Blue and pink

So I go back to uni tomorrow and couldn't decide on what to do with my nails so I mixed it up a bit :)
I used
American apparel in American dream
American apparel neon in neon pink
Nyx in ice glitter
Nail art duo pen in silver
Nail start art pens in black and white

Hearts and glitter

So I'm going out for my mate's 21st tomorrow and so I decided I wanted to do something with my nails without being over the top. So I settled on hearts on top of pale glitter but the glitter's only fine so it doesn't show up much on the photo :(
I used:
Barry M nail paint in 264 pink iridescent
Nail star nail art pen in black
NYC quick dry in 202 grand central station

Goth

I can't put into words how much I love the sunset one! It worked out better than I could have hoped for.
I used:
American apparel in hassid
Color club in bright orange
Color club in yellow
OPI in bling dynasty
Orly in white out

I just love these.

Newest

I didn't have one design in mind so I did five haha. I bought dotting tools and multiple glitters from eBay though so I used those.
I used:
Sinful in romp
Leighton Denny in viva la diva
Sephora in myrtille
Barry M in 294 pink iridescent
Orly in white out
Orly in hottie
Color club in bright orange
Orly in lemonade
Bronze, blue, hot pink and bright yellow glitters- £2 each from eBay (they are so hot in person)
One diamond nail decal (also eBay, great for a quick fix manicure)

Night life.

I've only just got back from Texas (I love that place) as yesterday was and have only just had chance to redo my nails! As usual I haven't painted the rest yet coz I just don't know what I want to do with them. I love these ones though coz the middle nail is seriously effective in person! That's a gun, dollar and disco lights. :)

I used:
Silver nail pen from primark
Black nail star pen
OPI in Your Royal Shine-ness
Color club in lime green
Color club in bright yellow
Sephora (I sadly learnt they no longer sell this shades!! The whole range has changed :( ) in myrtille
Sephora in valentine
M&S polish in baby blue (BH)
Bourjois 1 second gel effect polisg in lavande

Decals!

So. The diamond on my nail is the result of some nail decals I bought from eBay. They take a bit to get used to but I really love the effect. I used my usual black (sephora in chic and rebel) and a few colour club ones. I adore them. What do you think?

Whatever's in my mind

Literally is just a mash up of everything. Excuse my right hand, it's a state. I'm right handed, and can't focus with my left hand!
I used:
Color club (various shades)
Nail pop in chino (shade 7)
Leighton Denny in viva la diva
Leighton Denny in coral reef
NYC in 138 classy glassy
Orly in white out
Sephora in chic and rebel
Orly in hottie
Nail star pens in black and white
Essie in 472 (got them as part of a box in TKMaxx and no names on them!)
Miss sporty in coty paris

Panda!

I seem to be updating from my phone more and more these days. I did only this one nail because I'm still unsure of what to do with the others. I'm going to see the pandas in Edinburgh zoo next week and felt inspired.
I uses:
Orly in White Out
NYC nail polish in 138 Classy Glassy
And my two faithful Nail Star art pens in black and white.

Summery studs :)

Quick rushed job so can't be done properly. :)

stripes!

