NOTD: Nfu-Oh Shiny Opals #59

All hail Nfu-Oh...

This is nail polish meant to be worshipped - from the formula and the colour range through the long wear and, last but not least, the sexy bottle design. This is #59 from the Shiny Opal's range or so-called "flakies" - polishes that have little flakes of glitter. The acquisition of the Nfu-Oh's I have were the most expensive so far in my nail fanaticism. I imported them all the way from New Zealand. And I worship them.

This is #59 over Jessica "Bazaar", a dark red creme not dissimilar to MAC "Rougemarie". I always have a hard time capturing the flakies - they are very duochromic and this one shifts from gold through green to blue. The base is a luscious jelly berry colour. This is 1 coat "Bazaar" and 2 coats of #59 (and some extra "dropping" of flakes onto the nail) topped off with a generous helping of Sally Hansen MegaShine to lock in the sparkle!

The beauty of the flakies is that they dry almost flat, so none of the knobbly manicure stuff you can get with some glitters with large particles. I have 3 different brands of flakies; Mavala, GOSH and Nfu-Oh and by far the Nfu-Oh comes out top.

TIP OF THE DAY: When doing multi-layer manicures, patience really is a virtue. To avoid the polish bubbling by trapping solvents between the layers, make sure that you wait at least 5 min between each layer to let the solvents to evaporate. That includes any speed-dry top coat!

Check out more Nfu-Oh manicures of mine...

Gleneagles green.. ..gold n' treasure.. ..hot lava...

...also, THIS would be my dream job! :P

NOTD: Rimmel Play Fast "Out of Control"

So I ended up putting on Color Club "Revvvolution" after taking off "Jumpin' Jade" last night. A serious case of nail polish Attention Deficit Disorder. And I just changed it again tonight - to the super-flashy "Out of control".

It's a super-sparkly goldie-red that applies like a dream and dries quickly. This is 3 coats and Sally Hansen MegaShine. Lovely! :) Got this in a swap as well!

Also check out my work colleagues pinkie I did for her Black Watch cruise! :) It's Rimmel 60sec "Blackout" with a pattern with Misa "Pour me something tall and strong" (blue) and Orly Mint Mojito (green).

NOTD: Sally Hansen "Jumpin' Jade"

I originally put on CND "Blueblood" but I just can't stand how it looks black all the time. So I changed to the luscious emerald Sally Hansen Inst-Dri "Jumpin' Jade". This is 1 coat only! I decided to jazz it up a bit with a coat of Urban Decay "Cult" on my ring fingers. The brush for the Sally Hansen is flat and fans out like the brush for the new Rimmel LycraPro, but the formula is very runny and ended up flooding my small nails. I then had to battle with my camera to pick up the shimmer from "Jumpin' Jade".

Packing my flat up has started and has caused my already dry hands and cuticles to start self-cracking and the ectopic eczema is rampant :( Not impressed. No nail polish looks good on me right now... Guess it's a phase. I will try and put on some of my fave polishes during this week to pick myself up a bit :)

NOTD: Barielle Shades "Grape Escape"

This is a super-duper polish from the 2009 Sugar Rush collection for summer by Barielle. I got this in a swap from America! It was left as an untried for a while as I wasn't sure it would look OK with my skintone. Tomorrows outfit for work is very retro, so I finally decided to try this dusty deep grape polish and it's amazing!!

This is 2 coats over Nailtek II base coat with Sally Hansen Megashine top coat - but only because I couldn't be bothered waiting for it to dry properly; this is super-shiny on its own.

So far I am beyond pleased with Barielle Shades, I wish they would be more easily available in the UK.

Also for all you China Glaze fans out there, check out the super-exciting news from All Lacquered Up!! I have two words: Ooooo-Aaaahz... :D

Lina-Elvira Loves It Thiiiis Much:

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

NOTD: China Glaze "Eyes Like Sapphires"

I got this beauty in a swap ages ago and I've been waiting for the perfect moment to put it on. We've had really rubbish weather lately so first I thouhgt of putting on Rimmel Play Fast "Out of control" to hot things up, but it was next to this one on the shelf and I immediately changed my mind.

