40 Great Nail Art Ideas: Teal (+ Skittle)

It's another Friday and that means another challenge from Crumpet's Nail Tarts 40 Great Nail Art Ideas. But this week starts something different with the challenge. Last week we did a theme. This week it's a color prompt (Teal) and a pattern prompt (with each of us doing a different pattern prompt!). So many ideas to be inspired by!

Ok, so funny story. Well, sort of. This past week has been kind of crazy, just a lot of drama and a lot of stress and anxiety (wait? like that's something new? hahahahaha!). So I didn't get to create my mani until today. I had the idea but not the time. 

So this morning I woke up and got ready. I had to take a conference call for work and when that was done I knew I had three hours before work and could get my mani done. So I started and was doing everything, painting and stamping away.

I happened to look up at the time trying to calculate when I needed to start my lunch so I could eat before I went to work. By now I am finishing up my last few stamps when it dawned on me.

I work an hour earlier today than my normal time! Yikes! I had 20 minutes to finish getting dressed (I had on comfy pants and not my work pants), eat, and get to work which is ten minutes away!

I slapped the last two stamps on, grabbed my camera took some photos (because I knew my mani wasn't going to last through work with it being a truck day and all). Got dressed and flew out the door. I made it just in time!

So the quality of my photos (or lack thereof) is due to being rushed. But, it still kind of fits my mani.

Didn't have time to set up my light box! My mani represents Anxiety Awareness. A teal ribbon represents (among many of things) Anxiety Awareness. As most of you know, I suffer from both anxiety and depression. I know that it will always be a part of me and I am ok with that because having anxiety and depression have made me who I am today. I am stronger than I would have been. 

Even today with all of our technological marvels there are some who still believe that mental illness isn't real. Because we can't see it or touch it directly it can't exist. But we can't see the wind or touch it directly, and it exists.

Mental illness can be seen in the faces of many on this planet; it touches nearly 1 in 4 Americans annually. How can people not believe that it exists?! It is an illness, not a weakness. You can't just buck up and all is good. Would you say that to someone with a broken arm or cancer or diabetes? No, you wouldn't. So why then mental illness?

We need to end the stigma. We need to catch up to all the amazing technology we have because if we as a society think that mental illness isn't real, then why should advance with anything else? Why then are not still just treating our humours and blood letting and using leeches?

End the stigma. #IAmStigmaFree

I used BarryM Cancun as my base. On my index finger I chose the butterfly as a representation of becoming more beautiful through our challenges. I used BarryM Cotton and A England Saint George with UberChic 3-01. My middle finger is also from (as are all the rest of the stamped images) from UrberChic 3-01. The words, stamped with A England Saint George talk about fighting the good fight, never face your fears alone. My ring finger is also stamped with Saint George and simply says: Faith, Hope Love. Because it helps to have all three of those when you are struggling. My little finger has a stamped image of Konad White and UberChic 3-01. I used this image to represent confusion and stress. The teal ribbon (Saint George) is stamped over it to create awareness.

The rushed feeling of these photos helps to portray a bit of anxiety.

Here is last week's collage of the theme: Hobbies

Amazing huh!

If you want to follow us, you can find our Pinterest Board here - all the members will also be sharing the collages on IG and Facebook with the above hashtags. I hope you enjoy and find it as useful as we're finding it fun!

And don't forget to check out the other Teal prompts!

An InLinkz Link-up

The Nail Challenge Collaborative Presents Skittles: Pink and Grey!

I promise I haven't gone anywhere! It's just been a really weird week and I am playing catch-up in a major way! But today is my last post for the Nail Challenge Collaborative Skittle theme! I chose to do Pink and Grey! I really loved how these turned out, even if the pink seemed to change colors! :)

I promise you that the polish I used to stamp: BarryM Grapefruit is the same as the bottle shown! It just stamps a different color! Hahaha! :)

I used China Glaze Recycle as my base color on all my nails. I then used BarryM Grapefruit for all the nail art and stamping. Amy's Nail Boutique in Fuzzy Bunny Slippers is the amazing pink/grey glitter on my ring finger!

I stamped my thumb with MoYou Pro 04 and my pinkie with Vivid Lacquer VL006. I did some dots on my index and a taped stripe on my middle finger (tried to do a stamp that is similar, but because of the design of the stamp it wouldn't work!). I topped it all off with HK Girl Top Coat. Sorry about the bubbles, it's really hot right now and so I had my fan going. :(

Don't forget to check out the others and their final post for Skittles!

An InLinkz Link-up

The Nail Challenge Collaborative Presents Skittles - Grey!

Third post for The Nail Challenge Collaborative Skittles and today I chose the best color ever! Grey! As many of you know I have a grey polish addiction so I knew I had to give it some skittle love!

Thumb: Dandy Nails Bound to Fall (two coats)

Index: Essence Romeo (two coats) with Dragon Lacquer Geeky Owl (my custom made glitter!)

