How To Create: Tartan Nails

It seems like forever since I've sat down and written a blog post and that's probably due to the fact I've been busy for 10 weeks solid. If you follow me on Twitter or have watched the videos my Mamma put up on my YouTube channel, you'll know that I have been training to become a Makeup Artist and Hair Stylist. So if you were sat there wondering if I'd been abducted by Aliens, fear not, I was in fact training. 

Now I'm qualified and no longer have to train anymore it means I have lots of time to write posts and make videos meaning you're going to see a lot more of me. 

I thought I'd get back into the blogging business by showing you a funky, on trend nail tutorial. Tartan is huge this A/W so I thought I'd show you all how to create Tartan Nails.

What you will need:

• Taupe Nail Polish
• White Acrylic Paint
• Black Acrylic Paint
• Red Acrylic Paint
• Top Coat
• Thin Paint Brush

Please note that if you do not own acrylic paints you can use nail polish instead. I purely use acrylic paint for nail art as it dries very fast meaning I can complete my designs in no time. If you're wanting to buy acrylic paint, check out your local art shop as they stock acrylic paint sets for as little as £10.

Step By Step:

Step One:

Apply the taupe coloured nail varnish to your nail.

Step Two:

Using the white acrylic paint and a thin paint brush, apply a large white stripe across your nail. Place this more towards the tip of the nail than the root of the nail.

Step Three:

Using the black acrylic paint and a thin paint brush, apply a black line at either side of the white stripe and also in the middle of the white stripe.

Step Four:
Again using the black acrylic paint and a thin paint brush, apply two black lines vertically down your nail.

Step Five:
Using the red acrylic paint and a thin paint brush, apply one red line horizontally across your nail (towards the root) and one red line vertically down your nail.

Step Six: 

Apply a top coat to protect the design and you're done!

I hope you liked this tutorial and if you have any requests please feel free to comment below. 

Thanks for reading,
Cole
x

How To Create Purple Gradient Stripe Nails!

A couple of weeks ago WAH nails posted a photograph on Instagram of a set of coral themed nails they did for one of their clients. I noticed that on one of the finger nails they had created a coral gradient striped design. It was cool, funky and I knew I'd be able to do it myself. 

I can paint stripes freehand with my eyes closed but I know that many people struggle to create stripes as they either don't have the patience or just cannot physically do it. Because of this I have written a handy tutorial showing you how to create gradient striped nails the simple and easy way.  

This tutorial will be helpful if you wish to create the WAH inspired gradient stripe nails or if you just want to create stripes in general. 

What you will need to create purple gradient stripe nails:

• White Nail Polish - I used Essie 'Blanc'
• Lilac Nail Polish - I used Illamasqua 'Wink'
• Purple Nail Polish - I used OPI 'Planks A Lot'
• Dark Purple Nail Polish - I used Jessica 'Pretty In Purple'
• Top Coat - I used Sally Hansen Double Duty Base & Top Coat
• Microporous / Scotch Tape
• Scissors

Please don't feel like you have to use the same nail polishes as I did as any nail polish will be fine. The key thing is that you select a white nail polish, pale nail polish, dark nail polish and very dark nail polish.  You can also pick up microporous tape from your local chemist or supermarket for as little as £2.00. 

If you would like to create purple gradient stripe nails all you have to do is follow my nice and easy steps! 

Step One:

Apply two coats of the white nail polish to your nails. It's also important that you let the nail polish fully dry before carrying onto the other steps as you'll end up ripping the nail polish off if you don't let it dry. 

Step Two: 

Cut a piece of tape and apply it to the base of your nail. 

Step Three:
Apply another piece of tape to the centre of your nail. This step determines how wide you want the 3rd stripe to be.

Step Four:
Apply the lilac nail polish to the gap between both pieces of tape. You'll need to use two coats.

Step Five:
Once the lilac nail polish has dried, remove both pieces of tape.

Step Six:
Apply a piece of tape to the tip of your nail. Again, this step determines the width of the 2nd stripe.

Step Seven:
Apply the purple nail polish to the gap between the tape and the lilac nail polish. You'll need to use two coats.

Step Eight:
Once the purple nail polish has dried, remove the tape.

Step Nine:
Apply the dark purple nail polish to the tip of your nail. You'll need to use two coats.
Once dry, apply a top coat!

And we're done!

Video Tutorial:

Obviously you can use any colours, you don't have to limit yourself to purple. I think a coral, black or multicoloured version would look amazing too! 

I hope you liked this tutorial, and most importantly I hope you found it helpful. If you have any nail tutorial requests, please feel free to let me know.

