Understated Neon Nails with Simple How To

Oh my, CherrySue, with these nail posts you are really spoiling us - you're thinking it, aren't you? That or 'For the love of Jebus ANOTHER polish post! Either way, it's here, 

let's take a mo to take it in, shall we? 

I picked up this slate grey/neon zipped fleece hoody in Penney's (Primark) last week for the princely sum of €12. Not only is it super soft and keeping me toasty while I awkwardly jog/amble (jamble?) around the park but it's also wooing me with its neon loveliness. 

Of course I had to recreate it in a nail look. 

OF COURSE. 

What have every one of my nail looks got in common? Yep, stoopid simplicity and this one's no different. The toothpick can be replaced with a bobby pin or dotting tool or even the nib of a Bic pen but the results are the same. 

The effect is a little more subtle than the in your face neons I've been sporting of late but I really kinda like it. 

What do we reckon? 

NOTD: Oz the Great & Powerful: Evanora Inspired How To

I did mention that a new camera has joined the familia here at Casa Cherry didn't I? One of the things that makes me happiest about this news is that I get to back into the swing of things with both make up reviews AND nail art! Admittedly I'm a leedle bit rusty by Evanora from Oz the Great and Powerful up there has done me a solid and sported one of the simplest nail art looks to be seen in the movies in donkeys. Wanna see how simple? 

1. For this look you're going to need a nude polish and a black and glitter striper. Of course you could use normal polish and a skinny brush but considering you can get 3 stripers for €7, I'm thinking make it easy on yo'self. 
2. Paint each nail with two coats of your nude (mine is the new Naked Ambition from the Sally Hansen Complete Manicure range)(It's a nude with silver microglitter stunner)
3. Using your black striper, start at the nail bed and draw two lines that meet at the tip, then colour in with the remainder of polish on the brush. You can use tape for this if you prefer but just placing the length of the brush on the nail will give you a almost straight line. 
4. Using your glitter striper run two lines inside your new black triangle, allow them to meet at the tip. 
5. Repeat for every pingy and finish with a high shine top coat i.e Seche Vite.
6. Admire your ridiculously simple manicure. 

As you can see from this fuzzy close up, lines don't have to be perfectly symmetrical to achieve the desired look. Not only that the pointed tip gives the illusion of much longer nails so this is a great look for short tipped ladies too. 

What do we think? Will you try 'em? And of course, if this look still isn't easy enough for you, you could always give Evanora's Sister's Theodora's talons a blast? 

Metallic Marshmallow Nails - Fun Twist on the Classic French

Yep, I realise this is the second day this week I'm bringing you a nail tutorial but this one was a little bit too pretty not to show you - that and I'm living in a house of teenage hogs and if I didn't do these today the props would have mysteriously disappeared. As it stands there was only half a bag for these shots! Beasts.

Today's creations are a simple twist on the classic French manicure, a bright metallic nail that's stunning in the sunlight yet subtle enough to be worn to the office. I'm all for getting my fill of bling every day of the week.

Colours Used: Gosh Frou Frou & Revlon 860 Metallic

While my choice of colours is a little bit girly, this design will work with any combination of metallic polishes for a fun but simply achieved French look. I genuinely can't stop looking at this version though so how about some more pics?

Two thin coats of Gosh Frou Frou finished with a Revlon tip

I've worn these pretties a couple of times now as they're so simple to put together and every single time I've had compliments. They suit either long or short nails (mine have just been trimmed back for the first time in weeks) and the tip can either be done freehand, by using the tape method or by using a reinforcement ring (full tutorial on their uses will be up next week).

What do we think? Would you try 'em? Would you love 'em? Would you savage a handful of marshmallows right about now?

Award Night Nails!

First up, a quick apology for lack of posts today, the WiFi man has been though and we're the proud owners of a brand spanky modem. So, without further ado, is a quick looksee at how I did my nails for the L'Oreal Colour Trophy Awards last night.

I was unsure as to what to do with my talons but knew the night would be super glam so took inspiration from my new ring and went simple but effective. It was my first chance to use the Nail Art Pen I picked up in River Island for €10 at the weekend (It's €12 in TopShop so be sure to check RI first, y'all).

2 x 3 in 1 Nail Art Pens - €10 from River Island

Fancy a simple pictorial on how to get the finished nail look? Course you do...

This one is so simple it doesn't even require a step by step - be sure to start with a base coat and finish with a nice slather of Seche Vite to set the ickle rhinestones. The look is super simple to achieve but honestly received many compliments on the night. It can be done with any combination of colours and really doesn't require any specific skill at nail art or painting to get the effect. 


