Mani Monday - Essie Tart Deco

Yep, another Essie polish, this time in the shade Tart Deco. I've been wearing this one constantly since I got it a couple of months ago, both on my fingers and toes. It's just the perfect summery shade that manages to cheer me up a bit when I look down at my nails. As always with Essie, both the formula and brush are on point. Long lasting, shiny and easy to apply. 

What have you been wearing on your nails recently?

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#ManiMonday

When the Essie stand beckoned me the other day, I decided to go for a nudey pink shade that I could wear anytime, with anything, without really thinking about it. I spent a few minutes holding the shades against my hand to see which best suited my skintone and decided to go for this one, called Not Just A Pretty Face. 

It's such a lovely, barely there shade that somehow just looks incredibly polished and chic. I know I'll be reaching for it over other polishes constantly so if you don't see another #ManiMonday post for a while, you know why! 

I find that Essie polishes are the best in terms of formula and ease of application. I'm definitely glad I added to my collection with this one!

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#Mani Monday

Come the new year, I like to pack away my festive, sparkly nail varnishes and dust off my nudes and neutrals. As you can see, this time I couldn't quite completely let go so I decided to go for a compromise. I guess I just needed one last fix! 

I went for one of my favourite nudes, Lower Sloane Street by Nails Inc on all my nails then layered up Avon Colour Trend in Rose Golden onto my ring finger in an ombre effect. I love the effect of an accent nail and it's the perfect look to transition me from party season into the new year!

What have you been wearing on your nails lately?

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#ManiMonday Illamasqua Baptiste

I feel like it's been quite a long time since my last nail post, but fear not, they've not been forgotten! I've been wearing Illamasqua Nail Varnish in Baptiste repeatedly over the last few weeks, everytime it chips I find myself removing and reapplying it, quite rare for me as I have such a vast nail varnish collection! I just love the shade, it's a rich deep violet with a subtle pink iridescence running through it, the picture really doesn't do it justice! The wear time is pretty good, I get between 4-5 days without chips if I use it with a good base/top coat and the formula is very opaque so I just need 1-2 coats. I think I'll be continuing to wear this shade for the next few weeks till I get bored of it/till I find another colour that I love even more! What have you been wearing on your nails lately?

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#ManiMonday

I've decided to rename my nail posts #ManiMonday! They were previously NOTD but seeing as I don't do nail posts everyday I though it was maybe a bit misleading. Either way, it's still a post all about what I'm currently rocking on my nails!

Today I decided to try out a bit of nail art, I've dabbled in the past but never really blogged about it. I usually try out some fancy design and then end up removing it as soon as I'm finished. Usually because I'm not happy with the finish (I like it to look really neat) or because I decided the design isn't very 'me'. This time I thought I'd try something simple, clean and minimal and I'm actually relatively pleased with the result! It's still not as perfect as I'd like it to be but I think with a bit more practice I can get there!

I applied Avon Nailwear Pro in Loving Lavender to all of my nails and then used one of my favourite polishes, Sephora Colour Hit Nail Colour in Will You Jump? on just under half of the nail on my ring finger. I used a piece of cellotape to get a neat line but it's still not quite as crisp as I'd like. I think the trick is to wait till the nail varnish is completely dry before removing the tape. I love the design as well as how the colours look together and I'll definitely be trying out a few different variations in the near future! 

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NOTD #30

I always love a good neutral nail varnish, they're definitely my fail safe. Usually I tend to go for the slightly lighter, skin tone-esque shades but today I went for a slightly darker grey toned brown in the form of Barry M Nail Paint in Mushroom. The cooler tones in this shade some how make it seem more seasonally appropriate now that it's autumn. I'm expecting to get a lot of wear out of this in the coming weeks as it goes with everything and the formula is pretty good too!

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Kiko 3 in 1 Nail Care

This spot is usually reserved for my 'NOTD' post here on the blog but today I thought I'd make an exception and talk about another nail product I've been loving. Partly because I think it's great and deserves a chance in the spotlight and partly because I'm currently giving my nails a break!

It's the Kiko Nail Care 3 in 1 Shine which is a nail strengthener, base coat and top coat all in one. Surprisingly, it works as both a base and a top coat very well, I can't really comment on the strengthening aspects as my nails are quite strong naturally. As a base coat it grips colour well and prevents polishes from staining nails and as a top coat is leaves colour with a super glossy finish. It dries pretty quickly too and definitely increases the wear time of my manicure. I would even go as far as to say I prefer it to the Nails Inc Top Coat, a cult product which is more than double the price! 

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NOTD #29

I've gone on about how much I love the Barry M Gelly Nail Paints quite a bit, the formula is really glossy and long lasting and it applies really well. I've mentioned this colour, Green Berry before but thought I'd mention it again as I've been wearing it loads recently and my last picture of it wasn't great! What do you think of this shade?

