Valentine’s Day is just around the corner! So here are 12 incredible Heart nails for every taste and skill level to get you inspired. From stylish almond nails with hearts to cute square heart nails and from flawless hand-painted Valentines Day manicures to super easy glitter heart nails,  this compilation has it all to get your creative juices flowing, enjoy!

1. Rainbow Heart nails by @so_nailicious

How-to: use straight line stencils or striping nail art brush to create the two tone base then add Love Heart glitters. For maximum impact, finish your Valentine’s Day nail art with a glossy top coat.

2. Sideways French Valentine’s Day nail art by @bam_glam_nails

How-to: paint pink tips with a polish brush, then using a thin liner brush outline the tips with white, add red Heart glitters and you’re done!

3. Doodles Valentine’s Day manicure by @lolo.nailedit

How-to: paint your nails in powdery pink, then using a thin liner brush add tiny doodle hearts, top coat and you’re done!

4. Black Heart nails by @so_nailicious

How-to: this Anti-Valentine’s Day manicure requires some serious nail art skills, but if you have a great nail art brush re-creating this design should be easy! We used 02 Needle brush to paint it.

5. Euphoria nails by @heygreatnails

How-to: this fabulous edgy Valentine’s Day manicure does require maximum concentration, great liner brush and steady hand. Read: make those waves symmetrical or else… jk! :)

6. French Tip heart nails by @overglowit

How-to: first freehand pink French tips then with a detailing nail art brush paint the red love hearts. For maximum impact, finish your Valentine’s Day nails with a glossy top coat.

7. Easy Red Heart nails by @so_nailicious

How-to: use French manicure stencils to create half moon base then add red Heart glitters. To smooth and seal your cute Heart nails add 2 coats of a top coat. Watch video tutorial

8. Swirly Hearts Valentine’s nails by @nails_and_styles

How-to: what can we say? Just pick a few pink and red lacquers, get your liner brush and have fun creating swirls and hearts to achieve this fabulous Valentine’s Day manicure!

9. Comme des Garçons Heart nails by @heygreatnails

How-to: yet another French manicure idea for Valentine’s Day. Use a fine detailing brush to paint the miniature Comme des Garçons hearts and make sure to wait between the layers not to smudge your art work.

10. French Tip and Black Heart nails by @so_nailicious

How-to: paint black tips with a fine liner brush, then add black heart stickers  – a great and easy alternative to hand-painting the challenging hearts! To smooth and seal your black Heart nails finish off with a top coat.

11. Neutral Valentine’s Day manicure by @disseynails

How-to: yet another fantastic Valentine’s Day nails look to challenge your nail art skills. Get equipped with a variety of neutral lacquers, great nail art brush and a bit of patience to achieve this look.

12. Pink Hearts V-Day nail art by @peachinails

How-to: first do French manicure (either with stencils or freehand), then use a fine detailing brush paint the hearts. Nice and easy way to romantisize your digits for the V-Day!

Now over to you!

Which Heart nails are you keen to try for your Valentine’s Day manicure?

– Maria, xx

MORE VALENTINE’S DAY NAILINSPO:

• 12 Cute Valentine’s Day Nail Designs to try
• Anti-Valentine’s Day Nails – plus, how-to!
• 10 Awesome Valentines Day Nail Art Ideas
• Funky Love Valentines Day Nail Art – plus, step by step
• Easy Valentine’s Day Nail Art – plus, video tutorial
• Delicate Valentines Nails
• 10 Incredible Pink Nail Designs for Valentine’s Day

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Hello my lovely nail art warriors! If you see this post please know that it’s a test. As we are trying to bring SoNailicious.com back to life after a little update. Things are not working quite as well as they used to but I really hope we will resurrect SoNailicious to it’s former glory very, very soon.

Until then, please enjoy this Celestial nail design that I recently created by the glorious Australian sunsets. Yep, the colour of the sky really gets purple and pink in this part of the world and even though there are such Celestial patterns floating in the sky as it is still an astonishing sight.

Used:

• Mavala Mava-Strong base coat
• Kester Black Prenup – purple
• OPI Polly Want a Lacquer? – lavender
• SoNailicious Bikinis & Martinis – cool pink
• Kester Black Coral Blush – light pink
• SoNailicious Celestial Bodies 093 stickers
• SN 04 Slayer nail art brush – to clean up around cuticles
• Mavala Matte top coat

Now, over to you!

What do you think about these Celestial Nails? Do you like it, have you already tried the new Interstellar patterns?

Also, do you have any nail art tips for getting it right that we could add to the list above?

