Jellybean Nails - with Sharpies!

Hi Tory,

I really enjoyed doing the heart-frame nails for Valentine's Day and wanted to expand on the technique a bit. Framing the nails in black like that gives them a cool, graphic quality - almost like a Batman comic, so I've been playing around with some ideas.

try out some bright jellybean colours - maybe do a different colour on each finger

This one actually came out of an accident - never dismiss your mistakes! - where the brush slipped and the line came out too thick. I kept going and that's how Jellybean Nails were born! (I bought a set of fine detail art brushes at The Works and I'd totally recommend it as they're perfect for nail art and they don't cost an awful lot.)

costs
£6.77

The finishing touch was using a Sharpie pen to do all the details and make the rounded corners - my caveat is to let the nail polish underneath dry completely or the Sharpie won't stick.

Also then let the Sharpie dry or the top coat will smear it. (The great thing about using Sharpies in nail art is that if you make a mistake you can just wipe it off with some surgical spirit and it doesn't ruin the nail polish.) Try out some bright jellybean colours - maybe do a different colour on each finger. Fun!

Steps

• Put on a clear base coat and then your background colour (I used two coats) and let this dry thoroughly.
• Do three sides of a black frame using a small art brush and black nail polish - I found it easiest to do all the left sides, then the bottoms, then the tops. Leave the right side free, and I also kept my Bourjois remover pot on hand to clean off the brush.
• Paint just over one half of the right hand side of the nails with black polish and leave this to dry completely - you want your Sharpie coat to stick!
• Round the corners of the rectangle you have left using the Sharpie - you can make it as deep or as shallow as you like but you want to end up with a lozenge shape. You can also use the Sharpie to fill in any gaps in the black polish.
• Use the Sharpie to make three small dots for the jellybean highlight and let the Sharpie dry completely. Put on a clear topcoat and it's finished!

Products Used

• NYC In a New York Minute in Grand Central Station
• MUA Nail Polish in Shade 9
• 2True Glossywear Polish in Shade 39
• Sharpie in Black
• Prices based on what I paid for the whole look from scratch, and correct at the time of posting

Hugs and kisses,
xxx

Bow Tie Nails 27/2/13

Hi Tory,

It really irks me that the press-on stickers I bought a while ago for false nails turned out to be such a bust - and I really don't want to go down the nail glue route as I'm trying to condition and grow out my nails again. So I'm left with little packets of really cute nail designs but no way to use them.

"time to get creative!" I said to myself.

"Time to get creative!" I said to myself. (At this point I can hear our grandmother somewhere in the ether telling us not to spend money on things but rather make them ourselves. Consider this a tribute of sorts, Nan.) The fiddliest part is the bow tie which is essentially two triangles facing each other.

costs
£4.78

I used a combination brush and blob stroke for the triangles, building up the colour as I went. If you have a steady hand, you could use a little, fine art brush for this step as well. After I'd done the nail art I figured out that it would be so much easier to do the tips, then the dots, then the triangles and work down the nail. Hindsight!

So now I have some nail art which is not too far away from the original false nails, and only uses two colours (three if you count the clear top/base coat). You could do a negative version for a bit of Lux Tux Action, or maybe do the details in glitter for a bit of 42nd Street Pizzazz? The original nails had one single black rhinestone for the third finger nail of each hand - that's a snazzy detail to add too!

Steps

• Base coat the nails with a clear coat and then apply the white background - I used three coats of the MUA All Nude for this. Make sure it's thoroughly dry before moving on to the next step.
• Using the nib of an old pen and a black polish apply three tiny dots in a line from just below the nail tip to about halfway down the nail - this will give you the buttons.
• Either freehand or using the rubber band method paint a black tip on the nails.
• Again, using an old pen nib dipped in black polish, paint two triangles pointing at each other in the bottom half of the nail for the bow tie. Let everything dry thoroughly at this point.
• Apply a clear top coat and you have a set of cute bow tie nails!

