Feathers Manicure

Hello!

This manicure combines nail art with temporary tattoos, something I haven't really done in a while!

I was digging through my box of water decals and found some lovely sheets of feather decals (I think I bought them from Born Pretty Store), so I chose a sheet and applied the different colours over Barry M Pearl with an added layer of opalescent polish. I then took a couple of my MoYou hand tattoos and applied them to my ring finger and palm!

I love the idea of complementing nail art with skin art, and I've asked for some more tattoos for my birthday ^_^

Hugs,

Lisa xx

Two Nail Charm Manicures!

Hello!

I hope you're having a nice Bank Holiday Monday! The weather has cooled down a little in the North East and personally I am very relieved. I don't handle the heat too well!

Two of my latest manicures have used metal nail charms, so I thought I'd show you them together ^_^

The first manicure is a butterfly design! For this once I used my "Summer's Day" water decals and butterfly charm from Charlies Nail Art. I cut the decals to make three French tips and one full nail as an accent. I glued the butterfly to my middle fingernail.

The second manicure was heavily inspired by metellitsa on Instagram! I switched up the index nail by painting it white and adding my charm, but everything else is the same design. My feathers are from Born Pretty stamping plate BP-75 and the charm is from Poundland. Any guesses as to what this little critter is - a fox, maybe? A raccoon? Answers in the comments, please!

Do you prefer one manicure over the other? Let me know!

Hugs,

Lisa xx

Charlies Nail Art ~ Floral Water Decals

Hello!

I just ordered some new water decals from Charlies Nail Art last week, so I thought I'd show you some that I've used so far! All three are full-nail floral designs and they were bought by me ^_^

Here is Bold Blossom - a red base with blossom flowers which makes me think of kimonos...

Next is Oriental Blossom - a blue design with white and lilac blossoms which reminds me of some origami paper I own...

And finally we have Wild Pansy - gorgeous watercolour-effect flowers...

I seriously love floral water decals and I ordered more, so they will be coming up on the blog!

They were all just 89p each for a sheet of 10, and you get an extra 15% off with my coupon code GNAF15 ^_^

Hugs,

Lisa xx

Bird & Blossom Manicure

Hello!

Today I am wearing some gorgeous pink blossom water decals with a bird on the index nail! The decals were sent to me as an extra gift in a review pack from Born Pretty Store.

To give the decals more depth I decided to apply them over a soft gradient of white to light pink. The polishes I used were Barry Ms Cotton and Rose Hip. You can just about see the gradient in the finished design ^_^

I adore patterns like these - clean, soft and feminine!

Hugs,

Lisa xx

Flashback Friday Manicures

Hello!

Today I thought I'd do a round-up post of what I was wearing on this date during the years 2013 to 2016!

I actually have a new mani on my nails right now, but unfortunately I was so tired that I slept all day and didn't get to take a photo. It is a Japanese cat and blossom design over grey polish, and I hope to show it to you during the weekend.

So, 2016! On the 10th of March last year I was wearing cute flower stems over a glitter tips manicure. I used my MoYou Princess 11 plate and the glitter is Northern Lights by Models Own.

In 2015 I went outside my comfort zone with an attempt at a chic black and gold manicure. I used striping tape to apply the black, and the gold flakes are OPI's Man With The Golden Gun - easily the most expensive and silly polish purchase I have ever made!

In 2014 I was also wearing Models Own Northern Lights - I'm not sure if it's a coincidence or if the 2016 mani was a flashback! In any case I went for full coverage this time and applied a lovely singing bird water decal as an accent.

And in 2013 I had the striping tape out again, this time having it on my nails as part of the finished manicure. I was still taking flash photos in my bedroom at this stage.

Do you have a favourite? I hope you can see some kind of progression in quality from my 2013 manicure to now - I'm taking photos outside in daylight now, at least!

I hope to be writing again soon with that Japanese manicure.

Hugs,

Lisa xx

Charlies Nail Art ~ Colour Wave Nail Wraps

This post contains products which were sent to me for review :-)

Hello!

Another day as a Charlies Nail Art Ambassador! Yesterday I showed you some rhinestones I purchased, and today I have something that was specifically sent to me to review: colour wave water decal wraps.

The wraps cost 89p and consist of a sheet of 10 decals that you cut to your own nail shape. The patterns are a mix of rainbow colour waves. To apply them you just dip them in water for about 30 seconds, slide them off the backing paper then adhere them to your nails, rubbing gently to stick them in place. I took the optional step of applying the wraps over one coat of white nail polish to give the colours added vibrance.

