Snowy creatures on a mild Boxing Day

I hope everyone's Christmas was grand! Today I have guest hands again. These are the nails I did for my sister Imogen, and finished yesterday morning. The snowmen are freehand and were done using small brushes and dotting tools. I was going to add snowflakes or dots on the plain nails, but we quite liked it the way it was. Also decided against little snowman arms as we weren't sure how well they would show up against the background colour. So they are snow creatures rather than snow men!

I always find it harder doing other peoples nails, as I'm used to doing my own. I think it's due to the angles. It won't stop me though!


Colours Used: In the Navy - Colours By Llarowe, Coconut - Barry M, New York Noir - Nails Inc, Dazzle - Orly, Antique Coral - Natural Collection

HBP Presents: Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas everyone! I didn't think I'd be blogging on Christmas day but I couldn't stay away! I hope you have all had/ are having a magical day. Today I'm showing you my Christmas Day 2015 nails. Finished these off quite late last night, just in time before Santa arrived :D This post is doubly special as it's not only Christmas day but it's also part of the Hobby Polish Bloggers Facebook groups monthly link up (this is my fourth). I've learnt a lot from this group and love being a part of it.

As you can see from the pictures below this years design is based on a Christmas card. This is one of the ones I got from Paperchase this year. I usually have all kinds of animals on my cards but I liked the semi-traditional feel of this one. I kept it simple and didn't attempt do do the Santa. My freehand skills only go so far!

I started with a blue base and then used sponges to create a slight gradient for the night sky. I then very lightly sponged over the top with cream polish on cling film/saran wrap to give light snow effect. Next step were the gold stars, done with a small nail art brush. For the trees I used a thin detail brush, and the same for the outlines of the houses (then filling them in with another). I did try putting snow on one of the trees but it didn't really work so I changed it back. Finished off with my favourite top coat, Nails Inc's Kensington Caviar (quick dry).

Overall really pleased with how this turned out. It wasn't as complicated as I thought, and the thin brushes were really nice to use. Today I was given a pot to put my brushes in, so hopefully now that they will be more easily accessible (previously kept under my bed!) there should be more freehand to come!


Colours Used: Blueberry - Barry M, Cobalt Blue - Barry M, Coconut - Barry M, Gold - Limited Collection at M&S, British Racing Green - Butter London, Red Hot Rio - OPI, Seven Dials - Nails Inc

Check out the other lovely holiday/winter designs below!

An InLinkz Link-up

Throwback Thursday: Christmas Pud's

I've technically just missed the opportunity to do this throwback Thursday... but I don't think it counts as being the next day till I've been to sleep and woken up! I hope everyone's had a fab Christmas eve. This was my first one off in a while and I've filled the day with nice things. Feeling very happy and snug, and very ready for Christmas!

So below is a picture of last years Christmas day design. I was and still am pleased with this one. The red is a lovely Butter London which my boyfriend managed to get me at his old job. It is a Christmassy read with fine gold glitter, but sadly this doesn't really show up in the picture. For the puddings I used two different polishes as at the time I didn't have the right colour. I outlines the cream on top with a nail art pen and then filled in with a small brush. The gems were from Ebay and stuck on with clear polish, and the leaves freehand.

I've got my Christmas day nails done for this year now, will post them tomorrow or boxing day. I hope you all have a magical Christmas! xx

Colours Used: Bric-A-Brack - Butter London, Cappucino - Barry M, Shimmery brown polish - Unknown, Coconut - Barry M, Nail Art Pen in White - Barry M Emerald Green - Barry M

Little Red Robin

Bit of an odd collection of nail pictures today, I had to use some odd lighting to get the little robins beaks to show up properly (it kept showing up as a blurry blob!). Today's design is actually inspired by my dad! I was deliberating what to do next and he suggested robins, which I liked as I hadn't really seen robin nails before, though after a little Googling I see I'm definitely not the first!

The colours are very reminiscent of reindeer nails, which these do look a little like when upside down! I used the ussual polish brush to do the robin and it's red tummy, a small nail art brush for the eyes and beak, and a nail art pen for the legs and feet. Very shoirt and simple. This was necessary as it was Sunday night and I'm far to knackered to do any strenuous nail art. Hopefully will have some more ready to show on Christmas eve. Can't wait!!


Colours Used: Sparkling Ruby - Barry M, Cappuccino - Barry M, Red Hot Rio - OPI, Cocoa - Barry M, New Your Noir - Nails Inc, Nail Art Pen in Black - Barry M

Simply, having, a wonderful Christmas time!

Today's Christmas design has been done on my sister Imogen's nails. Aren't I lucky to have some extra nails to paint! I've been quite fond of the traditional Christmassy colours this year, so lots of red and green and gold, so that's what I went for here too. On a red base of Barry M's Dead Heat I painted Christmas trees onto the accent nails in metallic green. All detail was done with a small nail art brush, and dotting tools for the decorations.

With my last Christmas tree design I discovered that by overlapping three triangles I could get a neater Christmas tree shape, so I used that technique here too. I think some of the trees shapes are dwarfed a little by the decorations, but overall I like how this turned out. So Christmassy! For the finishing touch I added some gold flakies to the plain red nails. This is the only flake polish I own, need to use it more!


Colours Used: Dead Heat - Barry M, Emerald Green - Barry M, Cocoa - Barry M, New York Noir - Nails Inc, Dazzle - Orly, The Donmar - Nails Inc

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

OK so it began to look a lot like Christmas a while ago, but I like this as a name for this design! I don't usually use glittery polish for a base colour but I think this one is perfect for Christmas designs. I used a fine brush to paint on the trees and presents freehand. For the trees I used a very dark green underneath and then a metallic green over the top to give it a more 3 dimensional effect. I also used brush strokes to try and make it look a bit like branches, but it doesn't really show. I think to get that effect I'd probably have needed more contrasting colours.

I'm pleased with how they turned out, I think they look very classically Christmassy, and the gold gives them that extra something. I also likes how bright the presents were with the gold shining through a little from underneath. I toyed with the idea of putting some decorations on the tree but quite liked it how it was, keeping it simple.

< Here's a shot of the thumbs up close, I can never quite capture them quite as well in pictures of the whole hand. as you can probably tell from this i am right handed, hence the much neater tree on my left hand!









Colours Used: Primadonna - Danglefoot Polish, Stylenomics - Essie, Emerald Green - Barry M, Cocoa - Barry M, Red Hot Rio - OPI

Throwback Thursday: Reindeer Parade

Today I'm showing you my 2013 Christmas Day nails. I usually try and save the best Christmas design for Christmas itself, but I still don't know what I'm doing this year yet! I will show you 2014's ones on Christmas eve, though I think this might actually be better...

I started with a red base colour, and then went over it with one of Barry M's original glitters (smells pretty potent now, I don't know what they put in there! :0). The deer outline was done just with the polish brush (a and a smaller brush for the ears), dotting tools for the eyes, and a smaller brush for the antlers and nose. Pleased with how it turned out, and that I still like it two years later! Perhaps this is one to revisit this year...

Colours Used: 500 L'Oreal, Red Glitter - Barry M, Cappucino - Barry M, Matt White - Barry M, New York Noir - Nails Inc