I really, really wish you could do that to my nails, but nooooo! Just black with teal glitter. 
(But I promise I will pick you up and admire you from a distance. Love, forever yours)
ISADORA GRAFFITI NAILS 79,-NOK
Endelig en loo jeg kan legge på neglene mine. Det serrøft ut, og jeg kan kombinere med mange farger. På bildet er det lagt et sort underlag ogs er det lagt ett strøk med Graffiti "Hvit", som krakkelerer.
Im gonna do this in pastell!
ELSK, Vi har de på KICKS <3
For mere updates på negler. Stikk innom bloggen Neglelakkmani!
I’m in love with this combo done by LipGloss Bitch with Isadora Graffiti Nails!
Dere må sjekke ut denne kobinasjonen fra LipGloss Bitch, elsk!!
Den skal kopieres! 
Ja, (med bil altså) da pakker jeg alltid denne kofferten full. Det ble stor suksess, og mange jentekvelder rundt kjøkkenbordet med lakking og Konadstempling. Jeg tror ikke en eneste kvinnelig gjest forlot foreldrene mine sitt hus uten å ha testet ut lakk eller en fersk manikyr og pedikyr. Godt flasken med neglelakkfjerner var stor. 
Min tenåringsniese fikk dyreprint negler med OPI Over The Taupe og Konadstempel i fra bildeplate m 57, tror hun ble fornøyd.
Så om du kommer fra en familie med overvekt av østrogen så er dette noe jeg vil anbefale videre. Mannen påstod at han fikk østrogenoverdose da vi holdt på som verst og flyktet ut på verandaen. 
So this is my vacation kit. LOL! Luckily we traveled by car so all the pretties was safe. The females in my family had a blast sitting in the kitchen painting our nails and Konading, I don’t think any female guest left the house without trying out some polish or a full manicure and pedicure.
I did a animalprint on my teenage niece, with OPI OTT and Konad m 57, I think she liked it.
A few days ago I painted my nails with Essie’s Raisinnuts, a sort of muted, soft red. It was pretty enough, but I found it rather boring. Then, yesterday I wanted to show my youngest sisters the magic of Essie’s Matte About You, a topcoat that makes any polish appear matte. And Raisinnuts suddenly looked magical, like frosted, stained glass with a very elegant glow. I felt so inspired I wanted to combine them with everything in my closet… then I remembered I am in Harstad at the moment, and have packed very light. But Polyvore is always there to save the day, huzzah!
Matte Nails: Disorderly Danger by mariaairam
I wouldn’t have considered wearing anything like this a year ago, but my taste seems to be expanding a lot nowadays. This outfit is slightly inspired by Queen Michelle from Kingdom of Style, especially considering the combination of the soft, draped dress and the more brutal shoes and rings. Black lipstick is tricky to pull off, but I think I’d risk it with this outfit, as it makes such a statement.
Matte Nails: Cozy Jane by mariaairam
I watched Jane Eyre the other day with Boo, and although I hardly think Jane would approve of all those laces and luxuries, this outfit is still inspired by her. It’s not too matchy-matchy, but as everything is kept in warm, natural shades it kind of goes together anyway. That robe is perfection; some would argue it doesn’t serve its purpose as it doesn’t cover you up, but I adore it anyway. The cat-eye glasses are a nice touch, too, as they’re a bit eccentric.
Matte Nails: Festive Fire by mariaairam
If I was going to a music festival this summer, this is what I would wear: a high-waisted pair of shorts, a tank top, some lacy lingerie and big hair. All right, a curling iron might not be very realistic for a festival, but I’m allowed to dream. A backpack is perfectly practical for running around with your hands free, and sunglasses are a must, of course. Matte nail polish is the perfect way to ensure it still has a touch of class so it doesn’t look too hippie-esque.
Matte Nails: Pretty Peach by mariaairam
There’s something about pairing peaches and dark reds that make my knees go weak. Those shorts are insanely gorgeous, and if I could find them I’d have bought them even though white is impractical and transparent and besides, I shouldn’t be shopping now. Phew. Some colours just look fantastic with golden blonde hair, don’t you think? And this has got to be the perfect hat-hair style.
Which outfit is your favorite?