So.
I saw something kinda similar to these on tumblr and thought I'd give it a go because I'm going out on sunday night, but I'm busy all of tonight and tomorrow, which is why it's been done so early. You can tell that my little finger one messed up. The problem was, the black nail polish I was using is fairly old and quite clumpy (I should buy new, I know, I know) and was my only option, and of course, when nail polish goes lumpy it can be a bit gel-like. One of the gel lumps managed to squidge it's way under the tape and messed up. I wasn't too happy, but I've sorta corrected it with a tiny bit more yellow on top.
How did I do it then?
I used Color Club nail polishes (I bought these in a seven pack in TKMaxx for my mother's birthday and oh my lord they are AMAZING!! I only just took the yellow one off to do these and I'd had it on for weeks!) but I can't find any colour names on the bottles! If I do, I'll update this entry. For the black I used Sinful Polishes in Voodoo. It was a seriously good black when I bought it all those many moons ago. It's nearly completely empty now anyway as black's my go-to colour if I can't think of anything to do with my nails.
And the magic ingredient? Tape.
I painted my nails with the five colours (I used the Color Club ones because they're soooo bright, they stand out massively compared to the black) and left them to dry. Then I painted a clear coat over the colours before adding the black. I call this the 'insurance layer' because obviously, usually when your nails come into contact with tape, any polish that touches the sticky-side tends to be pulled off, ruining whatever you've done with your nails. By putting the clear coat over, if any polish was coming away, it would be the clear (which wouldn't matter because it would all get a fresh coat of clear in the end anyway. Plus, Color Club polishes dry fast). I cut a strip of average, every day selotape down into really thin strands then literally stuck them to my nails, making sure bits of them were sticking out at the sides of my nails so I had something to pull the tape off with. I did cut 30 strips, thinking I'd do 3 strips on each nail but that went out the window and I just went for it, which i why on both hands there's a different amount of stripes and thicknesses of stripes on every nail!
When the tape was stuck down, I gave it a few seconds then painted over with the black. I did a very thick coat of black too, which was not only because my black's dead as a dodo, but to really make sure the bright colours popped when they were revealed again. I gave my nails about a minute to dry with the black on top and the tape still stuck to my nails to make sure there would be no running or smudging (obviously didn't work on my little finger...). When the minute was up, I pulled the tape strips off and viola! Brightly coloured stripy nails! Then I gave them another thirty or so seconds to make sure they were definitely dry, then added the clear coat to make them ultra glossy.
The picture's from my phone and doesn't look too great, but honestly, they look SO effective in real life. Really eye-grabbing.
So if you want simple, but effective nails, give it a go. You won't be disappointed!

brands.

If you've looked through my blog you'll notice I tend to revert back to the same polishes time and time again but work them in a different way. When I first started with the nail art I never really had a preference for polish but now I do (I'm a nail polish snob!). I'm going to give a quick run through of the brands I regularly use and grade them according to colour/coat ratio, chip resistance, drying time, choice of colours, average price and overall quality. I'm only going to do my main 5 for now.

(1) Essie
Essie is arguably the brand I use the most now. I got my first few bottles of it when I was in Canada because the exchange rate meant they were cheaper over there than they are in my home in jolly old England.
Colour/coat ratio: 4/5 stars.
I find the colours go on really quickly and easily and are beautiful. I usually only have to do one coat, which in my book is a great deal.
Chip resistance: 3/5 stars.
It seems to depend which colours you go for. The lighter ones chip a lot easier than the darker or brighter shades I've found, which is fairly disappointing when the candy type colours are huge this season.
Dry time: 4/5 stars.
Really quick drying time and rarely smudge.
Colours: 5/5 stars.
The colour choices are ENDLESS with this brand.
Average price: 3/5 stars.
They're relatively expensive. I think the average bottle is about £8.
Quality: Unbeatable. Worth the price you pay for them and they go the distance. Just wish they were a little bit cheaper and the paler colours didn't chip so much.

(2) Rimmel (including all sub-brands within the range)
Colour/coat ratio: 3/5 stars.
I find that some of the colours need quite a few coats before they eventually build up into a strong colour.

Chip resistance: 2/5 stars.
Tends to be chip resistant, but the yellow and green colours chip almost seconds after you've finished painting your nails.

Dry time: 4/5 stars.
Quick drying.

Colours: 5/5 stars.
Absolutely huge range.

Average price: 5/5 stars.
Most bottles are anywhere between £2.50 and £4.

Quality: Overall good quality, but aren't reliable to wear for a long time. Aren't very long lasting. You'll more than likely have to paint your nails a few times to top up if you want to keep the colour on for longer.

(3) Sephora
I can only get these when I'm in mainland Europe or North America so to me they're a pretty big deal.

Colour/coat ratio: 5/5 stars.
Cannot be beaten. Wide brush and thick gloss mean it takes seconds to paint a whole nail perfectly.

Chip resistance: 5/5 stars.
Extremely chip resistant.