Products Used

• MUA Polish in All Nude
• 2True Glossywear in Shade 19
• NYC In A New York Color Minute in Grand Central Station
• Old pen
• Prices based on what I paid for the whole look from scratch, and correct at the time of posting

Hugs and kisses,
xxx

Nail Tutorial: Glitter Half Moons

Hi Tory,

I first found out about Collection 2000's Glam Crystal eyeliners through a Pixiwoo video for the look that Leona Lewis wore to the X Factor. So much glittery joy that I just had to rush out and buy some the next day - and I snapped up Rock Star (a deep black), Le Freak (an amazing teal) and Hustle (a multicolored silver).

glam crystals are full of really fine glitter that you can build up

Glam Crystals are full of really fine glitter that you can build up, so you can either use them as straight eyeliners for a pop of sparkle on your eye, or fill in areas for a huge amount of shine. But... they're a lot more versatile than that.

costs
£5.78

I've been wanting to try the Glitter Half Moon look for a while, but even with templates and masking off have found it incredibly difficult to get the colour on in such a small and defined space without messing up in some way. I needed something with a small brush that also had maximum impact colour and glamour wise... eureka!

Like I say in the directions, make sure that you use the brush flat and with a patting motion - if you try and draw on your shiny painted nails the brush will slip and drag and wipe the glitter back off. You can also build coats up for the density that you want. Make sure to include a top coat to guard against knocks and chips and you're good to go!

Steps

• Paint a base coat of black nail polish and let dry thoroughly
• Using the Glam Crystals brush flat on its side and with a patting motion cover the cuticle edge of the nail and let dry
• Using the same principle mirror an arc above this and let that dry
• Fill the moon in with the Glam Crystals and let dry (you can also do additional touch ups if you have any bald spots)
• Finish with a clear top coat

Products Used

• MUA Nail Polish in Shade 2
• Collection 2000 Glam Crystals in Hustle
• NYC In a New York Color Minute in Grand Central Station
• Prices based on what I paid for the whole look from scratch, and correct at the time of posting

Hugs and kisses,
xxx

A Fresher Makeup for Katharine

Hi Tory,

I had a message from the wonderful Katherine on the MT4MS Facebook page, where she mentioned that she was not a makeup person as such but still got a lot out of the videos and posts. I ran it by her that it might be fun to do more of a no-makeup makeup video and so here we are.

cream products are an absolute boon for non or new makeup wearers

The great thing about makeup is that you really can use as little as or as much as you want and adjust your look accordingly. You don't have to go from a fresh face routine to wearing a full face of makeup - in fact, wearing full foundation for the first time can be really uncomfortable if you're not used to it. Sometimes an approach like this is nice because you can start to dip your toes in the makeup waters and experiment quietly.

costs
£17.53

Like I say in the video - cream products are an absolute boon for non or new makeup wearers. They tend to be really comfortable to wear and extremely easy to use - no practising blending or making cut creases here!

Once you get used to products you can start branching out or building up - maybe adding a primer to the face, or working with stronger colours on the eyes. It's all about fun - so thank you Katherine!

Products Used

• ELF Complete Coverage Concealer in Medium
• NYC Smooth Loose Face Powder in Translucent
• MUA Mascara in Clear
• Maybelline 25HR Color Tattoo in On & On Bronze
• MUA Single Eyeshadow in Shade #15
• MUA Mascara in Black
• MUA Blush Perfection Cream Blusher in Bittersweet
• MUA Intense Kisses in Stolen Kisses
• Prices based on what I paid for the whole look from scratch, and correct at the time of posting

Hugs and kisses,
xxx

Nail Tutorial: Two Tone Nail Trend

Hi Tory,

There was a big Spring/Summer 2013 trend on all the catwalks for Two Tone nails - replacing the ombre nails that were such a big hit in the seasons before. Whilst I'm not such a slave to trends, sometimes the smaller ones can be fun to introduce into your life for a quick, fresh hit of something au courant and funky and nails are a cheap and easy way to do that. (You can probably insert Miranda Priestley's speech from the Devil Wears Prada here - about how designers on the catwalf pick out the colours and shapes you'll end up wearing from the High Street a year later. I want her entire wardrobe!)

make sure they jar just a little bit for that designer clash effect

Instead of doing a gradient nail which gently bleeds from one toning colour along, two tone nails bleed two relatively clashing colours together, so I decided to go with a hot tomato red and the MUA blue I call "Wonder Woman Blue" (which also happens to be one of my favourite nail colours!) Stronger colours only take a coat, but you can layer sheer ones over a white base coat or build them up with several coats.

costs
£3.79

You can use any colours that you like, but make sure that they jar just a little bit for that designer clash effect, or you can offset a hot colour with a stark white or black. You're not going for subtle here! Think of hot pink and orange, or red and green, or you could even go with a neutral and a metallic for a chicer look. The possibilities are endless.

You can do the blend in either one of two ways: either blend both colours on the sponge, or just concentrate on one strong colour to feather out - either way, make sure that the sponge is damp, as that really is the trick to this technique. Have fun with it!

