Tanzania inspired nails!

Hi there!

First I would like to say thanks to sooo many of you who bought nails from me -I really appreciate it! I will let you guys know when I bring out a new collection.

I thought I'd share with you guys what I've been up to. I've been so busy fundraising for Ralaigh (a charity who I am going to Tanzania to volunteer with in February). I am doing loads of stuff but the main thing is cutting my hair off and giving it to the Little Princess Trust. If you would like to sponsor me I would be so so grateful for your support, as I am aiming to raise around £800!!! Here is the link:

https://www.justgiving.com/April-Sidlow/

And now for the nails! I created a quick mani inspired by the flag of Tanzania (Africa)...

All polishes are from Zoya, with exception of the glitter which is unbranded. I created the stripes using tape.

Thanks again for reading, means the world!!!

Ciate Day 4

Hello everyone,

Here's another Ciate polish for you, this time it is a bottle of loose sequins named Miss Mistletoe.

The bottle contains gold, pink, red and lilac glitter. They are not suspended in polish, just loose glitter particles. I found them quite easy to place using the glitter placement technique, and secured them with a layer of topcoat.

I used them over a base of the red polish Boudoir, which I previously reviewed, to create this mani.

  

 Here's a picture without flash so you can see how they reflect in the dark.

That's all for today, but I have some exciting updates for you soon, so stay connected!

Thanks for reading, as ever!

Born Pretty Store Review #2

Hey guys, another review from Born Pretty Today.

This time it's brushes. I have been through many, many nail art and regular brushes during my time as a blogger and even before then. Some have been pretty bad with the bristles falling out and the ends becoming frayed and misshaped, so you can't get a crisp line, but Born Pretty's are some of the best out there. I was sent a 15pcs set which had a variation of sizes and types included. The brushes are simple enough and work effectively for a variety of signs, and they don't go out of shape when immersed in acetone.

[A dotting tool and fan brush is also included]

This is the design I created with the brushes and some studs which are also from the Born Pretty Store. The base is Barry M Lychee, and the glitter is Barry M Topaz. Below is a comparison between using stamping and free hand.

I always prefer brushes to stamping when it comes to animal print. It really depends on your skill level and what you feel comfortable with, but you can see here, depending on the polish it doesn't always come out right with stamping. You can layer up the polish so much easier with brushes, and tailor the design to fit the contours of your nails, which just makes the design more fluid.

What do you think?

How do you find free-hand painting?

Thanks for reading, as ever. 

And don't forget to use my coupon code BASQ10 if you want to purchase anything from Born Pretty!

I AM BACK! -Ciaté Day 2

Hello all!

My sincerest apologies that it has been so long!! I have been so busy doing my A Levels I've barely had time to sleep never mind blog. But I'm back now, and will continue my Ciaté reviews, so without further ado...

The second polish of the collection is a deep red creme;

This is the first creme I've tried and the application was smooth and full coverage was achieved in just 2 coats.

This polish is quite pretty, though not very original, there are many like it. I paired it with gold to give it something extra. It isn't very glossy, which was a little disappointing as this dried very slowly. Overall a pretty little red, but nothing special if you've already got a good collection.

What do you think?

As always thank you so much for reading, especially if you've stuck with me through my prolonged absence!

I vow to post much more regularly, if not every single day for the next few weeks.

Loves xo