Work appropriate mani Monday: Nude holo gradient and freehand black stuff

Just slippin' in a work appropriate mani Monday post here and I'm going to pretend like I've been routinely doing these... err yup, yes I am.

A simple nude holo gradient with two beauties from Cirque Colours topped off with some freehand what appears to be leaf-like design with random swirls, cause what else do I do with freehand manis, let's be honest. Swirls or die.

I, of course, used my cuticle oil trick to yield clean, smooth lines with my sumi brush! Check out my post and video tutorial on this nail art hack here.

 

VIDEO TUTORIAL AT THE END OF THE POST!

Work appropriate mani Monday: Rose water decals over not so apparent gradient

Another slightly dated mani for you today, cause I'm purging myself of old nail photos! These were done about a month and a half ago with water decals I randomly got of Mynailproducts.com a while ago. I actually thought that the decals would be transparent (not white) and so you'd see the bottom half of my gradient, but as it turned out they were white, so my initial gradient efforts were lost anyways when the decal covered up the bottom half of my nail. Boo.

Work appropriate mani Monday: Neon and nude

Who says you can't wear neon at work? If someone does, they're lying.

I wore this look for a week at the office and no one told me I was fired. Therefore, you too can wear neon at work. But for real though, I am of the opinion that you can mix nude and neon (at least a lemon-lime neon) and pull it off, assuming it compliments your awesome personality.

 

VIDEO TUTORIAL AT THE END OF THE POST!

Work appropriate mani Monday: Not so appropriate shrinkage

Further to my last post where I exposed the Seche Vite "shrinkage" phenomenon, I thought I'd use this work appropriate mani Monday post to demonstrate more of this top coat travesty.

I originally did this mani back in May, but never published it, because, well, it's pretty obvious why. Look at those horrendous edges! The tip wear without any actual wear! These shots were taken maybe a couple of hours after I painted them. Seche Vite fail.

Seche Vite bottle image credit

Work appropriate mani Monday: Tan & white stripes

So you may be thinking to yourself that this is the most basic mani EVER... and that's cause it is. Like many of my other posts, this mani is the prelude to a more interesting mani that will be posted tomorrow. But, because this stage looks rather work appropriate, it suits the bill for today's post.

But it's still boring!

Work appropropriate mani Monday: Neutral-hued chevron scaled gradient

I'm on a scaled gradient kick right now (see this post for my first real dive into the concept and for 8 helpful tips to achieve the effect). Today's mani is a work appropriate version by using neutral-hued polishes, but with a little bit of holo action. If you've been following my blog then you already know that my definition of a 'work appropriate mani' is likely more adventurous or colourful than most others definitions. I don't know about you, but scaling my usual colourful and contrasted designs way down to blah just to suit the office hurts my soul. Instead I look for a compromise. Something that isn't crazy and in-your-face, but still has enough nail art and splash of colour (or holo or glitter!) in it to satisfy me and my nail art addiction.

 

VIDEO TUTORIAL AT THE END OF THE POST!

Work appropriate mani Monday: Buttercream looping effect

For this week's work appropriate mani Monday, I went with a straight-forward looping effect design over a warm and cozy buttery colour. I am of the strong opinion that nail art can be very much appropriate for the office, and in my case, in a professional government office where casual business dress is expected. I don't think I could ever show my face with one single colour of polish, so if you're like me, and you need to so SOMETHING interesting on your nails, then this look could satisfy your addiction to nail art but still be office friendly.

I chose a pale yellow buttercream colour by Deborah Lippmann to use as the base - and oh, does it ever go on like butter! This was barely a two-coater pastel wonder. Flakies on top, of course (I... can't... help it).

Work appropriate mani Monday: Rose-toned subtle holo gradient

Back to the standard nail gradient today, with a three-polish simple and work appropriate gradient featuring all A England polishes which I personally LOVE. The subtle holo in the formula is just perfection, and they blend together so beautifully.

Work appropriate mani Monday: Neutral glitter gradient

I'm sensing a theme... Last month I posted a rose-gold glitter gradient for work appropriate mani Monday and today I've got... basically the same thing.

It's pretty straight forward: A cool-toned beige to greyish-purple creme gradient layered with a champagne gold and lilac micro glitter polish at the tips. I think what's key to note about this glitter gradient is that the polish base is also a gradient, which isn't typically the norm in glitter gradient mani's (see, for example, Nemo's nails or Lucy's stash).

