Merry Xmas Everyone!

I am away in my birth country Sweden for 3 weeks so there wont be much blogging as I dont have an internet connection in the holiday house. However I am in my parents flat at the moment so can take the time to share some nail polish stories.

Rimmel Play Fast "Camouflage" - I got this from the lovely Sanna at Makeupmylack :D Tack så mycket Sanna! :) I will be swatching this as soon as I can!

Hot Stuff Collection from Isadora - Got the whole collection "from Santa", was disappointed with Spellbound black, but I am not the only one. It has an awesome aqua shimmer in the bottle which becomes invisible on the nail :( Have two more from the collection to try and hope they are as good as shown in the bottle.

L'Oreal Star Magnets - these are available in my part of Sweden, I have seen them, but the red colour I wanted had sold out :( If I see them again I will buy one anyway and swatch :)

Viva la diva - nowhere can I find the high shine eye shadow palette, but I got two awesome polishes, no 56 and 71 :)

Anyway I must be off - I have to pick up my friend at the train station :D

HAPPY NEW NAIL POLISH YEAR EVERYONE!

NOTD - China Glaze "Emerald Sparkle"

I LOVE EMERALD SPARKLE!

I'm off to Sweden tomorrow for xmas, so I probably won't be blogging as much, but I am hoping for some nice manicures as I am bringing my Konad set and my rhinestones to share with everyone :)

Well it's been 5 mins since I painted my nails (all hail the mighty Poshe top coat!) so I'm off to pack my cowprint suitcase! :) Have a great weekend everyone!

REVIEW - LUSH BB Seaweed

This is one of the 9 fresh face masks from LUSH. However, my brother thought it was some kind of weird macrobiotic sandwich spread when he saw it in the fridge! :)

It has to be kept in the fridge to keep fresh and lasts for about 2 weeks. BB Seaweed smells lovely of roses and patchouli, and contains seaweed and kaolin clay. It dries quite crispy and is a bit flaky but it doesn't dry out my skin.

I am hooked on this face mask, and will definitely be buying it again :) 5 of 5 stars!

NOTD - Zoya "Richelle" with Konad

I don't know what to say about this manicure, I just know I love it :) This is the animal pattern from the M2 plate in China Glaze "Wagon Trail" over Zoya "Richelle".

I got some black Konad special polish with my kit, which I used for my very first try. Inspired by Sanna's blog I decided to try another polish to see how it worked. It worked perfectly. Obviously you will need to follow her recommendations for choosing a polish, but I think that if you find the right one they work just as well as special polish :)

REVIEW - LUSH Lemony Flutter Cuticle Butter

I suffer from REALLY dry hands and feet, especially in the winter. I have read rave reviews about this cuticle softener on beauty blogs, so decided to try it. I waltzed into LUSH and asked for it. Only one tub left! Sweet :)

I have to say, I am not the biggest fan of the smell... Its lemony, sure, but too overpowering to be fresh. But the butter, OMG! It works miracles as a night treatment for dry hands and feet. I have problematic feet that peel and split and this seems to have tamed them!

For my rough feet, I am sticking to Lemony Flutter for the long haul. For my nails however it's too smelly, I am sticking to my long-term lover Solaroil. It really is the smell that puts me off. It's not nice, and it lingers. I give Lemony Flutter 3 of 5 stars.

Early Christmas - NOTD with Konad!

We celebrated an early Christmas as I will be going away to Sweden for Christmas again this year and I wanted to have a little celebration with my S-O. Anyway, my present from him was - Konad stamping nail art! :) After looking at videos and instructions on bloggs, I went to work.

I only got ONE nail right out of 10, haha :) Nevermind. Practice makes perfect!

The nail polish is Barry M's 284. It is actually more like China Glazes "Moonpool" than you'd think from the photo and it costs £2.99... I used Konad's special polish in Black for the designs, which are from image plate M4.

Friday Trivia!

In Scotland, we have a soft drink called Barr's Irn Bru. This soft drink is currently banned in America under FDA regulations :)

It's a bright orange, caffeine-laden sugar rush that is considered to the a National Drink in Scotland. And on a Friday afternoon, it is the required beverage to pep myself up for the weekend...

And yes it is pronounced "iron brew" and it does contain ferric citrate (a form of iron). Only in Scotland!

Nail Art Rhinestones - Tips and Tricks

I recently got myself some rhinestones for nail art and I am getting well into putting on the bling :) My old method was to use tweezers to apply the stones and just dropping them on. But then I watched the Konad video on nail art at www.konad.co.uk, and it says to use tooth pick dipped in clear top coat to pick up and put on the stones! Wow! Such a simple idea but it totally works! :)

I either stick my stones to the actual colour polish while its still wet, or I apply a little blob of top coat and stick the stone in there. Larger (2.5mm+ stones) need bigger blobs, and flowers and fimo will most likely need proper nail glue.

For rhinestones I also like to use two thick coats of Seche Vite/Poshe top coat as it secures the stones on the nail for at least 3 days. If you don't put on a thick clear top coat, your rhinestones are likely to come off within hours.

NOTD - China Glaze "Ruby Pumps"

I love "Ruby Pumps"! :) I keep forgetting just how gorgeously prismatic it is. My only gripe with this polish is that its messy to apply and a PITA to take off - it stains your hands something rotten. But its totally worth it.

