Nail Art: The Return of Black Cats Galore

I was suppose to post this the other day, but a project came and had to put it on hold. It's my 6th Halloween nail art design for this year. This is a recreation I have been meaning to do that somehow didn't push through until this week.

Do you still remember Black Cats Galore Nail Art from my 2012 Halloween series? Well, this was also inspired by black cats with minor details added. I've only used cats as inspiration during Halloween. It has been (and still is) one of my nail designs often shared, recreated, and infringed. And this year, these cats inspired nail art became more personal. I simply cannot let the year pass without a recreation. More on this later. Let's take a look at the results first:

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Nail Art: Brown Ombre and Dots

My first nail art for this year is an ombre. Gradient is a term I often use to refer to this kind of manicure but I was introduced to the term "ombre" that most nail art bloggers say in their posts. Honestly, I really don't know what it means. Thanks to ever dependable Google, I learned that it is a French word for shading.

I have been wanting to do something like this ever since I saw one but at the time, my nail polish stash is very limited in colors ... it is still until now, but has grown a little. When I finally decided to finally try one, brown was the first color that popped in my mind. So I looked for 5 nail lacquers that would create the look.

Here's my brown ombre manicure:


Brown Ombre Nail Art Design by Simply Rins

I polished the nail on my pinky with the lightest color and the darkest on my thumbnail. You can do it the other way around. It would really depend on your personal preference.

What I like about this nail art is its simplicity. I don't think it can get any simpler than this. If you know how to polish your own nails and you have the colors to work with, this is probably the simplest nail art ever! Also, if you're trying to get into nail art, I personally think this is a good start to be comfortable decorating your nails.



Here are the polishes I used, in 2 coats each:

• Pinky: Orly Pure Porcelain
• Ring: Misa Pay Days Are Happy Days
• Middle: Orly Country Club Khaki
• Index: Essie Mink Muffs
• Thumb: Faceshop BR802

Important things to remember when creating an ombre nail art:

• Work with nail polishes that have the same finish or texture.
• The lightest color is not necessarily white.
• If you can create an ombre nail art with subtle transitions of shades, I think that would look absolutely amazing.

I really liked how my first ombre manicure turned out. I plan to do more soon, especially with my favorite color. :)

After a few days of wearing this, I decided to add a design. Since it is still January, I wanted to wear something with dots. From where I am, we have this belief that wearing polka dots to welcome a new year will bring good luck and wealth. This is also the reason why we fill our pockets with coins too during the new year. Unfortunately, I do not own a single polka dot inspired piece of clothing. How sad is that? But it is never too late for anything, right? So I decided to add random dots on my ombre nails.



I used white, yellow, and pink nail polishes to create the dots in different sizes. I have mixed feelings with the outcome but I did love the color combination. I'm not sure if I should have used darker shades of colors for the dots.

What do you think?




P.S. My camera is with my sister for the weekend when I did this nail art. Thanks to nanay who lent me her digicam until I got mine back.

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Nail Art Tutorial: Santa's Elves

It's hard to feel the Christmas season with so much terrible things happening around the world right now. But sometimes, we have to try harder to see the positive side of things. Sorry for being cryptic. I know you get what I meant. :)

By now, Santa's elves are probably so busy making all those toys for all the good children around the world. I wish I was a kid again so I can get what I want for Christmas! Just have to make sure I'm good! I would like to dedicate this Christmas nail art design to Santa's hardworking elves, without them, Santa wouldn't have gifts to give to all those great kids on Christmas Day!


Santa's Elves Nail Art Design by Simply Rins

Base color is 2 coats of Color Club Take Me To Your Chateau, a light blue color, and I topped it with a coat of Faceshop BL602 for a little shimmer.

The elves are hand painted with acrylic paints. I used a detailing nail art brush for this design.



The idea is to paint the elves with big heads and slim body. I think they are cute that way. I also decided to paint 2 elves on each hand. One wearing a red suit and the other, green. I would have love to paint elves on all my nails but that take a longer time, and I didn't have that much.

