Another New Years Design!

My last New Years Eve design for 2015. I am sticking with the glitter gradient design because I am so in love with it this year! This time I created a lighter gradient base. 

Here are the products I used to create this look:

CND Stickey Base Coat

OPI Alpine Snow

Essie Topless and BarefootNicole by OPI Kissed At Midnight 

(chunky  and fine gold and silver glitter)

Make up Sponge

Liquid Latex

HK Girl Top Coat

Give this design a try by following my tutorial- you can go polished for the holiday's too! Click on the link below for the full length tutorial.

Nail Tutorial: White, Nude and Glitter Gradient

-Go Polished

New Years Manicure-Black and Silver Triangle Nails

This is a simple and easy manicure that would be fun for New Years! I know it's not super original, but I LOVE black and silver together. 

Here are the supplies I used to create this look:

CND Stickey Base Coat

OPI Black Onyx

OPI Haven't The Foggiest

HK Girl Top Coat

What's Up Nails Regular Straight Tape (you can also just use masking or painters tape)

Click on the link below for the full length tutorial!

Nail Tutorial: Black and Silver Triangle Nails

- Go Polished

Tips for Liquid Sand Polishes

When liquid sand polishes came out a few years ago and were all the rage I was curious to see what all the hype was about. I heard that they dried fast, lasted longer on the nail, were opaque in one coat, were easy to use and all of polishes were so unique and beautiful. All those things intrigued me. Below are some examples of a few:

I decided to swatch one of the bottles in store to give them a little test (shame on me) and they were so scratchy! When my nail rubbed against my other fingers it totally gave me the willies! It was like someone scratching their fingernail on the chalk board. So, needless to say I didn't purchase one. But they were so pretty! Dang.

Then I had been doing a lot of research on how to cover up the texture of regular glitter on nails because obviously I have issues. Through Young Wild and Polished I discovered this handy little product-

American Classics Gelous! It is just the right rubbery thickness to cover that pesky glitter grit-along with a good top coat. So, I also tried it with my sand polishes (I only have a few), and it works great. It doesn't make it completely smooth, but smooth enough. I also pair it with a good fast drying top coat. I find it works better if you do only one coat of your sand polish that covers all the nail but isn't too thick, then one coat of Gelous and a top coat. Sometimes I will even repeat the Gelous and top coat again. Just know that if you do, it will take longer to dry.

I recently added OPI Ce-less-tial Is More from the Winter 2015 Starlight Collection! It's so beautiful. It's a silver, gold and rose gold polish with iridescent glitter. I knew it would be so perfect for New Years! A glamorous, simple and easy manicure! Or just pair it with your favorite color for a pretty accent nail.

So if you have been wanting to try liquid sand polishes, try it with this and see what you think.  I would still try other products for this purpose so I will keep searching for something even better and let you know when I find it. If you have something that you think works better than this, let me know!

-Go Polished

My #6 Favorite Winter Polish for 2015...

OPI Guys & Galaxies

This deep maroon polish is new from OPI's Winter 2015 Starlight Collection (Star Wars). I love how classic this color is and I feel like it will look good on any skin tone. The formula is a dream, and it was opaque in two smooth coats. I am really happy I picked it up! The swatch below is two coats. 

When I picked Guys and Galaxies up at Ulta last month I thought it would be the same color as Essie's Carry on (which I love), but I was happy to see that G&G is more red toned and Carry On is more dusty and purple toned. Yay! Sleigh Ride for Two is a similar maroon color but has that glittery metallic sheen. So it stands alone in my collection!

I knew I wanted to save G&G for New Years, and I knew I wanted to add some gold glitter to it. So I am elated that New Years is finally here!! Let's party people!! Okay, sorry I got a little carried away, nail polish will do that to me sometimes :). Anyway I love, love, LOVE it! 

So of coarse I made a tutorial for you because I want you to go polished on New Years too!

Here are the products I used (with links)

CND Stickey Base Coat

OPI Guys & Galaxies

OPI Cel-less-tial is More (rose gold iridescent glitter)

Wet N Wild Waiting for my Solo (chunky gold glitter)

HK Girl Top Coat

Click on the link below for the full tutorial with LOTS of important tips for this look!

*If you create this look use #gopolishednails in Instagram so I can see it!

Nail Tutorial: Glitter Gradient (maroon and gold)

-Go Polished

My #5 favorite winter polish for 2015...

Zoya Hunter!

