Y Nails...Why Not?

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!



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!

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!

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!

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!

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.

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!

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.

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!

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!!

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*

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.

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.


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

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.

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).

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?!