Christmas Nail Art Ideas

With Christmas fast approaching (is it really a mere four days away) I decided to create three basic, fun, effective yet completely unoriginal nail art designs perfect for the upcoming festivities. I may have a certificate in shellac, but when it comes to nail art my skills are basic to say the least (one of my New Years Resolutions will definitely be to attend a Pro Nails, Nail Art Course) so the above ideas are simple and fuss free to re create. The only tool needed is a steady hand, or the perfect nail art cheats, que a novices best friends, the Models Own and Barry M Pens.

First up we have Snowflakes. For the base I used two coats of Sephora's Jacuzzi, a beautiful pale blue. I then went on to use the Barry M Pen to create the flakes (similarly you could use a thin brush) finally I applied a coat of Ciate's Halo, a fabulous holographic top coat. With hints of pink, purple and blue this really creates the perfect finish. 

Next up we have the customary sparkly candy canes (without a doubt my favourite of the three). For the base I applied two coats of Ciate's Mistress, a vibrant tomato red (one coat would be sufficient) and two coats of Ciate's enchanted rose (cant beat a hint of sparkle). It will come as no suprise that I simply used the Models own Pen to create the stripes. I can guarantee that this design will adorn my nails Christmas day (remember an outfit is not complete without a mani). 

Finally, last but certainly not least we have some Christmas puddings. For this design I used three coats of Nails Inc's Upper Regent Street (its sadly a rather streaky polish) a gorgeous chocolate brown shade, I then used the Models Own Pen to re create the icing and Ciate's Mojito and Mistress to create the holly. 

Have you attempted any Christmas Nail Art?

I would love to see your ideas if you have!! 

NOTD Chevron Accent Nail

Lets face it, Chevrons (that oh so familiar zig zag pattern), seem to be the latest 'in thing'. Log into the likes of Instagram, Tumblr & Etsy and you will be faced with Chevron adorned items from Cork boards (check out Abby's post) and display trays, to Jewellery and Nail art. 

After seeing Polish Art Addictions Chevron inspired nails, I decided to give her beautiful design a go.

Its certainly not perfect, but for a first attempt im pretty darn pleased. 

To create the above design I first applied Models Own's Snow White to my middle finger. While I waited for it to dry I used two coats of Ciate's Ladylike luxe and Models Own's Juicy Jules, on my ring finger, and Ciate's Jellybean on the other nails. 

To create the chevrons I painted tape with the above black Models own nail art pen, and began cutting out small zig zag shapes. Once Snow White had dried I applied my just cut Chevrons to the nail, and tah dah, my attempt of a Chevron Accent nail was complete!!! 

What do you think of the Chevron Craze?

Have you attempted a similar Accent nail? If so please send me your links, I would love to take a peek!

NOTD MUA Fluff & Cuddles

Hello lovelies, I hope your all well. 
 So when I saw pictures on Instagram of MUA's version of the velvet manicure  aptly named the "fur-effect nails" , I knew I needed to take a trip to Superdrug. Forever wanting to try something new I couldn't wait to get my hands on these Ciate inspired dupes. 

The fur effect collection contains five different shades of fluffy delights. Fluffy Bobbin (deep blue), Fluff and Cuddles (a deep pink/mauve shade), Fuzzy Fluff (bright pink), Boo Boo Fluff (bright light blue), Fluffy Puff (baby Pink). With the £2 price tag I had to stop myself from purchasing them all, however I sensibly opted for two, Fluffy puff (post here) and Fluff and Cuddles.

Fluff and Cuddles is a gorgeous dark pink/mauve shade, which also looks red in some lighting. 

To create the above look all you need to do is;

• Prep nails with your choice of polish. I opted for Nails Inc's Victoria, a gorgeous deep oxblood red colour the perfect shade to create a contrast.

• Then apply a second coat
• Whilst wet press your nail down into the fluffy pot, until covered (I only applied fluffy puff to ring finger)
• Finally brush excess off, Its as easy as that

MUA's fur-effect nails, is a rather effective and easy form of nail art. Like I mentioned in my previous post the only gripe I have is that the fur gets dirty rather quickly, and who wants dirty looking nails. 

Have you tried fur-effect nails??

What do you think of this furry trend??

NOTD..MUA Fluffy Puff

Lets face it Ciate seem to be the crème de la crème of nail art. First there was the release of Caviar nails, and now there is the anticipated release of the velvet manicure . In all honesty no matter how much I may love the designs I find the prices extortionate for nail art that will more than likely be a fad. So when I saw pictures on Instagram of MUA's version of the velvet manicure  aptly named the "fur-effect nails" , I knew I needed to take a trip to Superdrug. 

The fur effect collection contains five different shades of fluffy delights. Fluffy Bobbin (deep blue), Fluff and Cuddles (a deep pink/mauve shade), Fuzzy Fluff (bright pink), Boo Boo Fluff (bright light blue), Fluffy Puff (baby Pink). With the £2 price tag I had to stop myself from purchasing them all, however I sensibly opted for two, Fluff and Cuddles (post to come) and Fluffy Puff. 

