Born to be wild

Being the beauty junkie that I am, I quite often find myself watching online tutorials (hair/makeup/nails etc etc) vainly trying to recreate something that seems fairly simple, but in reality is actually very bloody difficult. For example, there are literally hundreds of 'simple smokey eye' tutorials out there, yet no matter how hard I try, no matter which products I use and how much blending I do, I end up looking less sultry, sexy chic and more prostitute panda. Maybe it's my makeup, maybe it's my eyes or maybe I'm just not made to apply makeup in a 'smokey' manner, but generally online tutorials and I just don't mix.

However, on Friday, I learned a wonderful thing. A thing so wonderful, I may put it up there with the other really important things I've learned in my life, such as the alphabet and the names of all of Santa's reindeer. On Friday, I learned how to do this!

That's MY hand! And those are MY nails! And they're leopard print!!! (Well... kind of)

[Products used - base coat - Rimmel Nail Rescue, colours - Barry M Nail Paint in Turquoise, Collection 2000 Hot Looks in Hula Hoop, detail - Collection 2000 Fast Stroke Eyeliner in Black and top coat - Rimmel Lasting Finish in Natural]

Believe me, it's incredibly easy, albeit slightly fiddly. The full tutorial is HERE on Gem Fatale's blog; (which is brilliant by the way) all you need is a couple of different colours of nail varnish, a top coat and a liquid eyeliner for the detail! Yeah! An eyeliner! GENIUS!!!

I got so leopard print happy I also did Liv's -

This is just a random photo she Tweeted - not great quality I know, but you get the idea. [Products used - same as above for base coat, top coat and eyeliner, colours - Barry M Nail Paint in Grey and 17 Fast Finish Nail Polish in Baked Cherry]

I think this is going to be the start of an obsession for decorated nails. It's such a great idea because leopard spots are completely random anyway, so they don't have to be particularly neat. Plus, you can do so many colour combinations! After sporting the blue and pink all weekend, I've just redone my nails in the more traditional leopard print colours, using Chanel Particuliere and Sleek Nailed Polish in Brownie;

Argh, I love it!

Believe me, if a buffoon like me can do it, anybody can! Let me know if you try it out or send me a picture!

Right, good. Time for Desperate Housewives...