One minute random idea becomes an early holiday!

I ended up with this in one minute after not being able to come up with a Halloween/Fall designer for 20 minutes.

My friends said this is their favorite so far.

Base: OPI Pearl of Wisdom
Top:  OPI Serving up Sparkle
Tip:  OPI DS Radiance


OPI Pearl of Wisdom has a natural shinny light/pink aura that works really well with silver color.

OPI Serving up Sparkle so far makes my favorite glitter.  Unlike the pictures you might find on search engine, it gives you the perfect amount of sparkle, and you can always layer it for effects.  Plus, this sparkle looks really good on its own, and it goes on any color to enhance the look without overpowering.

The nails already look good with just OPI Wisdom and OPI Serving up Sparkle.  It was just a personal preference to add on tips.

Instruction

1. Apply base coat
2. Apply one coat of OPI Pearl of Wisdom over the whole nail.
3. Apply OPI Serving up Sparkle over the whole nail. (One coat is enough )
4. Apply OPI DS Radiance on the very tip of the nail 
1. Only apply a very very thin line.  The previous 2 coats hide the nail line well, and it won't be visible.
2. Only make sure the line is even.
5.  Apply the top coat
   
   and you are done!

Tested an idea from another blog

I came across the blog OPI Last Friday oops, I did it again.  It looked very tempting to me, so I went out and grabbed all the colors.

Unfortunately, it didn't come out as expected.  I will have attempt again sometimes in the future (most likely with different colors) to see how it can be improved.  In any case, this is what it looks like, how I did it, and some struggles/challenges.

Tip: OPI Ogre the Top Blue
Layer: OPI Last Friday Night
Glitter top: OPT Serving up Sparkles

Instructions & Tips

1.      Apply base coat

2.      Myth => The original instruction said to use a navy blue for tip base and then use OPI Ogre the Top Blue as another layer of tip base.
Challenge =>  OPI Ogre the Top Blue is a very solid color.
-- It's very hard to get it painted on very thin over navy blue and still maintain the oval shape
-- For short nails, there's not enough space to work the layers
Verdict =>
-- Skip the navy blue base. 
-- Paint OPI Ogre the Top Blue as French manicure (as light as possible, but still maintain the shape) on the tip

3.      Paint a natural color (OPI Passion is used here ) over the entire nail
Tip =>  If you want the blue to blend in more, put more natural color on it, but definitely no more than 2 coats.  The nail polish would be too thick.

4.      Myth => Put OPI Last Friday a little above last tip line, use 2 coats
Challenge =>
-- If instruction is taken literally, it’s not possible to blend the color in – it’s too light. 
-- If looking the picture carefully, two layers are one above another.
Verdict =>
-- Paint one coat OPI Last Friday up to ½ or 1/3 of the nail from end of the tip
-- Paint the second coat slightly below and to the end of the tip
-- Dab the third coat lightly on the French manicure line

5.      Apply OPI Serving up Sparkle over the whole nail

6.      Apply top coat and dri-drip – the coat is very thick, and the dri-drip will need to be applied the second time after 10 minutes.

Another classic color for french manicure

This was done on 09/27/2012.  

Tip:  OPI Purple with a purpose
Base:  OPI passion (optional but it was applied in this picture)
Glitter:  OPI Serving up Sparkle

Instruction and tips

1. If you don't know how to apply french manicure,  you may reference to my other entry on Classic Color with a twist.
2. Apply base coat
3. Apply OPI purple with a purpose at the tip.  This purple is very shiny and beautiful.  When looking at it alone, it takes away all the attention of the nail and gives a very clean look.
4. (Optional) Now,  you may apply OPI passion over area above the tip.  Once you apply it, it would make purple less shiny and looks slightly warmer.
5. (Optional) Apply OPI Serving up Sparkle over area above the tip.  I like it to slightly even out the attention on the nails, and it doesn't take away the clean look like OPI passion does.
6. Apply the top coat and it's done.

Basic tools and how to get the nails ready

There are some essential tools to do nails.  You don't need all of them, but without them, to do nails on your own will be unpleasantly inconvenient or simply, take a long long time.

The list I have is:

• Nail polish remover (Pure acetone or OPI expert touch lacquer remover) - OPI nail polish is so good that most cheap nail polish remover can not remove it at all.  I have OPI expert touch.  It works perfect, but from time to time it has a smell that can be annoying.
• Nail filer
• Nail buffer block - it doesn't need to have different type of sanding, a generic one will do.
• Cuticle Pusher - Get a stainless steel one. It's used to clean the surface too. The other end is often used to clean under the nail.
• Cuticle Remover (lotion) - It makes removing cuticle a lot less uncomfortable and time consuming.
• Cuticle Nipper
• Spray bottle of alcohol - It's used to disinfect.  