Middle: Essence Romeo (two coats) stamped with BarryM Foil Effects Silver and Messy Mansions MM19

Ring: Zoya London (two coats)

Pinkie: Essence Romeo (two coats) with a 14 grade Holo Top Coat.

All sealed (except my ring finger!) with HK Girl Top Coat! And my index and ring finger both have OPI Glitter Off as their base (love this stuff!).

I really loved how this turned out! I am really starting to love skittles now!

A shot of Dandy Nails Bound to Fall. A gorgeous grey with blue flecks! Fabulous!

Don't forget to check out what the others have done for their 3rd day of Skittles!

An InLinkz Link-up

The Nail Challenge Collaborative Presents: Skittles - Holos!

Second Skittle post for The Nail Challenge Collaborative! Today I decided to do an all holo skittle!

Holos are so beautiful in person but sometimes are a pain to capture on camera!

From left to right: Above the Curve Banana to a Party, Nail Nation 3000 Rumpel Stiltskin, Different Dimension That's Just Ducky, and Nail Nation 3000 Glow Worm. I stamped using Color Club Cherubic and MoYou Sailor 03. Each nail has OPI My Vampire is Buff as a base color so that I didn't have to do so many layers! And I sealed them all with HK Girl Top Coat!

Easy-peasy!

Don't forget to check out the other second day skittle posts!

An InLinkz Link-up

The Nail Challenge Collaborative Presents: Skittles - China Glaze For Audrey Skittle

It's another month which means another Nail Challenge Collaborative theme! This is my second month doing this challenge and I love it! This month's theme is: Skittles! And today is probably one of my most classy manis ever! I think I finally have the skittle technique down! Woot! Check that off my list! :)

Look! It's so classy even the thumb got involved and decided to make an appearance! Bringing out the big guns here but with little nubs. Tried a Gel Polish Mani, didn't last that long (four days!) but it totally wrecked my nails. Now they are all bendy and scratched/cut up. So sad. But I am still loving this mani on the nubs!

I wanted to do a really classy mani so I immediately thought of China Glaze For Audrey and I knew I had to pair it with silver. 

Starting with my thumb: OPI Glitter Off, China Glaze For Audrey (two coats), and Essence Romeo.

Index: China Glaze for Audrey (two coats), BarryM Foil Effects Silver, Emily de Molly EDM04.

Middle: China Glaze For Audrey and clear rhinestone.

Ring: OPI Glitter Off, OPI Solitaire (two coats).

Pinkie: China Glaze For Audrey (two coats), BarryM Foil Effects Silver, Vivid Lacquer VL 020.

And of course all but my ring finger have HK Girl Top Coat!

I totally love this mani! And this was my first time keep jewels on my nails for longer than the picture! They lasted (at the time of me writing this post) 3 whole days! And two of those were work days too! Didn't think they'd last! :)

Don't forget to check out the others and their day 1 Skittles!

An InLinkz Link-up

The Digit-al Dozen Does Skittles Week: Fall Feathers

For today's Digit-al Dozen Skittle I wanted to go with fall colors. And I absolutely love how this turned out! It's all cozy and warm! 

I used China Glaze Kalahari Kiss, China Glaze Budding Romance, China Glaze Red-y & Willing, and Nails Inc Hampstead Gardens. Perfect fall colors. I stamped using Konad Chocolate and Messy Mansions MM14. Such an amazing plate! Topped it off with a coat of HK Girl Top Coat (love this stuff for stamping!)

I'm a little bummed that the stamping doesn't show up as much on Red-y & Willing in the photo. But that's alright, it's still pretty!

Don't forget to check out the other ladies and their skittles!

The Digit-al Dozen Does Skittle Week: Skittles!

Look! I did a proper skittle this week! Get it? Skittles? Nudge nudge wink wink! Bahahahahaha! 

I used Sally Hansen Going Green, Sally Hansen Crushed, Sally Hansen Deep Purple, and Zoya Sooki (all two coats). I used Milani White on the Spot for my letters all topped with HK Girl Top Coat. 

What do you think? 

Don't forget to check out the other ladies and their skittles!

The Digit-al Dozen Does Skittles Week and 33DC Day 10: Flowers!

Welcome to a another week of The Digit-al Dozen! We have a few new faces and a new blog: The Digit-al Dozen! (We've been busy!) But this week our theme is Skittle! And I really struggled this week! So I don't know if mine are actually skittles in the technical manner this week, but I made it and finished! So here we go!

It is also Day 10 of 33DC which is Flowers. So this is my Flower Skittle! Rosebuds (abstractly of course!) (or maybe uniform shirts? hahaha!) I used Essence Cafe Ole as a base (you can only see it at the cuticle). I then used OPI Pink Friday, China Glaze Lemon Fizz, Color Club Mamba, and OPI Funky Dunkey. I used Finger Paints Black Expressionism to line them.

It was really hard to come up with flower skittle, because I didn't want to do stamping the entire week, and I didn't want to dot flowers because I've done that. I wanted to try something new for me. What do you think? 

Don't forget to check out the other ladies and their skittle manis!

Don't forget to check out the others doing the 33DC challenge!