Nail Art- Pink and Green Circles

Nail art- trying out these baby pink and blue 3D circles on top of a white base.

I've had these for a while and decided to finally try them out. The look didn't last that long as to be expected, only a couple or maybe 3 days. I got loads of compliments on them on a night out.

What I used:

OPI natural nail base coat

2 coats of 'matt white' white nail polish from Barry M

When the second coat was still tacky, I applied the circles (from a brand called 'Rock'? I'm not sure where I got these exactly) one by one onto the nail with tweezers. If they weren't sticking because the nail was too dry, I just dipped the circles into a bit of the basecoat and used that as an adhesive to stick it down.

When dry, I applied another layer of the basecoat (you could use the topcoat, yes) to seal everything in and reduce the likelihood of the circles chipping off.

Would you try this out? Let me know in the comments below.

Nail Art: Nail Rock Tribal Gold Aztec Pack

Nail Rock Designer Nail Wraps

I've had these for ages and never had the appropriate time to try them out, so decided to use them last weekend for the England Latitude Festival I attended from Thursday-Monday last week (which was amazing by the way). However the nail wraps didn't really make it, as I should've expected.

Nail wraps are basically stickers you stick onto the nails. No basecoat, no topcoat.

As you can see, I didn't initially manage to fully stick on completely all the stickers. I had to use a basecoat under the parts of the sticker that hadn't stuck properly.

I noticed them peeling on day one, and by the end of day 2 I got so annoyed with the flakiness that I had to take them all off and spend the rest of the festival with plain nails.

I noticed that there was no negative effect on my nails of the stickers though, which was good.

The one nail I managed to get perfect was really good though, and it lasted so long and didn't peel at all.

These definitely could last for ages, maybe even the 10 days that it claims on the packet. But they're not the easiest to apply. I think it takes practice to get it perfect, but they are really sticky and it comes with an acetone wipe to dry the nails out before you stick the sticker on too.

If you've tried these do you have any tips? If not, would you try these out? Let me know in the comments below.

Current Nails: Essie Fear & Desire

Currently I am wearing...

This bright satsuma neon orange colour by Essie called 'Fear & Desire'.

I love Essie nail polishes, as I find that a lot of their colours are unlike anything you can find elsewhere. Also although with this 'new formula' I don't notice much of a difference in appearance or general wear, the brush is so so amazing.

It's a thick wide-spanning one so literally one swipe and your whole nail is covered! Makes painting nails super quick!

To see more Essie posts:

I did a 'current nails' with 'Bikini So Teeny' a while back, a beautiful shade. The pictures on that are a lot better as I didn't have time here to get out my proper camera and I had to rush off!

I also featured 'Bikini So Teeny' in last year's spring nail polish edition 'Put a Spring in your step', a blog post of my favourite spring polishes. It's definitely worth a read!

And in my winter nails selection I featured another beautiful Essie shade, 'Velvet voyeur'. 

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Update: A couple days after, I got bored as I so often do with my nail polish.

Instead of taking it off and putting on a new colour as I so often do, instead I did something I sometimes do, which to change up the nails without the full bother of repainting, I just whacked on a matte topcoat! Done.

And hey presto your nails are like new.

The best thing about using a matte topcoat is that it dries super quickly, way quicker than any glossy topcoat I've tried, so rejuvenating your nails takes like 20 seconds and then you can get on with your life!

In my 'Ultimate Nail Polish Tips' blog post I named my favourite matte topcoats, and the one I used here is the Rimmel pro matte finish one, it's so cheap and I can't complain at all it's all you need in a matte topcoat. I also gave loads of other good nail polish tips.

I also have a nail care megapost which gives my top tips for healthy strong nails- it's definitely worth a read!

What nail polish do you currently have on? What's your favourite nail polish? Let me know in the comments below.

Current Nails: OPI Teal The Cows Come Home

Currently I am Wearing...

This metallic bright blue by OPI which I got in a minis set of 5 that didn't say the names on any of them, but I've researched the colour and I do believe it is called 'Teal The Cows Come Home'.

I couldn't find the set of minis on the internet anywhere for some reason (I bought it from TK Maxx I think for a discounted price), but if you like the colour shown here you can still buy the full size.

Aren't the OPI names just amazing? ;') And obviously the application is wonderful too, I think their formulation is my favourite by any brand.

My nails are finally longer and healthier! To see my tips and tricks, read my nail care megapost!

Two coats of the nail polish over a basecoat

What are you currently wearing on your nails? What's your favourite brand of nail polish? Let me know in the comments below.

Ultimate Nail Polish Tips: Everything You Need To Know

My Top Nail Tips

First of all, I did a whole post on how to achieve healthy and strong nails, so check that out if you want  tips on that and to find out my top products.

This post will be on specific tips: longwearing polish, diy matte nails, quicker drying times and fixing dried up polish. Hopefully you guys will find this really helpful!

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1. All you need to know about matte nails.

