Lacquer Up: Negative Nails

I have seen a lot of negative nails in the blogosphere of late.

Merricures       One Nail To Rule Them All    Nail That Accent

So I thought, for this lacquer up I would do my best, easy interpretation of a negative nail for you all to try. 

I have done a simple, diagonal negative nail on my first try as I haven't the steadiest of hands. 

In order to make sure the line is clean, I have used surgical tape to ensure a straight line.

Surgical tape is my new, best nail art friend. It's cheap and easy to use and can be cut and shaped with a pair of manicure scissors incredibly easily. Just like the manicure strips that I have written about before if you are wearing another colour underneath make sure the polish is bone dry before applying the tape. You will ruin your under polish otherwise. If you have time, put your base colour on the day before for the best results.

I applied my base coat and allowed to dry before adding the tape in the direction I wanted it to go. Once I was happy with it I applied my first layer of polish. 

I left to dry and applied another coat. Here I am using Ciaté's Mink, this needs a couple if layers for the colour to really shine through. 

This is now a discontinued colour, a similar colour that will work work their range is Cream Soda. 

Leave to dry completely. If not you'll end up with a jagged line, like one of my failed attempts 

Once dry, peel the tape of and apply a quick topcoat. I have added a couple of metal nail art hearts that I found on Amazon. I bought these to add interest to my manicure because it is a bank holiday carnival weekend and I have gone a little nail appliqué crazy since my last post; it's a simple and fun and easy addition to nails that require minimum effort. 

I completed with a more thorough layer of a high shine topcoat.

It's super easy and I will definitely persevere with it. I like how modern this looks, this can be formalised for a job interview; the colour above works well for that (above sans appliqué hearts obviously) or you could make it fun by slicking on a neon colour like Model's Own Toxic Apple. All winners in my opinion.

Go on, bag yourself some surgical tape and get negative!

Lacquer up: Nail Polish Trends for SS14

Anyone who has been on my Instagram page knows I love to paint my nails... A lot.

It has become a ritual. Usually, on a Saturday. I will get up, have breakfast and begin my process of beautifying my talons and will dutifully tag them under my #SaturdayManicures, because why not?!

Buying nail polishes has also become more than a passing habit. I'm often found wondering the aisles of boots looking for my new favourite shade (so much so that all do my family's Christmas presents this year will be bought from Boots, thanks to my Advantage card!) this too has now become a ritual and using the bum fight I have to deal with on a Saturday in boots as an indicator, I am not on my own.

With the likes of Sophy Robson and WAH Nails taking up a fair proportion of Instagram traffic, it seems many are following in the footsteps of Lily Allen and Kelly Osbourne (who aren't lacquering up themselves) and approaching their talons as the would their shoe collection.

It's commonplace to see on Tumblr and Instagram the stagnated pose of freshly painted nails holding the very same polish they have been adorned with. So I think it is time we got out of the old and into the summer shades. 

Having spent a fair amount of hours literally watching paint dry, I thought I would share my current favourites with you.

For summer, much like catwalks for SS14 season the colours are bright and bold, if they aren't bold they are a healthy shade of ethereal pastels. I have found the most fashion forward brand of the moment is Ciaté. I have worn and talked about Ciaté in the early days of the Locket and I think they are definitely one of the best for on-trend colours and nail kits. They just keep on innovating.

This new shade called 'Poppet' is one on my list for sure. It's a super cute pastel lilac that will shine next to summer skin. Perfect for hands or feet will definitely be one of my repeated colours over the warm summer months.
it will need a couple of layers, but the final effect would be as sweet and saccharine as you would imagine

If a bolder, highly pigmented shade is one you are after this summer then look no further than OPI. This is a name synonymous with manicures and pedicures. For years, this was the product you look forward to piling on and showing off. Pioneers in the acrylic and UV gels field, these colours are strong, long lasting and amazing. I am in particular awe of 'I Just Can't Cope' This is fun, bold and the perfect colour for the (hopefully) scorching weather.
As this has a much higher pigment count this would only need two coats at most and is absolutely delectable.

Another from OPI is perfect; from the new and wonderfully ethereal 'Sheer Tints' Collection. This is perfect for the new Watercolour Manicure trend that is all over Tumblr at the moment. This is wonderfully light and can be used a slightly tinted naked nail or to perfect addition to add interest a white manicure.
My favourite is 'Be Magentale With Me' a wonderfully light pink bottle of confection that I will want to wear right through the summer and possibly right into late autumn too.


I also feel like everything should be beautifully bronzed and you should look no further than this sun-kissed shade from Butter London.'Chuffed' makes you feel like you have been on south beach for a week soaking up the sun while slowly sipping white wine and elderflower spritzers and that is definitely a good feeling to have.
This goes with everything. If you fancy an all cream modern 'Celine/Chloe' ensemble for summer this would be perfect, of if you are of a more bohemian vibe this will still shine.
It is warm, inviting and requires little effort.

