Pick 'N' Mix Challenge: Brush Stroke & Favourite Brand

Hey peeps...

I think you get the idea that I'm combining the looks in each of these challenge themes by now lol... So out came my fan brush and a heap of purple Barry M's, defo my favourite brand because they are numerous, cheap and good quality! I had never really done any 'brush stroke' nail art, there are many ways to interpret it and I went for an abstract mash-up, kinda how I'm feeling at the moment hahaha...

I kicked this manicure off with a base of two coats in lilac. I then dipped the tips of my fan brush into each of the colours and just gently swished them this way and that quite randomly. First bright purple, then deep indigo and finally a splash of glitter and topcoat.

Really like the colour combo in this and actually quite like the pretty mess I created haha; the glitter was a bit of a miss though, I just couldn't get each swipe to be opaque enough to create any sort of definite line... I probably should have used a liner brush instead. Always learning!

Barry M: Berry Ice Cream, Bright Purple, Indigo, Fashion Icon, Color Club: Topcoat, Fan Brush

Rebecca x

An InLinkz Link-up

Saturday Swatch: Picture Polish Never Nude

Hey loves, hope you're enjoying the weekend...

I've got another of the new collab' shades from Picture Polish to show you from my recent nail mail. Never Nude is an ivory creme with scatter holo, blue glass flecks and small blue and magenta hex glitters. Very sweet.

This was four thin coats of Never Nude finished with topcoat. I used a water transfer for the floral accent nail, just like with LakoDom, and topcoated.

This one is gonna get a lot of wear come spring me thinks! So delicate and shimmery. Love it!

Picture Polish: Never Nude, Color Club: Topcoat, Born Pretty Store Water Tranfers XF1403

Rebecca x

is an ivory creme with scatter holo, blue glass flecks and a smattering of small blue and magenta hex glitters - See more at: http://picturepolish.com.au/never-nude#sthash.V7FVIih1.dpuf

is an ivory creme with scatter holo, blue glass flecks and a smattering of small blue and magenta hex glitters - See more at: http://picturepolish.com.au/never-nude#sthash.V7FVIih1.dpuf

Quiz Clothing Competition: Dress Your Nails!

Evening folks!

I was recently contacted by a lovely lady inviting me to take part in Quiz Clothing's 'Dress Your Nails' Competition, in which you do a manicure inspired by one of their many dresses to be in with a chance to win vouchers for their store and beauty goodies from Beauty UK. I was already familiar with the brand and love their selection of skater-style dresses in particular...

 

 This was a simple stamped mani. Two coats of white for the base, stamped in black, and to reflect the silver padlock belt buckle I popped little silver dots into the centres of the roses. I finished up with a matte topcoat, after all it is material right?!

I think I did the dress justice, I was a little annoyed that the pinky smudged at the topcoat stage though! Grrr!... They also did the same style dress and pattern but in navy and white which I do hope they get in stock again! I NEED it lol!

 

And here is what I used...

Barry M: Matte White, Silver Foil, Matte Topcoat, Avon: Licorice, MoYou London Gothic 07, Small Dotting Tool

 

If you would like to enter the competition, you have until the 30th November... Full terms, conditions and prize information can be found HERE.

Rebecca x
 

Pick 'N' Mix Challenge: Book & Brown

Hello my lovelies!

I painted these yesterday but had such a bad day that I couldn't deal with writing the post in the end... I combined looks, and did so by strolling over to the book shelf in search of brown books in my collection! This was my favourite of them, The Book Thief by Markus Zusak (followed closely by The Hobbit)...  I decided I'd go with a matte look to reflect the book and used the entire Barry M A/W 2013 Matte collection for this manicure, they were perfect!

I started with two coats of Caramel for the overall base, followed by sponging on Mocha and Vanilla. I then used one of my new nail art brushes to paint on the characters; the girl with Espresso and Vanilla, and the reaper with Crush, Espresso and Vanilla. I added the text to the thumb with the same brush using Crush and then finished up with a lick of matte topcoat.

I love this mani and I so enjoyed painting it! It's so different to my usual thing and I would never normally pick this pallete of colours, that's why I so enjoy taking part in challenges. You can really surprise yourself when you venture out of the comfort zone lol!

Barry M: Vanilla, Caramel, Mocha, Crush, Espresso, Matte Topcoat, Small Nail Art Brush

Rebecca x

An InLinkz Link-up

Saturday/Sunday Swatch: New Picture Polish LakoDom

Must-have Alert Ladies!

LakoDom is a stunning, delicate grey/white scatter holo polish and is my new polish love! I bought this polish along with a bunch of others direct from Picture Polish when I found it to be out of stock in UK stockists. It ended up being a blessing because I got eight new pretties and paid less that I would have for five or six here thanks to the exchange rate and daily deals! I did paint these yesterday but was too tired to post in the end...

I did three thin coats of this holo beauty followed by topcoat. The accent nail is a floral water transfer from Born Pretty Store.

