N.O.T.D - Daisy Nail Art

I thought I'd do a quick post about this really easy daisy inspired nail art I did on my sister's nails at the weekend, how cute are those little flowers! I used my new dotting tool which came with the Ciate Nail Lab I recently purchased, I will most definitely be doing a post about the Nail Lab soon so keep an eye out for it.

I used the larger end of the dotting tool to place a yellow dot in the middle and then placed the same sized white dots around the edge of the yellow finished off with another dot of yellow on top. Honestly this couldn't be easier, you don't even need a dotting tool to try it, you could just as easily used the rounded end of a bobby pin or the flat end of a cocktail stick, both of which I've used successfully in the past for creating nail art. I kept it simple but you could add polka dots, stripes or try it with different colours, there's endless possibilities with this.

What I used:
Ciate Dotting Tool
SinfulColors Cream Nail Enamel 'Island Coral' - £1.99 boots.com
Barry M Nail Paint 'Matte White' - £2.99 boots.com
Seventeen Quicker Slicker Nail Polish 'Lemon Tart' - £2.99 boots.com

Let me know what you think below!

BARGAIN ALERT! Free Ciate Caviar Manicure Kit With Marie Claire UK

Marie Claire UK has teamed up with one of my favourite nail polish brands, Ciate to give away these cute little Caviar Manicure sets with this month's July Issue. Being a huge fan of the Ciate nail polishes and their amazing array of colours I couldn't not share with you the opportunity to get your hands on these little kits worth £10 for a measly £2.50! If it's one things British Women's magazines are good at then it's giving away amazing freebies! 

I couldn't actually pick which colour manicure set I got as all the packs where facing the wrong way but I was more than happy when I got home to find I had 'Party Punch' a gorgeous barbie pink polish with purple, pink and white caviar pearls. There's six colours to choose from, each kit contains a mini nail polish and a mini pot of caviar pearls. These are such a fun and easy way to do nail art and I reckon they're going to sell out pretty quickly so if you're after one (or all of them!) I recommend you get down the shops sharpish! 

N.O.T.D - Polka Dot Nails

 

Polka dots have to be the easiest nail art ever, all it takes is a bit of practice and a steady hand. Trust me, I'm the most clumsy person ever so if I can do it, you definitely can. I don't actually have a dotting tool which is what most people tend to use so suggestions please as to where I can get one for cheap, I'd be interested to see if it's easier! I actually use a kebab skewer which might sound odd but the pointed end is the perfect size to pick up just the right amount of polish. You might want to break the skewer in half if you're going to try it however so you don't poke your eye out!

Three easy steps for perfect polka dots:
1. Drop a small amount of polish on to a piece of aluminium foil (it stops the polish from drying out).
2. Dip the pointed end of your dotting tool in to the polish picking up a small bubble of polish on the end.
3. Just touch the bubble of polish on to the nail to create the dot.

What I used:
Ciate Paint Pot in 'Underwear' - £11 ciate.co.uk
Ciate Paint Pot in 'Pepperminty' - £9 ciate.co.uk
Barry M Nail Paint in 'Matte White' -£2.99 boots.com  

Multi-Coloured French Manicure

I did this quick manicure for my sister yesterday, it's pretty much the same as a french manicure just using different colours, in this case aqua blue and grey. I absolutely LOVE this colour combination, it's just so pretty, the exact opposite of dark and wintery! I'm really loving going crazy with colour this Autumn/Winter not just on my nails but with my clothes as well.

This is so easy to recreate, even on yourself, make sure there's a minimal amount of polish on the brush then turn it sideways and gently brush along the tip of the nail. Make sure you curve the line down towards the edge of the nail to get that chic french manicure look.

The colours I used were:
Ciate Paint Pot 'Ferris Wheel' £9.00 ciate.co.uk
Ciate Paint Pot 'Pillow Fight' £9.00 ciate.co.uk

Review - Paperchase Geo Nail Wraps

I got these super cute Paperchase nails wraps in my stocking this Christmas and I've been so impressed that I just had to share them with you! Being primarily a stationary shop, I had no idea Paperchase sold any sort of beauty products but low and behold they sell the best nail wraps I've ever tried!

I've tried multiple nail wraps from top brands including Essie and Sally Hansen all of which I was really underwhelmed with, they either weren't sticky enough so just peeled off my nails after an hour or the sticker was so thick that they wouldn't smooth out on my nails. However no such problems with the Paperchase nail wraps, they are extremely sticky and after a few days of wear they are still stuck fast. You'll be happy to hear they are also incredibly easy to apply because the sticker are nice and thin which means they're easy to smooth out on your nails so no annoying air bubbles as well as being easy to file off neatly at the edge of your nail.

