Adventures in Stamping - using French tip stamp

Evening all!

I've had such a busy day today, I couldn't wait to show you this manicure because I LOVE it and it came out better than I had hoped, but this has been my first chance to sit down and do it! I hope it has been worth the wait!

This week's challenge was to use a French tip stamp - it wasn't stipulated that you had to use it for a French manicure though - and I didn't! I started with a base of two coats of Barry M Bright Red. Once that was dry I used Fench tip guides to mark off about a third of my nail from the cuticle, which I then painted gold with Barry M Gold Foil for a kind of deep Ruffian. I left the tip guides on, and once the gold was dry I stamped over it with Konad Special black and a kind of Aztec-y design from BM219. It was hard to line up evenly, but I don't think I did too bad a job! I then outlined the gold section using a nail art brush and Konad black again.

There's a bit wonky, a bit smudgy and there's Konad black polish (BITCH to clean up) everywhere. But I adore them. Maybe it's the 80s child in me, but I felt like walking around in a power suit with shoulder  pads the size of elephant ears all day today...

And, just to show you the base on it's own. I took a picture at two coats to check it was opaque enough, and look how shiny! Barry never lets you down.

I may not be posting as much this week, it's my eldest son's 5th birthday on Wednesday and I have visitors all week (and a houseful of 4 and 5 year olds for a party) so wish me luck! I do still owe you a the final HoloWeek post, so look out for that tomorrow.

Hx

Pin It

Best of British Round Up

It's that time again! October is nearly upon us, the Halloween designs are in full force, and my eldest is five next week. How did that happen! Anyway, let's see what we've been up to in Brit Nail Land this week :)

*

Emma has had a week of using Barry M Gelly polishes and created her most favourite mani ever multi coloured spots and stripes over at Emma's Little Corner.

Nadal's penguin obsession is getting out of hand! the little minions are on her nails this week!!

This week on Pie's Eyes Lyndsay has used her new Cheeky stamping plates to create a Double Stamped Manicure plus there's a handy hint for stamping clean up too.

Claire at nuthin' but a nail thing is continuing with the 30 Day Challenge (the end is in sight!) and did a Panda Bear Manicure inspired by the book Eats, Shoots & Leaves.

It's been HoloWeek at the Nail Newbie, featuring lots of holo goodness such as a GOSH Holographic Hero wear test, a some tribal nail art and this holo cloudicure with a-England Tristam.

This week has been Carlyn's very first week of blogging featuring some of her favourite stamping designs Pretty Stamping on Sapphire Such a stand out design.

Well today is the last day of the 30 Day Challenge! at Northern Nails but on the Bright side it is Jo's birthday tommorrow !.

Wendy from Wendy's Delights is having a cracking time with her Croc Effect nails by Barry M

As a collector of vodka bottles, a Smirnoff Vodka Manicure was in order on Enigmatic Rambles blog this week!

PishPosh and Polish's Kerrie is wearing shock horror! PINK this week!

Sally of Nail Pron has brightened up a sad week with the brightest green daisy doticure you have ever seen in your life.

PrettyKittyClaws is joined by a hare and a dog this week with the gorgeous Hare Dog Day Dream

Dimpal of Crazy Polishes has almost come to the end of the 30 days challenge and wearing this
Inspired by Supernatural Mani Inspired by Supernatural

Ruth has a new favourite polish that is purple and splarkly, yay!

Sarah Louise, creates a Ghostbuster Manicure Using Models Own and W7 Polishes

Charlotte has decided her stash needs some cleansing, so she's set up a blog sale with some great British brands

Kerry takes an adventure with GALAXY inspired nails.

Vic continues 30 days of untrieds with A Scream manicure inspired by art work

*

See you next week! If you're a British Blogger and you want to join in, give me a shout :)

Hx

Pin It

HoloWeek - Broccoli?

Evening loves!

Today's holo offering features another offering I picked up on Ebay. The base for this manicure is Depend Denim Holo - I wanted a blue holo, so off I trotted to Ebay and chose this one, which came from somewhere in Europe, arrived really quickly and I generally love it. I did two coats and then stamped over it with Konad Special White. Now, the design is a subject of contention. It's from the new Bundle Monster set, and when I first saw it I immediately thought clouds. Then I saw someone use it who had interpreted it as trees. Then I showed Mr NN and asked him if he thought it was clouds or trees and he replied "I thought it was broccoli." Right...

So, trees, clouds, or perhaps broccoli? I'm going with pretty, holo clouds :)

See you tomorrow for HoloWeek's final day!

Hx

Pin It

HoloWeek - holo + clouds = AWESOME!

Evening

Firstly, an apology! I couldn't do it - posting every day for a week has proved a bit of a stretch for me. I had the mani and the photos ready but time to actually sit down and write the blog post eluded me yesterday. So sorry for that, but hopefully today's post will make up for it!

