OPI Muppets Most Wanted Collection - 'I Love Applause' and 'Let's Do Anything We Want'

Greetings fair readers, how are you??!

It has been a while, hasn't it? I took a well needed sabbatical from Blogger, but I didn't stop painting nails.

Over the last few months I have been privy to experiences I could only have dreamed of. I've had ups, I've had downs, but I am happy to say that I return to my trusty readership with a new zest for life...and polish. Needless to say, I am a little late to the party with some of my nail art and reviews, but please stay tuned because I have A LOT to show you over the coming posts.

First, I'll return to my good old beauty blogger roots - a swatch (hazzah!).

OPI's Muppets Most Wanted Collection (2 of 8)
'I Love Applause' is a beautiful pale creme polish. No shimmer, just a yummy pink, reminiscent of my favourite childhood dessert - Angel Delight.

 Image

'Let's Do Anything We Want' is a clear jelly stuffed with pink and white glitter particles, with some chunky white squares chucked in for good measure.

Totally worth layering, wouldn't you say?

What can I say? The combination works and it's perfect for a Summer time pedicure. Fingers crossed that the weather in good old Blighty (slang for Britain) stays nice and dry for us!

I will be back again with a few more polishes in this collection, but in the interim, thanks for reading!

xx

Products sent to me for my consideration

Just a bit of glitter and stickers

Today, I thought I'd show you a mani that I have been wearing for about a week. 

This is gel polish, and some Nailtopia nail stickers.

 The stickers are roses and the rest is acrylic paint.

  The lines are done with a very thin detailing brush and the dots? A dotting tool!

Here they are again in a 'negative space' manicure. The polish is gelish this time.

The stickers are thick and raised, so if using them with nail polish or gel polish, you will feel them if you run your finger over them. I suppose that this isn't a bad thing really - the stickers are quite sturdy as a result. I can't really fault them and I have been quietly adding these to my stash since last year...shhhh. It's not just polish that I hoard (muhahahahaaaa!)

xx

Zoya - Pixie dust!!

I'm pretty excited about this manicure - firstly because these are my first EVER Zoya Pixie Dust's and secondly because I took inspiration from one of my favourite nail artists - NailGurlNYC

 Here is Zoya's 'Stevie'.

And this is 'Beatrix.

These beautiful polishes are *from nailcareclub.com

I used two thin coats of colour on all nails apart from the pinkie - on that one, it was three thin coats and you can see the difference in colour. I didn't bother to gloss this up with a top coat because I prefer it in all of its bumpy glory.

Hope you like them!

xx
*Products sent for my consideration.

Elegant Touch Envy Wraps

Hey everyone!

Today I have some *Elegant Touch nail wraps to show you.

 I thought I'd try out the 'Black and Chevrons' pack.
Each pack comes with a sheet of nail wraps, an emery board and instructions. The 'accents' are extra stickers that you can put onto your nail wraps to jazz them up.

Initially, I was a little dismayed to see that the wraps were so short. My nails were quite long and I didn't want to cut them, so I thought I'd try to do something with the wraps anyway.

 I'm happy to say that the wraps were of a really good quality. They were very stretchy and I was able to manipulate them to fit the length of my nails, without compromising the strength of the wrap (well done Elegant Touch!). The wraps were very easy to use - they were self-adhesive, so all I had to do was remove them from the plastic sheet and stick them on nails that were first treated with a base coat. Once the wrap was on, I could stretch it into place and file off the excess product.

 Then, I just stuck on the accents! You might notice that the middle finger looks a little strange...the wrap simply wouldn't stretch any further. You may also notice a little bit of fluff near my pinkie - please ignore it, it just wanted it's moment in the limelight.

I'm not sure about how long these wraps would actually last because I took them off after a day. The wrap on my middle fingernail was too short and I could see my nail peeking out from underneath. If you have shorter nails, these would be perfect for you. They are sturdy, they look good and the accents give you the opportunity to be creative without getting nail polish all over you. No need for a top coat either - the wraps are made with 'UV Gel technology' which makes them shiny and resilient.

The wraps should be available, nationwide (UK) at Boots and Superdrug stores.

xx.

*Products sent for my consideration

Gelish: Marbled croc nails and bows.

I'm officially experiencing a love affair with my new Gelish gel polishes. Here is a look I created with the help of a pretty crystal bow from Born Pretty Store.

The bow is actually curved so it fits the nail quite well. I used gel to stick this one down - I don't know if it would stay put if you only used glue alone. This would be perfect to use with enhancements or on top of gel polish.

Now that I tend to be doing nails for others more regularly, it makes sense for me to wear gel polish as opposed to normal polish.

 If you like these bows, why not visit the Born Pretty Store site and use the above discount code to get 10% off!

OPI Dulce De Leche and Nail Art Nail Tattoos.

Happy Friday everyone.

I've been slipping on my posts again...what can I say? Nothing, apart from 'I'm getting there!'

