Melificent

Themed Nails: Gatsby & Sherlock

So if you follow me on Instagram, you know that I took on not one, but TWO themed parties in the span of a week. Some may call it crazy, I call it a challenge. First off was our Great Gatsby New Years Eve bash. I had a lot of fun decorating our place with glitter, sequins and fringe, but lets be honest. What gets me most excited are the themed mani’s that come along with events!

I didn’t have a whole lot of time, so I had to look over great tutorials, such as this one, before settling on the one you see above (reference). I have to say that it was a super easy manicure to achieve and it looked fantastic! I was complimented on it for days afterwards and it held up nicely.

Gatsby Nails
Two coats of Essie‘s Shifting Power
Two coats of China Glaze‘s Smoke & Ashes, stopping a little short to create the reverse french effect
One heaping coat of Sally Hansen‘s Big Matte Top Coat only over the black portion

Only a few days later, we hosted a viewing party for the new series of BBC’s Sherlock, which I can honestly say is my new favorite show. I have an unhealthy addiction to it and just can’t get enough. It’s been awhile since I’ve felt the fangirl burn inside of me so bright! Of course, I would have these feelings for a show that only airs 3 episodes every 2 years. I hate you, Moffat. But all that aside: FINGERNAILS (reference).

Sherlock Nails
One coat of Sinful Colors‘ Snow Me White (or any white polish) over all fingers except your accent
Three coats of Essie‘s Bouncer It’s Me on all nails
Create the Union Jack on your accent nail using a toothpick (it works even better than my dotting tools!)
For the red, I used Essie‘s Aperitif

Also, remember to exercise patience while trying to pull off these manicures. I often do not succeed, but I’m trying my best to learn to sit still! Doing nail art while watching a movie or TV show tends to help keep me occupied.

Nails of the Month

Say hello to a new feature!!!

I’m pretty sure everyone knows by now that I kind of have a problem with nail polish. Namely, my collection looks like something you find at a beauty salon and I may recite the name of Essie colors like they were my children’s. But hey! Everyone has their vices, right? I could do a lot worse than nail polish. 😉

So I’ll be chronicling all my manicures for the month and then linking the tutorials I followed (if they are all fancy-like), and the colors I used, since I get a lot of comments/questions when I post them on my Instagram. This way, I can share the information with all you guys, while also reviewing some shades at the same time! Like it? Good!

1: Galaxy nails; This one was super fun, and surprisingly easy! As long as you have a variety of shades (I don’t have that problem – heh), you should be good to go. Especially when you are following this fantastic tutorial. The colors I used were China Glaze’s Smoke & Ashes for the base, along with Sinful Colors’ Love Nails, Essie’s Boom Boom Room, Savina’s Light Mist & N.Y.C.’s Starry Silver Glitter.
2: Ombre nails; So after such a kick ass tutorial, I decided to subscribe to MissJenFabulous‘ videos, and found that her ombre how to was her top rated. Naturally, I had to give it a try. This one? Even easier than the galaxy nails! Since my nails are so short, I decided to only choose 2 colors, but next time I’m going to go big and try 3. Also, here’s a tip: I personally think you should choose really bright hues that are not similar for the best effect. You may not be able to note the ombre effect if they are too close in hue. Don’t be timid! I used Essie’s Tart Deco & Boom Boom Room.
3: Fancy nails; I’m a big fan of the fancy nail. It just gives a simple manicure that omph that makes it special. Unfortunately, I really needed that with this mani because I was pretty disappointed with the main shade, Essie’s Absolutely Shore. As you see, it’s not very opaque, and that was after like 4-5 coats! Not my favorite color…For the fanciness, I used Essie’s Boom Boom Room again (didn’t realize how much I used it in June) layered with Essie’s Over the Top.
4: Color club; After several recommendations from another polish-obsessed friend, I decided to give Color Club a try. As their name suggests, they carry some pretty fun hues that are very pigmented, so naturally I was drawn to the brights. The one that really caught my eye was Age of Aquarius, this amazing aqua. It is simply the perfect shade for summer. New favorite! Best part? They come in for a lot less than Essie, China Glaze or O.P.I. and (at least in my experience) last so much longer!

Hunger Games Themed Party

This past weekend, I threw a Hunger Games themed birthday party for one of my closest friends, Lori. We gathered a group of hardcore fans of the book series and headed to see the film at Cinebistro with matching shirts that the hubs designed before heading over to our house to celebrate. I worked really hard on all the details, with help from the hubs and the bestie, and I was so happy with the way things turned out.

As for the movie, I think they did a good job. But, of course, a movie will never be as wonderful as a book. Never. Unfortunately, I think their biggest downfall was character development. There were a lot of relationships that were not delved into as they should have been and remained pretty superficial, but the acting was absolutely amazing. Jennifer Lawrence is my girl, yo.

For more party details, click below.

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Magical Moments Monday

x. participating in the new #febphotoaday on Instagram
x. retail therapy binge
x. not having to study when I get home from work anymore
x. grungy lead female vocals
x. new, pretty hair (post coming soon)
x. China Glaze’s Hunger Games collection – esp. Electrify and Smoke & Ashes
x. being back in planning mode (THG party, bachelorette weekend)
x. supporting my derby family
x. singing Weezer at karaoke
x. seeing old friends
x. 2-4-1 w/ my hunny
x. the Puppy Bowl!

ps; were any of you able to score some Jason Wu pieces from Target? I visited 2 stores to no avail. Stock was so low! Definitely not a magical moment.

Lovable Friday!

1. Kate Spade Pumps

I’m pretty sure Kate Spade should pay me at this point for the incessant promotion on my blog, or at least offer me some free swag, don’t you think? I can’t help that all her designs are so perfectly feminine with just the right touch of rebellion. Case in point: these gorgeous pumps. Vibrant yellow seems like it is going to be the shade of the spring, and paired with this playfully striped heel, you’ll be the life of the party. Or at least the target for jealous glances.

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