Tamagotchi Nails #1

I've been a fan of Tamagotchis since I was a kid, but it wasn't until a few months ago that I started really getting interested in them and collecting them. Now that I have several different models I've decided to do my own nail challenge in which I do a nail design based on each of my tama's shells.
I've started at the beginning with my very first Tamagotchi. This is an original released in '96. I remember going to Toys 'r' Us with my mom and picking out this teal color one. I guess I thought the teal/purple combination was cool back then, but now, not so much. Also, this Tamagotchi isn't really functional anymore, that's why there's no pet on its screen.

I really don'tlike this manicure, like at all. It's too 90's in a bad way. Maybe it's just the colors and checkerbard design, or I tried to follow the shell too literally. Next time I'll try to be a little more creative with what I do.That being said, I chose the flower stamp to match the flower icons along the top and bottom of the screen. To match the checkerboard background pattern, I painted my nail blue, then painted a piece of tape pink, cut it into pieces, and stuck them on. It was my first time using tape that way, and I think it came out ok, especially compared to my failed attempt of handpainting the squares on which I tried to do first.

Polishes and plates used: China Glaze Four Leaf Clover, Fancy Pants, and Sugar High, Kleancolor Ocean Wave, and WnW Be More Pacific. Flowers stamped with KO Dream Girl plate 02.

HPB Presents - May Hibiscus Flowers

This is my first time participating in a blog link up, and the theme for this month is "May Flowers", so I decided to use the hibiscus flowers that grow around my apartment complex as inspiration.

I've never even seen a yellow hibiscus flower before moving here, just pink ones. :) I used various combinations of water marbling, stamping, and decorations to achieve this look.

Polishes and plates used: Zoya Anais, China Glaze Happy Go Lucky, Sugar High, and Heli-yum, Nine Ultra Pro Lime Light, Kleancolor Fuschia Glitter and Metallic Green. Designs stamped with Konad special polish in black and white and Kand Nail special polish (dark green shade) with plates SH01, Pueen SE02A, and Moyou Tropical Collection 05.

An InLinkz Link-up

Blue Smiley Hearts

Polishes used: China Glaze Hope Chest, Flyin' High, License & Registration PLS. Details to come when I'm not being so lazy and tired.

Emoticons

When I saw the Geek 02 plate on Moyou, I had to get it immediately. It's just so awesome and so unique. That was when it first came out a few months ago, and I haven't had a chance to use it until now. It's impossible not to smile when looking at these stamp designs.

Polishes used: China Glaze Pelican Gray and Concrete Catwalk, Essie Licorice, and Konad special polish in black. Stamping plates: Geek 02 and Sci Fi 09 from Moyou UK.

My First (successful) Water Marble

For most nail art enthusiasts out there, the water marbling technique is old hat. I have tried several times over the years to do it with no success. But after watching a couple of particularly good youtube tutorials a few days ago, I decided to give it another try. Somehow, something I did went right and it WORKED.

So that was my actual first attempt. I got a little ahead of myself and forgot to tape off my fingers before dipping my index and middle together, so I got a big mess on my skin. I did my ring finger the proper way, then decided I really didn't like the colors. I had basically just picked a few from my collection that I found worked and spread well, but altogether over the white base coat it was too Barbie-ish for my tastes, so I cleaned them off and started over. Here's what I ended up with:

I'm happy with the final result, but I still have a LOT of practicing to do. The dots I added on afterwards were not just for decoration, but also to help disguise imperfections. Plus I got some of my white base coat showing along the edge at my cuticles for some reason. If anyone reading this has also struggled with marbling, here's a few things I learned that might help you: 1) When you drag your lines from the outside of the bullseye toward the middle, don't start with the first color of polish you dropped. Move a few rings in to where the polish starts to look solid and still wet. The outermost rings will be too thin and dry. 2) Wear an old shirt, cover your clothes, or paint naked. I got a little overzealous when trying to drop my polish colors quickly and flicked pink polish on my shirt. 3) Use a small cup. I did these with a plastic solo cup, but I've since bought a pack of small paper cups to use instead. Smaller cup  = less polish wasted. And on that note, keep in mind that this technique uses a LOT of polish. I saw an obvious decrease in the fill lines of all the bottles I used. So you may not want to use your $18 indie polishes or whatever.

Polishes used: Essie Peach Daiquiri and Da Bush, Orly Smoked Out, and Zoya Tinsley

Nautical nonsense

I found these cute sea critter decals at a 100 Yen store recently and decided to do a nautical themed manicure to incorporate them. This was my first attempt at double stamping, though I made stamp "decals" for the red anchor tips because I knew I'd never get them lined up right if I tried to stamp them on directly. Also I tried using my new Kand stamping polish in red (some cheap stuff off ebay) and I couldn't get the design to pick up, no matter which of my four stampers I tried. I was getting frustrated, thinking it was the stampers or the plate that wasn't working, then it occurred to me that it could be the polish. So I tried CG Hey Sailor and wouldn't you know it, it came out perfectly on 3 of my 4 stampers (the fourth being my oldest, firm cheap one I bought first before squishy stampers were a thing).

Polishes and plates used: China Glaze Hey Sailor, Kleancolor Holo Blue, Teal Marble, and Shooting Star, Essie Parka Perfect and Find Me An Oasis, and Born Pretty Holo Polish #7; TIAN XIN - 20 (Moyou KO) for anchor tips, Cheeky jumbo plate B for wave design.

Girly colors gradient with stamping

Polishes used: China Glaze in White Cap, Full Spectrum, and Sugar High, Orly - Snowcone, and Kand special nail polish in color #17 to stamp. Stamping plate is Pueen SE028.