Zoya Hunter was part of the Fall 2013 Cashmere collection. It is a slightly dusky, dark forest green. It is a perfect green for the holidays or the fall and winter. The first coat of this polish is a little patchy, but by the second coat it has full coverage. The swatch below is two coats. I love me a good creme green!

This really is the only true forest green polish I have. Here is a comparison to other greens in my collection. Obviously they are not even close to each other, but it gives you a good idea of the color tone when they are photographed next to each other. Looks like I need to pick a few more greens to try since it is my favorite color ;).

I decided to do a gradient with this polish. I think this gradient can be perfect for the holidays if you want something more classic and subtle. At the same time it can be a winter manicure that won't scream "holiday". 

Here are a list of supplies I used to make this gradient design:

Zoya Hunter

OPI Black Onyx

Make Up Sponge

Liquid Latex (for easy clean-up)

I already made a full tutorial for this look with a plum color, so I didn't make another one. I just have the color on the tip and black at the base for this one, and in the other video I have black tips and the color on the base. Does that make any sense? Anyway, just click on the link for the full tutorial!

Nail Tutorial: Gradient Nails

-Go Polished

Red Sweater Nails

Red Sweater Nails

I tried these What's Up Nail sweater stickers for the first time today. 

I discovered as I began to use them that they are definitely made for people with longer fingernails. I definitely couldn't fit the whole design on my nail, I could barely just fit the snowflake and one detailed line :/. So, that was kind of disappointing. I wish they made them smaller. Although, at the same time, it was pretty tricky getting all the stickers out of the stencil, so I am not sure they could even make them any smaller. Bummer. So, I decided to make one of the detail lines a french tip and I think it was a good decision because I think it turned out very pretty! So despite me being disappointed at first I was pretty pleased with the result. What do you guys think?!

I also love the red, white and gold combo. I need to  make a quick shout out for OPI Red! It's just gorgeous! I hadn't pulled it out for a long time until this week. It's such a nice juicy red!! It's a staple for any nail polish lover for sure.

Here is a list of products I used to get this design:

OPI Big Apple Red

OPI Alpine Snow

OPI All Sparkly and Gold

What's Up Nails Sweater Stencil

Click on the link below for the full length tutorial! You can go polished too, give it a try!

*If you recreate this look use #gopolishednails in Instagram so I can see your design.

Nail Tutorial: Red and White Sweater Nails

-Go Polished

Black and Gold Fishnet

Black and Gold Fishnet Nail Design

Black and gold are so classic and together they are perfect for the holidays! This nail design is appropriate for Christmas or New Years, especially with that added sparkle. My tutorial makes it simple for you to create this design. If you don't have the striping tape, you can use a brush and paint on the gold lines yourself. :) 

Here are the products I used to create this design:

CND Stickey Base Coat

OPI Black Onyx

Essie Good As Gold

OPI All Sparkly and Gold

Essie Gel Setter Top Coat

What's Up Nails Skinny Straight Tape

Dotting Tools

Click on the link below for the full length tutorial! You can go polished too!

*If you recreate this design use #gopolishednails so I can see your nails!

Nail Tutorial: Black and Gold Fishnet

-Go Polished

Candy Cane French Tip

Candy Cane French Tip

Of coarse I had to do something inspired by candy canes for Christmas. I love this candy cane french tip manicure. Pretty and simple and doesn't take much time! Lots of important tips in my full tutorial so be sure and watch it. :)

Here are the supplies I used to create this look:

CND Stickey Base Coat

OPI Bubble Bath

OPI Alpine Snow

OPI Big Apple Red

Essie No Place Like Chrome

What's Up Nails French Tip Tape

What's Up Nails #12 Striper brush

inm Out The Door Top Coat

HK Girl Top Coat

Click on the link below for the full length tutorial! Give this manicure a try! You can go polished too!

*If you recreate this design use #gopolihednails in Instagram so I can see your nails!

Nail Tutorial: Candy Cane French Tip

-Go Polished

Shatterd Glass Christmas Tree

Shattered Glass Christmas Tree

Since shattered glass nails are the new trend, I wanted to incorporate it into a christmas nail design and decided to go for a Christmas tree. I think it turned out pretty simple and classic. I couldn't find any iridescent green cellophane, so I decided to use some tinsel I had on hand at home. It appears to look 3D even though it's not, which I think is pretty cool! If I did it again I think I would have done a gold star because the silver didn't show up as much as I would like it to.

Here are the supplies (with links) I used:

CND Stickey Base Coat

Essie Urban Jungle

OPI Pirouette My Whistle

OPI Make Light of the Situation

Essie No Place Like Chrome

HK Girl Top Coat

Green Tinsel

Dotting Tool (to pick up tinsel pieces)

Click on the link below for the full length tutorial on my YouTube Channel. Don't forget to subscribe!

