Tuesday 31 December 2013

Top Ten Nail Art 2013

And so we say goodbye to 2013.  It's been a pretty boring year for me, and looking back at last years New Year blog post, I see the year before was too.  Hmm should probably do something about that.

I managed to keep off the ciggies for another year though, which is a success.  On New Years' Day, I will be two years quit.  £2,800 saved.  WHERE'S THAT MONEY??  Haha, I must have spent it on something I suppose!  Books and CD's, probably.

So how did I do on my resolutions?
 
Decide what I want to do with my life, and do something about it. - Nope, didn't do that
 
Do something with my hair and eyebrows. - Hair yes, eyebrows nope

Get more organised. - Definitely didn't do that one
 
Start a creative thoughts, dreams and blog idea notebook. - Nope
 
Carry on the healthy eating. - Yes for most of the year, failed in Sept/Oct.  Weight back on.
 
So, in all, not very well.  I'll carry them forward and use them as this years resolutions.
 
Aaaannywayyy.... let's get on with the run down of my favourites of the nailart I've done this year.  I'll put them in order of date, and then none will get jealous haha.
 
Oh, just as a sidenote, there were two I couldn't choose between, so there are actually 11 here....
 
First we have a stamping design using Essie's Borrowed and Blue over Pretty Jelly's Grape escape:
You can see the full post (here) I was really surprised at how well the Essie stamped

Next we have another Pretty Jelly polish used as a base, Diamond S-teal-er, with a dotting tool used to create the daisies:
I love Pretty Jelly holos.  Link to the full post is (here).  In the sunshine this one's a real bobby dazzler.  Too much daytime TV Wendy?

Next up we have a sponged gradient inspired by a friends art:
I was so much in love with this when I did it, I can't even begin to tell you.  Link to the full post is (here)

Now, we're getting into spring, and a flowery look happened that I loved:
The link to this post, which includes a tutorial, can be found (here)
 
Next, another outing for Grape Escape, been rocking those Pretty Jellys this year!  This time I teamed it with Estee Lauders Pure Colour Smashed, which I didn't like on its own, but has been fab for doing nailart with:
The link for this one can be found (here) I think its bold simplicity is part of the reason I liked it so much
 
Next up, more holos!  A stamped/freehand combo:
Gotta love that rainbow nails look!  Link to the post is (here)

Now for another one.  This one completely freehand:

The post for this one also included a tutorial, and can be found (here)

Getting in to the summer now, and this one is probably my favourite of the year.  Inspired by a beautiful chair by Joris Laarman:
grey nailart
The organic look really appeals to me, and the colour came out just how I wanted.  There's a picture of the chair that inspired it on the original blog post (here)

Next up, one that other people seemed to like more than I did.  I've included it just because it got so many positive comments:

The link to this post can be found (here) along with a mini tutorial

Next up, probably my second favourite of the year.  A freehand/nail sticker combo for Alice in Wonderland:

Link to the full post is (here) and that's not the Cheshire Cats body, he's mid-disappearance on a branch hee hee.

And last but not least, more flowers. Bright and cheery:

The link for that post is (here)
 
And there we have it!  My 2013 in nails.

I hope you've enjoyed my stroll through nostalgia land, and thank you for joining my nailscapades in 2013.

I wish you all the best for 2014, lets make every day colourful!

Until next year,

MASPOOASE x x x
~Wendy~

Monday 30 December 2013

Christmas Nailart - Artsy Wednesday

Finally!  Better late than never, here I am with my Artsy Wednesday post, which should have gone up on Christmas Day.  I actually did have these nails done on the big day, but I feel like I haven't had a moment to myself to put them on the blog.  I kind of lost my nail mojo for a while there, but thankfully it's coming back now. 

I've had a lovely Christmas, FAR too much indulgence, but will be back on the wagon in the new year (that's the plan anyway).  I actually didn't get much in the way of nail presents, just four No.7's in a gift box, and some manicure items from my mum, but that just gives me all the more reason to buy my own hee hee.

I've been nursing a split on my middle finger.  It went above the nail line and I've been babying it along until it grew out enough to cut off without including my actual finger in the operation, so you will see a lump there where I've been gluing it.  It's come off now, and that nail is super short, so it'll be a left hander for the new years nails.  Which means stamping probably.

The best glue I've found so far for nail splits is Loctite Superglue Power Flex Control. Here's the Amazon LINK to the one I have.  The lid doesn't get stuck on, polish remover doesn't take it off too easily, and it's lasted a good 3 or four days on me before I have to reglue.  Plus, as I keep it in my handbag, it's a hard tube so it doesn't get squished.  You have to squeeze the grey handles at the side to get the glue out, and it comes out nice and slowly.  I like alot.

