Manicure Monday + MoYou Stamping Kit Review*

Hey guys!

It's my first Monday in ages that I haven't spent in the library and I know it's been ages since I've done a manicure monday so I thought I'd start again but this one's a bit different as it includes a review of a stamping kit I receive from MoYou nails.

I've been wanting to try stamping for ages so I was happy when I was contacted to try out this kit. I had tried stamping before but the one I previously bought was absolute rubbish.

I received the Kitty Set (RRP: £24.99) which contains 1 black nail polish, 2 image plates, 1 stamp and 1 scraper. The only difference in mine was that I was able to choose the colour of my nail polish and I picked lilac as I surprisingly don't own one despite purple being my favourite colour.

 

As it was my first time stamping I decided to keep the design pretty simple but I am looking forward to trying out new designs with this kit and I'll be sure to share them with you! 

Sally Hansen nail polish as my base colour

So far, I'm impressed with the kit, especially the nail polish. It's great quality, and good for stamping as it nicely transfers onto the stamper from the plate and then onto the nail and the design doesn't chip off. 

I would highly recommend giving MoYou nails a visit. I'm hoping that they bring out some new colours so that I can buy a few of their polishes but I'm sure I'll be getting a few more of their stamping plates.

Have any of you tried MoYou nails? What did you think of them? Any fans of stamping? Do let me know.

Thanks for reading.

Mani Monday

Hey guys

Seems like forever since I've done a mani monday post! I've been writing up some different type of posts, trying to mix it up a bit and also I've been super busy with uni revision so any spare time I do have I tend to use to sleep.

I still have been painting my nails though because (as I've mentioned a few times), doing my nails is a way I like to chill and relax and keep just about sane in what can be an insane period.

This latest design reflects my love for stripes. This design was done without striping tape, all done free hand and I'm actually surprised at how neat it turned out, even on my right hand!!

 I used one of Barry M's Gelly Hi-shine polishes in the shade 'Guava'. Such a cool name. Makes me feel like going on a tropical holiday on a beach sipping cocktails... ( I digress)

What do you guys think?

Thanks for reading!

#2014bloggerchallenge- nail art made easy

Hey guys

This #2014bloggerchallenge is all about nails! As a nail blogger you would think this would be an easy topic for me. However, since I regularly post about nails, I've been trying to come up with a post that isn't similar to my usual nail related posts.

So I thought I would talk about ways to make nail art easy. 

I'm a massive lover of nail art and people have said to me they don't have the time, skill or patience for it. To be totally honest I feel that way too. I've seen some intricate drawings and I definitely don't have the time, skill or patience for that. I prefer designs with shapes and stripes so I thought I would share a few ways I create my nail art:

1. Striping tape

If you regularly read my blog you'll know that I love striping tape. Out of the techniques I'll be giving this is the 'hardest' one because it requires patience and a steady hand but apart from that I wouldn't say it's that hard. It can be of putting because of the patience required but once you get over that hurdle it's simple. You can create as many stripes as you want, with as many layers as you want. You can just go crazy with it! You can read more about it here



2. Top coat

Using a top coat is such an easy way to get an artistic effect. You just put them over the base colour of your choice and you're done! I remember the crackle top coats that I used years ago but at the moment, I'm loving Maybelline's color show street artist range. They create such cool effects, and they last! I would totally recommend them.

3. Textured nail polish

These are another simple way to jazz up your nails. They just add that little extra to a simple mani. These type of nail polishes create an effect on your nails For example, I like to use Sally Hansen's sugar coat. There are loads more out there but these are my current favourite.

4. Nail brushes

These are handy to have and I quite enjoy using these when I can't be bothered with striping tape. 

5. Nail Stamps

I am actually yet to try nail stamps but from what I've seen they are an easy to create those intricate looking designs. As soon as I get my hands on some I'll be sure to let you guys see

6. Dotting/marbling tools

These are another set of accessories that I am yet to try but have seen some beautiful designs with. The dotting tool helps to create uniform dots and the marbling tools create a water effect.


Places to buy accessories:

Born Pretty Store sell great accessories such as nail stamps and striping tape for low prices with free worldwide shipping! I also happen to have a code giving 10% so feel free to use that as well: (ATX31)

eBay also sell great accessories but sometimes you have to search for the cheaper ones and some may come from abroad requiring a longer wait. If you're from the UK like me, there are some UK sellers, and some with free shipping! As a matter of fact, all my Sally Hansen polishes have been bought from eBay at a much cheaper price than from Superdrug or Boots.


I hope you have enjoyed this post. Sorry it's a bit longer than usual, I can talk about nail art for days...
Have you got any other suggestions for nail art? Do let me know. 
And if you've got your #2014bloggerchallenge post up, leave your link below as I would love to read them!