*If you recreate this design use #gopolishednails in Instagram so I can see it!

Nail Tutorial: Shattered Glass Christmas Tree

-Go Polished

Navy and Silver Snowflake Nail Design

Keeping with the snowflake trend- here is my next snowflake nail design. I LOVE navy and silver together- they are just perfect! Right?!

 Here are the supplies I used to create this manicure:

CND Stickey Base Coat

Essie Bobbing for Baubles

Essie No Place Like Chrome

Color Club Silver Glitter

OPI Alpine Snow

What's Up Nails Snowflake Sticker/Stencil

HK Girl Top Coat

Make up sponge

Pure Acetone

Clean up Brush (Sonia Kashuk)

Click on the link below for the full tutorial! Thanks for coming to my blog :)

*If you recreate this design use #gopolishednails in Instagram so I can see it!

Nail Tutorial: Navy and Silver Snowflake Nail Design

-Go Polished

Polar Bear with Gradient

I love the holiday season!! This week I will have several Holiday nail designs, it should be fun! We just had our first big snow storm and it had me craving some snow designs. So, I am going to start with this cute Polar Bear on a blue gradient! It's just so wintery!!

Here are the supplies I used:

CND Stickey Base Coat

OPI Alpine Snow

Sally Hansen Dive In

Essie Blossom Dandy

OPI Black Onyx

Essie She's Pampered

Essie Master Plan

HK Girl Top Coat

Dotting Tools

Make up sponges

What's Up Nails #12 Striping brush

Pure Acetone

Clean up Brush (Sonia Kashuk)

Click on the link below for the full length tutorial!

*Please use #gopolishednails is you recreate this design so I can see it!

Nail Tutorial: Polar Bear with Gradient

-Go Polished

My #4 Favorite Winter Polish for 2015...

OPI- All I Want For Christmas (is OPI)!!

 This red polish is from the 2013 Mariah Carey Holiday collection. I have several from that collection that I love. All I Want For Christmas has been a favorite holiday red of mine since the day I bought it. It is a blue toned red and works well with my skin tone. The formula is nice and it applies evenly. The swatch below is two coats. 

 There are many dupes for red polishes. I only have a few reds in my collection to compare (I might need to branch out and get a few more :)). Compared to Essie Fishnet Stockings it is almost the exact same red, but if I had to pick it would be All I Want For Christmas because I LOVE OPI's brush so much! She's Pampered is a brighter red. 

 I have been dying to use this red for a plaid nail design, so I did! Nothing better than a Christmas Plaid right?!

Here are the supplies I used for this tutorial:

CND Stickey Base Coat

OPI All I Want For Christmas (is OPI)

OPI Black Onyx

Essie Good As Gold

OPI All Sparkly and Gold

What's Up Nails #10 detail brush

What's Up Nails #12 Striper brush

Click on the link below for a full length tutorial!

Nail Tutorial: Plaid (red, black and gold)

*if you recreate this design use #gopolishednails so I can see it!

-Go Polished

My #3 Favorite Winter Polish for 2015...

Essie Stylenomics!

You should know by now that green is my favorite color, and Styelnomics has to be one of my favorite greens for sure. It was released in 2012 in Essie's Fall Collection, but you can find it on Amazon. I have also seen it in local stores on occasion. Stylenomics is quite unique to my collection. It's a stunner! A deep forest green with a hint of blue, making it slightly teal, which is the main reason I love it so much. Sometimes I feel like a true forest green screams "holiday" (which is okay), but having it slightly more blue makes it different and appropriate for any occasion, including the holidays. Stylenomics has such a great formula and can be opaque in one thick coat.

The swatch above is two coats. 

Compared to Zoya Hunter which really is a true forest green you can really see just how blue Stylenomics leans. Another green in my stash is China Glaze Near Dark which is much more yellow toned. 

Since Christmas is approaching I wanted to create a holiday look, so I added a sparkly gold French tip. Wow! It's so classy and gorgeous and I don't want to take it off! But, I have many other holiday looks I need to do! :)

Here are the polishes I used to get this look:

 CND Stickey Base Coat

Essie Stylenomics

Essie Good As Gold

OPI My Favorite Ornament

HK Girl Top Coat

Click on the link below for a full length tutorial for this nail design!

*If you recreate this look use #gopolishednails (in Instagram) so I can see your designs!