If you are looking for a slightly more natural look and feel to your summer manicure you can go no further than this absolute GEM of a nail polish from Barry M. This is my go to nail polish for when I am not sure what colour I feel like a particular week. This goes with everything and then some, this allows you to load up on rings in all the lurid shades your heart desires and the colour would not be cloying in the summer months.

It is super cheap too so you can slick this on again and again. a total winner in my opinion

So those are my tips for the best summer nails. 

Enjoy watching your nails dry! I certainly will!

and if you are still unsure of your colour, take this fun quiz from Buzzfeed. It'll cheer up your day no end!

Nails... Nails... Nails!!

I am passionate about nail art. I love painting my nails, I love having manicures and one of my favourite pastimes involves strolling the aisles marvelling at the plethora of new and exciting colours available.
Week after week I clog my Instagram feed with images of my new nail conceptions (to the left my manicure Du Jour) and thankfully, hundreds of the people I follow do the same.

It does fill me with an extra joy to know that of late, others seem to be coming out of the #Nailporn closet.

With the rise of nail powerhouse WAH Nails; having whimsical nails is THE thing to express your personality. It is something that doesn't have to break the bank, is quirky but doesn't scream 'FASHIONISTA' as much as a Philip Treacy creation atop your crown even if you are trying to channel the late but great Isabella Blow on the sly.




I tend to favour painting my own nails, it is a cathartic process that can take up an afternoon trialling block patterns, lines and fades for you to silently admire while on the tube for the next week. My new favourite endeavour, is buying (in bulk) the new Ciaté Kits, they are called 'Wow Kits' for a reason. Ciaté, famed first and foremost for their Caviar Manicure sets (£18.00). This 'gateway' kit (there is no other word for it) led me to hunt down & purchase the following sets Colourfoil (£18.00) & Velvet (£14.00). Each have their own benefits and personal vanity rewards that cannot be missed. There are lots of kits available and I haven't the time to try them all!

For the most eye catching manicure, good for a night or if you just want your nails to feel fabulous all the time the Caviar set is the one for the job. It is super easy to apply; you just paint your nails in either the colour that is provided with the kit (normally the best match) and press in the pearls and wait to dry. For a longer lasting manicure add a high gloss topcoat to secure the pearls (They can start to separate after a night on the town without it) you do run the risk of losing the lustre of the pearls in the White (Mother of Pearl) Cotton Candy Colourways. but it is not a notable change for everyday.
The Coloufoil, is a similarly easy and high impact manicure set. This is suited more for the everyday, but is can be made vibrant enough for your needs. You apply the base colour of your choosing, apply the glue once the colour is dry (I would recommend leaving this to dry for a minute or so) and going wild with the various foils in in the kit. This provides a fun, urban look good on both long and short nails and can be accentuated by not foiling all the nails or just foiling one (my preference when wearing this manicure is to only apply the foils to either the pinky or ring finger) this draws attention to the detailing and does look great if you've a few costume rings on.
The most troublesome to apply and maintain is undoubtedly the chicest. The velvet manicure is my personal favourite, but this really does take up an entire afternoon/evening to make sure it looks perfect. For the best results use the colour provided in the kit, paint the nail with the colour and immediately apply the velvet coating to the nail to ensure even coverage. I  would suggest doing one nail at a time if you aren't having a manicure party with friends (The most fun, I highly endorse and recommend this as an evening in) as you need to get even coverage while the polish is still wet and this can really only be achieved if you work one at a time, you don't get a second chance either. The manicure lasts for about three days, if you don't get your nails wet, get any oils on them (moisturising is OUT) but they look and feel amazing. you'll find yourself stroking your nails at any given opportunity!

I have also been playing around with modified French Tips, this is an easy manicure look if you fancy having easy, chic nails for the week.You can play around with striking bases, neutral bases, neon and glitter tips you could use a matte topcoat for the base; essentially the world is your oyster with an infinite array of options only limited to your imagination.
I have found, if you aren't comfortable painting your tips blind if you have an opaque base (I am not and have had many a wonky French Manicure to prove it!) you can use these to help you get the perfect shape. they are designed to perfectly shape the nail and are great for stripes in addition to French Manicures. For the Strip to work you will need to make sure the base coat is bone dry before attaching these to the nail. This week I have gone for a metallic base (Models Own - Pink Fizz)  with a neutral tip (Nails Inc - Porchester Square). An easy and modern update to the traditional and chic French Manicure, eye catching enough for you to feel amazing and for others to take notice.

No doubt I will find more nail polishes, colours and manicure sets for you all to try yourself. let me know of your success with any of the above!

I am off to match my colours for next week!