Guest Post by Nail Polish Pursuit: Christmas Nail Art + Video Tutorial

Please enjoy this guest post by my friend Paola from Nail Polish Pursuit!

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Hi Pretty Polishers and Kellie Gonzo fans! I'm Paola (Pa-OH-La) aka Nail Polish Pursuit. I am SO honored that Kellie asked me come back and do another fun and cute guest post for her amazing blog! Kellie has been a wonderful mentor and inspiration to me throughout my nail polish blogging journey. Isn't she the best? I know we can all agree Kellie ROCKS! So for my guest post today, I've got 4 Christmas nail designs to show you. These are pretty simple and quick in case you need any last minute Christmas nail art ideas.

To create these designs you will need the following:

That's a lot of polish right? If you don't have all of these colors you can use what you have, or you can create only 1 of these 4 designs and paint the rest of your nails red or green for the holiday season. You also don't have to use these exact colors I used, but in case you're interested, here is the list:

Gold polish - Ziv by ZOYA
Red polish - Sooki by ZOYA
Green glitter polish - Logan by ZOYA
Nude polish - Rue by ZOYA
Pink polish - Lo by ZOYA
Blue polish - Sia by ZOYA
Silver polish - I'd Melt For You by China Glaze
Orange polish - Lady & the Vamp by China Glaze
Black polish - Never Have Too Mani Friends! by OPI (Hello Kitty Collection)
White polish - French Tip by Color Club

You're also going to need a dotting tool or toothpick, a fast drying top coat (I used HK Girl by Glisten & Glow), straight nail vinyls or tape, and a thin nail art brush.

Now let's take a look at how to create each one:

CANDY CANE
Yummy, simple, and festive!

1. Start with a white base. I love using French Tip by Color Club because it's a one coater and super opaque!
2. Apply a fast drying top coat and let it completely dry for about 15 minutes.
3. Apply your nail vinyls at an angle to give the appearance of the candy cane swirls. If you don't have nail vinyls you can cut tape into different sizes.
4. Apply 1 coat of your red nail polish and remove the vinyls or tape immediately while the red polish is still wet.
5. Once that is dry, apply your fast drying top coat to seal the design. TIP: Apply the top coat sideways so you don't smear the design.

SANTA CLAUS
So jolly and bright!

1. Start with your red polish and apply only a small amount to the top 1/3 of your nail closest to your cuticle.
2. Then apply your nude polish to the middle portion of your nail. Don't worry about making the division of colors perfect because you will be covering it up.
3. Next take your white polish and create a "french tip" line at the bottom of your nail to create Santa's beard.
4. Once that is all dry, take your dotting tool dipped in white polish and create a line of dots side by side in between the red and nude polish to create Santa's hat.
5. Now take your dotting tool dipped in black polish and make two small dots in the nude polish section of your nail to create Santa's eyes.
6. Then use your thin nail art brush dipped in black polish and create a half moon shape under the eyes to create Santa's smile.
7. Last you're going to take your dotting tool dipped in your pink polish and make two dots at each end of Santa's smile to create his jolly and bright cheeks!
8. Once everything is dry, apply your fast drying top coat to seal the design.

CHRISTMAS TREE
This isn't a Charlie Brown Christmas Tree!

1. Start with a white base. Apply fast drying top coat and let it fully dry for about 15 minutes.
2. Next take two pieces of vinyl or tape and make an X across your nail to create the outlining of the tree.
3. Then add your green nail polish in between the "X" outline. While the polish is still dry, remove the vinyls or tape.
4. Let that completely dry and you can leave it as is or you can add ornaments to you tree like I did.
5. Using your dotting tool dipped in gold and silver polish, make dots inside your tree to create the ornaments.
6. I added a star on top of my tree using a tiny nail art star that came in a wheel I bought at my local beauty supply store. You can also find these on amazon.
7. Once everything is dry, apply your fast drying top coat to seal the design.

SNOWMAN
With a carrot nose!

