NOTW: Black Butterflies

Good afternoon cupcakes! This week I have been quite busy so I really didn't have time to do free hand nail art.  So I opted for a water decal design from Viva La Nails. Also, I wanted a polish that I haven't yet worn and my choice was essence colour & go in Meet Me Now! which is a very nice shade of purple.  Here are the photos of the manicure:

Have you ever used nail decals? I find they are quite easy to use and you can upstage a colour instantly especially when you're in a hurry!

On a side note, I was thinking of starting to make nail polish jewellery and I would like your opinion on that :)

Happy Sunday everyone!

Review: Viva La Nails Rhinestones

A few weeks ago, I was lucky enough to be able to get my hands on the third blogger and YouTuber sample pack from Viva La Nails.  This time, we got to sample 9 colours of circular rhinestones while only paying the £2.95 shipping fee (rhinestones retail for £1.95 per pot)!

Shipping was actually very fast and I have received them within 3 days of placing my order.  They were supplied in little plastic bags with a VLN sticker attached but usually they are supplied in pots.  I got a nice mix of colours and I put them in rhinestone wheels as they are more practical to use that way.

For each colour, you get 4 sizes of rhinestones as shown in the photo below:

That is actually good so can choose which size you require depending on the nail art you want to create.  The rhinestones are pretty much standard round rhinestones and on me they lasted until I took them off a week later so they are good quality as well.  Here's a manicure in which I used three sizes of rhinestones:

Have you ever bought nail art supplies from Viva La Nails? If you live in the UK, you also qualify for free shipping if you buy over £25!

Review: Viva La Nails Water Decals

Hey guys! By now you now how much I'm fond of nails and nail art and I like free-hand nail art most.  However, being busy does not always allow me the time it takes to achieve a perfect design so I sometimes opt for other ways to embellish my nails... stamping, stickers, glitter and flitter, etc... Today I will review another nail embellishing product, the Viva La Nails Water Decals.

I got these way back in October last year as part of the blogger/youtuber sample pack.  In the pack, there were three little sheets of water decals and I have already used a couple of designs from two of the sheets.  Here is a picture of each manicure I used them for:

The decals are packed in a nice silver cardboard sleeve all wrapped in a clear plastic pocket.  You get 20 designs in each pack and they are all covered with a thin protective film.

I thought that they are going to be difficult to handle but when I looked up instructions on the Viva La Nails website (as they are not supplied), I found a very helpful video that shows you step by step how to use them.

Basically, you just need some good tweezers (I use a rhinestone nipper I got from ebay), room temperature water and steady hands!

Here's a quick explanation...

1. Cut out the design of your choice and remove the protective film.

2. Float the design (facing upwards) on some room temperature water for a few seconds.

3. Pull out with a pair of tweezers and put face down on the opposing finger pad.

4. Slide off the backing and pick the design up with the tweezers.  If the backing doesn't come off immediately, float the design on water for some more time.

5. Choose which finger nail you want to place the design on and layer carefully, making sure there are no air bubbles.  Remember, you have one minute until the design dries so take your time to maneuver it in position.

6. Leave to dry and top-coat! Pretty easy huh?

There's a vast array of designs to choose from and they are all priced at £1.95 so it's a very good deal for those looking for an attractive and inexpensive way to jazz up their nails.  I found that with a good top coat, they last well over a week too!

These water decals are also suitable to use on artificial nail enhancements so I think I will be getting more soon :)

Have you ever tried any Viva La Nails products ladies?

NOTW: Flower Water Decals

This week, I used Viva La Nails water decals to create my nail design.  The colour, a deep brownish-red, to me signifies sophistication and what better way to jazz it up than with flowers? This was the perfect excuse to try the colour out and also try the water decals. They are very simple to apply, just don't rush and keep a rhinestone nipper (you can get these off ebay for a very cheap price) or a pair of tweezers handy :)

1. Start off with a good base coat to prevent your nails from becoming stained with the dark polish.

2. Paint on two coats of polish all over the entire nails, making sure to leave a hair-line gap on the sides and near the cuticles to further prevent your nails from staining.

3. Now for the fun part!
a) Make sure your nail polish is dry and cut out the designs you want from the water decal sheet and peel off the protective film.


b) Put the decal on a bowl of room temperature warm for a few seconds.

c) Pick the decal up from the water with tweezers/nipper and rest it on the pad of your finger (design facing upwards) and leave the design to soak up the water for a few more seconds.

d) Transfer the design face down on the opposite finger pad and carefully slide the backing off.

e) Pick the design with the tweezers/nipper and carefully lay it on the nail and clear out any air bubbles with the tweezers itself.  For a visual explanation of how to apply water decals, check out this video from the Viva La Nails website :)

4. After approximately a minute, the decal should be dry and it is ok to top-coat the nails with a glossy top-coat :)

Blogger Templates

Review: Viva La Nails Dazzlings

Last month I got myself a Sample Pack from VivaLaNails.  I only paid £2.95 shipping fees for £20 worth of products (the value of the sample pack is now £12, but shipping is the same).  You can have a look at what I received in the photo below. I learnt of this Sample Pack through reading Stavroula's blog and being a self-confessed nail addict I could not let this opportunity get away could I?

Sample Pack Contents

Anyways, I have only used the Hollow Hexagon Dazzlings just recently, and I am going to review them here.  The ones I got came in a small plastic pack like this (I transferred mine to the plastic pots shown in later pictures):

However, should you purchase them one by one, they are supposed to come in a pot.  The ones I got were pink, but there are 12 colours to choose from so you are bound to find something you like.  Apart from the hollow hexagons, the smaller cut-out hexagons are also included.  May I say as well that the amount you get in the Sample Pack is quite generous, so I was really impressed with that.

I used these dazzlings for a mani a fortnight ago (yes they lasted two whole weeks!!!) and was very very very pleased with their performance and durability on my natural nails with just one layer of top coat on to protect them.  I also like their dynamic lustre i.e. the way each individual dazzling changes colour according to the angle it catches the light.  The dazzlings are also very easy to handle (I use a rhinestone nipper to pick them and place them on my nails).

How I used these hexagons... click here for more pictures and step by step guides to creating the look yourselves!

I really recommend these, both to professional nail technicians, and also the at-home user.  You can buy dazzlings from the VivaLaNails website for £1.45 per pot that contains hundreds of them. Different shapes and colours are available to suit everyone's tastes.  I was so pleased with these dazzlings I'm very much looking forward to use all the others!

Blogger Templates