Half n' Half With a Touch of Flower

       Its been over a week since I've done a nail post, I know...c'est tres tres terrible. Last week was a super busy week for me, so I decided to go and get a manicure done. Which of course meant I spent a week making sure my manicure lasted... thus the lack of nail design posts. To remedy this, this week's nail design is combining both the "colour blocking" technique which has become very trendy as of late in addition to a flower. So what are you waiting for read on and try it yourself!

Polishes I Used:

• Wet n' Wild in Lilac Champagne
• Simply Sweet (the magenta nail polish, no colour name was given on the bottle)
• Sally Hansen Hard As Nails in White Tip
• Sally Hansen Ultimate Shield Base and Top Coat
• Sally Hansen Lacquer Shine in Lustrous (Centre of flowers
• I also used a silver nail striper but its from the dollar store and kind of tempermental...

Now to the Design!

Step 1: Paint you rnails a solid base colour, I painted mine the unnamed magenta coloured polish.

Step 2: When your base coat has dried, paint your alternate colour (mine was Lilac Champagne) over half of your nail diagonally (if you aren't steady handed enough to do this free-handed you can get the same results by using scotch tape to create a line). psst... this is what all the trendy people are calling "colour blocking" or "color block" nails.

Step 3: Using a dotting tool dipped in white nail polish, create two dots opposite each other near the centre of the nail. Then add two more dots to make a t-shape.

Step 4: If you want a tear drop shaped flower you can drag the polish in using a toothpick, it will make a sort of cross-like shape.

Step 5: Make a black dot in the centre of the flowers. If you made your flower to be tear drop shaped you can drag this out (using the toothpick) should you desire a hint of black in the centre of your flower's petals.

Step 6: Using a silver striping tool (or a tiny paint brush dipped in silver nail polish), paint a silver line along the line where the two colours (the light and dark pink) meet each other. Now just paint a a topcoat over your design and you're all done!

 I'd love to see pictures if anyone decides to try this themselves! Also, if you want further clarification on how to use tape when "colour blocking" let me know in the comments and I'll write a tutorial post!

 

Sparkly Polka Dot Bow

        This design though it might seem a bit more complicated at first than some of the designs I've previosuly posted, is actually not that difficult at all! All you need to get your own Sparkly Polka Dot Bow is a bit of time and patience :)

Polishes I Used:

• Sally Hansen Hard as Nails Xtreme Wear in Blue it
• Sally Hansen Hard As Nails in White Tip
• Sally Hansen Ultimate Shield Base and Top Coat
• Wet n Wild Wild Shine in Hallucinate (Sparkley polish)

Let's Get Started!

1. Paint your nails a solid base colour, I chose to paint mine blue.

2. Using a dotting tool dipped in White nail polish, create a diagonal line of polka dots from one corner of your nail to the opposite corner .  

3. At each corner of your nails paint a diagonal line of 3 polka dots (parallel to your original line of polka dots) on either side of the original polka dot line.

4. Using your sparkly nail polish, paint sparkles over the white dotted design. Finish by painting a topcoat over your nails to seal the design and that's it you now have your very own sparkly polka dot bow!

 

Earthy Nails

      This design is perfect for anyone who wants to show a bit of love for the Earth, is new at doing nail designs or is in a rush but still wants a bit more oomph than plain nails. Even though its not Earth Day, I felt that I wanted to do a nail design that was inspired by our wonderful planet. I try to be very environmentally aware and incorporate simple steps that I know will I help the earth on a daily basis (like recycling). Then again, it's not like nail polish is exactly environmentally friendly... But that would be cool wouldn't it? If someone invented an environmentally friendly nail polish that was durable! Do you (guys) know of any eco-friendly nail polishes?! If so I'd love it if you told me about them in the comments below!!!! 

     Anyways if you want to try this design out for yourself simply follow the steps below; though I must watn you it is super easy!

Nail Polishes I used:

Avon Nailwear Pro Electric Green

Avon Nailwear Lagoon

Sally Hansen Ultimate Shield Base & Top Coat

Step 1: File your nails and paint them two coats of Electric Green nail polish.

Step 2: Using the Lagoon polish paint random lines across your nails (the more random the better!) And thats it, thats all there is to this Earth inspired nail design! (No just paint a top coat on to seal in your design.)

Random Designs I have on my nails:

•  One diagonal stripe (from one corner of your nail to the other)
•  Corner Triangles (Just paint the brush over the edge on one corner your to imitate a triangle)
•  Vertical Line (Paint a blue line down the centre of your nail; it helps if you paint this from top to bottom)
•  Vertical line/ Corner Triangle combo (Paint a vertical line down the centre of your nail and add a corner triangle to one side of the vertical line)

ps. If you need have any polish on the skin around your nail (like I do here), use a Q-tip dipped in nail polish remover to clean up the design.