Våren er tiden for pasteller og duse farger. Nå gjør sommeren sitt inntog og sterkere farger trer ut på motearenaen. Kjendisene er selvsagt med på trenden; deres velstelte negler er allerede lakket i hotte neonfarger.
På MTV Movie Awards troppet både Katy Perry, Lindsay Lohan og Kristen Stewart opp med knæsje farger på fingertuppene. Katy Perry kjørte svenske farger; knallgule negler til sitt knallblå hår, Lindsay Lohan hadde sjokkrosa tipper på sin franske manikyr og Kristen Stewart gikk for en grønn lakk.
Her er det bare å la fantasien og humøret bestemme! Vær søt og sexy med rosa lakk, eller mer vill og vågal i gult eller grønt. Noe av det hotte med neonfarger på neglene er at det vil fremheve brunfargen din! Love it!
SHOPPINGTIPS:
Rosa lakk i fargen “Pink Punch”, fra Models Own, pris: 9 USD
Neongrønn lakk i fargen “Lime Light”, fra Models Own, pris: 9 USD
Orange lakk i fargen “Tangerine Queen”, fra Models Own, pris: 9 USD
Neongul neglelakk i fargen “Lemon Sherbet”, fra Models Own, pris: 9 USD
Sett med 8 neglelakker; “Kings of Neon Collection”, fra Nails Inc, pris: 37 USD
Knæsj lilla lakk i fargen “Bermuda Shorts”, fra Essie, pris: 16 USD
Lilla neglelakk, fra H&M, pris: 49 NOK
I know there’s been a lot of nail posts lately, but please bear with my obsession for one more post. You see, I’ve found the most wonderful product and a wonderful web store, so of course I have to share it with you. The product first, then: Nfu. Oh Cuticle Remover. If you’ve been reading this blog for a while you’ll remember my joy when discovering Lush’s Lemony Flutter, as it gave my cuticles some much-needed moisture. Well, I still wasn’t completely happy; let me show you why.
Yes, this is polish (“Gold” by H&M) that’s about three days old. See how a gap has formed between my cuticles and the polish? This always happens to me as my cuticles grow really far up on my nail. I have the choice between leaving this area free of polish, or see the polish fall off after a day or two. Topcoat doesn’t help, either, which means no manicure will last me for more than maximum three days. But nevermore!
It’s still not 100% perfect as I was a bit scared of overdoing it on my first time, but you can see a huge improvement already. The cuticles now stay down where they’re supposed to be, giving me a nice, clean edge along which I can paint my polish. No more annoying flaking! The best part? It’s so easy.
1. Buy the Nfu.Oh Cuticle Remover. I got mine from Viis Ilusalong, which I found through Neglelakkmani‘s links in the sidebar. It’s located in Estonia, has very fast shipping (I placed my order on June 9., received it on June 14.), and label the package as a gift automatically, which is good if you’re ordering for more than the customs limit. To find the cuticle remover go to “online-store”, “professional liquids”, then “nfu.oh liquids”, it costs $9.40.
2. Ride your bike to the post office as fast as you can to get your stuff, then home again.
3. Take a shower. This isn’t necessary, but it does help with softening the cuticles before you start (plus, after that hefty bicycle ride you probably need it anyway).
4. Put a layer of the white liquid on your cuticles (bottom and sides of nail). Wait a minute or so. Then, if you’re cuticles are very overgrown like mine, apply a second coat.
5. Use a wooden stick – preferably one designed for fixing nails, but a small barbecue stick might do the trick if you’re desperate (I was) – and scrape it along your nail where you want the cuticles to come off.
6. Squeal in glee while you (in Laquerized’s words) “watch the gunk come off“.
7. Rinse, then moisturize like a mad woman. The previously mentioned Lemony Flutter does an excellent job.
This Nfu.Oh-stuff is just as good as all those polish blogs out there say it is. I’ve previously tried Depend’s cuticle cleaner, which didn’t do anything at all, but the Nfu.Oh-version is a completely different matter.
Voilá! Perfect cuticles.
I want hands like these when I get older. Image linked to the source, of course.
Your hands and nails say a lot about you, and nowadays it’s become quite a trend to paint and decorate them. If you’ve just entered into the world of nail polish and find it a bit overwhelming, here are a few tips to help you along.
