Reveal your heart to me

Okay, I couldn't resist redoing my nails before tomorrow for Valentine's day! My previous design was starting to chip slightly after being about a week old. I could have help it longer, but I'm glad I changed them. Although this design is less Valentine-obvious, I prefer this one. This isn't the easiest of designs I've done, but that might be because I'm not the greatest at leopard prints just yet. As far as difficulty goes, it isn't nearly as hard as my Mario scene nails... although perhaps nothing ever will be.

This design turned out a lot better on my left hand because I'm right handed, so that is my preferred hand this week, despite my short nail which has decided to take AGES to grow out). So, to create this design I first painted my nails completely while after a base coat with Sally Hansen's "Nearly Nude". I need to buy a new white, I'm running out. I was also using her "Rapid Finish" spray that I LOVE, and when trying to buy more I found out that it's discontinued. Sucky! Anyway... once the white dried, I painted the corners of my nails with Quo by Orly "True Love". How would I describe that shape. Triangles? Well try to make it look as though the pink is unzipping, anyway. Once the pink was dry, I drew a leopard print design (the small detail the better, in my eyes, but you might prefer a bigger print) with Nail Jazz... I don't know, it's a dark purple that has no name. I drew tiny 'C's and circles and dots to create this effect. Then I took MigiNailArt "Silver" and drew little lines running perpendicular up the sides of the pink (or white) to make them look like zipper teeth. Finally, I used MigiNailArt "Metallic Red" and drew a tiny heart in the wider end of the white area. I had to make sure that this design was completely dry before applying a top coat. This design smudges easily!

It's a photo montage! And yes, in one of those picture's I'm holding a false nail. I like to practice some of my designs before I place them on my real nails just incase they don't work out as planned. I think this is one of my favourite designs. I hope you liked it too! Thanks for reading!

Love is all around us

So my nail designs are slightly out of order now, but I wanted to get this posted as close to Valentine's day as I could. This design is still fairly simple, but not the easiest I have posted.

I love Valentine's day. I am sick of people calling it "Singles/Couples awareness day" or being upset that they're single on Valentine's day. It completely misses the point. It is a day of love that you can share with anyone, not just a significant other. You can share this love with your friends, your family.. anyone in your life. Let them know that you appreciate them. It can also be fun. Yes, it has become very commercial and mostly about buying chocolates, but buying chocolates and sharing them is still fun. Even if you love yourself, by yourself something nice. Just because you might be single doesn't mean this day "sucks". Share it with people you love and the people who are close to you.

So to create this design, I painted my tips white after a base coat with Sally Hansen's "Nearly Nude". Once it was dry, I took Sally Hansen's "Black Out" and a striper brush and painted hearts around my nails. I did this gain with Quo by Orly "Red Hot", and then again, filling in the spaces with Quo by Orly "True Love". I made the hearts a sort of "U" shape. I then covered the design with Sally Hansen's "Diamonds" to make it sparkle, and finished off with a top coat.

I hope you like this design, and have a great Valentine's day with the people you love! =)

Glitter for your chosen one

So I painted my nails something so simple and easy, it barely needs a tutorial explanation. They still look a little Christmasy in my opinion, but what I was really aiming for is Valentine's day without being too obvious. No hearts, no love, just something hinting in that direction.

Yes, I need to learn to clean around my cuticles before taking photos. To create this look, I painted my nails with Sally Hansen's "Black Out" after a thick base coat. Because I used black, I needed to apply a heavy base to protect my nails from discolouring. After many years of painting my nails with various colours, black being a common one, I am yet to experience discolouration of my nails, and the only technique I've used is applying a thick base coat before hand. It works. Trust me. And that is only one of it's uses! Yes, applying another layer is more effort, but it really is worth it. Moving on... once my black had dried, I covered it with OPI's "Gettin' Miss Piggy With It". This is a clear polish with heavy red glitter of varying sizes, and a few flecks of silver. Finally, I covered the design with a top coat.

I hope you like this design! Thanks for reading!