Alcohol Inks Tutorial

Hi everyone!  I've been a terrible blogger because I haven't been around much lately, I know.  Summer time is crazy at work and I've had to work several weekends, so my rare free time has been spent relaxing rather than blogging.  I hope you'll all forgive me!  Don't forget that you can follow me over on Instagram where I post pics of pretty much any manicure that doesn't make it into a blog post, so it's a great way to keep tabs on what's going on with my nails :)

To make up for my absence, I have a tutorial for you today...yay!  Many of you will have heard of an awesome new manicure technique called lead lighting.  Taking its name from a stained glass technique, lead lighting manicures feature stamping with black or a dark color over a white/light base.  Then the stamped design is filled in using sheer jelly polishes, mimicking the look of stained glass.  You can create some truly gorgeous and unique manis this way.  

When searching out jellies to try lead lighting for myself, I discovered I actually don't own very many suitable polishes for this technique.  Browsing around on the web gave me the idea of using alcohol inks to lightly pigment clear polish, but those inks can get a little pricey.  Further research let me know I could make my own alcohol inks at home, with supplies I had around the house so I thought I'd give it a try!

There are several "recipes" for DIY alcohol inks floating around the web using anything from KoolAid to food coloring to markers for the color part.  For my initial experiments, I tried food coloring, marker ink, and acrylic paint.  Each of these made a great alcohol ink, but once I started mixing them with the clear polish I ran into issues.  The marker ink caused the polish to thicken and separate rendering it unusable and the food coloring faded color so badly it became grey.  So I've settled on acrylic paint for my polish alcohol inks.

This is one of the easiest tutorials you'll see.  The supplies you'll need are paper towels for clean up (this stuff can get messy!), Rubbing Alcohol (I used 70% because it's what I had at home, but I've seen sites that recommend using 90%), Acrylic Paint (I recommend the liquid-y kind rather than what you'll find in a tube. You're mixing it so if it's already liquid it just makes things easier), a small cup for mixing, a bottle or jar to store your ink in, and a bottle of clear nail polish (I used Wet 'n' Wild's Clear Nail Protector because it was on sale at Walgreen's for $0.69).  If you have a small funnel, it will come in handy but it's not necessary.  Also, acrylic paint is permanent!  If you're worried about staining, make sure to wear old clothes and cover your work surfaces.  You can also wear latex or rubber gloves to protect your hands.

To start, pour a small amount of rubbing alcohol into your mixing cup and add a few drops of acrylic paint.  Mix it by either swishing your cup around or using a spoon or other mixing device.  Decant a bit of clear polish out of the bottle, you'll need room to add some of the ink once it's mixed up.

Once your paint is dissolved into the rubbing alcohol (and here's where the funnel would be  helpful), pour it into your storage bottle or jar.  I used an old Seche Vite bottle (cleaned with acetone) to store my inks.  The next step is to pour a small amount of the ink into your clear polish.  As you can see in the photo above, you'll have to shake it up to mix everything together.

But once it's all shaken up, it stays mixed with little to no settling.  They look a bit cloudy in the bottle, but that doesn't seem to be an issue once it's mixed with the polish and applied.

And here are two coats of the red color above and a yellow jelly I made over two coats of Sinful Colors Snow Me White.  My next step will be to try these with the leadlighting but I don't anticipate any problems with that...well, not with the polish anyway, the stamping might be another story!

If you don't want to go through the hassle of making your own inks, they are available for purchase at most craft stores, like Michael's and Joann's.  Joann's website has a nice selection of them, prices are regularly $4.99 for a 0.5 oz bottle and $9.99 for a pack of 3.  It does look like they're having a sale right now, making the single bottles $3.49 and the 3-packs $6.99, so it's a good time to buy if you're interested!

Have you tried any DIY alcohol ink recipes?  I'd love to hear about your results or see any pics of your lead lighted manis!  I hope this post was helpful and thanks so much for reading!

Grunge Butterfly Manicure + Tutorial

Hi there!  It's been a busy weekend here at the OTTC household!  I helped my boss with an art festival on Friday and the bf and I hit the Chicago Botanic Garden yesterday.  We had a perfect day for it and I snapped lots of lovely flower photos!  Spring gives rise to most of my favorite blooms, including poppies and irises (my all-time favorite!).  What goes more naturally with flowers than butterflies?  Today I have a very dramatic manicure to show you and I've included a tutorial at the end so you can recreate it!

I had actually started out this mani with a different intent but when I started working on it, the patterns reminded me so much of Monarch butterfly wings that I just ran with it. 

For this look, I used Studio M polishes in Volt of Light, Psychedelic Scene, Hot Zone, and Lovin' It as well as Sinful Colors in Black on Black.  Yes, I know that sounds like a ton of polishes, but the look is actually pretty easy to achieve, I promise!

