Showing posts with label elf cosmetics. Show all posts

A Quick & Easy Mani: Love Hearts & Glitter

Hi everyone! Today I've created a really easy manicure which, despite its simplicity, is very effective (well I think so). I've been struggling to come up with new design ideas recently, but was really desperate to paint my nails and achieve a pretty mani. So, as many of us do when we're lacking inspiration, I went for the old failsafe of glittery polish! Also, if you're a regular reader, you're probably wondering why my primary manicure photo has changed (normally I do a full 'claw' shot). For some unbeknown reason, my long-suffering iPhone camera had actually decided to focus amazingly for once. I thought it was well and truly dead after spilling acetone all over it, but evidently it can still manage to take decent shots every now and again. Anyway, since my blog generally lacks high quality photographs (but not for long - it's my birthday next month and I am expecting a camera-shaped surprise!), I thought I may as well showcase a half decent image!

The equipment:

Sinful Colors 'Black On Black'
e.l.f. Cosmetics 'Chic Confetti'
OPI 'Magazine Cover Mouse'
Medium nail art paintbrush
I used two coats of 'Black On Black' as a base, and then added 'Chic Confetti', which is one of the e.l.f. Cosmetics polishes I won a few months ago (the full prize and details are in this post). Although e.l.f. polishes aren't of great quality, and can be quite watery and take a while to dry, I have a real soft spot for their glitters and am never disappointed with the result.
Once dry, I used OPI 'Magazine Cover Mouse' to paint love hearts. This polish is truly amazing - it's a liquid sand, so once dry it has a lovely texture and sparkly finish. To construct the hearts, I used a medium sized paintbrush, and just dabbed on two dots, joined them together with a triangle, and then filled in the gaps.

I know this manicure isn't as complex as my usual efforts, but sometimes it's nice to have simple nails. Plus, how can you ever go wrong with glitter?! I'm kind of toying with the idea of a deck of cards mani now, using this same style but varying the hearts with diamonds, clubs and spades... And maybe inverting some of the base colours... Watch this space!

Askruk46

Rosy Russian Dolls

Hi! I'm finally home after a week away, and I'm so glad to be back to my nail-arting ways. Today's design was suggested by a friend, and it was such a good idea that I had to have a go. This is actually my third attempt at Russian dolls (the first two didn't go down very well), and I discovered that simplicity is DEFINITELY the way forward. I also made use of my brand new nail art brushes, which you will see pictured below...

The equipment:

Sinful Colors 'Unicorn'
Sinful Colors 'Pistache'
e.l.f. 'Smokin Hot'
Models Own 'Soda Pop Pink'
Models Own white nail art pen
Models Own black nail art pen
Barry M 'Shocking Pink'
No. 7 'Totally Teal'
Essie 'Matte About You'
Fine nail art paint brush
Small dotting tool
I started out with a base of 'Unicorn', which took 3 coats for opacity. Once it was dry, I applied the base red of the dolls. It's a lovely rich scarlet by e.l.f. Cosmetics, and my most used colour from the set I recently won in a competition. I tried to ensure each Russian doll decreased in size, although my index, middle and ring finger nails are all pretty much the same size.
Once dry, I started adding details. I used my white nail art pen for the dots and faces, and black for the hair and eyes. Then I used 'Soda Pop Pink' and the dotting tool for the rosy cheeks. I also used this colour for the roses, and applied blobs before painting petals using Barry M 'Shocking Pink'. I added some highlights with my white nail art pen, and then created the tiny leaves using 'Pistache' as a base, with 'Totally Teal' for added detail.
Oh, and I can't forget the lips! I painted tiny heart shapes using 'Shocking Pink' and my fine paint brush. Once everything was completely dry, I topped off the manicure with 'Matte About You'. The dolls also looked good shiny, but the matte top coat seems to tie it together more effectively. This manicure isn't as precise as I would have liked, but the tiny scale of the dolls made it almost impossible to get every detail neat and tidy. However, front a distance they look much better!
These are the brushes that arrived today. I ordered from Amazon and they cost a mere £2.26... Amazing! It's a 15 piece set and includes brushes of all sizes and widths, as well as a lovely little dotting tool. The only problem is that the coating on the handles doesn't agree with nail polish remover (as with many cheap brushes), so you have to be super careful to not make sure your painting hand doesn't get acetone on it... It turns out to be a rather sticky situation! If you fancy some bargain brushes, check them out here. They're also available in pink and black, and I could have sworn I ordered the pink ones, but never mind! They still do the job :)

