cool nail designs, Grow Your Nails Faster

cool nail designs, Grow Your Nails Faster

"To make nails grow faster, I take a multivitamin supplements and eat yogurt every day." --In'es, 17, Beijing, China

"Massage nail beds once a day for about ten seconds per nail. It's easy and you can do it anywhere!" --Marissa, 15, Peoria, AZ

"I actually cut my nails and I remove the nail polish. After they grow a little, I put a coat of Sally Hansen's Hard as Nails to keep my nails strong." --Aubrey, 14, Peru, NY

"Don't even try to bite them!" --Sandra, 14, Calgary, Canada

"To make your nails grow faster drink lots of milk or eat a lot of food with vitamin D." --Danielle, 16, Greenacres, FL

"To make nails grow faster just leave them alone." --Katie, 16, Foxboro, MA

"I started using Sally Hansen's Teflon Tuff clear coat, even though you have to apply in three times a day, I saw improvement in days!" --Ashley, 15, Brocton, NY

cute nail designs for short nails, Nail Shape Tips

cute nail designs for short nails, Nail Shape Tips

"Try a nail file that has different uses, like buffing, shining and shaping. This makes nails look great, and you can find them at any beauty supply store." --Lizzy, 16, Cameron, NC

"Guys love feminine nails that are not over the top! Trim your nails to where you can see a little bit of them when you turn your hand around. Paint them soft colors like light pink or clear sparkle." --Ashley, 14, Ruffton, NC

"Keep nails square. It makes them look longer, and they won't chip as easily." --Olivia, 19, Thomasboro, IL
"A DIY trick to figure out the best shape: take a piece of paper and cut part of it round and part of it square. Then, hold each shape to your nail. You can see which one looks better with your fingers." --Olivia, 15, San Leandro, CA

"I think short, square nails look very clean and chic. I like to paint them black for a mod look." --Lacey, 17, Deville, LA

"The natural shape of each nail may be a bit different. Cut them straight across and then slightly round the edges with a file." --Emily, 15, Hermosa Beach, CA

"The best shape for nails is short and rounded. They're easy to maintain, and you can wear a vibrant color without looking tacky." --Francis, 15, Valley Stream, NY

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

cute nail designs for short nails, Perfect Pedicure Tips

cute nail designs for short nails, Perfect Pedicure Tips

"Freeman makes the best foot scrubs. I use their Bare Foot Creamy Pumice Scrub a few times a week and it makes a big difference. The peppermint-scented scrub is the best." --Marisa, 18, Harrisburg, PA

"For amazing, moisturized cuticles that don't need as much maintenance in between pedicures, I use Burt's Bees Lemon Butter Cuticle Creme. It works like magic and keeps my toes looking their best." --Caroline, 15, Winston-Salem, NC

"To prevent ingrown toenails, I cut my toenails straight across instead of trying to clip off the corners. It really helps." --June, 17, Denton, TX
"For a fresh, clean look, soak your feet for 15 to 20 minutes in warm water filled with cut-up lemons, bath salt, and essential oil. Then exfoliate your feet with a salt-based scrub, pat them dry, and trim your nails and cuticles." --Nathalynn, 15, Moreno Valley, CA

"Moisturize and then push back your cuticles instead of cutting them. Cutting leaves you vulnerable to infections, and pushing them back works just as well!" --Sarah, 19, Venice, CA
"Go to a beauty supply store and buy decorative accents like rhinestones for your big toe. It will look like you got your nails done professionally." --Jessica, 14, Smyrna, GA
"I love to give myself pedicures while I'm in the tub. It's more relaxing." --Bailley, 14, Lubbock, TX
"After painting your toenails, soak them in icy water. It prevents the polish from smudging and helps it dry faster." --Peyton, 16, West Chester, OH

"For a French pedicure, all you need is white polish, a sheer pink polish, and masking tape. Cut a small, curved piece of tape that will cover all but the very tip of your toenail. Paint the tip with two coats of the white polish. Let it dry for 10 minutes, then remove the tape. Paint the rest of your nail with two coats of pink polish, then apply a top coat and you're done!" --Callie, 16, Sullivan's Island, SC
"The key is to soak your feet for a long time with warm water, soap, and a little bit of minty foot oil." --Nicole, 17, New York City

cute diy nail designs

cute diy nail designs
"I use a bright nail color as a base and then add lighter designs just on my thumbs, like little white hearts." --Mariah, 13, Fairfield, CA

