HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Happy New Year to all my dear readers!

My New Years NOTD is Isadora's "Black Galaxy" from their Xmas 2011 collection Red Rush. It is a super-sparkly stunner - not as crappy as it appears in my photo! This is 2 coats of black holo fabulousness, but it does eat top coat so you will need at least 2 coats of top coat to tame it :O Set it with top coat, then when it is all dry, add another coat of top coat to bring out the sparkle. Worth it though!!

To end 2011, I bring you the scene we had as the sun set for the last time in 2011 over the hills in Hälsingland, Sweden. This is the splendid view from the ancient fort on Borgberget!

NOTD: Depend "255"

I loved this polish when Nailtastic showed it! This is 2 coats with a slick of Depend Quick and Shine top coat! On it's own, this polish dries to a semi-matte finish, which leads me to classify it as a neon!

This strange brew is the green tea 'flowers' from Flora Tea I bought for my Mum for Xmas, very beautiful and apparently tastes lovely too! :)

NOTD: Isadora "Merry Red"

* vroom vroom *

The storm 'Dagmar' kept us awake last night and as we drove to Hassela ski resort, we saw the carnage left by the storm overnight. Hundreds of trees that has been uprooted and taken down power lines; there were even trees blocking one and a half lanes of the E4 motorway! We managed to navigate powerlines and trees on the roads and got to the ski resort - to find it without power. The ski slopes were empty as the ski lift had been taken down by trees... We did however get to ride some killer 150 horsepower snowmobiles!!! And as the skiing was out of the question the adventure guides got special dispensation to ride the slopes with us as the snowmobile trails were blocked by trees... This is me driving the snowmobile and my other half on the back - shortly after I got us stuck in the deep snow going up a steep slope :D Oops!

11 roof tiles came off my parents house :O My brother had the good fortune to fix it when we returned from our adventure. Anyway, to my NOTD. This is 2 coats of Isadora's lovely xmas polish "Merry Red". It's better than this photo shows - my parent's house just doesn't have decent lighting. I may have to get a backup of this :)

Merry Xmas NOTD: Isadora Glitter Graffiti Nails "Pink Fame"

Merry Xmas my dear readers!

I got some killer xmas presents, among them the gorgeous Isadora polishes "Black Galaxy" and "Merry Red" from their 'Red Rush' Holiday Makeup 2011 and this beauty - "Pink Fame" from their line of crackle polishes! It's insanely sparkly, pastel pink glitter with holo glitter but you will need two coats of top coat!! And it's a good thing I discovered my Mum has some pure acetone to remove it with... :P This is a coat of "Pink Fame" over an unknown Maybelline colour which I suspect is "Cherry Red" but my Mum has worn off the text on the label... The base colour dragged out and left some sheer patches but I don't care :)

Lina-Elvira loves it this much:

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

My hermit crab is a June girl!

My hermit crab is on the June spread of the ReptileForums UK unofficial calendar :D My hermit crab Hermione has since changed her shell to a turbo one so this white one is lying empty in the terrarium.

New stuff: Isadora Hair Mascara

Image from Isadora's website!

I'm in first class coach on the train to my parents in Sweden for Xmas, surfing the internet with the free wifi that's included in your first class ticket, hehe... Anyway I came across this new product from Swedish brand Isadora; Hair Mascara! The site is in Swedish here but you can at least see the colours. I think I will be buying one or two - I love this brand and wish I could sell it in UK, the nail polishes alone are to die for! I might have to change my career :P

I'm secretly hoping my mum has secured some of Isadora's Glitter Nail Grafitti crackle polishes...

NOTD: Hard Candy "Lava"

I continue my foray into super-sparkly! This time it is the aptly named "Lava" from Hard Candy. It's an insanely sparkly orangey-red. I think this may actually stay on until Xmas eve :) This is 2 coats with a coat of Sally Hansen MegaShine top coat. If you are sensitive to VNL, you might want to do 3 coats but I'm ok with 2!

Lina-Elvira loves it this much:

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

NOTD: China Glaze "Ruby Pumps" with OPI "Gold Shatter"

Bling it ooooon!!! :) I am seriously getting in the mood for Xmas now - I am  only working 4 days then I am off work until the 16th January, so I thought I would use my OPI "Gold Shatter" from this month's Joliebox. I decided to pair it with my all-time fave red glitter - China Glaze's "Ruby Pumps". Even my Mum has a bottle of "Ruby Pumps" - everyone who sees it, loves it :) This is 2 coats of "Ruby Pumps" and a bit of "Gold Shatter" with a slick of MegaShine top coat.


I'm not sure I like the pretend nail art I've made - looks really messy. But if it sparkles, it'll do today!

Lina-Elvira loves it this much:

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ 

JOLIEBOX December 2011

Where does your eye fall first?..

That's right, it has a light and a mirror on the back!

Oh OPI Gold Shatter, I have a manicure in mind for you tomorrow....

I took delivery of my first Joliebox today, after them joining forces with Boudoir Prive last month. I wasn't sure what to expect. I really liked my first Boudoir Prive box (the old style pink is more me, I am not classy like the black Joliebox...). I have to say, when I opened the Joliebox I went straight for the tea, then the New ID lip gloss. THEN I saw the OPI Gold Shatter. I actually went "OH!!" out loud and woke up the cat. That secured it for me. I've not got an OPI Shatter yet so I am delighted :) And it's not a silly mini size OPI! In due course I will do proper reviews for these and last month's Boudoir Prive box - just been so damn busy lately. I will bring all the products to Sweden with me over my extended Xmas break and will hopefully have lots of time then to review!

Lina-Elvira loves it this much:

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Soap & Glory 'Big Splendour' Gift Set

Woohoo! XMAS has come early this year! Soap & Glory sure knows how to cause a storm - issuing a super offer on Facebook and through their newsletter, and now social media is buzzing with stories of toil as girls everywhere is trying to get their well-manicured mitts on this superb offer! Normally 'Big Splendour' would set you back a hefty £60 but now £25 gives you all of this until 22 December. 'Big Splendour' gift sets are still in stock at Boots.com but expect store supplies to be exhausted! I took the Other Half on a trip to the city centre on our day off to get hold of one (he's a real man who helps when his Woman is hunting down that special something). 

As you may know, I am a bit of a Soap & Glory buff (my purse will never forgive Jenny!). Never really had a bad product from there. Hand Food™ is my favourite hand cream. One of my favourite products ever is their The Fab Pore™ Hot Cloth Cleanser. When times were tough when our house was devastated by the flood, Bright Here Bright Now™ instant radiance energy balm made it easier as I looked ok with no make up required... Having tried a couple of the lip plumping lip glosses I am hoping to delve more deeply into their new make up range, and with an incentivizing 200 Boots points voucher if you spend £10 or more on their make up included in the 'Big Splendour' box I can do just that!

But why, oh, why Soap & Glory have you discontinued Wash Almighty™ and Peachy Clean™??

Anyway, back to 'Big Splendour'. Having missed out on their similar offer last year, I was fairly desperate to get this one. And having scored, I am not disappointed! The cool bag will be used to store the products I am alternating between currently (yes, I am very fickle, I swap products round a lot).

Soap & Glory™ Big Splendour™ includes:

• Clean On Me™ Creamy Clarifying Shower Gel - 500ml
• The Righteous Butter™ Body Butter - 300ml
• Pulp Friction™ Body Scrub - 300ml
• Face, Soap & Clarity™ Fresh Facial Wash - 150ml
• 25 Off Your Face™ Cleansing Wipes
• Heel Genius Foot™ Cream - 125ml
• Hand Food Hand™ Cream - 125ml
• