Pop Culture Giveaway! Day 1

Ok, so I mentioned it on my Twitter and on the Facebook page, and though slightly more delayed than I'd hoped, this is the start of my celebration of having 7,000 awesome reasons why I blog!

Now, I'm not sure if it is my background as a graphic designer, or my weird notice of insignificant details, but I have a weird habit/skill of being able to recognize (and sometimes match) things from TV shows, movies, and album covers. Things like wallpaper, or pillows, or knick knacks. I've had the idea for this contest/giveaway in my head for months, just waiting for the right moment to employ it. Today is that day.

To explain:

There will be five (5) different opportunities to enter. Each photo will be something from a movie, TV show, or album cover, sometimes something obvious, sometimes something less so. I will give 2 hints to help figure out what it is from. If the first 24 hours have passed with little response, I'll give 2 additional hints.

There will be one prize per photo, you can choose between the prize determined for the day or you can choose it's equivalent in Indian cosmetics (you can choose nail polish or other cosmetics). Bear in mind, if you choose Indian cosmetics/polish, it will be over 1 month until you receive your prize. Also, this will be open to international readers, so if there is a cosmetics site in your country that you'd rather the prize be from, let me know, and I'll try to work something out if you win.

There will be a 48-hour period to enter for each photo, and only correct answers qualify. (sorry!) Entries from the Rafflecopter widget below will be the only ones accepted, the comments for these posts are closed.

OK, I think that's it. On to the first photo!

The hints:

1. This design is a wallpaper pattern on two different shows, one on CBS, the other on Showtime.

2. Both shows star a sarcastic female lead.

If you can name both shows, enter the name of one in the Rafflecopter field, and send the other to thedailynailcontest@gmail.com, but be sure to mark that you've done so on the Rafflecopter widget, or it will not count.  You have 48 hours- GO!

a Rafflecopter giveaway
For those interested in the nails, I used:

American Apparel Cotton as a base, with American Apparel Lopez Canyon mixed with Zoya Arizona for the orange, and Essie Little Brown Dress for the brown. Topped it all off with 2 coats of Seche Vite top coat.

RITA ORA R.I.P. VIDEO SHOOT

A little while ago I helped out the very talented Rebecca Jade Wilson, who was doing the nails for Rita Ora's video shoot for her amazing new single, R.I.P. There was an incredible Aztec patterned car that was being used for the shoot - which I fell in love with! So I took a few pictures of it, and have been meaning to do a set of nails based on the car ever since. I finally got round to doing the nails - so here they are! Have a look at the brilliant video (which has the car in it) here.

AZTEC TUTORIAL FOR BOOHOO

I did an Aztec tutorial for Boohoo. Check it out here!

Ace of Spades

So if you're a big Kate Spade nerd like me, you got an email last Tuesday with the pattern of the month for April. If not–you missed out, kid!  One of the things I love the most about Kate Spade bags and accessories is the amazing use of color, and the super fun patterns! My favorite Kate Spade bag that I've ever purchased is the Maeda bag in Pacific Blue- it looks super retro, and it's pretty much the exact color of a Pan Am stewardess bag! I was on the fence about it, because it was a tad more than I wanted to spend, but I'm so glad I ended up buying it!!  Anyway, the pattern of the month for April is a fun and swishy robin's egg blue over white/ivory, and I think it's totally adorable. :)

I decided to do my interpretation of the newest Kate Spade pattern on my nails to usher in Spring (although Spring was officially skipped here in Chennai, and it was pretty much summer in February). This pattern was created by Australian artist Florence Broadhurst.

To get an idea of the pattern, here's a bag with it:  Florence Broadhurst Fingers Bon Shopper.

And now, here's the nails! :)

Hey look!  It's my favorite Maeda bag! :) (the handles, at least)

I used Lakme Color Crush 08 (white) as a base, with American Apparel The Valley for the design. I topped it all off with two coats of Seche Vite top coat. :)

Are you a fan of handbags? Who makes your favorite? Do you have an all-time favorite bag purchase like me?

