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New polishes and Parisian nails

This Parisian nails have got a lot of attention from my friends and family! I was playing around with the new Barry M Nail Art Pens and their Textured Effect polish in Kingsland Road and ended up with this boutique-esque print and Eiffel Tower accent nail. The heart was in fact an accident as I forgot to leave space above the first platform so I used the pink hail art pen et voila - Parisian nails.

As for the Barry M Nail Art Pens, they are really easy to use because they aren't the traditional 'squeeze until polish comes out' pens. This means they are so easy to control that designs aren't shaky. They were a little strange to get used to at first hence the few mistakes in the nails but now I've got the hang of them I'm going to try really complicated designs I've been too scared to try before. I got them in Superdrug because there was a 3-for-2 but I've been reliably informed there is the same offer on in Boots but that they aren't in all Boots stores yet. 

The textured nail polish is great. I got this colour because I have less pinks than other shades and also Kingsland Road is my favourite place to go out in London so I had to have it. They go on easily (I did two coats) and are subtle but fun. They look like little bubbles on your nails! The nail art pens tend to fade on the top of this just because of the texture but you don't really need nail art on them because the texture is enough. I was just playing about and couldn't resist!


Keep an eye on the blog for much more fun with these nail art pens. If my nails weren't so pretty right now I'd be doing another design!


Love,

xx

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Butterfly wing nails - great for spring!

Spring is finally here (almost)! Is it just me, or has this been the longest winter of all time? I moved in to a flat in September and I remember thinking that the park out the front will be great to sit in on sunny days - I haven't even been able to do that! I mean, it's APRIL therefore spring should be here, but looking out my window is telling me a different story... 

So, help us all forget that it's grey outside I've painted a gorgeous butterfly inspired manicure to brighten up your talons and remind us that the sun is round the corner.

This is the type of butterfly I had in mind but you could do a blue, gold, coral or pastel palette of colours in the background to create whatever effect you desire. The only bit that will be the same is the black lines and white dots. 

What you need:

• Base colour(s) - I used Barry M in NP301 Block Orange
• Black nail art pen - I used WAH x Models Own
• White nail art pen - I used WAH x Models Own
• Clear top coat to seal, gloss and protect - I used Seche Vite

Base: 

• Paint your nails in your selected base colour. 
• It could be orange, like the ones I did, or you could use a sponge to create a shimmering ombre of colours for your base. There is a tutorial on ombre in my older posts!

 The three stages of painting the black lines:

• One - paint a line along the top of the nail in black, thicker on one side than the other. Then paint a line 1/3 above the cuticle at the same angle, drooping down to one side.
• Two - Fill in the space between the lines with three or four curved lines.
• Three - Fill around these three lines to create a more natural and less angular look.

 Final stage:

• Once the black has dried, use your white nail art pen to draw dots at the top of the nail to complete the look.
• Leave to dry completely then add a top coat. (This may take a while!)

Thanks for taking the time to look at my blog. I'm always looking for more nailspiration so if you have any looks you'd like me to try just let me know!

Love,

xx

Quick, simple polka dot nails!

Polka dot nails are so simple yet are still impressive and cute. They can be done with any base colour, reds, blues and pastels look great. Then all you need is a white nail art pen or white nail polish and dotting tool. Let's get started!

Prep:

• Apply a clear base coat to protect your nails, especially if you are using a navy colour which, although it looks great, it may also stain your nails.
• Apply your base colour. Here, I have used Prickly Pear by Barry M (link to buy HERE). 

Organising your polka dots:

• Create a row of white dots at the bottom. Try to keep them roughly the same size with similar distances between them. I tend to do only three or four so the nail isn't too crowded.
• Above the first row, do a second row. The dots of the second row should be above the GAPS in the first row. This creates the even effect, rather than lines and lines of dots. 
• If you have done three in your first row, do four in your second. For larger nails, do four in the first row and five in the second.
• Your third row will go in the same pattern as the first, the fourth row in the same as the second and so on until the nail is completed.
• Allow to dry completely and apply your top coat.
• Don't forget to clean up any mess around the nail to make it look really professional.

Done!

Wasn't that simple? Keep an eye on the blog for more fashion, nail art and beauty tips from the one and only

xx

Leopard Print Nails

Leopard print never goes out of style. It can be garish (a la Kat from Eastenders), vintage (when worn in a Rockabilly way) and is very S/S 2013, as it's seen everywhere at the moment in pastel shades. You can use whatever pastel colours of nail polish you have lying around, just make sure you have a black nail art pen or a thick black polish and thin brush to do the outlines.

Prep:

• Make sure to do a clear under coat. Try using a nail strengthening bottom coat, such as one by Sally Hansen, if your nails break easily and you want them to thicken up.
• Apply your base colour. It could be the same on each nail, as shown above, or different, seen below.

The second print colour:

• Make large dots on each nail and allow to dry. 
• The dots must be of a different colour than the base coat. You can go for a consistent white or use the different pastel shades you have on each nail.
• They don't have to be perfect circles and you can apply as many as you think looks good. I tend to go for four or five, depending on nail size.

The black detailing and finishing touches:

• Begin to draw around your dots using a black nail art pen or thick black polish and paint brush. I used Models Own x WAH Nails nail pen in black because it's so easy to use and requires minimal clean up.
• Try drawing around two sides of a blob (like in the second image), or make a boxy three sided shape. There is no wrong way to do this! Leopard print looks better the more randomly drawn it is.
• Once you have drawn around all the blobs, make small shapes around them with the black, such as dots, little hearts or triangles to fill out the rest of the nail.
• Allow this to dry and apply your top coat

Et voila! Easy leopard print nails that can be done in any combination of colours in order to fit any outfit or mood.

Thanks for reading this blog on leopard print nails. It's a really simple look that can be done while you're watching TV or reading a book as it doesn't require a whole lot of effort or accuracy. Keep an eye on my blog for upcoming posts on nail art such as butterfly wing nails, polka dot nails and flower nails.

Lots of love,

xx