Thanks for reading!

Mani Monday

Hey guys!

I apologise for the lack of posts recently. I've had some intense weeks at uni and didn't have time/feel like writing. Unfortunately my crazily busy weeks haven't ended as I have an exam next week which of course I haven't started revising for... As it stands I'm currently taking a break from the all-nighter that I decided to pull.

It's been a while since I've posted a mani monday so here's my current manicure! I went back to my usual striping tape.

To create this look, I used a simple black from Barry M and one of the 'Polka Dots' polishes from one of Maybelline's limited edition color show.

Thanks for reading! Hope you have a great week!

Mani Monday

Hey Guys

Happy manicure monday!

These are the colours I used to create this week's nails.

As you can tell, the one on the left is pretty old. The writing is rubbing off. It's from collection 2000 and the other one is from Maybelline's color show range which I did a review of once upon a time ago!

Another simple design but I think sometimes with striping tape less is more. Leaves it looking more elegant.

Unfortunately my thumbnail has broken leaving my nails a bit uneven but hopefully it'll grow back soon!

What do you guys think? Any of you obsessed with nail art like me? Leave your links below, I'd love to see them! 

Thanks for reading!

First mani of 2014!

Hey guys!

It's been a while since I've posted a mani post!

I've been on work placement and wasn't sure if I was allowed to wear nail polish or not so I decided not to. Not the easiest decision...

Then I was ill which explains the lack of mani monday posts. But I'm back and here's my first mani of 2014!!! 

A little late I know, but better late than never!

 

I was just messing about with my striping tape and came up with this design.

What do you guys think?

Do let me know. And if you know of any nail accessories do comment below. I'm always looking for new things to keep my nail art fresh :)

And I apologise for the absence. I've been super busy with work placement, assignments and recovering from various illnesses. I'm hoping to post more regular again very soon.

Thanks for reading!

x x

Mani Monday- Christmas edition!!!

Hey guys!!

It's officially Christmas week!!!

Unfortunately I only have Christmas Day off from work but I refuse to let that stop me from getting into the festive spirit!

So what better way than to express my Christmas than to do a Christmas inspired mani!

I didn't have time to some fancy design with Christmas trees or candy canes but I just went with the red (it's actually pink but you can't really tell) and white theme and used my beloved striping tape to achieve this look.

Please ignore the smudges. I was so annoyed when it happened especially as I couldn't start again. I spent so much time and my patience was wearing thin but it paid off in the end.

What do you guys think?

Do you have any festive manis? I'd love to see them.

Please leave your links below!

Have a great Christmas!!!

x x

Notd

Hey guys 

I was busy on Monday so missed manicure Monday so here's my latest nail of the day featuring striping tape of course!

If I'm totally honest it's a bit of a boring design but I kinda like the simplicity and the colours.

What do you guys think?

Thanks for reading and don't forget to follow me on twitter and bloglovin!

x x

Mani Monday!

Hey guys

It's another short (and hopefully sweet) nail related post!

You may have seen my previous post on my recent Sally Hansen purchase. If not you can get find it (here).

Here's my recent nail art with the sugar coat polishes.

This look can be created using Sellotape which will produce finer edges but I couldn't be bothered with tape as it was a last minute decision to add the black effects right before bed so I used one of my nail brushes. 

What do you guys think? Any of you obsessed with nail art like I am?
Do let me know. I love to see people's designs as mine can be quite basic at times.

Thanks for reading and have a great day!
x x

November favourites

Hey guys

I can't believe its December already! Christmas time soon!!! Super excited. 

While writing this I realise I did a lot of shopping this month. I'm not quite sure why. I think it's because life got super busy for me and I used shopping to relax/procrastinate. Also, the weather became colder so I needed to adjust my wardrobe.

Favourite nail polish

I recently bought a load of Sally Hansen polishes which you can read about here.

So I think I'm going to have to say my favourite range for November is the Sally Hansen sugar coat polishes.

Favourite app

It has to be a toss up between the Move app and Zumba dance app. 

You can check out my post about them here.

Favourite item of clothing

I've been buying quite a number of shoes lately but favourite of this month has got to be these pair of black heels from ASOS. 

Image- Asos.com

I'm a massive fan of ASOS but I haven't actually ordered from them for ages as I'm trying to be better with my money habits so I end up having a lot of save for later items.

But I couldn't resist when it came to these shoes.

I've been looking for closed back heels for ages and these were on sale from £42 to £12!! How could I say no? And they have a little nude stripe making it a bit more interesting than your average black heels but still being able to go with any outfit!

