Trick or Treat Nails

 Halloween is fast approaching! Usually I would dress up and go trick or treating with my younger sisters on Halloween and I still could not pass up the opportunity to do some trick or treat themed nails so here is what I came up with! 

To create this look I used two different shades of pink of green and used a sponge to get the ombre effect. The colours I used were Jessica 'Radioactive' (told you I would use this soon!) and 'Spring Green' by Barry M. For the pink shades I used Barry M colours. 'Strawberry' for the pale pink, and the other colour I don't know due to the sticker falling off! Its just a hot pink colour though. Sorry!

For the lettering and highlighting and little cobweb I used my trusty nail art pens.

Please excuse the green cuticles in these pictures, it is really quite tough to get off! I need to invest in some acetone.

I wanted to do more to them, like add sweets and eggs and ghosts etc. but I think it would have over crowded it too much, so maybe I'll save those for another time! I did however take the opportunity to pose my manicure with some halloween-y treats just for a change!

Let me know what you think!

Jessica Phenomen oil

I'm breaking the silence! I'm so sorry I've been so quiet after Christmas, I don't know what happened really! I have no excuses! But here we are! The first post of 2015! After the nail art challenge I did throughout December, changing polishes every 2-3 days, it is safe to say that my nail were in pretty poor condition afterwards. Having that much remover and paint on it can really dry then out, so today's post will be on my nail detoxification! Perfect for a New Year detox post (even of it is slightly overdue)

The Jessica phenomen oil (good play on words) is a best seller at work, and I've always wondered why people buy it so quickly, surely it's just an oil?? I use oil regularly on my nails, and see a small difference but nothing that makes me frantically run to the shops and demand for which some of the phenomen oil customers do. I fancied a change, so decided to try a smaller version if the oil which was in a leftover Christmas set for £9.00.

I'm not sure what's in the oil, but there is undoubtably some almond oil in there from the recognisable smell, and the little poppet applicator makes it easy to apy with little mess. I have to admit, that this has really made a difference to my nails! They are much healthier and peeling less which is my most common nail problem. I don't know if almond oil is a better type of oil for nails, but it certainly seems to have worked wonder on mine. I also really like the smell of almond as I'm a real lover of marzipan, so I look forward to applying it on my nails just before I go to bed at night, as I really look forward to it! 

Rubbing oil into your nails helps to keep them hydrated and flexible so they don't snap. It helps to soften the cuticles, and the motion if rubbing it in stimulates nail growth. It's a really good habit to get into, and if you use a hand cream afterwards, you'll have soft supple hands!

Pumpkin Delight Swatch

I know I usually do a bit of nail art to justify having a full post on just one manicure, but this colour is so so cool I wanted to show you, plus the Halloween-y name is perfect for the up and coming holiday. The aptly named polish is 'Pumpkin Delight' by Jessica, and is a two toned glitter polish that glints between gold and orange/pink. If you follow my instagram, then you will see I posted a very similar polish from Ciate. As Ciate isn't stocked anywhere where I live, I gave this one a go instead. Jessica polishes are £10.50 but I got my one for around £6 with my staff discount which was a steal :)

This is a perfect colour for Autumn, and would look really nice for a night out or with just a plain wooley jumper! Are there any other polishes you have seen that you need for the Autumn?

Jessica In Bloom Collection

It is that time once again when the new summer collections are emerging in the nail world, and I am here to show you what they have to offer.

Today is Jessica's new 'In Bloom' collection which is inspired from a rose garden.

The collection contains an equal balance of pretty florals and bright colours.

Enchanting

This is a pretty pale blue colour with a dusty grey tone to it. It is slightly similar to the 'True Blue' colour in the 'It's a Girl Thing' they did last Spring I reviewed before. Link here

Loving

This is a pastel pink with the similar dusty rose finish that runs through the collection in some colours. It's very pretty and would like nice in the evening with a nice dress.

Awakening

This is another lovely purple colour which again resembles the 'New Kid In Town' colour from the 'Its A Girl Thing' collection mentioned before. This is a colour that is cropping up a lot in summer collections.

Longing

This is my favourite colour if the collection. This may not surprise you as it is very similar to the cobalt blue colour from the mavala technicolour range I raved about a while ago.

Blazing

This is a really stunning red colour that I can't say I've seen anywhere else before. It has a neon pink glow about it as well. A really lovely colour for summer.

Whispering

Again, a pastel green is a popular summer colour. This is a minty green but similar to the colour 'surfer boys and berries' from Jessica.

The collection is very pretty for summer. I am not hugely excited by it as it has a lot of similar colours that Jessica has brought our before. But the new additions of the bright blue and red add more diversity for me.

Jessica Spring Collection 2014 'Coral Symphony'

Once again I have a lovely new Spring collection to show you! These collections all come out at once so your getting two in a row!

The collection I am looking at today is the Jessica Spring 2014 Coral Symphony. This is SUCH a pretty collection and I love how all the colours look together. They shouldn't go together with clashing colours such as pink and reds, but for some reason they just, go.

Ocean Bloom

'Ocean Bloom' is a purple-y pink colour. I absolutely love this colour and would go as far to say it is my favourite in the collection. It's a really dreamy purple, and would look amazing against any skin tone. The name and colour suggest the colour of the sea when the sun is just rising and the pink/ purple tones hit the water.

Conch Shell

'Conch Shell' is another great colour. It is more bubblegum pink than a dreamier pink. I think there are quite a lot of pink colours like this out there, but I do like this one, as its very bright and bold.

Monsoon Melon

This is such a cool shade of peach/ light orange. Another one of my favourites in the collection. I think the name is spot on, as it looks like a juicy Melon shade.

