New Year's Eve Textured Gradient

Happy New Year's Eve, guys!


I'm squeezing in one last post for 2014.  I'm a little hungover from all the cartoon, red and green christmas nails we have been seeing for the past month.  As much as I LOVE them, I'm glad it's time to move on to something else!

New Year's Eve is the perfect time to break out all the sparkly, glittery goodness and go all out.  Before I sat down to do my NYE nails, I told myself I would NOT do black and gold.  It seems like everyone does black and gold!  Yet somehow, I gravitated towards those two colors anyways.

Follow the jump to see more pictures and find out all the details about this NYE look!

My Top 12 of 2014

It's that time of year!  I have been blogging for a little over a year now and I finally have enough nail art saved up that I was able to choose my top 12 favorite manis of 2014.  These were not necessarily my most popular but these are the manis that I personally like best.  I tried many new skills this year and I am very proud of how far I have come! I'm really excited to see where 2015 takes me and my hobby.  

Follow the jump to see close up pictures of my top 12!

And The Winner is....

It's time to announce the winner of my Christmas Giveaway!  I drew names from a bowl and the name I picked was....Traci - @jewel427!  Congrats girl!  Please email me within 24 hours with your shipping information and I will have your package on the way ASAP!

Thanks again to everyone who participated.  If you follow me on Instagram, be on the lookout for a HUGE giveaway coming when I hit 10k :)

Icy Textured Gradient

Hey guys!

Life is so busy right now.  We have several holiday parties this week, I'm preparing my class for their upcoming Christmas program at school, AND I've been buying/wrapping gifts for family, friends, and our Secret Santa polish exchange!  Somehow with all of this, my new small business, and a full time job I still find time to paint my nails.  Thank god I do because I love it too much to not have time for it!

I recently did these icy frozen-esque nails and wore them for several days.  They were super easy!

Follow the jump for a pictorial on how I created this look!

Loaded Lacquer 'Clark, Glitter's Full' Review

Hey Guys!

Ya'll know how much I adore Loaded Lacquer (favorite indie status).  Well, when I saw her upcoming holiday collection prior to its release, I knew I HAD to have this polish.  There were a few others that I was interested in, but I had to be "good" with the holidays coming up.

This collection was released at midnight CST Thanksgiving night/black Friday morning, which is 1:00am on the east coast.  I was somehow able to stay up late enough to snag this beauty, Clark, Glitter's Full.

To see more pictures and hear me oogle over this polish, follow the jump below!

Peppermint Swirl Nail Art

These are 100% inspired by the gorgeous and super sweet Gianna over at Nailstorming.  I loved her simple peppermint swirl nails so much, I knew I had to try it for myself!

Follow the jump to see more pictures and find out details about this look!

Christmas Watermarble

What's better than a watermarble....a Christmas watermarble!  All the fabulousness of a watermarble with a little bit of holiday spirit.  Glorious.

I submitted these to Nail It! Magazine for their Nov/Dec Holiday issue and they were chosen to be featured!  This is the third issue my nail art has been featured in and I am so excited/proud/humbled by this! (allthefeelz)

Follow the jump to see more pictures of these nails + some extra holiday bonus pictures!

CHRISTMAS GIVEAWAY!

I'm hosting my first ever Blog Giveaway!  I started my blog a little over a year ago but only recently have I began blogging somewhat full time.  Therefore, I think it's time to spread some love!  And what better time to do that than during the Holidays!   

For more information on this giveaway and how to enter, follow the jump below!

OPI Holly-Day Nails + Gwen Stefani Holiday 2014 Swatches

December is here and you know what that means.....Holiday nail art galore!  Really, why would you wear any other kind of nail art this month?  You wouldn't.  That's what I thought :)

I created these "Holly-day" nails using all OPI polish!  I also have swatches of a few polishes from the Gwen Stefani Holiday 2014 Collection.  Follow the jump below to see these pictures up close.

