Weekly Nail v.52

Feeling very inspired by the extremely nice weather we've been having, and the China Glaze Electric Nights (Summer 2015 Collection) polish set I just recently purchased, I decided to share a weekly nail. It's been I think since last Autumn since I shared one.. or did anything to my nails to be honest. Work has left me with very bare, brittle nails and almost no time to paint them. 

Glow With The Flow // China Glaze

Denise // Julep

Black // Color Club Art Club Nail Striper

Seche Vite Top Coat

This neon pink is amazing. The photos can't do it justice. If you're looking for a true, bright, Barbie pink - this is the one. And it pairs perfectly with Julep's newest shade of purple, Denise. They make the cutest leopard print ever! Unfortunately, Seche Vite is mega shiny and I can never take good photos with it.  

xo Amber 

A Weekly Nail Round Up

Hey, remember when I used to do weekly nail posts? Me either. But apparently I did, it seems so long ago! Here are some of my favourite, easiest manicures. Hopefully they will inspire me to start doodling on my nails again, and inspire you to brighten up your manis, too!

Mint Pinstripes Ashley G Inspired Muted Polka Dots Cactus Like Neon Animal Print Monster Eyes Pretty Polka Dots

Basic Tribal

Summer is the ideal time for doing designs on my nails. I just feel so uninspired in the winter months. Having a look back sure is giving me the itch to paint my nails though!

Have you noticed my blog is different? It's a completely new, custom template. I couldn't be more happy with it. It's finally so clean and fully functional. I will be re doing my pages (about, collaborate, favourite posts, etc) soon, but besides that everything is perfect. There will be a few adjustments to advertising now that I'm back to posting regularly. More about that later...

xo Amber

DIY Frankenstein Nails

As promised, here is my first Halloween nails tutorial. It's extremely easy and I've received a bunch of comments on mine! Want to learn how to make Frankenstein nails in four easy steps? Here's how:

What you'll need:
-Bold green colour, preferably lime creme, I used Sally Hansen Insta-Dry in Lickety Split Lime
-Black nail striper. I used Color Club Art Club Nail Art Lacquer in Black
-Top Coat. Matte top coat looks best.
-A steady hand and longish nails (as you can see, it doesn't look nearly as great on my nails as it does on the nail wheel)

O n e // Paint your green base colour, one or two coats for each nail. Let dry. 

T w o // Using your nail striper, paint a diagonal stripe from the one side of your nail to the next, and let dry for a couple of minutes. 

T h r e e // Paint two more stripes, starting from the first stripe, one that goes to the tip of your nail, and one that runs to the base. Make sure they are slightly diagonal too, for looks. Let dry for a moment to avoid the lines running with the next step.

F o u r // Make sure your striper has very little polish on it, and then make tiny notches on each line, about two for each line. Don't over crowd them, it looks more like Frankenstein stitches if they are sparse. 

Repeat steps 2-4 for each nail, slightly changing the lines for every nail to make them different. You can even make one of the nails purple for something different and cool, or just do one line of stitches per nail, for shorter manicures. Top it off with a matte top coat and tada - fun Frankenstein nails!

xo Amber

Good Habits For Healthy, Beautiful Nails

As I get older, I found that I have unintentionally started taking care of my body. I moisturize more. I care about what I eat (sometimes). I pay attention to what is in the products that I use on my skin. The thing that I found to be most important in my new obsession with caring for my body, is nail care. I've always loved painting my nails but never spent much time making sure they were healthy.

Now, I'm no nail care professional, but, for the past two years or so I've had some time to come up with an effective routine. Sometimes it is rather tedious to go through the motions of cleaning and prepping your nails before painting them, but I assure you, it's the number one reason my cuticles and nails look good. So here are five good habits for healthier, stronger, beautiful nails.

Keep Them Clean
This is the single most important thing you need to do that will help your nails grow stronger and prevent hang nails and nasty infections. You'll actually enjoy tending to your nails before painting them once you get the hang of doing it regularly. My usual regime for cleaning my nails goes as follows:

• Remove any nail polish left on your nails. I use acetone free remover with vitamin E. It does tend to take longer to remove polish but it's a lot healthier for your nails. 
• Wash your hands with mild soap and warm water, massage cuticle butter into nails bed if desired. If you have time, a good 5-10 minute soak in warm water never hurt nobody.
• Clip or file any nails that aren't to your preferred length. Do not cut your nails too short or cut your cuticles. You can avoid infection by leaving them be. If your cuticles are getting a little unruly, it's fine to gently push them back a tiny bit.
• Very gently buff your nails to your preference. I usually use the flat side of my buffer if I'm not planning on painting my nails to leave them shiny and beautiful, and use the rougher side to buff them matte before I paint my nails. I don't know if there is any specific way you're suppose to buff them, but, you can do it any way that works best for you. 

