the nail art update

So, as it is quite long and complicated to do tutorials for all the nail art I do they don't all get post on here as I think just posting them without any deets is a tad boring.. But then if you don't follow me on Instagram you won't get to see all my nail art. Hence the nail art update comes into play. Once a week I am going to post a nail art update with my latest nail art, the inspiration for it, and maybe a little bit about the technique/tools and polishes I used. How's that sound? Sounds good to me.

Nail art challenge May by @califonrnails on IG - Aztec

I have done aztec style nails before, they took a very long time while I was cooped up in hospital and so turned out terrible haha, so I was going to just go with this design again but with funkier summer colours. Then I decided - something different is always more fun. So I googled 'aztec design' and looked at all the different designs and where aztec pattern actually comes from to create these -

They took me an hour and half for this hand alone! - I took my time as it is a very complicated design with a  lot of colours and a few mistakes may have been made. I used my nail art long thin brush for all the art work except the black, where I used my nail art pen - with needle. The rule with this design is to neaten with black. So apply all your colours and if they aren't perfect, don't worry - apply your black with a  precise needle/pen like this one to neaten up your design! and remember a nice top coat smoothes out everything. I used a LOT of polishes for this design so I'm not going to list each one.. (sorry!)

WAH nails inspired Spiderman Design for Shauna the Spiderman fan

My little Irish friend Shauna is the biggest fan of Spiderman I've ever come across. And when our friend Ella came across Spiderman nail art by the WAH girls of Topshop, it had to be done. Et voila - 

Using my black nail art pen again and GOSH nail polish in Lambada. All this design takes is a steady hand and half an hour :)

My new dotting design

Always wanting to do something new, after the epic, my new all time favourite, aztec nails I knew I had to do something new, but didn't have the time to match the aztec. So I went with this new simple dotting design - 

I used a small dotting tool to do the dots, easy peasy, one colour at a time. The base coat is NYC In A NYC Minute 325 Raindrop Quick Dry Nail Polish and the dots are in Models Own Dinky Pinky & Pukka Purple, GOSH Peachy & Balloon & Lambada.

Then my little friend Chloe insisted I do the same for her - 

So there we have it - the first ever nail art update.

Hope you enjoy! And are inspired to try some yourself, because they aren't as hard as you think!

my easter/spring manicures

I am going to start today's blog by saying HAPPY EASTER EVERYONE. I hope you have all enjoyed your easter weekends, mine was very interesting ranging from tedious catholic mass to a male stripper in Church to a futuristic re-enactment of the resurrection of Jesus - let's just leave you with that amount of information! - I am going to then apologise for being so absent of late. I have been really quite ill this month and so haven't had much energy to dedicate to my lovely little blog! But that doesn't mean I haven't been busy using lots'o beauty products and doing pretty nail art.. If you follow my instagram/twitter you will be able to see my updates all the times! 

Today I have a rather simple post for you, featuring my nail art from the weekend and a little tutorial on my easter pattern nails :) Now I know it's a little late seeing as Easter is over, BUT these nails can be adjusted for any spring day. Minus the bunny you have a lovely spring manicure. Easy peasey.

I started the weekend rather plainly as far as nail art is concerned, I didn't have a lot of time so I rustled up a simple dotted design and added a negative space feature nail to spice things up a little bit. I always do my nail art whilst watching my favourite current series or doing my episode catch ups, so if you think you have to set time aside to sit at the kitchen table with all your polishes around you - yeah, don't bother! - stick the telly on, get comfy with a cuppa and your mates and paint as you chill.

As the weekend went on I got more into the Easter spirit, depsite my lack of Easter eggs this year, I did a more complicated design for the April nail challenge by @californails on Instgram. I love this cute design, I haven't done something funky or themed in a while so I have done a quick tutorial on the most patterned nail, breaking it down for yah!

Easter Mani

Start with a coat or two of your favourite polish (I used my Nails Inc Gel Effect Polish in Mayfair Lane)

Then add your base stripes, in whatever colours you want, for this theme pastels and soft colours are prettiest! (I used NYC In a Minute in Raindrop, Models Own Ice Neon Polish in Pukka Purple and GOSH Cosmetics Special Edition Polish in Splish Splash)

Use a small flat brush to paint on your stripes, don't be afraid of lumps/bumps or double coating as long as you have an even base colour.

Once your stripes are dry and more evened out in the process (if you want you can do a top coat to smooth them out but it isn't necessary) you can add your designs. For this theme dotting and zigzags work best. 

To achieve a nice zig zag design us a thin flat brush dipped lightly in your chosen polish to create lines like below...

To get lovely dotting use dotting tools like below to dip and dot as your please...

Et Voila, perfect with a shiny or matte top coat of your choice (mine was the Diamond Strength Top Coat by Sally Hansen - but I am cheeky and use it on the top too because I have run out of my Insta-Dri Sally Hansen Top coat - oops, oh well, I'll do what I want)

The bunny is really easy if you have brushes or nail pens, do your pink bits first and them your black bits second and tah dah!

I added some simple dotted nails in part to make the features stand out but mostly because my film was drawing to a close and I was tired!

Hope you like these designs everyone, I am writing up a lovely make-up B&A for you all (something new!) for tomorrow :D Feel free to ask any questions I will answer as quick as possible as best I can!

See you on the tweeting and instagramming side @curiousitybty

PS Remember, all the product names I feature are links to places you can find them, as is my twitter name above (it's the same for my instagram too!)

what's black and white and not so red all over?

The answer to that would be my Louis Vuitton nails - inspired by the S/S 14 showstopper that Edie Campbell strutted along the catwalks inspiring every designer possible to tear fashion limb from limb, scribble all over it, stick some feathers on it and create themselves a masterpiece -

As print is going to be a huge trend, more specifically lettering/typography, this Spring/Summer season this stunt of body graffiti done by Stephen Sprouse is well in fitting with what we will be wearing in a couple of months time - some already. 

And as the whole show set to inspire thousands based on LV's past 16 years of fashion experience and artistry in turn it inspired me and my next set of nail art. I am entering a little instagram competition by @Glittr and the theme is black and white. So, instantly I was going to enter a totally 'Black and White Ball' design with elements of my Wolf on Wall Street design (see it here, it's a massive favourite of mine!).. But for some reason I just couldn't nail it. (excuse the pun)

And as my nails got weary of the reapplication of white polish I remembered how much I loved the design that I transferred onto my nails a little white ago (here is the post) and bada bing bada boom - hey presto - voila.. this is the result...

Hope you love! xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

#nailvengersassemble

Been having a real nosey around some amazing nail blogs over the past few days and stumbled across the Nailvengers - The Nailasaurus, One Nail to Rule Them All, Lucy’s Stash, xAmeliax and Brit Nails. As the Nailvengers Assemble each month they come up with a new and exciting theme to inspire themselves, and subsequently they have inspired me! With January's theme New Year, New Technique and I know I am 8 days late!! -OOPS - but I really wanted to try something new. 

I love trying new techniques, practicing them and gettting unhealthily addicted. 

One I've wanted to try for a while is the newspaper transfer - I have always just gone 'Oh next week I'll do it' and never got round to trying it. So today was the day and I am so glad I had fun! 

I scoured my February Vogue and The Catwalk Edit and used designs from the likes of Emilio Pucci, Dolce & Gabanna, Alexander Wang, Louis Vuitton and Oscar De La Renta, I even use a cutting of a Dior Ballgown from 1949 featured in the Earthly Delights article by Nicola Shulman.

I used my favourite Maybelline Color Show white polish and Sally Hansen top coat as usual :)

Once I had applied the white base coat of polish I left it dry almost completely, then I laid down the torn out piece of paper, ink face down, on the nail. 
Next, I used this German extra strong liquer (I have no idea what it is but I took a pic for you all anyway - if anyone knows what it is let me know, as my friend bought it back from Germany for me last year and its DEADLY!) 
.. anyway, then I rubbed the alcohol on top of the paper with a cotton bud until I could see the design that was underneath through the paper. 
After I held the paper down for a few seconds, I slowly peeled it back, making sure not to take the design and the polish with it (which did happen a few times!) 10 nail and 16 attempts later.. VOILA :)

 This is my favourite nail! - It's the Parental Advisory sign on the alexander Wang jumper..

Hope you like and if you try it remember #nailvengerssassemble and #newyearnewtechnique 

Ciao bella ;) xxxx

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the slump is over

Yes, you heard right, I'm back. Three days away crying in assignment hell. Mostly from tears of utter hysterics thanks to my Irish assignment buddy shouting PENIS down my ear.. but they were tears none the less.

But it's over.. yayyyyy. And I realised I haven't told you all about my new favourite film.. The Wolf of Wall Street. The Leo Di Caprio spectacular expression of sex, money and drugs. Sounds like fun, looks like fun...

So here is a quick inspired nail art in tribute of my new love.

All it took was my amazing Winter Baby White and Blackout Black Maybelline Color Show polishes and my new foils I got for 1.99 on Ebay the other day! Plus a top coat of my favourite investment of the week my Sally Hensen Insta-Dry Top Coat.. I'm in love again ;) Get yourself a couple of thin brushes and way you go. Easy as pie. I wanted to show you some Great Gatsby inspired nail art I did when that came out but weirdly I can't find the picture anywhere.. So next time I have a couple of hours on my hands I'll have to give them another go.

Bye bye Leo lovers.

Abigail xxx

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flower power

simple but no so easy.. see what you can do and instagram me the results  @pawsandclaws101

treating myself

Decided the other day to scourer Ebay for some well needed supplies and today they all arrived!

So happy; I got all new brushes and a dotter as well as some replacement Rio Professional 2 way pens (my favourites) and some foils (which seem to be the new craze in nail art so will be giving them a go this weekend)!

I do love to treat myself, especially to these brushes as I've wanted them for ages! I was getting desperate...

Abigail xxx