Steps

• Base coat your nails with a clear polish to avoid staining
• Paint half your nail in the first colour and let it dry - you don't have to be accurate with the halfway line, in fact the messier the better
• Paint the second colour on the exposed half of your nail and let that dry - you can top it all with a clear base coat at this point to eliminate any halfway bumps or ridges
• Using a damp makeup sponge dab the two colours on the halfway line to uzz them out. You'll need to do several coats of this to get the effect and make sure that they dry between coats. Don't press too hard and make sure that you're doing a dabbing motion.
• Top it with a clear coat of polish to seal it and further blend the colours, and clean up the skin around your nails. Done!

Products Used

• MUA Nail Polish in Shade 6
• MUA Nail Polish in Shade 9
• NYC In a New York Color Minute Polish in Grand Central Station
• Damp makeup sponge
• Prices based on what I paid for the whole look from scratch, and correct at the time of posting

Hugs and kisses,
xxx

Makeup Tutorials: The £20 Challenge

Hi Tory,

I will confess - I've resisted the £20 Makeup Challenge (originally the $20 Makeup Challenge, so with the exchange rate we come off a little better), mainly because I couldn't quite get my head around the concept. It's rather like those riddle stories, like the one where you're in the jungle and you have to get three cannonballs over a rope bridge that will only support you and two cannonballs, and you're being chased by warriors, etc. You juggle the cannonballs and thus you are only holding two at any given time. Fair enough - but why do I need to do any of this in the first place and who the hell can juggle cannonballs?

you have gone on holiday and the airport staff have lost ALL of your makeup

Here's the premise for the challenge - you have gone on holiday and the airport staff have lost ALL of your makeup, and you only have £20 to replace the whole face routine including brushes.

costs
£18.99

So what I had a problem with was a) I carry my day makeup in my handbag so presumably the airport staff wrestled the bag away from me, b) if I'm on holiday why have I only got £20 to spend on makeup, and c) what mythical country am I in where I can purchase any brand and/or have Internet items delivered in ten minutes? I may be obsessing a little here, but my Asperger's resisted the tutorial for the longest time. I have suspended my disbelief long enough to put something together for my poverty-stricken, bruise-covered holiday to AmeriEuropasia.

A sidenote: when are Superdrug going to start selling ELF? I demand to know.

Products Used

• MUA Professional BB Cream in Medium Shade 2
• MUA Professional Palette in Glamour Nights
• MUA Professional Palette in Dusk Til Dawn
• MUA Professional Blush Perfection Cream Blusher in Yummy
• MUA Professional Every Lash Mascara in Black
• NYC Lipstick in 410 Plum Rum
• ELF Professional Blending Eye Brush
• Prices based on what I paid for the whole look from scratch, and correct at the time of posting

Hugs and kisses,
xxx

Handy French Manicure Tip

Hi Tory,

Whichever way you look at it, French manicures are a bit of a pain to get right, no matter how much practice you put in, or how steady your hand is. I've done tips and tricks on this subject before, but found this nifty little work around this week and just had to give it a go.

All you need is a thickish rubber band. That's it. It's so simple I can't believe that I've never seen it in action before. The basic principle is that the rubber band grips to your nail so it's a solid surface, the tension pulls back the skin so you don't get blobs everywhere, and it gives you a nice, crisp edge.

all you need is a thickish rubber band

So, let's go for it. Paint your base colour - one or two coats depending on the polish and make sure that it's absolutely bone dry. The rubber band will take off some of the surface gloss, but you'll be putting a top coat on to even things out. Place the rubber band just under where you want your French tip to be and pull it down securely, holding it in place. Then, just paint your contrasting tip polish on the free edge, wait for about 30 seconds and very gently remove the rubber band. Genius!

One More Thing...

• My clearly labelled "A4 Watercolour Paper" had to be cut down to fit my printer. How does that work??
• The best way to get a dewy foundation? Use a damp sponge and lightly press your warm hands over the surface so that everything melts in and adapts to your skin.
• If you're doing any kind of makeup work - theatre, shoot, wedding or whatever - always take paper cups and tissues with you in your kit. You'd be amazed at how often you'll need a tissue or somewhere to put warm water!
• Another tip for makeup kits on the go - stock up on travel sizes of products like tissues, shampoo, moisturizer and so on. So much easier than decanting or carrying around heavy bottles.

