cute acrylic nail designs, French Manicure Tips

cute acrylic nail designs, French Manicure Tips

"I put scotch tape on the bottom half of my nails. Then, I paint the part above the tape with white polish. As soon as I paint all 10 fingers, I remove the tape, take a clear or sheer pink nail gloss and paint over the whole nail." --Penny, 17, Hammond, IN

"I use a white nail polish from a manicure kit and carefully paint the tips of my nails. Then, I dip a Q-tip in nail polish remover and clean up the mistakes. Sometimes, I go over the tips with a fun light color like pinkish-silver. Experiment to see what color you like!" --Paris, 16, Jackson, MS
"I use masking tape as a stencil so that I get a crisp white line. Just be careful to push the tape all the way down so that the white nail polish doesn't soak under it. And don't take the tape off until the polish is dry! Taking the tape off too early can smudge the polish." --Kylie, 16, Carmel, IN

"I use this kit from Sally Hansen that I got at Wal-Mart. It comes with a base coat, a clear coat, and a French manicure pen. It's so easy to use. I've even done my friends' nails for dances. It saves you big bucks and looks just as great!" --Kaylen, 18, Owensboro, KY
"All I need is tape, scissors, and white and clear nail polish. I trim the tape to follow the curve of my fingernail tips, stick the tape below the white part of my nails, and paint the tips white. Once I finish, I slowly remove the tape and wait for them to dry so that I can add a layer of clear polish. It looks like they were done professionally!" --Rachel, 16, Monterey Park, CA

"It's very simple. Get a very light pink color and paint it on your nails. Then, the secret weapon is WhiteOut. I paint a thin stripe at the top of my nail and--boom--they're perfect!" --Sara, 15, Grand Rapids, MI
"For a full-out French manicure, file and buff your nails, and massage cuticle oil into each nail. Then, take normal white nail polish (I recommend NYC), and make a thin stripe across the top of your nail. In a shallow dish, pour some nail polish remover and dip in a square-shaped paintbrush. Use the brush to wipe away excess polish until the white stripe becomes an even arc. Wait a few minutes for the polish to dry. Then, apply clear or sheer pink nail polish over the whole nail." --Rahath, 15, Sterling, VA

"For a full-out French manicure, file and buff your nails, and massage cuticle oil into each nail. Then, take normal white nail polish (I recommend NYC), and make a thin stripe across the top of your nail. In a shallow dish, pour some nail polish remover and dip in a square-shaped paintbrush. Use the brush to wipe away excess polish until the white stripe becomes an even arc. Wait a few minutes for the polish to dry. Then, apply clear or sheer pink nail polish over the whole nail." --Rahath, 15, Sterling, VA

Oooooh Prety - Nail art Design Glitzy!

Oooooh Prety - Nail art Design Glitzy!
There was even one to match the nail vanish I had on which is a peachy/coral colour so I thought I would come up with a design that was extra glittery!

The idea with this design is that the glitter is fuller at the tip and less as you go down the nail, giving it a gradient effect.  To get this look I applied Orange Soda from 17 as my base colour and then using a gold glitter nail art paint I dabbed it on to the nail, whilst this was still wet I tapped some burnt orange glitter on top. To get the gradient effect I just applied more to the tip with the orange glitter and then as you look down the nail it fades out to the gold.
On my ring finger I added a couple of gold nail gems - as you can never have too much glitter!  You could add the nail gems to all your fingers, do what ever takes your fancy!

I did the same design using a few different colours so you could see what it would look like, they are on a nail art wheel (I didn't feel like having multi coloured nails!)

I tried to take the photos in different lights but unfortunately my camera hasn't picked it up very well so sorry they aren't the best quality, I think it may be the glitter?!
For these I used  Done Out In Deco (lilac) with purple glitter and Purple nail gems, Russian Navy (navy blue) with lilac glitter and light purple nail gems and Cuckoo For This Colour (green) with silver glitter and clear nail gems.  All the varnishes are from OPI.

This design will work with any colour so you really can put your creative spin on it.

What do you think?  Do you have any glittery nail designs to share?

Oooooh Prety - Nail art Design French Leopard

Oooooh Prety - Nail art Design French Leopard
Its such a great colour for summer and coral is one of my all time favourite colours!

I had intended to just paint my nails in the coral shade but I decided that wasn't much fun so I came up with this design instead!

I used the Diva Coral shade for my base, then using Konad plate M57 I stamped on a leopard design with a black nail art paint, then to create the black french tip I used Obscurity from OPI.

This is a super easy design to do, you can put your creative spin on it and change the colour.  If you give it a go I would love to see the results so send me some pics!