This is 3 coats over Nailtek II base coat and with Sally Hansen MegaShine top coat over it. I love the bright navy base and the silver glitter. It's a true eye-catcher! The formula is great if just that little bit sheer, hence 3 layers. But the brush appear to have become a bit splayed over time so it's a bit messy to apply, sorry about that.

NOTD: OPI "La Paz-itively Hot Matte"

I am a sucker for retina-burning hot pinks, as you know, so when I saw it in Scrangie's swatches, I had to have it. I don't actually own the regular version of "La Paz-itively Hot", funnily enough.. I might have to put up a swap post for it.

I had chips after a day with my Zoya "Posh" but I still just adore the matte look as it's soooo far off normal nail polish. As long-term readers of the blog will know, my first satin love was Savina "Marine Life", which isn't actually marketed as a matte. What I like with the Savina is that it has a satiny finish. The OPI is kind of chalk matte, not a speck of shine. The Zoya was a bit more satiny but not as shiny as the Savina. Both my mattes have applied opaque with one coat. However, I put on 2 coats here for more depth. It dries lightning fast, but not in a good way...

And do I like it when it's actually on my nail? Oh goodness yes! It's like chilling in a gorgeous bikini with a nice icy cocktail under a bright parasol on a sandy, hot beach listening to the sounds of the sea... :) That sweet holiday feeling in a nail polish!

But saying that, I can't see myself getting any more mattes. Zoya "Posh" and OPI "La Paz-itively Hot Matte" will be my only choices for the matte trend. One reason I won't get any more is as it would probably ruin the novelty of putting something matte on. The Essie "Matte About You" matte top coat is really hot, so I have heard, so if you want you can get that one and just put it over any colour of your choosing! But if you only get one matte, consider "La Paz-itively Hot" or Zoya "Posh" to be it!

Now what can I possibly put on tomorrow that will go with my gorgeous nails?? Leopard-print silk scarf and a killer LBD you say?.. :)

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

NOTD: Collection 2000 Hot Looks "Big Hair"

I found a range of super-bright, Crayola type colours last week in Superdrug, and they all feel like the are inspired by the early to mid-80s somehow - the bright paintbox colours and names like "Big hair", "Dynasty" and "Button Moon". But maybe that's just me.

I have already showed you the lovely green that is "Ninja" and here is the equally bright and cheerful "Big Hair". It's got a sort of coral quality to it that doesn't come out in the photos. Just like "Ninja", "Big Hair" is tricky to apply as the brush is a bit rubbish, but I did get all 4 polishes for under £6...

It go on very opaque from the first coat but the brush makes it hard to make precise application. This is before cleanup and the cuticles are a bit flooded. It dries quickly. This is 2 coats over Nailtek II ridge filler and with Sally Hansen MegaShine.

Not bad - some seriously cool summer colours here and it's cheap so you can treat yourself :) I soaked off my fake nails as I wanted to apply other ones today but I might do them tomorrow instead for going to see Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince on Tuesday :)

Lina-Elvira Loves It Thiiiis Much:

♥ ♥ ♥

REVIEW: Purity Anti-Ageing Moisturiser

I am into the budget beauty at the moment having to save my pennies as we have finally got our first house, and while cruising for a new moisturiser as my Trilogy has run out, and I can't afford the £20.51 to replace it. Then, as by Providence, I spotted this new line in Superdrug on special offer, this one was £5.35 - so a bargain, and a good promise... Purity is a new line of organic skincare exclusive to Superdrug in the UK. This product is fragrance free but the cream has a slight hint of herbals to it, which I would think are the result of the natural ingredients.

It comes in a opaque white plastic jar, with simplistic labelling. It boasts to contain cranberry seed and rosehip seed oils, high levels of Omega 3, 6 and 9, ceramide 3 and rose flower water. It also contains sweet almond oil, shea butter, beeswax and Aloe vera. It is 98% natural, 75% organic and has organic certification from EcoCert.