Hugs and kisses,
xxx

Product Update: NYC Foundation

Hi Tory,

I recently wrote an unfavourable review of NYC's Smooth Skin Mousse Foundation - I didn't like the texture, couldn't get it to blend, wasn't impressed with the poor shade range... I ended up deeming it a not bad concealer, rather than a good foundation.

BUT - I don't like to give up on a product, especially when it has such a good price point and a fair amount of product.

I don't like to give up on a product, especially when it has such a good price point

I kept researching, knowing that air-whipped products behave in a particular way. It's sort of like whipping cream or butter or eggs - you want to keep the air and the lightness in, so stirring and a heavy hand destroys all the good work you've done getting a fluffy texture. It was with this in mind that I went back to the NYC foundation and kept scaling back on the amount of product. What I eventually ended up doing was three quick dabs of my Sam Chapman Real Techniques Expert Face Brush, and then working the area in circular motions. This amount of product covers:

• one cheek area, OR
• one half of the forehead, OR
• the chin and mouth area, OR
• the nose

So you end up using 18 of the merest dabs of product, which is not a huge amount. You do need to work it in with a firm but light hand, and only do one application. This is absolutely key I found - any more than one application and it starts to go cakey. If you need more coverage, you'll have to reach for the concealer. I'd say that the foundation gives a light to medium coverage, but applying it as above, it's actually really comfortable, and with a primer underneath it's really quite good as a foundation. And at only £3.99 for 14g of product, it won't hurt your pocket.

I'm still not happy about the lack of shades - you can choose from three and they are all in the fairly pale Caucasian range. Insert frowny face here.

Products Used

• NYC Smooth Skin Mousse Foundation in Natural Rose
• Samantha Chapman Real Techniques Expert Face Brush

One More Thing...

• How come MAC have used men like Jonny Weir in their campaigns... but they don't do male face charts?
• I still can't find my Revlon lash glue...
• Sorry for the lack of video yesterday... my Internet appeared to be on some sort of annual holiday...
• Some Superdrugs are doing knock-down, dirt cheap sale prices on their TOWIE palettes, and the colours are not bad. If I can snag some I'll review 'em.
• Hammersmith Primark does different nail polishes in different bottles - what's the T, divas??
• I've found a better way to block out eyebrows - may do an updated tutorial!

Hugs and kisses,
xxx

I ♥ Drugstore

Hi Tory,

The wonderful Emily of Beauty Broadcast fame did this fun tag video about drugstore brands, likes and dislikes - what we'd call the High Street or the chemist - and I thought I'd join. The whole point of this blog is to get fabulous looks on a bargain, so it's what we know, right?

the whole point of this blog is to get fabulous looks on a bargain, so it's what we know, right?

I'd love to know what everything else thinks too - what are your star products or the ones that you thought were complete duds? As always, you can comment below, do a response video on YouTube or leave a message on the Facebook Page - all the links are in the menu bar above!

The Tag Questions

• What is your favourite drugstore makeup brand?
• What are your favourite face, cheek and lip products?
• Your least favourite product?
• What is the best makeup bargain?
• What is your favourite underdog product - something you love that often gets overlooked?
• Show your best drugstore dupes.
• Drugstore product that isn't worth the hype?

Hugs and kisses,
xxx

Product Review: NYC Mousse Foundation

Hi Tory,

I've used Maybelline's Dream Mousse Foundation in the past before and to be honest with you, I absolutely hated it. So although I was curious to see that NYC do a range of mousse foundations, I was also a little bit reticent, and if it wasn't half price, I probably would have steered clear. All mousse or whipped foundations were pretty much the next generation of face products, boasting a lighter-than-air texture and flawless coverage particularly for visible pores, which I have in abundance.

I've yet to find a foundation that doesn't boast flawless coverage, but I decided to press on. The shade of NYC's Smooth Skin Mousse Foundation I got is Natural Rose, which is a little pale and oddly yellow for my skin tone - but the full range only includes three shades so I didn't have much to work with. As you know, I'm currently researching foundation shades in the drugstore brands for the lightest and darkest skin tones, so NYC scores a huge zero on that front. You get a beige, a pinky beige, and a slightly darker beige. And that's it.

