Hey girls, do you like my grey nail polish?

That background you see is a Christmas card from the TG festive card kit, get yours with your December issue of Total Girl!

I would never have thought of grey and nails as being a good combo. Grey can often be thought of as more drab than fab. But think of all the great grey stuff: kittens, silvery rain-slicked pavements, your grandparents’ hair. Grey is a cool colour and it was fun to break free from the usual nail colour suspects (pink! red!) and go for something different.

It’s fun to take a beauty risk and shake up your manicure. Here are my top four quirky nail colours:

1. Canary: It’s bold for summer, it’s sunny, it’s optimistic, it’s the colour you want to wear when you’re enjoying the sand and the surf. I guarantee it will make you smile.
   
   
2. Green: any shade is okay by me as it’s one of my favourite colours. There’s a green for every mood. Try a pastel nail if you want to be summertime sweet, a hit of fluoro lime if you want your nails to be loud and proud, or a darker forest green if you want to be a bit mysterious.
   
   
3. Metallics: Bling bling! Silver and gold nails are like jewels for your fingertips, but surprising shades of colour done in metallic are also as cool as it gets.
   
   
4. White: A bit stark, a bit bleak? Nah. A white nail is your ultimate canvas for nail art. You can do all kinds of things against white – one really cool thing to try is to get some Sharpies and do some graffiti-style doodles, then seal in the art with a clear topcoat.

What's YOUR fave unexpected nail colour?

XOXO Claire 

 

 

 

1. Hey hey glam TGs!
   
   TG Aish has some hair-related blues: 
   
   I have really short hair, and it's making me feel a bit self-conscious. It is as short as the average boy's hair, and sometimes people mistake me for a boy. My school doesn't allow fancy clips and hair accessories as it doesn't mix with uniform well, so how can I look like a girl and still abide by school rules? I am growing my hair out, but for the time-being, I don't want to be confused for a boy.
   
   If you can't wear fancy clips, you can probs still wear simple bobby pins, perhaps in the same hue as your school uniform or house colours. 
   
   Keep your short 'do girly with cool texture: try messing it up with mousses and gels.
   
   People know you're not a boy. Also, try not to focus too much on your hair. I bet there's 10 million things more interesting about you than your short locks.
   
   
   Love your hair instead! Here are four reasons to embrace it:
   
   1. Summer is coming and you'll adore the feeling of a breeze on the back of your neck instead of that sweaty sensation. 
   
   2. Hate waiting for your hair to dry? No probs! When it's short, it's so easy to care for. Drying time is practically non-existant.
   
   3. Without lots of hair to hide behind, you just might discover a confident new you.
   
   4. Short hair is made for experimentation! On weekends, try adding some hair chalk for some cray cray colour, tie a headscarf over it, or tuck a fresh flower behind one ear. 
   
   XOXO Claire

Cray cray hair? Yeah, yeah!

Take one sizzling pink curl of clip-in hair and add two fancy, flouncy clip-in feathers. There’s a party on my head and you’re all invited.

 

I’m testing out some feather hair extensions from Vixen Body Art ($11.95 each) and also a Headlines Hairpieces Splice Curl ($15.40 to $24.20 depending on length) in an amazeballs pink worthy of Nicki Minaj. Yeah, you’d probs wear these one at a time, but hey, more is more, right? Sometimes, it totally is.

Feathers are meant to be eye-catching – in nature, they’re a look-at-me display of beauty. That must be why my feathered hair is grabbing so much attention over at TGHQ.

These hair decorations are easy and comfortable to wear – they feel about the same as any other hair clip, but they do tend to wave their crazy colours around the edges of your line of sight. They can easily be clipped out again when it’s time for school or hair-washing, and they are reusable.

Here’s a picture by TG’s Lattitia who dared me to wear this whole set-up home on the train.

I did the dare and guess what? No one was especially surprised by my fluffy, feathery, crazy tresses. Anyway, this approach is not necessarily recommended – these kinds of pieces are best suited to a party when everyone wants to show their true colours.