Thank you for reading!

:)

How to create Cupcake Nails!

If you have followed my blog from the very beginning you will know that I have already done a cupcake nail tutorial (of which I have now deleted), so you're probably wondering why I'm doing another. Well I'm going to tell you now.
The reason why I am doing another cupcake tutorial is because, to be quite frank, this cupcake design is 100% better than the other one. The old design is absolutely naff in comparison to this one.

So if you would like to create super funky cupcake nails, keep on reading!

What you will need:

• Mint green nail polish
• Bright pink nail polish
• Pale pink nail polish
• White nail polish
• Red nail polish
• Pale blue nail polish
• Yellow nail polish
• Orange nail polish
• Green nail polish
• Dotting tools
• Nail art brushes

If you would like to create cupcake nails all you have to do is follow my nice and easy steps!

Step One:

Apply 2 coats of the mint green nail polish to your nail. (This is the base)

Step Two:

Apply the bright pink nail polish to half of your nail. (This is the cupcake case)

Step Three:

Using a thin nail art brush and the pale pink nail polish, add several lines to the bright pink part of your nail. (cupcake case)

Step Four:

It's time to create the cupcake icing. Using a thin nail art brush and the white nail polish, create a curvy semi circle on top of the join between the mint green and bright pink nail polish. If this step sounds complicated, have a look at the photo below.

Step Five:

For the cherry you will need to use a large dotting tool and the red nail polish. Simply dot a large dot at the top of the cupcake.

Step Six:

For the sprinkles you will need to use a thin nail art brush and the pale blue, yellow, orange, green and pale pink nail polishes. Simply create small lines on the cupcake icing.

Step Seven:

Apply a top coat. This will not only protect the design but it will also give the nails a nice shine too.

And we're done!

I hope you liked my cupcake design and if you have any nail tutorial requests, please let me know.

Thank you for taking the time to read this post!
:)

How to create MAC Ruffian 'Demoiselle' Nails!

If you're a MAC lover then you will know that MAC is soon to release the Ruffian collection (already been released in the USA). The Ruffian collection consists of 3 lipsticks and 3 sets of false nails.
While the lipsticks are lovely (I literally want all 3 of them), I can't help but think that the false nail sets are a waste of time, they're also $25.00/£16.00 each. Yes the nail sets are handy for those who have no nails whatsoever but if you have quite lengthy nails then they're a little pointless as the designs are very very simple, you could easily create the designs yourself.

Due to the designs being really simple, I thought I'd show you all how to create your very own MAC Ruffian nails without having to spend $25.00/£16.00 on a set of false nails that will only last a couple of times, if not once.
There are three sets available, 'Spectator', 'Demoiselle' and 'Demilune'. I opted to create the 'Demoiselle' nails as I think red, black and white are a good combination, I would imagine that the majority of people would go for this design.

If you don't know what the MAC Ruffian 'Demoiselle' nail set looks like then it looks a little bit like this...

As you can see, it's a pretty straightforward design so if you would like to create 'Demoiselle' nails, keep on reading!

What you will need:

• Red nail polish
• Black nail polish  
• White nail polish

Before applying any polish to your nails,  you may want to shape them. The MAC 'Demoiselle' nails are pointed so if you wish to have pointed nails, create the shape before applying the nail polish. 

I dislike pointed nails with a passion as they remind me of bird claws so I decided to skip the shaping step. 

If you would like to create MAC Ruffian 'Demoiselle' nails, all you have to do is follow my nice and easy steps!

Step One:

Apply 2 coats of the red nail polish to your nails. 

Step Two:

Apply the black nail polish to the tips of your nails. As you would do with a french manicure.

Step Three:

Using the white nail polish, create a half moon at the base of your nails.

And we're done!

Video Tutorial:

Why spend $25.00/£16.00 on a set of false nails when you can do it yourself. I hope you liked this tutorial and more importantly, I hope you found it helpful. If you would like me to create the other 2 MAC Ruffian designs, please let me know.

Thank you for taking the time to read this post!

:)

Orly Nail Polish Review

As many of you will know I love nails and everything to do with nails. I love nail art, I love sparkly gems but most of all, I LOVE nail polish. I have tried many low-end and high-end nail polishes throughout the years so I know which nail polishes are good and which are utterly shocking. 

I'm going to be reviewing nail polish brands over the next couple of weeks as this will be a good way of showing you the good, the mediocre and the down right rubbish nail polish brands. 

To kick off my series of nail polish brand reviews, I have for you...Orly. 

