12 Manicures of Christmas 04 // Pantone Serenity

In case you've been searching for a Pantone Serenity kind of polish...

Polishes Used:

1 Coat Fingerpaints Smooth Over Ridge Filler

3 Coats SinfulColors Lavender

1 Coat SinfulColors Clear Coat

1 Coat Seche Vite

When Pantone announced that Rose Quartz and Serenity were the Colors of the Year for 2016, it was surprising and a bit confusing. But the more I thought about it, the more I liked the idea. As a nail blogger, I'm always interested in what new hues and shades we'll see in upcoming collections. Two Colors of the Year? That's just twice as many ways to be on-trend, if not more!

Now, don't get me wrong, I don't aim to be uber trendy, but I'm not exactly hipster material either. Basic with a side of glitter? When asked for that one word that describes me... it's usually fruitcake. A random conglomeration of mostly sweet stuff. Mostly. I mean, I like what I like, and if I like it, I'll buy it or wear it and do so with gusto. But I think that's most people.

Anyway...

Right now, I'm kind of loving both of these colors. But loving them and knowing how to wear them or if they work for me? Not always easy. But that's where the love of nail polish really comes in handy! It's probably one of the most inexpensive ways to test run a color and see how I like it! And if I don't, it's not like I spent that much money on it. In this case, I was actually able to shop my stash to find Lavender!

SinfulColors Lavender is one of a few Serenity-like shades in the sparklestash right now. If I had to call it, though, I'd still say that Violets Are Blue is the closest match to Serenity that I've got. Buuuuuut I've already dedicated a blog post to that shade, and honestly? I like Lavender a little bit better. It's a shade darker than Violets Are Blue and leans a little bit more purple. But the purple lean doesn't come out in the photos. (totally side-eyeing my Cybershot right now.)

As much as I love waiting for Pantone's announcement each year, and the subsequent hunt for the perfect shade to match... when it comes down to it, if I don't like it, I'm just not going to wear it. But I do try to give you guys some options of polishes out there in case you do. Marsala is a really good example of not-my-color. Rose Quartz falls in definitely-my-color-land. Serenity is more not-quite-sure-probably-just-on-my-nails. But that's okay! In the end, it's totally what works for you!

Oh, and don't forget... there's always that shade of purple you get when you mix Rose Quartz and Serenity together... the unofficial 3rd Color of 2016. Serene Quartz, anyone?!? :)

SinfulColors Mauve On Seriotype

Whether you call it a seriotype or smooshy... (I prefer seriotype) there is just something about this style of manicure that I can't get enough of. Polishes Used: 1 Coat Fingerpaints Smooth Out Ridge Filler 3 Coats SinfulColors Mauve On Essie Leggy Legend Pahlish Autumn People Pure Ice Get in Line 1 Coat SinfulColors Clear Coat 1 Coat Seche Vite Hey there! It's been a little while, hasn't it? Sorry about that. Life happens, you know? Oddly enough, I didn't stop painting my nails during my hiatus. I kept taking pictures for a while, and then that just sort of stopped to. Weird how some habits die hard, while others don't change a bit. Anyhoo... I found pictures of this mani in my files and couldn't believe I didn't share it! This was one of my favorite polishes last spring, and I recreated this exact seriotype/ a few times. This mani started out with 3 fresh coats of Mauve On. I typically wrap my tips on the 2nd c

Fishbowl Friday 073 // Recreation

Every now and then, I enjoy looking back over past manicures. Creatively, it's just neat to see how far I've come since the days I started. Oddly enough, when I chose this prompt, I knew exactly which manicure I wanted to recreate. Based loosely on Fishbowl Friday 027 , today's seriotype nails are a RECREATION ... Polishes Used: 1 Coat Fingerpaints Smooth Over Ridge Filler 3 Coats China Glaze Violet Vibes Essie Leggy Legend Pahlish Autumn People Pure Ice Get in Line SinfulShine Konstellation 2 Coats SinfulColors Clear Coat 1 Coat Seche Vite Looking back, I can honestly say that my seriotype game has come far since I first learned the method. One of the things that took me a while to master was the balance of nail polish finishes. While seriotypes made exclusively with creme polishes look cool, those made with a combination of different finishes really pop. There's more depth involved when you layer a metallic over a jelly neon and

Fishbowl Friday 072 // Hard Candy

We're going to skip that whole part where we talk about how it's been a while, because well, it's been a really long while. I'm still trying to work out how to make room for blogging and juggle everything else, and it's definitely been a challenge. But know that I am working on it, and I do really, really miss it. This place has been my Quantum of Solace for a long time, and I'm not planning on letting it go anytime soon. That being said... for this week's prompt, I was happily surprised when I pulled HARD CANDY . This is probably one of the most iconic brands of nail polish, and it's certainly gone through it's own number of changes throughout the years. Who didn't want to own a bottle of Sky once they saw it on Alicia Silverstone's nails way back in the 90's? Last year, Hard Candy celebrated their 20th anniversary by bringing back some of their most iconic shades. The collection was a mix of five original shades and three new ones.

Seize the Sparkle

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