Winter Wonderland Nail Art!

I suppose I should've waited for it to snow before posting this manicure (the synchronicity would be satisfying!), but I still feel bad for leaving you all alone for a month so I'm cracking out all my best stuff.

Now, I really like the design of this manicure, but it was executed badly - this, I fully admit, is my own fault. I acquired the base colour (Barry M Aqua Blue) from The Clothes Show Live, and I didn't realise it was so sheer before I began applying it. Had I known, I would've used a pastel blue base because it took about 6 coats to achieve opacity. Too many! This, paired with the 4 coats of Claire's Holographic Silver Glitter Topcoat that I added to the tips, created that horrible "too many coats of polish" look. It's kind of bubbly and icky and raised off the nail - not a fan! As if it wasn't bad enough, my Seche Vite has gone thick, and caused shrinkage, exposing the very tip of my natural nail. Here are the photos anyway, just try and ignore the poor execution and focus on the pretty glitter and snowflakes! Eeee!

cuticles are GRIM, sorry sorry sorry!

How I created the glittery snowflake tips:

Once my Barry M Aqua Blue base was dry, I added a thin layer of Claire's Holographic Silver Glitter Topcoat, starting about halfway down the nail. On the second coat of glitter, I started my brush strokes slightly close to the nail tip, and repeated for another two coats to create the glitter gradient effect. Once dry I stamped the Snowflake image from Bundle Monster Image Plate BM14 at different places on each nail tip using Konad Special Polish in White. With Claire's White Nail Art Pen, I filled in some of the gaps with dots, to make tiny snowdrops. I topped everything off with 2 coats of Seche Vite, to make it super smooth.

Thanks everyone! Let me know what you think on the comments, I'd love to see it if any of you give it a go! I kept this on for a few days, I really liked it, especially when it caught the light!


xxx

Glossy Box Competition! I Need Your Help!

Hello Everyone!

I'm glad so many of you enjoyed my Star-Print Manicure from yesterday! Today's Nail Art is my entry into the Glossy Box Nail-Off - a Nail Art contest that they have launched in their facebook!

I'm not going to beg you for votes, as I truly believe that you should make your own mind up over who should win, but if you like the design and think that I deserve a shot, all you have to do is "like" my photo, located HERE! :)

I definitely would have done this design at some point anyway, I think it's really sweet. We were asked to create a design based on what we think Glossy Box is all about, and what it represents. I chose to do a mix and match manicure because, ultimately, Glossy Box is all about trying new things, and a little bit of everything - and a girl can never make up her mind! I chose the gorgeous turquoise, pink details to represent femininity and to celebrate everything fun and girly! I added the Glossy Box logo on the thumb to tie it all together - I think that was my tenth attempt at getting the logo right haha!

The Turquoise base is Nails Inc Haymarket, and the pink details are all with the Glossy Box polish Leighton Denny Babydoll - another little Glossy Box detail! I stamped the roses from BM14 with Models Own Pastel Pink, and added the leaves with a dotting tool in Barry M Spring Green and Claire's Jade Green. The base for the thumb is MUA Shade 2. The little lace design on the index finger is stamped using Konad White Special Polish, from Konad Image Plate M57. I added a coat of Seche Vite and my contest nails were ready to go!

Let me know what you think everyone! I think this is my absolute favourite mix and match manicure that I've ever done, the roses and bow came out perfectly, just how I imagined them! I was sad to take this off!

Again, I would really, really appreciate your vote in the competition, you can even vote for as many entries as you like, so I wouldn't have to be your only vote! There is some fabulous Nail Art on there, so I implore you to check it out! You can give my little, girly Manicure a "like" HERE. :)

(You may have to enable a Facebook app, but don't worry Glossy Box will never post anything onto your wall without your permission, it's simply a bit of red-tape for Facebook! :D )

Thank you so much to anyone that decides to give me a thumbs up, I really appreciate it and it just reminds me that my little blog would be nothing without all of you amazing readers who are so lovely to me every day :) (GOSH I'm gushing now haha!) But seriously, I love you all long time!

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Star Print French Manicure

Hello everyone, I hope you all had a great weekend :)

Here are the nails I was sporting at the Motel and Glossy Box Event (see last post!). It's a "Funky French" Mani, aside from the accent nail, and is inspired by the black and white star-print which is creeping into fashion lately. I started with a base of 3 coats of Miss Sporty French Pink and then taped my nails with Scotch Tape (once the were completely dry) so that just the tips were showing. I then painted over the nail with MUA Shade 2, an opaque black, and lifted the tape off while it was still wet so as to attain neat, crisp lines. Once this, too, was completely dry I re-taped the tips and stamped the Star image from BM14, horizontally across the nail, with Konad White Special Polish. I then went back with single, stamped stars to fill in any big gaps and make the print more complete. Once dry, I added a coat of Seche Vite. For the accent nail, I simply stamped the star image numerous times to create an all over nail design :)

Photography is getting really, really difficult now the days are so much shorter, it has been dark practically all the time, and sunlight is extremely rare! Forgive the darkness of my photos!

