Nikki's Nails

Nikki's 3,2,1 nail sale!

2011-11-11T14:36:00.001Z

All polishes have been used once unless stated otherwise.

Nails Inc Instyle Berry £2

Nails Inc China Town £2

Wet 'n' Wild Goldmine £1

Wet 'n' Wild Rustic £1

~~Ciate Mistress £2~~

Ciate Dangerous Affair £2

~~Jessica Crimson Dew Drop £3~~

~~Avon Mirrorshine Foil Metallic Mauve £1~~

~~Avon Mirrorshine Foil Blue Steel £1~~

Avon Mirrorshine Gold Foil £1

Depend 104 £1

Sinful Colors See You Soon £1

Eyeko Coral Polish £2

NK Purple £1

Malvala Okume £1

Sally Hansen Ruby Chrome £1

Models Own Purple Mystique (New and sealed ) £3

Models Own Gold Rush £3

Models Own Purple Poppy £3

Models Own Feeling Blue £3

Models Own Pink Blush £3

Models Own Fuzzy Peach £3

Revlon Plum Night £3

~~Revlon Red £2~~

Revlon Steel Her Heart £3

Revlon One Perfect Coral (50%) £1

China Glaze secret Periwinkle (90%) £2

China Glaze Phat Santa £2

OPI Year of the Dragon HTF (70%) £3

~~OPI Wing It! £3~~

Nail Girls Red 4 £2

Nail Girls Green 4 £2

Nail Girls Gold 2 £2

Pop Beauty Berry (80%) £1

Pop Beauty Strawberry (65%) £1

17 Lasting Fix Exquisite (90%) £2

17 Fast Finish Pink Grapefruit (90%) £1

Rimmel Lasting finish scented polish Cranberry Zest £2

No7 Stay Perfect Oyster (85%) £1

Stargazer 123 £1

~~Diamond Cosmetics Rubies and Diamonds £1~~

~~Barry M Pink Flamingo £1~~

~~Hard Candy Erogenous (85%) £1~~

Wet 'n' Wild Blue Moon £1

Wet 'n' Wild Caribbean Frost £1

~~W7 Earthquake Silver Shatter £1~~

~~No Name Pink base and black crackle top coat £1 for set (brand New)~~

Postage for first polish 2nd class will be £1.33 after that will be charged at cost.

£1.72 for 101g-250g

£2.16 for 251g - 500g

£2.61 for 501g +

Maximum postage charged will be £3

UK ONLY PLEASE

Payment to be made by Paypal Gift or I can invoice you but will add on a 3% charge to cover my costs.

Please email me with your requirements and I will get back to you with what is still available and your total.

nikkiscards-blog (at) yahoo.co.uk

Many thanks for looking,

Nikki

Very Good Friday!

2011-04-22T21:44:00.000+01:00

What a stunning day it has been today, like a mid-summers day.

Been outside lapping it up once again, getting quite a tan!

NOTD today is Barry M Berry Icecream, which I just love.

I notice last time I wore it I used 2 coats but I found that it applied less evenly today and so needed 3 but it still looked the same in the end and dried fairly quickly so I don't mind.

We had a lovely few hours yesterday at White Post Farm and as promised here are a couple of baby animal pics (that is my son feeding the lamb with grass pellets)

We are going to try to make the most of the weather tomorrow as it has given out thunder storms here on Sunday and then cooler weather after that.

Hi!

2011-04-20T21:42:00.000+01:00

Sorry to have deserted you all for so long!

Never seem to have the time or inclination to photograph my nails at the moment.

The glorious weather we are having at the moment is not helping much...with the kids being off school we are barely at home, and when we are we are in the garden.

I have still not bought a single polish this year but am keeping up with trends and pulling out polishes from my stash which seem to follow the trends, at the moment I am wearing Rimmel Orange Bliss as orange nails seem to be a trend for summer.

I also noticed that pastels are still very much in for spring/summer with drugstore brands such as Rimmel and Barry M and higher end brands OPI etc all bringing out more pastel shades.

*******************

I have rediscovered an old love of reading recently and have been devouring books at the rate of about 2 per week leaving less time for other things. I have discovered that charity shops and Ebay are fantastic sources for cheap secondhand books, my favourite being Oxfam.

My favourite authors at the moment are Cecelia Ahern, Marian Keyes, Jill Mansell and Sophie Kinsella but I seem to be adding to this list with every new book I read!

Just a silly shadow photo I took with my phone on Monday!

Me, my Daughter and my son with his football at the top!

I think we may be going to a farm park tomorrow so I will try to get some cute baby animal snaps to put up (and maybe my nail colour will change tomorrow and I might remember to photograph it too!

I am reading Cathy Kelly - What She Wants at the moment, 100 pages in it seems good so far.

Sorry this post is a bit random and disjointed but better that than no post at all I hope?

No7 - Damson Dream

2011-03-29T13:55:00.000+01:00

I bought this about 18mths ago and did wear it once before but did not manage to take photos before it scuffed and wore at the tips so badly I had to remove it.

This time I took the photos pretty quickly after application but now, after less than 5 hrs it is starting to wear at the tips in places. Shame, it's such a gorgeous colour but I would expect more than a couple of hrs from it.

I guess that means I will be changing it again after grocery shopping tomorrow, I can't see it surviving that unscathed!

This is 3 coats plus base and top coat.

China Glaze - TMI

2011-03-24T11:59:00.000Z

This is a gorgeous corally holo, not as holo as some of the OMG collection but still, I love it.

This is 2 coats plus base and top coat. I use Sally Hansen Insta-Dri top coat and do not find that it affects the holo-ness of a polish at all.

Just to say I am very proud of myself as I have not bought any new polishes at all this year :)

Below is a bonus picture of my new hair colour. It has been mixed for me by my hairdresser, It is 2/3 brown and 1/3 purple. I will go 50/50 with the purple next time.