I had to start this manicure again because I made the mistake of trying to apply the wraps over completely dry nail polish and they wouldn't stick down! I think this is a top tip for water decals in general: apply them over touch-dry polish. Once I did this the wraps adhered just fine and I achieved a look that I was happy with. I finished off the mani with top coat for protection.

I hope you like these as much as I do! 89p is a bargain and, of course, you can get an extra 15% off your entire order with my Ambassador's coupon code: GNAF15. Check out my snazzy new sidebar button!

Hugs,

Lisa xx

Christmas Manicures

Hello!

Happy Christmas Eve! I'm here with a selection of manicures I've done this festive season. As well as the photos, I've posted links to where you can get many of the products I used. Hope you enjoy them!

1. Christmas Tree Manicure

This mani uses the gorgeous green glitter Henley Regatta by Butter London - a TXMaxx find - topped with a Christmas tree nail charm for Charlies Nail Art.


2. Snowy Scene Manicure

These are water decals from Born Pretty Store! I loved the snowy trees.


3. Tartan Manicure

Another Charlies Nail Art find! I was especially happy with how these water decals applied and thought the tartan was perfect for Winter.


4. Christmas Glitter Manicure

This manicure is a mix of two glitters - Beyond Gorgeous by Madam Glam, topped with Keeper of the Grove by Femme Fatale. I think this makes for the ultimate Christmas glitter!


5. Metallic Knit Manicure

To give some edge to a Winter Knit manicure, I chose black and silver as my colours. The stamping plate is Fashionista 03 by MoYou London.


I hope you liked my manis, and have a great Christmas!

Hugs,

Lisa xx

Born Pretty Water Decals ~ Florals and Fruits!

This post contains products which were sent to me for review :-)

Hello!

Today I have two colourful sets of Born Pretty Store water decals to show you! One has florals matched with funky overlay patterns, and the other has both individual fruits and full fruit patterns.

As always with Born Pretty water decals, I was really pleased how these applied. You do cut them to shape yourself, but that means you can get a perfect fit and play around with the decals.

With sheet BPY32 I sampled both the plain and patterned florals to make my manicure:

http://www.bornprettystore.com/patternssheet-born-pretty-leaf-flower-nail-water-decals-transfer-sticker-bpy32-p-33972.html

With sheet BPY22 I took four of the individual fruits and placed them over pale matching colours for a Skittles manicure:

http://www.bornprettystore.com/sheetsset-born-pretty-fruit-pattern-nail-water-decals-transfer-sticker-bpy21-p-33964.html

As always you can get 10% off your Born Pretty order with my coupon code, CMBQ10

Hugs,

Lisa xx

Born Pretty Water Decals ~ Desserts!

This post contains products which were sent to me for review :-)

Hello!

Last week I received a package from Born Pretty Store containing a mixture of review items and goodies I'd bought for myself, so I have had plenty of inspiration for my nails! Today's review shows off some super-cute water decals.

BPY28 is a water decal sheet with two different yet complementary patterns - one with cupcakes, and one with a variety of desserts like ice cream and doughnuts. They are adorable and versatile because, as well as applying them as a full-nail design like I have, you could also cut out the individual desserts and create your own mani ^_^

Here are the two designs, each applied over a white base:

http://www.bornprettystore.com/patternssheet-born-pretty-various-dessert-nail-water-decals-transfer-sticker-bpy28-p-33967.html

I really loved wearing these decals, especially the mixed dessert pattern. The sheet is on sale now so you can get both patterns for $0.99 total!

As always you can get 10% off your Born Pretty order with my coupon code, CMBQ10

Hugs,

Lisa xx

European Postcard Manicure

Hello!

Today I'm wearing water decals from Charlies Nail Art! They're a vintage postcard design of European landmarks: the Eiffel Tower, Big Ben and the Leaning Tower of Pisa. I applied them over one coat of Barry M Cream Soda...

I am so so happy with them ^_^ They are just my style - and they were only 89p!

Hugs,

Lisa xx

Born Pretty Water Decals ~ Kittens and Macarons!

This post contains products which were sent to me for review :-)

Hello!

Today I have two more sets of Born Pretty water decals to show you! One features cute kittens and the other features my absolute favourite French patisserie treat, macarons.

Both sets of decals applied extremely well! After about 20 seconds in water they were ready to be fit to my nail. You do have to cut them yourself to fit your nail, but an advantage of this is that you choose how to use the decals.