Dry time: 5/5 stars.
Dries almost instantly with a pretty shine.

Colours: 5/5 stars.

Average price: I can't actually remember this (sorry!)

Quality: Very high quality brand and worth the reputation. This is my favourite brand of polish ever. You will not be disappointed. Just wish the bottles were bigger.

(4) GOSH

Colour/coat ratio: 1/5 stars.
Colour goes streaky and uneven very quickly. Hard to get a good smooth coating.

Chip resistance: 2/5 stars.
Chips easily but can probably go for a few days without any signs of damage.

Dry time: 1/5 stars.
I've been known to wait for this polish to dry for over half an hour then think it's dry and smudge it everywhere. It also makes a massive mess.

Colours: 3/5 stars.
A lot of nice colours but a very small range.

Average price: 1/5 stars.
Not worth the price that it costs.

Quality: Some of the colours in this range are breathtaking which is why I have invested in them. Would I invest in more polishes by this brand? No. Could be okay if you have the time to sit and wait around for it to dry and have the time to apply coat after coat.

(5) OPI

Colour/coat ratio: 3/5 stars.
Some of the colours (such as Your Royal Shine-ness) are a one-coat job that looks amazing. Others (such as Fiercely Fiona) take a while to apply and need multiple coats.

Chip resistance: 5/5 stars.
I am yet to have OPI nail polish chip off before it grows out or I've taken it off.

Dry time: 3/5 stars.
This again depends on the colour. The glittery ones dry very very quickly as do some of the normal lacquers, however others have taken a while and have smudged while I've been waiting (such as Dating A Royal). They're worth the drying time though, so it does balance out somewhat.

Colours: 5/5 stars.
Ridiculously large range nobody can knock.

Average price: 3/5 stars.
The average bottle is about £13.50 which is very expensive for a bottle of nail polish, but it is genuinely worth the price. The polish lasts for ages and the quality of it doesn't decrease with age. It's just parting with the cash to begin with that's the issue....

Quality: Would be better if all the colours dried as quickly as each other and if the price was a little bit lower. Other than that this is an extremely promising brand to invest in and the quality is second to none.

the hunger games!

So, this is my left and right hand together and yes, I did only just figure out how to get this to happen. This design is in honor of my pal Michaela. We're going to see The Hunger Games tonight and she suggested I do a design for them so here it it. I'm pretty happy with the way my left hand went more than my right in all honesty. Not to blow my own trumpet, but I love how the glitter drips worked out on the black varnish. And the mockingjay took forever to do (try drawing upside down with a leaky nail pen and you'll know my pain). I stuck with the whole 'girl on fire' thing for my right hand, which is why the nails are bronze with a bronze glitter over the top. It's not too clear on the photos either, but the thumb nail of my right hand says 'The Capitol'.

I used:
Sephora Nail Lacquer in Chic and Rebel
Essie in Cocktail Bling
Accessorize nail polish in Molten Copper
Sephora Nail Lacquer in Not That Shy
Sephora gold nail art pen
Nail star black and red pens
Claire's accessories gold glitter
Natural Collection Nail Polish in Sunset (I got this years ago so I'm not sure if it's still in production, but any bronze shade will work fine)

roses

The picture doesn't actually do the nail any justice. I should probably get a real camera instead of using my phone camera all the time. In real life they genuinely looked like roses and not little pink splodges haha.

I used:

Sephora Nail Lacquer in Let's Dance
Essie in Fiji
Essie in E-nuf is E-nuf
NYC Nail Polish in 155 Gramercy Glitz
Sephora nail pens in dark pink and green
Rimmel Lycra Pro in 500 Peppermint
GOSH in 562 Magic Star

suited and booted.

I decided to get my nails ready as if I was going to the ballet. In all honesty, I didn't keep them on as long as I'd have liked to.

I used:

GOSH in Avantgarde
Sally Hansen Nearly Nude in 1 Natural White
Essie in Cocktail Bling
Essie in Fiji
Sephora dark pink nail pen
Sally Hansen nail art pink in neon pink

vegas baby!

