Fine Friday

Hi everyone! I hope you all had a great week and have some great plans for the weekend. I played with mixing polish all week. How awesome is that! I was mixing colors for an upcoming Fine Friday post and went overboard on the white and made a pink instead. Y'all know how I feel about pinks! Haha! Anyway, if you follow me on IG that was my Pink Wednesday mani.

Today's Fine Friday is Robin Thicke. I had to mix it up before y'all start to think I only likes me some chocolate! I had to add a little cream to this here party! Haha! I wonder if Mr Robin Thicke knows he's cream and not chocolate? Hehe! And, don't think I'm being discriminatory, because I'm not. Please don't e-mail me or comment about white vs black and how dare I say such a thing. Ok, back to the fun stuff. When I was first introduced to Robin Thicke I was like, "Look at this white boy doing it and doing it good!" When it comes to music I must admit I am a bit slow. It's my bff who introduces me to music (Ok, not Lenny and KEM), as books are my thing. Thanks bff for introducing me to Robin Thicke! I was watching TV and he was promoting his latest song Blurred Lines, very catchy tune. So, I decided to watch the video. There's two versions the cut version and uncut version. I watched the uncut version first, I couldn't help it! Hehe! Anyway, my first thought was, "Ooo...You nasty!" Haha! If you've been with me for more than five minutes, you know I do a model catwalk every Friday. Yeah, this is the song I strutted to. :D When I first started working on colors for this post I was originally going for a gold. Instead, I went dark cherry red with a ton of gold shimmer. It turned out awesome! I absolutely love this color! It's opaque in just two coats. I did put four coats on my thumb, I couldn't help it! Ok, I used three coats and caught myself at the fourth. Lol! To show I do have some self control when it comes to red I did use only two coats on my index finger. :D I'll post a video on IG later today so you all can see the shimmer!

 

Ooo...You nasty! :D

 

Cut version

I hope you like!

Have a great day!

Disclaimer: I was not paid to do this post. Photos and video of Robin Thicke are not mine.

Fine Friday!

Hi everyone! :D I hope y'all's week was a great one! I really miss my niece Athens, so, this weekend she will be with me. Yay, I'm so excited! We're not gonna do polish this time. I know, bummer! This weekend we're going to be making lotions, shampoos and conditioners! WOOT WOOT!

Ok, for today's Fine Friday I have,  THE ONE, AND, ONLY, KEM! 

I told you all last week there's only two artists that have captivated me enough to purchase every album they've done. Lenny Kravitz was one and KEM is the other. The first time I heard KEM I was on my way home from work. It was close to midnight and Why Would You Stay came on as I was 30 seconds from pulling into the driveway. Well, I just kept right on driving! Haha! Nope, never done that before or, after for that matter. I was like, "Who is this man singing like this!" You know how the DJs usually say the name of the artist when the song's over. Well, that didn't happen! I didn't change the music station until they played the song again AND heard them say who the artist was. Share my life is my honey's ringtone. Yeah, I love me some KEM! After that I was on a mission to learn all I could about him. What endeared me the most was his testimony. To read his testimony click here. Long story short. He defeated the odds and gives all the honor and glory to the one and only creator of the universe, LOVE IT! I can sing you every song from every album. Ok, fine, I won't be as awesome as him! Ha! My honey keeps inviting me to concerts but I'm always turning him down. The first concert I go to will be KEM. Actually, my first concert was a Christian concert sponsored by a local Christian radio station. KEM won't mind. :D So, having said that my first 'mainstream' concert will be KEM. I did have the opportunity to see Mary J Blige, I just couldn't. I know, I know, Mary J is awesome! Don't get me wrong I love Mary J, but my heart is set on KEM. Even if I have to fly there! I can go on and on! But, I won't bore or scare you anymore. Hehe! 

This is a revisited mani. When I was thinking about KEM videos for color ideas what I remembered most was a lot of black and gray. Believe me, I didn't have to watch the videos again, I already know them! :D So, I went with a gunmetal gray I made last year. I know, I know, I was supposed to come up with a new color. But, this color was exactly what I was going for. Why change a good thing. :D This is metallic-ish with pink, purple, and turquoise shimmer. I say metallic-ish because it doesn't look metallic until you're in the sun. I'm going to shock you. This is my absolute favorite color I've created. I know, it's not red! Lol!

Ok, on to the pics!

