Hey everyone!!! So you want a tutorial video??????

I want to say thank you to an amazing beauty blogger on YouTube, Brooke, from sayanythingbr00ke. This morning I noticed some new followers, and I wanted to say welcome!!! Well, I checked to see where they came from, and to my surprise, YouTube!! Now, I know a lot of you have asked for tutorial videos, but I have yet to do one, so here you go! Brooke posted this amazing tutorial video. Check it out here. The tutorial she gives you is for this mani I did. I just wanted to share, since some of you have asked for a video tut. Hope you enjoy, and BONUS, she's amazing at makeup too, not fair, lol. Although I've mastered lip gloss, lol. To those of you who have come to find me from her YouTube video, I know you've already seen this, but I just had to share with my other followers. Thanks again Brooke, you did an amazing job!

Black Swan movie night mani....

My girlfriend and I went to see Black Swan Friday night, and I of course wanted to do a mani that was related. I didn't have much time, so this is what I came up with. All I used was Sinful's Black on black and China Glaze White on White and scotch tape. I was going for feathers on the accent finger, but couldn't come up with a quick way, so this is my modern interpretation of it, lol.

By the way...Black Swan was awesome!!! It was very intense, and it was done so well.

REDtro

First off, I want to thank everyone for all of your amazing comments and emails. I was kind of worried posting that letter, because I wasn't sure how it would be received. However, your replies just confirmed what intelligent, caring, compassionate, awesome people you all are!

Anyway, that said, here's the nails! :)

I love retro fabrics, prints, colors, etc. Today, when I was looking at the local antique store after lunch, I came across some really awesome vintage fabrics, and today's nail design was inspired by one of them! I didn't buy it, but I did end up buying a cute leather 70s handbag for $15. WOO!

I used American Apparel Cotton as a base, with Essie Alligator Purse and American Apparel Hassid for the design. Topped it all off with 2 coats of Seche Vite top coat.

OPI Spree #1 closed, OPI Spree #2 opening soon!

Hello ladies!

Spree #1 is closed !!!!

But don't fret. You can continue sending in your orders to valerie.gmh@gmail.com cause I plan to open Spree #2 really really soon !!

1-2 bottles of O.P.I goes at $12 each but if you're ordering 3 bottles and above, you get to enjoy an exclusive rate of only $10 per polish !!! The prices stated are only for OPI polishes with the black caps. Designer series goes at 20 per bottle. Do also note that there are a few discontinued series already, such as Burlesque & Shrek. When you send in your orders, indicate a few alternatives for me. Just in case the polish you want is discontinued already, I'll replace it with your alternative.

I also have limited stocks of Poshe base + top coat bundling at 35 per pair. Really good buy!

While stocks last!!

I'm posting up the postage charges for you once again. (:

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Postage Rates:

Normal Postage:

1 bottle: $1.50

2-3 Bottles: $2.50

4-7 Bottles: $3.50
8 bottles onwards: $4 (8th bottle) + $0.50 per extra bottle

Registered Postage:

Normal Postage + $2.24

Eg: $1.50 + $2.24 = $3.74

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The minimum number of bottles for Spree #2 will be capped at 40 bottles. So if I'm unable to reach that amount, the spree will not take place successfully. Play your part and get all your friends to take part in the spree ! =D Don't forget to order more too since CNY is coming !! I sell La Palm's Healing Therapy Lotion as well. You can get it from me if you're interested. (:

**Important Note: I'll only proceed your orders once I receive your payment successfully.

Hope you understand. (:

Enjoy your Sunday lovely ladies! (:

Edgy Half Moon Mani

I've seen tons of half moon manis out there, and I'm sure you have too. Well, I like to do things a tad different, if you haven't noticed. This is my edgier version of it. For this I used Wet n' Wild Hannah Pinktana, and Sinful Black on Black. Trsut me, Hannah Pinktana, is really fairly holo, but I didn't have any sun when I did this mani :(

Here is 2 coats of Hannah Pinktana over black.

This is how I cut my tape to do this design

You then tape it on your nail, like so

Once you polish on your 2nd color, black in this case, remove the tape ASAP, and you will have this

Repeat this for all your nails, and once you're done, add your top coat, mine is SV, Seche Vite

Why my husband rocks!!!

Just a quick post, to show you all what I walked into last night after work. As I walk through the door, I'm greeted by my 2 dogs, Rolo, a Chihuahua, that currently resembles a tick, teeny tiny head, but fatty body, lol, and Gramps, our newly adopted 16 year old mix. Then a few more steps in I see my husband, with a very big satisfied grin on his face. With him you never know. Well as I put my purse down, I see a white blob out of the corner of my eye. Well...................this is what it was

My ever so sweet hubby, "built" me a polish rack!!!!! LOLOLOL, out of Styrofoam, and even placed a few in there, so I would get the effect. All I could do was smile, and shake my head.

Multi Colored Checkered Mani...

Yep another checkered mani, lol. I wanted to use my Sally Hansen Prism Turquoise Opal again. Man, I cannot get enough of this polish! Just sooo many colors in one polish. Since these have been discontinued for years, I got mine, and a few other Prisms off of eBay, at a very decent price. Then one of my BFF/neighbors, Meghan, stopped over while I was in process of this, and suggested the OPI Lincoln Park After Dark Matte, for the squares. Even though I've used it a bunch lately, I agreed, and she was totally right!!! Then later on I decided to add a top coat, for shine!

You can find the tutorial here, that I did.