1. The skin: Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize! Use a good hand lotion, preferably one with SPF, and protect them with rubber gloves while washing dishes and floors and such. Using a scrub on them once a week isn’t a bad idea either.
2. The cuticles: For you newbies, the cuticles are the transition from your skin to the nails. If they are dry, they tend to look flaky and can cause hangnails (nothing dangerous or permanent, but it can hurt a lot). The first step to healthy cuticles is… moisturize, moisturize, mo – yeah, you get the idea. My HG (“Holy Grail”) is Lush’s Lemony Flutter Cuticle Butter (click for my review), and I now have nice cuticles for the first time in my life.
Moisturizing is the most important thing, but there is a whole science behind the truly amazing cuticles. Lacquerized is my absolute icon when it comes to this, and as she’s written a fantastic post on how to have happy cuticles, I suggest you head over here for more information.
3. Nail polish – the base: A good base coat is a must if you’re using coloured polish, as otherwise your nails can get stained from the polish. There are lots of base coats/clear polishes with “special powers”, like strengthening, ridge-filling and this’ll-make-your-polish-stick-to-the-nail-until-you-choose-to-take-it-off (more on that later). These clear ones are good if you want a natural look, too, as they help protect the nail.
Before you put any polish on, though, remember to only put polish on squeaky clean nails. The slightest hint of grease and your polish won’t stay on as long, so wash properly, or swipe your nails with a little nail polish remover before you start.
4. Nail polish – the colour: My main problem is how to pick a colour, as there are so many available these days. Once you’ve found one you like, though, you can head over to this great guide by Lacquerized on how she paints her nails. Some general tips:
5. Nail polish – finishing touches: A clear topcoat protects your coloured polish, making it last longer. You can even add a new coat of topcoat every other day or so to aid in maximum duration. For you brave ones or the perfectionists: a lot of the more advanced nail girls are talking about “clean up” – here is Lacquerized’s excellent post on the subject.
6. Polish removal: Eventually you’ll have to remove the polish , preferably before or when it starts peeling (I can’t help but find peeling polish a bit tacky, and I sing in a rock band and everything!). There are a variety of removers out there, with and without acetone. Without is the best, as it’s less drying for the nails and cuticles, but can also demand a little more work.
The easiest way to remove the polish is to put a little remover on a cotton pad, then simply hold the wet bit on your nail for about five seconds. Then press the cotton pad firmly against your nail and “slide” the polish off. This method allows the remover to do its job, and helps prevent polish traces on your skin. If you didn’t get all the polish off at once, just repeat the process one more time on the same nail. No rubbing required!
7. Shape and length: This has a lot to do with personal preferences. When my nails get longer than four millimeters, I get chills and have to run for the scissors. And yes, I do use scissors (I have some orange ones from Fiskars that are amazing), but I always cut a millimeter or two above where the whiteness of the tip starts (this prevents them from becoming painfully short). Afterwards I use a nail file to even out the edges – and remember that a glass file is much better for your nails than those metal or sandpaper versions.
For more info on this, here is (another!) great guide by Lacquerized, this time on how to shape nails.
8. Inspiration: WARNING. THESE LINKS MIGHT LEAD TO UNEXPLAINABLE LUSTING OVER A PARTICULAR NAIL POLISH, A SUDDEN VENTURE INTO THE WORLD OF KONAD OR WATER MARBLING, OR A PURCHASE OF A ZILLION TINY RHINESTONES, AND SHOULD BE APPROACHED WITH CAUTION. Ye be warned. For hundreds of inspirational pictures, I like Lacquerista, Fuckyeahprettynails and Fuckyeahnailart. For more in-depth info and tutorials, visit Nihrida, Emerald Sparkled and Norwegian Neglelakkmani.
Good luck!
The nails for my vocal exam. Very sparkly, quite time-consuming and slightly unpractical for everyday wear (the glitter won’t stay completely flat, not even after seven (!) layers of topcoat).
My drummer’s set list for today’s vocal exam. The numbers represent “bpm” (beats per minute), and yes, that’s my lipstick mark. I did that on all the programs to give them a more personal twist.
My Saturday was like this. Ah, simple life.
The skies at 11 p.m. yesterday. Northern Norway is very pretty nowadays, with the midnight sun and all.
