October Autumn Nail Designs

Autumn Nail Designs

Ink London Blood diamond with Swarovski. Beautifully rich red

Ink London Blood diamond with plaid

Cat eye effect gel polish and one stroke

Cat eye with sheer stocking effect gel polish and detailed bling

Pigments and stamping over pale blue gel polish

Magpie Eadie Glitter

Gelish caution with stamping

Nude polish with copper glitter

One stroke Poppy for Remembrance Day

Kruger national park nails pigment neon leopard

Nail ready for a Safari to Kruger National Park

Matte stocking effect nails with 3d detailing

Halloween nails in black, red and silver

Pastel animal print nails

Pink nails with 3d detailing, glitter and holographic pigment

Script stamping over french nails

Striping on navy nails

September Nails

Some of my September finger nail and toenail designs. Still catching up! What else to do on a rainy Dorset Sunday afternoon?

Pigment over gel polish toes with 3d petals

Acrylic extensions, aqua background with pink one stroke

Acrylic extensions with pink and gold sparkles

3d silver detail over black nails and a blingy glitter ring finger

Assymetric french with silver accents

Black, silver, chrome and Rockstar nails

Gelish Shake it til you Samba with 3d designer gel detail on fingers and toes

Gelish Tahiti Hottie with 3d designer gel detail on fingers and toes

Ink London Gel with Holgraphic pigment

Forbidden love with silver stamping

The Gel Bottle 146 and one stroke petals

Gelish with 3d silver gel and glitter on purple

Gel polish french with chrome silver swirls

Peach cobbler with onestroke and bling

Starburst with one stroke, holo pigment and gems

Starburst, Lilac with one stroke, holo pigment and gems

One stroke on french nails

Gelish Tahiti Hottie with 3d designer gel detail on all nails

Tahiti hottie with bling

August 2016 Nails – eventually!

I’ve let myself get a little behind in posting the latest nails to the blog. Next few posts are just catching up!

To keep up to date and see my latest designs see my Facebook Page here.

Reverse french acrylics with pink and blue glitters

Onestroke roses painted over french nails

One stroke butterfly on Ink London gel polish

Illumina Gel Polish on fingers and toes. It’s impossible to capture the colours in these. Purple in one light, blue in another and green in another!

Gel polish with pigments, glitters and 3d designer gel detail

Gel polish with pigments and 3d designer gel detail

Blue chrome effect nails

Super holo over pink gel polish

Glitter base with double stamping in black and gold

Cat eye effect with purple and pink flicks

I’d forgotten I did these. Hand painted for a photo shoot. Geometric designs inspired from a pinterest picture

Valentine’s Day

Valentine’s Day is here again! Lots of hearts and flowers on the nails. Have you any plans for tomorrow?

I’ve taken a day off as I have the house to myself so it’s going to be a play day, this time I need to get ahead so probably do some Easter themed nails, Spring nails… summer… I can’t wait!

Valentine Nails with hearts and foil detail

Red and Black ombré Valentine Nails with hearts

I took part in an online course yesterday via Periscope with Dega Mosane in which she showed various One Stroke, Zhostovo and Foil techniques. That’s on the agenda tomorrow too. I have a set of lashes to do later this afternoon then no more clients til Wednesday so lots of time to get messy and get all my pretties out! Pics to follow.

I’m also working on my new site www.lcbta.co.uk which was launched last week. You will find nail and beauty training courses here which I am adding to all of the time. I’m off to Plymouth on Friday for advanced training in various techniques and skills, more details to come! I also have a new Facebook page linked to that site. Come along and have a look.

One Stroke Christmas Cakes

Charity Christmas Cakes – Painted with One stroke technique

Back in November I agreed to decorate 2 cakes for Christmas for a a Devon Hospital Charity. My client Cath’s husband Tom has made 13 cakes and has decorated 11 of them beautifully. Cath and I had spoken about the One stroke wedding cake I painted last year so I agreed to decorate 2 of the cakes for charity.

To begin – the bare cakes

Ready to start. The bare cakes

I played around a little on card before I committed brush to cake. Using powdered food colouring pigments and alcohol I painted both cakes slightly different to each other. I painted an assortment of Poinsettia, holly, ivy and stylised Christmas trees aided by a glass of wine or two.

2 x One Stroke Christmas Cakes

Work in progress. It’s hard not to rest on the icing and squash it in.