Review: Polished for Days Lochness Monster

Any of you crazies out shopping in the madness?  NOT ME!  I'm home, relaxing and cleaning up a bit from yesterday and getting ready to put out the Christmas decor! YAY!

Today I have a review of a polish I received last month as part of a giveaway prize.  Polished for Days is ran and created by Jenna and is an indie polish brand that is newer to the indie scene.  This brand caught my eye this summer with their super bright, fun neon polishes!  I was lucky enough to be chosen as the winner of their 2.5k follower Halloween giveaway on Instagram.  I chose two polishes as my prize: Lochness Monster and Scaredy Cat.  This review is for Lochness Monster.

This polish is perfect for Black Friday!

Follow the jump for tons of pictures and my review of this polish!

Harvest Nails

Happy Thanksgiving!  I hope you all have a wonderful holiday with your family and friends and that you eat way more than any person should eat in one sitting!  If you're bored and need a break from the festivities,  you can comment on this post with your favorite food from your Thanksgiving meal.  Mine is CHEESY POTATOES! yummmmm.  

This is an old post from Instagram that never made it to the blog.  So I am finally writing up a post on these cute fall nails that go perfectly with this pumpkin holiday!  Enjoy! 

Have I mentioned how much I love fall? Because I really, really, REALLY love fall.  And all things fall.  I created these nails to celebrate how much I love fall and all things pumpkin!

To create these nails, I used a random orange polish on my pointer, Sally Hansen Pumpkin Spice on my middle and pinky, and OPI My Vampire is Buff on my ring finger. I also used acrylic paints to create the pumpkin on my ring finger.  So easy and cute!

Thanks for stopping by!

Friends-giving nail art + Essie Style Cartel Review

Tomorrow is Friendsgiving....I mean THANKSGIVING!  It's also Friendsgiving for us too....but what is Friendsgiving, you may ask?

My husband and I are huge Friends fans.  We own the entire series on DVD and have seen it several times through (Matt has seen the entire series more times than myself but who's counting?)  For the past few years, on Thanksgiving day we have watched all of the Friends Thanksgiving episodes, which let's be honest here, the Thanksgiving episodes are some of the funniest ones (Joey, those are my maternity pants!...THESE are my Thanksgiving pants!)

In celebration of our little family tradition, I decided to recreate the Friends logo for our Friendsgiving marathon!

Follow the jump for more details on this look and a review on the base polish!

Bundle Monster Review: Owl Nail Charm

I recently received some items from Bundle Monster for review.  How adorable is this little owl charm?!  I must say, I'm pretty obsessed with owls lately so when I saw this charm I knew I was going to love it!

This mani was created using L'Oreal Owl's Night and OPI My Vampire is Buff on my accent nail.  Perfect for fall!

Bundle Monster has TONS of great products on their website for nail art.  Follow the links below to connect with Bundle Monster:

Website: www.bundlemonster.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/bundlemonster
Twitter: www.twitter.com/bundlemonster
Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/bundlemonster
Instagram: www.instagram.com/bundlemonster
Google+: plus.google.com/+bundlemonster808
Youtube: www.youtube.com/user/bundlemonster

Thanks for stopping by!

Fancy Schmancy Thanksgiving Negative Space Nails

It's Thanksgiving Week!  Thanksgiving is definitely one of my favorite holidays.  Any day when I can eat all of my favorite foods in enormous proportions is a good day to me!

I came up with these negative space nails to wear this week and they feel SO fancy schmancy to me!  Anything with gold shimmer and gold flakies and deep maroon (as my friend Jen AggiesDoitBetter calls it) is super fancy in my eyes.  They almost look regal, but the colors say Thanksgiving to me.

Follow the jump to see more pictures of these nails and get more details on how I created this look!

Pink Ribbon Nails

I am SO happy to be back at blogging.  A month away is too long!  I'm also SO happy its finally October! October is probably my favorite month of the year, or a close favorite anyways.

This month my work is raising breast cancer awareness by wearing pink t-shirts every Thursday.  Of course I have to match my nails.  I don't need any more reasons to create cute nail art :)

I have two weeks worth of pink ribbon nails to show you since I'm just getting back into blogging.  I hope you like them!  We still have several weeks left in October to rock the pink nails!

Follow the jump to see more pictures and polish details!

The Flakie Post

Long time no blog! We have been working so hard to get our house together.  We spent the last 3 weeks painting the entire first floor.  There is still a lot of work to be done but I have missed blogging and doing nail art!  Thanks to everyone who has stuck with me through this lull. 

Last month while everyone else was trudging through the 31 Day Challenge, I decided to do my own challenge that was more feasible for my schedule.  I have 5 flakie polishes that I don't use nearly enough so I decided to use all of my flakie polishes in one week and create 5 different manis. 

If you don't know what a flakie is, its a color-shifting polish that has little flakes in them.  In different lighting and at different angles the flakes shift from one color to another.  They are very pretty and can transform your typical creme polish into something extraordinary. 

Follow the jump to see individual pictures and polish details!

Guest Blog by Jen (aggiesdoitbetter)

Happy Friday, loves!

I have my last guest post for you today from one of my good friends and fellow glitter gal: Jen from Aggies Do it Better!  Jen has a serious love for blue polish so it was only fitting that she would create a blue nail art design for this post!

Follow the jump to read more from Jen and find out how she created this look!

Guest Blog by Alison (alygaterrr)

I'm so excited for today's post from my guest blogger Alison from @alygaterrr.

Aly is one of my glitter gals whom I met through Instagram.  She has amazing skills in stamping.  Seriously.  A M A Z I N G.  Her favorite technique is advanced stamping and she created this awesome tutorial to show everyone how she does her advanced stamping.

Follow the jump to see Alison's tutorial!

Guest Blog by Marcella (lovepurplepolish)

Happy Hump Day!

Today's post comes from one of my fabulous glitter gals: Marcella from @lovepurplepolish.  Marcella created this adorable mani inspired by a pair of workout capris!

Follow the jump to read more from Marcella and see how she created this mani!

Guest Blog by Alicia (TheBaseCoat)

Today's Guest Blog post comes from Alicia from TheBaseCoat.   Alicia and I share a love for craft beer and nail art! I guest blogged for her in July so it was only fitting that I ask her to return the favor.

Follow the jump to find out more from Alicia about her nail art!

Guest Blog by Amy (SpilledMilkNails)

Happy Labor Day!

Today's Guest Blogger is Amy from @SpilledMilkNails.  She created this absolutely gorgeous look using a fall color palette.  I love this look on her signature "almond shorties."

Follow the jump for Amy's pictorial on how she created this look!

Short Hiatus: We Bought a House!

Hey Guys!

This week I will be taking a short hiatus from doing nail art.  My husband Matt and I bought a house!   We closed on Friday and started moving in that night.  We have a TON do to, naturally.  I will make time to paint my nails a few times, but no major nail art.

In the meantime, I have asked 5 lovely ladies to guest blog for me this week! I'm so excited to share their awesome nail art with you!  Stay tuned and check back daily for a different guest blogger.

Loaded Lacquer: The Nude Jiggle Trio

You guys know how much I adore *Loaded Lacquer.  Heather creates some of the most unique polishes!  Loaded Lacquer is definitely my favorite indie polish line.

I recently got my hands on The Nude Jiggle Trio.  I am a sucker for all nude polishes.  When I first saw Heather was releasing these jiggles, I knew I HAD to have them.  My husband was even nice enough to order them for me since I was working during the restock.

Follow the jump for individual swatch pictures.

The Glitter Gals do Colorblocking

Hey guys!

Guess what?! It's my good friend Jen's IGversary today!  She started her Instagram account exactly one year ago today and started posting her fabulous nail art.  I am super lucky that I got to meet Jen recently on her way home from a vacation in Florida.  She is such a sweet, funny, and talented person who I am so happy to call my friend!