I couldn't tell you which song is my fav because they all are! So, I'll put the song that drew me in and the song that just did me in when my mom was told she was cancer free.
                   

Why Would You Stay

 

Mother's Love

 

 

These are all in artificial lighting

 

 

This is the original. Bummer, my nails are not that long anymore. :(

 

 

Yes, We Are!

Hi everyone, I hope y'all's week was a great one. It's almost over! 

Just a quick post as I have so much to do today.

First, Yes, We Are! Has been added to the site. 

I'd like to talk about this collection a little.

Life at times tries to knock us down. We get so busy with everyday things. Things like getting the kids to daycare, school, extracurricular activities, doctors appointments, get food on the table, work. Then, it starts all over the next day. This is especially true for the single moms/dads. Heck, single people with no kids feel the stress too. Before you know it, you're staring at yourself in the mirror wondering what happened. I've talked to many a woman who think their not pretty enough, not thin enough, not sexy enough, not worthy enough. Just, not enough. I'm not gonna even lie and say I haven't felt like that at some point in my life. Because, at one point I did. Sometimes, the devil still tries to get to me using negativity, insecurities, anything to try and get me down. But, I have a post it on the bottom of my shoe letting the devil know exactly where he's at and where he can go! We are magical creatures with special powers. We're Mesmerizing, Enchanting, Ravishing, Tantalizing, and Bewitching! Yes, We Are! Never forget that! I say, go look yourself in the mirror and say for all women, "We are Mesmerizing, Enchanting, Ravishing, Tantalizing, Bewitching! Yes, We Are!" 

Yeah, I can be a bit over dramatic! Haha! 

Have a great day! 

Today is the day!

Hi everyone,

It's Thankful Thursday! Woot woot! I have so much to be thankful for today!

This is going to be a rather long post. And, of course, I speak about my faith!

Dear Lord,

When You put me on this path I promised never to be embarrassed or ashamed of my faith in You. I promised to always give You the honor and glory for all You do for me. You will always be the forefront of this brand, not me. Thank you for casting Your wonderful and glorious hand of favor on me!

Guide me on this journey You've set me on. I will follow wherever You take me. I may not know where that may be, but I do know it's going to be the best place in the world! Guide me to always make the right decisions. Lord, I know there will be some who want me to fail and some who don't understand. I know I don't have to worry about them, As always, got me in the palm of Your hand. Let the love I have for what I do shine through in all I do! Most of all, let my love for YOU shine in all I do! In Your name Jesus, Amen.

Ten months ago I was searching the internet for a basic cuticle cream to add to Funky Nails. Well, what started as just a search led me into a whole new world! A world filled with lotions, creams, scrubs, body butters, and much more! I've taken online courses, read so many books, read a bazillion blogs, and joined so many forums to learn all I can. While I may not know everything, I'm certainly much more knowledgeable than I was when I started. I've made A TON of lotions, scrubs, and creams! Let me tell you, it was not easy. I had some epic fails! But, I had more successes than failures. More importantly, I learned!

Here's ten months of practice. :D

In addition to nail polish I'm adding seven new products! YAY! I decided to start with products that go hand in hand with nail polish.

Let me introduce you to Funky Town's newest addition: Underground Cosmetics. When deciding on a label, I wanted something simple, yet funky. I was showing my boyfriend different labels and asked for his thoughts on them. He said, "I don't think they're 'Indie' enough." I asked, "What's 'Indie' mean to you?" His response was, "You know that underground look." There you have it, that's how I decided, very urban chic (I think anyway). Funky Nails has a sister! Woot woot! Ok, here are the products and availability:

Cuticle Oil - ten available
Cuticle Cream - two left
Hand Scrub - sold out
Hand Lotion - four left
Foot Scrub - four left
Foot Conditioner - sold out

P.S. At the end of the post you'll see why I'm sold out of most products.

Here they are. :D

When coming up with the formulas for these products, I asked myself as a nail polish blogger/creator, "What do I want to accomplish? What ingredients do I want in my product to keep my skin and most importantly my cuticles in healthy condition." Or, as healthy as can be given all the torture I/we point them through. In my opinion, I've chosen some great skin loving ingredients for our skin. I won't list the ingredients I use in this post, since it's already a long post. But, I do encourage you to read the ingredients list for each of my products and research the benefits to our skin. I will be updating the tabs to include this next week. I also have several other products coming out later this year! WOOT WOOT!

