Pantone's 2015 Color of the Year : Marsala

Photo: Pantone

IT'S HERE!

The moment you've all been waiting for has finally arrived... earlier this week it was announced that the Pantone Color of the Year for 2015 is 18-1438 Marsala. This rich brown red wine shade is going to be EVERYWHERE for the next 12 months, so we might as well embrace it, right?

This shade does look like it has all the makings for a perfect Fall/Winter transition color, but I'm anxious to see how well it will work into my Spring/Summer color palette.

 I've got to admit, just seeing the swatches is making me feel a bit reminiscent of 1990's flannel wearing, Nirvana loving me. I was so ahead of my time...

Photo:Pantone

Share your thoughts about the 2015 Pantone color of the year below. Will YOU be working this color into your life?

Bright Ikat Nail Art

In an attempt to redeem myself after my last nail art snafu, I come to you today with this super fun and super bright ikat nail art! I've never tried ikat nail art before, but now that I have I think I will be doing it a lot more often! I can't stop staring at my nails today!

For this design I started with a base coat of China Glaze - Sunday Funday and let it dry completely. Next, I used a KleanColor-Mango and a small nail art brush to create small flame shaped areas in the corners of each nail.

Next, I added another layer onto the flame shapes using China Glaze - White on White. The great thing about this look is that you can be messy! The key to these steps is to apply the polish with jagged edges, because if the polish splotches are too neat, then the look will not come together properly at the end.

For the last and final step, I used Orly - Liquid Vinyl and created the last layer of black by using my smallest nail art brush and very light jagged strokes. As always, I applied my secret weapon, Seche Vite for my glossy finish!

Polishes used: China Glaze - Sunday Funday & White on White, KleanColor - Mango, Orly - Liquid Vinyl

I really love this color combination! What do you all think, did I redeem myself? ;)

Zoya Lo Swatch (From the Gossip Collection)

When the Zoya Gossip Collection first came out, initially none of the polishes really struck my fancy at first glance so I didn't run out and order any, but I happened to scoop up Lo during the last Earth day promo and I couldn't be more pleased with it. Lo is a gorgeously bright creme pink nail polish that is perfect for summer. Thanks to our unusually cool May weather here, I can't be certain, but I've got a feeling it would look even more awesome next to tan skin!

For these swatches, this is 2 coats of Zoya Lo with a Seche Vite topcoat to give it a nice shine. I found the polish to be very opaque, and not streaky at all, which is definitely a plus! These pictures were taken outside in natural sunlight to help give a better idea of the exact shade of the nail polish.

I'm not sure why, but it seems like no matter how many pink nail polishes I buy, I can always convince myself like no two are alike and this is no exception. I love the way it's soft, yet bright. In fact, I was just saying how I wanted to do another look for the blog this weekend but I love this color so much I don't even want to take it off! Here are a couple more pictures for your viewing pleasure.

 

  
Zoya Lo is available on the official Zoya website and currently retails for $8.00.

Gradient Nail Art With Zoya Rafael Cennamo Spring/Summer 2013 Collection

Today I was feeling inspired by the soft color palate of the gorgeous Zoya Rafael Cennamo Spring/Summer 2013 Collection and thought that they would look amazing together. This pretty gradient nail art was done using three of the nail polishes from the new collection. I really love the way the gradient came out, the finished look almost reminds me of a soft watercolor painting.

In order to create this look, I used three different Zoya polishes and sponged them on to my nail to create the faded gradient design. Zoya Caitlin is at the base of the nail, Zoya Kennedy is in the middle, and Zoya Wednesday is sponged on the tips.

When using the sponged gradient technique it is common for the result to look a bit thick with noticeable lines of division between color until a top coat is applied, so don't spaz out if you try it and notice it doesn't quite look right yet. No need to freak your freak! I personally almost always use a coat of Seche Vite to smooth out the polish and top off my nails with a glossy finish. 

If you are going to be trying a sponged gradient, you also will want to always keep the sponge damp in order to get the smoothest color blend. I let mine sit in a small cup of water until I am ready to use it. Gradients are so fun! I'd love to hear about your gradients too, what are your favorite colors/polishes to blend together?