Recently I bought a little bargain Nails Inc set at TK Maxx that I just couldn't resist. Moi and Linzi are staunch fans of Nails Inc and bargains!!! 4 came in the sets and they all looked very sparkly and lovely in the box. This one is called Wardour Mews:
I did about 3 layers on these nails (I can't stand anything less than 2 coats innit!) and it turned out to be a slight holo polish (Is it a holo?? Does it count? I've never had one... but for these purposes I shall call it a holo!). It looked pretty cool but I actually think it turns out I'm not much of a sparkly holo girl. Looks stunning but it's just not very moi. Great for you girls (and maybe boys who may read this...?) that love a multi dimensional colour.
Before I start this post, I will interrupt myself because I am a bit too excited about my first encounter with the Essie counter at the massive Boots on Oxford Street (in London). I almost wanted to take a photo of it and then realised I would look a bit weird slash suspicious but I can promise you I saw it with my own eyes cos I bought the Tart Deco colour that I've been loving in some of you bloggers' posts. But that's not all my dear friends... I had a lovely £5 voucher for No 7 so bought the limited edition gold glitter topcoat too. Once I have got bored of my current mani and try these out I will obviously post some photitos of designs with hte polishes.
Now I will shut up about that and show you what I actually wanted this post to be about.
For those of you who haven't watched Cutepolish's incredible videos on youtube, you have to check them out here. She offers "easy and cute nail art" which is certainly true! The designs look great and the majority of them are quite simple, only requiring a few colours and a dotting tool which she shows you how to make if you haven't got them already. I have to admit that some are pretty challenging and require a suuuuuuper steady hand but that all comes with practice practice practice (as my Dad repeated to me a million times when I was frustrated with drum kit practice).
I've seen gradient manis all over the shop, appearing in tonnes and tonnes of you lovely bloggers' posts and I suddenly thought: I feel brave enough to do one!! All that sponge business seemed a bit faffy so I found a brilliant video tutorial from Cutepolish that actually looked do-able (that is a word right...?) Check it out below:
The brilliant thing about this mani is that glitter covers all the sins of misplaced brush strokes and instead makes it look super amazing and tres chic baby!
I chose to use blues and used:
No 7 Minty Fresh as it is a thin layerable formula for the base coat
Nails Inc Queensgate Terracehalfway up and dabbing on to the nail, then when that had dried I dabbed it on the end to make it solid colour
Miss Sporty Sparkle Touch for the forgiving glitter over the top
CY Stamp It! in Star For a little star on each nail that you can just about see on the photos
And this is how they came out:
I liked the overall look but it's not something I would usually go for. Maybe if I tried a more striking colour with some neons it would be a bit edgier and bolder (just how I like it!!) and a bit more me.
About 3 months ago I opened the new look edition of Company magazine and almost threw up when I saw all the pastel colours dominating the pages. I seriously thought "WHO would wear colours like that?!"
But since then I have had to eat some humble pie and have realised that pastels look GREAT on nails. That, or the fashion industry has infiltrated my brain godammit!! Pretty much after the purchase of my lovely candymintapple Essie I have luuurved pastels on nails. Especially since it brings out your tan, ohh yeahhh!
Colours used: Model's Own Lilac Dream, Nails Inc Wellington Square, Essie Candy Mint Apple
Sorry for zi lack of posts recently. I have a few up my sleeve though so watch zis space!
Over Christmas my nails grew without me realising, and even though they were peeling at the ends (not enough calcium methinks?!) I still let them grow. I have to say they made manis look so much nicer but long nails are very annoying cos they catch on everything. I thought they looked like frosted peaches!
Nails Inc. Wellington Square plus Colorclub twinkly stuff
First on the agenda: apologies for being so rubbish at this challenge. It's almost as though as soon as I started it, I got ridiculously busy at work and had no time to be nailing about!
Second on the agenda: I've realised I will have to concede to defeat with this challenge, as I really don't think I'll be able to get it all done!!
Sooo as a peace offering to the Christmas nail elves, I have made a little selection of the Christmas days (basically all the ones I can actually do!!)
Day 5: Christmas gradient Using Rimmel Riviera Red and Colorclub gingerbread
Day 7 Christmas glitter nails Using Colorclub sugarplum fairy
Day 3 red and green nails (fashioned into a Christmas tree of course!) Using Rimmel Riviera Red, Barry M Mint Green and Nails Inc St Moritz
Day 17 Present Nails Using Barry M Mint Green and Rimmel Riviera Red
Day 6 Christmas Stripes (reminiscent of candy canes) Using Rimmel Riviera Red and Pamela Grant Manicure Fancesa
Day 8 Christmas Dotting Using Colorclub Gingerbread, Rimmel Riviera Red (oh but of course!),
Barry M Mint Green, Barry M NP150 and Colorclub Holiday Splendor
And so there are my Christmas offerings for this year! Not quite finished the challenge but at least I tried :)