From a city I adore to a city I want to explore. I have never been to Las Vegas but I really do want to go. I don't know much about the city other than the stereotypical vices, so I'll maybe re-do these nails when I've eventually been to Vegas and maybe have a more culturally acceptable view.

I used:

OPI in Rainbow Connection (this is gorgeous in person, if you don't own it, get something similar. It was a limited edition and trying to find it now is like hunting for unicorns)
Rimmel I love Lasting Finish in Sunshine
OPI by Sephora pens in gold and blue
Nail Star art pens in black, white and red
Sally Hansen nearly nude in 1 Natural White
OPI in Your Royal Shine-ness
Bloom in Charlie (the colour looks even better in real life. If you want a striking colour, go for Bloom. Just be prepared to wait a while for it to dry.....)

paris :)

I spent a lot of my time in Paris in summer when I was growing up. The city still feels like a home away from home with me and I imagine it always will be. I honestly can't express my love for this place enough. I plan on living there for at least a year at one point in my life. If you haven't been, go. It's the most beautiful city in the world.

I used:

Essie in Fiji
Essie in Cocktail Bling
Essie in Aruba Blue
Essie in Pure Pearlfection
NYC Nail Colour in Gramercy Glitz, 155
Nails Inc in Victoria & Albert
Sally Hansen nearly nude in 1 Natural White

symbols

I couldn't decide how to do my nails, so I decided to bring back a few designs I'd done in the past. These nails didn't last long and I took them off today because the varnish was so thick, it was still smudging days later and just looked terrible.

I used:

Sephora Nail Lacquer in Myrtille
Bloom nail polish in Dolly
Milani nail lacquer in Pink Hottie 504 (available from all good drugstores in North America)
OPI in Your Royal Shine-Ness
OPI in Rainbow Connection
Essie in Pure Pearlfection
Nail Star art pens in black and white
Sephora Nail Lacquer in Chic and Rebel
Sinful lacquer in Thrill (this is one of the most effective, lovely coloured glitters I've ever used)

problems with nails

I figured I'd post a few hints on what to do when your nails go a bit shit because after getting my acrylics off, I was stuck with these short, brittle nails that seemed to bend just by looking at them. So this is just really a list of helpful lovely hints for what to do to keep your nails in tip top shape and still be able to paint and play with them without as much damage :)

