Latest works

So I've been lacking with some photos here of my works. So here are some of my latest works.

I need to REALLY finish the loads of video tutorials I have saved that just need the voice over... -_-

And there are many more on my Glitzy Nails Facebook Page, check it out, Like and Share my page :D

Plastic Surgery controversy

This subject affects mostly famous and popular people, and in here I will refer to three girls, two of them are Youtube Makeup gurus (one I think didn't submit to cirgury, but people say she does... which, seriously...why do they care???) and one of the most famous blogger. I'm talking about Xiaxue (Wendy, she submited to some plastic surgeries to alter her nose and her eyes if I'm not mistaken), JLovesMac1 (Jarmaine, she did breast augmentation) and Michelle Phan (now, here I think this ain't true... and even if it is, she looks gorgeous. People say she did something to her chin... I personally think she just got thinner and her makeup skills help a lot... although it does look longer).

The point I'm trying to make here is... I really couldn't care less... I mean... It's THEIR body, their life and money. They show themselves to us, they inspire us to be pretty and to be ourselves. Being ourselves doesn't always and just mean to never change something about you. It means that if you FEEL that you can improve something about you (may it be your nose, eyes, breasts, butt, legs, weight, hair color, etc..) and if you can do it, DO IT! I'm a supporter of change when it's about feeling good with ourselves. If you change because people say you should change, then I do not approve. I've done that my whole life... I've molded myself to the patterns that people made out of me... People around me want me to be fully natural and just accept what life gives me... Well, to me, life is about accepting what we get indeed, but also make something out of that that will please us. I recently started changing my nails to a style that most people think it's ugly or witch like, and I don't care. There are people who hate it and are mean and unpleasant about it, and there are the curious people that I actually find funny, and the people like me that LOVE these nails, but for some reason don't do them themselves... Then I started tattooing my body to my liking. I made a design of two wings I wanted to tattoo on my shoulder blades when I was 16, but I never got either the money or the guts to do them... And this past January I found the money and the guts, and a really good friend of mine to do them. She nailed them just like I wanted them! Then I started my second and third tatoo this month. The third tattoo that was a really small one is already finished, and the other is still in process. I'm doing this because I want it, and because I love how I feel with these changes. I feel like myself now... And THEN I dyed my deep dark brown hair into a baby pink color. I feel like a doll! I feel like myself...
And let me tell you... If I had the money like Michelle, Jarmaine and Wendy to make some plastic surgery on my, I would do it! I would change my nose (make it smaller and with a nice cute curved bridge instead of the crooked one that I have), I would change probably my maxillar bones to be more slender and feminine, and would shorten my chin a bit. And I would definetly alter my body slightly.
All this rambling for what? Simply for the fact that I don't get WHY people get so upset if Youtube Gurus, Bloggers, famous people get plastic surgery... We use makeup to enhance natural beauty and also to hide things we dislike about ourselves...
Altering how we look like comes from WAY back before us... Remember the Victorian dresses? They reshapped women's figure completely, they would shave their heads to wear silly white wigs! They would pamper their faces white! Even men did that!!! I mean... It's natural human behaviour to want to look nice, to look to certain standards...
Some people want to look like models... Other people want to look like dolls... Let them BE! It's WHO they are!!!!
Why get so upset about that? Why rage about it and attack or mock or even bully because of that! Everyone's different. We're individuals. We're FREE! Free to do what we want with ourselves. If it does not affect your life, why bother getting angry about it??? Seriously...
I just don't get it... -_-

Lack of work...don't you just hate it?

