Negative Space + #manicuremonday

Even though I've picked up a second job, and could now afford to go get my nails done, I love doing my own nails!  Not only can you save tons of money (a regular mani on Long Island can be around $20, and if you have acrylic, it could be around $50 if you have to get a fill in too!), plus I love the sense of accomplishment when people are surprised to find out I did my nails myself!

You can use a lot of things that you have laying around your house to create an awesome mani.  My favorite go-to?  Scotch tape!  You can get so creative with your nail art using plain old tape.

Using: Essie 'Tuck It in My Tux' + 'Devil's Advocate'

1.  Nail prep:  Remove all old nail polish, push back and cut cuticles if needed, cut and shape nails (I like to rinse off my hands to get any left over polish remover off and dust from filing my nails my nails to ensure a smoother, nicer looking mani).  Apply a base coat (just 1; too many layers and your nails will chip quicker!).

2.  After everything is completely dry (not even tacky to the touch), cut 20 strips of tape for the stripes (I had to use packing tape because for some mysterious reason we had absolutely no more scotch tape in the house, lol; but I'd suggest regular scotch tape); better to pre-cut beforehand than as you go because you'll wind up ruining your manicure (nothing ruins a mani like having to start all over again).

3. Likewise, it's easier to put all the tape for the first stripe on at the same time.  Place one strip of tape on each nail on a diagonal.  Always use the lightest shade of the two, first.  Paint two coats of polish and let dry completely.  Peel off the tape, and make sure first color is completely dry before moving on to the second color (otherwise when you pull the tape up, the first color will be pulled up with it).

4.  Now, place tape in the opposite direction, also on a diagonal, of the first stripe.  Using the second, darker shade, paint two coats and let dry.

5. You can stop here, after you put on the top coat.  Oooor, you can continue on to add a little bit of edginess and sparkle!

6. Add a drop of nail glue or clear polish towards your cuticle (in the center), and place one stud (so that one of the corners points up, like a diamond), and cover with a clear coat (I like to cover all the sides too, for extra hold).  Repeat for each nail, and voila!

You can check out my other manicure DIYs here:

What A Stud

Good As Gold

Star Studded

Tape It

Stellar Manicure

Happy Holidays

Sparkle and Shine

Pearls, on pearls, on gold

Shamrocks and Studs
Sprinkles

Check out my Pinterest board (follow me at @classicallycait!) here for more inspiration:

Manicure: Sprinkles

This post is a day late for Manicure Monday, buuuuuut, better late than never (plus I didn't want to wait a whole week to post this!)!  This nail art is inspired by one of my latest pins: a sprinkles manicure!

Photo: Pinterest

1.  I painted a single coat of my base coat, using Sally Hansen's Triple Strong.

2.  Two coats of Essie's Topless and Barefoot (allow for some dry time between coats, this will give you a more even finish).

3.  Time for the sprinkles!  I used a nail art specific nail polish brush with a nice thin brush (I got it at Dollar Tree!); make sure you wipe off all the polish from the brush (tissue's fine) before dipping into any other colors.  

These are the colors I used (I tried to stay as close as I could to the colors used in the pin):

• White: Sally Hansen Hard Nails Extreme "White On"
• Orange: Sally Hansen Insta-Dry "Man-go Team!"
• Blue: Probelle "Into the Blue"
• Pink: Julie "Damsel"
• Green: Sinful Colors "Garden Party"

4.  Depending on your nail length, the amount of "sprinkles" you'll paint on will vary.  My nails are pretty short right now so I only did about 2-3 of each color on each nail.  The great thing about this manicure is that you don't have to be perfect!  (Just make sure there isn't too much of the nail polish on the brush, otherwise it'll blob up or run)

• quick tip: Do all your nails the same color sprinkle at the same time, instead of doing each nail all the colors at once.  Don't be a hero and just make your life easier, lol.

5.  Once all the "sprinkles" have dried, apply your top coat, and voila!  All done!

Doesn't look exactly like the pin, but I'm proud to say it still looks pretty darn good!  :)

I've got an entire Pinterest board dedicated to manicures/nail art I'm dying to try (or wishing I could even attempt...seriously, some of these people have to be wizards or something!)!  Check out my board here:

Or check out my own manicure DIYs:

What A Stud

Good As Gold

Star Studded

Tape It

Stellar Manicure

Happy Holidays

Sparkle and Shine

Pearls, on pearls, on gold

Shamrocks and Studs

Anyone else attempt manis they've pinned on Pinterest?  :)

Manicure Monday: Shamrocks & Studs

Saint Paddy's Day is tomorrow, and I completely forgot until someone reminded me today at work!

Here's a simple DIY manicure that's perfect for tomorrow's shamrock filled day.


What you'll need:

• green nail polish 
• white nail polish
• a thin nail brush
• gold studs
• nail glue
• base coat
• top coat
• tweezers

1.  Starting with clean (and filed/clipped/shaped) finger nails, apply your base coat.  I always do just one, even coat, to avoid chipping.