If you have been following my nail art blog for awhile, you might have noticed that I am fond of painting designs from the side of my nail instead of centering it on the nail. Personally, it allows me to enjoy the base color too and I think it looks interesting that way since it gives a different perspective.



For the other nails, I decided to dab different sizes of white dots to get that snowy effect. I figured since Santa and his elves live in the north pole, might as well create that scenery on this Santa's Elves nail design. I think it looked subtly nice.

I was able to create a nail art tutorial for this Christmas nail design for those who would like to try them. Here it is:



This design is one of the top answers from one of our Facebook conversations. I would love to get your ideas and suggestions. Please join us at Simply Rins' Facebook Page. I would love to get to know you more.

Let me know what you think about these elves. :)

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Nail Art: Rose Tips

For a girl that is not much into pink, here is another nail art design that is based on that color. The last one was just last week when I featured my Little Pink Pigs nail design.

Lately, I have been challenging myself to paint roses. I was actually practicing for a few weeks before I decided to finally come up with another rose inspired nail art. I did one last February that I called Bed of Roses, wherein I used a technique I found on YouTube. This time, I hand painted the roses quite meticulously.


Rose Tips Nail Art Design by Simply Rins

I chose a glitter nail polish as base color. I really haven't been using such nail lacquers as I only have a few actually and I'm really not fond of removing them as it entails more effort. I used Faceshop PP404 in 2 coats as base color for this rose tips nail design. The roses were painted using acrylic.



I am quite surprised to find myself becoming more and more comfortable with floral nail designs. I really love to challenge myself to go beyond my comfort zone. Creating and actually wearing a flower inspired nail art is really not me ... before. Although it doesn't fit my not so feminine personality, I have become fond of it and thought that it might make me look more girly.



Painting the roses took longer than I expected as I was really minding the shapes of each petal. Working with my weaker hand also contributed to the time. But in the end, I could honestly say that I enjoyed the challenge. My weaker hand needs more practice.

If you are into freehand nail painting and is frustrated working with your weaker hand, I will suggest creating simple designs first to let your weaker hand get familiarize with the skill. Eventually, as you continuously work with that hand, you will actually get the hang of it and painting will become less harder. Start easy and progress with practice.

Here's a closer shot of the rose tips so you may see the details more clearly:



I intentionally made the color of the leaves lighter to allow it to pop up with the slightly dark base color. I didn't put much detail to it as I am more fond of clear lines and shapes when it comes to nail designs.



I think this nail art would work well on a formal occasion with a more subtle base color. I can also imagine this design using only black and white. That would probably create a silhouette effect for the roses.

What do you think of this design?

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Nail Art: Chocolate Cupcakes

I have the strongest throat!

Okay, why am I saying that? Would you believe me if I tell you that I haven't experienced a sore throat nor have I lost my voice for shouting at the top of my lungs and drinking ice cold water afterwards. I don't even get pharyngitis from eating too much chocolates! Ah, yes. It is one of my most appreciated superpower (if I can call it that) as I love chocolates. I can actually finish a 250g bag of Hershey's Kisses (my favorite, by the way) in one sitting without worrying about getting sick. Don't worry, this nail art design has nothing to do with my throat. :)

Recently, my mother gave me 2 packs of my favorite chocolates and I thought of creating a nail design that will actually remind me of chocolates. Painting my nails chocolate brown wasn't enough for me. As I was browsing through my previous nail art designs, I finally decided to paint another version of my cupcake nails, that will actually celebrate its 1st birthday on August.

Here's my Chocolate Cupcakes nail design:


Chocolate Cupcakes nail art design by Simply Rins

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Nail Art: Earth Hour

Simply Rins supports Earth Hour. Do you?

Every year, World Wildlife Fund (WWF) encourages everyone to participate in a global and annual event called Earth Hour. Every last Saturday of March, WWF is asking us to switch of unnecessary lights and appliances for one (1) hour. The objective is to promote awareness on the rising climate change and that we have a responsibility to do something about it.

With all the recent natural disasters happening around the world, to be indifferent is to be heartless. We all need to take care of Mother Earth. I made an Earth Hour nail design as my personal way of support for WWF's Earth Hour and hopefully it this nail art can help in spreading the word about this worthy event.