The Facts

• product contains 14g
You get a beige, a pinky beige, and a slightly darker beige. And that's it.
• it's enriched with vitamin B5
• it does NOT have an SPF
• the shade range is 701 Natural Beige, 702 Natural Rose, and 703 Sand Beige
• product comes in a small clear pot with plastic lid
• current retail price is £3.99
• from the website: "The formula is enriched with Pro-vitamin B5 that is known to help moisturize. This clever little pot contains oil-absorbing properties for a soft matte look. Skin perfecting coverage that last up to 9 whole hours. NYC Smooth Skin Mousse Foundation will keep you covered from your breakfast meeting in the Village all the way to your cool party in Brooklyn. Dermatologist tested."

Why would you opt for a mousse foundation? In general they offer a mattifying effect, which is a bonus for oily or combination skins. You also don't need much product so a little goes a long way, and they feel remarkably comfortable on the skin - so the light-as-air boast is pretty much on the money. So how did the product actually measure up?

The Verdict

• The little goes a long way idea is very hard to judge on account of the all the air in the mixture. When I first put it on, using my damp beauty blender dupe, I used far too much product and the whole thing looked cakey and masklike.
• The texture is strange... really strange and has a weird grittiness about it that I just couldn't get used to, no matter how much I blended it out.
• It also clogged my pores, and quite visibly so. When I cleansed after the first try-out, there were disturbing beige plugs of foundation all over my skin that needed a good massage with facial cleanser to remove.
• Any dry areas (the winter has been unkind to the area around my nose for example) were magnified about a hundred times, and no amount of blending got rid of it.
• It felt light as air and soft to the touch, but the product moves. A lot.
• On the second try-out I used tiny dabs of product and applied it with my fingers in circular motions, smoothing it afterwards with the damp beauty blender dupe. It was still cakey, still settled in my pores, and still had a masklike appearance - on the plus side it covers redness and dark areas.

Here's where I realised where it could in fact be useful - for me it's a terrible foundation, but it does actually make a pretty good concealer. It covers incredibly well, is lighter in texture than most concealers and so would be smooth, and you can dab it better than most concealers. As a foundation though I give it one out of five - and that's only because it was on special offer.

Full product details and shopping here.

Hugs and kisses,
xxx

Rihanna Nails: You Da One Video

Hi Tory,

let each layer get bone dry before doing the next one

You asked me to do a how to tutorial for Rihanna's sharp and spiky nails in the "You Da One" video, and I said yes... and that I was working on it... and that it would be up the following week... and that it would definitely be up the following week... and here it is. Finally. I hope you like it. ;)

One thing I noticed when I was researching the look in the video, is that there are actually two nail designs - both triangular, but one is black/white, and the other is black/white/grey. I found a million tutorials for the former but none for the latter, and to be honest, it's the more interesting look of the two. It's pretty straightforward to do as long as you let each layer get bone dry before doing the next one, and make sure that you pull the tape off as soon as you've put on the polish.

I'm also liking the Clockwork Orange look she's rocking in the video - you can never go wrong with spiky lashes and a bowler hat. And check out Canada's Next Top Model. Seriously.

Products Used

• MUA Nail Polish in All Nude
• MUA Nail Polish in Shade 2
• Primark Nail Polish in Light Grey... this is probably no longer available as they tend to switch up their makeup pretty fast, so a good substitute is NYC's In a New York Color Minute in Prey of Grey
• NYC In a New York Color Minute in Grand Central Station
• Micropore or sellotape
• Total Cost = £5.58
• Prices based on what I paid for the whole look from scratch, and correct at the time of posting

Hugs and kisses,
xxx

DIY Gelly Polish

Hi Tory,

jelly has always fascinated me

Our Auntie Jan introduced me to the joys of jelly cubes - not making jelly, but actually eating the raw cubes on their own. (And for our American cousins, when I say "jelly", I mean Jello, not jam. And Jello comes in powder form, so you'll have to use your imagination!) I've now passed this particular fetish on to your lovely niece CJ, who will quite happily munch her way through an entire packet of Sainsbury's strawberry jelly cubes without blinking.

Jelly has always fascinated me - bright colours that are still see-through without losing any of the punch. You've probably spotted the trend for gelly polishes, as just about every company now has a range of them. (Barry M have just launched theirs as I write this.) Gelly polishes are sheer, punchy with pigment, and very glossy - and they work extremely well in nail art when you want to layer colours or sandwich glitter in suspension (called, not surprisingly, a Gelly Sandwich). And, I have no idea why you eat Jelly with a J, but paint your nails with Gelly with a G. Answers on a postcard please.