1. Use a good cuticle oil and make sure to massage it in
   I personally cut my cuticles back because I do keep my nails short, but by using a good cuticle oil, you're keeping the cuticle and the area around your nail softer and less likely to end up dried out and flaky because of nail varnish remover damage. I go for the Andrea Fulerton one (available in SuperDrug) or OPI Nail Treatments Avoplex Cuticle Oil To Go. Both are really great and smell lovely. :)
2. Go for acetone-free nail polish remover
   Acetone damages. It also helps to dry your nails out and make them brittler than 100 year old China plates. Since getting my big plastic talons removed, I will ONLY use acetone-free polish remover. I go for Cutex Acetone Free Nail Polish Remover or Cutex Nourishing Nail Polish Remover which is formulated for nails that are already weak.
3. Use a strengthener/nourishment treatment for your nails
   I go for QVC Nail Drink, OPI Nail Envy (any one of the brand) or Sally Hansen Hard As Nails Natural. I put it on underneath my base coat so my nails are always having a bit of a treat before I lacquer them up again :) I used to think they were basically a load of crap, but after using them constantly along with the right nail varnish removers and cuticle oil, together it really has made a difference.
4. Moisturize your hands!
   It's something you wouldn't even think you'd need to do to help your nails, but it does. Plus, there isn't really a downside to it. You get softer hands and nicer nails. :) I like Garnier 7 Days Daily Shea Butter Hand Cream or any of the Jergen's Naturals range.
5. Acrylic nails will RUIN your own nails!
   I am not even joking. When mine were soaked off and my natural nails began to grow again, there was an actual DENT where the acrylic nails had ended by my nail bed. Imagine that, growing your nails with thick grooves in the middle of them. Your nails get no air at all and the acrylic is a lot of the time too thick and isn't actually meant to be used on human nails. If you want to grow them, seriously, just treat them well and be careful. It isn't worth the ridiculous amount it costs to completely destroy what your mama gave you. This message also goes for gel nails and, depending on who you speak to, hybrid gel nails.
6. Don't bite.
   Your nails are not food and do not offer nutritional nourishment, so stop biting them. All you're going to do is end up risking infections with the open cut bits of skin on your fingers and lets be honest, overly bitten nails aren't attractive. Chew gum instead or something.
7. Short short short.
   I've found that by keeping my nails short for a longer time, they actually seem more inclined to grow and stay stronger. I know that's obviously because they aren't long and getting caught in everything, but it actually does help quite a lot to keep them shorter while you're trying to grow them. From my experiences, anyway.
8. Your nails will get damage from every day tasks.
   Such as right now, I'm typing this on a computer. I touch-type now because I've been typing for so long, but it still causes damage to your nails. Just like washing the dishes, gardening, operating machinery and heavy lifting. It all causes damage. Just be careful, it's all you can do. Lets be honest, you can't walk around with your hands covered in bubble wrap, so if you are nail conscious, pay a little extra care when going about your day.
9. I've only just got a manicure and managed to get pen on my nail! GET IT OFF!
   I've only done this twice, and because I do my own nails now, I simply re-do the nail when I have chance to. If not, other than nail varnish remover (which you obviously won't want to do if you've just got your nails done) then the other two remedies I've been told work are: hairspray and lemon juice. I personally haven't done either, so I'm reporting the tales of friends here, but apparently, by spraying a little bit of hairspray on to the nail and giving it a few seconds, the pen marks will simply come off if you then wipe your nail with a slightly damp cloth. With the lemon juice, you're supposed to soak it for a little bit longer but I personally don't know how much I'd trust a method that involves soaking your nails in citric acid, it doesn't sound like a great idea to me.
10. How do I correctly use a nail pen?
    As you'll see in my previous photo of my vampire nails, I have not correctly used a nail pen while doing a previous design. To use a nail pen, make sure you have a solid base-coat on underneath. I know that the pens already advise this, but trust me, they mean it. On my last design (olympics) I used a clear-glitter polish on top of a relatively cheap clear polish base-coat and now I am paying for it. Sadly, this isn't the first time I've done it. Be careful when using a pen, especially if it has a hard nib. If you apply too much pressure, you'll end up pushing your base-coat or polish out of the way and will end up pretty much drawing with nail pen onto your actual nail. This isn't a problem with cheaper nail art pens as they tend to be more liquid-y based and more likely to come off anyway. My Nail Star ones are great for coming off with no effort when you use nail varnish remover. The OPI ones are obviously better quality, but they are the culprits that have stained four of my nails. The stains do eventually come away with more nail varnish remover and daily use of your hands, but it really pissed me off when it first happened because it meant any sort of pale coloured lacquer was off the cards until these bloody stains went away. To avoid that hassle, seriously, just use a good base-coat you can rely on and don't go in too heavy handed. You're decorating a nail, not going hunting.

I hope any of that will be of use to somebody wanting to do their nails any time in the near future. It's just a few points I wish I'd known about before I started doing my own nails quite as frequently as I do. :)

vampire!

I did the fangs at first on a fake nail and loved how simple yet effective they were. But then there was never really a good time to paint them back on. You'll notice that this is actually my right hand instead of my usual left. That's because I only just pained the lighthouse nails this morning as well and don't want to take either design off! So as of right now, I have a beach and a lighthouse on one hand, and fangs and a cross on the other. Variety is the spice of life :)

I used:

Essie in Cocktail Bling

Ciate in Dangerous Affair (beautiful colour and hardly chips)

Essie in Pure Pearlfection

Nail Star art pens in black, white and red

PS-
ignore the sort of dark mark on my middle finger nail, it's a stain from the OPI blue nail pen that I used for the Olympic nails and I can't get it off!

lighthouse :)

So, I've been getting pretty excited for summer lately and when I think of summer, I think of the beach. And when I think of beaches, I think of lighthouses. I know, it's a pretty weird thing of mine haha. Even though it's only a day off March, I've really got a craving for summer so I brought a little bit of sunshine for now :)

I used:

Stargazer nail polish in 205

Essie in Shine of the Times

Sephora Nail Lacquer in Leather Boots

Barry M nail polish in Spring Green 290

Sephora by OPI in Havana Dreams (one of my favourite colours ever, but it's a two-coater sadly!)

