Showing posts with label nail varnish. Show all posts

Sinful Colors Haul: A New Purse Friendly Favourite

Hi everyone! Long time no see... I feel guilty for not blogging for a while, but it's been a busy few weeks. I had to squeeze in lots of Dissertation (snore) work before my holiday to the South of France, so my nails have been taking a back seat! Unfortunately I haven't had time to do a new design, but I wanted to share with you my recent purchases. I've always been intrigued by Sinful Colors, as so many of the US based nail artists I follow always seem to use it! The brand is finally available in large Boots stores all over the UK, and when I first noticed the stand in the middle of the cosmetics section, the £1.99 price tags made me a little sceptical, especially after being so disappointed with other cheap brands (*cough* LA Colors *cough*). However, after reading a few reviews of Sinful Colors, I decided to take the plunge and part with (just under) ten British pounds!
This is my personal favourite, 'Easy Going', which is a soft, off-white shade with a lovely finish for such a pale polish. I love light colours and this is the perfect addition to my collection. It will also be a nice alternative to white, and will be a pretty base for more intricate designs.
'Island Coral' is yet another pink shade (the photo doesn't really do it justice) but, as its name suggests, it is a slightly coral-coloured nail varnish and therefore very summery! It only took 2 coats for a good opaque finish, which is impressive for such a bargain price. 
This pale yellow is called 'Unicorn', which is such a cute name, but I don't really understand it... I'm pretty sure unicorns aren't yellow. Anyway. It's a lovely soft colour and is much more delicate than my other yellow polishes. It took around 4 coats to achieve this finish which isn't fantastic, but this was mainly due to the runny consistency of this bottle. 
'Pistache' is soooo much brighter than the bottle initially suggests. I was expecting a sort of pastel-teal-green, but it's actually a lot more neon when on your nails. I still quite like it though... One can never have too many greens! Like 'Unicorn', this polish was a lot runnier than the other bottles. 

I haven't bothered to swatch 'Black on Black' because, well, it's black. I must say though, this is one of the best black polishes I've come across (especially for the price), because it only took 2 coats to achieve a really good finish. All in all, I'm pretty impressed with Sinful Colors and I won't hesitate to buy again, but this is mainly due to their £1.99 price tags. The consistency of the polish is a bit too runny for my liking, especially in the cases of some of the shades, but the bottle sizes are really good and the brushes are nice and slim. The colour range is also exceptional, so if you're a UK resident who's looking for some bargain nail varnishes, head straight to your nearest 'big' Boots!

Has anyone else tried Sinful Colors? Or can you recommend any other bargain brands? I promise I'll be back soon with some new nail art... I'm currently cooking up a design inspired by my holiday, so watch this space! 

Askruk46

Mattifying Mania!

Good morningggg! This post may cause a few 'Déjà Vu' moments for my readers, because the photos involved have already appeared individually on my Instagram, Tumblr and/or Facebook page. However, I've decided to dedicate a whole post to my new obsession... Essie 'Matte About You'! I had no idea I'd fall this much in love with a top coat, but I have. I've fallen hard.
I ordered it from Superdrug online, and took advantage of the 3-for-2 offer that was on at that moment in time. You can see what else I bought in this post! Anyway, I opted for Essie's offering to the matte-effect phenomenon because I've read so many good reviews, plus the price (about £8) was reasonable. I could have gone for a cheaper brand, but I know that Essie has never let me down! I'm also not wiling to venture beyond the £8 mark, so Seche, OPI and Nails Inc. (apart from the miniatures) are out of bounds I'm afraid...

