It seems that I’m always running around with a massive to do list. And feel guilty when I take 5 minutes out to enjoy a warm, milky coconut latte and a good book. But, this week I’ve really taken some T.L.C time. A face mask to help shed my dry winter skin, a long bubble bath to help relax my sore muscles and I used my new delicious smelling winter body scrub. I’m polished, silky smooth and feeling more relaxed than I have for a very long time.
I’ve really focused on just relaxing and treating myself a little bit, and what better way to do than to treat myself to a new manicure? It’s so important to take some time out every now and again, especially with Christmas coming up and the hectic month that’s ahead. A whirl of wrapping paper, parties and food, it’s a blink and you’ll miss it type of month; full of long days, late nights and lots of walking trying to find the perfect gift! So I vow to take time out at least once a week to treat myself to a face mask, a new manicure and a warm bubble bath!
Shaping
First stop of any manicure is to make sure that your nails are a good shape. I think this one is really down to personal opinion and depends on what you prefer and what your natural nail shape is like. I think that I naturally have quite rounded nails and find that they become brittle when I try to grow them, so I normally keep them quite short. But, that’s not a problem for me; at the moment I really like short rounded nails, but other times I will admit I’d love them to be a little longer! Make sure that your nails all look even, and the shapes and lengths are roughly the same. A good way to do this is by using your shortest nail as a reference. Then after you’ve shaped your nails to perfection, apply a base cover, and you’re ready to go.
I love this colour block manicure. It’s simple, easy to do and in my opinion looks amazing! It’s uncomplicated, yet has a little bit extra going on so that it really stands out. There are so many different methods that you can use to achieve this two tone design, but I really wanted to keep it simple so that it was something that everyone could do.
The Technique
I’ve tried so many different techniques to complete this look, but not a lot of them worked. Sticky tape didn’t work because it just peeled off the nude nail varnish underneath. Masking tape made the nail varnish bleed underneath, leaving messy red blobs oozing over the base colour. The only and best way that I could get it to work was to draw it free hand. A diagonal line across the nail followed by a single layer of varnish covering that section.
I know that it may sound difficult to draw it free hand, but honestly it’s a lot easier than it sounds. I tried a lot of different ways until I got to this method, and it was just a little experiment. But it turned out to be the best way to get a clean line and nice shape. Of course there’s one hand that is a lot easier to complete. But as long as you try to keep your initial line to one fluid movement then it should work well. It doesn’t matter if you make a mess around your nail, you can always clean it up with a cotton bud soaked in nail varnish remover afterwards. Remember that a clear top coat can fix and hide a lot of mistakes, so it doesn’t have to be 100% perfect.
One of the things that I like about this style is that each nail can be different. Painted at a different angle, or slightly larger/smaller than the other ones. When it comes to choosing your colours, it’s better to have a slightly plainer colour and more vibrant one to contrast. Apply two coats of the lighter colour first and only one of the contrasting one. This stops the colour from building up too much and allows both of the colours to be clear and visible.
Time for a little TLC and a pop of colour during the long dark nights.
Rosie x
COLOUR BLOCK NAIL ART TUTORIAL:
Subtle, elegant nails which stand out from the crowd. This manicure is easy to do and perfect for any occasion.
WHAT YOU NEED:
- Clear Base Coat / Top Coat
- Nude Nail Varnish – I used Maybelline Color Show in ‘254 Latte’
- Dark Purple Nail Varnish – I used Maybelline Color Show in ‘357 Burgundy Kiss’
GETTING THE LOOK:
- Apply a clear Base Coat to all nails and allow to dry.
- Paint all your nails in the nude shade, applying a second coat if needed.
- Once the nude has fully dried, use the brush from the purple varnish and, carefully, draw a diagonal line from corner to corner. Try to keep this as one fluid movement, as the outcome will be much neater! I found it easier to position my hand at a slight angle on a table.
- Fill in any gaps in the purple section, painting the nail as you would normally.
- Once the purple varnish has dried, apply your topcoat to all nails and allow to fully dry before showing off your new manicure!
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