Summer Nail Art

Orange and gold tips

Hi, here are some of my nail art ideas that I used throughout the summer. Hope you enjoy them! I managed to get my nails really long in the summer so was really happy with the shape, unfortunately now I have managed to break the lot so back to square one ... This is however what happens when you grow your own nails instead of having falsies. Although I have spells where my nails break, I still believe my nails are healthier than if I had ever had fake nails.

Pink Leopard Print

3 colour split (Taken in the Jardin de Luxembourg)

Pink and Blue Mismatch

Gold with pink polka dots.

Red with one 'heart'. These were my nails as a bridesmaid in August!

Pink Matte with glitter

Green and pink french manicure tutorial

Quick Tutorial on my green and pink French manicure - 

Step 1 - Use a light pink base colour as you would a normal french manicure. I've used Nails Inc in Warwick Avenue (I've now started singing this song in my head non stop!)

Step 2 - Once the base colour is dried I carefully used Rimmel 60 seconds polish in Sky High for the tips. Make sure it's fairly neat and evenly coloured. 

Step 3 - Using my Nail Art Pen in bright pink I went along the green at the bottom lining it. I like this as it gives an extra brightness and can help tidy up the mess slightly if you're not always neat. Finish with top coat and you;re done! 

Hope you like the pictures! I love doing my nails and giving and getting nail art inspiration. Tweet me your nail pictures too!

Maria xx





p.s. Sorry about the plaster in the pictures but I have burnt my finger cooking and you really don't need to see what is underneath!

Pink Double French Manicure!

I realise I haven't blogged for a while but I have been without phone (which I usually use for photos) and ill this week. Glad I'm feeling better so had to do my nails to cheer myself up some more. I decided to do a double pink french manicure that I've done before but with some different colours.

First I made sure my nails were shaped in a long square shape, you need slightly longer nails as you need space to paint the tips. Short nails wouldn't work for this design  I then used a very light pink base coat from Nails Inc. This helps even out the colour and make the rest of my nails shiny as well!

Once this had completely dried I carefully painted a dark pink/red on the tips as you would a normal french manicure. I am able to do this freehand as I have been doing french manicures since I was 14, however if you are not so confident some shops sell guide stickers to do it. Alternatively I have heard of some people using masking tape for this. Either way it is very important that the base is completely dry!

Once this is dry I used a Barbie pink varnish to go over the ends of the first french tip colour. Again I do this freehand but it's up to you how you feel you could do this!

Hope you like the results -

 

(By the way the pictures have been taken on my webcam - hence they are a bit odd!)

Glitter at my fingertips!

Spent last night in relaxing. I really needed it after a busy and tiring week at work followed by the return of my mild insomnia! Of course to relax it meant I had to do my nails, they had also been chipped for two days and this was making me very sad! In order to decide what to do I laid out all of my nail varnish collection. 35 is my current number, probably why I find it so difficult to choose my designs. I also have a large collection of nail stickers which I found on eBay.

35 nail varnishes - Rimmel, Sally Hansen, Nails Inc, Barry M, Nail Art Pens, Collection 2000.

In the end I decided to go for a simple but pretty design. I used a Nails Inc light/neutral pink as the base coat once I had cut and shaped by nails, and of course applied a base coat. My nails have been getting chipped and split this week so I have cut them short so they can all grow to the same length. I'm hoping to get nice shaped stiletto style nails soon, just not too sharp or pointy as I think they look a little odd personally. After they had dried I added a gorgeous glitter varnish over half of my nail adding slightly more to the tops for a subtle gradient effect. 

Here is the final varnish. I took the picture in different lights as it was difficult to take the picture without natural light last night. I like this one as I think it's quite pretty and should go with any outfit I wear this weekend. 

I'm hoping to have a very positive weekend. Parties to go to and planning for a busy and very exciting year. Hoping to involve some moving around in various areas of my life. I have wanted a change for a while but have always been more talk than action, finally I'm am taking action and not being too scared about change!

Glittery fingers crossed 2013 is not an unlucky number and year for me!

xxx

My wardrobe

Have started the year well! Lazy day on the 1st to make up for going to bed at 6am was of course needed. The 2nd started slow but I made some lists, tidied and sorted and feel much more ready for the year. I even managed to paint my nails in a lovely nails Inc varnish called Victoria. It's dark red/burgundy and is on its own for a change. No glitter, nail art or stickers today.

I have also started my exercise and diet routines for the year. I know it's only my second day but I feel like I will make some good progress this time. My attitude feels different this time, I have more determination to lose weight and have a healthy body and lifestyle.

To give myself an additional boost however I went through my wardrobe to pick out things that don't currently fit me. (I would normally say no longer fit me so I'm positive thinking!) I found a lovely lipstick red, boned, tulip, strapless dress from French Connection. They used to be very popular styles in the store and I absolutely adore mine. The only problem is that at the moment it doesn't fit. I look horrendous in it. Like I'm trying to stuff myself into something Victoria Beckham owns. This is now my inspiration - I MUST fit into this dress again. It hasn't gone out of fashion and I love it so it seems perfect. Everytime I consider missing a work out or heading to Starbucks for a lemon poppyseed muffin I'll think of the red dress. The red dress will help me!!