8.30.2016

NOTD - Art Deco Nails!

Hello there lovely readers!

Hope you had a lovely bank holiday weekend? Yay for a shortened working week!

I seem to be having a phase at the moment & find myself reaching for the pink polishes more of late! I do that sometimes...but you really can't beat a pretty pink mani can you? If your in the mood for pink nails but after something a bit edgy & different then why not try this Art Deco design that is so much simpler to do than it looks!


To start you need your pink, here I've used Models Own HyperGel in Pink Veneer, a really lovely marshmallow pink creme. To create the triangle shape I used some square pieces of cellotape which you place on the nail, next to each other at an angle to create your guide.


Fill in your gap with polish & peel away the cellotape immediately whilst the polish is still wet. Don't worry if your edges aren't completely sharp & clean as this will get covered.

Next, either using a black nail art pen or fine brush & black polish, start by applying a thin outline of black along the outer edge of your pointed pink triangle.


Once done, using the same brush/pen apply horizontal lines angled upwards along the bare space left on the nail, either side of the pink triangle starting from the top going all the way to the bottom, you should be able to squeeze in about four lines either side.


Reaching for my beloved Pink Fizz, gods I cannot express my adoration of this champagne rose glitter bomb, its definitely goes under the “if you only own ONE polish in your life then it must be THIS” category.


I finished the design with a couple of wee dots of Pink Fizz, one at the bottom & a smaller one at the top of my triangle using dotting tool.


Apply your obligatory topcoat & you are done! Told you it was easy eh? Thanks as always for reading!

Lotsa love to ya!


8.19.2016

Olympics 2016 TeamGB Nails!

Hello there lovely readers,

Now I wasn't actually planning on doing an Olympics themed manicure dolls! But unless you've been living under a rock these past few weeks, its hard NOT to get absorbed in the goings on over in Rio right now, especially the incredible performances from the Team GB athletes! Seriously how amazing have they done & it really is so great to see so much positivity & inspiration in a time where there seems to be so much sadness going on in the world. So in honour of the Olympics & a subtle nod to Team GB I've done a suitably styled mani which I'll show you how to create as well!


As you can see I've gone for some GB flag tips with some Gold, Silver & Bronze medals thrown in there too & its honestly so easy to do :) First things first, gather together the polishes you'll be using. Here I've opted for some Nails Inc, KIKO & Models Own to help create this design.


To start things off you'll need these nifty little french mani guides which you can get super cheaply of Ebay. I always make sure I have these in constant supply! Place a guide on each of your nails,about a quarter of the way down as you'll only be painting the top part of your nail.


Now begin with applying your blue, this is Nails Inc Denim, a nice thick opaque blue crème so only one coat is needed. Wait for the blue to dry as now you'll be adding the white detail of you flag & the last thing you want is the blue running into the white!


I used the KIKO french manicure for white tips nail lacquer which I LOVE & has replaced ALL of my nail art pens. The thin brush is perfect for detailed nail art, I only hope they still do it as I want to stock up on these babies!


Using the brush, apply a line along the bottom edge (so right above by the mani guide) & one horizontal line in the centre going up to the tip.


Then add two diagonal lines going up from either side of your horizontal line.


Now grabbing your red polish & a thin nail art brush, I've used Nails Inc St James, apply a thinner line on top of the white, making sure you still leave a bit of white showing.


Aaaaand finally, because y'all know I am a sparkle FIEND, as an additional touch I went over the red with a bit of red glitter courtesy of Nails Inc Trafalgar Square.


Now you can (slowly) peel off your mani guides, don't worry if you have any smudges or your edges aren't perfect, this can easily be rectified with a small brush & some acetone. And you have your GB flag tips!


You can leave these as they are but I couldn't NOT put some medals on too, so using a dotting tool & Models Own 25 Carat Gold, Sonia Kashuk Smoke & Mirrors & Models Own Cherry Pie, I added me on some Gold, Silver & Bronze medals along the cuticle.


Finish with topcoat & you're done! Told ya it was easy.


Hope you liked the mani dolls, how are you celebrating the Olympics this year? Thank for reading & keep up the awesomeness Team GB!


Lotsa love to ya!


8.16.2016

LUSH Lemony Flutter Cuticle Butter!

Hello lovely readers,

As a "mostly" nail blogger, I'm ashamed to admit I don't pay as much attention to my cuticles as I should...I know *hangs head in shame* Though I promise my moisturising game is STRONG. I always have a tube or ten about my person & it helps having an office job where I can keep one within reach on my desk to use religiously!


However going back to the cuticle situation, I am actively trying not to neglect them with the help of some nourishing oils, lotions & potions designed specifically for keeping them healthy. One product which has been repurchased a few times now by moi & never fails to do this is the divine LUSH Lemony Flutter Cuticle Butter (RRP £6.95) ... rhyming gives me such satisfaction...you did good on the name LUSH.


And the fab thing about this stuff other than the fun name? Its a multi tasker! Don't you just love those? Yes this wee tub of creamy yellow goodness can be used on not just your cuticles but your entire hand for a nourishing treatment, on the elbows, knees, heels...heck anywhere that requires a bit of extra TLC. 


