Skulls Nail Art for Halloween

This is another post for Polished Inthecity. Because I know how much she loves her skulls accessories, I updated my manicure with this design to match! :)

Not sure if you can tell. Perhaps it's more obvious with a white background. They're supposed to be skulls, okay? :)

It's perfect for Halloween too, don't you think? It's inspired by this tutorial from @simplenailartdesigns in Instagram. The video is also available in youtube.

This design is very easy to follow and to do with my Sassy nail art pens. I just used the mechanical tip to draw it. Sharing with you my collection of 10 colors!

Trust me. If you want to do nail art, you got to have these in your arsenal. At Php 36 a piece, there's nothing to lose! I got these from various Watsons branches. I've been to the ones at Eastwood by the 1800 bldg., at Virra Mall, and at SM Hypermart in C5. I'm not sure if this is the complete set, but I'll be sure to get all the colors that I can find.

The following skulls-themed accessories will be available at the Mercato bazaar. But you can also get them online at Polished Inthecity's Facebook page.

BR1 Skulls @ Php 60 each

BR2 Skullz with chain @ Php 60 each

Pirates and Bullets @ Php 280 each

Here's a creepy picture for you. Trick or Treat!! :)

P.S. Thanks, Raissa. We finally found some use for this creepy marshmallow pickle head. Haha!

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Polished Inthecity goes to Mercato

Hi everyone! I just have to sneak in this quick post to promote an event coming up this weekend! 

Polished Inthecity will be at the Mercato Bazaar on October 19, 20, and 21. That's from Friday to Sunday this week! They will be selling ladies accessories and nail polish! :D I already had a sneak peak; and boy, there's a lot in store for us!!

One of the many things that I bought is a necklace, which inspired me to do matching nails. So today, I'm showing you what I have on my nails real time! This is a rare deal since I'm always delayed with my blog posts. More so because of my busy schedule as of late. But this can't wait!

The weather is pretty good lately. We're seeing a lot more sun and it's just about time to start wearing bright, fun colors!

I didn't realize that I also bought nail polish to match! This is OPI Fly from the Nicki Minaj collection. It looks so much nicer in person than in the picture. You can surf the web for other swatches so that you can really appreciate how nice this is. I would probably call this a "crelly"--a mix of creme and jelly. It's opaque in two coats but at the same time has that sheer, glossy quality to it that adds depth to the polish. I would compare the finish to OPI You Don't Know Jacques. The color is very vibrant and still so squishy and polished. The application was amazing! If you can get just one bottle from the collection, this should be it!

I also got China Glaze I'm Not Lion from the Safari collection. Isn't it a beauty?! I couldn't resist putting this on right away! I could stare at it all day...

 

Here's a close up shot of the gooorgeous glitter! I dare you to zoom in! It's a mix of gold, silver, and holos!! All in just two coats!!

For my ring and pinky fingers, I used Sassy nail art polish in yellow and orange respectively. I got them for a little over than 30 pesos from Watsons and they're all I use for my nail art designs. Very handy for that extra splash of color!

For my base and top coat, I have actually set aside my Orly Bonder base coat, Orly Sec-n-Dry top coat, Sally Hansen insta-dri anti-chip top coat, and Seche Vite dry fast top coat. I have been using the Dazzle Dry system for more than 2 weeks now and I'm a convert. It's my first time to try it on non-Dazzle Dry polish and it didn't disappoint. In fact, the experience was phenomenal!! I didn't time how fast the whole manicure dried but everything was pretty solid after I did the last of my nails (did the glitter polish last because I knew it was the fastest to dry). Well, they say it's best that you use the system with the Dazzle Dry polish, but I think it works wonders with other brands too. More on Dazzle Dry on my next post.

Anyway, I left Polished Inthecity with a total of 4 new bottles of polish! Hehe! These two plus China Glaze Sea Spray from the Anchors Away collection and OPI Crown Me Already from the Ms. Universe collection. Crown Me Already is another amaaazing glitter polish. All silver but in different sizes--micro glitter, hex glitter, and everything in between! It's very dense and glitter-packed! I hope I can swatch that for you soon! I actually bought it for Kim's challenge #3. :D

Going back to accessories, I also bought a chain bracelet that you wrap around your wrist. It comes in various colors. I got the black one because it looked so elegant, but I also pre-ordered this in green! I turned it around for the photo so that you can see it with my nails. :)

 

Polished Accessories. :)  Don't they just look sooo good together?! :)

If you can't wait until Friday, you can also check out Polished Inthecity online via Facebook. Click on this link for a shortcut to the Accessories album.

I'm excited for the weekend! Hope to see you there! :D
 

Floral Nails

Last week, I was about to let go of my nail art obsession. For some reason, I just got tired of the smell of polish and wanted to stay away from it for awhile. I was polish-free from Monday to Friday until inspiration hit me.