This first manicure was inspired by none other than a pair of pants! I was sitting on the sofa trying to think up design ideas, and then when I spotted the cherry-patterned knickers hanging off the airer, my decision was made. Oh, and contrary to my initial statement about this source of inspiration, they are NOT my boyfriend's pants. It was a joke...
I used W7 black as a base, then added white cherries with pale pink highlights (I used Models Own 'Pastel Pink'). Then I added red cherries using Models Own 'Soda Pop Pink' with red and white lowlights and highlights. For the storks I used Models Own 'Jade Stone' with No. 7 'Totally Teal' for details. Once dry, I added a coat of Essie 'Matte About You'. It completely pulls together this funky manicure, and makes it even more cute!
Here I used the matte top coat over Models Own 'Utopia', which is a beautiful pale mauve/grey shade. Adding 'Matte About You' makes it even more delicate, almost porcelain-like, and it's the perfect manicure if you fancy something low key yet gorgeous.
This manicure clearly shows the effect of Essie 'Matte About You'. I started out with 3 coats of Models Own 'Bare Beauty', and once dry I mattified! Because Essie products, both the polish and the brushes, are such high quality, you only need to use one coat and it applies really smoothly. If you haven't yet ventured into the world of mattified manicures, then I wholeheartedly recommend Essie 'Matte About You'. Have you used this product before? If not, what's your favourite matte top coat?

Ooooh and before I go, make sure you check out my other platforms for Little Tip Off. The Facebook page can be found HERE and the Tumblr blog HERE. You can also find me on Instagram and Twitter - search for littletipoff and @amykilv, respectively :)

Askruk46

Pink Leopard Print


I have so much work to do before I'm back in uni (3 weeks Easter break!), but nail art is proving to be a fantastic form of procrastination. Who wouldn't pick painting pretty pictures and getting high off fumes over writing a seminar presentation, planning two 6k word essays and researching a dissertation?! 

My purchases from Direct Cosmetics are already making a vast difference to the strength and overall look of my nails. Even after only two applications, my Sally Hansen products appear to be working really well; my cuticles are already looking neater and my nails feel stronger, but I can't bare to leave them plain! After all, no manicure is ever complete without a nice shade of nail varnish and a cute design...

I've been looking back at some of my earliest nail art efforts and they make me cringe! It's amazing how much progress can be made in such a short space of time, and although it's often hard to track your own advances, I can definitely see big improvements. One of my biggest progressions is with leopard print nail art; originally my design was always large and a bit messy, and I only stuck to traditional leopard colours (gold, brown, black). Now that my nail varnish collection has expanded, and my hand has grown much steadier, I decided it was about time to return to leopard print nails, a nail art classic!


The equipment:

Models Own 'Pastel Pink'
Fearne 'Coral Island'
Models Own black nail art pen
Models Own white nail art pen
Models Own 3-in-1 clear coat
A fine nail art paintbrush
Silver gems

After filing my nails and applying Sally Hansen 'Age Correct Stregth Dry & Brittle Nail Care' as a base, I use my Models Own pink as my main colour. As you can see in the above picture, I originally wanted my accent nail to be white. I quickly changed my mind after rediscovering Fearne 'Coral Island', which was hiding in the back of my nail art box! I took off the white and applied the dark pink - it tends to take about 3 coats using Fearne nail varnish, as it's a very runny consistency.
Once I was happy with my bases, I began to add the splodges (I've adopted this as a technical term). For the white I used my nail art pen, as the nib end allows a steady flow and tiny little dots. For the pink, I dipped in my finest nail art brush and applied via that. I made sure all splodges varied in size and shape, but were all quite small.Another original intention was to limit the leopard print to one side of my nail, but eventually the design crept further and further across!
When the splodges were dry, I took my black nail art pen and began to add the black patterns. I think of these as outlining the splodges, however I let some overlap, stretch further around and also blend into one another. After all, no leopard has completely symmetrical spots! I also like to add a few little black dots in and amongst the print.
The above picture shows the original plan of leopard print limited to the side of my nails. It just didn't look complete, so I had to keep going! Maybe on a gradient base this would be more effective? Then at least there's still something going on in the blank bits!
For my accent nail, I just inverted the colours, using Models Own 'Pastel Pink' along with black and white for the leopard print. I then added a little silver gem (not shown in the main picture). The manicure probably doesn't need this, but I like to have a bit of sparkle! 

I really love this manicure, and I think I've made dramatic improvements since my initial attempts at leopard print. I've learned that the smaller and tighter the design, the better it looks. Also, going for unusual colours works well, so don't feel limited to typical 'animal' colours like gold and brown... Leopards can be pink!

