Deck The Halls!

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Merry Christmas one and all (and Happy Holidays to those who aren't celebrating Christmas)!

I did kind of phone it in this year, I'd seen this manicure idea (I really MUST get my act together and start taking note of where I see things because I always feel bad not giving credit where it's due) but it was a lot more intricate. I simplified it due to time constraints. I like the overall effect though!


NYC 298 "High Line Green", NYC 226 "Madison Avenue", Claire's Accessories 66953 "Festive Fun", No. 7 "Sun Rays".

This was also the first time I've sponged on glitter polish to get a better coverage without layers and layers of polish. It took a while (first time?) but I was pleased with the technique and shorter drying time!

What nail goodies did everyone get for Christmas? I was spoiled with some Nails Inc (including the Kensington Caviar Gel Effect Plumping top coat that I've been too tight to buy for ages!) and an Avon kit of magnetic polishes and "wands" to use with them. Expect reviews in 2014!

"Home-Made Crackle"

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Sorry for the clutch of posts tonight...Just trying to catch up, last one tonight, I promise! :)

Grafitti and Crackle polishes are some of my favourites at the moment, so I decided to experiment with a "dry brushing" technique I've seen a lot lately, taking 95% of the polish off the brush to be able to daub polish on with a streaky effect. I did this with a few different shades (I went for a blue palette over silver-grey), and topped off with an irridescent glitter to tie it all together. I'm really happy with the finished results!

 
OPI - Fort Worth It, Barry M - Pure Turquoise, Nails Inc - Connaught Square, The Serpentine, No. 7 - Twinkle Glitter (2013 Christmas Ltd. Ed).
 

Firework Crackle

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This is one of my favourite manis I've ever done. And since I did it, I've tidied up and put the rainbow glitter polish away, and can't remember what it is. :S I think it was just a regular old rainbow glitter from Superdrug though.

I painted my nails plain black, then applied the silver crackle. Once that had done it's thing and dried, I went over my nails with a dotting tool, filling in the largest cracks with glitter polish. DEFINITELY one I will do again with different colours, I loved it! So many people commented on it (I work in retail, so lots of people see my nails at close quarters every day!), and wanted to know how I got the crackle to crack in all the right places, haha!




Barry M - Black, OPI - Silver Shatter, Unknown Rainbow Glitter.

Grey Glitter Ombre

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OPI - I Don't Give A Rotterdam!, Nails Inc - Sloane Square (v. thin coat), OPI - Save Me.

Halloween 2013

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I wasn't sure quite what to do with my nails for Halloween! Then I found some Andrea Fulerton nail stickers in my box of tricks, and decided to go a bit gothic...
 
 

Barry M - 47 Black, Andrea Fulerton Nail Boutique "Crosses" nail tattoos, OPI - Silver Shatter, Nails Inc - Trafalgar Square.

Rainbow Ruffles

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I have to admit, I did see a similar design to this online and I can't remember where. So, if it was you (there was more pink in the design) please comment and claim your credit!

The colours are *deep breath...* Background blue: Barry M 287, Red: NYC (lost the bottle, can't think of the code :S), Orange: Nails Inc, Draycott Place, Yellow: Nails Inc, Carnaby St, Green: NYC 28 High Line Green, Blue: Barry M 25 Pure Turquoise, Indigo: Nails Inc, Hanover Square, Violet: Belgrave Place, Glitter topcoat: Xtras 4 Mix White.
 
I used a dotting tool to create the "ruffles", making lines of dots in each colour. Pretty easy, took about 45mins, though I didn't leave each colour to dry for long enough, hence some running together a bit. :S

Smurfing Hell...

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I don't normally write bad reviews here, generally because I tend to try and only use awesome products, so I'm sorry if this is oddly negative for me.

I've been curious about "Suede Effect" polish for a long time. I don't usually like textured polish and I was wary of spending Nails Inc prices to try it, so when I spotted some "W7" polish in my local Xtras for £2.99 I decided to give it a try, in Aqua.

I was actually quite impressed at first, nice coverage, and it seemed to last pretty well considering there was no top coat...Though the only photograph I have of it on is the pic I took to show the first chipping three days after I put it on.

I liked the colour, the effect was pretty good, not so suedey, more like matte polish but with shimmer? Anyway, I did like it.
 
DID.
 
Then, I tried to take it off. I'm only grateful that I tried to remove it a couple of days before we went away on holiday, and not the night before like I usually do, to re-do my nails for my trip.
 
After 30 MINUTES and half a bottle of nail polish remover (no word of a lie), this is what I ended up with.
 
 
 
 
 
The pictures really don't do it justice. My fingers are still blue. It won't come off. This is completely ridiculous. I have removed polishes of every different colour and NEVER had one this bad...It won't come off even after soaking my fingers in remover (so now my fingers are dry AND blue).
 
Safe to say I will NOT be buying cheap sh!t polish again any time soon!!
 
 

Graffitti Polish

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 Have I mentioned that I am totally in love with Maybelline Colour Show Polka Dots polish? Because I am.
 
 
This time I applied the pink over Barry M 294 "Cyan Blue", with a coat of Nails Inc Glamour Glitter over the top.

Amethyst Glitter

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Last one of the day, I promise. More beautiful Barry M glitter, this time "Amethyst" glitter. It's very similar to my very favourite polish ever, "Mad As A Hatter" by OPI. Love it!

Barry M "Cyan Blue", with "Amethyst" glitter (1 coat).

Girls In Pearls

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This was for my friend's "Mad Men" themed hen party. We were girls in pearls, and I wanted nail art to match!

