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top irish beauty websiteIt’s been a long long time since I’ve spoken nails here on Beautynook. I believe my last post was here years ago chatting about smelly Revlon nail polishes! I’m too embarrassed to click on it. But if you want to have a look and cringe at my even worse photos, go right ahead ๐Ÿ™‚ I’m breaking the fast and coming at you with a post about doing chrome nails. At home, yourself. No salon is required here…or UV lamp, don’t worry ๐Ÿ™‚beauty blog

To create your own chrome nails, you will need: A nail polish colour of your choice, a clear top coat of you choice. You can use your finger, but it can get a bit messy, so may I suggest you rescue a sponge applicator in an eyeshadow palette you might have lying around. Then, the main thing you need is the chrome powder.

easy chrome nail tutorial
essence metal shock nail powder
chrome nails do it yourself
Chrome Nails Do It Yourself_1969

I know loads of high street brands are jumping on board with these now, so you don’t have to get the specific one I am using. But it is from Essence and it is super affordable. And Essence is readily available here in Ireland, so it might be a good one to look out for. The one I have is called Metal Shock Nail Powder in ‘Mirror, mirror on the nail’.chrome nails at homeeasy chrome nails

I would suggest creating your chrome nails on a wipe clean surface, or on something you don’t mind getting sparkly. The powder is super fine and it can get messy.top beauty blogger

Start with clean nails. I applied a clear base coat, just in case the polish stains mine. Completely optional though.irish beauty blog

With your polish colour of choice, apply a layer to one hand. I did a couple of nails at a time, just so I could show the process, but doing all five in one go is fine.irish beauty blogger

Let the polish dry for a few minutes. Essence suggest 60 seconds. I find that a bit too soon personally. You end up moving the polish and making a mess. I left mine for about 3 or 4 minutes.

Dip you eyeshadow sponge lightly into the powder and then begin the process of gently rubbing it onto the nails, one at a time. Don’t press too hard, remember the polish underneath is still tacky.

Chrome Nails Do It Yourself_1961
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easy metallic nails
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As you rub the powder in, the magic happens. You get the chrome nails effect!top beauty blogger ireland

It works in the same way as if you were doing it on gel nails, you’re just not curing anything so it might not last as long. But, you get a very similar result right?dublin beauty blog

Finish the nails off with a clear top coat. To lock everything in place, but to also help with the shine. Essence do a polish specifically for this purpose, but you could just use one you already have.top irish beauty blogger

You will have a bit of overspill of powder around the nail bed. Just let them dry and you can clean everything up with a cotton bud and some nail polish remover.top beauty blog ireland

And there you have my do it yourself chrome nails! Cheap, easy and pretty effective, if I do say so myself ๐Ÿ™‚top beauty blog

xxx

*******PR SAMPLE******

 

If you follow me on Snapchat (my username is Beautynook if you don’t, shameless plug), you’ll know I’ve been testing out the new Rimmel Super Gel Top Coat pretty vigorously.

Rimmel Super Gel Top Coat

I’ve used it about 5 times on top of different branded nail polish and base coats and I pretty much had the same outcome with them all. Boots describe it as “Rimmels first ever 2- step Super Gel nail polish for superior colour and shine that lasts for up to 14 days. Easy to apply, it dries like a regular nail polish, no UV lamps needed.”

It has the standard Rimmel nail polish packaging, which I am a fan of.

rimmel irelandI love that the brush is quite large,flat and rounded at the tip. For me, this makes application easier.

rimmel nail polishrimmel london

Just to show you the process quickly:

Here’s my bare nails.

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Here’s the base coat applied.

irish beauty bloggerTwo layers of nail polish.

top irish beauty blogI let the nail polish dry for a few minutes before applying the Rimmel Super Gel Top Coat.

top irish beauty bloggerYou can see, it definitely adds a lovely glass like shine to your nails and really finishes them off. It’s easy enough to apply and doesn’t drag or move the nail polish underneath. It also dries reasonably quickly, which is a plus too! I painted my nails in the evening time, so the next morning, they were still looking good!

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My Nails The Next Day After Application.

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My Nails On Technically The Third Day.

After the second full day of wear, you can see (especially on my pinkie finger), bubbles have started to form.

By the third full day, this had happened.

Rimmel Super Gel Top Coat_2071The nail polish on my little finger had completely come loose and just peeled off. Not ideal!