This is base coat, 2 coats "Ruby Pumps" and 1 coat Poshe - but the polish eats the top coat so will put on another coat tonight.

True to my promise I have added some bling to this manicure too :)

Nail Bling!

In the wintertime I get more magpie-ish, I think it is cause of the lack of sunlight!

So I got myself some (2000pcs, hehe) of assorted nail art rhinestones from Hong Kong, and I will now make a point of putting bling on every polish I put on until my birthday :)

REVIEW - Tara Smith Big Baby Shampoo + Conditioner

According to the bottle, the Tara Smith range is organic and earth-friendly without parabens, phtalates and sodium laureth sulphates (the website is snazzy but uninformative). Sounds good to me :) My hair, like my skin, is very temperamental. It hates everything. Apart from Indian head massages, that is. And I swear it gets worse the older I get. Anyway. I currently use MOP's Pear Shampoo, which is lovely but pricey so looking for some savvy alternatives (also, I am a bit of a product whore and I like new stuff :) )

I spotted the Tara Smith range in Tesco supermarket at the weekend and decided to try it. It is quite pricey for the supermarket, £4.99 a bottle, on par with the professional ranges like John Frieda, but MOP is twice the price. I chose Big Baby which is for kids or sensitive scalps. No use in pretending anything else is going to be ok for my angry hair :)

The round bottles are attractive, and add to the "we're different but still cool" vibe of this brand.

So how was it for me? It has a mild astringent "herbal" smell, not very noticeable. I like that. The more organic/natural products I try the more I can't bear over-perfumed products. It cleans nicely, and leave a nice shine. Careful not to take too much product; the shampoo lathers a lot and the conditioner is very rich, so you only need a tiny bit. It didn't upset my scalp, no flyaways or static, and no tufty bits :) 4 of 5 stars for Tara Smith Big Baby!

NOTD - MAC "Rougemarie"

"Rougemarie" is part of the Red She Said MAC holiday collection. I saw this polish and knew I had to have it :) Usually I admire the MAC polishes from afar, but never buy them so when the sales assistant n Harvey Nichols in Edinburgh said that it might be out of stock I was heartbroken. But after a lengthy drawer search, she found it! :) "Rougemarie" is a glossy, vampy dark red.

The formula seems a little bit thick, but it presents no application issues and you get perfect coverage in 2 coats. This is Seche Clear base coat, 2 coats of "Rougemarie" and Poshe top coat.

Also, "Rougemarie" will go great with my MAC "Russian Red" Lipglass :) So top marks for "Rougemarie"!

Poshe v Seche Part 2

So, now for the Advanced Wear Test results :) It entailed a day of travelling and I ended up in the rain and so ended up being soaking wet for about 4 hours, which would have affected the results. I also did a lot of household chores and ended up breaking two more nails :( So now its back to proper ultra-short nails again...

Seche: Retained the glassy shine throughout. Tipwear not as pronounced as the Poshe hand, even though Seche was on my dominant hand. That stuff on my middle finger, thats makeup not cracks or wear :) Note the broken index finger nail :(

Poshe: Lost some of the really deep gloss by Sunday, so you would have to reapply every two days to keep the shine. Tipwear more noticeable than the Seche. Note again broken nail on index finger... :(

Final verdict? I think I need to test Poshe more. I have applied it to today's mani too to see how it performs on a creme. Then I will do another similar road test to this one and watch the results.

NOTD - China Glaze "Coconut Kiss"

I bought this polish because I had seen some lovely swatches of it. Then I had a thought perhaps it's a dupe for OPI "Purple with a purpose". However, that is not the case, "Coconut Kiss" has a glow inside it that "Purple with a purpose" doesn't have! It's that bluish glow that makes this polish so special :)

This is part of my experiment Poshe v Seche, so on this photo, you can see Poshe top coat luxurious shine.

Poshe v Seche Part 1

So I have finally got my hands on a Poshe fast-dry top coat. In the spirit of making informed decisions, Pretty Perfect Beauty has performed an advanced scientific test to compare the two highest ranking top coats; on my right hand I put Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat, left hand has Poshe Super-Fast Drying Top Coat. I have a Bachelor of Science, and I live for a good scientific experiment :) So here goes!

The Application and Drying Time Test:

Seche: Thick and self-levelling, dries to the touch in 1 min, dry nails in 6 mins 32 sec mins.

Poshe: Slightly thinner than Seche but still self-levelling, dries to touch in 1 min as promised, dry nails in 6 mins.

The Shine Test:

In lack of equipment measuring light reflection or the like, I have relied on my eyes :P

Seche: Glass-like shine

Poshe: Super-wet shine

Check back on Sunday for the Advanced Wear Test, including a whole day of travel, household chores, shopping and partying.

Other points to consider when choosing between the two:

• Seche is easier to find in the UK, some larger Boots stores even sell it, whereas I had to buy Poshe from the US
• Poshe is Big 3-free
• Seche has a more punguent smell, whereas Poshe doesn't really smell that much at all

NOTD - China Glaze "Ruby Pumps" with Nfu-Oh #44

This photo is the best of a rubbish bunch, you just can't capture the glowing intense heat of this polish! This is 1 coat RP, then 1 coat Nfu-Oh then 1 coat of Seche Vite. It's a shiny, glittery awesome red! :) It's like hot glowing lava...

