How to Get The Perfect Mani at Home

Every woman loves the treat of going for a manicure, but sadly they are quite pricey when you attend the salon regularly. Now, I am all for a trip to your Nail Technician, and having your talons beautified, but sometimes, when you're watching the pennies, it can be just as effective to do your own manicure at home. 

Image: Pinterest

Without further ado, I give you my tips for a perfect manicure, (mostly) from the comfort of your couch. 

• Strip off the old, chipped polish with a high quality polish-remover. Sally Hansen makes a fantastic one for no more than €4. Use a cotton bud soaked in polish remover to get all those hard to reach places, like around your cuticle and the sides of your nails. 

• If you need to, now is the time to trim and file your nails; and always file in one direction. Personally, I'm not allowed to have my nails too long for college, but that doesn't stop me filing my nails into a uniform shape to keep them looking their best! 

• Wash your hands. I find that this stops the residue of the nail polish remover drying my nails out. It also take away the awful smell and eliminates the chance of the polish remover causing the skin around your nails to harden. 

• Push back your cuticles or apply a cuticle remover. If you're opting for pushing them back, then use an orange stick to gently push back the cuticle. Don't be overenthusiastic, I don't want you to hurt yourself. I usually trim away the excess with a cuticle trimmer but not all of us have that and it is a step you can totally skip if you want. 

• Apply a good quality base coat.  This will allow your polish to adhere well without staining your nail-beds. OPI Nail Envy or Sally Hansen Double Duty are both firm favorites of mine, though there is a serious jump in the price between each.

• After your base has dried, its time to apply two THIN coats of your chosen polish, start from the middle of your nail and brush straight, then you back and do the left and right sides. 

• Once your chosen color has dried completely, it's top coat time! I haven't found anything as good as the new Rimmel Ultra Shine topcoat in a very long time. 

• Once your nails have dried completely, finish off with a dab of hand lotion, snap a picture for Instagram, and you're all done, darling!!

That's it for my manicure tips. I hope you get some use out of them, because they never fail me! If you have any additional tips, be sure to leave a comment and let me know. I love learning new tips and tricks.

Amy

xx

Micro-Trend: Blue

Following on from my post about the Spring/Summer 14 runway shows of New York Fashion Week, I thought I would make a short series and highlight some micro trends for you. 

Blue is absolutely HUGE this coming season and it's easy to incorporate blue into your look without having to shell out a small fortune. 

I'm conscious that not all of my readers (or indeed myself) are lucky enough to be employed, and a lot of my readership is made up of students too, so I don't want to include anything in this post that may be too expensive. 

Image: adoreabubbles.blogspot.com
(my nails don't ever look this good)

If you are looking for a pop of blue on your nails, then look no further than the budget brand beloved of almost every beauty blogger, NYC. Their "In a New York Color Minute" range has a fabuous offering, Water Street Blue. It's a bright cerulean shade that will see you through the SS14 season with ease. 

A steal at €1.79 in most Penneys. 

Image: project-swatch.com

If you're like me and you love a touch of sparkle, then hop into any decent Tesco and pick up Sally Hansen's gorgeous Salon Manicure gem, Mermaids Tail. 

It's a tad more expensive, at €8.99 but, as we all know, the Salon Manicure range has incredible staying power. 

TOP TIP: Pair it as an accent nail with Water Street Blue for a beautiful, seaside-inspired mani. 

image: topshop.com

If its accessories your after, TopShop is your only man. 

Check out this glorious chunky blue chain. Top a slouchy grey tee and a pair of blue-jeans with this, and you'll look effortlessly chic, even on your laziest day... 

If you wanted to dress this up you could pair it with a black high-waisted skirt, a crop top and some killer heels. A pop of color will instantly add interest to any monochromatic outfit. 

Buy it HERE for £12.50.

You could also hit up your nearest Penneys and get yourself a beanie, or a scarf, even a cardigan! I have to say, this micro-trend just blue me away! Geddit? 



What do you think of the blue micro-trend? Will you be incorporating it into your everyday look?

Stick around for another Micro Trend post coming soon!!

Amy
xx