Tutorial: Easy Polka Dot Nails!

Today I've got a tutorial for polka dot nails! This technique is really easy and is nice and simple for matching an outfit.


You will need:

• A top and base coat
• At least 2 different colour nail polish
• a dotting tool (if you don't have one of these, a pearl head pin is a great replacement for larger dots)
• A small angled brush and acetone for clean-up

Start with a protective base coat, wait for that to dry and then apply your base colour.

Get your dotting tool! You can buy a set of these really cheap from eBay. Alternatively, you can make a DIY dotting tool using a pearl head pin and a rubber-tipped pencil (tutorial here).

Drop a blob of polish onto some paper and dip your dotting tool into it.

Gently dab your dotting tool, starting in the center at the base of your nail. Continue adding dots (evenly spaced) towards the tip of your nail.

TIP: Depending on how fast drying your polish is, you may need to re-dip your dotting tool after each application of a dot. This will ensure that all of your dots are the same size. You should also be cleaning your tool regularly to get rid of any dried up polish.

Repeat this process again, but to the side of the center line of dots. This second line of dots should be evenly spaced like the first line but adjacent to the gaps left by the first line.

Continue this process on the other side of the center line.

Continue making lines of dots until you have reached the edge of your nail. Don't worry if the dots on the edge go off the edge slightly, you can clean this up with acetone and a small brush.

Fill in and gaps around the edges if you think there should be a dot there. Wait for it to dry completely and add your top coat. It's best to use a generous coat of a fast drying top coat to avoid smudging. 

Here's some photos of a full polka dot mani by me!

If you decide to give these a try, upload your photo to Instagram and use the tag #inspiredbycaitnails so that I can see!

Caitlin, xo

Review: Love Thy Polish 'Girly Girl'

Yesterday I posted about how I was one of the lucky bloggers to receive a Femme Fatale Cosmetics press kit. Femme Fatale Cosmetics is an Australian online retailer that stocks Australian and international indie nail polish brands. See my post from yesterday for more information on this fantastic online store.

The second polish I received in my kit was Love Thy Polish 'Girly Girl'. 'Girly Girl' is a deep pink jelly with a scattered holo glitter.

I recently broke a few nails on my swatching hand (left) so my Cinderella hand is making a special appearance today!

Right hand, shade

This polish has a smooth application and the glitter spreads evenly on the nail. Full opacity is reached in 3 thin coats with no undies required!

For my swatches, I used three thin coats of 'Girly Girl' and finished with Essence 'Gel Look Top Coat'.

Left hand, shade

Dry time is average and dries to a glossy finish. However, I do recommend using a top coat because it really brings out the beautiful holographic glitter.

Right hand, sunlight

Left hand, sunlight

Love Thy Polish is an Australian indie polish brand and is currently available for purchase at Femme Fatale Cosmetics. 'Girly Girl' can be purchased here at $10.00 AUD for a 12mL bottle.

Caitlin, xo

Review: Rainbow Honey 'Mare of the Moon' and 'Summer Juices' Cuticle Balm

Last week, I was lucky enough to receive a press kit from Sophie at Femme Fatale Cosmetics! I was so excited when I found out that I had been selected to review some products from her store. I was especially surprised because my blog is only just over a month old so I was really grateful to be selected.

Femme Fatale Cosmetics is Australia’s largest online distributor of Australian and International indie nail polish brands. They stock brands such as Emily de Molly, Enchanted Polish, Serum No.5, Rainbow Honey and so many more. Sophie also stocks her own polish line that shares the same name as her store.

As well as hand-made, 3-free nail polish, Femme Fatale Cosmetics also stocks a range of beauty products including eye shadows, cuticle balms and (soon to be released) lip gloss!

Usually, nail polish from Femme Fatale Cosmetics is only available to be shipped to Australian residents but they are currently having an international polish clearance that is only available to people outside Australia.

In my press kit, I received two polishes and a cuticle balm. Today, I will be reviewing Rainbow Honey’s ‘Mare of the Moon’ as well as their ‘Summer Juice Cuticle Balm’.

Rainbow Honey polishes are 15mL and come packaged in a gorgeous little box with a heart-shaped cut out that shows you the polish inside. Being a hand-made indie polish, Rainbow Honey is vegan and big3 free.

'Mare of the Moon' has a beautiful lavender colour-shifting shimmer base with small and tiny holo hexes and large silver moons. Depending on the light, this bluish purple polish has a slight colour shift that ranges from blue to a purplish pink. The silver moon glitters appear to have a bluish tinge when layered under the base.

For my swatches, I used two coats of 'Mare of the Moon' over a black base. Please excuse the uneven-ness of my nails! I had two breaks the day before my kit arrived :(

Although undercoats are not needed for this polish, layering over black adds another level of depth and is my preference because it really enhances the pretty colour-shifting shimmer.

I had no troubles with the application of this polish. The formula is smooth and minimal fishing is required for the moon glitters. Opacity can be reached in two regular coats or three thin coats and has a quick dry time!

Rainbow Honey also makes cuticle balms! I received the 'Summer Juices' scent and it smells amazing. The fresh citrus smells so good I was tempted to put it on my lips! When I applied it to my cuticles I caught myself multiple times sniffing my fingers like a creep haha.

