Here Kitty Kitty Kitty!

AGH! I know its been a while since I have last had a post up here. But things have just been crazy. I've been busy with school, and I found out that we are MOVING!! So this busy Mamma, has a lot to do from now until the end of the month. We are moving in December, but Thanksgiving weekend is when we are moving all of our things to our new home. And then at the end of the month we are moving out of our current home and will staying in the "Aluminum Cabanas" for 10 days until I finish up school. Its almost to the point to where I'd wish that I had a swarm of fairies that can help me with their magic to get everything done for me while I am busy doing other things. HAHAHAHA!
So back to my intended blog!

Last weekend was Halloween. And where I live we have this event called "Fantasy Fest". Basically, its a week long party for Halloween. There are different events at different places each night, and people dress up in costumes, or nothing at all!! SO, this is my first and last Fantasy Fest, and I wanted to make sure that I participated in it and had healthy fun. My costume was going to be a cat. I had a leopard corset with a black tutu and leggings. I know that there are many tutorials out there on how to make a leopard print nail at home, but I didn't have the money to go out and buy the proper colored nail polish. So what was a girl to do??
Then I remembered!!! A few months back I had purchased the Sally Hansen Salon Effects- Real Nail Polish Strips in Kitty Kitty!!

I purchased mine for about $10 at my local CVS... or Walgreens.. either one, I know you can get them at CVS, Walgreens, Rite Aid, Walmart, Target, KMart, Duane Reade.
They come in a variety of colors and designs. I'd go into more details, but I'm pretty sure everyone knows about them by now :)

If you do not have any they come with 16 different sized strips, a wooden nail tool, an emory board to help file, and smooth your nails and the strips, and instructions. The instructions are pretty self explanitory. BUT, make sure that you read the instructions before you start, just so you have a basic knowledge of what you are doing.

I think in between keeping a toddler entertained, yelling at my dogs, doing homework, and doing my nails, it took me 10 minutes to get these bad boys done.

I also put clear gloss on top of my nails to help protect my design and make them last longer.
The packaging says that they won't chip for 10 days. So far it has been 5 days since I put them on and still no chip!! I am pretty happy with them!

CONS:

• They are a bit on the pricey side, so unless you have a special event or occasion that you are going to I would save them for that reason.
• When you open up the pouches that the strips are in, I felt like there was an overwhelming aroma of highly concentrated nail polish smell. So note to selves, keep your nose away from the small pouches holding the strips so you don't inhale the fumes. 
• If you have a design you have to worry about stretching the strip too much that the image would become distorted. For someone who has never done them before it was not that easy.

The above mentioned CONS are not bothersome enough for me that I won't use this product again. In fact I will! I have Skinny Jeans just waiting for me to use them :) 

I think that these would be great for if you were going on vacation for a while and needed some type of polish but didn't want to bring your bottles in risk of them breaking or opening and ruining everything else in your bag(s).  

Hope you had a PUURRRfect Halloween!!!

with whiskers and nail stickers -

Jess<3

Hello Kitty Inspired Nails

Today I did a Hello Kitty inspired nail.

**Disclaimer** I am not a professional, and I am still learning. This is just a hobby.

Sadly, I decided to make a blog about my creations AFTER I painted my nails like this. So I don't have any step by step photos on my nails, however, I will show on a piece of paper.

Step one:

Paint all your nails with a clear base coat. I used Seche Clear base coat. Any base coat, clear nail polish will work.  

Once your nails are dry you can move on to Step 2:

Chose one nail (I picked my ring fingers) and paint them white. I used Sally Hansen Hard as Nails Xtreme Wear in 02- White On. 

I used two coats of this. Any white nail polish will do. These two fingers will be Hello Kitty's face.

For the other 8 remaining nails, I painted them in Essie 767- Raise Awareness. 

It is a bright bubble gum pink. You can paint your nails in any color, I just happen to feel this is more Hello Kitty-esque (plus, I will be using this color in her bow). I used about 2-3 coats for this.

You want your nails dark and opaque. 

Once your nails are dry you can move on to Step 3:

This is where you will start to work on HK's face. If you have a dotting tool, this would be a useful tool. But if you are like me, then you need to think of using something that you have around the house to get the job done. I used 2 bobby pins. 

All you have to do is open them out so that they are straight.

Step 4:

We are first going to work on her nose. Its best to start there so you can then gauge how much room you need for her eyes, bow, and don't forget the whiskers!

Take any yellow nail polish. I used Sephora by OPI's Cab Fare.

You are going to need to put some on a scrap piece of paper so you can easily dip your bobby pin, dotting tool into.

Dip the tool into the yellow nail polish, make sure you have just enough.

Its better to have too little than too much. Towards the outer part of your nail (away from your nail bed), make a small oval for her nose.

Step 5:

Take any black nail polish. I am using Kiss Nail Art Paint in Black.

This nail polish that I have is known as a striper, and can make small lines. But, I don't have the best control with it yet, so I am using the other side of my bobby pin with the black paint. Like in Step 4, put some of the paint on paper to dip into to make the eyes and whiskers.

For the eyes, you want to make sure that they are long oval shaped. But not too long! You want them close to her nose. Its going to look like she has a big forehead. But thats okay, we will put a bow there.

For her whiskers, you need to make a total of 6, 3 on each side of her face. Best way to do them is from her nose to her eyes. You're going to put these on the far side of your nail. 

Step 6: 

This for me was the hardest part. Making the bow. You want to get the bow just right. I ended up practicing on paper for a while. Now the classic Hello Kitty has a red bow, so I made mine with one, and I added some pink to help show that its a bow, and not just a red blob on my nails.

I used Essie 748- First Dance ( red) for her bow.

Again you can use any color you wish.

Like the other 2 steps, put some of the polish onto the paper and use the dotting tool. 

First figure out where you want her bow to be, and make sure that the other nail has it following the same motion. I put my bow towards my pinkies.

Second, place a small dot in the corner you chose.

Third, make a small line almost parallel to the dot.

Then draw a diagonal line from the top corner to the dot.

Next follow that same diagonal line in an equal distance from the previous diagonal line.

Then draw a line going up to be parallel to the dot again.

From there, draw a diagonal line that criss crosses with the previous diagonal line to the end of the other straight line.

Fill in the two triangles that are now formed.

From there you can leave you nail as is, but if you want to make the bow stand out more add in the pink (as I previously mentioned). 

Take some of the pink nail polish and dab it onto the paper, and use the dotting tool.

You are going to put a dot, in the center of the bow (where you made the first red dot).

And then you are done!

Make sure that your nails are completely dry before putting on a top coat.

I used  Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat.

Enjoy!!

Giddy with pink and kitties- Jess<3