 

Hi Claire :)
I don't chew my nails but they don't seem to grow. I put Diamond Clear Strength nail polish on to help them and I clean them every morning and night to make sure there is no chemicals under them. Can you help?
From Gemma
 
Hi Gemma,
 
Nails grow slowly, like, really slowly. Seriously, waiting for nail growth is like watching paint dry. Chill out about your nail growth. One thing you can take care of is the food you eat – include protein and stay hydrated. Keep your hands away from any harsh products and keep washing up gloves on. Still kind of bummed about your nail length? Fake nails could be your friend, but keep these for special occasions only. I personally like my nails on the short side because I type so much. It can get kind of hard to use a smart phone with long nails. Good luck.
 
XOXO Claire

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 Hi Claire
My fringe is really annoying. It always goes curly or bumpy. it usually looks really bad and even when I try to blow dry it nicely, it stays like that for half the day and then it curls again. I don’t want to straighten it everyday ‘cause I don’t want to ruin it. Do you know any ways I can make it stay nice? Thank you! :)
Monique
 
Hi Monique,
 
I have naturally curly hair too. Your hair will pretty much do what it wants to do, which is curl up in your case. You might be happier without a fringe at all – this could be easier to live with than a fringe behaving badly. If you’re really into having a fringe, pick a great hair straightener and give your fringe a good spray with strong hold hair spray (remember to protect your eyes). Don’t like using a straightener? Try experimenting with a fake fringe that you can clip in, or else try pulling back the fringe and hiding it under a cute headband when it gets out of control.
 
XOXO Claire

Firstly, get your hands Bella-rific. As you can see, Bells goes for super-neat nails in a 'squoval' shape – that's like somewhere between a square and oval. Get this shape with a nail file and gently shape your nails somewhat flat at the top with rounded sides.

Easy peasy!

Smooth the surface of your nail with a buffer. These usually have multiple sides with slightly abrasive surfaces, kind of like sandpaper, that you can use to carefully remove any ridges in your nails. The final step of buffing delivers a natural-looking shine which can look super nice even when you have no polish on. There, all prepped and ready!

Look #1: Pearly Pink


To get this look, try a whisper-soft pink worthy of a ballerina. We like Sally Hansen's 'Pink at Him' shade in its complete salon manicure range – it gets you looking immaculate, fast. 

Look #2: Sparkle Time!


Bella's blue sparkle mani is party-perfect. Copy the look with Mariah Carey for OPI in 'Get Your Number'. This delivers sparkle by the bottleful and happens to dry to a totes cool 'liquid sand' matte finish. 

Look #3: Multi-colour Floral


Wow, this multi-coloured madness mani is crazy and we think it's gorgeous. Get your hands on some bubblegum pink polish, stick-on rhinestones and a handful of different fluoros like these ones from BYS. To get the multi-coloured artistic effect, work with one colour at a time and let it dry a bit before reaching for the next one so they don't all run together like a hot mess. To get fuzzy florals, dilute some of your colours with white nail polish or buy pastel shades and go for an artsy-looking blob.

Hi TGs

While our brilliant beauty blogger Claire is away, the excellent Emma (our intern) has written guest blog: Fantastic Freckles.

Enjoy!
TGHQ xx

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Calling all wonderful TGs, this one is important!

We’ve had a reader ask us how to get rid of her freckles, and I think this is a good opportunity to talk about loving yourself exactly how you are. I know you’ve heard it before, but seriously… accepting you for you is vitally important!

Trust me, my face is absolutely covered in freckles and I LOVE them! Why? Well, when I was little my Gran used to tell me that they were fairy kisses! Cute, huh? Not everyone has freckles, which is exactly why you should love them. They give you a unique look that is different to everyone else, and if you have a lot of them, imagine how many fairies have kissed you! LOL!

This not only applies to freckles, but to any part of your body! You are one of a kind, which is exactly why you should embrace what you have. If you have freckles, work ‘em girl! Our differences add to who we are… it makes us special. Plus, those fairy kisses totally gave us magical powers, hehe!


Nobody’s perfect, but we are all beautiful in our own way. Wear your stunning smile, hold your head high and be confident in yourself. The TG team, your family and your friends all love you exactly how you are, freckles and all! There is only one of you in this world, so make sure that YOU are invincible! And don’t forget… if you’ve got freckles, the fairies love you too! 


 

Mwah!
Emma xoxo

Hi TGs!
 