Askruk46

Nail Mail!

So yesterday morning, having de-cluttered and reorganised my nail varnishes and tools, I decided to treat myself to a lovely little Models Own order. Anyone who's read my previous post will know that I opted for 'Blueberry Muffin', 'Peach Sherbet', 'Pastel Pink', 'Gold Finger', and a clear 3-in-1 coat. All of this came to £20, as purchasing 5 colours = £7 discount. Amazingly P&P is free, which is always an added bonus! My confirmation email from Models Own stated that they'd rush my order to me as soon as possible, but of course customers in the UK should expect to wait up to 10 business days (understandable, with free delivery and all). Anyway, with all of this in mind, I could not believe my ears when I heard the rustling of the postman this morning...
I don't think there is a single person on this planet that wouldn't consider this excellent customer service. My nail mail was literally in my hands within 24 hours of ordering... Crazy! I absolutely love the colours too, and I kind of wish I'd parted with another £20 and ordered five more.
'Pastel Pink' is pretty similar to a shade that I already own, 'Sheer Pink' by W7 (look at this post for the colour). However, the quality of Models Own is always leaps and bounds ahead. This finish only took 2 coats, and even without a decent top coat, I know this will last for ages with hardly any chipping or peeling.
'Peach Sherbet' is a couple of shades lighter than another favourite of mine, 'Fuzzy Peach' (look at the orange shade in this tutorial for the colour). I think these colours will complement one another really well, and I can't wait to create a peach orientated design!
'Blueberry Muffin' is a beautiful delicate blue. It reminds me of classic Chinese blue and white porcelain, and so I am inspired to try a design along these lines in the future. Using a good white base, and another favourite Models Own shade 'Feeling Blue', I think this would make a gorgeous manicure.
Finally, 'Gold Finger' is a lovely gold glitter varnish. This would look lovely over the top of any base - I'm thinking Rimmel's 'Pompous' for a really rich, luxurious manicure, since they are the colours of wealth after all! Once again, it only took 2 coats to achieve this finish, once again demonstrating the quality of Models Own products. 

I'm also going to use this post to sing the praises of Direct Cosmetics, who I placed an order with yesterday as well (these sprees are once-every-few-months happenings, before anyone jumps to conclusions about me being rich/a shopaholic... Although admittedly I am the latter). I've only just discovered this website and I absolutely love it. There are so many discount products to choose from, including brilliant brands like Elizabeth Arden and Stila. Along with some makeup - a pack of five Maybelline 'Moisture Extreme' lipsticks, some Maybelline foundation, an Elizabeth Arden mascara, Rimmel concealer and Sally Hansen loose powder - I also chose a cute Burberry-esque nail file by Pinkee's (79p), Sally Hansen 'Cuticle & Nail Finisher' (£1.99) and Sally Hansen 'Age Correct Strength Dry & Brittle Nail Care' (£1.29). 
I didn't even realise the last product came as a two pack... Even better! I spend so much time painting my nails that I decided it was time to start taking proper care of them, and I can't wait to get my cuticles neat and tidy. The whole order came to about £24.00 inc. P&P, but the majority of this cost was due to the makeup, and so if I had simply stuck to nail products I would have been looking at an order equaling £9.02 (that's with £4.95 postage). I know I say it all the time, but nail art is the cheapest addiction ever, and I recommend both Direct Cosmetics and Models Own to any deal-loving nail artist who wants great quality for bargain prices!

Askruk46

Purple Lace and Gems

For the past week or so I've been embracing the theme of Easter; that means lots of pastel colours, polkadots and bunny rabbits! I fancied doing something a little different today, and so created a design around my new favourite colour, Rimmel 'Pompous'. 
The product photo doesn't really do the shade justice - it looks matte here, but is in fact a gorgeous deep purple speckled with silver and blue shimmers. It's also one of Rimmel's quick drying varnishes, and so is brilliant for impatient, serial-smudgers like myself! I got this a few weeks ago from Nail Polish Direct (see my whole order here!). I was really impressed with both the prices and the quick delivery - if you want cheap nail varnishes, go, go, go!!

