Favourite Nail Art 2017

I can't believe that today is the last day of 2017!  This year has gone so quickly - particularly these last couple of months.  Anyway, as it is the last day of the year I thought it would be appropriate to round up the year (and my favourites posts) with my favourite nail art from this year.  The last couple of months I feel like I haven't done much nail art but the first three quarters of the year was a different story.   This is going to be another lengthy post (sorry) but I have done my best to narrow my favourites down to twenty three manis.  I know that is still a lot but I have done a lot of manis this year.  Like with my previous posts, these aren't in any particular order.  Right, now on to my favourites!

There is something about really simple manis that I just love.  I am also really happy with how well placed this design is.  I usually struggle with layering and positioning designs.  For this mani I used Emily de Molly Bring The Light (this polish also made it into my favourite indie polishes for this year), Dance Legend's Violet Stamping Polish and Powder Perfect's Black Stamping Polish.  Image is from Lina Nail Art Supplies Feeling Shapely 01 stamping plate.

This year I have been all about sponging on my backgrounds.  I do have a tutorial for how I do this base here in case you are interested.  For this mani I used piCture pOlish Mad Magenta, Chillax, Swagger and Gelato.  Stamping is done using Powder Perfect's Black Stamping Polish and Lina Nail Art Supplies I Foil In Love 01 stamping plate.

Snow isn't something that I have really experienced (we did have a small amount of snow once when I was at university) but I do love snow flake manis.  For my base I sponged on Essie's Saltwater Happy and Pret-a-surfer, and China Glaze Boho Blues.  Stamping is done using Powder Perfect's White Stamping Polish and Uberchic's Holiday Jingle stamping plate.

As we know I love sponging on bases.  Well for this mani I decided to try sponging over nail vinyls.  I still love this mani.  Polishes used are OPI's Alpine Snow (for my base), Essie's The Fuchsia Of Art, The Wall, Stencil Me In, In It To Wyn It and Mark On Miami. Nail vinyls are Xroma Polish And Vinyls Turtle Shell vinyls.

Yes it's another sponged background with black stamping.  It's somewhat of a 'signature' for me this year.  For this mani I sponged the entire OPI Retro Summer Collection for my base and stamped using Powder Perfect's Black Stamping Polish.  Image is from Uberchic 14-01 stamping plate.

This mani is a mani that I recreated for a challenge I did earlier this year.  The original mani was done by Ana's Manis.  Polishes used are OPI You'r Such A Budapest, Flip Flops & Crop Tops and Love Angel Music Baby for the flowers and OPI Alpine Snow for the dots.  I also mattified it using OPI's Matte Top Coat.

Floral manis are always going to be a favourite of mine.  I especially love the colours in this mani (it's more vibrant in person).  For my base I used OPI's Alpine Snow and stamped using Powder Perfect Black Stamping Polish.  I then filled in the image from Uberchic 14-02 using Color Club's Just Dew It, Hello Sunshine and Tube Top (all from the Pop Wash Collection).

This is one of my all time favourite combinations when it comes to a skittle mani.  I have done it a few times over the last couple of years and I love it each time.  Polishes used are China Glaze's Release and CG In The City, Pretty Serious Cosmetics Absence and Powder Perfect's Black Stamping Polish.  Stamping image is from Uberchic's 14-03.

I really love layering different images over each other (as you will probably see in this post).  I really want to do this mani in a variety of colours at some point.  For the base I used Dance Legend's My Wave and stamped using Color Alike B A Cobalt Kick, Bundle Monster's Cosmic Latte and Powder Perfect's White Stamping Polish.  All images are from Lina Nail Art Supplies Make Your Mark 02 stamping plate.

I love the base of this mani, just as much as I do with the black stamping - but in an effort to cut back all of my favourites I ended up taking it out of today's post.  For my base I used OPI Alpine Snow then stamped the dotted image from the Make Your Mark 03 plate using B Loves Plates/Colour Alike B A Cobalt Kick, B A Fuchsia Flash and B A Yellow Glow.  Finally I stamped over that using Powder Perfect's Black Stamping Polish.  Image is from Lina Nail Art Supplies In Motion 02 stamping plate.

You can never go wrong with a dry brush mani.  It's just one of those easy techniques that always look good.  I really should do them more.  Polishes used are OPI Alpine Snow, China Glaze's Bottoms Up, Too Yacht To Handle, I'll Pink To That, Sun Upon My Skin, UV Meant To Be and Home Sweet House Music.

