Recent Nail Art

I guess I've been doing a lot of nail art lately, so I am just going to show you three designs I've done lately with some thoughts about the polishes and tools I used for them.

1. Star Trek Galaxy Nails

For the pink base on the pinkie, middle and index, I used Zoya "Dot." For the galaxy nails, I stamped some blue and purple neon polish on the nails, added stars with a white striper and added glitter with Sally Hansen "Disco Ball." For my starfleet uniform nail, I painted the nail blue Julep "Iona"and added a wavy black line to the tip. For the Commbadge, I cut up a nail sticker in the desired shape and put it on the nail.
I freehanded the Enterprise with a black nail art pen and covered it with the same glitter as the galaxy nails.

2. Starfleet Uniform Nails

A simpler version of the ring finger on the previous design with red, yellow and blue polishes. I suppose you could add some rhinestones to show ranks on some of your nails.

3. Neon Leopard Print

These I did with my Kleancolor neon polishes, white striper and black nail art pen. The key to this look is a high density of spots.

Kleancolor- Neon Orange

This is number 5 of six of reviews and looks using the Kleancolor neon collection. They are available on Amazon and elsewhere online for about $3-5 USD each.
I love this color! It's pretty flattering on my skin tone, but it could be a stretch for others considering just how bright it is. The formula is great: goes completely opaque in one coat, and no cleanup was necessary in the picture because it is such a thick polish and will not go where it isn't wanted. My one complaint is that it dries a little matte, but this can easily be fixed with topcoat.
In the design below, I painted all of my nails with Neon Orange, then made some daisies with my Sally Hansen white striper, and made the dots in the center with Julep in "Kelsey." I kept them kind of neutral to try and counteract the brightness of the orange polish.

Kleancolor- Neon Pink

This is the third Kleancolor neon polish of six in the neon collection. This is probably the most wearable of the six, the neon pink.
The color payoff of this polish is really excellent. The color is extremely bright, almost a day-glo type of color.
The formula is really thick, applying evenly in one coat. However, the dry time is fairly long.
One other bizarre feature of the polish is the strange smell.
The nail strips I'm wearing with the polish are Kiss brand in "Silk."

The Leopard Gecko Manicure (Milani- Totally '80s)

Normally, I do not create nail art I am proud enough of to title an entire post with. Today, however, I feel I've created something unique enough to do this with. I was at a lecture yesterday, and one of the animals the guest speaker used in his study of reproductive behavior was this guy. Wild Leopard Geckos are only white and pale yellow with a variety of sizes of black spots.
The pale yellow I used was Milani Neon in Totally '80s. The color is a highlighter yellow-green, but is not so bright as to be garish on the nail. However, unlike my Kleancolor neons, this one definitely requires a white base, otherwise it will not be opaque. It's pretty subtle, and a good "my first crazy neon" polish.
To make this nail art, I first painted my nails with a basecoat, then painted them white. After the white dried, I got a wedge-shaped cosmetic sponge and sponged a little Totally '80s onto either the top or bottom third of the nail. When that dries, use a black nail polish to create large spots and a nail art pen or dotting tool to create smaller spots in the negative space. Finish with a topcoat, but wait for the design to dry, otherwise you will smear the black into the white.

Kleancolor- Neon Yellow

Here is the second color in the six polish Kleancolor neon collection- yellow. I like to wear this color in the fall and the winter, because I think it provides a nice contrast to the reds, browns, blacks and purples people normally like to wear this time of year. This particular polish was bought online as part of a set, so I would estimate that purchased individually, it would be about $2 USD.
Let me preface this by saying I get a lot of mileage out of this polish. It is the only yellow I own, and I really don't see why I should get another one. Unlike many neon colors, this one becomes opaque enough in 2 coats not to require a white base.
The only drawback to this polish is probably just an anomaly to my particular bottle. It was the first in the set of six that I opened, and it had a very peculiar smell; not at all like nail polish but instead more like diesel or some other hydrocarbon fuel. The other five colors smell completely normally, so I think there was just a goof up at the plant or something.

Kleancolor- Neon Purple

Neon colors have been very popular for the last year or so, and so far my favorite collection of them is Kleancolor's. I bought them on Amazon for $12 USD, which is a pretty great deal for this brand. There are six polishes in the collection in every color of the rainbow except for red, and today I painted my nails with the neon purple.
The purple has a very understated shimmer to it which reacts well to a high gloss topcoat, giving it a shellac or gel effect. The color is dark and pigmented, but no so dark as to classify it is a royal purple. The formula is opaque in two coats, does not streak and has a unique color and shine. I love to use it in nail art designs as is evidenced by all the different blobs of color all over the bottle.
If you are looking for a cheap alternative to Essie's "DJ Play That Song," I highly recommend this polish.