Candy Cane Swirl

My number one rule for December: keep life simple, simple, simple. With the tendency for the holiday season to get a little frantic, I can be easily overwhelmed. Once that happens, I curl up in a ball and get nothing accomplished. So I aim to keep the presents easy, not overload my schedule, and go with the flow. Of course, just as I cross everything off my list and reach my zen, I remember my son's birthday is three days after Christmas :P. He's turning five this year, which means I can't keep his celebrations as basic as I once did.

Now on to the nails. In accordance with my above^ rule, I have kept my nails s i m p l e. Thinking of a complicated design hurts my brain right now. And really, I just like how this looks better. 

For the candy cane swirl I started with a base of Sinful Colors Snow Me White. Then using my striping brush I painted on red, curvy stripes with Essie Happy Hour. To add a little sparkle I used my brush again to paint thinner stripes of glitter with Sephora by OPI Be-claus I Said So. I finished the look with a fast-dry topcoat.

The glitter on my ring finger is Nails Inc Crushed Diamonds Winter Mews. This polish was a completely unplanned purchase from Sephora. I was looking at the new Nails Inc bottles and none of them piqued my interested until I laid eyes on this one. At first glace it looks just like any other silver holo micro glitter. But after a second look I realized that the brilliant color was actually iridescent pieces. I couldn't take my eyes away and said to myself, This really DOES look like crushed diamonds (how would I really know that, though?)! Then I knew I had to have it. $15 is more than I'd usually pay, but I made the sacrifice for a unique shade in a gorgeous bottle.

Oh, and I apologize that my photos didn't capture its true essence.

What I used:
Essie Happy Hour- red
Sephora by OPI Be-claus I Said So- red glitter
Sinful Colors Snow Me White
Nails Inc Crushed Diamonds Winter Mews- silver glitter
Seche Vite topcoat


Looking at this mani has now given me a craving for candy canes. I ate so many of them last year!