Look at that gorgeous rainbow shimmer, I cannot stop looking at my nails! I'm a total grey-phile anyway so this is literally my dream polish... LOVE!

Picture Polish: LakoDom, Color Club: Topcoat, Born Pretty Store Floral Water Transfers XF1420

Rebecca x

BBC Children In Need Manicure

Evening all!

Tonight is the main event in the BBC Children in Need calendar but I can't say I ever watch the caberet antics on the BBC throughout the evening lol!... But I do support the cause of providing grants to children's charities and community projects. The stories that come out of this event are truly humbling and heart warming and I always make a donation... And I painted my nails following this year's 'Be A Hero' theme...

I started with three coats of each of the three base colours and then used nail art pens to add Pudsey's features and bandana to the yellow nail. Next I used a dotting tool and the various colours to pop on the bandana spots. On the blue nail I wrote 'Be A' with a white nail art pen, and used the same pen to draw out 'Hero' before topping in the yellow polish twice with a nail art brush. I took that same brush to paint in the star with the blue and topcoated it all.

I'm pretty pleased with how this turned out, I had a few wobbles along the way but managed to save it and I was quite impressed with my patience with it hahaha! I'm really finding a lot of enjoyment in freehand work at the moment... Long may it continue!

Maybelline Colorshow: Power Red, Electric Yellow, Superpower Blue, Barry M: Spring Green, Color Club: Topcoat, Barry M Nail Art Pens, Avon Dual Nail Art Tool

You can find out the ways to donate HERE :)

 

Rebecca x

DIY Polish Shelf!

Hi loves :)

It's hump-day and I'm sure feeling it this week, it's been a rough one so far! So instead of a manicure, tonight I bring you a 'how-to' that I've had in the files for months! If like me you are drowning in your polish purchases, feel sad to hide all the pretties away in a drawer and love a project, then this may be just the thing for you... I now have three of them in my nail room and they have served me well for a bargain £10 a go and a little time and effort.

I've broken it down into ten steps which I will go through with you five at a time...

1. You will need 3 x A1 Foam Board, Glue Gun and Sticks, Tape Measure, Pencil and Craft Knife.

2. Measure out and draw lines across the width of the first board 4 1/2 inches apart using a spare board as a guide. This will be the back.

3. Measure out and draw lines across the width of the second board 2 1/2 inches apart. These will be the shelves.

4. Measure out and draw lines down the length of the third board 2 1/2 inches apart. These will be the sides.

5. Trim off the excess inch or so from the bottom of the first board with your craft knife.

6. Cut out the two lengths that you measured out on the third board with your craft knife.

7. Cut out the eight widths you measured out on the second board with your craft knife.

8. Glue the eight widths carefully on to the lines you drew on the first board. Best to glue along the lines and then place your widths. Run an extra line of glue along the joins that will be on the underside of your shelves for added stability.

9. Glue the two lengths into place, carefully lining up the front/back and top/bottom. Best to place the glue along the ends of the shelves and back board then place the length on top. Run an extra line of glue along the side joins on the back board for added strength.

10. Once all the glue is dry either screw or sticky tab your new shelving unit to the wall. I placed the screws top, middle and bottom, and near to the lower shelf so they'll be covered when filled with pretty polish!

I hope I've explained that well enough! Please ask questions if you have them!

In all, it should take no more than an hour to figure out and put together; by my third one, I was done in twenty minutes and it was my best one yet! You could also cut some inch wide strips to attach to the front of the shelves, hiding any bad cuts and stopping slippage; but I find this neat and secure enough and I don't like to hide the rainbow of colour! This is currently housing 129 Barry M's and 22 Color Clubs with 14 OPI's sitting along the top... And yes, I have two more shelves!...

...And a drawer, and a bag... LOL!

Rebecca x

Pick 'N' Mix Challenge: Yellow/Wild Animal

Hello folks!

I missed the last couple of prompts with being ill, so am very happy to be back in the challenge! I combined looks again and as soon as I saw the prompt, I knew what I wanted to do... Flamingos!!! I've always had a thing for these pink, leggy birds (lol) and when we discovered them living wild near our villa in Spain, I was enchanted! You can see more about that in another recent flamingo post HERE. I also knew that I wanted the colours to bring some summer back into my life, the weather is dismal here in London, so bright was the only way to go!

I used two coats of white, followed by two of yellow for the base. I left it to dry for a good thirty minutes before stamping the flamingos in a hot pink and the fronds in a bright green. I then topcoated.

Bring me a cocktail! This mani gave me the summer feeling I was longing for. I love the tropical stamping plates from MoYou London, think I'll be doing a third flamingo mani before long!

Barry M: Matte White, Yellow, Hot Pink, Spring Green, Color Club: Topcoat, MoYou London Tropical Plates 05 & 11

Rebecca x

An InLinkz Link-up

Remembrance Sunday Manicure

Today is Remembrance Sunday in the UK, a day set aside in the calendar for remembering the sacrifice of all our fallen British and Commonwealth armed forces servicemen/women. It comes around on the second Sunday in November every year, to coincide with Armistice Day on 11th November. Like we do on Armistice Day, a two minute silence will be observed across the British Isles at 11am... A time to reflect and remember... We also buy and wear our poppies with pride! 

