Smoke Nails with Bundle Monster Gel Polish (Plus an Update)

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Hello Loves.  I have a new mani to show you today and an update.  Let's start with the mani.  Then we'll get to the update.

I've  seen so many smoke manicures lately.  I'm really not sure who created this look originally, so please let me know in the comments if you know!  All I know is that I've been wanting to try it for a while...with gel polish, of course.  Since I haven't had much time to swatch, review or even write lately, I figured I should at least give this look a shot.

I started with a base of two coats of Bundle Monster Speed Gel in You're So Tragic.  This is still one of my absolute favorite black gels.  I adore the iridescent sparkles that give it depth and dimension.  You can see my original swatch here.  Here's a sample nail.

I then tried to do the smoke with white gel polish thinned with alcohol, but it didn't turn out quite like I wanted.  So I scrapped that idea and Grabbed my Bundle Monster Stamping Polish in Angelic White.  I put a drop on a piece of foil and mixed it with a few drops of acetone until it was runny.  It needs to be very watery so that when the acetone evaporates, it leaves a ghostly image that allows the black to show through some.  If the mix it too thick, it won't give the right effect.  I tried to take a picture, but white on foil doesn't photograph well.  Here's the shot anyway.  The consistency is a little thinner than fat free milk.

Usually I would resist the urge to use acetone over gel polish without a top coat to protect the color coat first, but You're So Tragic is a One Step Gel so it has the top coat built it.  So it really was the perfect base for this type of art.  :)  I used one of my Elf Concealer Brushes that I use for cleanup to dab the diluted polish onto the nail.  As it evaporated, it left the perfect smeary, smokey white designs!

Now it's time for color!  There are lots of sheer, jelly finish gel polishes popping up right now.  Of course, I went with the Mosaic Glass gels from Bundle Monster.  I brushed Sea You Clearly over parts of the nail and Locked In Secrets over other parts, blending slightly as I applied it.  I did go back and add a second coat of each color in my manicure, but I only did one coat of color below.

Finally, add a top coat to seal the design and you have an awesome smokey look!  Here are the three stages side by side.

I absolute adore this look.  Want to see another shot of my finished mani?  Of course you do!  One tip if you decide to give this design a try...don't over-do it with the white.  Dab it on and leave it alone!  If you mess with it too much, you'll end up losing the smoke effect like I did on my pinkie nail and a little on my ring finger.  But hey, it was a first attempt and I'm pretty smitten with the results anyway!  Oh, and the thinner the polish mixture, the more wispy the smoke...like on my thumb nail.  ;)

If you love this look, you can find all of the items needed to recreate it on Bundle Monster's website here (minus the acetone and the brush...but any brand of those will do)!  Or just click the links throughout the post to purchase these items through Amazon. :)

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Ready for my update?  So, a lot has happened in the month since I last posted...over a month ago.  I know, I know.  I keep going MIA on you.  I promise, I'm not leaving you.  I'm just having a bit of a time right now.  I've been burning the candle at both ends lately and dealing with some health issues that have left me absolutely drained.  Hopefully that part will be straightened out soon.  I'm working with my doctor to adjust my medications to combat the fatigue.  But, let's not dwell on the negatives.  There is a lot of positive happening too!

As I mentioned in my last post, I made the difficult decision to leave Artistic Expressions Hair Salon.  I miss my AE family so much!  But it was a move I had to make for my family.  And I'm happy to announce that I found the PERFECT spot for my little nail business.  I'm now at Adam and Eve Hair Designers in Athens just a few miles from home.  I couldn't have found a better fit.  Seriously.  Y'all know how obsessed I am with nails, right?  The science.  The products.  The artistry.  Nail health.  Helping people feel good about themselves through my services.  I love every bit of it.  And I seriously found the hair match to my nail love at Adam and Eve.  These guys (yes, guys...and a few gals) take hair to the next level.  They live the science behind a good cut and color.  Watching them work is like watching da Vinci paint the Mona Lisa.  But at the same time, they know how to keep things relaxed and fun.  Needless to say, I AM HOME.

But...home is never easy.  See, what had happened was...I was given a blank and mostly ugly room as my canvas.  Grant (the salon owner), told me straight up that he has no clue how to set up a nail room and turned it over to me.  Of course, I was thrilled that I could design my own little space, but there were also a few challenges.  The salon was previously the office of web designer before Adam and Eve moved to this location, and well...I think my room was the server room.  There were wires and conduit everywhere.  Wanna see?

The room is 8ft x 8ft, so quite small.  The mess you see in this picture started dead center of the wall that you see when you walk in the door.

Here's a shot that shows how it extends around the corner onto the neighboring wall.  So a good portion of the room was a hot mess of wires and conduit.  Not really an inviting space, right?

Well, have no fear.  I have an amazing husband who is quite skilled with his hands.  He managed to clean up all of those wires and built a box to cover what he couldn't remove.  He also painted the room for me...white to brighten it up a bit.  This is a photo he sent me before the second coat of paint to show his progress.  So much cleaner!