What Orly have to say...

"ORLY is the trendsetter when it comes to fashion for nails. Taking influences from the catwalk, ORLY's seasonal collections go hand in hand with fashion trends, and with over 150 different colours to choose from, there's a shade for every occassion.

Over 30 years and more than 25 treatments later, ORLY is renowned around the world for its professional quality products. A complete manicure and pedicure range, ORLY has everything you need to keep your hands and feet in the red carpert standard they so deserve."

Are Orly nail polishes 3 free?

Yes they are. Orly nail polishes are free from DBP, Formaldehyde and Toluene. 

Does Orly have a large colour selection?

Orly have a fabulous colour selection. There are 96 shades in the permanent collection and approximately 6 shades in each of the limited edition collections. Orly release many collections over the year and they're always brilliant collections. One collection Orly have just released is the Orly Flash Glam FX collection, it's basically a collection containing many sparkly and glittery nail polishes and I have to say that it's a simply amazing collection. Perfect for a magpie like myself. 

Orly cater for everybody as there is a wide selection of neutral, dark and bright nail polishes available. No matter if you like beige, dark purple or hot pink, there will be a shade just for you. 

How much do Orly nail polishes retail at and where can you buy them from?

Orly nail polishes retail at £10.95 and can be purchased online at Look Fantastic, Beauty Bay and Feel Unique. Mini Orly nail polishes can also be purchased in-store at selected Boots stores, the mini Orly nail polishes retail at £3.99 each. It's also important to know that full sized Orly nail polishes retail at  £7.50 on Beauty Bay so you may as well buy them from there, Beauty Bay also offer free delivery (or snail delivery as I like to call it).

What do Orly nail polishes look like?

Below are photographs and swatches of a few of my Orly nail polishes. 

From left to right: 'Hot Shot', 'Passion Fruit', 'Beach Cruiser', 'Basket Case'.

From left to right: 'Butterflies', 'White Out', 'Androgynie', 'Shine On Crazy Diamond'.

'Hot Shot'

Colour: Neon Red/Coral

Coats needed: 2

'Passion Fruit'

Colour: Neon Red/Pink

Coats needed: 2

'Beach Cruiser'

Colour: Neon Pink

Coats needed: 2

'Basket Case'

Colour: Pink With Purple Undertone

Coats needed: 2

'Butterflies'

Colour: Strawberry Pink

Coats needed: 3

'White Out'

Colour: Pure White

Coats needed: 2

'Androgynie'

Colour: Black With Green/Blue Glitter

Coats needed: 3

'Shine On Crazy Diamond'

Colour: Fine Glitter

Coats needed: 2

Swatches

From left to right: Hot Shot, Passion Fruit, Beach Cruiser, Basket Case, Butterflies, White Out, Androgynie, Shine On Crazy Diamond. 

The Good

• Brush - Orly nail polishes have a thin brush which enables precise application. 
• Packaging - Orly nail polishes have a rubberised lid which enables easy gripping (handy when opening) and flawless performance.
• Coats Needed - The majority of Orly nail polishes require 2 coats which is standard. Some of the paler shades need 3 coats but that is to be expected. 
• Drying Time - I can't give specific drying times as I don't sit there with a stop clock funnily enough, but If I were to guess then I'd say that one coat would be dry after 5 minutes. I also noticed that matte Orly nail polishes dry almost instantly so if you're in a rush and need to use a nail polish that dries uberly fast then I'd check out the matte Orly nail polishes, for example, 'Hot Shot' or 'Beach Cruiser'.
• Chipping - Orly nail polish lasts around 6 days before chipping. The majority of nail polishes last around 3-4 before chipping so 6 days is amazing! Orly nail polishes would be ideal for anyone who doesn't change their nail colour frequently.
• 3 Free - Orly nail polishes are free from DBP, Formaldehyde and Toluene (baddies that shouldn't be in nail polishes). It's important that you check the ingredients list of a nail polish before buying it as you really don't want to buy a nail polish that contains these three baddies. Hoorah for Orly.. you kind, thoughtful brand!
• Opacity - Some Orly polishes are very opaque, whereas some can be quite sheer. It just depends on the colour and finish of the nail polish but more often than not, Orly nail polishes have brilliant opacity. 
• Application - Orly nail polishes apply very well. They apply very smoothly without streaking, although you do have to watch out for some of the matte shades as they can apply a little streaky, and also sheer. 
• Colour Range - I personally feel that Orly have the BEST colour range, there's 96 different shades in the permanent range and there's usually 6 shades in each of the limited edition collections. Orly release many collections throughout the year and I have to say that they never fail to impress me. I feel that Orly cater for each and every one of us as they include a mix of vibrant, neutral and dark shades in their collections. 
• Size - Orly nail polishes contain 18ml of product which is utterly amazing. A standard nail polish contains between 8-15ml of product so you're getting a lot more product in Orly nail polishes. Orly nail polishes are very large so I can imagine one bottle lasting a while. I paint my nail VERY frequently and have gone through 2 bottles of 'White Out' in the space of 10 months which in my opinion is very good.  
• Price - Orly nail polishes retail between £7.50 - £10.85 and I think this is reasonable. Not only are you paying for the large amount of product, you're paying for the quality too. I own many high end nail polishes that are a lot more expensive than Orly nail polishes and I have to say that the quality it utterly shoddy, £1 Primark nail polish is probably better quality, and that's no exaggeration. Overall, Orly nail polishes have a brilliant price tag and I will definitely by buying more in the future, they're brilliant nail polishes!  
• Scent - Some nail polishes can have a really overpowering scent, so much so that they can give you a migraine but I'm pleased to say that Orly nail polishes don't have an overpowering scent at all. 