This last product was the most challenging, yet most fun to create. Many of you know the blog loodie loodie loodie. She has a post on how to make a DIY nail polish remover. I was intrigued and started researching. After a poop ton of epic failed batches, I decided to compare my polish remover to the brand she used (a few others too). I took notes on theirs and mine. Ok, let me back track a little. It's not as simple as adding the ingredients and your done. Well, it is, if it's for your own personal use and not for sale. That's just my humble opinion. And, please don't think I'm trying to insult her because I'm not. I owe her many thanks, she put me on the path to discovery. On that path, I joined a site for raw manufacturing suppliers. Why is that relevant? Well, one day I was looking through the site and came across a formula for nail polish remover! OMG, my eyeballs almost popped out of my head! Of course, I took a look at it! How could I not? I was a bit nervous because I was like, "What if I'm wrong?" When I read the recipe I said, "You go loodie loodie loodie loodie!" and high five'd her! Hehe! She had it right! I don't follow that formula exactly, I did create my own. But, it was confirmation that in ten months I did learn something AND I did it on my own! My goal was to create something moisturizing and also use for post cleanup. Let me explain. I was buying 100% acetone remover for post cleanup (very drying) and a regular remover for daily removal. Being able to use only one for both was key. It had to cut through the polish easy, not with a million strokes! And, keep my cuticles nice and pretty! I'm very happy with this product! So without further ado, here it is!

Now, the fun part! I can scent this with pretty much any scent! Cupcake, cinnamon sugar, apple, cucumber melon, raspberry, lime, lemon and so many more, the possibilities are almost endless! Yes, I made that many batches!

My cuticles post cleanup. No cuticle cream and no cuticle oil. :D

And, we can't forget the nail polish!

Sometimes we women forget we are magical creatures with  Mesmerizing, Enchanting, Ravishing, Tantalizing, and Bewitching powers! Yes, We Are! is the newest collection of topcoats. Never doubt the power within us!

Update: I have been swamped and challenged today. I have just one product on the site. Which is the topcoat collection. Please in the notes let me know which you'd like. Also, shipping charges are still last years rates. So, please take advantage while you can. I will be updating this today. If you need me for anything tweet me, email me, IG me. I will respond immediately!

About my products: I do use preservatives. In my Texas twang, "I ain't gonna kill nobody!" I can't be responsible for what someone does with their product, but I am responsible for what I do on my end. I use latex free gloves, I use a mask, and I put my hair in a hat. My work area and utensils are washed before each use, sanitized with a 10% bleach solution, sprayed with 91% alcohol and used ONLY for my products. Working in the restaurant business for 25 years if nothing taught me the importance of cleanliness and safety precautions. Not all of my products are what some would consider "all natural." Ten months ago I would have told you what I considered to be "all natural." That's not the case anymore. There are natural ingredients that can harm us (most are good). But, there are many synthetic ingredients that are safe too. Having said that. Natural is what you think it is, not me. What I promise you is to use quality ingredients. I will list all ingredients truthfully and I will never mask an ingredient (preservative) and call it a fragrance. I believe: You, as the consumer, should know exactly what you're putting in/on your body and have the right to make informed decisions.

Funky Nails/Underground Cosmetics is a place where we uplift each other. Not, tear each other down. If preservatives or synthetic ingredients are not your thing. That's fine, I get it. Just don't leave any negative, mean or rude comments. If you have nothing uplifting to say, don't say anything. Ok, this is the tough part for me. I don't like confrontation AT ALL. That's not to say I won't defend myself. Because, yes, I will. Nor, am I afraid to. I'm always down for an honest review. I do learn from honest feedback. What I'm not down for is plain rudeness! So please be nice!

Thank you everyone for your patience and support. I never take for granted that you'll like my products and buy from me. I'm amazed and humbled that you even like what I do. Thank you for sticking with me. I'd like to thank my personal Facebook family and friends for putting up with all nail polish related posts and now body care. Oh, and thank you for not giving away my secret! Believe me, they're probably tired of hearing about my experiments and what not. Hehe! A special thank you to my Tia Rosie who offered me a place in her shop to sell my product. I love you Tia! Lots of hugs and kisses. I'll see you tomorrow to give you and your customers hand exfoliations and silky soft hands and feet!

Have a great day!

Topcoat Swatches

Hi everyone,

I hope you are having a fantastic week so far!

