Pretty Perfect Beauty 200th Post!

This is my 200th post so first I wanted to thank everyone who reads my humble blog, you guys are the best! :)

Secondly, to celebrate, I thought perhaps something nice and sparkly and hard-to-find, so I give you Kolor "Opulent" (aubergine creme) with a splash of sparkle from Viva La Diva #70 and some Konad with Sally Hansen "Carnelian Chrome" :)


Pretty nice, don't you think? :)

A Trip Down Nail Polish Nostalgia Lane....

Hello all! I am going through some old photos of my nail polish stash and listening to Kings of Leon, daydreaming of long summer evenings and long drinks. Soon they will be here. Warm breezes on tanned skin and cool grass or hot sand between your toes...

So I thought I would bring you the photo of my all-time favourite nail polishes for summer holidays. They are a collection of Rimmel's from about 2002 or so. All but the blue duochrome is from the same "seasonal collection". I put them all together after acquiring the green "Arresting" and the purple "Climax"!

The green polish has sort of the same story as that about the Rimmel Camouflage... It broke while on holiday and I have not found it again until now! :) And yes, that is splodges of "Arresting" on the blue "Atlantic" bottle from "the incident... So I hope you enjoyed the nostalgic trip down nail polish lane and feel excitement over summer approaching. And hear ye nail polish companies, this is what I (and I think a lot of others agree) want from a collection - vivid rainbow of cool colours and super-smooth, opaque coverage that dries quickly. 'Nuff said.

Lina-Elvira Loves It Thiiiis Much:

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ +

NOTD - Wet 'n' Wild Wild Orchid

I got this beauty in a swap from America recently and I have been dying to try it out :) It's a bit sheer so I decided to layer it over two coats of Nails Inc "Miami Purple". And this is the result. I should have chosen a different background colour other than "Miami Purple" as "Wild Orchid" is a cool colour so perhaps next time I will go for OPI "Purple with a purpose", I think. Anyway, the polish is very nice and not nearly as holographic and sparkly in the picture as it is in real life! This is definitely a winner for me :) I can't get these polishes where I am in the UK so it's really nice to be able to swap for them!

NOTD: Rimmel LycraPRO "Urban Princess"

First off, sorry for the lack of posts lately - things have been really chaotic with me being made redundant and unemployed and then suddenly getting offered a temp job. I am back, however, and I will be posting as normal from now on, hopefully :)

And now to the NOTD - and the discovery of a really exciting new nail polish line - or almost! Rimmel has revamped their Lycra range, and added the suffix PRO to it to show they have the new "mistake-free" maxi brush. It is now quite pricy, £4.15 RRP. That's a lot for a drugstore brand. But this colour took my fancy - it looked like a spring-like, cheerful petal pink that would be work appropriate :)

The brush is new, its properly flat and a rounded fan shape that makes application easy-peasy to say the least. The application was flawless. "Mistake-free" are the words!! And the formula is super-smooth and highly pigmented. This is two thin coats. No cleanup necessary. On some wider nails you might need to do two fan strokes along the sides but I have tiny-teeny nails so wasn't a problem for me. I am in love. This is definitely worth the money!

Lina-Elvira Loves It Thiiiis Much:
♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ +

Out-Of-Office Reply...

Just in case any of you wondered why you've not heard anything from me lately, this is why...

I was 1053m up on top of a mountain in the Cairmgorms in Scotland... :)

That's me on the right, trying hard not to blow away in the gale force hail and rain :)

Sneak Peek Into the Pretty Perfect Beauty Office

Since I have been digging around for a lot of stuff lately to do with me finding a new job, my flat has been turned upside down, so it was time to put some order back into chaos. I found some time this afternoon to do a little bit of cleaning, so I decided to reclaim my desk. No "before" photos, cause it was just piled high with paperwork, laundry to be put away and odd bits of makeup and "stuff"... It took some doing but finally I actually have an office!

