Pretty Perfect Beauty

NOTD: Art Deco Clouds

2012-02-09T07:28:00.000-08:00

I'm still very unwell with this cold/flu and in between flat-out sleeping and dozing watching bad day-time TV, I decided to paint my nails... Shouldn't have. The fumes made me cough like crazy! My eyes were streaming. Finally after an hour of juggling drying polish layers and Kleenex tissues for my dripping nose, I finally slicked on MegaShine and crashed onto the sofa with the cat. My goodness, doing manicures is hard work when your body isn't well.. I used Rimmel LycraPRO "Urban Princess" for the pink, Topshop "Summit" for the yellow (looks orange!) and GOSH "Wild Lilac" for the purple. I wanted to put on a fourth colour, the pastel blue beauty Bloom "Kate", but when I finished "Wild Lilac" I felt so ill I couldn't continue. I may add it in tomorrow.

I got the idea for this mani from the talented Dutch lady who has the Nailside blog :) She has a tutorial there, you should check it out! Her nails are enviously perfect and she has some seriously ace nail art ideas.

I think I also want a pair of these sandals - maybe they can save my poor feet from fashionable footwear??


Beech Sandals in Leopar Print Photo by CultBeauty.com

Mega-Cold Strikes!

2012-02-08T10:13:00.000-08:00

I'm in bed with a magnificently virulent cold/flu and a ruptured ear drum from the ear infection of the century, so all I've done for two days is sleep, drink flu remedy and cruise the internet on my laptop. I came across this today:

YSL Rouge pur Couture Glossy Stain lip stain in "11"
Photo by Selfridges/YSL

I want. Are you lucky enough to have splashed out on one of these from Selfridges? If so, did you like it??? I also covet the Dior polish "Waterlily":

It just looks so spring-like and happy, just looking at other peoples swatches makes me temporarily forget my red-raw nose and pounding head. Have you managed to get hold of "Waterlily"??

NOTD: Zoya "Astra"

2012-02-05T13:42:00.000-08:00

"Astra" is from the Ultra Glitter collection from Zoya. I've worn it before, but it's so pretty it deserves to come out to dazzle again :) I used it in some art as well, which is why I decided to put it on! This is 2 coats, could have done with another one, but I couldn't be bothered. I put on 2 coats of top coat, as this is a top coat eating glitter! "Astra" is a red-pink glitter, but not as red as in my photo.

Lina-Elvira loves it this much:

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

REVIEW: Redken All Soft Argan-6 hair oil

2012-02-04T13:22:00.000-08:00

At Xmas I got a bottle of Redken All Soft Argan-6 oil, as my hair was a mess and so dry it was painful... I read a lot of reviews and decided this was my choice among all the fancy hair oils out there! After using it for over a month, every day after washing my hair before blow drying, I can report that my hair is super soft and shiny! The oil smells lovely but you need to slick it on dry hair to reap the lasting smell - on wet hair it doesn't really leave a scent. It's not greasy or heavy; I have very fine blonde hair so if I can use it - anyone can!

Lina-Elvira loves it this much:

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

I also got a well-talked about item from Aldi (the super-cheap supermarket) today - a bizarre-looking anti-wrinkle serum! At £4.99, it's worth a try...

Photo

by L'Oreal

And here is a peek at something that is coming soon from L'Oreal. I hope to review these as soon as I've tried them! One of my all-time favourite shampoos/conditioners is as you may know L'Oreal's Full Restore 5, so I hope that these measure up as they are supposed to be sulphate-free!

NOTD: Max Factor Mini "Fantasy Fire"

2012-02-01T13:01:00.000-08:00

This is what a lot of nail enthusiasts have been hoping is a 'Clarins 230' dupe, but when I look around online, I can see they are similar but not dupes?.. I unfortunately do not have a bottle of '230' to compare with myself.

I actually got this by chance in Superdrug today, and I will going back for another bottle! It is absolutely stunning. This photo is 4 coats (I should have layered) but it dried really quickly so doing multiple coats was easy. This is a poor photo of a crappy bunch... It looks lighter and more washed out in the photo. It is sheer to go on but the colour then glows and shifts in colour in the light! But my camera just can't cope with it in artificial light. I will try and get some shots in daylight.

This is certainly a strong contender for the "Polish of 2012"! But the rest of the year will tell :)

Lina-Elvira loves it this much:

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

NOTD: Sally Hansen HD "LCD"

2012-01-29T12:20:00.000-08:00

The weekend has passed too quickly again, and I have a bad cold AGAIN! So I needed some cheering up so I chose this cracker of a polish that's been in my 'untrieds' stash for a looooong time. It looked very sheer so I put a coat of Rimmel LycroPRO "Urban Princess" underneath then did 2 coats of "LCD" on top. Please excuse the messy cuticles :( You can't really see the cool blue microshimmer in this polish, but it makes it look electric :) I would really like other HD polishes from Sally Hansen but I can't seem to find them in the UK. That's a shame, as they all look perfect for summer!!

Lina-Elvira loves it this much:

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

NOTD and Reviews

2012-01-24T13:37:00.000-08:00

I felt like something purple today! First brown, now purple, maybe green at the end of the week? I am reminded of one of my favorite books when I was little - "Aunt Green, Aunt Brown and Aunt Lavender". I cannot really remember the story; I think that I was mostly drawn to the colourful illustrations of Elsa Beskow's books :)

Anyway this is Mavala "Purple Sensation". This is 3 coats, it was kind of "stealth-sheer", I had some see-through patches after 2 coats so I decided on 3 coats. As usual, I finished with a slick of MegaShine so I could get dry quick! Busy busy! :) It's a very nice deep, jewelled purple, reminds me of China Glaze "Coconut Kiss", but darker.

Before I go I also have to rave about some more Soap & Glory products! I got "Peaches n' Clean" cleansing milk for my birthday from my work colleagues and I must say having used it for a week now my skin is so happy! It's a cleansing milk you rinse off with water. It smells lovely and doesn't feel very greasy after washing it off. It melts off my makeup easily, although I still prefer to use makeup remover cloths for my eye makeup (I am addicted to the Boots No 7 ones, I'm afraid!). I will definitely be buying this again!

I also have a new favourite moisturiser - Soap & Glory "The Daily Youth". It's quite light so it does perfectly under makeup, but it's not rich enough for night time for me though, I still rely on Simple "Regeneration Age Resisting Night Cream" for night time nourishment. It doesn't contain any silicones (which breaks me out) and it's really hard to find nice moisture lotions without silicones. Well done, Soap & Glory :)

NOTD: Isadora "Hot Chocolate"

2012-01-22T11:29:00.000-08:00

I am not sure when this polish came out but I remember seeing a swatch some years ago online, and I wanted it. This is in the old-style Isadora bottle so it must be a few years old at least? However, I managed to score this in the bargain bin at Xmas in Sweden :) Gotta love bargain bins! Again I ask myself why Isadora doesn't launch in UK?.. I have so much makeup from this brand and generally the products are top notch. I am currently road testing a new foundation from there, I will share in due course...

This is streaky but that cool brown shimmer just does it for me! This is 3 coats and a slick of MegaShine. I just love it :) I am starting to be tickled by the pastel spring colours now, but for some reason I needed to wear brown today!

Today's bonus photo is not of my new tarantula baby (in case some of you don't like spiders!) but my cat Elvis doing his 'cat-yoga' :P

If you DO like tarantulas you can see my little spider baby and other invertebrate pets on my other blog!

NOTD: Isadora "Beetle Green"

2012-01-18T12:46:00.000-08:00

This is another one of my xmas present polishes. This is 2 coats with MegaShine top coat. I wasn't sure if I would like this, as it looked great in the bottle but once on your nails, in low light it looks like one of those annoying 'nearly black' polishes. But once in the light it gives off this gorgeous teal glow! And the formula is super smooth and opaque, so I think it's 3 stars :) But as it looks so dull in low light, it's only 3.

Lina-Elvira loves it this much:

♥ ♥ ♥

NOTD: Color Club "Holiday Splendor" layering

2012-01-15T13:40:00.000-08:00

So I am back to work tomorrow after an obscenely long holiday, so I needed something sparkly to cheer me up :) I've been rather inactive lately, I've not worn polish since Wednesday last week. Please excuse the lobster hands in this photo, my hands are so dry and raw from the cold weather in Sweden. They are slowly coming around from using gallons of Burt's Bees Hand Salve. I love this hand salve; it's really rich and almost oily, but works itself into your skin fairly quickly, and it smells lovely too :) I wish I'd brought it on holiday with me but I was sure my Mum would have a good hand cream. She didn't...

This is 2 coats of Bourjois "Bleu Model" which I got for Xmas and then I did a strip of Color Club "Holiday Splendor". I slapped on a lot of MegaShine top coat to level out the coarser glitter polish. Me likey! :)

Lina-Elvira loves it this much:

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Morrgan the Fat Cat fishes for his next dinner...

2012-01-10T10:22:00.000-08:00

"Yum yum...."

Morrgan is the largest of my Mum's (all very large) British Shorthair cats. He is the only one who takes an interest in the goldfish, the others prefer to stick to very expensive cat food... :)

Birthday NOTD: China Glaze "Purple Panic"

2012-01-07T14:29:00.000-08:00

This is another polish my brother bought for me for my Xmas! I wouldn't say I classify this as purple?... Mine look more cool-toned neon pink with an intense glow. I am still away so struggling with the lighting of my photos.