It contains all natural ingredients including avocado oil, coconut oil, passion flower oil, and vitamin E.

Rainbow Honey cuticle balm comes in a roll-up tube. I applied it directly to my cuticles then massaged it in with my fingers. It soaks in quite quickly, is super moisturising and doesn't leave an unpleasant greasy feel.

'Mare of the Moon' is currently in stock at Femme Fatale Cosmetics at $11.85 AUD for a 15mL bottle. The cuticle balm is also available in a range of scents (including 'unscented') at $5.50 AUD for a .07oz tube.

Tomorrow I will be posting my review of the second polish I received (a 'Love Thy Polish' beauty) so stay tuned! :)

Tutorial: Turquoise Stone Nails (with step-by-step photos!)

I've been seeing turquoise stone nails floating around Instagram and Pintrest recently and I wanted to give them a go! Most tutorials out there suggest that you use the waterspotting technique to get the black speckled effect. After failing miserably at this technique, I decided that I would just use the really easy cling wrap method. 

This is what I ended up with:

Do you like them? I love them! I was so happy with them I thought I would make a tutorial so you ladies can give these nails a try. :)

Please keep in mind that this is the first tutorial I've written so I hope that I've explained the steps will enough!

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You will need the following polish colours:

• White (I used Sally Hansen 'White On')
• Black (I used M.U.D 'Dark Room')
• Metallic gold (I used Ulta3 (Gold Rush Fever)
• Turquoise (I used China Glaze 'Turned Up Turquoise)
• Sky blue (I used Sally Hansen 'The Sky's the Limit')
• Pastel (ish) blue (I used China Glaze 'Bahamian Escape')
• Greenish blue (I used BYS 'Colour Change Blue')
• Plus a base and top coat of course!

You will also need the following tools:

• Cling wrap
• Makeup sponge
• Orange stick (or anything you can use to mix polish together on some paper)
• Acetone 
• a small angled brush for clean-up

Start with a white base. It doesn't have to be perfect because you'll be painting over it with the turquoise. Using white as a base will help make the turquoise looking really bright.

Next, apply your turquoise polish until it reach opacity (I used two coats).

Take your makeup sponge (dampened slightly with water) and apply the sky blue polish directly to the sponge. Dab the sponge on a piece of paper a few times if you think you've put too much polish on it. Next, dab the sponge randomly on the nail, allowing the turquoise coat to still show through.

On a clean area of the makeup sponge, apply the pastel blue polish and dab it on the nail sporadically, focusing more on the edges of the nail.

Repeat this sponging process with the greenish blue polish.

Cut your cling wrap into small pieces and scrunch it up.

On a piece of paper, drip a small drop of black polish and a bigger drop of turquoise polish.

Mix them together with an orange stick (or whatever you can find!)

Take your cling wrap bunch and dab it onto the polish. Then dab the cling wrap onto the paper a few times until only a very small amount of polish is left on it.

Dab your cling wrap bunch on the nail once. You don't need too much of the black.

Repeat the cling wrap method with the turquoise polish to help blend the black.

Repeat the cling wrap method with the metallic gold polish until you're happy with the amount of gold that you have.

Dip your small angled brush in acetone, dab it on some paper then slowly clean away any polish you have on your skin/cuticles. Add a nice glossy top coat and you're done!

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Good luck with creating your own turquoise nails! Remember that the idea is that they look natural like the stone so don't be too fussy with your sponging/cling-wrapping, let it happen organically!

If you have any questions or comments about this tutorial please let me know :)

Caitlin, xo

Nail Art: Pastel Gradient with Neon Tips (mini-tutorial)

Gradients are my favourite go-to nail art technique because they're so easy (besides the cleanup!) and look so effective. I recently picked up Sally Hansen's 'Mint Sorbet' and I had originally planned on doing a green/blue pastel mani but then I came across Sinful Colors 'Pink' and came up with this:

I'm so happy with how they turned out! I think this is my most successful gradient mani yet :) (and I seem to say that every time I do a new gradient so I guess practice is key!)

These are the polishes I used; Sally Hansen 'Mint Sorbet', Essie 'Bikini So Teeny', and Sinful Colors 'Pink'.

I'm planning on making a proper gradient tutorial sometime soon so until then, here's a mini-tutorial!

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To help with the nightmare that is post-gradient cleanup, I applied a thick layer of Essence 'Peel Off Base Coat' onto the skin around my nails. You could use PVA glue and have the same effect but the peel off base coat does the same thing. 

To create the gradient, I painted my nails with one coat of 'Mint Sorbet' and let that dry. Next, I got a makeup sponge (dampened with water) and applied all three polishes to it so that the colours where overlapping slightly. Then I gently dabbed the sponge on the nails, reapplying polish to the sponge when needed.

Once I was happy with the gradient, I apply one coat of Northern Lights 'Holographic Topcoat'. Before adding a final topcoat, I cleaned the nail close to the cuticle with an angled brush and acetone. I then sealed it with Seche Vite 'Ultra V Top Coat'. Because I protected my skin from polish with the peel off base coat earlier, I was able to simply peel off the messy aftermath of sponging with very minimal cleanup required.

My nails under the light from my UV lamp! I love how the neon tips glow :)

Thanks for reading,

Caitlin, xo