Obsessed With Nails!

I've found my blue!

2011-06-27T10:05:00.001-04:00

After a search that lasted many months for a Revlon baby blue nail polish I had seen in a magazine, I finally found it! It's called "Waterfall" and it's gorgeous! However, I had always imagined it was a creme color. It has a very subtle hint of glitter. The day I found it, I also found Sephora by OPI "Havana Dreams" which is the same beautiful blue color minus the sparkle! I've had it on for 8 days now with very little chipping! I love this color for summer and HIGHLY recommend anyone with a thing for nail polish pick up a bottle!! Pictures below.. Last picture is day 8.. The picture Where I'm holding the bottle is mire true to color than the others. (worn with seche vite base and top coat - which works miracles anyway!)

Summer favorites so far..

2011-06-23T18:45:00.001-04:00

Hey guys! I wanted to do this quick post before I head off to the beach. This isn't really about nails, but I love how my look turned out today! I went with a shimmery neutral eye (revlon "not just nudes" creme quad) with a little pop of summer color (bare essentials "azure"). On my lips I have revlon colorstay lip liner in "rose" and finished that off with some great new all-natural lip gloss from Mad Gabs. I am in a small testing group for this local Maine company which makes lip products. They're amazing and all-natural! I'll be doing a full review after the testing period, but so far I love it! Perfect consistency and pigmentation! I have my hair in a fishtail braid - these are so cute for summer! So I'll leave you with a few pictures so you know what on earth I'm talking about!! XO Andrea

P.s. If you don't follow me on twitter then you may not have seen my tribal inspired nails! Picture below!

Goodbye Laptop!

2011-06-16T02:02:00.000-04:00

So tomorrow is my last day of finals, and that means I have to turn in my laptop (because it's school provided thanks to the MLTI program). As I am scrambling to back up all my photos and such to the server, I am trying to edit and upload as much as I can of my tutorials that haven't been posted. As you may or may not know, uploading a YouTube video takes a good hour or so and editing can take more than that. This is truly a marathon for me!

Today was also day 3 with the Revlon Top Speed "Cupid" manicure. I swear to you they would've lasted for a week more if it weren't for a tragic accident when I was removing a clients manicure. I tried to protect them by wearing a glove but I guess my efforts did not prevail. When I took off the glove, I uncovered a totally ruined nail!

So I removed the polish.... :'(
Being me, I promptly moved on to the next best thing - my new nail polishes! I chose "Mint Green" by CG (purchased at rite aid) and here is what that looks like:

These were featured in my quick update video.

Although I may not be making videos as often, you can still keep up with me here, and on twitter!

Test Run: Day 2 (Revlon Top Speed)

2011-06-14T21:39:00.000-04:00

So, it's the end of day 2 with the "Cupid" nails by Revlon Top Speed (with Seche Vite base and top coat). They're fantastic! I absolutely love the color - a perfect bubble gum or barbie pink! It's showing up on camera as more of a hot pink, which it is, but not as red as it shows in the photos. Also, I've had 4 customers get this color! It's been an instant hit, and I've only had it for 2 days!

Here they are -- Day 2:

Keep in mind that for the past 2 days I've been really busy and my nails have kept up while chasing around my 3 year old nephew, and even withstanding flame!! (Not really... haha!) I was burning my school work as a celebratory measure at the end of the year! So I was crumpling up papers, throwing things into the fire, picking things up off of tar (and I was cringing waiting for them to chip - but they didn't), vigorous typing, etc. Besides the fact that they've grown out a little, they're still in mint condition!

I don't know if I owe it to the Seche Vite base and top coat, the Revlon nail color, or both! Either way these are both AMAZING products and I highly recommend them!

Get your daily fix!

2011-06-13T01:04:00.000-04:00

Follow me on twitter at: http://twitter.com/obsessedwnails

P.S. My nails today are a new color I picked up at RiteAid today, Revlon Top Speed in "Cupid"

I love the colors of their spring collection! They're amazing and I can't wait to try out some more. There is a pale blue I have had my eye on for a while now - maybe that'll be next.

(The colors in this picture are a bit off, (I'm not really orange, and it's not as 'hot') but you get the idea!)

A lot of people swear by their salon brands but I swing both ways. Drug store brands make up most of my nail polish collection - there are adorable colors and they are very affordable!

Tips for Prom Prep!

2011-05-14T01:23:00.000-04:00

Prom is and always has been a great excuse to get pampered, dress up, look gorgeous, and most of all, have fun! My prom is coming up (next Saturday, 21 May) and I'm so excited! But what can you do before prom to look and feel your best?

1. Work out!
30 minutes a day. This sounds a bit cliché, but besides the obvious health benefits and that it will help keep you in shape, working out actually releases endorphins which make you happy and actually give your skin a beautiful glow! Commit to doing 15-20 push-ups, 15-20 sit-ups, 15-30 second bridge, 15-30 second wall sit, etc. every morning when you wake up. You'll have the benefits previously mentioned and help you wake up and start your day on a positive note!

2. Go tanning/Lay out in the sun
You know how they say black is slimming? Well I think a tan is pretty slimming too! A nice tan can make anyone feel great about themselves, not to mention make them look awesome in their dress! Go to a tanning salon and ask a professional about how long you should tan for depending on your skin tone. Tan 3-4 times in the two weeks before prom. If you're underage, don't have your parents' "okay", you've watched the Final Destination movies, or are otherwise morally opposed to tanning in a bed, you can just do it the old fashioned way! Lay out in your yard for a couple hours with a tanning oil (some have just a little spf - the one I use is Rite Aid brand dark tanning oil, spf 2). This will leave you with a nice glow for prom! Note: Keep in mind that you don't want to tan within three days of the event. Nobody wants to be a lobster for prom! Also... Make sure your tan lines work for your dress - if you go in a tanning bed, just go nude! Who's there to see you?

3. Do your nails!!!
This should have been #1 considering this is a nail blog! Ha! Well, we all know that nails are the best accessory any girl could have. Who wouldn't want to take advantage of that - especially for an event like prom! French tips are a classic prom manicure. I just posted a new tutorial for Easy & Flawless French Tips!

4. Double Sided Tape
Especially for tricky dresses, low cut necklines, etc., this is your friend. Need I say more?

5. Makeup & Hair
These things could go horribly wrong if not executed correctly. If you're good at doing makeup or if you're good at doing hair, consider if it would be worth saving the money that you would be spending on a salon visit. Curling hair is hard to do if you're not experienced. If you've mastered straightening your hair, don't do it! If you wear your hair down and straight, it'll look like it does every other day of your life! Splurge on the $40-50 up-do/style. Same goes with makeup. Your makeup needs to step up to the occasion. You're going to be in a lot of pictures, so make sure to exaggerate eyeshadow (NOT liner!) and blush so it's noticeable in the photos. Again, if you're not makeup savvy, splurge on the salon visit. $20-30 is totally worth it!

It's your day. It only comes once a year, right? You've already spent loads of money on your dress and shoes, why not make them look even better?! If you have any tips or questions, please leave a comment below and let me know what you think!

Good luck, and have a blast!

xoxo Andrea

A Few 'Never Before Seen' Designs!

2011-03-29T16:30:00.000-04:00

 I found a few manicure pictures on iPhoto that never quite made it to YouTube. I thought maybe you all would like to see them - so here you go! My never before seen nail designs! (with the exception of the animal prints).

  This was a manicure I tried out around Valentine's Day. It's pretty easy  to do - the hardest part is making sure the hearts line up. It's cute, but I didn't love it (no pun intended!).

 I know these are certainly not 'never before seen', but here is a sampling of my animal prints. From left to right they're Cheetah/Leopard, Koi Fish, Peacock, Zebra, and Giraffe on the thumb. Tutorials for these designs can be found on my YouTube channel.

This is an Accent Dot Manicure. It's really modern and fun. 

This can be achieved with a dotting tool and a bit of patience! Have fun mixing up the color combination!

These are only a few of many designs I haven't shared yet - stay tuned for more 'never before seen' designs!

 If you would  like to see a tutorial for any of these, or have any suggestions, please  leave me a comment and let me know! 

Spring Floral Nails!

2011-03-25T10:15:00.002-04:00

I LOVE THIS DESIGN!! I am currently sporting this manicure, and I have gotten so many compliments I've lost count! It's perfect for spring and summer -- which will hopefully be here SOON!
This is one of the easiest designs I have ever created. the day I posted the pictures online, I got four nail appointments! I'd love to do all of your nails - but unfortunately we aren't all local! Here is a tutorial so you can achieve this look for yourself. If you can make a dot, you can do this design! Good luck, and enjoy!