I’m in a holiday state of mind! You know – sand between the toes, long afternoons of shopping, watching the sun set over an exotic city – I want it all!
 
Are you off somewhere amazing soon? Tell me in the comments and make sure you bear in mind these holiday glam tips:
 

1. More is more! Hey, you’re on a break. No school, no rules, right? Especially if you’re off somewhere warm, feel free to break out the body glitter, shimmer and sparkle, cray cray nail art, coconut oil and amazing accessories and bling. Flower in your hair, fluoro nail polish on your toes? Time to hit the beach!
   
   
   
   
2. Be flight-ready. Planes are fun if you’re into sitting for hours and chilling with movies (hey, sounds pretty good). Your in-flight glam essentials are:
   
   * Bottled water – you have got to stay queen of hydration nation.
   * Eye mask and ear plugs. Block out the light and noise to get some beauty sleep.
   * Your fave lip balm – pick something nice and moisturising because the air-conditioning inside an aeroplane can be killer and super dry.
   * Moisturiser – because the soap inside the tiny toilet is usually super harsh.
   
   
   
   
3. Be sun smart. Your other holiday must-have? Sunscreen! It doesn’t matter whether you’re off to the blazing sunlight of the beach, the chill of the snow or the middle of the city – sun protect like you mean it, even if it’s just a moisturiser with an SPF.

Hi glam TGs!
 
OMTG, I went to THE most ah-mazing launch last night! It was a party for the one and only 1D fragrance, Our Moment, a super girly perfume the boys say is what they like girls to smell like!

 
It was out in Westfield Sydney and we got to admire the glittery lights of the city through huge windows while enjoying delish food and bottles of the fragrance sitting on floral-draped tables. Suuuper lush!
 
So what does Our Moment smell like? Well, it’s a blend of pink grapefruit, frangipani, creamy musk and sooo much more. It’s fresh and girly and you TGs are going to love it! The boys say they were involved with bottle design: it’s multi-faceted (like them!) with a crown to nod to their British and Irish roots and pink to reference the florals in the fragrance.

 
The boys said some seriously cute stuff via video and I have a feeling Directioners are going to looove the amazeballs TV commercial for the perfume.
 
Niall had a special message about the perfume just for Aussies: “Enjoy, it smells very nice. I gave it to my Mum, she enjoys it. G’day, g’day, g’day.”
 
So what was in the goodie bags? My very own 1D fragrance, obvs, which is causing a huge stir at TGHQ right now, and a 1D cupcake, plus a huge dreamy poster of the boys! Am I the luckiest TG or what?!
 

Dear TGs,
 
When I was your age, I had a lot of questions! I still have a lot of questions to this day. Now that I think about it, having so many questions in me is probs why I grew up to be a journalist. As you might have guessed, I LOVE questions: asking them and answering them, and I especially love questions from readers like you. I’ll field a couple of them right now: 

 
Dear Claire,
Yesterday morning I woke up and found out that my nails had turned orange overnight! Please tell me how I ended up with them and I'll try to prevent it.
Thanks, Georgie
 
Dear Georgie,
 
Hmm, that’s a bit strange! I’m assuming you didn’t sleep walk over to a bag of Cheetos. A couple of things could cause your nails to discolour. One is nail polish – if you’re not in the habit of using base coat, certain colours could cause some discolouration. Also, have you been eating stacks of carrots lately? Sounds crazy, but this can cause a build up of carotene and make you look orangish (I know, SO weird). Finally, if the orange tint doesn’t go away and is bothering you, talk to Mum and Dad. The condition of your nails can reveal a lot of about your general health so you might want to go to a doc to be super sure you’re doing okay. 
 
Love, Claire XOXO

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Hi Claire,
I've got another drama. When I rub my head some of it has sand coming out and sort of falls out. Do you have any recommendations for that? If you do I'd be really grateful.
Thanks, April
 
Hi April,
 
Unless you’ve been to the beach lately, ‘sand’ coming out of your hair when you rub your head is probably dandruff. That’s a fairly common scalp problem where the skin flakes off in little white pieces. Not harmful, but kind of a downer. Just invest in some special anti-dandruff shampoo – 'Head and Shoulders' is pretty well-known – and when you’re using it, take extra care to keep it out of your eyes because these kinds of shampoos have special ingredients you don’t want in any sensitive areas. 
 
Love, Claire XOXO

Hi TGs!

If you've been following the adventures of Jessie in this month's TG, you'll know our fave blogger had a haircut shock of her own. Happens to us all! It can be a bit hard to take, even though we know hair grows back. Here are some things to bear in mind to avoid this problem.

 

• Be realistic. If your hair is thick and wavy, don’t bother bringing along a picture of a celeb with fine, straight hair. Even if the hair stylist can create something that kind of looks like that with straightening tools, you’ll have trouble recreating the look at home unless you have heaps of time and specific hairstyling tools (or maybe an in-house hairdresser … a TG can dream, right?)
• Think before you chop. Do you like having long hair? Have a very careful think about it before you go asking for a pixie crop like Miley. You could get stuck in an awkward growing-out stage for ages. Same goes for fringes – do you really think one would suit your face shape? Will it just blow into your eyes and frustrate you? 
• Be specific. Communicate your exact wishes – if you want five centimetres off the ends, say so! Don’t be vague and leave your hairdresser guessing – they could easily trim off too much before you can say stop! At the salon, there is no undo button.
• If all else fails, cheer up – it’ll all grow back anyway, so just play with hair accessories to cheer up about your locks in the meantime. Don't get too down about it – remember, it's your inner beauty that really counts, not your hair.

Hey TGs,

My school didn’t allow make-up, even nail polish.

But that didn’t stop me. I loved nail polish and nail art – I still do – and they were one way I expressed myself.

One time my teacher lined up my class for nail inspections. He even had remover on hand for troublemakers.

I kept my hands shoved in my pockets because that particular day I had bright blue polish on all 10 nails and had also painstakingly dotted on tiny flowers using a paintbrush. It was a DIY floral mani, it had taken AGES, and I was about to get busted. Boo.

The big surprise in all of this was my teacher didn’t set me up for a date with the nail polish remover. He was so impressed with my floral nail art that he let me keep it on, just this once.

Anyway, I don’t necessarily recommend this approach. If you’re at a school with a strict uniform code, here are a few things you can do to stay glam – and out of trouble.

 

1. A colourless manicure. 
   If you can’t slick on your fave shades and blingy nail art, the best approach is to keep your nails neat and glossy. Invest in a nail buffer (available at supermarkets and chemists) to keep nails ridge-free. You can apply a clear nail polish too.
2. Hair accessories – in your school or house colours only.
   Track down some glossy ribbon in the exact same shade as your uniform and you’ll look totes pulled together. You could try a scrunchie too – they’re making a comeback. You can probably get away with some clips or pretty bits and pieces if they, too, match your school or sports uniform.
3. Body glitter.
   It’s super fun and usually flies under the radar – adults tend not to notice it, but your besties will. Just don’t go overboard.
4. Lip-gloss.
   If it's clear and completely colourless you'll get away with it. You could always use my personal favourite: paw paw ointment.

Tell me – what do you do to stay glam and out of trouble at school? 

Love and natural beauty,
Claire XO

Hey hey TGs!

You’re on holidays again, that’s so awesome. If you’re in a party mood and you’ve got some amazeballs places to be, why not do a few mad streaks in your hair?

Get your hands on some hair chalk and get colouring! The great thing about hair chalk is that it works amazingly well, even on pitch-black hair (like mine).

Here’s what to do: take your hair chalk, hold your hair taut and apply it to parts where you want colour. Streaks look great, as do ‘dip-dye’ ends. Try a colour-striped bun with more than one chalk hue. Pretty cool, huh? Don’t go overboard – this is not the thing to use if you want your whole head of hair in one colour, it’s more about creating crazy highlights.

When using hair chalk, hairspray is your best friend. Spray it on before applying hair chalk if you have dark hair; it makes the colour go on a little more intensely. Once you’re done, spray again with hairspray to seal the chalk in place.

Warning! Hair chalk can get messy and can go EVERYWHERE. Don’t apply it when you’re wearing white or anything easily stained (look out, pillowcase!). You might end up with it all over your hands or all through your hairbrush (I did!). Just take care and remember – it does wash out.