Rimmel I love Lasting Finish in Sunshine

OPI in Fiercely Fiona

Nail Star art pens in black, white and red.

Sephora by OPI nail art pen in gold.

the olympics!

These are my current nails. I'm getting ready for the olympics and couldn't resist doing some nail art in honour of them :)

I used:

Sephora Nail Lacquer in Sweet New Ride

GOSH nail polish in Metallic Blue 566

GOSH nail polish in Magic Star 562

GOSH nail polish in Midnight Blue 593

Nail Star pens in black, red and white

Sephora by OPI nail pens in blue, green and gold/yellow

the weather :)

Also, please ignore the state of my natural nails. They're improving a lot more now but these pictures are from earlier days.

I used:

Nail Star pen in white

Sephora for OPI pens in blue, gold, purple and pink

Essie in Fiji

Rimmel I love Lasting Finish in Sunshine

stars and stripes, first attempt

Another rushed job by me and one from my earlier days of practice (which is why the straight lines aren't straight at all).

I used:

Essie in Aruba Blue

Sephora in Sweet New Ride

Nail Star pen in white

heart monitor

These were also for Valentines, but I took a bit of a grim approach to it.

I used:

Sally Hansen Nearly Nude in 1 Natural White

Sephora by OPI Red Blasted

Nail Star pens in red and black

playing with shatter

I tend to just paint one colour under and then shatter on top, but then this time decided I'd do half-n-half and see how it looked. Overall, I was pretty happy with the result.

I used:

Sephora Nail Lacquer in Chic and Rebel

OPI in Rainbow Connection

Essie in Cocktail Bling

Sephora Nail Lacquer in Curacao

Milani Nail Lacquer in 507 Pink Hottie

OPI Black Shatter

Swan

These were for Valentine's :)

I used:

Sephora Nail Lacquer in Curacao

Sally Hansen nail art pen in bright pink

Sephora for OPI nail pen in dark pink

Sephora for OPI nail pen in blue

Nail Star art pens in white and red

Simple stripes

A few lines to break down an otherwise simple polish.

I used:

Rimmel I love Lasting Finish in 420 Aqua Cool

Nail Star pens in white, black and glitter

Strawberry :)

I did this one after the girl who used to do my nails did it, except she used CND Shellac to do it.

I used:

Sephora Nail Lacquer in Sweet New Ride

Sephora Nail Lacquer in Curacao

Barry M polish in 290 Spring Green

Nail Star pen in white

christmas pudding!

These were also (obviously) a Christmas design. I loved doing this one but this one also took ages to dry.

I used:

Leighton Denny polish in Caught Red Handed

Sephora Nail Lacquer in Leather Boots

Nail Star art pens in white and red

pirates!

I loved doing these, so much that when I ended up eventually taking the rest of them off, I left the skull and crossbones on for a few extra days! Be warned if you want to go ahead with these, they're effective but they take AGES to dry. I was literally sat at one point with a hairdryer on medium heat at them for a good ten minutes (not good for my nails, I know, I know) but they still didn't totally dry! Well, you'll know exactly what that is when you see the list of products I used (bare in mind there was a top coat, base coat and strengthener to dry under these!)

