Hungry Like the Wolf

Hi space turtles! I have only called this blog post 'hungry like the wolf' as it is very much in my head as I look at this nail art! This look continues the Valentines Day theme of animals that mate for life - this time I chose grey wolves, I liked the idea of them howling to each other in the forest to find each other. I spend quite a while deciding what colour to do these and am really pleased with what I chose.

I started with a base of pale muted pink. Once dry I created a gradient using a sponge and the same pink, a slightly less muted pale pink (which created a lovely transition I think) and a medium pink. I then added a layer of magnetic silver nail polish for a sparkly effect which looked great in real life but you can't see that well in these pictures! Next I added images from Mo You London's Noel 06 stamping plate to depict a night sky, mountains, wolves and paw prints. To get the wolves facing each other I used the same image, but one was stamped directly onto my nail and for the other I made a decal. I think they do look slightly different even though they're the same image. Probably just to do with what's around them.

Really pleased with how these came out. My best gradient yet! Only bit I'm not so keen on is the thumb as I chose one shade of pink which is too bright, but at least the rest looks good!

Colours used: Pink Lemonade - Barry M, Acai Smoothie - Barry M, Essential White - Uber Chic Beauty, Black Stamping Polish - Dance Legend, Platinum Diamond - Fun Lacquer

Happy Valentines Day Beavers!

Hello space turtles and eager beavers! I was struggling for inspiration for Valentines Day nail art this year so I put out a request for ideas on Instagram and a friend suggested animals who mate for life. With that and another thought that later popped into my head I now have too many ideas! I think this one is my favourite though so I'm sharing it on actual Valentines Day. The first animal I've chosen which mates for life is beavers. This one is also close to my heart as I'm part of a winter swimming group called 'frosty beavers and shy turtles' so this is fitting for that too!

I started with a peel off base coat and two layers of red reflective glitter on three of my nails, and pale muted pink on the other two. I had no beaver images on my stamping plates so this was one of my rare moments of freehand! I added the brown polish with the brush from the bottle, and then used a small nail art brush and dotting tool for the details on the beavers face. I used a striping brush for the pattern on the tail. I also used a small nail art brush to add two red hearts in the same red glitter. I finished the look with a glossy top coat.

I love how these turned out! The beavers tail is a tiny bit smudged but it's only visible in pictures or very up close. I love this gorgeous red glitter too - another of my Christmas presents. Colours used are listed below the pictures and the pictures show the look in different lighting and angles.

Colours used: Burning Bright - Emily de Molly, Vintage Tee - Nails Inc, Cappuccino - Barry M, Cocoa - Barry M, Cream Soda - Barry M

Nacho Valentine!

Happy Valentines Day! I was lacking a bit of Valentines nail inspiration this year but spotted this wording and image on my Let's Taco 'Bout It stamping plate (from Uber Chic Beauty) which I hadn't used yet and thought it would be perfect. I'm quite enjoying simplicity at the moment, and have also spent a lot of time doing DIY at home so having nails that were fairly straightforward to do on this occasion was a plus! 

I started with a base of white on my middle two nails and pink on the others (I didn't include the pink in my list of colours as it's hidden under the glitter and also was originally purple but has faded!). I then added three layers of pink glitter and stamped the images directly onto my nails in black. I actually smudged the wording the first time and then accidently smooshed that nail art when I thought it was dry, but did it again and it's much better now. I finished the look with a matter top coat but you can see it below with both shiny and matte top coats as I like both!

Colours used: Chelsea Square - Nails Inc, Floral Street - Nails Inc, Black Stamping Polish - Dance Legend

Classic Valentines

Happy Valentines Day in advance! I have a couple of Valentines nail art looks lined up, the other of which I'll share tomorrow. I was lacking a bit of inspiration for Valentines nail art this year so thought I'd give the classic heart tips look a go with a bit of glitter.

I started with a couple of layers of sheer pink, and then added a couple of swipes of red quick dry polish in the shape of a heart. This was surprisingly easy and I'm pleased with how it turned out. I added another layer and then a layer of red glitter. Finally I used another layer of red glitter from one of Fun Lacquer's Valentines Day collections for the final pop of glitter. I finished the look with a 'glitter grabber' top coat followed by a quick dry top coat. I'm enjoying this look - the simplicity works and I'm enjoying being sparkly!!

Colours used: Get Discovered - Nails Inc, Dead Heat - Barry M, Red Glitter - Barry M, Kiss Me - Fun Lacquer

The lobsters are back in town!

Hello again! I'm back so soon because I have more (sort of) Valentines nail art to share. I admit this one isn't particularly romantic to look at, it has more of a seaside theme, but I do enjoy lobsters as a Valentines theme because of the whole 'He's her lobster' saga in the popular sitcom Friends. I couldn't keep these on long as they were really catching on things but they were fun for a day!

I started with a base of five different blues (colours listed below the pictures) to add some interest to the base (I thought a pattern would be too much with the lobsters), and then added a layer of Linear Holo Taco which gave a lovely sparkle. To stick the lobsters on I dabbed a bit of clear nail polish on each nail and pressed the lobsters down on top. I thought they'd be a bit more flexible but it was hard to flatten them down, even after a layer of 'glitter grabber' polish and top coat. Worth a go though!

