Bling Bling Bling

There's no denying that Swarovski Crystal nails are a big trend this season, and I always love to try something new so I researched using gold crystals instead of the traditional colour and was surprised to find that nobody had really tried this out. If you have ever looked at a Swarovski Elements colour chart, you will have seen that there are a few colours which could be described as gold, depending on the look that you want. I decided to go for Light Topaz as this in my opinion is the truest gold that they do. I found a supplier in the UK that did them in the SS5 size and quickly purchased a sample of 200, which I estimated would do my big toes. I then purchased some gold Trendy nail wraps to go on the remaining toes.

Here is the result:

Swarovski Crystal Twinkle Toes and Full Set of Bling!

This week my Swarovski Crystal Nail competition winner came over to claim her prize and she had fully loaded big toes with a few accent crystals on the remaining toes which looked lovely. I used the OPI Axxium DS Radiance as the colour gel on top of the base gel which is often the preferred choice for those who don't have a full set.

Later on in the week I did another full set of toes, but this time I used OPI Axxium overlay gel which is the file off system. This client was about to go on holiday so needs something really hard wearing and long lasting. This system should certainly do the trick.

Pink Holographic Swarovski Crystal AB Manicure With Gel

Isn't that the longest title you have ever seen on a nail blog?! It was sort of needed as there are so many different trends included in this set of nails, that I didn't want to miss out a single thing.

I did this very girly set of nails last night on one of my friends and Chief Hand Model, Daisy May. I had received a very exciting delivery earlier on in the day which included some more classic Swarovski Crystals as well as a stunning new colour that I have decided to launch due to the popularity of my Swarovski Crystal Manicures and Pedicures, Swarovski Crystal AB. She chose the pink Tutti Frutti gel for the overlay and decided to go for a holographic top coat called Disco Ball, which complements the iridescent shine of the crystals.

This is starting to become very expensive to offer as Swarovski Crystals don't come cheap, however they look so much better than standard crystals that you can purchase fcraft raft stores, eBay or in big multi-packs for next to nothing from China. I would never compromise on the quality as I promise you that it's just not worth it. I have tried with cheaper alternatives but the sparkle is gone as soon as a protective top coat is applied and if a top coat isn't applied then they just don't last.

Thanks for reading, and as always, your comments are always read and appreciated.

Swarovski Crystal Nails

 

I had the pleasure of doing a lovely lady's *Bling Nails* pedicure this evening. I applied authentic Swarovski Crystals to her big toe nails and OPI Axxium gel in DS Radiance on the remaining toes. I then finished them off with a cost of clear top cost to protect and seal them.

I chose to use gel as it is hard wearing and also offers better value for money as it lasts longer than doing it on to polished nails. The crystals alone cost about £12 and with the cost of the OPI gels on top of that it is expensive to do.

Instructions

• Apply a layer of UV gel base coat and cure under a UV lamp.
• Apply the first layer of the super sparkly OPI DS Radiance and cure under the UV lamp.
• Apply the second coat but don't cure yet.
• Start to apply individual crystals to the nail (I used SS7 on the big toe but I have SS5 for the other toes as they are smaller and I want to give a really professional finish).
• Once the nails are covered, cure under the UV lamp.
• Carefully apply a coat of clear top coat, taking sure not apply too thickly otherwise the sparkle is reduced and the crystals can look like beads rather than bling.
• Finish off with a finishing wipe and apply OPI cuticle oil.

I would love to know what you think about these and if you have had Swarovski Crystal nails then I would love to know what your experiences have been.

I price this treatment at £30 for the big toe with OPI gel on the remaining toes or you can book to have a full set for £50. I am offering a special 10% discount until the end of 31st July 2012.

Vast Improvement

I am really keen to improve my nail art technique as soon as I can and I have to say that I feel far more confident after my most recent attempt. I still don't have the right tools (I'm relying on artists acrylic brushes) but I found that I had a steadier hand and better ideas due to the forward planning that I did. The ideas are all still a bit random but I would really like to hear your feedback (positive and negative). Also if you have any requests then I would be more than happy to give those a go. I'm game for anything, so the stranger the better.

Right to left - Love Hearts, Peace, Zombie, Face, Watermelon, Lightning Bolt, 
Brotherhood of Valor BHV Clan Tag Logo (www.brotherhoodofvalor.com), 
Tiny Dots, Pink Cupcake, Big Apple.

Right to left -Bling Diamond with Sparkles, Love Hearts, Peace, Zombie, 

Face, Watermelon, Lightning Bolt.

Right to left -Bling Diamond with Sparkles, Love Hearts, Peace, Zombie.

Tiny Dots, Pink Cupcake, Big Apple, Blue Bling Tips.