If you would like to see how I achieved this look take a peek at my tutorial video.

Nails Polish

Nail polish ,products ,polish ,opi nail polish ,toluene ,silver ,shipping ,shatter ,product ,opi nail lacquer ,nail polishes ,nail polish remover ,nail lacquer ,nail color ,nail care ,nail art ,ingredients ,gel nail ,zoya nail polish ,wholesale ,water-based ,solvent ,shipping deals ,shimmer ,shellac ,shades ,search ,reviews ,quantity ,professional nail ,polishes ,plasticizers ,picture ,natural nails ,manicure ,katy perry ,formaldehyde ,essie nail polish ,crackle ,coupons ,cosmetics ,colors ,china glaze nail polish ,china glaze ,brushes ,brands ,bottle ,base coat ,amazon . Who doesn't like to use nail polish these days? The problem lies with incorrect application! I've seen so many nails that are unevenly coated, cracked and chipped. We can easily prevent these things from happening if we all learn how to apply nail polish properly! Follow this quick guide when you are applying polish to your finger and toe nails next time and I'll guarantee you'll see an improvement to your nails! Before you start applying the polish to your nails, you'll need to select the right color. My first advice is to use a color that you actually like and not follow any rules of thumb regarding color choice. Having said that there are some guidelines to choosing the right colors that I typically do follow. The first is where are you heading to? What is the occasion? If it's for everyday coverage, neutral tones are good to go. These are perfect for work days and professional events. If it's a more relaxed and fun event, go for whatever you like. Matching with lip color and the colors you are planning to dress in is also a good idea. But again, the best is to trust your instincts and go with colors that you actually like. My personal favorite are chrome colors to give my nails that sexy shine. What you'll needNow that you've chosen your color, lets begin applying! You'll need your polish color, a top coat, base coat, cu-tips, cotton balls and polish remover.How to Apply Nail Polish Properly1. Remove any trace of old nail polish that you have. You can do this quickly with cotton balls and rubbing each nail thoroughly. By removing any old polish you have on you can ensure that you put on an even coating.2. With your hands steadily propped against a table to ensure you don't shake, start painting your nails with the base coat. Start by brushing down the middle of your nail and then the two sides. This will provide an even coating. It is a good idea to begin with your smallest fingers and toes and work your way to your big fingers and toes, which prevents you from leaning on any freshly painted nails. 3. Add the nail polish to your nails by following the same procedure you did for the base coat ( small nails first, brushing the middle of the nail followed by the sides).4. Wait for the polish to dry. This will depend on the nail polish itself. I like to give between 20-30 minutes from the last painted nail to ensure perfect dryness.5. Add the top coat by repeating the same procedure you did for painting the base coat and the nail polish. Top coats will add even more balance and shine to your nails. 6. Once the top coat is dry, clean up your nails with a cu-tip and nail polish remover. With the cu-tip, remove any flecks of polish you have on your skin and around your nails. Be careful and take your time with this.nail polish ,products ,polish ,opi nail polish ,toluene ,silver ,shipping ,shatter ,product ,opi nail lacquer ,nail polishes ,nail polish remover ,nail lacquer ,nail color , nail care ,nail art ,ingredients ,gel nail ,zoya nail polish ,wholesale ,water-based ,solvent ,shipping deals ,shimmer ,shellac ,shades ,search ,reviews ,quantity ,professional nail ,polishes ,plasticizers ,picture ,natural nails ,manicure ,katy perry ,formaldehyde ,essie nail polish ,crackle ,coupons ,cosmetics ,colors ,china glaze nail polish ,china glaze ,brushes ,brands ,bottle ,base coat ,amazon .

The daily Nail professional nail supplies - China Glaze Cracked Medallion

The daily Nail professional nail supplies - China Glaze Cracked Medallion

Coppery bronze metallic crackle over China Glaze First Mate

I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE this one, it's far and above my favorite. I love that instead of leaning to the goldy bronze side, it leans more to the coppery side, and copper is an awesome metallic color that I don't really see that often for nails. I really like the choice I made in the color combination for this one, it really makes the crackle sing. 

Opacity scale (1-5): 3.5

Use for Konad: Not a good stamping polish, because it dries too fast, and because it crackles, duh. :-D

Finish: Metallic Crackle, 1 coat over 2 coats of China Glaze First Mate

 

What it really comes down to...  

These Crackle Metals did NOT disappoint. Each one of them sings in their own way, the only one that kind of let me down is Platinum Pieces, but honestly, I don't even hate that one, I just wish it were more opaque. These are going to FLY off the displays!

