Kell's DIY Nails

For my birthday I went back to my Nerds! I wanted a deep garnet red and this newy from Nerd Lacquer is a gorgeous one. I especially thought it would be great since I saw the new Star Wars movie a few weeks ago. Kylo is a glowing blood red with violet shimmer and black micro glitter. The base is a little bit jelly like and I did need a 3rd coat on most nails to deepen the color. It was on the thick side and I had to work a little more during application but it is a stunner. I need to put this on my toes soon. My apologies if I really don't need to explain the name but this refers to the villain in the latest Star Wars installment; Kylo Ren. Are you a Star Wars fan? What did you think of Star Wars: The Force Awakens. I have my theories but I'm not posting spoilers.

Hey Gang! Long time no post... It's been over a month! The new job is coming along as can be expected but it's been a little exhausting especially since I've started the 9/80 schedule (Every other Friday off in addition to my usual Saturday & Sunday). I wasn't supposed to start this schedule until my 6 month mark but due to departmental needs I got to start two weeks ago.  Yesterday was my very 1st Friday off so I managed to get some posts up for you! Even though I didn't post much in December I still stuck with Nerd-mas and wore all Nerd Lacquer ! After my last post ( Regal Copper ), I wore The Zed Word . This is a new profile for Nerd Lacquer ; it's a golden off-white shimmer with silver, red, and green micro glitter. No large chunky glitters in this baby, it's pure subtle bad-assery. Then, the fact that this is a Zombie (yes, I know, I shouldn't have typed it) themed polish only propels it further into the bad-ass zone. I freaking love Zombi...

Keeping things short & sweet with my next Nerd Lacquer in my Nerd-mas Series. Lots of photos to follow... Sunlight. Regal Copper is one of the newer Nerds; this red/orange base is packed with red, orange, copper and golden shimmer and glitter. This particular polish is packed with more glitter than the norm so application was a little trickier this time around but it still only required 2 coats for opacity. My tips look a little sheer in the photos but it wasn't noticeable in real life.

Have you noticed e.l.f. has been releasing lots of new products lately? One of which caught my attention because I'm always drooling over people with their Maybelline Baby Lips. I wanted something in the cruelty free product world like that! Now, (Thanks to e.l.f.) we have it. In all honesty I really don't know how these stack up to the Maybelline Baby Lips since I won't buy anything from Maybelline but I think these are very similar, if not a little better.

Did you think we would get through October without a Walking Dead themed polish? Sunlight. This looks like more of a scattered holo but it was linear too. Son Of A Dick is a deep chocolate brown holo. I used 2 coats for opacity. I love the way it looks but sadly the formula was a bit rough for me; it was thick & goopy. I would shake it up during use to keep it as workable as possible. I thought about adding thinner but I thought I remembered seeing something about not using polish thinner in this particular polish. Indoors; Fluorescent light. On my ring nail I applied one coat of Dollish Polish, The Curse Of Michael Myers which is a glitter bomb consisting of various shapes of orange glitter and a sprinkling of some red and yellow. This was one easy coat. This is a very 'Halloween' glitter. I love it. Sadly, neither of these are available. Son Of A Dick was a special LE release for the Season 6 premiere and the other was part of last years' Halloween Collection. Kee...

e.l.f , Party Peach & Dollish Polish , Bazinga! I was going somewhere bright and funky and ended up with autumn. Perhaps a little pumpkin spice... 2 coats of e.l.f. , Party Peach , a (not-so-much-peach) orange cream. Very opaque but a little thick and streaky; I added some thinner and it helped. I really love orange. I was on their site and realized they don't have much for individual polishes right now but it looks like they have new trios . A few of them have peaked my interest... Dollish Polish , Bazinga! is a really fun glitter in a clear base; there's a very slight yellow tinge to the base but it didn't affect Party Peach when layered on top. Dollish Polish uses a special suspension base to prevent her glitters from sinking to the bottom and settling. This results in a thicker formula. I layered one coat over my base color; and used a bit of a dabbing method to get an even application of glitter. These glitters are really fun, if I wasn't r...

We're back with another Wear Test! I told you I would be trying China Glazes' new EverGlaze Extended Wear nail color and that's exactly what I did. This wear test actually turned out quite a bit better than my last. I'm sure you can already see that from the above photo. So, let's get to it.

If you follow my blog you might know that I've been on a craft kick; see THIS post. Tie Dye projects are not usually my thang because they are messy and tend to stain various things that you didn't want stained. My aversion to tie dye changed when I stumbled upon Tumble Dye (that rhyme wasn't planned). This is/can be an easier way to do tie dye. Follow me as I take you through my experience. I found Tumble Dye when I was looking for Iron-On Letters for THIS project. My mind went crazy and came up with a ton of ideas on what colors and looks I wanted to do; one of which was a 'Patriotic' design. I knew I wanted to make a Red, White, and Blue tee or tank. I was notified via Cartwheel of a great deal Target had on their Mossimo Loose Racerback Tank so I picked up some tanks and tees. These tanks are lightweight (kind of feel like a slub knit) and fit great; not too tight, a little on the long side, and flattering. I gave my tank a wash before proceeding w...