I’d heard so much praise about Lush’s Lemony Flutter Cuticle Butter, and was desperate to acquire a box of my own. I went to their Norwegian online store (click here for the international site), but decided I wasn’t quite desperate enough to pay 99,- NOK in shipping for such a little thing. Fortunately darling Cindy lives in Oslo, and sent me a box a few weeks ago.
First of all: I have very dry hands. Dishwashing without gloves is impossible, and after a full day of doing laundry my hands feel like sand paper. I’ve always envied girls with pretty hands, and especially the ones with perfect cuticles (Laquerized is my ultimate cuticle role model).
– Warning! Starved cuticles below! —
In case you didn’t know, the cuticles are the transition from the nail to the skin of the fingers. As you can see, mine are rather dry and flaky – this is how they always look when I come out of the shower. Regular hand lotion simply doesn’t cut it, but the Lemony Flutter is fantastic!
This is after a very thin layer (the butter is rather sticky, and I had things to do), so the effect isn’t insanely impressive, but you can still see some major improvement. Normally I’ll put on a larger amount of the stuff before I go to bed, and I wake up to the happiest fingertips I’ve ever had.
As for the butter itself, it looks like this. *points to picture above* You can see I have only used product from the lid, not the actual box yet, as you need just a tiny bit on each finger. The smell is a bit strong, like lemon mixed with some sort of cleaning product. I think it’s perfectly tolerable, one of my friends joyfully shouted “IT SMELLS LIKE CANDY!” when I opened the lid, and some people simply cannot stand it. It’s still the best goo I’ve ever put on my cuticles, and they’re looking better each day.
Have any of you tried this stuff? Opinions?
How much time do you spend on your looks during a week? And of what does your regular pampering routine consist? Here is mine, just in case you, too, find these things fascinating.
Every day: Evening primrose oil. Brushing teeth & flossing, morning and evening. Deodorant and perfume (Chanel no5). Hand lotion, lip balm. Usually some kind of hair product. If it’s a makeup day: concealer & foundation (from Tikei), blush (BeneTint), dark brown shadow to fill out my brows, mascara, and either some dark brown, smudged eye makeup or a strong lip. Makeup remover in the evening.
Shower routine: shampoo (twice) and conditioner. Fixing legs and such furry places. Exfoliate face, scrub feet. Washing body. Afterwards: moisturizer on face and neck, body lotion (normally just on legs and arms, I’m lazy). Deodorant, perfume, some kind of hair product.
A few times a week: protein or moisturizing hair treatment. Manicure. Moisturizing face mask. Plucking eyebrows.
I could improve in these areas: pericures! Moisturizing face daily (with SPF). Take better care of cuticles. Eye cream (with SPF). Heat protection in hair before styling. Experimenting more with hair & makeup.
What does your routine look like?
And don’t forget my GIVEAWAY, darlings!
That’s right, it’s giveaway time! The main goodies are the two nail polishes above: Grape Pop from China Glaze and National Velvet by Essie (both brand new, of course). The colours are fairly correct in this picture, the one from China Glaze is a rich, but wearable purple, while National Velvet is a shimmery red that hints of raspberry (it’s perfect for creating your own Moulin Rouge-moment).
I also included some pretty sparkly things, as you can never have too many, right?
Rhinestones! Use them for your nails (dip them in some clear polish, let dry for a bit, then seal with a layer of topcoat) or your face (I use eyelash glue to make sure they stay in place all night). I like that they’re so small, since they look more expensive and elegant this way. The darkest ones in the bottom right corner are actually black and opaque, by the way, and there is approximately 720 rhinestones altogether.
This is 1 gram of golden-green glitter, which can be used for both nails and face. The particles are very fine, so you can use just a little if you want a subtle effect, or layer it if you want to be the green fairy…
Three rather different kinds of nail stickers: pretty white florals with coloured glitter, bright flowers in warm tones and (my personal favourite) the Chanel logo in gold. I don’t normally like obvious logos, but these will look classy no matter what you pair them with, so I fully approve. And stickers are applied in seconds, so you can have fancy nails in no time at all.
The rules: simply leave a comment below, and make sure you write down your name and e-mail address in the designated area. You don’t have to own a blog to participate, but the giveaway is only open for Norwegian residents (sorry, my international darlings!).
