DAKS London LFW15 Nail Art

 Essie Demure Vixen [two coats]

Essie Snap Happy [red] + Licorice [black]

Every fashion week I pay more attention to beauty looks and nail art than to the clothes, yep that's the truth. Mostly because it's something everyone can recreate at the convenience of their own habitat. As seen during LFW15 at DAKS London fashion show this nail art look is pretty catchy and combines the three classics: nude, red and black nail polish colours. 

To create this look you won't need any fancy nail art brushes or tools. As a nude I went for the good old Demure Vixen, it's a greyish/pinkish nude with a purple sheen, which is a nice alternative to a flat nude. Then taking off most of the nail polish from the brush I then pulled Licorice down and up the nail to create the black dragged effect, same thing with Snap Happy, but this time pulling the red one down and one across the nail. If you find you can't quite get the textured effect, swatch your brush couple of times gently on a tissue and that is guaranteed to create the desired effect.

LOVE

ELEGANT TOUCH EXPRESS MANI for LFW15

Shade: Pastel Green

Available at: eleganttouch.com

LFW AW15 has commenced! Your diary is most likely to be scribbled with all sorts of fashion/beauty bookings and meetings and what not, meaning you nails might get a little neglected during these manic five days. Elegant Touch Express Press-On Instant Manicure is a fantastic invention for anyone with a busy life style and even those of us that still manage to find the time to paint our nails there is always that one occasion when it's physically impossible to always have pristine looking nails. These feel pretty comfortable and are incredibly easy to apply, to the point that you could press them on in the back of a cab while on the way to a meeting/fashion show. 

These press-on nails have a shiny finish, realistic shape and could easily be mistaken for your own tips. There is a wide range of colours to choose from whether you are a classic red nail girl, or a chic nude, or the experimental nail-art lover. You get 24 pre-glued nails, so no need for huffing and puffing with the old glue tube. Even if you lose a nail, keep the neat little press-on pack in your handbag and just stick the closest size on as you'll have plenty of leftovers. I'm really impressed with these press-ons no pun intended, they are definitely going to be regulars in my beauty cupboard!

LOVE

Spring Nails with Essie Mojito Madness

 Essie Mojito Madness [two coats]

Essie Mojito Madness + Essie Luxeffects in Set In Stones [one coat]

Somewhere between the V-Day [Valentine's Day] and the P-Day [Pancake Day] you know that the Spring is coming, and that means changing your wardrobe, shoes, lipstick colour and nail colour which is a rather exciting prospect. I have been craving Essie Mojito Madness for weeks and finally I think the time has come to embark on some green tips. Green is not an easy nail colour to wear, but you can keep it chic by choosing the right shade for your skin tone. Essie Mojito Madness is a green that works on many skin tones and so there is something flattering and very refreshing about it. On the accent nails I added Essie Luxeeffects in Set In Stones, an optional step to add a silver sparkle to the look.

LOVE

On-Trend: Matte Nails with Polkadots Nailart!

Nails Inc Latex Effect in Camden Passage + Essie in Blanc

Hey Beauty Lovers! It's been a while since I did some nailart looks, so here is a simple way of adding an accent to basic nude nails. As a base colour I went for the new Nails Inc Latex Effect nailpolish in Camden Passage, applying two coats - make sure the second is generous for a smooth finish. Then using a fine artist's brush I have created little dots with Essie Blanc. Glossy white over matte nude makes a chic combo!

LOVE

Nails Inc Latex Effect in Camden Passage!

Hey Beauty Lovers! As mentioned the other week I have enjoyed wearing the new Nails Inc Latex Effect nailpolish! I have already featured the shade Bermondsey Street, if you'd like to see swatches click here! Camden Passage is a super chic nude, which dries to a smooth matte texture that is reminiscent of latex. It's a fresh concept and I love the finish!

LOVE

Nails Inc Latex Effect in Bermondsey Street!

