Preppy and Polished

Winger Cover Inspired ManicureIf it wasn’t clear from my MCM post yesterday, I’ll tell everyone again… I enjoyed Winger very much! It was unique, fun and heartwarming in an immature teenage boy kind of way. I seriously laughed out loud… so loud, in fact, that my roommates made me close the door! And at the same time, it had me crying through the end. I love books that take me on a journey through a whole range of emotions, and Andrew Smith accomplished that with this contemporary YA novel.

This was the book I picked up for National Readathon Day, but I would have finished it just as quickly had it not been the holiday. I knew exactly what I wanted to paint on my nails before I even turned the last page. Manicures that have a clear look in my head always give me the most joy to paint, and ultimately remind me why I started all of this!

So less talk and more polish!

Tools I Used // Essie
Tools I Used // Essie Find Me An Oasis + After School Boy Blazer + Julep Sheila

It finally happened friends. For the first time in the history of Novels and Nail Polish, I didn’t have a color I was looking for. I have every shade of blue EXCEPT for navy, and I came to that stark realization when I was furiously looking for the colors to complete this manicure. I had to take a break (and a trip to two different stores) to go out and find Essie’s After School Boy Blazer before painting my nails.

Winger Cover Inspired ManicureAside from having the perfect name, After School Boy Blazer was exactly the right color to be the base of this manicure. I think one coat would have been enough, because the second coat made it look almost black. To represent the shirt, the powder blue of Find Me An Oasis took care of the accent nails.

I used red striping tape for the diagonal tie stripes across my three nails. Here’s the deal with that: totally a lazy move and I’ll admit it! On the one hand, they look straight and perfect the first time around, no messing with them or worry they’ll smear with a top coat. On the other hand, even with a clear coat, striping tape starts to peel up just hours after applied. That’s why I normally never use it in place of paint.

Bottom line: need a shortcut? Striping tape. Need a lasting mani, use paint.

Winger Cover Inspired ManicureFor my accent nail, the loose schoolboy tie was a given. I ended up using a dotting tool to paint the thin red lines because all of my brushes are too thick. A tip I’ve come to realize when painting something based on the cover is to draw it out on a  piece of paper beforehand, so you have a feel for where you’re going to take the design!
Winger Cover Inspired ManicureIf you’re on a contemporary kick like me, don’t miss Winger, that’s for sure! Happy Reading!

Unexpected Attachments

Attachments Cover Inspired ManicureAnother day, another dollar for Rainbow Rowell. And in her case, another dollar is another incredibly written novel! Attachments was the last of her four books out that I’ve read, and honestly, I was a little bit worried. I’d heard that it paled in comparison to some of her other books, and while the story felt a tiny bit dated in a way that Eleanor & Park didn’t, I still adored it!

Attachments follows Lincoln, an “internet security officer,” whose job is to snoop through company emails, looking for sordid and inappropriate conversations. He quickly finds himself immersed in the lives of Beth and Jennifer, and soon they’re the Three Musketeers, except they don’t know he’s involved.

This book made me smile, laugh and cry purely out of happiness. I love LOVE, and this novel found a special place in my heart that I’d thought had frozen over. And, just like her other books, the cover is perfect for a manicure!

Tools I Used // Julep Sheila + Sally + Essie Bikini So Teeny
Tools I Used // Julep Sheila & Sally + Essie Bikini So Teeny

The cover has a very vintage vibe and theme, and I had the perfect colors. Julep Sally is described as an “antique ivory,” which means it was born to be the base for this mani. Julep Sheila is a “cherry pie creme,” and is so compatible with Sally. I also wanted to bring in a bit of that pretty periwinkle that just accents the cover color palette, which is where Essie’s Bikini So Teeny comes in.

Attachments Cover Inspired Manicure

I liked the idea of color blocking with the ivory and red to bring in the design of the two-toned title. I used striping tape to get the randomized, classic feel of the blocks, and threw in a couple of blue polka dots and stripes for fun. Once all of that was dry, it was time to decide what designs I was going to paint.

Attachments Cover Inspired ManicureI knew I wanted a paperclip from the beginning, so that was an easy choice. I used the fine-tip nail art pens from my Sephora kit to paint both of the designs. The desk chair came about more on a whim. I honestly didn’t think I was going to be able to pull it off, but I did, and I’m quite proud of myself! I practiced once on a piece of paper, and then just went for it! This, plus my Landline manicure, is another reason I love Rainbow. Her covers push me to try new designs and be a better artist!

Attachments Cover Inspired ManicureHave you read Attachments? What did you think? Happy Reading!

A Divine(er) Manicure

The Diviners Cover Inspired ManicureEvie O’Neill is a modern woman. A flapper. A ditz. She would be overjoyed to know there is an entire 600 page book written about her! But she’s also something more, a Diviner. In Libba Bray’s 2012 novel, The Diviners, something sinister in the air is headed for the bustling 1920s New York City. We find out that Evie isn’t the only one with these abilities, and soon everyone is thrown into a supernatural thriller with a ghost murderer and weird cult-like religions!

