Happy Mani-tines!

What’s a holiday (and yes, Valentine’s Day is a holiday) without a matching manicure?

Ring my bell.

Hokey? Duh. Cute? Absolutely.

Let your fingers spread the love.

After applying a base coat, apply two layers of pink and wait for it to dry completely (or you will not be feeling the love with smudged nails) before swiping one thick layer of red on the tips of your digits. Follow with your choice of top coat (I prefer Seche Vite Dry Fast top coat).

Essie in Short Shorts and E! Live From the Red Carpet.

Now go get your nail love on!

CBXB

Fangtastic Fingers

I vant to suck your blood.
Well, really I don’t because it might ruin my nails.

Known for being anything but subtle, I choose coordinating holiday colors for my Hallowmani.

Who doesn’t match their mani to their decor?

After applying a base coat, I doubled up on Sally Hansen’s pumpkin hued polish in Crushed. Letting that dry a few minutes, I followed with a swipe of Orly’s GOTH on the tips of my talons and with a slightly steady hand (I like to have two glasses of wine before attempting this step) I glided Salon Perfect nail art in Silver Plated between the black and orange colors.

No matter what mani I’ve just completed, I always use Seche Vite Dry Fast topcoat. Always.

Terrifying trio.

Curiosity almost killed New Cat (by yours truly), as he risked one of his nine lives to photo bomb my set-up.

My little shit taking my less than professional photo shoot down 14 notches.

But I kept my cool because that’s what a self-appointed Queen of Halloween would do, right?

Naturally.

Happy haunting.

CBXB

Only in A-mani-ca

Being that subtlety isn’t my strong suit, I had to up the gaudy ante by splish splashing my love of America with a patriotic mani for the Fourth of July.

Sparkle AND shine.

To achieve this look, I followed a base coat with Orly’s Star Spangled (fitting, yes?).  After allowing the two coats of red to dry a few minutes, I applied Aruba Blue by Essie on the tips of my nails.  With a quick swipe of Silver Plated by Salon Perfect (which I purchased at the Dollar Tree and can’t find a website to link here – probably because of where I bought it…) in between the red and blue hues followed by one brush of Seche Vite Dry Fast top coat, my patriotic mani was complete.

Surely Uncle Sam’s choice of polish this time of year.

Be careful with the backyard fireworks this weekend friends! Don’t worry about me as I’ll be sitting back and admiring my mani work, watching someone else light the wicks and run for their life.

I mean, where else can I unabashedly tell others that my nails are “jewels, not tools”?

Only in A-mani-ca.

CBXB

Will You Be My Mani-tine?

A Valentine mani.

No holiday passes CBXB by without the need to paint my nails gaudily accordingly.  So here’s my stab at melting hearts with my mani this week.

I used a trio of colors to achieve my look:

Salon Perfect in Silver Plated, Sally Hansen in White On and Orly in Star Spangled.

After applying one swipe of base coat, I painted two coats of White On and let it dry a few minutes.

Then, I put a thick coat of Orly’s Star Spangled on the tips of my talons.

To take the gaudiness up a notch, I applied a thin line of Silver Plated in between the red and white hues. Followed by one swipe of my all-time favorite Seche Vite Dry Fast top coat.

Then I did what any grown woman does after painting her nails.  I started matching my nails to Valentine’s decor.

Be mine.

And why stop at decor, when you can color coordinate your mani to the wine you’ll be guzzling?

The cork in this bottle reads “Who wears the pants? I wear the pants.” No one tell Teddy!

Now I just need to get a matching wine glass (or two – you know, one for each manicured hand).

CBXB

A Griswold Family Mani

We’re kicking off our fun old fashion family Christmas by heading out into the country in the old front-wheel drive sleigh to embrace the frosty majesty of the winter landscape and select that most important of Christmas symbols.

Does anyone not watch the classic movie National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation over the holiday season?

If you don’t, stop what you’re doing and go watch it. Now.

Russ, we checked every bulb, didn’t we?

Because I’m trying to adorn my body like a Christmas tree this season, I festively painted my nails while watching my all-time favorite movie.

After a base coast, I applied two coats of Lancome’s Code Red and let it dry a few minutes.

Using Sally Hansen Hard As Nails Xtreme Wear in White On, I painted on thick strip across the top of my nails.

Following a ten minute dry down (it’s imperative you let the white dry, or it will bleed into the next step – trust me. I’m speaking from impatient experience).

One thin swipe of Salon Perfect in Silver Plated completes the look between the red and white hues.

Finish with Seche Vite Dry Fast top coat and you are all set.

Can I refill your eggnog for you? Get you something to eat? Drive you out to the middle of nowhere and leave you for dead?

Merry Christmas. Kiss my ass. Kiss his ass. Kiss your ass. Happy Hanukkah.

Happy manicuring and cheers to the Griswolds!

CBXB