Summer nails!

Today the sun decided to peek out from behind those pesky dark grey clouds and put a smile on everyone's faces! For once it actually felt like May and not mid-winter. With summer well and truly on it's way, I'm in the middle of decluttering my wardrobe and eBaying gilets, heavy jackets and generally anything that I haven't worn in the last six months. Part of this summer overhaul includes my nails, and I'm keen to start wearing brighter and bolder colours to brighten up my days!

& Other Stories Twill Blue is a gorgeous royal blue shade, not dissimilar to Nails Inc Baker Street. Despite the formula not being amazing (we're talking chips on the second day), the colour is enough to make me love it and for £5 who's complaining? On the other hand, I have always found Jack Wills nail polishes to be amazing quality, and Butter Yellow is a beautiful bright and summery colour. I love how the two clash but "go" so well together, what do you think?

ONE COAT

TWO COATS

xxx

Insta-Fortnight

American Fanta! | Bank holiday Monday dinner and drinks in the sunshine

Catching up on Made in Chelsea | Mmm chinese | Wearing my new neon bracelet to work

Friday cocktails! | Onepiece time | Jogging along the canal

& Other Stories Twill Blue | Caramel Macchiato | Saturday night getting ready carnage

Trying out McDonalds' frappucinos | Reading The Great Gatsby before watching the film | Hot chocolate

Finally found my name! | Cheeky Dominos | After work drinks with the bestie

Maybelline's new colour | Gatsby!! | Sweeties

Saturday Starbucks | Saying goodbye to my old offices (relocating) | Pretty tree

My highlight of the fortnight was The Great Gatsby, if you're in two minds about seeing it... all I can say is, go! It's incredible, very true to the book and Leonardo DiCaprio and Carey Mulligan are amazing as Daisy and Jay. 

I hope you've all had a good week!

xxx

Nails on Sunday - Colour Block Ombré Nails!

This week I decided to channel some of the colour blocking I have seen at fashion shows recently onto my nails, but with my own little twist. Instead of using pastels, I went for bright Blue fading into Green, ombré style if you will.

For this look I used:

Nails Inc Basil Street

Topshop Green Room

& Other Stories Twill Blue

Models Own 6 in 1 nail buffer

Tesco Baby Sponge

I started off by painting one coat of Nails Inc Basil Street. I'm not sure why I use a colour as a base instead of a dedicated base coat, I just always have and I find it works really well as it's quite thick so smoothens out any bumps easily.

I then painted two coats of my new polish I picked up in & Other Stories this week, Twill Blue. I have to say I don't think the formula of this nail polish is the best I've ever tried. It came out really thin and streaky to start with then as I started to dip it back in, the brush picked up way too much polish and it applied really thick. The brush is handy though, it's very similar to the Rimmel 60 Second nail polish, a curved shape that allows you to easily cover the nail in three stripes.

To achieve an ombré style finish, I used a sponge to apply one coat of Topshop Green Room to the tips of my nails. This came out really thin as I hoped, and then I painted the ends with the brush. Using a sponge helps to create a transition effect, so that the nail does not go straight from Blue into Green. I think a makeup sponge would be ideal for this as they're smaller, but sadly I couldn't find any in Tesco yesterday when I purchased this one.

(Please excuse the messy bits around my nails, I can't find a cotton bud to remove them with!)

What do you think? If you have any ideas for new looks I should try out, please leave a comment below!

xxx