Why does it have to be such a blue kiss?

Hi!

It's been a while since I've done a Sunday Stamping mani, and this weeks theme was to use a colour combination you've not used before. I had to think hard, but eventually decided to use pink and blue and a design inspired by Mod Nails. I left off the bow from her design, as I only have white ones, and replaced it with a stud, and moved the designs around a bit. The polishes used were OPI Pink Friday and Sally Hansen Insta Dry Blue By, and the glitter was China Glaze Snow Globe. The kisses were from two Bundle Monster plates and an Essence plate, and the stripes (first time I've got them straight!) from MoYou Pro 01. Oh, and I went back to almonds which I think suits my curvy bendy nails much better when they're long.

I like this as a colour combo, and I wouldn't have thought of it if it wasn't for the challenge. I love how challenges continue to push me, even if I'm not always happy with the result! This time, I was though. Happy Helly.

Hx

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Tri-Polish Tuesday Pink, Brown and Grey #4 - Blobby blobby blobby...

Hi!

If you were around in the 90's you'll know what my title refers to (in the UK at least)! I loved and hated Mr Blobby for many reasons which I wont go into here, but anyway, blobby! I still feel like I haven't mastered the blobby vintage roses mani, but Mr NN said they were pretty so I'll take that! The colours used for the final TPC of the month are Barry M Lychee - brown (ok, nude, but you'll let me off wont you?!), Sally Hansen Eel Skin - grey, and two pinks, OPI Pink Friday and Kiss Me On My Tulips.

I can't believe we're at the end of February already. Next month's colours are green, blue and purple. Inspire me please! And do you have any tips for the blobby roses?

Hx

An InLinkz Link-up

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Valentines Week! My Patchwork Heart

Happy Valentines Day!

For my final Valentine mani this year, I challenged myself and went freehand, and I think it paid off. I really love this patchwork design! I started with a coat of China Glaze Dance Baby on all of my nails, and then added a second coat to my pinkie and index. Once that was completely dry I sketched out the heart and patches using Barry M's white nail art pen and filled the sections in. I used Dance Baby, a-England Briar Rose, Barry M Prickly Pear and Above The Curve Rain Kissed Strawberries. While this was drying I added stripes of white and Briar Rose to the other nails and then went back over the lines separating the patches to neaten them up and add the "stitches". Patchwork hearts. Done.

I hope you've enjoyed Valentines week! I actually haven't, but I've had a rough couple of days and all I want to wear is black. Maybe next week should be moody black week...

Whether you're celebrating or not tonight, have a great evening!

Hx

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Tri-Polish Tuesday - Pink, Brown and Grey #2 - Chocolate box!

Hi!

As it's Valentines week, I am going to try to fit my challenge posts into the theme too! I thought this design looked chocolate box-y and since reduced chocolate the day after v-day is probably the best part I thought it fitted! I used OPI Skull and Glossbones, China Glaze Dance Baby and Barry M Mocha, and the accent is a mix of OPI Pink Yet Lavender and a heart glitter polish I've had for yonks.

I need to work on my lines, they've been a bit wobbly lately!

Hx

An InLinkz Link-up

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Studs and Roses

Hi!

I was in the mood for roses, and I won some of Mr Barry M's new matte polishes from the lovely Lane's Laquers, so I decided to combine the two and throw some studs at it for good measure! I used Vanilla and Espresso, stamped with Konad Black and plate BM 323 for the roses. The stripes were freehanded and came out somewhat thicker than I wanted, and none of it was topcoated to keep the matte effect. But this also meant that 6 out of the 8 studs pinged off while I was getting my eyebrows threaded...

I don't know, but it kinda reminded me of Robyn Thicke when Miley Cyrus ground her rubber clad but against his groin. Not pleasant. I liked it enough but it didn't last the day... Vanilla is going to be a favourite though. What do you think?

Hx

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Skittle me blue...

Hi!

I was in the mood for blue and chevrons the other day, so blue and chevrons is what I had! My base was China Glaze First Mate, and the glitter on my ring finger was Glistening Snow. I used a plate from the newest Bundle Monster set for the chevrons with Barry M Silver Foil and freehanded the stripey liney things on my middle finger with Barry M Silver Nail Art Pen, which matched perfectly. A couple of rhinestones and done.

Glistening Snow was so sparkly, I just couldn't quite capture it. I was happy with how this turned out, I don't think it was anything special but it was well executed for once! I've seen people struggle with the stamp I used so I was pleased I got it even and had no real gaps in the image. It's the little things that make me happy.

