How to: Super sparkle festive nails & FOTD

Merry Christmas Eve! (nearly!)

You'd think I have too much time on my hands considering the number of times I've painted my nails this week, but here's another Christmassy nail tutorial - my personal favourite now after wearing it today!

Super sparkly nails are always the best!

Start by getting your sparkle ready. Here I'm using a sample of MAC pigment in "Reflects Transparent Teal" (left) and MAC pigment in "White Gold" (right). The pot on the left I bought online years ago and I think is the real deal, where as the pot on the right is definitely not real MAC Pigment. However, works nicely for this design. You can use any pigment or glitter you want, I just used this as its super sparkly and very finely milled.

Paint your nails with one coat of a pearly white nailvarnish. I used No 7 Speed Dry Nail Colour in Coconut Ice 05.

Leave to dry. 

Now work on one nail at a time. Paint another layer of your pearly nail varnish on to your chosen nail. Tap some glitter/pigment onto the wet nail and tap off the excess.

I choose to work on top of an old magazine page so I can catch the glitter that I don't use and put it back in the pot when I'm finished. (I'll show you an easy way later.)

Here's what it looks like when you tap off the excess glitter.

If you find it easier or less messy, use a cotton bud to scoop up some glitter and place it at the top of your nail like so.

Then tip your nail over the glitter container and tap your finger. The glitter will fall down the nail, sticking to the wet polish and the excess will fall straight into the pot.

Repeat the process with the rest of your nails.

Ta da!

Ultra messy!

To gather up the overspill of pigment fold the paper you were working on in half and create a crease. Tip up the paper and the pigment will neatly slide back into it's container.

Here's the finished result. It's hard to capture the sparkle in pictures but at a glance the nails look white, but from different angles the glitter reflects blue, pink, purple and silver.

I finished with a sparkly top coat.

To get rid of the excess glitter that sticks to your fingers you just have to wait and go about your daily business. I washed my hands with soapy water, went to bed, got up in the morning and had a shower and washed my hair. The shampoo and head scrubbing removes all the unwanted glitter the best. :)

The photo above shows the nails freshly done and the first photo of this tutorial shows the nails after one day.

I thought I'd do a face of the day today too as my makeup went quite well.

I'm wearing Bourjois Healthy Mix foundation with a bit of Vichy Dermablend foundation used as concealer.

Filled in my eyebrows with Urban Decay Brow Box and ran through them with a brow brush.

On my eyelids I have Urban Decay Primer Potion in Sin with UD Sin eyeshadow on top, UD Darkhorse in the crease and UD Buck to blend them together (all from the Urban Decay Naked Palette)

On the cheeks I have Rose Gold by Sleek and Harmony blush by MAC as a contour.

I used Revlon Colourstay Ultimate Lip Colour in Ultimate Orchid.

Mascara I used Maybelline Great Lash Waterproof to hold the curl and Collection 2000 Big Fake Lash over the top for a bit more volume.

Hope you enjoyed! Are you all excited for Christmas? I know I am!