I wore this mani for several days because I was just so in love with it!  The bold black lines and bright colors are sure to catch everyone's eye...I got tons of compliments on this manicure so let's get to that tutorial so you all can try it out!

What you'll need: paper towels, acetone/nail polish remover, a small nail art brush (a small paint brush works well, too), base and top coat, at least 3 brightly colored opaque nail polishes plus a black nail polish

Step 1: Start with your preferred base coat.  We'll be using lots of polish here in different colors and you don't want any staining!

Step 2: Apply 1-2 coats of each of your chosen polishes.  I suggest you choose opaque polishes rather than sheers.  You'll need each color to be opaque to get good results and if you have to use 4 coats of a polish for opacity, you're either going to wait forever for things to dry or end up with a gloppy old mess.  For my tutorial photos, I used Sally Hansen's Insta-Dri in Lively Lilac, Blue-Away, and Snappy Sorbet.  Be sure to allow plenty of drying time between color layers.  You can speed things up with a thin coat of a fast dry top coat between the colors (I used Seche Vite for mine), but I've had better results if I let things dry on their own for about 10 minutes in between colors.

Step 3: Apply one coat of your black polish.  I've used Sinful Colors Black on Black for this tutorial.  Allow to dry (you can also apply a thin coat of a fast drying top coat, if you're in a hurry).

Step 4: Using your small nail art brush dipped in acetone (or nail polish remover, but I've found pure acetone gives better results), begin removing the top layer of black polish so the under layers of polish show through.  This can be a tricky step.  I usually clean my brush with a paper towel and re-dip it in acetone between each swipe on the nail.  After a few swipes with acetone, you'll see the layers of polish colors begin to show through.  You don't have to imitate a butterfly wing.  This technique can be as precise or abstract as you like.

Step 5: Continue removing the polish layers carefully until you are satisfied with the look.  Be aware that if you remove too many  layers you'll be left with bare nail, which is not what we're looking for here.

Step 6: When you're happy with the way your manicure looks, top with your favorite top coat to finish.  You can also use a smoothing top coat.  Because you've "scraped" out layers of polish, you may need a smoothing top coat (like Gothic Gala's Smooth Me Over Top Coat or Carpe Noctem Cosmetics' Glitter Slayer) to smooth out the bumpiness.

I originally saw this technique at nailsadorned.com, but when I went to find her site to give credit, it wasn't around anymore.  I'm assuming that she's given up her site (which is too bad cuz she did some great stuff!) but maybe she just moved somewhere else.  If anyone knows differently, please let me know as I'd like to link to her current page! She used the technique in a different way, but I wanted to give her credit for giving me the idea.

I'd love to see any looks you guys come up with using this technique so feel free to link photos or posts to this one if you use it :)  Thanks so much for reading!

Mish Mash Challenge: Purple & a Tutorial

Hello and welcome to the very first Kimber's Amazing Challenge Ladies Mish Mash Challenge!  This group of gals hung through the ABC Challenge earlier in the year and we enjoyed it so much, we just had to do another!  True to its name, the Mish Mash Challenge is a kind of hodge podge of ideas that everyone came up with.  Here's the fancy badge that the lovely Liz of A Mani-Maniac designed for us :)

And the Challenge list that takes us through to next year, if you can believe that!  A big thank you to Liz and Lisa LozLosa from LOZLOSA for doing most of the organizing for this one!

The first Challenge, as you can see above, is Purple nails.  I decided I wanted to combine this challenge with the tutorial for the chevrons I promised you a few posts ago, because it's such a great and simple technique!  Let's get goin', shall we?

The first thing you should always do before attempting any nail art is to gather your supplies.  There's not a lot worse than having to fish through a bin or drawer of supplies while your nails are wet because you forgot something.  Here I've got my 4 polishes (I'll list them at the end of the post if you're interested), scotch tape, pinking shears (you can also use any craft scissors with a scalloped or zigzag edge), regular scissors, and a flattening implement (cuticle stick/paintbrush end/other object) to smooth the tape onto your nails and ensure a sealed edge.  What I forgot to include in this pic is my top coat and the acetone I use for clean up.  I used Seche Vite and I do recommend that for this look, you use a thicker top coat like SV or Gelous to seal everything up.

The photo montage shows the super easy steps for this look.  The technique I'm showing you here is SO easy, I wish I could say I thought of it myself.  I saw it on Pinterest awhile back, though I can't for the life of me remember where!  I didn't re-Pin it so I can't seem to find the source.  I believe it may have been The Beauty Department, but if anyone knows different, please tell me so I can give credit where it's due!

You can use as few as 2 or as many polishes as you like for this look.  Start by applying 2 coats of your base color and cleaning up any overflow with a small brush dipped in acetone.  I go ahead and apply a thin coat of SV, just to get things drying faster.