P.S. Cross your fingers for spring!

Valentine's Nails

2011-02-09T23:44:00.000-05:00

So, with Valentine's Day coming up (ugh..) I decided it would be a good opportunity to make a tutorial. However, as I began painting my nails in preparation to film the tutorial, I was having so much fun choosing the cute colors and got so excited to write the Sweetheart messages that I didn't realize until I was completely done that I never actually recorded the tutorial... haha oops!

I guess it's really not that complicated of a concept that it requires the step by step instruction of a tutorial though. I just painted my nails all the pretty pastel colors of Necco Sweethearts candies and then wrote the classic messages on each nail with a nail detailing brush. (Color names below...)

I hope this inspires you and that you are able to enjoy your Valentine's Day whether you have a Valentine or not! Hey - at least it's an excuse to eat chocolate! ;)

Thumb: 

(First Kiss) A mixture of "Alpine Snow" and "Atomic Orange"  by OPI

1st finger:

(I <3 you) "Bikini Envy" by OPI

Middle:

(Kiss Me) "A Grape Fit" by OPI

Ring:

(Be Mine) "Chapel of Love" by OPI

Pinky:

(XOXO) "Tweetie" by Wet N' Wild (from many years ago...)

My Nails Today: "Blue Sky" by Chameleon

2011-01-20T23:27:00.000-05:00

Today I am wearing "Blue Sky" by Chameleon. When I saw this nail polish on the shelf at my local Rite Aid, I was instantly drawn to it because of the unique coloring. Every time I look at it, it appears a different shade of purple, teal, green, or blue. It's a truly remarkable color - I haven't seen any polishes like it before. The colors remind me of the colors in a peacock feather.

I had never seen this brand before, so (being skeptical), I only bought this one bottle in order to test it out. Now that I have tried out the polish and am thoroughly impressed with the color quality and am satisfied with the overall wear, I can't wait to try out more colors! They're amazing!! I really can't express it -- go find these and find out for yourself! It is quite inexpensive (around $3/bottle).

About the picture--

I have to admit, when I tried to take a picture to swatch the polish for you, the pictures just wouldn't do it justice. I found this image online and it really shows a wide range of the spectrum of colors within this polish.

The importance of: NOT biting your nails!

2011-01-17T21:46:00.001-05:00

Are you a nail biter? It's a bad habit for millions of people, but I find it absolutely disgusting! If you have tried to kick the habit but keep catching yourself nibbling away at your stubby nails, think about this!

Think of something you touch every day.  

Whatever it is, think about licking it. Every single thing you touch every day. That's what you're doing every time you bite your nails. Would you put your tongue on your keyboard? A doorknob? Money? A friend or coworkers hand? Do you know where that has been or who else has touched it? Yuck! Even if you wash your hands regularly, there is still stuff underneath your nails! All the germs and dirt and other nasty particles that get trapped underneath your nails are going in your mouth. That's how you get sick!

If you still find yourself biting away, try keeping a rubber band around your wrist. Every time you notice yourself biting away - give it a good snap! Eventually your brain will associate biting your nails with this irritating sting and your subconscious mind won't wander to your poor nails.

If this isn't enough of a reason to stop biting your nails, I don't know  what is!

You can grow long, strong, beautiful nails! 

So stop that biting!!

Why a blog?

2011-01-12T13:34:00.000-05:00

So...........

Why a blog?

1. I feel really bad because I haven't been able to upload videos as often as I would like to...

2. It's easier to make a blog post than film, edit, and upload a tutorial!

3. I can stay in touch with my viewers, so I won't be totally MIA in between videos!

4. You can have more frequent updates on what I'm up to, what nail trends/polishes I'm liking, etc.

I always feel like I shouldn't get too personal on my videos, but here you'll get a little more Andrea :)

Feel free to check in with me here anytime, as well as on Twitter, and don't forget -- I'm still on YouTube! So follow my new obsessed with nails blog to make sure you don't miss out on what's to come: nail of the day, product reviews, nail trends, hot colors, and maybe even... *gasp* ...GIVEAWAYS?!?!

xo Andrea