Essie Braziliant with a Gold Glitter Gradient

This is Essie Braziliant with a gold glitter gradient on top.  This is the prefect orange for me.  For the gold glitter gradient, add some glitter about 1/8 inch down the nail.  Apply a second coat of glitter about 1/4 inch down the nail.  Wipe your brush off.  Apply what is left on the brush an additional 1/8 inch inch down the nail (3/8).  Apply a little further down the nail (4/8 or 1/2 inch) in the center of the nail .  Apply a top coat.  Glitter gradients are hard to photograph.  It looks better in real life. 

Wet 'n Wild Megalast Heatwave

Wet 'n Wild Megalast Heatwave is a great color.  It reads a little more red indoors.  This is a red coral or an orange-y red.  It is a really nice summer color.  The index finger got nicked almost immediately after I finished this manicure. In the pic below, I used Hard Candy Matte-ly in Love to make shiny/matte and matte/shiny dots.  Every nail has a coat of Sally Hansen Insta-Dri  top coat to help extend the wear of the polish.  Then I used the dotting tool to add matte dots to the thumb and ring fingers.  I added a coat of Matte-ly in Love to the other fingers.  Then I used a dotting tool and Sally Hansen Insta-Dri topcoat to add shiny dots to those nails.

The name makes me think of Marilyn Monroe singing Heatwave in There's No Business Like Show Business.  The video I added below is more fun then Marilyn.  :)

Sally Hansen Salon Effects Real Nail Polish Strips

Sadly, I was not impressed with the stick on nail polish. It just didn't work for me.  It is hard to line up with the cuticles.  I found it hard to apply.  My nails curve a lot from side to side and cuticle to tip.  Applying these was like wallpapering or decoupaging a curved surface.  It is hard to get the polish smooth not wrinkled.  You can see lots of wrinkles in the above pic.  Sally Hansen gives you several size options, but non were a good match for my ring finger.  The wear on this was just O.K.  I think the wear would have been better if I had filed the excess polish sticker away from the top instead of doing it the way they instructed.  I also thought these looked a little fake in person.  I felt they looked like stickers, and not like polish.  All in all, I'd rather just paint my nails.  I didn't find these easier or better then just polishing.

White Dots on White Manicure

This is one coat of Wet n Wild Megalast Break the Ice. I used a dotting tool to make white dots with Sally Hansen Whirlwind White.  Then I added a second coat of Break the Ice.  Some of the dots are a little wonky.  My year old nephew, who shows no interest in me (He is in a Mommy only stage), suddenly became very interested in me when I was doing the dots.  I'm on to you little boy.  You only find me interesting when I show no interest in you.  Don't think you are the first man to try that technique!  I think this manicure would be nice in winter with a snowflake or snowman on an accent finger.
Break the ice is a nice color.  It is a shear white with shimmer.  It never really becomes opaque, If I were going to wear this polish without the dots, I'd probably do three coats.

4th of July Manicure

This is the manicure I did for the 4th of July.  Meh.  I'll do something different for my next patriotic manicure.  Wet n Wild Megalast Break the Ice is the base.  Then I used the Salon Express stamping kit (as seen on TV) for the stars and stripes.  I used OPI Big Apple Red and Wet n Wild Denim Chrome.  The size of the stamps are way too small for my nails.  The stamp on the pinky fit, but it is way too small for the rest of the nails.  As you can see, the ring finger stamp doesn't reach the cuticle and it isn't wide enough for the nail.  The stars were stamped horizontally with two stamps.  If you are interested in full nail stamps, skip the Salon Express kit.  I think the stamps would be too small for all but children's nails.

Blue Ombre Nails

This is a blue ombre manicure.  From light to dark:  Wet n Wild Megalast Bird Bath, L'Oreal Now You Sea Me, Sinful Colors Aquamarine, Revlon Colorstay Midnight, and Orly Star of Bombay.  I really liked this manicure.

Gray Dot Manicure

The base for this manicure is Revlon Colorstay Stormy Night.  Then I used a dotting tool to add dots.  The dots are Wet n Wild Gray's Anatomy, Zoya Laney, Zoya Harley, Milani Mrs. Milani, and a random black polish.  When I do this again, I won't use Gray's Anatomy.  I didn't like the way  the purple cast it gives mixes with the other gray polishes.  I liked this manicure and this pattern.  I'll definitely do this again.