This is 2 coats, the first photo is without top coat to show how nice and satin-y it dries naturally and the second photo is with Depend Quick and Shine top coat. I am not sure if I prefer the satin finish maybe? Reminds me a bit of my old favourite matte - OPI "La Paz-itively Hot Matte".

This was ok to apply but as with all neon and matte polishes, you have to be careful and fairly quick to apply the polish.

Lina-Elvira loves it this much:

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

NOTD: Essie "Lovie Dovie"

2012-01-04T09:25:00.001-08:00

My brother bought me this polish and several other lovely presents for my Xmas :) its a lovely bright pink creme - this is 2 coats with the Depend top coat.

NOTD: Maybelline "Green Miracle"

2012-01-02T08:38:00.001-08:00

"Dear ACETONE, I am breaking up with you - we both know this affair will only lead to heartbreak and peeling nails... I love you, but.. It has to end.
Yours forever, Lina-Elvira"

Although I'm glad my Mum had some acetone today, as "Black Galaxy" was hell to remove!! :O Even with the awesome power of acetone, I guess 5 layers of base/polish/top coat is hard to dissolve...

To today's nails; I've wanted this polish for a while but I've never seen it in the UK? I am sure Maybelline/L'Oreal/various other 'worldwide' brands market different stuff in different countries. I mean, hello, the UK didn't get to share the love of L'Oreal's awesome magnetic polishes in 2008??

Anyway. Today however I scored in the Åhlens shop in Bollnäs :) I also scored another couple polishes but plenty of time to show them later! This is 3 coats of "Green Miracle" and then a coat of Depend Quick & Shine top coat. Its not as quick as you may wish for but it'll do. I wasn't impressed with the formula and brush, it's stringy and messy to apply. Supposedly '100% precision' - don't make me laugh, Maybelline... But the colour is very cool so I still like it :) It reminds me of an all-time fave - China Glaze "Gussied-up Green" (which I appear never to have shown as a mani???).

The backdrop is the new magazine for beauty in Sweden called 'Visage', it's really good :) Only beauty stuff and treatments, no fashion which of late I find kind of tedious to be honest. I miss mags like this in the UK - I used to love Marie Claire Health & Beauty!

Lina-Elvira loves it this much:

♥ ♥ ♥

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

2011-12-31T08:17:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year to all my dear readers!

My New Years NOTD is Isadora's "Black Galaxy" from their Xmas 2011 collection Red Rush. It is a super-sparkly stunner - not as crappy as it appears in my photo! This is 2 coats of black holo fabulousness, but it does eat top coat so you will need at least 2 coats of top coat to tame it :O Set it with top coat, then when it is all dry, add another coat of top coat to bring out the sparkle. Worth it though!!

To end 2011, I bring you the scene we had as the sun set for the last time in 2011 over the hills in Hälsingland, Sweden. This is the splendid view from the ancient fort on Borgberget!

NOTD: Depend "255"

2011-12-28T12:33:00.000-08:00

I loved this polish when Nailtastic showed it! This is 2 coats with a slick of Depend Quick and Shine top coat! On it's own, this polish dries to a semi-matte finish, which leads me to classify it as a neon!

This strange brew is the green tea 'flowers' from Flora Tea I bought for my Mum for Xmas, very beautiful and apparently tastes lovely too! :)

NOTD: Isadora "Merry Red"

2011-12-26T10:13:00.000-08:00

* vroom vroom *

The storm 'Dagmar' kept us awake last night and as we drove to Hassela ski resort, we saw the carnage left by the storm overnight. Hundreds of trees that has been uprooted and taken down power lines; there were even trees blocking one and a half lanes of the E4 motorway! We managed to navigate powerlines and trees on the roads and got to the ski resort - to find it without power. The ski slopes were empty as the ski lift had been taken down by trees... We did however get to ride some killer 150 horsepower snowmobiles!!! And as the skiing was out of the question the adventure guides got special dispensation to ride the slopes with us as the snowmobile trails were blocked by trees... This is me driving the snowmobile and my other half on the back - shortly after I got us stuck in the deep snow going up a steep slope :D Oops!

11 roof tiles came off my parents house :O My brother had the good fortune to fix it when we returned from our adventure. Anyway, to my NOTD. This is 2 coats of Isadora's lovely xmas polish "Merry Red". It's better than this photo shows - my parent's house just doesn't have decent lighting. I may have to get a backup of this :)

Merry Xmas NOTD: Isadora Glitter Graffiti Nails "Pink Fame"

2011-12-24T12:36:00.000-08:00

Merry Xmas my dear readers!

I got some killer xmas presents, among them the gorgeous Isadora polishes "Black Galaxy" and "Merry Red" from their 'Red Rush' Holiday Makeup 2011 and this beauty - "Pink Fame" from their line of crackle polishes! It's insanely sparkly, pastel pink glitter with holo glitter but you will need two coats of top coat!! And it's a good thing I discovered my Mum has some pure acetone to remove it with... :P This is a coat of "Pink Fame" over an unknown Maybelline colour which I suspect is "Cherry Red" but my Mum has worn off the text on the label... The base colour dragged out and left some sheer patches but I don't care :)

Lina-Elvira loves it this much:

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

My hermit crab is a June girl!

2011-12-24T00:17:00.000-08:00

My hermit crab is on the June spread of the ReptileForums UK unofficial calendar :D My hermit crab Hermione has since changed her shell to a turbo one so this white one is lying empty in the terrarium.

New stuff: Isadora Hair Mascara

2011-12-23T12:25:00.000-08:00

Image from Isadora's website!

I'm in first class coach on the train to my parents in Sweden for Xmas, surfing the internet with the free wifi that's included in your first class ticket, hehe... Anyway I came across this new product from Swedish brand Isadora; Hair Mascara! The site is in Swedish here but you can at least see the colours. I think I will be buying one or two - I love this brand and wish I could sell it in UK, the nail polishes alone are to die for! I might have to change my career :P

I'm secretly hoping my mum has secured some of Isadora's Glitter Nail Grafitti crackle polishes...

NOTD: Hard Candy "Lava"

2011-12-21T13:41:00.000-08:00

I continue my foray into super-sparkly! This time it is the aptly named "Lava" from Hard Candy. It's an insanely sparkly orangey-red. I think this may actually stay on until Xmas eve :) This is 2 coats with a coat of Sally Hansen MegaShine top coat. If you are sensitive to VNL, you might want to do 3 coats but I'm ok with 2!

Lina-Elvira loves it this much:

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

NOTD: China Glaze "Ruby Pumps" with OPI "Gold Shatter"

2011-12-18T13:42:00.000-08:00

Bling it ooooon!!! :) I am seriously getting in the mood for Xmas now - I am only working 4 days then I am off work until the 16th January, so I thought I would use my OPI "Gold Shatter" from this month's Joliebox. I decided to pair it with my all-time fave red glitter - China Glaze's "Ruby Pumps". Even my Mum has a bottle of "Ruby Pumps" - everyone who sees it, loves it :) This is 2 coats of "Ruby Pumps" and a bit of "Gold Shatter" with a slick of MegaShine top coat.

I'm not sure I like the pretend nail art I've made - looks really messy. But if it sparkles, it'll do today!

Lina-Elvira loves it this much:

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

JOLIEBOX December 2011

2011-12-17T11:27:00.000-08:00

Where does your eye fall first?..

That's right, it has a light and a mirror on the back!

Oh OPI Gold Shatter, I have a manicure in mind for you tomorrow....

I took delivery of my first Joliebox today, after them joining forces with Boudoir Prive last month. I wasn't sure what to expect. I really liked my first Boudoir Prive box (the old style pink is more me, I am not classy like the black Joliebox...). I have to say, when I opened the Joliebox I went straight for the tea, then the New ID lip gloss. THEN I saw the OPI Gold Shatter. I actually went "OH!!" out loud and woke up the cat. That secured it for me. I've not got an OPI Shatter yet so I am delighted :) And it's not a silly mini size OPI! In due course I will do proper reviews for these and last month's Boudoir Prive box - just been so damn busy lately. I will bring all the products to Sweden with me over my extended Xmas break and will hopefully have lots of time then to review!

Lina-Elvira loves it this much:

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Soap & Glory 'Big Splendour' Gift Set

2011-12-16T08:50:00.000-08:00

Woohoo! XMAS has come early this year! Soap & Glory sure knows how to cause a storm - issuing a super offer on Facebook and through their newsletter, and now social media is buzzing with stories of toil as girls everywhere is trying to get their well-manicured mitts on this superb offer! Normally 'Big Splendour' would set you back a hefty £60 but now £25 gives you all of this until 22 December. 'Big Splendour' gift sets are still in stock at Boots.com but expect store supplies to be exhausted! I took the Other Half on a trip to the city centre on our day off to get hold of one (he's a real man who helps when his Woman is hunting down that special something).

As you may know, I am a bit of a Soap & Glory buff (my purse will never forgive Jenny!). Never really had a bad product from there. Hand Food™ is my favourite hand cream. One of my favourite products ever is their The Fab Pore™ Hot Cloth Cleanser. When times were tough when our house was devastated by the flood, Bright Here Bright Now™ instant radiance energy balm made it easier as I looked ok with no make up required... Having tried a couple of the lip plumping lip glosses I am hoping to delve more deeply into their new make up range, and with an incentivizing 200 Boots points voucher if you spend £10 or more on their make up included in the 'Big Splendour' box I can do just that!

