Be my valentine

Quick post tonight...my cheeky Valentines nails are currently on Boots Facebook page! They seem to have split the vote - some people loving them but others seem to think I have crusty hands, lol! Best get myself to Boots for some hand cream!

This is two coats of Models Own Pro in French White Tip. Followed by a free hand painted design using Models Own Nail Art Pen for the black and Bourjois 10 day anti-chip in shade 20 for the red.

Happy Valentines everyone! Right, best go and get scrubbing these crusty hands of mine! Feel free to comment and share the Boots FB post if you disagree

Happy painting... the nailist xxx

Polish days - Get back to nature

It's Polish day time again - the monthly blogger event set up but the lovely Polly Polish. I, unfortunately, missed last months' in the haze of post Christmas back to reality, so even though I'm currently overseas with work I made sure I did a design ready to post. The theme is 'back to nature' so pretty broad and I had a vision of a daisy chain but it didn't quite work out like that in the limited time I had before my trip, but it certainly still fits the brief...

So just a quick run down of the polishes used... the base blue is one coat of H&M Nail colour in Blue my Mind. Then using a striping brush I added the grass using Bad Apple in Green Apple. Then added the flower detail using Models Own nail art pens in white and yellow.

All finished off with a generous coat of Save the Nail 45 second top coat.

And as we're talking about nature I thought I'd share the beautiful sunset here in the Caribbean...

Happy painting... the nailist xxx

Christmas nail art overload!

So it's almost the night before Christmas and up til now I haven't done any Christmas inspired nails. I've had a few designs in mind but for one reason or another haven't had time to do them. So tonight it's a Christmas nail art overload! 
It will take me ages to go through how I did each nail so I won't go there, but here's which polishes I used...

Rudolph thumb
Base colour - No7 Stay Perfect limited edition in Sultry Sands
Face - Essie Nail Colour in Lady Godiva
Eyes - 17 Lasting Fix in Mini Skirt (from limited edition Best of British nail art kit) and Models Own nail art pen in black
Nose - 17 Fast Finish in Knockout Red (from limited edition Best of British nail art kit)

Christmas tree index finger
Base colour - No7 Stay Perfect limited edition in Sultry Sands
Tree - one coat of Ruby and Millie Nail Color in Green 720C followed by a coat of Bad Apple in Green Bramley
Tinsel - 17 Fast Finish in Knockout Red (from limited edition Best of British nail art kit) with dots using a No7 nail art pen in silver
A silver nail art diamante for the star on top!

Santa suit middle finger
Base colour - 17 High Gloss in Risky Red
Fur trim - 17 Lasting Fix in Mini Skirt (from limited edition Best of British nail art kit)
Belt & buttons - Models Own nail art pen in black

Christmas pudding ring finger
Base colour - No7 Stay Perfect limited edition in Sultry Sands
Christmas pud - Essie Nail Colour in Lady Godiva
Icing - 17 Lasting Fix in Mini Skirt (from limited edition Best of British nail art kit)
Berries  - 17 Fast Finish in Knockout Red (from limited edition Best of British nail art kit)
Holly leaf - Ruby and Millie Nail Color in Green 720C

Gift little finger
Base colour - Barry M  Nail Paint Instant Effects in Gold Foil
Ribbon & bow - 17 Fast Finish in Knockout Red (from limited edition Best of British nail art kit)

My particular favourite is Rudolph!

Then I've just mixed up the designs on the right hand...

Right I'm going to eat my body weight in mince pies!

Merry Christmas and happy painting... the nailist xxx

The graveyard shift

Well I had to do it... spooky nails for Halloween is a must. Unfortunately I'm not going to any Halloween parties this year so this is purely for my own enjoyment (and yours of course!)...

As you can see I have a creepy graveyard design which is on top of a purple grey gradient.

I started out with a base of deep purple. I used a really old bottle of a colour that I love but it's one of those cheapo brands of the market called 'La Femme Beauty' (!) and has no shade name sorry. Any deep purple will do,  just think stormy night sky - Revlon in Plum Night is a good option.

I then layered on a gradient of Mavala in shade 12 Berlin, using a cosmetic sponge. Best way I've found is you paint the polish onto the sponge and dab on the nail starting by covering as far down as you want the gradient to start. I did all 10 nails and then went back to the start to allow each layer to dry.  Then dabbed on more just starting a bit further up the nail tip so to create denser colour towards the end. Trick is to keep loading the sponge. If you allow it to dry out you just end up sponging the polish off the nail.

