Showing posts with label asda. Show all posts
Showing posts with label asda. Show all posts

Monday, 27 January 2014

paisley princess

When I was about 13 years old, my mum kept up her time old tradition of the Pyjama Christmas present - given on Christmas Eve it is a gift that I have gotten and given for as long as I can remember - But this one particular Christmas my mother gave me the best pj's I ever got! Pink Paisley.. need I say more?

This was when I realised my adoration for the intricate and ever so vintage look that paisley patterns give. Granted, the paisley shirt only your Grandad buys in a second hand charity shop and wears when he decides he is 'Super hip and trendy' like the wonderful yet unfortunate David Tennant, is not a good example...


It is a pattern I can pretty much love ANYWHERE :)

So it is only natural that over time I have done many paisley designs when it comes down to my nail art, testing different styles, shapes and colours to see which I like best...


Some where ugly as, some where Saved By The Bell inspired, some where simple and some where favourties.

Today I have done some inspired nail art based on the current paisley I have picked out for my new and very different laptop background - I have gone from pink and fluffy to monochrome and sharp. All it took was Maybelline's Colour Show in Blackout with a matte top coat from George Asda Matte Manicure range in clear and a White Pearl Rio Professional Nail Care pen :) So here it is... Inspiration to final design ...


Instagram me your paisley @pawsandclaws101
Or tweet me :) @pawsnclaws101

Abigail xxx

Sunday, 26 January 2014

the magic of a white base

When doing intricate or simple nail art, a white base is the easiest and most attractive option .. undoubtably.
I tend to resort to my trusty white and must have gone through 10 bottles of it this year! Especially over Christmas...
So, seeing as the colour white is the right one for me, it's best to get a really good quality brand. That does not mean go for the most expensive.. never do that. This year, I found the easiest way was to try as many as I could! It's the way I found my favourite white and black and clear top coat.. Practice makes perfect in this business.

Ergo this is a tried and tested post.. I have picked out all my old whites and gotten enough out to test one nail from each bottle. Just to show you lovely people which is the best and why you should buy it.. It saves you the journey of using them all :)

Low cost, low quality?

NOT SO BEST: Primark: Angelica Nail Colour in Snow White £1.00

I don't mean to be harsh but I like a nail polish that doesn't crust in the bottle over a matter of months.. I have had this colour for as long as some of my other polishes and it is the only one that has managed to completely seal over. So I am unable to do a quick test now.. HOWEVER.. Once upon a time (4 months ago) This was a decent nail polish. It went on nicely and came off nicely as far as I remember.. But unfortunately.. It doesn't match up to the next nail polish I had for a single pound!






BEST: George, Asda: Manicure in Natural White £1.00

'When money is tight - nip to trusty Asda.' Mum's motto must be something along those lines. It's actually true, as a student I've discovered amazing cheap tights and a dish cleaner that works miracles. So when I had little to no money over Christmas and was in desperate need of a white, I jumped in the car with mum and grabbed one of these nail polishes.

Even though the bottle is so unbelievably tiny the result wasn't too bad.. The colour is nice however it does come out a little runny meaning two generous coats and a bit of clean up. Then, I would say that about most white nail polishes. So for the price I would definitely recommend this one over the Primark polish.










Go on.. Just spend a little more.

IT AINT NO.1 BUT: Miss Sporty: Et Voila Tip Whitener, Extra White Effect Manicure £1.99

Now you must be asking yourself, why is she using a tip whitener as a nail polish?!, and the answer is that the only difference is the name.. and in this case the slanted brush.
Bought in a time of desperate need - It is a low priced polish but it is such a good quality there is a reason it isn't priced at a pound like the loved George Manicure varnish. When I first bought it months and months and months ago it was silky and you only needed one coat of it. Unfortunately it didn't last very long - not due to the fact I do my nails 3/4 times a week - but due to it living up to it's cheap stereotype. That is why I rated it lower than the best white polish I've ever had. Now a gloopy mess - it comes at number 2 in my rankings.






NUMERO UNO: Maybelline, Color Show by Colorama in Winter Baby £3.99

In this particular case, spending more is better, however this is not the most expensive white nail polish and it doesn't need to be.
Silky and light, this nail polish is my favourite of them all. The only downside is having to use two coats (but like I said, this is the case with most white polishes). It gives the best results and lasts a long time. There really isn't much more to be said other than I bought it in Boots along with another one and a black in the 3 for 2 offer (so get yourself down there is what I'm saying ;) )




I hope you like the designs I put up to show how well a white base works, and why it is soooo important to have a decent white polish in your bag of tricks.

Happy white polish hunting, I hope I have narrowed the field for you! :)


Abigail xxx

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