NOTD - Makeup Store "Hypnotic"

I think this nail polish is discontinued now as far as I can find out. It is a dark raspberry with bright pink glitter, very sparkly indeed :) I remember walking into Makeup Store and gawking at the endless rows of makeup and nail polish, it was a treat not often experienced when I was young. This polish is probably about 7-8 years old, just like its green counterpart "Hayfever".

This goes on smooth for a glitter, and this is 2 coats on top of Seche Clear with 1 coat of Seche Vite. I think I might put on another coat of Seche Vite, cause this polish seems to eat the top coat a bit. Can't remember the last time I wore this polish, but it's been too long :)

Beware, I seem to be going through another pink phase, which is why I passed "Emerald Sparkle" by today and put on this polish :) Fret not dear reader, I am sure its just a passing phase and I'll be back on the odd colours soon :)

'Tis The Season...

After a gruelling day cleaning and decorating, my Christmas has started :) I have however suffered two broken nails in the cleaning frenzy so its back to stubby nails AGAIN... Oh well.

I am now off to file down and re-lacquer my wee ones; I think it might be time for "Emerald Sparkle" again :)

NOTD - Lancome Le Magnetique "Blue Enigma"

Holy frijoles, this is cool!!

It's not the most original colour, a steely dark blue sparkle not unlike a darker version of Zoya's "Kotori", but it's like gadgets for nails :) Formula is opaque in two coats and applies easily. The tricky bit is the magnet. Hold it too close the iron particles lifts up creating big bubbles on or smears the polish. Hold it too far away you don't get the star design. Took me 5 nails to get it right! So my left hand is a mess and the right is well, AWESOME!! Hope you enjoy! :)

Thanks to Weebie for getting me this fantastic polish! By chance! :)

Nfu-Oh Is Coming To Europe?!

Got a comment on an old post and it seems that an Estonian company will be opening an online shop for Nfu-Ohs soon! WOOHOO! Post Christmas spree perhaps?? :) Email Pavel at info@viis.ee for more info and he'll keep you updated on the progress of the shop.

Review - Originails BubbleWhite

OK so like most girls who love weird and dark nail polish, my nails are yellowy from years of abuse. I decided that I needed to try nail whitening treatments. After some research, I got a sachet of Originails BubbleWhite from Sally's. Claims to whiten, brighten and clean nails in 5 minutes. No peroxides in the ingredients list, so I thought OK, at least if it doesn't work it doesn't have bleach in it anyway to damage my "babies".

BubbleWhite is an effervescent treatment, although the fizziness doesn't last more than about 20 seconds once its in the bowl of water. It smells kind of like a perfumed swimming pool; like the manufacturer tried to cover the smell of chemicals with perfumes :( I started the timer on 5 minutes and got my S-O to take some pictures while I soaked my fingers.

After 5 minutes I washed my hands as instructed. The result? I think you can see from my pics for yourself :( I was kind of hoping for amazing whiteness like you'd get with optical brightening polish but no such luck. The free edge is whiter, and the whole nail looks a bit less yellow but I wouldn't say it amazingly whitened my nails. I still could not get away with sheer polishes. So all in all, I give BubbleWhite 2 of 5 stars, as it smells terrible and doesn't actually work very well with just one treatment. I guess you need repeated treatments for any significant effect. Oh well. For £1.50 it was worth a try! :) I've still got two more sachets coming in the post (maybe, as it seems parcel has got lost...) so will try them as well to see if it makes a difference.

Product Of The Week - Figs & Rouge "Rambling Rose" Balm

Eensie-weensie tin (8ml) of 100% organic balm for lips, face and body with the soft scent of summer and rose gardens. I am in love with this balm! It has a silky light texture and you only need a tiny bit of product. Not sure how long it'd last if you used it for your body!

Maybe not such a bargain at £3.45 for the tiny amount but it is pure heaven and well worth it. And OMG is the tin not the cutest thing you'd ever seen :)

I give this balm 5 of 5 stars, for it's lovely formula and to-die-for retro packaging.

Figs & Rouge also make matching rose shower gel and lotion, which I probably will have to wish for for my birthday :) If rose isn't your thing, they also do a Sweet Geranium balm and lots of other products.

Figs & Rouge Website

NOTD - China Glaze "Turned Up Turquoise"

My 101st blog entry - and it's a NOTD :)

I knew I needed something to cheer me up last night. I went for my Rheumatology assessment today and have been diagnosed with fibromyalgia, so I am glad I have this cheerful colour on my tips!

"Turned up turquoise" is a re-release part of the Ink Collection, it was previously released in the Wow Factor Collection. I have thought about this colour a lot before I got it, but never thought it would be so different to my other turquoise/teals as it is! This is a stunner! The colour reminds me of a pair of Madonna-style fishnet gloves from Jeans&Clothes I had in the 80's. Anyway, moving on.