And yes, I have a Houston Firemens Calendar AND a 365 Days of Shoes Calendar... :) And TWO computers...

NOTD: Sally Girl "Get Out!"

Wow! I bought two of these little bottles because I absolutely loved the way it looked in the bottle. My initial instincts were correct - this is a killer polish! It goes on smoothly but dries with that glitter gravelly finish so you need a good thick topcoat. This is 3 coats with Poshe topcoat. The best way to describe these is a glassy foil-y finish that gives off an insane sparkle in any light. It has a coral pink shade, not as orangey as shown here - it is an impossible polish to capture on camera!

My only gripe with the Sally Girl polishes is that the bottle is only 5.1ml (compared to for example China Glaze's 14ml and Rimmel 60sec's 8ml). And for that 5.1ml you pay £1.50. If you have long nails a full manicure might use up half of the bottle! I think I will layer these colours with cremes for a bit of opacity to make them last longer.

Lina-Elvira Loves It Thiiiis Much:
♥ ♥ ♥

FOLLOW-UP: Imju Fiberwig Before&After Pix

This is a before and after with Imju Fiberwig, especially for reader Lizzz262 :)

NOTD: Savina "Marine Life"

I received this gem in a swap from America, and I was immidiately drawn to the fantastic colour of it. I opened the bottle and saw the formula was sort of goopy and highly pigmented so I decided that Seche Clear would probably be the best choice of base coat. It applied thickish but absolutely beautifully. This is ONE thicker layer of colour. Only one. Perfect coverage. And not really any cleanup to do! It dries to a soft matte finish which is exquisite to look at! I love it. So different from anything else I have :) Thank you so much to the lovely MrsFinley @ Makeupalley!

Can't really find any information on this brand, so if you know more about it, please let me know :)

Lina-Elvira Loves It Thiiiis Much:

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ +

NOTD: China Glaze "Strawberry Fields"

This was my Monday morning recruitment agency meeting manicure :) This is 2 coats over Seche Clear base coat. Unfortunately this polish displays the same chiptastic formula as "Orange Marmalade" so I will be changing it soon.

♥ Sharing the blog love! ♥

I've been voted fabulous by the lovely Dr Frankenpolish! Thank you so much, it does mean the world to me that people find my writings enjoyable! :) She has the most fantastic blog where she showcase her fantastic Frankenpolish, or self-blended nail polishes. Here are my choices for other top blogs I read all the time and love very much (supposed to be ten but couldn't choose!!)!

• Dr Frankenpolish


• The Nailphile


• Scrangie


• All Lacquered Up


• e-polishblog


• Neglelakkmani


• The Polish Pixie


• Nail Juice


• Makeupmylack


• The Polish Addict


• A Stroke Of Color


• Misa Polish


• La passion des ongles


• The crystal files


• Rocketqueen

To join in the fun, here's what to do:

1. Put the logo on your blog or post.

2. Nominate at least 10 blogs which you think are fabulous.

3. Be sure to link to your nominees within your post.

4. Let them know that they have received this award by commenting on their blogs.

5. Share the love and link to this post and to the person from whom you received your award.

So go on, share the blog ♥!

REVIEW: Imju Fiberwig Mascara ♥ ♥ +

This mascara has the most unflattering name in the history of makeup :) I bought this new on eBay from Hong Kong for less than you buy a drugstore mascara in the UK (between £7-15), and that includes the shipping. This sells for a staggering $22 at Sephora!

Apparently, Imju Fiberwig is 'Japan’s best selling mascara'. I have read mixed reviews on this product, some which were praising it as a Holy Grail and some not liking it at all. It has emerged as somewhat of a cult item among beauty fanatics, so I thought it needs to be rigorously tested by myself to ee if it passes the Pretty Perfect Beauty tests! :)

First off it needs to deliver on its' promises - long 'false lash' effect lashes. Secondly it needs to be smudge and fall-out proof. Thirdly, it needs to pass the removal test (no harsh scrubbing, no panda eyes the next morning).

