BNB Colour Me Crazy - Yellow

Good morning!

Today I have my yellow nails to show you! (My red and orange are on route, I promise!) I was really expecting to hate these, but I super love them! I love splatter nails, theyre just really easy, lazy nail art which I love doing!

I used Models Own HyperGel -White Light as a base, and Nails Inc Notting Hill Carnival and New York Noir for this mani.

Hope you like them - what do you think? Do you like splatter nails? Are you a yellow fan?

Rachael xxx

P.S dont forget to check out everyone else's yellow nails this week! 

An InLinkz Link-up

British Nail Bloggers discuss.. Favourite Top and Base coats

Hey all!

So here is the post I was ACTUALLY supposed to do. If you want to read the 'accidental' mistake post of hand and nail care faves, you can read it here.

I am a creature of habit, so when I find something that works, I stick with it. I feel I am 'adventurous' when I order 1 of 3 dishes I have approved at the local indian takeaway, or the chinese takeaway - I am that boring. But if its not broke, don't try and fix it!

So here are my base and topcoat loves:

Base - OPI Nail Envy

I wear this for strenghtening my nails. It works fantastically as a base and only needs doubling up for extreme stainers. I did try a stint with Seche Clear, and although it did lengthen my mani life, it was only extended until my nails started breaking left right and centre. So I decided that OPI Nail Envy was the wiser choice - I would rather have nice length nails and change my mani more often than have longer wear but uneven and forever breaking nails. It makes me go cold just thinking about it! I have tried the original and the matte and I am actually veering towards liking the matte more, but in all honesty, I buy whatever is cheapest when I restock!

Top - Seche Vite

I LOVE ITS GLOOPINESS! I am probably the only person who does, but it just envelops everything and smoothes and glosses over any imperfection. It also dries super fast and I weirdly love the smell of it. Don't get me wrong, I don't like it super duper gloopy, but I like how after you've used it twice or thrice it's thicker than any other topcoat. It's also the only topcoat I know that doesn't smudge my nail art. I sacrificed a whole bottle of OPI topcoat for a franken because it was about as much use as a chocolate teapot when it came to not smudging things. It was also a slow drier. OPI, your topcoat stinks! The only thing I don't like about Seche Vite is that it contains Toulene, and most polishes are free of that now. 

And thats it! Simples!

Don't forget to check out everyone else's choices for this! I am excited to see what everyone else thinks!

Rachael xxx

An InLinkz Link-up

2014 - The Year of the Bucket List!

Hey all!

Just another quick post today - I hope you all had a wonderful new year and are well recovered if necessary by now!

I had a lovely quiet night in with my other half after he managed to bruise the end of his nose. It was like a giant black smudge right on the end, so he didn't want to go out in public bless him!

Anyway, I digress. I have been thinking for some time that I need to get out of this comfortable rut I've been in for awhile. Being careful, sticking to things I've done before and that I'm comfortable with. Things that are easy! I will never get better at doing my nails if I don't try new things, so I've written a small bucket list of things I'd like to do in 2014 for the blog.

1.  Use up more of my untrieds. This is more for me than for the blog - I have so many polishes I have never even tried,  so I want to regularly try and share some of them with you. I will be starting 'Untried Friday' where I share some of these.

2. Trying new nail art techniques. I have gotten into a bit of a rut lately with nail art, so I want to try and do something new at least once or twice a fortnight. I know there are only a set number of different techniques, so this is why I want to try and recreate some of the wonderful manis that I have seen other bloggers do. 

3. Get back into challenges, and finish them. I love challenges, but often fall by the wayside and struggle to finish them. So I have joined a couple of less full on challenges for the weeks ahead, so look out for some of those posts soon!

4. More tutorials / pictorials and possibly videos. The latter will be the last to arrive if ever, as I'm pretty shy and awful at talking in public! But I do want to build on my tutorial skills. Any tutorials you would like to see, please let me know!

5. Get more involved in what the British Nail Bloggers are doing. I often see link ups and find I have missed something, so I will be making sure I share more of what they / we are up to this year!

6. More interactivity - I would love to know what you want to see on the blog. What do you like / dislike, what you want to see more / less of. And please comment! I love reading all your comments even if I do sometimes forget to reply. I am often browsing on my phone and my phone hates comments and makes it really difficult to post them, so I'm sorry about that! 

7. A couple of giveaways. I will have another one soon as I am running late on my 1 year blogiversary, so keep your eyes peeled!

Have you written a bucket list for 2014? Anything you definitely want to achieve in the next 365 days?

Rachael xxx

2013 in review - My favourite blog reads!

Hey all!

These are some of my favourite blog reads. Feel free to pop along and have a look - they really are good.

1. Em's Little Corner

One of my favourite blogs - simply because she has such unique nails and hand poses - I would know them anywhere. She loves dots (so do I) and is honest in her opinion of anything she reviews, which means a lot when I'm going to spend my money. Emma is one of only a few bloggers who rocks short nails. She really does have beautiful nails and I am looking forward to what she brings in 2014.

2. Kitty's Painted Claws

The lady who runs the Pokémon Gen 2 challenge. She has beautiful nails and is my first stop every day on my blog reads. She is another shortie rocker, although she does go between short and long but she never lets this stop her from posting beautiful nails. She's also very quirky and posts all sorts of geekery which is another reason why I love reading her blog.

3. UKNailRunner

Possibly my biggest source of nail porn. EVER. Her swatches are unreal, photos are beautiful. I sometimes have to remind myself to stop drooling over the photos and read what she's written. 

4. Special Girl Nails

My one stop shop for all things indie. Especially UK indie. She's also a wonderful stamper and has gorgeous nails!

5. Nail Lacquer UK

AJ has beautiful nails. I often admire them over a cup of tea when we go into town. Even so, I still love to check out her reviews and her freehand nail art is just out of this world. Stunning!

British Nail Bloggers Collaboration Giveaway!

Today is a very exciting day – the launch of the British Nail Bloggers Giveaway!

A group of us have clubbed together to lay on a Giveaway worth $250.

So what’s on offer?

* 1st prize $100 gift certificate

* 3 x 2nd prize of $50 gift certificate

The gift certificates can be used at any online nail e-tailer to fill your Helmer / shoebox with the polishes of your dreams.

The Giveaway is open internationally and runs til 8pm on Friday 28th June.  You must be over 18 to enter.

All you need to do is click on the Rafflecopter widget below – make sure you follow everyone for the best chance of winning!

Good luck !!!

Rachael xxx

 

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway ...