#17 -- My Day and NOTD (Nail of the day) :).

Today I've been doing some workshops on my beauty course to gain more certificates so I have proof I can work with various types of products etc. Today was Hollywood Lashes and Phd (Professional, hygienic, disposable).

Hollywood Lashes to me was a slight disappointment as we were told it was going to be a full workshop, however it only ended up being a demonstration which to me seemed pretty pointless as it wouldn't allow us to learn alot, but I suppose it would allow those of the group to get a taster of something they may later go on to do as a full day course. We each got to put a few lashes onto the models eyes, this was very fiddly! It is definitely an effective but time consuming thing to have do. Getting the hang of where to put your hands and stuff got me all in a bit of a twist. The course is also quite expensive to do but in the long run it would be definitely worth it. I would possibly to the full course in the future. 

Phd which is a type of waxing was a lot better than the first workshop as we actually got to do some practical work. We learnt how to apply the wax properly and remove it quickly and effectively. Although nobody as quick as the tutor...that was fast work! For me the Phd wax system is a lot better to use than the spatula method as you can control it and the amount more. 

Next and finally I am going to show you my Nails of the day! I did them using my new nail stickers I showed off in the previous post from Superdrug.

For this nail of the day I used the dark pink nail polish which was in the Fearne Cotton Nails by Day pack which I got for my birthday, the nail stickers and a No7 So Strong top coat from Boots. 

This is what I came up with :), how pretty! Hope you all enjoy them as much as I do! :)

#16 -- Shopping & Nail Art :)

So last night I went shopping with the boyfriend and got a few bits and bobs I've decided to show you, I also got a couple of the items today when I popped out :). 

I am going to try and put some links into my blog to a few products, let's see if this works out as I hope it does :). 

As you can see from the picture above I bought the following:

Colour Radiance Shampoo & Conditioner - 75p each usually 99p each from Superdrug.

Beauty UK - Statement Nails - £4.99 from Select.

Andrea Fullerton Nail Enamel in "Sharon" - £5.10 from Superdrug.

Andrea Fullerton Nail Tattoos "Skull & Cross Bones" - £2.03 from Superdrug.

Kiss Nail Artist Rhinestones - £2.85 from Superdrug.

No7 Exquisite Curl Mascara in Black - £8.00 from Boots. 

(Usually £13.00 but Boots have brought back the £5.00 off No7 vouchers when you spend £5.00 or more in store :)).

Firstly I am going to show you the nail colours I bought by Beauty UK, I currently love pastel coloured nail polishes and these will be perfect for summer, they were only £4.99 for the set of 6 miniatures though I got them for £4.24 as I get 15% off in Select with my NUS extra card. 

The colours are: White, Peach, Lilac, Sky Blue, Mint Green and Slate.

This is how they come out:

My favourite at the minute is the Peach, but that's bound to change :).

Next I'll show you the Andrea Fullerton polish and nail tattoo's I bought. I have been looking for a pastel Grey nail polish for a while and this one is exactly what I wanted, it was a bit steep at £5.10 but I used my student discount (10% off in Superdrug) so it's all good. Then I got some nail tattoo's which I had seen a while ago but had waited until now to buy, these will be perfect for unique nail art and I look forward to wearing them on my nails or doing someone elses nails with them :). These were £2.03.

The Nail Polish can be bought here.

The Nail Tattoo's can be bought here.

Here is a swatch of the nail polish:

Right hand side is closest to the colour :)

 I also bought some more Rhinestone and Flower nail art stickers just too add to my collection. These cost £2.85 also from Superdrug.

Lastly I bought the new No7 Exquisite Curl Mascara in Black, this cost me £8.00 in Boots ,as I had a £5.00 off No7 voucher as the boyfriend spent over £5.00 in store and gave me the voucher, he knows me so well :). This should of been £13.00. I have yet to try this mascara as I am currently using up my other one which is also No7, I love there mascara's :), however it says on the tube "For beautiful curve and volume" which I assume from the reviews on the Boots website is true.

You can buy this here and read the reviews for yourself.

Now for the exciting part, I am going to show you the nail art that I have done so far using my new stickers, only 2 so far, but I thought I would show you anyways. 

For the first one I did I used my flower stickers. I painted the colour wheel nail in two coats of Barry M's Fuchsia, then when it was dry I placed 3 different sized flowers in a diagonal starting at the left top corner of the nail, I love the way this has come out it is very simple yet effective and pretty.

For the second one I did I used my Andrea Fullerton nail tattoo's. I painted the colour wheel nail in two coats of e.l.f's Black polish, then when it was dry I used two skull and cross bone stickers and placed them randomly on the nail. I love the way this has come out, it is very funky and unique. It will be perfect to use on my best mates nails, she will love it :).

And lastly my Mam let me do her Individual Lashes for her night out tomorrow...

#15 -- Pop over to Life of a Sweetaholic for a Sweet Competition :).

Head over to Life of a Sweetaholic's Blog for a Sweet Competition!!

