Easter Nails with Salon Effects

Easter is just around the corner – it’s quite scary how quickly it’s come around this year but I am looking forward to the break.

So in trying to get into the spirit of it, I have been having copious amounts of easter eggs (Cadbury Creme eggs are to-die-for!) and have even recruited my nails to partake in the festivities.

Sally Hansen have launched some very cute Easter inspired designs this year in their Salon Effects range and I had some sent to me the other week.

Sally Hansen Salon Effects Easter Edition - RRP A$14.95

The five designs are:
Checker Out - A light green gingham print
All a Flutter - pastel coloured butterflies on a white background
Mad for Plaid - checkered strips of pastels and brights.
Not a Peep - colourful little tiny chicks.
Pink-a-dot - Pastel pink on white dolka dots.

I decided that I wanted Pink-a-dot on my nails because they remind me of the wrappers of the chocolate Easter eggs that I've been devouring!

These nail strips are easy enough to apply and because my nails are not that long, I was even able to cut each nail foil in half to use on 2 fingers meaning I will be able to get 2 uses out of a pack – BONUS!

So the tips to applying Salon Effects are:

• Match your nail size with the nail strips first and line them all up on the table in the order of your fingers so you won’t get confused when it comes time to put them on.
• Prep your nail by pushing but the cuticles and lightly buffing the surface of your nails before application to create a non-smooth surface for the nail strips to adhere to.
• Start with the pinky finger and work your way to applying the nail strip to your thumb. I work on the same digit on alternating hands but you can work with one hand first before doing the other – do what feels most comfortable for you.
• Peel of the backing and position onto nail, aligning the edges on both side of the nail. Then press down very hard during application of the nail strip to help create a strong bond with the nail polish strip and your nail bed. The flat side of the orange stick is perfect for this.
• Any excess of the strip should be folded over nail the nail edge first to create a crease line before using the included nail file to file it off – ALWAYS file in one direction only to avoid ragged edges of the nail.
• Finish off with a top coat layer to protect the design from scratches and to give nails a high gloss shine! Every few days you can apply the top coat again to refresh the nail colour and keep it looking glossy.

lining up the nails shape helps with getting them ready for application

It took me over 30 minutes to do both hands but I’m sure as I improve my application skills, I’d be much faster. I’ve had the manicurist applies these on me in under 15 minutes!

Available now at Priceline and selected pharmacies.
This featured product was provided for consideration.

Win: OPI Texas Lil Shooters Nail Lacquer Set

I have been meaning to post this giveaway up weeks ago but unfortunately, something called work got in the way. Never fear - better late than never.

Given I’ve been on a nail lacquer obsession lately, this giveaway is all for a set of the OPI Lil Shooters Collection.

This set is from the Texas Collection released last year and I must say the colours are gorgeous. I bought this intending to keep it for myself but decided that with 4 shoe boxes of nail polishes and a Best of OPI collection still in its box untouched, I won’t miss these babies too much if I was to give it away to a good home.

The Texas Lil Shooters set contains

• Austin-tatious Turquoise – a bodacious blue-green
• I Vant to Be A-Lone Star – a light starry sky blue
• Do You Think I’m Tex-y – a sexy bloom of berry Dahlias
• RapiDry Top Coat – to seal in all the colours and give long lasting shine in minutes

If this set takes your fancy and you want to be in the running to see these 4 mini nail lacquers on your digits, then all you have to do is:

1. Like this blog on Facebook (there's a Facebook plugin on the top left of the site) and leave a comment on the wall telling me you want to win the OPI Lil Shooters set.  I promise to make you pancakes for breakfast - no really, I'll make it worth your while :)
2. If you don’t have Facebook (or want another entry to the competition), then fear not – just subscribe to the blog via email and importantly, leave a comment below with your email address so I know you want to win the Lil Shooters set. Please include your email address for verification purposes (feel free to change the email format to confuse spam bots or alternatively, you can email me if you want your email to stay private). Existing subscribers just need to leave a comment with their email details.

Here are some more nitty gritty details.

• This giveaway is open to readers worldwide – yes international readers are eligible to enter.
• Readers may enter via liking the Things I Love Facebook page and/or subscribing to the blog via email and leaving a comment below. A maximum of 2 entries is allowed per reader.
• The competition period runs from 27^th March till AEST midnight (GMT +10) 5^th April 2012.
• The winner will be randomly drawn by 10^th April. The prize is a set of OPI Lil Shooters mini nail polish set valued at A$24.95. 
• The judges (by that I mean yours truly) decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into. The winner will be announced on the blog and via social media channels Facebook and Twitter.

Simple No? Now that you have all the details, go on - enter the giveaway now!

Date-worthy Nails with Sally Hansen Honeymoon Red

What nails shades would you wear when you are out on a date if you want to make a great impression?

Having been faced with this very dilemma this weekend, I resorted to the fail-safe shade that one wears when coveting alluring and desirable nails – a trusty deep ruby that never fails to impress.

Sally Hansen Diamond Strength No Chip Nail Colour: Honeymoon Red - A$13.95

A gorgeous deep ruby, I absolutely adore this shade. It transforms digits from plain to sexy and stunning upon application. Easy to apply and not one bit streaky, the shine and gloss from this nail colour is just brilliant – something that I across the board from the Sally Hansen diamond strength nail range (and when topped with a topcoat, they are gleaming and very mirror-like!).

One thick coat with Sally Hansen Diamond Flash top coat.

One coat gives a gleaming ruby colour, and two coats gives deep vampy red that women everywhere covets. I can see why it is called honey moon red – it’s the perfect representation of passion and love, of which I’m sure is plentiful on a honeymoon!

What other shades do you think are date worthy shades?

Available in David Jones, Myer, Priceline, Target, Woolsworths and selected pharmacies.
This product was provided for consideration.