Crumpet's Laid-Back 31 Day Challenge: Black & White

Hello and happy Friday!! Today I'm starting a new challenge! This is the Laid-Back 31 Day Challenge, the less grueling version of the "New 31 Day Challenge" that many bloggers just completed, organized by (I believe) Ms Crumpet. I knew I wouldn't be able to handle a new mani every day, so I was glad to see an extended version of this challenge start so I could join in the fun.

First, a little background. This blog was started as my project to swatch all of my polishes somewhere easily searchable, but constant swatching gets as tedious as it is boring to read. So, I also like to create and post nail art, and it is my intent that, once I get through all of my polishes (a rather monumental task, since I can't seem to stop buying them!), to focus more on nail art around here.

One of the first things that drew me into nail polish was stamping. I love it! But, as you will see, I definitely need more practice at it. I just purchased two new sets of stamping plates, putting my total number of plates upwards of 80. I'm going to try to include as much stamping into this challenge as I can so I can use those plates, and, hopefully, get better at this technique. So, onto Day One: Black & White!



Outdoors, sunlight, no flash.

For this look, I started with my go-to base of Sinful Colors Nail-Hardener and two coats of Milani White Out. Next, Seche Vite on top of that to speed up drying time. Then I taped off three-quarters of each nail and used Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear in Black Out for the black stripe. Then I stamped from Bundle Monster plate BM-209 with Konad Special Polish in Black. Everything got a final coat of NYC In a New York Minute.

Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

I wanted this to be perfect, but it's definitely not. Why did the first stamp (index finger) transfer perfectly and the rest did not? Did I not wait long enough for the acetone I used to clean the plate after each subsequent stamp to completely dry? That's my best guess. I also need to work on placement of the image on my nail, which is something I've never really mastered (which is why I gravitate towards full nail patterns, much easier!). A little smearing on my pinky finger completes the trifecta of issues I always have with stamping that I hope to resolve with practice. Usually this NYC topcoat doesn't smear my stamped images, so a little more patience and dry time on that last one is needed. In summary, lesson one: Stamping takes patience!

Check out the others below! More soon!! ^_^