Today, I have a quick OPI swatch and I'll also be showing off some Nail Art Nail Tattoos.

 OPI's 'Dulce De Leche'.

 Nail Art Nail Tattoos from Skin Art UK They are thin and self-adhesive. All you need to do is peel them carefully off the backing paper, and stick them onto your nails. Cover with a top coat and you're good to go!

 I decided to add a few ribbons and tails to the bow on my nail. I was trying to be 'office appropriate' whilst wearing these.  The beauty of wearing art on only a couple of fingers is that you can strategically place your gilded talons when necessary! Imagine me at the water cooler, talking to a senior manager...with my middle and ring fingers hidden behind a clip board, hahaha!

xx

Alessandro International - 'Espresso'

Hi friends.

Tonight's post is one that is a review of Alessandro International's Espresso. I love that name, Alessandro. Everytime I type it, I sing 'alley alley andro, alley alley andro' to myself. I blame Lady Gaga for that. You do have to admit, though, the name rolls nicely off the tongue...Alessandro...

Anyway, this Monday marked one full week of me wearing this manicure. This is a big deal for me, folks. I never wear a manicure longer than a few days.

 Espresso - a deep coffee brown with a subtle blue/grey shimmer.

 This picture was taken next to a window to show you how it looks in normal day light. This is three layers of colour.

 Check out that shimmer...

 So you're wondering what that thing on my ring finger is? It's a Kiss nail wrap that I found in a copy of 'Nail It!' magazine. Unfortunately it only lasted one day, so I removed it and painted on some more.

Now this is my most favourite topcoat at the moment. No shrinkage!

Here is my current manicure :) As you can see, I've mastered the art of taking pictures with sheer Jedi Force...

Until next time folks!

xx

'French' Valentine's manicure, number 2

Here is Valentine's manicure number two:

 I rarely wear French manicures. Come to think of it, I'm not even sure if I've ever posted one on my blog. I wore them constantly when I had talons (natural) back in the 90's...cor, that makes me sound really old.

My nails are actually incredibly short at the moment. You wouldn't believe it, but my index finger nail is about 1mm long. I have high hyponychiums (that piece of skin on the underside of the nail where it's  actually attached to your finger), so my nails look longer than they are. The French manicure also gives the illusion of length, but I find it incredibly boring...hence why I HAD to jazz it up!

 For this look, I used these Gold Lace Stickers from Born Pretty Store.

The stickers come in long strips which have an adhesive on the back, so you can cut as much or as little as you want and stick it to the nail.  I used two layers of top coat to seal these on because I was worried about them lifting at the edge.  I needn't have worried - they were really hard to remove. I used pure acetone to remove the polish, but the stickers were stuck tight. Unfortunately I had to scrape at the stickers to get them off my nail in the end.

So there you have it. Some really easy Valentine's day looks. I couldn't go with some crazy pink design this year - I have several important meetings tomorrow and a bunch of hearts and glitter wouldn't really have been appropriate!

Use this code for a 10% discount on your order:)

Whatever you do tomorrow, have a lovely day and thanks for reading!

xx

Rococo Nail Apparel Purple Reign and 23ct Gold Leaf Lacquer

I may be a bit tardy to the party, but this is my first time wearing gold leaf nail polish.

This is Rococo's 'Purple Reign'  By *Rococo Nail Apparel. This polish has great coverage and I only needed two coats. The bottle also has a nice wide brush (my most favourite thing!)

'Purple Reign' and '23ct Gold Leaf Lacquer', available at Space NK You'll notice that the gold leaf has sunk to the bottom of the bottle - I'm pretty sure that this is not supposed to happen. I've just now had another look at the site and can see that my bottle of polish looks like it's missing 50% of the flakes.

Excuse the tip wear. This polish was on for three days!

The gold leaf pieces are quite large (brilliant), but they wouldn't stay suspended in the lacquer base (not so brilliant). The clear base was very thin, so trying to apply the flakes took some time. They would not come out of the bottle and I had to chase them around the bottle to scoop them out. Even after giving the bottle a good shake, I still had to fish for the flakes. If I simply dipped the brush into the bottle, the only thing that would come out was clear polish. 

Having tried Rococo polishes for the first time, I was really impressed with the 'Purple Reign'. It had great coverage and was beautifully pigmented. The '23ct Gold Leaf' Lacquer', however, was a bit disappointing because it was a chore to apply. I was able to enjoy this for three days without a chip, so I guess the positives outweighed the negatives in the end.

Have you tried any of the pigmented Rococo Nail Apparel polishes before?

xx
*Sent for my consideration and honest review

A fast polish drying spray that actually works!

Happy Friday everyone.

Notice anything different about my nails? Yes, I've taken off my acrylic extensions...and my nails are still strong, don't worry :) When they are a bit longer I'll file them into an almond shape.

Today's post is two-fold; I want to show you a new polish of mine, but I also want to show you a product that was recently sent to me. I was contacted by Angela at Beauty Narcotix who dared me to try 'The Ultimate Fix' - a polish drying spray.