Earth Hour nail art design by Simply Rins!

I have 3 accent nails on this Earth Hour nail art -- on my 2 pointer finger and on my right hand's ring finger. I painted the earth, the number 60 that represents the no. of minutes in an hour, and a light bulb to signify that we are encouraged to turn off our lights on the 26th of March 2011 from 8:30 to 9:30pm in support of Earth Hour.

Here are the base colors:

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Nail Art: Teddy Bear

First, a quote:

You really don't have to be young to find a friend in a teddy bear.
- Rachel Newman

Did you or do you still own a teddy bear?

I remember I used to own a huggable teddy bear when I was a kid. It had a huge red ribbon wrapped around its neck. I believe I received it as a gift from my Nanay (mother). When I was a teenager, I received a few teddy bears from suitors and friends. I honestly don't know where these toys are. They're probably with another child as we have donated most of our toys.

I'm much older now and the only teddy bear I have is my partner. No, he's not huge nor chubby enough to pass as a bear. But he's huggable! And whenever I need the comfort of a teddy bear, I can always paint one in my nails! Just like this:


Teddy Bear nail design by Simply Rins!

What is it about teddy bears noh? Girls really do get attached to these huggable stuffed toys. It even comes in different colors! But for this particular nail art, I decided to go with the classic bear color -- brown. Here are the base colors that I used for this design:

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Nail Art: Proud of the Philippines

First of all, I'd like to greet everyone a happy Chinese New Year! I know I said that I'd be posting another CNY nail art but I got busy with work and I'm letting my nails grow and rest a little. I'll be making Valentine's nail designs very very soon. :)

For the meantime, let me share with you this nail art design that I submitted as an entry to Parokeets' Nail Art Challenge: Show Off Your Country. I've been meaning to do something like this and the challenge was the perfect opportunity to do a nail design that is inspired by my country, the Philippines.

Here's the nail design that I submitted:


Philippines nail design by Simply Rins

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Nail Art: Angry Birds

This is definitely another fun nail art.

Are you familiar with the Angry Birds? You probably are if you use an iPhone or an Android phone. It's probably the most popular puzzle video game today. I got familiar with it only last month when I went out of town with friends who play this game on their phones during idle times. As much as I wanted to get hooked, I simply do not own a mobile phone wherein I can install this game. But when I found out there's a PC version of the game, I immediately installed it in my laptop. I haven't finished the game yet but I finished my version of Angry Birds nail design!


Angry Birds nail art by Simply Rins

I literally was angry while doing this nail art. Have you experienced a moment during a nail art session wherein things aren't going your way? I had mine while doing this design. I was so clumsy I keep ruining my polish or the nail brush isn't cooperating with me. When I finally finished my first attempt, I wasn't so satisfied with the results that I ended removing everything and decided I'd sleep instead and attempt to do it again the next day.

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Nail Art: Year of the Rabbit / Bugs Bunny

2011 is the year of the rabbit based on the Chinese zodiac year so I figured it's just appropriate to do a nail art featuring the most famous rabbit in the world -- Bugs Bunny! According to my Chinese partner, technically speaking, the year of the rabbit will start on February 03, 2011. And so this Bugs Bunny / Year of the Rabbit nail design came in advance. :)


Bugs Bunny nail art by Simply Rins!

I did 2 accent nails, both on my ring fingers. The other nails were left plain with Faceshop BK901. This is my 1st holographic nail polish which I purchased at Faceshop. Application was easy and opaque in 2 coatings. For the accent nails, I used 2 coats of Lucidarling White. I painted bugs bunny using Revlon Silver Screen and used acrylic paint in all other colors.

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New Year Nail Art (2011)

Hi, everyone! Before anything else, I'd like to say Happy New Year! to all of you! I'm starting the year with a colorful new year nail art. I'm still wearing my nails short due to terrible breakage. Hopefully, it will grow back (soon) to the length I'm comfortable with.

It's 2011 and I'd like to begin the new year with something happy to look at. But first, a little teaser on how I came up with this design.


