Beauty for the Economically Challenged

Please excuse the title of this post, I took AP Art History as a senior in high school and I still take every opportunity to geek out about it.

Anyway, these nails are super easy. For colors, I used Wet n Wild nail color in Caribbean Frost and Wet n Wild Wild Shine in French White Creme and Blazed.

My good friend Gina (ginadoesnails) introduced me to using a bobby pin as a dotting tool, and this is obviously proof that it works really well. So, what I did was bend the bobby pin open (so the other side wouldn’t get in the way) and dot my nails color by color. First, white, then green, and then orange. You have to put a lot of dots, but not necessarily as many as you would expect. Just plan accordingly, obviously filling empty spaces to make it look even. 

I’m a little disappointed in the sense that I thought the orange I bought was a lot more pink than it actually is (this seems to be a common theme in my life) so the colors have a different look than I expected. But it’s no big deal.

I definitely recommend using a base coat because the dots are a pretty thick layer of polish. A top coat also, but be careful because you don’t want the dots to run together.

I hope you enjoy, let me know if you have questions!

xox

Noelle Alysse

This was a request from a follower, but I’m really glad they requested it because this nail polish is perfect for a review.

Aside from the obvious draw of it being $2, this nail polish has a lot going for it.
First off, the color is absolutely beautiful. It’s bright, but it has just enough pink in it to not be totally offensive to your eyes.
The picture is after two coats, but I really prefer to do thin coats, so if you play your cards right you could definitely be fine with one coat.
It also dried really fast, which is always nice. It stayed put really well too, a lot better than expected for a $2 product. The formula was thick but not too thick, and just felt really good to put on, if that makes sense. It was nice and smooth and glide-y (haha).

(I got this image from E.L.F.’s website, I would have taken my own but I’m writing this at home and I left the bottle at school).

My own picture is much more true to color than the picture of the bottle.

The only fault I can find with this product is the handle of the brush. As you can see from the picture, it’s really thick so it’s kind of difficult to grasp in your hand. But it’s easy to get past.

Overall, I give this an A- and I would definitely recommend it!

xox

Noelle Alysse 

Okay so yeah I took the first picture at work again…guilty.

I got this idea from a great nail blog called nailside, if you don’t know it already, check it out!

So this looks pretty hard, but believe me, if I can do it, it’s really not hard. It takes a while because you have to wait for each layer to dry, so it is time consuming, but it’s not super complicated. Here’s how you do it:

• Pick three colors
• Apply a clear base coat
• Paint your first color onto the entire nail. Wait to dry.
• To start the ‘cloud’ effect, use your second color. There does need to be some excess on the brush, but you don’t want too much or it will never dry. Put the tip of the brush on your nail, and wait for the polish to run down to create the roundness of a cloud. Then draw the brush up in one smooth stroke.
• Repeat two more times, making each stroke a bit shorter than the last, so that it’s graduated, which you can see on my nails. Wait for that color to dry.
• Do the same thing with the third color, and wait to dry.
• Apply a topcoat so that your fierce nails will last a while! ;)

This does take some practice (I only gave you a picture of my second hand for a reason!), but be patient and you’ll get it. My caffeine addiction causes me to have the shakiest hands ever, so if mine can look this good, yours can too! 

The most important thing is getting the right amount of polish on the brush. You don’t want the whole brush to have a thick layer all over it, but you want enough so that it will form a round spot on the nail. Like I said, with practice, you’ll figure it out!

Good luck, and show me how you do!

xox

Noelle Alysse

I really love these nails. I feel like they go fine with a casual outfit, but they could also be a little more dressed up too. And the best part is, they’re easy to do!

I realize that mine aren’t super gradient, but I think you can get the idea of it. I used a really low-quality glitter nail polish, which didn’t yield a lot of glitter, so it made it really hard to get the glitter where I wanted it and, in turn, make the gradient effect. I had just bought this polish and hadn’t used it before, and I definitely wouldn’t use it again for this style. It was Wet’n’Wild Wild Shine Nail Color in Kaleidoscope. 

Of course, you must start off with a base coat.

Then, choose any dark color you like. I used black, but I honestly like this better with a really dark blue or a really dark maroon. Apply one or two coats, it’s all up to you.

After that has fully dried, it’s time for the glitter polish. Use the brush to put a good (pretty large) amount at the base of your nail. You want the base of your nail to be realllllly glittery!

Wipe the brush off, and allow 15-25 seconds for the polish to dry a bit. Then, carefully use the brush to drag some glitter from the base of your nail up toward the tip. Pay close attention to how much glitter you’re getting, remember this is a gradient look. You can also use a toothpick or maybe even a sponge, depending on what’s easiest and how your glitter polish is working out.

Apply one or two top coats (the glitter can be rough, and you want a smooth nail!) and you’re done! Pretty easy, huh?

If you have any questions, feel free to ask, and if you try this look, I want to see!

xox

Noelle Alysse

When I was a junior in high school, my very very best friend and I heard of a mani/pedi special at a spa near our school.This was my first (and only, thus far) manicure. When I was asked to choose my color, I chose what appeared to me to be a nude color with a pink hue.
As soon as the woman began painting it onto my nails, though, I realized that it was orange. Not slight orange, either. It was orange. I chalked it up to the lighting in the salon.

Fast forward to today around 3:00pm, and I’m standing in Wal-Mart marveling over a clearance bin full of Essie nail polishes. I chose three colors: Mamba, It’s Genius, and Buy Me a Cameo; but I was most excited to try Mamba-what I thought was a nude color with a bit of pink. Sound familiar? Yeah.
Well now here I am, typing, and forced to stare at my newly-painted nails.
Lucky enough, they aren’t as orange as my manicure from junior year, but I can’t help but notice a very orange-y quality to my supposed-to-be nude pink nails.
Essie’s website describes this color as “a shimmering cafe au lait”, but I swear on my eyeballs that there is a hint of orange.
Worst of all, the ‘cafe au lait’ really doesn’t suit my skin tone, and I am one unhappy girl. Why can’t I identify a nude pink polish? Blah. Maybe I’ll put a glittery gradient over it to make myself feel better…but for all I know, what I think is silver glitter could be bronze.

It looks like you can’t get a good idea of the color from the picture, but that’s exactly what it looks like in person too. Not cute.

Please excuse my hair, I had the entire day off so I just let it air dry.
Please excuse my lack of makeup, I had the entire day off so I spent most of it reading. :p
Please excuse my American Apparel Unisex V-Neck, I got it for $4 at a thrift store.
hehehe.

xox

Noelle Alysse