Tips : How to Do Nail Art

Looking for a beautiful way to spice up your look? Nail art can complement your outfit for a special event or add a unique flair to your appearance every day. While very detailed nail art is best left to professionals, there are a number of techniques that you can do in your own home. With a little practice and a lot of patience, you, too, can create beautiful, unique designs to brighten up your nails

1. Make sure your nails are in good shape. Learn how to keep your nails healthy and have beautiful nails. Your nails should not be bitten. You don't need a manicure to start creating nail art, but you do need to make sure that your nails are clean and shaped well enough that they look even.

2. Choose the right products. There are a multitude of different paints and polishes available for nail art, and your choice of products is completely up to you. Experiment with a few different brands and types of polish or paint to see which you like best, and don’t forget to give acrylic craft paints a try — these work great and are a whole lot cheaper than nail paints or polish.

You’ll also be able to choose from a variety of implements to help you apply your paint. You can buy professional-grade nail art kits that include all the brushes, stripers, and marbling tools you’ll need, or you can improvise.

A toothpick or bobby pin, for example, can help you apply dots and swirl colors with precision, and thin-tipped detail brushes available at your local arts or hobby store can work just as well as special nail art brushes. In addition, remember that you can create art on your natural nails or on artificial tips, and the variety of artificial nails is truly dizzying.

Perhaps most importantly, though, make sure you have pure acetone for quickly removing mistakes, and have a small brush and/or Q-Tips, makeup pads, or cotton balls available solely for applying the acetone.

3. Look for ideas and techniques. This article is a good primer, but if you have trouble coming up with ideas after a while, or if you want to get more in-depth information about techniques, consider these options:
Taking a class at your local nail salon. Just a few hours with a professional teacher can advance your skills like years of practice.

There are also a number of books on nail art. You may be able to find one in your local library or bookstore, but if not, buy them online.

Finally, the web is a great resource, especially if you’re just looking for new ideas. There are several sites on which people post their latest creations, and you can also find a few forums frequented by beginners and pros alike. Also, watch videos on sites such as YouTube that show you step-by-step how to do certain designs.

4. Get your materials ready. While nail art requires a lot of patience, you’re also constantly working against the clock when you’re creating it, since the paints and polishes dry fairly quickly. Before you begin, make sure you have everything you need ready and accessible, especially acetone for quickly removing mistakes.

5. Give your nails a base coat. Before you begin your nail art you need to create your canvas. Depending on the look you’re going for, you can paint your nails a neutral color, such as clear, white, pale beige or pale pink, or you can paint them any other color you desire.

You may also wish to divide the nail into two or three different colors. Do two coats, as it strengthens the nail and gives a better finish. Make sure your “canvas” is neat and even, and allow it to dry thoroughly before proceeding.

6. Create your nail art on top of the base coat. Dip your brush or other tool in one color of paint to make sure the paint adequately and evenly covers it. If your brush has globs, excess paint, or not enough paint, you’re going to have trouble painting. Keep your art simple.

There’s plenty of room for creativity — you can create pictures, abstract designs, etc. to your heart’s content. However, don’t make your nails look too “busy.” Simple designs are often the most beautiful, and if you’re a beginner your chances of success are far greater the simpler your art is.

7. Apply a top coat. Once all your nail art is dry, paint over it with a clear protective acrylic top coat to seal and protect your nail and your hard work.

8. Care for your art. Reapply a clear top coat every two or three days to protect your art and keep your nails looking shiny. Apply cuticle oil daily. Treat your nails with care — wear gloves when gardening or doing other work, and exercise caution when performing tasks such as opening soda cans, as they may damage your nails. [wikihow.com]

Kim Kardashian Named “Most Annoying Celebrity” in New Poll

Kim Kardashian Named “Most Annoying Celebrity” in New Poll
And how she’s been crowned the “Most Annoying Celebrity of 2011.”

Well, at least that’s the title awarded to her by Parade and Yahoo! OMG! in their annual pop cultural poll, which surveyed Americans on a number of topics.

With 29% of the vote, Kardashian edged out Charlie Sheen (27%) for Most Annoying Celebrity.The full chart is as follows:

Kim Kardashian – 29%
Charlie Sheen – 27%
Snooki – 21%
Lindsay Lohan – 16%
Donald Trump – 5%
Brad Womack – 1%
[gossipcop.com ]

What goes wrong when celebs endorse food

People are conditioned to believe that if a celebrity endorses something, it must be important to them or, they're getting paid loads of money. I understand celebrity chefs endorsing food. That makes sense. And it makes sense to me that a model would put their face on a wrinkle cream or an athlete would promote an energy drink. It even makes sense that Jennifer Aniston would endorse a ubiquitous and universally appealing beverage. Water.

But endorsing is one thing. Having a food item named after you is a different matter. That says: this is me. It's like having personalised fragrance in that it's interactive. You can buy Mariah Carey's perfume, spritz yourself and presume that you're going to smell just like her. Likewise, if you buy Sylvester Stallone's high-protein pudding, you're a tiny bit closer to being like Rocky.

Scores of celebrities have climbed on board. Hulk Hogan has the Hulkster Cheeseburger – a microwaveable cheeseburger and bun all in one. This saves time from having to assemble it separately, I guess. More time to wrestle! Paradoxically, supermodel Heidi Klum has her face on her own line of candy. Heidi Klum's fat-free fruit flirtations. Good luck with those.

Last week, I was in Holland & Barrett buying dried apricots when I spotted the Elizabeth Hurley fruit and oat bars. I knew she'd become a part-time organic farmer, but I'd never seen the bars. There she is on the wrapper wearing a black mini dress, pink wellies with a pineapple on her head. On closer inspection I realised that no, it wasn't a pineapple but a bunch of bananas. Much more appropriate. She's even got her big black sunglasses on. Just in case paparazzi are lurking in the snacks aisle.

Sorry, the GUILT FREE snacks aisle. At under 100 calories they are "perfect for the moments you want something sweet". You know what else they're perfect for? Moments you want to ponder what's wrong with people.

Of course, there are celebrities who have an entire line of food with a genuine purpose and there seems to be more gravitas to it. Terence Stamp, for instance, has a delicious gluten-free line. And the most well known, naturally, is Paul Newman. I find it comforting to see his face peering out from the Fig Newmans cookies.

It does have drawbacks though. I was having a conversation recently with a young person who had never heard of Paul Newman. I was taken aback – even though she was 14, that seemed old enough to have seen Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. "Oh, wait," she paused. "You mean the salad dressing guy?" The salad dressing guy. Paul Newman! That was disturbing.

I asked a couple of my friends – if they were to have their own food item what it would be. My friend Carla said she'd have her name on a cherry pie that had no calories. No calories at all? She should meet Elizabeth Hurley and the two of them could come up with a taste-free food line. Another friend said her signature food item would be chips that once eaten, made you look younger. I'm not sure what my item would be but it would definitely be something "on the side".

But best of all was my friend, Helena, who said her food item would be called Tru Jerks. "It's jerky made from the hides of men who have let me down or tortured me in my life."[guardian.co.uk]