So... Shellac

I recently had a birthday, for which I was treated to my first ever Shellac manicure.

I have been aware of the phenomenon that is the world of Shellac Nails but had always been a little wary of the idea of a polish being on your nails for so long. Weird eh? I just thought that something that sat on the nail for so long could be really damaging, despite what I was being told by reviews and nail techs etc...

I got mine done at Centre Parcs Aqua Sana Spa, by the fabulous Kylie, she is the Nail Specialist at the Whinfell Forest Centre Parcs and is by far the most amazing person I have ever met in the Salon and Beauty industry. She is really passionate and so welcoming - she even remembered me from the year before! Her customer service is second to none and you should deffo give her a visit if you're ever near there. Last year I was there for my birthday and she gave me a bottle of sparkling wine, and a card. Literally how many people ever go that extra mile anymore?

In the short of it, she greatly inspired me to continue with this blog and look at training in nails (more about that another time.)

So back to Shellac. I chose a metallic antique gold colour, which I thought would do for my birthday and would look nice everyday after for as long as it would last. Which is has - I didn't purchase any cuticle oil - which is suggested as it helps preserve the quality of the Shellac, instead I have been rubbing my Bio-Oil into my cuticles at night and that seems to be doing the job just fine.

I have had mine on now for two weeks, and they are still great - no chips no breakage of the nail and still looking as fresh as they did when I first got them done, and I've been doing other peoples manicures since using nail polish remover and other chemicals and they've been unaffected. So very impressed.

The only downside is that my nails grow really quickly so I have perhaps about as much as 1millimetre re-growth that is showing, but I have some ideas to use black polish and do a backwards french mani to help cover the re-growth so I can keep it on for a little longer.

You can remove your own Shellac by soaking your nails in nail polish remover and then gently scraping away the Shellac with a cuticle pusher. But as its my first time using Shellac I want to get it removed by a professional just so I can see it be done exactly, and will be able to then know exactly the technique to use - as I wouldn't want to go ahead and remove it myself to then do it incorrectly and ruin my nails!

I have attached some photos for you - one taken day of my manicure, and the second two weeks later so you can see how its lasted.

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Passport to Colour

What better way to cure airplane anxiety than splurging on some exclusive O.P.I nail polishes from the duty free shopping during the flight!

We flew with Thompson and they offered some beautiful beauty products onboard the flight. I just wished I had taken some more funds to treat myself with last minute on the way home!

Anyhoo, I was flicking through the brochure and found these beauties from O.P.I they are super mini in size but that doesn't bother me as I think I'll use them more as a display and memoire of the trip rather than for their nail painting purposes. Having said that I will whip them out I think as my go-to travel colours in the future.

From nudes to daring reds this mini collection has a shade for every occasion. What I love also is that it gives nail art design ideas on the back of the box. Something which I adore!

image from; https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_mJWK-dbdrJKw23c4EezfzVs0jw7DAkAUP9DqGdY4ht_Hxf3yCsruvGxmL5_sd2FrMyit4w3UDAL4aWIv4RgZM8GDaBT-HPSGz5KZgRNOnt0YeTJbpFEgBF9KW2Ca8IoJHjwkDOY8NW8/s1600/opi+passport+to+color.jpg

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Holiday Beauty - Holdall Makeup

So this week I am vacay-ing up with my siblings and their partners for a week. It'll be lovely and relaxed, there is nothing better than just being able to lounge around with family and laugh and giggle your week away.

So in light of me holidaying it up I thought I would share with you my favourite beauty products to take abroad or on a staycation if you are staying at home.

For the plane obviously smaller products are better so I'll be sharing my holdall favourites with you in part one and tomorrow you can find out what my favourite products for staycations are!
My little makeup bag here is from Ruby and Milly it is part of a carry case set. Its the perfect size to throw in your handbag or holdall luggage. You dont want a large amount with you just the bare essentials, especially if you are travelling longhall and need to touch up or apply before landing.So my basics include mascara, khol eyeliner, tinted lip balm, moisturiser and hand lotion, brow gel, perfume, cotton buds.

