Candy Canes and Icicle Dreams

So, I'm not going to lie...I'm in love with this manicure. Also, I'm in love with Zoya. It's a nail polish company that makes the most amazing products. I highly, highly recommend liking them on Facebook, here, or visit their website, here. They're also doing "Flash Promotions" through their Facebook and Twitter accounts. They put up codes you can use to get free items, free items with free shipping, Buy two polishes, get two free etc... The only catch is that it's first come, first serve. So you need to be quick with that copy and paste!
Just within the last 2 weeks I've been participating in the Flash Promotions, I got a "Buy 2 polishes, get 1 free + free shipping", "$10 off your purchase + free shipping", "Buy 3, get 3 free + free expedited shipping" and, just last night I got my first ever freebie- "first 100 get a free polish!". I was so excited! I'll take some pictures of the beauties when they all get here. I'm waiting on the last 2 orders, but they'll be here very soon!
Anyway, with the holidays fast approaching, I thought it would be a great idea to do a Christmas themed manicure. I had free time last night and did my nails up! I didn't take any pictures then because I wanted some sunlight, but I had to work today and by the time I got home, no sunlight. So, these nails are still looking decent enough after a day of hard work at the hospital! The following pictures are taken with indoor lighting and flash.
I used Zoya Isla (my favorite polish color ever!) and the L.A. Art white and silver striper brushes. It's a candy cane and festive theme. I have a Christmas party to go to tomorrow and I'm accenting my outfit with rich red, so this works perfectly! I just wish I was able to capture the deep intensity of Isla. It's so rich that the middle of the nail glows red and the sides are a dark, deep blackened red. So amazing. I recommend this color to everyone!

Ahhhh....there's nothing like a macro picture to remind you how much hospital soap and winter air dries your hands out! Oh well, I'm off to moisturize! Wait until you see my other ideas!

Trial and Error

I know, I know! It's been so long since my last post! Grad school sort of sucks the life out of you and leeches away the hours in the day. Luckily, it's over for the holidays so I'll have a little extra time on my hands! With this time, I decided to try out a new technique that's been calling my name since the summer! It's call a patchwork manicure. Okay, okay, I knowwww a patchwork mani is suppose to have more colored sections on it, but this was a trial run, where I reached out for random colors and hoped for the best! I liked it enough. I think with 3 or more sections, this technique would look so nice! All of the following pictures were taken in natural light.

This is the best picture I took, I think. I used Barielle polishes for this. Falling Star (the blue with copper flecks) and Green Opal (that golden looking color).

Hope you enjoyed!