Please disregard the ring finger (and the polished fingers, this was pre-tidy-up) :S It went horribly wrong. I didn't go out with it like that, I re-did it, but unfortunately I don't have a photograph of the new version.

 Nails Inc "Elizabeth Street", Barry M white.

Dotty Flowers

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Nearly done, I promise. This was a trial for my friend's wedding in a couple of weeks.
Barry M "Pure Turquoise", Nails Inc "Spitalfields", Nails Inc "Power Pink" (InSyle magazine freebie).

Spotty Dotty!

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I got this idea from one of the Butter nail art tutorials on AOL. I don't have any Butter polishes (I would love to review them...*hint hint*), so this is done with Nails Inc. I love how it turned out!

Nails Inc: London (Diet Coke freebie), Glamour Glitter (Glamour magazine freebie) (base colours), and the dots are Elizabeth Street, Spittalfields, Portobello Market, Bluebell (InStyle magazine freebie) and Power Pink (InStyle magazine freebie). The black is just stock Barry M black.

Nicki Minaj OPI Glitter.

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Another of my favourite glitters, Nicki Minaj "Metallic4Life". True story, to buy this in the shop in the UK it would be about £18. Bought it in Florida last year, not reduced or on offer, for $8. Yes, I did buy two bottles!!

Pink Glitter

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So, apparently Mr Barry M has a thing against me having money. Yup, that's it.

I have to apologise for the lack of updates lately, and the sudden overload of updates today, but I've been VERY busy with life and whatnot. Hence the reason most of these photographs are Instagrams. I will go back to hi-res camera shots from now on. *promise*

Barry M "Rose Quartz" glitter. It is over a pink base, but I'm not sure what the pink was. :S

Happy Valentine's Day!

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Yes, I know I am a little (VERY) late with that, but it's been all go around here lately. However, I did have time to spruce up my nails for Valentine's Day.


OPI "Love Will Blossom" (pink with tiny irridescent glitter), OPI "Heart To Resist" (fine glitter top coat with hearts (which are a bugger to pick up, incidentally)), topped off with Barry M "352 Pink Sapphire Glitter".

I hope you all had a great Valentine's Day if you celebrated (with someone or alone). I always get stuck for ideas for Valentine's gifts, but I think I did pretty well coming up with something cute for my husband this year:
 
(Youtube muted the music...Please sing "Life's a Happy Song" from The Muppets whilst you watch...alternatively you can watch the non-muted version here).

Guest Contributor: Abi's Nail Art - Crystals!

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My guest contributor Abi is back with some new designs for us. Abigail is always very busy fighting all manner of very nasty illnesses and despite feeling very poorly always takes the time to have totally awesome nails! I think we're really lucky that she also takes the time to share them with us too! :)

Everyone has a favourite glitter top coat, and if you don't, you should! Try experimenting by putting your favourite glitter over different coloured polishes as Abi has done below for different effects.


 Boots 17 - "Turquoise", Fithy Gorgeous - "Prism" glitter top coat, and heart, moon and star crystals from Poundland.

Posh Polish by Beauty UK @ Superdrug - "Lilac Girl", Filthy Gorgeous - "Prism" with crystal detail.

Acessorize (for Superdrug) "Princess" 3D range, with an extra top coat of Filthy Gorgeous - "Prism".

And one last one without Prism, just because it's beautifully colourful!

Hello Kitty @ Superdrug - "Beatbox", Posh Polish by Beauty UK @ Superdrug - "Intergalactic", with crystals.

Testing: Nails Inc Magnetic

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Sorry for the multiple postings today, guys and girls. Christmas has been hectic (as usual!) and post-Christmas almost moreso, I have a backlog of photographs!

Believe it or not, I'd never tried magnetic polish before. I bought one when it first came out, in fact I was on a waiting list for it before it first came out, but on my way home from eventually buying it I went to visit a friend who was ill, gave it away, and never got around to buying another one. The other week Boots had a bargain bin of Nails Inc, so I picked up a bottle of "Picadilly" gold sparkle with new "fishnet" magnetic effect cap. Now, I have to say, I'm a bit disappointed. I'm also going to guess that the image on the bottle cap has been digitally adjusted, because I have not been able to find another photograph where the effect is as strong as it is on the cap image. Which is disappointing, as the effect doesn't really look like much. I think the problem is the glitter. I'm tempted to pick up a different non-glittery magnetic polish, and try the fishnet cap on that, because I think it's the larger glitter flakes that deminish the effect of the pattern.

 
 
 
 
 
 

Review: WooWoo Nail Wraps

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I was a very lucky girl this Christmas, and received LOTS of lovely nail treats! One of which was these lovely WooWoo nail wraps. I've never tried nail wraps before, and I have to say I was very impressed at how easy they were to apply. I'm not going to do a tutorial post, because they are all over the place and there is a very good one on the WooWoo Nails site, but for a first time they were very easy to apply and I was impressed with how they turned out (my cutting out does need to be a bit neater, but I did use a Stanley knife).

 
 
WooWoo also offer a Design Your Own service, which I'm sure I will be taking advantage of in the future! You can upload any image and have it made into nail wraps! Match dresses or outfits exactly, even with the same print, or just put your own pictures on! Love it!

Guest Contributor! Fairy Dust.

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I'm very lucky to have a guest contributor today! One of my very best friends, Abi, is as into nails as I am, and has kindly agreed to share some of her designs and experiments with us. Yay! :)



Abi has used two coats of "Blimanche" by Filthy Gorgeous at Debenhams, and two coats of "Prism" from the same range, which are both £2.70 (down from £10) at the moment in their sale! We agreed that "Prism" looks a lot like a little sprinkling of fairy dust. Who doesn't need a little fairy dust?!