But why, oh, why Soap & Glory have you discontinued Wash Almighty™ and Peachy Clean™??

Anyway, back to 'Big Splendour'. Having missed out on their similar offer last year, I was fairly desperate to get this one. And having scored, I am not disappointed! The cool bag will be used to store the products I am alternating between currently (yes, I am very fickle, I swap products round a lot).

Soap & Glory™ Big Splendour™ includes:

Clean On Me™ Creamy Clarifying Shower Gel - 500ml
The Righteous Butter™ Body Butter - 300ml
Pulp Friction™ Body Scrub - 300ml
Face, Soap & Clarity™ Fresh Facial Wash - 150ml
25 Off Your Face™ Cleansing Wipes
Heel Genius Foot™ Cream - 125ml
Hand Food Hand™ Cream - 125ml
Mist You Madly™ Fragrant Body Spray - 250ml
Sexy Mother Pucker™ Lip Plumper In Candy Gloss - 7ml
Calm One, Calm All™ Bubble Bath - 500ml.

If there was anything I would miss in this set it would be the hair care products that Soap & Glory launched this year. And next year I hope to get some of their new make up products in gift sets too, perhaps?...

And now I am off for a nice bath! And I am bringing back my rating system - I missed it :)

Lina-Elvira loves it this much:

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ +

NOTD and my xmas present to myself!

2011-12-14T14:10:00.000-08:00

This is 'Electronica' by Massini. It's not blue, it's purple, my camera doesn't agree however. This is 2 coats. I've got some serious bubbling now that's not fully visible in this photo. I am not sure how happy I am with this mani :-/

But I got something else in the mail today I've been waiting ages for - my Versace by H&M bracelet :D Woohoo!! How cool is the box?? It's my xmas present to myself!

NOTD: Misa "Speed of Life"

2011-12-11T12:21:00.001-08:00

I was bored with "Robotic" so I replaced it with this polish for tomorrow! This is 2 coats, I should have done 3. It's pretty tricky to apply, kind of streaky and thin. And it gives me lobster-hands! But I don't care, the orange totally lightens up dark winter nights :)

Looking at this mani it is clear I need to replace my bottle of MegaShine, there's hardly anything left and it's starting to produce serious shrinkage on the polish....

NOTD: NYX "Robotic"

2011-12-10T14:11:00.001-08:00

This is another of the NYX polishes. This is a rather sheer polish so I put 2 coats over a coat of the black creme from the Fearne "Midnight Manicure" box set. It has an alluring twinkle in more direct light but in dim light it's one of those annoying 'almost black' finishes... I may tire of this quickly ie before Monday, but we shall see! :)

Pantone Color of The Year 2012 'Tangerine Tango'

2011-12-08T13:40:00.001-08:00

Many people are agast at Pantone's projected top colour for 2012 - a deep orange called 'Tangerine Tango'. I think it's lovely! :) Now what nail polish matches this colour?...

Pantone Color of The Year 2012 - 'Tangerine Tango'

Perhaps Misa 'Speed of Life'? Let that be my next NOTD :)

NOTD: Collection 2000 Hot Looks "Diva"

2011-12-06T12:13:00.001-08:00

I am finally recovering from the massive cold I had, so I needed something red. This is 2 coats of "Diva" with a slick of MegaShine for a speedy drying - it's such a shiny polish it doesn't need a high-shine top coat :) It is very tricky to photograph this; in some lights it looks tomato red, in others a dark vampy blood red...It is really much darker than the photo shows but at least I managed to get the cool clean red base of this polish.

Must be off as I've still got quite a few Xmas presents to buy online :O

NOTD: NYX "Sue"

2011-12-04T12:12:00.001-08:00

It's not often I say it but.. I really don't like this nail polish. It's sheer (this is 3 coats), streaky, runny and the colour is just that 'too nude' gold that makes my nails look like smoker's hands but in a nail polish :(

Sorry NYX, nil points on this polish. It wasn't even on for ten minutes before I had to take it off as it suffered some serious shrinkage and was wrinklier than a raisin...

So I instead quickly slicked on one coat of OPI Matte "La Paz-itively Hot". And in an instant I went from hollow inside with disappointment to feeling like a million dollars :) This is one coat over base coat (as sometimes I get staining from mattes). It won't last very well but it doesn't matter - this is hot summer all-night party in a bottle!

November' s BOUDOIR PRIVE box

2011-11-27T13:44:00.001-08:00

So it FINALLY arrived, the November 2011 Boudoir Prive box. This was my first box, so I haven't got any to compare with. I am glad I got the red shade of lipstick - I've seen online that some subscribers got a shimmery nude - REALLY not my colour! But red is totally me :)

I was a bit disappointed to see sachets in the box, but looking at the full price of these products in the little leaflet, it's clear it's still a good deal for the £10 you spend!

I am yet to try the shampoos and conditioner, but the other products are really nice on. Unfortunately I've got a mega-cold so I can't comment on any fragrances... I especially like the face mask, it feels very luxurious. I will let you know once I've tried the products for a week to see how they stand up :)

In my box this month was:

1) Dead Sea Spa Magic Silky Smooth Body Lotion
2) Korres Wild Rose 24 hour Moisturiser
3) Rahua Voluminous Shampoo and Conditioner (2 x sachet of each)
4) Vinies Ayurveda's Soul Luminous Skin Mask
5) Studiomakeup Rich Hydration Lipstick (full-size product)

XMAS GIFT GUIDE: Age-Defying Lingerie anyone?

2011-11-25T05:48:00.001-08:00

Debenhams Age-Defying T-Shirt Bra, £20

So let this be the first instalment of the Official Pretty Perfect Beauty XMAS Gift Guide 2011 - anti-ageing lingerie. Pushes up your bosom in the right places to give you a more youthful look! Well, why spend all that money on anti wrinkle creams for your face if your cleavage then betrays your years??

Available exclusively at your Debenhams department store.

NOTD: NYX Girls "Woman"

2011-11-23T13:18:00.001-08:00

I have officially started on the red glitters, so what else is there to say other than "It's 31 days til Xmas!"

This is 2 coats of polish over base coat with a slick of Sally Hansen MegaShine top coat on the top. After seeing it dry and how the polish has "eaten" the top coat, I may slick on another coat tomorrow morning to bring back the shine.

This polish glows like embers :) I have a couple of more NYX Girls polishes for you in the next few weeks that should be real corkers on the nails!

And look what I found for £1.50 in Boots??? I wanted this compact when it came out (I believe it was Spring 2011?) but didn't want to pay full price. I love the different pastels, I hope I can try some of these over the coming couple weeks for you to see.

NOTD: Depend "186"

2011-11-21T11:54:00.001-08:00

And check out my camoflaged Hermit Crab, it's like she thinks she's a Navy S.E.A.L or something... :)

I put on Zoya "Irene" yesterday but I had to take it off as it had produced the most horrific shrinkage when I woke up this morning. May I just say how addictive pure acetone is to remove polish?... It's just so.. strong! Melts through glitter and deep colours. Not like the slow-ass usual non-acetone remover I use. But no more pure acetone. It's lethal to the nails. Must stop using it.

Anyway onto today's NOTD, Depend "186". This is 1 coat. That's right, 1 coat. And a slick of MegaShine. Perfect formula, glides on like a penguin on ice. It may be a dark brown creme but it's gorgeous! I may have to get a back-up bottle of this when I go home to Sweden for Xmas :)

NOTD: Nail Rock for BBC Children In Need

2011-11-17T12:16:00.001-08:00

Elvis the Cat is moderately excited by my 'Pudsey' nails...

Every year, the BBC hosts a giant spectacle called Children In Need to raise money for just that! This year, Nail Rock did two sets of designer nail wraps of which 25% of the price goes to Children In Need. I saw them by fluke in Boots and I am very glad I bought them! I just love the spotty pattern. There was this white version and also a black version with coloured spots. The pack contains 16 nail wraps and I still have six bits left to do maybe two sets of pedicures and a feature nail :)

Nail Rocks do not require heat to put on or remove from your nails, other than that they apply pretty much like Minx or Kooky Nails. I have a very strong C-curve on my nails so nail wraps are very tricky to fit, especially when you are doing it on yourself... Hence I have wrinkles on them. I have not tried Nail Rock before so I will let you know how they wear!

EDIT: I had to take these off after about 24 hrs as they were starting to peel off and wrinkle up. With patience, they come off easy and without nail damage. The trick is to pick it up gently at a corner and GENTLY and SLOWLY peel the sticker off the nail.

REVIEW: UNE Skin-Matt Foundation

2011-11-15T11:59:00.001-08:00

UNE Skin-Matt Foundation

I am starting to get back into my makeup routine now so I thought I'd review some of my latest finds. I have had my eye out for UNE foundations since the brand launched but they seem so expensive (£12.99 RRP) for a high street brand. However, I discovered I had A LOT of Boots Advantage Card points so I thought, why not treat myself?? And I am glad I did!

I normally have a major issue with foundations - they irritate my skin. So that's why I thought that the UNE range might be ok as it it more natural and contains organic ingredients. The colour I chose was M05, it seemed the closest to my current skin colour after my summer tan has faded. It looks like the range has a large-ish range of colours from very pale to dark but I am not sure how the colours would work for really dark skin, as the range doesn't seem to stretch that far.

