Nails - Minty Greens

L-R
Turquoise Gloss, Greenberry, Mint Candy Apple, Pool Party, Blossom Dandy

I know the seasons are changing and we are moving into Autumn but I still love minty greens, especially for on my toes - it's nice to have a pop of colour hidden away under socks. I've probably done a post similar to this before but I've had a few new additions over the last few months so I thought I would do an update.

Whenever I'm looking for a polish that will last I always reach for the Models Own Hypergel in Turquoise Gloss as I know it will still look good after a few days. Turquoise Gloss is definitely a very blue toned minty green but it looks really nice against my skin tone. For high shine I like to reach for Barry M Gelly in Greenberry which is more on the green end of the scale of minty-ness, a lovely fresh colour. 

For a pale green I tend to reach for Essie Mint Candy Apple, it's a cult favourite amoung bloggers but it isn't my favourite. it's a nice polish with a good finish but not one that I would rave about. Moving down to the most green toned end of the scale I've got a Topshop polish in Pool Party which is a really bright turquoisey/green - I love this for really sunny days although the finish isn't as long lasting as some of the other polishes.  

Finally we have my favourite of all the these - Essie Blossom Dandy. I picked this up when I thought I had lost my Mint Candy Apple and needed a replacement but couldn't find MCA in Boots or Superdrug. Blossom Dandy is the warmer cousin of  MCA. It is so much easier to wear then MCA, plus I could wear it all the time! 

Just a few of my favourites at the moment - I think it might be time for me to put these away and dig out my autumnal shades but for now I'm loving minty greens - what greens are you still loving? xx

NOTD - Essie Suite Retreat

Essie Suite Retreat - Boots £7.99

After my wander around and sub-concious shop in Boots last week I found myself standing infront of the Essie stand where they had their Spring Resort 2015 collection. I didn't realise but they bring out a pre-main collection or resort collection made up of 4 colours and this season there are two bold colours and two nudes. I picked up three of the 4 and the first one I have to show you today is Suite Retreat.

Described as 'Blissed our Blue Orchid' Suite Retreat is a beautiful muted blue toned purple, perfect for the transition from winter to spring. Application was smooth and even, two coats and it has a lovely cream finish with no streaking or dragging, this is down to the brush Essie give us, which is wide. Suite Retreat dried really quickly, two coats were touch dry in 10mins, smudge dry in 20mins, perfect for those of us with busy lives.

I love this colour, its the most bold in the collection and one that I will probably wear the most over the coming weeks, its work and weekend appropriate.

What do you think of Suite Retreat? 

Sarah xx

NOTD - OPI Fifty Shades of Grey Mini Collection

Monday again, so another nail of the day, or rather at the moment it’s just a set of nail polish without the swatch, check out my Instagram for what the colours look like. 

 

With the release of Fifty Shades of Grey on Friday I really wanted to check out the collection from OPI, not so much fifty shades but 5 shades and a red. The collection is made up from cream, foil and glitter polishes, 

 

The darkest polish is Dark Side of the Mood, a dark bluey grey colour, almost black but still a grey - this needed full 3 coats to get it opaque but I don't mind for the colour. Next up is Embrace the Grey, a creamy mid-tone grey, opaque in two coats and a lovely shade that matches a snowy sky. The lightest grey is Cement the Deal, a light grey colour, another creamy polish, opaque in two coats. The foil of the collection is My Silk Tie, a silvery grey that applies smoothly but shows up streak marks, something I can overlook but others might not. The glitter is Shine for Me, a mixture of silver and blue glitters that is quite densely packed and only needs one coat but a 2nd just finishes it off!

 

The odd one out of the collection is Romantically Involved, a dark burnt red the perfect red lipstick shade, I wish this was a lipstick as it would be perfect. It applied in two coats and was dark straight away.

 

Out of the collection, my favourites are Dark Side of the Mood and Embrace the Day; I love darker polishes throughout the year. 

 

The collection is a lovely little set; it would make a really cute gift for someone this valentine - check it out at Feel Unique for £19.95.

 

What do you think of the collection? Are you excited for the film? 

 

Sarah xx

 

NOTD - Models Own Red 'n' Black

Dark nails - Pretty much reflects the dark weather recently and well I adore dark nail polish. I've had a search through my nail polish stash and realised that I hadn't used this in a while. 

Red 'n' Black was one of the first polishes I bought from Models Own, I was drawn to it because in some lights it is black and sometimes it is red, like a very dark red wine colour. It applies fully dark in two coats; you can make it more or less black depending on how many coats you use. 