For my poppy manicure I started with a base of two coats of white. I then used a square paintbrush and slightly watered down, red acrylic paint to literally dash on some abstract poppy shapes. I then took a pointed brush and green paint to add a few more smaller dashes or 'leaves' lol. Once that was all dry I used black and white nail art pens to turn the blobs into poppies and topcoated.

I'm usually too much of a perfectionist to pull off these abstract-ish mani's... But my inner boho threw caution to the wind and I gave it a good go without allowing any touch-ups... I love the result and enjoyed painting them so much, took 10 minutes at most!

Barry M: Matte White, Color Club: Topcoat, Barry M Nail Art Pens, Red and Green Acrylic Paint, Paintbrushes

On Remembrance Sunday I think of my Great Grandfather who was a German POW and my Great Uncles who fell in the Second World War leaving my young Grandfather behind. I think of all those souls across the world, many of whom were loved and lost and many that overcame. I think of the mix of English and German genes that came together in those times, and eventually made me...

What will you be remembering?

Rebecca x

Saturday Swatch Two: Nails Inc/Glamour Magazine Polish

So, now for part two...

The stunning purple used under that last colorshow topper was one of the free shades available with the current Glamour Magazine in the UK, it's name is Wigmore Street. Total bargain considering the magazine is only £2, is a pretty good read AND a polish would normally be around £11! There are four shades available, I only wanted this and another (a wine colour) out of them but I'm still searching for that one lol!

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This is two coats of the gorgeous deep purple creme finished with topcoat. That's it... and it's beautiful!

I can't get over how rich and lustrous this colour is! I love, love, love it! As usual with Nails Inc, the formula was so smooth and applied like a dream, also has a gorgeous shiny finish. Well worth £2.00, so keep your eyes peeled in the newsagents hahaha!

Rebecca x

Saturday Swatch One: Maybelline Colorshow BE Brilliant Collection

Hi loves!

I'm still pretty poorly, awaiting outpatient appointments to receive my results and a treatment plan etc... It's now also been discovered that I have a heart murmur needing investigation and the thombosis-ed cannula site in my hand/wrist is still so painful! I'm falling to bits lol! 

So, I'll be taking it a little easy on the blog front for the next few weeks whilst getting geared up for all the exciting stuff coming in the new year; I will be doing random posts here and there to keep us all going though hahaha!!!... Anyhow, whilst I was waiting in line in Boots pharmacy for the 100th time in a week, I spotted these new sparkly arrivals on the Colorshow stand :)

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First is Purple Dazzle, a blurple jelly base with a mix of purple and navy hexes and pink, magenta and blue glitter. Two coats with no undies and topcoat.

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This is Skyline Blue, a blue jelly base filled with blue and silve hexes and magenta, blue and silver glitter. Again, two coats with no undies and topcoat.

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Third up today is Spark The Night, a smokey grey jelly base with lilac and magenta hexes and lilace, blue and gold glitter. Two coats, no undies and topcoat.

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Last in the collection is Light It Up, a glitter topper; clear base with silver, lilac and blue hexes and silver, magenta and blue glitter. I did a sort of gradient/full cover mix over two coats of a deep purple and finished with topcoat.

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I love this collection! Such unusual but pretty combinations, really suit my boho style. I also like that you can wear them sheer or as toppers, offers you lots of flexibility. They went on smoothly, dried super fast and held up to a battering doing the dishes, all whilst glittering beautifully... The pictures don't do them justice really!

I will share a post swatching the purple used above in a moment, it's one of the freebies from Glamour Magazine :)

Rebecca x

Happy Belated Halloween with Models Own!

Morning all!

I hope any of you out for Halloween antics last night had heaps of fun! I myself am still poorly and resting up, so spent it snuggled under the duvet with a spot of nail painting before bed... as you do lol! I had received lots of nail mail this week including a Halloween stamping plate and spider charms from She Sells Sea Shells, and I just HAD to use them on the day itself. It may have been close to midnight, but these nails did go out on my social media on the 31st hahaha :) I knew exactly the polish I wanted to use too, another recent nail mail, so put your disco pants on!

This is two coats of Models Own Roxy, a pearlescent purple, satin polish which just glides on and has lovely blue/magenta/gold tones. Gorgeous! I stamped the cobwebs radomly with white and gold polish, topcoated and squished in my spiders!  Bam!

I love how quick, simple and pretty this mani turned out! Just what I needed... I had so many awesome ideas for Halloweeny nails but my health has let me down :( Got thrombophlebitis at the site of one of my recent cannula sites on this wrist now (adding to the ailment laundry list lol)... Ouchy!

Models Own: Roxy, Barry M: Matte White, Gold Foil, Color Club: Topcoat, Stamping Plate HD04 and Spider Charms from She Sells Sea Shells

Rebecca x