What do you think?  Have you ever attempted a Russian doll manicure?

Askruk46

e.l.f. Cosmetics Nail Cube: I WON!

Hi! Today is not a nail art post I'm afraid - instead, I want to share with you the set of nail polish I recently received from e.l.f. Cosmetics, which is a fantastic range with tiny prices. Honestly, if you haven't heard of e.l.f. before, you must have been hiding under a rock! Unlike most cheap brands, e.l.f. never scrimp on quality or variety, and I am yet to be disappointed with both their makeup and nail products. Anyway, if you're a regular reader or follow Little Tip Off on Twitter or Instagram, you will probably know that I entered e.l.f.'s nail art competition a couple of weeks ago. The theme was Rock vs. Vintage, and I decided to submit some polkadot and rose nails (you can see the tutorial here). To my absolute disbelief, I won! I soon received an email from a lovely lady at e.l.f. HQ, who asked which 14 piece nail cube I would like as my prize. They have two themes - 'Jewel Tones' and 'Brights' - and I decided to opt for the latter, since you can never have too many bright nail polishes :)

The set consists of eight bright shades, two nude tones, and four sparkly polishes. I initially thought they would be displayed in a perspex box, which would have been ideal for storage, but unfortunately the packaging was just plastic and cardboard. I suppose more substantial materials would add to the price tag though (the cubes are £15.00 each). Despite the packaging, the contents did not disappoint. Each nail polish is cute and dainty, with a hexagonal shaped lid that's perfect for grip.
The brushes are small, which is to be expected with minis, and apply really smoothly. The consistency is also just right - no bleeding, and no gloopy bits! I was also really impressed with the opacity of the polishes, as they only require 2 coats (apart from 'Metallic Elegance', but that's to be expected of such a pale varnish).
You can tell that e.l.f. thought long and hard about which colours to involve in their cube. Since nudes and pinks tend to be the most popular nail colours, it's a really good idea to include four. I also like the balance of sunny shades and classic colours - 'Sunflower' and 'Mango Madness' are ideal for a fun summer manicure, while 'Skinny Jeans' and 'Smokin Hot' are perfect for an evening out. Out of the non-sparkly polishes, my firm favourites are 'Flirty Fuchsia' and 'Mint Cream'.
The sparkly varnishes are what really excited me. You can never have too many classic glitters, so it was very good of e.l.f. to include 'Gold Star' and 'Dream Maker'. Delicate glitters are also a must for every nail addict, so 'Fairy Cream' is the perfect subtle shimmer. 'Chic Confetti' is also a staple for every nail polish collection - it's reminiscent of both Models Own Hed Kandi 'Ibiza Mix' and Nicole by Opi's 'A Million Sparkles'.

I decided to swatch a couple of the polishes, and as I said before, the consistency and opacity really is impressive. The glitter polishes are a bit more watery, but to be honest I prefer this as you can just build it up to suit you. There's nothing worse than thick, gloopy glitter varnish!
Here's 'Flirty Fuchsia' and 'Mint Cream', both of which took 2 coats (although you can get away with only one). They have a lovely smooth, shiny finish.
I decided to top them with 'Chic Confetti'. This is one coat. As you can probably imagine, it would take around 3 or 4 coats to get a thick glitter effect. As with most glittery polishes, I had to place a few of the sequins with the brush.
This is 'Skinny Jeans' with a 'Metallic Elegance' accent nail, both topped with 'Fairy Cream'. I don't think I'd ever bother building up 'Fairy Cream', as it looks so lovely and subtle with one coat. I must admit, it did a take a little longer to dry than the others, but I guess the ingredients must be a bit different! The majority of the polishes dried really quickly, which is another plus.
Here's 'Smokin Hot' with a 'Dream Maker' gradient. I love the mix of large and small glitters, and I think this is very much a go-to nail varnish for a last minute manicure before a night out! 