The Okay

• Availability - Orly nail polishes cannot be purchased in-store (apart from a few select mini shades at selected Boots stores) and this is a problem for me as I like to look at nail polishes before I buy them, just incase I either don't like the shade or find I already own a similar one. If Orly branched out to Boots/Superdrug, it'd be so much better as you could freely look at the nail polishes. There's no denying that Orly nail polishes are readily available online, you can buy them left, right and centre (which is ace) but it'd just be nice to see them in the flesh. Not only that, the Boots/Superdrug points would be nice too. 

The Bad

• I have nothing bad to say about Orly nail polishes, they're brilliant nail polishes and I'll certainly be buying more in the future. The only thing I will say is that I'd like to see more green/blue shades in the permanent range. 

Overall I like Orly nail polishes, they have a nice consistency, apply smoothly and last around 6 days without chipping. Orly nail polishes also contain 18ml which is utterly amazing as a standard nail polish contains 15ml.
I would suggest Orly nail polishes to anyone that doesn't paint their nails that often or buy nail polishes on a regular basis. Orly nail polishes would also be great for anyone on the go 24/7 as they're fast drying.

Would I recommend? Yes, I personally feel Orly nail polishes are the best on the market.

Would I re-purchase? Yes, 10 times over. 

Rating? 10/10

Have you tried any Orly nail polishes?

:)

*The shades 'Hot Shot', 'Basket Case' and 'Butterflies' were sent to me for review purposes. This does not effect my thoughts and opinions on the products. As always, my reviews are 100% truthful. 

How to create Multi Coloured Leopard Print Nails!

One day last week, I decided to play with my nail wheels and nail polishes and create some new designs. I posted my designs on Instagram and asked if anyone would like a tutorial for any of the designs and a lot of people said they'd like a tutorial for my multi coloured leopard print design, so here it is.


What you will need:

• White nail polish - I used Orly 'White Out' 
• Bright pink nail polish - I used Nubar 'Hot Pink'
• Orange nail polish - I used 17 'Orange Soda' 
• Yellow nail polish - I used Ciate 'Big Yellow Taxi' 
• Green nail polish - I used Nubar 'Kiwi' 
• Blue nail polish - I used O.P.I 'What's With The Cattitude' 
• Purple nail polish - I used O.P.I 'Planks A Lot' 
• Black nail art pen - I used the WAH Nail Art Pen
• Dotting tools 

Before creating multi coloured leopard print nails, it's important to know how to create the leopard print. Below is a step by step photograph showing you how to create leopard print. 

How to create leopard print, the easy way:

If you would like to create multi coloured leopard print nails all you have to do is follow my nice and easy steps. 

Step One:

Apply two coats of the white nail polish to your nails. The white nail polish acts a blank canvas and it also makes colours appear a lot brighter. 

Step Two:

Using the different coloured nail polishes (pink, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple) and dotting tools, apply several dots to your nails. I created both medium and small dots but you can create either small, medium or large dots, or a mix of different sized dots. 

Step Three:

Using the WAH nail art pen, create the leopard print. 

Step Four:

Using the WAH nail art pen, fill in any gaps by creating small black splodges.

And we're done!

Daylight

Flash

Video Tutorial:

I hope you liked this nail tutorial and if anyone has any nail tutorial requests then please comment below. 

Many thanks for reading!

:)