Overall, and after testing out the Rimmel Super Gel Top Coat on numerous occasions, I really can’t say it lasts as well as gel UV nail polish. I got pretty much 3/4 days before it started to crack and I was at the stage where I could just peel it off my nails (I do really enjoy doing that though) :). For me, I will use it because I have it, but I won’t be repurchasing it any time soon.

 

You can get the Rimmel Super Gel Top Coat from Boots in store or online here. It will set you back โ‚ฌ7.99 so definitely not the cheapest version on the market at the minute.

I did a teeny bit of shopping last weekend. I got a few bits so I thought I would combine them together and do a makeup haul in video form!

I do love watching Makeup Haul videos on Youtube so I am completely jumping on the bandwagon and doing my own ๐Ÿ™‚

Here are some links of the products I mention in case any of them tickle your fancy or you want to more information on anything.

Bourjois Air Mat Foundation – You can get on the Boots website here

Bourjois Healthy Balance Powder – From Boots online here

The Rimmel Colour Precise Eyeliner- From Boots online here

Rimmel Super Gel Top Coat- From Boots online here

Keep an eye on the offers in Boots, they change all of the time ๐Ÿ™‚

I picked up the Cocoa Brown Instant Tan Matte Bronzing Gel in Penneys, but chemists and Boots around the country stock it too as does Cloud10Beauty. I have a blogpost about this too here if you’re curious.

Baptiste Dry Shampoo is available nationwide aswell. Boots stock it online here.

The denim skirt is a new arrival to Penneys I think. It comes in black and two shades of blue denim too and costs โ‚ฌ14.

makeup haulThe Urban Decay Alice In Wonderland Palette costs โ‚ฌ49 and you can buy instore in Debenhams as well as online here. It’s currently out of stock at the minute, perhaps I was wrong about the amount of stock they had in store :(.

There you have it my first video makeup haul! It made me realise I have to eliminate the word ‘so’ out of my vocabulary pronto…why do I keep saying it? ha!

As always thanks for watching (and reading). Let me know what you think, and if you liked it you could always subscribe to my channel and then any new videos go into your subscription box, just saying ๐Ÿ™‚

xxx

At Home Manicure with Chatterbox (12)

I studied beauty therapy, so have qualifications in nails,waxing, makeup, facials the works. I don’t think I ever wanted to be a therapist deep down. I just loved learning about the beauty industry and what goes into it. Blogging about it is much more up my alley ๐Ÿ˜‰ย  So, I don’t really do beauty treatments on other people (unless they beg), but of course I can still use my trade on myself, and doing my nails is one of my favourite things to do.

The brand name Kiss for me has always been synonymous with nail care. They have been in the industry a long time and are available in pharmacies, stores and Boots nationwide. The Kiss brand also own Broadway nails. Everything across the brand is very reasonably priced which is great.

So on a lazy evening I like to give myself a little at home manicure and of late it’s being going a little something like this…

 

My nails are painted 90% of the time, I don’t feel totally put together without it. Before I begin, I take the old polish off and am left with clean bare nails. My nails grow quickly and I don’t like them too long so I take this time to shape and shorten them and make sure they are snag free. *Tip* Always file your nails in one direction, use the file in swipe motions across the tip of the nail, going back and forth can make the nails brittle. Shape them in the way you feel comfortable, for me that’s squared, but it’s a completely personal choice. If you have any lumps or bumps on your actual nails, you can buff the top of the nail very softly to even them out but be sure not to over do it.

Next up, tacking the cuticles.

Kiss No More Cuticle

I can get completely carried away with this step and nipping any loose skin around my nail bed. This can lead to bleeding and even more hard skin. The Kiss No More Cuticles Cuticle Remover is a god send for this task. It dissolves any excess cuticle without a nippers in sight.

At Home Manicure with Chatterbox (2)At Home Manicure with Chatterbox (3)

You just add some of the liquid around the cuticle, wait 15-30 seconds and then push the cuticle gently back with an orange stick or whatever rounded tool you have to hand. The cuticle remover contains potassium hydroxide, which breaks down and softens the dead skin. Be sure to wash your nails and hands really well after using it.

You should hopefully have clean dry nails now, ready for painting. I am a huge advocate for using a top coat and a base coat. The base coat will protect your nails from discoloration from the nail polish as well as giving you a nice smooth base to add it on top of. Then, the top coat with make your nails lovely and shiny (or matte if you use a matte one) as well as protecting the polish, adding endurance to your nails and simply helping your manicure last longer. If you don’t do it generally, give it a try and I promise you will always do these steps. You can invest in a decent top and base coat for not alot of money and they will last you for a long time.