Firstly, my kitten manicure! I applied the kitties over a white base...

http://www.bornprettystore.com/patternssheet-born-pretty-cute-claw-nail-water-decals-transfer-sticker-bpy19-p-33956.html

Next, my macaron mani! I applied these decals over a light pink...

http://www.bornprettystore.com/patternssheet-born-pretty-doughnut-dessert-nail-water-decals-transfer-sticker-bpy26-p-33965.html

I really loved both!

As always you can get 10% off your Born Pretty order with my coupon code, CMBQ10

Hugs,

Lisa xx

Born Pretty Water Decals ~ Vintage and Apples!

This post contains products which were sent to me for review :-)

Hello!

Today I have manicures using two sets of Born Pretty Store water decals to show you! One features an apple design and the other a vintage butterfly and floral pattern.

I always find that Born Pretty's water decals apply really well, and these were no exception! They only needed about 20 seconds in waters before they were ready to be fit to my nail. They smoothed down well and I was able to remove the excess decal by gently pulling them over my nail tips.

You do need to cut the decals to your nail shape yourself, which is a little extra time, but that means I was able to make French tip shapes for my vintage manicure:

http://www.bornprettystore.com/patternssheet-born-pretty-butterfly-pattern-nail-water-decals-transfer-sticker-bpy38-p-33979.html

I really love this design!

For the apple manicure, I took the pattern and applied it over all my nails. I painted my nails white first to make the colour of the decals really pop!

http://www.bornprettystore.com/patternssheet-born-pretty-fruit-apple-pattern-nail-water-decals-transfer-sticker-bpy21-p-33959.html

As always you can get 10% off your Born Pretty order using my coupon code, CMBQ10

Hugs,

Lisa xx

Charlies Nail Art Manicures

Hello!

Charlies Nail Art is the UK website that I use to buy things like water decals, rhinestones and charms for my nails! They're a really lovely company so I'm more than happy to show my support for them, and in return I have a discount code especially for my readers: GNAF10 xx

This post is a collection of manicures done using bits and pieces I've bought from Charlie's. Do let me know if you check them out! ^_^

1. Strawberry Manicure! This is the mani I'm wearing right now and it's cheering me up a lot with its bright colours. They are full cover water decals.

2. Bunny Manicure! I applied rabbit water decals over Models Own Utopia, with a golden accent nail of Models Own Chrome Olive.

3. Dried Flower Manicure! I started with a delicate sheer purple base of OPI's Care To Danse, then applied two mauve dried flowers. I added two layers of top coat to make them look like they were under glass.

4. Boudoir Manicure! I painted my index, pinky and thumbs in pastels, then used my MoYou Flower Power plate and stamping mat to create dark floral stamping decals for my middle nails. I finished the mani with a sinle rhinestone and a perfume bottle nail charm.

5. Beach Manicure! These are also full-cover water decals, creating a bejewelled seashore across my nails ^_^

I hope you like my manis; I had lots of fun making them xx

Hugs,

Lisa xx

Dozy Owl Manicure!

Hello!

In my water decal collection I have a few sheets of YRNails owls that always look cute on short nails! I chose the purple dozy owls since I'm a dozy sleepy Lisa, and I applied them over Barry M Cotton.

 I bought the decals from YRNails here ^_^

Zzzzzzz...

Hugs,

Lisa xx

Tartan Water Decals

This post contains products which were sent to me for review :-)

Hello!

Today I am reviewing a tartan water decal sheet from Born Pretty Store. I have Scottish ancestry so I love a bit of tartan, especially in the Winter!

I was sent tartan design #24 which is a strong and traditional red pattern. The decal comes as one sheet which you cut out to fit your own nails. The sheet is big enough to make 10 decals for small-to-medium sized nails, I would say.

Unfortunately I loved the pattern but had quite a bit of trouble with these decals. They were transparent enough to require a base colour. Also, when applying them, the pattern tended to distort and the decals break up a little at the fingertips. Here is the best manicure I could get using them (sorry for the photo quality, I was having issues with my phone!):

http://www.bornprettystore.com/colorful-grid-water-decals-stripe-nail-transfer-stickers-p-22023.html

I tried again to do another manicure but the result wasn't better! So these decals weren't for me. What I would recommend instead is that Born Pretty Store do multiple stamping plates featuring plaid patterns which work beautifully. Here are links to two that I was sent to review and loved...

http://www.bornprettystore.com/heart-diamond-grids-nail-stamp-template-image-plate-born-pretty-l013-65cm-p-19368.html

http://www.bornprettystore.com/nail-stamp-template-love-heart-plaid-pattern-qa84-p-14903.html

...and here is a tartan manicure I did with the second one, QA84, which I was very happy with:

I hope this review was helpful at least! ^_^

As always you can get 10% off your Born Pretty order with my coupon code, CMBQ10

Hugs,

Lisa xx

Cute Cat Water Decals!

