Hello lovelies,

So I'm finally back with nail post and review! I did these nails back in July when I received then brand new nail art book Nail It! by Sophie Harris-Greenslade aka The Illustrated Nail (featured in past monthly favourites). I picked a design from the book called Ditsy and I recreated it following the step by step tutorial in the book to show you that they are totally achievable!

This Ditsy design is pretty simple and easy to do yet it looks like a complicated pattern. I've painted it using Nails Supreme nail art pens (available here) and dotting tools over five new(ish) Models Own polishes. These pretty brights are the new additions to their Polish for Tans collection (which was bit more relevant in July I guess ;). I've used Beach Hut, Turquoise Sea, Sarong Wrap, Cocktail Hour and Malibu Pink shades. Some of theme have a neon element to them and they beautifuly glow under UV light.

And... as the title of this post suggests, I also want to take a closer look at the Nail It! book. Firstly, here are few pictures to give you a taste of what's inside:

This book contains 100 nail art tutorials and nail care and nail art advice sorted into topical sections.There are simple and intricate designs included and each has picture and worded step-by-step instructions so everyone can find something for them. I like how everything is clearly explained and to me even just the picture steps are enough to understand how to re-create the design. I've seen some of the designs before for example in the Scratch Magazine where Sophie is a regular columnist but I suspect this won't be the case with most people. Besides, here are all the pretty designs in one place, in one book. It might also be worth mentioning that Nail It! is a sturdy hard-back book and it's a nice quality.
 

The nail art themes covered are Picure It, Spots & Dots, French Tips & Half-Moons, Geometrics, Embellished Designs, Creative Effects, Holidays & Travel, Florals, Classic Prints and Catwalk Looks. What a range! You can find anything from Christmas and Halloween designs to flowers and abstract patterns. And most are in that wonderfuly 'illustration' style so distinctive for Sophie's work. Some might find it too cartoony but I just love it and appreciate the art and work that went into it. 

I'm a huge fan of Sophie's work and I honestly think that so far this is the best nail art book I've had the pleasure of reading and it is totally worth the money! Nail It! is currently available on Amazon UK for £13.48 and newly on Amazon US.

I always love to hear your thoughts and feedback so leave a comment ;) Lucie x

*Post contains PR samples

Hello lovelies,

I've just realised I haven't done 'monthly favourites' post for a while so I've gathered some of my recent favourite products/things to show you.

I haven't been doing much nail art lately because I'm just so busy with the wedding preparation (we're leaving in 9 days!!!) but when I do I use stamping. I've rediscovered my love for stamping and I can't get enough of all those beautiful new plates out there. The one I really like using right now is Pueen Lace Blossom plate (reviewed here), a huge plate full of different designs ranging from lace, florals to geometric. So that my first favourite, here's the rest...

Next up is my almost empty pot of Simply Satin by Bliss Kiss - a whipped body fluff with pearlescent particles. I've loved this product from the moment I first tried it. I have a dry skin and it left it nourished, moisturised and shimmery. It is so soft and fluffy it just melts on skin. It does leave oily film on skin but that didn't bother me because my skin loved it. It also smells very nice and sweet :) It is rarely available because it's a handmade product so if you want to try it, keep an eye on the website.

About (beacause the description says it better than I ever could):

Simply Satin™ Whipped Body Fluff soothes dry skin and helps re-balance your body’s natural moisture barrier. Over time your body will need less fluff to maintain its moisture. This all-natural, five ingredient, whipped body fluff is a non-greasy, fast absorbing, daily moisturizer that you will want to use from head to toe.

Simply Satin™ is a creamy colored, exquisitely light blend of Mango and Coconut butters, Jojoba Wax Ester, Olive Squalane, and Vitamin E. It’s perfect for sensitive skin since it’s free of gluten, parabens, and synthetic colors. The natural fragrance comes directly from blend of ingredients. We do not add any additional fragrance oils.

SpaRitual HandPrint hand serum is a serum I have been using for quite a while as well before applying hand cream and cuticle oil. It is very light and fast-absorbing and it doesn't leave any icky sticky layer. To me it smells like tangerines or those fizzy vitamin C tablets. It's a nice product with lovely packaging (matte glass bottle and a pump) but the price is a bit higher with £21.50/$40 per 30ml.

About: Handprint Hand Serum is formulated with Swiss Apple Stem Cells and infused with Ginger Root Extract to soften and smooth skin's texture, Pumpkin Fruit Extract to build collagen and promote elasticity, and Licorice Root to help treat discolouration.

And FINALLY, the nail art book of the year (for me)! The lovely Sophie Harris-Greenslade aka The Illustrated Nail has released a book called Nail It! full of nail art tutorials and nail care and nail art advice. I genuinely squeeled with joy when the book arrived and I spent good 10 minutes just flipping through and looking at the 100 nail art tutorials. There are simple and intricate designs and picture and worded step-by-step instructions so everyone can find something for them.

I've already recreated one design called Ditsy (in photo above) and will be doing a whole post on it later. Nail It! is available on Amazon UK for £13.48

So those are some of my recent favourites - which one do you like most and would like to try?

Have a lovely day! Lucie x

*Post contains products previously sent for consideration