31DC2013 Day 29: Inspired by the Supernatural (Phoenix Feathers)

The 31 Day Challenge is drawing to a close, and today's prompt is "inspired by the supernatural." This prompt usually stumps me a bit...if you'll recall, last year I ended up doing Edward from Twilight. LOL. Double LOL. This year I wanted to do something a little less silly, and thought it would be fun to tackle a phoenix.

I tried to create a feathery look by using a thin striper brush to apply the polish.  I used multiple layers here for a more natural, blended look between the three main colors. I concentrated the yellow at the tips because that's where fire is the most intense!

This look was built over a black base. The red shade is China Glaze Velvet Bow, a deep rich red. The orange is China Glaze Bend Over Backwards, which actually mixed with the red in some spots and added shimmer. The yellow is China Glaze Happy Go Lucky -- my go-to yellow shade.

For the final touches, I added some floating bits of black ash and Sephora by OPI 18K It's Real gold leaf topcoat. I think these small details really sell this nail art!

Overall, I'm surprised how well this turned out! I was just winging it the whole time and that doesn't always turn out so hot. DOUBLE PUN INTENDED! This manicure is also special to me because I live in Phoenix, Arizona. :)

More 31 Day Challenge
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My supernatural nails from 2012!
My supernatural nails from 2011!