So, usually holo polishes plus a cloudy day is not a match made in heaven, so i decided to disprove that theory and do a cloudicure! I believe the originator of this style was the awesome Jane at nailside, and it really is easy peasy, but stunning, nailart. All you need is two or three different polishes. And that's it. Seriously easy! I've done it twice before (here and here), but when it works, it works!

For my holo version I used just two colours, A-England Tristam and GOSH Holographic Hero. Tristam is my first and only A-England polish and I love it. I will be getting more when my bank balance is a little more healthy. So probably never... Anyway, I started with a single coat of Tristam on each finger baring the ring and thumb, created the first "cloud" with HH and then the second "cloud" with Tristam again. This was reversed on the accent nails. Spot the deliberate mistake on my right hand...

HoloWeek continues with some more stamping tomorrow, see you then!

Hx

Pin It

HoloWeek - Flash! Ahah...

Hi!

HoloWeek continues with a bit of stamping :) First of all, the base colour and star of the show - Ozotic 518. RED holo. Ok, so it's kind of a raspberry red but as I prefer reds that lean pink to reds that lean orange it suits me :) I picked this up on ebay, and actually was a bit of a bargain - I got this and China Glaze Exotic Encounters for about a tenner and the seller combined the shipping. So it goes to show there are bargains to be had if you're savvy enough. Here it is on it's own. Drool bowls at the ready...

 Isn't she lurvly? Makes me want more Ozotic's which isn't likely since they're discontinued :( I then stamped using Color Club Revvolution and the zigzag/lightening flashes from the new Bundle Monster set. I've seen a lot of mani's with this image in red and black since I used it - great minds think alike I guess!

I need more practice at getting the stamp right to the egde of my nails - I guess my nails must have a deep curve because I always press as hard as I can and still miss the sides. If I press any harder or roll the stamper the design tends to smudge. Le Sigh. maybe I'll have to get myself one of the squidgy XL stampers...

HoloWeek continues tomorrow with a pretty from A-England. See you then!

Hx

Pin It

HoloWeek - GOSH Holographic Hero - for one night only?

Welcome to day 3 of HoloWeek! Hope you're enjoying it so far :)

Today we're taking a look at probably one of the most anticipated polishes of the year here in the UK - the re-release of the infamous GOSH holographic. GOSH had previously discontinued it because of problems with the formula - people were complaining that it didn't last long enough on the nail and chipped horrendously. Personally, I wouldn't mind because it is SUCH a gorgeous polish, but I can see why it would annoy people. Anyway, GOSH re-released it this summer with the new name Holographic Hero and marketed it with the concept that it was for "one night only for holographic lovers".

So does it really only last for one night? I popped on two coats of the new Holographic Hero over my base (Avon Peeling and Brittleness Solver). On my left hand I didn't add topcoat, and on my right I used Poshe as a topcoat. Please note, these aren't the greatest pictures in the world (for better ones, and a comparison of the new Holographoc Hero with the old Holo check out my good friend Kira's post) but they clearly answer the question of longevity! Also bear in mind, not many polishes last more than 2 days on me - I am in awe of people who say they can wear a single polish for a week or more. Not me. But I have to say they usually fair a little better than this!

Freshly applied, it looked like this:

Almost exactly 24 hours later, after a day of light housework and stay at home mummy-ness, it looked like this:

Left hand (no topcoat)

Right hand (topcoat of Poshe)

Chips and tipwear ahoy! So, I think that answers the question! One night only indeed. The topcoat made absolutely no difference at all. In fact I think the chips are worse on the topcoated hand, besides the left thumb (which had a big peel so polish will chip easier on it).

Worth it? Absolutely! Even these rubbish pictures taken in the evening with the flash on my camera shows the holo effect in this polish. GOSH Holographic Hero can be found in Superdrug stores for £4.99 for 8ml. You can still find the original on Ebay, but for around £30 for 8ml. Either way, you'll only get about a days wear out of it. Still love it though!

And now, because ever since I wrote the title of this post I have had this song stuck in my head, I wanted to share the earworm. You're welcome.

Hx

Pin It

Best of British Weekly Round Up

It's that time again! Can you believe September is nearly over? Let's have a look at what us British nailaholics have been up to this week..