EASTER EGG AZTEC?

ZIG ZAGS FOR LEILAH ♥

LYDBA ♥

BASSO & BROOKE

I recently painted a few sets of nails for a Chinese magazine called Surface. One of the sets of nails I painted was based on a beautiful dress by Basso and Brooke (which unfortunately didn't end up getting used on the shoot!)

FRENCH MUSTARD AMERICAN NAILS

HAYLEY BROWN

Hayley and I went to Hyde Park a while back, and I painted her nails. She is a bloody amazing photographer, as well as being rather cute - so check out her work here.

JAMES IVESON

I recently painted a few sets of nails for a Chinese magazine called Surface. The shoot was in a gallery in Elephant & Castle called Cul De Sac. Two of the sets of nails I painted were based on art in the gallery - both were paintings by James Iveson. Here is the first set of nails - and at the bottom is the painting by James Iveson that they were based on.

You Lie Like a Rug!

Hey there, kids! Despite the rather unhappy sounding name of this post, I’ve got a fun design for you–at least I think so!

When I’m uninspired, tired, or just plain lazy, I tend to turn to textiles for inspiration and ideas. In fact, this design came from a rug that I found online. I LOVED the color combination, and it looked retro to me, which I can rarely resist, so I added it to my inspiration archive, knowing that it would soon make it onto my nails. :)

It’s kind of funny to me how the designs that seem like they’d be relatively straightforward and simple, easy even, take the longest time to paint. I guess when a design is simple, you notice flaws easier, so you have to do your best to make sure it’s as neatly done as possible. Who would’ve thought that concentric circles would take so long to do?! Lol The changing colors added time too, but man! When I was painting, I was like a 6-year-old in the backseat of the car on a long road trip…is it DONNNNNEEE YETTT?! I rushed the end a bit, and I think you can kinda tell, but Homer was dancing around (he was very bouncy last night) to go outside to play, and I reaaaally wanted to go to bed. :) (After I finished watching Mean Girls for the 1,000,000th time, of course–don’t judge me!)

Anyway, now you know why the post is named so negatively, because of the inspiration, so now we must go on to the actual NAILS! :)

I used MAC Rich Dark Delicious as a base, with (starting from the center of the circles) American Apparel The Valley, American Apparel Lopez Canyon, Barielle Aura Angora, American Apparel Trenchcoat and American Apparel Cotton mixed, Essie Very Structured, Zoya Tamsen, American Apparel Army Jacket, and Barielle U Concrete Me. Topped everything off with 2 coats of Seche Vite top coat.

Where do you get your inspiration from when you're feeling uninspired?!

FERNANDO JORGE LOOK BOOK

I recently did the nails for Fernando Jorge's look book. He makes the most beautiful jewellery, have a look here to see the full collection! 

Photography: Jarek Kotomski

Styling: Aaron Francis Walker

Model: Stephanie Turner

Make-up: Claudine Blythman @ Balcony Jump using MAC

Hair: Cathy Ennis using Bumble and Bumble

Manicure: Emma Zentner @ Boom Nails

RAINBOW TRIANGLES + MONOCHROME STRIPES

I forgot to take a picture of these ones until about a week and a half after I painted them, so excuse the scruffiness and the nail polish spilt all over them!

CRAFTY FOX MARKET

INFINITE KUSAMA - NAIL ART AT THE TATE MODERN

A few pictures of nail art I did for people based on Yayoi Kusama's work. This was all done at the Tate Modern as part of 'Infinite Kusama' . The day was great, with lots of workshops and activities for people to do, including a silent disco! The nail art was super popular, with the tickets all gone before I'd even started painting nails! Very pleased to have had so many happy customers. And a big thank you to my lovely helper Jenny! 

KUSAMA NAILS FOR MY GRANDMA!