"Turned up turquoise" is OK with 2 coats but you can see a hint of VNL, so if you can't bear that, best get 3 coats on. As a neon, it also dries matte so gloop on that Seche Vite like theres no tomorrow! :) With a shiny top coat, this is electric, super-shimmery juicy turquoise goodness..

...and I <3 it :)

Pretty Perfect Beauty 100th Post!

What to write for my 100th post?? :) First off, I'd like to thank everyone that reads the blog for doing so! Every comment I get is exciting :)

Then I thought that I would give a run of my 10 all-time favourite products for you all, in no particular order :)

CND Solar Oil
This is my favourite cuticle oil, moisturises a treat and smells like marzipan! And it comes in balm form for putting in your handbag too.

MOP Pear Shampoo, Detangler and Body Wash
Smells of juicy pears and is so gentle! My fine, Swedish blonde mane loves the shampoo and detangler and my skin isn't angry and dry after my morning shower using the body wash. Apparently there used to be a lotion as well but it has been discontinued :(

Trilogy Vital Moisturising Cream
This all natural face cream is incredible. It goes on so easy and it keeps you hydrated all day even in icy winds and snow. Pair it with their Rosehip oil and you will start to see the best skin you have ever had after a few weeks!

Shu Uemura Cleansing Oil
Removes all traces of makeup and grime in one fell swoop. Won't dry or over-grease your skin either.

The Body Shop Coconut Body Butter
Smells of coconut and makes me feel more like I am in a tropical paradise somewhere than dreary Britain. I use this as a body moisturiser, hand cream, dry patch reliever and funnily enough, split end mender.

BedHead Superstar Blow Dry Lotion
Actually works! Work a bit of this bubblegum-scented stuff onto your roots, blowdry and get massive hair worthy of a 80's "Dallas" characters.

Australian Bodycare Tea Tree Skin Wash
It gives your skin a tingling sensation and it smells medicinal from the high tea tree content. And this is the spot-fighting wash of the century! I rely on this stuff to clean my face because its antibacterial, non-drying and doesn't aggravate my already angry skin :)

Eucerin Cream
This is a rich, clinical smelling cream. I have seen Eucerin sold in the UK but this jar of cream I can only get in Sweden. I use it for everything - winter face, hands, dry patches, lips, feet. I love it!

China Glaze Nail Polish
I am loving China Glaze - they have some fantastic colours just now, and more lovelies to come this Spring and Summer :)

Chagrin Valley Soaps
The handmade, all natural soaps from Chagrin Valley in the US are fantastic. I have quite a selection of these and they are all mild and smell lovely of the natural essential oils in them. And I like the fact they are a small family-run company, makes them extra-special!

OMG It's Here!!

In the post today I received my bottle of Lancome Le Magnetique "Blue Enigma" from my lovely friend Weebie. Its a dark blue shimmer in the bottle, and I can't wait to try it!!! :D

NOTD - Revlon "Steel her heart"

Bought this by chance, and I really like the colour :) Its a metallic gunmetal grey that doesn't look at all blackened and it's just, nice :)

This was tricky to apply however; the brush is very stiff and the polish kind of pools on the brush causing overflow. This is 2 coats, I couldn't be bothered trying 3 because it probably would have bubbled. 1 coat of Seche Vite on top.

Picture again with old work camera, so apologies for the blurry photo.

My New Skechers Bikers Pacifica! :)

Where have these Skechers Bikers Pacifica been all my life??

After injuring my foot and having to wear supportive footwear in the office for 7 weeks, this is an awesome find :) Nike trainers just don't go with dresses.. I will so be wearing these all summer long too!

Please ignore the ruched tights, I accidentally bought the medium instead of small size and being only 158cm (5 ft 1 in) tall they're veeeeery long in the leg...

NOTD - L'Oreal Shock Resist "330"

This is one of my all-time favourite polishes - you never guessed that, eh?? :) I love how it is ultrasparkly and just the right kind of pink, I call it watermelon pink. This bottle is perhaps 10 yrs old, but still applies like a dream! This is 2 coats over Seche Clear and 1 coat Seche Vite over the top. It also wears really well, so I'm thinking this won't come off till its party time over the weekend :)

If anyone can suggest a dupe for this colour, please let me know as this polish is VHTF!!

Today's Mailbag - Maybelline "93 Electric Apple"

As I returned to work today after my time off sick at the start of the week, I had a nice harvest of parcels waiting for me at my desk. All but one was Christmas presents since I have decided I hate the high street rush at this time of year and will never go Christmas shopping in town ever again, I now buy every present online. Anyway, I digress. One parcel had a quite rare and discontinued Maybelline polish called "Electric Apple". In the eBay post it looked sort of lime green, but its better than that in real life :) It is a shimmer polish with the colour of a nice and tart Granny Smith apple. I like this! I forgot my memory stick at home so you won't see my NOTD til tonight - it's the awesome sparkletastic pink L'Oreal polish 303, rare and discontinued. If someone can suggest dupes for it let me know :)

An update on the Lancome Le Magnetique - my friend managed to score a bottle for me too, so I will soon be able to sit at my table, painting my nails with it and saying "My preciousss" like a crazy lady :)

My friend's NOTD - Lancome Le Magnetique "Bleu Enigma"

Holy frijoles I can't believe it!! My friend Weebie manage to get a hold of the most exquisite nail polish ever, the limited edition Lancome Le Magnetique "Blue Enigma". Apparently, it is a teal "starburst" polish. This is the best pic she manage to take but I can honestly say that I am needing this polish!!! I am off sick at the moment so she sent me a photo message on my phone to cheer me up. But I want it!! :) So I am scouring the internet for it in between snoozing...

