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Nicole by OPI

    31 Day Challenge, Nail Art, Studs

    31DC2015: Green Nails with Stripes and Studs

    Today’s Green Nails for Day 4 are a remix of a design I did a long time ago. I remembered the stripes and stud details but wasn’t sure what the colours were. When I looked back to find the first version, I saw that mint green was quite a prominent feature last time around too. Why mess with a good thing, I suppose!

    I realise that we’re less than a week in to the challenge and I’ve already fallen behind but I’m determined to catch up asap! The worst thing is, I worked tirelessly all Thursday night to get my Green nails done (since I knew I wouldn’t have a chance on Friday) and then just totally forgot to schedule it. Dang!

    The Nails

    The mint green on the ‘solid colour’ nails is Nicole by OPI Alex by the Books.

    I used Barry M Coconut as the base white for the stripes and topped with a thin coat of Glisten & Glow HK Girl. I placed two strips of Striping Tape down where I wanted the white to show through. I made the mistake of using purple tape so you can see where the colour has stuck at the edges. Note to self: next time use white striping tape!

    The colour at the edges is OPI Gelato on My Mind (a shade that teeters right between mint green and candy blue) and the middle strip is Kriston 10. Finally, I added the 1.5mm Gold Studs on each nail and topped with another coat of HK Girl.

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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 Art

    A Catch Up: With Cats

    Cat Nail Art

    No more ‘Happy New Year’, it really is the new year now and I can’t believe how quickly it’s passing. Admittedly I’ve been pretty awful at posting on the blog so I thought today would be a good time for a quick catch up.

    I was completely overwhelmed by the number of you that took the time to complete my End of Year Survey. Every response has been perfect and will really help to shape the future of The Nailasaurus. I’ll be taking some time out this weekend to take a thorough look at the replies and pick out the important parts but if you haven’t had a chance to fill it out, there’s still time. Now let’s find out what I’ve been up to recently…

    Doing: A huge deep clean and clear out. Goodbye old clothes and anything else that’s outlived its usefulness. Clear house; clear head, I say!

    Avoiding: Emails and carbonated drinks

    Watching: The Walking Dead – Season 3

    Listening to: Purity Ring and Fall Out Boy: American Beauty/American Psycho (Faves: Irresistible, Fourth of July and Uma Thurman)

    Playing: Assassin’s Creed: Rogue

    Crazy For: The Body Shop Camomile Cleansing Butter, piCture pOlish Holiday, buying cheap watches from China, and my new jewellery.

    The Nail Art

    I started with a base coat of Nicole by OPI At Least I Pink So, then applied some darn cute DIY Nails Here, Kitty water decals.

    Once they were all in place, I used a tiny dotting tool to add the random polka dots using Sally Hansen Pinch of Punch and Barry M Coconut.

    Cat Water Decals

    DIY Nails Here, Kitty

    Cat Nail Art Macro

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    Glitter, Gradient, Holographic, Nail Art, Studs

    Just a Refresher

    Green Gradient Nail Art

    It’s a few weeks since I was in normal blogging mode and I must admit, I’m a bit rusty but slowly easing back in to the routine. I recently had another big sort out of my polishes and downsized my collection a fair bit. Whilst looking through I discovered a few hidden gems which I had forgotten were in there so I’ve brought them out to see the light of day and hop back to summer with my brights. I think the colour combination is very refreshing – it makes me think of ice cold cocktails somewhere sunny! Read more

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    Glitter, Nail Art, Uncategorised

    Side Frenchy with Il Etait Un Vernis

    Il Etait Un Vernis Live, Love, Laugh

    I’ve seen this look around a lot recently and I’m not sure of the proper name but it’s like a french manicure tipped 90 degrees so the curve sit down one edge of your nail instead of along the tip. We all know how much I love a simple yet sophisticated manicure so I couldn’t resist trying it out myself.

    I must admit,  I don’t know who did this first to make it take off this year, but I would just like to mention that I posted a ‘Side Frenchy‘ years back (and I’m even linking back to a truly cringe worthy blog post to prove it!) so I call dibs on the name! I actually think ‘Drunk French Manicure’ would be a better name for it. You know, like ‘Go home, French. You’re drunk’ – falling all over the place and sitting there all sideways like that!

    You may have seen me Instagram the debut collection from Il Etait Un Vernis with the cute little tote bag it comes in over the weekend. I’m working my way through full swatches of the collection but I just had to add the gold holographic glitter to this mint mani. More info coming soon, but I can tell you now it’s a real winner!

    For this nail art, I painted on the glitter – Live, Laugh, Love by Il Etait Un Vernis – using a small nail art brush over a base of Nicole by OPI I Shop Mintage.

    Il Etait Un Vernis Live, Love, Laugh

    Il Etait Un Vernis Live, Love, Laugh

    Il Etait Un Vernis Live, Love, Laugh

    Il Etait Un Vernis Live, Love, Laugh

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    31 Day Challenge, Freehand, Nail Art, Uncategorised

    31 Day Challenge: Inspired by a Song


    Send you my love on a wire…

    There’s a song that features in Scott Pilgrim vs. The World by fictional band, The Clash at Demonhead (aka TCAT), called ‘Black Sheep’. There’s a line in there that goes ‘Send you my love on a wire…’ which served as inspiration for today’s nail art. Plus a literal Black Sheep, obvz!

    Both the movie and the song are some of my all time favourites. Black Sheep is one of those songs that never fails to lift my mood. I can’t help but sing and dance when I hear it and I could honestly listen to it on repeat all day (yeah, so what if I actually have done that!). It’s written by Metric who originally recorded it, but I prefer the movie version which is sung by Brie Larson in the aforementioned band, The Clash at Demonhead!

    1. For the nail art, my base colour is Nicole by OPI The Coral of the Story.
    2. I freehanded on the ‘love’ wire with A-England Excalibur Renaissance and a nail art brush.
    3. To paint on the black sheep, I used Pure Color Black Liner with Rimmel Grey Matter and the same nail art brush.
    4. It’s topped with one coat of Glisten & Glow HK Girl, then one of NYC Matte Me Crazy.

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