*

Wendy from Wendy's Delights is feeling purrrfect with her Blue Furry Mani with easy to apply nail stickers!
Emma tries her hand at dry drag and becomes The Girl Who Plays with Fire at Emma's Little Corner.
Helly at the Nail Newbie is showing British brand W7 some love by showcasing their gorgeous Lava Flow.
A little recreation of some Bee style nails, with actual stingers from New York Fashion Week, a Fred Butler Creation from Enigmatic Rambles.
Has twenty three days gone by already? Northern Nails' 30 Day Challenge is still going strong, the themes now are all full of inspiration!
Lyndsay from Pie's Eyes is back from her holiday and showing off her colourful Rainbow Manicure she created with her latest Kiko haul!
Sally of Nail Pron is talking about a nailmas Christmas challenge, adding to her stash and doing nails to match her mood.
Sam from Polished Art re-created an old nautical-themed manicure for day 12 of the 31 day challenge (19 to go!).
PishPosh and Polish is featuring Red and Black polishes on her blog this week. See them here! Which is your favourite?
Claire at nuthin' but a nail thing is still continuing on with the 30 Day challenge and her favourite so far has been TRIBAL NAILS. What's been everyone else's favourite challenge?
Ruth goes overboard with the half moon effect to create an easy curved stripe look!
Want some inspiration for elegant nails? Lucy from Lucy's Stash did Lace & Roses nail art featuring OPI, Konad and A England.
Feeling the need for something pretty and super sparkly? PrettyKittyClaws has Smitten Polish You're Turning Violet, Violet blinging out her nails!
Vic's feeling a little behind with the times as she's only just done her first set of galaxy nails. She found a fabulously blinging star to go with them though.
Lou had a quiet week this week trying out her new Indie polishes from KBShimmer which is quickly becoming her favourite polish brand
Alexis at Glitter Tips tried some Autumn butterfly nail art
Sarah Louise plays with her Image plates from MoYou / OMG Nails and creates a Crosses & Dot's Manicure
Despite being poorly, The Crumpet has kept up with the 31 Day Challenge and has even had time to launch a Zoya Giveaway - so make sure you enter!

Until next week...

Hx

Pin It

HoloWeek - Adventures in Stamping goes Holo

Hi loves

It's turned all chilly here today, brr! Not a good day for a holo I must say! Anyway, this week's adventures in Stamping theme was to let someone else chose an image for you. Mr NN took about 3 seconds flat to choose BM213 and the shoes - which is an image I hadn't used before. It could have been worse, right? I went for a double accent using Orly Au Champagne (white and not holo, but sparkly!) and Color Club Wild at Heart (purple, holo, yummy!) I stamped the shoes with Wild at Heart and Konad White. It's such a miserable day, I couldn't capture the full holo effect, but it's peeking through - just!

I flipped it on my right hand...

Tomorrow, holo week continues with a GOSH Holographic Hero wear test...is it really for one night only?

Hx

Pin It

The Nail Newbie on Instagram

I've entered the world of Instagram...something I've wanted to do for a while but when I had an Android phone it wasn't available on Android, then by the time it was available on Android I'd moved over to a Windows phone. Now I've crossed over to the dark side and got my mitts on an iPhone (albeit possibly temporarily if Mr NN wants it back...) one of the first things I did was download Instagram and take a photo of my lunch...

So, if you have Instagram and want to follow me over there, my handle is HellyBooBear. Leave me your links so I can follow you too!

My posts wont all be polish related...so be warned. But if you like cats, kids and food there's a good chance you'll see some of that!

Any other iPhone apps you'd recommend? It keeps beeping at me and I don't know what it wants...

Hx

Pin It

Welcome to HoloWeek!

Yes, that's right, it's holo week here at The Nail Newbie! I'm going to post every day with various holo polishes and designs, and hopefully it will get me out of my funk...that's the plan anyway!

We're starting the week with a fairly simple design using two of my favourite holo polishes. I started with 2 coats of charcoal holo Color Club Revvvolution, and then freehanded a tribal accent nail on ring finger and thumb using the new GOSH Holo Hero and my new nail art brushes. The dots were added with a dotting tool, but if I'd had big enough loose glitter I might have used those instead.

I need more practice with the brushes, but I liked using them. Compared to my old nail art brushes they're 100 times better! And thank goodness for a sunny day :)

Coming up this week - stamping with and on holos, a GOSH Holographic Hero wear test and tomorrow, Adventures in Stamping goes holo! Wish me luck!

Hx

Pin It

NOTD - Lava Love

Morning

I thought I'd better get a blog post up since it's been a few days! As you know if you're a regular reader my eldest started school a few weeks ago, and since then I have been doing some temporary work. That finishes tomorrow so hopefully then I'll be able to get into a better routine and not be so knackered all the time, and I can get back into daily posts!

Anyway, today's nails are the last of W7's sprinkles-esque polishes I have to show you, Lava Flow (I have also swatched Mosaic and Salt and Pepper so check those out too!). I cannot stress how fantastic these polishes are. Bang on trend, super pretty and at a fraction of the price of certain other brands - cannot go wrong! Like Salt and Pepper, Lava Flow has a white creme base and contains black matte glitter, this time with the addition of shiny red glitter too. This was two easy coats and a top coat of Poshe. They need a top coat to make them shiny, but they aren't gritty at all, which is another huge bonus.