I’ll draw a lucky winner in a week from now, Friday the 7th of May, then e-mail the winner (to get the address) and ship the goodies as soon as possible. And before you ask, no, I’ve not obtained a sponsor. I won the purple polish in a giveaway, but it turned out not to be completely my thing. I bought the Essie polish on my recent trip to Oslo, and the rest of the things were purchased by me from Neglemakeriet, or received as freebies from the same shop. I do hope you like it!
I’m in a city called Jessheim to watch my sister in a play (she’s got the lead, and she’s marvellous. Marvellous, I say!). Mum and I have been killing time with a little shopping, and today at Bianco I found the most magical shoes I’ve ever seen.
Can you believe the sheer perfection of these shoes? In daylight they’re a pale grey colour, and in lamplight they get this purple tinge. Add the sparkling diamonds and the shoes actually being comfortable, too, and you’ll surely understand why I’m so in love. The only thing better today was seeing my sister on stage (yes, Cookie, I’ll keep saying that until it’s imprinted in your head for the rest of your life).
I also found a lot of Essie polishes on sale – they’re normally 149,- NOK and these were only 50,-, huzzah! I’ve realized that although I’ve got lots of blues and greys, my nail collection is rather sad in the red-department. That’s why I got (from the nude one and towards the right): Angel Food (can you believe that name?), National Velvet, Hot Commodity, Jag-U-Are and a pretty little thing from Star Gazer, nr. 245. The colours actually don’t look like this, but my camera struggled in the lamplight and I was tired. Better pictures some other time!
The eyelashes are from the same place as the polishes (as shop called Visage), and the headband is from Gina Tricot. It reminded me so much of Alice in Wonderland that I had to have it, even though I’m a little over the whole headband thing. Ah, well, it was on sale 
My sister is the best. Let’s leave it at that.
Today I realized why Manicure and I always end up stuck in an impasse (Impasse: A situation that is so difficult that no progress can be made). It seems I have a commitment problem. You see, Manicure is rather high maintenance. He requires time, patience and understanding, but above all, commitment. Once you’re with Manicure, you’re stuck with him for quite some time. You could play around, of course, practically every day if you’d like, but the result could be physical damage and emotional distress and all sorts of other bad things. My brain knows that committing would be wise, but every time I consider it this little voice pops into my head like a blonde out of a cake:
Will you really be happy with this Manicure for a longer amount of time?
Neither Manicure in the pictures above were right for me. Too bad, though, because they had so much potential and were rather charming, in their way (not like this one, that bastard). I suppose I have a tender spot for my first proper Manicure, but I still have problems committing, even to him. Am I doomed to wander alone, then, always searching for the perfect Manicure? And if I find him, will I be able to commit? Time will tell, darlings. I’m just glad I don’t have to look for a man as well – I’ve already got the best.
Another picture of Cookie, just because she’s so adorable and I needed a photo for this post. What I really wanted to write about today is simply some of my favourite beauty products nowadays. As always, this is only my personal opinion, I’m not being paid or offered freebies (isn’t it a sad world when you have to write that every time you claim to like a product?).
Joico K-Pak Intense Hydrator Treatment
Ever since I got highlights, and then dyed them dark again, my hair has been rather dry. This is definitely one of the things saving me from having to shave it all off – I’ve been using it for three showers in a row now (instead of a regular moisturizer), and it’s wonderful! I slap it on, twist my hair up high on my head and secure it with a clip. This way the shower won’t water out the product on the ends, making it less effective where I need it the most.
I’ve rediscovered this one after I learnt that it’s what Cookie uses to get those fantastic, blushing cheeks. It looks like pink water in a nail polish bottle, but once you understand how to work the product it gives a gorgeous flush. The secret is to apply it directly after your moisturizer – it will look patchy if your skin has some dry areas. Then blend it quickly with a finger. Do this before foundation, though. A light hint of mineral foundation on top makes you positively glow!