This post contains products which were sent to me for review :-)

Hello!

Today I am back with more water decal goodies from Born Pretty Store! This time my nails are covered in pretty kittens =^.^=

For $1.99 (there's a sale on) you get a sheet of 40 full-nail decals, separated into 4 different cat manicures. They're a mixture of styles including beautifully drawn kittens, oriental-style cartoon kittens in teacups and some funny kitty poses! What I did was mix and match between the sets to create my own mani.

To apply you cut the decals to fit your nails then submerge them in water for about 30 seconds. Then you can position them just right on your nails before smoothing them down and filing away the excess with a nail file. I found the decals to be slightly more rigid than the floral ones from my last review, making them a bit harder to get perfect, but I was still happy with the results. On my right hand are the sketched kittens and on my left are the more cartoony ones:

http://www.bornprettystore.com/patternssheet-cute-water-decals-cartoon-pattern-nail-transfers-stickers-p-22306.html

And, since this is a cat post, here is a bonus pic of my family cat, Vienna! I think she looks a little bit like the cat on my right ring finger ^_^

I think these decals are a must for cat lovers like me ~ they're so cute and fun. As always you can get 10% off your Born Pretty order with my coupon code, CMBQ10

Hugs,

Lisa xx

Floral Water Decals

This post contains products which were sent to me for review :-)

Hello!

Last week I received a very exciting package containing my latest review items from Born Pretty Store, and the water decals were the first to catch my eye and make me want to do a manicure!

The Blooming Flowers water decal sheets come in 3 different flower designs and each have 13 full nail-shaped decals. You can choose the sizes that best fit your nails and apply them directly, or cut them to shape. How I applied them was to submerge them in water for maybe 30 seconds then slide them off the backing paper, fit them to my nails, smooth them down, then use a nail file and gentle pulling to remove the excess decal from my nail tips.

The decals are enough for very long nails so I decided to do a little extra with them by shaping the (dry) excess decal into a French tip! I applied Essie Mademoiselle like I would for a normal French manicure, but then applied the decals instead of painting a tip. I really liked the look of this, I hope you do too ^_^

http://www.bornprettystore.com/13pcssheet-blooming-flowers-water-decals-transfer-sticker-nail-stickers-p-21566.html

I think the Cath Kidston-style roses on teal are my favourite and, like I said, I really enjoyed wearing the decals as French tips. The quality of the decals was really great; I had no problems with application.

As always you can get 10% off your Born Pretty order with my coupon code, CMBQ10

I will be back on Wednesday with more water decal goodies!

Hugs,

Lisa xx

Autumn Leaves Manicure

Hello!

I'm still having a great time doing my nails to match the season, and today's mani features some crisp Autumn leaf water decals! I bought the sheet for £1 from Charlies Nail Art and applied a variety of them over a nude base, Brides-To-Be by Essie:

What I love most is the colouring - they're mottled to perfectly resemble crisp, golden Autumn leaves. I still have lots of the decals left so I'll be trying to use them again before Winter hits! ^_^

Hugs,

Lisa xx

Born Pretty Water Decals ~ Owls

This post contains products which were sent to me for review :-)

Hello!

Today I have the last of my Born Pretty Store water decal review pack to show you ~ and I think I saved some of the best till last as the patterns feature super-cute owls!

As I've said all through these reviews, the quality of these decals is brilliant and they may be the best I've ever tried. They're fine, easy to position and go on like a second skin. Plus of course the patterns are beautiful!

On the left I applied the colourful owls from sheet BP-W02 over a base of white with a sprinkle of glitter; on the right I applied the cute birds on a wire from sheet BP-W01 over a green glitter gradient of Models Own Emerald City.

http://www.bornprettystore.com/sheetsset-flower-nail-water-decals-transfer-sticker-born-pretty-p-20698.html

My favourite has to be those bigger owls; they're so cool and they fit really well on my growing nails!

As always you can get 10% off your Born Pretty order by using my coupon code, CMBQ10

Hugs,

Lisa xx