The consistency of this foundation makes it a bit tricky to apply. I found I squirted out far too much product the first time. Also you have to be fairly quick to blend it in and it has a 'dry' texture. Once you have mastered the texture you are onto a winner, however. It dries to a semi-matte finish that stayed put until the late afternoon to me. The finish is a light to medium coverage, which is fine with me as I don't have a lot of spots or other imperfections to hide. It doesn't seem to smell a lot; supposedly the perfume is 'natural lotus flower fragrance', whatever that is...

I've no outbreaks of spots from this yet. It doesn't state the ingredients on the UNE website but other sites have a detailed breakdown and there appears to be no silicones in it. That may be why my skin seems ok with this foundation!

I am not sure I should have picked a matte finish for winter though, so I might have to take my Boots Advantage Card out again to get the UNE Skin-Glow foundation as I still have loads of points! :)

You can read more about the UNE range here.

Has anyone else tried anything from UNE? What did you try, and did you like it?

NOTD: Holo layering

2011-11-14T12:47:00.001-08:00

I think I should call this layering 'Galaxy' or something :)

One of my rescued Red Claw Crabs!

It's so hard to photograph the holo glitter - it's mega-sparkly but it only hints to it in the photo! This is Essie's "Carnival" over the black polish from Fearne 'Midnight Manicure' Christmas box set (BEST box set ever!!). I don't know why I fancied this combo but I did, just like I don't know why I love "Terra Nova" TV series, I just do!

I am hoping to review some new makeup later in the week, I went on a spree with my Boots points :)

NOTD: Barry M Instant Nail Effects "Silver Foil"

2011-11-12T13:56:00.001-08:00

It's become unusal for me to do my nails at the weekend but I couldn't stand the Models Own any more... And judging by the comments on my previous post, I am not alone in being mega-disappointed :(

Anyway, back to today's NOTD. This is only 1 coat with MegaShine. It's very very foily :) The formula is a bit tricky however, it is runny and can streak if you are not careful. It's flooded my cuticles quite a bit. I actually got this polish when it first came out but I tidied it away in a safe place and only just found it today!

I have acquired a really bad case of acute neck and shoulder pain, it's very sore, so I am lying comfortably watching Jaws 2 (completely dire movie)... I am glad I found this post at Nailtastic - I have pre-booked my bottle with my Mum!!! One look at these photos makes me wish I still lived in Sweden!

NOTD: Models Own "Purple Blue" from the Beetlejuice collection

2011-11-10T13:24:00.001-08:00

I hate to say it but once again I am disappointed in the opacity and formula of Models Own polishes. This may be the last one I ever buy from this brand. This is 3 coats and a slick of MegaShine top coat.

This collection of duochromes was very hyped but - I don't like it. I can't actually get it to shift in colour, just a dirty purple... I will see if daylight will make a difference tomorrow.

If you are tempted by these, forget about them and save your money for xmas shopping...

NOTD: 2True Crystal Polish "Shade 04"

2011-11-08T13:04:00.000-08:00

I have started a love affair with purple lately. I had a long phase of purple in my youth before pink, and now green, took over. A certain old pal of mine called me 'Lady Lilac'! :) Anyway, moving on. I saw this £1.99 beauty in Superdrug (this brand is exclusive to Superdrug I believe) and couldn't resist! There was also a cool blue one. This is 2 coats with a slick of MegaShine. The glitter seems a bit dull in the photo, the camera just isn't able to translate the glitteriness.

Now I have to admit I actually chose this polish over the Models Own "Purple Blue" from their Beetle Juice collection... I know. It's sickening really. But I just really wanted to try this purple out instead :)

NOTD: Orly "It's up to blue"

2011-11-06T12:41:00.000-08:00

Man I love the colour of this polish! And I hate how it never photographs right :( It's not actually as blue as it appears in the photo - it has a luminous green duochrome flash to it. My old swatch is slightly better. I had also forgotten how much I really do hate the formula :( this is 3 coats, with a slick of MegaShine.

Anyway I spotted the advert for the new Orly GelFX soak off gel polish in the November 'Scratch' magazine - and hence my desire to put on "It's up to blue"! I will have to get myself one of these manis!

Look at the green flash in this photo - that's what this colour looks like in real life!!

Unknown mushrooms in my garden!

I needed a dark manicure today after digging around in the garden all day. It's now ready for winter. And winter is here. Last night temperature dropped to below 2C, and while I was out it was only about 5C even though it was clear blue sky and sunny. Good thing I finally found a winter jacket I like this week :)

My baby is a calendar girl! :)

2011-11-04T13:44:00.000-07:00

I love my wee critters, and today I found out one of my hermit crabs has been chosen to appear in an exotic pets 2012 calendar :D I entered the photo in this post, and it's been chosen! I have pre-ordered a desktop calendar so of course I will have to show it to you when it arrives!

Hermione is burrowed down to moult at the moment or I could have treated her to a nice bit of food :)

NOTD: Dior Addict "Rose Ellipse"

2011-11-02T13:27:00.000-07:00

Dior Addict "Rose Ellipse"

Nanoblur cream on the right hand side of my hand! Can you spot the difference?...

This polish has been sitting untried for, eh, 7 years, or more?.. My dad bought it for me in tax free some years back but I have always put it aside for more enticing shades! No longer! This is 2 coats with a slick of MegaShine for quick-dry finish. It is a whitish nude with gold shimmer, very subtle and fresh!

I also tried a bit of Nanoblur cream on my hand at lunchtime. Haven't heard? It's the latest thing! It is an optical cream that blurs out imperfections. I've read several reviews of it, the debate rages on whether you love or loathe it. It doesn't seem to work with liquid foundations at all, however I do not usually wear liquid foundation so I might have to spend some Booths points on this tomorrow... I ran a 'blind test' with my colleagues and it seems we all agree - you can see a difference. Forgive the rubbish photo off my phone!

Halloween Nails!

2011-10-30T13:42:00.000-07:00

I am just packing to go to Glasgow tomorrow for the gig of the decade - Alice Cooper 'Welcome 2 My Nightmare' Halloween Gig!! Rock ooooon!! :D

This is the polish I chose for the occasion, the dark red shimmer from the Fearne 'Midnight Manicure' Xmas box set. I regret putting on the nail decals however - they are not great in terms of size. My nails are too small/too big for the decals, I just can't get a fit :( I have done the best I can here but it's not ideal. Never mind! These were cheap from Accessorize, so if I never use them again it's not a big loss!

NOTD: The Saturdays Magnetic Nail Lacquer "Ego Green"

2011-10-27T13:18:00.000-07:00

Look at that starry loveliness!

My fiancee says Una is definitely nicer to look at than "Ego Green"!

When I heard about this new line of polishes I had to have this one! :) I have since realised that Boots 17 has an identical green magnetic polish, with a magnet. You see, the magnet is sold separately to the polishes in The Saturdays line. This, the salespitch says, is so they can produce magnets that draw up different patterns. The original one makes a wave, like the Nails Inc magnetics. However, being thrifty (read: cheap-ass) I didn't get the magnet and used the star magnet of the holy Lancome Le Magnetique polish. I just love the star shape! :)

So, how do you use these polishes? Well, apply one coat. Let dry. Apply a thicker second coat. Be quick to put your nail right next to the magnet without touching the magnet plate. Let the magnet do it's thing for 15-20 sec. If you want to use a top coat, put the top coat on before you do the magnet - the top coat loosens the pattern a bit so you get a stronger pattern if you do the magnet after top coat!

NOTD: Cèlè "Cobalt"

2011-10-24T13:55:00.000-07:00

I dug this polish out from the depths of my Helmer in a desperate search for something to cheer me up as the stitches kept unravelling in my knitting... I've showed you it before, but it's worth showing again! This is 2 coats with a coat of MegaShine. I am now going back to try and finish this flaming hat that keeps unravelling!

I do have loads of untrieds, and I willl need to start wearing them. But I keep going for favourite polishes which means I must be a bit under the weather :( I will make it my mission to wear 3 untrieds in a row now!

NOTD: Rimmel 60Sec Stars "Be A Star"

2011-10-20T13:42:00.000-07:00

Juicy!

This is one of my so-called "vintage" polishes - it's very old and fairly goopy but oh so covetable! It is a fuschia shimmer with silver shimmer mixed in. This is 2 coats with MegaShine top coat.

I apologise I've been so busy lately I've not had a lot of time for my nails, but hopefully that will change soon! :)

NOTD: Accessorize "Pink Spice"

2011-10-16T14:34:00.000-07:00

I needed something spectacular to lure me away from "Heroes of Might and Magic 6"... I found this in the Helmer but I'm not sure if I've showed this to you before? Even if I have, it's a very lovely and autumnal colour that deserves to be shown off again!

This is one of the Accessorize make up range nail polishes - there are a lot of really pretty colours in their range. The consistency on this was ok, perhaps a bit sheer, this is 3 coats with a coat of MegaShine. It's very hard to photograph; its duochrome shimmer ranges from gold to pink to a kind of metallic coral tone. Very nice - like a cup of hot, soothing Clipper 'Sleep Easy' tea but a nail polish :)

Speaking of tea, has anyone tried the Bloom Tea Tea Therapy?.. It sounds healthy but I am not convinced that paying £18.99 for 50 tea bags is sensible in the long run. I think I need a bit of convincing - anyone following this tea treatment and would like to share their experience?

