Holly's Nails

My obsession....

[yes-hollysnails]

So when I first started this blog, I said how my nails broke all the time and my cuticles were awful but I was starting to make a change and look after my nails. I am so proud of where my nails are now - even though they’re not the longest of nails and I certainly don’t have the best cuticles the world has ever seen - they are still a lot stronger and healthier than ever before. In just 4 months I am amazed at how much they have changed and how much more confidence it gives me. 

[yes-hollysnails]

Sorry I haven't posted any nail blogs lately...I've been a little busy..👻☀️🍹👙

[yes-hollysnails]

I’m doing the race for life pretty muddy 5k tomorrow! So excited! It’s going to get muddy! Supporting the event with my gorgeous Pink Bikini Colour from CND Shellacs;) You can sponsor me by clicking on the link below. https://www.justgiving.com/HollyRosinaAllen/

Please donate anything you can, this is a cause very close to my heart and I will be extremely grateful!! :) 

Stay Sassy! 

Hol x 

[yes-hollysnails]

Nail Decals

Hey - it’s Friday!! Who else has that Friday feeling?! I have! Anyway! So, Nail Decals..

What you will need: - Base Coat  - Colour of your choice - Nail Decals  - Bowl of water - Scissors - Tweezers - Top Coat 1. Start off by painting your nails in the colour of your choice. I went for a bright pink.

2. Then, cut up your decals, they do not have to be cut extremely close to the design or in a certain way, just as long as it fits onto your nail nicely. 

3. Put one of the decals in the water, face down. Leave this in for 20-30 seconds. 

4. Take this out of the water with your tweezers and then push the decal of off the paper and the background should now be clear. Place this onto your nail with the tweezers, you have some time to get this in the position that you want as it does not stick right away as it is wet. 

5. Once you are happy with the positioning, press down on the decal to stick it to the nail varnish. Then add a topcoat and you’re done!!

I think that these looked great! One thing i should have done is waited for my nails to dry completely before putting on the decals as it can mess up your colour coat if it is not dry and you have to mess around with the positioning. But I do think these look great. Maybe not on every nail, maybe just a feature nail for a more subtle look. But I enjoyed working with these and how easy they were! Let me know your thoughts if you try these!

Stay sassy! 

Hol x 

[yes-hollysnails]

Water Marble Nails

Hiya, So Water Marble Nails - look great! But in reality - not as easy as it looks! I struggled!

What you will need:  1. Base coat 2. White nail polish + 2/3 other colours of your choice 3. A pot - about 5cm in diameter - not too big 4. Room temperature water 5. Cocktail sticks (a couple)  6. Peeling base coat (optional)  7. Cotton buds 8. Nail varnish remover 9. Top coat 

Step 1. As always, apply your base coat. Then, paint your nails white. 

Step 2. Apply your peeling base coat around your nails - this step is optional but will make it a lot easier for you when you come to clean up. 

Step 3. Get your colours and pot ready with your room temperature water. Start dropping each of the colours in one by one. It should start off looking something like this...

Step 4. You can then use the cocktail stick to manipulate the polish, you have to do this step very quickly as the polish dries quickly and it will start to clump (I learnt this the hard way!) 

Step 5. Time to get messy. Dunk your finger in where you think you will get the best pattern outcome on your nails. Then, keeping your finger in the water, use a cotton bud to mop up all the polish around your nail so that the water is clear again. 

Step 6. Time to clean up! If you used the peeling base coat, then, with some tweezers, you can carefully pull this off. Any residue that is left you can clean up with a cotton bud and some nail polish remover. If you did not use the peeling base coat, then you clean up in the normal way, just using a cotton bud and some nail polish remover, be careful around your nail so you don't smudge your design!

Step 8. Add your top coat and you are done!!

I think this design can look brilliant - I also love the idea that no 2 nails will ever look the same! However, it is very time consuming and messy and I struggled to get a full set of nails that all worked. I had to keep changing the water as the residue was effecting the spread in the pot! If you have time to spare, I would recommend trying this as it is a really fun looking design! But it can be very problematic! Stay sassy! 

Hol x 

[yes-hollysnails]

Gel nails - good or bad?

Ok, so i get a lot of questions about this.. Are gel nails good for you? Do they make your nails stronger.

Short answer - no. Gels will not make your nails stronger. 

The reasons why are below. 

1.       Buffing the nail. Some method of gels require you to buff the natural nail before starting. This can break down the layers of the nail causing them to become weaker - not stronger. I use CND Shellacs to do my nails and they do not require you to buff the nail before applying the base coat - I would recommend trying to find a salon that does these. 

2.       Curing the nails: Gel nails are dried by lights, there are different types of light depending on which brand of gels you go for. Shellac nails require you to use a UV Lamp to cure the nails. This light is what they also use for tanning sunbeds, these obviously have their risks, however, when using these on your hands to cure the nails the risks will be a lot lower. Especially if you only have your nails done one every couple of weeks and are not using these every other day. Having said that, I recommend putting an SPF 15 hand cream on before your treatment, as this will help protect your skin. 