To celebrate Jen's 1 year anniversary on Instagram, The Glitter Gals collaborated and created this fun Blue & Green color block!

Follow the jump to see more pictures and find out how I created this look!

Music Monday: Paramore Self-Titled Album Art

For today's Music Monday post, I have nail art inspired by Paramore's self-titled fourth album.  This was by far the most difficult nail art I have ever done.

I am in no way a great artist, so I knew doing the band members' portraits was going to be tough.  I opted to leave them faceless because I knew I could do every thing else except their eyes, nose, and mouth.  They may look a bit strange, but I also think they look really cool!  They still have enough defining features that you can tell who is who.

Follow the jump for more pictures and details on how I created this look!

Leopard Print + Gold

Happy Friday!

Today I have a classic look - leopard print and gold texture.  I love how well these colors go together. I recently picked up Zoya Tomoko at ULTA on clearance for $4.97! I had been eyeing it for so long, I'm glad I finally can add it to my collection!

Follow the jump for tons of pictures and details on how I created this look!

Back to School: Chalkboard Nails

It's that time of year again!  Kids are heading back to school.  I don't have kids of my own, but I am a preschool teacher and my students who graduated in May are heading to Kindergarten this week! I'm so excited to hear about their new adventures!

I teach year around so there's no real "back to school" time for me,  but I thought doing some back to school nail art would be fun for my preschoolers!  I opted for some super easy chalkboard style nail art since everyone else was doing pencils or paper.  

Follow the jump to see more pictures and find out how I achieved this look!

Music Monday: Paramore "Brand New Eyes" Album Art

It's that time again - another installment of Music Monday!  Monday's are pretty much the worst (except for my husband, it's his day off...figures.) But doing these Music Monday posts gets me excited because I can finally share more album art with you!

Today's album art is from Paramore's third album Brand New Eyes.  This is my absolute favorite album from Paramore, as a whole.  I remember exactly what was going on in my life when this album came out.  It was one of those albums that every song, every lyric had some sort of meaning and listening to it was cathartic. Even now when I listen to it, I think of those days and it feels good to know how I've changed since then.


Follow the jump to see more pictures and find out how I created this nail art!

Pink & Gold + Chevron Water Decals

Happy Friday, guys!

Today I have some simple nail art for you and a review of some water decals I received from Born Pretty Store.

Follow the jump for more pictures and polish details!

Shark Week Inspired Nail Art

So, it's Shark Week.  EVERYONE is posting Shark Week nails right now.  Little cutesy cartoon sharks on their nails.  Not my thing.

BUT, I wanted to participate and try out some untried polishes from my stash - so I came up with my own version of Shark Week nail art!  Follow the jump for more pictures and polish deets!

The Blue Post

*Warning* This is going to be a massive post.  I have 5 different comparisons with a bajillion pictures.  You have been warned.  If you want to jump straight to the pictures, click Read More.


So as most of you know, Sally Hansen recently reformulated one of their cult classics: Pacific Blue.  They changed a beautiful cornflower blue creme polish into a weird, slightly darker version that is less "creamy" and has some shimmer to it.  For the record, I DO NOT OWN the 2014 version; however, I have seen several swatches and read a few blog reviews about it.

The original version quickly flew off the shelves and interestingly enough, I cannot find the reformulated version.  There isn't even a space for it on the shelves.  Did Sally Hansen hear our cries?! Possibly, but that is not what this post is about.  Instead of hunting around for a polish that may not exist anymore or paying exorbitant prices on evilbay to obtain this legend, I'm going to give you some comparisons so that you can happily move on with your life!

Music Monday: Paramore "Riot!" Album Art

Time for another edition of Music Monday!  This week I have recreated Paramore's album art from their second album Riot!

I remember when this album came out, I was just getting into Paramore.  They had one of their first major hits.  I also saw them at Warped Tour the year this album came out.  They were so awesome!  Ok enough small talk.... onto the nail art!