The equipment:

Rimmel 'Pompous'
Models Own white nail art pen
Lilac gems

This manicure uses so much less than others, and it felt weird only having a couple of things out in front of me, rather than the usual pile of equipment! I started with clean, filed nails and applied two base coats...
Once dry, I took my white nail art pen and began the lace design. This consisted of two small semicircles in the top right corner (the inner one looks more like a blob in this picture!), and then several dots around. I then encased the design in a wavy line, mimicking the pattern of lace. 
I then applied a thicker, larger wavy line, leaving enough space to add gems in the middle. The little white 'spikes' completed the pattern.
Once I was happy with my lace pattern, I added lilac gems. When everything was dry, I applied two top coats. 
Depending on how steady your hand is, you could paint on the lace using a fine paintbrush, as the flow of varnish out of nail art pens can be a little inconsistent. However, as long as you're used to your nail art pen - the pressure you need to apply, the speed it comes out etc. - then it's pretty safe to use it for a lace design. I know I always say it, but it's much simpler than it looks :)
I cannot express how much I love this colour! I'm never usually fond of purple shades, but the subtle shimmer of Rimmel's 'Pompous' makes it really rich and elegant. I wholeheartedly recommend! 

Oooooh and just before I go, I thought I'd share my new storage system for my nail art tools! My art box is no longer large enough for everything, so it's now only dedicated to my nail varnishes and nail art pens. The pink plastic set of drawers keeps everything else; including dotting tools, paintbrushes and gems; neat and tidy! 
I was so proud of my organisation skills that I treated myself to a little Models Own spree (any excuse for new nail varnishes!) After a lot of umming-and-ahhing, I decided upon 'Blueberry Muffin' (from the Fruit Pastel range), 'Pastel Pink' (from the Ice-Cream Sundae range), 'Peach Sherbert', 'Gold Finger', and a 3-in-1 base coat/top coat/gloss. If you purchase five polishes you save £7 (three polishes = £5 saving), so my grand total was about £20 inc. p&p. The last time I ordered from Models Own my haul was with me within a few days, so I hope the same happens again! 

Askruk46

Easter Nails (and the rest...)

Wow... The past few days have been incredibly busy. I've been backwards and forwards across the North of the country (I seem to spend my whole life on the M62), and so my nails have a been a little bit neglected. But I've finally managed to sit down and dedicate some time to creating Easter nails, which I've been mentally planning for a good few weeks!
I've seen so many Easter designs recently, from Easter eggs to Spring flowers to bunny rabbits. I always wanted to create a chick, as I knew it would look incredibly cute and would be pretty easy to paint. I took inspiration from a variety of Easter cards and gifts, and decided to keep it as simple as possible (because less is always more!)

The equipment:

Models Own 'Jade Stone'
Fearne 'Cotton Candy'
Models Own 'Feeling Blue'
Models Own 'Fuzzy Peach'
Fearne 'Lemon Drizzle'
Rimmel 'Rose Libertine'
NYC 'Pinstripe White'
Barry M 'Grey'
Models Own white nail art pen
Large dotting tool
Small dotting tool
A fine paintbrush
Clear top coat
As usual, I started off with clean, filed nails and applied 2 coats of each base colour. I stuck to a pastel palette, and opted for pale green, pale purple, sky blue, pink and lemon yellow. 
Once dry, I added the basic design to my thumb. This consisted of a large circle for the chick's head, a smaller oval for its body, and little leaf shaped wings. I used one of my brand new nail art paintbrushes, which I am in love with already!
It took about 3 coats to achieve a bright yellow colour over the top of the green, and once this was dry, I used my grey Barry M varnish to outline. I thought black would be too harsh against the pastel shades, and so grey was a good decision. I added legs, feet (claws?) and some spiky hair, and then used Models Own 'Fuzzy Peach' to add a tiny triangular beak. Once this was dry, I outlined in the grey as well, and add dots for eyes.