1. Start with a blue base. Apply fast drying top coat and let it fully dry for about 5 minutes.
2. Then take your white polish and create a circular mound shape at the bottom of your nail.
3. Next take your dotting tool dipped in white polish and make dots at the top portion of your nail to create snowflakes.
4. Now take your dotting tool again but this time dipped in black polish and make two dots at the top of the white mound to make the snowman's eyes.
5. Last take your thin nail art brush dipped in orange polish and make a sideways triangle to create the snowman's carrot nose.
6. Once everything is dry, apply your fast drying top coat to seal the design.

You're all done! Hope you enjoyed these cute and fun Christmas nails! Remember you don't have to make these look perfect, even the best nail artists make mistakes. Your designs will be unique and beautiful.

I also have a step by step video tutorial for these nails on my YouTube channel here:

I wish everyone a very Happy Holidays and a huge thank you to Kellie for giving me this opportunity to be a part of her awesome blog!

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Thanks so much for guest posting again Paola! I love nail art oh so much and I fail so hard at it, so thanks for bringing some creativity to my blog! Let me know what you think! What are you wearing on your nails for the holidays? Be sure to stop by the Nail Polish Pursuit blog and subscribe if you want, or follow her on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube!

❤ Kellie

Guest Post by ChrissyAi: "Turtle Shell" Nail Art + Tutorial

What's up kids? I'm so stoked today to show you a guest post by one of my favorite makeup and nail bloggers, Christa of ChrissyAi! I was so impressed when I found this gal's blog, her nails are flawless and her makeup looks are fierce. Be sure to check out her Snorting Sprinkles series, they're so fun! She's created a beautiful nail art look for my awesome readers (you!) and has even included a video tutorial! Thank you Christa :D

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Hello lovely readers of KellieGonzo.com!

First off I'd like to thank Kellie for giving me the chance to guest post on her awesome blog, I've been a reader for a pretty long time and I adore her swatches. ♥

My mani for this guest post is a little weird since it's kind of an inside joke with a friend of mine that I decided to turn into nail art! I made a 'turtle shell' design (which to some people may not look like a turtle shell, hence the quotations haha). It's meant to resemble more of a cartoon turtle shell rather than an actual turtle shell.

Hopefully some of you see it.. or else I just look crazy!

And that's it!

I hope you enjoyed this simple silly manicure and that you try it out. You could always use different colors and ditch the 'turtle' theme!

Where to find ChrissyAi

Blog - Facebook - Twitter - Instagram

Deborah Lippmann Glitter In the Air

I'm not even joking when I tell you that the song that came on shuffle on my iTunes when I started writing this blog post was "Glitter in the Air" by Pink. Whoa, talk about fate eh? Haha, that song was the muse for this gossamer glitter shade by Deborah Lippmann. I received this as a gift from my lovely and beautiful friend Landa, thanks so much L-Doodle, it's so ga ga gorgeous!! (P.S. my girl not only does fab nails, she also makes awesome cookies!) Now on to this stunning polish...

“My inspiration for ‘Glitter In The Air’ was part customer request and part Pink’s magical performance at the (2010) Grammy Awards – floating through the air, wrapped in a sheer body suit with sparkles. I wanted to capture that ethereal moment in a bottle"

I love this polish. Even though it's very sheer, I personally adore it. It's angelic and heavenly. It reminds me of Princess Aurora dancing on the clouds with Prince Phillip in the last scene of Sleeping Beauty where her dress keeps changing colors from pink to blue. I layered two coats here over Icing's baby blue crème J'adore to give it an opaque base.

This video of Pink makes my jaw drop every time. The performance is so beautiful on a level I cannot put into words. The song, her athleticism, the stunning grace and poise she shows is unbelievable.

Zoya Touch Collection Sneak Peek & Pre-Order

2011 limited edition, full coverage nude nail colors

TOUCH

soft  sensual  sexy

Zoya Nail Polish presents 3 new, full coverage nude nail polish shades designed to coordinate with a variety of skin tones ranging from light to dark. Each softly kissed with a bit of metallic to make them ultra wearable.

Zoya TOUCH Collection

Minka (ZP561) - latte beige cream with a metallic kiss

Shay (ZP562) - desert rose sand beige cream with a metallic kiss

Pandora (ZP563) - mauve beige cream with a metallic kiss

Zoya is the new color of fashion...