So, how was it for me? Well, it applies wonderfully smooth and even my angry skin stayed soft all day! It is kind of cooling on application. I really like it! I will need to re-visit this topic later to report on the long-term effects, but my initial reaction is really positive.

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

NOTD: Holographic French manicure

I had this idea for a while, and wanted to try it with my newt stint of false nails. I love the Kiss full cover nails, they have great shape and wear, plus you get a box of 100 assorted sizes for £5.49. These are the oval ones, you also get square and sport ones as well. I filed mine a bit squoval this time, looks a bit more natural with my cuticles. It's remarkable how a nice set of nails makes me feel better! :)

I put on 2 coats of franken nude pink "Cotton Candy" and did the tips with the incredibly holographic and microglittery Isadora "51 Sparkling Ice" and then the chunkier holographic Essie "Carnival". A slick of Sally Hansen MegaShine and I was off taking pictures!

Next time I will try this and make a strong white French tip first to make the glitter stand out even more!

CHECK OUT...

...Queen of Nail Polish, the lovely Michelle at All Lacquered Up's Barielle collection...

NOTD: Collection2000 "36 Ninja" and what I did today

This polish was one of two I picked up at Superdrug for a bargain of 2 for £2.99! They've put out a number of new bright colours for this brand this week. I love the names too, this one is "Ninja" and the lighter-but-nearly-dupe to Barry M "Mint Green" is called "Button Moon"!

Slightly thick but runny to put on (Big 3 Free, perhaps?) and the brush is stubby. Opaque in one coat but can look a bit streaky so best put on 2 coats. It dries fairly fast. Probably faster with thinner layers, but the brush makes it hard to make tidy work. This is with Sally Hansen Mega Shine top coat. I did one coat "Ninja" and 1 coat of China Glaze "Paper Chasing" on my ring finger.

I also baked a huge and lovely rhubarb pie while I contemplated what polish to put on :)

NOTD: Zoya "Posh"

Told you I had something cool to show you! I've waited what seems like forever for the autumn mattes to come out, I also have OPI La Paz-itively Hot Matte coming. This polish is like heavy velvet drapes, rich and luxurious. I'd kill for a dark emerald version of "Posh" (hear hear Zoya!) It's hard to photograph the lovely texture of this polish. I added some Artclub black striper polish to make a glossy accent (it wouldn't be "me" without the crazy details!).

"Posh" goes on in an intensely super-shimmery way, so I might have to do this again but with a top coat to bring out the shimmer. The application is super-smooth. It dries really quick.

This is 1 coat (yes, one!) of "Posh". This is without a base or top coat, as instructed by Zoya. It also says to avoid oils and lotions so I am not anticipating this manicure to live past tomorrow :) But who cares? The whole manicure including drying time took 10 minutes!

Lina-Elvira Loves It Thiiiis Much:

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ +

EOTD: Emerald Greens

So to go with my green nails I did this eye makeup today. This is Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion, Benefit Creaseless Cream Shadow in "RSVP", Barry M Super Soft Eye Crayon in "No.3 Green", Fyrinnae "Leif" and just in the middle of the lid I popped some Barry M DazzleDust in "72 Emerald"to get that emerald glow! The mascara is Chanel Inimitable in "Noir".

After I took this I realised how much my freckles come out in the summer! Oh well nothing I can't do about that, guess I just have to live with it, as I don't use foundation or concealer just now as none seem to fit my skin tone in the summer when I get tanned.

I've got a killer NOTD planned for tomorrow with a certain red limited edition polish so stick around.. :)

NOTD: Green Britain Day

So today is Green Britain Day and what better way to go green than my top green nail polishes from China Glaze "Gussied-Up Green" and "Moonpool" :)

NOTD: Maybelline "Banana Puddin' "

I always love looking at this colour in the bottle. I am hoping I can get this exact colour made up in Dulux paint so I can paint my new bedroom in it :)

I am not sure that "Banana Puddin' " works with my skintone, and it is still streaky after 3 coats like here. But I still love this polish!