Next, you're going to paint a small section of your scotch tape with one of your stripe colors, as shown in Step 1 above.  Let it dry in between coats, I usually do 2-3 coats depending on the opacity of the polish.  This is something you can do ahead of time if you'd like.  Let the polish dry completely on the tape (I try to give it at least 15 minutes before moving on to Step 2) and then tear off the painted tape from the dispenser.

Using your pinking shears or craft scissors, cut small strips of polished tape as shown in Step 2.  You can cut these in whatever width you'd like; I varied mine from wide to narrow to create my look.  I cut a whole bunch of strips at a time so I can have them all ready to go at once.  You can stick the strips to the edge of a desk or table until you're ready to apply them.

In Step 3, I've applied one strip to my nail.  The great thing about this technique is that if you don't like the placement, you can peel it off and restick it.  Makes life so much easier!

When you've decided on placement, use your regular scissors to trim the edges of the tape to fit your nail, as in Step 4. Then, using your cuticle stick/flattening instrument, press the edges of the tape onto your nail, completing Step 5.  Repeat these steps as many times as needed to get the look you want.  Don't forget to leave a little space between your tape strips so that your base color shows through! 

Top everything with at least 2 coats of top coat.  You want to make sure to cover the tape completely so the edges don't stick up.  I've used this technique a few times now and haven't had any trouble with things peeling off before I take off the manicure.  Additionally, the tape's glue dissolves in nail polish remover, so it's easy to take off when you're ready.

Here's my finished look:

I hope the tutorial was helpful!  I feel like a rambled a bit, but hopefully you guys get the idea.  Feel free to throw out questions or give suggestions on how to make it more concise!

Please go visit the other ladies' pages if you get a chance. I can't wait to see what everyone did for the first Challenge!  There's a lot of talent in this group, so be prepared for some jaw-dropping!  You can find them via the thumbnails below.

Lastly, don't forget to enter my LynBDesigns giveaway!  It's running through 8/9 and the prize is pretty fabulous, so don't miss out!  As always, thanks so much for reading!

Polish List:
Base color:
Wet 'n' Wild FastDry~Who Is Ultra Violet?
Chevron colors:
Sinful Colors~Tempest
Hard Candy~Crush On Amethyst
Orly~Out Of This World

 

30 of 31: Nails Inspired by a Tutorial

Howdy, everyone!  Oh my goodness, only one day left after today!  I can't believe it.  It's crazy to think that I've managed a different manicure every day for a month.  It's been fun, but I'll be glad to get back to doing what I want to do when I want to do it lol

Today's challenge was to be inspired by a tutorial.  I had to have a good think about this one, because most of the time when I see a tutorial I'm interested in trying, I try it then and there.  After I thought about it a bit though, I realized that there was one technique that I've been wanting to try but I hadn't made it to Michael's yet to get the supplies: flocked nails!

Aren't they cute??  They're like little sweaters for your nails!  The official tutorial I followed can be found here at Elle Sees.  This manicure has been referred to several ways, the aforementioned "flocked", the trademarked "Velvet manicure" from Ciate and the much humbler (and my favorite) "fuzzy" manicure.  The technique is pretty simple.  Apply your base color and while it's still wet, sprinkle on flocking powder.  Brush off the excess and "Ta da!", fuzzy nails!  

I used Essence Colour & Go in Let's Get Lost, a beautiful deep turquoise creme.  The flocking powder is from  Michael's store brand Recollections.  I got a set of 6 for about $7.  To be honest, the selection wasn't all that great.  The only single bottles I could find where white or black.  The set was much more colorful so I went with that.  This color is called Calypso...so pretty!

Tomorrow's challenge (the final one) is to recreate a favorite manicure.  I've got a few ideas so check back in to find out what I come up with!  Thanks for reading!

Simply Marble-ous!

Hello and happy Tuesday!  I have to make this post quick since I have to head to work in a few, but I really wanted to get the photos up.  *Edit* So, it is now Tuesday evening and I have a little more time to write.  I decided to attempt a tutorial of the technique I used to get this effect;

This is, bar none, the BEST water marble I have ever done.  And it should be, since it took me 3 to 4 attempts and 2 days to do it lol.  I wouldn't have a tutorial for you today, but I managed to break a nail shortly after I got home from work. Rather than taking my whole manicure off after I worked so hard on it, I decided to redo one nail to show you the technique.  This will be a photo heavy post, so be warned!

Water marbling is a technique where polish is floated on top of a small bowl of water.  You dip your nail into the water and the polish sticks to your nail, et voila! You have super-cool nail art!  However, it is messy and unpredictable.  Do not wear clothing you care about whilst water marbling and protect any surfaces you don't want polish on.  Without further ado, here's my tutorial!