What think we? Doable? 

Easy Half Moon Mani - Using Clippers and Tape!

Not all of us have a steady enough hand for a perfect French Tip or half moon mani for that matter. That's why when I heard mention of a simple clipper trick, I had to give it a try.

Basically to make your own nail guides you use a sharp nail clippers and ordinary tape. The result is less curved than hole reinforcer stickers (what I'd been using previously) and both easier to use and cheaper than ordinary guides. I've done a pictorial below to show just how simple this is.

Step 1: Gather your supplies. Plain tape, a sharp clippers, NYC's Pinstripe White, China Glaze's Flip Flop Fantasy & Model's Own nail art pen in black. 

Step 2: Place small pieces of tape on the back of your hand. This works to both cut them efficiently but also to make the tape tacky so it doesn't stick to your base coat and is easy to remove. 

Step 3: Using your white polish, paint two thin coats as your base. This is a great way to make your neon colour Pop! Allow to dry fully. 

Step 4: Place the tacky tape 1/4 the way down your nail bed, pressing onto the flesh each side and not your nail. Paint one coat of your neon polish. While your neon is still wet, remove the tape carefully. This will give you the sharpest line. 

Step 5: Using your black striper/nail art pen, paint zebra line haphazardly onto the white half moon. 

Step 6: Using a high shine top coat, seal in your design. This one is Sally Hansen's 4 in 1. It's a great all rounder. Gorge. 

Although this particular design isn't for the faint hearted, this trick can be used for straight forward French tips or more subtle half moon manis. 

What do we think? Will you try it? Have you any other little tips or tricks you'd like to share? 

Bronze Goddess Nails!

There are very few perfumes I adore. Sensuous is one, Bronze Goddess Soleil another and of course Bronze Goddess Original (are you sensing a theme?) Finding myself in Arnott's last night, the mecca of all things beauty, I happened to pass the Estée Lauder stand and spritz myself with this baby. Bronze Goddess Original. It's only out for the Summer months and sells out fast so I was delighted to see it. 

Estée sez it's 'A sensuous, sun-drenched blend of Bergamot and Mandarin, cooled with Tahitian Gardenia Petals and Coconut, warmed with Amber, Sandalwood and Vetiver. All heat. All desire. All woman.'. I sez I could barely concentrate on what the gawjus Mark from Benefit was saying as I spent the entire chat sniffing myself! It's a sunshine holiday in a bottle. 

Anywho, the buidéal, to me, is fabulous, so fabulous that I want to bring it everywhere to show it off (ridiculous!). So I thought I'd Bronze Goddess up my nails instead (Not quite so ridiculous). This is actually an easier glitter gradient than the two I showed you previously. 

Here's HOW easy: 

You need just two polishes (Revlon Gold Coin and Inglot 207 for this look)

After a coat of clear basecoat apply your metallic polish to your nail tip

Apply a thin coat of your glitter, in a staggered motion from halfway up the nail bed

A swish of high shine top coat and that's you done!

Didn't I tell you they were peasy? Of course you can replicate this glitter gradient using any colour combination. Just be sure that both your tip colour and glitter are from the same colour palette, ja?

One more golden shot for the road

Tempted to give them a go? Or even Bronze Goddess a go? Lemme know!

Neon on Nude - Simple Office Friendly NOTD

Here we have the Neon on Nude How To, as promised over on Facebook. You'll see how absolutely simple this look is to achieve and hopefully give it a shot yourself.

Step 1: What you'll need:

• Polishes = bronze, nude, 2 brights and a white
• Dotting tool (a hair clip/bobby pin or opened paperclip will suffice)
• A paperclip for larger petals (optional)
• A matte topcoat

Step 2: Start with two coats of your base colour (Sally Hansen Café Au Lait for me)

Step 3: Using your dotting tool, place your bronze (Angelica Heirloom) flower centres on your nail beds. I went with a mixture of numbers on each to make a unique pattern. 

Step 4: Again with the cleaned dotting tool, start to place small dots around each of your green flowers (Essence Lime Up).

Step 5: Using both the dotting tool and a paper clip repeat Step 4 using your second bright colour (China Glaze Flip Flop Fantasy). The paperclip creates larger petals as needed. 

Step 6: With the dotting tool place white (Seche Porcelain) dots on the outline of the flowers. This will be a random design, depending on the size of your petals but aim for curves. A swish of matte topcoat (H&M) and you're done!

