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    Gradient, Nail Art, Stamping

    While I Was Gone: 4 Gradients

    Gradient Nail Art by The Nailasaurus

    Please let me be the first to call myself out on the lack of blog posts coming from this direction over the last month or so. There is no big reason for my extended absence; for one reason or another I just haven’t been feeling it for a while.

    I’m still thinking about blogging every single day, multiple times a day… okay basically just all the time. It’s in my bones now and I can’t escape it. The ideas keep on coming but I’m lagging a little on the execution side of things. I’m sure some of you know exactly where I’m coming from with this. Please tell me I’m not alone!

    I’ve obviously been keeping myself busy with nail art and snapping pics the whole time though. We all know how much I love a gradient and what’s better than one gradient? Lots of them! I did neglect notekeeping duties on occasion but all the info under the images is correct to the best of my knowledge!

    Watercolor Gradient Nail Art

    Watercolour Gradient

    Barry M Coconut
    Sally Hansen Blinding Blue
    Sally Hansen Jungle Gem
    NYC Statue of Liberty
    Gradient Watercolour Tutorial Here

    Pink and Grey Gradient Nail Art

    Pink and Greydient

    China Glaze Pink-ie Promise
    Sally Hansen Dorien Gray
    Simple Gradient Tutorial Here

    Summer Gradient Stamping

    Barry M Coconut
    Kriston #35
    NYC Sunny Manhattan

    Uber Chic Beauty Stamping Plate 2-01

    Gradient Stamping Tutorial Here

    Mint Gradient Nail Art with Studs by The Nailasaurus

    Mint Candy

    Revlon Minted
    Barry M Coconut
    1.2mm Silver Studs from Born Pretty Store

    Simple Gradient Tutorial Here

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    Holographic, Nail Polish, Swatch

    A-England | Proserpine and Incense Burner Swatches

    A-England Incense Burner and Proserpine

    A-England are back with another jaw-dropping collection of inspired shades in the Rossetti’s Goddess collection. I have two polishes from the collection to share with you today: Proserpine and Incense Burner.

    A-England Proserpine Swatch by @thesammersaurus

    A-England Proserpine

    Two Coats + Top Coat
    Proserpine is a rich, turquoise-y teal holographic polish. A-England really have a knack for taking deep shades like this and turning them in to perfect holographics. If you like this one, you also need to check out Saint George from ‘The Legend’ collection (see my swatch here)

    Shop // Proserpine £9.00 rrp

    A-England Proserpine Macro Bottle Shot by @thesammersaurus

    A-England Proserpine Macro Swatch by The Nailasaurus

    A-England Proserpine Swatches

    A-England Incense Burner Swatch by @thesammersaurus

    A-England Incense Burner

    Two Coats + Top Coat
    Incense Burner is a shifter. In the shade, it looks like a scattered plum holo, but catch it under the right light and you’ll see hints of bronze and green. This is the kind of effect I’d expect to see with a flakie or duochrome topper (applied over a creme) but with Incense Burner, you get the same effect in just two coats.

    Shop // Incense Burner £9.00 rrp

    A-England Incense Burner Macro Bottle Shot by The Nailasaurus

    A-England Incense Burner Macro Swatch by The Nailasaurus

    The Nailasaurus: A-England Incense Burner Swatch

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    Nail Art, News

    Introducing Nailbox: The UK’s First Exclusively Nails Subscription Box

    Nailbox Subscription Review

    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?

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    Nail Care

    My Nail Care Routine: Products and Tools

    Nailasaurus Nail Care

    It’s been a really long time since I wrote a full rundown of my nail care routine here. In the time since, I’ve really refined my routine and I’m at a point where I feel like I have the perfect selection of products and tools to get the job done well and with minimal effort. You’ll spot a few favourites that I’ve praised in the past alongside a few new additions to the team. Read more

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    Glitter, Holographic, Nail Art

    Chevron Nail Art with piCture pOlish

    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.

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    Nail Art

    Rimmel Sweetie Heart Collection Nail Art

    The Nailasaurus Pastel Nail Art

    Rimmel Sweetie Heart Velvet Matte Pastels Collection | The Nailasaurus

    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! Read more

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