Of course, then I had a little magic to work too.  After dragging Keith to Ikea two weekends in a row and a few Amazon shopping sprees, my little nail room went from ugly to perfect!  This is what you see now when you walk in the door.  Disregard my purse on the desk.  lol

This is the wall behind me that the client sees when sitting at my desk.  I adore how my product displays turned out!  Aren't they precious?

All of my gel polishes are in helmers that make up the base for a small table just inside the door.  Of course, the 300 or so that I have at the salon are swatched and hanging on the wall.  This will be changing soon...I need to add a cabinet on that wall to hold more supplies.  Originally Grant didn't want to offer pedicure services.  He has since changed his mind so I'm working on the setup for that now.  Yes, I know...I don't really have room for a pedicure chair, but I'm creative and can make it work with a few mobile pieces.  ;)  Oh, and ignore the stuff on the side table.  I was still putting things away when I took this picture.

Finally, my license and a clock are on the wall behind the client.  :)

Since the room is so small, it was difficult to take photos that really show my setup.  I'll do a video tour when I get my pedicure set up figured out.  :)

So, that's all for now.  Be sure to follow me on Instagram and Facebook (if you aren't already) to see my client work as I settle into my new space!  I'll be back as soon as I can with some new swatches and product posts.  I promise!

~Michelle

*The gel polishes used in this post were provided by Bundle Monster for my honest review.  This post uses Amazon Affiliate links.  Purchases through those links generate commissions that help fund this site.

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Another Late Night Life Update

Hello Loves!  So, it's 1:00 am and I'm still awake.  I have to be up in...oh...4 hours to take the boy to school, but I made a few changes to the site tonight and figured I should at least give y'all an update to explain what's going on.  ;)

To make a long story short (and yes, I am capable of keeping things short...maybe), I have a new logo! 

This new logo will start appearing as my watermark with upcoming posts.  :)  And I just want y'all to know, I drew that polish bottle and brush myself...in photoshop elements...with a standard mouse.  It took me all freaking evening to get it right.  Needless to say, I'm pretty proud of it even if it isn't completely smooth and perfect. 

Why the change?  Well...I'll soon have a new home (salon home) to go with it.  It breaks my heart to announce this, but I recently made the very difficult decision to leave Artistic Expressions Hair Salon in Braselton, GA.  Y'all, I've cried over this for weeks.  I don't WANT to leave.  The stylists there are awesome and so much fun to work with and my clients are amazing.  Sadly, the commute was killing me.  I was spending an hour and a half each day just driving to and from the salon - an hour and a half that I could be spending with my family.  Plus it was proving very difficult to build my book so far from home when I couldn't hang out and network without missing family time.  So after 7 great months at Artistic, I made the decision to take my business home.  I'm currently working to set up a little room in a great hair salon in Athens, GA that is only 7 minutes from my house.  Yeah, it sucks starting over, but I know this is the best move for my family.  Plus I'll have more time to blog!  Whoo Hoo!

With that said, there will be more changes coming to the site soon.  You'll start seeing this logo popping up too.  (Yeah, I know...the red looks different.  It has something to do with the way I saved the file, but I'm too danged tired to figure it out tonight.)

But don't worry!  My little slice of the internet here isn't changing much.  I might add a new home page that will give people the option to visit my salon page or head on over here to the blog, but other than that it will be business as usual.  Swatches, reviews, art...the normal stuff. 

Yes, I have reviews coming.  I promise!  I have some Akzentz Options, the new Pink Gellac colors, a review of the large clear stamper from Purjoi Nail Studio, more Madam Glam swatches (Hi Tiane! I promise I'll have those up for you soon!), and a bunch of other stuff to show you too.  Hopefully I can get all those up before long.  Thank you for sticking with me while I try to get my business off the ground.  I know I've been a bit hit or miss with posting lately.  I'll get it back together eventually!

But for now, I'm going to bed before I crash head first into my laptop.  'Nite everyone!

~Michelle

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Two steps forward and one step back (a personal update)

Hello Loves.  Wow...I don't even know how to start this post.  I guess I'll get the update out of the way and then I'll show you some of my work from the past few weeks.

My stomach is in knots and my hands are shaking.  Which is seriously crazy because it won't be a very big deal to most of you, but it is huge to me.  I started Manic Talons just over two years ago as a hobby blog.  This is my sanctuary.  My home away from home.  This is the piece of me that I share with the world as my escape from the stresses and trials of everyday life.  You know, getting lost in the polish and the art.  Expressing my love and passion for miniature canvases and beautiful colors. Sharing that love with you - the people who understand that love and passion in a way that many of my local friends and family just don't.

Over the past two years, a lot has happened.  A lot.  I started down a new path - I went back to school, got my license, and have joined a fabulous salon with some of the most supportive people I have ever met.  I did a complete 180 in my professional life - I turned this passion into a career.  Not many people can wake up each morning and say that they are going to do what they love.  It doesn't feel like work.  Seriously.  It feels like Heaven, and I couldn't have done it without you.  But, there are some bumps in the road.  And those bumps are why I'm writing this post.

