Follow:
Browsing Category:

Favourites

    Favourites, Nail Art

    My Must Have Nail Art Brushes

    The Nailasaurus | Must Have Nail Art Brushes

    Brush Holder from George Home
     

    Even though I have a huge arsenal of nail art brushes that I’ve collected over the years, at the core are a few of my staples that I reach for time and again without even thinking. Finding the perfect nail art brush is not an easy task and you’ll probably go through a few duds before you find the one that’s the perfect length, stiffness and thickness for exactly the task you need it for. To save you a bit of time in your hunt for the best nail brushes out there, here are my absolute favourites. Read more

    Share:
    Favourites, Nail Care, Review

    Nail Care Favourites: OPI Nail Envy Base Coat

    OPI Nail Envy: Strengthening Base Coat for Nails

    Shop UK: Boots / Amazon
    Shop US: Ulta / Amazon

    Nothing I can say about OPI Nail Envy will ever do this bottle of miracle juice real justice. I’ve never used another base coat because I’ve never had the need to stray.

    My first bottle came my way in a giveaway package I was lucky enough to win back in 2010 and I was quickly hooked. Within 2 weeks, my soft, breakage-prone nails were noticeably stronger and growing at triple speed. Before this eye-opener, I had never understood the need to invest in a base coat – probably because all the cheaper versions I’d tried up to then had never improved the condition of my nails. Turns out that it is in fact a very sound investment and one I’ve made time and again since that fateful encounter all those years ago. Read more

    Share:
    Favourites

    Top 10 of 2014: Nail Polish

    Top 10 of 2014: Nail Polish

    Continuing with the 2014 round ups, today I’ve picked out my Top Ten polishes from this year. Each made the list for their own reasons and every polish is special in its own way. This year, I really embraced light shades whereas I was always into moody colours in years past. There is definitely an abundance of purples and I don’t think my Number 1 will be a surprise to anyone!

    I chose these ten shades without looking in to my Helmer to force myself to really think back through the year to the colours that were on my nails the most. Doing it this way rather than sifting through the bottles made it much easier because the ones that came straight to mind were obviously the ones that have become special to me over the last 12 months. I did have to concentrate a little harder trying to go back to the start of the year but I eventually came up with a shortlist and narrowed it down to just ten…

    Barry M Coconut

    10. Barry M Coconut

    Barry M’s Gelly range has always been one of my staples for creme base coats to use in my nail art but there wasn’t a decent white until Coconut came along this year. It’s a slightly off white and just the perfect base for nail art. I’m on my second bottle now and it does need thinning out occasionally but when it’s at it’s best consistency, I only need to use two coats for perfectly smooth application.

    China Glaze Cowgirl Up

    9. China Glaze Cowgirl Up

    Cowgirl Up has been a firm favourite of mine since 2013 but it still makes the cut all this time later. It’s just one of those old faithful polishes that I always grab if I’m in a rush. A stunning shade when worn glossy and even more fascinating, like velvet, when mattified.

    NYC Hudson Breeze

    8. NYC Hudson Breeze

    This year I found THE PREFECT cobalt blue in NYC’s Hudson Breeze. It’s a pure creme, not a jelly like so many cobalt polishes, perfect in two coats and it doesn’t stain my nails at all.

    NYC Peach Posicles

    7. NYC Peach Popsicles

    I was very taken with Pastels this year and it lasted way past the ends of summer. Another perfect two coater from NYC, Peach Popsicles is the one that stayed out on my desk for the longest. I soon discovered that goes really well with almost everything – try a peach with purple and you’ll be pleasantly surprised with the results!

    ILNP Black Orchid

    6. ILNP Black Orchid

    Black Orchid is basically my holographic version of Cowgirl Up. I’m a sucker for deep purples and to have one in holo form really ties my collection together nicely! This is one of my first ILNP polishes and I remember being so impressed with the quality and lasting power of this fall holographic collection.

    China Glaze Fairy Dust

    5. China Glaze Fairy Dust

    After a long time pining after this polish, I finally got around to ordering it at the very end of 2013. A sprinkling of this superfine holographic glitter will make any mani look magical and even though it went unloved into the end of the year, I wore it on everything until May!

    piCture pOlish LakoDom

    4. piCture pOlish LakoDom

    LakoDom was released in October but I didn’t get my hands on it until early December. It immediately became a firm favourite and made my list of Top 5 Christmas Colours. It’s a slightly grey-toned white with holographic shards and looks gorgeous worn alone or with nail art. It’s a very soft and dreamy shade and it goes with everything so it’s quickly become a staple of my collection.

    The Lacquer Lab Ultra Violet

    3. The Lacquer Lab Ultra Violet

    I picked this bottle up knowing that it would be a nice shade but the first time I wore it, I knew it was an amazing shade! It’s super vibrant with a wonderful formula and just an all around easy to wear polsh.