(Link below) 

The winning prize is lot's of yummy sweets :).

http://sweet--rachel.blogspot.com/2011/02/sweet-weekend-competition.html

#14 -- College

As you all know from my about me I am currently studying for a Level 2 Diploma in Beauty Therapy. For a couple of years after leaving Uni after only 3 month I didn't ever think I would do anything to do with Beauty. However for a few months I did nothing but think of the course and what it might offer to me. I toyed with the idea for a few weeks and since I wasn't doing anything else as I didn't have a job, and I was beginning to get more into my nails and different makeup brands (makeup wasn't my thing until now, I rarely wore it infact), I decided I would take the plunge and go for it and try the course. In August 2010 I decided to enquire at the College about the course and within an hour of going I had my place on the course to start on the 6th of September.

I went to the Job Centre to talk to them about going back to College and they said as long as it was under 16 hours it would be fine, this sent me into a panic as I was doing the course full time. I went back to the College and got an appointment to change it to a part-time version of the course. I went the day before enrollment to see about the part-time course but she said as I was over 19 I wouldn't have to do key skills so my course would only be 14 hours long. Perfect.

The next day I went to enroll on the course and I was so nervous, but I had no need to be as the teachers on the course were so lovely about everything with me. The first day of the course came along a week later so fast, and I was so nervous! I felt shaky and sick. But in the end it was alright, we just had an induction to the course and got told what we were going to be doing on the course. It took me a few months to come out of my shell because yes I am an incredibly shy person in real life, but I'm happy and comfortable in everything now.

Now that I'm about 6 months into the course I have no regrets, not that I did to start with, I really enjoy the course, even the theory part of the course is really interesting :). So far in the course I have learnt, Facials, Manicures, Pedicures, Waxing, Eye Treatments and Eyelash Perming, in the next month or so I'm doing a few workshops such as Hollywood Lashes, PHD Wax Workshop, Choco Beauty and the thing I am most excited about, MINX NAILS :D, we are also doing a workshop for Ear Piercing and learning Nail Art. We have started doing real clients for assessments who come into the Salon for real treatments. They really help us to see what it may be like for us in the future, and so far I love it.

 When my Level 2 finishes in June I have decided after a long time of thinking I am going to do my Level 3, I also want to do evening classes in Acrylic and Gel Nails, and maybe a few other things to get some more experience and more to put on my CV.

After I have finished with College I would ultimately like to work in a salon doing Nails because that's what I enjoy the most, but I enjoy the rest as well. In a few years (10 possibly) I would like to own my own business or perhaps go mobile, only time will tell. But for now I'm loving what I'm doing.

I feel as though I may have finally found something I enjoy and I am good at :).

I have found some pictures for you of Salon's I like the look of :).

I love the chairs!

How relaxing!

#13 -- Crafts -- Card Making.

So, not a lot of you will know this but I make a lot of cards, I usually always sent out a handmade card for peoples birthday and all my Christmas cards this year were handmade. I make cards from anything and everything, I cut images off cards me or the family receive, love getting bits and bobs from the likes of Boyes, Hobbycraft, Dainty Supplies and small craft stores, I get my Art Deco pictures from a printing shop near Dainty Supplies in Washington :). At last count before the Paper Mill Shop shut down near to me I had 10 boxes of their A4 paper/card and 2 boxes of their A3 paper/card. I also make invitations, place settings, table designs, and sell my cards to family and friends for a small fee.
I have always loved being creative and last year card making really inspired me to bring out my creativity. I started about a year ago making mothers day cards and haven't really stopped since. What started out as a box of card and some stickers is now a huge box full of stuff in my room :). When making cards for family and friends I always try to find a image/sticker of something I know they will like. When I have got some pictures of the few cards I've made so far for my best mate I will definitely put them up as they are so her!

This is a Christening card for my mam's friends Daughter that I made usuing pink card, pink gingham backing paper, some gems, a cardboard greeting and forever friend bear stickers.

This is the mother's day card which I made for my mam, I seen this one in a magazine and immediately fell in love with it. I made it using grey and purple card, a floral backing paper, some gems, some silver letter peel offs, and lettered MUM forever friend bear stickers which came in a pack.

This the mother's day card I made for my Auntie to give to my Granny, I used white card, stuck on some backing paper, then cut the image out of a magazine and made it 3D by sticking and identical one over the vase of flowers with 3D foam pads, I used greetings from a card making magazine. My Granny loved this card.

This is the Christmas card I made for my mam to give to my Granny, It's made using A3 black card and various backing papers and an Art Deco lady from a printing shop in Washington.

This is the card I gave my Boyfriend for Christmas. I stuck ribbons and various backing papers onto a thin card blank, I used stickers I got in a christmas pack for the bauble stickers, and coloured in the robin and forever friend bear for the card and used 3D foam pads to attach them to the card. The letters are gold peel offs.The snow is also made out of gold peel offs.

This is a card I made for one of my friends for the birth of her son Noah. I got a blue card blank, used some ribbon across the bottom, and along the top I created a "washing line" effect using ribbon with lettered beads on it attached by craft pegs which you can't see in this picture, I then used baby stickers for the image in the middle and attached a cardboard greeting to the card.

Keep checking back to my blog to read more on my scrapbooking and cardmaking.
And also please feel free to comment on this blog or e-mail me on natsyp@gmail.com for prices of cards, I can make any card you like and personalize it for you.

#12 -- A Blog Poll

I know I haven't been on here for a few weeks, I've had so much to do with College work etc, but I will from now on be a better blogger :).
I have put up a poll down the side of my blog to see what you would all like to see as a giveaway on my blog, so please vote and keep checking back!

Thanks xx