OPI - DS Fantasy

2011-03-21T10:22:00.000Z

This is 2 coats of the rich gorgeousness that is DS Fantasy, one of my favourite blues ever.

Sorry for being missing, seem to have lost my love for blogging at the moment, hopefully it will be back soon!

NOTD is OPI Red My Fortune Cookie, no pics though sorry (Fantasy was my NOTD a few days ago)

Just a bit of cuteness.....

2011-03-15T08:10:00.001Z

Isn't this just gorgeous...I have had it saved to computer for ages, thought I would share in case anyone has missed it in the past!

A England Promotion

2011-03-14T15:56:00.001Z

Great offer from A England, click on the photo to go to their Facebook page.

Covergirl - Fuchsia Girl

2011-03-14T08:16:00.002Z

This is such a gorgeous colour, not particularly unique but it makes me happy when I wear it, another fantastic thing about it is that ,unbelievably, this is 1, yes one, coat!!

Models Own - Disco Mix over Avon Gold Chrome

2011-03-13T08:09:00.002Z

This was just an experiment really as I was curious how it would work...I think I like it but not so sure, what do you think?

1 coat of gold with one coat of the glitter over it.

Eyeko - Pastel Polish

2011-03-12T08:59:00.001Z

This is a gorgeous polish but it was such a pain to apply (it took 3 coats and I was still not happy with it) and because of this it took ages to dry. So long in fact that I messed up 2 nails and in a mood I removed it all. I will give it another try in the future when I have more patience though as I love the colour.

I have heard say that this is a good dupe for Chanel Riva but I don't (and will never) have it to compare!

Beauty UK Glam Nails - Blue Moon (with Sugarplum Yum Glitter top coat)

2011-03-11T08:45:00.001Z

This is a really beautiful shade of blue which is good to go in 2 coats but I added the glitter top coat for a bit of fun as it was sunny!

Nails Inc - Chesham Street

2011-03-10T15:51:00.000Z

I have shown this gorgeous duo-chrome polish before but last time I failed miserably at capturing both sides to it's personality.

This time I succeeded and so I can show you that it switches between a deep glowing navy blue and a shimmery purple.

This is an older Nials Inc polish but I suspect you can still pick it up from Ebay.

This is 2 coats plus base and top coat.

Nails Inc - Instyle Candy

2011-02-28T10:55:00.000Z

It must be spring soon....I'm craving lighter, brighter shades again!

Still love this polish I got free last year. This is 2 coats plus base and top coat.

Barry M - Coral

2011-02-24T11:59:00.001Z

I found the formula on this a little thin (or it is just a jelly?) anyhow, to eliminate vnl I had to use 3 coats.

This is shown with base and top coat.

No7 Ultimate Nail Color - Hickory

2011-02-21T15:09:00.000Z

I loved this colour when I picked it up from the bargain bin for about £2 around 18 months ago, and since then it has been put to the back of my 'to use pile' so many times I lost count, not sure why I just never fancied wearing it.....until today and I am really glad I finally have. It's a lovely coppery/rust colour with fabulous shimmer. I also love this old style No7 bottle, so much better than the tall bottles they use now which are very precarious and difficult to use.

This is 2 coats plus base and top coat.

Franken - Perfect Purple

2011-02-17T15:02:00.000Z

Perfect Purple...well it is for me anyway!

Not too bright but not too greyed either. Not too red or too blue. Not frosty but a little subtle shimmer and a few minute sparkly bits.

It was made using Malvala Glasgow (not shown as it was originally, it is a very pale lilac frost) adding a bit of the ASOS blue and a bit of Pillarbox red then the tiniest amout of Maybelline Cosmic red (not shown but it is a red polish with a sort of red sparkle)

This took 2 coats for full coverage and dried really quickly.

Franken - Mermaids Tail

2011-02-14T11:42:00.000Z

Above, most colour accurate picture

Really happy with how this franken turned out!

It is made from ASOS Lauren, a bit of Essence Check Me out and a bit of Natural Collection Sugar Mouse for the pink shimmer (which I hope you can pick up on in the photos)

This covered perfectly in 2 coats and dried reasonably fast.

Shown with 2 coats plus base and top coat.

China Glaze - Phat Santa

2011-02-12T16:04:00.000Z

I know it's not very seasonal but a classic red jelly is good anytime of the year for me.....a red is for life not just for christmas LOL!

This is another one which was in my surprise christmas gift.

This is 2 coats plus base and top coat.

Deborah Lippmann - Dark Side Of the Moon

2011-02-10T11:33:00.000Z

I got this as a very generous surprise christmas gift from fellow blogger and polish lover Cindy from Nail'd and Polish'd. She sent me other polishes too, which are all lovely but this was obviously going to be the star of the show!

Lippmann polishes are only available from House Of Fraser in the UK and are £14 which is much more expensive than I would ever pay for one nail polish so I am not likely to get any more!

This applied really well and despite using 3 coats on some nails to cover a few patches where it had dragged a little it dried at lightening fast speed.

I wish the colour looked more like the bottle in all lights though, sometimes it is a little too black, but never mind, I love it and will treasure it forever!

I took my nails right down for this one for fear of it looking too 'witch-like'.

Depend - 104

2011-02-08T11:35:00.000Z

This is a nice polish but the formula was not great and it required 3 coats to be fully opaque therefore, even with a quick dry top coat it took a long time to dry properly. Given this and the fact that it is very similar to Accessorize Idol which has a much better formula, I don't think I will be rushing to wear this again.

This is 3 coats plus base and top coat,.

Project 10 Pan Feb 2011

2011-02-07T14:50:00.000Z

Product 1 - Imperial Leather Foamburst - Sunrise

I like to use these as shaving foam for my legs but I don't really like the fragrance of this one...a bit too citrussy and it overpowers any other scent in the bath. I have 3 others all in different fragrances but in this 10 pan challenge I am not allowed to use those until this is finished.....unfortunately there is loads left.

