Showing posts with label NCLA. Show all posts
Showing posts with label NCLA. Show all posts

Pastel houndstooth manicure

I've been stamping my nails since about early 2011 but I've never actually done a houndstooth manicure before can you believe?! I thought it was about time to rectify that but I went with something different from the usual black and white. Please excuse my crappy photos in this post though - I really need to get my artificial lighting situation sorted so I don't have to wait for daylight to swatch and take NOTD photos.

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I applied 2 coats of Models Own HyperGel Lilac Sheen on all fingers except my ring finger where I used 2 coats of NCLA Elegantly Punk. I stamped houndstooth design from Moyou London Pro plate 07 using Konad Special polish in white and then topped them off with a coat of NCLA Party Favourite.

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Thanks for looking as always!

NCLA x Hello Kitty Bows nail wraps

I may be nearing 30 (EEK) but my love of the super cute Hello Kitty still continues. It's her 40th anniversary this year so to celebrate NCLA devoted their latest nail wrap collection to everyone's favourite kitty. The range consists of 8 nail wraps featuring bright neon, bows and floral designs. There's a design to suit every Hello Kitty lover!

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What they say:

"Do your nails instantly! No heat lamp, no drying time and no waiting required! All you need is clear polish. Try it, and you'll have a well-designed and polished look to complement any outfit in no time. ;) Channel your inner Hello Kitty with this bow-bedecked design that nods at her fab trademark accessory."

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Being the nail hoarder collector I am I wanted all the designs but I was good and only purchased the floral and bows designs! Seriously SO DAMN CUTE.

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The nail wrap sets include 26 ultra thin self adhesive nail wraps, an adorable NCLA Hello Kitty nail file and easy to follow instructions on the back of the packaging.

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The wraps are super simple to apply in just a few quick steps - check out this video by the awesome Steph Stone on how to apply the wraps. First you clean your nails using acetone or polish remover; apply base coat; choose the correct wraps for your nails and apply by stretching until they fit perfectly and flatten firmly; file any excess using the nail file and then finish off with topcoat. I found the wraps really thin and flexible so they molded easily to the nail and made them easy to manipulate. It also only takes very gentle pressure to file the excess nail wrap off which means less stress to the natural nail which is always a plus!

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I used the bow nail wrap as an accent nail for this mani and I paired it with OPI Big Apple Red and it took me literally only 10mins from start to finish before I had to rush out the door for dinner. Too easy!

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Overall: I've never been a massive fan of nail wraps but these NCLA have me addicted. It also helps that these are Hello Kitty designs of course! I love that the nail wraps are super thin so they molded easily to my nails - other nail wraps I've tried feel really bulky on the nail which I find so annoying and end up picking them off straight away. You've got plenty of time to stretch and manipulate the wraps on the nail to get the perfect fit and there's a good range of sizes to fit most nail shapes. The sizes are geared more towards ladies with larger nail beds like moi so ladies with smaller nail beds might have to cut them down to size.

I haven't been changing my polish as regularly these days so I wore this mani for a good 5-6 days before I got sick of it and the wraps were still going strong. I applied a coat of top coat after a day or 2 and I experienced no lifting or chipping whatsoever. Removal is as easy as application with no polish remover needed by just pulling them off your nails! I am definitely taking these with me on my next holiday to minimise nail products I need to haul with me. The only downside to the NCLA nail wraps is that they are on the pricey side at $18US for only 1 or 2 manis but they are super convenient and you can stretch the manis out by using them as accent nails. NCLA are releasing new Hello Kitty Xmas wraps and you bet I'll be purchasing them too!

Details: The NCLA x Hello Kitty nail wraps are available from the NCLA online store for $18US.

Thanks for looking as always!

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