Formula is what you would expect from Models Own, perfect and smooth, dries really quickly and there is no streaking or creasing. This lasted me nearly 5 full days until I chipped it washing up, very good.

I love this colour for winter, perfect whilst the weather is cold and dark - what do you think? 

Sarah xx

NOTD - Essie Winter Collection 2014 Mini Set

I've not painted my nails in ages, more out of laziness than anything else, but it’s time to sort this out and whack on some nail colour.

I picked up the Essie Winter Collection 2014 Mini Set in Boots just after Christmas because I wanted to try some of the colours without committing to the full size versions. The three colours in the mini set are Jump in my Jumpsuit; Tuck in my Tux and Jiggle Hi, Jiggle Lo. There are 3 other colours in the full collection but they are 3 similar pink shades that don't interest me.

Jump in my Jumpsuit is a raspberry red, its showing up bluer toned here but it really is a darker raspberry. One coat and this was fully opaque which is great and it leaves a lovely crème finish. Tuck in my Tux is a soft pinky/white colour that would look great under sparkles or other colours. This needed 3 layers to be nearly opaque but you can still see the nail line underneath - maybe worth using as a white for an at home French manicure. Jiggle Hi, Jiggle Lo is a foil finish gold/silver blend which is a nice transition from the full glitter of Christmas to something more winter appropriate. This needed 2 coats as it was flawless, the only mistake I made with it was thanks to Ted knocking me but it’s quick and easy to apply.

All three dry really quickly and are stroke free. I can see myself wearing Jump in my Jumpsuit most, especially on my toes, maybe with Jiggle Hi, Jiggle Lo as a take on the classic French. You can pick the set up in Boots for £12.99 which is perfect as you get a little of the more interesting shades of the collection.

What do you think of the Essie Winter 2014 collection? 

Sarah Xx

Winterize your Nails with Julep

Winter is always the worst time for nails, I find that the cold weather, glitter nail polish and central heating all have a nasty habit of leaving me with dry, flaky nails that break easily and simply need cutting off and starting again.

With that in mind, I've been treating my hands a lot more recently, trying to get my nails back to their normal strength, trying out a few new shapes and lengths as well as giving myself at home manicures to look after then this winter.

I've been following this litter Step-by-step from American brand Julep. I've used Julep nail polish before and it's quite a nice brand to use, their colour range is great, the only down side is it's nearly impossible to get hold of in the UK, I picked it up when I was in Paris in the summer.

This winter I've been picking a real range of dark colours, I love this time of year for nails as its when I can rock black and not get questioned - I would wear black all year round!

I might do a post on my at home manicure at some point if that's something you lovely lot would like to read, let me know!

How do you look after your nails? What colours are you rocking this time of year? xx

NOTD - Models Own Hypergel Purple Glare

It feels like ages since I've actually posted what I've had on my nails, but this weekend I took advantage of the sunlight and get some pictures.

I've reached for colours that are slowly getting darker, this week its Models Owns Hypergel in Purple Glare. I love the Hypergel range as the colour are really pigmented as well as being super high shine! As well as being shiny, the lasting power is top notch, I know this will last most of the week without chipping.

Application was quick and easy, two coats and this is what you get. A true grape purple, its very pretty and will look great against most skin tones.

Overall, for £4.99, Purple Glare is a smashing little polish, one that I must remember to use during the winter months more.

What do you think of Purple Glare? xx

NOTD - OPI Nordic Collection A/W '14

L-R - Skating on Thin Ice, Do You Have this Colour in Stock-holm, Viking in a Vinter Vonderland

L-R - How Great is your Dane?, Ice Bergers & Fries, Going my Way or Norway?

L-R - Thank Glogg it's Friday, Suzi has a Swede Tooth, Can't aFjord not to

L-R - OPI with a Nice Finnish, My Dogsled is a Hybrid, My Voice is a Little Norse

So now I'm back at work, summer is officially over in my mind, I'm turning to Autumn which is my favourite season, I'm not a bright colour person so the darker colours suit me down to the ground. When the pictures of the Nordic collection from OPI started floating around on blogs I knew I had to have them all and my lovely friend in America sent me the whole collection.

The Nordic Collection is made up of 9 creme, 2 shimmers and 1 glitter, with a colour for every skin tone and Autumn outfit.

All of the polishes apply really well, with 2  coats needed for most, only OPI with a nice Finnish needed 3 but thats because its a metallic creme and dragging does occur slightly.

My favourite colours in the collection are Viking in a Vinter Vonderland because its a gorgeous deep purple and Can't aFjord it because its a really autumnal colour as the leaves start changing colour. 