First, gather your tools.  You'll need a base coat & a white or light color of polish to use as a base color for your water marble.  Decide which polish colors you want to use and gather them together*.  Additionally, you'll need a small bowl of water (some people recommend filtered water, but I use tap at room temp & it works fine); cuticle oil, tape or Vaseline/lotion; some cuticle sticks or toothpicks; a needle or safety pin; paper towels and/or cotton balls/Qtips and a bottle of your favorite top coat.  Have nail polish remover and/or pure Acetone on hand for clean up later.

Start with clean, bare nails just like you would for any manicure.  Apply your base coat and 2 coats of your white/light base polish.  I used MAC Vestral White.  Let dry completely.

Next, take your cuticle oil, Vaseline or lotion and apply liberally to your cuticles, underneath your nail and over your finger past your first knuckle.  Trust me, DO NOT skip this step or you will be spending hours on clean up. The oil creates a barrier between your skin and the polish.  Without it, you'll end up with stained fingers and a big ol' mess in general.  Some folks like to use tape as a guard, which is totally fine if you prefer it.  I like the oil because it's easy to apply and it helps condition my cuticles as I work.  With this technique, I prefer to work one nail at a time but you can prep more than one at a time if you like.

Now that your nail is prepped with a base color and the oil, you're going to start dripping your chosen polishes into your bowl of water.  One drop at a time is best.  If you drip too much at once, the polish will sink to the bottom of your bowl and you'll have to start over.  I do one drop of one color and then start alternating with the other colors until I get a "bull's eye" that I like.  Once you get to that point, take your needle/safety pin and start dragging a pattern into your polish.  Here's where your creativity can shine; you can drag the needle in spirals, lines, zigzags or whatever pattern you can think of.  Maybe if you're a barista, you know some cool shapes like the ones they put on people's coffee :)  I usually just drag from the outside to the center of the "bull's eye".  Be careful not to drag too far from the center of your "bull's eye".  The polish close to the end of the bowl starts to dry and will wrinkle up and mess up your design.  If you do mess up and want to start over, simply take your cuticle stick/toothpick and drag it through the water to pick up the polish.  I usually will drip one more drop of polish into the bowl after I've cleaned it out and let it dry to pick up any bits that might be left.

Once you're happy with your design, it's time to dip your nail.  Try to keep the nail as perpendicular to the water as you can when you dip it in.  Once my nail is submerged, I kind of angle it down and hold it under for a few seconds while I clean up the leftover polish on top of the water with my cuticle stick.  Here is where it can get really frustrating.  Often the design will not transfer to your nail the way you think it will, sometimes in a good way, but more often in a bad way.  All I can say is that practice is key and if you're not a patient person, this technique is not for you.  If you can stick it out, it's worth it!

In the top left photo here, you can see why you want some sort of guard between your skin and the polish.  When you bring your nail out of the water, the excess polish is very gloppy and messy.  Use a paper towel to wipe up as much of the excess as you can and let the rest dry.  Be careful here as it's VERY easy to smudge your nail.  I recommend just hanging out for a few minutes to let the polish set a bit.  When it's somewhat dry, I use a coat of Seche Vite to help it finish drying and avoid smudging while I'm working on the rest of my nails.  

Once you're done with all your nails, use your cotton balls and Qtips dipped in nail polish remover to clean up your fingers.  I use a small painting brush and pure acetone to clean up my cuticles and nail beds.  Acetone makes a quicker work of clean up, but it is VERY drying to your cuticles, so use it sparingly!

There you have it.  My very first tutorial attempt!  I hope it was informative and that you enjoyed it.  I'd love to hear any feedback you have to offer. There are tons of Youtube videos and other polish blog tutorials out there on this technique, if you some more info on it.  Thanks so much for stopping by!

*Polish colors I used for this manicure:  Sinful Colors "Unicorn", China Glaze "Solar Power", Wet 'n' Wild "FuchsiaRama", Nina Ultra "Pro Blue La La"

Orange and Grey Gradient Manicure

Hello and welcome! Today I have a gradient manicure that I did using this tutorial from The Nailasaurus.  I like the end result, but I think I need a bit more practice before I get the really nice blend that she gets in her gradients.  In any case, here's the manicure. 

I started with two coats of Wet n Wild's Wild Shine in Sunny Side Up and then sponged (per the tutorial) some Sally Hansen's Hard As Nails Xtreme Wear in Wet Cement.  I really like this color combo!  Wet Cement starts to look really smokey where it meets up with Sunny Side Up, almost like a mist in places.  It's pretty cool!  I had to use two coats of Seche Vite on top to smooth out the bumpiness from the sponging technique.   Over all, I think this technique and I'll use it again, hopefully with even better results!