OPI Pink Shatter - Supporting Breast Cancer Research @ the Marsden Hospital *Pink Wednesday*

Hey All,

For this Pink Wednesday I have found some pictures of my pink shatter.  As you know I am a complete Shatter Addict and have all the OPI shatter colours and am a regular user of them!!

The Pink Shatter is the 2011 pink from OPI in aid of Breast Cancer Research at monies are going to the research unit at the Royal Marsden Hospital in London.

I have used it over OPI's Alpine Snow & Lady In Black.  The pink is pearlescent and I think more similar in colour to Pompeii Purple that any other of their pinks.  I thought that this would be more like their red/black shatter (a more matte opaque colour) but I do like this and think it will look good over lighter colours - it was not so good over the black, but you only learn by trying it out!!

Anyways, I love it! Hope you have a good rest of the week!

Claire
xxx

OPI Pink Shatter

OPI Pink Shatter

OPI Pink Shatter

Black Tip French Gel Enhancements with Embedded Gems

Hi Guys,

I at last had some time to put some gel enhancements on! With a very busy week of clients booked in for the lead up to Christmas I thought I should apply gels as they add strength and I think look lovely and shiny! I have done these on myself and are not as perfect as I would have liked, but I find it hard to do my dominant hand.  It did take most of my Sunday afternoon, but I think worth it!

I had a 1920's themed party last week and following that theme I chose to apply black tips with a camouflaged nail bed!  I use NCO buff off gel.  This is a great product and I use it as I am supporting a local business and the product is great and well used and known where I live!!

This is what I did:

1. Prepare nails and apply primer and first coat of clear base gel.
As you can see my nails are weak and peeling (my own fault from not looking after them and picking off my soak off gels)!

 2. Apply your french line in your chosen colour, I find it easier when doing deeper smile lines to use the  handle end of the brush

 3. Flash cure each nail to prevent the gel running in between applications

4. Apply your camouflage gel up to the smile line.  If you get any on the black, use a clean brush moistened with cleanser to remove it.

5. Apply your gems (if you are using them).  If you are doing dots rather than gems, be sure to gently remove the sticky inhibition layer as this will make any shape 'bleed'.

6. Once gems are in place, cap the design and build your arch.  Flash cure each nail as you go.

7. Once the design is capped and cured, remove the inhibition layer and refine the shape.  Clean and dust and apply top sealer.

8. Apply oil and there are your lovely nails!

Have you tried this design?

Thanks for reading!
Claire xxx

Zillionaire over Romantique Shellac - A lovely neutral with a subtle shimmer

Hi Guys,

My client wanted a neutral Shellac manicure, and went for 'Romantique'.  I was about to put the topcoat on and she asked for some glitter!! I suggested 'Zillionaire' which is a more subtle glitter, it has more flecks that are multi tonal rather than a harsh glitter with gold or silver particles.  It's a shame that the picture don't pick up how lovely this is in daylight.

Love this effect from CND and think it works really well when something a little more subtle is needed.  I think this would work really well for brides too.

What colours have you used 'Zillionaire' over?!

Claire xxx

New colour from Shellac 'Purple Purple'

Hey Guys,

Hope you are all having a great weekend!!  I found myself at a lose end last night as my client was running late (yes I do have clients on a Saturday night!!) and at last had the chance to try out another of the new Shellac colours - 'Purple Purple'.

I am really loving this colour, I think it is similar to Rock Royalty which I love but is more shimmery and pearlescent.  I think it great for the parties I have coming up in the next two weeks and think, although not as dark as other purples I tend to go for, it offers great opaque coverage, and has gotten me lots of comments today!  This would look great with Zillionaire over it and I am toying with the idea of adding some golf leaf or foil next time! I also think this will well layered under Strawberry Smoothie and will play around with some pop sticks when I can!!

In the pictures it looks slightly blue but it is not as blue as it seems - this is 'Purple Purple'!!  I am looking forward to the next bunch of colours!!!

What do you think?!