I have really small hands so normally I find most nail stickers are just a little bit too big but the Paperchase pack includes a whole range of sizes and I managed to find sticker that fitted my nails perfectly. Two sheets are included which is enough for two lots of wear and at £4.50 I think they're a real bargain compared to the Essie wraps which range in price from £9.99 to £11.99!

The printed designs look great and I love the range of colours together. They have tons of really cool patterns and designs available on their website ranging from £4.00 to £4.50. I'm wearing the Geo Nail Wraps which are available at paperchase.co.uk.

Ciate Mini Mani Month Calendar - Days 10-24

Firstly I want to say how impressed I am with each days offerings in the Ciate Mini Mani Month Calendar, I've now got some really great new additions to my nail polish collection. I was worried there might be a few duds in there that I didn't like I can honestly say there isn't one colour I don't like which is great! 

As promised here is what was behind each window of Days 10-24: 

Day 10. Speed Coat Top Coat - Day 11. Jingle Belle Glitter (Exclusive) - Day 12. Pepperminty - Day 13. Ferris Wheel - Day 14. Party Shoes - Day 15. Play Date - Day 16. Members Only - Day 17. Frost Yourself Caviar (Exclusive) - Day 18. Amazing Gracie

Day 19. Underwear BaseCoat - Day 20. Ivory Queen - Day 21. Confetti - Day 22. Christmas Tree Caviar (Exclusive) - Day 23. Locket - Day 24. Serendipity (Exclusive)

My favourites from the last two weeks of the calendar have to be Party Shoes, a gorgeous gold glitter with flecks of turqoise in it and Ivory Queen, a really pretty nude pink shade. I've already worn both on multiple occassions including together which you can see here

The calendar is now in the sale for £21.00 at ciate.co.uk. so I suggest you get your hands on it quick before its all sold out, 24 polishes for only £21 is a real bargain! Oh and don't forget to take a look at the first 9 days of the Mini Mani Month here! 

Easy Nail Art - Half and Half

I love experimenting with nail art but I don't really have the right tools so most of the time I just wing it and that's how I came up with this really simple but effective design. I used gold and red but you can use any two colours you like.

It's so simple, just paint your whole nail with your first polish then make sure it's completely dry before you do the next step. Take your second polish and wipe off any excess around the edge of the bottle. Gently angle the brush across half the nail and fill in the gap. The two polishes you use need to be quite pigmented so the other colour doesn't show through and that's it! So easy but I think it looks really pretty and it's grat if you can't decide what colour to paint your nails!

The two colours I used were Ciate Paint Pot in 'Boudoir' and Topshop Nail Polish in 'Suffuse'.

You can really experiment with this design, you don't have to do half and half, try using more of one colour or even different colours and switch it up on each nail, I'm sure your attempt will be much better than mine! Let me know if you try it!

New Years Eve Nails

I had a whole New Years Eve Look planned to post today but I've been really poorly these last few days which means my plans have been cancelled tonight and I'll be spending the evening on the sofa instead. Not exactly what I had in mind but then again my new years eve's never go to plan so I should have expected it really.

Anyway I decided to do some new years eve nails instead and this is what I came up with. French tip inspired navy blue and silver nails with extra glitter. I LOVE these nails, it's just a shame no one will get to see them! 

For this look I used:

• Ciate 'Underwear' Base Coat
• Nails Inc 'Motcomb Street'
• Ciate 'Fit For A Queen'
• Ciate 'Confetti'
• Ciate 'Speed Coat'

What are your plans for New Years Eve? Let me know below!

Christmas N.O.T.D - Ciate 'Ivory Queen' and 'Party Shoes'

Happy Boxing Day everyone! I hope you all had a lovely Christmas and indulged in way too much food just like I did to make me feel less guilty about stuffing myself with turkey and chocolate!

I really wanted to share my Christmas Day nails because they're too pretty not too. I've picked up some amazing nail polishes in my Ciate Mini Mani Month Advent Calendar and these two polishes have to be my favourite. Ivory Queen, a perfect nude shade, I used as a base then added a light coat of Party shoes which is a gorgeous gold glitter with specks of turquoise. You don't really get the full effect in these pictures but believe me they look amazing, it's such a gorgeous combination.

You can take a look at what nail polishes I got in days 1-9 of the Ciate Mini Mani Month Advent Calendar here, the rest of the days will be posted shortly so keep an eye out!

N.O.T.D Ciate 'Kiss Chase' and 'Jingle Belle' Glitter

A quick nail of the day post today using more of the mini nail polishes I've received in my Ciate Mini Mani Month Calendar. This time I've used 'Kiss Chase', a creamy hot pink colour as a base and then sprinkled 'Jingle Belle' glitter, a mix of hot pink and holographic glitter, all over every nail. I'll probably regret all the glitter when it come to taking it off because it's so difficult to remove but hey, it's Christmas and we all need some glitter at Christmas!

You can check out what mini polishes I got in days 1-9 of the Ciate Mini Mani Month Calendar here.