My friends have been feeding this obsession of mine ever since, but even more so when I started doing nail art. They've been posting nail art pictures on my Facebook wall, somehow challenging me to replicate those designs. My friend, Kim, presented me with challenge #2 (the first one being aztec nails, which I still don't have a full entry about).

Anyway, going back, here's how challenge #2 turned out. It's so feminine and dainty!!

See the resemblance to the original?

Unfortunately, I cannot give credit to the original since we can no longer trace back where this came from. So if anyone recognizes the creator of this, please do let me know so that I can give due recognition.

It was challenging but fun at the same time to do this because it's my first time to do roses! Here's a tutorial that I found showing you how quick and easy it is to do. I got this link from another one of my idols, Polished Perfectionist. She does AMAZING roses (among other things!!!)!  Check out her blog entry entitled "Sweet Roses" here.

The challenge: I had a bit of trouble coming up with a close color match.

I don't have a pale yellow polish (this looks like China Glaze Lemon Fizz) so I invented my own. First, I layered Orly Spark, a bright yellow, with Essie Waltz, a sheer white, which beautifully tuned down the brightness and saturation, making it a light and dainty yellow pastel.

I also don't have a light gray polish. So I layered my OPI My Boyfriend Scales Walls, my go-to white polish, with OPI My Pointe Exactly, a sheer gray and one of my favorites from the NYC Ballet Collection. I made thin coats just enough to get a color match so as not to make the polish too thick.

For the flowers, I followed the video tutorial above and swirled Orly Spark and Sassy Nail Art in pink. For the leaves, it was a combination of China Glaze Exotic Encounters and China Glaze For Audrey.

Lastly, for my topcoat, I skipped Sally Hansen Insta-dri Anti-chip top coat and Seche Vite dry fast top coat this time around because I got sick of the smell. Instead, I turned to Orly Sec-n-Dry. It's not as thick, glossy, and long-lasting as the other two, but it smelled less toxic and did the job.

Here are all the nail polish colors that I used (excluding my base and top coats). From left to right: Orly Spark, Essie Waltz, OPI My Boyfriend Scales Walls, OPI My Pointe Exactly, Sassy Nail Art in pink, China Glaze Exotic Encounters, and China Glaze For Audrey.

Want to see more pictures? ... You don't have a choice! :D

I showed this to Kim in person over the weekend and she said that this is her favorite nail art to date! Yey! I was so touched and reenergized to do more!!!

I also had fun matching my outfits with this design. I didn't realize it would be so wearable! Just think feminine and floral, or yellow and gray combo.

Last Saturday, I went to a 1st year birthday party and to a wedding afterwards. I wore this a pale blue fitted top from Armani Exchange paired with a nude ruffled skirt from Zara. I then synched my waist with a big nude rose gartered belt also from Zara. (You can barely see it on the picture to the left, below!) For my shoes, I wore my Tory Burch wedged sandals for all-day comfort! Too bad I don't have a full body picture! But here are some pictures I took that day.

We took several pictures with the wine because it's extra special at P9,850.00 a bottle. :)

See if you can try to imagine and piece my top together with the skirt below and the rose belt worn to the side. :)

On Tuesday, I went to the office and paired my nails with a Mango elastic waist dress in green, Mango chain detail waist belt, Tory Burch wedge sandals in knot, and a Louis Vuitton Speedy in Monogram Mini Lin cotton and linen canvas. Again no picture, but see below how I tried to assemble the look. I love the proper, sophisticated look. :)

On Wednesday, I went with Jor-el for a check up at the hospital. It was raining, so it was time for my boots to come out and do their job. This is more of an edgy look but still played with the pastel yellow and dove gray theme. It struck me that I had to take a picture! I'm wearing a Mango pale yellow spaghetti strap, Zara dove gray cardigan, Zara navy blue distressed shorts, Zara black leather ribbon belt, Kenneth Cole black knee high boots, and my Forever 21 layered necklace. Kinda funky for your taste? Must be the Taiwanese in me! Heehee :)

So! Do you have any challenges for me? I'm all ears! Leave a comment and I'll try my best to do it!! :)

Thanks for reading!


* UPDATE: Wanted to share with you the picture that I posted in Instragram.
I love love love these adorable frames!!! :D

  

Karen & Erica's 2012 Birthday Party

September 15, 2012

This year, it was a sit down Surf and Turf dinner + Hello Kitty + Tonic Bags and Shoes + Polished Inthecity Nail Art PARTY!!!!

I'm still on a high over it! Jor-el bought 18 pieces of 14-16 oz. steaks for all of us to feast on!!! If you've seen them in real life, you'd be flabbergasted! :-O

Thank you Chef Jor-el Soyangco for our plated surf and turf grilled steak and prawns with a siding of mashed potatoes and our smoked salmon with kesong puti salad in blueberry vinaigrette!

Thank you Chef Nicco Santos for our watercress and spinach soup, mushroom and truffle cream sauce pasta, and our late night salpicao!

