Poll: Your favourite nude shade

If you've ever had your nails done by me, you'll know that I have a LOT of colours to choose from. Perhaps even too many. Shellac have recently released their "Intimates" collection, 4 gorgeous nude shades that are nothing like any colours I already have, but they are quite similar to each other. This is just a quick poll to see how you feel about them and which is your favourite! :) Which one would you wear for 2 weeks?

Which is your favourite nude shade?
	Satin Pyjamas
	Blush Teddy
	Nude Knickers
	Bare Chemise
pollcode.com free polls

(Picture by LiverpoolLashes)

Roses are Red

It's October. Autumn is in full swing and we should all be wrapping up warm, thinking about Autumn trends and painting our nails lovely dark shades to match the weather, right? Well that's not how we're doing it at Kazzmetics! We're clinging on to Summer by our fingertips (quite literally) and floral/rose designs are proving really popular.

These super pretty designs are simple yet so effective.

How do you feel about Autumn? Are you ready for the change in seasons? And if so, what is your favourite Autumn trend? Comment below and let me know :)

French Manicure

Everyone loves a good French manicure. They make your fingers look long and elegant. Here are few variations from the classic that I've done on clients over the last few months, hope you like them!

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Light Galaxy Nails Tutorial

I really love this top that I got from Matalan once and I thought the design would look really cute on nails. To recreate this look, apply a base coat and then: (1) Apply one coat of opaque white polish. (2-5) Make sure the white is thoroughly dry, then using a sponge, dab any colours that you'd like to use in random places. It will look odd at this point but it all comes together at the final stage! I used a yellow, blue, purple and pink by Barry M. (6) Apply a glitter coat! The one I used is by OPI and it has a mixture of really fine and chunky glitter pieces in it. This creates the illusion of stars! Don't forget to add a final top coat to ensure it lasts. If you like this and recreate it yourself, I'd love to see it, tag me in your pictures on Twitter or Instagram - @kazzmetics :) Have fun! 

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May - November 2012

Wonder Woman | Lightning Bolt | Clouds | My Nan with Galaxy nails! | Gotcha with Tutti Frutti Tips* (first Shellac manicure I ever did!) | Leopard Print | French with Glitter* | Galaxy Nails* | Red Baroness Galaxy* | The Flash! | Natural French* | Gold & Black* | Bollywood* | Black and Silver Gels | Cupcakes!!*

I recently celebrated my one year anniversary of running Kazzmetics (April 5th!) and these are some of the nails I did when I was first starting out :) The first few are just with regular polish because I didn't have any Shellac at that point. Any marked with a (*) means they were done with CND Shellac which I paid for myself. I'd like to think that I'm always improving in my work, I'm constantly learning in this job and I wouldn't change it for the world!

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Delivery April 3rd

I absolutely love it when I wake up and the sun is shining so bright through my window and a man knocks on my door with a box full of CND goodies!!!! Also another little package from eBay arrived with my colour pops fan :) So excited to have a play with these and display all my colours on them. I'm expecting more nail art wheels over the next few days too so I can get some more art out there! eeeeeeee! I love my job!!

My most favourite thing: Placed Glitter

I am a magpie. Any excuse to play with glitter, I will jump at the chance. I saw a blog called Polishallthenails, her designs are so amazing I took some inspiration from her. Placed glitter is really time-consuming, the nails above took me an hour per hand! (I had to take a dinner break in between each hand) but they are SO worth it, especially when done with CND Shellac which means they should last for a couple of weeks rather than days. My model was my mum and she was so patient :) but she loves the nails now and I think she'll be super sad when the time comes that they do actually need removing. What do you think of these pretties?

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Cath Kidston Nails With A Glittery Twist!

