Christmas Wrapping Paper Nails #2 // Mint Festive Design

This is mint version of a design I saw in Sainsbury's last year. I did a dark version of it here: https://ifndefnailsh.blogspot.com/2022/12/christmas-wrapping-nails-1-sainsburys.html

I think I prefer this one thanks to the over-stamping!

Method:

I started off with 2 layers of Neely. Then I applied Liquid Gold to Noel 07 and then stamped on top with Vibin using the same stamps but slightly offset. The Holly jolly text comes from Noel 12.

I then topped it off with some smudge proof top coat.

Polishes/Tools Used:

Base:

- Zoya // Neely (mint)

Stamping:

- Twinkled T // Liquid Gold (metallic gold), 'Vibin (black)

Plates:

- MoYou London // Noel 07, Noel 12

Top:

- MoYou London // Smudge Proof Top Coat

New Flower Wave // Pastel Art Synth Wave Design

I did this one earlier this year but I've only just got round to posting it now. If you couldn't tell, I think my obsession this year was line art and over-stamping.

I'm all for these simple looks that look like they belong in a museum or something. This one was quite simple to do. I started off with 1 layer of Mystery In Milan. Then, on a silicone mat I placed a large blob of Mystery In Milan and dotted Soho Square and Waterloo Place into it. I "smooshed" it together on the mat with a stamper and then applied it to the nail. I used stamping designs from Artist 29 in Blanc My Mind followed by the same stamps but offset slightly in Black Knight. I topped it all off with some smudge proof top coat.

Polishes/Tools Used:

Base:

Cuccio Colour // Mystery In Milan (off-white)

Nails Inc // Soho Square (peach/pink), Waterloo Place (bubblegum pink)

Stamping:

What's Up Beauty // Blanc My Mind (white)

MoYou London // Black Knight (black), Artist 29 Plate

Top:

MoYou London // Smudge Proof Top Coat

Minty Jungle // Pastel Green Leaf Design

I have wrapping paper that I bought from John Lewis a very long time ago that inspired this look. You could say it's a Christmas Wrapping paper look as I'll probably be using to wrap presents this year.

I'm not happy with how hard it is to see the leaf design (even though the background colour is so light). I'll go in with darker colours next time.

I started off with 2 layers of 'Til The Record Stops, then used a large stamp from Paradise 02. I put both Cobalt Indecent and I'm On A Sushi Roll onto the plate and mixed them together to create the stamp. I then over-stamped in some placed using Lor for that "gold foil" look.

Polishes/Tools Used:

Base:

- Color Club // 'Til The Record Stops (mint green)

Stamping:

- L'Oreal Paris // Cobalt Indecent (dark teal), Lor (gold)

- OPI Infinite Shine // I'm On A Sushi Roll (light teal)

- MoYou London // Paradise 02 Stamping Plate

Top:

MoYou London // Smudge Proof Top Coat

Holoween Boo // Negative Space Halloween Ghost Holo Design

I wanted something simple yet spooky and ended up stamping on these negative space designs while painting my nails one morning.

This is a super simple one; just 3 layers of Dare to Bare followed by the negative stamp designs using Mrs Danvers.

Polishes/Tools Used:

Base:

- Nails Inc // Dare To Bare (sheer pink)

Stamping:

- A-England // Mrs Danvers (black holo)

- MoYou London // Halloween 03 Stamping Plate

Top:

- MoYou London // Smudge Proof Top Coat

Rose Quartz Part III - The Return of the Quartz // Rose Quartz Nail Design

I've been trying to perfect rose quartz nails since I started this blog and I think this is the closest I've come using standard nail polish. You can see my previous attempts here:

• Nearly But Not Quite // Pink Quartz
• Rose Quartz 2: The Rose-ening

That first attempt was awful, the second better but still not there. This time I feel I've almost cracked it. My secret is using super sheer layers of a pink polish and acrylic gouache paint.

I started out with a layer of London Court then drew on some very fine white lines, smudging them out with the slightest amount of water. Once dried, I applied a layer of Spaghetti Straps, then drew more lines, some stronger. Then applied a second layer of Spaghetti Straps followed by top coat.

Polishes/Tools Used:

- Essie // Spaghetti Straps (sheer pink)

- Nails Inc // London Court with Collagen (sheer pale pink)

- Pebeo Studio Gouache // 11 Blanc (white)

- Barry M // Plumpy Top Coat

It's In The Cards // Tarot Halloween Nails

This was a fiddly design and I need waay more practice with layering stamps that are straight lines. This didn't turn out exactly how I wanted but it's close enough and I think it looks ok.

I feel like the tarot cards themselves need more colour on them. I started off with 2 layers of Cowboy Bye, then stamped in this order:

1. Card background using Cafe au Lait
2. Tarot design using Smokey
3. Card borders using Bright Lights

Then added a layer of smudge proof top coat followed by a matte top coat.