Sharktooth

'Sharktooth' is a bright white that really stands out in the collection and makes it pop. Plain white nails are a fashion that is coming back, and this polish is a flawless sharp colour, just like a shark tooth.

Starfish Glow

The name says it all really. This coral colour is a deep pink mixed with orange. It's a really pretty colour and not only looks like a starfish colour, but also to me, like a lovely cocktail.

Tropical Sunset

Finally, to finish the collection like you would a summer's day, 'Tropical Sunset'. This deep red/ orange colour is really bright, and again, reminds me of a lovely cocktail!

I can't tell you how depressing it was writing this, drifting off into a paradise island, with a cocktail in hand to then look out of my bedroom window and see the pouring rain!! Oh well, not long now!

Unfortunately I do not have any swatches of these beautiful colours but I found a blog called Fierce Makeup and Nails which has some good ones on :)

Let me know what you think of the collection.

Knitted Nails

Hello there!

Any of you who read my blog regularly, will notice that on the right hand side I have a new panel of 'Things I like'. Under there is the 'Eat Sleep Knit' link, which I advise you should all go and look at. Fran is a friend from school, and she knits a huge array of cool hats, scarfs, gloves and other hand crafted goodies. Her creativity inspired me to do these knit inspired nails.

I first saw these nails on 'Polished Elegance' and thought they looked really cool and effective. I wanted to do more of the knitted pattern, so did that on all my nails apart from the thumb, where I imitated the balls of yarn. I loved the colour scheme and thought it tied in quite well with the 'Eat Sleep Knit' logo.

The colours I used were 'Electric Teal' by Jessica. 'Cobalt Blue' and 'Bright Purple' both by Barry M. 

I used my models own nail stripers to create the knitted effect, and wiped of the striper so there was barely any paint on it, to get the more gappy lines to give the knit effect. If there was too much paint I feel it would have not looked knitted at all.

Make sure to visit Ruby Tuesday Knits Facebook Page or eatsleepknit.co.uk

Day 16: Gradient

Apologies again for this post being late, I did actually do these nails ready for the 16th, but this manicure was really hard to photograph so it took a bit longer than planned! These are however, my 'Gradient' prompt nails.

Once again I tried to think a little more out of the box for this one, than just the standard two tone manicure. This gradient is probably far too summery for this time of year, but we all need a bit of colour in our life sometimes! This is another manicure inspired by the Wah Girls book, but I used colours from the rainbow.

image from wellnailed.blogspot.co.uk

The colours I used are Bright Red by Barry M, Speed Dial by Ciate, Lemon from Barry M, Radioactive by Jessica, Cyan Blue and Berry, again both from Barry M.

 I put on a white colour first to make the colours really pop, especially where the two colours mix on each nail. I (again) used Barry M matte white.
To achieve this look all you need are sponges. A good top coat will seal everything in together and finish the look off perfectly. I used, you guessed it, Barry M top coat.

To make the two colours merge in a seamless gradient, I paint the two colours next to each other on a piece of foil, pick it up on a flat sponge, and dab up and down in the centre of the nail just slightly overlapping from side to side to get the gradient down the middle. It's so so easy, and is a look that is easily achieved but looks quite technical.

This is certainly a manicure I will do again, but I will probably experiment with differnt colour combinations.

Recent Shopping Haul

I haven't done a post on any products recently so thought I would show you some of the things I have been buying recently.

This colour is from the Jessica limited edition collection and is a very lary green which I love! I thought it would be perfect for Halloween so bought it the other day. The Jessica polishes are £9.75 but I think I will get a lot of use out of this colour! 

For my post on the whole summer collection I did a while ago, click here

This lip balm is a wonderous little product from Dior. 'Lip Glow' cleverly adapts itself to your lips, to make them look a more natural brighter redder colour, to a shade that would suit your skin. It does add a lovely colour and a slight gloss but doesn't have any of the stickiness of a gloss. It is also highly moisturising! It is around £22.00.

I have had my eye on the Yves Saint Laurent Baby Doll Mascara for a very long time. I haven't heard the best stories about this mascara, such as its lasting power and that it dries up quite quickly, but I was desperate to try it. The reason? Because my favourite model of the moment Cara Delivigne is the face of this mascara. I wish this was not the reason I spent £24.00 on a mascara that I've been told not to buy, but it really is. I will do a follow up post to let you know how it goes!

What a babe. Picture from www.fashiongonerogue.com

 I recently stocked up on my must have moisturiser for the winter. I have written about this moisturiser before (here), but I really must stress just how amazing it is! Once again at this time of year, the dreaded dry skin around my nose has returned. This is the ONLY moistursier that can reduce the redness and stop it being painful. I absolutely swear by this product and recommend it to anyone who has and skin problems or complaints. At £7.00 this is such a bargain and my life saver product.

This cuticle butter from Burt's Bees is really zesty smelling and lovely. It soaks into the skin quite quickly and isn't as messy as a cuticle oil. The bees wax helps to soften the cuticles and it has an fresh lemon scent. It's a great product to keep in your handbag as it comes in a handy tin. Considering I work for a nail brand, I would recommend this cuticle butter to everyone!

Eve Lom is famous for it's cleanser, and I understand why. This cleanser is the definition of luxury. At £55.00 for 100ml or £85.00 for 200ml, I haven't actually bought one, but got this brilliant sample. It's a very generous sample that comes with a sachet of about 3 uses of the cleanser and a muslin cloth. The cleanser turns into a oil when it reaches skin temperature and its melts away all the dirt and makeup you have on your face. The muslin cloth allows you to pat the cleanser into the skin and penetrate into the deeper layers of skin. Vogue has described it as the best cleanser in the world, and do you know what? I think I agree.