Cake 1 on the turntable – one stroke in progress

Cake 2 on the turntable – one stroke in progress

These cakes are FULL of fruit. I had them on a small turntable which made painting them much easier. The leaves and petals were painted using the One Stroke method which makes painting quick and easy. Details are added after the main leaves are painted. I used a variety of flat brushes, angled brushes and fine detail brushes and kept to a mainly Red and green palate.

Finished Cakes

Tom decorated 11 of his cakes but decided he’d like to learn how to paint them with One Stroke so he has had his first lesson. Watch out next year for his decorated cakes!

The finished cakes.

Paw Patrol Nails

The Brief

Marshall from Paw Patrol Nails. Anyone who knows me knows I do not do Cute! I had to do minions last year and hated every minute of it. I’ve painted penguins, snowmen, reindeer all under duress.

This time I was sent a picture and asked to create a picture on a lady’s nails for her son’s birthday party. After a quick Google I discovered it was Marshall from Paw Patrol. There’s so much merchandise for this and I had never heard of it!

The Preparation

I figured I really needed to practice on swatches first, glass of wine in hand, Netflix playing Sons Of Anarchy… I was all set! NOT as easy as I first thought! The eyes. So hard to get them not looking cross-eyed. The position was hard too as I kept making it too far over so his fireman’s hat was hanging off the nail. Eventually I created these 2.

I chose a black and a white gel base for contrast. Painted using acrylic paints and a size 0 brush with details painted using Team Gorgeous Dita brush.

Marshall Design on the Nails

Natalie came in Friday for the actual nails. She decided to have the other nails in the colours of the other Paw Patrol Characters with little paw prints on them. The end result was very bright and met with her son’s approval. Can’t wait to see the party pictures!

Bespoke nail art is always a pleasure, I love a challenge and trying new ideas. I wonder what’s next? I flat out refuse to do minions though!

Susie’s Nail Art

Floral Design Hand Painted Custom Nail Art – Susie Edwards

Susie’s always loved Shellac Hot Chillis, and being a florist, began having hand painted flower nail art on accent nails. Over the years these have progressed to ladybirds, robins, toadstools and even a painting of her little dog Nutty. One Stroke poppies, pansies, seasonal designs with holly, ivy, Halloween designs and her favourite classic Dior Half Moons which she used to practice in the sixties, also being a model for the Dior School.

With reinforcement over her natural nails and regular IBX treatments Susie’s nails have remained strong and healthy and her nail art is a talking point wherever she goes!

Ladybird Nail Art on a leaf

Holly Nail Art just in time for Christmas

Halloween Nail Art – pumpkins and spiders webs

Cat Eye effect polish with Dior Half Moons and silver accents

Handpainted butterfly nails on teal

Red nails with hand painted floral accents

Shellac with ladybirds

Classic bare lunulas with gold accents

Robins painted onto an ombré base

Shellac with Poppies

Pansy nail art

Ladybugs on a leaf nail art

Ladybirds on classic red

Seasonal Ivy Nail Art

Little frog nails

Classic Dior half moons with silver edging

Butterfly Nail Art

Bumble Bees handpainted onto accent nails

Susie was off on a holiday and wanted a reminder of her little dog Nutty. I painted a few samples first before attempting it on her nails. Remembrance Day was also coming up so I did a One Stroke poppy on her right hand accent fingernail.

Nutty Cockerpoo on Ipad with Susie holding it showing her accent nails

Practising painting and drawing Nutty

Nutty Cockerpoo and Handpainted Poppy Nail Art

Poppy Nail Art for Remembrance Day 2014

Handpainted Robins on a twig nail art

One Stroke Poppies

Snowdrops hand painted onto accent nails

Toadstool Nail Art – or is it mushrooms!

Practising shamrocks and Guinness designs for a trip to Dublin

Dublin nails – with shamrock nail art

It’s Officially Summer – Get Your Toes out!

Summer Toes

Pastel Gel Polish on toes with diamantes

We’ve had the longest day, things get shorter from here. Even with all this wet weather you can still have some bling and pretties on your toes! Mine are covered in little crystals to cheer up the cold days. I’m sat here with boots on as my feet are freezing but my toes look fab! Cat Eye Effect has been popular on toes this month but the favourite has been the pastel toes on Carley in the picture on the right. I rebuilt her big toenails as she had dropped a cast iron pan on her foot last year and it’s still growing out!