I mean, if you have a contract with someone and you get to receive your payment with or without work to do, it may be fine... boring but fine... Now when you work by self employment like I do (I'm a Nail Tech/Stylist and Makeup Artist) it's a whole different story...
Especially when throughout your years of work, most people you've co-worked with made your life a living hell, made you lose clients, money... I mean... It's not easy like this... Through these past 3 years and a half that I've been working as a self employed Nail Tech and Makeup Artist in salons getting paid by commission, I've crossed some salons where I just could nt fit in... For some reason, even though my work was good, no client would complain (on the contrary, they would compliment my work), the owners would want a higher percentage from my work, while I gave my time, fuel and my equipment and products. I gave them a 30% of my total income each day, without them doing NOTHING. Meaning, that while I worked and they didn't, they still would get 30% of what I got... and they wanted 50%!!! Like, HELL NO! You want that, you PAY the products, you get the equipment for me to work with... If you don't accept that, then it's 30% and I'm doing you a favour!
Then when I finally found a nice place, it shut down due to lack of clients...
THEN I went out of city, by my own cost, to a company that promised good income, a contract and commissions over the contract, and after almost a month (where I spent all my money on transports and food, and luckily I had a friend that let me stay at her house), they just gave me the commissions, and no other help, nor the contract they said they would give me... and let me tell you... I received two day commissions... Meaning, I spent more than the double than the income I got... And when I confronted them, they argued I was a horrible professional and got me off of the boat... This taught me to never EVER trust anyone...
Recently I found a salon at my hometown that accepted my requirements of work, but even though it's well situated, it seems that the finance crisis is really bad around here, because I have close to no clients.. So Im here, at the salon I've been for the past week and a couple days, doing this blog post, because, REALLY, I have nothing else better to do here...
Also I made a promotion sale of my work, doing the 1st aplication with extentions for the price of the maintenance (meaning that instead of making the nails for the minimum of 35€ I'm doing them for 15€... less than half of the price. I know I'm losing a hell load of money for a lot of work, but I'm hoping this will call the clients eyes). And still... no clients... -_-' This is sad, frustrating...and boring as hell... (I've been say "hell" a lot on this post... damn I'm frustrated...)

The other thing that is also getting me frustrated is that a friend of mine that hasn't seen me in almost a year, told me I'm too fat... -_- Now I'm frustrated... Like, yes, I know I'm 10kg heavier than I should... And yes, I know I need to workout and eat healthy... I started with the healthy eating already... I just need to feel the strengh in me to start the workouts... And I should walk more, and leave the car on it's place... I know, I know... I'm actually VERY lazy, and I shouldn't be... I WILL workout, just dunno when, but hopefully it will be soon enough ^^; hopefully... ^^;
Right now, due to my tattoo on my tighs I can't force my leg too much (besides the pain of stretching the skin, it can damage the tattoo and the skin), but in a week, I think, I'll be ready to do normal exercise with no pain, and without damaging either the skin nor the tattoo.

God damnit... I really got to put myself together and workout like a beast if I want to look like a beauty. I was never skinny to begin with, although I always envied my skinny perfect friends... And GOD how I hated when they would go like: "I'm so fat..." or "I'm so ugly..." in front of me. Seriously!!! You want/need people to tell you you're pretty and skinny when you already know that or do you have such bad vision it distorts you???? You KNOW you're skinny, and you KNOW you're pretty... Why do you say you're not???? >.<'
Anyways...
I hope I don't be like that once I lose (at least) these 10kg...

Wish me luck guys!!! :D

Sooooooo freaking long

Yes, yes... I know...
But it's not like I've been having any feedback here...
I keep my facebook pages active with makeup and nails. But my Youtube's channel has been a little put on the side. I have a few videos to edit, but I've been so damn lazy...
And recently I've re-discovered Xiaxue's blog, and I actually find her interesting and quite amuzing. I like how she's so frontal and honest about stuff. She's not even affraid that people will be mean to her. On that I got to admit I look up to her. And she's so cute!! (yes, I know she's done plastic surgery... I don't care. She's cute anyways. And if I had the money I would too...). She's somehow someone I wouldn't mind being lol. Seriously. I'd LOVE to have a life like hers... And to always have something to blog about (now that would be awesome to me)

