Helmies – Nail Helmets

We girls at The Amazing Blog  love having beautifully manicured hands and it's a rare occasion to spot any of our team without perfectly preened nails. Some of us get a little more adventurous than others dabbling in amateur nail art (currently rocking the reverse French Manicure look). However, there is nothing more annoying than when we are on the dash, and our nail polish is still drying. You know the scenario, last minute manicure, late and hastily digging deep into our handbags to find house keys and - yikes - you guessed it, smudging!  This is when someone suggested these clever little Helmies Nail Helmets.

In the box, we found ten white little helmets plus two bigger pink ones for the thumbs or toenails. Helmies are reusable, soft and elastic so they can fit easily over each finger/toe. Yes they do look a bit quirky and we all got the giggles when we wore them. However, they serve a purpose allowing you to go about your household errands or in our case, typing in the office. Helmies are ergonomically designed fitting perfectly over each finger/toe with three little holes on top which lets the air flow through allowing the polish to set properly. They're made of silicone gel and are hypoallergenic. In fact, they have thought of everything including the open back which allows your fingertips to be free for making phone calls or texting.

No more ineffectual waving of hands or blowing on your fingertips, time to invest in a set of these practical little Helmies Nail Helmets available for £7.99 here .

Soigne Nails - Barbe A Papa Range

Bright colours are perfect for this time of year. Whether you’re on the beach, or strutting around the city, we’re firm believers in making a statement with our bold beauty choices. The girls at The Amazing Blog are big fans of Soigne polishes, and their Barbe a Papa range of summer colours are perfectly in keeping with our bold and beautiful ethos.

With a large range of luxurious colours in their core collection, the French brand has introduced three new shades for summer 2015. Of the trio, we were excited to try the Framboise Bleue shade. A tropical greeny blue, the hue would look wonderful on an island getaway – what better to coordinate with than the crystal ocean waters? As we’re not currently on a tropical island escape, we’ve had to settle for jazzing up our typing hands in the office. Still, the shade adds a wonderful pop of colour, and looks fabulous with the light, cream clothes that we often sport at work.

Paired with their Oxygen Base Coat and Gel Effect Top Coat, we were left with fabulously glossy nails that looked professional even after our shoddy paint job. Housed in the ultimate opulent packaging, the indulgent polishes are free from carcinogens, as well as containing 85% plant-sourced raw ingredients.  Chic and environmentally friendly, we can’t think of anything more we’d want from a manicure.

Add some Parisian sophistication to your manicure with the Soigne summer collection. Pick up the beautiful Framboise Bleue shade here for £11, as well as the Oxygen Base and Gel Effect Top Coat here for £13 each. 

Friday Favourites - Nail Polishes

Here at The Amazing Blog, we take great pleasure in testing out new nail colours. The change of seasons means we can say goodbye to our dark fall and winter hues, and hello to pretty brights and pastels for the spring and summer.

First up, we’re loving the Spring/Summer 2015 nail colour collection from CHEEKY Cosmetics. Inspired by three luxurious holiday destinations – Ibiza, Miami and St. Tropez – the collection has some fantastic shades designed with the culture of these destinations in mind. So if your wallet won’t allow you to schedule an exotic holiday this summer, you’ll still be able to bring a taste of the ocean and nightlife right to your fingertips.

The Ibiza polishes are inspired by the island’s dance scene and come in four metallic colours ranging from gold to blue. The Miami colours are bold and vibrant to show off the fun and energetic culture of the city, so a few statement blues and a fuchsia pink are included in the mix. Finally, the St. Tropez collection is classic and posh for ladies who want a touch of French sophistication, with three nudes and two red-toned hues. One of our favourites is Make It Rain from the Ibiza Collection. A beautiful lilac metallic, it's the perfect summer shade - subtle enough for daytime wear, but exotic enough to catch a few eyes on a summer night out.

Shop here to get the new colours for £7 each.

Although we love a good nail colour, removing it can sometimes be a hassle and can do damage to your nails than good. Little Ondine is a nail polish brand that is revolutionising nail colour. Their varnishes are chemical free, odour free and are made only of natural ingredients. Composed of 80% water, 15% resine and 5% pigment, the polishes allow you to peel off your colour in one go without any hassle or chemical removers. The brand is perfect for those of us who like to change our nails as often as our outfits.

Since the formula is water-based, it dries quickly, making it perfect for on-the-go! With over 80 colours to choose from, there is certainly a polish to suit everyone’s taste. You can find them here, with prices ranging from £7-£9 each or £12 for a fun twin pack.

Speaking of innovative formulas, Micro Cell has come up with a great formula for nail colour. The Micro Cell 2000 Colour Repair collection is a range of quick-drying varnishes that offer brilliant colour pay-off while working to strengthen your nails. The collection fortifies nails, protects them against drying out and encourages natural growth. Besides these benefits, the shades have excellent coverage and prevent premature flaking. It's comforting to know that your nails are feeling good whilst your manicure is lasting.

You can purchase your own Micro Cell 2000 Colour Repair nail varnishes here for £14.95 each and see their strengthening results in 2 – 3 weeks.

For a more sophisticated nail colour, reach for the elegant T. LeClerc nail enamel bottles. The colours are hypoallergenic and are free from a huge variety of chemicals.

We tried three different polishes – a bright pink, a bold red and a luxurious purple – and we love how long the colours last, despite the daily toll our we take on our nails. They dry quickly and have a lovely flat brush for a smooth application. To top it off, the finish is classic, ultra-shiny and opaque. Safe to say, our nails looked as chic and sophisticated as the packaging.

Check out the full range of T. LeClerc nail polishes here, which cost £12 each.

Another wonderful range of polishes with a shade for any occasion is Nella Milano. The brand's packaging and feel reflect perfectly the Italian roots of muse, Nella, and are perfect for anyone looking for an elegant, sophisticated manicure (and who isn't?).

Of the shades we tried, our favourite was Mulberry Wood. A deep berry colour which wouldn't be out of place in an Autumn/Winter collection, this colour oozes glamour, looking both rich on darker skin tones, and striking on paler tones. Of course, if darker hues aren't to your taste, the brand has over 80 other vivid shades to choose from, all of which apply beautifully and have great staying power. All 3-free formulas, the colours are great for showcasing your inner fashionista. We'll certainly be taking a page out of Nella's book this summer and using our nails as the ultimate fashion accessory.

To spice up your wardrobe, you can shop the stunning collection on the brand's website for £8.95 each.

Majique - Nail Buddy

We here at The Amazing Blog love painting our nails and having fun with new colours. A great manicure is the perfect finishing touch to a stylish outfit and keeps you looking your best. Since sometimes a DIY manicure can lead to spills and messes, we love the Nail Buddy from Majique because it keeps our nail polish bottle safe and steady as we work our manicure magic.

With no spills and no messes to worry about, the Nail Buddy makes painting your nails a really enjoyable experience. It’s great for use at home or on-the-go, since it’s small and portable. We're guilty of painting our nails in bed, and as a result, have been victim to a spillage or two over the years. Thankfully, this convenient little base is the perfect way to keep your sheets clean and your manicure looking perfect. We really like that the Nail Buddy fits snugly between our legs, so that you don't need to have a flat surface to rest it on, and it will fit nail varnish of any shape or size. And with a range of colours to choose from, we were spoiled for choice.

To take all the hassle out of the perfect paint job, head to the Majique website and get your own nail buddy for £7.99.

MICRO Nail

Here at The Amazing Blog we love treating ourselves to a manicure every once in a while, but let’s be honest, who can afford to keep their nails looking professionally done all of the time? Thanks to MICRO Nail, we can have salon perfect nails in a matter of seconds without spending too much money.

MICRO Nail is an electric nail polisher that buffs, smoothes and shines nails in seconds so you can have great, natural looking nails every day without having to head on over to the salon or use those time consuming manual nail buffers.

The MICRO Nail kit includes 2 MICRO Smooth Rollers that smooth away the top layer of ridges and 2 MICRO Shine Rollers that buff your nails. These rollers come in a handy-dandy drawstring pouch along with 2 AA batteries and an instruction booklet. The electric buffer even has pressure resistance control to ensure that if you do press too hard, the roller will simply stop rotating. That was my main worry with the gadget, so I'm pleased to discover that I will never damage my nails with it.

Although your original purchase will be £39.99, you only need to use the smoothing rollers once every two weeks, if that, and you can use the shine rollers whenever you please. After you've worn out the original attachments, which we're sure will take a while, replacement rollers are available to buy for £9.99 here.  We think it’s worth the initial investment, so head on over to the website and get started making your nails look sensational.