Hey Gang! I've been back from vacation for a week now and I'm ready to go back! Anyways, whenever we go to the river we always make several trips to the Walmart in Bullhead City, AZ to grab necessities and snacks (oh, and water too!). I also love to check out their Cosmetics Department because many times I find things there that I don't see at my local Walmart stores. Every trip I end up picking up something and this trip was no different. I actually found all three of the Hard Candy Eye Palettes in Sassy Eyes, Smokey Eyes, and Neutral Eyes (FYI: These are really great little palettes that remind me of the Tin Palettes from Too Faced; check 'em out if you get a chance!) as well as Salon Perfect's The Manicure System . I hadn't spotted this locally so I thought I would give it a go and we can see how well it works together! Sound like FUN?!? This system consists of a Nail Cleanser, Bonding Base Coat, and High-Shine Top Coat. The Nail Cleanser is ba...

Applied 2 coats of Scarlet Letter from the Charmed Limited Collection . A really squishy looking red that was very easy to apply. It looks like a crelly (creme & jelly) on the nails. It's a great red. After curing my last color coat I added some heart decals from Icing to my ring nail. I bent the gold metal heart on an orange stick to give it a curve so it would better fit my nail. I then carefully applied a very light coat of Zillionaire , which is clear base filled with multicolored iridescent flakes. You can build it up or keep it light but it will never reach opacity alone as it is meant to be a topper. This combined with the UV Top Coat sealed my little decals in very well. They lasted the entire time on my nails without peeling or getting caught in my hair or on my clothing. These turned out very cute; so far my experimenting has been 50/50. Hope you all have a lovely day! I spent most of it in bed since it is my one day off this week. Red Siam Crysta...

I hope you all are enjoying your Christmas (or other holiday) festivities!  I've got another Christmasy mani for you today... I applied 2 coats of Zoya's Veruschka which is one of the MatteVelvet shades that dry matte. This is a deep evergreen with beautiful shimmer. It applied very nicely and since it is a matte it dried quickly. These MatteVelvet's might not be around for long so I suggest getting them now while you can; they are some of the most beautiful mattes. Then I dabbed on one coat of Lumina Lacquer , Hooked On Christmas . Sadly, this particular polish is no longer available but there is one called Jingle Bells that you might like. I love circle glitter and this is various sizes of circle and hexagon glitter in red and various shades of green. There's also a variety of matte, metallic, and holographic finishes. The clear base is a very thick suspension base which required a slightly longer dry time. It also dried a little bumpy but a few coats of ACI's I...

Hey ya'll! Sorry for the absence but the hubby and I decided to spend the last days of September in Laughlin, NV! It was a fabulous trip! Uh Oh, Guess what day it is... It's the first day of October! Whooo Hooo! I've got a lipstick and a nail lacquer from Milani's Bedazzled Collection to show you today. These are Walgreens exclusives and can be hard to find. It took me quite sometime to hunt them down; I struck gold while on vacation. The Walgreens in Bullhead City, AZ had the collection out. I snagged all the Lippies and nail lacquers. I wasn't too keen on the eyeliners so I passed on those. HEADS UP: I just found some colors from the Bedazzled Collection online at www.milanicosmetics.com. Click on What's New to see the collection. Milani Color Statement Nail Lacquer in Enchanted Garnet is exactly that; a garnet. Garnet is a blackened shimmering red with a touch of brown. It also happens to be my birthstone! This is my first time trying out the new Color Sta...

After my 4th of July Fail I put on this gorgeous red linear holographic polish. It leans slightly wine red giving it a deeper, richer tone. Most red holos I've seen lean a bit blue or orange and have a tendency to be lighter or brighter. This is pretty epic. 2 super easy coats and a top coat of In A Hurry . It is little on the sheer side but I find most holos are. The formula is thin and easy to work with. I considered adding a patriotic glitter on top but I just couldn't do it. It's too good just by itself.  The good news is this polish is still available over on the Bear Pawlish website but don't wait too long or you will miss it!

These were the only two left to photograph. Hey Kids! (That's what I always say to my pets)  I thought I would wear my Jamberry Nail Strips in Born To Sparkle today. I absolutely love the colors and print of these. These were the exclusive Sisters Style for the month if June and are no longer available for purchase. Half of them are in the red with white stars and the other half are in the red to silver gradient. You can apply them as you like; as an accent nail, alternating (which is what I originally did here), or any way that suits your fancy. They are also very fitting for the occasion. The last time I wore some Jamberry Nail Strips was when I did this Black & White Skittle. When I wore these I had a bit of a problem with the edges pulling up and away from the nail. It was really annoying when washing and styling my hair; they kept getting caught.  This time I thought I would try to add a base coat that would help keep the strips adhered to my nails. Barielle's Nail...