£17 for the 200ml bottle.

This is the polish I decided to experiment with:  XOXO Nail's Angel Spell - (two coats of )a clear jelly with matte white hexagons and shapes.

After my base coat, I sprayed a shot of The Ultimate Fix on my nails and continued to do so after each coat of Angel Spell and 'normal' top coat. Would you believe it, the spray wasn't oily at all. In fact it absorbed into my nails and skin pretty quickly. It did have a smell that reminded me of a perfumed body spray, but it was quite pleasant and not too over powering.

Did it dry the polish quickly? I am pleased to say that the polish did dry a lot faster than other sprays that I have tried (and subsequently thrown in the bin) over the years. I did give it about 10 minutes before starting to tidy things away, but my nails were definitely dry by that point. The Ultimate Fix is also supposed to prolong the longevity of your polish and guard against chips. I can't personally comment on this however, because I don't like to wear the same polish for too long.

Would I buy this? Based on the speed with which the spray works, I can see the benefit of paying £17 for a product that is guaranteed to work effectively. I can also see this being quite handy on the set of a photo shoot, when there's a demand to create manicures that don't smudge when a stylist decides to swap outfits on a model at the last minute! I think I'd probably use this in conjunction with the fast dry polishes I currently use - for extra speed.

What do you think about the idea of polish drying sprays? Would you use them?

Whilst you are thinking, have another look at this beautiful polish and have a great weekend!

Leighton Denny 8 Piece Mini Mani Collection

Happy Friday everyone.

I have something special to show you today - Leighton Denny 8 piece Mini Mani Collection from QVC!

Admittedly, I've never used any of the products created by Leighton Denny, but I'd heard that he had some amazing polishes. When I was offered the chance to review this nail polish set, I had to accept.

The set comprised of 5 colours.
L-R: High Flyer, Diamond Diva, Rampant Rose, Pleasing Purple and Butterfly Wings.

L-R: One For All (base and topcoat), Precision Corrector and Miracle Drops Speed and a precision brush.

Exciting, huh?

Let's have a look at the colours first...

 

High Flyer (4.6ml) -  a  turquoise shade enriched with silver glitter. This is two coats plus on layer of the One For All topcoat. This was my favourite shade. The brushes weren't wide and flat, but they were well made and the consistency of the polish was creamy.

Diamond Diva (4.6ml) -  molten silver shade which can be used as a French manicure tip. I chose to put it on the whole nail, however, because I don't like how the look of a French manicure on almond shaped nails. The polish is beautifully pigmented and would look amazing marbled with a black polish. This is two coats without a top coat.

 

Rampant Rose (4.6ml) - deep red with a touch of brown. Two coats of creamy perfection.

 Pleasing Purple (4.6ml) -  The website states that this is a 'navy blue with a subtle purple shimmer', but I suspect that they swapped the colours around. This is a PURPLE with a BLUE shimmer, in my opinion. Initially I didn't like this at all, but after three coats, it grew on me. You may be able to detect a smudge on the ring finger...I used the polish drying drops and they did nothing to speed up the drying process.

Butterfly Wings (4.6ml) - sheer peach with an iridescent shimmer. This was my least favourite shade, because I'm not fond of shimmers. I will admit that this shade would look amazing layered over a darker colour. This didn't actually occur to me until just now!!

Left: One For All (4.6ml) all-in-one base coat, top coat, ridge filler and clear gloss coat - perfect for when you're on the go...or so the blurb says.
 It is fine as a base coat and gives a lovely glossy shine when applied as a top coat, but because it is not fast drying, I simply would not buy this. This is not a reflection on the quality of the polish, I just prefer the convenience of a fast drying polish.

Middle: Precision Corrector (4.8ml) - a three-in-one product that tidies up nail polish mistakes; also the key easily creating the perfect French and Naked Moon manicures.
 I love this! Seasoned nail polish bloggers will all confirm that a good 'clean-up job' is imperative, when polishing nails.  This does not appear to be acetone, because it does not leave a dry, white mark on the cuticle area after use. It's not harsh on the skin and it removes spills with precision and speed. I don't know what is in this miracle elixir, but I love it.  The little brush contained in the pack is the perfect size and the hairs are stiff, so they don't splay when you are cleaning the cuticle area.

Right: Miracle Drops Speed (4.8ml) - specially formulated to radically speed up drying time, help stop smudging and add lustre to nails and cuticles.
Unfortunately, the only thing these drops did for me were make hydrate my cuticles! After a few minutes, my nails still smudged. Again, perhaps I'm just used to my normal fast drying topcoats, but I'm not used to having to wait for my polish to dry anymore!

Overall, this was a sweet little pack with some top quality polishes. If the top coat had been a speed-dry polish, I would have been in heaven.

If you go head over to the QVC website, you can find this set for the introductory price of £28.44. 

Have a great weekend!

xx