Nail Day Off

I am having a nails day off, no polish just lots of Solaroil and handcream. I think they need it, they've been having it hard for a while with all these lovely new colours coming out. But, I have noticed my nails are slightly yellow from dark polish abuse :(

Soooo, what can we do? Always one for finding a solution to any beauty niggle you may have, I have decided to buy some nail whitening treatments! I decided on Originails Bubble White, and according to the seller, it's in the post as we speak. I've heard good things about this product, but I will wait to pass judgement until I have tried it :) Of course, I will keep you updated on the results with before and after shots!

Review - Olay Regenerist Daily 3 Point Treatment Cream

I am quite impressed with this face cream. I have used this cream for a couple of months now, and its a good all-rounder that is a day, night, eye cream and a face mask all-in-one. It has some little light-reflecting particles too to instantly pep up a tired face. I don't know if it has reduced my crows feet but my skin isn't as dry and angry with this cream as it normally is. It has a gentle fragrance too, some anti-wrinkle creams tend to be quite perfumed. It comes with a massage scheme, which actually makes you feel quite relaxed when you put it on :) It is also not that pricey, £29.99, compared to some other brand creams that cost more than a pair of shoes!! I would consider buying this again, if I wasn't so unfaithful when it comes to products! 4 of 5 stars for Regenerist Daily 3 Point Treatment Cream.

China Glaze Spring Summer Colours!!

OMG you guys, if you like China Glaze check this awesome post on makeupalley.com!!

I think that Cherish, Strawberry Fields and Watermelon Rind are my current picks but I really want them all... :)

NOTD - Sparitual "Epicurean" with "Stiletto"

I have seen this kind of use of duo colours on the ring finger a lot lately, so decided to try it. It seems like a fun way to wear more of your nail polish colours :) I used "Epicurean" on all the fingers apart from my ring fingers where I put "Stiletto".

Both polishes apply nicely with decent, but not amazing drying time. I really like the rubber bottle top on these bottles, I wish all bottles were like that :)

"Epicurean" is a really dark maroon shimmer. From a distance and in some lights it looks like a vampy creme, but when the sun hits it, it glows like lava from the inside - amazing!! You can see a bit of this effect on my pinkie, whereas the index finger shows the creme finish. I like! :)

But I have to say, I don't like the colour of "Stiletto". Its a shimmery red, but it lacks the pizzazz of similar red shimmers such as OPI "No autographs, please". It just looks a bit, I don't know, flat.

The colours work well together though, and I really like this mani. I will be trying more combo's over the weekend :) I am hoping also to be able to post a few reviews I have been working on a while, so check back over the weekend :)

St Martins Day Celebration

In our effort of cultural exchange among our friends, we celebrated St Martins Day yesterday with a paper lantern walk in the woods :) It was pissing it down with rain and stormy but still very nice :)

NOTD - Zoya "Mieko"

"Mieko" is my second favourite from the Flourish winter 2008 collection. However I think this would be more of a summer sandal toes polish than a winter one? But then again, maybe it's meant to be like the "cruise collection" for nail polish :)

"Mieko" was less opaque than "Richelle" in two coats, I should have put on 3. But its goes on smoothly and dries fairly quickly so it's not really a problem. And I really like the colour - it is a juicy raspberry pink with gold micro-glitter, very nice :)

NOTD - Zoya "Richelle"

"Richelle" is from the Zoya winter collection Flourish for 2008, and it seems every other nail blogger have already posted some really great photos of these collections. However I believe in making informed consumer choices, especially in these "credit crunch" days, so here is my opinion and my swatches as well :)

Richelle is a sparkly, warm golden bronze. I can't take my eyes off this colour. I have never coveted gold polishes (hence why I didn't go nuts for Chanel's Gold Fiction) but Richelle really excites me!

The formula is very smooth and non-gritty for such a fiercly micro-glittery polish. It was opaque in 2 coats. It dries fairly quickly to a high shine. The photo shows base coat, 2 coats of "Richelle" and 1 coat of Seche Vite.

What can I say? "Richelle" is my Christmas polish crush :) I did however sabotage one of my nails while taking photos so I think that tonight it will come off and make way for "Shivon" or "Mieko" from the same collection, so stay tuned :)

NOTD - GOSH "548 Green Hawaii" over China Glaze "Gussied Up Green"

Isn't this a stunning manicure?? I can't stop looking at the multi-glitter sparkles in this. The colour here is the colour you'd expect "Green Hawaii" to turn out in itself, but it's just not opaque enough, it comes out a very acid green. This way its stunning glitter gets more potent :)

This is basecoat, 1 layer GUG, 2 layers of "Green Hawaii" and 1 layer of Seche Vite, although I should've put 2 layers of Seche Vite, as it's still a little bit gritty. "Green Hawaii" on it's own was a bit light for me, so I decided to try it over GUG (which I keep forgetting is such a nice colour in itself).