A gorgeous baby pink, fluffy puff is perfect for jazzing up a basic manicure, and best of all its easy enough for even the biggest novice (myself included). 

To create the above look all you need to do is;

• Prep nails with your choice of polish. 

I opted for Ciate's Cutie Pie, a fellow baby pink and the perfect companion to fluffy puff.

• Then apply a second coat
• Whilst wet press your nail down into the fluffy pot, until covered (I only applied fluffy puff to ring finger)
• Finally brush excess off, Its as easy as that

MUA's fur-effect nails, is a rather effective and easy form of nail art. The only gripe I have is that the fur gets dirty rather quickly. 

Have you tried fur-effect nails??

What do you think of this furry trend??

NOTD Feeling Nautical

Nail Art tools- Ebay 

Ciate Cupcake Queen, magic Carpet, Power Dressing

Models Own Snow White 

I cannot deny it, my biggest weakness has to be nail polish, nothing beats browsing a makeup stand and admiring all the fabulous shades on offer, or the feeling of buying a brand new polish, having to road test the shade immediately (I have issues ha). This weakness has no signs of disappearing any time soon and the love affair is only fueled further due to having best friends that share this ever growing obsession. So its hardly surprising that one of my Christmas presents from one of my fellow nail addicts was well, nail related. Iv'e been eyeing up nail art tools for quite some time, yet never got around to purchasing them. Unwrapping the rather lovely purple tools, I couldn't help but plan nail related ideas in my head. Being the novice that I am, I opted for..uh well stripes, and in all honesty I ended up using the nail art pen more so than the tools (tut tut). 

I was rather unoriginal with my design, and based it upon this NOTD from the Beauty Department. For the base coat I used Ciate's Power Dressing, and opted for Ciate's Cupcake queen on my ring finger (ah such a blogging cliche). I then used models Own's Snow white to create the stripes aswell as Models Own's White Nail art pen. Finally I used Cupcake Queen and Magic Carpet along with one of the pens to create little hearts. 

Il be the first to say that its definitely not perfect, but for a first attempt Im quite pleased!! 

Ciate Advent Christmas Countdown.. Days 6-13

6. Angel Wings... 7. Cutie Pie... 8. Vintage... 9. Mistress... 10. Ladylike Luxe... 11. Bumble Bee... 12. Twilight... 13. Glass Slipper

Hello lovelies, I hope your all well, and feeling festive! After consuming one to many glasses of homemade mulled wine, and eating one to many portions of Christmas Dinner with friends I am well and truly wrapped up in the spirit of Christmas. I seriously cannot believe that its a mere 11 days till Christmas, and a sad 10 days left of the Ciate Advent Calender. Being the nail addict that I am I have thoroughly enjoyed opening a brightly coloured door each morning to be greeted with miniature glass bottles, filled with fabulous shades, adorning a little black bow. So although I will be ex tactic to see Christmas morning arrive, I will also be sad to open the last door of my advent (I think theres a gap in the market, and a yearly calender should be released ha). 

So behind the doors of days 6-12 theres been yet another bottle full of beautiful Caviar beads, aptly named Bumble Bee due to the mix of yellow and black shades. A shimmery silver and a gorgeous gold. An unexpected new faviourite to my collection in the form of Vintage, a creamy dark grey with a somewhat green tint to it. Two classic shades Cutie Pie a creamy baby pink, and Mistress a creamy bright red.Twilight a stunning black with gold flecks that run throughout, and last but not least one of my faviourite shades so far a beautiful bright blue glitter polish 'glass slipper', a limited edition exclusive to the advent. 

On the Fifth day of Christmas my true love gave to me...

Ciate's Cabaret... 

Cabaret is a gorgeous deep shade of purple, a shade very much similar to Models Own's Purple Grey!! In all honesty I found this streaky to apply unlike the others I have received so far, and after three coats I still feel like it could do with another! On top of this my brush was a little damaged, but ah well, its a lovely shade none the less. What did you lovely lot think of Door number 5? On a side note I adore the quote on the inside of the door, wise words from Coco Chanel. 

On the Fourth day of Christmas my true love gave to me...

Ciate's Caviar Pearls in Prom Queen...

 I really like the treat behind door number 4, it gives nail addicts the opportunity to try the Caviar trend without the £18 price tag!!  When it comes to painting my nails, a nail art pen is the most imaginative I ever get. So the prospect of a bottle full of little beads leaves me a little overwhelmed, but im definitely up for the nail art challenge after seeing what can be achieved.

On the Third day of Christmas my true love gave to me..

Ciate's Halo..

Another day another polish! On the back of the box Halo looks like a lilac shade, but it is actually the most gorgeous clear topcoat filled with lots of iridescent glitter!! due to the pretty pink and blues within this shade, its a perfect polish to wear subtly on its own, or as a perfect topcoat to add a little sparkle during the upcoming festivities. 

On the second day of Christmas my true love gave to me...

Ciate's Dangerous Affair..

