Tuesday 29 July 2014

Learning Nail Decals Method 02

With thanks to these lovely ladies:

San Gw has an amazing decals video here, she is a great teacher, I learnt an awful lot from this concise tutorial.

Sumeet Kaur Singh has a wonderful inspiring blog, click here to see my inspiration for today's manicure.




Base colour: Essence colour &go, 109 Off to Miami
Stamp colour: Konad white
Decal colours: Sinful Color, Snow me white 101,  Barry M 318 Peach melba and Essence colour &go, 109 Off to Miami
Decal stamped with Konad black

Image plate: Moyou Tourist Collection -  20 (I can't get enough of this plate)


Not perfect, but really quick to complete

Tools of the trade

I stamped the decal onto clear base

Indirect sunlight
My first attempt using this technique failed!

Learning Nail Decals Method 01

Follow the Yellow Brick Road

Technique with thanks to pcontreras8nails. Click here for a great video tutorial and much more professional results. Her blog is amazing and I want you to take a peep right now. Click here.

I feel like a child when I look at my fingers.  But I know I will play with decals again.  I'm inspired to try out an emerald city manicure


Base colour: Clear
Stamp colour: Konad Black
Decals: Acrylic paints, White and Cadmium Yellow
Image plate: Moyou London Stamping Plate mother nature 06 and Fairytale Collection 12


The yellow brick road!
I can't help smiling at these

Tools of the Trade
Acrylic paint used to colour decals
Scary right hand closeup
Scary left hand closeup

Monday 28 July 2014

Wear Pink! Support Mundo de Uñas

I am wearing loads and loads of pink to support Mundo de Uñas. #supportmundo.   She is a fantastic nail stamping polish supplier who was sadly cyber bullied into closing her shop to international sales.


I sadly haven't got my any MdU of my own, but am hoping this will change soon.  This manicure is to show that we all hope mdu will reconsider her decision to stop selling internationally.  She has so many fans out here who have just started out nail stamping, and love what mdu has been producing.


Base colour: Barry M Gelly Hi-Shine, Rose Hip 404
Stamp colour: Barry M Gelly Hi-Shine, Grapefruit, 407 (konad white for decals)
Image plate: Moyou London Princess Collection - 12 (xl)





Butterfly decals


Support Mundo de Uñas


Hot pink swinging 60's



We <3 Mundo de Uñas


Tools of the trade

Sunday 27 July 2014

Tiger Claws

The AIS Sunday challenge for Sunday July 27th is:

Global Tiger Day (July 29th) Tiger Nails

Summer sponged gradient with pussy cat stripes.

Base Colour: Rimmel 60 Seconds, 450 Get your Shades on
Gradient tip: Barry M Gelly Hi-Shine, Papaya 416
Gradient mid: Barbara Daily (tescos) nail polish, Pink Ribbon
Stamp colour: Konad Black
Image plate: Konad m57-1



Purrrrr
Grrrrr
I smudge the design with top coat :(

Saturday 26 July 2014

Matte with Blue Dots!

Everything melted today.  It was too hot for stamping and too hot for dotting!  But I wanted a cool manicure to end the week with, so went for icy looking blues and whites.   I also learnt that stamping polish does not help produce consistent dots.  It simply is too thick and gloopy.


Base colour:  Rimmel 60 Seconds, 842 Too cool to Tango
Base ring: Rimmel 60 Seconds, 825 Sky High
Stamp colour: Primark unnamed nail polish
Stamp ring: Barry M Gelly Hi-Shine,
Top coat: Rimmel Lycra Pro, Matte Finish (sadly I can't get this anymore)
Image plate: Moyou London Suki Collection - 05
Polka dots: Konad White, which was a mistake.



Forgive the inconsistent dotting
Tools of the trade



I will practice dotting 

Indirect sunlight

Wednesday 23 July 2014

Greek Mythology Finger Swatches

Not a proper manicure, a post for reference


I keep excitedly picking up this Greek mythology image plate, then putting it away again because I don't know quite which bits I want to use and how.  I have simply picked out my favourite sections of this plate and stamped, with no regard to how the finished manicure will look.  So this is a selfish post and it will be my inspiration for a number of manicures in the future.


Base colour: Clear
Stamp colour: Konad White
Image plate: Moyou London Greek Mythology Collection - 02



This is probably the most delicate of the Greek Plates by Moyou

Same image on thumb and pinky

I didn't manage a photo of my left thumb :(

This image was taken from the Moyou website.

Sunday 20 July 2014

Metal Leopard

Inspired by my phone case

Scroll to the bottom to see my inspiration.  I think the print would have been more striking had I stamped with black, but I couldn't resist combining this coppery / bronze metallic from Asda with pretty summer pastels. I love the way this metallic polished stamped and think I will be returning to asda to pick up the other shades in this range.

Base colours: Barry M 309 Strawberry I/C, Barry M 318 Peach Melba, Rimmel 60 Seconds, 450 Get your Shades on and OPI Ski Slope Sweetie HL E15
Base stamp colour 1: Konad White
Base image plate 1: Konad m57-1

Stamp colour 2: George Molten Metals, No 5 Party Animal
Image plate 2: Konad m93


Have a look at my previous post here for more details about the base for this manicure



I am very impressed with Asda's Molten Metal range for stamping
Grrrr!
Sorry about the glare
Tools of the trade
My phone camera seems to increase saturation
My inspiration: htc desire hd phone case

Saturday 19 July 2014

White Leopard

This manicure is the base layer preparation for the AIS Sunday Challenge, in which I will be trying to copy a darker leopard print phone cover.  Keep watching this space to see how this develops.

Base colours: The following colours are all fairly sheer, so I added two different coloured coats on each finger, trying to make every finger slightly different.
Barry M 309 Strawberry I/C,
Barry M 318 Peach Melba,
Rimmel 60 Seconds, 450 Get your Shades on
OPI Ski Slope Sweetie HL E15
Loreal top coat confettis, Splash Peach (bottle not photographed)

Stamp colour: Konad White
Image plate: Konad m57-1



Making progress 
I couldn't resist Loreal top coat confettis, Splash Peach on my pinky
This stamp would be fantastic to spruce up a tired manicure
Base coat colours
Both hands stamped cleaned and oiled

Thursday 17 July 2014

Shiny on Matte

Nearly Nude


Shiny stamping image over matte base coat:  I keep seeing lovely examples of this look. braver girls often stamp the same colour over the matte top coat, I am stamping with a slightly darker nude.

I loved the way this manicure turned out.  My only complaint is that it did not last long enough. I wore the mani over a busy few days, and without a top coat, the stamping image began wearing away at the tips, and by day three, the contrast between matte and shiny had disappeared completely.

Base colour: Barry M Gelly Hi-Shine, Lychee
Stamp colour: Max Factor Max Effect Mini, 21 Soft Toffee
Image plate: Konad m89

Blue Skies
Indirect sunlight

In the sun

Tools of the Trade

Scary Closeup

Halo Lighting

Tuesday 15 July 2014

Goodbye Long Impractical Nails

When I started to struggle typing and using my smart phones touch screen, it seemed about time to cut my nails back to a more manageable length.

And of course, there's nothing better than a doily stamping image and a nude holographic polish to wave off the old and prepare for the new.

Base colour: Born Pretty Holo Polish, Color 6
Stamp colour: Konad Black
Image plate: Moyou London Tourist Collection 07 xl


Moyou London Stamping Plate Tourist Collection 07 xl konad over born pretty holo
Moyou London Stamping Plate Tourist Collection 07 xl konad over born pretty holo
Moyou London Stamping Plate Tourist Collection 07 xl konad over born pretty holo
Moyou London Stamping Plate Tourist Collection 07 xl konad over born pretty holo
Tools of the Trade
born pretty holo
Quick swatch under halogen lamp
born pretty holo
Swatch indirect halogen lamp