I really like GOSH, by the way. There are some really great polishes (see also my GOSH score from September) and their eye liners rock :) A very colourful brand and worth spending your pennies on if you can find it.

NOTD That Was Over-Ruled - Rimmel 60sec "730 Silver Bullet"

I bought this last night and thought I'd try it the same day. However, as soon as it was finished, it came right off again to make way for a layering experiment (see the next post).

"Silver Bullet" despite its name is not a silver but a white pearl. It's a royal PITA to apply, very streaky and it lifts off the polish if you go over the same place twice. This is 3 layers... (the bubbles are not from the polish but from my crappy base coat application). But it's an eye-popping white pearl.

I will probably use this for snazzy French manicures, or for layering, but I can't live with its streaky white coldness in the winter. Maybe on toes for the summer when I'm tanned... Dries lightning fast though, and for the price you pay it's just something different to add to my collection :)

Sushi Love!

I love sushi, but I can't master the chop sticks (or is that just because of the Asahi beer?.. )

Anyway, I bought a glamorous pair of cheat-sticks or "Rookie-stix" as they are called to go with it. Yummy! :)

Soap Of The Moment - Chagrin Valley "Peppermint Twist"

I am very impressed with Chagrin Valley products, I think because it's a small company a lot of care goes into making the products and therefore the quality is consistently great. I also had the Apple Spice soap, which was so nice I wished it wasn't a seasonal soap..

Anyway, I really like this soap! It doesn't dry my skin out, and the minty smell is totally head-clearing :) And it looks pretty as it has swirlie patterns of lavender lilac in it too! It is also all natural and vegan, which is always nice. 5 of 5 stars for "Peppermint Twist"!

Obama Wins! :)

I feel like a bit like an idiot for wearing a red manicure today, you'd guess I'd see it coming! But I did put on my little blue,white and red bow to celebrate the occasion :) I think the best man has won the US Presidential election, nuff said.

NOTD - Nails Inc "Aspen"

I initially got this from a work buddy of mine and promptly used up the bottle on endless applications on my tootsies. Nothing like taking your socks off and seeing your sexy red toenails to cheer you up :)

I bought a brand new bottle of this colour when I went to London (nail polish re-purchasing, why I never!!). "Aspen" is a deep metallic true red. With just two coats and a touch of Seche Vite, it makes for killer nails. This is my second application on my hands, and it never seizes to amaze me how awesome this colour really is. It's not for shrinking violets however; it will get you noticed and even if you are no spring chicken, "Aspen" is one of those polishes that will get you free drinks all night long... :)

LOTD - MAC Lipglass "Russian Red"

I set a little challenge for the ladies at work to wear red lipstick. You wouldn't believe how many said they "didn't suit it" or plain "could never wear it"! Guess red lips is not for everyone! :) As a hardened red lips enthusiast, my current favourite is MAC Lipglass "Russian Red", a fire engine red creme lipgloss. It is not for the fainthearted! You won't fool anyone with a no-makeup look if you are sporting this baby! It is slightly tacky to the touch, and hence lasted me through most of the morning at work. It's not as long lasting as my new baby from Maybelline, the SuperStay PowerGloss, but it's still such a lovely gloss it deserves 4 of 5 stars, if for nothing else it's show-stopping redness :)
If you want to try the red look but is unsure how to do it, go to Rocketqueen's superb guide on the matter!
Sorry for the photo, but I just can't do pics of lipgloss on my lips. It just doesn't come out right, ever. If anyone has any good tips on photographing lipgloss while it's actually on the lips, let me know.

"Dear Santa... "

I couldn't take it anymore. I have felt left out for long enough. So I have "asked Santa" for some Konad supplies for Christmas :) I am hoping that he will be very good to me, but as insurance I have contributed to my own present a little bit by buying a stamper+scraper set.. :P

Funny story: This is a lesson in "read the ebay listing properly". I thought I had bought ONE set, and thought it a bit pricey at £5 but it turns out it was actually a listing for FIVE sets! I was pleasantly surprised when it arrived today.. :)

NOTD - SpaRitual "Disco Inferno"

"Disco Inferno" is a very bright metallic lilac, and I can see myself wearing this on my toes all summer long :) But for a day when the mercury is just shy of freezing temperatures, this is a tad cold for me.

However, the application was trouble-free, it dries quickly and I only needed 2 coats for opacity. I put on a thin 3rd coat for more colour intensity (which wasn't really needed) and sealed with my beloved Seche Vite. 4 of 5 stars for SpaRitual "Disco Inferno".

Excuse the crappy swatch, it's from my work camera again which is really old.

Free Nail Polish? Sweet!

Everyone loves a freebie - but this time its mega-sweet free Nails Inc nail polish with the UK edition of Glamour mag :) I got the dark cherry red creme "Victoria". Thanks Glamour! :)

SpaRitual Nail Polish In The Post!

I've been quite longing for these, after seeing so many nice colours on The Nailphile's blog. One was out of stock and hopefully will be arriving soonish, the others look very nice, the bottles are lovely with the same rubbery grip the Bloom bottle has, which I loved :) I will be swatching these as soon as I get tired of "Isla", which could to be fair be a while... :D

NOTD - Bloom "Isla"

Wow, this bright and cheery purple creme beauty from Australian cosmetics company Bloom is a true stunner. I walked into Superdrug, saw it in the display and immidiately knew I had to have it. It retails for a whopping £8, so not your average drugstore brand price!!