OPI Nail Envy (Original)
As some of you might have noticed, I have become something of a nail polish addict lately. I use this one as a base coat every single time, because I dread ending up with discoloured nails (google it, it looks rather horrible) because of wearing dark nail polish a lot. I must confess I haven’t noticed the Nail Envy making my nails much stronger, but they seem to be growing like mad. Anyway, I like that I have a base coat protecting my nails, and knowing that it contains good things for them isn’t a bad thing either. It can be a bit tricky to find, though (that’s why there’s no link), ye be warned.
I had never realized I had dark circles under my eyes until I tried this one and saw the difference. It’s like magic, I swear! The test sample I ordered weeks ago is finally empty (it lasted a looong time), and I have already ordered a full size one. The problem now is to survive until I get back to Tromsø, where it’s probably waiting for me in the mailbox already.
A slanted eyeshadow brush
I use it to apply a very dark brown eyeshadow along my upper lashes (it looks better on me than regular eyeliner), and to fill in my brows with the same shadow. Now that my hair is darker I decided I need darker brows as well, and it’s actually kind of fun. I haven’t got Cookie’s fantastic pair, or the ones of Raina from ANTM, but I can still feel slightly more like Audrey Hepburn these days, which is always a good thing.
Any tips on products I should try out?
How is your Easter, darlings?
Have you guys heard of Konad stamping nail art? I hadn’t, when my interest in nail polish started sometime last year, but as I looked at manicures on the web I realized that some of them couldn’t possibly have been freehanded (which means they were painted with a brush, by hand). I did some research and discovered Konad, an ingenious system that allows you to put incredibly complicated patterns and images on your nails rather easily. This video shows how it works:
Basically, you have some metal plates with engraved patterns. You use a special polish (it’s much thicker than normal polish) and paint over the image you want, then scrape away the excess polish. You press the “stamper” on to the image on the plate – this will transfer the image to the stamper itself – and then stamp it on to your nail.
I ordered three image plates, two special polishes (one white and one black), the stamper and the scraper from OC Nail Art right after Christmas, but haven’t gotten around to playing with it until now. I’m glad I did though – it looks so lovely! The big lace pattern is from plate m57, and the small lace pattern on the ring finger is from m39 (I also own m73). For now I just wanted to share my joy with you, but if you’d like it I can do a separate post on Konad tips and tricks. I’m not a Konadicure master (yet), but I’ve still discovered some things that make the procedure a lot easier.
And a happy PS for you Norwegian gals: I just discovered that Nelly.com sells Konad-things, so if you think it looks interesting you can get it at a pretty reasonable price without having to think about international shipping, taxes and long delivery times.
Have you ever had a Konadicure?
These two products have saved me plenty of times the past week or so – I’ve been unusually busy and both pampering and blogging (sorry, darlings!) have had to wait. But when I could find a minute or so to spare, these two babies did a wonderful job.
♮Decléor Hydra Floral moisturizing mask does exactly that: moisturize. I wouldn’t call my skin dry, but this year’s harsh weather has got to it and given me some dry patches. My skin also feels tight after I’ve taken a shower, which is when I usually grab this yellow little tube. You can, of course, use it as a mask, and apply a rather thick layer of this and leave it on for 5-10 minutes. This is no good if you’re in a hurry, though, which is why I like that it can be used as a rather thick moisturizer, too. I apply a smaller amount (just enough so there won’t be a layer of it on my skin) to my entire face, and then apply makeup. If I have any dry patches, I put on a thicker layer just there, and let the mask do its thing while I fix my hair and get dressed, then swipe it off before applying makeup.
♮Seba A.S.A.P. Nail Polish Activator is a strange sort of oil that you drip on your freshly painted nails to make the polish dry faster (I got mine at Neglemakeriet, but it seems they don’t have it any more). First of all, I have to tell you that I do think there are better products out there that does the same job – although this one definitely makes several layers of polish dry in about five minutes, it does seem to make them slightly less shiny. Still, it’s a real lifesaver if you were silly enough to think you had enough time to paint your nails and then realize you have to be out the door in twenty minutes. Drip it on, wait five minutes and you’re good to go. I didn’t even know a product like this existed until about half a year ago, and I’d really like to find an excellent kind. “Everybody” seems to love Seche Vite, so I’m thinking about trying that one next, but the one I’ve got still does the trick in a pinch.
I do hope you’ll forgive me for being slightly absent lately? It seems things are slowing down a bit now, which means more time for blogging again – huzzah!
