3D Nail Art Contest

It's contest time! *cue fanfare*

My excitement to see the creations others come up with, combined with the generous contribution of BornPrettyStore.com led to the decision to give you guys a chance to win a nail art contest.

This contest's theme is 3D! There's been a lot of innovation in 3D nail art (my favorite right now being the 3D bow tutorial from Finger Painted), and I want to see your ideas come to fruition. You can browse some of my 3D creations, new and old, here.

Plus, BornPrettyStore.com is my top provider of 3D nail art supplies, so it makes sense that this be the theme with their sponsorship as the prize.

What is the prize you ask? It's a generous gift card to BornPrettyStore.com for $25!

I know how difficult it can be to come up with a design, so I'm giving you all lots of time to create something. This contest will run until June 30th at 5:00pm.

All submissions will need to be submitted using the InLinkz tool at the end of this post. In addition, since I'm too cheap to pay for the subscription service InLinkz offers to get the thumbnails, I'll be pinning all the creations on a Pinterest board for your viewing pleasure. Though voting won't determine the winner, it's still fun to share all your inspiring ideas with everyone.

Here's a link to the Pinterest board.

Here are the rules, which you must follow to be considered for judging.

• You must be 18 or older or with your parent's permission to participate in this contest.
• This contest is open internationally.
• You must be the creator of the look, and it must be done on your own nails.
• I understand that you may already acrylics adhered to your nails. In those cases, you may still submit an entry. However, please do not add any additional acrylic or mold form to your nails to extend their length if you do not already have some.
• At least one 3D element must be incorporated into your look. More is encouraged!
• 3D basically means anything that can be seen and felt on the surface of your nail:
• Acceptable items: micro beads, studs, spikes, acrylic nail art pieces, rhinestones, fimo slices, chains, jewelry, pearls, etc.
• Unacceptable items: striping tape, glequins, decals, stickers, textured nail polish, flocking powder, glitter, etc.
• If you're unsure if something counts, ask me. I'll update the list to clear up any confusion.
• Submissions must all be entered using the InLinkz tool below by June 30th at 5:00pm MST. I've submitted one to show you how it looks.
• Only one entry per person.
• You may use purchased 3D materials, or create your own.
• Your post must be new.

That's it! Feel like you can meet all those requirements and still knock out some killer looks? I thought so! Get to creating, and feel free to post any questions you have about anything.

A huge thank you to BornPrettyStore.com for sponsoring this contest!!! Be sure to stop by their site, especially if you want to pick up some 3D supplies!

Sation Salon Shout-out Giveaway

Sation is offering a wonderful opportunity to fans of their polishes to get the Sation brand on the shelves of girls' favorite salons! In return, giveaways for some awesome prizes are being offered as well.

The new Sation Salon Shout-out gives fans a chance to introduce Sation to their favorite salons next time they're out for a manicure. In return for spreading the word, participants in the Shout-out will receive a variety of prizes, depending on their level of participation and the pick-up of the brand based on their referrals. Here is a complete list of the prize options:

• All participants who provide salon referrals will be entered into a raffle to receive Miss' complete 'Candylandia' collection. Miss will randomly select three winners.
• All participating bloggers will receive a six-pack of Sation for their support. If three salons pick up Sation as a result of your followers' referrals, you will receive a complete set of ALL Miss 2013 collections. (!!!)
• If the salon picks up Sation, the participant who referred the salon will receive a set of products from Miss' new nail care line and a surprise gift ($100 value)
• Salons that pick up Sation will receive massive exposure via our social media sites and marketing channels.

It's a bit unreal how awesome these prizes can potentially be. To make it easier for you to be entered to win all this swag, I've made a checklist of the steps you should take.

You need to make sure you provide all of the information, or you won't be eligible for the prize(s):

• You must be a US applicant
• Submit the information below by Sunday 2/17/13
• Submit the information below by email to info@misspn.com
• Make your email's subject line Salon Shout-out
• Include in your email:
• Your name and e-mail address
• The name of the blog you got the information on the Shout-out from (in this case, that would be mine: Nailed It)
• The salon manager/owner's name you mentioned the Shout-out to
• The salon's name, location (city/state), and telephone number

So, once you get all that squared away, you're set! You're more than welcome to do it for as many salons as you'd like! So if you want to make a day of visiting your favorite salons to spread the word, go right ahead! Or, you could just mention it the next time you're out getting a mani or pedi!

Salon owners will probably have a few questions for you about Sation, so here's some useful information to include that would sway their opinion in Sation's favor:

• Their polishes are high-end quality nail lacquer (Source)
• All Miss products, including the Sation line, are free of DBP, Toluene and Formaldehyde (Big-3 Free) (Source)
• Miss is only certified minority-owned and operated nail polish manufacturer in the United States (Source)

I've also created a page of small cards you can print out and take with you to the salon so you don't have to try to remember everything you need on the spot! Click the image below to enlarge and print.

CLICK TO ENLARGE

Two-Bottle Nail Art Competition Winner!

Thank you to everyone who entered the two-bottle nail art competition. I would say it was an outstanding success! I was introduced to many new blogs and readers I'd never heard of before or interacted with, and will definitely be following several of them now.

I was utterly flattered by the outpouring of support and congratulatory messages on the post as well as many of the entries' posts. You guys are all too sweet.