And don't forget to subscribe to my YouTube Channel :)

Holiday Nails: Sparkly Gold French Tip

-Go Polished

My #2 Favorite Wiinter Polish for 2015...

 Essie Romper Room!

 I always love a good pale pink. I really can wear this type of color anytime of the year :). This is a more sheer polish. It does slightly suffer from that "not so fantastic" Essie formula, but some colors are just worth it! You just need to be careful when you apply it. The swatch below is three thick coats. It can take up to four if you apply thinner layers.

There are so many polishes similar to this one in color, so I didn't include a comparison photo. In my collection I have Romper Room and Essie Fiji, while their formulas are different (Romper Room is a little better to work with), they both are about the same color. Fiji is a slightly deeper pink. Essie released a new collection this Winter which included a pink called Peak Show which is very similar to Romper Room. I didn't find it necessary to pick that one up. I have heard the formula is pretty good though. It might be worth grabbing before it's gone. :)

I have been wanting to try to a Shattered Glass Nail Design for a while now. It's apparently all the rage. I really like the way it turned out. I wanted it to a look a little classier, so I opted to use black with the soft pink. I loved the way it turned out. What do you think about this trend? Like or dislike?

Here is a list of the products I used (with links):

CND Sticky Base Coat

Essie Romper Room

Essie Licorice

Iridescent cellophane

Top Coat (HK Girl)

Click on the link below for a full tutorial of this nail design! 

Nail Tutorial: Shattered Glass Nail Design

*If you recreate this design use #gopolishednails so I can see it!

-Go Polished

My #1 winter polish for 2015...

I really wanted a dark gray color for this winter. I came across this Infinite Shine polish-Strong Coal-ition and decided it was about time I tried them! I couldn't be happier with this color! It's the perfect charcoal gray, which is great for this time of year. 

Strong Coal-ition has great coverage and can be opaque in one thick coat. I always like to apply at least two though.

The primer (step 1) was very thin, but didn't run into the cuticles. It also dried very quickly. The nail lacquer (step 2) and Gloss top coat (step 3) were also thin and they both applied very smoothly. They apply like silk actually, which I really enjoyed. You can't beat that shine! I love me some shiny polish. I will let you know in a few days how well the polish holds up. :) You can check out my first impression on my tutorial for this nail design below.

I knew the nail design I wanted to do with this dark gray polish was a classic herringbone. I am so in love with it this season. I love the way it turned out and it was fairly easy to do! Link for tutorial below.

Here is a list of products I used to get this look (link included):

OPI Infinite Shine Primer

OPI Infinite Shine lacquer-Strong Coal-ition

OPI Gloss Top Coat

OPI Alpine Snow

China Glaze Intelligence, Integrity and Courage

Make-up Sponge

Dotting Tools

inm Out The Door Top Coat

HK Girl Top Coat

Pure Acetone

Sonia Kashuk Clean-up brush

-Click on the link below for the full length tutorial! 

*If you recreate this please use #gopolishednails so I can see your design!

Nail Tutorial: Herringbone Nail Design

-Go Polished

Winter 2015 Favorites!

These are my top 10 favorites for Winter! I will be doing an in depth review for each one as well as a nail design with a tutorial, so stay tuned for those! Let me know if you have any nail design requests. I am so looking forward to this!

Below is a list of all the polishes, in no particular order (with links to each one):

Essie Romper Room
OPI Guys and Galaxies
Essie Stylenomics
CND Couture Covet
OPI All I Want For Christmas (is OPI)
Zoya Hunter
Essie Virgin Snow
OPI Skating on Thin Iceland
OPI Strong Coal-ition
Zoya Kelly

-Go Polished

How I Paint My Nails

I have also had several requests to know how I paint my nails. I have learned everything I know from watching videos myself and trial and error. This tutorial I made is the way that works best for me, and it's pretty simple.

Once upon I time I wasn't that great of a nail painter. After a lot of practicing and following certain steps, I have improved SO much. I still have moments where I am sloppy, but that's okay :)! It's so easy to just clean it up. I hope you watch this video and are inspired to paint your nails! You can go polished too! It just takes a little patience and practice.

Here is a picture of products I am currently enjoying, of coarse as I try out more products they can change.

Base Coat: ORLY Bonder is my favorite base coat right now. There are still others I want to try though. It has a rubbery consistency, which I think helps hold the polish to your nail.

Strengthener (optional): I use OPI Nail Envy as a base coat (instead of ORLY Bonder) if I feel like my nails are peeling more than usual. In that case I will use if for a few weeks at a time. Technically it is not a base coat, but it works great and gives my nails that extra boost they need sometimes. Amazon always has the best price for this, around $10 a bottle. In the store it is about $20 a bottle.

