it’s weekend. Let’s celebrate with a fun fresh and very much spring inspired manicure. Today i would love you to meet my sweet blogging buddy Sabrina from Polish Alcoholic. I got to know her in the very beginning of my blogging days and she has always been a very supportive person, with a great attitude and not to mention the most well taken care of nails i have seen in a long time.
I asked Sabrina to do a step-by-step tutorial on a simple & sweet nail design and this is what she came up with:
Hello everyone.
My name is Sabrina, a 27 years young girl from The Netherlands.
I have a serious addiction, an addiction to nail polish. I can’t help myself 😉 I love to collect them and I’m constantly on the ‘haunt’ for my lemmings that are mostly hard to find and/or discontinued. I am so honored that the sweetest Luchessa is willing to dedicate a little space of her amazing blog to me. Thanks dear! *mwah*
Even though it’s still rainy, grey and even snowy outside… I created a Spring themed mani for you beauties.
Let’s get started! The tool’s you are going to need:
– large dotting tool – medium striper – Butter London “Jasper” – Zoya “Blu” – Zoya “Purity” – WIC “Minsk” – OPI “Forrest My Case”
First design:
When your base coat is dry, paint your nails white and let it dry completely.
Use a medium striper with a green polish to create blades of grass.
Make sure the tip of the nail is covered with ‘grass’. Then create a little bit depth by slightly ‘swiping’ a lighter green polish on and between the darker green polish.
Create two tiny ‘leaves’ by using a medium striper and dark and lighter green polish. Give the design a bit time to dry and add a top coat.
Second design:
When your base coat is dry, paint your nails light/pastel blue and let it dry completely.
Use a white polish and a medium striper to create a cross.
Repeat step 6 so that you’ll get a ‘star’.
Gently fill in the spaces between the white lines.
Create a big yellow dot with your largest dotting tool and wait for the design to dry.
Use a top coat to get a smooth finish 🙂 After finishing all those steps, your manicure should look something like that. Feel free to stop by and leave a comment.
Beauties, i don’t know about you, but i feel like painting my nails now 😉 Since not everyone has many nails art tools at home, this is a cute design that you can even create with a thin nail polish brush, so just give it a try!! I hope you visit Sabrina’s blog or connect with her onTwitter.
Tonight i’m sharing with you a quick Nail Of The Week, with a short review and swatches. You know what a big hype the sand style polishes made in the past month’s. Not only high-end brands came out with the textured polishes, or Liquid Sand, as they are also called, but also drugstore lines seem to jump on the trend train.
A few weeks ago the german brand P2 announced the launch of their sand style polish collection. And as you imagine, i was very excited to get one of those to try. What i’m wearing today is the P2 Sand Style in Nr. 060 strict. Color & Finish: It’s a dark, sparkly purple-ish silver with small and big hex glitter. The finish is gravelly and matte, but because of all the glitter, it still looks sparkly. (I hope it makes sense…)
Application & Opacity: Not streaky at all. Already one coat gives a really nice look, but it’s still a little too light. To make sure it’s an even surface, i would always apply the second coat, to also make the color more luscious. (As it also says on the bottle.)
Drying time: The polish didn’t take long at all to dry. After the first coat i probably waited 4-5 minutes and then applied the second one. After 10 minutes it was completely dry.
Price: 11ml coast 1,95 € in the local drugstore. (I’d say, not a bad price at all.) I have to say, i’m quite pleased with the look of the polish on my hands. I will also admit, that the finish feels very unusual and i might be putting a clear polish on tomorrow, but i will definitely give it a try and wear this sand style polish by itself first.
It’s a really wearable color, even if it has so many sparkles and has therefore a fancy side to it.
Now i’m just curious how easy it’s going to be to get this polish of my nails again. Keep your fingers crossed, it’s easier than the regular glitter polishes… How do you like the color and the look of sand style polishes in general? Have you tried any yet? Let me know.
how is your week going? Was it as sunny and spring like in your city as it was in mine? I really hope so.