"I give myself a French manicure, but I use black and white. Paint your nails black with at least two coats. When they dry, paint white nail polish across the top (2 or 3 coats). Then you have awesome, stylish nails that are sure to stand out!" --Holly, 14, Springfield, MO

"I have a bunch of those little acrylic paints from the craft store, and I use them to paint my nails crazy colors! I love when every nail is different. They looks so bright and perk me up!" --Morgan, 16, Brick, NJ
"I love to have one color on all of my nails with a little flower on my thumb. It's really cute!" --Kaleigh, 17, Alberta, Canada

"My favorite design is a zebra print (black stripes with bright or neon colors) and just a tad of glitter on the tips!" --Christina, 15, Shafter, CA
"My fave nail design is polka dots! They're so adorable and easy to do. You just have to apply a base color first, then use a lighter color to add dots." --Tessa, 14, Behalto, IL

"I absolutely love bright colored nail polish! I love how it pops and makes me stand out from everyone else! My favorite color is bright orange." --Kim, 14, Chicago, IL

Oooooh Prety - Nail art Design Wild Nail Wraps

Oooooh Prety - Nail art Design Wild Nail Wraps
 Whilst at Primark last week I came across some little packs of nail wraps. I've never been too sure about nail wraps, I've heard a real mix of opinions, some people say they are better on toes than fingers, they don't wear very well, they are expensive! But on the good side there are great designs available which I have always admired like I'm a child in a sweet shop! As I have konad and bundle monster stamping kits I have always been content with replicating designs that way but when I found these at Primark I couldn't resist and at £3.00 it just had to be done!

I chose a gold Leopard print, I did see three other designs too. The pack contains 18 nail wraps (I'm not sure why its not twenty so you could get two full sets?!).
This is what they look like on the nails!
 

 Bangle £2.00 from Primark!

They are really easy to apply, you will need a nail file and a hair dryer to apply the wraps and you should have a gorgeous set of talons in less than 10 mins, plus no drying time required which is a huge bonus! All you need to do is gently buff the nail plate (just enough to take the shine off), gently apply the wrap and then with a hair dryer heat the wrap (be careful not to burn yourself) the wrap will now be more pliable so you can smooth it out across the nail. With the excess at the tip use a nail file to scrape over and it will gently break away. See easy!

To see how to apply the nail wraps take a look at my tutorial!

The down side to this pack is the sizes aren't great, I do have a couple of nails with gaps at the side but you wouldn't notice unless you are really inspecting them! For £3.00 they are a bargin and one tip I have is that you could use the excess pieces that you file off from your finger nail and apply them to your toes nails. In all honestly I don't know how long they will last but I have applied a top coat over the top to try and seal them a bit! I will keep you up to date on twitter to keep an eye out!

Have you tried other nail wraps? How did you get on with them? What are your recommendations for making them last longer? I would love to hear so please leave me some comments!

Oooooh Prety - Nail art Design Strawberries And Cream

Oooooh Prety - Nail art Design Strawberries And Cream
My inspiration was this super sparkly ring that I got from Primark for £2.00! As well as the sparkles it is Wimbledon this week and as Strawberries and cream are symbolic (as well as the tennis obviously!) of the event I thought this was the perfect time for my strawberries and cream design!

To get the look I used a red and white nail varnish, Bundle monster plate BM05 for the strawberry and then red, green and white nail art paints.

And here is the final look!

I chose to do a reverse design on the ring finger but you could keep all the nails the same if you prefer!
I have had quite a few comments about my nails and a lot of people thought they were nail wraps! I love using the nail stamps as you can get the look of nail wraps with out the cost!

Check out my tutorial video to see how to get the look!

I hope you like this weeks design!

Oooooh Prety - Nail art Design Summer Nails

Oooooh Prety - Nail art Design Summer Nails
As my feet are no where near ready for a summer outing and certainly not in a fit state to be anywhere near a camera I have recreated the look on my finger nails!

I used Fiercely Fiona from OPI for the yellow base and then used nail art paints for the designs. 

In the magazine the model said she uses cocktail sticks / tooth picks to paint the design which is a great tip for any one who doesn't have nail art brushes. They also used nail varnish instead of nail art paint so recreating this design is easy as you can use things you already have!

I have used roughly the same colours as they have in the magazine but you could use what ever you like and put your own creative twist on it! This design is great for the summer and its super simple to do.

Oooooh Prety - Nail art Design Tie Dye Nails!

