Plaid and boring nail art

Today's manicure came about when I was trying to cheer myself up. I was rummaging (as you do) through my Helmer and came across China Glaze's Black Diamond.

After putting on a couple of coats, I decided to add some white and grey stripes of acrylic paint:

I also added a few lines of glitter to jazz it up a little.

 It's not terrible, but it's not exactly exciting is it? I guess it reflects the strange mood I've been in recently. I'm not still not my usual self for various reasons. Perhaps if I wear more pink, it might cheer me up a little...

So, was it boring enough for you?

xx

My second attempt at a 'one-stroke' manicure...

Hello friends old and new.

Today I finally tried to use some of the numerous nail art brushes that are languishing in the bottom draw of my Helmer.  I did this very quickly (trying to grab the last of the natural light after the school run) but alas, my photos are somewhat lacking.  My home-made light box has now been hi-jacked by my cat and I don't have the heart to evict her. So, until I can get to a craft store to buy some sheets of plastic to make another, I'll just have to settle for sticking my hand out of the garden door in the freezing weather to take pictures.

My nails are getting shorter by the week - these women on my manicure course are devils with emery boards. If I file these bad boys right down, those sadists won't have anything to play with.  One woman was trying to slice off dry skin around my cuticles with a cuticle knife. Seriously. I don't HAVE anything to cut and I just know she was trying to slice me up, just so that she could practise with that knife. Next week we go on to pedicures. BARF.

 A mini bottle of China Glaze's 'Urban-Night' from the Metro Collection (2011), such a beautiful purple cream.

Ha! This was the jumper dress I was wearing today...perfect match.

One-stroke 'technique' with red and white acrylic paint.  Also some extremely lazy dotting...with a striping brush. For shame.

It's not perfect yet, so until I get it completely right, I won't post a tutorial. No point in showing you how to do something the wrong way, is there?

I hope you likey!

xx

Flakes on a Friday...on Saturday

Oh wow. I cannot believe my GFC follower count. I am seriously overwhelmed right now. 701 Google Friends...and that doesn't include those of you who subscribe to my blog in other ways. Thank you all so much for your support. I've had a really hard week (emotionally) and this is just one of the things that's really put a smile on my face.

I have some news. I've enrolled on a manicure and pedicure introduction course and I start next Wednesday. The course is six weeks long and I'll be attending college on Wednesday nights. The same week this finishes, I will start my NVQ level 2 VCTC (vocational course) in Nail Technology. Yep, I'm going to train to be a qualified nail technician! I'm really excited and, if all goes well, I intend to share my knowledge with you along the way.

Here is what I did yesterday. Pure laziness, I'm afraid. Flakies and water decals.

China Glaze's 'Fifth Avenue'.

Slicked with a generous layer of Nubar's '2010', which reminds me, I need do a Nubar and Nfu-Oh haul at some point this year. Maybe as a treat after I graduate from 'nail school'.

Hmm. So I'm posing with the Nubar, but actually have a layer of Rimmel's Matte top-coat on.

Water decals from Viva La Nails (purchased by moi), again with the matte top-coat.

I hated the matte look for a good while, until very recently so I think I need to give mattificationism (it's not a real word but I don't care)  the credit it deserves.

Happy weekend lovelies.

xx

31 Day Manicure Challenge Day 30 - 'Nails inspired by a tutorial'

Hellooooo!

I had the best intentions to blog last night but in all honesty, by the time I had done the nails, I just wanted my bed.  To make up for the lack of posting AND to ensure that the challenge lasted 31 and not 32 days, I have two posts for you!

Day 30 nails:

Inspired by this manicure!

More pictures:

I used LOTS of colours and honestly don't want to load this post up with them. If you really want to get specific, just ask me and I'll put it in the comments :) Oh, and don't worry about the staining on my nail beds. I'll explain another day.

31 Day Manicure Challenge Day 23 - 'Nails inspired by a movie'

Hello, hello!