Last Christmas, Thea (a friend) gave me a portable bag for a present. I immediately loved the design because the pattern is made up of colorful butterflies! Yes, I adore butterflies.

You may ask how this bag is portable. Well, in the next photos, I'll be showing you how it folds to approximately the size of a hand. Since I received this lovely gift, it has been in my bag constantly. It's really handy and helps me promote environmental friendliness!

I can't find exactly what the materials were used for the compact tote bag but it feels like a very thin version of the material used for outdoor tents. It's really sturdy and water repellent too!

Anyway, I was trying to come up with a new year nail art design that will have lively colors and what better inspiration than this bag! Thanks Thea for this extremely useful gift!



Here are photos of the bag in its compact state:

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Nail Art: Breast Cancer Awareness

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month and I've been meaning to do a nail art for this. Last night, I was able to do something simple to show my support to this cause. Breast cancer is the most common form of cancer among women, regardless of race. And so, it is very important for women to know the facts of this disease.

I know this is a small effort on my part to spread breast cancer awareness and I'm hoping that through my personal blog, I'll be able to help spread knowledge about this sickness.

This is the breast cancer awareness nail art I came up with:


A simple design for Breast Cancer Awareness month.

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Nail Art: Three Little Pigs

This nail art is dedicated to all who are broken-hearted or sad. Hopefully, this nail design can bring a smile to our faces. I've recently been gifted with a nail art brush set and this is the first time that I used it. Freehand designs are challenging for me, specially when I'm doing my right hand. I think the dotting tool would be easier to handle. I'll try that soon.

I simply called this nail art The Three Little Pigs!

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Nail Art: Bridal Shower

Remember my Nail Art: Bridesmaid nail art? Well, this nail art is very similar to that in terms of motif. Last week, I helped in organizing a bridal shower for a close friend who's getting married in less than 2 weeks! It was a small gathering of the bride's closest friends and we decided to decorate the room with the wedding's colors, i.e. purple and apple green. This is how the room looked liked:


Champaca Room at Club Filipino after we decorated it.

The night before, I just had to do my nails for this occasion with the color motif and this is what I came up with:

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Nail Art: Cupcakes

I can't exactly remember where I saw a cupcake inspired nail art, but for today, I decided to give it a try. Here's my original version:



Cupcakes with sprinkles!

I used the following nail polishes for this cupcake nail art:




- Orly Top 2 Bottom Base and Top Coat
- Caronia Brick Red
- Essie Au Natural
- Faceshop PP403 (the purple nail polish)
- White nail polish with tip

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Nail Art: Starry Starry Night

I asked my sister to name this nail art for me and she came up with "Starry, Starry, Night". I had no complaints. This would be my first time to use one of my fimo nail art sticks and I got excited.

I've recently purchased a few colors from Caronia last weekend. I found some interesting colors I'd like to add to my nail polish stash. I used the Caronia Dare Frosted for today's nail art.


This is 1 layer of base coat, 2 coats of Caronia Dare Frosted, and a layer of top coat. I'm loving the shimmer and the color. I can't actually tell whether it's blue? Is it aqua blue? But I like it anyway.

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Nail Art: Holy Cow!

Have you had one of those days where you can't decide what clothes to wear? I was rummaging through my closet and I couldn't choose anything. So I tried to look into my sister's pile. I found a purple blouse, which I wore to get my prize from Hello to Earth author, Lilia. You can check out my article about it in my previous post: Winning and Purple.

I still had time that day so I decided to color my nails purple as well.


This is 2 coats of Faceshop's purple nail polish. Top coat was added after stamping the nail art. The color is a little translucent. Having this is 3 coats would look better. I just didn't have that much time to add another layer.

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Nail Art: Black and Sparkling

I like black nail polish. Hmm ... I actually like dark to almost black nail polishes! Black is regal and it makes my hands and feet look whiter with dark nail polish. But sometimes, plain polishes is boring. We use glitters and nail art to spice our nails.


Today, I colored my nails black. This is 2 coats of Faceshop's Black Nail Color (BK901). No top coat yet.

To spice up the polish ...

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