Come to Bed Red.

OPI's S&G is my favorite white alternative. it's not as stark as white, and personally white polish ALWAYS CHIPS on my nails. just don't like it :/

I used my smallest dotting tool for the black parts, and a medium sized one (about ball point pen sized) for the colored dots. yay!

I want to mention that i was inspired by this mani from Victoriac. Thanks for the inspiration! :D

Well, I hope you enjoyed this one! I'm feeling even more festive than before, but I can't wait to do some new years nails!!! can you say glitter bomb?!!

I've been doing nail art...

I've been doing nail art....just not blogging about it! If anyone out there is on tumblr or instagram (@joycozart) i will most likely be more active there! just sayin. if you miss me. ya know...


here's what i did most recently. sorry this is just a phone pic. ;)

OPI Skull & glossbones, I eat mainley lobster, Sinfulcolors Envy, and black nail art brush.

I'm so happy that i purchased those two OPI's. i got them with gift cards and coupons! i never realized how great OPI is until i actually bought my own full sized bottles. the brushes are the RIGHT size, and application is perfect. it makes me all the more excited to pick up the Nicki Minaj collection. Now if only i could find The Muppets collection at ULTA!!


thanks for reading! :D

31 Day Challenge: Inspired by a tutorial

Day 30!!!! Inspired by a tutorial! I started out using Kayla Shevonne's Peakcock tutorial which is really fantastic, btw. but then i found SuPa Nail's peacock nails. I ended up being inspired by a little bit of both. and i think the results were pretty good. i want to try this again, it could get really good at them if i keep practicing!!! right?!??! :D:D:D

What I Used: Barry M Turquoise, Berry I/C, OPI DS Reflection, blue, purple and white 2 way nail art pens

hah i didn't mean to put the watermark right overtop of that nail, i wasn't paying attention when i did that one i guess! :P

so yeah these are not your typical peacock feather colors. but i loved the way they looked on Supa Nails blog. 

Its my new (only) DS polish!!!

Only 1 day left. tomorrow i have to recreate my favorite challenge, I have no idea which one was my favorite!... have to do some thinking. 

Skeleton man!

Just a quick post about this Halloween mani did starring Mr. skeleton!

What i used: white nail art pen, SH Black Out, OPI Grape.. Set.. Match

Base of Black Out with GSM sponged  on the tips/ends.

happy little skeletor. 

Grand Slam Combo!

A few weeks ago I was lucky enough to win MaD Manis' follower appreciation giveaway! I received the OPI Serena Williams Grand Slam Combo. I love purple, it's my favorite color, and also favorite nail polish color (go figure). Here's how the combo looks together!


Pssst!! Here's a little secret, these are my first ever full sized bottles of OPI. YES!!!

 Servin' Up Sparkle has some larger hex glitter in it, but it's almost impossible to get one out.  i got 7 total for all 10 nails, and some of those nails i went over twice just to try to get one!

Personally i love the GSM, but the holographic glitter of Servin' Up Sparkle over this already shimmery purple is a little much for everyday wear. But i will defiantly be wearing Grape.. Set.. Match this fall, sans all the glitter.