China Glaze nail polishes can be found online at several online retailers (such as SallyBeauty.com, 8ty8beauty.com, Amazon.com, etc), as well as in brick-and-mortar stores like ULTA and Sally Beauty Supply. Visit the China Glaze website at http://www.chinaglaze.com or follow them on twitter at @chinaglaze. 

Products in this post were sent to me by the manufacturer for review.

The daily Nail professional nail supplies - China Glaze Latticed Lilac

The daily Nail professional nail supplies - China Glaze Latticed Lilac

Lavender metallic crackle over China Glaze Below Deck

Definitely a gorgeous sparkler, this purple metallic would look good with plenty of colors, but I chose to do a muted color combination to really show that these awesome crackles can definitely be kick-ass as well as work-friendly.

Opacity scale (1-5): 3

Use for Konad: Not a good stamping polish, because it dries too fast, and because it crackles, duh. :-D

Finish: Metallic Crackle, 1 coat over 2 coats of China Glaze Below Deck

The daily Nail professional nail supplies - China Glaze Tarnished Gold

The daily Nail professional nail supplies - China Glaze Tarnished Gold

Gold metallic crackle over China Glaze Ingrid

This is your typical gold metallic, except for the fact that it crackles. I decided to step away from the summery color combos and try something for fall, since to me, gold is totally a fall color. I used the gold-tinged brown, Ingrid as a base to really kick the gold up a notch. I totally love this color combo, and I think that this gold would be a fabulous combo with any number of autumn colors!

Opacity scale (1-5): 3.5

Use for Konad: Not a good stamping polish, because it dries too fast, and because it crackles, duh. :-D

Finish: Metallic Crackle, 1 coat over 3 coats of China Glaze Ingrid

The daily Nail professional nail supplies - China Glaze Haute Metal

The daily Nail professional nail supplies - China Glaze Haute Metal

Pale pink metallic crackle over China Glaze Cha Cha Cha

As you all know, I'm not a fan of pink, especially pale pinks, so I really wanted to make the color combination something unexpected on this one, so I paired a crazy acid green with this delicate metallic pink. I think the result gives it that little nudge to push me over the edge into loving it! On the nail (at least in my experience) the color seemed a bit lighter than in the bottle. 

Opacity scale (1-5): 3.5

Use for Konad: Not a good stamping polish, because it dries too fast, and because it crackles, duh. :-D

Finish: Metallic Crackle, 1 coat over 3 coats of China Glaze Cha Cha Cha

The daily Nail professional nail supplies - China Glaze Platinum Pieces

The daily Nail professional nail supplies - China Glaze Platinum Pieces

Silver metallic crackle over China Glaze Heli-Yum

I'll be honest, this one fell short for me. It's far too sheer to effectively block out the color underneath, which to me kinda defeats the purpose of a crackle. Maybe it's just me, but I preferred the Silver Shatter that came with OPI's Pirates collection.

Opacity scale (1-5): 1.5

Use for Konad: Not a good stamping polish, because it dries too fast, and because it crackles, duh. :-D

Finish: Metallic Crackle, 1 coat over 2 coat of China Glaze Heli-Yum

The daily Nail professional nail supplies - China Glaze Oxidized Aqua

The daily Nail professional nail supplies - China Glaze Oxidized Aqua
Aqua metallic crackle over China Glaze Electric Pineapple

I'm pretty stoked on this one, it is definitely one of my favorites of this collection. I love that it's fairly opaque, even over the brightness of the China Glaze Electric Pineapple. I think this color will be most beautiful in the winter, it totally reminds me of frosty icicles!

Opacity scale (1-5): 3.5

Use for Konad: Not a good stamping polish, because it dries too fast, and because it crackles, duh. :-D

Finish: Metallic Crackle, 1 coat over 3 coats of China Glaze Electric Pineapple.

The Daily Nails - China Glaze Crackle Metals - Swatches & Reviews

The Daily Nails - China Glaze Crackle Metals - Swatches & Reviews

What's up kids?! Dying to get your eyeballs on the new China Glaze Crackle Metals?

Well, feast your head orbs on my swatches and review at reviews.thedailynailblog.com!!

Oooooh Prety - When I grow up i'm going to be a Princess!

Oooooh Prety - When I grow up i'm going to be a Princess!

The countdown to the Royal Wedding is upon us (22 days and counting BTW), and it's hard to flick through a magazine or watch the TV with out seeing coverage about street parties, wedding dress predictions or which palace will they live in!