• Mascara - my current fav and the one I took abroad this summer was my Max-Factor Clump Defy by False Lash Effect. Its nice and light weight not too heavy looking on your lashes, it separates them beautifully and makes them look super long. Perfect for travelling as they look like your actual lashes just at their best! 

• Lip Products - I take a lip balm as airplane air can dry my lips out really badly, my favourite is Notabene 100% organic Pink Grapefruit Lip Balm. Its super softening and hydrating to the lips without feeling like your super aware you have anything on them! Its made from bees wax and natural oils. Its my favourite thing ever right now and has really saved my lips from cracking. I also like to carry a Maybelline Baby Lips in Peach Kiss as as well as moisturising my lips adds a little tint of brown which helps to brighten them up especially after being on a plane for hours!

• Eyeliner - I think a little brown eyeliner in the outer corners of the eye can wake any sleep deprived travellers face. Mine is from Avon Colour trend in Dark Brown.

• Brows - I like to keep my brows in check, brows really help to define your face with or without makeup. So by packing my clear mascara I can make sure every hair is in place. And help to define them without packing on product. My current one is Collection Colour Lash in #11 Clear.

• Moisturising is very important whilst on a flight as the air is really dry. If you're suseptable to dry skin I would highly recommend carrying a small travel size moisturiser to keep your face hydrated. The one I use is a hotel freebie, Eau De Rochas Creme Hydratante. As its only 12ml you can carry it on without any problems at security just remember your clear baggie!

• Perfume - for me is a must especially if you are travelling long haul. It helps you feel fresh at the end and allows you to feel you can at least approach people without feeling embarrassed about smelling. My current summer favourite which happens to be below the 100ml limit is Avon Fleur 50ml its slim designed bottle will fit in most makeup bags and its light fresh floral scent will leave you smelling fresh without being too heavy and imposing on nearby passengers.

• Cotton buds, when applying makeup on a plane it'll be just your luck that you are applying your mascara at the same time a burst of small turbulence hits. So its super handy to carry a couple around in the bottom of your makeup bag for those incidental touch ups.

• Eyeshadow - to me its not a must because if you've been travelling all day you don't want too much to have to take off at the end of the day! But a cute quad like my Avon True Colour in Emerald Cut is perfect to have if and when you may feel like it. The range of colours are perfect for brightening up your eyes a bit or adding a little drama if you're headed straight out to dinner after flying. Don't forget to pack your favourite fluffy blending brush as on a plane blending will be your best friend to blend those mistakes away. Mine is the MAC 224.

So there you have it folks my small quick guide to travel makeup! Hope this inspires you to pack light as you dont need a full face when on holiday just make sure you have your SPF products for sun protection and brighten up your look here and there with small amounts of makeup.]

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Caring for your Claws

Here at NailsatNoon we're very conscious about keeping yourself in as tiptop condition as possible, so here are some handy tips for caring for your claws!

• Diet and what you are putting into your bodies can really affect the quality of your nails and hair! Iron and calcium rich foods can help make nails strong and healthy. For those of you that get white dots on your nails that can be a sign of a lack of calcium in your diet so having cereal for your brekky or adding a little cheese or yoghurt into your diet could really make a difference. For those of you who find that your nails break easily or are very weak so you struggle to grow them long. Add some iron into your diet, lots of pulses and beans are packed full of iron, so by adding some kidney beans to your chilli one night or having spinach in your side salad could really help. It'll also do wonders for you hair and can help add shine to your locks!

• Great hand moisturizer can do wonders, especially for those of you who find your hands in and out of washing up bowls all day long! I would highly reccommend CND hand cream, it is the company that supplies stock to nail bars and salons. It also is great in that it doesn't leave your hands feeling greasy and oily afterwards you hands just feel soft without that grimy slippery consistency left behind. You also need hardly anything to make an impact. Also staying away from ebrasive surfaces can make a difference. So using gloves to wash up so you aren't always holding that scowerer will make a huge difference to those dry and cracked hands.

