Items Used
Base Colour: Sally Hansen Barracuda
Stamping Colours: Kriston #52 and Matte White
Stamping Plate: MoYou Holy Shapes 01
How?! Gradient Stamping Tutorial Here
Browsing Category:
Nail Art
nailbox.co.uk
Nailbox is the Nail Polish Addict’s answer to those popular beauty subscription boxes that you never really felt were made for you. They seem to be cropping up everywhere but I’ve never seen a nails only one in the UK- until now. Nailbox only launched last month so it’s all very new and exciting! I’ve been lucky enough to get an early look at May’s Nailbox before it goes out to subscribers on May 21st.
April’s box, which you may have seen on my Instagram, was stuffed with shades perfect for Spring and this month, it’s a perfect mix to transition from Spring to Summer and see you through holiday season. My favourite from this box is, quite surprisingly, the bright pink! Essie’s Status Symbol is a crelly finish (between creme and jelly) so it’s super shiny, smooth as hell and really pops on your nails.
In May’s Nailbox…
Orly Fiery Orange | Orange Jelly packed with holographic hexes and micro string glitter. Perfect in 3 coats.
Essie Status Symbol | Bright pink crelly perfect for toes! Opaque in 3 coats
Rimmel Lucky Lilac | Smooth lilac shade bordering on a pastel. 2 coats needed.
Nicole by OPI Alex by the Books | Dusty Mint Green. 2 coater.
Elegant Touch Professional Cuticle Pusher & Nail Cleaner | Exactly what it says!
The Nail Art
1. Apply base coat and wait for it to dry
2. To create, the negative space, stick on some Chevron stencils. I used Nail Mail’s Chevron Points
3. Paint over everything with two coats of Nicole by OPI Alex by the Books and swiftly remove the chevron stencils while it’s still wet.
4. Using a skinny striping brush, outline the chevrons using Rimmel Lucky Lilac and Essie Status Symbol.
5. Finish up with two layers of top coat.
What you’ll get every month
Every month, Nailbox will ship you a total of 5 items: 3-4 full-size nail polishes and 1-2 tools. In both of the boxes I’ve received so far, it’s been 4 polishes from well known brands (including Essie and OPI among other favourites) and 1 professional quality tool.
Someone pointed out that the polishes are not from current collections but I hadn’t even noticed. I’ve never followed collection releases and I’m more interested in the colour / finish / brand of the polish. I can confirm that every polish arrived in perfect condition: the consistency is lovely and the bottles untouched.
It’s also quite exciting (for me, at least) to know there’s the possibility of ending up with a HTF or ‘vintage’ polish. The beauty of nail polish is that tit doesn’t have a shelf life. As long as you store it properly, it can last years!
How much is it?
As long as you’re in the UK, you can join from £13.50-£15.00 / month. As you’d expect with any subscription service, the longer you sign on for, the more discount you get. Sign up for a whole year at £13.50 per month, or pay £15 month-to-month if you want to give it a test run with the option to cancel whenever you want.
Where to Subscribe
Just go to nailbox.co.uk for options and to sign up for your first box. Boxes are dispatched on or around the 21st of each month so as long as you sign up before May 21st, you’ll get this box. If you sign up after the 21st, your first box will be the one that’s released the next time that date rolls aroun.
Is it worth it?
Yes! I think it’s the perfect service for beginners and experienced polishers alike. If you’re looking to build up your collection and get your hands on some polishes from past collections that you otherwise may not have been able to, then this is for you. Likewise, if you already have a sizeable nail polish collection, but just can’t get enough and want the excitement of receiving a box of nail goodies every month, it’s a fun treat to invest in.
Not to mention, it’s the perfect gift for the girl who has everything. I know this is going to sound cheesy, but it’s one of those gifts that lasts. Every time they get that box in the post, they’re going to think of the person that gifted them that subscription.
Is this a subscription service that would suit you?
piCture pOlish is coming out with so many new shades this season that it’s getting hard to keep up! Have you seen the Limited Edition Vampy Chameleons? They are to die for! Anyway, that’s a story for another day. Today I’m focusing on Cherish – a nude scattered holo, Karma – the deep plum scattered holo, and Splash – dat sparkly multi sized blue glitter.
I created this nail art by painting on two coats of piCture pOlish Cherish followed by a thin coat of Glisten & Glow HK Girl to dry it fast.
Next up, I applied 3 Thin Single Chevron Stencils from She Sells Seashells near the base of a few nails (which reminds me that I need to go on a bit of a spree since it looks like they’ve got a lot of new bits in since I last stopped by!)
I painted from the cuticle up to the third chevron stencil with piCture pOlish Karma and swiftly removed the stencils.
For the blue glitter chevrons, I applied a chevron stencil, then used the corner of a makeup sponge to apply piCture pOlish Splash so that I got complete coverage. I removed the stencils and outlined the chevron using Karma and a nail art brush.
Finally, I topped it all off with a thick layer of HK Girl.
One of Rimmel’s latest releases is a set of 5 Matte Pastel shades otherwise know as the Sweetie Heart Velvet Matte Pastels collection. Now that spring has officially sprung, it feels like a good time to be showcasing these pretty pastels.
I’m a huge fan of the matte look and I often go through phases of mattifying everything with a top coat although I’m not big on matte polishes. It’s only because I have an unbreakable top coat habit and it just feels unnatural for me to paint on two coats of colour and call it a day. When I wear matte shades, I’ll often apply a shiny top coat, and then add a matte top coat to take it back to how it was intended. Call me crazy, but there’s a method in this madness… somewhere!
Happy Easter everyone! The long weekend couldn’t have come at a better time. I’ve had the chance to catch up with lots of blog admin, project work and even paint some actual nail art! Between indulging in a delicious Sunday Lunch and snuggling up under a blanket to watch a TV marathon while eating too much chocolate, I thought I’d take the chance to post my Easter Nails.
You know those weird fan brushes you always get lumped with when you buy a new set? I always used to throw them straight in the bin but it turns out they can actually be used for something! I followed this tutorial by ‘Simple Nail Art Designs’ on YouTube and couldn’t be happier with the finished look. It was a quick technique to use, so easy to do, and it looks very profesh!
The Nail Art
I started with Barry M Rose Hip for my base colour.
The lines were created using a fan brush with Kriston Shade 52 (turquoise), NYC Wild With Passion (pink) and NYC Lavender Blossom (purple).
It’s all finished off with two coats of Glisten & Glow HK Girl.
Things have quietened down a bit around here and I’m starting to get my blogging spirit back. However there’s still one big, important and exciting project that’s taking most of my brainpower and will be for just a few more weeks. I just wanted to check in here and let you know that I’m not going anywhere, I’m just a little preoccupied!
I’ve always quietly wondered if and/or when my creativity would ever dry up and I feel like perhaps now is that time. I don’t think it’s gone for good, but I’m definitely in the middle of a long drought. The feeling’s been creeping in ever since late last year but for a while, I pushed on and forced myself to create new things. Only recently did I allow myself just let go – I decided that if there was nothing I was excited to create or blog about, it wasn’t worth pressuring myself. Although I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have a little voice in the back of my mind the whole time (however quiet and distant) making me feel guilty, counting the days since I last blogged.