Minimal tools, minimal effort…
*This post contains a paid for advertorial from Sally Hansen
When it comes to nail colour, I like to keep things simple. A bit of a beige here, a chic nod to red there; that’s about as ‘crazy‘ as I get. The same goes for nail art. It’s only something I venture into every now and again, but especially in the festive season, when I feel like getting a little jazzy. I must admit though, that’s not down to any other factor aside from my lack of skills in the nail bedazzling department. Whenever I want to do something precise on my nail bed, I end up sweating, not breathing, almost passing out and then having to re-do each nail about 15 times. And let’s not even mention trying to do nail art with my left hand.
I have however, found two designs that appeal to my minimalist approach to beauty and can even be performed with a non-dominant hand. Coupled with the fact that they each take about 10 minutes to do and require minimal tools, both all of which you’ll already have at home – I think I’m coming round to the idea…
For both the looks I used a combination of colours from the Sally Hansen Miracle Gel line (check out the Sally Hansen range here), which is basically the next best thing to a salon gel manicure. There’s no light needed, just two simple steps; first apply the colour and then stroke a little of the Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Top Coat over the top. I also finished the looks off with a dab of the Sally Hansen Cuticle Rehab just to add that polished look. Got to keep that cuticle game strong with the number one nail care brand in the UK (side note: did you know that Sally Hansen has over 40 nail care products offering solutions for every nail care problem and mani and pedi need? Mad, right?). After top coats, I find that the secret to a long-lasting manicure is nail health, so I’m really trying to step it up in the nail care department. Somebody pass me the nail oil.
For the first look I went for a simple dot at the base of the nail. I’ve done this in the past and I just find it to be extremely simple, yet effective and I love the look using two autumnal tones. I went for Sally Hansen Miracle Gel in Frill Seeker all over the the nail. Then I took a kirby grip, stretched it out, dipped one of the ends into a blob of the Sally Hansen Miracle Gel in Wine Stock, that I tipped out onto some tin foil and dotted the colour on a couple of millimetres up from the cuticle bed. I loved the end result; still within my neutral limits, but with an editorial twist. Just make sure you wait for the dots to dry before going in with a top coat.
The second look was something that I’d never tried before, but always wanted to give a go. Back in the day I used to love doing French manicures and always found myself stocking up on the little tip stickers to get a precise stripe of white at the top. So classy. Now this look requires tape (just something that’s not too sticky like washi tape or surgical tape), but things aren’t so symmetrical this time. I began with a coat of the Sally Hansen Miracle Gel in Can’t Beet Royalty as a base. Then I took my tape and placed it across my nails at various different angles and painted over the top section with Sally Hansen Miracle Gel in Wine Stock. The trick here is to remove the tape immediately after you have painted the colour on, and to stick with the lighter colour as the base and the darker colour on top to spare having to do multiple layers. The finished look is a modern, but funky version of a French manicure. Even Paul, my Personal Trainer, commented on them.
I’d love to hear if any of you lot give one of these ideas a go? And if you do, you know the best bit? The Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Nail Polishes are only £9.99, as is the Miracle Gel Top Coat. Bargain. Come on, grab a kirby grip, some surgical tape and you’re good to go…
Photos by Lauren Shipley
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