Overall its a gorgeous collection of colours and I will get a lot of use out of this one. If you want to pick it up you can pop over the Lena White where bottles are £11.95. 

Which is your favourite colour of the collection? xx

NOTD - Models Own Coconut

 

It's been ages since I've painted my nails in ages - sometimes there are no polishes that take your fancy, plus wet nails with a new puppy is a recipie for disaster - but now Ted is in more of a routine I can find time again tu Coconut Cream from Models Own.

Coconut Cream is a new addition to the range of scented polishes. It has a gorgeous coconut scent which is subtle and sweet, it's a real mix of summer - it's like they crammed suncream into the bottle!

Added to the amazing scent is a fantastic  polish; a creamy vanilla white not bright, much more subtle. The white looks good against a tanned skin tone, It makes my hands look so tanned! I love this on its own or as a base for different top coats. The formula is what I would expect from Models Own, really smooth formula with great coverage and good lasting power. 

I love this polish, it's one that I will keep reaching for through the season, I think I want to have a play with some nail art using it - might be time to get out the dotting tools!

What do you think to Coconut Cream? Any nail art blogs or ideas I should try out? Xx

NOTD - Models Own HyperGel Coral Glaze

Hello summer nails! Now the sun is shining I'm reaching for brighter colours again and top of the pile is Coral Glaze from Models Own Hypergel Collection.

Coral Glaze is a perfect pink coral - on the pink end of the coral spectrum, it's nice to have a coral which isn’t on the orange end of the spectrum. It’s a really bright coral, almost neon with how bright it is.

Application was a bit of a pain as it tends to bubble, no matter how long I leave it between coats; I need to investigate if it’s the base that is causing the bubbling as it doesn’t bubble when I use it on my toes. Hypergel lasts so well, I nearly got a whole week before I chipped it in the garden. Removal is great, nice and easy with no damage left.

I have been rocking this on my toes for the last couple of weeks; I keep re-applying as it looks great with a tan and sandals.

What do you think of Coral Glaze, let me know xxx

NOTD - Essie Summer Collection Gift Set

Essie Summer 2014 Collection

At last, after weeks of not painting my nails I finally have colour on them - all thanks to the wonderful Essie! I was in Boots picking up bits needed for school and spotted the new collection, lets just say it was love at first sight.

For Summer 2014, Essie brings us a collection of strong colours and fantastic formulas. I picked up the gift set so I've only got 3 of the 6 colours but these are three of the best.

The gift set contains:

roarrrrange - hello, tiger. your fashion instinct is anything but basic in this unstoppable bold orange. meow! - This couldn't be a better description for this shade. Roarrrrange is a deep orange, spot on tiger colour. 

ruffles & feathers - extravagant. effusive. euphoric. have some serious fun in this powerful peacock teal. - A much stronger teal then expected, more of a green then a teal blue but still lovely.

haute in the heat - turn up the chic in this unforgettable hot raspberry. burn, baby, burn - I don't normally do raspberry colours but this is more of a deeper red/pink then a true raspberry.

I used two coats, however the formula of these is good enough that you would only need one. The wide brush covers the nail in a couple of sweeps making application quick and easy.

Overall, this will be a collection to grab this summer -- I think it will be hard for anyone else to beat the colours of this collection. You can pick these up in Boots or Superdrug. 

What do you think of the colours? xx

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strong. intense. polished. inspired by women with instinctive style, these six irresistible shades amplify summer’s sultry mood with bright, sexy color. consolidate your power with gorgeous colors perfect for a cosmopolitan safari or a walk on the wild side. this varied palette gives women a bevy of fashionable options that go perfectly with an unstoppable attitude.

NOTD - Maybelline Street Artist Top Coats

So nails, they were kinda what I loved blogging about. It feels like I haven't blogged properly in ages but moving and pretty nails don't go hand in hand but now things are more settled, I can reach for the paint again!!

So first up, I've wanted to use the Street Artist Top Coats for ages, especially now the weather is nice and sunny, these look awesome!  The topcoats are a twist on last years speckled topcoats, this time with the addition of neon glitter bits, I love that these look like splatters of paint thrown against a blank wall.

You could pick:

Alley Attitude - Blue Neon Splatters

White Splatter - Purple & White Splatters

Boombox - Neon Green Splatters

Urban Vibe - Neon Orange Splatters

These are worn over Models Own Hypergel in White Light, perfect for the blank canvas. They were easy to build up, it’s simple to place the bits where you want them on the nail, plus you can layer it up as much as you need. For £3.99, they're an easy way to update your nails for spring/summer; I can't wait to wear these throughout the summer!

What do you think? Which ones would you pick up? Xx

NOTD - Models Own Speckled Egg Collection

Magpie

Goose

Dove

Duck

Swan

Boots

So spring is around the corner, Easter holidays are a week away and the shops are stocked to the top with chocolate! As I'm not a big chocolate fan, nail polish that looks like chocolate really is the healthier option.

Models Own have launched their spring collection, and this year its pastels with speckles! It’s nothing new as Illamasqua released a similar collection last year, however at a budget friendly, high-street price, the Speckled Egg collection is spot on.

We've got 5 shades to choose from, 'Goose' which is a creamy yellow, 'Dove' a baby pink, 'Magpie' a minty green, 'Swan' a creamy lilac and 'Duck' a cornflower blue.  As with all Models Own polishes they are fantastic; great coverage and fast drying....and they look like mini eggs, so what more could a girl want?  I applied 3 coats of the polish to get the effect in my swatches.

I was really impressed with lasting power of these polishes, I wore these throughout shifting boxes and unpacking this weekend and it really is only a slight bit of tip wear, plus I've been wearing it for a week now.

Overall, I love these; I know I will be reaching for them so much over the coming weeks and the coming spring!

What do you think of the Speckled Egg collection? Xx

NOTD - Models Own HyperGel Red Lustre

£5 - Boots

I don't go for red nails normally, its a colour that I find hard to pull off with my pink toned skin but after seeing lots of reviews and swatches I thought I would try it out.

Red Lustre is a true, blue toned red that is simply gorgeous! Two coats, and it is smooth and shiny. This wore really well, no chipping which is amazing, instead it was only tip wear that I would expect from a weeks wear. 

For £5 its a mega babe of a polish and one that I will reach for again and again I'm sure! If this polish was a lipstick, this would be the best red lipstick ever - now I just need to search for that! 

What do you think of Red Lustre? Have you tried any of the other Hypergels? xxx

NOTD - Models Own HyperGel in White Light

White nails are not something I would normally go for but I've fallen in love with them because of this polish! Models Own HyperGel in White Light is perfect!

White Light is a gorgeous, pure white, no hint of yellow that you sometimes get. Not flat thanks to the gel element, it is perfect on its own or as a base for other nail too coats.

The formula of this one was better then some of the others, it went on smoother & dried evenly & quickly, not bed cover marks for me! The finish is  super shiny and lasted well up to 5 days before cracks started to appear.

 I think this will be a colour to rock with tanned skin in the summer, layer up under some of the glitters & play around as a base for nail art - the perfect canvas.

Overall, this is in my top 3 from the collection, I really rate White Light a lot, Well Done Models Own.

What do you think? White nails a trend for summer? Xx

NOTD - Models Own HyperGel Blue Glint

Firstly I would like to apologise for the awful state of these swatches, for some really annoying reason, this polish stayed squidgy even after it dried, so any material it comes into contact with becomes imprinted! 

Anywhoo, another polish from the HyperGel collection from Models Own. Blue Glint is one of my favourite colours, a gorgeous clear sky blue, perfect and light, great for spring. It is a very true light blue, no hint of purple or red like some others.

Its a lovely, creamy polish that covers well in two coats, and lasts about 5 days before growth & tip wear become most obvious. Keep the layers thin as I think this may be where I went wrong as the others have all worked fine, will try this one out again soon. 

For £5, this is a bargain, you can pick it up from Boots on the 3 for 2.

What do you think of Blue Glint? xx

NOTD - Models Own Hyper Gel Naked Glow

I feel like its been ages since I painted my nails, the last couple of weeks its been mad at work so painting nails as been the furthest ting away from my mind, but after a little order from Models Own arriving, I'm ready to paint my nails every day if possible!

So in the Models Own sale, I picked up the full Hyper Gel collection - I love the gel finish from Barry M so am keen to compare these!

First up, Naked Glow. Nude and natural, this is a creamy beige colour, a nice easy to wear colour for spring. This is one I would gravitate towards as a base colour for something glittery, or to use as a contrast for a bright nail art pattern over the top. The most work appropriate of the colours, Naked Glow will be on my nails for a lot of  the spring I think.

The formula is smooth, soft and fully opaque in two coats, leaving you with the gel like finish as promised. Its very shiny, spot on for the gel finish. I think if your after the look of gel without the price tag then the Hyper gels are a great dupe.

How do they compare to the Barry M - its a hard call. Naked Glow is very similar to Lychee from Barry M in colour and finish - I think the Models Own are slightly shinier.

For £5, you can pick these up from Boots, their currently 3 for 2, or pick them up from Models Own's website.

What do you think of Naked Glow? Have you tried the Hyper Gel's? xx