To finish off the gradient and to add some sparkle to the misty graveyard scene I sponged on a bit of Barry M Nail Paint in Silvery Lilac where the grey met the purple. Here's the gradient before the graveyard was added...

I then freehand drew on the graveyard using a black nail art pen and a yellow one for the moon.

For the spiderweb, use a black nail art pen and draw three diagonal lines from one corner of your nail to 3/4 of the way down. Then connect these with evenly spaced curved lines. I added a bit of silver with a nail art pen for extra pop.

Finish off with a quick dry top coat - I used Save the Nail 45 Second Top Coat... and there you have it!


Happy Halloween... the nailist xxx

Greyed out

I love grey polishes and W7 Nail Polish in Grey is one of my faves. So using this as a base I've played around with three Models Own nail art pens. The plan was just to have a heart on one finger but as usual I got carried away! Unfortunately, I made a rookie mistake and didn't wait long enough before applying top coat, so I've smeared one of the design .. grrrr!

Happy painting... the nailist xxx

Viva Las Vegas!

Today is a second stab at a Vegas design for Chelsea. Trying to capture the glitz and glam of Vegas with some nail art detail. There's three different type of nails which can be worn as is or used on every single nail. I've tred to mix it up a bit as my last attempt was OTT nail art detail. Hope you like it!...

So step by step.. here goes

Start with the base colour on all nails. The glittered nails have a black base, I used Max Factor Nailfinity in Onyx. The cream is No7 Anniversary Colour in 60's Mini Skirt and the index finger has a deep green to match poker table felt.. I used Ruby & Millie Nail Colour in Green 720C .

Step 1

Once dry, add a glitter polish to the black nails. I've chosen one with lots of different colours, Nail Polish by H&M in Confetti, but you could use a single colour... anything glitzy basically!

Step 2

Now to both index fingers, using a white nail art pen, add a semi circular tip guide line.

Step 3

Then fill the circle in with a white polish such as Barry M in Matt White.

Step 4

While that's drying, use the dotter on a black nail art pen to create the dice pattern on the middle fingers. You can pick whichever numbers you'd like but I think 5 and 6 look more obviously like dice.

Step 5

Once the white semi circles have dried you can add the poker chip detail... this is the most difficult part.

Step 6 left

Draw a smaller semi circle using a primary colour, leaving a small white border - it helps to use a nail art pen or small brush for accuracy. Then add detail to the white border creating a broken line of two long dashes and one shorter dash in the middle.

Step 6 right

Then finally add the top have of the chip value numbers. Pick whatever numbers you find easiest to draw.

Step 7

If needs be, add a second coat of glitter to the black nails, then finish off with a a quick dry top coat to all nails. Viva Las Vegas!

Happy painting... the nailist xxx

Eat cake, make money for charity!

Today is Macmillan Cancer Support's 'World's Biggest Coffee Morning'. Donate to a very worthy cause by eating cake... what's not to like?!

That's exactly what I'll be doing while sporting my Macmillan-esque nails!

Base coat: Save the Nail Eau so hydrating
White: Barry M Matt White
Green: W7 Neon Green
Detail: Models Own white & black nail art pens
Top coat: inm Out the Door quick dry


Happy painting (cake eating and coffee drinking!)... the nailist xxx

Vegas baby!

A few posts back, Chelsea, one of my lovely followers, requested a Vegas inspired design for her imminent trip to the Sin City. I've been toying with a few ideas (avoiding the obvious playing cards on her request) and I just had to post this practice one as it went a lot better than I thought...

So hopefully you'll have realised the design is based on slot machine icons. The thumbnail says 'Jackpot' and is probably the weakest one but I couldn't find a 5th symbol! This was a practice so the base is all over the place and one the cherries looks a bit odd but I definitely think there's potential! What do you think Chelsea? They're all free hand painted so you need a steady hand.

Only down side is that as I was only practicing and fully intended on removing, I couldn't be bothered to do my right hand... going to look a bit odd for work tomorrow!

The white base is Barry M Matt White, the design is created using various nail art pens mainly Models Own and the gold on the thumb is Nail Polish by H&M Nail in Golden Treasure.

I'll keep on thinking and post something that doesn't require as much precision!

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

Olympic fever

With the London 2012 Olympics opening ceremony happening on Friday (finally!), a lot of people have been asking me if I'll be doing some Olympic themed nails. So I couldn't disappoint... my original thoughts were to do flags of each nail but most suggestions have been for the Olympic rings. So, I decided to hold the flags for when the games are in full swing and instead of doing a straightforward ring on each nail I opted for something a little more 'designed'...