So I've recently took the decision I should lose around 10kg... Yes it's quite a bit to lose just like that. I've found Blogilate's Youtube channel, and she's AMAZING! I got to say that I tried starting with her June calendar, but I almost DIED! I mean, I felt so weak and almost fainted at the third day...which was sad, and actually made me cry, because I realized how badly out of shape I am... My muscles can stand most of the pain the exercises give, but my lungs and heart somehow can't. It's obviously because I don't eat healthy, and yes... I should. Unfortunatly, healthy ain't always cheap (surprisingly, unhealthy is SO cheap it hurts...).
I'm trying to eat less carbs, and more proteine, more vegetables, a drink more water. I stopped drinking milk (I actually feel better without it... I should have stopped a long time ago). But I haven't yet composed myself from feeling sad about myself and get up and start the workout again. Cassie (blogilates) made a Beginner calendar for people like me. I already downloaded it, and I should just start it... But it seems I'm lazy enough to find a new excuse everyday to postpone the workout... Either "It's way too hot today" or "I just ate" or "I don't have time" or "it's too late"... Like, SERIOUSLY!!! I want to get thin and sexy and all...but apparently I don't want it enough? -_-
What do you guys (that workout, and had extra weight like me) did/do to keep yourselves motivated and to go against natural laziness??? What tactics (lol) did you use on yourself to not give excuses to yourself to not workout? What do you suggest? (and yes, getting up and move my fat ass is a start I know).

And right now it's like 2a.m. in here, it's 20ºC and even with a fan turned on I can't sleep coz it WAY too hot... geeez....

Oh!!! And tomorrow I'm going for my second session of my leg tattoo. I'm doing a bridal leg lace (or whatever it's called). It's SOOOOOO CUTE!!!
I'll post photos of it soon, and also the video of it being done. I think I'm kind of getting addicted to tatoos? I'm going for my third tatoo already, and I did my first in January... and believe me... it was the ongest 6h30 of my life of a tatoo (2 wings - one white other black. Yes, there's a meaning to it. But not going to explain now... maybe later.).

Also I've recently, and FINALLY found a hair stylist that agreed to dye my hair in a pastel color of my own choice. None here in my hometown accepted to do it, because I have long hair... Like... seriosuly???
And since she didn't have purple nor pink, I got violet (an in between both colors) on my old four colored hair. Yes, four colors... why? Because one year ago I dyied it myself in black, with a drugstore dye... worst thing EVER! Then later on December 2012 I managed to dye it in a cinnamon color to try to make it a whole color...not done well.... Then my hair stylist of that time bleached the ends of my hair (I think it's called the Callifornian Hair, or at least in here it's what t's called), and THEN I found my actual hairstylist that accepted the challenge of bleaching it all and turn it pink. Let me tell ya...it was HELL!!! That damned one year old black dye didn't want to leave!!!! I have all my hair (roots and where I first bleached and applied the cinnamon color) going from ash to platinnum blond (or white if you prefer), and the area where the black was still stuck on is of a light gold... The violet color looks like a mix of cotton candy pastel pink strands with some deep lavender on the roots and golden pink on where the black was. It actually looks nicer than what I thouht it would look like. But it'll look better next time! I'm going to order some Manic Panic dyes, and bleachers so I can keep my hair color and roots myself. Also I need to restock so good keratin products for my hair, good conditioners and shampoos...so yeah... ^^ It's going to be a little expensive, but totally worth it!
I feel like I came out of a fairy tale or something like that! I finally feel like I am ME with this look. It makes me youthful and cute, and with a brighter aura somehow. Which was what I as aiming for. And if you ask me, yes, Xiaxue was my main inspiration for this. Not the only inspiration, but probably the strongest. Thank you girl!

Aaaaaand I think I'll stop writting for this post...
In a few days I'll post more stuff and updates on my hair, tatoo, nails, makeup, and maybe, JUST MAYBE, an OOTD. ^^

xoxo!!!
See you next time!!!

It's been a month and a half since I last published (〃￣ω￣〃ゞ

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaand I know I promised myself I would keep this blog updated more often, but I actually didn't...
I went on a two week vacation for the first time in 3 years of work, and went out of my country also for the first time. I went to visit my boyfriend at Switzerland.
It's BEAUTIFUL!!!

Everything there was so magical and beautiful... I was just astonished  (((o(*ﾟ▽ﾟ*)o)))

And most recently I've been working with Hollywood Nails at a cosmetic exposition, the biggest in Portugal. I was AWESOME! I just loved it. I got to meet and work with great professionals, and I also met a lot of nice people there.

The Hollywood Nails team

And the nails I've done to the exposition. 

Everyone loved them and took pictures, it was so crazy!!!

Now I'm back home, and I'm resting a little, because tomorrow I'll hve to travel again, to take some courses on lashes extensions, and some other courses on nails, so I can start working at the Hollywood Nails academy as a Nail Instructor!!! I'm so excited!!! I've always wanted this!!!

