individually abby: Beauty

DIY: Nail Art

One of my favorite things to do is play with nail polish and art designs. I've been a bit lazy lately when it comes to painting my nails, but since the weather this morning was gloomy I decided to pick back up on my hobby. So I apologize in advance that my techniques are a little out of practice. Nail art inspiration can come from anywhere: actual art, nature, fashion. InStyle magazine has been putting together great articles on different art techniques that have either been run in fashion shows or are inspired by fashion. I pulled a nail art inspiration from my saved articles to try out today; inspired by the Spring 2013 Tracy Reese collection.

Essie's Absolutely Shore

I did not have the exact colors as shown in the article, but I pulled together from my own nail polish collection something similar that would achieve the look. I used OPI's Stranger Tides for the base, and Kiss Nail Art silver glitter for the stripes. Like I said, out of practice, but a fun activity for a rainy day. Try something that inspires you. :)

Base nail polish

Finished Product

6:33:00 PM
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Lip Service

Beauty

Lipstick is one of my favorite things to play around with. It is one of those untold accessories that help complete an outfit while expressing your personality. Bold hues have progressively become more on-trend to wear. The above is a display of the various hues I have been sporting throughout the past year. Sticking more to the burgundy and deep red shades during the fall and slowly transitioning to brighter corals and pinks this spring. Check out close-ups of my favorite four below. :)

7:10:00 PM
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Nail Art

Beauty

Accessories for an outfit usually revolve around shoes, handbags, jewelry. But people generally forget about the art of the perfect nail polish. Nail art has been a major trend this past year and keeps growing. I love utilizing trends from the runway and incorporating it into a fun nail design. And some brands are giving you great designs and embellishments through the sticker craze. WhoWhatWear did a great piece on nail stickers this week.

I actually have the L'Oreal version mentioned above on my nails this week, which makes this a perfect story. This is the first time that I have tried the L'Oreal version, and I have to say that it isn't my favorite. I've only had the stickers on for a day, and they have already started to peel off. The concept is great because I love the jeweled look, but they definitely need to adhere better.

Now this is not my first foray into nail stickers, I have been an avid fan of the Sally Hansen versions. They are really easy to apply, last for at least two weeks, and have a smart price-point. New artwork is created each season, similar to a new color palette of nail color, but they do keep some of the key basics around season to season. See below for some of my favorites I've tried out. If you're worried about creating your own nail art, these are definitely something you should try out.