NOTD Beetle Juice and China Glaze

Today is the end of our 21 day nail challenge but after spotting Make up Savvys 15 day nail challenge we've decided to extend it till tomorrow as we both wanted to try tomorrows theme (film inspired).

Today's nails are metallic. I kept the simple and did my favourite type of manicure a plain accent nail. 

I used Nail Envy Maintenance (my favourite base coat ever and the best in mu opinion, I read somewhere a while ago after using the original nail envy to switch the the maintenance version.) The colours I choose were China Glaze Coconut Kiss purchased from eBay ages ago and Models Own Beetle Juice Purple Blue purchased from the models own website. They are also available in boots.. 

Coconut Kiss is a gorgeous metallic purple. As with all China Glaze polishes it is a gorgeous finish and perfect in two coats.

Purple Blye is a metallic purpley brown blue colour and looks different in different lights. This polish I had an issue with. I bought it at Christmas time and have used it once since buying it and it has gone very gloopy and thick already. I'm not sure if this is just due to the consistency of beetle juice nail varnishes or all models own ones do this. It turns different colours in different lights and seems to have a fine glitter imbedded in it.

I really like the contrast between these two colours and how they go together. Coconut kiss is a colour I need to use more I really love the colour it comes out on the nails.

Have you enjoyed are NOTDs over the past three weeks? I'm going to miss having an excuse to paint my nails so much. Though I have been bad this week and bit all my nails off. I'm so annoyed at myself. I've not bitten them in over a year now and this week for some reason I've gradually bit them all down to stubs :(.

Love M

xxx

NOTD: Gradient Toadstool

Another of Make Up Savvy's challenges!

Today's is gradient nails which I was really excited about until........I couldn't find my sponges ANYWHERE!

So I had to improvise slightly...

Instead I picked 3 colours ranging from light pink to red and layered them on my nails in 3 stripes (kind of!)

If I'd had sponges these colours would have blended together really well but unfortunately that wasn't to be.

The base colour is 17 Supreme Shine in Simply Pink, the middle colour is No7 Cheeky Chops (post here-also in the photo) and the red is Barry M (262)

Then I used my dotting tool to do the dots, which hide a multitude of sins!

I tried my best to get the nails to blend and in some they did but others didn't look so great and this is a really cute toadstool look, ha!

I overloaded the dotting tool with the white nail polish from the Barielle Bridal Collection (Enduring) and blobbed it on wherever I felt necessary

I quite liked this design, it was fun and so easy to do, though does take a little whilst waiting for all the coats and the dots to dry.

What do you think of my ideas? I'm planning on getting some more sponges today so I can attempt gradient nail art properly....any tips??

L xxx

NOTD: Asiatique Red

Today following Make Up Savvy's 15 Days of Nails we decided to join again and this is my current favourite red:

My camera battery unfortunately died so I've had to use my phone so the above photo is taken without a flash and the one below is with flash so you can see the colour better.

This is Mac's Asiatique which i picked up from a Cosmetics Company store in Swindon a few months ago.

It's a beautiful bold red and these pictures were taken after one coat.

However I am a little careless and have chipped it already so will be applying another an a top coat as soon as I've finished this post!

It's such a stunning red colour, I'm really glad i picked it up as you always need a red in your collection that's like this.

It's not too orange, not too pink but not too blood red either, in fact its the best true red in my collection!

What do you think? Do you like Mac nail polishes?

This one is my first one and I'm really impressed with the consistency and it didn't take long to dry either :)

Make Up Savvy's blog can be found here, check out the other designs from the past few days including some from us!

L xxx

NOTD Leopard Print Nails

Today's nails are another on from Makeup Savvy's 15 day nail challenge. Today is leopard print. Leopard print nails is something I love but I've never tried it before. I'm not great at detail nail art and don't have a nail art pen which I think would make it easier. 

But here's my attempt. I used Max Factor Max Effect nail varnish in shade Ivory which is in fact a gorgeous glittery gold. I really like this shade.

Next I used Look Nail pop in the kimono which is a khaki shade with a hint of gold in some lights. This will definitely be used a lot through autumn. I'm really liking this nail varnish and really want more Look ones now. With the kimono I put little blobs (great describing word there) of nail varnish on each ring finger. (I'm sure you've seen by now I've not mastered nail art on all my nails) I put 5 to 6 blobs on each finger. Try not to make them perfectly round.

The next step is easiest done with a nail art pen, but if you are like me and don't have one a dotting tool, cocktail stick of kirby grip can be used. I used OPI Lincoln After Dark for the outline of the print, the trick is to add little dots and lines around the circles but not completely outline them.

I really want to try this more and get it a little neater next time and on all nails. The great thing about this is it can be done in lots of different colours too. What do you think of leopard? Is it one you'll try? Any tips for me?

Love M

xxx