Day 23 of the challenge is inspired by a movie. Sorry, but it's a boring one today. I've had a few serious items on the work agenda this week, so I've been trying to keep the manicures a little sedate (so no flashy stuff I'm afraid).

Today's manicure is inspired by that movie starring Prince, 'Purple Rain'. Ahh, Prince. I don't care what anyone says, he is the only man that can wear heels, make-up and a mullet and still have street cred.

This is 'Urban-Night' from China Glaze's Metro collection. I got four minis in this set and I love this deep plum colour.  The topper is a purple hexagonal glitter and silver mini glitter combination mixed with a clear polish. It's name is 'Lavender' and it is by Barry M.

It's purple and if you think about it, it could pass as 'rain', right? Sometimes I want to go to work without having a load of craziness plastered all over my fingers, so this just had to do - lol!

Tomorrow the inspiration is a book. A BOOK for crying out loud?!?! *mops brow*

xx

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31 Day Manicure Challenge Day 21 - 'Nails inspired by a colour'

You guys, I'm fading fast... I'm running out of steam. I've got so many projects on the go - making jewellery and doing other crafty things and there aren't enough hours in the day. Work is also pretty stressful too right now soooo...I'm under pressure :) Hence the short post and solitary photo today.

Today is supposed to be nails inspired by a colour. I've been inspired by a pendant I made some months back.

China Glaze's 'Mint Apple' and some random glitters.  A little while ago when I wasn't blogging as much, I was making these nail polish pendants and of course, once one thing takes up your attention, other things (like blogging) fall by the wayside.

You can see another pendant I created here. Maybe when I have some time, I'll post some more of the other colours and designs I've made, but for now, that's it!

There are 10 days left in the challenge and 9 days left to enter my blog anniversary giveaway!

Take care and I'll chat with you tomorrow.

xx

31 Day Manicure Challenge Day 18 - 'Half moons'

Oh gosh! An hour left for me to show you my 18th manicure of the 31 day challenge...half moons.

Now, I actually like half moon manicures and I really don't know why I haven't done them more often.

Here are the photos... a LOT better than yesterday's!

 

China Glaze's 'Seduce Me' and rhinestones from Viva la nails and the golden steel balls? I can't remember where they're from.

As these were only going to be worn for one day, I didn't use glue - I stuck the rhinestones onto a layer of tacky clear polish and I didn't use a top coat on them either.

I hope you likey. 

xx

31 Day Manicure Challenge Day 5 - 'Blue'

Happy Saturday folks.

So, we are on day five of the challenge and I have a stunner for you.  This is China Glaze's Frostbite.

This is one of the first China Glaze purchases I made for myself last year. The formula is lovely, and it took just two coats to get full coverage...I used three out of pure habit.

Daylight shot.

Unfortunately, it didn't last that long because I found a blue shatter polish by Barry M whilst tidying my helmer the other day. Here is the switch-a-roo.

 

The base was a nice pearl with a sprinkling of glitter particles (it was an old polish and it didn't have a label). The pearls were from Bornprettystore and were a part of a mini-haul that I got last weekend. I'll show you that another time though.

Which blues are your favourites?

xx

Midnight Mission and my new shop!

Hi friends, how are you?

I've been busy with my new Shop page...take a look!

As a result I'm having a lazy day today (wooo!) and I guess it's reflected in my current manicure.  Admittedly, I've been wearing this for about three days, hence the tip wear, but I do have intentions of jazzing it up. Honestly. Not like the last one.

This is China Glaze's Midnight Mission and this is the second time I've worn it since this old post.

I'm seeing this with some silver design work. Maybe free-hand, maybe stamping - I'm not sure yet. I'll figure it out after I get back from the cinema later. Yes, that's right, I'm going out!

xx

Bamboozled, I tells ya.

Hello, hello. How's it going friends?