Ok, I'm rambling, so let me get to the point.  I keep posting that I'll be back on my normal schedule soon.  I fully intend to get back to it, but life keeps getting in the way.  I am very routine driven and the guilt that I feel for not keeping up with my posting schedule is intense.  I know, it's crazy.  This is my hobby and hobbies shouldn't cause stress and remorse.  But it does.  I have tried to stick to a posting schedule for so long that it has become a normal part of my routine.  Yet now I am finding that I have to choose between getting a blog post up or working on my career or spending time with my family.  The stress is taking the joy out of blogging for me, and I refuse to let that happen.  Not only is the stress killing the joy, but it is impacting my health as well.  I suffer from IBS (irritable bowel syndrome...yes, it is as lovely as it sounds) and I have recently started experiencing muscle spasms so strong that it feels like a baby kicking.  Funny how something so beautiful and welcome when you are pregnant can be so disturbing and unwelcome when you aren't.  But I digress...

I have come to the realization that I have to let something go in my schedule for life.  I can't give up on my career, and I certainly can't ignore my family.  So my blog here has to be the piece that is no longer scheduled.  Don't worry - Manic Talons is not going away.  It simply has to become my sanctuary again.  My hobby.  The thing I do in my spare time because I love doing it - not because it is on my calendar for the week.  So I'm dropping the idea of scheduled posts and will be posting as a hobby again.  I might go a week without posting or I might post 5 times in one week.  It will be a surprise for you and me!  lol

With that said, please be sure to follow me on Facebook, Bloglovin or by Email if you aren't already.  The links are in the sidebar to the right.  That way you won't miss posts since I won't be on a regular schedule.

Before I leave you to work on swatches for the KBShimmer Winter Collection, how about a few pictures from the past few weeks?  These are just a few of my favorites.

Let's start with Jennifer.  She is a life long nail biter and wanted pretty nails for a party she was attending.  I forgot to get a before picture and the cell phone shot that I grabbed of the after is a little blown out, but I had the picture she sent me from before so I'm including it.  lol  I used Cuccio T3 Controlled Leveling hard gel over tips to extend her nails.  The main color is Cuccio 2am in Hollywood with Pueen Stamping and Cuccio Vegas Vixen as an accent.  I love how these turned out!

Next is Jordan.  She is one of the stylists at the salon (and yes, her hands are stained from hair color).  This is not my design - she found a picture on pinterest.  I used Madam Glam Perfect Black and Electric Blue and Pink Gellac Luxury Gold for the base.  The accent nail is freehand with Wildflowers Nail Art Paints.

Speaking of Wildflower Nail Art Paints, I used them with my Wildflowers Art Brushes for this single nail between clients.  Stacked pumpkins!  I freaking LOVE these paints!  And the brushes.  :)

Sabrina came in for some Halloween nail art and saw the nail I was playing with above.  So I gave her a cute little pumpkin accent nail.  The base is Madam Glam Shimmer White.  I can't remember the purple, but it was also a Madam Glam.  Purple Sky maybe?  The shimmer didn't pick up well in the photo.  I'm still struggling with client pictures.  :(

Nicki also came back to see me.  This time, I she was missing a nail and needed a fill, so I rebuilt her pinkie with Cuccio T3 and a tip.  The fill was also with T3.  The colors are Madam Glam Electric Blue and Dream Diamond.  The color is off in this picture :(

Taking a break from the nails for a minute, Jordan and Jamie gave me some new color.  I freaking LOVE it!  A red base with caramel and red highlights and plum low lights.  It is a bit more natural than my previous vivids, but the variations of color are gorgeous.

Here's a sunlight shot.  :)

Since I'm posting my "ugly mug" in the hair shots, how about a Halloween pic?  My boys were super heroes (Batman and Iron Man), so I went as the comic book damsel in distress.  They rescued me from the evil villains.  lol  Ok, fine.  It was a last minute costume idea but I think it turned out kind of cute.  This was the second go at it.  McKenna did my makeup at the salon and I ruined it before time for trick or treat.  I was so mad!  I had to redo it myself and it didn't turn out near as fun as when she did it.  I also slapped on some pop art nails at the last minute.  Not my best work, but they turned out ok and the boys loved it.  That's all that matters, right?

Back to the nails for one more pic.  I also did some fun Nightmare Before Christmas nail art on Sabrina's daughter.  I can't remember the colors I used in this one.  I know...blogging fail.  But I'm pretty pleased with the final result and she loved it!

Ok, that's enough for today.  I have swatching to do.  :)  Oh, and I have the new IBD collection on the way.  I know I'm a little late with that one, but one of the colors was very hard to find when it first released so I decided to wait until I could get them all.  Those swatches will be coming soon.

Stay tuned for those KBShimmer and IBD swatches.  I don't know when, but soon.  lol  And thank you all for sticking with me while I'm trying to sort things out.  I will eventually go back to a regular schedule once I get settled at the salon and can put the majority of the startup marketing behind me.

~Michelle

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