3.       The removal. If done properly, there should not be too much damage to your nails. When I remove my gel nails - I cannot see any damage to the natural nail. If however, you are a picker and you pick your nails the minute you see a chip then gels are not for you. Picking gels will really damage your natural nail and your nails will look like they have been shredded - believe me - picking gels, not a good idea. The best way to remove gels is to get a cotton pad, dip this in acetone and apply to nail. Cover in foil and wait 10 minutes. After 10 minutes you should be able to pull the foil off your finger and the gel residue should all be on the cotton pad. You can then use a cuticle pusher to scrape off any bits left on your nails.

I love having gels on, they require little maintenance, they are long lasting and they look gorgeous and shiny when on! They will cause some damage to your natural nail if not put on or removed properly. But if everything is done correctly, I see no reason why they would cause extensive damage to your nails, I would recommend taking a break after a couple of applications if you have gels on constantly as this will weaken your nails because they will never have access to any oxygen or daylight so they will become fragile. Gels are also good for people trying to grow their nails as when on, the polish is a lot stronger than normal polish. I hope this has helped. I really do recommend gel nails and, if used in moderation, think that they can really get your nails looking good!

Have a good weekend and stay sassy!

Hol x 

[yes-hollysnails]

I did these CND Shellac Nails on a friend last night - such a gorgeous colour!! A question I get asked a lot is do Shellac’s damage your nails? I will blog about this next week! Enjoy your bank holiday weekend!! :) 

Stay sassy! 

Hol x 

[yes-hollysnails]

One of my favorite Summer colours! 

[yes-hollysnails]

Ombré Nails!

Hi! 

So, as promised last week, here is my ‘how to’ ombré nails!

What you will need: 

Base coat

White nail varnish

2/3 other colours of your choice

Peeling base coat (optional)

Make-up sponge 

Cotton buds

Nail varnish remover

Top Coat

Step One: After applying your base coat. Paint your nails white. Do 2 coats of this so the polish is completely opaque. Let this dry. 

Step Two: Apply the peeling base coat around the edges of your nails. This will make the clean up later a lot easier. Do not panic if you do not have this - this is just optional.

Step Three: Paint your selected colours onto your make-up sponge. Only a thin line is needed so you can fit all colours onto your nails. 

Step Four: Now it’s time to start sponging! You may need to go back and re-layer the polish on your sponge, do this until you get the desired effect. 

Step Five: Now its time for the clean up, if you have used the peeling base coat then you can get some tweezers and pull the peeling base coat off easily leaving you with a little mess to clear up with a cotton bud and some nail varnish remover. If you do not have the peeling base coat than this is fine, you can just use your cotton buds and nail varnish remover to clean up all around your nails. 

Step Six: Apply your top coat and you’re done!

I hope this has helped you achieve great looking ombré nails!

Stay sassy! 

Hol x 

[yes-hollysnails]

My ombré nails - ‘how to’ coming soon! 

[yes-hollysnails]

13th of April 2015

Happy Monday!

So today, I thought I’d let you know a bit more about my nail care routine, I do not have the perfect nails. In fact, my cuticles are horrible, my nails break very easily and none of them are the same length; but, ever since I have taken more care in listening to the advice that is out there, they are getting better.

So the things that work. Cuticle oil, this has worked miracles for me. If your cuticles are looking damaged, dry or cracked, this will help to nourish them back to health! Cuticle oil is often best to use before going to sleep so the skin can soak up all the nourishing oils during the night, always remember to use cuticle oil regularly - you will not see results straight away, hence why you need to keep using the oil and be persistent. 

Hand and Nail cream is also one thing that has proved to work for me, I use this after every time I have washed my hands, it helps keep the skin around your nails soft. If you paint your nails as much as me, you will know that you go through a lot of nail varnish remover. Depending on which nail varnish remover you use, there can be harsh chemicals in it that can dry out the skin around your nails. This is where I find hand and nail cream really helpful as it re-nourishes the skin and cuticles. 

Nail varnish remover, is it good to remember when buying nail varnish remover to go with one that does not contain acetone. Acetone is needed for removing things like artificial nails or gel nails. However, it is not needed for removing normal nail polish from your nails and will dry out the skin. So, if you are just removing normal nail polish off your nails, it is always best to buy one that does not contain acetone.

A good base coat is vital when painting your nails. It prevents staining of the nails, for example if you used a black colour on your nails with no base coat, the black will stain your nails and they will look dirty. If you use a base coat before applying the black nail polish, it acts a barrier and prevents the staining. When looking for a base coat, it is better to look for one that has nail strengthening qualities in so this can be used all the time and help to keep your nails strong so they do not break when growing out. 

The last thing to remember, give your nails a break! Having polish on your nails all the time will block the sunlight and oxygen from getting to your natural nail and this will then lead to yellowing of the nail. It doesn’t have to be for long, one or two days should be long enough.

Again, my nails are no where near perfect, these are just things that I have found that have helped me. My nails are dramatically better from when I first started taking an interest in doing my nails, its a long road, but it’s worth it!

Stay sassy! 

Hol x 

[yes-hollysnails]

10th of April  2015

Hi! Welcome to my first Blog! I have recently realised (when taking off my fifth lot of nail varnish - this week!) that I may have a slight obsession with nails. So this is where I plan to post all the crazy designs I decide to try - even things I have tried that just do not work! Learning curves and all. 

Stay sassy! 

Hol x