Today, I have some swatches of my topcoat collection. I had to get these from IG, I didn't have time to properly swatch them as I've been trying to get ready for tomorrow's post.

About the pics. They're in order of the bottles, left to right. The only one I didn't post is the one on my thumb. The last pic is the topcoat on my pinky, that is not a topcoat. I made that last year with same ingredient just opaque. It's three coats. If I were to use the topcoat version I'd probably need the whole bottle.

I hope you like them!

Have a great day!

Half Full by Shipra Taneja

Hi everyone, I hope you all are having a terrific Tuesday!

Today, I'll be talking about my inspiration for this collection of topcoats.

The lovely Shipra Taneja from Taneja's Bride is the inspiration behind this collection of topcoats. Shipra is Indian. "Indian with a dot not a feather." A line from from her book Half Full, so please, don't email me any negative comments. Click the link and buy it! It's a great book! This book reminded me, as women, we all go through the same things. We all hurt the same, we all love the same, we want to be loved for who we are, no matter our culture. And, because I'm always curious about other cultures, I went to her website to learn more. She had pictures of her wedding. And, OMG, she had the most beautiful bold colors! If you know me or been around more than five minutes, know I love bold colors! I oh'd and ah'd over all the beautiful colors! In my overactive imagination I pictured happiness and joy. A time of celebration. Dancing. Twirling in circles throwing gold and silver coins in the air in total abandonment. If that ain't overactive, I don't know is! Hehe! So, what started out as a collection of glitters quickly turned into a collection of topcoats (I've shared some of those glitters on IG). I created this collection to go over dark colors. I wanted something simple and chic to transform those dark colors into something special. I think I've done that with this collection. Shipra, you're an amazing lady :D

The bottles you see in the pic is not the bottle I chose to use.

Have a Terrific Tuesday! And, don't forget to join me tomorrow for swatches of these colors.

It is what it is!

Good morning, afternoon or evening everyone! It's Wednesday! In two more days the weekend will be here! Or, three if don't count friday (I do) :D

I haven't had time to do my nails this week, so I'm going into the vault. I did this a couple of weeks ago. I couldn't capture the awesomeness so I never posted it. I thought what the heck, it is what it is!

I used a shimmery golden orange I made a bazillion years ago and added two coats of one of my niece Athens' creation. OMG, in real life this was awesome!

Have a great day!

P.S. The last pic is a bit blurred to capture the holo, but as you can see I had no luck :(

Thankful Thursday

Good morning everyone! I hope this week is flying by for you!

Just a quick post.

Today, I have a topcoat to share with you. This is a shimmery burgundy topcoat. I love how this looks! I used two coats over a Revlon blue jelly. My next few posts will be this topcoat layered over different colors. Taking pics of this beauty was hard! I normally just stand under my lamp using my iPad and snap away. I just could not capture the awesomeness. And, since a girl's gotta do what she must. I went to my bathroom and stood on the tub! O.O haha! So, having said that. These pics are not the best as far as hand position, but I did capture the true color! :D

Today, is Thankful Thursday. I haven't posted a Thankful Thursday post for a while now. Let's slow down and take few seconds of time and be thankful for something because there's always something to be thankful for.

Have a great day!

Love/hate

Hi everyone, I hope you all had a great weekend. It it went by way too fast! I worked on new labels, didn't like any of them, I worked on upcoming projects, burned my hands working on those projects. But, all in all, it was a fun filled weekend.

Today, I'm showing a color I made about a year ago. It's a pink and you all know I have a love/hate relationship with pink. I'm always drawn to it and I naturally gravitate to pinks when I see them in the stores, but once on I'm like, "Ugh!" I gave a pink I didn't care for to my cousin and when she wore it was I like ,"Ooo, that's pretty!" Yeah, pretty crazy I know. Anyway, this is two coats. I'm thinking I should have added a third coat, because my nails are getting long and you can see some VNL. The pics make it look more of a coral with purple and yellow shimmer.

Have a great Monday!

Athens' creation

Hi everyone, Saturday is finally here! I'm going to be running around all weekend. I hope you all have some great plans!

Today, I'm showing one of my niece Athens' creations. I received so many compliments on this mani. The gray with pink shimmer base color is an Essence I bought a few months ago. I cannot remember the name though, sorry. Yeah, I forgot the bottle upstairs. I then added one coat of the glitter and topped with SH TC. Very pretty! Athens has skills, I'm gonna have to put her on the payroll! :-)

Have a great weekend!