This is the blurb that they give about the polishes on the Bloom website: "With pigments sourced from around the world, a professional two-coat formula and an incredible 330-strand brush, our nail polish will hold its colour and shine for days."

So, in reality, how was it for me? I love the bottle top, its rubbery and smooth, providing excellent grip. Bottle is standard ColorClub-ish looking thing but logo is funky. Application for this polish is good, not awesome, but good. With the spiel on the website of "300-strand brush" I guess I kind of expected a religious experience :) Two coats gives a nice opaque coverage. Drying time is a bit longer than I have the patience for so I slapped on a coat of Seche Vite (holy frijoles, I love that stuff). The end result is amazing. I frickin' love this polish!! I can see myself wearing it a lot, especially in the summer. The colour in the photo seems more pink than purple, but I just couldn't get it right for some reason. Stupid cameras!

There was only 8 colours in the shop (of which one was out of stock) but they appear to have a large selection on their website, including some intriguing blues and greens. "Isla" is not as dark in real life as it is on the website, in fact it looks like a little bit of a cross between OPI "Can you dig it?" and Zoya "Juicy".

Bloom also had a great looking range of eye creams and such which I am a sucker for but they were too pricey just to buy-to-try, but Bloom is a brand I will need to investigate more! :)

Bloom Cosmetics

NOTD - Cèlè "Cherry Liqueur"

I've not really seen any Cèlè nail polishes before, but by googling a bit, I that they are likely to be a discontinued line of polishes from Grafton International Ltd. Which is a shame cause this is a really good polish!! It goes on smooth and streak free and is nice and opaque in 2 coats (there is white glare on the nails from the tiles in my bathroom as there really doesn't ever seem to be sunny to take my pics). Probably not 3-free or anything and looks slightly cheap but you know what, its a great polish :)

The colour on this photo is lighter and more red than the actual colour. The bathroom spotlights isn't a good light source. The actual colour is a smooth shimmery cherry red.

I also got a dark blue shimmer called "Cobolt" and a shimmery pumpkin colour called "Horizon". Can't wait to try them all :) If you see these polishes it's worth buying them!

Battle Of The Handcreams

Contenders:

• Avojuice Pear Juicie
• Seche Silk
• Vaseline Intensive Rescue Soothing Hand Cream
• Body Shop Coconut Body Butter
• Molton Brown Rose Granati hand lotion

Avojuice Pear Juicie 3 of 5 stars
+ Smells nice and juicy, non-sticky velvet feel
- Doesn't actually feel or look very moisturised, pricey

Seche Silk 4 of 5 stars
+ Gorgeous natural aromatherapy lotion, non-sticky, soothing lavender smell, cuticles doesn't look so dry
- Pricey, hard to source

Vaseline Intensive Rescue Soothing Hand Cream 5 of 5 stars
+ Feels moisturised for longer, purse-friendly price, easily come by, non-sticky and quickly sinks into skin
- Slight chemical non-perfumed smell

Body Shop Coconut Body Butter 4 of 5 stars
+ Gorgeous coconutty smell, very rich so good moisturisation and cuticle work
- Takes a while to sink into the skin so better for night time

Molton Brown Rose Granati hand lotion 2 of 5 stars
+ Nice smell of fruity roses
- Severely overpriced, takes about 10 mins to sink into the skin

Wow! :D

I ordered some Cele nail polishes from an eBay shop on Friday. They looked really awesome so thought I'd give it a try. This is what my parcel looked like! So lovely! :) What can I say, its eBaying the way it's supposed to be. The wrapping paper is colour coordinated to the colour of the polish inside!! :) 5 of 5 stars for Jenni and Jane at Funky Akita Shop. You're a credit to the eBay community ladies!

Of course, I will be swatching these beauties and road testing them for wear this week, so stay tuned :)

NOTD: Zoya "Colbie"

This is a naughty blackened deep blood red shimmer. Just the thing you need for the dark autumn days :) It has a good opaque coverage in 2 coats.

However, I had a dodgy brush on this one. I've got quite a few Zoya polishes but on this one the brush is a splayed and overloads with polish.

Coolest Instruction Label Ever!

I've become a bit obsessed with Japan lately. It's really fascinating culture, so very different to the Western culture which I am born into. This is the wrapping on the lid of the Shu Uemura Depsea Water. I guess it means something like "twist this way to open" :) If you know what it says, you have to tell me!

NOTD: Jessica "Expresso"

I had this as my spa manicure. I really digged this sparkly bronze coffee colour, but it didn't go with any of my outfits over the weekend in London :)

Cristmas Presents #1: IsaDora "Hot Stuff" Nail Colours

The name is ridiculous (like Sexy Sport from China Glaze.. ahem) but I want all 3. Right now. So Mum, if you're listening, please find them now :)

Check out the awesome shades in the the Swedish NOTD blog by Sara here.

