MUA 12 days of Christmas Giveaway

Hello!

Can you believe there are only 12 days until the big man in red is coming? My son is so excited, and the only thing he's asked Father Christmas for is a drum. It's going to be fun in my house in the new year! Anyway, eagle eyed readers may have spotted a new badge in my sidebar, if you click it it will take you to British brand MUA's blog, where they're holding a contest each day between now and Christmas eve. Every day their head make-up artist Karla is going to create a make-up look based on the 12 days of Christmas, and every day you can win all of the products she's used for that look. Sounds good to me!

I absolutely LOVE MUA products, they're great quality and so affordable - just £1 for their core range and their pro range is between £1.50-£8. I'm particularly in lurve with the eyeshadows - I now have 5 of their palettes (although my much hyped Heaven and Earth palette has been dropped more than once and is looking a bit sorry for itself...) and quite a few of their individual shades too. Fantastic quality, pretty colours and brilliant every day basics. Their black Kohl eye liner is fantastic and I couldn't be without the pressed powder.

Here's my MUA look for the day - you can pretty much guarantee that if I'm wearing make-up at least one item will be MUA! For this look I used Pressed Powder Shade 1, Glamour Days Eyeshadow Palette, Black Waterproof Mascara and Lipstick Shade 11.

Clearly I look like a twit, but it was the best I could do with a one year old climbing my leg...

So, head over to MUA's blog and check out the 12 days of Christmas comp, which will be up later today! And look out for a Nail Newbie MUA giveaway in the New Year! Lots of MUA goodies up for grabs :)
EDIT: The first look is up now, and it's a nail one so go and take a look!

Hx

PS Have you liked my facebook page yet?

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31 day challenge - day 31! Recreate your favourite challenge

It's over1 I did the 31 day challenge (in 42 days, but we'll ignore that...) and finished today by recreating my favourite manicure, which was my rainbow design from day 9. I used pastel colours this time, instead of brights and I love the look, so I'm happy not to have to take it off right away! The colours I used, over a base of white, were:

Red: Barbara Daly Think Pink

Orange: barry M Peach Melba

Yellow: Barry M Yellow

Green: Barry M Mint Green

Blue: Barry M Blueberry Ice Cream

Indigo:  Beauty Uk no name from Wild Child gift set

Violet: Barry M Berry Ice Cream

Topped with Collection 2000 Sparkle Top Coat and 17 Glitter Top Coat.

Here's a collage of all of my nails from the challenge :)

Now, onto some Christmas manis!

Hx

PS The Nail Newbie is now on Facebook - click here to like me!

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31 day challenge - day 30 inspired by a tutorial

I decided to use a tutorial from the blog that got me interested in nail art again, and of course it had to be the awesome Colette at My Simple Little Pleasures. The undisputed queen of water marbling! I didn't do a water marble here, but a drag marble. Here is Colette's tutorial:




And my version:

I used Nails Inc Belgrave Place and my Essence gold striper, before swirling it with a cocktail stick. It's a mess sorry, I couldn't find my cleanup brush (I am such a sucky blogger, sorry!) but you get the idea. I was a bit meh about it, I need better contrasting colours I think, and maybe a shimmer base coat rather than a cream.

Tomorrow is the last day of the challenge! I'm kind of glad, but kind of not! It's odd! If it wasn't Christmas I think I would struggle with manicure ideas for a while, but I have plenty of seasonal manicures in my head!

Hx

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31 Day Challenge - day 29 inspired by the supernatural

*Queue X-files music*

Actually, I had another fail...BUT it wasn't my fault this time! I decided to use a Claires Mood Polish that I bought from a blog sale, but it didn't work :( I used Lonely/Loved, which should be a teal/light blue that changes according to heat. But NOTHING I do to this polish will make it change. Hands in freezer, nothing. Hands in oven, nothing. Maybe it's an old bottle and the whatever particles inside have worn out. Maybe my nails are too short. Maybe NAIL POLISH HATES ME!1! /emo

I thought whatever jiggery pokery is inside the polish would be appropriate for supernatural nails. It's MAJIK, obviously! But it didn't work so I stuck an alien sticker on my ring fingers. Lame, I know, sorry!

Pretty still, and super sheer! This was 4 coats!

Never mind, onwards and upwards! Only two days left and then it's time to break out the Christmas nails!

Tomorrow is inspired by a tutorial and I am going to spend the evening looking through a load :) Bliss!

Hx

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31 Day Challenge - Day 28, inspired by a flag

Woah! Day 28 - it's almost over! Whoop!

*Composes self* Anyway, just a quick post today, because my inspired by a flag nails ended up looking like a 5 year old did them. I painted all my nails with a white base, added Collection 2000 Sparkle Top Coat to make it look less like tippex, then added different St Georges crosses on each finger to make the English flag, since my surname is England! On the little finger I used striper tape, ring finger was rhinestones, middle finger Barry M Bright Red, index Barry M Red Glitter and thumb W7 Eathquake red. FAIL! I only did one hand and only kept it on for the day because I didn't have the energy to change it.

Oh well, you live you learn!

Tomorrow is inspired by the supernatural...er....halp!

Hx

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31 Day Challenge - day 27 Inspired by artwork

I decided to stamp again and recreate Andy Warhol's Marilyn Monroe Pop Art Image. The plate I used is Fab IV by FabUrNails Shop. The base colours are 2 coats each of (pinkie to index) Beauty Uk Yellow Peril, Models Own Pink Blush, 17 Lasting Fix Mint Choc Chip and Miss Sporty Clubbing Colours 344. I stamped with Metallic lilac, silver and metallic blue stamping polishes from FabUrNails and Miss Sporty Clubbing Colours 320 on the ring finger. On the thumb I used Yellow Peril again and topped it with W7 Earthquake red.

The plate was so easy to use and there are a lot of fun patterns! Can't wait to use it again :) The Middle pattern would look great in silver over black.

Tomorrow is inspired by a flag. I'll give you a clue - my surname is England... ;)

Hx

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31 Day Challenge - Day 26 inspired by a pattern

For my pattern nails I chose this chequered design from one of the SDP plates I won in Sarah-Louise's giveaway (seriously I would have struggled with this challenge without winning this!). The base colour is No 7 Violetta and I stamped with Barry M Lilac Foil Effects on all but the ring finger, which I used the gold one for. They both stamped well, but something strange happened when I added the topcoat. First I'll show you with no top coat...

This is my right hand so it's a bit messier but you can see the polishes stamped ok and looked like the colour they were meant to! Then I added topcoat (Seche) and this happened...

 It's like the base colour 'leaked' through or something? You can't tell the accent nail is gold at all, and the other nails are a lot more muted too.

 Has this ever happened to you? What did I do wrong? I'm tempted to blame the base colour since it's the first time I've experienced it (and I don't like No 7 polishes - they're overpriced and a bit rubbish so  it can be my scapegoat).

Still a pretty manicure though! Tomorrow, nails inspired by artwork and more stamping!

Hx

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