So, what if you have a favourite nail polish and you'd like to gellify it? Or, you have a whole bunch of leftover odds and bits of polish that you'd like to extend the life of? Making your own gelly polish is really simple - the proportion is 75% clear polish to 25% colour polish, mixed vigorously and with gusto, preferably to something like the Miami Sound Machine or very loud disco. I digress. I made up a batch of the Cadbury's purple polish in the video for a forthcoming tutorial... Batman fans take note. ;)

Products Used

• NYC In a New York Color Minute in Grand Central Station
• NYC In a New York Color Minute in Prince Street
• Spare, empty nail polish bottle
• Total Cost = £3.58
• Prices based on what I paid for the whole look from scratch, and correct at the time of posting

Hugs and kisses,
xxx

Cramps Nails for Hallowe'en

Hi Tory,

the great thing about this look is that you don't need a steady hand and you can be really creative with it

Hallowe'en is my favourite time of the year. Like, major league, in your face, can't wait, breathless excitement favourite time of the year. I love scary movies, gore, candy, cold nights and general witchiness. And I love psychobilly music too, so I figured that I'd put the two together and come up with some funky nail art for the season, based on the screaming neon colours and dripping lettering for the old Cramps and Misfits posters. The great thing about this look is that you don't need a steady hand and you can be really creative with it.

On a side note, my first ever Hallowe'en costume, at the age of four, was a paper tiger. Seriously. A rectangular paper tiger shape that went over my head. Couldn't eat, couldn't sit down, hot as hell, and I looked like a dork. Mum thought I looked cute - ask her about it and I bet she uses that exact word. Every year after that I was a witch with a mouth full of chocolate. I was a smart kid. ;)

And if you ask anyone of my generation who also happened to grow up in North America - "Do you know anything about orange UNICEF boxes?" you'll see a lot of eye rolling. We all had to carry them around to collect charity money, and they got in the way of candy, which is all kids really care about. And no one ever donated anything...except when my friend Susan dressed as an orphan and sat in the shopping mall with her box for the entire day looking sad and deprived and winsome. She made $50, dumped the box at home and went out and had a candy frenzy in the evening. On reflection, I wasn't a smart kid... she was. She's probably a CEO of a major corporation now. Thumbs up Susan wherever you are.

Products Used

• Primark Nail Polish Set in Neon... these may not be available any more, so good substitutes are the Barry M neon range
• MUA Nail Polish in Shade 2
• Primark Nail Art pen in Black... again, this is probably no longer available as they tend to switch up their makeup pretty fast, Claire's Accessories do a range of nail art pens, or you could use an old pen nib and the MUA Shade 2 to create the freeform blobs and drips
• NYC In a New York Color Minute in Grand Central Station
• Total Cost = £5.79
• Prices based on what I paid for the whole look from scratch, and correct at the time of posting

Hugs and kisses,
xxx

Barry M Blue Sparkle Nails!

Hi Tory,

I kept hearing that barry m's blue glitter was quite possibly the greatest shade of polish ever invented

You may or may not know this, but back in 1973 Mum went to modelling school. It's true - our mum strutted her stuff on catwalks in Vancouver, and very good she looked too. She'd go off every day all nervous and excited, and come home with stacks of notes and photographs and a list of products to acquire. One week I was off school with a cold and mum had no babysitter for me - it was pretty short notice - so I was allowed to come in on one of the classes. (I always cite this as the beginning of my obsession with makeup and cosmetics.) The class I sat in on left three very large impressions on me:

1. Our mum is a secret stunner
2. Models are the plainest creatures with no makeup on, except for Twiggy, who is the most gorgeous person who ever lived
3. I am addicted to nail polish

The first bottle they opened that day... I loved the smell, I loved the colours, I loved the way it looked... everything. I have subsequently painted my nails every colour and texture under the sun, greedily embracing nail art along the way, and will quite happily change my nail colour several times a day if need be. Until they invent Nail Polish Anonymous, I shall continue to do so.

Skipping through nail blogs as I tend to do in my never-ending search for new colours, new textures and new designs, I kept hearing that Barry M's Blue Glitter was quite possibly the greatest shade of polish ever invented. I was intrigued. I went out and bought some. I did the above nail art. It was so pretty that I actually got emotional looking at it. What can I tell you? I have a deep-rooted addiction and there is quite simply no cure. They don't make a purple glitter though, which irks me. I may have to start pestering them...

Products Used

• MUA Nail Polish in Shade 1
• Barry M Nail Polish in Blue Glitter
• NYC In a New York Color Minute Nail Polish in Grand Central Station
• Cosmetic Wedge Sponges
• Total Cost = £5.79

Hugs and kisses,
xxx