Use A Cuticle Oil Or Butter
Taking care of my cuticles if the best thing to ever happen to my hands. I apply Burt's Bees Lemon Butter Cuticle Cream or if I have it, Lush Cosmetic's Lemony Flutter to my cuticles and fingers as often as I remember to, and always after I've tended to my nail beds before painting them. It leaves the skin so soft and moisturized and makes for a way easier nail painting experience. After I've painted my nails and they've dried, I always apply a coat of Essie's Apricot Cuticle Oil to my nail beds and massage them until absorbed. Definitely two great investments, your cuticles will thank you and your nails will grow stronger.

Let Them Breathe
I don't follow this rule as much as I should, but, it probably is pretty important when trying to keep your nails healthy and beautiful. Before I had a nail routine, I always found that my nails looked dingy and yellow after removing polish. More times than not, my nails would be stained from whatever colour I had on previously. I always just painted over it instead of letting them repair themselves. Now that I clean my nails regularly and remove any stains by gently buffing the area, they actually grow better and don't split as easily. The growth is much, much healthier after I let them breath for a day or two in between colours.

Tip: If you can't stand a bare nail, Julep carries a special oxygen treatment that is a light pink that helps let your nails breathe while still looking adorable. 

Apply Thin Layers Of Polish
After getting into the habit of steps 1-3, your nails are going to feel like they've spent a week at the spa. You will find they'll also be a lot easier to paint. If you find you have trouble keeping your polish from peeling quickly, it's most likely due to how you're applying it. Your first coat should be really thin, so that it dries fast and works as a primer for the second coat. If you have a quality polish, two coats should do the job. If you're using a thin formula, it pays to do thin layers so that a third one won't be too thick, which is why polish peels.

Tip: I suggest also finding a great top coat that dries fast. Seche Vite is a big favourite for everyone, but if you're looking for a formula that is better for the environment, I've been a fan of Essie's Good To Go and Julep's Polymer Top Coat.

Avoid Painting Your Cuticles
I always thought it was weird that you wouldn't want to paint your entire nail, but once I started doing it, I was hooked. It makes your manicure look 1000x better. It also helps your cuticles from drying out, feeling sore, or looking messy. Start at the base of your nail, leaving a small gap between your cuticle and the start of the polish. Your brush should make a rounded stroke and be easy to shape your polish the same curve as your cuticle. Then do two more strokes, one on each side of your middle stroke, avoiding the sides of your nails. If you get any on your skin just quickly scrap it off with your thumb nail. You won't need to spend any time shaping around the base of your nail with your second coat because gravity will just let it settle on top of your first coat.

It doesn't even have to look perfect, because it will still look amazing compared to painting your cuticles and skin. Practice makes perfect and you will be able to paint your nails without touching your cuticles in no time.

Tip: Pay attention to the brushes when picking out nail polishes. I have brand favourites based on the brush and not necessarily their formulas or colours. It's all preference, and you will discover what works best for you. 

Do you have a nail care regime? What are your favourite polish brands or products for nail health? Do share, as I'm always looking for new things to try!

xo Amber
This post was not sponsored by any company, however I have used links pertaining to my relationship with Julep. 
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Weekly Nail v.51

China Glaze in Papaya Punch

Julep in Beatrix

Sally Sansen Big Shiny Top Coat

It's not often that you'll find me wearing orange polish. But, I do have a few shades in my collection specifically for October. Halloween is my favourite time of the year, besides Christmas (duh), and I love coming up with ways to paint my nails in theme of the spooky day. This mani is pretty simple - one coat orange, one coat of this black multidimensional glitter. It has all kinds of coloured glitter in it but it works for Halloween because it's predominantly black speckles. I got Beatrix for free actually. as a bonus for being a Maven for so many months, you get perks like occasional free polishes or generous coupon codes. I picked Beatrix out of a slew of colours to choose from, a few months back. I'm really happy I chose it because it's probably my favourite glitter to date. Speaking of becoming a Maven, you can now receive this awesome 4 piece Halloween maven box for free when you sign up! Just use the code FREETREATS. Also, no pressure, but I'd like it very much if you'd be a doll and use my referral code (361148) when you sign up!