Seeing the sun coming through the clouds after probably 3 month, is so nice for a change…
Today i would like to tell you about a little test, that i was doing on a new product by Essence – a peel off base coat. A fun innovative idea, that suppose to be your magical helper when it comes to the annoying process of removing your stubborn nail polish. I got the idea to try it in combination with a glitter polish. As i’m not using any kind of glitter polishes that often, i thought this would be the perfect opportunity to try the new product and to enjoy some sparkling glitter nails for a few days.
As you can see, the packaging says: “fast and easy change of colour and effect nail polish. this innovative, solvent-free peel off base coat allows you to peel off your nail polish whenever you want, wherever you are! no remover needed!”
No remover needed – those were the words, that i needed to get interested in this product. The actual polish looks milky white in the bottle and contains the standard 0.33 fl. oz / 10 ml and is really affordable – 2,25€ The instructions are very simple. You apply a thick coat of the polish, that looks just like a regular white at first, then wait until it’s dry and become completely transparent. On the packaging there is one more advice: “avoid hot water for 3 hours after application”. I simply did my manicure 2 hours before bed time, so my nails had the chance to really dry through over night.
After about 10 minutes this base coat dried and it looked like i didn’t have anything on my nails at all. Then it was time to grab my new special effect topper by Essence in 15 Glitter on Me – that looks a bit like a disco ball in the bottle. I applied 3 coats of the glitter topper to really get the mega glitter effect. I simply love the longer glitter stripes in it. And when that was done, i even decided to top all that with my most favorite top coat – Better that gel nails top sealer by Essence studio nails. (As you can see, it was a whole lot of Essence going on there! I thought i would work the best with all the products being made by the same brand.)
I have worn this manicure for over 4 days. Then my patience was over. I couldn’t wait to start peeling this whole thing off. I’m sure it would last for at least 2 more days, because at this point, it still looked good and didn’t come off by itself at all.
I use a little orange wood stick, that is a great tool to push back cuticles ect to help me carefully lift up the edges. I have to say, it doesn’t come off like a nail sticker, all in one piece and you should obviously not perform any harsh movements, since you never know, where the polish really sticks to your nail bed.
For me the process didn’t feel too pleasant, as i usually never peel off my nail polish (we all know how bad it is to do that! damages the nail bed so much), but the results were pretty amazing. If we keep in mind, that i had quite a thick layer of different polishes on, my nails looked clean and not damaged.
So as my conclusion i can say, that if you are a big friend of glitter polishes and bright “toxic” colors, that tend to leave a mark on your nails, this is a really smart and useful product for you. I know i can be braver now and use my glitter polishes every ones in a while again. Not having to think about the mess i would have by removing it all again, is a big relief. If you can get Essence products in your area, you should definitely give this peel off base coat a try. Have you seen any similar products by other brands on the market? And what do you think about this concept? Please share your secrets with me.
recently i got a press release with delicious pictures for the upcoming P2 limited edition, which is sold in my local drugstore. Most of you who live outside of Germany will ask, why would you talk about a brand that we probably not going to have access to. And partly you are right, but i actually wanted to talk about nail care in general, as I know i have many nail art addicts as my readers and the press pictures just caught my eye, that i really had to share them with you.
As you follow my blog, you might have noticed, that i’m not the biggest or the most creative nail art designer our there, even if i try to surprise you every ones in a while, but i always try to keep my nails and cuticles healthy and clean. That’s why i really like P2 cosmetics. I remember, when it first introduced itself to the stores, it was just a nail care brand, selling creams and serum. Later on P2 changed it’s tactics and started manufacturing also very colorful and fun, but also really good quality nail polishes. That’s when the brand became really popular here.
When i got the press mail a few day’s ago, i was quite surprised, as the products seemed to be very much hot summer, beach and vacation inspired. Not that i have anything against summer theme, but remember, it’s still winter (yes it’s snowing outside of my window as you read this), and usually companies are coming up with some kind of spring editions. But, without further rambling from my side, let’s take a look on the fun “Totally Nail’tini” goodies.
