It's been a while...

God it's has been a while!

A levels are slowly coming around to their last few weeks so my attention has been diverted from my insanely cool nail designs to that of revision, lucky me.

I did my nails the other day however when I had a couple of hours I knocked this'un up. This probably has to be my best attempt at gradients to date, I chose a Rimmell London orange and neon pink (would you believe it) and went for a more subtle blend rather than a stark one. The pink doesn't show but the colour it created with the orange actually worked better! It created this beautiful fiery orange blend and I just loved it, the saddest day came when it chipped to unrepairable measure at work last night.

Hope you like it and post if you want to know how to do it or have any Q's!!

x

Pink Leopards

I haven't posted in a while, been working way to much and doing too many things, love a busy life! So due to my short amount of time in a day recently here's my idea of a quick mani.

Took about half an hour with drying time and means I have great looking nails for work and for going out too and it hasn't taken up my day, bonus!

Here is a beautiful design and really simple to do, and mistakes are easy to cover up. I used Drop Dead Gorgeous- Baby Pink.  I painted just a few layers on my index, middle and pinky fingernails and the other two I used W7- Pearl White it gives a beautiful shine. On top of this I used my Rio art nail Collection of a subtle neon purple, baby pink and hot pink shades to add blobs of colour in random shapes. After I simply used the black art pen and lined each blob with two unsymmetrical line/dots/rosettes to get a really simple, quick leopard art design!

I used the purple at the base of my nail, followed by baby pink in the centre and hot pink at the edge to create a bit of a gradient. I recommend this design because you can use any colours you want, blues, blacks and greys, anything.

Finish your nails with a top coat of clear nail protector to get the shine and leave to dry!

Galaxy Shot

Hey guys, so been viewing other peoples blog and noticed how often Galaxy nails are coming up, so I had to have a shot at it. I really wanted to do a picture tutorial on it, and I will now I know how easy they really are, but I still wanted to have a shot at it first.
I love how you can use any colours and just blend, dab, and create what you want! In this example I used W7 Nail Varnish Metallic's range ( I bulk bought 15 colours ;)) and they are simply brilliant. Not a common brand, but not cheap either! they are all shades of galaxy tones: some ambers, pinks, purples while some blues, greens, pinks. Each one is distinguishable different colours (all 15) and somehow I have used them all.
I used Collection Bedazzled sparkle top coat and only in moderation, following my trails of colour varnish so as not to over power the galaxy effect with glitter. I accidentally did this to two of my nails and they just look like dark base glitter top... I wasn't impressed.

So yeah definitely loving this futuristic space-age feel, as you can just go wild and do whatever, don't follow guides, just imagine it all up!

Texture Paint

I couldn't even add just one photo.. I mean, I love these. These are definitely my kind of colours and styles, a bit mix match, not quite complimentary, simple yet looks professional and when people see these they'll be just as wowed as me. 

As in the top photo I used Maybelline New Yorks: Color Show Street Artist Top Coat for the incredible paint splash effect. I think they come in about five different colour varieties, I got the blue and black option, Blue Beats but there are two different pink varieties, a darker blue and a green option too. I definitely recommend this buy, at about £3.99 how can you not? Use it over any shade of varnish for a professional finish. I went for matching colours but you could easily put Blue Beats over pink for a wow effect.

As for my beads, can I just say... top coat them! Such a messy job putting them on but do it on a towel with a pre-folded piece of paper under you, apply glue and pour the colour you want over the top and touch up. At least that way you can save the remainders by pouring them back in their little pot. I have about ten different colour combo pots and after using this one I can't wait to know what designs I'll use the others for. These I'd recommend for people who love a bit of jazz. Nightmare to keep but look so good its worth it, Lets now just see how long they stay good for!

I used Barry M Mint Green base coat, its ridiculously thin, so I needed three good coats to get a solid colour, and with the number of top coats of Blue Beats I used, I'd probably go for a more thicker varnish next time around. 

The beads kind of remind me of liquorice allsorts ... The blue bumpy ones? Might just be me....

Emeralds, Jades and Mints or 'A bad choice'?

Greens are risky option, I've always felt it.

After buying one green in my favorite shop, I thought I had finally begun my collection-to-come of 50 shades of green ;) But looking back now, god that colour was terrible, it was repulsive, it just looked like toxic waste dumped on my hands and the worst part was I wore it proud! I went on to buy a few others over a month or two but never quite reached 50 shades hah!

So after it ran out and it headed to the bin I grew up and learnt what was pretty. I still actually do not have many greens in my collection, despite my 110+ colours and a dream to own every shade under the sun. I probably have a maximum of 5? 6 perhaps?. I was only reminded of this green colour after seeing it on a friend in college the other day, I actually cringed! She's quite partial to her nails too, but never does art, she likes plain nails, and they always look glossy, well cared for and pretty. Her green colour however, makes me heave.

So heres my debate: What is a good green?

I find it relatively difficult to do art on metallic or slightly glitzy colours because my matte art pens don't go well over shiny. So is there such thing as a nice matte green? Mints are a safe bet, but not true, bright leaf green! I want to know what people wear, what brands, what you think of greens, good buys, bad buys (because everyone needs advice on what to avoid,) just tell me everything because while my blog is for sharing my work, I want to think I can learn a few tricks too!

Thanks for reading, tell me what you think. 