This isn't much of a nail tutorial at all, but I will let you in on a little secret - there may be a few cute and easy Halloween nail tutorials in this blog's future. Shhh....

xo Amber
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Half Moon Chevron Nails Tutorial

Last week I showcased my lovely dark green half moon chevron nails, and today I'm going to show you how easy it is to achieve! With a little bit of patience, anyone can do this, even beginners. As you can see they still look fine even when they are a little messy! Practice makes perfect (and I did these in a rush).

What You'll Need:

Clean, well pampered nail beds

Nail polish

Washi tape

Scissors

Top coat

♥ Clean nails is a give in, of course. But the reason I stress that it's important for this mani is that your base is just your bare nail, so you're going to want it to look fresh and healthy. If you can't get them to where you'd like them, you can always use a colour for your base. Apply one layer of polish, preferably a lighter colour than you've chosen for your main colour. It's okay if one coat doesn't full cover the nail, because its only going to peak out anyway. I wouldn't suggest doing more than one coat. Let that dry completely (over an hour) before doing step two.

♥ After you've cleaned your nails or painted your base colour, cut your washi tape into squares, then cut the squares diagonally in half, so they're triangles. These will be what you're using to make the chevron. Do enough for all your nails and put them somewhere that they're easier to acquire. 

♥ Start with whatever hand is most comfortable for you, and place one of the triangles at the base of your pinky finger. It's up to you how big you want your triangles to be, but I usually place the bottom part of the triangle just below my cuticle, to achieve smaller triangles. Press firmly until the tape is smooth on your nail. This is important so the polish doesn't bleed through. You can add the rest of the triangles to your fingers before applying polish, just make sure you smooth out the tape before applying polish to each nail. 

♥ Apply one coat of polish to the rest of your nail, making sure you're completely covering what the tape isn't. If the polish you chose is thin, apply another coat. Wait a minute or two before slowly removing to tape. If you pull too wet, it will not take the triangle shape and most likely pull with the tape and be a big mess. If you pull completely dry the polish will most likely just pull with the tape, too. It's just good judgement.

♥ Repeat steps 3 and 4 on each nail until complete. Wait until completely dry before applying a good top coat. Et voila! The easiest mani! This also works for round half moons, just use reinforcement labels.

Weekly Nail v.50

Julep in Roc Solid Washi Tape Top Coat
I took the first photo with Jesse the other day and then realized I didn't bring the bottle of polish I used, and ended up with two very differently lighted photos. And then I realized how horrible this top coat was. I honestly don't even remember the name of it because it's one of my Mom's and now I can't find it haha. Oh well. I'm quite fond of this style of nails and wanted to share anyway. I always love a good half moon mani, and who doesn't like chevron? These were easy peasy, so stay tuned for a how-to! xo

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Weekly Nail v.49

China Glaze in Sun Worshiper Revlon in Siren (similar) Julep in Sheila
It's been a long time since I've done ombre, so these didn't turn out quite like I wanted. But, I was showing my sister how to achieve the style so I figured I'd share. These colours blended really well, and were actually brighter than they appear hear. Like a golden sunset! What colours do you like to ombre with? xo

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July Maven Box Review + Free Box Promo Code

I feel like I'm starting to sound like a broken record but holy smokes, am I ever sick of Julep coming out with shimmers, glitters and chromes for their Maven boxes. FINALLY - they released a collection that was strictly creme polishes. For the first time this year, I ordered my box without hesitation. Shipping was delayed so it finally just came to me not so long ago. I wanted a few days to test out the lotion to give a thorough review. That also gave me time to wear my two polishes for a couple days, too.