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Essie Manicure at Privet Beauty

I recently went to an event hosted at Privet, a beauty salon in Notting Hill. Quite possibly the loveliest decorated salon I've ever been to! The salon has lots of different treatment rooms, each with a different theme as well as a hidden away area for manicures called the 'secret garden'. It's such a lovely change from the usual generically decorated salons and nail bars.

They use Essie polishes for their manicures which I was really pleased to hear as it's my favourite nail brand. I went for the shade Watermelon with Naughty Nautical as an accent nail, I was having a bit of a difficult time choosing but I think the shades look great together! As I write this I'm on day 3 and still no chips! I may have to invest in the Essie top and base coat!

The lady who did my manicure was lovely and chatty, something which makes a big difference to me. It felt more like a friend was doing my nails!

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Summer Nail Favourites

My seasonal nail favourites are usually very difficult to narrow down, but not this time. I've been wearing these four a lot more than anything else, pretty much on rotation!

Barry M Gelly Nail Paint Blueberry & Greenberry

These polishes are absolutely brilliant, the colours are stunning, the formula is long wearing and glossy and they're super cheap. You can see blueberry in action here. I may have to pick up a few more from this range.

Dior Tie & Dye

I've been wearing this one almost non stop since I got it. The colour sits in just the right spot between orange and red, a lovely, juicy summer bright. As always with Dior, the formula, brush and finish are spot on. See it on my nails here. 

OPI Strawberry Margarita

Another 'juicy summer bright', sensing a theme here! This one is a brilliantly bright fuchsia that manages to look cool rather than barbieish. I've been wearing it occasionally on my fingers and constantly on my toes!

What have you been wearing on your nails recently?

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NOTD #28

When it comes to makeup, Nars is by far my favourite brand. In spite of that, this was the first time I've tried one of their nail varnishes. I think it's safe to say I had very high expectations! The shade I'm wearing is TV Party, a really bold, juicy orange. I love brights any time of year but particularly in the summer. Unfortunately the polish isn't as pigmented as I'd hoped, it took 3 coats to get the colour looking opaque and in the end it still looked a tad streaky. 

Good news is that this is one of their older polishes which have since been reformulated, so if you were to buy a Nars polish now, the quality and performance would be a lot better. I'll definitely be giving the new formulas a go as they have some lovely, individual shades. 

Have you tried any Nars Nail Varnishes? What did you think of them?

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NOTD #27

Nails Inc Porchester Square is a classic for a reason. Sitting somewhere between grey, beige and lilac, it's a great, understated neural that works with all skin tones and for all occasions. It looks equally appropriate at a job interview as on a date, not something a lot of shades can pull off. 

I'm a big fan of the Nails Inc formulas, they apply well, have a great finish and last well before chipping. I'm not crazy about these mini sized bottles though. I've used them before and find they make application a bit fiddly. Definitely add this colour to your collection if you don't already own it but I'd say stick to the full size bottle! It also comes in a Gel Effect version which I hear has a better brush and dries glossier. I may just have to pick that one up too!

NOTD #26

I hit the nail jackpot recently when I went to a car boot sale and found the stall of a manicurist who was selling off loads of brand new, high end nail varnishes super cheap! I picked up quite a few as it seemed too good a bargain to pass up!

One of the ones I got was Dior Tie & Dye 858, of all the shades I bought this was the one I reached for first. I just love the colour, it sits in just the perfect spot between red and orange and is such a great, juicy summer bright. 

The Dior polishes as always are spot on, the formula is amazing, it lasts really well on the nails before chipping and the super opaque formula means you only need 2 coat for a super pigmented block of colour. You can in fact even get away with just one coat but I like to make sure I have really solid colour. The brush on these polishes are great too, wide and flat, which makes application an absolute breeze!

Have you tried any Dior nail varnishes? Any colour recommendations?

May Favourites

May has been a bit of a horrible month for me as I've been ill for the last 2 weeks. When I'm ill anything even vaguely resembling a beauty or skincare routine goes out the window. Instead, I've been reaching for Lemsip, Strepsils and lots and lots of tea! That said, there are a few products that I was loving before I was ill as well as some really quick and easy to use ones!

First up is the Avon Ideal Flawless CC Cream, I've recently switched from wearing foundation to something a bit lighter on a day to day basis and I'm loving it. It's incredibly lightweight, blends really easily and has SPF50 as an added bonus! Expect a full review coming soon!

I have fallen head over heels for the formula of the Barry M Gelly Shine Nail Paints, particularly the shade Blueberry which I've been wearing on my toes non stop for the last couple of months as well as on my fingers for most of that time too!