I've seen tons of Cath Kidston themed nail designs around this Spring and what is more perfect?! Pastel pinks, whites, roses! I just had to try it out myself, but if you know me at all you'd know I can't resist a bit of glitter! I did the whole design with CND Shellac in colours Studio White, Strawberry Smoothie and Gotcha because I unfortunately don't have the new Spring colours yet! I'm so behind, the Summer colours are out on Tuesday! The large glitters are holographic silver and holographic pink, and the fine is iridescent white. I can recreate these nails for clients in Shellac for £23-£25, they'll last at least 14 days!

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GLITTER (part 2)

I couldn't resist. I ordered more glitter.

I've added 4 more lovely shades to my fine glitter collection:

Holographic Purple

Holographic Pink

Holographic Silver

Kaleidoscope 

I absolutely love this pink - purple fade ♥

Team this glitter with Shellac to create Rockstar nails/Twinkle Toes

£21 in salon with Kazzmetics

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Beware Fake Shellac!

Too often I hear new clients complain about 'Shellac' and how it 'wrecked' their nails, the colour faded, it only lasted a couple of days instead of weeks or took "forever to remove" when they eventually did want it off. In a previous post I covered the importance of after care with a Shellac service, now I really want to make people aware of the risks of going to a salon where they use fake products.

Many companies offer gel polishes, for example Gellux, Gelish, Jessica GELeration, OPI Gelcolor, Artistic Color Gloss etc, these are not fake Shellac, they are simply different brands with different application and removal systems. CND were the first company to introduce a new style of hybrid nail polish that is cured under a UV lamp, and when paying for a CND Shellac treatment you need to be sure that this is what you are receiving! However there are copies out there of original CND Shellac that you need to be aware of.

Some nail technicians will advertise 'Shellac' as a treatment but buy fake products on-line for a fraction of the price and charge you the same as an official Shellac service, which means you won't always get what you paid for. Ask to see the bottles! Can you spot the difference? (images from Google/eBay)

CND Shellac does not cause any damage whatsoever when applied correctly (NO buffing required!), removed correctly (NO soaking or peeling off!), and you follow suitable after-care advice (solar oil!). This product has helped many of my clients with nail biting and it has helped them grow long, strong nails. To quote Sarah from iheartcosmetics.co.uk , "Would you buy a fake Audi TT and expect it to drive the same as a real one? Would you buy a fake Chanel bag and expect it to be as nice as a real one? Well buy fake Shellac off eBay and it's not going to perform as well as the real one either!"

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"Would You Risk It For A Chocolate Biscuit?" A complaint about ITV's Food Glorious Food. Gluten Free

On ITV's Food Glorious Food last night, Stacie Stewart, a so called "food expert", openly shared her ignorant and damaging ideas about what she "thinks" having to follow a gluten free diet is like, after Carol Vorderman described eating gluten free as a "fad". As if being a Coeliac, having to eat a controlled diet AND try to educate people about the disease isn't hard enough already, we have people in the public eye misinforming the nation. Having Coeliac Disease is NOT a fad, and it is NOT a life style choice (such as vegetarianism), it is a necessity. It is a life-long autoimmune DISEASE, the clue is in the name. It isn't rare, it affects 1 in 100 people in the UK alone, and it is a serious medical condition that can ONLY be controlled by diet, there are no medications or miracle cures.

Stacie Stewart is described by ITV as being the "Beehive Baker" - I'd question how a BAKER can be so uneducated and misinformed about Coeliac Disease and not know the consequences for some people when they eat certain ingredients? She works with bread and flour and cakes as a profession, and I can bet she's well aware of vegetarian/vegan products and wouldn't try force them on people who are against eating foods made with animal products. How is removing wheat/barley/rye from foods (for medical reasons) any different? Going on TV and suggesting to a man who follows a gluten free diet that he should just eat "what he wants" and "spend the next day on the toilet" is disgusting behaviour, it's attitudes like this that make eating out as a Coeliac increasingly difficult because most people who don't suffer from it just don't take it seriously enough.