Earrings: Swarovski Lunar earrings in Rose Blush

Many nail art/nail polish bloggers use rings as props. I don't own many rings but I do have an obsession with sparkly earrings. An earRING hanging on my fingers makes so much sense, right?

Work appropriate mani Monday: Nude & blue chevrons

Here's a simple but striking look that I'm going to argue is work appropriate no matter where you work. Bland beige nails is so 2002. Today you can pull off nude nails with a twist at the office and still be taken seriously (I would say this about any nail polish though... so maybe don't listen to me).

I used four Essie polishes (including 2 specialty ones from the Encrusted Treasures collection - see swatches and a review of this collection by Polish Aholic) to create this look. Nail vinyls in the shape of single chevrons were used to guide the application of the three mid-nail arrow-looking shapes.

Work appropriate mani Monday: Grey and white gradient

Here's a simple twist on the traditional polarized gradient. Usually gradients begin with one colour on one end of the nail and transition to another by the other end. Here I've created a five point gradient using three colours (white, light grey, medium grey), but had one end of the colour scheme (white) hit the nail at both ends, leaving the darkest grey in the middle only. Let's call this a returning gradient since the white seen on one end of the nail returns by the other end.

Work appropriate mani Monday: Line it up

Full disclosure: this mani is the first step of another mani which I'll post tomorrow. But once I did this step alone I thought it could work on it's own as a work-appropriate look. As you may have noticed by now, my definition of 'work appropriate' has been getting looser and looser.... so let's just say it's appropriate after you got the job once people begin to care less what you look like and more about the quality of your work. The latter should always be the case, but hey, can't stop the world from judging.

Work appropriate mani Monday: Split personality

Like last week, this mani's work appropriateness is debateable. I argue that because dark coloured nails have made a comeback and are generally accepted in the workplace (see here and here), and because white nails have been universally accepted as office friendly for a while now (see here, here and here), then the combination of the two in a simple clean cut design must be okay!

Maybe dark nails are not ideal for an interview, and so that would eliminate using any dark polish even if only half a nail, but if you already got the job, then why the heck not!

I saw this split look recently done by Aliciatnails on Instagram and so I had to re-create it. Doing so gave me a better idea of what to do for Earth Day nails, so this design actually serves as the base for my next post, hee hee.

Work appropriate mani Monday: Rose gold glitter gradient

This "work appropriate" mani is debatable. It started off perfectly appropriate with a nude pink base and a sheer slightly-detectable delicate stamping layer... but then my addiction to sparkly got the best of me and along came a glitter gradient. BUT in rose gold, so I'll meet the work appropriate world half way.

In other words, this mani is work appropriate if one or more of the following apply:
   a) you like being the obnoxious one at work;
   b) you work in a glitter factory;
   c) you're the boss lady;
   d) you're so confident in your awesome nails that nothin' else matters, girl!

To execute the glitter gradient I only applied the glitter with a make-up sponge, in a couple of steps starting with the least amount of pressure to transfer just a bit of glitter over towards the middle of the nail. I find using a make-up sponge to do the whole gradient - as opposed to some ladies who use the actual polish brush to apply the glitter - actually gives you more control and lets you amp up the glitter saturation level really easily when and where you want to. Tip: Use the end of a triangular make-up sponge for more localized control.

Work (in)appropriate mani Monday: Let's get lacy

Oh hey there office slew nails... I mean boss lady nails. I decided to turn the weekly work appropriate mani tradition into something a litle more risque this week because I'm feeling spicy, obviously.

Transparent/translucent/sheer polish has recently become somewhat of a thing. OPI launched their Sheer Tints line in early 2014 that consists of four transluscent polishes you can use to layer as jellies or use alone for a see-through look - All Lacquered Up has some good swatches and reviews.

Now OPI did not introduce a black, grey, or otherwise neutral-hued sheer polish. Nail bloggers have been using indie polishes like Loaded Lacquer's 'Toasted marshmallow' or mixing their own polish by adding 10-20 drops of black polish into a bottle of clear polish or topcoat (see Nailstorming's tutorial for example). I reckon OPI or another major nail polish brand will catch on soon and put out their own once they realize how big this is going to get.

The first time I saw the sheer black polish look was when Badgirl Nails on IG paired it with nude accents and some black dots. Then Just1nail on IG stripped off the nude and kept things black and glossy. Jamylyn Nails on IG used sheer black as a cityscape backdrop and it was very a-la-nighttime-in-NYC. Nailstorming on IG also revealed a simple matte black dotticure with a sheer black background. All these racy ladies, I just had to join in!