Here is Turquoise Opal over black. See.....so many colors!

Here is where I added the Lincoln Park After Dark Matte for the squares. Ignore the dent in my middle finger, lol. Not quit sure how that happened. Grrrrrr

Now with the top coat! I love SV, it evens everything out!

This pic is when I tried it out with the flash on my camera. I loved this pic!

Dear Readers...

Dear Readers,

Lately it's been commented on that I have posted less often than I used to, as well as that I've posted a few press releases lately. I'll get to both of those points in this open letter, post, whatever you want to call it.

Lately it's become an epidemic of sorts on nail and beauty blogs (not just mine) where readers are expecting instant swatches, reviews, and essentially for us to inquire 'How high?' when asked by our readers to 'Jump!'. I can only speak for myself when I say this, but while blogging is a very important portion of my life, it is NOT my life. I have friends and loved ones, as well as other hobbies, responsibilities, desires, and jobs that comprise my life as well. While I do have ads, which generate minimal amounts of income (not even close to enough to cover costs of maintaining the blog, purchasing all my polishes and tools, etc), I DO NOT make money from this blog. It is NOT my job, nor do I wish for it to feel that way. I blog about nail art and nail polish because I enjoy it. It's something that I'm interested in and passionate about...but it's not the sole reason for my existence.

If you read my posts, I'm sure you've heard my mention of another job. THIS is why I haven't been posting as much as I used to. I now work approximately 65-70 hours a week. For instance, of the 48 hours that comprised Tuesday and Wednesday, over 30 of them were spent working. When one works from 8 am to 11, 11:30, 1 am, what have you, it doesn't leave much (or ANY) time for nail blogging on those days. I honestly have time to eat, sleep (about 5 hrs?), and shower before I have to leave again to head for work. After days like that, on the days where I have only my 8-5:30 hours, I come home and have little energy to devote to things I don't have time for on other days, things like laundry, housework, errands, and nail blogging. Truth be told- I put most of my free time and energy into blogging right now, leaving other things on the back burner. For those of you that have commented, emailed, etc., I hope you understand this, and cut me some slack, as I wish that I could post more often, but just can't.

In regards to my posting of press releases:

I, from time to time, and from certain companies, receive press releases on new products, new color collections, etc, and I WILL post them. This blog was designed not solely as a place for weird and quirky nail art, inspiration, and curiosity, but also as an information source. I LIKE being able to read about collections before they come out, so I can plan what I want to get, and allocate money in my budget to purchase those items. In response to comments pertaining to the desire to hear my thoughts on a collection instead of a cookie cutter press release, I can only say that that was my plan, but I post my comments about a collection when I actually swatch and review them, when I actually have them in my possession, which I don't when I post the press releases, hence the designation in the title of 'PREVIEW'.

I beg that you don't think of this as whining, it's a simple statement because I'm unable to respond to every email, comment, or tweet that I receive about the above topics. I LOVE you guys, I respect your comments, encourage them, etc., but wanted to make you aware of where I stand on the subject of my nail art blog. I will continue to post as often as I can, with designs to make you laugh, groan, think, or even smile, and hopefully you'll continue to stop by, enjoy, leave your comments, whatever you want to do here at 'The Daily Nail'. If you choose not to stay, I'm sad to lose your company and insight, but it's your prerogative, and I can't stop you from going.

I hope you understand!

XOXO

Melissa
(the weirdo redhead with the goofy nails)

Pizza! Pizza!

So I was totally craving a pizza tonight, and Little Caesar's Hot N Ready was offered up. While I enjoy Little Caesar's for what it is, a utility pizza (meaning it gets the job done, but isn't huge on awesome), I was craving more of the tasty variety, like Grimaldi's, or something else equally delicious. However, Grimaldi's doesn't make for good nail art (and I'm not sure Little Caesars does either, but you get it anyway) :-D Anyway. Wanna know the crazy thing? I didn't even eat pizza. :) (not so crazy, I'm aware.) To the nails!!

I used MAC Vestral White as a base, with CND Electric Orange for the the orange, and American Apparel Hassid for the black. Topped it all off with 2 coats of Seche Vite top coat.

Ok, now that that is posted, I need to get back to watching Brad Meltzer's DECODED and freaking out about the apocalypse instead of what I SHOULD be doing...sleeping.

Some New Wet n' Wild swatches....

My hubby asked me to stop at our local Walgreens for some random stuff for the house, and I of course agreed! I had heard about these new Wet n' Wild polishes, and was really hoping they had them, since no where else did. Annnnddd.....THEY DID! Now there are like 7, 8, 9, total, I don't remember, but these are the only ones I grabbed.

Party of Five Glitters (ahhhhh I used to love that show) - yet another big multi glitter similar to Lippmanns Happy Birthday or the Milani Gems. I have the other 2 as well, and I have to say, I prefer this out of all 3! I layered it over black here.

SaGreena the Teenage Witch (these names kill me, lol, literally)

Teal of Fortune, yep cause this polish world needed another Charla dupe, what is this like number 4? I'm not sure why I bought this, lol, I think I own all the dupes *hangs head*

Oh, I MUST say, that just like all the other Charla dupes, this stained terribly!!! And I only had it on for like 15 minutes!!!! LOLOLOL, I just love this pic

Okay moving on, Hannah Pinktana, yep you read right, these names are sooo cheesy! This is actually a holo, but since I was inside, it was very hard to capture. It is fairly sheer, so I layered it over black, and love it!