Sparkle & Shine

This Manicure Monday I combined my two favorite nail art designs: the half moon and a super sparkly accent nail.  To keep my mani from looking too busy, I kept the three polishes I used within the same color palette.  

Polishes I used:

• Sally Hansen "Miracle nail thickener" (base coat)
• Essie "Chinchilly"
• Essie "Jazzy Jubilant"
• Essie "For the Twill of it All"
• Spoiled "X-Ray Vision" (used as a top coat)

Can I just say that I love these colors together!  There's something almost magical about them; the shimmer of the "For the Twill of it All" and the sparkle of the"Jazzy Jubilant", and the "Chinchilly" pulls them together for one awesome manicure! :)

1. Base coat.  One coat, and let it dry completely.

2. Start with your base polish.  I used Essie's "Chinchilly"; two coats.  I typically give a few minutes between coats to allow for the polish to settle; I think the polish dries nicer and it looks smoother overall.

3.  Sticker time!  To create the half moon, I used little smiley stickers from Dollar Tree.  Apply them to every nail (I usually use three for each of my thumbs) except the ring fingers.  Make sure your polish isn't tacky, and that it's completely dry.  The sticker will leave behind some residue and even parts of the sticker itself when you pull if off.

4.  Apply two coats of your second color, I used Essie's "For the Twill of It All".  Again, let the polish dry in between coats.

5. When the polish is completely dry, peel off the stickers.  I pull them off from side to side, instead of straight off; they come off easier and it's rare that you'll pull off any polish that way.

(I don't know what was happening with my mani today, but the stickers I always use kept sticking to my polish)

6.  Next comes sparkle!  I used Essie's "Jazzy Jubilant" because it really works well with "Chinchilly" and "For the Twill of it All".  When I use a glittery polish, allowing the polish to dry between coats is especially important.  Allowing drying time in-between coats allows you to get more coverage and less bumps and clumps (I did 3 coats).

7.  Finish off with a top coat, one coat will do it.  Too many coats of polish will make your mani chip quicker.


This manicure did take some time to do (20+ minutes), but if you take a little extra time it will definitely show!  :)

Check out my other manicures!

What A Stud // Good As Gold // Star Studded // Tape It // Stellar Manicure