Glitter Gradient + Studs

Hello,

These nails are not very original, but this was a manicure I came up with during the week. First of all, I wanted to try out another Hypergel, so I picked Naked Glow. This is the nude shade, and I love nude polish. It's also fab because at work, eye-catching nails aren't really encouraged, so I'm always looking for nice nude shades. Here it is before I added anything. I do think, as shown in the second pic below, that it's not as dark or as brown-y as shown in the swatch on the bottle lid. This is a bit annoying because I already have a really similar nude shade (Lychee by Barry M) and thought this one might be a bit darker. I still like it though!

I painted my nails with two steady coats of this polish, and didn't have any issues with application. Like Cerise Shine, it has such a smooth and shiny finish! The only problem with a beautiful finish like this is that any tiny imperfection, like a scuff or nick to the polish, or a tiny bubble or lump in the application really stands out - to me, anyway! Also, I can't just leave my nails plain any more- I must add something! So I picked up Southern Lights, which is another of my new Models Own goodies. I used this polish to create a glitter gradient on my nails - one of my favourite quick-and-easy looks. This polish is beaaaauuutiful, but a bit thick to use in a gradient I think. I can't wait to use it as a full mani, though! It gives such good coverage!

I also added an accent nail using some pastel-coloured studs I got from Born Pretty Store ages ago, and never actually got round to using despite them being so awesome! I picked a kind of nude/orange shade to match the polish, and a pale blue to match the glitter, and stuck them on into a wet topcoat, with a further topcoat to seal them in. 

I really like these nails, and was really chuffed when Models Own posted my photo of them on twitter, after I'd posted them to Instagram yesterday. Yay for social media - I got a lot of likes and even a few more twitter followers! Very happy!