I already took the nails off, because I completely ruined the nail art over the expo while working on other people's nail demos.

So here's my new set of nails now... I just LOVE them.

Well... That is all for now folks!
I won't be posting any ne tutorials for now, because I'm without a camera...so I can't record them...

But I'll try to not forget to keep this blog updated with nails and some makeup looks!!!

Don't forget to follow me on facebook!!!

Glitzy Nails https://www.facebook.com/VeraL.Peneda

And Vera Peneda Makeup https://www.facebook.com/VeraPenedaMakeUp

New makeup tutorial!

New tutorial: Makeup for Glasses!!!

Been struggling that you use glasses and you want to wear some fun, quick and easy makeup even through you use glasses???
Here's one tutorial for you!!!

I may do some more later.
Hope you like it enough to subscribe and thumbs up this video.

Been on a somewhat procrastination mode...ヾ(´A｀)ノﾟ

yeah yeah... I know... we all have been there. The point where you know you have TONS of stuff to do (for me for example...preparing a course I will be giving soon, makeup and nails tutorials, getting some kind of temporary solution for my ferrets while I'm off to Switzerland until I can take them with me...I dunno...) and THEN Mr. Procrastination knoks up at you and you're out of strenghts, patience and will to do whatever you have and need to do.
So... I should be doing more nail tutorials, because I've actually been requested over Facebook, and I also should be blogging more (and with ACTUAL interesting content...), and also makeup tutorials (which I haven't done in AGES...).
AND today I actually filmed a new makeup tutorial!!! YAY for me!!!!! (ok I'll stop...)

I know I have a whole lot more to do... And specially because I'll be at least two weeks without being able to film anything while I'm at Switzerland, meaning, I'll have to film everything now, so I'll just edit and upload it later.

I already made a list of makeup and nail tutorials to film until the 2nd of March.
I'm trying to do a commitment with myself that I shall upload at least one tutorial per week. May it be makeup, DIY, or nail related. (let's hope I can keep this...)

Anyhow... Here's some photos of the makeup I just filmed, and yeah...those are two of my ferrets. LOVE them so much.

Enjoy!!!

（＾ω＾）Planning some new 3D Tutorials BUT!!!!!

So yeah, Valentine's Day is over, and now it'll be a full month until St. Patricks (and yes, I'll also be doing some nails tutorial for that day, even though Im not Irish.), but I also would want to know your requests.
What would you like to see more.
What colors?
What theme?
What kind of art?
What materials (sea shells, glittler, plain colors, acrylic paint, aquarelle...)?

Share your requests, and I shall do my best to please you all. (◡‿◡✿)

Thank you for visiting!
Until next time!!! (ﾉ´ヮ´)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧

〜(￣▽￣〜) 3rd and LAST Valentine's Nails tutorial (〜￣▽￣)〜

Finally it's here!!!!!
I finished it up.
It's a little fast though, but I'll try to make some slower ones next time, I promise.

Enjoy!

Thank you for visiting!!!

ヽ(愛´∀｀愛)ノ second Valentine's Day Nails is up!!! ヽ(愛´∀｀愛)ノ

Yay!!!
It took longer than I expected to upload today... But here it is!!!! ♡＾▽＾♡

The third and last one that I announced earlier today will be (hopefully) up on monday. ♡＾▽＾♡

Thanks for visiting!
And enjoy the tutorial!!!

Editing the second video on the same day (。⌒∇⌒)。

I'm definetly on a row today.
The first video on Premiere took me 4 days to complete. The second took me about 2 days. And the last one that's uploading at this moment, took me only some hours, and I already recorded another video and I'm editing it. ♪(┌・。・)┌

Here's the nails I just recorded and that I am editing in the moment.

I just hope that thanks to this I won't run out of ideas for the next upcoming weeks... (´＿｀。)

Anyhow... Thanks for visiting!!!!

♡＾▽＾♡ Valentine's Nails #1 tutorial - Red

Here's my first Valentine's Tutorial of 2013.
Most of you asked that the first up would be the red, and then the pink.
So here's the 1st Red one ♡＾▽＾♡

Next will be a very simple Pink rose Valentines tutorial.