Some people may think 'who cares' but the majority of Brits, and it seems most of the world will be tuning in on April 29th to see the lavish nuptials of our potential future King, and I will be one of them!

I cant wait to see what dress Kate Middleton swishes down the isle in, will she come in a horse drawn carriage, how will her hair be styled?? The questions (and speculations) are endless.

The 'Kate Middleton' style seems to have swept the nation, and with homage's to her style in all the shops I guess it is fairly easy to feel a little bit like the modern day princess, especially with the little beauty i found!

This replica of Kate's engagement ring, was from Primark and cost £2.00! its a bright sapphire blue (the picture doesn't pick that up so much) and sparkles so much its hard not to feel royal whilst wearing it!

One of the things I've noticed about Kate's style is that it's elegant but simple, and that carries through to her nails.  I have picked out two nail colours from OPI that would be a perfect accompaniment to keep the focus on your bling!

'Heart Throb' Is a natural pink which works really well for the barely there look with one coat or becomes more baby pink with two. 

Tickle My France-y' is a nude colour that is very on trend

Both these varnishes work well and will suit everyone, and are very 'Kate Middleton'!!  So if like me you are still waiting for your prince charming to come along, why not pop to primark and pick up one of these gorgeous rings to wear until you get the real thing!

Oooooh Prety - Texas baby!

Oooooh Prety - Texas baby! 
 Calling all urban cowgirls and city slickers..... this is who OPI had in mind when launching their latest range of nail varnishes, The Texas Collection!

This collection consists of 12 juicy colours that are perfect for staying on trend this spring time!
OPI describes them as
Big Hair....Big Nails and Guy Meets Gal-veston - the sunniest peaches and corals
Y'all Come Back You Hear? and Too Hot Pink To Hold 'Em - Vivid orange and honeysuckle
Do You Think I'm Tex-y? and Houston We Have a Purple - beautiful berries
San Tan-Tonio and Suzi Loves Cowboys - rich neutrals
Austin-tatious Turquoise, I Vant to Be A-lone Star, Dont Mess With OPI and Its Totally Fort Worth It - bodacious blue, green and lavenders.

All the colours are super shiney and a few of them have a "sorbet like" finish which gives a slightly sheer look to the varnish once on the nails.

 

Out of the whole collection these are my two favourites, Austin-tatious Turquoise and Guy Meets Gal-veston!

So for all you stylistas out there who are loving the colour pop trend, make sure you are using your nails as the perfect acessory!

So to sum up the Texas Collection gets a Yee-Ha from me!

See Y'all soon!

Stay gorgeous

Grace x

Oooooh Prety - Pink Leopard Print!

Oooooh Prety - Pink Leopard Print!
I never used to be able to paint my nails for a couple of reasons! One, it's slightly impractical for work and two, i would become obsessed with them! I would literally look at them all the time, i would even brush my teeth holding the tooth brush so i could see my nails in the mirror! But now that I seem to have grown out of that phase and can handle the excitement, I have gone completely the other way, i don't like not having my nails painted and the brighter the better!

My nails are currently Pink Leopard Print!

To get this look i used OPI's Guy meets Gal-veston, a bright pink varnish from their most recent range 'Texas'. Once i had applied two coats of the varnish and gave it time to dry i used the Konad stamping kit with plate M57 with black varnish to apply the leopard print design, so simple but looks really effective, so much so i feel a YouTube tutorial coming on!

You can use any base colour to achieve this look, and it looks great on long or short nails!

Hope you give it a go!

Stay gorgeous

Grace x

Oooooh Prety - PRODUCT REVIEW - Nina L'Elixir

Oooooh Prety - PRODUCT REVIEW - Nina L'Elixir

This is such a beautiful perfume I had to do a little review and tell you how gorgeous it is!
Nina L'Elixir is the latest perfume to be launched from the Nina range and is just, if not more magical than the others.  They are calling it "A love potion for the modern woman", with the harmonious blend of scents it has a very warm, suductive, feminine feel to it.

Top Notes - Caipirinha Lime and Calabrian Lemon give a fresh twist
Middle Notes - Jasmine and Red Fruits give a sweet, fruity fragrance
Base Notes - Ceadarwood, Cotton Musk and Warm Amber give warmth and a slight oriental aroma

Theres something about this perfume that is slightly whimsical and fairytale like, you can't help but feel pretty whilst wearing it!

Another great thing is the bottle, a beautiful jewel like apple shaped bottle, with graduating colour from clear to deep decadent red, it has a silver leaf detailed spray and stopper and will look divine on your dressing table!

It comes in 30ml and 50ml and is available from most department stores.