Now, to the good stuff (pic heavy, but hey, I just can't get enough of that lacy business):

Work appropriate mani Monday: Rose gold with a touch of glitter

I honestly think that the main featured polish used in this mani - Essie's 'tea & crumpet's - was one of the first few nail polishes I've ever owned. The polish is SO old that I had to add some nail polish thinner (i.e. nail polish remover - I know they say not to do that, but I like to live dangerously) to reduce clumpiness. Once I did that it went on like silk! More proof that it's old: The embossed rectangles that surround the 'essie' logo on the sides of the bottle are rounded out at the corners unlike the current bottles which are more rectangular, and there is an embossed 'e' on the top of the lid while the polish name is on the bottom label under the bottle itself! Crazy, I know!

I just had to accent it with one of my new Cirque glitter polishes. The rose-gold reminiscent result was just perfection. I wouldn't just wear this to work, I'd wear this any day!

Jewelery featured: Rose gold Katie link bracelet by Marc Jacobs and ring by Coach

Work appropriate mani Monday: Negative space lined with pixie dust

Negative space nails are a relatively new concept in the last couple of years - check out this pintrest feed for a better idea of how widespread they have become! Generally speaking negative space nails just means that some sections of your nail are left unpolished. I was never really excited about this because the idea of my nails being partially naked - nevermind fully naked - scares the shit out of me. As always I am inclined to polish ALL the nails, so negative space has always been an OH GOD NO.

Except for today, and I owe this one to three talented ladies who inspired me to just do it because negative space nails only need to be a little naked, after all. Clearly I'm a naked nail prude.

First up there's Kristin who is the woman behind @kgdnr on Instagram - this is the first time I saw this particular mani and I just about died it was so gorgeous. The contrast between the matte burgundy and Essie's 'Shine of the times' (SOTT) is just perfect. Next up @chorubim replicated Kristin's idea but in a rich royal indigo. When Margaret from @m_a_tom revealed this mani with OPI's gold flecks down the center line, I couldn't stop imagining all the possibilities!

It's highly likely that I'll replicate Kristin's original idea with SOTT, but for now here's a toned down version that's workplace appropriate for those of us who don't want everyone at the office to see the crazy in us that easily.

Work appropriate mani Monday: Stark white

Sometimes just one colour - and I mean only ONE polish - can be beautiful. White nails were a hot style thing a few years back, but I've seen a few mani ladies sporting off-white/ivory nails lately and it's just so damn beautiful. This includes Tips and Topcoat's review of Jacava London's 'Vanilla slice', Polish is my kryptonite's swatch of Wet n' Wild's 'A blank canvas', and Ane Li's numerous instagram works where she paints a simple object using black ink on all-white nails, like these dandelions, this stretched feather, or this feather and bird silhouette. I do not possess crazy talents like hers, so I'll stick with the plain white for now....

This mani is actually a backdrop to one I will reveal later... stay tuned cause obviously I can't leave a plain mani alone.

I decided against the harsh bright white and opted for a subtle ivory white by layering one sheer coat of a transluscent nude jelly over an opaque white polish (though the pics don't translate this as the backdrop is grey and the scarf has grey fabric in it. You'll just have to trust me).

Work appropriate mani Monday: Neutral looping effect

This is a version of what I call the looping effect mani (see original post here), but made for the office! I have not made a tutorial for it since I have basically no one except my cats checking out this blog on a daily basis, but if there were ever some interest I'm sure I'd do it for the millions of fans I might have one day. This is about as probable as my cats replicating my manis.

The looping effect mani is a very simple concept on its own but in this one I've embossed the loops by adding both light and dark accents. And some random dots cause even though my mind was telling me to quit.... my paintbrush just kept going. Story of our lives.

I actually did this mani in February of 2014 so you can breathe a sigh of relief since you don't have to look through some crappy older manis/photography that I clearly just post to make it look like I do my nails every day (I don't.... yet).

Work appropriate mani Monday: Neutral gradient with french X tips

Here's a very simple work appropriate mani I did in October of 2013. I had an interview and I must say it made me super sad to take off my likely neon or sparkly polish and to replace it with THIS. But, at least I gave off a profesh appearance, right? After all, we all know that once we start a new job we tend to do our nail art on the mild side and then... give it a few weeks or a couple of months and then BAM no one can judge you for your neon holo-flakie-glitter laden nails because they already know you're crazy.

A basic ombre using three neutral hues and a makeup sponge, topped with hand painted X's on the tips. At the time I had not yet experienced the magic of striping tape, so the X's are messy for the new standard striping tape has set!