Claire xxx

Close up image of Purple Purple Shellac

Purple Purple Shellac

Purple Purple Shellac

One coat Purple Purple

OPI's Muppet Collection - Pepe's Purple Passion with Gold Shatter

Hi Guys,

I had my sister-in-law staying and she wanted something a little different for a party.  I was only happy to help and used the new colour 'Pepe's Purple Passion'.  This colour is more maroon than purple (in my opinion) but there is great coverage and depth of colour.  There is also a slight shimmer which is very lovely.  To keep it needs a top coat - as I was using gold shatter, the images below are without topcoat until after the shatter application.

I am still really liking my shatters, and have not acquired all the colours!!

Thanks for reading,
Claire

PS - I know these aren't great - had to do them in a rush!!

TNOTD - OPI's 'Fresh Frog of Bel-Air' from the Muppet Collection

Hi All, 

I could not wait to break out the glitters from the OPI Muppet collection and have started with the green 'Fresh Frog of Bel-Air'.  I have used two coats for the images below.  The coverage is good, but for fingers, three thin coats might be best.

The lacquer has different sized pieces of glitter, and green with I think slightly golden small highlights.  These look like the 'Rockstar' type nails which can be achieved with glitter and gels, so I think this will be popular.  As with all glitters, I think they will be best for toes - but still a great colour, and wonderfully named collection - my clients find them very funny!!

Have you got any of the Glitters form the OPI 2011 Muppet collection?!

Claire xxxx

OPI Fresh Frog Of Bel-Air

OPI Fresh Frog Of Bel-Air

OPI Fresh Frog Of Bel-Air

OPI's Animal-Istic from the Muppet Collection

Hey Guys,

Hope you are all well?!  Sorry for being MIA, it have been a manic couple of months and hardly had a moment to paint my nails let alone blog about them, but I am back online now!

I have got my hands on some of the OPI Muppets collection and I will be updating you on them as I use them!!  This weekend I was wearing 'Animal-Istic' which is a very vibrant, slightly shimmery red, I think it has a slight orange hue to it as well.  It is a brilliantly loud colour and great for these dark and gloomy days!!!

I am loving the Muppet collection and cannot wait to use the Glitters!!

OPI's Animal-Istic

Thanks for reading and have a great week!!

Claire xxx

New colour from Shellac in Asphalt

Hi Guys, 

Sorry for lack of posts this week - I have been super busy!  So busy in fact that I have not been able to try out the new Shellac colours I picked up at Olympia on Monday!!  CND have added to their colour range with a new collection which was launched in the UK last weekend and I will be showing you the colours as I use them!  I was getting really upset that I couldn't find time to try them, and then a lovely new client last night wanted grey nails - so I got to try out Asphalt Shellac!! 

Wow I love it - it is a great creamy grey (asphalt!) colour.  The coverage on the first coat was not great and I was a little worried, but with the second coat all my fears went away and the nails and colour were just lovely!!  This is going to be a great Autumn/Winter colour and neutral enough to go with anything.  Very wearable!

What do you think?!  The pictures do seem to add a blue hue, but this is just the light - I assure you it is grey!!

Looking at the nails close up, I didn't realise that I was not getting close to the cuticle and I will now work on getting these slightly closer.

Have you got your hands on these new colours?! What do you think of the grey - will you be wearing it this winter?

Have a super weekend, 

Claire xxx

London Fashion Week Nails with OPI - September 2011 (SS12 Collection Launches)

Hey Guys!!

This weekend, I had the most wonderful opportunity to work with the OPI Tech Team at London Fashion Week!!

I worked on 4 shows and found the work very different to anything I have worked on so far.  It was a very fast paced and no time time to correct any mistakes - 7-10 minutes was all you could allow per model.  It is also very hard to work in cramped spaces at funny angles with both hair and make up teams as well as consulting with the designers!  I have spent quite a few hours crouched under a table - I think I may have to look into a yoga class to stretch back out again!

All the designers were involved directly in the nails and colour choices - it was not just a case of looking at them in the bottles!!  The most used colours have been nude and neutral tones although some shows have gone with the Orange which seems to have crept in from last season!

All models had to have prepared nails and use all OPI Products - no model just had colour painted on to protect their nails.  The models had Swiss Guard, file, buff, cleanse with NAS99 and fluffy, chip skip, ridge filler base, 2 coats of lacquer, top coat and finished with Drip Dry Drops.