Also, I've sketched these to make two other tutorials for Valentine's Day. But these are a bit more complex.
Would you also like to see them?

Tell me what you think. (ღ˘⌣˘ღ)
Thank you for visiting!!!

Another tutorial is coming up! (preview) ♫

Since most of you on Facebook chose the red nails tutorial to go first, here's a preview. The video editing is done, it's just doing the voice over tomorrow and add the music. (ღ˘⌣˘ღ) ♫･*
By the way... I'm calling it Red Valentine's Nails. Do you have any name suggestions? ｡◕‿◕｡

Thank you so much for visiting!!!!
If you've got any requests, feel free to leave them in the comments ｡◕‿◕｡

Nails and Skin Disorders #1 (ATTENTION TO SENSITIVE PEOPLE, DO NOT LOOK)

Under the Microscope: Paronychia

Paronychia is an infection that occurs when there is breakdown in the seal between the skin and the nail plate.

What is it?: There are two types of paronychia: acute and chronic. Both are caused when the seal between the nail fold and the nail plate is broken and infection gets in. Which bacteria enter the broken seal is one of the factors that determines if the condition is acute or chronic. Techs can tell the difference between chronic and acute paronychia because acute paronychia will be accompanied by pain and swelling within a couple of days of an injury and pus may be present at the site of the infection.

How do you get it?: Many outside factors can cause acute paronychia, including improper manicuring that breaks the seal between the skin fold and the nail plate. Clients can innocently break the seal themselves, and without understanding the problems that puncturing the seal can cause, they can let it go untreated for days as it worsens. Once the seal is broken, it’s easy for infection to get in from dirt, food, nail biting, etc. With chronic paronychia, the condition is the same in that a broken seal is still the culprit, but the agents that break the seal are different.  For example, moisture from hands that are in the water too often can cause the seal to break. Cosmetics, harsh soap, or even frequent handling of raw foods could also damage the seal.

How is it treated?: In the case of trauma, the affected area can be treated with Polysporin and kept covered 24 hours a day. The nail should look normal after three or four days. If the paronychia doesn’t clear up in a couple of days, and certainly if a tech sees paronychia in two consecutive appointments, refer the client to a doctor. Paronychia may have to be tested for cultures. Yeast could be present in the infection, and the doctor may need to write a prescription to treat the yeast in addition to the area of infection. This may even involve an oral medication if the doctor feels that the yeast is a systemic problem.

What can a tech do?: If you suspect that you have broken the seal during a service, clean the area, but don’t apply new product to that nail. If the client is pain-free over the next few days, she can return before her next scheduled appointment so you can complete the service. The same caution should be taken if the client comes into the salon complaining of pain at her cuticle and reliving a story of how she hurt herself. If the client complains of pain, or if you see swelling, do not apply product to that nail. Instead, recommend she apply Polysporin to the infection and keep the area covered and dry. Suggest she see a doctor if the pain and swelling do not go away. If fever results, it is imperative she see her doctor.

What else?: Clients with paronychia should avoid all irritants and moisture, keeping the area dry and covered. In some cases, they should wear cotton gloves with waterproof gloves over them to avoid getting their hands wet during cleaning or washing dishes.

Dr. C. Ralph Daniel contributed to this article.

O carnaval está aí!!!! (portuguese post)

Olá a todos!!!
Como o carnaval está aí a chegar, e nem toda a gente gosta de ir apenas diferente, e até gosta de pregar uns sustos, deixo aqui um tutorial que fiz para o Halloween/Carnaval.
Espero que gostem!!!

How I clean my acrylic brushes ☆

Hello my lovelies!

Here's another video! This time just to explain how I clean my acrylic brushes to maintain them (｀・ω・´)”

I hope it's helpful to you all. (☆^ー^☆)

Thank you so much for visiting! ⊙ω⊙

How I make my Own Acrylics w/Video

Hello my sweet pies!!! ♪(┌・。・)┌
I'm back with a quick explanatory video on how I make my own acrylics. Hope you enjoy!!!

If you like my blog follow me on the box to the right!
And also, if you like my videos and would like to support me, just click "Like" and subscribe to my channel.

Thank you so much for visiting! (o´ω`o)ﾉ
XoXo
Until next time!!! ☆

o (◡‿◡✿) Spring Garden Nails (◕‿◕✿)

It's finally up!!!!!! ＼(^▽^＠)ノ

My tutorial on these nails:

It's here!!! o(≧∇≦o)

Hope you enjoy!!! 

Thank you for visiting! ♥

21 new acrylic colors ヾ（＠＾▽＾＠）ノ

Hello my lovelies!!!

So I'm SUPER excited because I recently discovered the amazingness of doing my own acrylic colors/collections.
This is sooooooo damn fun! And endless! You can make SO many thing its crazy!!!
Just yesterday I've done 21 new colors!!!!

Later on I'll do a video explaining how I do my own acrylic colors  (ヘ。ヘ)

Thanks for visiting! ヽ(*・ω・)ﾉ

FINALLY ☆*:.｡. o(≧▽≦)o .｡.:*☆

Finally my shipment arrived, and I got pretty much all I wanted.
I'm still experimenting these new brand products in acrylic. I've been using this brand in UV Gel, and I'm fully satisfied with the relations quality/price. Very inexpensive and really high quality. Now Im trying the acrylics. Obviously they won't be as great as Organic Nails and stuff, but so far, they're quite good and resistent.

I'm still struggling with editing my tutoria on Premiere. It's a pain in the butt... But I'm actually foing ok with the voice overs. Still gotta get used to talk slowly, right to the point (I talk too much) and with a calm soothing voice... Any tips and tricks?
Oh, and for the voice over I'm using the PC mic... Should I use a proper mic?

Oh well...
Thanks for visiting!!!! (ღ˘⌣˘ღ) ♫･*:.｡. .｡.:*･

Random ranting

As the title says, Im just going to rant fo a little, while, just because I can...

So I pretty much did an order of working material exactly last Thursday (making today a week since I made it), the money was taken RIGHT away from my account, but the shipment was only done this past Tuesday (exactly 5 days after I made the order, and got my money taken...).
The shipment hasn't yet left the German facilities of DHL... I needed those material for today, and as you can guess, I haven't got them yet, nor an explanation to why it hasn't moved out of their facility since it was delivered to them on day 22nd of this month.. and today is 24th... 2 days in the GODDAMNED facility???? Why????
God damn them... I NEED those materials to work, and they don't even give me an explanation to why are they working so damn slowly!!!
I just HATE this, because I can't deliver a perfect work to my clients due to the lack of materials that are STILL in Germany!!!
And I as told that in 3 days I would have the shipment delivered to my hands... Yeah, right. If it's still in Speyer, Germany, I HIGHLY doubt it will be here tomorrow (Portugal).
Seriously...

Current WIP and first voice over ever (◕‿◕✿)

Hello my darlings!!!!
Here I am today, again, bringing you some quick preview of what I'm doing now.

So this is my first time EVER doing a voice over on a tutorial and it's also the first time I'm editing on Adobe Premiere.
So wish me luck.  (ノ＞▽＜。)ノ

Anyhow...
I'm going to take a break now, and I'm going to the hairdresser, to change my hair color to about 2-3 shades lighter.
I'm in a mood of changing, and since I'm alreay getting white hairs all over my head, I might as well just go from my natural super dark brown, to a caramel brown. (o⌒．⌒o)

I just hope I'll look good in it. (*▽*)

Sorry for another long post!
Thanks for visiting!!!
xoxo ♡

Artificial Nails basics - Building and Filing

This was a highly requested video. People kept asking me to make a video explaining how to build and file into shape artificial nails.
Since most of the requests came from UV Gel users, the video is also done using that material.
So... I hope you guys like it!

I hope you enjoyed ;p 

Thank you very much for visiting! 

See you soon~(^3^)/xoxo ☆

It's been a while!! (o^∇^o)ﾉ

I haven't posted anything in a while, so I decided to share another passion of mine with you all, and this is something I will be doing from now on as well, besides make up and nail art.





  This drawing was done by me, quite a while ago... I have some WIP's and sketches that I may also be uploading in here as well.. Anyhow!!! As part of my New Year's resolutions, I'm going to try to post here like 2-3 times a week. ♪

Sorry for the long post!

I hope you enjoyed ;p 

Thank you very much for visiting! 

See you soon~(^3^)/xoxo ☆