Polish days - Vintage

Well seeing as I've been a bit slow on the posts recently I thought I'd at least make the effort to join in on this month's Polish Days - the blogger event organised by the lovely Polly Polish.

This month's theme is vintage and I decided to pay homage to art deco - I've always loved a bit of Rennie Mackintosh!

This is two coats of Revlon Top Speed in Stormy. The detail is free hand using Models Own in Utopia, Models Own nail art pen in black and No7 nail art pen in silver.

Happy painting... the nailist xxx

Polish Days - Geometry

So although I'm a nail art pro amongst my friends, it has become very apparent that I'm a novice in the blogger community. A whole new world has opened up to me... I had no idea how big the nail blogger community is... and I love it! The challenge is... how to break in to this cyber world of loveliness? Some of these bloggers have been posting for years with professional looking sites and thousands of followers. Some of my personal favourites are The Nailasaurus and Polly Polish and it's Polly who's presenting an opportunity for me to feel part of the vast blogger community.

She's created 'Polish Days', where a theme is set and all subscribed bloggers post a design around that theme all at the same time, with links to all other blogs.

So this is my first stab at the latest 'Polish days' theme - 'Geometry'.

My first thoughts were of the doodles often created in the margins of many a school work book where you end up with lots of little triangles, which inspired the design on the thumb. And things developed from there... basically, it's all about angles with a tribal neon theme to make them pop.

I started with a base of Models Own Pro Limited Edition in French White. Then I created the designs with three Models Own nail art pens in yellow, black and pink (I'm not sponsored by Models Own, honestly!). Then finished off with a layer of Seche Vite top coat. I repeated the designs on my right just mixing up which design was on which finger.

You definitely need a steady hand for this one, so for those of you who want to try something more simple, I've resurfaced a previous 'geometric' design from last month.

You can see the 'how to' here

Check out what the other bloggers have done...

Happy painting... the nailist xxx

Cupcake dreams

So one of my many dreams (I'm a bit of an idealistic dreamer!) is to one day own a cupcake cafebar, famous for the best cupcakes in town which you can buy to take away or sit in an enjoy with a cocktail. There would of course be somewhere to get your nails done while sipping your cocktail. I imagine the decor will be retro glam - think American diner meets Breakfast at Tiffany's! Well, one day maybe... In the meantime the dream has inspired my latest design, 'Cupcake Dream's, and here's the how to.

(By the way, it would be really good to hear your thoughts on my blog. I know I have some followers via facebook but it would be great to get your comments and following on the actual blog)

This is a bit of a complex one so here goes...

Step 1  - Base colours

After a good base coat to avoid staining, apply a light pink to eight nails and lavender colour to one nail on each hand - choose a different nail on each hand. I used Bourjois So Laque Ultra Shine in Rose Satin for the pink and Prevail Nail Lacquer in Lush Lounge for the lavender.

Once dry, using a white nail art pen such as Models Own Nail Art Pen in white draw a deep semi circle on the lavender nails

Step 2 - Outline semi circle

Then fill in the top half of the semi circle with one coat of white - I used Models Own Pro Limited Edition in French White

Step 3 - Fill in outline

Allow the white to dry and then create the cupcake base by adding a pink tip with a 'frilly' base. Just paint across the tip moving the brush in a zigzag motion to give the impression of frosting. I used Models Own in Pastel Pink.

Step 4 - add cupcake base

While that dries, start applying the various designs to different nails. Firstly, I created candy stripes using a thin brush and Bourjois One Second Texture Silcone Gel Nail Enamel in Rose Cupcake (apt name!)

Step 5 - Candy stripes

On another nail I did a 'hundreds and thousand' style design adding random small dots of various pastel colours, just using the corner edge of each brush. My selection of colours were Rimmel 60 Seconds 620 'How do you Lilac it', No7 Stay Perfect Nail Colour in Minty Fresh, Nail Paint by Barry M in Lemon Ice Cream, Ruby & Millie Nail Colour in Green 710C and Bourjois One Second Texture Silcone Gel Nail Enamel in Rose Cupcake.

Step 6 - Hundreds and thousands

On my little fingernail I created a simple white polka dot design using the dotter on the Models Own white nail art pen.

Step 7 - polka dots

Now, going back to the cupcake fingers apply vertical stripes to define the cupcake case. I used a Models Own Nail Art Pen in Pink.

Step 8 - Define cupcake base

On the last nail add a wide tip using the lavender base colour of the cupcake nail

Step 9 - Lavender tip

Now back to the cupcake finger, using the colours used on the 'hundreds and thousands' nail add some small random flecks to the white part of the cupcake and a bejewelled cherry on top. I used a pink rhinestone from an assortment pack, Broadway Nails Fashion Diva 3D Art Deluxe Nail & Body Art Kit. The best way to apply these is to add a dot of clear top coat to the nail and then using a toothpick, deep the end in some clear top coat, pick up the rhinestone and dot it on.

Step 10 - Finishing touches to cupcake

Add a shiny top coat to all nails and there you have it... nails good enough to eat (not literally!)!
Here's a shot of the other hand...

and here's the kit

The kit

Happy painting...the nailist xxx