How To: Black and White daisys. My First Vid!

So here's my first video, I hope you like it!

Fairly easy to follow (I hope) its all about just making little lines to create pictures, and a steady hand, have a few practice go's and then take a shot at it. No art will ever be perfect just work through errors and what-not. Enjoy!


Note: You will need art brushes such as Rio Nail Art sets or fine one hair brushes to use. :) Thanks!

Grrrr!

I'm ready to pounce...

 So January 2014, a new start, any resolutions? I want to get out there and have fun! I want to enjoy what this month can throw me, I want to hit parties, go wild, find somebody and repeat it all!

God I love how vivid this is. There is stripes on your nails like a tiger but then there's electric blue tiger patterns, not just lines. Don't be afraid to curve those lines, make joins and swap between thick and thin, look what it can create! Truly love this piece.

Use Barry M Cosmetics if you want to get colours as bold as this Cyan Blue Beauty!

A Piece Of My Mind

Perfection

Doesn't look like anything. Isn't based on anything. Inspired by nothing.

What is this? It's my idea of nail perfection. I wasn't thinking of what my design would turn out like when doing these. I simply chose my base, lilac. I let it dry and chose two top colours. I had the choice of foils, diamontes, stickers. I could have spent hours on intricate swirls, leaves and dots but I didn't have a clue what I wanted. Sometimes I think its better to go with what happens and see what you come up with.

Initially it started as two very short black stripes from the centre of my nail but, being a tweaker, I added, lengthened, curved slightly my black lines until I had this stark 'V' standing out.

I didn't like it because nothing joined the two colours. Then I got my white out. I lined the inside of the 'V' with a white 'V' and thickened it so it blended with the lilac. The colours melt together and despite their contrast, lilac, black and white, the design just suited my nails and was complimented for the rest of the week. Definitely a piece I will remaster and continue to wear in various colours.

Do you like my design? Would you have done it differently or gone for lesser bold colours? Let me know.

Summertime

So I know these are a bit out of season, so save the idea for a while but I was looking across my phone and remembered these beauts and well, they had to be posted.

I followed a picture guide with my art set to do these so you need to be practiced using a brush. The brush was for the slightly darker green leaves where pressure applied on the brush at different times of the stroke would create a leaf shape.

I chose the colours and I'm glad I went with mine over their lilacs (which coincidentally did look pretty too.) I added the three purple dots in the corner of each nail and in other places to add something more to all the greens about. I framed the leaves in white thorns like a rose bush and brushed a top coat over to give the shine.

This piece was difficult, recommended for practiced nail enthusiasts, but any attempts made I'd love to see, so try it out and post me your results!

Phoenix

I loved this design and was tempted to do it several times after I'd taken it off. Here I think of wings or fire, so suitably named Pheonix.

 It was quite a bold design but ridiculously simple and quick to do. I'd recommend this'un to any person with a stable hand but not much skill, just a quick flick of the art brush (thin, only a couple of hairs) and you got straight lines, freehand, do them at any angles, any colours, three lines or two (in mine I did two on all nails except thumbnail which had three.)

Not so bold? try a slightly lighter topper colour, so the difference isn't quite so stark!

Yellowstone Park

Lava! Isn't it cool? Aren't you mesmerised by it? Well I think so, and these nails look just as good.

Get yourself a treat, here I went for a Gold Crackle Varnish (be careful to choose a crackle design you want) by Barry M and apply any base coat colours you want. I went for lilac, navy, red because they have similar undertones so all go together but create a bit of difference from a single colour base coat.

Make sure your base coat is completely dry before applying crackle top, its a mess if you don't!

What do you think of my colour combos?

Hard Candy

Less is more and more is less.

A beautiful quote my mum always handed me while growing up, for those times in every girls life she tries makeup, thankfully I was taught to think like this.

I think it applies to everything, including my nails, this simple design based loosely around what I think looks like pear drops. Alternating colours are a great way to jazz up your nails for day-to-day wear or for any event, they are bound to be noticed despite their simplicity and draw attention. Use bright fresh colours that compliment each other like these, or alternatively, go for similar tones like grey and white for a great, easy to do look. No one can get this wrong!

In this Picture: Barry M Mint Green
                    Barry M Bright Pink

Snow Queen

This was my first attempt at two tone blended varnish. I knew about the design as many people already wear it but my attempt was sparked out of watching a cosmetics advert on TV where the model had multi-tonal lip shades, eureka!!! Multi-tonal nails.

Want to know how to do it? You’ll need a few household items but its relatively easy, post a comment and request "Snow Queen" below!

Checkerboard

 

With a little brother on my hands, and as an older sister, the age old game of chess had to be taught. He’s 10 and now better than me at the game by far, but at least I got some inspiration for my nails.

A game for winners...

Debut Art

A candlelit evening and a good book later... 

 As my Debut nail art picture, I hope it wows. I hope I achieved a burnt newspaper effect with lettering and subtle colours. This piece was requested by the eldest of my two younger brothers after seeing something similar online. For these dark, cold and wet January evenings, I think this fits beautifully with the mood of the month!

 In this design I used a simple french manicure base tone similar to that of ordinary nail colour (I recommend French Tips manicure base) and all my addditional nail paint is that of Rio Nail Art.

 Want to know how to do it? Post a comment and request a bit more and I'll help you out!