I always order the Boho Glam box because it never disappoints. This time though, neither my mom or I could decide which box to pick because we like different colours from other boxes. So, I chose the Classic With A Twist box, and mom chose to stick with her regular box, Bombshell. We then each traded one of our polishes, I got the teal colour from her box and she got the peach colour from mine. I must say though, at first I kind of regret passing up the peach! Here's what was in each box:

Classic With A Twist

Kelsey - Powder peach creme

Vicki - Pink Flamingo creme

Bare Body Milk 

Bombshell

Lissa - Tumbled turquoise creme

Beverly - Boysenberry creme

Bare Body Milk 

The two colours in Classic with a Twist are so feminine and pretty. I don't have enough of that in my collection so I was so excited. Vicki is actually the most perfect pink I've ever owned. Kelsey is very gorgeous but didn't match my skin tone very well (seen here), so I am okay with the fact that I traded. Lissa is the one I traded for the peach polish and I'm glad I did. It's so so so cute and is well paired with many colours (seen here). It did stain my fingers a bit from removal but I have yet to find a turquoise/green/seafoam that hasn't. Beverly is gorgeous but definitely an Autumn colour for me. My mom really loves it!

Finally, let's talk about Bare Body Milk. Julep describes it as "an ultra hydrating body lotion for thirsty skin. The lightweight, fast-absorbing formula leaves a soft, silky finish that’s not heavy or greasy, and our signature Beach Tonic fragrance lets you smell like summer all year long." That pretty much sums it up. I have yet to find a lotion that keeps my legs hydrated for over an hour until now. It absorbs almost immediately and doesn't leave my skin feeling heavy or greasy like most lotions do. The only lotions I've found that don't do that are Lush Cosmetic lotions but still, none seem to keep my legs hydrated for very long. I've been using Bare Body Milk after showers and every night before bed and my skin is so incredibly soft! I'm not amazed by the scent, I'm more of a fruity scent gal and currently pining over everything coconut, but it's not a scent I would complain about at all! It's a nice subtle, lady like scent. 

Overall, I'm quite happy with the creme polishes from July's collection and 100% in love with Bare Body Milk. I definitely will be ordering more when I run out and use it all year round. 

♥  ♥  ♥  ♥  ♥  ♥  ♥  ♥  ♥  ♥  ♥  ♥  ♥  ♥  ♥  ♥  ♥  ♥  ♥ 

Are you a Maven yet? If not, and you're interested, you can receive your first Maven box free with the code FREEBOX upon check out. All you have to do is pay $2.99 for shipping and voila - full sized products right at your doorstep, for free! There's a few new welcome boxes available at the moment that are limited edition, including the Summer Nights box, Nautical box and Summer Brights box. And if you're going to sign up, I would really appreciate anyone adding my referral code to their order, by copying and pasting the number 361148 into the designated box upon check out! Thanks! xo

The products in this review were not compensated. I am, however, affiliated with Julep and thus will receive a small compensation if a link is clicked and a purchase is made. That being said, I only promote products I truly adore and all opinions are solely my own. To read more about affiliate links, click here :)

Weekly Nail v.48

Julep in Brigitte Color Club Nail Striper in Black Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure in Butterscotch Julep in Kelsey Revlon in Eclectic NYC Matte Me Crazy Top Coat
These aren't my typical nails, but I felt really inspired by Ashley G, I love the colours she chooses and how simple but beautiful her art is! I have all these ideas for abstract nail art now to continue practicing my free hand skills. Hope everyone had a great long weekend! xo

Weekly Nail v.47

Julep in Lissa

Julep in Michelle

Julep in Kennedy

Essie Good To Go Top Coat

Dotting tool

I really enjoyed these nails, even though they didn't last that long. I couldn't stop staring at how sloppy they were! I am trying not to use stripers, tape or stickers and work on my free hand. Usually I don't mind if there's flaws, because well, no manicure is ever perfect... But, I had to take this off the next day. I was just in a mood, I suppose. Still cute, none the less. 

Ahh, it's so nice to be back in the flow of things. A turn of events happened in my neck of the woods and it just didn't feel right to blog last week. I managed to squeeze the odd post in here and there but decided I'd take my time to work on quality posts for the next two weeks instead of scrambling every morning to try and come up with a decent post every day. Sometimes you gotta just go with the flow, right? xo

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Weekly Nail v.46

Revlon in Chic Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure in Thinking Of Blue Essie Good To Go Top Coat Absolutely in love with this colour combo! It's not very summery I'll admit, but, polka dots are summery and fresh no matter what colours they are. Am I right? Happy Monday, dolls! xo

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Weekly Nail v.45

Cult Cosmetics in Rose Bowl

Color Club Nail Striper in Black

Yeah, this manicure is kind of cool. I mean, it's not my favourite. Maybe it's because the colour I chose, but, it looked a lot cooler to me yesterday. I love the idea of tribal print on nails though, I just need to practice my free hand, I suppose. Happy Monday, Dolls! xo