Product 2 - Radox Shower Smoothies - Soul Soother

I like the smell of this but it has annoying seeds in it and when I use it on a scrunchie in the bath the bits sink to the bottom...very annoying. I want to use my favourite Tropical coconut smelling one but not till this is gone.

Product 3 - Soap and Glory Endless Glove Handcream

I like this lots, but I don't love it like I love Hand Food...I am not allowed to open any more Hand Food until I have finished this.

Product 4 - No7 Time Resisting Night and Day Eyecare

Nothing wrong with this I am just terrible at sticking to one product so I want to finish this before I buy anything else for my eyes.

Product 5 - Superdrug Illuminating Moisture Cream

This has a golden sheen to it and the last time I used it was in the summer and I found it too sparkly. I think by mixing it with another moisturiser using it as a highlighter it might add a glow to winter skin. It smells nice, of coconut. No rules on this I just want to finish it if possible.

Products 6 & 7 Molton Brown Bath and Shower Gels

I love these but I have had them since Christmas 2009. I want to use them up before I can buy some more Soap & Glory Calm One Calm All Bubble Bath.

Product 8 - ELF Complexion Perfection

I use this almost daily and I cannot place another ELF order untill it is finished. Shouldn't be too difficult......

Product 9 - 17 Mirror Shine Lipstick in Belle

I love this and use it often but I am a sucker for lip products. I will not buy more lip products until this is gone.

Product 10 - Soft lips Lip Conditioner

Had this ages and rally like it. I have a new one waiting...but not until this one is gone may I use it!

I will post an update in 2-3 weeks to update how I am getting on.

China Glaze - DV8

2011-02-06T14:41:00.000Z

This polish makes me happy...like 'crazy lady happy' every time I wear it......I just love it so much.

This is in my Top 10 of all time.

2 coats plus base and top coat.

China Glaze - Strawberry Fields

2011-02-03T11:10:00.000Z

I don't have many non-holographic China Glaze polishes but the few I do have I really love and this one is no exception.

I just love the way the gold glass fleck seems to sit on top of the polish and it really glints and twinkles in the sun. This polish is probably more suited to wearing in the summer but do I care........no!

This is 2 coats plus base and top coat.

OPI - Ink

2011-02-01T10:32:00.001Z

Still not the best pictures in the world of this gorgeous polish as it is very dull here but at least I did better than my last effort and managed to catch the duo-chrome sparkle. I adore this polish, it is my favourite navy.

This is pictured with 3 coats plus base and top coat.

Yay the sun came out, edited some pictures out of th post and added some much better ones!

OPI - DS Reflection

2011-01-31T11:31:00.000Z

This looks so much better on the nail than it does in the bottle!

This is 2 coats of the gorgeousness that is DS Reflection....if you love red, get it. It glows on the nail.

Diamond Cosmetics - Chainmail Charm

2011-01-28T13:30:00.000Z

The sun is out today (although it is freezing) so it is the perfect day to bring out another of my favourite holo polishes.

This is 3 coats of this gorgeous polish plus base and top coat.

China Glaze - Grape Crush

2011-01-27T12:29:00.001Z

Not sure what possessed me to choose a polish with holographic glitter to wear on a day with zero sun, but never mind! I think these pictures are just OK...with sun they could have been great. I hope you can see the holo properties of the glitter. I was looking at my last review of this polish and I noticed that, while using it with Seche Vite I experienced tipwear the next day...wonder if it will be different this time as I am using Insta-dri.

This is 2 coats plus base and top coat.

(yay the sun came out, sunny picture at the top where you can see the glitter!)

OPI -Do You Lilac It?

2011-01-26T08:20:00.002Z

I think this is probably my favourite pastel polish ever and I would categorise this as a classic which everyone should own!

Last time I wore this it was mid-summer but I think it looks just as well in winter.

Shown here with 3 coats plus base and top coat.

OPI - DS Original

2011-01-25T09:35:00.001Z

This is one of my favourite holographic polishes.

It is quite sheer but 3 coats builds it up to opacity. Some people layer it but I prefer it as it was meant to be!

This is 3 coats plus base and top coat and photographed in direct sun.

De-duping - Part 4

2011-01-24T08:07:00.001Z

Beauty UK Glam Nails Blue? Pinkie and Middle

Models Own Feeling Blue ring and Index

Dueps? No the Beauty UK is greyer, I like the application on both too so they both stay.

Models Own Feeling Blue Pinkie and Middle

ASOS Lauren Ring and Index

Dupes? Yes, near enough for me, maybe half a shade in it. Application on both was great.

Decided to keep the Models Own.

Barry M Pure Turquoise Pinke and Middle

17 Catwalk Couture Ring

Rimmel Sky High Index

Dupes, well no, but I have my preferences. Catwalk Couture has a faint shimmer so that stays, no question. I love the Barry M more than the deeper tone of the Rimmel so the Rimmel goes....simples.

Accessorize - Idol

2011-01-23T08:57:00.001Z

This is the polish I applied Thursday and am still wearing. These pictures were taken straight after application and, looking at my nails now (Sunday morning) they look virtually the same. No chips to speak of and virtully no tip wear so I will be leaving well alone till tomorrow.

This polish is amazing. It was very nearly opaque in one coat but if I went over a patch more than once it pulled a bit (like holos sometimes do) so I added another coat to cover a couple of imperfections. It dried really fast. I don't like plain black polishes, they are useful for layering but not on their own but this is anything but plain....can you see the sparkle?

Another hit from the Accessorize polish range.

Another de-duping post to come tomorrow.

Epiphany

2011-01-22T18:25:00.000Z

...yes I had one LOL!

This may not be great news for my blog, or maybe it won't matter. I don't know?

