Blues Bouquet Nails

The moody blues are feelin' floral.

I've got here a vintage-inspired manicure using Born Pretty's rose nail decals, plus extra glitter and polka dots.

The bottom base blue is IBD Just Gel Blue Haven.  

After being somewhat skeptical to gel polishes, now they are the ONLY kind I wear. My nails do not break, even through me making jewelry and other crafty items.

The rose decal here adds the right amount of vintage touch. This same decal sheet also comes in a red/orange and purple scheme. And it's only $2.39 for the whole sheet….

Nothing is complete without glitter. The glitter here is from Claire's.

And of course my obsession with the double-sided manicure. I went simpler this time with a purple-pink color underneath, to match with the purple rose decals. Last time, I did a pop of neon yellow but this manicure called for something more subtle.

A vintage purse completes the look!

All photos copyright Allison Beth Cooling. DO NOT use/post images without linking back and crediting me.

Easy "Red Hot" Manicure

I did a quick and easy manicure on my friend Christie using Born Pretty Store's water decals.

All there is to it is one coat of polish (a bright Cherry Red here), Born Pretty's silver heart water decals (similar here) and Born Pretty's silver nail studs.

Add a large decal to the thumb, following with a small stud in the center of the heart.

Add an accent decal to the ring finger. Finish all with top coat!

For more info on how to use water decals, visit my Royal Teal Nails tutorial.

Use all different color schemes,  or even paint the nails with the decals on them a different color than the rest of your hand. 

Seriously, it takes less than 10 minutes. Great for last-minute occasions!!

All photos copyright Allison Beth Cooling.

Royal Teal Manicure

Hello! It's been a long time since my last nail tutorial.

This time, I'm using water decals from BornPrettyStore.com for the first time!

Born Pretty has a TON of different beauty products, jewelry, clothing pieces and other great accessories. What I love most is their extensive collection of nail art products!

Their prices are great- you can get nail decal sheets for less than a dollar. That means a lot of bang for your buck!

You can get rhinestones and studs and other super-cool decorations like spikes, pearls, chain, bows and more! Seriously, if you love nail art, you will love their site! You can spend days looking at their huge amount of inventory.

Get connected with them!

Like BornPretty on Facebook

Follow on Twitter 

Pin on Pinterest

See the Blog

Watch on Youtube

Shop their Store

Here is a 10% off coupon code that can be used on a purchase from Born Pretty!

I'll show you how to use these water decals over a base color for a simple manicure that looks like it took a lot of work!

Ready?

Let's get started.

Step 1: Gather materials. Needed are a base nail polish (I used the Gel SensatioNail Island Oasis), top coat and BornPretty  Pattern water decals (#K210).

How to use the water decal:

Paint your nails your base coat. Get out a dish of water. Cut out the decal you need. Take off the plastic film, don't peel it off the white backing.

Submerge the decal in water for about 15 seconds.

Wet your nail. Gently, with your other hand (get it wet first), fish out the decal from the water (it will release from the backing) and place it on your wet nail. What's great about the water decals are that they are moveable while still wet, unlike stickers. Move it gently on the nail until it is in the right spot, then press gently and leave it alone.

Your nail and fingers must be wet while doing this otherwise it will stick and not move!

See how easy? Just be careful, while the nails are still wet the decal might move. Repeat for all the other nails.

I then, when they were fully dry, painted with a top coat and stuck a nail stud at the top of each decal. I placed one bigger one on my thumb as well. The BornPretty decal sheet came with 10 black decals and 10 white decals enough for 2 manicures. I accidentally dropped the one for my thumb while doing the tutorial and trying to photograph :(. So I added just a stud to the thumbs.

What's also great about these water decals is that the plastic is invisible! It looks like the design was painted straight onto your nails!

These decals were so easy to use, especially with your opposite hand. You don't have to worry about placing it in the exact spot at first. 

All photos copyright Allison Beth Cooling. Do not post tutorial or images without linking to me.

Punk Rock Nails- Fall 2013

Punk is in! Spurred by the Met Gala back in spring of this year, this fall all things punk are totally in style. From studs, leather and spikes to tartan fabrics and more, get ready to sport some rebellious attire this autumn! My most favorite look from the Gala was Cara Delevingne, head to toe in Louis Vuitton. Ahhh-mazing. Since we all know fashion is moving at least a half-year ahead of us, just now the style is becoming mainstream. And of course, a part of every outfit is definitely your manicure!

I went with a very simplified punk theme; mixing patterns and dark colors and topping it off with some nail "studs". Simplified plaid, along with a dip-dye nail and houndstooth pattern make for cool elements contrasted by the simpler middle and pinkie fingers.

This is actually a very simple manicure, but it does require a nail stamping plate for the houndstooth nail (index finger). If you don't have one feel free to hand-paint or do a plaid nail, like on the ring finger!

Let's get started.

Step 1: Gather materials. Needed are nail pearls, a Konad (or BundleMonster) nail stamp and scraper, the BundleMonster BM19 plate, and varying colors of nail polish: gunmetal (I used Sally Hansen), red (I used OPI I'm not a Waitress), white, and deep purple (I used OPI Lincoln Park after Dark) and then a red nail art polish (with the long skinny brush). 

