Minx #1 in Technical Tribal - Available at Ulta stores (not available online) - $18 for a full mani/pedi set - 

A few weeks ago Minx announced a new at-home applique called Minx #1. Unlike traditional Minx, there is no need for a heat lamp, nor a licensed manicurist to do it for you. As a manicurist, this should probably irk me, but honestly I am not the world's biggest fan of appliques in general and would prefer to do the art myself. Alas, there are just some nail looks that can't be achieved by traditional methods alone, like the quintessential Minx look: chrome. There are chrome polishes galore, but none come close to the mirror-shine of Minx. That said, I really only like these for a short-wear look; a Friday night out and the lazy weekend to follow. The original Minx is no more a long-wear product than their new at-home invention. 

Traditional salon Minx needs intense heat to "shrink-wrap" the nails. This product just needs to be stuck on, smoothed out and the excess filed of. The price is a steal considering that salon Minx will cost you north of $45 to be applied, and in this package you get enough for both a manicure and pedicure. 

The designs are just as cool as salon Minx, but they're all new, and there will be new designs launched quarterly, according to the company. 

Click for more pics and info...

I liked the other day's watercolor nails a lot, so I used a similar technique for this design. I started out with a nude base color, then used three different polishes to make the "dip-dye" look. I put a dab of each color and used a brush and some acetone to wash it out in a line up the nail. Once I had all the colors in, I used a brush with some black polish to make some random zigzags. I wanted them to be somewhat haphazard, because I wanted it to have a sort of distressed look. It reminds me of this batik sarong I used to have, and I like it!

Products used:

• Sephora by OPI XOX Betsey
• CND Sweet and Anchor Blue
• Sally Hansen Mellow Yellow
• Wet n Wild Black Creme

Click for another photo..

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

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

Click for more photos!

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

Click for more photos...

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

Click for another photo!

Products used:

• China Glaze Strong Adhesion Base Coat
• Illamasqua Muse
• CND Copper Chrome
• Black Striper Polish
• Seche Vite Top Coat

Here is a simple tribal nail design using Illamasqua Muse as a base. I used CND Copper Chrome for a stripe down the middle and then I used a black Striping polish to make the design over the copper. I thought the teal and copper were made for each other!

Click for another photo!