How to get the nails ready:

• Remove old nail polisher using nail remover
• Sometimes if the polish is hard to remove, nail filer can help or a strong nail buffer block.
• Wash nails with soap after - if using something as strong as OPI lacquer remover, it actually corrodes.  You definitely do not want it to stay on your nails!
• Soak the fingers/toes in warm water.  - I usually do nails right after a bath or shower to skip this step.
• Put Cuticle remover lotion around the cuticles and wait a minute.
• Use Cuticle pusher to  - push cuticle up and use cuticle nipper to cut off the edges.
• Wash hand with mild soap to clean out the cuticle remover.  Dry fingers and nails with a towel.
• Use nail filer to shape the nails to your like (round, square round, etc. - any shape you like) and use nail buffer to clean the surface of nails - Don't do it much or it might damage the nail.  Just lightly and run it a few times over.
• Use water to rinse the surface of the nails and dry with a towel.
•  Spray alcohol to disinfect the fingers/nail area.

Introduction - My story of why OPI, DIY and short?

Why do I love OPI?

• OPI has such great quality.   If applied properly with refresh of top coat every 3 to 4 days, the nail polish does stay on for two to three weeks.   Other brands nail polish fades or color cracks within a week.
• It is better for your natural nails (OPI vs acrylic powder vs gel) - I started with acrylic powder gel nails.  It looked great and beautiful, even though it was inconvenience with nails that long.  In a few months, my natural nails became paper thin and very fragile.  I made the salon to take it off, no matter what they've told me, and it took another month or two to grow back.  I started doing gel for next year or year and half.  Gel is more expensive to do, and it stays on longer without reapplying the top coat.  My natural nails were slightly better.  However, even with the best job done in gel polish, the nail grows out, and you have to go back to salon at most 3 weeks later.  Once I switched back to OPI, the nail quality has moved one step up.  (Also, if no one has ever told you, those UV lamps drying the nails make the skin looks older.  I could tell the skin damage visually. There are even gloves invented for the lamps that no salon ever uses.  If you do want to be pampered once a while, get those before hitting a nail salon.)
• Beautiful, breath-taking colors

There are many reasons to DIY nails:

• Minimum $20 USD for manicure or pedicure - That's at least 2 bottles OPI for you!
• 95% of the nail salons do not properly disinfect their tools nor use clean towels.
• Believe it or not, some workers in nail salon can be more sloppy than us!
• It does get quicker and better each time we practice how to do it.
• Even nail salon has OPI nail polish, it never ever uses OPI top and base coat.  I had to bring my own, or the salon ones will cause my nail coat goes off within a week.
• It's fun and feels sexy to have nice nails, especially when other people notice too.  It makes great conversation topic.
• .....................................<fill in the blanks here =) >

Why do I like my nails short?

•  Nails can be hard to maintain.  Once they grow past certain length, they chip very easily.
• CONTACTS!! I couldn't take out contacts when salon insisted having my nails long.
• Work - I am a working professional.  I need to be able to work and do chores.

Classic color with a twist

This is my first attempt on french manicure. 

I absolutely love a good rosy pink color like OPI Rose at Dawn.  Today I decide to have some fun to do it french style.  It still looks classy, clean and refreshing

The technique might be off, but the colors are simple and fantastic!

OPI -Rose at Dawn Broke By Moon (tip)

OPI - Passion (base)

Basic tools for french manicure

• A french manicure brush - It looks like a small paint brush.  I picked this one because it also has a small dotting tool on the other side for basic design needs.
• A glass dappen dish - It's not required, but extremely useful.  This particular design can be flipped over, the back side can be used conveniently to hold a few nail polish drops for nail design. There are other ones with cap on, don't have this feature.

Instruction

• Apply base coat to clean nail surface
• Apply OPI Rose at dawn at the tips of the nail so it covers 1/4 inch above the actual tip.  
• Pour acetone into glass dappen dish and dip brush.
• Use brush to clean the uneven line from applying the tip.  Make sure:
• The thickness of the tip is even on all.
•  The nature tip line does not show.
• If there's trouble to smooth the line, try to push it a little.
• Use a paper towel to clean the brush
• Apply OPI - Passion on the top portion.
• If it accidentally touches the tip portion, it can be ignored or it can be cleaned off by brush
• Apply top coat.
•  One golden item I came across in the store is OPI Drip Dry.  It dries nails in less than 1 minute for me.

Now you are done!  It took 1.5 hours for me from removing old polish coats, cut cuticles, buff nails and apply as a beginner.