Although it hasnt worked for me as a love potion (yet!) I absolutely love it and think every girl should go and try it out, you never know, one spray and your prince charming could appear!

I hope you love it as much as I do.

Stay gorgeous

The Daily Nails - ZOYA CAITLIN & DOVE PROMO

The Daily Nails - ZOYA CAITLIN & DOVE PROMO 
Get Zoya Dove and Zoya Caitlin FREE with ANY** purchase on Zoya.com

Limited time only

Special Promotional Offer*!

Try the Zoya "French Twist" manicure created by Haven Spa for the Joy Cioci presentation at NYFW! For a limited time with any** purchase (excluding Zoya Color Spoons) on Zoya.com you get Zoya Nail Polish in Caitlin and Zoya Nail Polish in Dove for free!! Just enter the code ZB52 when you check out! These trend setting spring colors are MUST have in any collection! This offer is only good until Monday May 23 (11:59PM EST)! Act now and try the "twist" everyone is talking about!

*Online only, cannot be combined with any other offer , promotion or coupon. US ONLY. Promotion ends Monday May 23 at 11:59 PM EST. Offer good for 1(one) open stock .5 oz bottle of Zoya Caitlin  and 1(one) .5oz bottle Zoya Dove with the purchase of any NON-SPOON item on Zoya.com. Art of Beauty Inc. will not honor promotions that are submitted after promotion has ended - No exceptions. No exchanges. No returns. Worst case scenario please allow 4-6 weeks for delivery. Comments, videos and pictures posted about this Zoya Nail Polish Exchange outside of Zoya.com or zoyanailpolish.blogger.com are not representative of the opinions of Zoya Nail Polish, Art of Beauty, Inc., Qtica and Qtica Smart Spa and we do not confirm the accuracy of any postings. Customers are responsible for maintaining active accounts. If username or password have been lost we (Art of Beauty, Inc.) are not responsible for restoring accounts or giving out any account information. S/H not included. 

**offer excludes Zoya Color Spoons.

daily nails - OPI Stranger Tide

daily nails - OPI Stranger Tide

Murky beiged/pistacho creme

Not sure how to describe this, but I adore it. ADORE. IT. Something different there that doesn't remind me of any of my other polishes, which is hard to do. I can see me wearing this polish a lot. Go OPI! :) 

Opacity scale (1-5): 2.5

Use for Konad: Not great for darker or lighter colors really. It does show up on both, just not very well.

Finish: Creme, 2-3 coats to be opaque - depends on application


What it really comes down to:


As I stated before, these colors really don't make me think of Pirates of the Caribbean, but some of them confused me more than others. That said, all 7 colors are well-executed colors. They applied lovely, the colors were fairly unique - and great for pastel-ish colors, and they're colors that most people can (and will) wear. I'll definitely don one of these color combinations when I watch Pirates (or perhaps all of them!?!)

daily nails - OPI Mermaid's Tears

daily nails - OPI Mermaid's Tears

Aqua creme

Love this color!  It really is a beautiful turquoise/aqua color. For some reason, when I first opened the bottle, it made me think of OPI Damone Roberts 1968, so above you see a swatch comparison, and as you can see, DR is MUCH lighter and greener. I've actually been wearing this color with silver Shatter for almost a week - can you say RARE?!  I really like this color, but it's not my favorite of the collection,  however, it's runner-up. ;)

Opacity scale (1-5): 2.5

Use for Konad: Probably the best of the 6 on lighter colors, but still not wonderful. Not great stamping on darker colors either.

Finish: Creme, 2-3 coats to be opaque - depends on application

 

 

daily nails - OPI Sparrow Me the Drama

daily nails - OPI Sparrow Me the Drama
Medium pink creme. 

I'll be honest, not a huge fan of this color, and not entirely sure how it fits into a Pirates themed collection, but I can see the appeal to someone who enjoys pink polishes. I will say that this color sticks out underneath the silver Shatter, which I can totally appreciate. :)

Opacity scale (1-5): 2.5

Use for Konad: So-so stampig on lighter colors, but not great on darker colors.

Finish: Creme, 2-3 coats to be opaque - depends on application

 

 

 

daily nails - OPI Skull and Glossbones

daily nails - OPI Skull and Glossbones

Ecru Creme

I think this color is one of my favorites of this collection, though not terribly unique. It evokes thoughts of Johnny Depp in not-so-clean looking pirate garb. *drool*  The Shatter effect is again very subtle over this muted color.

Opacity scale (1-5): 2.5

Use for Konad: Not great for stamping on lighter or darker colors. 

Finish: Creme, 2-3 coats to be opaque - depends on application