Mole End Design News

Time’s been short this month, lots of nails, lashes, brows, toes and threading. Monday is day 5 of Holly’s Gorgeous Nails UK Signature Acrylic Course. She’s doing really well and I have no doubt she will be a great Acrylic Nail Technician. More courses will be coming soon. I’m off on an Educators’ Course later in July so I hope to be bringing fresh skills back to Dorset! For more info email me.

I’ve been playing with 3d acrylic and 3d gel lacework. My favourites are the daisies. Still need lots of practice but it’s lovely to play. It’s always hard to find the time, but I love putting on Netflix and grabbing a glass of wine and having a go! More glitters and sparkly things have arrived and I have loads of ideas, just need to knuckle down and get on with it!

3d Acrylic and 3d Gel practice sheet

Ink London with Angel Magpie Glitter

Bubblegum pink with diamantés

Pigment fade over Acrylic with double stamping Design supplied by client via Pinterest

Cat Eye Effect in Emerald

Cats Eye and Stamping

Cat Eye Effect

Reverse French Acrylic Overlay turquouse and lilac with swirls – Design supplied by client via Pinterest

Nude Gel Polish over Acrylic Enhancements with Daisies and glitter

A Short May

Back to Work – a short month of May

I returned to work May 13th and suddenly summer was here! It’s always a squeeze after a holiday – everyone is reading for their infils, both nails and lashes, brow top ups and suddenly everyone wants to bare all as the sun shows it’s face!

Just a few pics of some of May’s work.

Reverse french acrylic infil using Sparkle Cover Pink, Snow white and 3d lace effect embellishment.

French Acrylic infil

Reverse French glitter mani with one stroke flowers. My holiday nails had seen better days, they lasted so well on holiday but on returning, unpacking, loading suitcases into the attic etc, it was time for a fresh set. I couldn’t decide what I wanted so this was the result of my playing, and a glass or 2 or wine!

Acrylic reverse french with one stroke

Reinforced Gel Polish nails with individual rhomboid glitter on ring fingers and pink chunky glitter on remaining fingers and thumbs. This really sparkles!

Harlequin Glitter Nails

Turqouise Cat Eye Effect with gold tear drop diamanté detailing on ring fingers

Turquoise Cat Eye effect

Elegant French with One Stroke flowers and diamanté detailing

French with One Stroke

Illumina Gel from Germany. This is a lovely gel, there are 7 colors in the range and they change colour depending on how the light hits them. They’re like exotic beetle jackets! Here I have used number 1 with a sliver of silver thread to accent the sides of the nails

Illumina Gels with silver thread

Colours starting to go light for summer. Pastel gels with co-ordinating pastel glitters over.

Pastel Glitter

Matte Gelish Night Reflection with dew drops over the top. A popular design

Night Reflection with dots

French with hand panted little roses and colourd diamanté details. Client’s pictures, I forgot to take a pic. I love the way she’s used the buttefly backgoround!

It’s Been a While!

I can’t believe the last blog post I did was back in April! Now it’s summer already… according to the calendar at least! Things have been hectic for me. I’ve been on holiday, teaching, petsitting, nursing and of course doing my nails, lashes and brows. I really have neglected all social media.
Facebook reach is appalling and it seems such a waste of time to post on there as no one seems to see it anymore. Other places I post get a much better response so I have let it slip! Find me on:
Instagram www.instagram.com/moleenddesign
Twitter: @molenaildesign

I had a lovely holiday in Barbados then it was back to work with a vengeance. Summer had sneaked up on us so suddenly everyone wants to get their fingers and toes fit for summer airing and holidays are looming! Lash and Brow Treatments have been popular for holidays, Lash Lift especially with it’s zero maintenance appeal. Lash Extensions are a must if you want the full on fluttery glamour, with a few coloured lashes added to the outer sweep for the more adventurous.

I have new gel colours and effects in for the Summer months, with Cat Eye Effect being most popular at the moment followed closely by pastels. Neons are always great for the beach or even just fine days!

Special Offers

All new Special Offers and Discounts will be emailed out to members of the Special Offers Newsletter Club. Click here to join. I will send a voucher each month to be either printed or downloaded to your phone, just present it to me and receive your discount. Join now and get ready for July Special Offers! I’m off on an advanced Nail Course at the end of July so look out for August Offers incorporating this!

I have a long list of ‘Things To Do’ still, Stationery and Loyalty Cards being top of the list. The website Galleries still need to be sorted out and organised in a way which works.

« Older posts

Newer posts »