– Maria, xx

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If you’re self isolating at home there’s more to do than just watch TV, homeschool your kids or declutter. In fact, now is the best time to hone your DIY nail art skills, organise your stash, learn new awesome nail art techniques and introduce your friends and family to the magical world of nail art!

Plenty of exciting nail art activities can be done from your living room and the best thing – nail art is free! If you’ve been a SoNailicious reader for a while, most likely you already have all the nail art supplies you need. And if not, getting whatever else you need is very easy online from your favourite nail art shop.

Whether you’re practising social distancing, self isolation or simply staying at home because it’s the right thing to do right now, here are 50 things to do to keep your spirits up and your nails on point:

1. Review and reorganise your nail polish stash by colour or by brand.

2. Come up with a new (better!) nail polish storage solution.

3. Join the Try All The Untrieds project.

4. Swatch all nail polishes on nail tips and label them.

5. Sell nail polishes that you don’t need on Facebook Marketplace.

6. Finally learn how to do Marble nails. Feel smug.

7. Finally learn how to do Turquoise nails. Feel smug.

8. Finally learn how to Geode nails. Realise, you’re becoming a nail art goddess.

9. Browse all SoNailicious nail art tutorials.

10. If you prefer video tutorials… then watch every SoNailicious nail art video!

11. Pick the tutorial you’d like to try, share it with your bestie and do it together on Zoom.

12. Vacuum and dust your entire nail room or nail space. You may as well, disinfect it.

13. Organise your nail art supplies stash. Clean and declutter it, if required.

14. Research all those ‘How do I even use it?!’ nail art supplies and create a manicure with one of them.

15. Finally get serious about growing stronger and healthier nails.

16. Try these awesome Psychedelic Rainbow nails.

17. Learn how to do Gel nails at home. The Psychedelic Rainbow nails can be also done in gel!

18. Appreciate the SoNailicious’ enormous collection of nail art ideas, nail care tips and insightful interviews. Take advantage of all the FREE nail tutorials.

19. Actually try at least one nail art tutorial that you’ve saved on Pinterest.

20. Give yourself the perfect pedicure your toenails deserve.

21. Order online a new nail strengthener that suits your needs (read: your nails) best.

22. Get back into practicing your freehand nail art skills. Try doing French manicure on nail tips and monitor yuor progress.

23. Watch this video to learn the best way to use the SoNailicious nail art brushes.

24. Learn how to make brittle nails strong and healthy, once and for all.

25. Get your bestie to send you a photo of a new nail design to try, then return the favour.

26. Watch this video of how to do Spring nails and wonder why it’s not the most watched video on the SoNailicious channel.

27. Create a fashion inspired nail design.

28. Master these insane Outlined nails. Realise that you deserve a Nobel prize for your flawless linework.

29. Sketch in your Little Book of Nail Art series of nail art ideas inspired your favourite colour, holiday, spirit animal, friend, season or occasion.

30. Actually bring to reality one of these nail design sketches. Do it on your nails!

31. Give yourself a hand spa.

32. Learn how to do your own nails like a pro. This is the time to make mistakes.

33. Revisit people’s manicures from their past, realise it wasn’t just you.

34. Recreate these iconic Great Gatsby nails. If you’ve done it before with stencils, use a nail art brush this time.

35. Find out what the heck is eponychium.

36. Learn to paint nails and do nail art with your other hand.

37. Recreate one of your old nail designs. Admire how much you have improved.

38. Finally try all those ultra happy Floral nail stickers. This is the time to go wild with your nail art!

39. Figure out how to file your nails for the perfect oval nail shape, once and for all.

40. Start caring for your cuticles.

41. Learn how to take nail photos like a pro.

42. Create a beautiful nailfie.

43. Learn how to do koala nails yourself. Because we all need a bit of cuteness right now!

44. Recreate your favourite nail design done by your favourite nail artist.

45. Jump on Instagram and leave your favourite nail artist a comment letting them know why you enjoy their work. Everyone needs a bit of encouragement these days. Including myself ;)

46. Create your own version of the French manicure.

47. Find out what your nail shape tells about you.

48. Order online some new fun nail art supplies. Now is the time to go wild and try the most daring nail designs.

49. Master the fancy way to use nail foil.

50. Plan your re-emergence into the real world manicure in your nail art book.

There you have it, 50 awesome DIY nail art activities to do. Staying home has never been easier, when you have so many ideas to bring to reality ;)

Now, over to you!

What activity from this list would you do first?

– Maria, xx

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Tortoiseshell nails are one of the hottest nail art trends at the moment. As almost every beauty trend these days, it originates from Instagram. First appearing as a novel nail art technique, the Tortoiseshell nail art quickly has exploded into a mega trend and became one of the most requested nail designs in nail salons world-wide.

Tortoiseshell nails remained at the top during the colder months, which is well justified given the muted warm colours of design. However, even during the warmer seasons the Tortoiseshell manicure remains as relevant as ever. Sure, transitioning into a new season demands a new colour palette (especially, if spring has arrived in your town) but the fun textured pattern and seemingly easy nail art technique are what make this manicure so attractive and keep the trend going all year round.

Naturally, I had to try it! Was it easy? Not quite!

Watching Instagram tutorials makes it look so easy and quick. In reality, however, Tortoiseshell nails require certain skill and technique to get that cool glassy Tortoiseshell effect (and not just a brown blur) on your nails. To understand how it works, I’ve practiced the technique on nail tips until I got it right. Surely it took some time, but the result (the beautiful glossy Tortoiseshell nails you’re seeing here today) is worth it!

So here are my best tips for the perfect Tortoiseshell nails:

1. Keep the palette neutral and resembling natural tortoise shell colours. Google a photo of tortoise shell to see how it really looks like rather trying to recreate a manicure you’ve found on Instagram;
2. Use sheer or jelly polishes or gels to get a more realistic texture. You can even try and add a layer of top coat between the spotty layers to get that cool transparent look.
3. The beauty in imperfection. What’s great about this nail design is that there is room for error and even imperfect, it will still look good. Tortoiseshell manicure is inspired by a natural pattern, and nature isn’t perfect—it’s simply beautiful as it is! So don’t stress out about precision.
   
4. Less is more. Less spots (the dark Tortoiseshell dots) on the nail surface actually look better than too many. Too many can look crowded and messy. So try to keep it to 4 – 6 spots per nail.
5. Excellent nail art base. While the pattern itself is cute enough on its own, it also provides a great base for more elaborate nail art. Simply add a few white Palm leaves, Stripes or Aztec stickers on top of your tortoise shell for an instant upgrade.

There you have it, my best tips for the beautiful Tortoiseshell nails! If you’re familiar with the technique but still not quite getting it right, follow these tips next time you’re attempting the cheeky Tortoiseshell and see how you go. If you have not tried this manicure before, then I strongly suggest first practice creating the pattern in your Little Book of Nail Art or on nail tips to see how it works.

I added a few white palm tree leaves here and there to add vacation vibe to my Tortoiseshell nails. The look is inspired by Eva’s @coewlesspolish nail design, for which she used the same stickers. I loved Eva’s manicure so much that I simply had to give it a go!

Used:

• Mavala Mava-Strong base coat
  
• CirqueColors Tortoise Shell nail art set
• SoNailicious Edgy Tropics stickers – white leaves
• SN 01 Warrior nail art brush – to paint dark sport close to cuticles
• SN 04 Slayer nail art brush – to clean up around cuticles
• Essie Good to Go top coat

Special mention: if you want to become a qualified nail technician, check out Demi International’s Certificate 3 in Nail Technology.

Now, over to you!

What do you think about the Tortoise shell nail trend? Do you like it, have you already tried this pattern?

Also, do you have any nail art tips for getting it right that we could add to the list above?

– Maria, xx

P.S. If you want to learn how to do Tortoiseshell nails yourself, come back tomorrow to see my step-by-step tutorial here, on SoNailicious.com!

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As hard as it is for me to write this post, I have to share the shocking truth about the catastrophic Australian bushfires with you. There has been so much misinformation circulating in the media, that as an Australian and global citizen I feel it is my duty to present you the actual facts on this disaster. Mainly because your future and future of your children depends on it too. The horrific fires that millions of Australians, including myself have been surviving through for the last 4 months, is not just our local problem. This is a GLOBAL catastrophe fueled by the human driven climate change. Yet the mainstream media does not want you to know about it.

Read on and make up your own mind on why these inconvenient facts are being concealed from you.

What really causes Australian bushfires?

There has been a significant media speculation about the cause of the Australian bushfires. For instance, false information about arsons and green policies have been circulating online in order to divert public attention from the climate crisis issue. The official numbers provided by police and fire authorities reveal that only about 1% of the land burnt in NSW can be attributed to arson, and it is even less in Victoria. According to Geoscience Australia, the most common cause of the bushfires is dry lighting, while high temperatures, dry landscapes and strong winds are the main factors contributing to the fire intensity and speed at which it spreads.