The Zoya TOUCH collection was designed to recreate the custom looks developed for and inspired by the runways of New York Fashion Week.

Ultra long-wearing, glossy nail lacquers by Zoya are free of harmful industrial chemicals like toluene, camphor, formaldehyde, formaldehyde resin, dibutyl phthalate (DBP) that are known to cause cancer and birth defects.

Find Zoya TOUCH as well as over 300 other ultra high-fashion Zoya shades at www.zoya.com. As always, each and every Zoya color is made for women so we name them after women.

TOUCH by Zoya

PRE-ORDER May 25 - May 31, 2011

shipping JUNE 1, 2011

Information provided by the manufacturer.

Deborah Lippmann P.Y.T.

This is a Deborah Lippmann nail polish I got from Apothica. It's one that I've been wanting for a long time, but for whatever reason I put off getting it until now. P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing) a fabulous light creamsicle pink jelly with an equally awesome name, I can't help but sing along to the Michael Jackson song whenever I see/where it. The Glee version sung by Artie (Kevin McHale) is equally if not more dope. This is three coats.

Music Heals My Soul

I love music so much. I wanted to share some beautiful videos with some amazing music I've been listening to lately. Promise to post more nail polish soon!







xoxo,
kelliegonzo

sweet sweet tunes

I saw these sexy hawt fellas in concert and it was so damn good it was retarded really awesome. The only downside is that the dress code apparently dictated that concert-goers must have a beard and smell bad. It was worth it.

xoxo,
kelliegonzo

Just a Dream

brilliant.

xoxo,
kelliegonzo

China Glaze Little Drummer Boy

Finally! The last nail polish in China Glaze's 'Tis the Season To Be Naughty and Nice Collection! I cannot believe I left it out, it was one of the colors I was most excited about.

Little Drummer Boy is a dark navy with a metallic blue shimmer. I found it a little goopey, like Peace On Earth. However, it is really gorgeous once I was able to get it on well. This doesn't scream "holidays" to me, but it is nice to have a blue in this collection! This swatch is two coats.

Here is my video of the entire collection, you can see my YouTube channel with all my other videos HERE--but don't expect to see me on camera. At least not yet haha. I'm too shy ;)

xoxo,
kelliegonzo

This was provided to me for an honest review.

Nicole by OPI Justin Bieber Collection sneak peek video

xoxo,
kelliegonzo

opi collaboration sneak peak video

here's a video showing the new Katy Perry and Serena Williams collaboration colors from OPI.  coming soon :)



what are your thoughts? i definitely want to check out not like the movies and teenage dream but the others i'm not crazy about yet. we'll see.

xoxo,
kelliegonzo

discover the journey with across the universe

i know i've told y'all about this before, but wanted to remind you in case you haven't sent in your photos yet.



if you can, please send a photo of yourself wearing Across the Universe to universe@lippmanncollection.com and be sure to include your name and location.  for every picture sent in, they will donate to Discover the Journey, a charity that is designed to "SPEAK UP for children in-crisis by exposing injustices affecting children around the world through story, media and art, and to ENSURE JUSTICE for children in-crisis by advocating for intervention across cultures in Love."  thank you!

xoxo,
kelliegonzo

jar of hearts

i've told y'all about Christina Perri before, but in case have not heard her gorgeous voice, here is her first legit music video. this song was featured on "So You Think You Can Dance" this past season and has given Christina a leap in popularity. this song is amazing, i hope you enjoy it.




DAMN do i know how she feels.

the zoya color spoon

when i first heard this idea, i was ecstatic, no joke kids. i think this is an epic idea that will probably become standard with online nail polish retailers in the coming years. seriously, what's to lose? NOTHING. you buy a few spoons to find your perfect color, and even if you just buy one polish afterwards, you don't lose anything because the amount you spent on the spoons goes toward paying for it!  genius.  if you are are a careful shopper, are wary about buying polish online, or just want to make sure you are picking out colors that will be just as fantastic in real life as they look on your computer screen, i definitely recommend trying out this option at Zoya.com.

xoxo,
kelliegonzo

S.O.P.H.I.E.