My epiphany was I realised how indescriminately I have been buying polish recently had, conversely made me enjoy polish less and less (and also made me feel very guilty at the amount of money wasted). I wanted to buy and show more things on my blog but I was neglecting all the polishes that I bought in the early times and that I bought because I really loved them. This is one of the reasons I started de-duping...the other being financial.

So today I have been through my polish boxes and pulled out about 20 of my favourites to wear again. These are not all of my favourites but just the ones which came to hand first.

So I am afraid, for the time being, you will be seeing lots of reposts but with new pictures. Maybe I can capture something in the new pictures I couldn't capture first time...maybe not but that is just the way it has to be. I don't have the inclination or the money to be buying much new polish at the moment and when I do it will have to be something unique to my collection (which isn't easy to find) I have a delivery due soon (ordered before my epiphany but luckily containing 'unique to my collection' polishes!) but after that, who knows?

I really hope you will stick with me, I still want to show you pretty polish pictures, if you will let me?

De-duping - Part 3

2011-01-22T08:55:00.001Z

Leighton Denny Juicy Cool Pinkie and middle

ASOS Olivia Ring and Index

Dupes? Now I think we can all quite plainly see that these are not dupes, but I am not a person who is ever going to wear a lot of orange so I only wanted to keep one. I decided to keep the ASOS as it is deeper and more red based, I don't think the yellow tone of Juicy Cool does much for my skin tone.

Leighton Denny Supermodel Pinkie and middle

Barry M Mushroom Ring and Index

Dupes? Hmm well these looked closer in the bottle but it is quite plain to see they are not dupes but are in the same family. Mushroom is a couple of shades darker than Supermodel. I decided to keep both of these.

Models Own Pink Blush Pinkie and Middle

Leighton Denny All About Me Ring and Index

Dupes? Yes...ish! You can probably see that AAB is half a shade lighter but I think the slightly bluer tone is more flattering on my skin so I decided to get rid of Pink Blush and Urban Princess and keep All About Me.

De-duping - Part 2

2011-01-21T10:54:00.001Z

ASOS Kate Pinkie and middle

Malvala New York Ring and index

Dupes, yes maybe half a shade difference but basically the same. Application and coverage was great on both but I decided to keep the ASOS. You don't need both.

Model Foxy Fuschia Pinkie and middle

Rimmel Cranberry Zest ring and index

Dupes, yes apart from the Cranberry one being scented the colour is identical. I decided to keep the Models own. You don't need both.

ASOS Blake Pinkie and middle

17 Pink Grapefruit Ring and index

Dupes? There is definately a shade difference between these 2 and they are the same tone. I don't feel I need both so I am keeping the Pink Grapefruit.

De-duping - Part 1

2011-01-20T15:54:00.000Z

ASOS Lauren Pinkie and Middle

Barry M Cyan Blue Ring and Index

Dupes? Virtually no difference between the 2 decided to keep the ASOS as application was slightly better. You don't need both.

Rimmel Urban Princess Pinkie and Middle

Models Own Pink Blush ring and index.

Dupes? Yes, maybe half a shade between them but hardly noticable, I decided not to keep either as I found another dupe with better application....more on that another day! You don't need both.

Topshop Carry On Camping Pinkie and middle

OPI Jade is the new Black Ring and index.

Dupes? JITNB is darker but they are the same sort of green, application on the OPI was much better though so I decided to keep that. They are slightly different so if you like this sort of green you could probably justify both.

My collection

2011-01-19T15:54:00.000Z

This is my polish collection as it stands today.

These are only the polishes I have worn, love and intend to keep. It doesn't include the ones in my blog sale or the 50 or so in my untrieds.

I didn't do a head count, feel free if you wish to! LOL!

Beauty UK Glam Nails - Lilac Girl

2011-01-18T12:39:00.000Z

I'll be honest I had put off trying this polish for a long time as, although I loved the colour I thought the formula would let it down and that I would be disappointed. So, it is a surprise to me when I say that I am not disappointed in the slightest and I would go so far as to say I love everything about this polish.

The colour is fantastic, although not unique. The formula is great, 2 coats for full coverage. The brush is good. All in all a great polish for a very good price.

This is shown with 2 coats plus base and top coat.

Rimmel Play Fast - Art of Noise

2011-01-13T14:57:00.000Z

This is an old Rimmel I picked up really cheaply form Ebay. It is the sort of glowy purple I love.

Nice to get some pictures in sunlight today.

This is shown with 2 coats with base and top coat. As the name would suggest it dried quite quickly.

I don't know anything about this range, when or where it was out so if you know anything could you let me know in the comments please?

Thanks!

Accessorize - Starlet

2011-01-12T11:30:00.002Z

This polish is seriously bright, maybe even inappropriately bright for a dull and rainy winters day but I don't care because I love it. It is so bright it glows!

I cannot tell you enough how impressed I have been with all of the Accessorize polishes I have tried so far. For the price they are wonderful and are comparable (if not better) quality than much higher end brands.

This is just 2 coats to be completely opaque and I was fully expecting it to need at least 3 so it was a happy surprise!

I can't wait to wear this again in the summer!

Nail Care Top Tips

2011-01-12T08:13:00.002Z

Following on from yesterday's post I thought I would add a list of the top tips I have picked up from various sources over the last couple of years and some just from personal experience.

Always wear gloves when washing dishes (or preferably get someone else to do it! LOL!)
Always wear gloves outside in cold weather. Put on some hand cream before you put on your gloves will make them extra soft.
Always use a crystal file as opposed to an emery board. Emery boards can cause the nail layers to split, a crystal file seals them together.
Whenever possible do not leave nails bare, even if you just use a couple of coats of a clear polish it will give the nail extra strength.
Nails do not need to breathe!
Do not soak nails in water for long periods of time. If you like to soak in the bath keep nails above the water for as much of the time as possible.
Do not use your nails as tools. You could slide a blunt knife under ring pulls to lift them, try anything, just not your nails.
Always use a base coat. It will make your polish last longer and, in most cases, prevent staining (not all the time though unfortunately)
Always use a top coat. It seals you polish, adds shine and helps it to last longer.