There are short term symptoms that come with Coeliac Disease that most people are familiar with, it's the long-term implications that people don't seem to be aware of, and this needs to change. If a Coeliac person accidentally ingests gluten, they can suffer with symptoms such as sickness, diarrhoea, nausea, headaches, stomach cramping/bloating and more. If I asked you to eat a undercooked piece of chicken and let me know how you get on the next day, you'd have an idea of what its like, and I don't think you'd be in a rush to try it again. Then we get to the long term risks, iron/B12/folic acid deficiency, osteoporosis, stomach/bowel cancer, depression, infertility, repeated miscarrages. Would you risk it for a chocolate biscuit?

Following a gluten free diet is a pain in the ass, it's not a fad, it's not fun, it's hard work. We have to read labels on everything we eat, we have to pay double the price for a loaf of bread that is half the size of a regular one, we have to plan in advance to even eat out in restaurants, don't even get me started on when we go on holiday abroad, we can't eat 90% of things on a buffet at a party, and it's not because we're being "fussy" - it's vital that we do so. We literally have no choice.

Can I also point out that if Stacie Stewart can't make "unctuous and fabulous" gluten free desserts, then she's really not much of a baker. Thanks for reading, for more information check out Coeliac UK's website: www.coeliac.org.uk

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Shellac Aftercare Advice

You will absolutely LOVE your nails while you are wearing CND Shellac and it should last flawlessly for at least 14 days. It is very low maintenance and a lot stronger than regular polish, however it is not indestructible and it is important you follow this simple aftercare advice.

Treat your nails as Jewels - Not Tools
Be extra careful with your nails when doing chores around the house and garden or hobbies that are tough on your hands. It is recommended that you protect your hands with gloves while you are washing up or using harsh chemical products as some will dissolve Shellac.

Resist the urge to pick at them
In the unlikely event that you do accidentally chip or lift an edge of the Shellac coating, resist the urge to pick at them. Picking or pulling at the area will cause damage to your natural nail that is completely preventable. Instead, please contact me so that I can assess the nail and decide if a repair is necessary. Please note that charges may incur.

Use Solar Oil
Using CND aftercare products will substantially prolong the life of your Shellac manicure. Solar Oil is known as the 'miracle in a bottle' as not only does it replace lost moisture in your skin and cuticles, it keeps your natural nails healthy and flexible. Apply Solar Oil at least once a day (ideally at night before going to bed) and massage into your nails. You can buy Solar Oil from me for just £3. CND Hand lotion applied daily is also beneficial.

Treat Yourself
If you wish to temporarily change the colour of your nails, you can use regular nail enamel over Shellac. Remember to use an Acetone-Free Nail Polish Remover when you wish to remove the new colour between appointments.

If you go on holiday
Please be careful when using sun tan oils or insect repellent as many of these products contain solvents such as "DEET" which will dissolve Shellac. It is also important to dry your nails thoroughly after swimming and before sunbathing as Chlorine is a bleach and the sun will intensify the bleaching action which can result in colour fading.

Maintenance
When following this aftercare advice, your Shellac should only need fortnightly or three weekly maintenance because there will be obvious re-growth. At this point I can either remove your Shellac completely (which takes 10 minutes) or I can re-Shellac your nails (remove existing Shellac for half the usual price and re-apply a new colour).

Removal Process
I recommend you book a follow up appointment with Kazzmetics, as I use a special nourishing remover that soaks off Shellac in 8 minutes and I will finish the service with a mini-manicure so your nails look perfectly groomed. Alternatively if you wish to remove the product at home: Soak a cotton pad in Acetone, place it on the nail and wrap your finger in foil. After approximately 15 minutes, gently push the polish off the nail using an orange wood stick. DO NOT peel Shellac off your finger nails. I will not  take responsibility for any damage that occurs to the nails if you remove them yourself.

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A Little Portfolio

This is just a preview of some of the work I've done over the past 6 months.

I'll be doing posts every month but these are nails I did before I started the blog :)

Gel Extensions

Galaxy Nails

Glitter

Random Art Designs

© Kazzmetics 2012-2013

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Shellac Sweet Dreams Collection

This new selection of colours from CND Shellac will be available to buy in the UK from next week!