Nail Polish: OPI Miami Beet was my nail polish of choice for this tutorial. It's been a favorite of mine for a long time! It is a polish that has excellent formula and is a color that works for any season!
Pure Acetone: I use this for clean-up. You can also use nail polish remover, but I feel like this makes the process so much easier.

Clean-up Brush: I am sure you know by now that I love the Sonia Kashuk no 105 smudge brush for clean-up. I do want to try other brushes. Hopefully I can do that soon, but this one does the job and has a pretty good price tag. You can purchase this at Target.

Top Coat: I am testing out a bunch of top coats right now, but I have been using HK Girl Top Coat for months and I LOVE it!

CND Solar Oil: Because acetone is so drying I like to use this to replenish the oils around my nail bed. I apply this every time I paint my nails.

E.L.F. Angle Brush: Using this angled brush helps me to have control. When I apply the oil after I paint my nails, they usually aren't completely dry, so I like to use this angled brush for more control.

If you decide you like any of the items I list below you might want to drop a hint to your significant other ;). They would make great stocking stuffers. Or, you can do what I do and just stuff your own stocking! Ha!

Click on the link below for the tutorial:

Nail Tutorial: How I Paint My Nails

Please remember to subscribe to my YouTube Channel and give me a thumbs up if you found this tutorial helpful!

-Go Polished

Thanksgiving Turkey Accent Nail

Thanksgiving is one of may favorite holidays! I can't wait to eat delicious food while reflecting on the things I am so grateful for! I thought it might be fun to do a turkey nail tutorial. I know it's super unoriginal, but it's cute and holiday appropriate :).

The supplies and links are listed below:

Base coat: ORLY Bonder
Dark brown polish: OPI How Great Is Your Dane?
Orange polish: OPI It's a Piazza Cake
Light brown polish: Zoya Chanelle
Red polish: Essie With The Band
White polish: OPI Alpine Snow
Black polish: OPI Black Onyx
Top coat: HK Girl
Detail brush: What's Up Nails Detail brush #1
Dotting Tools (Not pictured)
Clean up brush: Sonia Kashuk No. 105 smudge brush
Pure Acetone
Small container for acetone

Below is the link for the tutorial, be sure to subscribe to my Youtube channel and give me a thumbs up!

Nail Tutorial: Turkey Nail Design

Happy Thanksgiving!!

-Go Polished

My Nail Care Routine Tutorial

I have had several requests for a nail care routine, so I made one :). First, I want everyone to know that painting and caring for my nails is a hobby. I am not a professional and I don't claim to be one. Everything I do is based on trial and error for me personally, but I hope you will find some of these methods and tips helpful for you. Make sure to give my video a thumbs up after you watch it please-it will really help me out!

Also, I like my nails short, so I file them about every other time I paint my nails. So that ends up being about once a week. I do this entire routine about once every two to three weeks.

Here are the supplies I used in my tutorial:

PRODUCTS USED:

ZOYA Nail Polish Remover: This is the best nail polish remover I have ever used. I don't buy it all the time, but most of the time. You can buy this on Zoya.com, Amazon or Ulta. If I do buy a generic brand from Target or Walmart, I always buy the one that is moisturizing. 

Cotton Rounds: I prefer these over cotton balls. :)

Dr. G's Antimicrobial Callus and Cuticle Remover: I really love this cuticle remover! It's such a huge bottle, and has lasted for a long time, so I haven't really tried any other brands. I have heard that the Sally Hansen brand remover is good too. I bought this one at Sally's Beauty Supply, but you can also get it on Amazon (link above).

Tweezerman: My most favorite cuticle pusher. I have tried several. This one works best for me. :)

Nail Tek Crystal Nail File: I mostly use a crystal nail file. Sometimes I use nicer regular nail files, but I find that I get less nail peeling if I use a crystal file. 

Buffer Block: I think any brand of this will do. I like to use the buffer to smooth out the edges of my nails. I also buff the tops of my nails about once a month.

CND Solar Oil: I have tried several cuticle oils, this one is my favorite, and it smells SO good! I apply this carefully after each manicure. Using acetone for clean up is very drying and this helps a lot. I also use it as part of my nail care routine which you will see in the video tutorial below.

Click on the link below to see my nail care routine! I would love some feedback, and let me know if you have any questions about my methods or the products. :)

Nail Tutorial: My Nail Care Routine

-Go Polished