The shows I worked on were:

'Blow Presents'
Here there were 24 models.  12 had blonde hair and these models wore 'Lady In Black' 12 had brunette hair and wore 'Passion'.  This show was very busy, and we only had one bottle of 'Lady In Black' so team work was very much needed!  The show was very high energy and a lot of black was in the collection - a very cool show!

'Blow Presents' - Blonde Models: 'Lady In Black' Brunette Models: 'Passion'

 'Cristina Sabaiduc'
This was Cristina's first London Fashion Week Show and is most certainly a designer to keep your eye on! Cristina was very calm and approachable, and she took a keen interest in the colour for nails. The models here all work 'Tickly My France-y' with a Matte Nail Envy coat over the top.  I was working alone at this show, and timings were very pressed with just 40 minutes to do 6 models - some of whom had crazy colours on their nails!! The nails were well matched to the show which had matte earthy tones.

'Cristina Sabaiduc' Models wore: Tickle My France-y with a Matte Top Coat

'Spijkers en Spijkers'
I had an absolute ball at this show, the designers were just wonderful to work with and the collection is so fantastic!  I hope that this line will soon be stocked over here - the designs were so wearable!  I also must mention the models - all the models I have worked with were great, but these girls were so lovely - Many of them (if not all) were from Holland and were just loving being in London! We had all 14 models wearing 'Samoan Sand' and with their green eye make up, this was a great colour!

'Spijkers en Spijkers' Models wore: Samoan Sand

'Spijkers en Spijkers' Models wore: Samoan Sand

'The Coterie Hair Presentation'
These guys are just Fab!! The designer, models and stylists were all so relaxed and fun it was a great show to work on!  The designer was happy for us to use any colours and he loved our Tech Team Leader Lee's Shatter so much he wanted it on all the models!  The models wore: Passion & Red Shatter, Yodel Me On My Cell & Navy Shatter, Let Me Entertain You & Silver Shatter, OPI Ink & White Shatter.  The models presented their show with spray painted hair and some wonderfully funky outfits!

'The Coterie Hair Presentations' This Model: Let Me Entertain You with Silver Shatter

'The Coterie Hair Presentations' This Model: OPI Ink and White Shatter

'The Coterie Hair Presentations' This Model: Yodel Me On My Cell and Navy Shatter

OPI were also at: Jayne Pierson (Bright Orange - not sure which one), Jasper Conran (I think Samoan Sand), Charlotte Olympia (Red - not sure which one), Marious Schwab (I think Samoan Sand), amongst others!

I just cannot wait for the next show season!!

Did you go to LFW? What did you think of the nails?

Have a great week,
Claire xxx

Masquerade Ball Nails - Using OPI Axxium Soak Off Gel

Hi Guys,

Hope you are having a good week?

One of my clients wanted something a little sparkly but not too over the top for her birthday Masquerade Ball.  She really wanted a French with something different in a silver colour.

I applied Passion as a base colour - cured, applied Alpine Snow to the free edge - cured, Used DS Radiance to line below the smile line - cured and then added Silver Glitter Gel over the whites to add some further sparkle and blend the silver smile line.

I think that these are lovely - and subtle yet different.

What do you think?!

Claire xxx

'You're A Star' from Nicole by OPI - Pink Wednesday Toes

Hi All,

I forgot I had this colour from my trip to NYC and decided my toes needed to be pink!  I have used You're A Star from Nicole by OPI.  It is a bright glittery pink with good coverage!  I am not sure if this range is available in London.

My feet are in a bit of a state from my sunburn on holiday - but they look prettier now!  I always use Ridge Filler base on my toe nails as they are a bit bumpy and as I was not in a rush for them to dry (I was sitting doing my gel nails) I used regular OPI top coat which is nice and shiny and does not dry out in the bottle as quickly as the Rapid-Dry coat can.

I have also had a few messages from some of my lovely followers asking about my tattoo.  It is of 2 charms that my mummy used to wear on her necklace.  The girls represents me, and the Boy my brother.  The colours are our birthstones!  I love it and think of her everytime I look at it - thank you for asking!

Have a great week!

Claire xxx