Additionally, some media have attempted to paint the catastrophic fires as completely ‘normal’ for Australia. Yes, Australia has always had bushfires. But scientists say the fire conditions in 2019 and 2020 are fundamentally different and worse in many ways, when compared with the fire events in the past. The director of the Fire Centre at the University of Tasmania, David Bowman says the unprecedented nature of the current Australian bushfires can be seen through their intensity and geographical spread across the country. There have been massive fires in 7 out of 8 Australian states burning for over 4 months. A number of world heritage areas that had not burned for more than 1,000 years, like Gondwana forest in Tasmania, have been wiped out.

Higher temperatures, extreme dryness, extreme bursts of fire weather and the spread of fire across the country, Bowman says, all align with scenarios painted by climate change forecasts. While climate change itself does not cause fires, greenhouse gas emissions have a clear impact on rising temperatures and, through that, are linked to prolonged droughts and extreme temperatures in Australia, which in turn lead to catastrophic fire conditions.

To sum up, dry thunderstorms usually cause bushfires, while climate change makes bushfires worse.

Fire fighters attempting controlled burning in NSW. Photo: Quarrie Photography.

Why Australian bushfires are so bad?

To help you understand the severity of the fire crisis, here are a few numbers, as of 20 January 2020:

• Over 18,6 million hectares (46.03 mln acres) of land have burnt.
• Australian fires are 28 times larger than the 2018 California fires, 1.67 mln acres and 6 times larger than the 2019 Siberian fires, 7.4 mln acres,
• 75 meters high flames have been reported, to compare to the 65 meters high Sydney Opera House,
• Over 5,900 buildings, including over 2,683 homes were lost,
• At least 30 people have been killed,
• Over 1 billion animals have been killed and a number of endangered species are now driven to extinction,
• 4 months and counting – the fires have been ravaging the country since September 2019 and will continue at least till March 2020,
• All 7 Australian states have fires; the only unaffected is Northern Territory, a large area of which is a desert,
• 2,552 – the air quality index in Sydney; this is more than 12 times the hazardous level of 200;
• 734 micrograms or the equivalent of 37 cigarettes – the level of fine particle matter (PM2.5) measured in Sydney air in December 2019;
• 10% rise in hospital admissions and thousands of people experiencing breathing problems due to the prolonged periods of toxic smog hovering over Australian cities and towns. Inhalation of the smog, also known as black carbon, poses a serious risk to people’s health.
• 14 mph – the speed bushfires can travel, which is much faster than the average person can ran – 6.12 mph; moreover, the Australian bushfires are so big they’re generating their own weather – giant dry thunderstorms and tornadoes that can start more fires.

Australia Fire Map: Australia is engulfed in flames, Jan 7, 2020. Screenshot: MyFireWatch.

A helicopter tackles a wildfire in East Gippsland on Dec 30, 2019.  Photo: State Government of Victoria.

Fires devastating Batemans Bay early morning on 1 January 2020 as the blaze continues to spread. Satellite image: Copernicus EMS

Australian Government response to the fire crisis:

Despite the obvious severity of the fire crisi, Australian Government failed to act accordingly. In the middle of the crisis, our Premier Minister Scott Morrison rejected calls for more bushfire help, saying volunteer firefighters ‘want to be there’. During the crisis, Morrison kept refusing to speak about the link between climate change and the unprecedented fires. Moreover, at the height of the fire crisis, Morrison escaped Sydney’s bushfires on a business class flight to have a holiday in Hawaii.

Only in December 2019, after the fires have been ravaging the state for 3 months, the NSW Government declared a state of emergency when record-breaking temperatures exacerbated the bushfires. Meanwhile, close to 3,000 firefighters (90% of those are unpaid volunteers) have been fighting the fires since September 2019 as Morrison’s government refused to help. As public anger have peaked after the Mallacoota crisis during New Year with over 4,000 people fled to the shore and waited on the beach for 3 days to be evacuated. Later reinforcements from all over Australia, including Australian Defence Force and reservists were called in to assist fighting the fires in New South Wales and Victoria. Also firefighters from New Zealand, Singapore, Malaysia, Canada and the United States, among others, arrived to help fight the fires.

As a response to the government’s inaction, a wave of public protests swept through the country. Over 20,000 thousands of Australians took to the streets to call for more robust action on climate change on 10 January 2020. Morrison now claims that his government has always made a link between climate and fires intensity and they have a strong climate policy in place. He also says Australia is already “meeting and carrying” its burden on greenhouse gas emissions. Yet in reality Australia’s carbon emissions are rising every year and there is no clear ‘climate policy’. Also Australia is the biggest exporter of coal worldwide; Morrison says his government will not consider downsizing Australia’s coal industry, despite the known link between the fire and climate change.

Volunteer fire fighter Daniel Knox stands among flaming bushland during a controlled burn in NSW. Photo:  Daniel Knox/Andrew O’Dwyer.

People seek refuge at Mallacoota Wharf as bushfires close in. Photo: Instagram/travelling_aus_family.

Why Australian fire crisis is a GLOBAL catastrophe:

1. Massive increase in CO2 emissions. As of 2 January 2020, NASA estimated that 306 million tonnes of CO2 had been emitted by the Australian bushfires, which is more than half of country’s total carbon emissions of 535 million tonnes in 2018. Normally the carbon emitted by the fires would be reabsorbed by forest regrowth but this might not happen at all if prolonged drought has damaged the ability of forests to fully regrow. Which brings us to…

2. Escalating climate crisis. If there’s no forest to reabsorb carbon emitted by the fires then it will go straight in the atmosphere, dwarfing humanity’s already inadequate attempts to cut down CO2 emissions. That means in the very near future, we will experience even more intense effects of climate change – even higher temperatures, longer droughts and much worse bushfires. These events yet again will push climate change even further to the next level of horrible. You get the idea? From now on every year we will be witnessing and experiencing more catastrophic weather events, which will also intensify from year to year.

You see, the massive Australian bushfires did not happen randomly, in part they were the aftereffect of the huge Californian, Amazon and Siberian wildfires. The sinister reality is that the Australian fires due to their magnitude sped up the climate crisis snowball effect even more and right now, all of us, the entire planet is rolling down the slope fast towards a point of no return.

3. Escalating biodiversity crisis. Prof. Chris Dickman estimated on 8 January 2020 that over 1 billion animals were killed by bushfires in Australia, while more than 800 million animals were killed by fires in NSW alone. Furthermore, animals that survived fires are now left without habitat and food to sustain themselves. Dozens of critically endangered species could be completely wiped out and threatened species are now facing a risk of extinction. Scientists fear that Australia’s and consequently, world’s biodiversity suffered immense damage it may never recover from.

Thick plumes of smoke rise from bushfires on the coast of East Gippsland in Victoria. Photo: Australian Maritime Safety Authority/Reuters.

A koala and her joey rescued by police during the Gold Coast Hinterland bushfires. Photo: QLD Police Service.

Koalas are now forced to the ground and in danger from red foxes and feral cats. Photo: ABC / Lee James.

Did the rain help the fires in Australia?

Thank the Universe for sending rains to Australia to cool down our burning country. Firefighters say rain is helping to weaken fires but it is not enough to extinguish all the blazes. It also unlikely to bring an end to the 3-year drought that helped the fires form and spread so far. While the rain has certainly brought much-needed relief from the fires and cleared up the air, it has also brought new disasters:

• Mass fish kills in the rivers in the fire affected regions. Rainwater washed through the river bringing in ash from extensive bushfires depleting the oxygen and killing fish.
• Drinking water contamination. Bushfires can increase the amount of nutrients in streams 100 fold. The effects can persist for several years before nutrient levels return to pre-fire conditions. More nutrients in the water might sound like a good thing, but when there’s too much it can lead to excessive growth of blue-green algae. This algae is toxic to people and animals and often closes down recreational waters.
• Flash floods and landslides. The heavy rain can lead to flash flooding and landslips in the fire affected regions and cause even further devastation. Trees that have been damaged could be also vulnerable. Plus, there’s a possible run-off of debris, soil and rocks, which could lead to landslides.
• Fires are still burning. As of today, 19 January 2020, 69 fires, including 19 uncontrollable, are still burning in NSW, 15 fires in Victoria and the devastating Kangaroo Island fire is still going. In Victoria, the Country Fire Authority said the rain has had “minimal impact in suppressing fire activity”. While a Country Fire Association states lightning strikes can potentially start more fires and “that is a concern for us”.

So, where do we go from here?

In a world that is clearly heating up yet the political leaders keep telling us “not to panic”… where scientists warn that these unprecedented Australian fires, turbocharged by climate change is just a preview of what’s at state… yet mining giants are still allowed to keep cooking the planet. Do we even have a chance to stand against the entire system, where government and media work together to protect the coal billionaire’s interests rather than lives of ordinary people, like you and me? And even if we protest, day after day, how many protests will it take to change the system, if it’s possible to change at all?

As desperate our current situation is, there is still hope that we can transform the current failing system. We, ordinary people, can certainly initiate this change by first adjusting our individual lifestyles. We are the end consumers of fossil fuels. It is us, for who the coal and gas is burning, us, who generate milliards of tonnes of waste every year and us, who mindlessly destroy the nature everyday with our bad habits. Yes, we must continue to demand the climate action from our leaders but we also shall look at ourselves and fix our own lifestyles first.

As more people, like you and me, start taking responsibility for the collective damage we do to the planet, maybe then a fundamentally new, worldwide culture will emerge, where not the greed but love and care for the nature rules…  We’ve been destroying it for so long, so if not now, then when is the right time to start loving it?

– Maria, xx

P.S. This is the 2nd post from the Australian Bushfire series. Read my 1st post here.

Tomorrow I will also share my list of New Year’s resolutions to reduce my own footprint, I’m sure you will find some of these simple initiatives useful too.

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The mainstream media have only started covering it now, yet massive, uncontrollable fires have been decimating Australia since September 2019. I hesitated posting about it here on SoNailicious.com because it’s a nail art blog, not a news outlet that should report on natural disasters, especially of such magnitude. Plus, all this time, I still had hope that the fires would be put out. Yet now 4 months on, over 46 million acres of land have burned, more than 1 billion animals killed, thousands of homes lost and the fires are only worsening…

How can I keep going ‘business as usual’ if all I see is devastation and every day looks like a scene from an apocalyptic horror movie? How can I keep being quiet if those who meant to take care of this country let it burn?

Despite the obvious severity of the current fire crists, Australian Government failed to act accordingly when the catastrophe of such magnitude could still have been avoided. For 3 long months this crisis was unfolding our Premier Minister Scott Morrison played the ‘nothing to worry about’ game and ignored the worsening fires until Australians started  voicing their anger and protesting against Government’s deliberate inaction. Even then Morrison refused to speak about the link between climate change and the unprecedented catastrophic fires. Moreover, he rejected calls for bushfire help, saying volunteer firefighters ‘want to be there’, and at the height of the fire crisis, our PM escaped Sydney blanketed by toxic smog to have a holiday in Hawaii.

What kind of leader does that? And what ordinary people, like you and me, are left to do, when our Government clearly does not give a dime about us choking in toxic smog, losing our homes, businesses and lives in fire?

This is not a political blog… but this is the country I live in. This is the country where the sky has turned brown, the sun is red and our beautiful, world famous beaches are black covered in ash, where millions of animals are being killed and even koalas are driven to extinction.

I can not be silent and I will not!

I want you to know that these horrific fires in Australia is not just a local problem. This is a GLOBAL catastrophe fueled by the human driven climate change.

I want you to enter the new decade thinking about how YOU, as an individual can help to prevent such catastrophes from happening.

There are a lot of simple things ordinary people like you and me can do. You just need to stop, have a good think about what’s important for you and it will become clear what changes you can make to reduce your own footprint.

Me in Jervis Bay in December 2019. It was too late to evacuate.

Used:

• SoNailicious brush 01 Needle – to create the yellow details in fires
• SoNailicious brush 04 Slayer – to clean up around cuticles
• Chanel 538 Gris Obscur – a black base
• OPI Sea, Sun and Sand and Sea Siren Where’s My Sunnies – yellow colours for flames
• Essie top coat

Tomorrow I will share more information about the Australian bushfires and ways you can help. I want to keep you informed as I see a significant misinformation in some of the mainstream media.

Next I will also share my list of New Year’s resolutions to reduce my own footprint, I’m sure you will find some of these simple initiatives useful too.

There’s a lot we, as a community can do, so let’s join our forces and together fight in every way we can for our safe, clean future. There’s no one else to save us, but us.

I’ll see you tomorrow here, on SoNailicious.com.

– Maria, xx

IF YOU WANT TO HELP:

If you want to help to save the Australian wildlife, please donate our Koala Savior fundraiser or directly to the Wildlife hospitals (all links in the fundraiser page). 100% profits will go straight to the wildlife hospitals that need our help right now and to WWF to replant the lost forest.

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Just in time for your festive manicure action, here are 12 newest Christmas nail art ideas to try! From the intricate Christmas Sweater design to cute gingerbread man and sparkling 3D Christmas ornaments, this holiday nail art compilation has something for every taste and skill level. I’m sure that as a true nail art warrior you’ll find some time for a special holiday manicure even during the busiest time of the year.

Scroll down to view 12 beautiful Christmas nail art ideas and make sure to pin some of your favorites, so you remember the designs!

1. Classic Christmas nail art by @lieve91

How-to: This intricate Merry Christmas nail design is entirely hand painted. Anja used 01 Warrior brush.

2. Glitter Accent Christmas nails by @beautyaddictedd

How-to: Simply add white Christmas Sweater stickers over blue metallic polish, cover with a matte top coat and paint one accent nail with holographic glitter polish to add a touch of luxury to your Christmas manicure.

3. 3D Christmas nail art by @alina_bronnails

How-to: These are gel nails but the design can be easily recreated in nail polish. First pant all nails in dark green, then use fine detailing brush to paint Christmas ornaments in white, then add diamond rhinestones and silver beads to create 3D details.

4. Classic Christmas nail art by @so_nailicious

How-to: This nail art is hand-painted with 01 Warrior and 03 Spear nail art brushes. For a step-by-step check this Christmas nail art tutorial.

5. Holiday nails by @home_of_deva

How-to: these beautiful holiday nails are hand-painted with gel but can be easily recreated with the usual nail polish. First use thin liner brush to paint showflakes, then paint Ginger-man and Christmas tree with a sharp detailing brush. Add colorful rhinestones as pictured and finish off by securing it all with a top coat.

6. Starry Christmas nail art by @redheadnails

How-to: First use these stencils  to create half moon manicure, then add rose gold Star stickers as pictured. Secure your design with 2 layers of a glossy top coat.

7. Cute Christmas nail art by @nmbmroczek

How-to: To paint tiny Christmas ornaments on accent nails, use this ultra fine detailing nail art brush. For maximum definition use matte top coat.

8. Winter Foliage nails by @buffcsjen

How-to: First paint all nails in sheer neutral nail polish, then paint the foliage details with a fine liner brush and add small red and white dots with Warrior brush. Secure your design with a glossy top coat.

9. Abstract Christmas nail art by @adriannawysocka.nails

How-to: First paint all nails in light grey nail polish, then paint the black outlines with a fine liner brush and add black Star stickers. Finish off with a matte top coat.

10. Christmas nail art by @diana_lakshman

How-to: Paint all nails in green, red, white and grey and then using a fine detailing brush paint Christmas patterns. Finish off your design with a matte top coat.

11. Pink Christmas nail art by @nailsjustnailss

How-to: Paint all nails and pink and white, then stamp stripes and snowflakes and apply small metal studs over to add a touch of luxury to your Christmas manicure.

12. Red and White Christmas nail art by @lieve91

How-to: This intricate holiday nail design is entirely hand painted. Anja used 02 Needle liner brush to paint flawless swirls and 01 Warrior detailing brush for snowflake and Fair Isle patterns.

So there you have it, 12 stunning Christmas nail art ideas to choose from! Personally, I would love to try them, but if I actually get some time to recreate some, first on my list if the Abstract Angel, it’s just so unusual and I love the inclusion of black Stars.

Now over to you!

Which Christmas manicure from the above compilation is your favourite?

– Maria, xx

MORE USEFUL POSTS:

• 12 Brilliant Christmas Gifts for Nail Art Warriors
• Ultra Festive Christmas nail design – plus, how-to!
• 14 Fabulously Easy Christmas nail ideas
• BREAKING! Christmas Stickers collection is here
• 14 Sensational Snowflake nail designs to try

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As soon as I saw these two gorgeous Dior nail polishes together, I knew what my first festive nails of 2019 will be! The stunning purple creme Diorific Dream and holographic glitter topper Happy 2020 are literally made for each other! The cool toned glitters in Happy 2020 look stunning layered over the bright purple base. I did a little test on my thumb… See photos below!

HOW TO:

For my festive manicure, I opted for an elegant outlined look rather than a typical glitter gradient. To create the outline I put some of Happy 2020 on a paper tissue to let the clear liquid absorb and have more dense glitter to work with. Then I used my favourite liner nail art brush to create the outlines, added 2 layers of a glossy top coat and my nails are ready to shine! I only wish there was some kind of Christmas party on a horizon to put my shiny festive nails in the spotlight.

By the way, both polishes were a dream to work with. If you follow SoNailicious for a while, you know that every Christmas I feature and review Dior Diorific nail polishes. This year, I’m skipping super detailed reviews simply because from year to year Dior delivers the best product – Diorfic nail polishes are literally flawless! See my express review of the entire Dior Happy 2020 collection and previous reviews of Diorfic nail polishes.

Dior Diorific 677 Dream:

Dior Diorific 677 Dream and Diorific 001 Happy:

Used:

• SoNailicious brush 02 Needle – to create the perfect outlines
• SN 04 Slayer clean up brush
• Dior 677 Dream – a vibrant bright purple
• Dior 001 Happy
• Essie top coat

Now over to you!

Have you tried any of the new Diorific polishes yet? What do you think about the Diorific Dream and Happy 2020? And finally, how do you like my festive nails with glitter outlines, would you rock a mani like this?

– Maria, xx

NOTE: this is the second post from the Dior Diorific Happy 2020 series, you’ll find our previous posts here.

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Today I’m thrilled to introduce your the new Dior Diorific Happy 2020 nail polish and makeup collection! With fireworks as the main theme, the collection includes rich vibrant colours as well as gold and loads of glitter.

Even though, the entire year I’ve been following my #tryalltheuntrieds agenda, I made an exception for Diorifics. It’s my own little Christmas tradition, and given our family celebrates Christmas very, very modestly (literally zero wrapping and no feast, hence zero food or any other waste), I feel like it’s ok to treat myself to a little something.

This year Dior yet again surprised us and released a very merry Diorific Happy collection that includes 3 luxurious evening nail polishes and 1 glitter topper. All 4 Diorific nail polishes are Limited Edition and the colours are stunning!

Dior Happy 2020 collection includes:

• 449 Charm – a delicate rosy beige
• 766 Passion – a classic Christmas red
• 677 Dream – a vibrant bright purple
• 001 Happy – a topper with a mix of small gold, pink, blue and holographic glitters suspended in a clear base

With regards to the formula, it is perfect, as always. The 3 creme lacquers are fully opaque in just 2 coats, while the glitter topper Happy is very dense. You’d need 3-4 coats though to get it close to opaque. The topper looks great layered over any of the 3 cremes, they match perfectly. I’ve already tried all of 4 lacquers and tomorrow I’ll show you a design with Dream. So make sure to come back!

* The only colour that you may want to skip is Passion. It’s almost identical to Diorific 762 Shock and unless you’re a hard core Dior fan I don’t see the need to pay $43 for another red in your stash.

And for all Dior lovers out there, here is a little sneak peek at the Diorific Happy 2020 makeup collection. This is of course, only a small part. Here are you’ll find the entire Happy 2020 range. If you’re a lipstick girl, I’d highly recommend to check out the new Diorific sparkling lipsticks. I own a couple of Diorific lipsticks and the quality is superb. I use them thought the year.

Also take a look at the new eye shadows, the new Diorific palettes are one of the a kind and expertly made for easy eye makeup. I’m so keen to play with 007 Party in Colours.

    Dior Diorific Happy 2020 makeup collection includes:

• Dior Diorific 066 Passion long-wearing sparkling lipstick – red lipstick with a visible shimmering effect
• Dior 5 Couleurs eyeshadow palette 007 Party in Colours – bright colours LE
• Dior 5 Couleurs eyeshadow palette 017 Celebrate in Gold – gold smoky eye colours LE
• Rouge Dior 999 lipstick – classic red creme lipstick in a limited edition Happy 2020 packaging
• Diorshow Liquid Mono long-wear eyeliners – 650 Copper Sparks and 540 Gold Twinkle.

Overall Impression: The new Diorific Happy 2020 colours are timeless yet glamorous and perfect for the party season! Moreover, with such luxurious packaging and flawless formulation they will make a great Christmas treat – whether its a gift for yourself, your mum, sister or BFF!

Where to buy Diorific Happy 2020: USD $28.00 – here and here; UK – here £21.50; and Australia – AUD $43, here. Note, these polishes are limited edition and selling out fast, so don’t delay!

SoNailicious Recommends

Now over to you!

Which colour from the new Dior Diorific Happy 2020 nail polish collection is your favourite? And which makeup item would you try first? I’m so keen to try the Party in Colours eye shadow palette and the red sparking lipstick…

– Maria, xx

P.S. Come back tomorrow to see my first Christmas design with Diorific Dream and discover a special Christmas surprise!

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The post First Look: Dior Diorific Happy 2020 Holiday Nail Polish and Makeup Collection appeared first on SoNailicious.

Star nails is one of my favourite nail designs of all time! They are eternally chic and perfect for any occasion. Plus, stars make the perfect party manicure! With festive season approaching fast, knowing how to do the perfect star studded nail design yourself will surely come handy. A great bonus, stars look fantastic in almost any colour, so you can easily them match them to your outfit and they are suitable for any nail shape! The only obstacle, stars can be quite tricky to paint…

But fear not my friend, today I reveal my secret for the flawless starry manicure which is also very easy to do. No kidding! These Star nails took me about 15 minutes all together.

So HIT PLAY and learn how to do star nails yourself like a boss!

Used:

• Chanel Ballerina #167
• SN 04 Slayer clean up brush
• Gold Star nail stickers
• SN Silicone tool – to apply stickers
• Essie top coat

This starry manicure will look particularly with a light coloured outfit or delicate silks, for a more striking evening manicure try darker base, something like these rose gold star nails.

Are you do you like the idea of starry party nails? If you were going to try it, what colours would you choose to pair the gold stars with?

– Maria, xx

P.S. If you try these gold star nails, make sure you tag me on Instagram or Tweet @So_Nailicious photo of your star studded manicure with a tag #sonailicious.

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