Watch out for my reviews of two amazeballs hair chalks in a future issue of Total Girl!

 

Hey TGs!

Ever get kind of down sometimes? Let's face it, we all do. The great thing about some beauty tricks is they work as an instant mood booster. 

Here are my fave ways to get a smile back on your dial: 

 

1. Try a high ponytail. Sounds silly but it's true – a high, perky ponytail can really lift you up. I know some girls use this hairstyle to signal to their besties that they're feeling high on life. A high, swishy ponytail not only gets your hair out of your face, it also looks great, is easy and manageable and can be done with a super cute twist. 
   
   You could try wrapping a small chunk of hair from the underside around the elastic band to hide it for a super polished pony, you could add a bow in the colour of your choice, you could tuck a fresh flower under the band, you could team it with a preppy headband.
   
   Want more proof the ponytail lends itself to a cheery mood? When was the last time you saw a cheerleader looking sour?  
2. Try bright nail polish – the brighter the better! Fluoro nails can look great, or you could try any bold sunshine shade, electric blue, fizzy purple, whatever takes your fancy. When your nails could light up the room, you’ll feel great in no time.
   
   
   
3. Try a quirky accessory. As the weather cools off, now’s the time to whip out an animal ears beanie (trust me, I’ve got half a dozen of them). When you’re wearing cat ears or teddy bear ears or any sort of hilarious, adorbs ear, you’ll find yourself grinning madly, as will others around you.
4. Try a new fragrance. I love doing this – the pretty bottles and sweet scents are bound to give you a buzz. Perfumes can be a little exxy, so if your funds are a little limited, just go to the perfume counter with mum and spray a few on for fun.

 

Like every girl in the world, I think my mum is just gorgeous. It's true. A combination of taking excellent care of herself and being very fortunate in general has made her look, well, really great. 

Mum was never shy about giving me advice and here are just a few of the things I learned from her: 

Moisturise like you mean it. 

The love of moisturiser runs in my family. I think between my grandmother, my mother and myself we could fill a swimming pool with the total amount of moisturiser we’d ever used. Mum always recommended rubbing moisturiser into my face with circular motions that gently pushed upwards, like you're defying gravity. Moisturiser for the body was always said to be best after a shower for legs and arms, elbows and knees, tummy and back, or any area prone to getting dry and scaly.

 

Vaseline is your friend.

To this day Mum carries a mini pot of Vaseline with her everywhere she goes. It's her skin-soothing lip balm of choice and does a great job of healing up chapped lips. More advice from Mum – never lick your lips if they'll feel dry, relief will be temporary and you'll make things worse. 

A little perfume goes a long way.

Mum, like most mums, seems to have super senses. In her case, she wasn't crazy about strong smells and taught me that a gentle whiff of perfume was far better than an overpowering blast that would repel anyone who got within two metres of me. 

 

Paint your toenails. Just do it. 

Mum's a bit of a glamazon and you'll find her toenails neatly lacquered in a subtle pink shade, even in winter when no one's going to see them. I'm all about this, too, because nail polish is one of those fun flourishes that makes you feel good. When it's on your toes, it's not going to break any school uniform rules either, so paint away, TGs!

Now it's your turn TGs – what's the best beauty advice YOUR Mum ever gave you?

Hi TGs!

It's mani time again. Here's one for all you pastel fans - I know you're out there! Pastels are really associated more with spring and summer, but there's no reason not to embrace them all year long. 


This is probably the easiest nail art effect I've featured so far. I also recommend it for my TG who asked for a rainbow manicure - do one nail in each colour. This is way less fiddly than trying to do several colours all on one nail, which is really best suited to advanced nail-painters.

What you need:

• Three or four different pastel nail polishes.
  Go to your local Target, Kmart, chemist or supermarket. 

What to do:

1. Easy-peasy! Just paint each nail the colour of your choice.
   
   The funny thing about pastel polishes is they sometimes tend to be a bit see-through. You might need two or even three coats to get a smooth, even colour. 
2. Be patient and allow drying time.
3. Finish with a high gloss top coat, or even a matte coat if you'd like to try something a bit different.

Simple, huh? Now your nails are candy-licious. 

Love and candy,
Claire XOXO

Hi TGs and happy Wednesday! 

