Liebster Award!

Hi guys!

I've been nominated for a Liebster Award by Jo from The Polish Magpie (thank you, thank you, thank you!), which is very exciting! If you aren't familiar with the Liebster Award, it is basically a way for bloggers to promote blogs that they like and find out a bit more about the bloggers who write them. I have a list of 11 questions to answer about me and my blog, and I have tagged 11 other blogs with 11 more questions in the hope that they will answer them too and continue the awards!

Anyway, here are the questions that Jo has asked, and my answers to them:

1) What made you start a blog?
I love the idea of documenting things, and a blog seemed a really cool way for me to create a portfolio of my nail designs and share my love of polish with others! I had thought about scrapbooking, but a blog is way easier to update and share with people. I just hope my blabbering is interesting for people haha!

2) Where do you get your nail art/make-up inspiration from?
I am a huge fan of Instagram, and my biggest inspiration comes from my favourite accounts on there - namely @BadGirlNails, @narmai, @Yagala and many, many more. I love to find inspiration in anything and everything, from pretty prints that I come across on Pinterest, to the world around us. I often look at things and think 'how could I translate that onto my nails?'

3) What polishes are at the top of your want-to-buy list?
I am currently in love with ILNP polishes and reaaalllllyyyyy want more of their flakie goodness. Other than that I have a list as long as my arm of indie polishes that I want to buy, especially from Polish Me Silly - their glitters are amazing! I'm also really enjoying colour changing polishes at the minute, so anything that is thermal/solar changing is on my wishlist!

4) Honesty time – How many untrieds to you have in your stash?
Ermm... A lot! At least 30 I would say. I have been planning to separate them for a while from my stash and only use my untrieds on new designs, but I have so many pretty polishes I don't know if I could commit to that. One day soon I will re-organise my collection and put some of my untrieds to the test! :)

5) Indie or mainstream?
Until recently I had only ever bought mainstream, but I am starting to support more indie brands and find the quality and prettiness sooooo good. I love mainstream brands for consistency, but if I want something a little bit different or extra special I will opt for an indie polish.

6) What’s your nail & cuticle care routine like?
Twice a week I give my hands and nails a good scrub, remove all polish, push back my cuticles and have a file and general tidy up. Day-to-day I apply hand and cuticle cream multiple times and one thick coating just before bed to let it absorb in overnight. My nailcare must-haves are Lush Lemony Flutter Cuticle Butter, Sally Hansen Cuticle Eraser + Balm, L'Occitane Shea Butter Hand Cream, and Lush Handy Gurugu. I have many, many lotions, oils and creams that I apply depending on what's in my handbag, but those are my faves that I religiously use.

7) Is there a nail art technique that you haven’t tried yet, that you’d really like to? Or one you’d really like to improve?
Watermarbling! I have only managed to successfully watermarble once and that was at least three years ago! Every time I try it something goes wrong and I just can't get it to work. It's got to the point now where I pretty much just avoid it :( I will get the hang of it one day, but for now it's the only technique that I am afraid to try because of the immense sense of failure I experience every time I do haha!

8) Any brands that you would really like to try, but haven’t yet?
I have no self restraint, so if I want a polish I tend to just go ahead and buy it (my bank account does not thank me for this). The one brand that I would love to try but haven't yet is Color Club - they have some gorgeous holos and pretty sparklies that would love to try out. Color Club Halo Hues 'Harp On It' is my number one pick at the moment.

9) You can take 5 polishes with you to the desert island. Which 5 do you pick?
Rimmel - Black Out
OPI - My Boyfriend Scales Walls
Barry M - Dragonfruit
China Glaze - Fairy Dust
ILNP - Supernova

10) What got you started in nail art?
A few years ago when Barry M released their nail art pens and crackle polishes I was obsessed with polka dot nails with a crackle accent. I loved having nails that were a little different to block colours, but never knew where to go from my usual polka dots and crackle. Then I started in a job where all of the other girls loved nails and nail art, and it just took off from there. I caught the bug! My boyfriend supports me so much, and is even subscribed to the Reddit Laqueristas sub-reddit and sends me photos of cool nails that he spots online. 

11) Tell us 3 random facts about yourself

• I love music and have a passion for playing instruments and singing - I have performed on German TV and sang at the Royal Albert Hall in London.
• I jumped out of a plane at 15,000 in New Zealand and it was the most exhilarating and wonderful experience of my life.
• I am so phobic of spiders that the mere presence of one can make me vomit and pass out (not every time, but this has happened more than once!)

I have nominated the following blogs for the Liebster Award - I got the follower counts from Bloglovin' so I'm sorry if they are incorrect!:

• Amateur Manicure
• Nail2Express
• Mad About Red
• AnnaBean's Nails
• Nail Parade
• My Mint Nails
• The Beauty Of Nail Polish
• Nails By Rabbit
• Nail Girl
• Nails By Cassis
• Nailallure

And my questions are:

1) What is your favourite part of blogging?
2) If you could only wear ONE polish for the rest of your life, what would it be?
3) Be honest, how many bottles of polish do you have in your stash?
4) What's your favourite nail art technique and why?
5) Describe your nail style in three words.
6) What are your top tips for nail and handcare?
7) How often do you change your manicure?
8) Which nail/beauty blogs do you religiously follow?
9) Which brand do you own the most of in your collection? Or which is your favourite?
10) Aside from your blog, where is the best place to find you on the internet (Instagram, Facebook, etc.)?
11) What is the most unusual polish that you have in your stash?

