Clean Finish | Nails

In the Summer although it's all about the brightly coloured nail polish but if I am being honest I can't be bothered to (in other words I am to lazy) So I usually stick to my natural nails but to get the best of them, but I do a bit of prep to keep them looking their best.

Cut and File

Cut you nails down to the length you want them to be. I don't like them so long that they catch or too short (they have to be just right!) Once you've got them to the length you want them too File them to the shape you want, There's so many you can choose from! There's the Almond shape, rounded off, squared and more (I think?) I go for kind of round but kind of square? 

Buff and Polish

If you want to get a natural shine you can get a nail buffer. Mines from Pandora but you can get them from anywhere. They have two sides, one for buffing which you do first and the other is for polish which gives you the natural shine that you do last. 

Moisturize

No one likes the look of dry cracked nails, so moisturize is the way to prevent it! Moisturize your cuticles and hands separately to get a better result. 

Paint 

I know I said I was too lazy to paint my nails but using a clear/ sheer pink polish can really make a difference, it makes your nails look alot cleaner and fresher. I use the OPI nail polish in 'Bubble Bath' it's a really sheer pink shade. I apply just once light coat and it really makes a difference to the look of you hands.

The Manicure | Spring Clean

Our nails can get neglected from time to time and will need a bit of a pamper. If I don't tend to my nails frequently they tend to get very brittle and peel of easily. So this Spring you should get out the nail file and give abit of time to your nails.

When doing my nails I firstly take off any nail polish I had on previous. For that I use the Bourjous Dissolvant Miraculeux, which is so quick and easy. You just twist your finger in the pot, take it out and your nail polish has gone! It also contains almond oil so it's super moisturizing for your nails too.

If my nails are slightly long I will then trim them down and file down any uneven edges. I prefer my nails to be rounded off instead of squared.

I then like to move onto the exciting part: choosing the colour. I always take forever deciding over the colour of which to paint my nails. But seen as it's Spring I wanted to go for something pastel, and in the end settled for a pastel purple; this one is by Revlon in the shade 'Charming'. I will apply two coats of polish until it is fully opaque.

Then comes the annoying part: waiting for them to dry... It seems like forever if I'm honest. You have to sit there and do nothing just in case you smudge all of your hard work. But I still manage to smear the polish no matter how still I sit.

Once it's all dried, I will then finish everything off with a top coat to seal everything in and prevent the polish from chipping (which still manages to happen somehow?) I use this Rimmel top coat which gives a salon sheen to your nails and keeps them from chipping for a couple of days at least. 

Finally I will apply a cuticle cream to moisturize my cuticles to stop then cracking.

Thank you for reading this post and make sure to stay tuned for my next one.  

Plain White | Spring Edit

Hello everyone, with spring right around the corner I thought I would do a quick post based around it. This post is going to be based on a clean simple look for your nails: white.

White nail polish is a step up from plain nudes and is in. All nude nail polishes are in this spring and summer, including white. They have been seen all over S/S catwalks recently, because of their opportunities with styling. White nail polishes give a clean sleek finish too an outfit without being overly boring. Some particular nude shades don't suit my skin tone as I am so pale, but white nail polish is perfect for any skin tone, but they do look especially great in the summer with a tan.

You don't have too spend a fortune on the perfect shade either, my shade I use is '365' from Barry M and it's just a clean sharp white, and was only £2.99 from Boots. I love the application and after two coats the shade was opaque. The great thing about white nails is that they go with any outfit and are perfect for any season, like black too.

I hope you enjoyed this short post, I'm sorry it's a quick one but I am currently packing for London. But rest assured there will be another post up on Friday rather that Saturday and Sunday. Thank you for reading.

Brand Focus | Essie Nail Polish

Hello everyone and welcome to another new series on my blog, that's called brand focus. In this series I will be selecting a brand and doing an overall review on it. Today's focus is Essie nail polish's.

I have been collecting Essie for a year now and I have accumulated five of them. They are slightly more expensive than the usual drugstore nail polish, retailing for £7.99, however the formula of them is great quality and is really opaque no matter the shade, after two coats you are good to go. They are available to purchase at some Boots stores and most Superdrug's.

Shade - 'In Stitches'

Shade - 'Bikini So Teeny'

Shade - 'Mint Candy Apple'

Shade - 'After School Boy Blazer'

Shade - 'Soul Mate'

The shades I own are: 'After School Boy Blazer'; 'Mint Candy Apple'; 'In Stitches'; 'Soul Mate' and 'Bikini So Teeny'. All of these shades I love and there is a huge variety available. 'After School Boy Blazer' reminds me of licorice almost and is an almost black, blue shade. 'Mint Candy Apple' is a true pastel mint colour and is perfect for the spring time. 'In Stitches' is a more neutral toned down browny red. 'Soul Mate' is a deep red plum shade, great to wear in Autumn. Finally 'Bikini So Teeny' is a gorgeous perry-winkle blue shade, which has to be my overall favourite and my most recent purchase.

The overall finish of these nail polishes I love. Compared to my other nail polishes I own they last a lot longer and suffer less chipping. Nothing drives me madder than my nails chipping as soon as they have dried, but with Essie that doesn't really seem to happen. The only down side being that they do take alot longer to dry, which leaves you sitting around flapping your arms like crazy. The darker shades of Essie I would expect to stain my nails as they are so opaque and long lasting, however they are still easily removable and leave no stains on my nails. Although they are slightly on the pricier side of a drugstore nail polish I highly recommend you check Essie out. I will definitely be picking up more and more shades from them. 

Thankyou for reading. Have you tried out Essie yet? If you have leave a comment telling me your favourite shade.