Firstly, problem number 1 was the instructions. As I don't read Japanese, I was lost as to if there was any specific instructions on how to use this product! But I suppose that what you get for buying direct from overseas... :P

The formula is very runny and messy. You can see the tiny filamentous fibers in the formula already on the brush.

Some reviewers used Fiberwig over their normal mascara to add lenght to just the tips of the lashes (to avoid the curl sagging, as seems to be the problem with this formula). I did this too as it was so messy on its own I kept smearing it around my eyes... So this is before and after shots of Fiberwig over Chanel Inimitable (lashes curled with curler). Yeah, no false lash effect here, it's still pretty spindly with just slightly longer lashes. I think the lashes look fatter with only the normal mascara...

It does however come off easily and it doesn't smudge or flake! Always something!

So in the end, I think what I paid for it was probably worth it just for testing and occassional use, but I would never fork out $22 for this product. I have used other 'false lash' effect mascaras in the past (Dior Show, Max Factor False Lash Effect) which are cheaper/ just as expensive or more accessible than this brand. Don't believe the hype, just because it's big in Japan, doesn't mean it's worth spending a small fortune for it. If you still want to try it for yourself, get it cheap on eBay!

Lina-Elvira Loves It Thiiiis Much:
♥ ♥ +

http://www.fiberwig.com/

NOTD: Nails Inc "Hanover Street"

When I wore this last time I didn't take a photo of it, strangely enough. Its a metallic deep blue, with a slight hint of green. It just borders on a teal. This is one of the polishes I bought in London in October. It has that fantastic Nails Inc formula that makes the brand so good - opaque in 2 thin coats and a fantastic depth. This is 2 thin coats over Nailtek Foundation II and Poshe top coat.

Lina-Elvira Loves It Thiiiis Much:

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

NOTD: Misa "Bikini with a martini"

Zoiks!

This is exactly what I need right now - brightest highlighter pen neon red! :) Aptly named, its a tropical island holiday in a nail polish. This is 2 coats over Nailtek II Foundation base coat then a coat of Poshe top coat.

Lina-Elvira Loves It Thiiiis Much:
♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ +

NOTD: Sinful "San Francisco"

This absolute stunner is a long-time lemming for me, satisfied through a swap! I've had some ups and downs the last couple of days as I am being made redundant in my job, and I really really needed something green and serene... Sinful SF is just what the doctor ordered - Dr Frankenpolish that is :P

This is Nailtek II Foundation, 3 coats of the polish and Poshe top coat. It seems to have a slight blue shimmer hiding in the depths, and was really hard to photograph.

Lina-Elvira Loves It Thiiiis Much:

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Swap Parcel in the post!

I recently did my very first swap with a lovely lady on MUA, also known as Dr Frankenpolish. I have to say that it's the new thing! :) In today's economic climate, swapping is the new buying! :)

Dr Frankenpolish herself sent me an awesome frankenpolish she'd made, just have a look! How awesome is this polish?? I can't wait to try it on!

Check out her fantastic blog right now to see more frankenpolish goodness!

NOTD: Misa "Dirty, Sexy, Money"

This is one of several awesome shades from Misa's Spring 2009 collection Living on the fast lane. It's a dusty creme teal shade, almost a little bit grey. A sophisticated take on green, if you like. This is 2 coats over Nailtek II Foundation with a coat of Poshe over the top. Quick drying even without the top coat. I love it so much I have 2 bottles of this shade, I can see myself wearing it all the time in the summer. What do you think about this one?

