Christian Louboutin Nail art

Now that the party season is just around the corner with Thanks Giving, Christmas and New Years Eve in sight. I have put together a little nail art assemble to go with any LBD (little black dress.) When you hear 'Christian Louboutin' it may scream 'shoes' but those red bottom heels are not only for your feet, they are for your nails too.

I am very lucky to have my very own pair of Christian Louboutins in nude, which were bought for me by my wonderful boyfriend for my birthday last year. However to be more fitting with the wintry festive season, that will go with every outfit, I have opted for the glossy black version for the nails.

These nails are so simple to create, are very chic and I think they would look fabulous on any hand. They are very wearable, not just for the party season, but for those of you who don't like full on nail art and want to add a glimmer of colour to a dark nail too.

First I prepped my nails by giving them a good clean all over and painting on a coat of OPI's base coat to both the topside and underside of the nail bed and left to dry. Once dry the designer nails are ready to be created. For my 'soles' I used two coats of Nails Inc's 'Rosary Garden' which I applied to the back/underneath part of the nail using a thin square nail art brush to make clean up that little bit easier, making sure I capped the nail and topped with a coat of SV.

I then used Nails Inc's 'Black Taxi' all over the topside of the nail using only one coat and layered it with a generous helping of SV and left to dry.

To add a bit of festive sparkle I used a square rhinestone and placed it at the bottom of the nail bed at an angle to give it a bit of party bling using a clear polish and a toothpick. Once in place I gave my nails another coat of Seche Vite.

These nails are very addictive and I often find myself wiggling my fingers so I get flashes of red and a glimmer of sparkle as they really do look great when the light hits them. I guess a bit like when you are strutting yourself towards the party in those red-bottom heels, leaving everyone behind you 'oohing' and 'ahhing' and the flashes of red they see at you feet.

What do you think? Have you ever taken fashion as your inspiration to create nail art? Will you be creating these nails yourself? Let me know in the comments box below.


Until next time...


Laura-Jane

Retro nail art; Back to the '60's

I have to say this manicure is probably one of my favourite manicures I have done. It will be a sad day when the nail polish remover comes out and I have to say goodbye to this one. I'm not too sure about the reason behind my fondness, but I just really, REALLY like it. I like the colour combination, the way it stands out, and I think it just looks really pretty. The best thing about it is that it is so easy to do.

 

 

The design on this manicure reminds me of the 1960's. Now, I wasn't around then, and I doubt I was even a twinkle in my parents eyes, as they were just kids. However, it does bring back fond memories of my GCSE Textile project, as it looks like the prints on dresses that would have been worn by the likes of supermodel Twiggy & Co. If you are around my age or older, you'll also remember a TV programme called 'Heartbeat'. This manicure would fit in nicely there.

 

 

 

What you'll need:

 

Three nail polishes of your choice.

 

 

From left to right:

 

Black Taxi - Nails Inc

Matte White - Barry M

Lilac Pastelle - Revlon UK

Fast drying top coat - Seche Vite

 

Two different sized dotting tools and a stripping brush.
 

 

Paint your nails with your desired base colour. I chose the Lilac Pastelle colour, which is quite a soft pink/lilac rather than a true lilac. It is very pretty. I used two coats as I prefer an opaque look; paint them to your own personal preference. Top it off with a coat of SV and allow to dry. Once dry, using a stripper brush,  paint lines with the black and white polishes, alternating them so the pattern continues throughout the entire ten nails (yes, I always paint both hands!).

 

 

 

Now using a dotting tool, place large size dots along the thin strips. Use the contrasting colour to place a smaller dot inside the larger ones. Top it off with a top coat and you're done. See, simples!

 

 

I really love the contrasting colours, and the way it has turned out. I shall definitely be doing this manicure again; I may experiment with different colours, but I have to say this combination is probably going to remain my favourite.

 

  

What do you think? Will you be giving them ago? Let me know in the comments box below.

 

If you have any nail art suggestions, let me know too, and I'll try my best to do them for you.

 

Until next time...

 

Laura-Jane

The Edge of French Manicure Glory

If you follow me on Twitter (you can do this here), you would have known that on Maundy Thursday I received quite a few gifts of the nail polish variety. One in particular was Nails Inc Matte polish effect named 'Westminster Bridge', which I received from the boyfriend. I got boxes full from my Mummy, which you shall soon see in my up and coming manicures.

I have been after a matte black polish for some time, however this polish is better than a matte black, as it makes every nail polish in your collection to that desired effect. It has enabled me to do this edgy manicure, which I have been wanting to do for aaaaages, ever since I have seen similar manicures popping up on Google images, instagram, pinterest et al.

As you can see from my blog thus far, I am an avid fan of bright colours, eye-catching designs and girly floral prints. However, I have to say I am rather partial to a black nail too. Whenever I paint my nails in a dark colour I always tend to go short, as I think it looks classier, as long black talons just remind me of Halloween and witches outfits. This is just my opinion, of course.

This manicure is really easy to do, you do not need an abundance of polishes, tools and time. This is a quick manicure! All you need is a black nail polish, the matte polish and some scotch tape.

For my manicure I use the following:

Nails Inc 'Black Taxi'

Nails Inc 'Westminster Bridge'

Seche Vite fast drying top coat.

I first painted my nails in 'Black Taxi', then generously coated it in Seche Vite and allowed to dry. If you have ever used Seche Vite before, you will know that it doesn't take long at all. I used this top coat to help the drying process and to also give the tips of the nails that extra shine. Once dry, I taped the tips of the nails (I did all nails individually) and painted the main body of the nails with 'Westminster Bridge'. Whilst the matte coat is still wet, remove the tape to get a perfect line between the matte and glossy nail polish. Westminster Bridge is fast drying too, and you can see the effects of the polish straight away. I have fallen in love with this manicure even more now I have it on my fingertips.

However, a little word of warning, if you are like me and like to use hand cream like its going out of fashion, you'll notice over time that the matte polish tends to go a little less matte. This is probably from the oils and other chemicals in the cream to make your hands less dry and soft. You can always touch up the matte polish if needs be, and shall only take a few seconds of your time.

What do you think? Do you like it? Will you be trying this one out? Are you a fan of the matte nail?

Until next time...

Laura-Jane