Voila! A relatively short post (I'd forgotten how quickly you can write a post when it isn't 11293943 words long!), but it's a pretty simple design that's easy to re-create at home! Even if you don't have the Bundle Monster Image Plates, you could still freehand in the white starts with a Nail Art Pen or even a toothpick :D

Let me know what you think, everyone! xxx

Bundle Monster Roses Nail Art!

Hi Everyone!

So sorry I've been absent for the last 3 weeks, I was in America visiting the 8th Wonder of the World - Disney World. I thought I would have more time to blog, but after rollercoaster-ing all day, and unfortunate breakages as a result of acting the like the epitomal "big kid", I didn't quite happen! I am sporting short nails at the moment (they KEEP breaking!) but decided to use my Bundle Monster plates and have some double stamping fun - I kind of think this looks more like a wallpaper design, haha -

The flash picture showed the subtle gold design better!

I started with 3 coats of Bloom Nicole, which is a gorgeous sheer cream colour. I often use two coats of this on the tips if I want a classic french - it looks so natural and elegant. It really compliments a tan, too! I then used Bloom Goldie to stamp the vine image from BM21, and finished it off with a rose, from BM14, in the corner of each nail. I used Konad Special Polish in Red, and Black for the accent nail.

I hope you like it - I'm loving being back! Haha!

Caramel Cupcake :) Nails Inc

I got this Nails Inc polish free with the Diet Coke promotion, I REALLY wanted to get the other ones too, but my crappy local Boots seemed to only have Caramel - which is fine, it was my favourite of the collection anyway! I hope they do another one soon. Superdrug did the same promotion except with two of their MUA polishes, which cost £1 each. Yeah nice one Superdrug, thats the same as a Ltd Edition £11 Nails Inc. :/ POOPerdrug more like.
Caramel is a lovely fudge coloured beige- nude, smooth application and I was suprised how fast it dried, although I did get a couple of bubbles - but it might've just been my painting skillz. I think it's a very sophisticated shade, and it will literally go with anything.

I kept this Manicure plain for like...four hours. SHOCKING. After a while I just felt far too sophisticated for my own good, and since it is the colour of Toffee sauce (or Caramel...um) I added a little cupcake from BM14 in pink and white. It would help if I could stamp straight though, eh?!

not the best picture, but it's the most accurate colourwise.

I hope you all have FABULOUS weekends, don't forget that Forever 21 are giving EVERY SINGLE PENNY taken through their website to the Earthquake/Tsunami relief effort for today only. BUYING NEW CLOTHES SAVES LIVES, OK?! I've already spent £50, its such a worthy cause and the situation over there breaks my heart so any little I can do to help. Even if you just need some new socks, Give and Receive at the same time! :D

lots of love people xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx <- some kisses for you, apply where necessary.

Roses, Butterflies and KILLER SHOES

It's the year of 21st Birthdays for me. All of my best friends are reaching that milestone (before me may I add- I'm a summer baby!), and you know what that means - plenty of fabulous parties to attend! This weekend was the turn of a close family friend, she had a great gathering at this kitsch little pub on the river, and my parents and brother came as well, which is always hilarious, as none of them can dance, but in their own unique, arm-flailing way!

One thing you should know about me is that I CANNOT cope in heeled shoes. This is not a choice. I would love nothing more than to be able to wear to-die-for heels - I'm a great admirer - but I just can't do it. I don't know if I have weak ankles or bad posture, but I look like Bambi on the ice rink! I can't walk, and I've lost count of the times I've left the house for a night out and returned twenty seconds later to change into flats because I can't even get down my road to the bus stop. 

For this reason, I bought my flat black pumps back from Uni with me to wear to the party, and my mother was utterly disgusted. She refused to let me "not make an effort" for one of our closest friend's birthday, and I had to explain that I would love to make the effort, but that I just can't find a pair of heels that I can walk ten metres in!! Being the brilliant woman that my Mum is, she forcibly dragged me to the shops and I tried on every pair of heels I could find until I found a shoe I could wear! I decided on a wedge strategy - more support for my stupid feet - and this way I could add them to my (very girly) dress with black tights and my leather jacket to make it more edgy.

I have to say it was a success, I lasted all night on the dancefloor until I had to walk half a mile back to the car - I made my brother piggyback me!! and I'm HEAVY - bless him! Here they are:-

eeeeee shoes I can walk in! From New Look :D

On to the Butterflies and Roses. I wanted a manicure to match my dress:

Dress from Miss Selfridge

I used the image on the left for inspiration, and, using my newly acquired BundleMonster plates BM06 and BM14, came up with this:-

I only had time for one quick picture before the party - I'm rubbish at getting ready on time!

As you can see, it's pretty shoddily stamped, as I was in a hurry, but I think you get the idea of what i was trying to do! I think considering it was my first times stamping, I did alright ha!

The polishes I used are:-

• Barry M basecoat and topcoat
• Bloom Flamingo Sands
• Stamped white roses with Rimmel French Manicure White
• Stamped dark coral roses in Barry M Coral
• Stamped purple roses in MUA 04
• Stamped butterfly in Barry M 293, Charcoal Grey.

I'll have to swatch Flamingo Sands by herself for you soon, its a gorgeous polish, but so hard to photograph as it can look completely different colours depending on the light!