I've got the latest collection from Barielle for you today; The Keys Collection. A warm, sun-filled, tropical collection. Perfect for your paradise vacation! Top to Bottom, Left to Right: Hawaiian Sunset, Topless In St. Tropez, Panama Piña Colada Miami Heat, Paradise In The Tropics, Barefoot In Bermuda Let's start with my favorites: Hawaiian Sunset - A vibrant saturated orange with gold shimmer. 2 coats to opacity; great formula. Gonna love wearing this one! It's no secret I love orange and I've been waiting for Barielle to give me a polish like this. Fire Me Up is slightly deeper and lacks shimmer. Topless In St. Tropez - A pretty coral that leans more pink with a very soft silver shimmer. Another great formula that was opaque in 2 coats. I also love corals so this is another I will love wearing. It's a pinker version of Blossom . Panama Piña Colada - A creamy, soft yellow creme. Swatches show 2 coats but I did them on the thick side because yellows have a typi...

I no longer say 'Happy Memorial Day' because I had a vet tell me he hatred it when people said that. He didn't know why anyone would be happy on a day that honors those who perished in battle to protect our freedoms. That makes since. It really shouldn't be a 'Happy' day but a day of rememberance and respect. It's a Memorial, not a BBQ or pool party. But that's how most people view it; it's an excuse to get an extra day off and to have fun. To be honest I too used to see it that way. You don't know until someone educates you. So, now, I simply have a moment of silence and prayer for our fallen. I think hard about the ultimate sacrifice they (and their families) made. So, yeah, no Happy Memorial Day over here; instead I give thanks to those who have served and put my life above their own. It's tradition for my hubby and I to go out camping with our Uncle Jimmy (Special Forces, Navy) and his military brothers. We drive out to Death Valley in a ...

Week 4 of the Polish Swap Society 's Nail Art Challenge is a heart-themed spring mani using this tutorial.  These little hearts are harder than the video looks; at first I was concerned because I don't have a nail art brush like the one used in the video (flat with a pointed tip) but then I remembered I had my mom's box of acrylic paints with a bunch of paint brushes. I quickly found one quite similar.  I then had the daunting task of choosing my colors. I've been dying to wear orange lately so I knew I was starting with an orange. I also had Orly's Starburst from the Galaxy FX collection which has orange glitter in it. My vision was coming together. I knew I wanted to go with white dots but what color should the hearts be? I didn't want pink or purple, nor black. After staring at my colors for a bit I had an idea to go with peach and yellow.  I painted my ring, middle, and thumb with a base color of Barielle, Fire Me Up  from the Vibrants Collection . I love t...

This is another mani I wore in February... And Hey, wouldn't you know, it's a texture polish! We never would have predicted one of those! (That's all sarcasm right there) There weren't too many winter collection polishes I went crazy over and I spent most of my money on buying lemmings from stash sales. But just after Christmas I stumbled upon a hidden gem of a collection; Finger Paint's Enchanted Winter Collection . The swatches were great and they were all textures including a dupe of an NOPI texture I always wanted but refused to buy since they are not cruelty free. I was stoked! I went onto Sally Beauty Supplies' website to buy them but one was not available so I thought maybe I could find them at my local store; no luck. So, I went to the next logical place; the Polish Swap Society Facebook Group and reached out. I scored and was able to get the entire collection; and I paid less than $20 with shipping! What a great deal! You gotta love polish pals! Spell B...

I have a few days left in December so I decided to stay in the holiday spirit and wear my OMG Nail Strips in Red Snowflake that I picked up on Black Friday. These are the same ones I featured on Day 11 of My 12 Days of Christmas Giveaway . They feature white snowflakes on a red base. I have to admit I hate the staining I get on the skin around my nails when I apply red nail polish. I'm so pale that it's really obvious and not my favorite look. This way I get cute red nails without clean up and staining. Happy Happy Happy. I've used a few nail strips in the past and I'm getting better and better at it. They all have slightly different application procedures so you always want to thoroughly read the instructions. The OMG Nail Strips are pretty darn easy. Remove your old polish making sure you get the nail nice and clean & file if needed. Push back your cuticles, moisturize your hands and nails, then clean the nail plate thoroughly using acetone. Now you are ready to ...

Today I was feeling inspired to try my hand at Nail Art once again. This time I wanted to do something to enter into  Barielle's Holiday Manicure Contest  so all of the colors needed to be  Barielle Shades   Luckily I have a ton of their Shades so I was all set. I knew I wanted to do trees but then I thought of Cris at L et Them Have Polish  and how she is all about Pinkmas. This got me thinking about all the different color themes people go with during the Holiday Season. There's the purple lover who goes with all different shades of purple. Then there is the quirky theme which always seems to use a bright chartreuse green. Last we have the retro silver tinsel tree decked out with decorations in a singular color (I went with red). I ran with it and this is what resulted. I gotta say I am very happy how this came out; My best freehand nail art to date. I started with a base of Green With Envy (a bright grass green creme; 3 coats) on my Index, Middle, and Pinky. ...