Step 2: Paint your nails (two coats): thumb= gunmetal, index= white, middle= red, ring=gunmetal, and pinkie= deep purple. On your index finger, use your Bundle Monster plate #19, the houndstooth-like pattern. Add one coat of your deep purple over it and stamp on your finger, over the white. For more information on this technique, look at my Zebra Neon Nails tutorial!

Step 3: It should look like this! Now, on your ring finger, use your long-tipped brush to make a plaid pattern; two vertical stripes of red, one stripe of white in the middle. Paint over with another red stripe.

Step 4: On your middle finger, add a nail pearl (black) on the bottom; adhere with a bit of clear nail polish and press down. Add a red pearl at the bottom of your pinkie. On your thumb, create a tie-dye effect with red, white and more gunmetal. For more info on how to do this, look at Step 3 of my Neon Zebra Nails tutorial. Paint everything with a top coat (except your index finger, it will smear the pattern if you do!) and let dry completely.

This is just simple enough, and not too punk-y (for those who are not huge fans of the look!). If you would like to use different colors, if you are not a punk fan at all, feel free to; this in a pastel theme could turn from punk-y to sweet, or all rainbow brights would really make a statement! Feel free to do it your own way! That is what punk is really all about!

Photos (except first) copyright Allison Beth Cooling. Please do not use/post without linking back and crediting me! 

Color Monday: Shell Happy Palette

A cute color combination of primaries and neutrals to make for a quite kitschy feel!

Feel free to use this color palette in any of your art projects.

Americana Nail Tutorial- Happy 4th!

In honor of the Fourth of July, I decided to post an easy nail tutorial that everyone will love!

These Americana Nails are great because the color can be changed to fit any theme, or outfit. By using striping tape, it gets rid of the need to paint super-straignt lines, which is basically impossible!

Instead of red, white and blue, try black with neon tape for a cool effect, or even a mix of monochromatic elements will be subtly sweet!

I'm sure if you show up with this manicure at the holiday party or barbecue, everyone will be talking about it!

Let's get started.

Step 1: Gather materials. Needed are scissors, a dotting tool or toothpick, striping tape (you can find at beauty supply stores or Ebay or Etsy), nail gems, and nail polish including top coat.

Step 2: Paint your nails blue and red, alternating. Get your white striping tape ready...

Press down one end of the tape right against the edge of your nail. Pull the tape as you press it against your nail, on a diagnol to the other side of your nail. Cut the tape right against the edge of your nail; if it hangs off, it won't adhere! Continue with this, taping all of your nails.

Step 3: Repeat the process, but adding a stripe in the other diagonal direction to form an X.  When you have completed the X on all your nails, paint with a topcoat and QUICKLY press a nail gem right above the cross in the X. Press down firmly to adhere the gem. It does help if you paint over the entire nail again with clear coat, to adhere the gem. However, the gem will get a bit glossy. If you don't want that paint over again with clear coat, right up the the edges of the gem but not over it.
That's about it! 

These really make an impact on any outfit!

If you share/use/post this tutorial, please link back to me. It is much appreciated! Don't use my photos without crediting me please!

Leather-Wrapped Stone Necklace: Men's Jewelry Tutorial

The second of my Men's Jewelry Tutorials, this tutorial features leather-wrapped gemstones on chain. I was inspired to make these from my pile of gemstones I had been collecting; they were just laying around. I was looking for a more unique way to wrap them then the ordinary wire wrap. Much like my Painted Leather Bracelets, these use recycled leather and metallic paint. These are very chic yet still have detailing from the painted leather, and if you choose a textured stone, the unique pattern of the stone. You can also leave the leather unpainted if you wish! 

I do not recommend using transparent stones here, just opaque ones. Using a metallic stone such as hematite here contrasts the matte leather nicely. Stones such as obsidian (the red one) have cool patterns that make the piece more unique! Don't use a large heavy stone here, it will weigh the design down too much.

Let's get started!

Step 1: Gather materials. Needed is a piece of leather (or flat leather string), a stone, glue (E-6000), and ball chain. Also, you will need acrylic metallic paint if you wish to paint the leather.

Step 2: Take your leather, and cut it into a thin strip. Place a coat of glue on one side of the strip. Place the end of the strip on the backside of the stone, then wrap around the front of the stone, until the strip ends meet; cut to fit as needed (second pic). Once the ends are cut, place glue on top of the ends to adhere more. 

Step 3: To make the loop, take another strip of leather (or the excess you cut off) and glue it right above your previous wrap of leather on the backside. Bend it backwards to make a loop, and glue this yet again to hold (pic 2). Place even more glue over all the edges to adhere. Let this dry. If you would like to paint this, feel free to use metallic acrylic paint (I use brand Folk Art). If you want the leather to remain plain, that's cool too!

String the loop through the ball chain. Finished!

Don't use any heavy stones here. Small ones are best!

If you share/use/post this tutorial, please link back to me. It is much appreciated! Don't use my photos without crediting me please!