{Nailed It} 4 Must-Try Holiday Manicures

I love a good manicure, and since there's no better time to fancy-up those fingertips than the holidays, here are four lovely lacquer looks to try... And if all else fails, you can always give this glitzed-up half moon mani a whirl. So throw on your favourite holiday movie (here's a great round-up of what to watch) and get your polish on. xx

{Nailed It} L'Oreal Press-On Nails

For the sake of nostalgia, I decided to put my feelings about press-on nails aside (junior high flashbacks, anyone?) just long enough to test out L'Oreal's Colour Riche Press-On Nails in 'Midnight French.' The finish caught my eye immediately (cute, right?), and it reminded me of this manicure I never quite was able to replicate. Fun finger effects aside, here's the low down on the kit:



The nails were quite easy to apply, but since they skewed a little larger, it was hard to find matches for some of my nails. And even though I followed the directions to a t, one fell off mere hours later. All in all, they felt fake and frumpy, and my stance on press-ons has forever been reaffirmed � no matter how cute the finish. xx

{Beauty} Ikat Nail DIY...

Who's ready for the easiest DIY mani ever? I've done the whole ikat nail wrap thing in the past, but I never realized just how easy (and inexpensive) it is to recreate the look yourself. It's literally as easy as one-two-three!

 

Essie // Butter London // Deborah Lippmann

Just paint your nails a bold base colour (like red!), and once that dries, make narrow, asymmetrical shapes in white. Using a small brush, paint your third colour (blue anyone?) in the center of the white shapes, finishing it off with a top coat... What a cinch!

Thanks for reading friends, and if you have any fun, easy nail DIYs of your own, I'm all ears! xx

{Beauty} The Studded Nail Wrap...

Always down for a good nail wrap, I jumped at the chance to try Essie's studded nail wraps when I came across them a few weeks ago and was pleasantly surprised with the result. Not only did they last forever and bring new life to a classic red mani, but they got compliments every which way I turned. Not to sound too definitive or anything, but I would go so far as to dub the studded mani (in wrap form or otherwise) the top nail trend of the season... But I'm dramatic like that.

Soooo, what's your favourite nail trend this season? Any must-trys? Spill! xx

{Nailed It} Metallic Sharpie Mani...

I love painting my nails as much as the next girl, so when I saw this metallic Sharpie mani on The Beauty Department a while back, I couldn't wait to try it myself. It's probably the easiest manicure I've ever done, and so long as you have a decently steady(ish) hand, I'm sure you'll agree. The best part? There's no limit to what you can do! Chevrons? Sure! Polka dots? OK! Hearts? Why not! Just do yourself a favor and don't skimp on the top coat � Believe me, that marker will fade right off. xx

Details: Essie nail polish in Turquoise & Caicos; Sharpie in metallic gold

{Nailed It} Blood-Drop Mani DIY...

Halloween is nearly here, and what better way to spread some ghoulish cheer than with a blood-drop DIY mani a la Prabal Gurung? This was beyond easy to do, and it took no time at all... So basically all you vampire-loving, Dexter-obsessed peeps have no excuse not to try this one. Here's what you need to do!

Step 1: Paint your nails with a nude base coat to give them a clean, polished look. Alternatively, leave nails completely bare� it's up to you!

Step 2: Dip a toothpick or bobby pin into a deep red polish and apply small dots at random to the bottom third of your nail (2 or 3 dots per nail looks best).

Step 3: Drag the nail polish from the dots you just created down to the tip of the nail.

Step 4: Repeat for all nails, finishing with a uneven horizontal line at the tip of each nail.

And that's it! For a mere 10 minutes of work, you've got yourself a creepy, yet surprisingly chic manicure... How's that for doing it yourself? xx

Floral Week: The Mani

Floral week has come and gone, and what better way to end things than with a flowery mani? The minute I saw this wacky print from Sally Hansen, I just haaaad to snap it up... I mean seriously, how rad is it? I don't know how long I'll actually be able to wear it for (honestly, I'm getting a little tired of it already!), but it certainly is fun while it lasts...

Happy Friday, sweet peas! xx