NOTD: Fearne Midnight Manicure "Dark Burgundy Red"

2011-10-13T13:11:00.000-07:00

This is the 4th polish from the Fearne Xmas gift box "Midnight Manicure". I am just loving the whole box! :) This is a burgundy jelly, very shiny! This is 2 coats, but I could've done with another coat - it's just a bit jelly sheer in places... But as usual I couldn't wait and slapped on MegaShine top coat to speed dry it. Go get it while stocks last, it will be the best £12 you'll spend in a long while!

NOTD: Rimmel LycraPRO "Camouflage Chic"

2011-10-11T12:07:00.000-07:00

Rimmel LycraPRO "Camouflage Chic", £4.99

I was waiting for my 'flu vaccination in Boots today when my eyes fell on this new polish from Rimmel. First I thought it was a creme. It's actually a shimmer! You can't really see the shimmer further away - it just gives the polish a cool blue-ish glow from within. Very cool :) This is 2 coats with MegaShine top coat. Look how smooth the formula applies with the LycraPRO brush. I just *love* the brushes and formulas on the LycraPRO :) Just look at that swamp-green gorgeousness!!

Soap & Glory™ Peace Hand Love™ Hand Care Kit, £10

I also wanted to tell you about a great gift set for hand! Boots have started selling their Xmas gift sets (I know, it's not even Halloween yet...) and this is one of them! Soap & Glory's Hand Food is one of my fave hand creams, so I of course had to have this set! The soap has a complimentary fragrance to Hand Food and is very soft to lather! It looks really neat on your sink. I will refill the bottles with Hand Food and a nice hand wash when they run out as I prefer pumps to tubes!

All Glittered Out!!

2011-10-09T13:22:00.000-07:00

Hermione the Hermit Crab!

I have battled with many glitters but I must say Revlon "Facets of Fuschia" induced my first tears at struggling to remove glitter polish! Not even pure acetone and wraps helped; my nails are sore from the rubbing! It took me 35 mins to remove it... I have therefor got nekkid nails and red crusty cuticles so I am showing you a photo of one of my adorable Hermit Crabs instead.

NOTD: Revlon "Facets of Fuschia"

2011-10-05T14:02:00.000-07:00

So I finally took the plunge and put on "Facets of Fuschia", I have been putting it off as I fear the glitter removal. But I really fancied it today :) But I kinda wimped out - this is over 1 coat of Rimmel 60sec "Blackout" to only have to put on 2 coats of "Facets of Fuschia" and hence make removal easier :)

I could have used 2 coats of MegaShine top coat to smooth down the glittery hexagons a bit more, but I needed to tidy up my invertebrate pets' tanks and put in new food so I decided it was enough fannying about with nail polish. It has still dried very hard very quickly, which is why I love speed-dry top coats!

Anyway. I love the look of this polish. The different glittery bits are what really makes it, I have nothing like this. I was afraid the glitter may get swamped by the black and the final result would be a 'nearly black' look only. I needn't have worried! The semi-opaque mature of this polish it what makes it the sparkler it is!

I am catching up on my dinosaur program "Planet Dinosaur" so I will leave you with a photo of my rescued Red Claw crabs - that's right they were rescued from a derelict fish tank in an abandoned tenancy!

One of my Red Claw crabs, warming itself against a leopard print fur hot water bottle outside the tank...

NOTD: Fearne Midnight Manicure #2

2011-10-02T12:59:00.000-07:00

So this is another one of the gorgeous polishes from the Xmas giftset from Fearne Cotton for Boots. This is 2 coats with a slick of MegaShine. Just look at that glow!! Isn't that gorgeous??? The formula was OK, a bit on the thick side so you have to watch for brush-strokes. But I can live with that when the colour is this awesome!

I may now have a new favourite red shimmer - it used to be Nails Inc's "Aspen", but this may have taken over. It's just that smidge darker and more naughty ;)

I think this may be the base for the black lace manicure I am planning for when I go and see Alice Copper in Glasgow on Halloween...

What's YOUR favourite red shimmer??

NOTD: Fearne Midnight Manicure Polish #1

2011-09-28T12:59:00.000-07:00

Look at that shimmery navy goodness!

Don't you just hate it when companies don't make up names for their nail polishes?? This beauty is from the 2011 Christmas giftset from Fearne Cotton's range for Boots called "Midnight Manicure". This awesome polish should be called just that - "Midnight Manicure"! But no, it doesn't even have a number...

This is 2 coats with a slick of MegaShine. It was a bit thin in the first coat but great on the second. The set is £16 from Boots, out now, and there are six polishes in the box! :) There is also a charcoal and a red shimmer I love the look of and the super sparkly silver from last year is back!

I will have to put on my other Fearne polishes, I realise I've not actually worn any of the ones from the Xmas sets as a mani yet! I will swatch a wheel at the weekend though for you to see!

I promised I would review the new Luminous Daily Duo for Combination skin from BareMinerals, so here it is!

The face wash is very nice to use but left me a bit dry on the cheeks. The moisturiser goes on smoothly and had a very delicate scent of Lavender. It did moisturise me quite well and didn't make me shiny! The BareMinerals makeup sat very nicely on top of these products as well. I did however dry out a bit, I guess I should've gone for the normal to dry skin set?

The sets retail for £20 and are available now! :)

NOTD: Nails Inc "Ascot"

2011-09-25T12:19:00.000-07:00

Cheerful green! :)

My apologies for not being active in the last week - I was suffering with a really bad case of flu and was bedridden. I had no nail polish on during that time so you didn't miss anything! I'm better now so I finally put on nail polish. For some reason my cuticles and hands are really really dry at the moment and nothing is helping, the cuticles on this hand are a million times better than the other hand, I will spare you the view of those :( let's just say they are splitting and bleeding...

To cheer up I put on a green! This is one of my all-time fave greens. It is butter-smooth to apply as most Nails Inc are and it covers beautifully in 2 coats. This is 2 coats with a slick of MegaShine.

I am hoping to dare to put on Revlon "Facets of Fuschia" soon but my cuticles aren't ready for acetone just yet... :( Anyone tried it? Is it really horrible to remove? Any tips?

Also I have some new cute little friends - my hermit crabs:

Anyway I have to dash off to beautify myself for work tomorrow but I have a review of BareMinerals new skin care series for you this week, so check back soon!

NOTD: Nails Inc Magnetic Polish "House of Parliament" and Rimmel 60sec "Black Out" with Rimmel LycraPRO Matte Finish

2011-09-14T13:22:00.000-07:00

So I was totally determined not to buy the magnetic polishes from Nails Inc but, it IS magnetic polish... So I decided on this one when me and The Evil Beech was out shopping and getting her a bareMinerals make-over and starter kit for her birthday!

However, the instructions on the bottle is in French. My French is a bit, well, non-existent. Nil points, Nails Inc... So I had to try and figure out the way to hold the magnet. It appears that you have to hold the magnet so that the free edge of your nail is held towards the raised ledge next to the magnet. But if you want to use a top coat you will need to put on the top coat THEN do the magnet or the pattern 'loosens' up... This is 2 coats with a coat of MegaShine. It's not very uniform, as I had to do the magnet twice as it diffused when I put on MegaShine. Anyway, in the end it kind of looks cool - the base colour is a darkened purple-grey shimmer with a silvery shimmer in the magnetic pulled bits.

The Evil Beech has decided on the matte look and put on 2 coats of Rimmel "Black Out" and a coat of Rimmel LycraPRO Matte Finish. She also advises that a thin layer of matte top coat is better than a thick one. The polish appears to have dried out hence the messy application and was according to The Evil Beech the application was "as difficult as wrestling a hell-swine". I didn't ask how she knows that...

Guest NOTD!

2011-09-11T12:55:00.000-07:00

I have a visitor this week so 2-for-1 NOTDs this week! :)

Zeke the Evil Beech is wearing L'Oreals "734 Black Red", 2 coats but it's quite thick and stringy to put on!

Me, I'm wearing OPI "Purple With A Purpose" as picked out by The Evil Beech, this is 3 coats with MegaShine top coat.

We went to Deep Sea World in Edinburgh today, where we saw all manner of creatures as you can see....

NOTD: Isadora "Subway Green" over Rimmel LycraPRO "Peppermint"

2011-09-08T14:18:00.000-07:00

This didn't turn out the way I'd hoped - I think the speed dry top coat shrunk away the layers of "Peppermint"?.. Never mind, it looks cool still from a distance :) "Peppermint" looked OK on it's own as you can see, but I kind of fancied that extra bit of 'oomph'.

This is 2 coats of "Peppermint", 1 coat of "Subway Green" and a coat of MegaShine top coat.

600th NOTD: Collection 2000 Hot Looks "All that jazz"

2011-09-05T12:48:00.000-07:00

This is the 600th post!!

And I found a brand new nail polish to celebrate! This is 2 perfect coats of "All that jazz" - and just look at that perfection. This is with a coat of MegaShine but the polish dries to a high gloss - I just needed the speed-dry top coat to set the mani before I settled with my popcorn and a movie with my dear fiancee. This is a very dark steel grey - almost almost black with grey shimmer - I love it! I believe this is part of the new colours for autumn so it should be eady enough to get hold of!

I can't believe this is number 600! I love doing the blog and looking at other people's blogs about nails and beauty. I hope you, my dear followers and casual viewers, enjoy reading about my antics in the beauty world as much as I enjoy writing it! :)

Here's to the online beauty community living long and prospering!

