Nails art was something I admit that I always thought was trashy. Those long, decorated talons always signified someone who wasn't very desirable to me. Just like sweaters and bold shoulders before them it amazes me just how our opinion can be swayed.
So I'm into nail art now. I don't grow my nails out long, and I don't cover every nail until it is encrusted with a mass of crap like some others I've seen, but a cute watercolour mani, or half moon style, or a feature nail with a cute motif? Yes, that is cute and chic to me
For more then one reason should you keep your nails short. They are far lower maintenance then long nails, and in my opinion, its the long length that makes them trashy. If you look at the tips of your fingers from the palm side of your hands you should either not see your nails or they should be just peeking over the top.
Also, they help you get more out of nail strips and wraps!
With the style of wrap sold by Sally Hansen and Manicare, the strips are double sided, and not something I'd consider cheap! Store bought strips can vary between $5-$15 (Aus) depending on the brand and discounts. That's almost a dollar per strip at the higher end! But if you're careful you can easily use one strip to do two nails if they're on the short side. Just cut it in half before you peel the backing strip off.
Another method you could use is to use the strips as a feature nail. By using only one strip per hand on your ring finger (my favourite to emphasise) per polish job, you get a more unique look too.
I've used this technique with the Manicare Glamnails range, and Sally Hansen, and found that the glitter strips in both brands are really very comparable.
Tuesday, 15 May 2012
Sunday, 13 May 2012
Cloud Nail Stamp Art
Just a quickie, the more I practise with the Salon Express I bought the other day the better the results have been. I have bought a stack of plates including one with this cute cloud motif.
Also slowly building up an arsenal of colours to play with. I find it funny that my right hand turned out so much better then my left considering I'm right handed.
The plate used is Konad M79 and the colours used were Party Blue in Maybelline's mini Colorama range, and the white is a cheap one that I bought months ago, not the proper stamping polish. So it has shown up not as opaque as I would've liked, but it's a first attempt!
Also slowly building up an arsenal of colours to play with. I find it funny that my right hand turned out so much better then my left considering I'm right handed.
The plate used is Konad M79 and the colours used were Party Blue in Maybelline's mini Colorama range, and the white is a cheap one that I bought months ago, not the proper stamping polish. So it has shown up not as opaque as I would've liked, but it's a first attempt!
Have to keep my nails this short for training, sadface. I think it's a really cute design though, and it's been pretty cheap to try out, costing less then a salon manicure to get everything to set up.
Saturday, 12 May 2012
Bought! Trilogy Rosehip Oil
It's been kind of hard to miss the hype that has become a deafening roar in the beauty industry about Rosehip oil. It's about time I gave it a try really! After hunting around for a brand that wouldn't break the bank without compromising on quality I decided to buy from the brand Trilogy, you really can't do much better when a label states only one ingredient in the product! Also it's kind of hard to ignore the masses of awards the product has won.
As someone with rather oily skin I have to admit I'm sceptical about whether the benefits will outweigh the fact that I'm putting oil on my skin, even if it is just 3 drops twice a day. However, I'm sad to admit that I look my age and could look younger, it's time to try something new!
The biggest boasts about Rosehip oil are the ability to improve skin texture and moisture levels, as well as aid in prevention of lines and wrinkles. it also contains antioxidants and all the good fatty acids and omegas that aid in healthy supple and youthful skin. What have I got to lose?
Have you tried Rosehip Oil before? How did it work for you?
As someone with rather oily skin I have to admit I'm sceptical about whether the benefits will outweigh the fact that I'm putting oil on my skin, even if it is just 3 drops twice a day. However, I'm sad to admit that I look my age and could look younger, it's time to try something new!
The biggest boasts about Rosehip oil are the ability to improve skin texture and moisture levels, as well as aid in prevention of lines and wrinkles. it also contains antioxidants and all the good fatty acids and omegas that aid in healthy supple and youthful skin. What have I got to lose?
Tuesday, 8 May 2012
Make up in your 20's
Ladies of the world I have a gripe. Time after time I read in magazines and articles the advice that 'during your twenties is the ideal time to try it all, neon lipstick with crazy eye-shadow? Go for it!'
No, no, oh dear god, NO.
What they don't go into to explain normally is that yes, your twenties is indeed the time to experiment and try it all, but for goodness sake, try one thing at a time! You may feel invincible but you are still very susceptible to look like a drag queen, in fact, the idea that if you overdo it you could look like a drag queen will continue your entire life really ...