Polishes/Tools Used:

Base:

- China Glaze // Cowboy, Bye (dark brown holographic)

Stamping:

- MoYou London // Cafe au Lait (light beige)

- Twinkled T // Smokey (dark grey)

- Barry M Liquid Chrome // Bright Lights (gold)

- Maniology // M072 Stamping Plate

Top:

- MoYou London Smudge Proof Top Coat

- Barry M // Matte Top Coat

Neon Halloween // Neon Orange & Black Pumpkin Carving Design

A super quick halloween look! Not spooky in the slightest but perfect for nights out when you have about 20 minutes to do your nails.

This involved 2 coats of Paradise City followed by the designs stamped with Neither Noir with a matte top coat on top. And that's it!

Polishes/Tools Used:

Base:

- Cuccio Colour // Paradise City (orange)

Stamping:

- What's Up Nails // Neither Noir (black)

Top:

- MoYou London // Smudge Proof Top Coat

- Barry M // Matte Top Coat

Honey Flowers // Beige Autumnal Flower Design

Another look that came about whilst swatching the Nails Inc Nail Spice collection! This was a super quick one. Just 2 layers of Honey Lane, followed by designs stamped on with Smokey and Bright Lights, then a layer of smudge proof top coat and matte top coat.

Polishes/Tools Used:

Base:

- Nails Inc // Honey Lane (pink beige)

Stamping:

- Twinkled T // Smokey (dark grey)

- Barry M Liquid Chrome // Bright Lights (gold)

- MoYou London // Botanical 16 Stamping Plate

Top:

- MoYou London // Smudge Proof Top Coat

- Barry M // Matte Top Coat

SWATCHES: Nail Kind // Glazed Donut & Coco Loco

I chose both of these as part of my monthly Latest In Beauty subscription. I don't normally buy deep red polishes but I liked the bottle design. I've been seeing this brand a lot recently in my local TK Maxx for £3.99 which I think is reasonable. The formula isn't as good as Barry M (no brand can self-level like the Gelly Hi-Shine formula) but I would buy more. They're usually £8.95 which I feel is too much.

Coco Loco // Deep Brown Crelly

Collection: Timeless Nudes

Release: Autumn 2021

Coats: 2

This is a deep reddish brown which is why I chose it as I lack brown shades. It's also more on the jelly side than creme but has streaks. 2 coats and you're good to go though. It gives a sophisticated, autumnal vamp look, which I really love. This is a super 90s shade, perfect for the upcoming months. With Glazed Donut on top, I'm getting metallic Christmas pudding vibes.

Glazed Donut // Off-White Silver Pearl Shimmer

Collection: Donut Worry Be Happy

Release: January 2023

Coats: 2

I didn't realise this was a pearl shimmer until I got it. I was drawn in by the name. I find this "collection" a bit odd as its just 2 colours; a bright red and this. Seems more like a Christmas release than a donut release (where I would expect pastels and beiges).

Whilst this polish was drying I noticed some cracking on the first coat and minor cracks on the second. it definitely shines more silver in the light. I'm not the biggest fan of silver shades as they make me look a bit washed out and I hate seeing lines in pearl finishes. It's one of the reasons I normally avoid that finish.

Cosy Plaid // Beige Autumn Plaid Look

This came about whilst I was swatching the Nails Inc Nails Spice Set. It doesn't get much more autumnal pumpkin spice vibes than these 4 shades and I thought they'd be perfect for a scarf look.

These stamp better than I thought they would!

Polishes/Tools Used:

Base:

- Nails Inc // Pudding Lane (off white)

Stamping:

- Nails Inc // Bread Street (pale mauve), Honey Lane (beige), Nutmeg Lane (terracotta)

- MoYou London // Trend Hunter 27 Stamping Plate

Top:

- MoYou London // Smudge Free Top Coat

Autumn Lane // Nude Beige Autumn Nails

This came about whilst I was swatching the Nails Inc Nail Spice collection. I wanted to see how well the darkest shade could stamp and I think it turned out quite well.

I started off with 2 coats of Honey Lane, then dry brushed on some Pudding Lane and Bread Street for contrast. I used Nutmeg Lane for the base stamps and then used the L'or to bring some shine in via the gold before sticking a matte top coat on top.

This was a pretty quick look and quite effective! It feels like witchy vibes but make it pumpkin spice.

Polishes/Tools Used:

Base:

- Nails Inc // 

Honey Lane (dusty peach), 

Pudding Lane (pale pink), 

Bread Street (dusty pink),

Stamping:

- Nails Inc // Nutmeg Lane (terracotta)

- L'Oreal Color Riche // 660 L'or (gold shimmer)

- MoYou London // Fall in Love 15 Stamping Plate

Top:

- MoYou London // Smudge Free Top Coat

- Barry M // Matte Top Coat

SWATCHES: Nails Inc // Nail Spice Set

I saw this in TK Maxx for £12.99 and stayed strong however a few weeks later I was there again and caved because it's such a cute set! I'm also a sucker for ombre shades.

The Nail Spice set was released October 2021 with a retail price of £22.

Pudding Lane // Off-White Pink Taupe Creme

Coats: 2

Nails Inc have reused this name as it used to be a blue glitter polish from the early 2010's. I found this be on the streaky/runny side making it somewhat difficult to apply. I'm a big fan of off-white shades though so this will be going on my favourites shelf. 

2 coats can still be a bit streaky but it's not the end of the world.

Bread Street // Neutral Dusty Pink Creme

Coats: 2

I am in love with this polish. It's hard to imagine this looking bad on any skin tone. It's one of those perfect, autumn mauve dusty shades. Like Pudding Lane, it's quite runny with streaks making it slightly annoying to apply but all is forgiven on that second coat.

Honey Lane // Neutral Dusty Peach Creme

Coats: 2

This is an amazing shade that could be used for any time of the year. It pairs incredibly well with Bread Street. I can see all of these shades being used in a nude art deco look. This one is also a perfect match for my skin tone and would provide the best base for nude nails with neon decorations.

This one had the best formula so far, slightly thicker and less streaky.

Nutmeg Lane // Deep Terracotta Creme

Coats: 2

I like this shade however I wish it was more brown-ish and resembled actual gingerbread which has more of an orange tint to it. it was also the easiest to apply and you could get away with one coat but I did 2 just to smooth everything out. This is a proper cosy autumn shade and stamps really well. 

// Overall

This set is advertised as being "gingerbread scented" which is perfect for the autumn/winter seasons however there is no scent. To me it just smells like nail polish with a slight sweetener aroma somewhere. 

On the box it says you should fill in your thumb and pinkie with Pudding Lane, Bread Street to your index, Honey Lane on the middle and Nutmeg Lane on the ring finger for "on trend ombre look". So that's what I did:

I think the shades tonally match each other well and you can create some fantastic nail art however this set should have a 5th dark brown shade to complete it. 

Nails Inc // Nail Spice Set // £22

Tropical Terracotta // Tropical Leaves with Nude Background

This look was inspired by a painted plant pot I saw on pinterest! I was swatching some new Barry M shades I got and I thought Honeysuckle would make the perfect background for the dark blue and white and I was right! It's just neutral and soft enough to provide the perfect contrast.

I started off with Honeysuckle as the base then stamped on the designs from one my favourite paradise plates. Followed by some gold dots and topped off with a matte top coat.

Polishes/Tools Used:

Base:

- Barry M Gelly Hi-Shine // Honeysuckle (terracotta)

Stamping:

- MoYou London // Midnight Madness (dark blue)

- Twinkled T // Glow Up (white)

- L'Oreal Color Riche // L'Or (gold)

- MoYou London // Paradise 01 Stamping Plate

Top:

- Barry M // Matte Top Coat

 

Pastel Paradise // Tropical Summer Nail Look

So I did these nails whilst swatching my latest Essence haul (swatches here) and I knew they'd all go beautifully together to create some wonder tropical looks; including this one!

This was pretty easy but the large brush on Essence polishes make it hard to free-hand circles and shapes cleanly (especially as the formula is a bit gloopy). But it turned out fine in the end.

I started off with 2 layers of Sugar Blush, then placed random splotches of Bubble Trouble followed by Isn't She Minty. The stamps are from Paradise 01 using Ghosted and then I used a dotting tool to place random dots of Don't Leaf Me and Swirl Pool. I topped it off with a layer of Smudge Proof top coat, and then a matte top coat.

I think using a dark grey instead of black made this much better.

Polishes/Tools Used:

- Essence // 05 Sugar Blush (sheer pink), 40 Isn't She Minty (light green), 04 Bubble Trouble (pastel pink)

- Essence // 42 Swirl Pool (blue), 19 Don't Leaf Me (teal green)

- Twinkled T // Smokey (dark grey)

- MoYou London // Paradise 01 Stamping Plate

- MoYou London // Smudge Proof Top Coat

- Barry M // Matte Top Coat

Match That Mani // Strange Bird Cleanser

This look came about when I was in the shower one day and using my favourite cleanser. I've always loved the design on the bottle and have been wanting to do a matching look for a while.

I didn't want an all white base for this look and finally settled on Cuccio - Mystery in Milan however as I started painting I could smell the tell tale sign of formaldehyde. I managed to peel back the little on sticker on the bottom and yep, it's barely even 1 free. The shade isn't even that old. It's a shame as I like the shade and it doesn't have the black specks in it that all new Cuccio shades have but I hate the smell.

Anyway, this was a super quick look to do. Just 2 coats of Mystery in Milan followed by some lines in Cantaloupe first, then some more detailed stamps in Ghosted. I topped it off with a smudge proof top coat. 

I then added a matte top coat as I can never decide between matte or glossy. 

I'm glad I went with an off-white base though as I think the pure white would of slightly ruined the look. This way it also looks like a chic fall look as well.

Polishes & Tools:

Base:

- Cuccio // Mystery In Milan (off white)

Stamping:

- H&M // Cantaloupe (orange)

- Twinkled T // Smokey (dark grey)

- MoYou London // Artist 29 Plate

Top:

- MoYou London // Smudge Proof Top coat

- Barry M // Matte Top Coat