Matte nails is always a beautiful thing. Bored of your current nails? Just mattify them and transform them into a completely new look.

You can quickly and easily achieve matte nails by using steam. After painting your nails, boil some water and place your nails in the steam for quick and easy matte nails. However, clearly you have to be careful this, as you can easily burn yourself with steam. A much easier way is to simply paint your nails with two coats about 10 minutes before taking a shower. In the shower, the steam will matte your nails! This is a safer and easier way to achieve DIY matte nails.

Matte nails applied to an originally shiny nail polish!

Alternatively, use a matte topcoat.

These are my favourite matte nail polish topcoats. The Rimmel one is amazing for its price, around £5, and has a great big brush. The American Apparel one is more expensive and also works fine.

American Apparel Matte Top Coat, Rimmel London Pro Matte Finish Mattifying Topcoat

2. Basecoats

Quite simply, always use a basecoat.

My favourite basecoats: NYX ridge filler, OPI natural nail, and ORLY bonder

Basecoats prevent staining (especially with deep purples or reds, we all know how annoying and horrible-looking this permanent stain is), and mean you need less coats of the polish to create an opaque look, as well as giving you a smooth nail base and therefore a much better final look to your finished nail polish application.

Another note on basecoats- if you're using a polish that just isn't that pigmented and you want it to show up better, try painting a coat of white on first. It makes a huge difference, I promise.

OPI Nail Lacquer in White, Next nail polish in White from their French Manicure set

3. Fix dried up nail polish

One of the most annoying things is when your favourite nail polish becomes thick, clumpy and begins to dry out.

There is no way to properly prevent this, but when this happens there are two ways to fix it. Either buy a specialist thinner, I know seche do one which is specially designed for their topcoat seche vite, but will probably work on other polishes, or otherwise just add a bit of nail polish remover! It really thins the polish out and won't affect the quality of your polish. Bear in mind that this only works to an extent though.

4. Quicken drying time

I have a few tips on how to quicken the drying time of your nail polish. There's nothing more annoying than that feeling of being disabled for like 40 minutes after freshly painting your nails- we've all been there.

First quick tip is don't paint the layers too thick, and always wait at least ten minutes until the layer is dry before adding your second coat. If the nail polish isn't quite dry and you add another coat, it'll only make it more prone to smudging.

To quicken the drying time, straight after painting your nails plunge them into a bowl of ice water. Any cooler water works really, but they'll dry even quicker the colder the water is. Hold them there for a minute or a couple of minutes and they'll be rock hard and non-smudgable! 

Or use a specialist drying spray. Spray it on your nails and it hardens them much quicker.

5. Finally, quickly get rid of any overdrawn nail polish on the skin around your nails

Easier than using a q-tip dipped in polish remover- just wash your hands with warm water and it kind of lifts up the product on your skin, it works amazingly. Or try this in the shower, and most will go.

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Did you find this post useful? What are your top nail tips? Let me know in the comments below.

Current Nails: H&M Yellow

Currently I am wearing...

This bright sour yellow colour from H&M in the shade 'yellow'.

 It came in a set of 5 (I think) minis in standard colours and can't have been that expensive. I'm pretty sure they don't sell this exact set anymore but they still have nail and cosmetic products which are worth a try.

I painted two coats over a basecoat. I don't normally use a topcoat because I only like wearing one select shade for a few days anyway- usually about 4 or 5 days.

The shade is called 'yellow'... I know- creative!

What's your favourite nail polish? What do you currently have painted on your nails? Let me know in the comments below.

Nail-care Megapost: Achieve and Maintain Healthy, Strong Nails

Nail Care Top Tips

Here I will share with you my key tips and products to help you grow your nails and maintain their health.

I love long nails, so I've learnt over the years the best way to get them to the right stage, and avoid breakages.

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Firstly, it is extremely important to file your nails regularly, and properly.

Filing your nails regularly not only keeps your nails in shape, but it encourages growth and keeps them strong too. Shape is extremely important, as if your nails are growing at odd shapes, they will be more prone to splitting and breaking, and we all know how annoying that is.

I use this glass nail file from Paname

Crystal or glass nail files are much better than the regular board files, as they are more gentle, whilst actually working quicker and being more effective. Now I've got one, there's no way I'm going back. 

Also glass files prevent as much tearing, which used to be a huge problem for me. You can get them from around £6, and they're usually around the £10 mark. I don't think this price is unreasonable, especially as these files last way longer than the regular ones.

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If you suffer from nail splitting, or weak nails, then I suggest some sort of nail strengthener. The best ones by far are the 'Nail Envy' ones from OPI. Sally Hansen also has a great one, for a slightly cheaper price. Are your nails weak? When you push directly down on them, do they hold or do they bend? I used to have extremely thin, bendy and peeling nails, and the weakness would mean they would break all the time. But filing them properly and from time to time if necessary using a nail strengthener has ensured I don't have any sort of problem anymore.