As you can see from the header picture, the designs of my flowers and petals are in no way perfect and I think that adds to the charm of this mani.

Just be sure that your choice of colours are a bright contrast to your base colour and you really can't go wrong.

Think you might try them out?

Fizzy Orange Nails FTW!

We've all heard tell of the hotly anticipated Caviar nails from Ciaté at this stage, right? Über 'spensive with waiting lists the length of your arm and the whole shebang? Well these aren't them.

They are exactly the same as them, only funkier, but they're definitely not them.

Wanna know how to have Fizzy Orange (Ordinge) non Caviar nails of your very own? Course you do..

1.  You'll need an orange polish (This one was €2.49 in Hairspray), Orange microbeads (two pots for €2.50 in Hairspray), common or garden nail glue and fimo orange slices (available from Essence next month).
2. I warm up the fimo slices first on my modem (or heater or kettle) they can be a little rigid but once warm they bend to the shape of your nail, apply nail glue and place one slice firmly onto the nail bed, holding in place until dry (approx 2 mins)
3. Apply a liberal coat, or two, of your polish to your nail, careful to avoid the orange slice. 
4. Dip your nail immediately into the microbeads and press firmly. 
5. Press the beads onto the nail bed, gently but firmly to ensure full coverage. Excess can be cleared simply with a cocktail stick. 
6. Apply clear top coat to the tips and wait for them to dry completely while your prop pretends he's not interested.  

It really is that simple, once dry (about 10 minutes later) there should be no fall out. Go about your daily business, flashing your nails like Wolverine's claws at unsuspecting passers by as is your want.

Realistically this mani will last you the guts of two days or one good night out. That is if you can resist the urge to pick at them (I couldn't).

If the whole hand is too much for you then just an accent nail with corresponding orange polish on the others is just as effective.

Will you be giving them a try? And more importantly, are you a Club or a Fanta girl?!

Pssst.. I did buy several packs of stunning microbeads online too, 

you see how alike these are to Caviar nails? 

You ain't seen nothin' yet!

2 Simple Ways to a Gorgeous Glitter Gradient

As a confirmed magpie, I was delighted when I gave the glitter gradient manicure a shot and it actually worked out. We all know I'm all about the easy when it comes to nails so I've put together two simple pictorials so you too can bling up your nails, as is your want.

The first look uses the sponge method for gradient. This, of course, can be used for any kind of gradient, you don't necessarily have to have glitter. Usually it's done with contrasting colours but I figured the pastel and bling were contrast enough.

1. My colours of choice were Nails Inc's Park Lane, Essence's No More More Drama and Bourjois Glitter. You'll need a make up sponge too. 
2. Apply two coats of your base colour and allow to dry. (You can use a quick dry top coat if you're a little impatient (like Moi). 
3. After rolling your glitter bottle in your hands, apply a thin coat to the edge of the sponge. You're aiming for more glitter than polish. 
4. Sponge onto the nail bed in light, fast touches so as the gradient won't be too thickly applied. 
5. Top your glitter with a coat of holographic glitter to add an even more sparkly dimension. 
6. After a swish of high shine top coat, run to the nearest window and marvel at the sparkle!
   
   
   
   The second look uses traditional glitter as can be found in any craft or 2 Eurit shop. I got this one in Hickey's Home Focus for €2 (They've a gorgeous range of iridescent colours).

1. You'll need your base colour, glitter and a piece of folded paper. I chose the new Indian Ocean from the Model's Own Beetlejuice collection with a slick of Essence No More Drama underneath for my base. 
2. Apply a thin coat of each colour as your base so as not to make it too thick. (or two of your chosen polish)
3. Unlike the first pictorial, add your glitter, over the folded paper, while your base is still wet. Tap the glitter lightly around the tip of your nail. 
4. Shake off the excess onto the paper so that you're left with a thin coat. 
5. Cyphen the excess glitter back into your container for future use. (waste not, want not, yo)
6. Using a high shine top coat, first apply to the base colour then apply liberally to the glitter to reveal iridescent gradient gorgeousness! (I used Essence's Gel Look top coat as the glitter can transfer slightly to the brush and I wasn't risking spoiling the more expensive Seche Vite) 

And that's it, two easy ways to a glitter gradient, have you tried this look before? Are you as distracted by the shiny as I am?

PS please don't let glitter removal put you off, I've found Cutex to be miraculous x