I used:

Sephora Nail Lacquer in Chic and Rebel

Sephora Nail Lacquer in Leather Boots

Barry M polish in 294 Cyan Blue

Barry M polish in 290 Spring Green

Miss Sporty nail polish in Coty Paris

Rimmel I love Lasting Finish in Sunshine

Claire's Accessories nail polish in silver glitter

Claire's Accessories nail polish in gold glitter

Claire's Accessories nail polish in green glitter

Nail Star pens in black and white

NY

I used:

Sephora Nail Lacquer in Sweet New Ride

Sally Hansen Nearly Natural in 1, Natural White

Nail Star art pens in black and red

Nautical :)

I seen these on the internet so I don't take any credit for them, but I did find them to be a really nice design that'd be great over summer. :)

I used:

OPI in Dating A Royal

Leighton Denny polish in Caught Red Handed

Nail Star pen in white

leopard :)

I absolutely love leopard print, so it wasn't really a surprise that this one happened. This was the first time I've tried it and I decided to try and keep it more natural looking than some of the brightly coloured designs on the net. I'll maybe try one of those next though. :)

I used:

Sephora Nail Lacquer in Chic and Rebel

OPI in Bling Dynasty

Nail Star art pen in black

Japanese inspired

The symbol apparently means 'friendship'.

I used:

Sally Hansen Nearly Nude in 1, Natural White

Nail Star pens in black and red

iPod nails

These were the result of me coming back from Canada and overcompensating because I hadn't been able to decorate my nails for over a week!

I used:

Sephora Nail Lacquer in Let's Dance

OPI in Rainbow Connection

Nail Star art pens in white and black

glitter! 2

This is my left hand :)

I used:

Claire's Accessories nail polish in silver glitter

Claire's Accessories nail polish in green glitter

Accessorize Nail Polish Illusion in Gold Dust

OPI in Last Friday Night (Part of the Katy Perry collection)

glitter!

This was another Christmas-time creation. I have a load of glitter polishes, so I decided to put a different glitter on each nail. This is my right hand, I'll upload my left hand next.

I used:

Accessorize Nail Polish Illusion in Molten Copper

Sinful Nail Enamel in Thrill

OPI in Rainbow Connection

OPI in Absolutely Alice

Claire's Accessories nail polish in red glitter

the all-night city lights.

I loved doing these nails. I was oddly enough inspired by watching CSI: Las Vegas, which is the reason behind the dollar sign.

I used:

OPI in Your Royal Shine-ness

Nail Star nail art pens in black and white (you can pick them up on eBay or Amazon real cheap)

Rimmel Lycra Pro in 291 Urban Princess

chocolate covered strawberry :)

This was done in a rush, which is why the green leafy bit of the strawberry is smudged to bits haha :)

I used:

Sephora nail lacquer in Chic and Rebel

Sephora nail lacquer in Sweet New Ride (this is one of my favourite polishes ever)

Sephora nail lacquer in Leather Boots

Nail Star nail art pen in white.

breakfast :)

Please ignore the state of my natural nails underneath. That's the result of years of gel/acrylic nails and incorrect maintenance.

I used:

Sephora by OPI nail pens in white and blue

Sephora nail lacquer in Leather Boots

Sally Hansen Nearly Nude in 1- Natural White

Rimmel I love Lasting Finish in Sunshine

Barry M nail polish in 1A, Red Wine

black cherry and gold glitter

I did these for the run-up to Christmas because I absolutely love the glitter. It looks even more effective in real life than it does on the photo.

I used:

Rimmel I love Lasting Finish in Black Cherries 193

Accessorize Nail Polish Illusion in Molten Copper

hello :)

Hi all :)
This is my new nail blog, which you can thank Amy for haha. I'm just going to update with designs and what I used to achieve them. Bit of banter really isn't it.

Peace out.

A few points:

- I always keep my nails short after having acrylics on and destroying my own nails.

- I ALWAYS use a nail strengthener, base coat and top coat. My favourite strengthener is OPI Nail Envy or Nail Drink from QVC. My base/top coat is Sephora nail lacquer in clear or one I got from a French manicure set a couple of years ago.

- I moisturize my hands once I'm finished painting my nails (and they're dry, obviously) with Garnier 7 Days Daily Shea Butter hand cream or Jergen's Natural.

- I use Cutex Nourishing nail polish remover.