Hope this helps someone, feel free to pass on these tips any way you please.

Hand and Nail Care

2011-01-11T11:36:00.000Z

I get asked quite a lot in the comments how I looks after my hands and nails so I thought I would do a post to show all of you what I use.

I start off with I always use Soap & Glory 'Wash Your Hands Of It' liquid soap which is a dry skin formula. After each wash I use Soap & Glory 'Hand Food'. In between if needed I use 'Endless Glove'

When I exfoliate in the bath I use 'Flake Away' and I use it on my hands as well as my body and it gets rid of dead skin and makes my hands extremely soft.

I am lucky that my cuticles do not grow on to my nails so I don't need to use a cuticle remover, handcream is enough to keep the skin around my nails in good condition.

Before removing old polish I file to shorted using one of my crystal files.

I tend to use the buffer just on the end of the nail after filing to further seal it but, if I have had a split, I use it to get rid of any obvious edge.

I use the Sally Hansen Kwik Off tub to get rid of all types of polish then I add one coat of Nail Envy to my nail before polish.

Finally after polishing I use any of those top coats. My favourite at the moment tends to be Insta-Dri but this does change regularly and I like them all equally.

Mavala - Lagoon

2011-01-10T13:15:00.001Z

Sorry, sorry, and sorry again for the terrible pictures.....not seen the sun at all today. These are taken by the window and with the light on!

This is my first encounter with Mavala nail polish and I must say I am very impressed. The brush is fabulous which for me is sometimes a worry on these mini-size bottles (I hate the opi minis for that reason).

First coat went on patchy but the second coat evened it out perfectly.

It is a pale bluey/turquoisy/green, there is a faint shimmer visible in the bottle but not on the nail. I really like it a lot.

Dry time was good with my usual base/top coat combo.

Rimmel Lycra Wear 10 - Ash Rose

2011-01-08T16:08:00.000Z

I think I must be in a 'palette cleanser' mood the the moment because all I feel like wearing are these neutral, nude or pale shades!

I love the way my nails look in this, so ladylike and neat.

This is another discontinued shade from ebay and it is just what I hoped it would be.

This is just 2 coats with my usual base top coat combo. Dried really quickly, love it!

Thinking of another blog sale soon so keep checking.

Rimmel Lycra Wear 10 - Sweet Heart

2011-01-07T08:15:00.005Z

This is long discontinued but easy to pick up very cheaply from Ebay and the likes.

I simply adore this colour. It just may be the light pink I have been looking for all my life. I would describe it as Ballet pink, whatever that means (it makes sense to me! LOL)

This is jelly-like but opaque enough for me in 3 coats and has a gorgeous silvery/white shimmer running through it which is the real clincher for me.

Gosh - Holographic

2011-01-06T12:14:00.000Z

I got this the other day after searching for quite a while.

I hadn't realised it had been discontinued until I searched on Ebay and saw it going for silly money. I wasn't prepared to pay over retail for it so just gave up. Anyway went into quite a local Superdrug actually looking for the Accessorise polishes which they have and saw this lone bottle just sitting there and as you can see I got it!

I had heard that this was a bitch to apply and as the Gosh Fix base coat is recommended I looked for that too but they didn't have it. Luckily on way way home I nipped into my smaller but closer Superdrug and they had 2 so I picked one up and went to pay. When I got there it had been reduced to £1....glad I didn't pay full price for it, it didn't help with the application at all and I ended up removing it all and finally just painting it over my bare nail. This was still difficult, it took 3 coats for total coverage but the finish was better.

Overall I am not thrilled with the polish although it is a great holo. I feel there are much better out there and I am glad I didn't get carried away by the Ebay hype and pay over the odds.

W7 Cerise Pink over Nails Inc Hampstead Heath

2011-01-04T15:06:00.000Z

I needed a base colour for the W7 as although it is beautiful, on it's own it's quite sheer so I chose Hampstead Heath as the base is almost identical.

Cerise Pink is almost duochrome, sometimes looking very pink, at others slightly more red.

This is 1 coat of the Nails Inc and 2 of the W7.

Boots 17 - Exquisite

2011-01-01T18:59:00.000Z

This is a sparkly dark green/teal polish which applied really well.

It was a thin consistency though so it required 3 coats. This was not a problem though as it dried really quickly with my usual quick dry top coat.

I got this on 3 for 2 but have not used the other 2 yet despite getting them a few months ago!

Barry M - Unnamed Purple Sparkle

2010-12-31T19:49:00.000Z

Sorry for the horrible pictures on this one, I tried to take them twice but there has been so little sunlight here today this is the best I got!

This purple polish is laced through with silver sparkle and larger glitter flakes. It's beautiful but unfortunately will be inaccessible to most as it was (or still is) being given away with a teen mag in the UK (if you want to have a look it is either Shout, Sugar or Mizz) my daughter got the mag but doesn't like nail polish so she gave it to me as a stocking filler for christmas. My only complaint is it stinks to high heaven...it is the worst smelling polish I have ever used and that's saying something. It actually gave me a headache.

Any way just to wish you all a very Happy New Year...here's to 2011!

Christmas Wishes

2010-12-24T08:52:00.001Z

I would like to wish all my readers a very Merry Christmas

and a happy, healthly and prosperous New Year.

Thanks to you all for making my blog successful! xx

(NOTD Accessorize Electric Blue, 3 coats)

Gosh Gasoline over ASOS Megan

2010-12-23T11:49:00.000Z

Sorry for the weird pictures. So busy at the moment these were taken at night under a florescent tube.

Anyways this is 1 coat of Gasoline over 2 coats of Megan.

Love it!

Models Own - Silver Fox over silver

2010-12-21T13:13:00.000Z

This mani looks better irl than it does on the photos for some reason.