Review - Shu Uemura High Performance Cleansing Oil "Fresh"

This is awesome stuff. I got my second bottle of this elixir of loveliness in the airport duty free yesterday. OMG, I still remember the depression that set in as the last bottle became empty. I tried another cleansing oil, I think it was from DHC but it just wasn't the same. Next time (at Christmas, most likely) I am in the airport I will buy a giganto size 450ml one of these babies.

This is a beauty product where you need instruction. This is how to cleanse, Shu-style:

• Pour nice tepid water into your sink


• Dry your hands


• Make sure your face is dry


• Put 3-4 pumps of oil in your hand, smooth it over you face (I use it around the eye area also)


• Dip you hands quickly in the water in the sink


• Lather up the oil on your face


• If it's a bit stubborn, use a tiny bit more water

This is a makeup remover as well as a deep cleanser. The Fresh oil is for oily/combination skin and it also works well for acne prone skin, according to the Shu Uemura website. You might find it contradictory to use an oil on oily skin, but I find that my skin becomes less oily when I use this cleansing oil as it balances the sebum production and doesn't overdry the skin.

The smell is very very mild, which I like, slight sweet hint of cherry. This product is worth its pricetag (although the price is far sweeter in the tax free shop!). 5 of 5 stars!

Also try not to get the bottle wet - i.e. don't put it in your shower! The water reacts with the oil to emulsify and will become cloudy and the product will not be as good if you get water inside the bottle.

London Weekend Part 1

This weekend I went to London to see my friend and do some shopping and go to a day spa. It was exciting and fun but also quite exhausting! :) Below is a pic of my beauty product haul for the weekend. I love going to the big department stores and just get made over and try all the products. I will review all these products over the week, so keep an eye out :)

From left: Bobbi Brown Concealer Kit, Bobbi Brown Corrector, some foundation samples from Bobbi Brown, OPI Crystal File, Nails Inc Ltd Ed "Hanover Street" and Caviar 45sec top coat (me thinks, tomorrows NOTD), MAC Lipglass "Russian Red", Chanel Inimitable mascara "Noir", on top Nails Inc "Aspen", then "Friendly Selfridges" ltd ed colour, Shu Uemura Depsea Water "Mint", Shu Uemura Cleansing Oil Fresh.

LOTD - Maybelline Superstay PowerGloss "Radiant Ruby #550"

The lips of the day is here! :D I am into my red lips at the moment, so I will start to post some LOTD or Lips Of The Day here. First out is the new lip gloss combo from Maybelline Superstay PowerGloss. I chose a shade of red that is quite flat and boring in the tube but really comes to life on the lips. And it's not supershimmery or glittery so you look like you've been eating Christmas tree baubles.. At first I was a bit disappointed about the colour as you see on my lips here:


I basically dotted it on and worked it into the lip. Don't think that was very successful, as the colour was very light. But look at that gorgeous gloss! The next day I applied it as it was supposed to be applied; gloop it on! Then slick the gloss extender on. Yowser! I like :) Red glossy goodness but not porn star red! So technically, you could go more or less colourful by working it into the lip before you put the gloss extender on.

It lasted 1 grande latte, 1 yogurt, 2 slices of buttered toast, 1 bag of carrot sticks and houmous and a cinnamon bun. That is a grand total of nice, glossy lips even past 3 o'clock in the afternoon! It takes a lot to impress me with lippy. I am not usually a lips person (I hate when my hair gets stuck to it). But wow. I am impressed! This baby gets 5 of 5 stars for colour, wear and wow-factor :)

I found this video on youTube, shows you how is supposed to go on - real thick, then gloop on the gloss :)

NOTD - Zoya "Irene"

I *love* this polish! Its' a shimmery mossy green colour. Reminds me of chilly autumn days in the forest where you'd get your hands wet and cold on the glistening, dew-laden moss while picking chanterelle mushrooms :)

The application is OK, but the formula is on the sheer and thin side so it tends to streak if you're not careful. But like with "Juicy" the end result is totally worth the hassle. This is 3 coats of polish and Seche Vite on top. My nails are in a state at the moment and peeling a lot so thats why it may look a bit uneven in places.

Hair Detox?

I like to get a bit of a beauty routine detox going spring and autumn. I don't use a tremendous lot of hair product, mostly my fave Tigi BedHead Superstar Thermal Blowdrying Lotion to get that hippie mane more glamourous and a bit of Elnett hair spray on days when I just need to get all that glamourous hair out of my face! But shampoos + conditioners also leave a residue on you hair. So I decided to detox my hair.

I originally intended to get Bumble & Bumble Sunday Shampoo but it was outrageously expensive for something you use once a week (it retails for about £15), so I cheaped out and got Pantene Clarifying shampoo instead (a bargain at £1.89 in Boots). I thought since I don't really use a lot of products maybe this will do the trick. I also got my fave hair mask, John Frieda Frizz-Ease Miraculous Recovery. Then off into the shower! The shampoo really strips your hair - I don't recommend this treatment if you have coloured hair!! It turns squeaky clean. Then I applied the hair mask and left it one while I got on with my shower, for about 3-5 mins. Hair is full of life, shiny as a diamond and frizz-free :) I definitely recommend this detox if your hair is feeling dull and dry, just don't do it if you have coloured hair!