 

Your base coat depends on your type of nail. For example, if you have ridged nails use a ridge filling base to smooth your nails and the colour you choose to go on top will look and feel smoother. It will also help strengthen your nails.

I have been using the Kiss Vita Strength Top and Base Coat. It applies smoothly, dries quickly and is cheap which is even better! It multi tasks as a top coat too if you want to simplify things even more.

Kiss Vita StrengthKiss Vita Top and Base Coat

I apply one coat of this, wait for it to dry and then it’s time for colour, my favourite part ๐Ÿ™‚

At Home Manicure with Chatterbox (6)

 

I chose this pink polish by Seventeen in the colour “Pink Flamingo” in aid ofย  breast cancer awareness, a cause very close to my heart. You you can text Pink to 50300 and donate 4euro to the Irish Cancer Society. To spread Pink awareness be sure to #PINKPICS to @irishcancersoc if you are rocking something pink in October in honour of someone you know that has battled or lost their battle with the disease. We can make a difference ๐Ÿ™‚

At Home Manicure with Chatterbox (7)

I applied one coat, let it dry, then added another one to make the colour nice and opaque. Be sure to keep the coats as thin as you can, or it will take forever to dry. You can always add another coat, if you need it. *Tip* Use the least amount of strokes you can when applying your polish, and paint it across the tip of your nail too, it will help it last longer as it leaves no gap between your nail and the polish.

Seventeen Gel Nail Polish

Seventeen Pink Flamingo

Let it dry for about 10 minutes and then it’s time for a top coat.

I have using the Kiss Glass Shine Top Coat. It’s a nice glossy top coat, that moves easily. I know that sounds a bit weird, but my favourite type of top coat is a little more runny than your coloured polish, as it means you don’t have to work with it too much on top of the nail, it spreads easily and does the work for you.

Kiss Glass Shine

At Home Manicure with Chatterbox (17)

Then it’s time to sit back and do nothing for as long as you can to give all your hard work a chance to set. It’s difficult I know but you’ve come so far don’t give up on me now ๐Ÿ™‚

I cheat a little and use a nail drying spray to help the polishes on their way a little.

At Home Manicure with Chatterbox (11)

This one is as cheap as chips from Dealz (1.49euro) and does the job of making your nails a little less tacky to the touch.

Always try to use a cuticle cream and hand cream to keep your hands and nails supple and soft, use as often as you can. I keep one in my handbag, in the bathroom and on my bedside table so there is one always there when I need it.

I keep the Kiss All Over Hydrating Balm in my handbag, its so small, handy and is really nourishing.

Kiss All Over Hydrating BalmAt Home Manicure with Chatterbox (10)

That was easy wasn’t it?

The lovely people at Chic Treat had Kiss products in their August box. What were you lucky enough to get in yours? ๐Ÿ™‚

Of course, you don’t have to use all of these steps all of the time, but it’s good to look after your hands when you can. They will thank you as you get older.

 

Thanks for reading.

Gemma

xxx

 

 

 

 

 

 

Scented nail polish? I remember these from back in the 90’s, yep I’m that old! A goopy, cheaply scented mess, that kids painted their whole hands with, not something I really wanted to relive.

Revlon Nail Polishes

 

When I saw these beautiful little bottles on the shelf in Boots, they spoke to me. That ever happen to you? They are just so gosh darn cute, how could one resist ๐Ÿ™‚ There is not a huge array of colours in the Revlon Parfumerie range, but there is enough practical shades and a couple of whimsical ones to keep your colour needs at bay.

I chose two colours “Surf Spray and “Ginger Melon”.

“Surf Spray” is a typical me colour.

Revlon Nail Polish Surg Spray

I always gravitate towards green and blue nail polish, I don’t know why.

IMG_3349

This goes on quite sheer so needs about 3 coats to look opaque on the nails.

Surf Spray

It’s a really pretty shimmery blue, and when it dries it does smell of what we imagine surf spray to…or at least what candles and products with similar names do anyway ๐Ÿ™‚

“Ginger Melon” is much more of solid traditional nail polish colour.

Revlon Parfumerie

It’s a fab orangey coral number, which would be fab on the tootsies as well as the fingers.

Revlon nail polish Ginger Melon

This is much easier to apply than “Surf Spray”, its very opaque and you could probably get away with one coat in a hurry, although I did two. When it dries it has a lovely sweet scent to it that is not overpowering at all.

Both of the colours lasted really well on my nails and only wore away rather than chipping, I was really impressed.

