Avoir La Pêche!
Yesterday was one of the luckiest days I've ever had! Firstly, my lovely makeup and nail varnish packages both arrived (within one day of ordering!). Then when I checked my Euro Millions ticket, I found I'd matched two numbers and one star... Meaning I won €8! (Fair enough that's only 5.70 in GBP, but still...) In the afternoon, while scrolling through my Facebook feed, I noticed that e.l.f. cosmetics were holding a competition for Easter/Spring inspired makeup and nails. I submitted my Easter chick nails to their wall, thinking nothing of it until the evening, when I went back to check and realised I had won! The prize is an e.l.f. Easter bundle and I can't wait for it to arrive, fingers crossed for nail varnish :D
After all of this good luck, I decided to try out a really lovely, sparkly manicure to reflect my high spirits. I opted for my new favourite (I have far too many favourites...), Models Own 'Peach Sherbet'. It's such a pretty, creamy shade that even on its own it looks effective, however I always have to add something extra! Before beginning my manicure, I used my lovely new treats from Direct Cosmetics; I applied Sally Hansen cuticle gel and neatened up my edges, filed down with my cute Pinkee's emery board, and finally added a coat of Sally Hansen Dry & Brittle Nail Care.
This took about 2/3 coats. As always with Models Own, the consistency was quite thick and applied really smoothly. It seems quite inconsequential, but the actual shape and size of the brush also ensured neatness (there's nothing worse than uneven bristles that stick out in all directions), which is another reason why I love Models Own.
Apologies for the colour change... The photos were taken at different times of the day! Once my peachy tips were dry (and I mean REALLY dry) I began to add the nail tape. I got this in a bundle from Amazon agessss ago, and colours include hot pink, cream, silver and royal blue. I chose the gold tape as it's really bright and sparkly, and I knew it would complement the peach base. I carefully added the tape in my chosen patterns - criss-cross for my thumb nail, diagonal lines for my index, horizontal lines for my middle, chevrons for my ring finger, and finally diagonal criss-cross for my little finger. If I ever do this manicure again I'm going to stick to chevrons for every nail, as this is the best pattern in my opinion (it's also the trickiest!)
When you apply the tape, don't worry about bits hanging over the edges. I always leave these until the last minute, even after applying a couple of clear top coats, and then go around with a pair of little nail clippers. The small, curved blades of nail clippers mean you can get really close to the edge of your nails, but a good sharp pair of nail scissors would work just as well.
I'm normally a little bit cynical about using equipment like this because I prefer everything to be hand painted, authentic and original. However when you find a colour that you really love, sometimes it's best to just stick to a simple pattern using nail tape, stamps or stickers. However, I'm currently cooking up a new idea that involves 'Peach Sherbet' and hand painting... Watch this space!
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