NOTD: Rimmel Play Fast "Scene Stealer"

2011-09-04T13:20:00.000-07:00

Rimmel Play Fast "Scene Stealer"

I don't believe I've worn this yet! This is one of my stashed old style American Rimmels, the stash should be behind lock and key they are now that rare and magnificent :)

This is 3 coats and there is still VNL, which is disappointing as I love all my other Rimmel Play Fasts to death. I can't think what colour this is?... Nude sheer with gold glitter?.. It'll do for the start of the week while I work out what the NOTD for my 600th post will be. That's right, my 600th post :) Time really does fly when you are having fun!

New Products

2011-09-03T02:39:00.000-07:00

So I received two very exciting emails yesterday, one from Nails Inc telling me they are launching a line of magnetic polishes! And we all know how I love these gimmicky polishes :) Above are some shots I pulled from the email for you to see the shades and effect, but these are not my photos!

And Barry M are hitching onto the foil effect polishes and putting out a gold and a silver foil! These are available now. Again, the above picture is from my email, and are not my photos!

TMNT Nails @ Swatch & Learn

2011-09-03T00:47:00.000-07:00

You all have to go and see the awesome Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle manicure at Swatch & Learn - it's pure genius! :D

I love how creative the nail community is and how you all see colours, details and inspiration where others just pass it by!

Here follows an announcement...

2011-08-29T12:36:00.000-07:00

It can finally be revealed after telling the families! When me and my partner were away on holiday, he proposed to me! :) I only have this photo of the place he did it, and the ring, sadly there is no nail polish on!!! I will therefore be taking suggestions as to the perfect polish to go with the ring for any engagement party we will be holding!

Which polish would you recommend?

NOTD: Bloom "Bianca"

2011-08-28T14:11:00.000-07:00

I am back from my holidays! I can't believe that it's back to work tomorrow....

So I had to put on one of my old favourite polishes - Bloom "Bianca" to cheer myself up a bit. Click the link to see other "Bianca" manis I've done. Please excuse the slap-dash application and dry cuticles, I've not worn any polish since Wednesday as my hands are dry as the Sahara desert :(

This is 2 coats with MegaShine. I just love this polish, it's deep teal with it's green flash always picks me up :)

NOTD: Chanel "Peridot"

2011-08-20T12:57:00.000-07:00

It wasn't really a conflict which polish to put on, "Peridot" won hands down for my holiday manicure! 2 perfect coats with a coat of MegaShine. It's more beautiful in real life than in photos! I'm off to relax before bed and then I am off on holiday tomorrow, but I hope I can squeeze in a post before I come back on Wednesday night.

Woohoo!!!

2011-08-19T05:55:00.000-07:00

I'm off on holiday tomorrow for a week so went to buy camera batteries in Superdrug - AND THERE IT WAS!! "Facets of Fuschia" from Revlon is on the must-have list this fall, and I didn't think it was released yet but Superdrug had some on display! I obviously bought it.

And THEN...

Chanel counter calls, and the lady tells me "Peridot" is now in stock and do I still want it. Guess what the answer was? Let's just say I contemplated leaving work early and miss out on some of my surplus flexi time... :)

Now the dilemma - which polish do I wear for my holidays?...

NOTD: BeautyUK Shatter "Glam Rock" over Rimmel LycraPRO "Urban Princess"

2011-08-14T11:57:00.000-07:00

I buggered my nails a bit removing old silicon sealant around my bath but they were luckily cropped short so wasn't too bad! I needed something bright to start my last week before my holiday so I chose this pink with silver shatter. This is 2 coats of "Urban Princess" with a thin coat of "Glam Rock" shatter (thin coat = more cracks). I slapped on some MegaShine to bring out the shimmer in "Glam Rock".

I can report I tried the BB Cream from Garnier! It feels a bit 'dry' to put on and I had to use more than I thought. It did last all day and made my tired skin look happy and fresh! It definitely covered the redness I have. I am using the 'Medium' colour just now as I am tanned but I will also buy a 'Light' one for when the winter paleness hits! The Maybelline version arrived also, and I will try that one tomorrow!

NOTD: Ciate "Wait Until Dark"

2011-08-11T14:11:00.000-07:00

So this polish is one of two polishes that come with this months Marie Claire (UK edition)! The other one is a nude, which I wasn't so tempted by. I love free polish with magazines if the brand is something I've not tried before, like Ciate. Anyway, there is also a 15% off offer on the box to the polish, should you fancy buying some more Ciate!

This is a deep, dark, sumptuously velvety burgundy shimmer polish. This is 2 coats with a slick of MegaShine. I would say this is a shimmer raisin colour! I love it :)

Other free stuff just now:

ELLE magazine also does a free polish this month, from Mavala. They come in 3 shades; red, orange and grey.
Barry M has teamed with Impulse body spray and is giving away free lip gloss in 3 colours with each can of selected Impulse body spray you buy in Boots
Cosmopolitan magazine is giving away Eyelure free fake lashes

It's arrived!

2011-08-11T05:20:00.000-07:00

My Garnier BB cream finally arrived, I was on a waiting list for like forever, I will be road testing it tomorrow and will give you all the juice. My Maybelline version from Japan have yet to arrive however so you can look forward to that perhaps next week.

I also have a rather lovely looking Ciate polish called "Wait Until Dark" to share with you tonight that came free with this month's UK Marie Claire! But first I will have to live through the rest of the working day!!

Shrimp update!

2011-08-09T13:17:00.000-07:00

I am so pleased with my shrimp tank - my red cherry shrimp are so delightful :) They today got a bamboo cane with Java moss on it installed in their tank, and as you can see they are right in there feeding. This is a female and she is starting to grow eggs already. So maybe soon I will have even more baby shrimp!

NOTD: Essie "Carnival"

2011-08-08T11:31:00.000-07:00

I actually put this on last night, but didn't get a chance to post. It's so hard to photograph this, it's sparkliness doesn't like the camera! So it has to be photographed blurry to show off that gorgeous holo glitter :)

This is one coat; it's still bumpy with a coat of MegaShine.

I've got a couple of exciting new products coming in the post but they haven't arrived yet, so I am keeping you in suspense until they do...

To make it up to you, here is Elvis the Kitten gracing the blog with his handsome presence. He's almost a year old now, and has grown very large and fluffy since we first welcomed him home from the animal rescue centre! His tail is ridiculously long and fluffy, which makes us suspect there is some exotic cat breed in him somewhere...

NOTD: Misa "Krystal Waters"

2011-08-03T13:22:00.000-07:00

I saw swatches of this and immediately needed it! I am writing this on my new laptop, sadly the old one was so broken it was cheaper to get a new one :( sad, but it does happen... Therefor I really needed a polish to cheer me up and "Krystal Waters" fits the bill perfectly :)

"Krystal Waters" has a foily, luminous effect that shimmers just like a tropical sea under a blazing sun! This is 4 coats. It is a sheer-ish polish, so you will need the 4 coats to cover up VNL. But if it was more opaque I don't think that it wouldn't have that luminous quality! I slicked on a coat of MegaShine top coat to set it more quickly. I took a lot of photos of this but only one came out decent to show colour AND shimmer, it's definitely a polish that is better in real life than on film!

NOTD: Color Club "Revvvolution"

2011-08-01T13:31:00.000-07:00

This is still one of the most unique polishes I have in my stash and it always surprises me how lovely it is whenever I put it on :) I've worn it before, and looking back on those older photos make me realise how long I've been blogging - coming up for 3,5 years and this will be my 587th post!

I've got some untried polishes bursting to get out of the drawers of the Helmer but I didn't feel like any of them :O Not even Misa "Krystal Water"! Something is drawing me back to the old, safe favourites just now... I must break out of this sentimental state...

Back to this gem of a polish. This is 1 perfect coat and no top coat. That's it! How could I resist it?

What's your favourite nail polish, and why??

NOTD: MNY "669"

2011-07-29T13:06:00.000-07:00

This is the other MNY polish I picked up from Asda! I was quite taken with the velvety finish so this is without MegaShine topcoat. It's a very cool colour; gunmetal grey with a hint of brown maybe?... This is 2 tricky coats - it applies like a matte polish so do not be tempted to go over the same area twice while wet or you will mess it up! The dry finish isn't entirely matte though, more satiny.

I am currently fairly preoccupied being on holiday and cat-sitting Mother-in-Laws cat who don't get on with my little furball and also keeping an eye on the little shrimp babies I got! It's not very restful so doing my nails was a treat today :)

NOTD: MNY "753"

2011-07-27T12:17:00.000-07:00

First day of my 3-day holiday (I know, it's soooo extravagant). After taking delivery of my shrimp babies, I went to Asda for scotch pancakes. As I cruised past the Maybelline stand my eyes fixed on their daughter line MNY which was sneaking it's way onto the main Maybelline stand, and hello green nail polish! :) For £2.99 it's worth a try.

As expected, it's sheer. This is 3 coats, could've done with 4, but I had had enough nail polish fumes after spending the afternoon outside in the sun and fresh air! I put on a slick of MegaShine over the top.

The thought struck me it is similar to China Glaze "Moonpool". But "Moonpool" has a hidden depth of green with a golden flash but "753" is more a shimmery golden lime?.. It's more similar to Mavala "Electric Green".

I'm off to look at my shrimps again to watch them feed on the little algae wafer I put in for them!

