OPI Axxium Soft French Overlays

My friend Jo came over last night to have her gel overlays done on her nails, and I thought that I would post the result. 


Please ignore the uneven length of her nails. She needs to grow some broken nails out, but didn't want to shorten the length of her other longer nails.

She has had overlays done in the past so I knew that I could get an honest opinion from her. She said that she likes how lightweight and natural they feel, and one of the main features of the OPI Axxium is that it is so light, but without compromising the strength of the gel.

Jo had pretty good nails to begin with, but we decided to use the pink overlay gel to make her nails appear even healthier. I also used the soft white on the free edge to create a natural french finish.

Valentines Nails

I was planning to file off my gel extensions this weekend as they are getting a little bit long and I have a lots of new OPI polish that I'm dying to show off, but I had always wondered whether nail polish would work over gel. I decided to give it a try and knew that I had nothing to lose, because if it didn't work then I would just remove them anyway.


As it was Valentines weekend (Mr Wonderlust is working on Valentines Day) I decided to use the red hot OPI The Thrill of Brazil. I had already filed off my left thumb extension as it had a snag in it and didn't look great hence why my thumb nail doesn't feature much in this post. I'm pleased to report that the polish went on really nicely and dried brilliantly. I was half expecting it to turn into a horrible, gloopy, melted mess as I had no idea if the ingredients of the polish would react with the ingredients in the gel. I am definitely going to do this again to refresh tired french extensions.

L xxx

OPI Axxium Gel Nail Extensions

I decided that it was time to get some more practice in with gel nail extensions as I have to get the knack of working with the OPI Axxium sculpture gel. My natural nails have been growing really well, but I have felt that they are dry and bendy, so I wanted to give them a little added length and strength to help them along.


 Ever since I started training, I found that I was a bit heavy handed with the sculpture gel and brush and as a result, it ended up a bit uneven. One of the main services that I will be offering as a nail technician will be extensions, so I am determined to get perfect as soon as I can. 


I started to practice on tips attached to my freaky fake hand and eventually I felt confident enough to have a go on my myself, and here is the result of my first solo attempt (without the supervision of my tutor Emma from Taunton Nail Training).

Shame about the flash on this one, but you get the idea.

I actually feel happier with the right hand which I was surprised with as I am very much a right hander, but maybe the extra concentration paid off after all.

The pictures above were taken 5 days after I carried out the treatment, and they are still staying strong, however I have learnt the following:

• I need to working on practicing my filing and shaping of the extension as some are more oval than others.
• I need to make sure that all nails are the same length as a couple are a little longer than others.
• Until I build up my experience I need to level the finish a little better and they aren't as even as I would like them to be, although they certainly aren't bad for a first attempt.
• I have to practice the 'rock on' tip gluing method a bit more as the ring finger on my left hand has an air bubble, which shows under the gel and could compromise the finish and staying power of that nail.

As always, let me know if you have any improvement suggestions as I want to get really good at this, and constructive feedback is vital.


L xxx

Oooh, Silky Matte Nails

YSL 'duo terriblement noir'

Before I learnt to appreciate nail fashion, I never really got matte nail finishes. I was never interested in trying it out as I thought that it made the nails look chalky, gritty and cheap. Then over Christmas I was shopping at the Yves Saint Laurent counter at John Lewis in Exeter and I saw a POS board for this stunning 'duo terriblement noir' set.

This black on black matte/glossy french manicure looked really high fashion, and I thought, if YSL are doing it then it can't be that bad, so I decided to give matte varnish the benefit of the doubt.

As it has been a long January, I decided not to go straight out and buy the YSL version, just in case I didn't like it afterall, so on my lunch break last week I went into Boots and opted for the cheaper Rimmel Pro Matte Top Coat for around £5. I also cheated on my beloved OPI (again because January has been a long old month) and picked up Rimmel Lasting Finish Nail Polish in Black Cab. The results I have to say, were brilliant, and soooooo smooth. There is no denying that there is nothing like a bit of luxury, and ultimately you get what you pay for, but not only am I now converted to the matte finish, but am convinced that if you are running low on cash, then you can still cheat the nail couture look at a fraction of the cost!

I will upload my pictures of the Rimmel finish soon, so watch this space!

L xxx