While the story sounds a tad far fetched, it is SO MUCH FUN! And it’s also a little bit scary. Ok, who am I kidding. I was terrified for almost the whole thing! I’m a total wimp when it comes to anything even remotely spooky, but Bray does such an incredible job painting such a vivid picture that I honestly felt like Naughty John was in my closet at night.

I truly adored the character of the story, but there were a couple things that took some help getting past. For instance, plot lines. There are subplots, and then there are TOO MANY DIFFERENT STORY LINES. This book rode the line between the two, and it took almost the whole novel for the characters to intersect and become relevant to one another. Because of that, it sometimes felt a bit like a set up for a series as opposed to a story. But despite these things, I was wildly entertained!

Now, let’s be real. How can you NOT be inspired by this incredible cover? With that, we can talk nail polish.

Tools I Used // Julep Cleopatra + Sephora by OPI A Brush With Fate
Tools I Used // Julep Cleopatra + Sephora by OPI A Brush With Fate

Black and gold is a quintessential color combination, especially when you think of the Roaring 20s. The glittering night life and opulent lifestyle of New Yorkers is pretty well represented in this book and its cover, and I wanted to portray that class. In addition to it representing the time period, gold and black (well, really gold and any color) is my life! So this has to take one of the top spots in the Novels and Nail Polish Cover Inspired Hall of Fame.

The Diviners Cover Inspired ManicureWith the help of my ever trusty Julep Cleopatra polish (I’m not sure what I’ll do when it runs out!), I achieved the perfect almost-matte black, minus the chalkboard dust look. After letting two coats of that dry completely, I broke out my brand new nail art set from Sephora!

The Diviners Cover Inspired Manicure The subtle gold shimmer polish is A Brush With Fate from the Sephora Cinderella polish collection. I painted the flower-like magic wisp accent nail freehand with the pointed brush, but the stripes were created with striping tape. A thin coat of matte top coat, and this mani is good to go!

The Diviners Cover Inspired ManicureThe Diviners Cover Inspired ManicureHave you read The Diviners? I’d love to hear your thoughts! Happy Reading!

The Road To The Testing

The Testing nail artWe’re in the age of dystopian fiction, and I love it! So much of the genre’s criticism is that once you’ve read one, you’ve read them all, but honestly, I can’t read them fast enough! Prior to finding The Testing, I fell in love with Marie Lu’s Legend trilogy, so I was hungry for a series that would capture my attention like that did. The Testing, and its sequel Independent Study, grabbed me right away, and have me anxiously waiting the third installment that comes out later this month.

My favorite way to describe The Testing is an “intellectual Hunger Games.” It follows Cia Vale, a girl who has just entered adulthood and is chosen for The Testing, a rigorous process designed to find the best and brightest future leaders. Right before she leaves her family and home behind, her father gives her a cryptic warning about not trusting anyone. Alone and scared, Cia has to figure out how to survive and if she can even trust someone from her childhood. Suspense, romance and adventure mix with a totally relatable heroine to give us a series you can’t put down.

One striking trait that Cia possesses is her distinct combination of intelligence and common sense. Too often, characters are portrayed with either one or the other, but rarely both. And with her strength comes a true sense of self. Cia knows how she was raised, sticking to her moral compass through very trying tasks, and she never once wavers. That’s probably one of my favorite aspects of the book.

Tools I used // Julep's Brit + Sephora by OPI's I Blue My Curfew
Tools I used // Julep’s Brit + Sephora by OPI’s I Blue My Curfew

Now let’s break down the products I used and techniques I employed to create this mani. Obviously I found Brit, the perfect matte silver in my huge Julep Nail Polish collection. I debated putting a top coat on it to give an overall shiny look, but I really liked the dimension created by leaving it matte. For the blue, I used one of the mini Sephora by OPI Cinderella collection nail polishes in I Blue My Curfew.

The Testing Nail Art
The Testing Nail Art

My favorite trick from this manicure came with the product I used to create the partial french mani & lightening bolt from the book’s cover – a silver SHARPIE! I read about this trick many moons ago on The Beauty Department, but hadn’t tried it out until today. It definitely gives you so much control because you’re basically drawing on your nails. You also have the security of knowing that a mess-up can be wiped away with a bit of rubbing alcohol, which thankfully doesn’t ruin the base polish.

Now for the small downsides. Even though I waited much longer than I thought was needed to allow the Sharpie to dry, I still found the top coat smearing the silver a tad. Also, I noticed the pen smudged the base polish a bit, which left a bumpy texture. When it comes to the nail lacquer, I have mixed feelings with this particular Julep polish. It chips, quick. Within 24 hours, both my thumbs had huge pieces missing, mainly because I didn’t put a top coat on. I have a matte top coat from Sephora, but I’ve never used it with a matte nail polish and didn’t want to risk it this time around. I’ll definitely post an update once I try it!

The Testing Nail Art
The Testing book cover inspired nail art

Have you read The Testing? Do you love the dystopian genre, or do you think its been overdone? Happy Reading!