This is what they call:Nail‘Tini mix’n match nail polish cocktailset. The stylish and bright trend colors are either highly opaque or very glittery. They can be mixed together, to create a fun festive nail look or simply worn by itself. You are invited to mix different colors and glitter together and see which other color might be the result. These are always an eye catcher. Available in 010 shiny Manhattan, 020 flashy swimming pool and 030 brilliant cosmopolitan (all vegan). 2 x 7 ml: 3,45 €
Inside the cocktail glass you see the: Nail‘Tini fruit me up! nail sticker. Nail sticker with numerous fruit theme, such as banana, melon, cherry ect. for a colorful summer inspired nail design. 50 pieces: 1,85 €
And now to the nail care products, that i’m personally really interested in. From left to right: UV light Protect Top Coat – fast drying top coat, that protects your nail polish from fading and keeps your nails shiny.
Vegan. 10 ml: 1,75 € XXL Grow Power – rich on active ingredients, this nail treatment contains the stimulative acerola cherry extract and the moisturizing D-panthenol. It naturally boosts the nail growth and smells like delicious seasoned cherries. Vegan. 10 ml: 1,65 € 6-Step Buffer nail file – each of the 6 steps has a different kind of surface & texture, which helps to get the right shape, eliminate any roughness, smooth out the area and to polish the nail to an almost shiny finish. (This one really reminds me of the popular buffer Quicky by Manola Cristal) 2,65 € Moisturizing Ultra Gel – gives dehydrated nails their elasticity back. Thanks to D-Panthenol, Aloe Vera, vitamin C and E, your nails get the concentrated care at ones. Vegan. 10 ml: 1,95 €
Kiwi Cuticle Peeling –siliceous earth and kiwi extract gently removes the dry cuticles. Vegan. 6 ml: 1,95 € Cuticle Gel with Honey + Propolis –especially adjusted for the needs of very dry cuticles. Has an antiseptic effect, which prevents the inflammation of the lacerated spots. Not vegan. 10 ml: 2,75 € Nail Wax Mango –seals and protects the body of the nail and prevents chipping of the nail point. Contains vitamin E, mango butter and extract. Vegan. 5 ml: 2,75 €
Nail Food Papaya– active ingredients strengthen the body of your nails with HexactiveTM (two Aldehydes that provides a Double Hardening effect). Orchid extract moisturizes the nails, while sea algae provide additional elasticity. Has a nice papaya scent. Not vegan. 10 ml: 2,45 € Nail Food Ananas – same active ingredients, that strengthen the body of the nail with HexactiveTM. Cystine support the nail growth, zinc support the nail flexibility. D-Pabthenol and phospholipid maintain your nails and donate intensive moisture. Has a nice pineapple scent. Vegan. 10 ml: 2,45 € Nail Food Pomelo –same active ingredients, that strengthen the body of the nail with HexactiveTM. Additional moisture through D-Panthenol, baobab and acacia extract. Cystine support the nail growth. Has a pomelo scent. Not vegan. 10 ml: 2,45 €
So over all it’s a colorful, fruity and fun nail care limited edition, that P2 cosmetics comes out this march. (Isn’t the presentation just truly adorable?)
As you can see, there is a lot to choose from, depending on your own scent preference and what you rather want to take care of.
You can peel, moisturize, protect and smooth. Besides, that would make a great gift for any woman, whether it’s in a cocktail glass or in a cute Easter basket.
I’m definitely going to check out those nail food gel’s. They are basically nourishing nail gel’s with fruity extracts and micro pearls, that you only need to apply (daily if you like) and massage in.
I can tell you already, after a week of daily use, you will see the change in feel and look of your nails & cuticles for sure. (I’ve used something very similar by P2 before.)
What kind of nail care products, (brands and type: wax, gel, peeling) besides the usual base coat, are you using the most? Have you tried for example the Ginseng nail elixir by ANNY (Nourishing concentrate for brittle and dry nails. Ginseng provides the nails with moisture. Protects and regenerates cracked cuticles. Nails become more resistant and grow back stronger.) I will def keep an eye on that product and really hope to test it soon.
I bet, the nail art lovers will have a lot of great tips for all of us! Please feel free to share. Tell me if you like me to review any of these products more profound, when they finally come out.
The tool’s you are going to need:
After finishing all those steps, your manicure should look something like that.
Feel free to stop by and leave a comment.
Beauty expression by Luchessa 