I'm yet to try the rest of the varnishes in my e.l.f. cube, but I am sure that there'll be lots of 'nail arting' with them in the future! Which is your favourite shade? Have you ever tried e.l.f. products?
P.s. As you may have noticed, I'm trying out a new watermark. I'm not sure if I'm going to stick with it though! I love its simplicity and how it matches the colours of each manicure (inspired by One Nail To Rule Them All's watermark, which is so clean and effective), but I don't think it really 'goes' with my blog theme. Maybe I need a big blog overhaul... This will have to wait until I've finished my Dissertation though!

Askruk46

e.l.f. Cosmetics Competition Prize!

I never intended on involving makeup products/reviews on Little Tip Off, because I always wanted to focus specifically on nail art. However, after winning the e.l.f. Cosmetics Easter/Spring inspired nails & make-up competition, I have received my lovely prize and I just can't resist.

I had to drive to the Royal Mail Delivery Office to get my parcel, since the postman decided to arrive at 8.30am (who is awake at 8.30am during the 3 week Easter break from uni?!) and left a lovely red slip through the letterbox. Anyway, I managed to manoeuvre my way through Salford (quite an achievement, I think I'm finally developing a sense of direction) and collect my parcel!
Although I was hoping for a nail related prize, I'm actually really pleased to receive makeup. The other day I had a big sort through all of my makeup, and got rid of anything old or broken, so it's quite nice to be able to top it up again with these little gems :)

I've only heard good reviews about e.l.f. products, so I can't wait to try everything out! I received a Super Glossy Lip Shine, which I definitely would have chosen myself. The shade is 'Party Peach', which fits in nicely with my current peachy phase! The gloss also has SPF 15 which is an added bonus; I'm a redhead with very pale skin, and protection is very important for someone who can burn just by looking at the sun!
I also got a Matte Eyeshadow in nude, which again I would have picked out. I tend to wear lots of eyeliner and mascara, and therefore like to keep eyeshadow quite neutral and simple against the harsh black outlines. Apparently this eyeshadow has a 'creamy texture' which 'blends in evenly for an age defying look'... I don't think I have to worry about defying age at this very moment, but the natural shade and matte finish will look lovely with the rest of my eye makeup. I also love the cute little brush that it comes with :)
Thirdly, I received a blush in the shade 'Flushed'. It's slightly deeper and darker than my usual blusher, which is Bourjois Rose d'or/Gold Rose (very, very, very pink!), and so it'll be nice to try out something a bit different.
Finally, I got an e.l.f. Mineral Eye Liner in 'Metallic Purple'. I was a bit worried about the colour being too bright for my complexion, however on application, I realised it is the perfect shade for outlining and blending on my lower lid. Even without trying the other products yet, I know for sure that this is my favourite prize item! 
The purple liner is a subtle complement to my black liquid eyeliner and mascara, and it applies really smoothly and evenly. It's also a natural mineral based formula, and although naturalness isn't always high on my list of requirements for makeup, I know that it will be gentle for my sensitive eyes. 
e.l.f. Cosmetics are also 100% against animal testing, and all of their packaging is recyclable. Along with this, their prices are reasonable and quality is high, and so I would definitely recommend el.f. makeup (especially Mineral Eye Liner!) I think I'm going to have to invest in some of their nail products now, and see what sort of design I can create using e.l.f. varnish.

Askruk46

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!

Askruk46

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