Nail Art In A Hurry #4

Hello ladies :)  My iPhone tells me it's going to be 30 degrees here today, so naturally I'm hiding out indoors.  There's a lovely breeze coming through the bathroom window, so I'm just going in there to cool off every so often.

Today's the last post in the Nail Art In A Hurry series.  I hope you've enjoyed, and that they've been useful!  Is this something you'd like to see more of in the future?  Any changes you'd make if I was to do it again?

So the last suggestion I have for you when you're running short on time is the cling film manicure.  AKA saran wrap (honestly, it was months before I knew what you were all talking about with your saran wrap manicures).

1. Paint your nail with your base colour.  This does need to be dry before you do step 2, so stick with thin coats!

2. Paint one generous coat of your second colour over your nail.

3. While this is still wet, scrunch up a bit of cling film and dab you nail with it (one dab should do, but you can do some more if you like).

4. Topcoat, and ta da!

There are infinite colour combinations you could do this with - I think black and white would look great!  I personally like to use a foil over a creme, but have a play around and see what works for you.  And when you have a little more time, why not use some studs or rhinestones to add that little something extra?

Nail Art In A Hurry #3

Aloha ladies.

It's the weeeekend!  I have been since stupidly early waiting for the postman.  Sometimes he likes to come at 7am, sometimes he likes to come after lunch.  Undoubtedly, because I got up early, he'll come after lunch, but there we go.  He has by Fragrance Direct and Nail Polish Direct orders and I neeeeed them.  And my neighbours have my Ciate order but they haven't been in when I've been to knock.  How rude of them to have lives.

Anyhoo, here's the third post in the Nail Art In A Hurry series.  This one is super super simple (I only have four steps in the picture tutorial so make it consistent with the others...).  All we're doing today is adding a stud to the base of your nail.  Yep, that simple.  Even on plain nails it just gives it that slightly more finished look - makes it look like you've spent a bit more time on your nails, when really it's probably taken you 30 seconds extra, and that's the name of the game of course :)

1. Paint your nail with your chosen colour.

2. Apply a layer of topcoat.  I normally use a cheap slow-drying one, but you can of course use your usual fast-drying one if you move quickly enough!

3. Place a stud at the base of your nail (I pick them up with a dampened cocktail stick).

4. Topcoat, and off you go!

Of course, this isn't just limited to studs.  You could use rhinestones, stickers, pearls or anything else you can fit on your nail.  And when you've got a little more time, you can use these to jazz up the plain nails when you've got busy accent nails, or to add that little something extra to a patterned manicure.  Here are a few of the ways I've used them:

Nail Art In A Hurry #2

Aloha!

Today is the second Nail Art In A Hurry post.  Never again shall you have an excuse to leave the house with plain nails!

Today I have a twist on a French manicure.  I am properly rubbish at doing a normal French manicure, I just can't get a smooth, even line.  But this method is fool-proof.

1. Prepare your nail and apply your basecoat.

2. Starting at one side of your nail, sweep diagonally across your tip.

3. Repeat on the other side.

4. Clean up (or just don't make a mess to begin with), topcoat and you're done!

And when you have a little more time, try jazzing it up by adding lines or dots along the bottom of the tip, or maybe a rhinestone on the point.  And you just just have to limit yourself to traditional French manicure colours, this technique also looks great with other colours!

I have two more Nail Art In A Hurry posts coming up for you this week, but in the meantime let me know how you spice up your manicure when you don't have time for nail art?

Nail Art In A Hurry #1

Hello lovelies :)

I hope you all had a good start to the week.  We still have lovely weather here, although I do wish sunshine didn't have to come hand in hand with high pollen counts. I've scratched my eyes so much today I'm amazed I even have eyelids left...

Anyhoo, today I have the first in a short series of posts of Nail Art In A Hurry.  Countless times I've heard people say "when I'm in a rush I just put on some polish and a glitter topper".  Well, if you've got time to do that, you've got time to do these things too!

I have four short tutorials for you this week (unless I think of anymore...), and these are just simple, and most importantly quick, ways of making your manicure a little more interesting when you just don't have the time to do something more complicated.

Nothing here is ground-breaking, but hopefully it may be inspiration for you to give your nails that little bit more love next time you're in a rush.

So, first up, the reverse glitter gradient.  This is one of my favourite fall back manicures.  And if you've got time to apply polish and glitter topper, you've definitely got time to do this, because it's basically the same thing!

1. Prepare the nail and apply your base colour.

2. Apply your glitter over the bottom two-thirds of your nail.  Fairly dense glitters work best for this, but not full coverage ones!

3. Now apply your glitter over the bottom third of your nail.

4.  Topcoat, and you're done!

Here are a few more ideas for colour combinations, and don't forget you can use any shape glitter for this, why not give the feather/confetti ones a go?  And if you've got a little more time on your hands, glitter gradients make a great choice for skittle manicures.

As always, if you have any requests for tutorials, or suggestions for nail art, please let me know in the comments!