Hello lovelies,

August has passed very fast for me and it's time for the monthly nail art challenge from Paint All The Nails. I completely forgot (thanks to my 2-week holiday) and I didn't have time to do any special colour block design. Luckily I've had an older manicure that I've done and that I can use. I still have my square shaped nails there but I'm sure you won't mind ;)

Today's manicure is very colourful and summery and I can show you a step by step tutorial of the design too! I've done it using Leighton Denny polishes and a Color Club French Tip white polish as a base. Yes guys, this is so far my favourite white nail polish. Here's the final look and list of all the polishes I've used:

These nails might look difficult to do but I've broken the design into small steps for you and in the end it's just painting lines. A great design to practice your line work ;)

How to:

Step 1 - Apply a base coat to clean and dry nails. Then paint them with one or two coats of white nail polish. I've used Colour Club French Tip which is very opaque so I got away with just one coat.

Step 2 - Paint the top of each nail with a different colour. I chose colours that will be somewhat dominant on the nail.

Step 3 - Add thin and thick stripes of the same colour to the nails

Step 4 - Start adding more stripes of different colours. Try to stick to similar colour families with the odd stripe in colour of the next nail to tie the nails visually together

Step 5 - Continue with adding more stripes and colours to the rest of the nails. Different widths of stripes make a really interesting effect

Step 6 - Finish up with a coat of Leighton Denny One For All (as a top coat) and admire your new beautiful nails ;)

My line work is far from perfect but all in all I quite liked this look. And practice makes perfect so imperfection isn't a fail at all, just another lesson on the path to perfection!

What do you think of this look? Would you wear it?

I'm so glad I was able to participate in this month's Paint All The Nails Challenge again and if you'd like to see what my fellow nail bloggers came up with, check out #paintallthenailscolorblock and the link up below!

Have a lovely day! Lucie x

Hello lovelies,

Today I want to share with you swatches and review of the latest Models own collection - Soft Pop. I'm a bit late to the party because I've received these just before I left for my New York Holiday/honeymoon and didn't have time to swatch them earlier.

This collection features five pastel neon polishes which are also an addition to the HyperGel range. And what's more, they all glow beautifully under UV light!

"Models Own takes pastels to the next level with the launch of Soft Pop HyperGel, a collection of five pastels that POP! This bold new spin on pretty pastels will add an instant colour injection to your mani allowing you to see in spring with a twist. Bright and highly pigmented to ensure maximum payoff, amplify your look with these deliciously sweet shades."

Lemon Popsicle - neon pastel yellow - a pastel version of a 'highlighter' yellow shade with green undertones. The polish was quite easy to apply in thicker coats but was prone to patching when applied in thin coats. I'm wearing two thicker coats and no topcoat.

Cosy Posy - zesty, lime sherbet - this pastel green with a hint of neon is very eye-catching and I can see myself pairing it up with the other shades from this collection. The formula was a bit trickier. I've had to apply three coats to get full coverage and I've experienced patching. No topcoat.

Sugar Rush - crisp and cool powder blue - The formula was on a thin side and I needed three coats for full coverage. Unfortunately, I've experienced patching again. I'm not wearing topcoat. This pastel blue is a bit darker than Blueberry Muffin shade (Fruit Pastel collection), definitely not a dupe.

Candyfloss - a sugary sweet pink treat - Candyfloss is pastel pink with a hint of neon and it has a strong glow under UV light. It has the same formula as Sugar Rush - I needed three coats and experienced pathing. I didn't apply topcoat.

Lilac Flush - intense, overexposed lavender - bright neon purple that I absolutely loved! I've applied two thicker coats as this shade is slightly better pigmented. If you plan on applying thin coats then you'll need three of them as it can also be patchy. It dried fast and glossy and I am not wearing topcoat.

I'll be completely honest with you even though I hate being negative. I was so excited to see this collection and I was looking forward to trying it. Unfortunately, the formula just didn't work for me. Most colours needed three coats because they weren't pigmented enough and each of them was patchy, making bald spots that ultimately required the third coat. I really like the colours but the formula could have been better. The brush that comes with this collection is the wide tapered brush which felt a bit bulky but that might be because I was already frustrated with the formula and my nails are smaller than most people's.

If you'd still like to try the Soft Pop collection it is available at modelsownit.com and at the Bottleshops around the UK.

Have a lovely day! Lucie x

*PR samples