Lina-Elvira Loves It Thiiiis Much:
♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

FOTD: Tribute to Dolly Parton

I'm going to a costume party so hence the get-up, haha. You didn't seriously think I dress like this?.. Although you might be forgiven for thinking it :P

Anyway this is in honour of the colourful lady of country music - Ms Dolly Parton. A childhood hero of mine, who has just released a song that kind of applies to me too - Backwoods Barbie :) Anyway, getting back to the matter at hand. This turned out to be an exercise in theatrical makeup. I needed to look super-perfected (normally I'm more of a slap-on-dash-out kinda girl...) Hence, bring on all the primers and the face powder, which I normally don't bother with. Also Dolly always matches her nail polish to her lipstick, so I had to find a near perfect match in my stash to my beloved Superstay Powergloss!

FACE

Maybelline Superstay Silky Foundation "Cameo"

L'Oreal True Match Compact Powder "Rose Beige"

MAC Blushcreme "Sweet William"

EYES

Bobbi Brown Corrector "Bisque"

Bobbi Brown Concealer Kit "Beige"

Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion

Benefit Creaseless Cream Eyeshadow/Liner "RSVP"

Barry M Supersoft Eye Crayon "Blue"

Fyrinnae Eyeshadow "Digital Faerie"

Chanel Inimitable Mascara "Noir"

LIPS

Maybelline Superstay PowerGloss "Radiant Ruby"

NAILS

Wet n' Wild Rock Solid Nail Lacquer "Rockin' Rubies"

It was a great night out! But thank goodness for Clinique's makeup remover Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm! It took 2 washes before I could go to bed, haha!

NOTD: Misa "Pour me something tall & strong"

This neon blue is fantastic! As with my other Misa's, the first coat looks appalling, but the second magically makes it opaque and perfect! This needed 3 coats however for my taste. I also put on a coat of Poshe top coat to bring out the radiance, as this as most neons dry matte. It dries a little bit slower than my other neons but it's still "quick dry".

I can't stop looking at my new little nubs! I had to cut them right down as my work isn't cut out for long nails, it just makes them scraggy. I have got over the inital ouch of actually feeling stuff with my fingertips and it's not so bad now. But it's always depressing to cut your nails right back.

Lina-Elvira Loves It Thiiiis Much:

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Bloom "Bianca" Travels To USA! :)

I recently sent a bottle of Bloom "Bianca" to Siobhan at The Nailphile as I knew she would give love to it! :) She has posted some lovely swatches today so go check them out ASAP!

NOTD: China Glaze "Grape Juice"

So this is my 2nd polish for the summer collection Summer Days from China Glaze. "Grape Juice" went on a bit sheer for my liking, this is 3 coats, and if you had longer nails you would probably have the dreaded VNL, visible nail line. I have had to give up my long nails as desktop publishing and long talons don't gel. My nails have been a mess lately so I've given up and gone for a serious, right to the fingertip chop...

I love these polishes but they are gloopy and messy to apply. They also dry very slowly, even with Poshe, I know I might be waking up with sheet marks on my nails... But I love the colour and it's very glitter and summery and patience will be rewarded :)

This colour has no twin in my collection, it's on a line between purple and lilac!

Lina-Elvira Loves It Thiiiis Much:
♥ ♥ ♥

REVIEW: Neal's Yard Remedies Frankincense Hydrating Cream

I took a photo of this but it'd disappeared in cyberspace. No matter!

I got this face cream as a trial. It's consistency looks a bit like a thick gel, not a cream. It's very nice to put on and moisturises all day. It's fragrance free which I love, being used to more organic beauty products nowadays I find fragrance irritates me. It's 91% organic.

It's 25g that costs £9.50 so not sure I'd pay that. The website also states it's a limited edition? I got this free with the April issue of UK Marie Claire. Now there is a quality freebie :P

Lina-Elvira Loves It Thiiiis Much:
♥ ♥ ♥

NOTD: Color Club "Revvvolution"

This is an awesome nail polish! It's a proper black holographic lacquer, blowing the old OPI My Private Jet clean out of the water :) This is 2 coats over Seche Clear, no top coat, as that tends to scatter some of the holographic effect. It dries really quickly and a little matte like most holos.

Lina-Elvira Loves It Thiiiis Much:
♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