Here's how...
Follow the usual mantra... file and base coat! Then cover all nails with two coats of white nail polish, allowing to dry between each coat. I used Models Own Pro Limited Edition in French White.

Step 1 - all over white on both hands

Then using a gold colour, create circular shapes on the edges of each nail... giving each nail a different shape. I used Nail Polish by H&M in Golden Treasure. This is to give each Olympic ring a metallic shadow! If the brush is too thick then use an old make-up brush cutting down the bristles to make a thin brush. 

Step 2 - create gold rings

Repeat the process on the other hand, mixing up the shapes.

Step 3 - create gold rings on the other hand

Once this has dried, layer each ring with one of the colours of the Olympic rings keeping to the order - blue, yellow, black, green and red from left to right. I used Models Own Nail Art Pens for the yellow, blue and black rings. The red is Nails Inc in Milan and for the green I had to do a custom mix, combining Ruby & Millie Nail Colour in Green 720C and Fearne Nail polish in Lime Green.

This is a  a great way of creating a specific colour/shade not in your collection... add a few drops of two colours onto an sheet of plastic and mix to create the desired colour. Just like painting class in primary school!

Step 4 - add colours to the rings

Repeat of the other hand and if necessary go over each line again to make them really pop

Step 5 - repeat on other hand

Add a high shine quick dry top coat, using single strokes to avoid colours bleeding. Clean up the edges with a acetone soaked cotton bud and there you have it! Go Team GB!

The kit

Happy painting... the nailist xxx

Teeny tiny polka dotty

I didn't have much time today but seen as the sun is finally out I opted for a bright pink and pepped it up with some quick polka dots.

No long step by step 'how to' needed for this one... all you do is select a bright colour for all over your nails. Paint two coats and allow to dry. Then using a nail art dotter add some tiny polka dots - keeping the pattern random. You can either do all the same colour dots or alternate colours on every other nail as above. Or if you have a bit more time mix the colours up on each nail so you have a multi-coloured dot effect. Finish off with a high shine top coat.

Here I've used Urban Retreat 'UR hot' for the base hot pink colour and then black and white Models Own nail art pens for the dots.

Happy painting... the nailist xxx

Spot the orchid

I bought this lovely orchid this week...

I love orchids, mainly because they're the only plant I can seem to keep alive! But also because they're always so interesting to look at.. it inspired me to do this next design. 

It's a tricky one but worth a try...

Filed and base coat, I used one of my favourites... Bourjois's So Perfect! Base Correctice Texture Gel

Apply an earthy pastel colour all over your nails - I used Models Own in Grace Green, but a beige, grey or minky colour would work too.

Step 1 - all over earthy colour

Then, using the brush part of a white nail art pen, draw three petal shapes on the corner of two different fingernails on each hand. I used Models Own Nail Art Pen in White. Your ring finger and index finger work well.

Step 2 - draw petal outline

Then fill the petals in with the white

Step 3 - fill in petals

Now using the dotter part of the white pen decorate the corners of each nail in random dots forming a half moon shape. Decorate a different corner on each nail

Step 4 - decorate with dots

Continue adding dots with a complimentary earthy colour - I used Max Factor Limited Edition Nail Affinity in Boji. Keep the dots random - it doesn't matter if you overlap the white dots

Step 5 - begin layering dots

Then taking a bright fushcia add more dots, keeping to the half moon shape.  If your using a nail polish rather than a nail art dotter just angle the brush so only the corner touches the nail. Here I've used Revlon Scented Nail Enamel in 375 Passion Fruit.

Step 6 - continue layering dots

Finish with a last layer of bright yellow dots. I used the dotter on a Models Own Nail Art Pen in Yellow.

Step 7 - finish with a layer of yellow dots

The result should be a confetti like curved design.

Now using the same fushcia colour used earlier, add the middle of the flower to the very corner tip of the nail in a similar shape to the petals.

Step 8 - add the fushcia flower centre

Then on top of thi,s using the brush of the yellow nail art pen, add a dot for the middle of the flower and two diagonal lines to define

Step 9 - add the yellow centre

Repeat this process on the other hand

Step 10 - repeat on the other hand

Clean up the edges of the nails and finish with a quick dry top coat. I used one of my favourites - Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat. And Ta dah... pretty summer nails.

The kit

Happy painting...the nailist xxx