As is clear from the name this cuticle butter has a delightfully refreshing lemony scent to it, so if wide awake, refreshing scents are your thing then this will be right up your street. The ingredients sound like a pamper haven, including treats such as coconut oil, Shea butter, Sicilian lemon oil...mmmm.


The butter itself is a thick formulation, you only need a tiny amount to reap its benefits & once warmed up, it soaks into the skin leaving your hands (or wherever you've applied) feeling fab again. A little definitely goes a long way! I've yet to try it in such a way but I've heard that this stuff is fab for the lips too!

Have you tried Lemony Flutter? Thanks for reading!

Lotsa love to ya!




8.10.2016

Afternoon Tea Adventures - Kitty Afternoon Tea at Lady Dinah's Cat Emporium!

Hello there my lovely readers!

Time for another afternoon tea review for you dears! You can catch all my reviews so far HERE & this one is a special one especially for all my fellow crazy cat ladies out there! I'm sure you're aware of my love of the little furballs & for my birthday last year my friend & I visited Lady Dinahs Cat Cafe in Shoreditch for a delightful afternoon tea amongst my favourite creatures...cake AND cats? Lets face it this one was inevitable & a long time coming!



8.04.2016

MicroCell Nail Repair Review - The Miracle Nail Treatment That Actually WORKS!

Hello there lovely readers!

Every once in a while you come across a wonderful, world shifting, angel chorus inducing, HALLELUJAH product that pretty much changes your life. May sound a tad over the top but when such a rare occurrence does happen, tis a fortune of epic levels & is exactly the case with the product I eagerly share with you today. Dolls, I have FINALLY found a miracle nail strengthening product that actually DOES what it promises...may I present to you the little bottle of wonder that is Micro Cell Nail Repair*


If you follow me on my Twitter rambles (@aysh_tmb FYI) you may recall a time where I was forever tweeting my woes on the condition of my nails...yah...sorry about that O_o. But weak, brittle & breaking, which for a nail blogger is hell I'm sure you'll agree, I was at my wits end!

And believe me when I say that I have tried EVERY method known to man in an attempt to help including diet changes, taking all manner of supplements & using countless different nail treatments, yet nothing worked, until now.


About to admit defeat & accept that I was destined to have weak nubbins for eternity, it was at this point I came across a bottle of MicroCell Nail Repair which I'd received at an event a while back. Figuring I didn't have much to lose I decided to give it a whirl & my word....I was blown away by the results.


Lets face it, there are products out there which promise a multitude of miracles yet never deliver *looking at you here Sally Hansen* It does make one dubious & cautious when trying out new products, bracing yourself for disappointment at another fad. NOT the case with the MicroCell Nail Repair & I can fully understand why this little bottle of elixir is an award winner.



The Nail Repair is a treatment which is applied to clean bare nails nails once a day over two days, removed, then applied again, As I rarely am without polish I've been applying the Nail Repair as a base coat & I noticed the difference within just a week.

Not only did my nails finally seem to be growing, but the brittle weak condition had all but disappeared & they visibly looked & felt so much stronger.


Another week went by where I was fully bracing myself for the inevitable breaking but nope...still they grew....

Three weeks later of applying the Nail Repair & my nails are the longest & healthiest they have ever been & in incredible condition...*cue all the hallelujahs & praise the nail gods* Aysh is a happy bunny!

Just to give you a bit of an idea of the difference its made here is a mani I posted over a month ago when my nubbins were at their worst...


And below is a mani I Instagrammed last week (@aysh_xox...currently obsessed with magnetic polishes, remember those?!)


The pics speak for themselves really huh? MicroCell Nail Repair...I bow to you in thanks. RESPECT. This little miracle product has now replaced all of my basecoats & has pride of place on my table. As I do have a number of different ones, I alternate so they all get usage, but its always with a squee of delight when I know its MicroCells turn ;)


There is a range of other nail care products available from MicroCell including the Nail Wonder, a topcoat treatment I've yet to try but another gem I've become besotted over is the brilliant Natural Mineral nail file* (£14.50) which can be used on both bare & varnished nails. It smoothens & files the nails beautifully without harsh damaging, sealing any rough brittle edges.


The MicroCell Nail Repair is available in Selfridges as well as online for £18.50. Now this may seem a tad dear at first but when I factor in the amount I've spent on supplements plus countless other treatments that very much FAILED....lets just say I will happily purchase & re-purchase this till the end of my days.


Even better, if you want to try the product first then there is a fab 'Try Me' kit available which contains a mini nail repair, nail wonder, coloured polish AND polish remover...all for just £9.99 at the moment on Bath and Unwind website where MicroCell is also available to purchase from...BARGAIN!

In short loves...GET this product in your loves ASAP...& thank me later. Thanks for reading!

Lotsa love to ya!

Disclaimer - * products featured were sent to me for my consideration. I am not affiliated with the brand nor paid for this post, this review has been as always my 100% honest opinion! :)