Hey Beauty Lovers! Being a true nailpolish junkie I am super excited about this new launch! Nials Inc have taken the inspiration from the pastel blues at Peter Pilotto, dusky pinks at Burberry, hot pinks at Victoria Beckham, and of course the trending nude nails from the SS14 runway shows - creating this new Nails Inc Latex Effect range in four shades. Camden Passage [nude], Portobello Road [petal pink], Bermondsey Street [aqua], and Shoreditch High Street [hot pink]. Latex Effect dries to a smooth rubberised matte finish. You will have to work really fast with this nailpolish range because it dries über quick. My fave shade from this range has to be Bermondsey Street, which is a super cute teal!

LOVE

Bio Sculpture Nailpolish in Neon Pomegranates On Ice!

Hey Beauty Lovers! I think this is the most über-cool hot pink I have ever come across. Bio Sculpture Neon Pomegranates On Ice is a duo-chrome neon pink with a blue/purple sheen, the name couldn't be a better fit! As you know I have discovered Bio Sculpture nailpolishes fairly recently and grown to love them. Although Neon Pomegranates On Ice is more of a sheer texture two coats are more than enough for the perfect finish!

LOVE

On-Trend: Reversed French Manicure!

Nails Inc Old Bond Street + Essie Good As Gold

Hey Beauty Lovers! This week has been predominantly all about nails and if you are a nailjunkie just like me you will love this new look! Reversed French Manicure is one of the current on-trend statement nailart looks. It's all about contrasting two nailpolish colours, I'm obsessed with this look. Dark navy with cool toned gold make a super chic combo. To create this look I have applied two coats of Nails Inc Old Bond Street and then using a thin artist's brush I painted half moons at the base of the nail with Essie Good As Gold. To intensify the gold detail go over it twice. Et voilà!

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Nails Inc St Martin's Lane!

Hey Beauty Lovers! I have featured Nails Inc St Martin's Lane when it first came out in the AW13 Collection, but the pretty spring weather has been short-lived here in London so all that rain makes me want to wear dark nails all over. St Martin's Lane is a super chic dark plum, it looks perfect with two coats. The formula is great, really pigmented and shiny. 

LOVE

Easter Inspired Nail Art with Essie!

 Essie Van D'Go

 Essie Lilacism

Essie Mint Candy Apple

Hey Beauty Lovers! Here is a little pastel number for you... Essie Van D'Go, Lilacism and Mint Candy Apple are the three classic pastel nailpolish shades with a cream finish that spring to mind when I think of Easter. This nailart look is great for beginners as it is super easy to recreate and doesn't need to be perfect to look cute. To create this look I applied two coats of Essie Van D'Go, which is a flattering peach tone. Then with a fine artist brush I simply painted on two lines of zig-zags with Essie Lilacism leaving a gap for the Mint Candy Apple dots, which you can use the same brush for or a nailart dotting tool if you have one. This nailart look can be worn outside of Easter if you substitute the colours, try some contrasting bright colours or neons for a fun summery nail look!

LOVE

Sally Hansen Nail Treatment for Weak Nails!

Wearing Nails Inc in St Martin's Lane [two coats] + Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Topcoat

Hey Beauty Lovers! I've been on a bit of a nail escapade in the past month or so, as you know my nails suddenly started breaking/splitting and so I was trying a couple of nail strengthening treatment products, which sort of made things worse... Ages ago I have read somewhere that the health of your nails depends on the health of your cuticles. And lets face it even if purely aesthetically, it doesn't matter how immaculate the nailpolish is applied if the cuticles are not in a good condition the manicure will just look awful! 

When nothing else seems to work Sally Hansen counter is always the right place to turn to. So to get strong and healthy nails basically there are two things you need: a good base + a cuticle treatment. Of course make sure the quality of your nailpolish is good and a good topcoat provides an extra layer, which makes the nailpolish last longer and is less likely to chip, which is something to be avoided - every time a nailpolish chips there is a chance it will chip with your nail, making them more likely to split and get weaker! 

