#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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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!

Car Boot Sale Haul

Last sunday when the sun was shining we decided to head to our local car boot sale in search of a few bargains. Often with car boot sales I come away feeling like I haven't really found much but this time I really hit the jackpot!

Starting off with homeware, we got this huge mirror for only £10! I thought this was a brilliant bargain as mirrors are usually very expensive. I love the vintage French Country look that the frame has and I think that gold and cream looks lovely together. I've put it on the mantelpiece in the living room and I love the way it looks, it really opens up the room! (Please excuse the bare light in the pictures, the house is still a work in progress!)

Another item I instantly fell for was this vintage metal trolley with removable trays. I really like the gold circular pattern that trims each tray and I thought it might come in handy as I can never have enough storage items! I'll definitely be giving this piece a bit of a makeover, I was thinking of covering the bottom of the trays with some pretty cream or pastel paper. 

When it comes to storage, I love wicker. It keeps everything out of eyesight and looking tidy but in my opinion looks a lot better than having plastic storage everywhere.

I also got a really pretty mint watering can to water my new veg patch with but I've since discovered it leaks! I'm not too disappointed though as I only paid £1 for it and I can always use it to plant some pretty flowers or herbs in.

 

Some packets of seeds! I'm going to attempt growing some carrots in the garden this year as well as some cacti in pots indoors. I also got a wildflower seed mix which you just sprinkle and leave to do it's own thing, leaving you with lovely low maintenance flowers.

I picked up an old, well loved copy of Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie which I've been wanting to read for a very long time. It's been added to my 'to read' pile!

 

I managed to find a girl selling lots of lovely clothes, she was the same size as me and lots of her stuff was brand new with the tags still on! I had a rummage through and found a White Topshop Cami, which I love, some Gap Super Skinny jeans which are lovely but unfortunately a bit big for me, a white River Island shirt and Red Herring print top.

My biggest bargain by far was finding the stall of a manicurist who had tonnes of new high end nail varnishes! It seemed like too good a deal to pass up so I picked up quite a few by Nars, Illamasqua, Dior, Butter London, Nails Inc and Barry M. I'll be featuring them in upcoming NOTD posts so keep your eyes peeled if you fancy seeing them in action. I also got a Revlon Photoready Skinlights in the shade Bronze, a product I've been on the hunt for for a while but could never seem to find!

Do you ever go to Car Boot Sales?

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?

NOTD #20

Nail painting has gone out of the window recently with all the DIY projects and painting I've been doing around the house. That said I did whip out Nails Inc's Lower Sloane Street the other day for a quick 1 coat nude nail. My favourite thing about nude nails are they're a bit lower maintenance, they don't have to be applied flawlessly and small chips don't show up too much!

What are your favourite nude nail shades?

NOTD #19

Today's choice is one that I've owned for a while but hardly ever wear. I bought the lovely pearly white shade Mayfair by Nails Inc with the intention of wearing one coat of it for a barely there, sheer look. Unfortunately it's really streaky, so much so that after one coat I had no choice but to put on another which built it up to an opaque finish. That said I'm surprisingly pleased with the final look, it's definitely not sheer and understated as I intended but it's quite a nice statement look that's still neural enough to wear with anything. 

What do you think of this colour?

NOTD #16

Today's NOTD is another Nails inc mini, this time in the shade Clerkenwell. It's a really dark, almost black green with a glossy cream finish. As I've said before I love Nails Inc polishes, the colours and formulas are great but these mini bottles are a bit fiddly to use! 

Autumn Nail Edit

It's no secret that I'm quite into nails so I thought I'd put together an edit of my favourite autumn nail shades. Here's what made the cut!

Avon Nailwear Pro in Perfectly Flesh

This nude shade works really well with my skintone, it looks good all year round really but it's a particularly nice option in the autumn for when you don't wan't something dark.

YSL La Laque No 37 (discontinued)

This dark inky blue looks stunning on short nails, it's black in some light but has just a hint of navy. It's been filling the Essie After School Boy Blazer sized hole in my collection nicely. 

Chanel Le Vernis 509 Paradoxal

A two toned grey and purple that somehow has a neutral quality about it and seems to go with everything. The formula isn't great, as with all Chanel varnishes, but the colour is spot on.

Essie Aperitif 

Quite possibly my favourite polish of all time, this is another one that works well all seasons, but particularly autumn and winter. An ever so slightly darker take on a classic red that you just can't go wrong with.

Nails Inc Ledbury Road 

A concrete grey with a subtle metallic finish that I can't help but love in spite of generally being someone who sticks to cream finishes. It only needs one coat, and is super glossy making it a great last minute nail option that adds a little somethin' somethin' to an otherwise boring outfit. 

Sephora Colour Hit Nail Lacquer in Will you Jump?

An amazingly rich royal blue which is bang on trend that I just can't seem to stop staring at when it's on my nails. I love these polishes, the brush is great, the formula is great and there's a huge variety of shades. 

What have you been wearing on your nails this autumn?

NOTD #13

I've spoken about Nails Inc polishes before, I love the formulas but wish they would improve the brush! Today's shade is Maddox St, it's a deep grey-black with a pearlised finish, perfect for this time of year. It's a good, dark, 'goes with everything' type shade that I've really been enjoying wearing. Unfortunately these mini sized bottles make the whole process a bit fiddly so I think I'll be sticking to the full sized bottles in the future! 

NOTD #9

When it comes to nail varnishes, I tend to stick to cream finishes. I hardly ever go in for metallics but I just love this one. It's Lebury Road from Nails Inc which is a metallic steel grey with a really high shine finish. It applies really smoothly and is true to colour in 1-2 coats, but you could easily get away with just one. 

I love the Nails Inc formulas, they're so long wearing, day 5 and not a single chip! I really do wish they would change their brush though, I much prefer the flat wide ones that come with the Essie and Bourjois polishes.

What have you been wearing on your nails lately?