This is a HTF (hard to find) colour and I feel grateful to own it :) I need to do an pedicure with this colour at some point...

Please excuse my incredibly dry and scaly cuticles. I have severe dermatitis on my hands at the moment and that includes the cuticles and fingers :(

Lina-Elvira Loves It Thiiiis Much:
♥ ♥ ♥

NOTD: New York Color "Little Italy" with China Glaze "Orange Marmalade"

So I was reading All Lacquered Up's trendy white manicures yesterday and thought, hey, I gotta try some of that white stuff. NYC "Little Italy" goes on smooth and shiny, this is 2 coats here. Once I had it on I decided I needed something more. Oh hello juicy "Orange Marmalade"! Just what I need :)

This type of nail art is easy to do but you need good brushes in your bottles or it might be very messy.

Well, I'm off to watch 'Chuck' on telly (I have a secret crush on the nerd spy!)

NOTD: New York Color "Chinatown"

I picked this up a while ago because I thought the colour was really cool, not grey, more of a rich, deep dove grey. They had a special offer on these when they launched so got it for a bargain.

I have nothing like this! The colour of the photo does catch a little bit of it's blue flash, but it is more purpley grey in most lights. I love it, very chic! This is 2 coats and Sally Hansen Mega Shine top coat. It dries quickly if you layer it thin. The first coat was incredibly messy and streaky and I despaired. But when you layer on the second coat it turns from painful to perfect! As with "Midtown" this formula suffer 3 Free syndrome and is a bit runny but the brush is good.

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

A tribute to the nail blogging community!

Check it out kidz, Scratch magazine has written a tribute to nail blog queen Michelle over at All Lacquered Up and tossed in a little wink to my beloved MUA!

NOTD: Sinful Color "Color Scare"

As I said, I had a very exciting swap parcel arrive today with a long-time lemming inside - Sinful Color "Color Scare".

It's liquid, super-shimmery, bronze love!! This has shot straight into my Top 20 Nail Polish of all time, in company such as it's equally exuberant Sinful sisters, "Show me the way" and "San Francisco". It is opaque in two coats, glides on effortlessly and dries quickly. This is two coats and Poshe top coat.

Lina-Elvira Loves It Thiiiis Much:

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ +

Friday Night Hair...

...Disaster?

Not quite, but I did tangle one of these Denman Thermo Rollers in my hair pretty badly, took me some serious pulling to get out. It nearly defeated moi, le grande mademoiselle of all things beauty! Puny hair roller, know thy place...

The resulting waves are pretty cool however a bit greasy as I was going overboard with the product. It takes som practice not to tangle these things up, it may require cutting out... So take things slow when you pull them out. Use on towel-dry hair with volumising mousse for instant waves worthy of "Dallas"!

I've actually had these lying around the house for a couple of years, originally optimistically bought for some special occasion, probably. I am digging up some serious gems lately, and certainly more to come as I prepare to move house mid-August! :)

After that adventure, I am now enjoying some well-deserved Star Trek: Voyager and some tea with a large bouffant. I got an awesome swap parcel today all the way from sunny California so hoping to try all those little nail polish gems out soon for you!

NOTD: Rimmel 60sec "Funtime Fuschia"

This has certainly been one of the most stressful and tiring weeks in a long time. However, it is also one week of immense joy - we have finally bought our first home!

Recently, I have been reminiscing about the early days of blog just over a year ago, and I put on this very summery shade - the super-glossy, speed-dry juiciness of Rimmel's "Funtime Fuschia". I love the vibrant pink of this shade and it applies so quickly and flawlessly. Unless like me, you are dead-tired, doing your mani at 22:30 in the evening and so ready for the weekend :) "Funtime Fuschia" also goes ridiculously well with my Minxed toes!

My nails are so short right now I can't really stand them, and I am dying to put on acrylics again using Popits, but I am trying to restrain myself until I can get CND Iridescent Glitter acrylic powder to make a really funky French just like Wee Fee made for me at the CND Open Day.