Today I thought I'd open up my handbag and share with you some of my glam essentials. 

Take a look:

Hi TGs! Today I'm answering a snail-mail letter from Mia. 

Q: I'm always asking others to paint my nails on my right hand since it's almost impossible for me to use my left and do a good job. Is there ANY way for me to paint my nails of my right hand myself?

Claire answers: Mia, I totes feel your pain! I have been a nail polish fan for years and, being right handed like you, did a pretty wonky job when using my left hand when I started out. Like most things you'll get better at it the more you practise! Trust me,it gets easier.

Try these tips (which, by the way, should also work for left-handed TGs who struggle to paint the nails on their right hand):

Slow and steady: Go for precision and care, no matter how long it takes. Try painting each nail in three strokes: left, right, then straight down the middle. This should minimise mess.

Do a repair job: if you paint some of a nail's surrounding skin (as even professional manicurists sometimes do!), you can fix it up. Wait for your nails to dry, then take a toothpick, wrap a small amount of cotton wool around its tip, dip it in remover and use this as a tool to tidy up your nail. Sorted!

Choose carefully: you might find a wide brush easier to work with. It might be easier, too, if you find a brush attached to a nice chunky bottle cap to hold.

Mia, I hope this was helpful. 

Love, 

Claire XOXO

Hello, lovely TGs!

I don't know about you, but I can't get enough of hair accessories! They liven up any outfit and also do all sorts of useful things, such as keep the hair out of your face, keep a growing-out fringe under control, tame wisps and wild bits of hair and also dial the cuteness factor up to 11!

Have you noticed how they can also lift your mood? It's pretty hard not to smile when you've got a bow or a ladybird on your head!

Here are some I found and just had to share with you. They might give you a bit of style inspiration.

Hey hey TGs!

A lot of you ask questions about looking after your face so I thought I'd share some of my best skin care tips.

1. Try a simple skin care routine. Before bed, get a gentle foaming facial cleanser and use it on your face, avoiding your eye area. Use it over a sink and rinse with cold water; do not scrub. Your facial skin is delicate compared with other parts of you so go easy! Afterwards, carefully moisturise your face. Use a light moisturiser so you won't feel too greasy.

2. Use a sunscreen every day, in all weather. You can get agood moisturising sunscreen and make sure you put it on every morning. The Australian sun is a tough cookie so get some protection on!

4. Eat yummy, healthy foods including lots of fruits and veggies and drink plenty of water. This will keep your skin so healthy it glows! Steer away from too many lollies.

5. Pimples are a downer for sure. The above hints should help you prevent some of them. Also avoid touching your face with your fingers too much and do not share face products with your besties. The sad news about pimples is there pretty much going to do what they want to do so it's really best to leave them alone. Don't be tempted to squeeze or pick them. 

What's your best skin care tip? Leave a comment below!

Love and fragrant moisturiser,

Claire XOXO

Hello TGs!

Nail art would have to be one of my fave beauty tricks. What you can do with your nails is limited only by your imagination! If you want to do something epic, go for it!

I get so many emails from TGs asking for nail art ideas, I've decided to dedicate a whole bunch of my beauty blogs to it!

Gorgeous Glitter Nail Art!
Instructions:

1. Wash your hands thoroughly, making sure to clean any dirt out from under your nails
2. Once dry, give them a quick trim, and file the edges smooth (never do nail art on super long nails - it doesn't look quite right! Neat, squoval (square-oval) shaped nails are perfect.
3. Instead of spending hours painting layer upon layer of glitter polish to build it up, instead paint your nails in the same colour as your chosen glitter, then, while the nail is still wet, carefully dip it in the glitter (or you can grab a pinch of glitter and sprinkle it on).
   
   BYS sell glitter pots in loads of cute colours, or you could buy glitter from a $2 shop. Glitter can be messy, maybe put down some newspaper first.
4. Seal the glitter in with a clear top coat.

Want to sparkle up just the tips of your nails? Do an ordinary basecoat of colour, let it dry completely, then paint some clear nail polish over the tips of your nails and then dip the wet bit into your glitter pot. Let the excess fall off and you're done!

Tip: Try two different sizes of glitter to get the effect you can see here! Even tiny diamantes will work!