Favourite book

I heart London by Lindsey Kelk.

I love this series and this is the newest book in this series. I was meant to read this book over the summer but life got in the way and resulted in me reading it this month. It's a great, funny book and you can find my review of it here.

Favourite miscellaneous item

Striping tape! If you're a regular reader you'll be aware of my obsession with nail polish and nail art. This item has helped me create great designs! It does require patience and time but it's a lot of fun and the results make it worth it and it's so cheap! You can find out more about it here.

What have been your favourites? I'd love to know. I'm always looking for new things to buy.

Thanks for reading and don't forget to follow me on twitter and bloglovin!

x x

Sally Hansen Stash

Hey guys 

I've heard a lot about Sally Hansen nail polishes but as I'm trying to save money I wasn't keen on buying them from Superdrug or Boots as it's a bit more than I wanted to spend.

So I went to eBay and found a UK seller who was selling a few Sally Hansen polishes for £2. Of course it wasn't the full range Boots and Superdrug offer but they had a few and for £2 and £2.50 so I can't really complain.

I bought 6...

Four of them are the sugar coat effect (at £2.49) which is different to any kind of nail polishes I own which is why I felt the need to buy 4...

I'm not sure if you can truly see the effect from the picture and I'm not quite sure how to describe what it looks like. It's a bit like pavement and it does look a bit sugary; hence its name.

The salon manicure polishes (at £2) aren't textured or have any special effects but they're good quality and don't require many coats. 

So far I'm impressed with these polishes. They last and haven't chipped or peeled and the bottle is a decent size so I'm happy to say it was a great purchase. To be totally honest they probably are worth the money drugstores sell them but I like to save money where I can (whilst still spending money... I have a problem I know and I'm working on it...)

Have any of you tried these polishes?

What do you think of them?

Thanks for reading and don't forget to follow me on twitter and bloglovin!

x x

My first time with striping tape

Hey guys 

It's been a while. I've been pretty busy with work and uni but I finally had some time to myself so what better to do than do my nails?!

I recently found out about striping tape after seeing a beautiful design by thenailluxxe

And so I had to go get some for myself. I bought some from eBay. I got a set of 10 for only £1.99 and surprisingly it was a UK seller so I didn't have to wait for ages!

I had been looking for something like this to produce thin fine lines but had no idea what it was called.

I decided to use a dark blue shade by Revlon and a white by Barry M.

The tape can get a bit fiddly and requires patience as you need each individual layer of nail polish to have dried properly.

But it's all worth it!

I know I'm going to have a lot of fun with this tape! 

Thanks for reading and don't forget to follow me on twitter and bloglovin!

x x

Nail therapy

I haven't been having the best couple of days so I decided to treat myself to some treats.

Superdrug is currently doing 3 for 2 on cosmetics and I'm trying to cut down on spending so I thought I'd buy some nail polishes.

If you're a regular reader of my blog you'll know I love Maybelline's color show range. (You can check out the review here) And at the moment they have a limited edition range of 'brocades' nail polishes. I got the shades 'woven skyline' and 'rosy rosettes'.

They're a kind of gilttery effect.

I haven't used them yet and to be honest I don't think I'll use them until I have an event to dress up for but as soon as I do I'll definitely review them. I just bought them because limited edition stuff always gets me and I feel I have to buy them.

I then needed to find my free nail polish. I must admit I'm finding it difficult to find in drugstores nail polish shades I don't already have. My collections is already filled with almost duplicates. 

But I found a shade in Barry M's gelly hi-shine range that I don't have.

It's shade guava and I love it

I'm currently wearing it now with Maybelline's color show black shade:

What do you guys think? Have you tried any of these products and are they working out for you?

Do least me know. And if you have any nail polish and/or nail art design recommendations please do comment below.

Thanks for reading!

Don't forget to follow me on twitter and bloglovin and if you haven't already do check out my giveaway!

x x

Christmas wishlist

Hey guys 

I can't believe its November already!!!

I really should be doing an October favourites post but to be honest I didn't buy that much that really deserves gushing about.

I'd rather do a post on what I want (need) for Christmas!

I haven't been shopping in ages so there are loads of stuff I want but I'll try and keep this list relatively short!

1. MAC lipsticks

I'm not the biggest lipstick wearer so it's difficult for me to spend lots on them

I currently own 2 MAC lipsticks. I've previously mentioned I got them at the cosmetics store so they were cheaper so it was easier for me to part with my money for them.

However there are a few shades I need. They're like the best colours ever and my makeup collection is incomplete without them

I've previously mentioned them before but I can't help it. I really want them:

- Girl about town

- Up the Amp

- Ruby Woo

2. Revlon Chalkboard Nail Art polish 

If you're a regular reader of my blog you'll know that I love my nail art. 