So, for my Christmas nails, I fancied something glittery.  I own quite a few glitter polishes, but hardly wear them as I hate the removal.  But for Christmas, I don't mind a bit of extra work.  I eventually decided on a cloud manicure of festive red, gold and green.  As chance would have it, I own all three colours in China Glaze glitter polishes.  So I went with those.  Here's what I made:
I started with a base of the green glitter Running In Circles.  Just one coat needed, but I did touch up a few slightly bare areas at the end, so I should probably have done two coats.

Then I did the cloud detail in red, which is of course, Ruby Pumps.  This is a really easy technique, just three swipes of the brush, straight out of the bottle at different heights.  Being over the green darkened it a bit, bit it was still bright enough to look like red, so that was okay.

Then, over that, I used I'm not Lion, which is a holographic gold, which I love.  Same technique, three swipes.

Here's the bottle shot:
On top of that, I used Glisten & Glow HK Girl topcoat, which has had some brilliant reviews, but I haven't used enough yet to form my own opinion on.  It certainly get marks for wear though, because after three days I had almost no chipping, which is a first for me.  It could be just because it was on top of glitters?  More on that as I find out myself.

I took a few more pics of the mani, so I may as well show them to you.  Here's the first.  Bauble-tastic:
And here's the other.  Traditional close up bottle shot.  You can see the lump on the left of my middle nail quite clearly there, down by the red section:
And that's my lot!  Christmas nails, done.  Have a ganders (goose pun intended) at what the other beauties in the Artsy Wednesday Club have come up with:

Catrine at Unnaked Nails (link)
Michelle at Labmuffin (link)
Maria at Maria's Nail Polish Blog (link)
Melanie at Nail and Polish (link)
Ameerah at Valiantly Varnished (link)
Anna & Haylee at Makeup and Masala (link)
Rosemarie at Every Little Polish (link)
Anna at Makeup N More (link)

So what did you have on your nails this year? 

Until next time...

MASPOOASE x x x
~Wendy~

Wednesday 11 December 2013

Artsy Wednesday - Geometric Nail Art

Another Wednesday, another nailart! This weeks theme is geometric, and I'm keeping it simple.  I shopped like a BOSS last weekend and got all my Christmas shopping done, how cool is that?  Now I have to wrap it all and get it sent off, which is probably more effort than buying it.  I'm not complaining though, I'll pour myself a G&T and put some music on, and it'll be soon done and dusted.

I feel like I don't have five minutes to myself recently, so I just rustled these up in a jiffy.  The base is Maybelline Express Finish in Silver Speed, which is my go-to silver.  This is two coats and it really is nice and fast drying.

I had better show you a picture!  Here you go:
I created black triangles at my cuticles with my new Barry M Nailart Pen, which for some reason seemed to be in the mood to turn itself into a crackle effect polish.  Not liking that.  I don't know if it's because I hadn't waited for the base coat to fully dry, but it's something I'll have to watch to see if it does it alot.

Here's a pic in more natural light (that lifelong winter lighting problem):
Then I used my Color Club Artclub red striper to draw a line under the black block.  I have to say that the quality of the Color Club stripers are fab, I got mine in a set from TK Maxx (of course) but I've seen them on Amazon for around a fiver including delivery (link)

I was going to do more to it, but I actually like the simplicity of this.  It was fast and easy, and it reminds me of the 80's styles, which is all the more reason for me to like it. 

I have a split on the edge of the nail on my ring finger (bah) which means I'll have to go back down to shorties soon, but I've had a super-long run without any breakages at all so I can't complain.  Actually it's my own fault, as I had a week off the perfect formula strengthener, and now the split.  I got a bit too lax, oh well.

One more pic.  This one under the kitchen light.  It really shows that crackling I was telling you about earlier:
I've actually done my first Christmas nailart design of the year too, I'll pop the photos up for you soon to have a gander at.

But until then, why not take a look at the geometric designs that the other lovely Artsy Wednesday ladies have come up with?

Catrine at Unnaked Nails (link)
Michelle at Labmuffin (link)
Maria at Maria's Nail Polish Blog (link)
Melanie at Nail and Polish (link)
Ameerah at Valiantly Varnished (link)
Anna & Haylee at Makeup and Masala (link)
Rosemarie at Every Little Polish (link)
Anna at Makeup N More (link)

Thanks for reading, and I hope you liked it!

Until next time...

MASPOOASE x x x
~Wendy~