Gel vs acrylic nails

2014 February 22. | Szerző: shannon

You want salon-perfect nails – but should you go for gel or acrylic?

There’s something about having gorgeous nails that just makes you feel much more glamorous. Particularly if you bite your nails, giving them that extra bit of TLC could break the habit and make you feel proud of your talons again. But with so many different ways of keeping them chic, what’s the right method for you? We’ve taken a look at some of the most popular so you can see just what’s at your fingertips when it comes to nail care.

Acrylics

The good:

Let’s face it – they look awesome. Acrylic nails are sturdy, shiny and what celebrities are made of. If you want to feel like an A-lister, head down to your local salon for a full set and you’ll come out feeling you’re stepping onto the red carpet. You can also get your beautician to add any array of gemstones, studs and stickers. If you end up taking off the original colour and paint over it at home, nail varnish also stays on acrylics for much longer than natural nails.

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The bad:

Simply put, they’re not great for your nails. You also need to think about the upkeep. Acrylics often need filling in every 3-6 weeks, which means a dent in your wallet. The nail bed can also get damaged and the acrylic nails can create a great breeding ground for fungus underneath (yuck). However as long as you clean them properly, you shouldn’t experience too many problems. It’s also important to get them removed professionally or you could damage your nails a lot.

Gel

The good:

The polish is applied under a UV light, which cures and hardens it and means that it lasts for around two weeks. Gel nails also look very natural and aren’t as talon-like as some acrylics, which means contact lens wearers won’t have as many near-misses when they insert their lenses.

The bad:

UV rays can be harmful for the skin, which means you should definitely apply some sunscreen to the backs of your hands before going for a gel manicure. An acetone finger bath is also needed for removal, which isn’t that kind on your nails.

Now that you have all the facts, it should hopefully be easier to pick the method right for you.

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Cleo de Nile Monster High Makeup Tutorial

2014 January 23. | Szerző: shannon

Cleo de Nile is the freakishly fabulous mummy ghoul from Monster High.

Here’s how you can copy Cleo de Nile’s makeup look for a costume party or for Halloween!

What you’ll need:

– darker foundation and powder

– eyeshadow primer

– purple and red eyeshadows

– ivory eye pencil

– white cream eyeshadow (optional)

– black liquid liner

– false lashes

– black eye liner pencil

– white eyeshadow

– red lip pencil and lipstick

– bronzer

Cleo de Nile Makeup: Face

Use slightly darker foundation to mimic Cleo’s mocha skin tone. Blend well into the skin to create an even canvas and set it with powder.

Cleo de Nile Makeup: Eyes

Prep eyes with a primer on both upper and lower eyelids, then use a purple eyeshadow on the upper eyelid and blend the edges with a burgundy red color. Use a clean fluffy brush with a rounded tip to create a smokey eye effect.

Define the area under the eyebrows by tracing a line with an ivory pencil. Create the effect of big, doll-like eyes using the same pencil on the lower lash line. You can even go over with a white cream eyeshadow to open up eyes even more.

Draw an exaggerated cat eye with liquid eyeliner and square out the outer corner. Add burgundy eyeshadow under the lower liner using a small, stiff brush.

Apply two pairs of false lashes on both upper and lower lash lines. Draw on Cleo de Nile’s strong eyebrows with a black eyeliner pencil, then highlight the brow bone with white eyeshadow.

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Cleo de Nile Makeup: Lips

Line the lips with a red pencil and fill them in with a burgundy lip color. Create an ombre effect by applying black eyeshadow to the outer edges and blend with the burgundy color.

Cleo de Nile Makeup: Finishing Touches

Draw on Cleo de Nile’s blue beauty mark on the left cheek or use a stick-on rhinestone. Then add bronzer to the cheeks, temples and jawline to warm up the skin.

Complete your Cleo de Nile look with an Egyptian style wing with long dark hair and straight across bangs.