I think I could get used to the whole painting my nails with a new polish every day thing!!.. shame its not a yearly advent ha. I slightly ruined my excitement this morning by logging onto instagram to be greeted with everyone else's pictures before opening door number two to reveal the next little bottle of polish with its dainty little bow (note to self, open advent then log onto instagram ha). Enough of my rambling, Dangerous Affair is a lovely wine red, and the perfect shade for this time of year, im already planning on teaming it up with Barry M's red glitter, for that extra bit of Christmas Sparkle!! 

On the First day of Christmas my true love gave to me....

Ciate's Cupcake Queen...

Hello lovelies, so its finally December which means only one thing, Its now acceptable to feel all christmassy, of course this means blasting out Christmas music (hello pogues), wapping out the oversized reindeer jumper, covering everything in site with sprinkles of glitter, and of course counting down the days till jolly old st Nick arrives, and what better way to do so with my less than conventional but none the less fabulous Ciate Advent Calender. For an added countdown ive decided that I will share my Ciate offerings each day with you lovely lot!!

So door number one, unveiled Cupcake Queen, a shade oh so similar to Ciate's Jellybean, a barbie pink , filled with blue undertones. A very bright, but perfect pink to add to my already brimming collection!! 

A nail addicts dream, is now a reality!!

I will put my hands up and admit that I am a total child when it comes to Christmas, I may be 21 but to me its still a truly magical time of year. With this being the case I do my utmost each year to get thoroughly into the Christmas spirit, which means lusting after Starbucks red cups, consuming my body weight in mulled wine and mince pies, pulling out the woolly jumpers and decorating the house in all that sparkles. Of course aswell as this I eagerly await the 1st of December when I can start waking up to a chocolate each morning and counting down the days till old st nick comes down our chimneys once more. 

So whats better than a chocolate filled advent calender to count away the days?? I think I would have to say an advent calender filled with nail polishes!! and no ive not made this up (although this is every girls dream right?), this year thanks to Ciate and Selfridges all us make up addicts out there can wake up to a 5ml mini nail polish each morning throughout December!! 

The advent itself contains 17 mini polishes, 4 pots of their caviar offerings, aswell as 3 unseen shades exclusive to the advent ( ive got a sneaky feeling that they are glitters). It almost sounds to good to be true right? The only downfall is that compared to the conventional £2 advent calender, this baby will set you back nearly £40, the price of 4 full sized Ciate polishes, not bad if you ask me, but then I am a nail addict after all. 

You can purchase this fabulous set from selfridges.com, aswell as in store!!

Will you be waking up to a Nail Polish a day this December or will you be sticking to a good old chocolate Santa?? 

NOTD,Another magazine freebie..Ciate Jelly Bean

hello lovelies i hope your all well, its safe to say that the monthly magazines have definitely gone all out with their freebies this month, so far ive spotted a jemma kidd eyeliner with red magazine, benefit primers with benefit see my post here and Marie Claire have a choice of three gorgeous nail polishes!! last year i posted about the gorgeous ciate Marie Claire freebie in which i picked up wait until dark post here, and whilst becoming a firm faviourite i have been lusting after another ever since, when i spotted jelly bean i knew i had to get it, a gorgeous pink with blue shimmer undertones, this is a perfect summer shade! the brush is somewhat small but with just two coats the colour is opaque!! i decided to use it as an accent nail and paired it with essies mint candy apple and to be honest im liking the combination. 

i have a somewhat weakness for ciate packaging, with the gorgeous shaped bottle along with the little bow. i love everything about this polish the packaging, the name, the colour and best of all for about £3 when they usually retail at £9 its a total bargain. 

the other two choices are a lovely nude and a lilac, but this baby just stood out the most for me!! have you purchased this months Marie Claire??

Nail Polish Collection (part 2)

Hello lovelies, hope your all having a fab weekend!! so heres the second part  of my nail polish collection, you can see the first part here!!..as i mentioned in the previous post by no means at all am i bragging in anyway, these polishes have been collected over a long period of time or have been from magazine freebies!! i hope you enjoy....

l-r: Revlon gold coin, revlon facets of fuchsia, missguided mystique, missguided missfit, collection 2000 scarlet, collection 2000 swizzles, collection 2000 blue hawaii 

l-r: ciate wait until dark, h&m corall summer, h&m pink summer, h&m on ice, h&m pink skies

wait until dark is the only ciate polish i own, but without a doubt has to be the best magazine freebie ive had, as for the h&m polishes they have uber cute packaging and are amazing quality for about £2ish each 

l-r: evie mai miscellaneous colours, elf purple pleaser, elf party purple 

l-r: max-factor disco pink,17 pink grapefruit, 17 knockout red, china glaze for audrey, claires (unknown), oldschool rimmel polishes

l-r: peach melba, nail effect 314, bright pink, fuchsia, one upon a time, red glitter, raspberry

Barry M are probably one of the cheapest and best value for money polishes out there. with a range of shades and finishes they always seem to have the shade needed to go with that special outfit or fancy dress theme haha

So how do you store your polishes?? send me a link to your nail polish collection posts id love to have a snoop ;)??