We even hired a waiter to serve and bus out our plates! How cool is that?! :)

It was so sad we didn't have pictures of the food though!! All I have is this picture of the leftovers with the boys. :(

I got Erica black Lydias from Tonic Bags and Shoes for her birthday! I wore my platinum ones, while Anne wore her gold ones. All thanks to the ever-talented Kim Chupeco!! We love your work!!! <3

Our friends, Kali and Rach, got us these really cool Hello Kitty glasses! Now, I have 4 in my collection!!

Took this the day after the party, with my new Hello Kitty glasses! :)

The night progressed with the girls doing their nails for each other. :) It was so much fun!!! Look at the smiles on our faces! After trying it out themselves, my friends realized how easy it was to do! The night was shortlived and I'm still hoping that I can invite them over to the house for another round!

Nail Art #1: Kate Spade Dippin' Dots for Kali

with China Glaze Peachy Keen, China Glaze For Audrey, and Orly Pixy Stix

Nail Art #2: Fun Nerds Dots for Shirley

with Orly Spark, Orly Rage, Orly Pixy Stix, China Glaze Peachy Keen, and China Glaze For Audrey

Nail Art #3: Silver Accents over Pink for Elaine
with some Orly pink polish and Wet 'n' Wild Wizard

Nail Art #4: Sponged tips for Erica
with Orly Rage layered on Essie Sand Tropez

Nail Art #5: Aztec Nails for Kacy
with OPI My Boyfriend Scales Walls, L'Oreal Electric Pink Creme, and Sassy Nail Art in black

Nail Art #6: Paul Smith Stripes for Kim Lee

with Sassy Nail Art in black, red, and Orange striped over OPI My Boyfriend Scales Walls

Nail Art #7: Black Swan sponged tips over silver foil for Jeelai
with Wet 'n' Wild in Creme Noir over some silver polish

The last 3 to leave, with yours truly. You can see the full post about my cupcake nails here. :)

Can you believe it?!?! 7 nail art designs all in one day! Phew! Perhaps I can retire at this point! Haha Who am I kidding?!?!

But before I end this post, I'd like to share with you my favorite picture of them all! It was an honor to have our first ZESh baby, Kirk, attend his first ZESh party!!! I'm a proud Auntie!! :) Isn't he just adorable? <3 Calling Kirb and Vince, please bring Kirk more often! Anne and Hans, bring Ethan next time too, okay? :)

Celebrating love and friendship on our 28th! Of course, a little bit of nail polish and Hello Kitty wouldn't hurt too! :)

Have a great Wednesday to all of you!!

 

Cupcake Nails

My best nail art to date. Cupcake nails!!!

I learned how to do this by following cutepolish's "Cute Cupcake Nail Art" tutorial in youtube. Try it yourself! With the right tools, it's not so hard to do!

As you can see, I did some tweaks and made it my own!! :D You can play around with different color combinations too! There are a lot of cupcake nail art inspirations in Google. Some people even make chocolate cupcakes using brown instead of white! Yum!! And you can definitely make the candy sprinkles more interesting with actual beads or hex glitter, you name it!



I like my nails sparkly, so I used a white silver glitter base color. I played around with Caronia's Crystal Frosted and was happy with it.

Next, I was able to easily create the vertical stripes for the cupcake base, thanks to these new found gems! I got these Sassy Nail Art bottles from Watson's for Php 30+ (USD $0.70) each! You can apply the polish using the tip at the top, which more or less works like liquid paper. Or, you can twist and remove the top to use the thin striper brush inside. I used the latter for my stripes.

After, I used a large dotting tool to apply the fluffy cupcake in OPI My Boyfriend Scales Walls, my go-to white polish. I think this was the hardest step to do. But I realized that it doesn't have to be perfect. Cupcakes aren't baked all equal. Some may be fluffier than others or some may even be lopsided. It doesn't matter if they aren't even, as long as they come out still looking like cupcakes! :D At this point, the design might look bulky, but don't you worry. Keep on working on the next steps, and the top coat will even it all out.

I applied the hearts on top using Essie Coral Reef. I just followed how cutepolish did it. Thebeautydepartment.com showed how to do this trick too. It was a bit tricky, but I managed. All it takes is a little bit of practice and you can try doing it on a piece of paper first.

To decorate the cupcake with candy sprinkles, I used Sassy in pink (same as the stripes) and China Glaze For Audrey. I just made the dots randomly in no particular order.

To top it all off, I put on one coat of Seche Vite dry fast top coat. It flattened the design and made it look professionally done!

I think that the colors I used blended well together and made the design pop out more. I'm very pleased with this. It's my favorite nail art and I actually drew something out of it. :) True enough, it was very popular with family and friends. :D

I did it to all 10 fingers! Aren't they soooo cute?!?! Nom nom nom!

 I wanted to take more pictures so I posed with my matching pink and purple loofas. Heehee :*)

And then, I found the perfect accessory to my nails!! A GIANT CUPCAKE!!! In complimentary colors too! :D

Fun fun fun!! I hope you can try this yourself! You won't regret it!! :)



Thanks for reading!