If you check out the previous blogpost you will see a massive difference in how my cuticles looked before and after just one application of the Sally Hansen Vitamin E Nail & Cuticle Oil. It has Wheat Germ, Apricot Kernel, Aloe & Panthenol, which intensely moisturises and conditions, preventing dry brittle nails. There is nothing better than having neat and nourished looking cuticles! 

In the picture above I am also wearing the Sally Hansen Advanced Hard as Nails, which is a strengthening base-coat that you need to apply 2-3 times before applying a nailpolish. I find two coats are more than enough as it really does harden the nails, it has Nylon and Retinol in it that also helps to smooth the ridges. I used to use this base-coat ages ago and it really does work so it's already tested and approved! If you have troubles with your nails, definitely give these a go!

LOVE

Spring Stripes Nailart with BarryM!

 Blueberry + Lychee

from L to R: 

BarryM Gelly Nailpolish in Blueberry + Lychee, BarryM Matte Nailpolish in Vanilla

Hey Beauty Lovers! Here is a good way of updating your mani without needing to take off nailpolish and paint your nails all over again. As you have seen in my Friday's post I was wearing BarryM Matte nailpolish in Vanilla with a glossy topcoat. To update the look I applied two pastel nailpolishes with a fine artists brush creating overlaid stripes. First I applied short strokes of BarryM Gelly Nailpolish in Blueberry, then offsetting the stripes I applied Lychee from the same nailpolish range repeating the whole process. To create depth I went over with opposite colours applying ever shorter strokes over the top of the original stripes. And then of course to make your fresh mani last longer finish with a topcoat!

LOVE

BarryM Matte Nailpolish in Vanilla + Topcoat!

Hey Beauty Lovers! I have previously featured BarryM Matte Nailpolish in Vanilla and the other day I felt like taking it from matte to glossy. It looks just as pretty with a topcoat as it does when it dries matte, that's the great thing about matte nailpolishes - you can totally wear them both ways! If you'd like to see the matte version click here! Vanilla is a greyish nude, which is a rather flattering shade. I'm wearing two coats, when applying the BarryM matte nailpolish range make sure the coats aren't too thick because that can ruin the man-i-cure as Alexa Chung calls it. 

LOVE

New Revlon Parfumerie Nailpolish in African Tea Rose!

Hey Beauty Lovers! Today I stopped by at Revlon counter [in Boots] and discovered that finally we have their scented nailpolishes in UK, woohoo! As soon as I got home I had to paint my nails, of course... I wasn't sure what to expect from the scented nailpolish but I actually love it! The scent of every nailpolish is meant to represent the name of the nailpolish, in this case African Tea Rose. I have no idea what an actual African Tea Rose smells like but this nailpolish definitely has a very pretty rose scent!! As I always wear a topcoat I didn't know if the scent would still come through but it does, it makes your hands smell like you just applied a beautiful rose scented handcream!! 

So I'm really excited about this new Revlon nailpoish range. The formula is beautiful, super smooth and perfectly opaque in two coats. Not sure about the nailpolish wear longevity yet as I only painted my nails today, but truth be told I change nailpolish every other day or maybe an extra day max, so either way that's never a problem for me. And I love the packaging too, reminds me of a vintage fragrance bottle.

LOVE

Spring Impressionist Nail Art with Estee Lauder!

 Estee Lauder Dilettante

 Estee Lauder Absinthe

 Estee Lauder Narcissist

Left to Right: Estee Lauder Narcissist, Absinthe, Dilettante

Hey Beauty Lovers! I was in the mood for some nail art using these beautiful pastel shades from the Estee Lauder Spring 2013 Collection. I'm not sure if these shades are still available as they were Limited Edition, but they are the perfect spring colours! When I started with this nail art I wasn't sure where I was going with it, but I have been told on a numerous occasion that it looks like an impression of Monet's Water Lilies, so I'll go with that! To create this impressionist nail art, I applied two coats of Estee Lauder Dilettante [cream mint blue], then using a fine artists brush I simply applied small strokes of Absinthe [yellowish cream green] and Narcissist [pastel pink]. I must admit, the more I wore this nail art the more I fell in love with it! It's really easy to create and you can go for any colour combo.

LOVE