Arty Nails

I love painting my nails as much as the next girl, in fact I think it's one of my favorite things to do! Ever since I was small I always got my mum to paint them. My nail varnish collection now has at least 50+ colours in it, and it usually takes me quite a while to decide which one I want to use.. and I always keep buying more and more! I feel naked without my varnish on!

Something thing that's become really popular in the fashion world in the last few seasons is nail art. It seems like everyone is having a go, and with the right skills and techniques you can create some really amazing patterns! Here some photos of ones I've tried:

Polkadot nails - Black base using the tip of the white brush to blob dots on.

Leopard Print nail foils from rebel nails - they have the most amazing selection on there!

Aztec nails - done by painting on coloured stripes, then using a black nail art pen to do lines and patterns, with coloured dots.

Ever since I tried nail foils I loved them! They're so easy to put on and take out the hassle of having to paint on the design yourself. They sell them now in most high street fashion stores (Topshop, Miss Selfridge, River Island ect.), but all the ones i've seen are at least £5, which unfortunately is not a student-friendly price for something you only stick on your nails to make them look pretty! However, I had the most amazing discovery in, you'll never believe, Poundland!!

Usually the cheap nail foils have really tacky/horrible designs, but as soon as I saw these metallic red heart ones in the tiny make up section I just had to get them! For £1 as well I thought you can't really go wrong. The stickers themselves where quite large, but they were easy enough to cut to the size of your nail. Surprisingly they were very very sticky, and stuck on very easily. All you had to do was file the excess off and voila! Manicure for £1! I put them on on a Monday and by Friday they were still stuck on, although they were peeling slightly so i decided to take them off, simply by soaking them in hot water. I was so surprised at how professional/expensive they looked, and how well they stayed on. Next time I go to Poundland I am definitely stocking up on some! :)
It's surprising how you can find the best things in the strangest places! Has anyone else got bargain beauty secrets?