I like the scented element of them. As a nail polish junkie, I try to get involved in all of the trends that come up. The smells are not very strong. They would not be putting you off your dinner, in my opinion anyway. You just get a subtle whiff if your hands get close to your face or like me if you keep “discreetly” putting your fingers to my nose to see if the scent is still there…I’m a classy lady!

After a few handwashes, I think the scent fades even more, so if you didn’t like it and just enjoyed the colour of the polish, you don’t have to worry too much about it. And lets face it the bottles are adorable, I think I would nearly buy one for that alone, don’t judge me.

Overall, these are really nice nail polishes, and I think Revlon did a really nice job, the scent gimmick would pull you in, but I think the polishes themselves stand alone as good, opaque and long lasting. I bought these in Boots, on offer buy one get the second half off. As with most Revlon items they are overpriced in Europe at 8.99Euro.

 

So there’s my thoughts on the Revlon Parfumerie range, if you have anything to add be sure to write it in the comments below.

 

Thanks,

Gemma

xxx

Gem's Spring Nails 2014

I am a nailpolishaholic. If you follow me on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram you will know I like to post obnoxious pictures of my painted nails on a regular basis…I do apologise ๐Ÿ™‚

So I trifled through my collection to talk about the nail polish colours that represent Spring in a nail polish bottle for me. By all means you can switch and change brands and shades, these are just what I own.I am a firm believer that if you have and use a good base coat and top coat, you can use any brand of coloured polish and it should last pretty well on your talons!

I have very recently downsized my collection in order to fit them onto myย  new acrylic wall rack. So I threw out all the polishes I was hoarding in boxes and only kept the ones I know I would actually use:

Nail Polish Acrylic Rack

So onto my picks for Spring:

My Spring Nail Polish Picks

Firstly I had to pick a hot pink. A hot pink is essential in Spring for me, it looks fab on your fingernails and your toenails and goes with everything, and helps accentuate a tan whether it be natural or from a bottle ๐Ÿ™‚

Nail Polish

I chose a BarryM colour. These polishes are so readily available in Boots and Superdrug, they are cheap and they have such a wide range of colours. I love them.

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Barry M Limited Edition 029

Barry M in Limited Edition 029

Next up I chose Peach. Peach is a colour that screams warmer weather to me. It’s the colour of icepops and sweets ๐Ÿ™‚ It’s a good colour to have for those, who do not want to go crazy with their nail colour as it can look quite subtle and clean on the nails. I chose another Barry M polish, shock horror, this was a cult buy for last summer within the blogosphere!

Spring Colours

 

 

Barry M Peach Melba

Barry M Peach Melba

Barry M Peach Melba 318

 

 

 

 

Next I chose… another Barry M pastel tone! I’m sorry but they’re lovely ๐Ÿ™‚ I have a good cross section of brands in my collection but Barry M are really good and the pastels are lovely and creamy. Two coats and you’re good to go! So I chose a pastel lilac tone.

Spring Nails

I love this colour and lilac is very on trend at the minute. Again, if you are afraid of colour, even use something like this on your accent nail for a touch of something different.

Barry M 308

Barry M 308 Barry I/C

Barry M 308 Barry I/C

I have a sky blue shade chosen for my next spring nail polish. I think this sort of shade looks great on all skin tones and looks really interesting on long and short nails alike. It can really jazz up a look without going too over board.

Spring Nail Colours

This is an Essie shade, I love Essie polish from the point of view that their colour selection is amazing and the polishes themselves are easy to apply and do not need much working with. However, I will say they don’t last aswell as some other brands of polishes and they cost a small fortune here in Ireland, if other brands do the same shade for cheaper I say get it!

Essie Polish

 

Essie Mint Candy Apple

Essie Mint Candy Apple

Lastly, I chose a shade that is not for the faint hearted. This shade of nearly apple green sums up Spring in a colour to me. If you’re someone like me who loves bright colours on their nails, rock the hell out of it, if not this would be a great accent colour on the ring finger or whichever finger you choose to be brave with:

Spring polish

This particular polish is a Revlon polish. Revlon do a great formula of polishes, I have a few of them and they are some of my firm favourites. I can’t wait to give their new perfumed range a go ๐Ÿ™‚

Revlon Polish

 

Revlon 510 Sassy

Revlon 510 Sassy

 

So there you have it, my spring nail wardrobe. I am rarely without nail polish, I don’t feel put together without it. Whether it is to compliment your look with a similar hue to your clothes or makeup or for it to contrast it, it all looks good in my book ๐Ÿ™‚

Thanks letting me ramble on,

Gemma

xxx