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

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

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

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

SWATCHES: Nails Inc // Made In Mykonos Set

Found this adorable set in TK Maxx for £8.99! I think the packaging lured me in more than anything. Released in Summer 2022 this was a perfect summer set!

You're My Sol Mate // white creme

Coats: 2

So this is also the exact same shade as Primrose Hill Road from the Florals...For Spring? set. I've noticed that Nails Inc don't really do new shades anymore, they just rename old ones and package them up in a new set.

This is quite a streaky white creme that only slightly self-levels. The second coat still leaves some slight dark patches but is acceptable. 3 coats is needed for full coverage.

I was actually quite impressed though with it's stamping ability! It's a bit translucent however that can come in handy for layering looks.

Need Some Vitamin Sea // bright navy crelly

Coats: 2

I feel like this should've been called "Rooftops" or "Shutters" because these 2 shades together remind me of those white buildings with the blue roofs. Not just for summer though, this shade is perfect all year round and for the most part it even stamps well on top of light shades!

It's a pure crelly shade, so not quite a full jelly as it's too opaque but applies with no streaks. The formula reminds me of the Ciate Gelology range. It dries fairly quickly and 2 coats is sufficient for full coverage. After the second coat you're left with that beautiful glass-like shine. be careful though, as it is quite runny and stains the nail bed/cuticle area.

Feeling Summery // FabFitFun Summer 2022 Nails

Oh my god a new post! So, it's been a while. Was feeling a bit burnt out, then tried to buy a house so packed everything away. It's now been 4 months and no house in sight so I've unpacked all my nail stuff. 

I had to though, look how adorable the FabFitFun box was this season. I knew the moment I saw it, I had to match my nails to it. Can you believe though I only had 2 shades of purple that somewhat matched the FFF box? Looks like I'll have to buy some more polish.

I started off with 1 layer of Feeling Free. Then picked up the ice lolly stamps off Tumblr Girl 06 with Nether Noir. I then painstakingly painted in each lolly with Violet Haze, Living Your Best Life and Dance Party Teal Dawn. The lollypop stick are Cappuccino and the bite marks Coconut. I then topped it off with a smudge free top coat, then a matte top coat.

It took about an hour in total but it was worth it. I'm going to have to recreate this look though with pastel colours and a light background as it would look super cute!

Polishes/Tools Used:-

Base:

- Orly Breathable // Feeling Free (purple)

- MoYou London // Smudge Free Top Coat

- Barry M // Matte Top Coat

Stamping

- What's Up // Nether Noir (black)

- Ciate Plant Pots // Violet Haze (aubergine)

- Barry M Gelly Hi-Shine // Coconut (off-white cream)

- Kure Bazaar // Cappuccino (cream)

- OPI // Dance Party Teal Dawn (teal)

- Nails Inc // Living Your Best Life (yellow)

- MoYou London // Tumblr Girl 06 Stamping Plate

Spooky French Manicure // Candy Corn and Skull Negative Space French Tips Design

It's the 1st of October! That means it's time for spooky!! I love Halloween; it's my favourite holiday however I just wish it wasn't so cold. I detest winter.

These nails though could pretty much be warn all year round if you don't look to close. They're inspired by this post I found on Pinterest:

https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/363665738669621160/

Unfortunately I can't find the original nail artist and a reverse google image search didn't reveal anything either.

It took me quite a while but I'm glad I took my time as I love it! I'm not wearing a peel off basecoat for once so I think I'll wear it for a few days. I also used that new stamper technique to achieve the french tips. What a life hack.

How I did it:

Started off with the brightening primer basecoat and then topped that off with 2 layers of Thirsty Nails for that perfect pink/nude base. I applied some Pretty in Putty to an old large stamper and then pushed the tips of my nails into it an angle to achieve the french tip. I did that twice for each nail to build the colour up and then applied a layer of quick dry topcoat.

Next for each nail I pick up the bottom left-most design on the Halloween 03 plate with Nether Noir and removed the already filled hearts and skulls with the tip of a dotting tool. Using a tiny brush I filled in the candy corns with Cantaloupe, The Heat Is On and Pretty in Putty and then filled the skulls in with a large brush and Pretty in Putty. I then left the design to dry on the stamper for a minute or so, applied another layer of quick dry top coat and let it go tacky (about 5 seconds) then stamped on.

Polishes/Tools Used:-

Base:

- OPI Infinite Shine // Brightening Primer

- Nails Inc // Thirsty Nails (sheer pink)

- Ciaté Gelology // Pretty In Putty (off-white)

- Barry M // Wet Set Quick Dry Top Coat

Stamping:

- Whats Up Nails // Nether Noir (black)

- H&M // The Heat Is On (orange), Cantaloupe (yellow)

- Ciaté Gelology // Pretty In Putty (off-white)

- MoYou London Stamping Plate // Halloween 03

Nautical Tips // Nautical Style French Tips Design

I'm not sure what to make of this look. I originally wasn't going to post it but not every mani can be flawlessly executed. I've been buying up lots of gel polishes lately to practice freehand painting with and straight lines are hard. I also had difficulty figuring out the centre of my nail lol.

I also wanted to do something that was actually nautical from last months challenge as mermaid nails aren't strictly nautical.

For this quick look I started out with 2 layers of Thirsty Nails then painted the tips with SC01 (white gel). Using a fine liner brush I attempted some lines with 619. They're not completely awful if viewed from several feet away lol. I will say I love the shade; it's super vivid and wonderful to paint with. I felt like the look was lacking something so I added the gold (856) to hide where the blue and white meet.

This was super fast thanks to the gel because I can just cure it for 60 seconds and away you go. I used these on top of my usual peel off basecoat and it was amazing to not have to wait for drying or worry about the polish drying out whilst painting.

Polishes/Tools used:-

- Nails Inc // Thirsty Nails (sheer pink)

- Nicole Diary Soak Off Colour Gel // SC01 (white)

- Beetles Gel Polish // 619 (blue), 859 (gold glitter)

SWATCHES: Nails Inc // Don't Stop Be-leafing Duo

I found these beautiful jungle shades in TK Maxx this weekend for £6.99....Well I actually found them last week and convinced myself that I didn't need anymore nail polish. Well, we know that's a lie so I bought them this weekend. At £3.50 a shade; it's a bargain.

Conjuring up images of water droplets dripping off monstera leaves and the squawk of an exotic bird somewhere in the background; this duo also manages to remind me of Christmas with the deep rich shades.

Palms In The Air // hunter green creme

Collection: Don't Stop Be-Leafing

Release: Summer 2020

Coats: 1

This wonderful self-levelling creme is ready in just one coat and is an absolute dream to apply. I think this was one of the fastest applications I've ever done. It has a shiny finish but definitely needs a top coat. My favourite thing about this shade is that it's a dark green but you can still tell it's green; most of them just look black when applied. Make sure you put on your best stain-resistant base coat though because rich green shades like this will cause some pretty hefty yellow stains.

It also doubles as a pretty good stamping polish due to how opaque it is. 

Grow Your Eco // bronze shimmer

Collection: Don't Stop Be-Leafing

Release: Summer 2020

Coats: 2

I'm not usually one for bronze shades but this one gets a pass. I think it matches the green extremely well and together they make either the perfect elf christmas look or summer jungle look. For a shimmer is surprisingly opaque as well with little bits of red and green pieces thrown in with the bronze mix. Under direct lighting it has a completely different look.

// Verdict

A solid duo from Nails Inc. I'm in LOVE with the wooden caps, I wish more polishes had them. There's also a set of four called "Nude in the Tropics" which features the same box print but has some nice beige/pink shades...I may have to buy them now because I love the box print. I wish they would make the polishes easier to get out though as I ripped the box :( 

Also, this is my first post in like 6 months....I took a break from doing anything really but that doesn't mean I stopped buying nail polish; that could never happen.