The good thing about this sort of treatment is that you can wear it as a basecoat underneath nail polish, meaning that you can treat your nails whilst wearing a colour on them.

This is the 'sensitive and peeling' Nail Envy, they're quite expensive, around the £15 mark, but they are amazing. I also had the matte version, which I actually preferred. This one, somewhat ironically, tends to peel off the nails after about a day, so I don't recommend using it as a basecoat under nail polish.

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My next tip is cuticle care. I use three different products, but you don't necessarily need to use them religiously, just once in a while.

Burt's Bees Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream

This cuticle cream is amazing. Basically it softens your cuticles and generally helps the condition of your nails, plus it has a lovely sweet lemon smell. I even have a bigger tub as backup when this runs out, not that you need to use much at all.

I also own a cuticle gel and nourishing cuticle pen. The gel is a lifesaver for me. A tiny squeeze of this is enough to easily remove the bits of cuticle on your nails with just a little rub. It's not painful at all, and takes seconds. I just personally hate pushing back cuticles with a cuticle-pusher. It's uncomfortable!

Excess cuticle on the nail is annoying because it obstructs some of the part of nail you're meant to put polish on. 

Ms. Manicure Cuticle Gel, Elf Noruishing Cuticle Pen

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Finally, I recommend always using a basecoat underneath polish. This prevents your polish from affecting the quality of your nails, and also means you won't face staining, especially bad when you wear red or deep purple polish. Nobody wants stained nails.

Three of my favourite basecoats- NYX Ridge Filler, OPI Natual Basecoat and ORLY rubberised bonder basecoat

 Did you find this post helpful? What are your top nail tips? Let me know in the comments below.

Current Nails: Barry M Chameleon Blue

Currently I am wearing on my nails:

This glossy silvery grey-blue from Barry M.

It costs around the £3 mark from Superdrug or anywhere with a Barry M counter.

I have been wearing this on my nails for about a week now, opting for the lazy tactic of simply adding a new layer over the top as the current one starts to chip.

As you can see, this coat is also starting to chip at the tips. As a result of the build-up, what you see in the picture is the colour after three coats (over a week or possibly more), however the colour fully and opaquely coats the nails in just one coat, as I have come to expect from Barry M.

I've had this for ages and the formulation is still so smooth and not clumpy or thick at all.

My nails are finally starting to gain some length haha! I'm so happy. I really hate short nails on myself.

Three coats, with a basecoat. As you pile on the coats, the shade gets slightly darker

The reason it's called 'Chameleon Blue' and has the funky limited edition packaging is due to the special effect of this polish.

With the addition of a topcoat, this blue shade transforms to a reddy-bronze. This makes it extremely easy to do funky nail art designs. I have tried this method before and not only does it work well, but the colour is also beautiful. This time I just felt like using this as a plain blue though.

Have you tried this nail polish? What are you wearing on your nails at the moment? Let me know in the comments below.

Current Nails: Claire's Mint Green

Currently I am wearing on my nails:

This mint green shade from Claire's accessories. It's so pretty, especially for spring.

My nails are so short right now it makes me cringe!! I'm in the process of growing them out- promise!

Sorry, it doesn't say any sort of colour name anywhere on the bottle, not even a number, but it came from a set of 5 minis. I love them all- they're beautiful pastel colours and the pigmentation is great for the price. In the set are a few dupes  for more expensive nail polishes. Also, even though this is only 5ml it's enough for so many uses.

I couldn't find the set on the website but you might be able to find this or something else similar in store. 

Two coats, with basecoat and no topcoat. It's fine with one coat but much better with two.

Have you tried this nail polish? What are you wearing on your nails at the moment? Let me know in the comments below.

February Most Used: Nail Polish Edition (Barry M Black Multi Glitter)

Barry M Nail Paint in Black Multi Glitter

Here's a new feature I'm going to be doing every month where I showcase a product (I will have makeup, skincare and nail polish editions) that I have used a lot throughout the month.

In February my most used nail polish was the Black Multi Glitter shade from Barry M.

I've had this for ages, but found myself reaching for it loads in February because it's been cold, and a dark colour seemed right, but this is a subtle alternative to a boring plain black. Black has been a favourite of mine for a few months now, I just find it so cute on the nails.

Clearly this is not your ordinary black! It has amazing multi coloured tiny glitters in which make your nails look really amazingly unique.

Barry M colours are around £3.

Each tub comes with a lot of product and these do last for a while, although after a long time they do become even more thick and gloopy.

You can see the other colours; red, blue, green, lighter blue. It's just unique and beautiful.

The formulation is fairly thick but it does make for an even application which is great.

One coat

Two coats

The other glitters are subtle but when your nails catch the light it's just perfect. This polish is so much more than a simple black.

So there's my most used nail polish of the month of February! I hope you guys like this new feature of mine, and I'll be letting you know my March most used skincare, nail polish and makeup product at the end of this month, or the beginning of April.

Do you have this nail polish? What's your favourite brand for nail polish? Let me know in the comments below.