I have been trying to avoid using too much glitter, because the removal stresses me and my nails out, but this wasn't too bad. Ok, it was still a bitch, but less of a bitch than I was expecting. I am loving loving loving these polishes - they're just so interesting! I like my nails to be a talking point (most of the time) and these polishes are perfect for adding interest when I don't have the inclination (read: can't be bothered) to do stamping or nail art. W7 get's it 100% right with these. Respect!

Will you be picking up any of these? Let me know if you do, you wont be disappointed!

Hx

Pin It

Best of British Weekly Round Up

It's that time again!

Helly at the Nail Newbie shows her nubs some love with Dollish Polish Expecto Patronum
Wendy over at Wendy's Delights has won a Giveaway from The Hungry Asian and her prize Twenty Ten has been swatched here, also go check out The Hungry Asian's blog and polishes available at Etsy. Going from one extreme to the other see Wendy's Summery Manicure using tape to create a simple & easy square design!

Claire at nuthin' but a nail thing has been continuing on with the 30 Day Challenge with Rainbow Gradient Striped Manicure
Emma at Emma's Little Corner has a little success after a frustrating week of failures PVA experiment Blue and Black gradient mani
Ruth has some more fun with gradients this week, refusing to accept summer is over!
Lou once again is on a bit of a Chanel kick with one of the Fashion's Night Out Limited Editions
Charlotte at Charlottes-nails has been busy with apples and glitter this week for the Fall into Autumn Challenge.
Its the end of the favourite things challenge for Steph, here's Steph's Day 10 Favourite Mani. Steph can't wait for the next challenge, will you be joining in the fun?
Lyndsay from Pie's Eyes drops in from her holiday in Spain to show off some NEW Holographic Polish from Kiko!
Putting her nubbins to good use this week, imPRESS - Press on Manicure false nails were put through there paces over on Enigmatic Rambles' blog.
PrettyKittyClaws put her Nails Inc Sprinkles to good use with a pretty Cupcake Mani.
Sam at Polished Art unleashed her inner geek with this physics-based rainbow manicure as part of the 31 Day Challenge.
Jo at Northern Nails has reached the half way point in the 30 day challenge this week was all about the nail art!
Nada has got her hands on her first set of Models Own nail polish and has swatched them! check it out!
Laura at She Who Does Nails has been continuing the 30 Day Challenge and did a cool rainbow nails design using a dotting tool!



Polished Criminails sticks to the British theme this week by showing us 4 of the new BarryM Gelly Nail Paints in the shades Prickly Pear, Grapefruit, Satsuma & Pomegranate
Kerry at JustTalkNails shows off the new Barry M Burgundy Croc effect teamed up with A Englands Iseult
Vic has been on a major polishing spree this week (13 manis and counting) but she just can't decide whether she wants to show you delicate print or holo bling.

Pin It

Adventures in Stamping - Leafy...

Bonjour

So this week's Adventures in Stamping theme was simply "leafy", something which can be broadly interpreted I guess. I didn't want to use green, or autumnal colours so I went for black and silver. But not just any black and silver. The base is 3 coats of Pretty & Polished Black Swan, a pretty pretty black holo. It's not quite linear, but so gorgeous. Hard to photograph though, the little scamp. I stamped with Barry M Silver Foil and Bundle Monster 310. Please excuse the shrinkage, my nails are too short to wrap the tips at the moment and Poshe is not kind when you have 2 layers of it on top of and underneath the stamping...

Black Swan alone

Bottle shot! Trying so hard to be linear...

My challenge manis have been a bit sucky recently. I feel like they're not coming out as well as I imagine them, or they just plain suck. This is better, slightly. More practice needed I think...

Have you got any Pretty & Polished bottles in your collection? I heart this! It is quite sheer so although it's a big bottle I think I'll layer it over a black creme next time I wear it. So pretty :)

Hx

Pin It

NOTD - You Aint Nothin' but a Houndstooth Dog...

Ok, first off apologies for the tedious title. It's early, k?

Since my nails are behaving really badly at the moment, this is an old manicure from about a month ago. I used Color Club Poptastic (pink) and Chelsea Girl (blue) and stamped over them with Konad Special black and the houndstooth design from the new Bundle Monster set. Loved it. I'm always surprised by how much I love neons on me. I think I need moar...but seeing as my stash reached over 500 this week I will refrain...for now...

If I remember rightly the stamp misbehaved a little bit and I had to fill in some parts with a brush, but once the top coat was on you could barely tell. T'was a cute mani for nubs, even if the execution wasn't perfect.

Have a nice weekend everyone, I have my in laws visiting...so a stressful one for me!

Hx

Pin It