Cosmetic Cupcake

I picked up a CND Shellac lamp and trial pack when I was at the Spa & Beauty Expo a few weeks ago and I finally got the chance to try it out over the weekend. The trial pack included all prep products for a CND Shellac mani and also some of CND's best selling shades including Romantique which is a gorgeous soft pink shade. It's been a while since I've done a palette cleanser mani so I thought I would go back to basics! I was going to leave it as is but I didn't like the shade on it's own on me as it shows VNL (visible nail line!) so I decided to stamp over it. Last week in class my teacher put on this great CND Shellac paisley stamping tutorial by Sarah R so I thought I'd pull out my paisely plate and create a softer version of the mani.


I prepped my nails and applied a thin coat of CND Shellac base coat and cured for 10 seconds before applying 2 coats of Romantique curing for 2 mins on each coat. Then I removed the sticky inhibition layer on all nails with IPA (isopropyl alcohol) and stamped full paisley image from Bundle Monster plate BM-315 using Konad stamping polish in white.



I then added a coat of CND Shellac top coat and cured for another 2 mins before pressing CND Additives Glitter in Sizzling Sand over the inhibition layer of each nail with a nail art brush for some gorgeous and subtle holographic sparkle. I finished off with another coat of CND Shellac top coat cured for another 2 mins and then removed the inhibition layer with IPA. PHEW!


I absolutely love how this turned out and cannot wait to experiment more with CND Shellac! I'm a bit hooked now and I'm chuffed that my first Shellac mani turned out so well! I think with a lace design or something this would be perfect look for brides. I took the long way with this mani by applying the additives at the end but oh well trial and error.

Hope you're all having a fab start to the week! x

Today's manicure is inspired by nails which featured at the Gail Sorronda 2011 show at Rosemount Australian Fashion Week (RAFW) this year. Now you might already know from reading my blog that I don't tend to follow trends and fashion very closely. Sure I'll try to keep up to date with the latest trends but I dress the way I like and not according to what's "in" and the same goes for my nails. However, I loved the look of the beautiful nails created for the Stem the Flow collection and had to try the look out for myself. For the international ladies, Gail Sorronda is an Australian brand created by Brisbane based designer Gail Reid.

Photo courtesy of Pages Digitial
The collection:

"Stem the Flow is inspired by the bulbous shape of liquid and the flow of aqueous movement intercepted by time. It’s an exploration of fluidity and freedom versus restraint. Sometimes a trickle, sometimes an avalanche. Staying true to her signature black & white theme which is all the better to showcase her intricate tailoring. Gail Sorronda’s collection combined sheer, pleating, blousing and fine knits, with striking mini hemlines."
The nails:

Six6Photography, courtesy of Pacific Nail & Beauty
CND created the look by keeping nails short and rounded and used CND Putty for a demure nude base and CND Brilliant White for the moons to highlight. Below is my (not very good!) recreation of the look!! Don't laugh ok x) I took these pics right after a long day of work so I look very tired!


I was very kindly sent a bottle of CND Putty to try. I've never tried out CND colours so I was super excited as I've only tried their Stickey base coat. Putty is a soft beige-y nude and is described as a "warm semi-sheer". It's not TOO sheer but you'll still need 3 thick coats for opacity which is pictured below. This would be a great shade for "mannequin hands" for some girls but unfortunately not for me, I'm still yet to find the perfect shade for me! Putty leans somewhat orangey (?) on me and gives me lobster hands in some light but I LOVE the colour anyway. There's something about it I just really like!

Putty applied well and had minimal dragging which is great as it's a common problem I find with sheer polishes. It dried quickly to a glossy finish and I was impressed with the wear. Unfortunately I'm not a huge fan of the CND brushes at all. I find the brush quite stiff and the end is shaped very straight making it difficult to apply polish without having to do cuticle cleanup. Not a huge deal as practice makes perfect when it comes to application with different brands!


I then freehanded white moons on the base of my nails using OPI Alpine Snow. I then topped it off with a coat of Poshe topcoat. Not my neatest application as you can see as the moons are far too big but oh well! Just don't look too closely ;)



For Australian ladies, CND nail polishes are $19.95 and can be purchased from www.cndshop.com.au and SA Hair, Nail & Beauty Supplies.
For International ladies, CND nail polishes are $9 and can be purchased from goindulge.com
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A big thank you to Ellie for sending me the above product to sample! I was sent the above product for my consideration but this in no way influenced my review in any way. As always, my reviews are my 100% honest opinion.

What do you think of this look? Would you try it yourself?

Thanks for looking as always!