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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