NOTD: Nails Inc "Aspen"

2011-07-24T13:17:00.000-07:00

It's hard for me not to think of the current events in Norway. My heart goes out to all who have been affected by the events, I can't imagine what it would be like...

This is an old favourite polish of mine as some of you may know. This fiery red shimmer never disappoints and seems to be getting aired every time I need something cheerful. This is two perfect coats with a slick of MegaShine top coat. This polish turns out beautifully every time. I may need to get a backup of it in case Nails Inc decide to discontinue this shade..

Iron Maiden!

2011-07-21T12:19:00.001-07:00

I came home very late after a fantastic gig with Airbourne and Iron Maiden, after dining with one of the guitarists, kind of! :)

Ah, Swedish food...

2011-07-21T04:53:00.000-07:00

Look what I found in Boots at lunchtime?! For those of you who do not know I am originally from the north-east of Sweden, now living in north-east Scotland for the past 11 years or so. I have to say that I don't miss living in Sweden, but I do miss the food! Therefor I was very excited when I found this sandwich (it's the little things, eh...) as I love polarkaka! :)

I hope they don't just do this as a limited edition sandwich, because it is very yummy!

NOTD: Minx "Pink Cheetah" with Rimmel 60sec "Funtime Fuchsia"

2011-07-18T13:21:00.000-07:00

So I got tired of the wrinkly Kooky and removed it. Nothing wrong with the product, just my crappy application. I did however get a lot of 'wow, I love your nails!' today wherever I went. I guess it's the brightness of the gold that does it. Even nail 'muggles' love metallic nail wraps! The Dior guy even went and got his colleagues from the Chanel desk to show her my nails. She then mumbled 'I'm sorry but the A/W collection still isn't out yet' as she returned to her station (not that I am stalking the Chanel desk for "Peridot", or whatever, ahem...).

A tip for removing nail wraps such as Minx and Kooky: crank up the heat with your infrared lamp and be very slow peeling them off, or you will inevitably take off the top layer of the nail in places. Any sticky residue is quickly removed with some nail polish remover. But don't go so close to the bulb you feel it scalding...

I feel good about this manicure. The Minx definitely goes on easy, big, fat bandage on my thumb or not. I will change the nail polish for Thursday's Iron Maiden gig to Rimmel LycraPro "Urban Princess" as I think this polish will chip before Wednesday evening... Since I've rediscovered my stash of nail wraps I think I will start doing manis with a nail art ring finger for a while! I have some really cool ones I can't wait to try again.

Last but not least, here is some of this years potato crop! The white ones are "Rocket" and the pink ones are "Desiree". Yummy! :)

Finally, it's feeling like summer!

2011-07-17T10:55:00.001-07:00

Nothing smells as sweeeet as sweet peas! These are finally starting to flower after not looking very well at the start of the season :)

NOTD: Kooky "Moon Purple & Gold"

2011-07-17T09:10:00.000-07:00

Dear me, I struggled to put these on! Having my thumb still super-sore and icky and in bandaging didn't help! I have a strong C-curve in my nails so these took a couple of tries to put on right as you can see here... The trick is to heat them until completely 'floppy', then stretch and smooth more than you would when applying Minx, and this is tricky when you are applying on your own hands. With the wrinkles in these I don't think they would last long but we will see! At least I will know for next time how they differ to Minx during application. I apologise for the mess, but it's not so obvious further away :P

I love the gold and fuschia in these! The gold is so very bright and fresh. I hope it will last til Thursday when I am going to see Iron Maiden *rock ooooon!!* supported by Airbourne.

I'll keep you updated on these, and I will do a couple of reviews of other new things until I take these off next weekend!

Kooky Nail Fashionistas

2011-07-16T07:44:00.000-07:00

I promised some cool new stuff and here it is - Kooky Nail Fashionistas! I've been doing Minx for a couple of years now but these were new to me until they arrived in the mail from a fellow nail technician! I checked out the website and did some Googling, there appears to be some really cool designs including a gold/silver lightning one!

My cuticle I spoke about is definitely not good - I have been prescribed antibiotics and Bactroban (topical antibiotic) and some seriously expensive dressings so here's hoping it clears up soon. It's still seriously sore to the point that I have to take painkillers and can't move my thumb or I cringe. I won't post any gross photos but just bear in mind if you get a swollen/inflamed cuticle, please see your doctor straight away. I was told I may have necrosis before it heals (gross!), scarring and possibly deformed nail at best and septicemia at worst so don't hesitate. So please excuse the crappy application - mobility is limited with a massive bandage on one's thumb...

The Kooky applies just like Minx - with infrared heat bulb. Don't faff about with hairdryers, you will get much better results with infrared. Make sure it is properly warmed and 'floppy' before you attach to the nail / remove from the nail. Prep of the nail is essential for extended wear, buff and smooth the nails and remove any odd bits of cuticle. It was so awkward to apply with the massive bandage while bending over so I decided to only put on the big toes. I will let you know how the wear goes! My Minx usually wears flawlessly on my feet until my nails grow out so much it looks ridiculous, so lets see how Kooky holds up!

This beauty is Spots Gold & Black #16611, the one behind it is Moon Purple & Gold #16625. I think I will put on the other one for Monday on my fingers and do a weeks wear-test! Spots Gold & Black reminds me of Droppen fishing lures I used to use to fish for perch when I was young! I used to love them and have been thinking of making them into earrings at Christmas when I go home :)

I am not entirely sure how you would order from the distributor as a non-trade person, but I intend to find out. If you're desperate, you can buy these from sellers on eBay but beware of illegal knock-offs, as with Minx and other big name brands.

Can't believe you made it all the way through that rant! :) As a bonus, now take a moment and check out Makeupmylack's awesome Half-Moon Mani!

Update on NOTD

2011-07-15T02:16:00.000-07:00

I tried again to take a photo of Andrea Fulerton "Joanna" but it's still too red!! However, I found my review of Zoya "Gilda"; imagine a darker version of "Gilda" and you arrive at "Joanna". It has the same sparkly glassfleck finish as well!

I have something new and exciting planned for tomorrow, if the mailman delivers it to me today as he should. So check back over the weekend for something exciting!

And some bad news I have to moan about... I was helping out moving things from office to office when I trapped my right thumb between a PC base unit and a packing crate and pushed the cuticle right back. There was a split in the cuticle and a bit of blood but it looked ok. That was last Friday. It has progressively got more and more swollen and inflamed and today the cuticle is so tender and inflamed I've had to bandage the thumb up to prevent it being knocked... I hope it settles soon so I don't lose my nail :O

NOTD: Andrea Fulerton "Joanna"

2011-07-14T13:39:00.000-07:00

I fancied something sparkly and bright and this fuschia glassfleck is just the ticket! :) I struggled to get the colour right with my camera; this looks too red. It's more pink than this. I will try and take a daylight photo tomorrow.

This is 2 coats with a slick of MegaShine top coat, the formula is excellent and dries fast. It is very sparkly even in indoor light. It has a slight duochrome-ish effect as the glassfleck is a much colder, almost lilac pink.

The Andrea Fulerton polishes are nice but £5.10 is a bit steep for a small 5.5mm bottle but I guess it's the celebrity nail technician touch that puts the price up. The formula on this polish is definitely professional and the finish makes it feel worth the money.

NOTD: GOSH Oh My "Apple Green"

2011-07-14T01:34:00.000-07:00

I thought this had uploaded but it totally had'nt! Anyway, this is the mani I did on Tuesday night...

GOSH has launched a new line of nail polish called Oh My GOSH (clever..); I don't know if this will take over from their normal range, or be a 'current fashion shades' range. This is "Apple Green", similar to Essie "Going Incognito" and OPI "Jade Is The New Black". All the shades in this new line are cremes. All these are £2.99.

This had a lovely formula but just slightly slightly runny. This is two coats with MegaShine. I just love this kind of muted creme green :) I have a couple of thin patches of polish, I think I must have been too eager and not waited until it hat set and so dragged off the underlying layer when putting on the second layer. Can only see it up close though so it's fine! :)

I also found that BeautyUK are doing shatter polishes, also at the bargainista price of £2.99! And it's decent too! On my ring finger is a quick coat of "Glam Rock", the silver metallic shade, with MegaShine over it to gloss it up.

Hooray for cheap nail polish fixes! :D

NOTD: Essence JellyBaby "Cherry Juice"

2011-07-11T01:03:00.000-07:00

It's been raining incessantly for a week now, so I needed something fiery to brighten up my Monday morning. I have had this polish for a while, but never got round to trying it.

I *love* jelly polishes, they always look so shiny and juicy. They work for me as I have cropped nails but if your nails are long and you hate VNL, don't go for jelly! You can even see a bit VNL in my photo, avert your eyes if you are sensitive... This was great to apply albeit a smidge runny. This is two coats and MegaShine top coat. It did take some time to dry however even with the speed dry top coat!

I have also become quite addicted to Yogalates, to the amusement of the The Man. I have made some Yogalates socks as well, as you can see in the bottom left corner! It looks so easy when they are doing it on the DVD, it's really not... It's definitely a fab workout though :) Seeing my feet on show however has made me realise I will have to give myself that thorough pedicure I have been meaning to do for ages as my feet are mega-dry!!

NOTD: Bourjois "18"

2011-07-05T12:31:00.000-07:00

Don't you just hate when nail polish companies only uses numbers not names for their colours?? This gorgeous shade should have been called 'Storm Cloud' or something but no.