Oooooh Prety - Nail art Design Tie Dye Nails!
The main problem with fashion trends like loud coloured prints is that it tends to be something you wear for a short amount of time and then it really doesn't fit in with the next passing trend, this also means that you may end up splashing the cash and not really get your moneys worth of wear from your fashion purchases! Well I have a small solution which will help you stay on trend but with out having to spend the money!

Use your nails as fashion accessories, you are more than likely going to already have nail varnishes and I have the designs so problem solved!

This Tie Dye design is the perfect way to add colour and be completely on trend

 I have used three colours to create my look, Catch me in your net, Fiercely Fiona & Shorts story all from OPI. I also used Nail Eny as my base coat and Start-To-Finish as my Top coat.

To get this look simply apply your chosen colours in lines and whilst they are still wet use a nail art tool or coctail stick and drag the colours through each line which creates the tie dye look!

With this design is you can use what ever varnishes you want to go with an outfit or just pick out your favourite colours. Another thing you could do is paint a thin layer of colour as a base, this will show through ever so slightly if any gaps appear where you have dragged the colours through.

If you want to see exactly how I did this design please take a look at my tutorial!

I hope you like this design and if you do recreate it I would love to see so send me some pics on facebook or twitter!

 

Oooooh Prety - Nail art Design Jessie J inspired Aztec Nails!

Oooooh Prety - Nail art Design Jessie J inspired Aztec Nails!
 Although this is not the best picture in the world (my photography skill need some work!) you can see the Aztec design Jessie J is sporting on her super pointy talons! With Aztec prints being a key trend this season I thought I would take this inspiration and create my own version!

I have used pretty much the same design but have changed the colours so rather than being black and white I've used red and white instead! The red base I have used is Chick Flick Cherry from OPI and for the detailing I used a white nail art paint. It was actually really easy to do, all you need is a fairly steady hand and your well away! In the original picture Jessie J's nails are shaped into a point which makes the look slightly more edgy but as you can see mine are more on the square side so it works with all nail shapes. The other great thing about this design is that you can use any colour combo to achieve the look!

If you want to see how I achieved this look take a peek at my video!

Are there any key trends giving you inspiration for your nails this season?

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.

Oooooh Prety - Nail art Design Bridal Nails

Oooooh Prety - Nail art Design Bridal Nails
Over the past ten years I have helped many brides get ready for their special day whether its doing their hair, make up or nails, It is an honour to be part of the festivities especially when people are telling them how beautiful they are or looking at the photos, you know you are partly responsible!  Now with that honour comes quite a big responsibility as what you do for your bride will be held against you forever in the evidence that will be the wedding photos!  The Hair and Make up in my opinion is the easy part, as it will be such a focal point you know what you need to do for it to look great on camera but sometimes its the smaller details that get a bit forgotten......the nails!

Over the past few years it is a common theme to have a photo taken of the newly weds hands interlocked to show off their sparkling rings, but if you've had a bad shape and paint or your husband has bitten his nails away with nerves it will be there for all to see!
So this is where I can come to the rescue!  The most simple and obvious thing to do is have a manicure, this will ensure your nails are freshly shaped, elegantly painted and not a dry cuticle in sight, but what about the polish?
Well most brides do tend to keep their polish very simple with either a nude or light pink colour or a french polish, but for those of you who are slightly more adventurous I have come up with a few designs that are the perfect finishing touch for your photo ready nails!

For this design I have taken the classic french polish and simply added a row of nail gems along the tip on the ring finger, you could choose to add the gems to all the nails if you preferred. I used one coat of Heart throb for the base and Alpine Snow for the tip both from OPI 

For this alternative french polish I used Konad plate M56 to give a lacy finish.  For a more subtle look I just used the stamp to create the effect and to make it more definite I used a white nail art paint to add a line under the lacy tip.  I used Suzy and the lifeguard from OPI for the rose colour on the nail.

 This design is perfect for some one who wants to have a simple look as the detail is really delicate. I used Suzy and the lifeguard for the base colour and then using a dotting tool created the flowers using a white nail art paint and then a gold glitter to add the dot in the centre of the flowers.

This fancy french polish is slightly more extravagant but I love it! The white tip is shaped into a point where I have placed a pearl and then using a white nail art paint I created the detailing of curved white lines and then tiny dots starting from the outer edge of the pearl. I used Heart Throb and Alpine Snow from OPI for the varnishes. 

Hopefully these designs have given you some inspiration.  Did you have nail art on you nails for your wedding day? if you did I would love to see what you had.  Or do you have some ideas you would like to share?

One last thing for you to do..... book your groom in for a MAN-icure, you cant have him missing out on all the fun!