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• Cutical care is massive for me, if you are prone to your cuticals splitting and you getting them standing on end around the edge of your nail, you need some cutical gel in your life. Just rub it into your cuticals it'll make them soft and will help any dead cutical come off which will stop them from breaking and ripping.

• When filing your nails its really important if you have weaker nails to file in the same direction i.e left to right, to stop excess breakage and snags. You'll get a cleaner line and you'll help to keep those nails long for longer!

If you're not too keen on nail polish every day and want your nails to look healthy naked. Simply get yourself a buffing block and buff those nails. Then finish with the side to shine your nails and you'll be amazed at the results! Buffing is a great thing to do prior to applying your base coat too as it creates some friction for the polish to stick to and I find it helps to keep my polish on for longer!
Happy painting and make sure to find me else where for more updates!

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Become A Nail Art Artist

By no means do I consider myself a nail art artist, just simply someone who enjoys painting nails and experimenting with nail art. Its all about having fun with me. Its never been so easily accessible and affordable to be experimenting yourself.

Ebay is crammed full of super cheap options for you to get your hands on. Nail Art wheels are a must for anyone, as it allows you to practice design on a wheel of false nails, that way you save your nails from a lot of unnecessary potential damage from applying nail polish on and off again. Wheels allow you to display all your best designs in one place so when impressing friends with what you've learnt, you can show them options before painting their nails! Its a cost effective way of designing too, as it saves you all those cotton pads and nail polish remover. You can get hundreds for a couple of quid. They do often come from Hong Kong though so you will have to be patient in waiting for your delivery. But for all the pennies you save, it really is worth while.

For any budding nail art artist, dotting tools are the way forward. They are easy to use and allows you to do many simple but impressive looking designs. You can pick them up from eBay or do as I did and go to your local arts and crafts shop, and pick up some embossing tools. You can pick them up relatively cheaply and you will probably get better quality than the cheapest found online. Basically just a wooden handled tool with a metal ball on the end, allows you to dot the polish onto the nail to create design. Either leave the dots alone, and let them stand by themselves or use multiple dots connected together to create lines and designs. Its a good place to start and nothing looks cuter than perfectly executed than a spotted mani!

Design made with dotting tools! 

Nail art pens are the next step if you're feeling adventurous. Again pick them up from eBay for pennies each. I would reccommend to save money if you already have a relatively varied collection of colours in your nail polish collection, start off with just a black and white nail art pen. You wont be spending alot and also they go with every colour in your collection so you know any design you do will go with the base colour! Go for a pen that has a striper brush - basically a very narrow long brush that allows for thin stripe like strokes, and also a metal nibbed needle point pen, it will be like writing with a needle point pen but with polish! You can't go wrong with these pens, but just be wary to wipe down the edge of the bottle when using the brush as I have found that you can get dried polish there that makes it near impossible to then open your bottle, not what you want when in the middle of a mani!

For those of you who are daring and excited by sparkles. You can accessorize any mani with little gems and crystals to accentuate your design. Find bags and tubs full of various pearls, crystals, and acrylic shapes on eBay to add to your nail art design. From butterflies to pieces of fruit, you can find any 3D shape you desire to brighten up your look. Some are harder to apply. For simple flat backed crystals and pearls a quick bit of clear polish on the back will seal the gem onto the nail, but for acrylic shapes of fruit for example you'll need some nail glue. You can pick up some decent stuff cheaply from Body Care and other beauty outlets. Make sure you have some pretty heavy duty nail polish remover as if you want to remove the gems at all you'll need to fill the lid of your nail polish remover bottle with liquid and dunk your nail in, let it soak for about 20 seconds and you can peel off the gem. Make sure you wash your hands well after removing all the desired polish as you don't want all that alcohol and chemicals to sit upon your skin.

So there you have a few tips to getting started. Have fun shopping, make sure if you're buying any glue or polish remover that you are purchasing it from a store you recognise, I wouldnt reccommend getting brands you've never heard of from eBay as its going on your skin and nails you want it to be from somewhere you trust.

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