    Nicole by OPI The Coral of the Story

    2. Nicole by OPI The Coral of the Story

    This polish is one from Nicole by OPI’s Seize the Summer collection and the most beautiful coral I’ve ever worn. I wore this to death over the summer! This was a sample that I got from OPI and I’ve had trouble tracking it down for purchase in the UK (even online) but according to Of Life and Lacquer, OPI’s Live.Love.Carnaval is a perfect dupe.

    piCture pOlish Fool's Gold

    1. piCture pOlish Fool’s Gold (by The Nailasaurus)

    How could I write about my favourite polishes from this year without mentioning what is perhaps the single proudest moment of my time as a blogger. This is the nail polish that I’ve always wanted to own and having the chance to create my own shade meant that I finally could. So of course, it comes in at number 1 because it literally is the perfect shade for me! You can read more about the process of creating this shade with piCture pOlish here.

    Share:
    Favourites, Nail Art

    Top 10 of 2014: Nail Art

    As 2014 comes to a close, I feel like it’s only natural to round up some of my favourites from the last 12 months starting with my favourite nail art creations. When I was looking back to pick out the best of this year’s nail art, I noticed that there was less variety than there has been in the years before. I could spot the months where I’d found a technique I loved and really just went all in whether it was gradients, freehand striping or stamping. Going in to 2015, I’m going to challenge myself to step out of my comfort zone a little more and not get stuck in a routine with my nail art.

    So without further ado, here are my 10 favourite pieces of nail art from 2014 in no particular order! Click on any picture to go to the original post for polishes and techniques used…

    Share:
    Christmas, Favourites, Glitter, Nail Polish

    Top 5: Christmas Nail Colours

    1. Delush – Glam Squad

    You’d normally catch me wearing the classic red creme at Christmas but this year I’ve been converted to this frosty metallic red by Delush. With three coats, the colour is so deep and luxe. This shade isn’t from a holiday collection but I feel like it was made for Christmas!
    See it here: Christmas Nail Art

    2. piCure pOlish – LakoDom

    I can’t get enough of this shade. White nail polish has been my go-to for plain nails these last couple of months and LakoDom immediately became a favourite from first wear! It’s a slightly grey tinted white with silver/holographic particles which makes me think of glistening snow.
    See it here: Reindeer Nail Art Tutorial, Militarised

    3. A-England – Saint George

    I had to get a green in here somewhere but the traditional forest-y christmas tones have never been a favourite of mine. Saint George is a holographic teal polish that’s been with me for a very long time and I’ve just rediscovered it this month. I think it’s the least typically festive shade of the selection but it’s the only green I’ll be sporting this season!

    4. Sally Hansen – Coat of Arms

    This metallic polish is somewhere between gold and silver; a cool gold, if you will, and very majestic as implied by the name! The finish on this one is lovely – perfect in two coats with little (if any) streaking which is rare for foil polishes.
    See it here: Turquoise and Gold Art Deco Nail Art

    5. L’Oreal – Platinum Chic

    What’s a Christmas mani without a bit of sparkle? Well, this polish has more than a bit of sparkle; it’s literally a bottle packed full of glitter. There are silver hexes in two sizes mixed in with irridescent gold micro glitter. For the swatch above, I used 3 coats for full coverage but you can also layer it over another polish for an equally stunning effect.
    See it here: Christmas Nail Art

    Share:
    Favourites, Uncategorised

    Nail Art Favourites: DIY Nails Water Decals

    Time and time again, I find myself reaching for my DIY Nails decals whenever I’m feeling a bit too lazy for more time consuming nail art but still want something that’s going to make people take notice of my nails! These are my favourites for more than a few reasons.
    For starters, they’re printed on to a super thin material so you’ll never get any air bubbles or visible lines around your decal when it’s on your nail. This does mean you have to take a bit more care when placing them as they’re very delicate but just remember that time and tweezers are your friends!
    There’s another very important quality I look for in water decals. It’s tricky to explain but I’m going to try anyway! With some water decals, they’re printed on to one single sheet of ‘decal plastic’ and you have to cut very closely to the actual design to get a viable decal. DIY Nails decals are all individual printed so you only have to cut out the design you want to use very roughly and the compacted little decal itself just slides right off the paper.
    We also need to talk about the designs – they have everything from unicorns to breakfast foods to Ziggy Stardust! They’re all completely original, many are hand drawn, and they really stand out in a crowd. You can even get your own images turned in to custom decals which I think is a great gift idea for the nail art lover in your life.
    If you like water decals, there’s no way you won’t love DIY Nails. Easy to use with a great selection of designs and not an air bubble in sight! What more could you want from your water decals?

    Where to Buy DIY Nails

    DIY Nails Water Decals are available from diynails.co.uk and select retail stores. RRP £6.00.
    It’s also worth checking the sale section to snap up any end of line stock before it’s gone for good!
    Share: