Pick 'N' Mix Challenge: Roses & Pink/Lilac

Good afternoon lovelies, I'm still here!

I was busy with some heart murmur investigations last week and have spent the last few days in my sick bed with a migraine but I'm still here, still working and I have painted my nails at last! What a nice prompt to be coming back with too, perfect for this summery weather of late... I plumped for a lilac base with white spots and as I'm not feeling my best, decided to use Born Pretty Store water transfers for the roses. If you're thinking of placing a BPS order you can use my 10% discount code: R2X31 at the checkout :)

Do excuse the dry cuticles on my thumb and forefinger, they've been busy unpacking stationary orders lol!... I used two coats of the lilac for the base and topped it off with a simple white dotticure. While that was drying I trimmed up my transfers and popped into the water for two or three minutes. I slipped the transfers off of the paper and placed on the nails using a pair of tweezers, patting down and drying with a clean cotton pad before finishing with a topcoat.

Pretties! You just can't beat decent water transfers for pretty detail in a hurry. You'll be ok with the quality of almost all of the ones from BPS (I have had the odd dodgy batch but they are always happy to replace) and I can highly recommend those from She Sells Sea Shells in the UK.

Barry M: Fondant, White, 3in1. BPS: Water Transfers. Amazon: Small Dotting Tool.

This mani is very 'English Garden' and I love it and talking of gardens, I am lucky enough to have a mummy fox using my patch of wilderness as a nursery for her two cubs at the moment :) I'll be sharing some snaps of them and some foxy nail art to go with come the end of the week!

Rebecca x 

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Pick 'N' Mix Challenge: Plaid & Red, Orange, Green

Hi loves!

I think I'm just about back in my usual swing after a couple of weeks adjusting to my new working routine and today it's the pick 'n' mix challenge again. I love a plaid mani but the three colours required in this prompt are definitely my least favourite ones to put on my nails! That's why I love this challenge, it stretches me to try things I wouldn't normally. I debated going with dark shades but plumped for bright ones because it is summer after all, well sort of - the weather is just yukky at the moment...

I began with two coats of this zingy green, leaving to dry thoroughly. I then used a medium sized round paint brush to draw in the two thick red lines before taking a medium striping brush to add the thin red line and two thin orange lines. Finished up with topcoat - a little too early as you can see, there's a little smudging/dragging going on here... Dang!

Considering I'm not a fan of these colours, I'm really surprised that I actually quite like this mani! I forgot just how striking a plaid mani can be, I must try one again soon in my favourite colours - blue, purple and pink :)

Barry M: Key Lime, Passion Fruit, Mango, 3in1. Ebay: Medium Striping Brush. Reeves: Round No. 3 Paintbrush.

See how the other ladies got on with plaid down below...

Rebecca x

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