Recently on the nails...

1. My nails for the wedding reception mentioned in my last post. I used Essie 'Blanc', Orly 'Glowstick' and a few random brights.

2. Beach themed nails! I based these on an image I spotted on Tumblr and looking back on them I'm in love with them. The sandy colour is Essie 'Sand Tropez'. How appropriate ;-)

3. I don't necessarily get along with bright, vibrant blues like this, but there's something special about & Other Stories 'Twill Blue'. 

4. Oh, how long I spent on these nails! I used my Rio nail art pens over Essie 'Blanc' and Rimmel 'Double Decker Red'. I think I prefer the white background to the red though.

5. Glitter and ombre, how exciting! I intended to wear this design to the wedding reception but when I compared the colours to my dress, they weren't bright enough. I'm still not in love with plain ombre on my own nails though.

6. Bourjois 'Amande defile' (which I can no longer open after only one use, excellent packaging there Bourjois...) with white striping over the top made for a gorgeous, pastel design that I thoroughly enjoyed wearing. 

7. Orly 'Glowstick' and Nails Inc 'Portobello' with a kind of tribal design... making bright and neon a little bit 'edgier'?

8. Rimmel's 'Tangerine Dream' with white stripes and plain rhinestones. This is another design based on an image I saw (this time on Instagram) though I'm not convinced the rhinestones look brilliant on shorter nails. Not a bad design though. 

Please let me know if you'd like a tutorial on any of these designs! I have plenty of time and polish on my hands at the moment, so I'd love to do some if you guys would like :)

Thanks for reading,

Rachel x

Twitter: rachelizabethxo

Personal blog: estoy mejor sin ti

Instagram: iRachey

Email: rachel.soshedances@gmail.com
Tumblr: lookintothestorm.tumblr.com
YouTube: soshedancesxo

An Experiment: Ombre Nails

So, I tried ombre nails this weekend. I'm still trying to figure out how I feel about them even though they're now gone and I'm wearing Barry M's Blood Orange. 

First off, aren't they messy to do?! I ended up dunking a make up sponge into polish on a paper plate to get it right. And even then it's impossible to make the nail look neat because the sponge is never going to be nail shaped. 

To create this look, I coated my nails in Essie's 'Blanc' until I was pleased with how opaque it was, then I dipped the sponge into the polish (which I had in stripes next to each other on a paper plate) and gently pressed it onto and round the nail. I had to repeat this on most nails because the sponge absorbs the polish. 

I like the effect it gives, but really I do think it was a bit of a let down. I tried out loads of pastel colour combinations and this gave the best effect. I think brighter colours would definitely suit this style for the summer (if we have one here in snowy Britain...) but I didn't fall in love with the concept.

What do you think? Have you ever tried this out? Were you a fan? Let me know in the comments below :)

Thanks for reading,

Rachel x

Twitter: rachelizabethxo

Personal blog: estoy mejor sin ti

Instagram: iRachey

Email: rachelelizabeth.xo@googlemail.com
Tumblr: lookintothestorm.tumblr.com