In summary I love the way these look, they have a good seaside/summer vibe as well as being romantic (sort of!). I'd probably only wear them again for a novelty at a social event or something, and probably not in the winter as they're a nightmare with gloves! They aren't technically nail art lobsters so I can't complain, and will look forward to doing some crafts with them :) They were a gift from my sister who always gets me something lobster themed for Christmas (it's become a cute tradition).

Colours used: Laguna - Barry M, Blueberry - Barry M, Cyan - Barry M, Cobalt - Barry M, Indigo - Barry M, Linear Holo Taco - Holo Taco

Valentines Day Comic Nails

Happy Valentines day! Hearts and things aren't really my style so to be honest I'll be glad when my Instagram newsfeed goes back to more normal nail art! That being send I couldn't resist doing a few valentines related looks, and this is the one I was looking forward to the most. I bought this stamping plate a while back as it's got a fun selection of images, and recently had the idea that they would work really well for a valentines look. The idea is that on my middle finger it's me and my man (I've always got mt hair in a bun) and on the others it's people being jealous that I'm kissing him... or grossed out by us kissing - your call! :D

I started with a base of pale pink (colours listed below pictures). Once dry I used black stamping polish to add images from Mo You London's Comics 06 stamping plate. They were slightly on the small side for my nails even though I had filed them down a little, but I rectified this but using another black nail polish and a small nail art brush to round off the images. On my thumbnail I added a line of black at the bottom of images as well and I really like the way it looks.

I had originally intended to use sharpies or watered down nail polish to colour the images in, but like it so much the way it is that I decided to just add a top coat and leave it as it is. I like the kind of vintage look it gives and the images came out so well. I love MYL plates and I'm really loving my Dance Legend black stamping polish too.

Colours used: Vintage Tee - Nails Inc, Black Stamping Polish - Dance Legend, Lady In Black - OPI

Chroma Rose and Lace

Hi there! Getting closer to Valentines day so although hearts and such aren't really my thing I will be doing some vaguely Valentines themed nail art. The first and perhaps the vaguest are these lacey nails. Lace often has romantic connotations and I was planning on trying this look out already so I may as well try and pass it off as Valentines! I am entering it into the Holo Taco Valentines competition even though I'm not using their polishes (which is daft as I do have some - but was just really feeling this shade for this look!). Their shade Cat's Evasion is pretty similar though so could be used instead.

I started the look with one coat of sheer black on all nails except my ring fingernail where I added Chroma Rose from Cirque Colors. I then used my Fashionista 18 stamping plate from Mo You London to add a lace pattern over the sheer black. I chose the images at random and most worked well. Once stamped I painted a section of most other nails with Chroma rose as well, leaving only my index finger. Once Chroma Rose was dry I used a small nail art brush and black nail polish to paint an outline around each of the lace parts of my nails.

Overall I have mixed feelings about these. Sometimes I look at them and love them, and other times they don't look particularly exciting as the detail doesn't show up that well in dull lighting, especially on my middle finger. Chroma Rose is such a gorgeous polish and I do like the style of these, they're quite grown up for me! I think the same look with glitter instead of multi-chrome would work well too. I do have one other look from a while back which would be so perfect for this competition but my pictures are so bad that I think I'll just stick with this one!

Colours used: Chroma Rose - Cirque Colors, Coal - Fancy Gloss, Black Stamping Polish - Dance Legend, Lady In Black - OPI

Happy Valentines Day Love Bugs!

Happy Friday everyone, and Happy Valentines Day if you're celebrating it. I dithered a bit about what to do with my nails for it this year, I was tempted by those heart tip nails I've seen all over Instagram, with a bit of glitter, but then the idea of doing 'love bugs' popped into my head and and stuck! If I remember correctly ladybirds where the first nail art I ever painted on my nails, when I was a student. I'm not sure if I have any pictures but I reckon these ones are neater!

I started with a base of shimmering pinky red. Party In Rio from Colors by Llarowe was a colour I bought around Christmas time a few years ago but was pinker than I expected. It wasn't quite right for Christmas but works perfectly for Valentines Day! I then applied black nail polish across the tops of my nails, a bit like a large french tip. They weren't quite as neat as I intended but not too bad! I used a striping brush for the lines down the middle, and then dotting tools for the eyes and the spots. I'm enjoying wearing red nail polish again and the cuteness of these, I don't think they need to be perfectly even. This is about as far as my freehand skills go!
Colours used: Party In Rio - Colors by Llarowe, Lady In Black - OPI, Floral Street - Nails Inc

Valentines Cat Nails!

Finally got round to doing a blog post about my Valentines Day nails for this year!  I've been having a busy time at work with travel to various meetings and just collapsing on the sofa when I get home! Also have had a lot of issues transferring photos recently but I seem to be sorted now.