Crackled Glitter

       With summer fast approaching its time to get your footsies sandal ready! Its important to make sure that you give your feet a good soak to start off your pedicure and always remember to file your nails straight across; nobody wants an ingrown toenail, ewww!

Nail Polishes I used:

• Sally Hansen Ceramics in Coral Pink
• Avon Crackle in White
• Sally Hansen Ultimate Sheild Base and Top Coat
• Lin Striping polish in Silver

Step 1: Paint your toes with two coats of Coral Pink nail polish



Step 2:  Using the striping tool paint a diagonal silver line from one corner of your nail to the opposite corner.

Step 3: Paint a thin coat of the white crackle beneath the silver line. Then paint a top coat to seal in your design and your toes are sandal ready!

Pretty Polka Dots



    Yeh I know, glittery copper polish is more of a fall/winter trend but, what's a girl to do if she feels metallic in the spring but go with it! This design is pretty simple, its great if you're just learning how do nail art or if you don't have the time to do realy intricate nail designs. I quite like this design because it incroporates the polka dots I loved when I was smaller without seeming too kiddish.

Nail Polishes I Used:

Revlon Limited Edition Copper Gleam

Sally Hansen Hard As Nails White Tip

Sally Hansen Ultimate Shield Base and Top Coat



Step 1: File your nails and paint them two coats of Copper Gleam

Step 2: Using a dotting tool make three white polka dot from one corner of you nail to the opposite corner of your nail in a diagonal line

Step 3: Paint on a top coat.

Its that easy, just 3 steps and you have a pretty polka dot nails!

Do you like the colour? Should there be more polka dots? Let me know what you guys thought of this design!

Polished Lilac

My latest nail art design was fully inspired by all the beautiful blooms that I see this spring, well that and I really love floral designs!

For this design I used

• Sally Hansen, Xtreme Wear in Lacey Lilac
• Sally Hansen Ultimate Shield Fortifying Base and Top Coat
• Sally Hansen Hard As Nails in White Tip (White flowers)
• Sally Hansen Lacquer Shine in Lustrous (Centre of flowers)
• Wet n Wild Wild Shine in Hallucinate (Sparkley polish)

First file you nails a squareish shape with rounded edges and paint the base colour of your choice, I chose Lacey Lilac.

Then, using a dotting tool, make two white dots diagonal from each other in the corner of your nail.

After this, add two more white dots to the same corner of your nail so that you now have four white dots in a square-like shape.

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Now, use a dotting tool to make a small black dot in the centre of these four white dots.                                  
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Next, add three white dots in an L-like shape in the corner of each of your other fingers.  >>>>>


Finally, add a black dot in the centre of each L-shaped trio of white dots.
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  If you want to add a bit of sparkle to your nails, paint a bit of sparkle/glitter nail polish over each of the flowers on your nails. When this had dried paint a top coat on your nails to protect the design and presto, you now have a beautiful floral design on all of your nails!

Heart Nail Art

 
   One of my favourite ways to treat myself after a stressful day is to grab a bottle of nailpolish, whip up a hand soak and begin an at home manicure session. I do enjoy going to nail salons on occasion but going out too often to get your nails done at a salon can be pricey. And lets be honest, sometimes you'd much rather stay in your pyjamas or a comfy sweater and stay at home!

   The first step in any at home manicure session should be a hand soak. Not only is taking the time to enjoy a hand soak relaxing but, I've found that it actually improves the condition of my nails; especially after removing nail polish. You can purchase premade handsoaks at most stores but if you're in the mode for an entirely DIY manicure why not try the recipe I used for my handsoak?

Recipe for a Simple Homemade Hand Soak

1. 2 tbsps of cream
2. 1 tbsp of honey
3. Your favourite liquid soap (I used softsoap mango infusions)
4. Medium size bowl of hot water

    Mix all of the ingredients together until there are lots of bubbles, place your hands in and relax while the soak refreshes and soothes your hands.

Once your done soaking your hands and filing your nails its nail polish time! If your looking for a design that has a bit of sparkle and love to add some glitter to your nails check out my Heart Nail Art Design below!

Paint your nails a base colour (two coats should do it)

My base colour is, 'Viva Pink' Avon Nailwear Pro

Make two white dots using a dotting tool on the corner of your nails

Make a third dot beneath the two dots

Fill in the space around the dot carefully using a toothpick

Using the dotting too,l make a series of small dots across the tip of the nail

Paint red sparkly polish over the heart and dots to give them extra sparkle

When this has dried, paint a single coat of the red sparkly polish over the entire nail

The red sparkly coat I used was, 'Gettin' Miss Piggy With It' OPI

Use a Q-Tip dipped in nailpolish remover to clean up any nailpolish around your nail and Voila!

You have Heart Nail Art that will have all your friends believing you went to the nail salon!