It looked more twinkly to the naked eye.

These glitters easily build to opacity in 3 coats (I have done it before on toes) but I didn't fancy the horrendous removal process so I used 1 coat over a silver foil and I was very happy with the results...very festive LOL!

It's not bumpy as it looks, in fact in most parts it was very smooth.

Models Own - Purple Pearl

2010-12-20T12:58:00.000Z

THIS IS PERFECTION!!!!

If a pearl were to be purple this is what it would look like, no doubt about it.

This doesn't have the hint of duo-chrome my pictures would suggest though, that is just the blue sky reflecting in the polish.

It's strange you can see a few brushstrokes in the pictures but they were not visible to the naked eye.

This is 2 coats plus base and top coat.

Models Own - Lilac Fantasy

2010-12-18T07:55:00.001Z

I loved this in the bottle but when I unscrewed the top I was like 'oh no, it's so sheer' but when I put it on , although it is sheer, I thought it looked beautiful. The swatch you see is 3 coats apart from the middle nail which is 1 coat over black. I can see me wearing this both ways and also layering it over other colours.

Does it bother you if a polish is sheer?

Models Own - Gold Rush RTW

2010-12-17T12:54:00.000Z

This is Models Owns newest offering, a ready to wear version of their now infamous £83k polish.

It is certainly not a gold for the shy and retiring! It is a proper 24ct gold look about it....nothing 9ct about this colour! Very yellow (perhaps a bit too much so for my skin) and very blingy.

This is 3 coats with no base or top.

I think it may look better on me in the summer when I have a tan.

Be back soon....

2010-12-13T15:50:00.002Z

Sorry Santa stuff is taking priority at the moment.

Back to normal service soon hopefully!

Thanks for sticking with me.

NOTD OPI RED, no pics sorry.

China Glaze - 2nite

2010-12-09T12:37:00.001Z

Today is lovely and sunny so I thought I would crack open a holo again.

The blue always reminds me of winter and frost so this is very appropriate today!

This is 3 coats over a base of Nail envy and top of Sallt Hansen Insta-dri.

OPI - DS Coronation

2010-12-08T08:34:00.001Z

Oh yes....now we're talking...

I love this stunning scattered holo silver polish.

It takes 3 coats to build to opacity but it dries fairly quickly so this is not a problem to me.

I am looking to get the gold polish which is like this next...I forget the name at the moment.

This is 3 coats plus base and top coat.

Nfu-oh 59 over Eyeko Coral

2010-12-07T08:28:00.002Z

Last time I wore this Nfu-oh polish I wore it over China Glaze Ruby Pumps (which I must pull out again soon)

This time I wanted to brighten the look of the polish so I added 2 (or was it 3?) coats over 1 coat of Eyeko Coral, a superbright coral-red. It did take a while to dry but I always find this with Nfu-oh polishes...they are worth the wait though!

I love how this looks....it almost glows.

OPI - Catch Me In Your Net over ChG - Watermelon Rind

2010-12-06T08:39:00.002Z

This is another polish which was brought out as a summer release but I think it works just as well as a winter polish and in my opinion is the perfect companion to Watermelon Rind. I just added 1 coat over the top of yesterdays mani to get this super-sparkly goodness!

China Glaze - Watermelon Rind

2010-12-05T08:29:00.002Z

This was brought out by China Glaze as a summer polish but I think it works equally well as a winter/christmas polish.

I have not worn this in over a year but I love it just as much.

You may find a few reposts of colours over the next few days as I am revisiting a few of my favourite polishes.

This is 3 coats plus base and top coat.

OPI - Dazzled By Gold over OPI DS Glow

2010-12-04T08:21:00.002Z

Unfortunately I cannot claim this combination to be my own creation, it was originally posted here and I am very glad they posted it as it's a gorgeous combination.

You can see my pictures of DS Glow here and Dazzled By Gold here.

Together they make a sort of 'old gold' colour.

This is 2 coats of Glow plus one of Dazzled by Gold.

Leighton Denny - Rampant Rose

2010-12-03T08:11:00.000Z

This is just one coat of this polish...it could have benefitted from another coats in places but for one coat I think it did really well.

This is a dusky burgundy rose colour, slightly less pure red than it would appear in the pictures. Sorry about that.

As I said this is 1 coat plus base and top coat.

Diamond Cosmetics Rubies & Diamonds over Rimmel Russet Flame

2010-12-02T08:25:00.000Z

Russet flame is really nothing exciting on it's own and I find Rubies and Diamond to be very sheer but together I think they make a wonderful combination. They have a faint gold shimmer at some angles which I couldn't quite pick up on camera.

This is 2 coats of Russet Flame and one of Rubies and Diamonds.

No school today......

2010-12-01T13:56:00.000Z

At this point it had been snowing for over 24hrs almost non-stop in our area of Derbyshire. We are having a break from it at the moment but more is forecast over night....oh the joy! (not)

Probably no school tomorrow either...and cos we live in the stick no shops big shops nearby and the 2 little ones sell out of everything really quickly.

Etude House - No36

2010-12-01T08:34:00.000Z

I really love how this polish looked on and I was hoping to keep it on a couple of days, sadly it never dried properly and kept getting dinged up and the ends wrinkled so I had to take it off.

Maybe it didn't like my top coat. I will try it again with another one someday.

This is 3 coats plus base and top coat.

OPI Yule Love this Silver over Models Own Misty Grey

2010-11-30T08:43:00.002Z

This is 2 coats of Misty Grey with 1 coat of Yule Love This Silver over it. I really like grey polish but I think at this time of year it needs something to brighten it up. This really pings and sparkles in the sun.

Leighton Denny - Spoil Me

2010-11-29T08:56:00.002Z

OMG...this polish glows!

