My favorite nail art's of 2013

Here I've collected my favorite nail art's of 2013, they are not in order, just random. I think it's fun to see that I've improved my skills during the year. I also feel that I've become much better with cleanup and also avoiding cleanup by being more precise while painting. I also feel that I've established how I prefer posing my hands and nails and I've also realized how important the light conditions are.

There has also been some "firsts" this year;

• I've participated in many challenges (like Where-in-the-world, 31dc, Christmas challenge etc)
• I've also participated in themed weeks like for Breast cancer awareness and Depression awareness.
• And here I list all the new nail art techniques I've tried during 2013 (new to me);
• water decals
• pond manicure
• metal beads and metal studded manicures
• tape manicures
• zig zag scissor cut out nail art
• splatter nail art
• and learned how to freehand houndstooth pattern. <3

Ps. Click the images below to get to the original post. Ds.

So, which one did you like the best of these? You who have followed me, are there any nail art that you think I've missed here? Is it something you'd like to see more or less of during 2014?

Gift nail art

Hi, today is no. 7 whit the theme gift in the Great Christmas Challenge and also the last post in this challenge and it has been fun doing this challenge. I like that it has been some time between each prompt, especially now during Christmas when things are a bit more hectic. So a big thanks to Sara at LovingCosmetic for arranging this!

Since Christmas is over (here in Sweden at least) I wanted to make something wearable and not crazy Christmas like. And you say what, but yea, I learned from Lakobotan that in Russia Christmas is celebrated the 6th of January. Then this isn't as off that one could think. For this nail art I went for gold and black and I like the result. And I like how dark the nail art is (some of you might remember that I like black Christmas stuff. Even though I didn't decorate something this Christmas I have a bunch of black Christmas decorations; I think it look elegant..Mostly of my Christmas gifts actually had black wrapping paper and red metallic string around it) and for some reason I've had such an urge to have mostly black nail art's for weeks now.

I could mention a bit more about the nail art. There is actually a gold glitter funky french gradient under everything. Then I used striping tape making the wrapping string and painted the whole thing black, removed the tape and then I attached yellow flower rhinestones. Cool right?

Polishes used;
Kleancolor - Coffee Addict
Kleancolor - Gold Caviar
Nordic Cap - NP12
Yellow flower rhinestones

Tropical nail art

Today it's Nail Art Sunday with the theme; "travel". I had the perfect plan for nail art but some how I started doing something else on my nails yesterday and I haven't had the time today to redo it. But, lucky me has always something in the archive, and searching I found this tropical inspired gradient with green/blue leaves/flower petals. This is actually what I wore during 2013 Mid summer day, I guess I wanted something neon then. ;)

About traveling; I love it. I'm that kind of person who like everything from checking out architecture, cultural, food, sights, the beach and shopping. In my latest trips nail polish has been a vital point during the shopping..haha ;)

 Above, the left picture is in some what natural light and the right one is in direct sun/ evening sun and can you see how much more orange the right one looks? The neon shimmer in the polishes really shine through in the sun light.

Polishes used:
China Glaze - Love's A Beach
China Glaze - Orange You Hot?
L.A. Colors Art Deco - Sky Blue
L.A. Colors Art Deco - Black

Sure promise (green)

Tape manicure in silver and white

Here I have another tape manicure much inspired by the one in silver and red which I showed earlier. I figured that silver and white would look elegant together and I think I was correct in that assumption. ;)
Here I had shorter nails and I only made one accent nail and I must say I liked the silver/red one better than this one just because I preferred it with longer nails and double accents. But I like the color combination, I'll probably remake it for winter/Christmas 2014. Which one did you prefer? :)

Polishes used:
Nordic Cap - NP13
HM Matte Metallic - Silver

Gradient in gold, black and red

Hi lovely readers and followers, from now on I'll probably be able to blog, answer comments and start reading blogs again like I usually like to do. I have a ton of comments to walk through and I'll answer all of them asap and I think it's so nice of you who have visited my blog and commented even though I haven't been able to be active here. I must also confess that I've been away totally guilt free which is a great feeling, I'm doing this because I think it's fun to share my nails and discuss anything nail related not because I have to. :D

My plan for the upcoming week is to show the few "Christmas inspired" nail art's I have left and later next week I'll start doing some lists of my favorite nail art during 2013. For Sunday I'll try making some themed nails (traveling) for nail art sunday and I'll also make the last part of the Cristmas Challenge I'm participating in.

But for today (or to night) I have a gradient to show. It's that kind of "dry gradient" which really don't blend together but I like the result anyhow, especially how the first photo shows it, the two other was in the gray outdoor light which made the photos to look very dull.

Polishes used;
Nordic Cap - NP12
Kleancolor - Coffee Addict
Kleancolor - Metallic Red

Christmas Elf nail art

Hi, hope you all have celebrated the new year properly. I've been visiting my parents and I've had a quiet but fun time off. As you've seen I've been quite off from the blog but I suspect that most of you have been swamped with stuff to do anyhow.

Today I'm showing no.6 in the Christmas Challenge made by LovingCosmetics, which is Christmas Elf. And if I'm going to be honest I wasn't sure what it was, it's not a common element in the Swedish Christmas tradition from what I know. When I googled I realized that they looked like some kind of helper to Santa and that they had green clothing and striped socks in either white/green or white/red and that is pretty much what I got inspired by. I decided to make a gradient with green and red which came out great since the two colors integrated with each other so that the "middle color" turned purple like (Yay!). On top of this I got white stripes and some elf shoes as an accent. I'm actually more stoked about the gradient than the nail art it self, what do you think?

Polishes used:
Claudia - 607
unknown heart shaped bottle (swatch here)
Jordana Pop Art - Contemporary White
Jordana Pop Art - Black Mark