Diva Desle Festive Nails 2018

Hi Divas

This week I shall be sharing some of my holiday nail art with you. This post should have been done ages ago but there was always something new to review and I kept forgetting to do it. As most of you may know that I am a complete nail art addict. I absolutely love creating different nail designs and challenging myself in the process. When it comes to new ideas I definitely use Pinterest and Instagram as a source of inspiration. I like to find new designs and try to adapt it and make it my own. Nail art is an art form in which I love to express my creativity. I am in no way a qualified nail technician but just a lady having fun. Before this year comes to an end I wanted to share four of my festive manicures with you. Let me know what your favourite design is below.

Christmas Nails December 2017

For this design I wanted something festive yet regal. Kind of like Christmas in a palace feel, LOL. Since I will never be a princess and know what it's like to have a royal Christmas, why not live that through my nail art. I opted for a royal blue and festive red nail polish as the base colours. I mixed Rimmel Salon Pro in Brit Pop with Catrice in Get the Blues for the perfect blue. Essie in Limited Addiction was the perfect red to compliment the blue. Glitter, pearl and gold rhinestones as well as snowflake and a Christmas tree decal all sealed the deal in creating the perfect look. 

Birthday Nails January 2018
This glam look was all I needed to celebrate my birthday in style. I wanted it to be all things diva with an edge. I used two black and gold nail polishes by Tip Top a brand which sadly discontinued their products. I still have full bottles of their nail lacquers and I intend to use them till the last drop. For the glitter overlays I applied Sephora Collection nail polishes in Gold Fever and Fireworks. To achieve perfect geometric angles, I placed nail tape to corner off my shapes. I then painted my nails in black and gold. The trick is to wait for the nails to dry slightly and slowly pull off the nail tape. If you rip it off too early you will smudge the design. If you pull it off too late the polish will dry over the tape and it won't come off. This one takes some practice but it looks amazing when done right. I finished off the manicure with gold rhinestones.

Valentines Day Nails February 2018
Many people have mixed opinions about Valentine's Day. I personally like the idea of having a special day to celebrate love. Even though it can get super cliche and soppy, I view Valentine's Day as a license to be all lovey-dovey. It better be just for that day though. You know you got to cut it out when the clock strikes 12, LOL. My idea for the nail design was romantic, sweet and charming. For my two base colours I used Nails Inc Special Effects in Marylebone Lane for the beautiful glitter red and Wet n Wild in French White Creme for that crisp white. Again, I used a silver nail tape to create duo colour nail effects but left the tape on as part of the design. I drew a heart on my little finger with a dotting tool and applied pearls and stickers. I really liked the way this manicure turned out and definitely want to do something similar again.

Easter Nails April 2018
When it comes to Easter the colours are always playful and fun. For my design I really wanted to play around with as much pastel shades as possible. I was inspired by bunny ear head bands and decided to paint them on my nails too and use pearls as the headband structure. Polishes used are Sorbet Ice is Nice for the blue and Berry Special for the purple and Wet n Wild French White Creme for the white. Etude House Play in #8 for the pretty pink and a Tip Top yellow nail polish which is discontinued. I painted yellow speckled eggs and zigzag Easter egg patterns with a nail art dotting tool. I think it turned out pretty cute.

*****

I really hope you like my designs and get inspired too. Follow me on Instagram @divadesle to see more nail designs. Thank you so much for reading. Lots of love!

Divalicious Kisses
Xxxx

Essie Nail Polish Review:

Limited Addiction and Sew Psyched

Hi Divas

Winter is almost over in South Africa. I have not been wearing a lot of nail polish this chilly season due to my work. There were certain moments where I had to refrain from manicures due to characters I was playing on stage. I missed it so much because I love being experimental in my nail art and expressing my creativity. When I was allowed to paint my nails, I realised I stuck to two main shades; red and green. While looking through my nail varnish collection I realised that I had two Essie nail polishes which I had never used before. In fact I have never used the brand Essie before. Crazy I know, coming from a nail art and nail polish fanatic. Essie is an extremely popular nail lacquer brand and is known to be very reliable and versatile. I of cause was very excited to try out this brand for the first time. Both nail polishes are from a mini collection but are available in a bigger size. I have the shades Limited Addiction and Sew Psyched. These were perfect for the Winter season so I thought I would give it a try.

Essie Limited Addiction
I hardly wear red nail colours as I prefer playful pinks and pastel shades. This gorgeous red truly crept into my heart. I feel like this is the best tone of red I have ever worn. It is classy and sophisticated yet daring. I love that it looks so flattering on my hands. It does not give off a cheap or ditsy look. The colour is a little deeper in tint than in the photo above. It's a beautiful Winter red without being too vampy or dark. One coat of the polish applies quite sheer on the nails. You would need two coats for a full effect. I like the shape of the brush on the bottle. It coats the nails well and does not leave uneven application or streaks. After applying a top coat, the lacquer gives a lovely shine and lasts a really long time with minimal chipping. The polish does not look dull or flat. It's vibrant yet rich and perfect for the Autumn and Winter season. It would look great with any outfit too and can be worn to any occasion. It is very classy and would suite any age group. I definitely recommend it, if you are looking for a classic red.

Essie Sew Psyched
This is the most unique shade of green I have ever come across in a nail polish. Usually army green shades tend to look dirty and like a green swamp on the nails. Thankfully this one does not come across as a repulsive marshy swamp. Instead it gives the most beautiful extraordinary shade of green. It looks very attractive on the hands while not being predictable and boring. This is a type of shade that will surely get noticed in a crowd. I love that it is very versatile too. You can wear it with a classic dress to work or a dinner party. You could also wear it like a rebel to a rock concert with torn jeans and leather boots. This colour is not one dimensional at all and can adapt to your outfit and surroundings. One coat is very opaque and covers the nail well. With two coats you get the full effect of the polish. I love that the shade has a slight sheen to it. It does not have a flat monotone colour. It shimmers slightly in certain angles which gives the lacquer more depth. The lasting power is excellent with a top coat too. I recommend this one to any nail polish lovers out there.

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As mentioned above, this is my first time using the Essie brand and I am truly impressed with the quality of the nail polishes. I love the shades that I have worn and will totally purchase more. Let me know below if you have used the Essie brand and what your favourite colours are.

Thank you so much for reading.
Divalicious Kisses!

Xxxx