It is so gorgeous and it virtually applied itself, I don't know how Leighton does it...I have never encountered a bad Leighton Denny polish (if only they were less ££)

This is 2 coats and, although it is a little sheer and I can still see some vnl I am happy with how it looks. I think another coat would erradicate that but I am not too bothered.

I added a quick dry top coat and it has dried to a high shine very quickly.

If you ever get the chance to try a Leighton Denny polish or two I suggest you grab it with both hands and run! You won't be disappointed! LOL!

Layering Week NOTD 7 - Color Club Wild and Willing over OPI Keys To my Karma

2010-11-28T08:57:00.000Z

Last time I wore Wild and Willing I layered it over a bronze polish which kept it almost to bottle colour. This time I had the urge to change it up a bit and thought it could look good over red. I think I was right, what do you think? It adds a beautiful shimmer over the polish which is pink in some lights and a vibrant coppery/gold in others. This actually looks more effective in real life than in the photos.

This is 2 coats of Keys to my Karma, which is a red jelly and 1 coat of Wild and Willing.

Layering Week NOTD 6 - Sally Hansen Diamond over China Glaze Secret Periwinkle

2010-11-27T08:31:00.000Z

Secret Periwinkle is a gorgeous polish all by itself but I seem to need to add something to creme polishes when the weather is not too good to brighten things up. I didn't want to alter the colour in any way so Diamond is perfect to add a little sparkle. This is 2 coats of Secret Periwinkle with 1 coat of Diamond.

I hope you are enjoying layering week, more tomorrow.x

Layering Week NOTD 5 - Sally Hansen Turquoise Opal Over Models Own In the Navy

2010-11-26T08:44:00.002Z

Oh Boy, Oh Boy, Oh Boy, this is one of my favourite layering polishes ever.......this is just 1 coat over Models own In the Navy...it's just perfection and I don't think this post needs anymore words........x

Happy Thanksgiving!

2010-11-25T08:14:00.000Z

To wish all my US readers a wonderful day.

Hope you enjoy whatever you are doing today.

Layering Week NOTD 4 - OPI Mamma Mia over ASOS Kate

2010-11-25T08:11:00.000Z

I really had no idea what would happen with this experiment but I am very pleased with the outcome!

I used 2 coats of the grey and then 2 coats of Mamma Mia. As you can see from the photos the colour of Mamma Mia shifts from a very pink colour to a golden colour at some angles, very pretty.

More layering experiments coming up through the week.

Layering Week NOTD 3 - OPI And this Little Piggy over Barry M Cobalt Blue

2010-11-24T09:01:00.005Z

I used Barry M Cobalt Blue for the base here as I suspected it would be a one coater and I was right.

On top I added 2 coats of the OPI which is pink, blue and gold glitter in a sheer pink base. I suspect to get this anywhere near opaque it would take at least 4 coats so I am not going to bother!

I love the contrast of these 2 colours.

I will also try this over pink, purple, grey and red in the future I think.

Layering Week NOTD 2 - OPI Rent over Ciate 3am Girl

2010-11-23T08:23:00.000Z

3am Girl is a navy blue jelly polish. I used 2 coats here.

Rent is an extremely sheer duochrome which flashes between pink and green.

It is most definately a layering polish as it adds virtually no colour to the bare nail and the colour shift is really only seen over a dark background. This will never be one of my favourite polishes but I like it for it's HTF status!

I may try it over a purple or grey polish in the future.

Layering Week NOTD 1 - OPI Ocean Love Potion over Barry M Blueberry I/C

2010-11-22T12:11:00.000Z

I hope you are up for another themed week from me?

This week I will hopefully give you some ideas how to use those polishes that are too sheer to be worn alone which we all end up with.

Ocean Love Potion is gorgeous in the bottle but it is far too sheer. Here I used 1 coat of Barry M Blueberry Icecream, an opaque pale blue and 1 coats of Ocean Love Potion.

I absolutely adore this combination.

It really glows and twinkles in the light.

It has lasted really well too. These photos were taken after 2 days of wear and they still look perfect.

Franken Week NOTD 7 - Raspberry Fizz

2010-11-21T08:33:00.006Z

This was made using the whole bottle of the light blue IsaDora polish with about the same of the red and a tiny bit of the Barry M Navy. Finally I added a litle of the Sally Hansen Opal polish although I am not sure this was neccessary!

This is the last in my Franken Week series, I hope you have enjoyed seeing my creations.

Maybe I will do another week in the future if you have.

Franken Week NOTD 6 - Coralicious

2010-11-20T08:43:00.011Z

This was originally a pale/mid pink sparkly polish which I didn't really prefer. To change it to a brighter coral polish I added a little of Maybelline Atomic Red and a little Nails Inc Draycott Place which is a bright orange creme.

I love the way this turned out and irl it is very sparkly and I think it will look great in the summer.

Franken Week NOTD 5 - Plum Pizazz

2010-11-19T09:13:00.001Z

This was made by mixing (unknown quantity) Barry M Navy into a 3/4 full bottle of Maybelline Colorama Juicy Plum Tips which is a deep pink colour with lots of holographic glitter particles.

This is incredibly sparkly but as there was no sun when I took these pictures you can't really appreciate that.

This was 2 coats no base or top coat.

Franken Week NOTD 4 - Sparkly Love

2010-11-18T09:23:00.002Z

This is another variation on the Love Her Madly Revlon polish, this time it is mixed 50/50 with Maybelline Colorama top coat in Silver Tulle.

This gives the polish a sprinkling of glass fleck effect sparkle which looks very pretty in the sun.

If you enlarge the pictures you should be able to see it easily.

This thinned out the polish a little but it still became more or less opaque in 2 coats which you see here.

Franken Week NOTD 3 - Love Holo Madly

2010-11-17T09:25:00.002Z

This was a really boring pink creme polish from Revlon called Love Her Madly before I added about 30% Sally Hansen Nail Prisms Diamond to it, now it twinkles and sparkles in the sun.