Please visit Illamasqua.com/about/Sophie and www.sophielancasterfoundation.com to learn more about Sophie, the wonderful Foundation that has been set up in her name, and to donate to and support "Stamping Out Prejudice, Hatred, and Intolerance Everywhere."

xoxo,
kelliegonzo

i oppose the "safe cosmetics act"

here's some links on why this bill is not the answer:

http://www.indiebusinessblog.com/2010/07/21/the-safe-cosmetics-act-of-2010-has-been-introduced/

http://wingedseed.com/blog/2010/07/24/why-i-oppose-h-r-5786-safe-cosmetics-act-of-2010/

http://www.naturalingredient.org/Articles/melanie.html

http://thealabublog.com/soap-archives/general/5-ways-the-safe-cosmetics-act-will-harm-consumers/689/

there's tons more if you search :)

and here's an informational video:

i'm yours

just discovered this artist. she is everything that i can call magic. talent beyond words.

"if fiona apple, john paul george ringo, jason mraz, and karen o had a love child--its would be christina perri, and she would sing."

check out her other stuff if you get a chance :)

latest chuckle

it's gonna be a ra-ga-ga-christmas

best line? "she's super into jesus"....nice :)

tagged!

i was given this award and tagged by miss maria from polishign the nails!, who i've come to know and luv soooo much-o! thanks again hunny bee ♥

Rules:

• You have to put in a song that makes you happy.
• You can tag as many people as you like, there is no limit.
• Say at least one thing about each blog you tag, that will make them smile, something nice about their blog that makes you smile when you read it!

ok the song i'm choosing is "A Little Respect" by Erasure. it's one of those that gets stuck in your head until you feel like you want to literally smash your head on a desk or something (wow graphic sry) but for some reason, i LOVE this song. it makes me laugh and smile. i liked it even before they featured it on an episode of Scrubs, which is where the video below is from.




and I'm tagging:

Viola (i think this is your name haha) from Killer Colours
she does amazing things with her face and hair, stuff that have always had an urge to do but dont think i would ever have the guts to do. she does awesome tutorials as well, go check them out! i also looooved the post with the different pictures of the hair changes she's gone thru. and she does polish photos, so bonus!

Nicole from Magic Maid
of COURSE! this is my GUUURL! nic has got to be one of the nicest most genuine gals i've never met haha. lurrrve her to death and the girl has got a polish stash anyone would be envious of, *cough* i'm mainly talking about me being jealous haha :)

Liz from Iceomatic's Nails
i know, i know, i've sung liz's praises many times, but i'm doing it again cuz she's THAT cool. i love her sense of humor! totally smile when i go to her blog page. she has an infectious grin in her profile picture and she's such a doll! i love how she ties in her polishes with a picture or an object. very fun and very smile worthy.

Zaz from Les ongles de Zaz
her nails are super beautiful and she has amazing technique with application. also her blog design is just simply so lovely and her descriptions of the polishes perfectly describe them. i always smile when i see her talons pop up in my google reader because i know i'm in for a real treat :D

the Recessionista over at Nouveau Cheap
i am a recent reader of her blog, but am so happy to have found it. we have so much in common and we're both avid bargain hunters but won't sacrifice our style haha! i loved reading her reviews and it's so great to have a little forum on her "wednesday question" posts. she's a sweetie-pea!

Brooke from Getcha Nails Did
this gal is super super superwomen incognito. i'm convinced. she seems to be an awesome mom, a great lady, a rockin' dog caretaker, and a fabulous blogger with PERFECT application and photographing skills?? how can she do it? i call foul. she MUST be from another world. planet AWESOME. seriously though, Brooke has been nice and sweet to me from practically day one since i started my blog. and she's always ready to lend a hand with anyone's questions or troubles, cuz she's that dope. and she doesn't even need wonder women's whip ;)

there are many many more blogs that i adore dearly but i read about a million and i wanted to leave a few so other would have someone to tag haha ;)

happy friday!

you really got a hold on me