Mint + Roses

Happy Friday, loves!

I recently fell in love with a floral mani done by @just1nail on Instagram.  She used a beautiful light blue/mint polish as her base and hand painted the most gorgeous floral nail art I've ever seen.  Seriously.  She's amazing! I also loved how she did a "negative space" nail by just doing dots on her bare nail with no base color, and then added more flowers on top of the dots.  To see her original nail art - go look at her page! You won't be sorry you did.


I recreated her mani but added my own little spin on it.  Click Read More to see more pictures and find out what I used to create this mani!

Gray Jelly Sandwich + Metallics

I recently did this super easy nail art. It required no tape, no dotting tools, and no paint brushes.  See - super easy!

Sometimes life gets busy, sometimes I get burnt out.  Sometimes I just don't feel like painting my nails.  *GASP* Yes, it's true.  Sometimes I just don't feel like painting my nails at all.  When I get into these funks, I find some polishes I haven't used in a while and I do something really easy.

Alas, from my funk I give you a gray jelly sandwich + metallics.

Click Read More to see more pictures and how I achieved this look!

Essie Neons 2014 Collection (Review & Swatches)

This is a review of the Essie Neons 2014 collection.


I hardly ever, EVER buy an entire collection.  Actually I think this is the first time I have ever done so.  I normally don't love every polish in a collection enough to justify buying them all.  But when I saw the promo for these neons I was instantly in LOVE.

I did not own many neons prior to purchasing these so even though these colors may not be completely unique, they are unique to my collection.

Click Read More to see more pictures and read my reviews of these neons!

Music Monday Series

Hey guys!

So I'm starting a new series called Music Monday.  For the next few weeks, I'll be posting nail art that is related to my favorite band: Paramore.

I've been listening to Paramore for 7 years now and I seriously love their music.  Every album they put out has been a little bit different - I know some fans don't like when artists change their sound, but  I think their progression through the years just shows how they have matured as people and as musicians.   I'm so happy with their recent success, they totally deserve it with everything they have been through!

This week's nail art is from their very first album All We Know is Falling.

Click Read More to see more pictures and to find out how I achieved this look!

The Bubble Wrap Technique

You guys know how much I love Instagram.  I follow some seriously talented ladies who are always posting nail art that is so unique and different!  There are so many new things to try and I love trying out new techniques when it comes to nail art.

I recently heard of The Bubble Wrap Technique and knew I had to give it a go.  To create this look, you dab some nail polish onto bubble wrap (yes, the stuff you use to protect things in the mail) and dab it onto your nails.  How easy is that?!  Its messy, so clean up is a must.  But I'm a BIG fan of easy nail art, even when it's kinda messy.

Continue reading to find out how I achieved this look!

Neon + Tribal Print

Quick, grab your sunglasses!

China Glaze Flip Flop Fantasy is one of the brightest neons I own and I absolutely LOVE it.  I pulled it out of the vault recently to give it some love, and also to try out some hand drawn tribal print.  I think neons + tribal print go perfect together.

Neons are seriously impossible to photograph.  Seriously.  So while I could have taken much better photographs under my lamp, it would have taken away from the color accuracy of this beauty.  So try to ignore the crap quality and just focus on how amazingly bright this polish is.

Loaded Lacquer Rubbernecker

I'm sure by now, you all have heard of Loaded Lacquer.  When I first heard of this Indie Polish line, Heather had just recently opened her shop and her following was fairly small, comparatively.   Her fan base has grown exponentially this year and now everyone is patiently waiting for her restock announcements!

While my collection is lacking in many indie collections, Loaded Lacquer is definitely my absolute favorite!  Heather creates some of the most unique polishes which are seriously "loaded" with glitter.  She also has her own line of jelly polishes, The Jiggles, which are perfect for layering with her awesome glitters.   If you need anymore convincing, go check out her website and look at all the gorgeous swatches!

This is one of those polishes that is good enough to be worn alone.  I also did a reverse glitter gradient accent nail for fun.