I really enjoyed doing this, and think it's such an awesome way to discover new blogs and meet new people. Thank you again Jo for nominating me, and I can't wait to read everyone else's posts!

Thanks for reading,
Helen x

Polish Me Silly - Lilac Lover Thermal Polish

Hi guys!

I recently bought my first thermal nail polish and I am in love! I decided on Lilac Lover by Polish Me Silly which is a gorgeous lavender creme packed with matte pastel glitters. I absolutely love the polish on it's own, and the fact that it changes colour just makes it all the more interesting!

Polish Me Silly - Lilac Lover

I tried to capture the colour-changing element of this by dipping my hand in cold water before taking photos but unfortunately my camera hasn't picked it up. This is definitely a reflection of my photography skills and not the polish! The video below gives a pretty good idea of the speed at which the polish changes though!

A video posted by Helen Craggs (@polished.princessnell) on May 20, 2015 at 11:07am PDT

As always, I am not happy with just one polish on my nails, so I added accents using Nails Inc. 'Kensington Park Road' and Seche 'Snapdragon'. I finished off the look with a cute orange bow that I bought from eBay. As you can see from the bottle, this polish is jam-packed full of bright colours, making it a perfect choice for summer :)

What do you guys think of thermal polish? I'm definitely going to be trying more and thinking of new ways to incorporate them into nail art.

You can purchase Lilac Lover and many more gorgeous indie nail polishes here at Rainbow Connection :)

Thanks for reading!

Helen x

Nail Art Wall Art!

Hi guys!

Over the weekend I made my very own nail art wall art following a tutorial by The Nailasaurus. I thought this was such a great idea and I have been planning it for a while. Most of my nail designs are on Instagram, so I waded through my posts and picked my favourite designs that I have done since starting on my nail art journey back in November last year. 

And here it is:

Nail Art Wall Art

Making this was dead easy to do, and so satisfying once it was complete! I bought the box frame from Hobbycraft for around £8, and this is a 15cm x 15cm frame. I also bought a cute 7.5cm x 7.5cm frame to make a smaller version at a later date.

Here are a few close-ups of the nails:

I'm definitely going to be making more of these to hang in my future nail room (one day!) This is also a really great personalised gift to give to someone, and costs next to nothing! I've already planned the one I am going to be giving my mum for her birthday :)

What do you think? I'd love to hear your comments!

Thanks for reading!

Helen x

Is It Summer Yet? - Models Own 'Polish For Tans'

Hi everyone!

I've been keeping myself busy over the last few days with my Nail Art Wall Art (blog post coming soon!), but today the weather has been miserable enough to make me want summer on my nails! I recently bought five of the 'Polish For Tans' collection by Models Own, and thought they would sufficiently brighten up my day :) As I haven't yet bought the blue Polish For Tans shade, I added Nails Inc. 'Kensington Park Road', although it doesn't really show up in this mani, as you can see on my thumb. Oh well!

I get tired of always opting for black and white as my contrasting colours when using brighter shades, so I teamed them with one of my favourite blues - 'I Sea The Point' by China Glaze:

L-R: Kensington Park Road / Flip Flop / Sun Hat / Bikini / Beach Bag

China Glaze - I Sea The Point

I freehanded the triangle half-moons, and I'm quite pleased with how they came out!

These shades are going to be a staple for my summer manicures!

Have you tried the new Polish For Tans shades? 

Thanks for reading!

Helen x

High Heels and Suspenders!

Hi everyone!

Last night I decided to make my own sheer tints in order to create a look I've been wanting to try for ages:

 'High Heels and Suspenders'

To create my own tints, I simply used a cheap clear polish (this one from Poundland), poured a little out to make room, and added drops of Barry M 'Black' testing after every few drops to check the opacity. For the tint shown in this manicure, there are around 8 drops in the bottle and I used two coats on the nail. I also repeated this with a red polish (using Collection 'Lady In Red'), however I required quite a large number of drops added to the clear base in order to make it red-tones and not pink.

I decided to name my new tints 'High Heels' and 'Suspender'! In keeping with the theme, I chose Essence 'The Black Cat' polish to add detail - this has a wonderful latex look about it, drying not-quite-shiny and not-quite-matte. You can pick it up in Wilko for £2! 

L-R: DIY black tint / The Black Cat / DIY red tint

I layered two coats of my black tint to my thumb, index and pinkie finger, then two layers of my red tint to my middle and ring fingers. I added Sally Hansen Insta-Dry Topcoat at this stage to dry the tints, and to give some longevity to the polish. I didn't use topcoat again in this manicure as I wanted the latex effect to be apparent.