2.  Paint only your ring fingers white.

3.  Paint the rest of your nails green.

4.  Time for the shamrocks!  All it is really, is a few strokes placed together.  Easy-peasy!

5.  On the green nails, apply a dot of nail glue towards the base of your nail (right above your cuticles), and then, using tweezers, apply the nail stud.  You can use the end of your tweezer to gently press the stud into place to make sure it's firmly secured.

6.  Finish with a top coat and let dry!

Check out my other DIY manis here!

What A Stud!  -  Good As Gold  -  Star Studded  -  Tape It  -  Stellar Manicure  -  Happy Holidays  -  Sparkle and Shine  -  Pearls, on pearls, on gold

Pearls, on pearls, on gold

Nothing beats a fresh manicure to start off your week!

Classy girls wear pearls...sometimes even on their fingertips!  Today I combined two of my favorite things into one polished (pun intended!) mani: pearls and half moon nail art.  I used a soft gold polish with pearl nail studs on top; it's classic but fun at the same time.


Here's what you'll need:

• base coat
• top coat
• nail color
• nail studs--pearls
• nail glue
• tweezers

1.  You want to start with a clean slate.  Cut, file, and shape your nails, and then wash your hands to get any dust off.  (And I always double check for any nail breakage or cracking--you don't want your nails breaking after you just spent all that time making them look pretty--fix any of that before you start painting your nails.)

2.  Base coat.  I always use Sally Hansen's 'Miracle nail thickener'.  It gives your nails a nice layer of protection and I really believe it's helped strengthen my nails (they certainly don't break as easy as they used to and they don't feel brittle).  Wait a good five to ten minutes for the coat to dry.  I'm extremely cautious when I do any kind of nail art (you don't want to get impatient and then ruin your manicure).

3.  Stickers.  I use binder paper reinforcements (I got a pack of 200 from Staples for about $3).  One reinforcement at the bottom of each nail (at the cuticle end), and gently press to make sure there aren't any gaps (you want to avoid any nail color leaking under the sticker).  The way I place the stickers is with the top inside of the sticker just above the cuticle line.

4.  Color.  Two coats of whichever color you choose (I'm using Nicole by OPI 'On A Gilt Trip').  Let the first coat dry completely before applying the second coat.  Once both coats are completely dry, carefully remove the stickers.

5.  Pearls.  Right on the top of the half moon, place a dab of nail glue.  Then, using either a wax pencil or a pair of tweezers pick up the pearl (for this manicure I prefer the tweezers because the pearls are a bit slippery and the tweezers have a better grasp and make placement easier) and place directly on top of glue dot.  I waited a few seconds and then using the tweezers, gently press down on the pearl to make sure it stays firmly in place.

6.  Using the nail glue, I cover the pearl and it's sides for extra hold (did I mention I'm super cautious about my nail art? lol).  Immediately after, I apply my top coat.  This allows me to smooth the glue out so that it dries nice and neat (without any lumps or bumps).

7.  Let dry, and voila!  Subtle, yet classy half-moon manicure!  :)

Here are some of my past Manicure Monday manis:

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

Happy Holidays  //  Sparkle & Shine

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 

Happy Holidays

It's #manicuremonday, and this week I worked on a special holiday half-moon manicure, because lately, I'm pretty much Team Half-Moon all day, everyday; but, this can totally work as a regular manicure too!

What You'll Need:

1. Base Coat (I used Sally Hansen's "Miracle nail thickener")

2. Red polish (I used Essie's "Wrapped in Ruby", it has a gold undertone that's super festive and perfect for Christmas!)

3. Green polish (I used Sinful Colors "Garden Party")

4. Gold polish (I used Nicole by O.P.I. "On A Gilt Trip")

5. Top coat

6. Nail glue

7. Tape

8. Round stickers (I found little smiley face stickers at Dollar Tree)

9. Nail crystals (relatively small and you can find them on Amazon for practically nothing)

10. Nail art brush (I used the brush from a bottle of nail art polish

1. Apply base coat.

2. After your base coat dries completely, apply the stickers to your nails (except on your ring fingers).  Make sure to firmly press down so that there aren't any gaps where the polish could leak under.

I found that for my thumbs I need a few stickers, overlapping, to make the half-moon.

3.  Apply two coats of your red polish.

4. Cut a piece of tape in two, and stick on at an angle so that the two pieces form a triangle (make sure that the triangle is wide enough so that you are able to fit the nail crystals).  Like the stickers, make sure there are no gaps under the tape so that the nail polish doesn't leak under (you want nice crisp lines!).

5. Make sure that the polish is completely dried before removing the tape.  If it's still a little tacky the polish could get smudged or pulled up (as you can see, the top of my tree is a little lopsided...oops).

6. Using the brush from a nail art polish (make sure you wipe the brush clean first), I used the gold polish to paint along the edge half moon.

7. Last but not least, using the nail glue, cover the green polish with nail glue, then take a wax pencil or tweezers and place the nail jewels to "decorate the tree".  Then go back over the jewels with more nail glue, followed by the top coat (apply top coat to rest of nails as well).

Voila!  This manicure was super easy to do, and not-too-cheesy of a holiday mani.

Happy holidays y'all! :)

Check out my other manis: What A Stud // Star Studded // Tape It // Stellar // Good As Gold