I'm Back!

Hello, World!  I have finally found my blogging mojo.  I'm in the process of revamping my blog (ya know, make it all sparkly and pretty) and once that is complete I will have lots of new posts with super amazing new nailartz! Okay, I will stop tooting my own horn. To those of you who still come by every now and then and check things out - Thank You!  See you all soon!

Worst. Blogger. Ever.

It is official. I am a horrible blogger. Please forgive me! Im still painting my nails but have no motovation to update this blog! Maybe one day I will. But not now. Please visit my instagram account @lowcountrylacquer or my facebook page Lowcountry Lacquer to see what Im up to! 

xoxo, Danele

Match My OOTD Mani

Today's nails were inspired by my outfit of the day (OOTD). This leopard print shirt is one of my favorite shirts, and my AE jeggings are a staple!

Polishes used: Essie Sand Tropez, Essie Mint Candy Apple, Essie Resort Fling, Essie Nice is Nice, and Zoya Dream accent nail. 

Formula X for Sephora Freaky Like Freud (The Brilliants) Swatch & Review

During my recent trip to Sephora, I picked up several Formula X polishes.  Freaky Like Freud caught my eye from the get go.

Freaky Like Freud comes from the Brilliants Collection.  It is described as a "periwinkle iridescent glitter."  Iridescent meaning holographic.  This glitter is very sparkly and rainbowy.  Yes.  I said it. Rainbowy.  This glitter has a clear base so you can either wear it on its own or layer it over a base color.

Like most glitter polishes, this polish takes a bit of maneuvering to get an even application.  The formula was similar to other glitters, but I had no trouble with application.

Swatch is 3 coats on its own, plus top coat.

Diffused Artificial Light

Pac Man Nails

Yesterday I attended a surprise birthday party that was themed "Nerdy 30."  To go along with that theme, I made Mac & Cheese which I baked in a pie plate so that it would be round and created a mouth out of black olives to make Pac Man & Cheese.

I knew I had to do some matching nails - here's what I came up with!

Polishes Used: Wet N Wild Black Creme, Sally Hansen White On, OPI I Just Can't Cope-acabana, Essie Snap Happy, Essie Mojito Madness, Essie Where's My Chauffeur?, American Eagle light pink (from a set), and Sinful Colors Endless Blue.

Bestie Twin Nails: Delicate Dotticure

I was asked by Veronica from verosays.com to do some Bestie Twin Nails, which is a fun tag on instagram that a lot of ladies are participating in these days.  I had fun chatting with her via email and we found out we're both teachers!   She let me pick out what designs we would do, so I decided on this delicate dotticure using the new OPI Chillin Like A Villain.


Polishes Used: OPI Chillin Like A Villain, Essie Beyond Cozy, and Sally Hansen White On.

Top: My Nails ; Bottom: Veronica's Nails

Grey Skies & Daisies

Happy First Day of Spring!  I hope the weather starts to act more like Spring.  I'm lucky that I live in the south so we don't get any snow, but it has been way too cold here this winter.  I'm so ready for HOT HOT HOT!

These nails remind me of a grey, rainy sky (which we have had a lot of lately!).  The daisies are for a nail art challenge on Instagram.  I thought the two concepts went pretty well together.

Polishes Used: Loaded Lacquer Toasted Marshmallow, Loaded Lacquer Mintallica, acrylic paint for the flower, and OPI I Just Can't Cope-Acabana for the center of the flower.  

Thanks for stopping by!

xoxo Danele

Racing Stripe + Dots

I'm not sure why, but when thinking of a name for this nail art, "racing stripe" came to mind.  These nails were inspired by a pair of athletic shorts - no joke! I loved the blue and neon green together.  Add some holo dots and you've got awesome nail art!

Polishes Used: China Glaze Kiwi Cool-ada, Sinful Colors Endless Blue, and Color Club Harp On It.

Thanks for stopping by!

xoxo Danele