I've seen the new "Ruffian" manicure trend going around the nailstagram world quiet a bit lately, especially with all of the beautiful colors combos that our winter and fall season offers. Yesterday I decided, I have had enough of my jealousy! I was ready to tackle the sought after and almost odd design.
Don't get me wrong, this wasn't exactly the very very first time I tried my hand at a Ruffian. A couple messy attempts before, I had used the binder enforcers method, where you use the curve of the little circle as a guide for the half-moon sliver against your cuticle; this was a mess and I wasn't even satisfied enough to grace Instagram with my DIY disaster.
(Even though this didn't work for me, I'd still recommend newbie artists to try it out! Everyone's experience is different,and who doesn't like getting a little dirty once and a while? ;p Especially when getting dirty means getting covered in gorgeous polish!)
So I took the plunge in a last minute decision to free hand it. I was quick to put brush to nail before I chickened out and spared my beautiful red undie Milani "Rapid Cherry". As soon as I shakily finished my first nail, I nearly cried tears of joy.
How did this happen?! I must have traded hands with some elite nail art blogger because what was before me was not the work of poor little amateur Elizabeth painting with her non-dominant hand. I haven't decided yet if this miracle was pure luck or if I have found an unknown talent, but I'm ecstatic about how these came out. (The nails, not the pictures. I'm in desperate need of a light box. I've been relying on good 'ole nature for light who is obviously going through 'her time of the month' because it's been nothing but an overcast rainy mess!)
(Here I am chaneling my inner 'Chalkboardnails' while "Purple Glam" looks more like "Blue/Royal Purple Glam" in a darker light)
I used Milani's "Rapid Cherry" as a gorgeous pop-of-color base. I am absolutely in love with Milani's polishes. I've only owned three or four, but so far my experience with them has been nothing but posies. The polish is opaque in one thin coat, regardless of the color and the shades they offer are fresh and bold. I'm convinced you can't go wrong with a Milani purchase.
The rarely seen (at least for me) purple jelly glitter featured on the bottom part of my ruffian is called "Glam Purple". The name isn't too creative but boy were these polishes a find! I picked it (and some others to keep it company ;p ) up at one of my extremely rare trips to Kmart. Jordana, a polish brand I haven't even seen circuiting around nailstagram, is a 99 cent polish with the formula of an $8 lacquer. Though the colors I saw there weren't crazy impressive, I'm pretty sure that I'd love any polish I picked up from this brand, from this amazzzziiinnggg purple to a simple pink, it's divine! (I might even venture online to get some more of this polish jem!)
Is it just me or do ruffians sort of look like a botched attempt to jazz up acrylic nails that haven't been filled for a while? I know that doesn't sound too appealing but LOOK AT THIS PAYOUT! I'm in love, and reader, you will surely see more of this oddly appealing design in posts to come!
BTW! Feel free to email, comment, or kik me with requests or ideas for future designs or even tutorials!
Email: manimaniacnails@aol.com
Kik: manimaniac
Instagram: @manimaniac
Send me some <3!