Christmassy Nails - Ciate 'Boudoir' and 'Snow Globe'

I was really in the mood to do some Christmassy nails with some of the mini polishes I received in my Ciate Mini Mani Month advent calendar and what could be more Christmassy than red and white! You can check out my post on the Caite Mini Mani Month Calendar here.
I used 'Boudoir' which is a pillar box red and 'Snow Globe' which is holographic flakes suspended in a clear polish. I used Urban Decay 'Love Train', which is a pearlised white, underneath the glitter to make it look like falling snowflakes. I definitely think I'll be wearing this on my nails on Christmas day!

Ciate Mini Mani Month Calendar - Days 1-9

I was lucky enough this year that my Mum treated me to the Ciate Advent Calendar as an early Christmas present. I was so desperate for the one they brought out last year so I was over the moon to get this years calendar (and rumour has it it's better than last years!). 
I've included a few pictures for those of you who haven't seen it yet, it includes a mix of mini paint pots, glitter sprinkles, sequin blends, caviar pearls and two nail treatments as well as a mini funnel. It tells you on the back of the box which polishes are included but I don't want to spoil the surprise (for you or me!).

I get so bloomin excited every morning to open it up and get a new nail polish and I really wanted to share it with those of you who didn't get your hands on one as I know last year I loved seeing what was in the calendar on other blogs. At the end of each week I'll put together a post of what's behind each door and this first post includes days one through nine. I was planning on getting the post out on Sunday but I have been away for the weekend so I thought I would just put it out today instead hence why it's days one to nine. Look out for a post next Sunday for Tuesday to Sunday's polishes in the calendar.  

 - Day 1: Snow Globe - Day 2: Boudoir - Day 3: Hopskotch - Day 4: Sequin Mistletoe (Calendar Exclusive) - Day 5: Encore! - Day 6: Sugar Plum - Day 7: Fit For A Queen - Day 8: Kiss Chase - Day 9: Pillow Fight -



It's quite hard to pick a favourite from the week, it either has to be Kiss Chase, a hot pink colour which appeals to my girly side or Pillow Fight, a lilac grey which I think's quite a sophisticated colour for your nails.  

The Ciate Mini Mani Month is still available online and at Selfridges for £42. It may already be the 9th of December but it's such a great saving for the amount of top quality nail polishes you get. If you're a nail polish addict like me then I'd recommend you get yourself one now!

N.O.T.D Kate Spade For Nails Inc - Uptown Glamour

I picked up the December issue of Glamour Magazine yesterday, mainly because free with it was this Kate Spade by Nails Inc polish in the shade 'Uptown Glamour' that was just too pretty to resist! It's a beautiful pale gold which I think gives the same finish as nail foils but without the hassle. I paired it with my favourite glitter polish 'Prospect' from Topshop as an accent nail which go together really beautifully.

They're currently giving away four different polishes, this gold colour, a red, a dark blue and a silver. Normally Nails Inc polishes retail at £11 so to pick them up for £2 is a really bargain, I suggest you get down the shops quick before they replace them with the January Issues!

Spooky Halloween Nail Art

I had a go at some spooky Halloween nails this week, seeing as I won't get a chance to dress up I thought it might be fun to do something fun with my nails. The frankenstein's monster nails I did using a tutorial from Miss Budget Beauty's youtube channel which I'll include at the bottom of the page. All the other designs I just copied off pictures I found on google.

I couldn't actually find my nail art pen so instead I used an old liquid eyeliner which worked really well and dried matte on the nails which I think looks pretty cool. Unfortunately I forgot to add a top coat to my nails so when I went in the shower the eyeliner washed completely off my nails. Oh well, you live and you learn!

For a first try I was pretty pleased with the results and all the designs were so easy to do. They'd definitely be a great addition to any Halloween costume or as a bit of fun if you're not planning on dressing up.

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Starry Night - N.O.T.D

I Nails Inc - Available here I Bourjois Manicure Laser Toppings - Available here I

I'm still feeling the effects of this horrible cold, as are most people I know at the moment, so to cheer myself up I painted my nails and I have to say I think they look pretty cool. Nails Inc's 'Motcomb Street' was a freebie in Glamour Magazine last year and it's been one of my favourite's ever since. Perfect for Autumn/Winter it's an almost black navy blue and only needs one coat which is probably why I chose it subconsciously cause I'm stuck in one of those can't be bothered moods. On two nails I added a couple of coats of the Bourjois Macincure Laser Toppings in 'Sun Scales' which looks amazing against the dark blue. It really reminds me of those beautiful, dark, starry skies you get in the winter time, I for one can't wait for cosy nights on the sofa in front of the fire!

p.s. Keep up with all the latest on A Girl Called Eleanor by following me on Twitter, Bloglovin, Google+ and Pinterest. You can also sign up by Email in the side bar for regular post updates!