This polish is part of the new range of nail polish from Bourjois. I have to say the other colours are, well, boring. I love this colour however, it is a greyed navy blue with tiny green shimmer particles. It doesn't look shimmery though in inside light, just a nice navy creme with secret depth.

The coverage was fine, this is 2 coats. However the brush is awful; it has a slant to it for 'touching up chips'. However it is just crap! If I use this again I will have to trim the brush...

Anyway I'm off to demand that The Man put more aloe vera on my hideously 2nd degree sunburned neck!

NOTD: Isadora "Dolce Vita" with Konad

2011-06-30T12:59:00.000-07:00

It's been ages since I used my Konad kit - I've almost forgot how to do it! I prefer the chunky patterns as they seem to go on best. This is 2 coats of "Dolce Vita" which is an ok creme but it is a bit streaky in its application, with Konad pattern in China Glaze "Emotion", which is one of the best metallic polishes ever. I slicked on a coat of FastForward top coat over the top.

I am gearing up for the 5k run on Sunday - it's in aid of Cancer Research UK. Please consider sponsoring me, here is a photo of some of my pink running gear and my race number! You can sponsor me online via JustGiving:

http://www.raceforlifesponsorme.org/memberssupport

NOTD: Glitter French manicure

2011-06-28T14:19:00.000-07:00

I really fancied something sparkly but after spending ages rubbing off the Nfu-Oh flakie polish I didn't want to do a whole-nail glitter. So I did a glitter French mani! This is Rimmel Whitening Polish with Isadora "Sparkling Ice" which is a very fine holographic glitter. I struggled to capture the sparkle here - it is insanely sparkly but it doesn't seem to translate to the camera... I will try and get a photo in sunlight tomorrow. Very fresh and light, perfect for cooling off in this weird warm humid weather we are experiencing just now...

Sponsor me!

2011-06-28T05:17:00.000-07:00

On Sunday, I am doing the Race for Life in aid of CancerResearch UK along with my colleagues at work. I am doing it in the memory of my Auntie who passed away from cancer last year. The monies raised on the website go straight to the charity. I will post my Race for Life nails on Saturday night (the theme for Race for Life is always pink) and I will hopefully have some funny photos of us all in our costumes on Sunday!

If you would like to donate towards a very good cause (every penny counts, no donation too small!), please visit our JustGiving page:

http://www.raceforlifesponsorme.org/memberssupport

NOTD: Isadora "Pink Lemonade" with Nfu-Oh "49"

2011-06-26T14:13:00.000-07:00

After breaking the vacuum cleaner while tidying the house I finally had time to put on new nail polish! I looked for the Accessorize one but it's gone missing, I think that a certain kitten may have knocked it off the table then batted it behind something...

So I did this layering instead! Hot and tropical and just what I needed after a day of rain... This is 2 coats of the Isadora whick is a hot coral pink and 2 coats of Nfu-Oh topped with FastForward top coat. It's hard to capture the beauty of this, I just love the duochrome flecks in the Nfu-Oh's!

NOTD: No 7 "Golden Palms"

2011-06-24T12:48:00.000-07:00

Yes, your suspicions are right - I did wear my funky 'French' manicure all week! And I have had sooooo many positive comments from people who wouldn't normally notice my nails. I really liked the concept but next time I will make them more abstract.

But by today it was looking a bit worse for wear so I took it off and put this on as I am stuck again in Duke Nukem Forever. I got "Golden Palms" about maybe a month ago with one of those £5 No 7 voucher you get from time to time in Boots. That means you pay £1 for a £6 polish so not bad!

I want to love "Golden Palms" but, I don't. This is 3 coats with FastForward top coat and I can still see my nails underneath... The shimmer is lovely but this puppy needs to be layered to achieve it's potential. The formula is good though, it slicks on with minimal fuss and no messy cuticles. The colour is kind of similar to Sinful "Color Scare" but with larger glittery bits. But it's not going to make it into the Hall Of Fame. That's OK though as I've got a killer Accessorize nail polish I've been meaning to show you so this gives me the excuse to change my nails again for Monday!

I also got a free b.right! skin care set from Benefit with this weeks Grazia magazine! I have been wanting to try these out since they came out but dreaded the price tag for taking a gamble. I will give this set 1 week then review it for you! How cute is the packaging though???

Anyway, I am off to track down the kitten outside as it's past his bedtime, then I will get some icecream and me and him can read my Grazia magazine together on the sofa! :)

Review: Simple Kind to Skin Moisture Boost Hydro Mist

2011-06-23T02:45:00.001-07:00

I recently acquired a new moisturiser from my fave skin care range Simple (review to come next week), which happens to have a complementary facial spritz. As summer progresses I am getting more tanned and more dry, so I got the facial spritz as well to try! And I am glad I did!

If you've never tried a facial spritz before, all you basically do is spray it on your face and decolletage. That's it. What you should look for is a nice fine mist, with no heavy drops. Beauty geek faves are Evian or Dermatologica Multi-Active Toner. If you're into the natural thing, bottle up rose water in a spray bottle and use that!

Anyway back to the review. This has the same flat 'non-perfumed' smell that most of Simple's products do. It's not a bad thing, as the products are made for sensitive skin which usually doesn't like perfume! It mists nicely, so no big drops or anything. It says you can use it over makeup, but I wouldn't do that if you are using powder or mineral makeup. Over my foundation, which happens to be Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua, it settles very nicely without disturbing any of my makeup.

It feels very soothing and cooling when you mist it on, especially if you like me sit around an air conditioned office all day. It doesn't feels sticky after it dries either. It's my new desk must-have product along with my hand cream and cuticle oil! It really does gives you that enviable dewy glow... Just lock it away at night time!

Simple Kind to Skin Moisture Boost Hydro Mist is on offer just now at Superdrug for £3.99 so get there before everyone else does!!

ALSO...

Check out Vakkerlakk's Yatzy Manicure! How cute! I grew up playing Yatzy on rainy days inside the summer cottage during school holidays and I still take it out if I am unhappy :)

Random art-y stuff on a rainy Wednesday...

2011-06-22T04:25:00.001-07:00

I saw this and just had to share! :)

MINIATURE FOOD ART

NOTD: Funky French Manicure

2011-06-20T12:46:00.001-07:00

Today I got my pass mark for the drawing course at university I did so I was very happy and hence I needed a happy manicure! In order of appearance from my thumb to my pinkie are:

THUMB: GOSH 'Wild Lilac' with Nails Inc 'Miami Purple'
INDEX: Rimmel LycraPRO 'Urban Princess' with Rimmel 60sec 'Funtime Fuschia'
MIDDLE: Rimmel LycraPRO 'Aqua Cool' with Isadora 'Miami Blue'
RING: Rimmel LycraPRO 'Peppermint' with Rimmel Lasting Finish 'Misty Jade'
PINKIE: Rimmel Lasting Finish Fruities 'Lemon Drop' with Rimmel Lasting Finish 'Sunshine'

I really like the way it turned out even though it looks miles better a bit further away!

Updated NOTD

2011-06-20T01:21:00.000-07:00

I posted this on Saturday or so I thought but it seems to have mysteriously disappeared. Anyway, I made a little love heart in GOSH Turqoise Nail Glitter on my ring finger :) It is very sparkly but it was really hard to capture it with the camera! It's actually still looking great today on Monday morning after a Sunday of gardening!

NOTD: GOSH "Pool Party"

2011-06-17T02:30:00.000-07:00

After snagging the glitter tips on my kittens fur one too many times I decided to put top coat on it. DO NOT PUT TOP COAT ON GOSH NAIL GLITTER... It went almost black and very dull with no sparkle left :(

I will totally do another GOSH Nail Glitter manicure because of the sparkle just not on the tips, it just snags on your clothes all the time. In fact have something in mind for this manicure for tonight, so stay tuned...

Anyway this is a polish I've had for a while but not tried, so I thought it was about time. It's similar to No7 "Totally Teal" , and also Nails Inc "Electric Teal", but not as dark. Nails Inc "Hanover Square" and "Denim" are also similar but "Pool Party" is not as navy. It's rather nice and has that opaque, supersmooth GOSH formula I love. This is 2 coats with China Glaze FastForward top coat.

Now all I need is some of that turquoise nail glitter....

GOSH Nail Glitter

2011-06-16T13:52:00.000-07:00

I had a lot of tip wear so I but the glitter on the tips only. I did as it says on the box:

1) Put clear polish where you want glitter to be.
2) Dip the nail in glitter pot.
3) Brush off excesses back into pot.

I haven't added top coat yet but the scratchy glitter is attracting fluff from everywhere so I may have to put one on...

Ooooh ...

2011-06-16T05:14:00.001-07:00

I spy with my little blue eye something beginning with s...

You're right - sparkly! I scored these babies at Superdrug at lunchtime, I can't wait to add the mega-hot fuschia (although it claims to be ruby red??) glitter onto my current manicure. I may go for a 'tips-only' thing... We shall see! :)

These are £3.99 in Superdrug, in store now, supposedly there are 10 shades but I was too excited to count...

NOTD: Nivea Beaute "Rosa Fuschia"

2011-06-15T11:49:00.001-07:00

Burning hot fuschia this evening! :) Just really needed something super bright. This is ONE coat with Fast Forward top coat! Woohoo!

I'm not sure if Nivea still do their makeup range in Sweden; this polish is a good 8urs old or more. Very nice formula though but its bound to be full of nasty chemicals now banned in EU! O_o