The new watercolor trend is so pretty, and I wanted to give it a try since the weather is becoming so beautiful in my region right now. The basic technique is to paint the nails a base color, and then with several colors one after the other you dot a small amount on the nail and sort of blot it out with a larger brush with a little acetone in it. The beauty of this technique is that the less "perfect" it is, the better, so the expertise level on this would probably be at "Novice." I think there are videos on how to do this on YouTube, so search for "Watercolor Nails" and you should find something. The only trick is to use *just* the right amount of acetone to dab the paint around, and not to dab too much or it will get muddy. Paint a few nails white and give it a little practice to see what you come up with. I think it's really pretty, and with just a couple colors blotted on, it would also make a pretty background for other art on top, or even some metal studs.

Products used:

• Sally Hansen Lavender Cloud
• CND Sweet and Anchor Blue
• China Glaze High Hopes
• Sally Hansen Mellow Yellow

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I recently got a backup bottle of China Glaze Flip Flop Fantasy, one of my favorite summer polishes of all time, and something weird happened. My new bottle is a lot lighter and less warm in tone than my older bottle. I do love the color of the new bottle too, and I thought it looked awesome next to Aquadelic and Electric Pineapple so I did a springy tribal look.

Products used:

• China Glaze Flip Flop Fantasy, Aquadelic and Electric Pineapple
• Sally Hanson Salon Lavender Cloud
• Wet n Wild Black Creme
• Seche Vite topcoat

In the "Reaping" scene in the new Hunger Games movie, Effie Trinket wears a pretty and interesting nail look while she's drawing out the tributes' names. It's a sort of dark rose with a gold metallic sponged halfway down. It's such a simple and cute look to try to replicate, but I decided I wanted something slightly more blingy, so I did a different variation using a couple China Glaze polishes.

Products used:

• China Glaze Traffic Jam, Blonde Bombshell
• Seche Vite topcoat

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I'm pretty into tribal right now, so I basically rehashed my Feathers nail set and my Angles nail set with a different group of colors. It wasn't anything very new, but I thought it looked good and figured I'd post it. In the end my middle fingers looked like weird easter eggs... The one caveat I've found so far with my new, more rounded nail shape. Otherwise I really love the new shape, and all the new nail designs I can do that just would never work on my old squares.

Products used:

• CHina Glaze Aquadelic
• OPI A Roll in the Hague
• CND Copper Chrome
• Orly Luxe
• CND Anchor Blue
• Nubar lemon
• CHina Glaze Gothic Lolita
• CHina Glaze White on White

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I've been seeing a lot more Ikat print buzzing around the interwebz, on Pinterest, tumblr, etc... shorts, skirts, tees, nails, everything. So I really wanted to give Ikat-inspired nails a try and I did a mix. I'm not sure how the Ikat dying technique works, but the technique on the nails is super easy, and it doesn't even require a steady hand. It's imperfect by it's very nature, so anyone can do it!

Products used:

• OPI Skull & Glossbones
• China Glaze Flip Flop Fantasy, Aquadelic, Sun Worshipper
• FInger Paints Blue Raspberry Taffy
• Illamasqua Jo'mina
• Seche Retain as base coat
• Seche Vite topcoat

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I was in the mood for rainbow nails, but rainbows with some oomph. I sat down with four bright polishes and this just sort of happened. There's no real inspiration or idea behind it, I just started painting. The best things (and the most obnoxious, apparently) seem to happen when you start without a plan. I wouldn't suggest it in other parts of your life, like choosing a career for instance, but with paint, it's no big deal. Art is cool. Yeah.

Products used:

• China Glaze White on White
• China Glaze Purple Panic
• Color Club Explosive
• OPI Did It On Em
• Finger Paints Blue Raspberry Taffy
• Wnw Black Creme
• Seche Retain (as base coat)
• Seche Vite topcoat

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Not a whole lot is said about District 5 in the books, so there's not a lot to go on. However, we do know that it's the district responsible for power. Powering the entire country? No idea, but I would assume so since that's their main "export." For this nail set I tried to represent power in a very general sense, and also in some particular ways. For instance, the three-prong plug is pretty self-explanatory and somewhat general. The nuclear sign is pretty specific. I'm assuming since Panem has nuclear capabilities (District 13) that they would also use nuclear power. For the index (district badge) finger, I represented hydro-electric power with holographic teal, foily silver and a shimmery blue in waving lines. The ring finger is a holographic charcoal with vaguely electricity-themed stripes and the pinky is the District 5 polish from the China Glaze Hunger Games collection, which seemed very fitting and is very blingy and excellent on it's own.

Products used:

• CHina Glaze Hook and Line
• Wet n Wild Black Creme
• CHina Glaze Techno Teal
• China Glaze Icicles
• China Glaze Yellow Polka Dot Bikini
• Color Club Revvvolution
• Orly Luxe
• China Glaze Electrifying

Believe it or not this manicure started out simply enough. First I just wanted to wear OPI Did You Ear About Van Gogh? because I haven't worn it yet. Then A Roll in the Hague in all it's bright orange glory was staring at me, so I put a little line down the middle and said I'd call it a day. I gave it a couple hours, did a little stuff around the house, read a little of my current book (A Storm of Swords, if you're interested) and then I just couldn't help myself. I got out a couple more polishes and kept on for a few minutes without a real plan. I didn't have anything in particular in mind, but it ended up looking sort of tribal. Maybe like feathers. So that's what I'm saying those little marks are. Sounds better than Random Brush Strokes.

Products used:

• OPI Did You Ear About Van Gogh?
• OPI A Roll in the Hague
• China Glaze Aquadelic
• Wet n Wild Black Creme
• CND Anchor Blue
• Nubar Lemon
• China Glaze White on White
• Seche Vite topcoat

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Would you believe that this is my very first magnetic nail polish? Ever since the European only L'Oreal Star magnetic polish came out five years ago, magnetic polish has languished on my wishlist. Next came the Lancome Le Magnetique, followed by scores of other more obscure brands turning out magnetic polishes. More recently Nails Inc. with a $16 price tag. I wouldn't turn a neurotic hair to pay $16 for a polish if I really, really wanted it; hey polish is my thing! But I had yearned for so long for it... what if I ended up hating it? Well China Glaze has released their own version of magnetic polish, and it's fitting that my first, much desired magnetic is from China Glaze. I picked up three of these at CosmoProf for $4.99 a piece but I believe they will retail for $10. Still pretty cheap considering. You also have to purchase the magnet seperately for an additional $4.99, but there are three designs on it, so it's not bad. I chose my polishes based on Scrangie's awesome swatches, and I think all three are great. I bought this one, and also You Move Me, and Pull Me Close.

The application was super easy, I used two coats. I applied one coat to all ten nails, then one by one I applied a second coat and placed the magnet over it for about 30 seconds. The cuticle guide is very helpful, though you still have to be careful not to touch your nail to the magnet, but still get it as close as possible. Also, since my nails are so curved, it basically just made a design on the highest parts. It looks in the pics like it got most of my nails, but the sides are much more curved than my photos allow me to show you. My nails are like a half circle, it's aggravating sometimes. Anyway, I finished it all off with Seche Vite and I think it looks totally great.

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I haven't been so excited about a nail polish collection before in my LIFE. I am a huge Hunger Games fan if you didn't know already, and the marriage of some of my favorite books and my favorite nail polish company is so awesome. I am dying waiting for this damn movie, I'm serious. Anyway, I went and grabbed the collection today at CosmoProf and did some swatches. This is a diverse collection full of color, texture, and awesome.

Click to see the swatches!