Hubby's Picks gone wild! (HP27)

So this week's line up included some refreshingly bright colors and a bit of contrast. Try as I might I just could not resist the call of the gradient. It's like Hubby's Picks meets Lisa Frank this week!

So the line up this week was Kleancolor Coffee Addict, NYC Empire State Blue, China Glaze Peachy Keen, and Color Club Hot Like Lava. I've never done a leopard print manicure so I thought that now seemed a good time to try!

Mixed media ME-YOW!

• First I lined up my colors up to see how they looked next to each other. I wanted the gradient to repeat on the first and last nail so I planned the gradient from there. I cut down my sponges, sponged the pointer and pinky first (three thin layers to build colors), then sponged the other two fingers. Immediately I cleaned up after I finished each finger.
• Next, using a dotting tool, I created the leopard splotches alternating the dotting sizes. This part is easy and fun since the splotches look best imperfect and mismatched. You'll notice the splotches are done in the third gradient color not present on that nail. So Hot Like Lava on the Peachy Keen to Empire State Blue and so forth.
• Last I went back and used my last color, Kleancolor Coffee Addict, to add a splotchy line on either side of each colored splotch to complete the look.
• Top with topcoat and presto! Wild Lisa Frank like leopard print manicure!

I have to say this is one of my favorites so far! Luckily the tools for this and some other goodies will be present in an upcoming giveaway. Wait. What?!
Yes you read correctly. Hubby and I have come up with a Hubby's Picks themed giveaway for my two year blogeversary! I will be announcing it next week (I'm waiting on one additional goody to arrive) and I've known I was going to do it for over a month now and just can't wait much longer to spill the beans! So stay tuned.

No gradient you say? Yeah right! (HB9)

Hubby's Picks....from last week. As you saw from last post things have been chaotic? At any rate no fancy get up this time - too many kids running around like maniacs.

He picked things he didn't think I could do a gradient with. Silly boy....I can always gradient! We have Julep Oscar, Rimmel Rags to Riches, Sally Hansen Coral Reef, and Kleancolor Coffee Addict. The last looks familiar you say? Well yes. He's picked it before *glares*. Here it is on it's own:

Yuck! Kleancolor is cheap, smells AWFUL and dries in like six hours. I was determined though since I know he picked it because he knew it'd drive me batty. I added thinner and suddenly it started behaving! Then someone mentioned that Kleancolors are good for stamping. DER! Why didn't I think of that?

HA! HA! HA! Take that! It feels very fall like to me even with the super bright pink.

It's so shimmery and pretty. I was really stunned at how much I love this manicure!

Another hubby's picks successfully achieved! *smug grin*

Caught In A Web

Hey all - another hubby's picks mani for you. This one isn't particularly me but it was creative. It's my first striping tape mani!

He picked gold nail art accents. ICK! So I picked the worst one in there: the spider.

Underneath the top layer of color is a split of Sally Hansen Diamond Strength Wedding Crashers and Kleancolors Leaves Jingle:

I really liked how they layered together - reminded me of a raspberry. Yum! Then I laid down striping tape and painted over with Rimmel Burgundy Flirt with a stripe of Kleancolor Coffee Addict right down the center:

These are big, rigid accents that do not lay flat so the legs on these got caught on everything. I couldn't even do the other hand it was sooo bad. BUT I did the challenge and the end result looks pretty cool. It's just not really me.