This is 2 coats, no base or top. It applied well.

I hope you are enjoying seeing my frankens this week.

Another tomorrow.

Accessorize - Purple Passion

2010-11-16T14:40:00.000Z

This is the last of the Accessorize polishes I bought. It is the least impressive in the duochrome stakes, (it has a very slight colour change from deep purple to a more browny shade) but as a polish in it's own right and not being compared to the others, it's beautiful, when the light hits it...wow!

This applied very well just as all the Accessorize polishes have and it was at bottle colour in 2 coats.

It dried quickly with the aid of Sally Hansen Insta-dri.

As a summary, I have been so impressed with the Accessorize polishes and I am really glad I took the risk and ordered them.

Franken Week NOTD 2 - Atomic Grape

2010-11-16T10:25:00.000Z

The second of the frankens to show you is Atomic Grape.

It is made up of approximately 40% of Sally Hansen Nail Prisms Diamond , 40% Maybelline Watershine Diamonds Atomic Red and 20% Barry M Navy.

Unfortunately when I made this it was the last I had of the SH Diamond so I only have about a 1/3rd of the bottle of this.

Franken Week NOTD 1 - Aspen Hollow

2010-11-15T11:20:00.000Z

I thought I ought to start showing a few of the frankens I made a while ago.

Unfortunately, they were that long ago that I can't remember all of what went into all of them but I can remember this one!

I have named it Aspen Hollow (holo....geddit?!)

This was about 60% Nails Inc Aspen and 40% Sally Hansen Nail Prisms Diamond (silver holo)

This is 2 coats, it applied really well, dried very quickly and I love it!

Illamasqua - Force

2010-11-12T14:01:00.000Z

Ok...so the last polish wasn't a great hit with any of you, including me LOL!!!

On to my next, Illamasqua Force which I bought from Jenni (nailpolishuk) in her blog sale. It's a really nice looking polish but I would never have bought it at full price. I just don't like Illamasqua polishes that much and certainly don't think they deserve their premium price tag. I know there are loads who probably disagree, but never mind!

As it has dried I have noticed that the colour is uneven throughout the polish and that there are lighter and darker streaks on each nail. I think I need to give it a major shake before I ever wear it again. Not sure if you can see the streaks in the photos but I can see them with the naked eye, weird!

Anyway this is 2 coats plus base and top.

Eyeko - Chi Chi Polish

2010-11-11T11:11:00.009Z

Seriously, I have changed my mind on this polish about 12 times since I put it on 2 hrs ago, sometimes I like it, sometimes I hate it, sometimes I love it, the next I want to get it off my nails!

Just the thought of getting this polish off scares me!

If a glitter polish can be subtle, this is. From a distance it just looks like shiny salmony pink...but close up...glitterfest!

I still don't know what to think so I'll just give you the facts.

It's a pale pink glitter in a milky sheer pink base. It took 3 coats to get it to what you see in the pics.

It's very bumpy to the touch even after top coat.

What do you think...yes, or no?

*****************

It is Armistice Day today in the UK, to remember all those who lost their lives fighting in wars for this country.

Thank You to all of those brave men and women.

Nail Girls Limited Edition Christmas Colours

2010-11-10T11:14:00.002Z

I was really happy when this arrived in the post for me to review yesterday.

All the polishes arrived in a bag and each one was individually wrapped in tissue paper.

I also got a card with instructions for each of their treatments and how to prepare the nail for colour.

Nice touch I thought.

Each of the polishes comes in a large flat rectangular bottle and contains 17ml of polish which is free from toulene, camphor, formaldehyde and DBT.

First up Gold #2

This is a pretty gold foily polish which I think would suit most skin tones though I feel it has quite a cool gold tone.

This applied easily and was completely opaque in 2 coats.

I liked the brush, it is round but not to thin and the handle is just long enough. This is my favourite of the 3 I was sent.

Green #4

The second polish is Green #4, a very dark chalkboard green. In low light conditions it looks black though which to me is a slight problem as I don't like to wear black polish.

The formula was great though and I got total coverage within 2 coats. I may have got away with 1 coat had I taken my time a litle more but I got a little streaking so 2 was better.

Red #4

Lastly a classic berry red jelly. This is a cool toned red with hints of pink.

This being a jelly I had to use 3 coats with this one, 2 coats was too uneven for me.

The formula on this was good too, if a little more runny than the other 2.

All of these swatches are shown without base or top coat.

In summary, I was very impressed with all the polishes. They applied well and the colours are nice if not exactly unique. I love the bottles as they save so much space being this shape!

The brush was good. I usually prefer flat brushes but I had no problems whatsoever with this round brush.

Finally I asked Lynda Louise Burrell, Co-founder of Nail Girls a couple of questions.

How many colours are now in your range?

LLB we have 70 colours and 5 treat(s)ments.

A basecoat called superbase that helps the colour stick to the nail 4-7 days longer than the average basecoat and it is a ridge filler.

Super finish a topcoat that touch drys up to 4 coats of colour in 3 mins.

A cuticle conditoner with sweet almond oil and ginseng that is great for nails, cuticle and can be used all over the body and clients love it.

Matte finish top coat that drys any colour to a matte finish and goes on smoothly not like other matte topcoats. And two treatments the shield a nail hardener and strengther great for splitting peeling nails and the healer. Great for post nail enhancements to recondition the nails. They both can be used as a basecoat under colour or a a treatment and applied daily for a period of time.

Are all colours core or are some limited edition?

LLB 63 are core and 7 limited edition seasonal runway inspired colours.

So everyone should buy the winter and Christmas colours now before they go.

Don't forget to use the code MAD30 either today or tomorrow for 30% off an order of £20 or more.

Nailgirls.co.uk

Midweek Offer

2010-11-10T09:33:00.000Z

I have reviews of their limited edition Christmas polishes coming up later today