Using a dotting tool and a striping brush, I created polka dots and stripes which remind me of saucy stockings! My ring finger is inspired by a corset, and I love how it all turned out! 

Using silver caviar beads, silver striping tape, and a couple of studs I added some much needed bling to this manicure. I found the caviar beads and studs in Poundland (seriously, get yourself over to your nearest Poundland!), and my striping tape is from Amazon.

I lost a caviar bead! Noooo!

What do you guys think of this? Have you tried making your own tints before? I have a feeling that I will be franking a lot of my own shades now - it's so easy, so fun and totally unique! There's a great overview on Girly Bits Cosmetics which outlines the do's and dont's of mixing your own polish.

Thanks for reading!

Helen x

Fairy Dust and Framing

Hi lovelies!

Last weekend I bought my first ever bottle of China Glaze 'Fairy Dust' - I was so excited when I got home that I tested it out straight away. I haven't seen another glitter like it - the specks are so fine and yet super holograpic - it truly is a spectacular topper!

China Glaze - Fairy Dust

Not content with just Fairy Dust, I added extra sparkle to this mani with Nicole By OPI 'Awesome' as glitter placement around my nails, framing them.

Nicole By OPI - Awesome

I chose Barry M's 'Black' as my base, and added one layer of Fairy Dust over the top. Then, decanting Awesome onto a piece of paper, I picked up the glitter using a dotting tool and created a frame around each nail. I love how this turned out and was actually very quick and easy to do!

I topped this all off with two layers of Barry M 'Plumpy' to make it as smooth as possible, although the glitter did start peeling at the edges after about 12 hours. For someone who changes their manicure daily, this isn't so much of a problem, but if you want extra staying power on the glitter make sure to use a small amount of nail glue to keep them in place :)

Thanks for reading!

Helen x

Le Mini Macaron - Gel Manicure Kit For 'Girls On The Go!'

Hi guys!

Today I have something very exciting to share with you, something I have been waiting to get my hands on for a while, and something that is just too damn cute to miss out on!

Le Mini Macaron!

Back in January, I funded a campaign on Kickstarter for Le Mini Macaron, which claims to be:

"Adorable, affordable gel manicure kits for girls on-the-go! Inspired by the French macaron concept…colorful, flavorful and fun!"

Having never tried a gel manicure before, I was a little apprehensive to go all-out on an at-home DIY gel mani kit. However, I discovered Le Mini Macaron on Instagram, and happily gave my $30 to help the project. For the price of a gel mani in a salon, I was getting my own (really cute) kit and a pretty pink polish too! Bargain! In February the project was fully backed and so Le Mini Macaron went into production. I was thrilled to receive my kit in the post on Saturday morning, and eagerly tested it out!

The box contains an LED lamp, USB cable, cuticle pusher, one bottle of gel polish and ten gel removing sachets. The LED lamp is only big enough for one finger (or toe) at a time, but it cures in 30 seconds, making it a speedy alternative to the traditional manicure.

Credit: Le Mini Macaron

As this is a 'one-step' gel application process, no special topcoats or basecoats are needed to complete your manicure. The instructions state to apply one thin layer of polish, cure, and then apply your thicker, final polish coat and cure again. I found that I required three thin coats, but this is down to personal preference - two was definitely opaque enough. 

Look at the pretty!!

The colour of the pink polish in my kit (named 'Strawberry Pink') is a pretty, girly pink, and slightly brighter than I was expecting (other colours are available). Application was easy with both coats self-levelling well. After curing for a total of 60 seconds each, my nails were completely dry and boasted a lovely shine and solid finish. I am very, very impressed!

The lamp is adorable, and so light and portable. It holds a 3 Watt LED bulb that cures each coat of gel in just 30 seconds. In order to power the lamp, you connect it to your PC via USB, meaning you can do your nails anywhere! The kit also comes with a wall charger, although this will require a converter for anyone outside of the USA.

The lamp

After applying your polish, simply pop your finger into the lamp and press the power button on top. This will charge the lamp for 30 seconds, allowing the polish to harden.

Le Mini Macaron power switch

One thing I absolutely LOVE about Le Mini Macaron is the secure magnetic top that the lamp has, With a quick twist you can flip the lid around to allow you to cure your tootsies too!

It's easy peasy to pedi! 

Magnets 'clip' the lid to the base

I just love the design of this thing. I can see myself using this all the time - especially when travelling. It is perfect for taking on holiday as it is so compact and quick to achieve fantastic results. I have also tested the lamp out with other 'one-step' gel polishes (such as Fuse), and the results are just as good.

Le Mini Macaron

Inside the lamp

I think this has to be one of the best nail product purchases I have made in a while. It really is the perfect solution for those who want gel manicures at home without any fuss. Le Mini Macaron also have other gorgeous colours available in both lamps and gel polishes, so it is definitely worth checking out their website here. Le Mini Macaron is quickly becoming my new favourite thing! :)

I am sure I will be using this not only as a long-lasting manicure, but also as a base for nail art (as gel polishes are not removed by non-acetone removers).

Thanks for reading!

Helen x