Carolyn Braden: Roy Lichtenstein Inspired Nail Art

By me! Pretty good considering I had to write and draw with my left hand when painting my right. 

Carolyn Braden's Gel Polish Nail Art: Watermelon

I used Red Carpet Manicure, Shellac and Gelish polishes for this look. Summery and sweet!

Carolyn Braden's: Gel Polish Application and Removal, Easy!

Carolyn Braden: Bowl Full of Cherries #nailart

Here's my latest design. Cherries....the perfect summer addition to nail art!

Carolyn Braden's Latest #Pinterest Nail Inspiration

My latest mani attempt: Sparkle cherry blossom #nailart inspired by #Pinterest

Carolyn Braden: The Glitter Fade, #nailart

I saw the glitter fade trend in Lucky Magazine and tried it in my own way. I used gel polishes. It's a fun look!

Carolyn Braden's Easter Pretty #nailart

I used Gelish and Shellac gel polishes for this spring and Easter inspired nail design.

Carolyn Braden's Leopard Nails

I used CND Shellac and Red Carpet Manicure gel polishes to create this leopard print design.

Carolyn Braden: Pinterest Pin Come to Life #nailart

I had to use quite a few colors to get this effect. They are all gel polishes, I used a silver, black, silver glitter and blue glitter by Red Carpet Manicure. The pink and pearlescent white are Shellac. I painted my nails in black first then used a make up sponge to paint on the other colors.

Carolyn Braden: Getting Creative with #gelpolish and #nailart

I've been feeling very creative in the nail department lately. Here are some designs I created with CND Shellac, SensatioNail and Red Carpet Manicure.

Carolyn Braden's "Over the Moon" #Holiday Gel Polish Mani

My first attempt at a moon mani. I used Shellac and RCM gel polishes. It was easier to do than I thought and I love how it turned out.

Carolyn Braden's Blue Sparkle Nails

Here's my latest attempt at being creative with my gel polishes. I used RCM Love Those Baby Blues and Glitteratzzi on all my nails except my ring fingers. On those nails I used Shellac Cream Puff as a base and "sponged" on the RCM blue with Shellac Hot Pop Pink. I then topped those nails with the RCM sparkles.

Carolyn Braden: Tried Sally Hansen Gel Polish Strips

I wish I could say this product is amazing but I can't. I love Sally Hansen's products. The gel strips unfortunately don't measure up. I followed the directions to the T and they chipped within a day. One gel strip actually started peeling off my thumbnail within an hour. I superglued it down hoping maybe I made a mistake since it was the first nail I did. I didn't make a mistake; it's just not a great product. The strips lasted on most of my nails but the tips chipped fast. The regular polish strips last much longer so I'll be sticking to those and my Shellac and my RCM. Maybe others will have success with the gel polish strips but I did not.
FYI:
My mom bought Gelish gel polishes and let me use them. They lasted just as long as Shellac and RCM. I may be buying that brand next time along with my regulars.

Carolyn Braden's Final Review of LCN Polish Seal

And the survey says.......
Not worth it to me.

I had so much hope for this product but it cannot replace my gel polish. After one day my nails chipped. Being an art teacher, I must have a nail product that can withstand lots of water, clay, paint, etc. and gel polish is what works, not Polish Seal.

Pros of LCN:
Polish dries solid in three minutes.
Best for: Toenails. I will keep the product to seal my toenail polish. I like how fast it dries, enabling me to be on the go in a pair of heels in very little time.

Cons: Chips happen in just a days time.

I tried to make it last different ways (applied one coat, tried two coats, and tried one coat, then polish, then another coat, of course drying the polish in between coats) and didn't do any cleaning (it wasn't exposed to chemicals or water). It just isn't my gel polish.

Some people may have great luck with it. Regular polish never stayed on my nails but I know it may for some people. Instead of paying the 20+ dollars for it, you may want to wait for Sally Hansen to come up with their version. They always seem to be on top of their game when it comes to new revelations in polish.

LCN Polish Seal Arrived....So Excited!

I ordered my LCN Polish Seal on Saturday and it arrived today, Wednesday. I tried it right away. I followed the directions that came with the polish. I painted my nails with China Glaze Ruby Pumps, a glitter red. I Seche Clear for a base cost and Seche Vite for a top coat. I had a UV light that I used with my gel polishes, so I just used it to cure the LCN. You can use a 60 watt bulb so maybe next time I'll try that to see if there is a curing difference. So I'm on day one and will post how long my manicure lasts. I also used LCN Polish Seal on my toenails. One thing I already know is it made my nails perfectly dry immediately. No stickiness or dents!


******Update!!!!! Results of Polish Seal
http://carolynsbloomingcreations.blogspot.com/2012/08/carolyn-braden-final-review-of-lcn.html

LCN Polish Seal.....I've ordered it!

I ordered my LCN Polish Seal yesterday. It is not on back order any more and will ship out to me in 1-2 weeks. I will be using it as soon as I receive it and will update my post with the results. I am very interested in this product. Will I be able to use all my old polishes again and set aside my Shellac polishes? We shall see!

Shellac Hot Pop Pink French Manicure

This mani is Negligee over Hot Pop Pink.

Shellac Checkerboard Mani As Seen In InStyle Magazine

A first attempt at a checkerboard Shellac mani. A little challenging to do on your own but it looks pretty good. I like my "fruit punch" colors!

Carolyn Braden Will Be Trying OPI's gelcolor?

I may be trying OPI's gelcolor. I've love CND Shellac and Red Carpet Manicure so OPI may be added to my favorites. I am only now waiting on seeing the price. Red Carpet Manicure has been very cost effective so we shall see about gelcolor. I loved seeing Jane Lynch in their ad.
Here are the available colors:

A Grape Fit!
Alpine Snow
Bastille My Heart
Big Apple Red
Black Onyx
Bogota Blackberry
Brisbane Bronze
Bubble Bath
Cajun Shrimp
Cosmo-Not Tonight, Honey
Funny Bunny
Here Today…Aragon Tomorrow
I’m Not Really a Waitress
Kyoto Pearl
Lincoln Park After Dark
Louvre Me, Louvre Me Not
Malaga Wine
Miami Beet
My Private Jet
OPI Ink
Passion
Pink Flamenco
Pompeii Purple
Princesses Rule!
Russian Navy
Samoan Sand
Strawberry Margarita
Suzi Says Feng Shui
You Don’t Know Jacques!
**Cross posted at The Rox Life

Carolyn Braden Loving "Ooh La Liscious" Red Carpet Manicure

I'm still preferring Red Carpet Manicure Gel Polish over CND Shellac. The polish stays perfect forever. The formula just seems like it is more stable. Here is my latest color, Ooh La Liscious.


Carolyn J. Braden
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone