Zig Zag Memories // Clairestelle8 September 2019

The mani for this prompt was inspired by some false nails I saw for sale in Superdrug and so instead of doing a black and white look I decided to spruce it up a bit with some holo and pink; can't go wrong with holo and pink. I also got to use Sweet Memories again; one of my favourite pink shades in my collection.

Those wonky edges may look like I free-handed the entire thing but there is a reason you can't see my thumb ('cause it's awful). I stamped on some thin zig zags then painted on top to make them thicker and more 'hand-drawn'. I think it turned out pretty well. Although trying to do free-hand designs with an A-England polish is super hard. It just turns gloopy and drags along. I was going to use on the accent nail as well but King's Road is just a tad to dark for what I was going for. It does match the OPI holo quite well though.

Polishes/Tools Used:-

- OPI // Sweet Memories (pink)

- Ciaté // White Heat (white)
- OPI // Tinker, Thinker, Winker? (light silver holo)

- A-England // King's Road (dark silver holo)
- Avon Gel Shine // Top Coat
- MoYou London Plate // Tropical 34

Tea Party Trip // Neon Watermarble Design Clairestelle8 September 2019

So here is the finished result after I added the stamping from the last post. It's not awful but it's not exactly what I wanted either. I imagined this psychedelic look with melting clocks and teacups but I'm terrible at freehand and I didn't have any stamps that matched my ideas exactly and ended up with this.

It also doesn't help that all the black and white stamping polishes I have are starting to stamp really patchy. I don't know how others get super clean designs but I think I may need to 'prime' my stamping heads as it's getting really frustrating with constantly having to re-pickup designs.

Polishes/Tools Used:-

- Ciaté // White Heat (white)
- OPI // Dance Party Teal Dawn (teal)
- China Glaze // Flip Flop Fantasy V2 (pastel orange)

- Orly // Glowstick (fluorescent yellow)
- Artistic Colour Revolution // Love at first Skate (pink)
- Nicole Diary // Black Night (black)
- Essie // Platinum Grade Topcoat
- MoYou London Plate // Alice 02

Prismaline // Opal & Tourmaline Design Clairestelle8 September 2019

I'm quite shocked with how these turned out as they were nothing like what I was going for. The birthstone for October is Tourmaline followed by Opal as a back-up. I never understood why you need a 'backup' for birthstones. Tourmaline though apparently comes in almost every colour so I thought I'd do some dark crystals with an opal-inspired background. 

Once I'd finished the look, I realised it looks strikingly similar to the design on the Ciaté Mini Mani Month 2018. I loved the design on that box and was wondering how I could re-create it, now I think I know how thanks to nail powders!

For this look I used some Born Pretty powders and did the 'ol trick of applying it to the stamper, then picking up the stamping design with a black polish. This allows you to get some beautiful duochrome designs going on with little effort. The matte top coat then brings it all together as flakies are the best when they're matte.

Polishes/Tools Used:-

- H&M // Will-O'-The-Wisp (white duochrome)
- Essence Prismatic // Prisma Love (duochrome flaky)
- Nicole Diary // Black Knight (black)

- Barry M // Matte Top Coat
- Born Pretty Powders // Various shades (sorry, they have no markings!)
- Nicole Diary // 086 Plate

Camo Clouds // Clairestelle8 Challenge September 2019

My first camo look! And I did it without the use of stamping; it's pure hand drawn baby. I'm actually quite proud because it looks, well, good. I'm not the biggest camo fan so I decided to make it something I would like to wear by using basic colours. 

I started off with a white base and created gradients using the main three colours and then used the larger end of the dotting tool to make the camo design. It took me around 10 minutes to do the entire look. I was originally going to just do 1 nail with the camo on it and leave the ombres however, I keep forgetting that the french tip polish from Avon is trash and the look was patchy.

The colours make this for me though. Who needs actual camo when you can have basic camo?

Polishes/Tools Used:-

- Avon True Colour // French Tip White
- Essence The Gel // Perfect Match (dusty pink)
- H&M // Wild Lilac (lilac), Huldra (blue)

- Barry M // Matte Top Coat
- Essence // Dotting Tool

Aloe You Succulents // Clairestelle8 September 2019 Challenge

I bought the new MoYou London Summer Lovin plates a while back now and I've been wanting to use them for something but keep getting sidetracked but now I've finally had the chance for this cute succulent prompt!

I wanted to do something other than just cacti and the hanging baskets on this plate are just adorable and super easy to use in reverse stamping as well. If only MoYou's stamping polishes were as easy to use as well...

I was also inspired to use the blue by this beautiful plant pot I got from Sainsbury's (it's like my new favourite place no lie. You know you're getting old when you go in the Sainsburys clothes section and actually like the clothes...) My friends got me an Aloe Vera plant as part of my leaving present and I think I've already killed it; it's only been 3 months. I can't be trusted with anything. I thought I was ready for the commitment of looking after a plant; clearly not.

I also love the background shade Pretty in Putty; I would wear that everyday if I wasn't so obsessed with doing my nails. It's such a perfect off-white cream shade that makes you look super tan. I tried to make the design look more cosy and autumnal as well seeing as how I should be putting away my palm trees and bright sunset shades....then again it's now summer in the southern hemisphere so sunset and beach mani's all year long!

Polishes/Tools Used:-

- Ciaté // Pretty in Putty (cream), Part-Time Mermaid (blue shimmer)
- H&M // Huldra (light blue), Sail Away (dark blue), Cantaloupe (mustard)
- Nicole Diary // Black Night (black)

- MoYou London // Croco Spark (blue duochrome)
- MoYou London Plate // Summer Lovin' 05

Back To School // Clairestelle8 Challenge September 2019

I can't believe it's September again already. The mornings are already starting feel crisper and the nights are getting dark early :( Whereas I love the idea of fall and autumn scenes with all the warm colours and general cosy-ness; when you're alone in the middle of nowhere it's kind of hard to be excited about the upcoming season.

But it's September and that means...discount stationary. That's right, all the stationary is on offer right now and I can't because it's one of my main weaknesses; that and Cadburys jelly popping candy chocolate. I've already done a similar look to this one but I really love the scholar and artist plates so combined them for a bit more of a detailed look.

I was a bit upset that I smudged the pencil stamp a little and the MoYou polishes are just awful. I'm going to have to stop buying them because it always takes me several tries to pick up designs. I might start doing swatch posts on them so others can see how terrible they are at being stamping polishes.

Polishes/Tools Used:-

- Nailberry // Stone (dark grey)
- Nicole Diary // Born Perfect (white)

- MoYou London // Mint Condition (pastel blue), Coral Crush (coral pink), Into The Woods (dark brown)
- H&M // Cantaloupe (mustard)
- MoYou London Plate // Scholar 01 & 06, Artist 21

Little Cactai // Clairestelle8 August 2019 Challenge

I've been wanting to do this look for so long, I've just never had time. For context, I bought a plant pot from TK Maxx about a year ago with this design on it and every time I looked at it I would think "that would make great nails". Well the time finally come and I loved wearing these. My peel off basecoat held up strangely as well for 3 days of wear. Considering I expect a mani to last about 6 hours with my peel base, the polish gods were clearly shining down upon me.

How I did it:
I started off with just 1 coat of Don't cry over spilled milkshakes and then 1 coat of sweet memories. I then mixed some acetone with Giant Peach to give it that glazed painted look. Using the cactai design from Explorer 33 I stamped first using Little Pickle and then followed it up with Dragon and deliberately stamped it a little off.

Polishes/Tools Used:-

- OPI // Don't cry over spilled milkshakes (sheer white)
- OPI // Sweet Memories (sheer pink)
- Sally Hansen Hard as Nails // Giant Peach (peach/pink)

- MoYou London // Little Pickle (bright lime)
- A-England // Dragon (forest green holo)
- MoYou London Plate // Explorer 33 

Part-Time Seashell // Clairestelle8 August 2019 Challenge

I legit can't stop staring at my nails. It's like that scene in Family Guy when Peter gets beautiful and he can't stop staring at himself in the rear view mirror and crashes his car. This is me but with my nails. I should go get in my car with my Starbucks cup and take a photo to flex....show off my sick 14 year old Hyundai; that'll show the haters.

I also feel like another scene in Family Guy with these seashell decorations on:

For once I feel like I've had my nails done by an actual nail tech. I'm not sure what that feels like though because I've never had my nails done by someone else. They're just so shiny and glisten-y and duochrome-y. I got inspiration for this mani from Pinterest where I discovered a very talented nail artist called @nailartist_motico. 

The decorations were super cheap and easy to use; the same cannot be said about the glue. I kinda wished I had filmed this because it was actual disaster at one point with those stupid squirty nail tubes. They were just oozing out glue and then I had a big brain moment and tried to wipe it off with cotton wool...then cotton wool got stuck to everything and it was going all over my nails and not on the seashells. It was a stressful 5 minutes. I then managed to find my brush on glue which was so much easier. Nail hack: ignore glue in tubes and get brush on glue.

How I did it:-

OK so, the ring finger and pinkie are 2 layers of Pretty in Putty followed by a dusting of some iridescent powder from Born Pretty. I wish I could tell you which but it has no identification on it. It was a pale greenish looking one though that shine blue/pink. I then stuck two starfish on them.

The other fingers had two coats of Part-Time Mermaid and Dance Party 'Teal dawn sponged on. The sponge was mainly Part-Time Mermaid with the teal shade blotted around to give some depth in places. I them stamped on some sea foam using Pretty in Putty and the Nicole Diary L09 plate and dabbed on a little of risky business. It's such a great glitter and kind of looks like bubbles with all the different size glitter chunks. I applied a layer of top coat before the decorations; brushed on some glue and then stuck them on.

You can't do anything with these things on, especially if it's to do with your hair because it just gets caught. I'm so glad I'm wearing a peel off basecoat because these would seriously start to annoy me after a few hours. I love how it looks but it's so impractical. Good thing I like doing my nails everyday.

Polishes/Tools Used:

- Ciaté // Pretty in Putty (off-white beige), Part-Time Mermaid (blue/green shimmer), Risky Business (blue/purple glitter)
- OPI // Dance Party 'Teal Dawn (teal)

- Random eBay seller // Sea themed nail decorations
- Nicole Diary // L09 Plate
- Barry M Hi-Shine // Plumpy Top Coat

Hooplamingo // Clairestelle8 August 2019 Challenge

Another entry for this months August challenge. If I continue with this rate of productivity I may actually finish this one! I'm starting to utilise my weekends more though. It's so strange, I've not had weekends off since I was 13. I'm so used to doing everything on random days during the week. But anyway, I was inspired by @lieve91 for this mani as her designs are just always the best. I hope one I grow up to be as good as her (..it's depressing though 'cause I think we're the same age lol).

Here's me trying to do my best lieve91 hand pose. Somehow I don't think I'm quite there yet. This mani was a nice break though as it features no stamping. Yes that's right, no stamping. I finally used some of the numerous water decals that I keep buying but then never use because they're too cute. I then used a fine brush to draw the lines on. I really need to practice my hand drawn designs more.

I like this design but I don't love it. I think the Hoopla pink shade is just too pink for what I was going for. I ummed and ahhed over this or a sheer cuccio pink shade for quite a while. I also feel like the pink shimmer is misplaced and I should've done another finger with it to tie it all together. It's still nice and pink and basic though. Using the decals was fun though, I really need to start using them more often. I also got some foil paper recently as well.

Polishes/Tools Used:

- Ciaté // White Heat (white), Paradise Lost (pink/gold shimmer), Hoopla (pink)

- Born Pretty Water Decals// BN-866
- Barry M Hi-Shine // Plumpy Top Coat

Safari 'Teal Dawn // Clairestelle8 August Challenge 2019

My first entry for a Clairestelle8 challenge in months! Granted I've already missed a few for August and the Safari one was supposed to be out on the 13th but you know work'n'stuff so here it is:

I love this look. I wanted to do something a little different than all the orange sunset looks as they look great but I feel it's the obvious choice when you think of a safari mani. So I went for an 'almost' dark look with the moon rising in the sky. The gradient turned out perfectly and here is shot on it's on because it's beautiful and could be the base for so many other designs. Galaxy forest at night, canyon, desert road trip...endless.

I used one the new Nicole Diary plates as well as some Nicole diary stamping polishes and I'm pleasantly surprised. The white isn't completely opaque but I'm actually ok with that for this look because I didn't want the moon to be super bright. The plate has a load of interesting scenes on it from the safari to grass with bunnies, dense trees and mountains with dragons. There are also some great individual animal designs and solo trees to help flesh out your scene. For £2 off eBay I couldn't ask for more.

How I did it:-
I did the gradient on bare nails (2 coats) using Bohemian Rhapsody, Dance Party 'Teal Dawn, Take me to Heaven and Monoi; then applied a layer of top coat. Once that was dry I used a dotting tool and some of the white polish to create little stars and stamped on the image of the moon. Then, I placed the safari scene with the elephants, lion and tree on my thumb being extras I added to fill in the gaps. I then added another layer of top coat to seal it all in.

Polishes/Tools Used:

- Jessica // Bohemian Rhapsody (dark navy)

- OPI // Dance Party 'Teal Dawn (bright teal)
- Essence Shine Last & Go // Take me to Heaven (baby blue)
- H&M // Monoi (citrus green)
- Nicole Diary // Black Knight (black), Born Perfect (white)
- Avon Mark. // Gel Shine Top Coat

- Nicole Diary // L10 Plate