My Nail Painting Essentials

Since growing my nails I've been an avid nail painter and I'm constantly rocking a new shade of pop of colour on my tips, so I thought I'd share my tips for the best finish I can get without seeing an expert!

1. Remove existing colour. I tend to use a nourishing nail polish remover as most tend to be very harsh and I have naturally pretty weak nails, so I try to keep the harsh products down to a minimum.

2. File and Prep. I then give my hands a wash in cold water and a mild soap, and use a nail brush to get rid of any dirt under my nails (yuck). I then file any sharp edges to keep them looking neat.

3. I then use the Rimmel Nail Rescue Nail Nurse which is a nail hardening treatment/base coat which stops splitting, it's a fab budget option!

4. Colour! This is where I apply two coats of any colour which takes my fancy, I'm a massive fan of Essie, Barry M (currently the Quick Dry range, but also the Gelly Hi Shine range), Models Own, anything! But currently, I'm currently rocking this bright fuchsia from Kiko which was only £1 would you believe! My favourite all time polish which is constantly on my nails from September-March is Essie's Bahama Mama a wonderful burgundy (pictured), and a classic. 

5. My current favourite top coat is a new release from Barry M (I think) named Gelly Hi Shine Plumpy Top Coat which gives a lovely shine and dries pretty quickly too! 

6. To quickly dry my nails I use a few spritzes of the Avon Nail Experts Liquid Freeze Quick Dry Nail Spray which stops that initial tackiness, and although greasy, does a wonderful job. I then run my hands under cold water which gets rid of the greasiness and also hardens my polish.

So there you have it! The whole routine only takes about 20 minutes which isn't bad considering all the steps. I'm going for a shellac manicure and cream tea on Wednesday so I'm taking my camera to document the day with my Mum and Granny, I'm really excited and can't wait to see what shellac is like! 

favourite nude polishes

Apologies for the yuckiness of the skin around the nails and the red tinge to my fingers!

Slowly my nail polish collection is growing, especially as I've finally grown my nails and although they are not at the length I want them, they are slowly getting there and are presentable enough to do this little post for you!

During this 'inbetween' winter/spring stage I never really know what to go for, I'm fed up of deep reds and burgundy's but it's not quite pastel weather - this is where nudes come in! Although perfect for any time of year, I feel like they just fit in right now. So I thought I would choose my top 5 from my collection and share them with you.

(L to R)

Model's Own 'Nude Beige' (standard beige)

Barry M Gelly 'Lychee' (soft ivory)

Ciaté 'Ivory Queen' (peachy nude)

Essie 'Tea and Crumpets' (more of a pink nude rather than how it has photographed here)

Essie 'Delicacy' (a pearl iridescent)

All of these brands have fantastic polishes which last for a considerable amount of time with the right top coat and there's something to suit everyone's budget. I love the formula's of all of them and the drying time isn't too long either. 

I'm currently rocking 'Lychee' by Barry M which is a firm favourite of mine, plus adds the effects that my nails are longer than they are due to a light polish, rather than a dark berry tone which is an added bonus for me!

I can't wait for my nails to be that bit longer for spring and then I can donne the pastels, I'm dying for some colour to brighten up my look!

Which nail polish make is your favourite? Are you still wearing dark berry shades, clinging onto the festivity or have you opted for something a bit lighter now we are (hopefully) moving into spring?