Revlon have brought out a new range of nail art polish in pastel colours. I love pastels and even though I still think it's weird that pastel is a trend in the cold weather I'm not complaining. Who said autumn/winter is for dull colours only

These pens look like so much fun and the designs are fun. I definitely see myself treating myself to couple very soon...I don't think I can wait till Christmas and in my opinion I think I deserve a treat or two.

3. MK 2279

 I have to leave the house with a watch. My hand feels naked without it. It's so annoying when I have to work at a hospital because I'm not allowed to wear any form of jewellery below the elbow.

Everyone goes on about Michael Kors watches. And for good reason too

Definitely a statement watch. I've been wanting to get a new watch for ages and this one from thewatchhut.co.uk would be perfect for me. It would go with anything and it's not massively in your face so can be worn pretty much everyday!

4. Google nexus 32Gb

 I have been wanting a tablet for ages! I like iPads but I'm not too keen on getting an iPad because I already have an iPhone, iPod touch and nano. I have a love-hate relationship with Apple products and so don't think I can take anymore of their products for now. Also, I've been wanting to see the fuss about android is all about and see if it is really better than iOS. Majority of the reviews I've read says the google nexus is like number one on the tablet market. It's nice and portable. I like that it's not bulky like the iPad of the Samsung tablet. Great and easy to carry around to take to lectures and the library and help entertain me...( I mean help me revise)

Thanks for reading! 

What's on your Christmas list? Any if these? Or have you already got them? Let me know!

Don't forget to follow me on twitter and bloglovin! 

x x 

Nailed it!

Hey guys

I've been suffering a bit from blogger's block so I though I'd go back to the reason why I started blogging in the first place. (Watch out for a lot more nail related posts)

I'm a massive nail art fan and I feel like it's my only opportunity to show my creative side because I can't draw to save my life. I hated art. It just wasn't a talent I have.

But with nail polish I'm able to express myself.

I have great fun just messing about with the numerous (maybe too many) pots of nail polishes that I have. And it's also a great way for me to de-stress and relax.

What do you guys think of today's design?

I've been totally neglecting my other nail polishes due to my obsession with Maybelline's color show range. I had forgotten how much I love Bourjois' nail polish. Their polishes do cost a bit more that I normally like to pay but it's worth the price. The colours are great and don't require many coats and they last. At least I know I'm paying for quality. (Besides I bought it when Boots had some kind of offer on...).
 I used Bourjois nail polish in Violet couture for the base and then Barry m's staple black and white design on top.

Anybody else a fan of nail art?

I'd love to see what designs you've come up with!
Do comment below, I love receiving them and I do take time to reply them.

Thanks for reading 

Don't forget to follow me on twitter and bloglovin and if you haven't entered my giveaway what are you waiting for?

Have a great day!

 x x

NOTD

Hey guys

I know it's been a while. I've had a super busy week at uni and my weekend isn't any less busy.

I feel like my blog has been a little bit neglected so here's a little short but sweet post.

I'm a massive lover of nail art and love doing a bit myself when I have the time and patience but I was quite limited since my only accessory was sellotape.

So I decided to treat myself and get some accessories from eBay!

I got some brushes, a pen, some acrylic nails and nail glue.

I was pretty tired last night when I was doing my nails so decided to keep the design simple. I used a turquoise as the base and a black for the extra detail. Both polishes are from Maybelline's color show range which I have reviewed before and can be found here.

For a first attempt the design turned out quite nicely if I do say so myself

What do you guys think? Any suggestions of designs or accessories? Or have you had a go at nail art. Do let me know. Also if you're interested in getting my designs on acrylic nails do let me know! I don't really wear acrylics myself only for special occasions but I'm quite interested and keen on painting designs on them and selling. I've always had a love for business so why not combine that with one of my passions?!

Thanks for reading! And don't forget to follow me on Twitter and Bloglovin'!

And if you haven't entered my giveaway make sure you do! You can find it here. Free beauty products up for grabs!

Have a great day!

x x 

Introductory

Hey guys!!!

As I go back to uni in a few weeks time, I thought what better way to procrastinate than to start a blog!!! :)

So here goes!!!

I'm obsessed with nail polish and always find myself buying duplicate colours or colours very near to ones I already own. I also love nail art so I thought I would write a blog about nail polish purchases and review old and new ones as nail polish is my weakness.

I will also probably blog about other topics as I do love to shop and watch tv and read books so there may be posts about those too.

I'm also open to suggestions so let me know and I'll be more than happy to blog about it!!!

Follow me on twitter: nailartiste123

Thanks for reading :)

 x