I am a huge fan of layering images (even though I do struggle to layer them perfectly) and this is definitely one of my favourites.  Polishes used are OPI Alpine Snow, Dance Legend's Pink Stamping Polish and Powder Perfect's Black Stamping Polish.  Images are from Uberchic 15-02 stamping plate.

Texture-ish manis are always fun to do especially when they are layered.  For my base I used China Glaze Blanc Out.  I then stamped the first layer using Emily de Molly Light Grey, and the second layer using China Glaze Out Like A Light.  Finally I used Powder Perfect's Black Stamping Polish to stamp the skulls.  Images are from Lina Nail Art Supplies Make Your Mark 04 stamping plate.

This butterfly image is probably one of my most used images this year.  I actually had a couple of manis with this image that I could have included in today's post but this mani is my favourite of them all.  I used the entire Pretty Serious Cosmetics Pastel Pets Collection and stamped using Powder Perfect's Black Stamping Polish.  Image is from Lina Nail Art Supplies Make Your Make 04 stamping plate.

I seem to always grab for brighter polishes but I also love my pastels as well.  For my base I used China Glaze Chalk Me Up!, Lotus Begin, Belle Of A Baller, More To Explore and Casual Friday, and stamped using Powder Perfect's White Stamping Polish.  Stamping image is from Uberchic 18-01 stamping plate.

Sponged matte neon background with black stamping?  There is no way that this mani couldn't end up on my favourites list.  For my base I sponged on Color Club's Friendzone, All Dolled Up, Having A Ball and Play Date.  I then stamped using Powder Perfect's Black Stamping Polish.  I decided not to add top coat over this because I really like the contrast between the matte base and the glossy stamping polish.  I also like that it has a slight textured look that this mani has.

Matte neons are always a winner.  Again I did a sponged base for this mani.  Polishes used are Color Club's All Dolled Up, Play Date, Study Buddy and Cliff Notes.  Stamping design is from Powder Perfect's 1980s Stamping Plate.

Sometimes you see the perfect mani and you just have to steal it (of course with credit!).  I saw this mani by Margaret (@loveslacquer) and I just had to have it on my nails.  So glad I did it.  Polishes used are A England's Princess Sabra, Dragon and Saint George and stamped using Powder Perfect's Black Stamping Polish.  Image is from Powder Perfect's Kings & Castles stamping plate.

Did I mention that I have been obsessed with sponged backgrounds this year?  This is one of those manis that look better in person.  Polishes used are Color Club's Diggin' The Dancing Queen, East Austin and Modern Pink (all from the Coated Collection) and Powder Perfect's Black Stamping Polish.  Image is from Lina Nail Art Supplies 4 Seasons Summer 02 stamping plate.

If I was to actually rank my favourites I think this may end up as my number one favourite.  It's easily the best fall/autumn mani that I have ever done, and possibly one of the best manis I have done.  For my base I sponged on OPI We The Female, Chop Sticking To My Story and Never A Dulles Moment and stamping using Powder Perfect's Black Stamping Polish.  Stamping image is from Uberchic's Lovely Leaves 02 Stamping Plate.

This mani is a definite 'me' mani.  It's got a neon gradient, black stamping and zig zags.  For my gradient I used China Glaze Panic Purple and Flip Flop Fantasy, and stamped using Hit The Bottle's Black As Night.  Image is from Uberchic's Got Chevron 01 stamping plate (which is a must have stamping plate).

Butterfly nails will also be a favourite of mine and I couldn't be happier that I now have a stamping plate so I don't have to freehand them.   For my gradient I used China Glaze's Flip Flop Fantasy, Purple Panic and That's Shore Bright and stamped using Powder Perfect's Black Stamping Polish.  Image is from Bundle Monster's BM-S188.

These type of designs always scream radial gradients (which I am a huge fan of and need to do more often).  Polishes used are Pretty Serious Cosmetics Peachie Poo, Cutie Patootie, and Doodle Bug, and Powder Perfect's Black Stamping Polish.  Image is from Uberchic's Radiate Love stamping plate.

And that is it from me for 2017!  I hope you have all had a great year and have enjoyed my posts.  Thank you for reading my posts, following me and leaving me all of your comments.  I really appreciate them all.  As usual let me know if there is anything you want to see on my blog (or things you don't want).  I plan on doing a bit of a reflection/resolutions post in the next couple of days so until next year.....