Which is your favourite shade?!

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GLITTER

I had tons of glitter arrive this morning. 

Best day of my life. 

You can never have enough glitter!!!

My fine glitter collection now consists of 13 shades:

Holographic Black

Gold

Holographic Gold

Old Gold

White

Light Blue

Holographic Blue

Green

Peacock

Lavender

Lilac

Hot Pink

Red

Team this glitter with Shellac to create Rockstar nails/Twinkle Toes

£21 in Salon with Kazzmetics

(THESE GOLDS ARE MY FAVOURITE!!!)

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

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Solar Oil

Solar oil is a product that I use religiously on all my clients and I seriously cannot recommend it enough! It contains Jojoba Oil which carries Vitamin D deep into your skin and nails to keep them smooth and supple. Its highly moisturising, and repeated use not only drives the oils deeper into natural nails and nail enhancements making them tough and flexible, but it can also help to reduce visible signs of aging. It is a natural anti-inflammatory that can be used on any inflamed/dry area of your skin including bites/burns/scars. It also smells lovely and doesn't stay feeling greasy! 

They don't call it the "miracle in a bottle" for nothing!

Ingredients and Benefits:

Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond Oil)

Softens and conditions skin and nails

Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba Seed Oil)

A deeply penetrating and natural moisturising oil that also

acts as a carrier to allow penetration of other conditioning ingredients

Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E)

Softens the skin and helps with prematurely aging skin

Oryza Sativa (Rice Bran Oil)

Parfum (Fragrance)

Directions for Use:

Apply daily to cuticles, top and underside of nails and massage into surrounding skin.

(You literally need the tiniest amount! I have 3.7ml bottles for sale for £3)

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Why Choose Shellac?

What is Shellac?

Shellac is a hybrid nail colour created by Creative Nail Design and is a mix of traditional nail polish and UV gel. In the words of CND:

"Shellac is the original and only Power Polish service, empowering you, the real woman, with 14+ days of superior color, no matter what life brings you. Set it and forget it. Practical and fearless. Improve your nails with an armor coat that says, "See you in 2 weeks"."

 The collection now consists of 35 stunning colours and with the ability to layer colours the possibilities are endless!

How is Shellac applied?

It is cured under a UV lamp and dries within seconds. No harmful buffing is required, instead a base coat is used to protect your natural nail and the colour coats are applied just like a regular polish. A standard treatment takes roughly 20 minutes and once complete, your nails are perfectly dry and ready to go!

Will Shellac enhance the length of my natural nail?

Shellac is not a nail extension, it is like a regular polish that lasts longer, although it can be used on top of existing nail enhancements.

How long will it last?

It will simply stay put until it grows out or you decide to remove it for another colour. It's guaranteed to last without chipping for at least 15 days, and depending on how fast your nails grow, you would only need a new manicure every 20 days or so. And as your toenails grow considerably slower than fingernails, Shellac will last literally months on them.

How do I remove it?

 You can get your Shellac removed in a salon, or you can soak a cotton pad with Acetone. Rubbing them over with a cuticle stick once the polish is softened will speed up the process.

Will it damage my natural nails?

Shellac will not damage your nails and actually helps to strengthen them, which makes it a perfect product for nail biters. If you struggle to grow your natural nails, try Shellac for two months and you'll be amazed with the results!

What if I want to change the colour for one day?

You can put any regular nail polish on top and as long as you remove it with Acetone-free nail varnish remover, it will cause no damage to the Shellac underneath. You could use a clear or nude Shellac to strengthen your nails and change the colour every day.

Get ready for the holidays!

Unlike regular polish, Shellac won't get ruined by sand and you can have perfectly manicured chip-free nails for the duration of your whole vacation!

For more information: The official CND website

And for my prices and services check out my website: kazzmetics.co.uk

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