I'm happy to say that since the announcement of the competition, Nailed It has gained over 150 more readers, as well as over 275,000 more page views! It has been so exciting to see such a jump in readership, and I have many of you spreading the word about the blog and the competition to thank for that.

After much deliberation and back and forth, I've finally decided on a winner for the contest! I've emailed her and hope to hear back from her soon. I must say, with so many great entries, colors, designs, and creativity in the theme, it was not an easy choice, but the winner is...

Kelsie at Kelsie's Nail Files

Her creative use of the theme, her design, and the awesome colors she used ultimately made me choose her design. (Can we talk about how stunning the mix of the two shades is?!) Congratulations Kelsie!

A sincere thank you and congratulations to everyone who entered. Entering a nail art competition can be intimidating, but you all did a wonderful job and I'm so excited to read more from you all.

Tadashi Shoji Nail Art Competition

If you've been reading about my shenanigans on Twitter, you may have heard some excitement over New York Fashion Week, and the designer, Tadashi Shoji.

In August, Jenny from the Tadashi Shoji Studio got a hold of little ole' me, as well as several other renowned nail art bloggers and offered me the chance to participate in a nail art challenge. The theme the contestants were all given was simple: the Tadashi Shoji Spring Summer 2013 Collection, A Modern Silk Road.

After watching the show and ruminating on the patterns and colors, I finally came up with a design I'm thrilled to share with you today.

The nail art competition is live now, on the Tadashi Shoji Facebook page. There, you can vote for entries by Liking the page.

You can vote once a day for the duration of the contest. Check out my design, as well as the other unbelievable submissions.

The winning design will serve as inspiration for a limited-edition clutch to be sold exclusively in Tadashi Shoji retail stores.  Can you believe it? I still can't.

Along with a care package that included some beautiful swatches and sketches, we were given a link to watch the show, which debuted at NY Fashion Week on September 6. Click here to watch the show yourself.

Admittedly, I haven't ever been a follower of Fashion Week. A lot of it is hard to relate to. I know it's not all meant to be ready-to-wear, but some of it is downright confusing.

The Spring Summer 2013 Collection was a refreshing surprise from these perplexing looks however.

I loved the colors and patterns. My jaw literally dropped when I saw the first dresses come out. The colors were not just bright, but vibrant, and the mixture of colors and textures was divine. There wasn't a single piece I didn't like something about. I loved the way the sheer fabrics revealed the nude below and the floral designs set in such structured lines.

Here's some of the pieces of inspirational material Jenny sent along.

Here are the colors I used for each pattern, which was patiently painted freehand with a sole striping brush:

• My Boyfriend Scales Walls (OPI)
• Sand Tropez (Essie)
• Life Preserver (China Glaze)
• Dutch Tulips (OPI)
• Limelight (Ulta)
• Four Leaf Clover (China Glaze)
• Caribbean (Savina)
• Secret Peri-Wink-Le (China Glaze)

So go check out the Tadashi Shoji Facebook page to see my designs. You will probably recognize the fingers of some fellow bloggers, and maybe find some new ones! Don't forget, you can vote once a day for the duration of the contest, so bookmark the page now!

Nailed It's First Birthday - Nail Art Competition

EDIT 11/11/12: The winner has been announced! 

Light up the candles, and then promptly blow them all out because nail polish is flammable and you're not irresponsible...it's Nailed It's birthday!

One year ago today, Nailed It was born. Since then, it has flourished and become an amazing experience for me and hopefully my readers! Earlier today there were 555,555 page views as well.

I couldn't be happier with the direction this blog is going, and I owe so much of that to my readers! Thank you all so much!

I wanted to celebrate this milestone and say thanks with my first nail art competition. I've opened up this competition to everyone everywhere, with a wonderful prize, sponsored by Born Pretty.

The winner (chosen by me) will win a $20 gift certificate to Born Pretty, to spend on anything they like, including glitter, nail polish, nail art brushes, dotting tools, rhinestones, stamps and more. Damn.

Theme - Two Bottles

For this contest, your theme is two bottles of polish. You can only use two bottles of polish (notice that I didn't say "two colors" because that leaves room for interpretation). I want you to challenge yourself to create something spectacular with only two bottles of polish to work with.

Rules

The rules of this are pretty simple. Any entries that do not meet the rules listed below will not be counted.

• You may only use two bottles of polish (a clear base coat and clear or matte top coat excluded).
• The design must be your own, done on your own fingernails (please no toes).
• You may not use stamps or nail art decorations in the final design.
• You may use tape to create clean lines, but the tape must be removed.
• Glitter polishes may be used if they are sold as a polish (no loose glitter).
• You must name the two bottles of polish used in your design. 
• You may not use acrylic paint.
• You must submit the URL of your post using the inlinkz tool below.
• Your post does not need to be on a blog (e.g., you may use Flickr, Tumblr, Facebook, etc.)
• You may submit a post you have already published.
• You may enter until Friday, November 9 at noon (MST). 
• This competition is open internationally to anyone qualified to order from the BornPrettyStore site.

Please share this competition with your friends and readers of your own blog. If you have any additional questions about the competition, how to enter, or anything else, please feel free to comment or send me an email.

Good luck to everyone, and a big thank you to Born Pretty for donating such a great prize!

Click the Add Your Link button below to enter your submission. Entries submitted in the comments of this post will not be counted.