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Friday, 23 September 2011

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

Sunday, 18 September 2011

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

Friday, 16 September 2011

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





Wednesday, 14 September 2011

'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





OPI Axxium Soak Off Gel - Yodel Me On My Cell with Silver Glitter

Hi All!!

I have missed you! So sorry for being off radar, I was on a very lovely, hot and sunny holiday - but happy to be back with the hubby and cat!

This weekend is going to be a very busy one, with 2 bridal parties and I have been given the chance to be part of the OPI Tech Team for London Fashion week (which I am SO SO SO excited about!!!).  Given this, I thought I should wear gels rather than polish, and reached for my trustworthy OPI Axxium Soak Off Gel Lacquer!

Given that the weather cannot decide what it wants to do here in London, I have gone for an Autumn colour, jazzing it up a bit with silver glitter.  'Yodel Me On My Cell' is a lovely shimmery teal colour from the 2010 Swiss Collcetion.  It has great coverage and thick and creamy colour pigment in both the lacquer and the gel.  It is also the colour that OPI used to support Ovarian Cancer research - A great cause and very close to my heart as I lost my mother to this horrid disease.

The Silver Glitter Gel I have used is quite new from OPI (last 6 months I think) and comes in silver and gold.  It has both small and larger holographic hexagonal particles and I love it!

I applied 2 colour coats and this glitter over the final colour layer before applying topcoat.

These gels are over my natural nails - I have not added a strengthening overlay - although if I were a client I would offer one to prevent breakages.

What do you think - are you still wearing teal colours?

Thank for reading,
Claire xxx

So here they are: