Lacquer up: Jewels

It's no secret that I love a good nail polish. I have already spoken about my weekly manicure ritual. I have experimented on a grand scale; having utilised a gem and nail polish set I got from work. If you aren't sure if jewels are your thing and you don't want to splash out on a roundel of jewels; I cheated. The set I am using (below) is from a nail art set from Top of The Pops Magazine. (Yes, it still exists!) You can get the set I bought here. It has a comprehensive selection of gems, for you to try for the price of a chocolate bar! WIN!

After this week's manicure, I am pretty confident that not only do I like gems, I think their application is super easy and will get a few more expensive sets, for sure! 

I've used Rimmel I heart Lasting Finish in "It's a scorcher". It's
perfect for this wonderfully warm weather and the green round gem I chose makes it extra special and summery!

Paint your nails as normal.

For my base-coat I have found a new cosmetic brand Kiko Milano. Their 3-in-1 Shine is a base coat, nail hardener and Ultra Shine Top coat all in one, which is super useful. It dries really quickly and produces an amazing shine. They have an extensive range of nail care products. All are reasonably priced. Perfect for those who manicure at least once a week!



To apply the Gem get a cotton bud and dip into the gem pot. Gently push the gem into the still wet nail polish and allow to dry.

Once dry; add a top coat to retain the gem and the shine & viola!

You can add gems to every nail or use them as an accent nail as I have done. 

Who knows. I could be as good as these in no time! 

      Wah Nails                                   Sophy Robson                             Wah Nails

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!