Hx

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33 Day Challenge day 27 - 3 patterns!

Hello!

Today's challenge was to incorporate 3 patterns into your manicure, and I went with classic dots, stripes and random splodges! I used black as a base and Color Club Molten Metals for the patterns, and then mattefied it! I think the effect was quite striking, even if the execution wasn't fantastic...

Hx

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33 Day Challenge Day 24 - most owned colour!

Hi again!

Today's prompt was to feature the colour you have the most of, and I think mine is either pink or purple. So I went for a compromise and settled for lilac (plus the two gorgeous base colours were sat in my untrieds, all lonely and unloved!) I used Face of Australia (a lovely gift) in Castle on a Cloud - a really pretty soft lilac with subtle shimmer and paired it with Emily de Molly Simplicity (perfection in a 12ml bottle). Then I added Color Club Diamond Drops to my pointer and some silver and white stripes with Barry M nail art pens to my pinky and middle fingers and tada! My topcoat bubbled a bit so don't look too close...

I do love a bit of a skittle!

Check out the other ladies taking part!

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33 Day Challenge day 21 - Europe!

Morning!

As soon as I saw the prompt for today, I knew I wanted to do Moulin Rouge/Paris inspired nails. You know what having a solid idea in your head means, in my case anyway. Fail. It's not too bad, but the stamping didn't come out as well as I hoped. I used A-England Bridal Veil as my base, which is a lovely polish but mine has a bad brush, which should have been an omen for the rest of the mani I guess. The accent is Sally Hansen Gem Crush Lady Luck and stamped with Color Club Hot Like Lava (and freehand stripes), with a mix of Bundle Monster and Pueen plates. I wish the stamping had come out as vibrant as the stripes, or that I'd used a stamp for the stripes so that they matched. Hindsight is a wonderful thing, non?

I'll definitely try this again, with a more opaque stamping polish. I need to find a good red for over black...

Hx

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Happy Halloween!

Hi!

Today I'm showing you my only Halloween manicure this year. I just haven't been feeling it really, and all my creativity has been zapped with ideas for the 33 day challenge. I've been battling with illness too and we weren't going to do anything but let the kids dress up to answer the door to trick or treaters. But then Mr NN went and bought them cute costumes (I'm bound to instagram them later) and I picked up a few decorations in Poundland, so we decided to take them trick or treating and I needed nails that fit the bill. I think these are possibly the simplest Halloween nails I've ever done, but they're still cute. Just skittles, all done with Color Club Poptastic neons (Pucci-licious, Twiggy and Wham! Pow!) , topped with China Glaze Whirled Away. I usually can't stand bar glitter, but this is sparse enough that it doesn't make my nails look hairy and I can handle that. I freehanded stripes on my accent nail for a bit more interest. Simples.

Happy Halloween!

Hx

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33 Day Challenge Day 11 - 3D

Morning

Firstly, I just have to say a few things have happened over the last week or so that are making it difficult for me in general at the moment. So please excuse me if I miss a few days or end up posting late for a while. I'm going to desperately try not to drop out of the challenge completely but I can't promise that either :(

Anyway, onto today's challenge which was to create a 3D manicure. It's well documented that I love a nautical mani, and I've never customised a set of false tips before so I combined the two and came up with this. I used a set of Elegant Touch Polished UV Gel Nails, which I blogged about here in Polished Red as the base, and customised them with caviar beads, rhinestones and a striper to create these simple 3D talons! Top tip - use a waxy eyeliner pencil to pick up your caviar beads - so much easier than messing around with tweezers or a toothpick dipped in topcoat!

Hx

The product featured was a PR sample provided to me for free for review consideration. All opinions expressed are my own and 100% honest. Please see my disclaimer in the tab above for further details.

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33 Day Challenge day 3 - tape manicure!

Hi!

Let it be known that I suck at tape manicures. They are not my bag. For some people it's watermarbling, others can't stamp. I can't get to grips with tape. I just don't have the patience or the co-ordination - something which you need for tape to work! So I went for something simple and fairly difficult to mess up and it came out ok (this was my second attempt mind...)

I went for a black base, lay down some tape in stripes and painted over them with matte topcoat, pulled off the tape and voila! Two stripy accent nails and shiny dots on matte on the rest and I called it a day before I messed something up!

I love the contrast between the shiny and matte, and I think this would make a great subtle Halloween mani. But who needs subtle at Halloween!

Hx

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