So I wore that last manicure for a few days until it chipped on my right hand.  I really liked the way that one came out and, by the looks of things, a few of you liked it too. Today's manicure, however, might not be as popular...

It's supposed to be a bamboo. Supposed to be.

I call this one 'Bamboo-zled' because both myself and my husband just stared at it for a long while. Perplexed was the feeling, I think. Having said 'mmm' about a million times, we came to the conclusion that this was one fit for only an hour of wear. I went to work with bare nails today, as a result.  My daughter caught sight of me in the shower this morning and was horrified to see that I had no polish on my nails.

L-R in order of application
Barry M 'Matt White', L'Oreal Laqui Resist (I don't know what colour this is, but it looks about 20 years old. I got it from a bargain bin in a beauty products shop for 99p), Sinful Colors 'Mint Apple', China Glaze 'Jolly Holly', a Fraken, Essence 'Copper Rulez' and Seche Vite.

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It all started like this (two coats of white, one of the L'Oreal and sponged on Mint Apple.

This is the bamboo image that I used (centre).

Yeah, it's pink. I was just messing around with the online editor.

The butterflies were from:

 Credit

Credit

Nah, don't like it. I had high hopes for this manicure, but what I had envisioned did not translate onto my nails. I tried to make it better with some acrylic paint dots and accenting the butterfly wings, but I don't think I did so well.

Never mind!

On a plus side, my baby stood on her own for about five seconds today. My face still aches from all the smiling I did.

xx

China Glaze Frost Bite and Midnight Mission

Hi again friends.

Today I have another two blues for you, the first being Frost Bite by China Glaze (quite fitting for the weather that we are having at the moment). I only put two coats on and you can see my visible nail line if you look close enough. In reality, the free edges of my nails aren't that long, they just look it because my nail bed is long.  Oh, and yes, the last of the acrylic damage is STILL on my ring finger nail. When I trim them next, I promise it will be gone. Finally!

The second of the blues is Midnight Mission, also by China Glaze.  This one has micro glitter particles in it. Lush!

 This was three coats. Totally loving this.

That's all for today. Take care!

Another festive manicure - China Glaze 'Seduce Me', Nfu Oh 51/Stamping

Hi everyone, I hope you are well. There are only a few days left until Christmas...are you prepared? Or will you be joining the last minute rush? 

Before I launch into the polish, I just want to say that I recognise that some of my readers may not be familiar with some of the things I talk about (like stamping, marbling etc). Up until very recently, some things of the nail polish world were pretty foreign to me and I think it only fair to consider this when I'm writing. I had to do my own research to understand a lot of the terminology, find UK retailers and decipher many acronyms, so I'll try to be as clear as  possible in my own writing...just so that I can help someone else out.

In the New Year I intend to make my blog more user friendly. Please look out for some reference pages,  pictures of the materials I'm using for nail art and maybe even a tutorial or two. I  sound like Marge Simpson when I talk, so it don't think it's going to be a YouTube video unless I can find nice background music!

Please forgive me, however, if this takes a little while. This blog is new and is a work in progress;  today, I haven't taken pictures of all of my materials, but I'll remedy that.

Now on to the polish! I have a China Glaze swatch for you this evening. 'Seduce Me' is a nice berry coloured polish... 

PICTURE SPAM ALERT!!!!

...which is a dead-on match for Barry M's 'Raspberry'! For me, the only difference is that Barry M was sheer in two coats, but it took three with the China Glaze.

 Barry M is on the pinkie and middle finger, but you wouldn't be able to tell.

 I put a layer of Nfu-Oh 51 (an opal flakie glitter polish for those who don't know) which looks orange here...

 ...and green here.

 Then I stamped on a pattern from BM plate 02.  Excuse the pinkie finger - I got excited and started swatching something else before I took pictures.

 I hid the pinkie this time!

Yeah, the tree shot again, lol!

Talk to you all soon.