I've been wearing my hair au naturel as of late thanks to a combo of 2 products, both from Lee Stafford. The first is the Argan Oil Curl Creme (full review here) which I've been working into just washed hair while its still wet. I then leave it to air dry and it's leaves me with perfectly formed curls. For next day frizz touch ups I've been spraying in some Argan oil Anti-Frizz Serum Spray which revives curls and leaves everything looking a bit smoother and glossier. 

Having a cold meant dry skin and lots of hot baths! I added a small scoop of coconut oil to my baths, not only is the fragrance amazing but it also meant I didn't have to faff around with body lotion afterwards. 

Aside from cleansing, the only thing I've been putting on my skin for the last 2 weeks is the Botanics 100% Organic Facial Oil (full review here). I've been using it in the mornings and evenings and it's done my skin a world of good. I actually think my skin looks better now than before I was ill!

The last thing I've been loving is The Body Shop Sweet Lemon Lip Butter, it's been helping to moisturise my dry lips and it tastes smells delicious!

What products have you been loving this month?

NOTD #25

If you're a regular reader of my blog, you'll know of my love for the Avon Nailwear Pro+ range. The formula, colour range and brush are all fantastic so naturally I thought their ColourTrend range was also worth a go. Unfortunately, I was very disappointed. Although I love the shade which I went for, Bikini, both the brush and formula were a let down. The brush is thin, doesn't 'fan out' as you apply the colour and the formula is thick, gloopy and streaky. It took 4 coats to get it looking opaque, by which time it had formed a thick, bumpy layer on my nails. I'll definitely be sticking to the Pro+ range in the future! 

Have you ever come across a nail varnish that you were really disappointed with?

NOTD #24

This weeks NOTD is another one from the Barry M Gelly range, last week I was wearing the shade Blueberry which you can see here, but today I'm wearing Green Berry! These varnishes are such good value for money, although the brush isn't amazing the formula really is. It applies well, dries quickly, lasts well without chipping and is super glossy! Definitely a good place to look if you're looking to pick up a few new spring shades on the cheap. 

NOTD #23

I've heard only good things about the Barry M Gelly Hi-Shine Nail Paints (mine's in the shade blueberry) from other beauty bloggers so when I first tried them I already had high expectations.

The formula, except for needing 3 coats to look opaque, is pretty darn good. It applies well without streaking, has an incredible glossy shine and lasts a really long time without chipping. The brush was a little disappointing for me as it isn't the easiest to use. I prefer the shorter, flatter brushes as they make application foolproof. 

That said, for just £3.99 they are really good value and the formula massively outdoes some high end nail varnish brands so I'll definitely be picking up a few more shades from this range. They also often come on 3 for 2 at Boots so that's definitely worth looking out for. 

NOTD #22

On my nails today is Sephora's Color Hit Nail Lacquer in Sweet Candy, a pastel, bright, bubblegum pink which I'm still not 100% sure of. It's not the kind of colour I'd usually go for as I think it's a little bit barbieish but at the same time it seems to have grown on me!

As always with these polishes, both the formula and brush are brilliant and I think their idea of making small nail varnishes for cheaper prices is great because who ever gets through a whole nail varnish? The only time I ever do is if it's a real favourite.

What do you think of this colour?

NOTD #21

I mentioned the Avon Nailwear Pro in Sea Breeze in my Spring Nail Edit, it's definitely one of my favourite spring/summer shades and it gets a lot of wear. There's something incredibly cheery about a bright mint shade. As always with the Avon Nailwear Pro varnishes, the formula is great. It last really well before chipping, more so than some high end nail varnishes and it has a wide, flat brush that makes application foolproof. 

Spring Nail Edit

When it comes to nails, I love sticking to seasonal shades and pastels in the spring are a no brainer. As always nude shades are a staple for me, regardless of the season, but aside from those here are a few I've been loving.

Bourjois 1 Seconde Nail Enamel in Melon 

A pastel yet bright coraly orange that makes me feel positive when I wear it, the formula and brush of these polishes are spot on. They're so easy to apply neatly, even for the most clumsy of nail painters. See it in action here.

Illamasqua Nail Varnish in Pink Raindrops

I usually tend to go for cream finishes but for this one I make an exception. It's not your average shimmer finish as the particles are chunkier, giving the pale pink shade a more modern finish. See it here.

Avon Nailwear Pro in Sea Breeze

What would spring be without a pastel turquoise nail shade? This one is a not too blue, not too green version that just the right balance between pastel and bright.

Nails Inc Covent Garden Ballet

This one is a real favourite, it's the one I'm sporting at the moment. It sits somewhere between lilac and a light grey (just like Porchester Square) but with a pretty hint of shimmer running through it. 

Models Own Nail Polish in Buff Pink

Another favourite, this one is a subtle pale pink that looks really good applied sheer. I stick to just one coat or two at the max. See it here.

What are your favourite Spring Nail shades?