Once I was happy with my chick, I focused on my other fingers. I was contemplating designing complex Easter eggs, but eventually settled for simple polka dots and stripes. Using my dotting tools I added large and small dots to my index and ring finger, and then used the striping brush of my Models Own white nail art pen to draw vertical and horizontal stripes on my middle and little finger. As always, when all of my nails were completely dry, I added a top coat :)

So there we have my Easter nails! I'm so pleased with the final product, and I really hope they last over Easter weekend (I'm pretty certain they will, as Models Own nail varnishes are brilliant quality and never seem to chip or peel away!)

Ooooh, just before I go, I want to show you a couple of new purchases! They were waiting for me when I got home today...


I think the total cost of these was about £5, and that's including P&P. I cannot express how much I adore Amazon for their nail arty treats! The paint brushes are lovely - they're chubbier than normal brushes and so easier to grip, and the bristles are soft yet sturdy. I can't wait to use my new sequins and beads either, it'll be a nice change from gems which have always been my go-to for added sparkle!

Oh and one more thing... I feel slightly guilty for not dedicating a whole post to these nails, but they were done in a rush and therefore I don't have a tutorial. Plus, they're pretty basic in comparison to some of my other designs.

My brand new black and white midi-dress inspired these. I used W7 'Purple' as my main colour, and then for my accent nail I added an abstract pattern using my Models Own black nail art pen over NYC 'Pinstripe White'. These nails only lived for one night, but next time I wear my dress I will definitely do them again!

So I think I've finally covered everything. If I don't check in again over the weekend, Happy Easter! I cannot wait to feast on chocolate all Sunday long... This Lent has been a painful one!

Askruk46

Nail Varnish On A Budget

I keep seeing so many brilliant offers for nail varnish, but unfortunately the majority are all US based, and don't ship internationally :( I noticed an amazing offer at ulta.com, where a lot of polishes are only $2 and there's a $3.50 discount when you spend $10 or over. Converted to GBP, that's about £1.30 for the varnishes and more than £2 off your order, amazing! However I soon realised that it's only US shipping, so my bubble was well and truly burst.

I was so excited about the prospect of bargain nail varnishes that I began hunting down sales and voucher codes. My go-to site is Models Own, because they do fantastic nail varnish deals (buy 3 save £3, and buy 5 save £7). That means you can pick up five colours for £18, rather than pay £5-£6 each in shops. HOWEVER, I was in the mood for even more of a bargain, and more of a choice (Models Own colours are lovely, but I feel a little bit limited).

That's when I discovered Nail Polish Direct. Straight away I noticed the 'FREE DELIVERY ON ALL UK ORDERS!' on the homepage, which is always a bonus. I joined the Facebook group via the same page, as I know that offers and voucher codes are often advertised there. And I was in luck - they've just got the China Glaze Texture Collection in stock, and for the launch they're offering customers 10% of orders.

Although I didn't purchase anything from that collection, the voucher code was still valid for other items :) So I had a quick browse through, picking up any of the colours that I've been wanting for a while (a lime green, a pale grey, and a candy coloured pink). Obviously, with such cheap prices, I ended up grabbing a few more than I expected...

Although the quality of W7 isn't amazing, my clear top coats always ensure that chipping and peeling is avoided. These four were all £1.95 each - it would be rude to ignore such a deal!









I also picked up 3 Rimmel nail varnishes. I've always loved Rimmel, as it's so quick drying and chip resistant. These were slightly more expensive at £2.95... Still a bargain though!







As any mathematician would tell you, (£1.95 x 4) + (£2.95 x 3) = £16.65, which is brilliant in itself for an order of seven nail varnishes. However, the 10% discount meant that my total was only £14.99, and along with the free delivery, this was definitely an amazing purchase!

It's a shame that a lot of the US deals don't ship internationally, but with sites like Models Own and Nail Polish Direct, you can still pick up bargains. Nail art is such a cheap addiction!

*Images accessed via the NPD website: www.nailpolishdirect.co.uk

Askruk46

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