Chevron/fishtail nails

I came across this nail technique on Robin Sparkles blog and thought it looked really effective, so here is my attempt!

The good thing about this technique is that it is pretty easy to do with your wrong hand as well. So both hands end up looking decent.

I used Rimmel nail varnish in 702 Marshmallow Heaven, 703 Peardrop and 239 Your Majesty.

The bun ring hair-do

Ease of use: ★★★★
End result: ★★★★★

My sister introduced me to the idea of bun rings a while ago now and lately I've seen more and more appear in the accessories area of clothes shops. So yesterday I bit the bullet and got one! (£1 in Primark UK readers)


Steps:

1. You tie your hair up in a pony tail then slip the ring on

2. Lean your head forward and try to spread your hair evenly around the ring

3. Once you've done this slip another hair band over the top to hold the hair in place















4. Finally wrap the stray hair round the perimeter of the bun and secure in place with another hair band and/or kirby grips.
















And voila! Ballerina style bun.

Tresemmé Split Remedy

Tresemmé Split Remedy ★★★★★

With my latest ASOS purchase came some free samples of the new TRESemmé Split Remedy range. I got the shampoo, conditioner and some of the leave in treatment.

My hair is long overdue a trim and therefore I have plenty of split ends that need help.

The first thing I noticed on opening is the scent, it smells delicious. I'm a big fan of Herbal Essences for that reason and this product range certainly ticks that box.

When applying the shampoo I noticed straight away that it lathered really well. Then the conditioner made my hair tangle free. After my shower, before drying my hair, I used the leave-in treatment in place of where I'd normally use serum. It actually went on a lot better than serum, and made my hair feel even more smooth and tangle free.

Couple of hours on and my hair has been dried as straightened. Even after this one application it does feel a lot smoother and although the split ends are still there (it can't work complete miracles) I can hardly see any of the white ends; the ones where it's about to split. My hair looks less dry ad a lot more silky, without looking greasy.

TRESemmé Split Remedy

It's now that day after and my hair is still feeling smooth and still looks fresh. I will definitely be buying the full sized versions of this product range when I next head to the shops!

Fishtail braid nails

I came across fishtail braid nails on Twitter a few days ago and it was love at first sight! They look so effective, especially if you get the colour balance right. I had to try this method straight away...

www.lucysstash.com

I bought some Rimmel nail polish at the weekend thanks to a nice little offer in Boots, so thought the fishtail manicure would be the perfect way to try it out. I used Rimmel Lasting Finish in 702 Marshmallow Heaven, 703 Peardrop and 025 Strawberry Fizz.

As this was just a first attempt practice type thing I only did the full fishtail on my thumbs, on the other fingers I did two diagonal swipes on the tips.

Also I must mention that I did this freehand-it's bloody hard! With hindsight, maybe tape would have helped.

However, I'm pretty happy with the result even if it's a bit on the scruffy side at close inspection.


What do you think?!

Spot/Stripe nails with Barry M

Ever since coming across Cute.A.S.Nails blog I've been inspired to make my nails look more arty rather than just sticking with a single colour. My latest experiment is my spot/stripe nails.

I started off by doing two coats of Shocking Pink across 8 nails and two coats of Indigo (both Barry M) on my ring fingers.

Then on one ring finger I did spots, the other I did stripes and alternated it across both hands. I did the spots free-hand with the nail polish brush, so some are a bit uneven. I used the tape method from my "Laser Nails" blog to do the stripes.

Finished result in the pictures here, not a bad effort if I do say so myself.

A summer fav - Dipped hem skirts and dresses

Right now I'm loving the dipped hem style dresses and skirts. For me, these are a summer essential. Very adaptable as either day or evening wear, can be dressed up or down by adding different shoes and accessories.

 

The two pictured above are both from New Look's "Parisian" range. I ended up buying the dress and not the skirt, and ever since I've regretted not getting it! It is now out of stock and not currently on their website, so annoying.

Love @ Topshop are also doing some great dipped hem pieces, and I'm keeping an eye on a few on eBay to expand my summer wardrobe. With all this miserable British weather, a girl needs a bit of retail therapy to lift the mood.

Barry M nail polish - hands (and feet) above the rest?

Barry M nail polish range: ★★★★★

Barry M seems to be leaps and bounds above other nail polish brands in 2012. Not only do they do stunning high fashion colours, but they also have a growing range of special effect nail polishes. The first one I came across was the Instant Nail Effects Crackle. I bought this when it first came out and they only did it in black, but now they have a handful of colours which make it ridiculously easy to apply this very effective crackling style. You paint your nails as usual with a couple of coats of your chosen colour, then brush the crackle polish over the top. As it dries you see it crack before your eyes, leaving behind an impressive looking pattern.

The next nail effect I came across was the Foil Effect. I have previously used Rimmel silver nail varnish and somehow Barry M seems to have the edge here. Their colour is just on another level of shimmeryness! It looks like you are wearing nails foils, rather than nail polish.

The most recent one I have purchased is the Magnetic Effect in blue. (And also made my friend buy it on a recent shopping trip and bought it for my sister - Barry M should give me royalties!) You put a base coat of the colour on, then when you do the second coat, you hover the magnet (detachable from the lid) over the wet nail and it creates a pattern as shown on the magnet itself.

 

This currently comes in blue, black, red and purple and each colour comes with a different magnet pattern - a great incentive to buy all four!

I've only just come across the Chameleon Colour Changing polish and not yet had a chance to try it. But it seems the general idea is that it works with the Barry M clear polish whereby anywhere you apply it, the colour changes. This is definitely going to be worth a look this summer, as nail art seems to be getting bigger and bigger.

Finally I would just like to mention Barry M's non-effect colour range. They have some absolutely stunning colours and I'm particularly loving the pastel colours that are so on trend for SS12, especially mint and peach melba. Also Berry Ice Cream (lilac) and Blue Moon (baby blue) which my sister and I would have once referred to as "tipex blue" in days gone by are definitely worth a look. In fact, there's so much choice, that I'm tempted to buy five pastel colours and do a different one on each nail.

Well done Barry M for staying ahead of the "nail polish" game and keeping our nails looking fresh and extremely fashionable all year long! xx