Oooooh Prety - Nail art Design Royal Wedding Nails!

Oooooh Prety - Nail art Design Royal Wedding Nails!
I thought I would do a nail design in honour of the royal festivities, its very patriotic and simply just a bit of fun!

A perfect match for my Kate Middleton ring!

A bit of added sparkle!

To get this look I used Alpine Snow from OPI, Indigo (312) from Barry M, Red and White nail art paints and some nail gems.

Take a look at my tutorial to see how to get this look!

I wouldn't normally have union jacks on my nails but if ever I was going to do it now seems like as good a time as any!

Have you guys done any wedding inspired nail designs? let me see if you have!

If you are celebrating the Royal Wedding I hope you have a great day full of festivities!

Oooooh Prety - Nail art Design HairSpray

Ooooo Prety - Nail art Design HairSpray
Psychedelic is one word that pretty much sums up a lot of the patterns that were used in the 60's, one of the designs I have created is taken from a black and white mod style dress that is a well know design from back in the day!  Using colour in blocks and creating a reverse mirrored effect with them seems to have been the trend, so that is the look I decided on!

The first design was created using a black and white nail varnish and black and white nail art paints. If you wanted to make it slightly more festive you could use a glitter nail art paint too. The nail varnishes I chose were Alpine Snow and My Private Jet both are from OPI.  With this design you can do each nail the same of make them all different, as the key trend was a bit zaney if you make any little mistakes it will probably add to the design!  Take a look at my tutorial to find out how to recreate this look!

For the second design I used Konad design plate M63 (take a look at my Konad blog for more info) to create a colour blocking effect, I used a white nail art paint on top of Big Apple Red from OPI.

I hope that you all like these designs, If you try them out or have any of your own 60's inspired designs I would love to see them so please send me some pics!

Oooooh Prety - Rock the Colour Block!

Oooooh Prety - Rock the Colour Block!
With Colour Blocking being majorly on trend at the moment I find myself completely panicked by the thought of bypassing my black top in exchange for an orange one and then popping on a pink blazer so I can consider myself part of the fashion craze sweeping the nation this spring, so I thought I would find another way to stay at the fore front of fashion!

My inspiration for colour blocking my nails came from reading Kandee Johnson's blog!  One of her friends Romee had painted her nails and they looked great so I decided I would put my own creative spin on this design and place myself back with in the fashionable crowd (whilst wearing my black top of course!).
 

To get this look I used OPI's Suzy and the life guard (light pink) and Shorts Story (dark pink) and for the detailing I used a white nail art pen.  This design would work with any colour so you could switch it up and experiment!  For a tutorial on this look take a look at my YouTube channel!

I hope you all like this design, and if you try it out i would love to see!

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 - Nail Design - Hounds Tooth Check!

Oooooh Prety - Nail Design - Hounds Tooth Check!
Last week I painted my nails with a Hounds Tooth Check, which I think looked really striking!

Traditionally this check is black and white, but I chose a dark plum colour from OPI in 'Black Cherry Chutney' and then used a white nail art paint to stamp the design on top. I used a Konad Design plate M63.

Hounds Thooth Check using 'Black Cherry Chutney' from OPI

This is all you need to recreate this design!

For a step by step guide to recreating this look take a look at my tutorial video!

I hope you like this design, if you have any design ideas let me know i would be happy to try them out!

Oooooh Prety - konad nail art

Oooooh Prety - konad nail art
For those of you who don't know about these little beauties, I can almost guarantee you will want them after you read this!

I love nail art and have been doing free hand designs on my beauty clients for about ten years, but there is always the odd thing i can picture in my head that I can't quite perfect on peoples nails......that was until now!!
I discovered Konad Nail Art at the beginning of the year and am now obsessed with doing my nails with different designs!

Konad Nail Art is a stamping tool which enables you to create stunning nail art designs that are as simple or as detailed as you like, it is really easy and doesn't take much time either.  You can can get these products directly from Konad or you can source them from other sites ( i got mine from eBay).

This is the double ended stamping tool and scraping tool that are the essential pieces of kit that you need.  You can also get a image plate holder but i personally don't think you need to have that.

 These are the three design plates that I chose to get first but I'm more than certain I will be purchasing a lot more!

As you can see from just this one plate you have six separate designs, the possibilities are endless!!

The best thing about using this form of nail art is that you can achieve results that look very much like Nail wraps such as minx but with out the cost!

If any of you already use Konad please send me some pictures, I would love to see your designs or if any one would like to see a specific design let me know, i would be happy to try them out and show them on here!