So this year for Valentines Day I decided I would celebrate cats on my nails, and use one of Fun Lacquers new Valentines shades as well. It was the perfect excuse to try out one of my untried stamping plates from Mo You London's crazy cat lady collection. I would not recommend ordering from them at the moment (see Facebook reviews) and have unfollowed all their social media to avoid temptation! However fortunately I have a few zillion plates from them already, including some untrieds, so that will keep me going!

I started by sponging on a couple of layers of Love Potion, a fine holographic glitter, densely packed in a clear base. For the images I created decals on by Uber Mat, you can see how here. All decals went over the pink polish so the glitter could show through, except on my ring finger where it went straight on over a base coat. I kept the cat colours quite neutral as my nails were already looking quite loud with all the pink glitter! I particularly liked the images on my index and little fingers.

For actual Valentines Day we made home made pizza's after work and watched the movie Valentines Day. We swapped cards and small sweets/chocolate based gifts and I was given a tiny crocheted lobster! <3
Colours used: Love Potion - Fun Lacquer, Midnight Mischief - Painted Polish, Cream Soda - Barry M, White Horse Street - Nails Inc, Grey - Barry M

Lazy Swatches: Fun Lacquer Valentines Collection 2019

Hi everyone, today I have GLITTER to show you!! Glitter is always a great source of excitement for me! Fun Lacquer released a very sparkly valentines collection at the beginning of the year and I just had to treat myself after seeing some of the lovely videos of them under bright lights. There are six colours in total and I have done what I call 'lazy swatches', where I do one colour on each nail instead of each hand. I do this to try and save time as otherwise it would probably be months before I got round to blogging it!

All six shades are fine holographic glitter densely packed in a clear base, and are show below with three coats and a top coat. Scroll down to see how I got on...
Crazy In Love (little finger) - First up is this vibrant purple with a pinkish tone in  certain lights. Lovely and holo and very girly!

Lucky Girl (ring finger) - This is a bright green leaning towards teal/turquoise and intensely sparkly.

Kiss Me (middle finger) - Classic sparkly red. Not quite as glittery as the others in some lights but super sparkly in bright sunshine or artificial light.

BFF (index finger) - Bright blue holographic. Some similarities to 'How Deep Is Your Holo' from Fun Lacquer's Simply Nailogical Collection but finer glitter and slightly less green.
Love Potion (index finger) - This is a classic bright pink glitter. A rich sparkly pink.

Precious Moment (middle finger) - Pale pink/rose glitter with a hint of champagne. Classy yet also incredibly sparkly! This one came out the most sparkly of all six.

I feel as if I've been describing a box of chocolates for some reason! I didn't go into much detail on each colour as they were very similar in terms of consistency and glitter density. I was particularly impressed that I was able to do this in three coats. Normally I would expect to be sponging on this type of polish. If wearing these out and about and not just for swatches I think I would probably add one more coat, but only because I have long nails which makes my nail line more visible in bright light.

My favourite has to be Precious Moment. Normally I am more of a blues/greens/purples sort of person but this one is just so intensely glittery! I also think it's a classy shade despite all the sparkle, and a little different to what I currently have.

Will you be trying these out this year? Let me know what you think!

Valentines Day Nails 2018 - Lobsters Again!

So the title of this is a bit of a spoiler... but I just felt the need to try and get my nails to come up in searches for lobster, don't ask why, I don't know either! I don't usually go in for the whole hearts and flowers and pink stuff vibe so valentines isn't my favourite nail art season, but I usually do one token valentines nail art per year! A few years ago I did lobster and heart nails using one of my Mo You London cooking themed stamping plates, and I loved them so much I couldn't resist doing more lobsters, this time free-hand.

I used a dotting tool to create outlines of the shapes in red polish, and then filled them in with more dots. I will definitely try this technique again. It's easier than just painting! The hearts were easier as they're a simple shape and I could add more to the outline if it wasn't quite right.

That's all for today. Lobsters and love to all!
Colours used: Dead Heat - Barry M, Cream Soda - Barry M, Lady In Black - OPI

Moles In Love

Hi all! Here is my belated valentines nail art. I've been ill with a fluey type think so haven't had the chance to post this yet. I'm not that big on valentines nail art as it's a bit too pink and fluffy for me, but I usually do the one obligatory design per year! Last years lobster design is my favourite so far, you can see it here.

This year I decided to go for something rather random but cute. I was winding up my boyfriend by going on and on about an adorable baby mole, and the idea for doing mole nails for valentines came into my head. After all, when you've been together a few years and live together, winding each other up is a huge (and fun :P) part of a relationship!

I used CBL's Party In Rio for three nails on each hand. it's perfect for valentines day as it's a red polish with red glitter and hints of pink. It's a shame the pictures don't quite show up the glitter, it's lovely and three dimensional. For the accent nails I went freehand for a change and made some decals on my Uber Mat using nail polish. I made two different styles so I could see which I liked best but actually rather liked both so I used my thumb nails as accent nails as well. On my fingers are little round moles holding heart shapes, and on my thumbs are little moles peeking out of their holes. My freehand could use improvement but I do think these are rather cute!
Colours used: Party In Rio - Colors by Llarowe, Cream Soda - Barry M, Smoky Quartz - Cirque Colors, Basil Street - Nails Inc, New York Noir - Nails Inc