Ultimately, do try it all. Smoky eyes, contoured eyes, different colours and intensities, eye-liner, strong brows, bleached brows. Bronzer to contour, bronzer to tan, peach blush, tones of red, pink and coral and your cheeks. bold lips, pale lips, glosses, butters, everything! So long as you only highlight one feature at a time do it, but please, please don't do it all at once!
Also, your twenties is the best time to try trends. The best example I can think of right now is of course the massively popular nail art trend. In your twenties you can get away with crazy designs, but once you hit thirty or even forty, anything beyond a gorgeous slick of colour and maybe a feature nail is starting to head into scary territory.
In closing, try things in your twenties, but not all at once!
No, no, oh dear god, NO.
What they don't go into to explain normally is that yes, your twenties is indeed the time to experiment and try it all, but for goodness sake, try one thing at a time! You may feel invincible but you are still very susceptible to look like a drag queen, in fact, the idea that if you overdo it you could look like a drag queen will continue your entire life really ...
Ultimately, do try it all. Smoky eyes, contoured eyes, different colours and intensities, eye-liner, strong brows, bleached brows. Bronzer to contour, bronzer to tan, peach blush, tones of red, pink and coral and your cheeks. bold lips, pale lips, glosses, butters, everything! So long as you only highlight one feature at a time do it, but please, please don't do it all at once!
Also, your twenties is the best time to try trends. The best example I can think of right now is of course the massively popular nail art trend. In your twenties you can get away with crazy designs, but once you hit thirty or even forty, anything beyond a gorgeous slick of colour and maybe a feature nail is starting to head into scary territory.
In closing, try things in your twenties, but not all at once!
Sunday, 6 May 2012
Product Review: Salon Express Nail stamper
You know those intricate designs you see advertised in nail bars? You know the ones, too delicate to possibly imagine doing with a brush? I've always been too scared to ask for them, and being a massive fan of DIY I was stoked when I found this kit. I picked one up from eBay the other week and now that I have had a good chance to play around with it, I thought I'd tell you guys about it. Admittedly, the ads for this product are frightening in their zeal, once you get past that though, the product is actually pretty nifty.
Salon express is a lot like the brand called Konad, from Korea I think that have the original version of this DIY style of nail stamping, I thought I'd give the cheaper one a go and see how I like it before I commit to the original.
The kit comes with five plates with a myriad of more then 40 designs, I read that you can get different designs in different kits but these are the ones I received, not the cutest unfortunately but you can buy additional plates online:
After just a few goes I was pretty happy with my results. My best piece of advice for you is to make sure you REALLY get the angle right when you are scraping off the extra nail polish. I found tilting the scraper at about 45 degrees made all the difference.
One negative I did find is that the whole nail designs that came with the kit were too small to cover my entire nails. it covered my pinky fine but there is a hope in hell it would fit my thumb!
Like all things in life it takes a bit of practise and the right tools to get it right. You can use normal nail polish with the kit, but I highly recommend to use the highly pigmented colours sold by Konad and other brands. I found that the white polish sold for use in French Manicures comes up nicely though.
If you're interested in buying more plates for your kit, I have found a store online that stocks Konad and other plates and special polishes. I have to say now that I haven't bought from them yet but I'm in the process of putting an order through now, I'll let you know how it goes! They also have an eBay store that sells stock for a little more but gives you the peace of mind that comes from eBay shopping.
Have you tried at home nail stamping? How did you go?
Salon express is a lot like the brand called Konad, from Korea I think that have the original version of this DIY style of nail stamping, I thought I'd give the cheaper one a go and see how I like it before I commit to the original.
The kit comes with five plates with a myriad of more then 40 designs, I read that you can get different designs in different kits but these are the ones I received, not the cutest unfortunately but you can buy additional plates online:
Salon Express complete kit contents
After just a few goes I was pretty happy with my results. My best piece of advice for you is to make sure you REALLY get the angle right when you are scraping off the extra nail polish. I found tilting the scraper at about 45 degrees made all the difference.
One negative I did find is that the whole nail designs that came with the kit were too small to cover my entire nails. it covered my pinky fine but there is a hope in hell it would fit my thumb!
Like all things in life it takes a bit of practise and the right tools to get it right. You can use normal nail polish with the kit, but I highly recommend to use the highly pigmented colours sold by Konad and other brands. I found that the white polish sold for use in French Manicures comes up nicely though.
If you're interested in buying more plates for your kit, I have found a store online that stocks Konad and other plates and special polishes. I have to say now that I haven't bought from them yet but I'm in the process of putting an order through now, I'll let you know how it goes! They also have an eBay store that sells stock for a little more but gives you the peace of mind that comes from eBay shopping.
Have you tried at home nail stamping? How did you go?
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