Gelish Kung Fu Panda 3 Collection

Update: you can see the ads for the Kung Fu Panda 3 Collection in the December 2015 issue of Nails magazine or Nail Art Gallery Magazine.

Though Gelish hasn’t put out a press release about this yet, we know that they’re introducing a new collection in anticipation of Kung Fu Panda 3’s theatrical release.

The collection, which consists of 6 new colors, is now available online or at your local Cosmoprof or Sally Beauty.  If it’s not in stock, it should be soon.  I was able to find it online a couple weeks ago at Nail Tech Supply, and put in my order at Cosmprof a few days ago (hooray for Black Friday sales!).

The colors and names are inspired by the movie characters, of course. They are:

• It’s Gonna Be Mei
• Kung Fu-chsia
• Tigress Knows Best
• Warriors Don’t Wine
• Extra Plum Sauce (For the Minis this is called Total Panda-monium)
• Po-riwinkle

I’m really excited about the lavender color Po-riwinkle. This looks like a color that is unique within the Gelish lineup. And it is about time they gave us a light purple polish!!  The other colors look like they’ll  be cute but may be close to other colors we have already seen.

Are you going to buy this collection? Which colors are you excited about?

Simple nail art using a glitter topper

This is Gelish A Mint of Spring, topped in various sections of each nail with Getting Gritty with It.  Super easy nail art, but eye-catching!

French fade

This is two coats of Gelish Ivory Coast with Snow Bunny sponged on the tips to create the fade effect.  On the top half of the nail I also added a coat of A Moment of Magic from the Gelish Cinderella collection.  After I did this set I got really busy and didn’t take a picture. This is after 8 days!

More nail art… finally!

It’s been too long in between nail art posts!  Here’s my last hurrah for winter-ish nail art:

The base color is Gelish Dancer, Prancer Cranberry Vixen, and the chevrons are Gelish With his Red So Bright, both from the Gelish Winter Reds 2013/2014 Collection.  The charm is from the Born Pretty Store.

You can’t see it in the photo, but I used With his Red So Bright only on my thumbs, and it is a gorgeous, sparkly red.  It would be perfect any time of year, not just winter!

Winter nail art

 

This is Gelish Deep Sea, with Arabesque water decals and silver flat back studs from the Born Pretty Store.

Stay tuned for a review of these embellishments soon!

Gelish Luck Lady Swatch

Here is Gelish’s latest release, called Lucky Lady, a lovely shade of red that reminds me of Coca-Cola red.  It’s for their Happy New Year 2015 Collection, year of the goat by the Chinese calendar.  In person you would see VNL; it’s a bit of a jelly polish. This is two coats.

Inverted nail moulds vs. Dual form system

Lately I’ve done a bit of research on the inverted nail moulds technique (very popular in the UK, which is why I am spelling mould as I am) as it compares to the dual form system (found in the US). I thought I would share with you a few of my findings as well as some links where you can find more information or buy the systems discussed.

First, dual form systems: I have the ASP Form -A-Nail brand, available at Sally Beauty.  The ProNails dual forms also get good reviews.

I can’t understand why more nail techs don’t use these rather than tediously sculpt acrylic and gel enhancements on forms.  You basically sculpt your nail from the underside and go up, rather than from the topside and down.  Check out this how-to video from ProNails:

You can find the ASP brand of dual forms at Sally, or just search “dual forms” on Amazon or Ebay for other options.

Now the inverted nail moulds, which are like a tip combined with the dual system.  You essentially sculpt your nail into the mould, as you would with the dual forms, but after application it does not pop off. The mould is made to stay on the nail.  (Honestly it seems to me like the mould is basically a full-well clear tip that you add to as desired, then apply more L&P to adhere to the nail.)  This video shows application of the moulds:

The clear advantage of either system is in creating embedded enhancements, in that your rough surface from embedding won’t be on the top side of the nail and therefore doesn’t have to be finished off as carefully, as you would if you were to apply a tip and then build on top of it. These seem like a real time saver!

Many people also ask if you can use gel rather than L&P and the answer is yes, though clearly gel requires more practice to obtain perfection. Air bubbles and lifting at the cuticle are a nuisance when using gel, but can be eliminated with practice, I think.

I’ll be experimenting with these over the next few weeks, so I may have some photos for you in the future!

wintertime marble

This snazzy combination is Gelish Let’s Hit the Bunny Slopes (gray) and Race You to the Bottom (teal).  I love how the colors in each Gelish collection mesh well together, and these colors are no exception.  The photo doesn’t do justice to Race You to the Bottom – it’s a stunner in person!

My nail art was published again!

A couple months ago I submitted some nail art photos to Nail Art Gallery Magazine, and it was accepted and published in the September issue!  Check out pages 13, 53, and 61.

If you aren’t already a subscriber, you can get a free subscription to this digital only magazine for nail art enthusiasts. It provides plenty of inspiration for nail artists at all levels.

Whoopsy Daisy!

 

This design is Gelish Doo Wop on the pointer fingernail and Sally Hansen Salon Effects in Whoopsie Daisy on the other nails.  I am loving the Salon Effects line. They’re the best of several nail decal brands I have tried (yes, including Minx!).  They fit curvy nails very well, and last a long time.