Neon week-psychedelic Hello Kitty

I'm concluding neon week a little late, but with one of my favorites-Hello Kitty! I liked Hello Kitty as a kid, and as a teacher's aide, I  still see her a lot. The adorable feline is as lovable as ever, all these years later! I wanted to do a neon look that's as cheerful as she is, so this is what I came up with. Find out what colors I used and what problem I encountered doing this mani, after the jump!

Neon week- Palm Trees (at sunset)

Gah! Things are not going smoothly for me right now, I'd planned to have this posted way earlier in the week. However, I was rendered useless on Sunday and part of Monday by food poisoning.

Palm trees at sunet design, shade

I won't keep dwelling on my problems and instead will think of the beach, with the waves crashing, palm trees swaying and the sun going down.  Are you as relaxed as I am yet? Good! Hopefully that's the atmosphere these "neon trees" capture.

Palm trees at sunset design, sun

Join me after the jump for more pictures and to find out what colors I used in this eye-searing gradient!

Neon week- rainbow leopard

Stamped leopard print manicure, with neon accent

Here is my take on a pretty classic kind of nail art, the leopard print manicure. I actually have a soft spot for leopard print, because it's the first kind of nail art I ever did. Back then, it was a pretty standard gold, brown and black scheme- nothing like the crazy combo I have here.

This manicure features a simple white base with black stamping, and an array of neon polishes. Find out what colors I used and check out some more pictures, after the jump!

Neon week- zebra skittles

As a teacher's aide, I go to class "circle time" every day and am painfully aware that summer is officially drawing to an end. (Fall officially begins this coming Saturday, the 22nd.) Before it's officially over, I wanted to do some manicures featuring some of the fluorescent polishes I've sported over the summer. Here's my first one.

Neon zebra skittles

I'm sure you've seen a ton of zebra print and a ton of neons in the past, but I couldn't find many images of the type of mani I'm sporting now and I figure it can't hurt to share.

To see more pictures and find out what polishes I used, plus to see bonus pics featuring my thumbs, join me after the jump!

VIVA MEXICO! Mexican Independence Day mani

September 16th is Mexican Independence Day, and I couldn't let the day pass by without doing some Mexico themed nails. My parents are both from Mexico, and while I am proud to to call myself an American, part of me is always connected to the land of the Aztecs.  Some of my happiest childhood memories happened in Mexico, and there are many people I love who live there.

Further proof of the festivities at my house- red, white and green dessert!

See a few more pictures, plus find out why this mani is a my 2nd attempt-all after the jump!

Plastic wrap nails, featuring Sinful Colors Innocent and Amethyst

Sinful Colors Inoocent and Amethyst, natural light lamp

I am not the best at nail art, and I don't have as much free time as I would like to dedicate to my polish hobby. It's probably these facts that makes me adore plastic wrap nails so much! They have a cool, textured look and don't require any kind of special talent. You just ball up your plastic and go! I did some plastic wrap nails with 2 Sinful Colors polishes, Innocent (lime green) and Amethyst (purple creme). I think the fact that the color choice is a bit unexpected is what makes this look really fun!

Join me for my thoughts on both polishes and more (blurry) pictures after the jump!

I celebrated my birthday with Deborah Lippmann......Across the Universe

Deborah Lippmann Across the Universe with accent nail, sun

Across the Universe is the only Deborah Lippmann polish that I've seriously considered paying full retail price for. None of the other polishes the brand offers impresses me quite as much as this jelly blue glitter bomb. Luckily, I was able to take advantage of a special offer from the company and got ATU for $9. It's still way more than I usually am willing to pay for a polish, but Across the Universe was definitely worth it to me.  

Across the Universe is so special to me that I felt like I would only wear it on a special occasion. That's why I waited until my birthday last week to wear it as a full mani. I wanted to do an intersting accent nail, and that's why I wore a blue green glass fleck gradient. Find out what polishes I used for the gradient (and base) and see more pictures, after the jump!

Comparison-Salon Express Nail Art Paint vs. Konad

Salon Express Nail Art Paint on the middle and pinky fingers, Konad black on the index and pointer

I have a polish friend who's really into stamping, and she prefers special stamping polish for her stamping. Because of her influence, when I saw that Salon Express had their own stamping polishes, I went ahead and picked them up. I was able to access some Konad black polish for a comparison, which is what I have for you today. 

Find out where to find Salon Express Nail Art Paint and see more pics, after the jump!