Nailing it

Here it is, a very first blog post, and instead of worrying "gosh will anyone read this?" "and what if they read it and think I'm stupid?!"I'm just going straight in to one of my favourite types of make up: nail varnish.

I love how it can show off a little personality with sparkles, patterns and crazy colours or just look really sleek and chic - think glossy, shiny nude nails...

I thought I'd ease us all in with some of my favourite looks I've painted. I have been to a salon and done the shellac thing, and it was great and did last two weeks of holiday. But for me, I just love painting my own nails, I find it really relaxing and had also got used to them looking different at least twice a week, oops! As the photos show I am far from a pro and A LOT of cotton buds save the day when I get painting, but it is fun and I always get comments about my nails (including "do you change your nails as often as you change your knickers?!")

So without anymore hesitation....

 This week I have started with a lovely purple Barry M gelly polish with a generous top coat (or three) of a Barry M sparkle polish.

They are so colourful and pretty, I keep gazing at them when I am meant to be typing / focusing at work...ahem.

 Love this graffiti top coat! It was from 17 at Boots and a total barg. I was originally playing around seeing what colours looked best underneath it, then finished my hand and loved it as it was! I have used it since with a pink polish underneath which looked fab too.

A top coat is a must with this as I discovered - otherwise the "graffiti" bits catch on EVERYTHING.

This was a little fiddly, using a white Wah Nail Art Pen.

The colour was actually more lavender than blue and it looked super cute. A male colleague even commented on my "Cath Kidston nails"

It did upset me when it chipped so quickly after spending a looooong time making perfect polka dots...one for patient people!

 These were my 1st - of - January - let's -start -the year -with - lots - of -razzle -dazzle nails. 

Navy polish and purple on the feature nail, with matching sparkle top coats (lots of it!)

It looked incredible, SO sparkly, but my god glitter polishes are a sod to remove....

Summer Nails! Another Barry M Gelly Polish base with their confetti effect on top. Really bright and pretty, got lots of nice compliments for these bad boys!








And this is my all time favourite nail effect that is so flipping easy I almost don't want to share...


But as I am just starting this blogging lark it wouldn't be on to be selfish. 




















Pick your colours, either two from the same sort of colour group or a total contrast.

On the right I picked a pale blue Nails Inc and my trusty purple Barry M Gelly, the left was a pearly white with you guessed it...my trusty Barry M Gelly polish!

Paint a thin base coat and let it dry completely. Then paint your base colour again, but a little thicker. While it is wet put a few blobs of your second colour on the top of this. Using a nail art tool / toothpick / pencil just wiggle and swirl it down to the bottom of the nail. It will look dreadful at first, but I promise you, once dry and you paint a clear top coat on they will look sha-mazing (sorry, but I love Nicole Sherzinger and I will never be ashamed of that)

Anyway, the final result will lead people to asking "ooh is that  a nail sticker" and "how on earth did you do that?!", to which you smugly reply "oh it was super easy!", smile and walk away leaving them stunned at your talent.

The one thing I am struggling with is a good top coat, I currently use OPI but my nails still chip the second I turn my back, so any recommendations are very welcome!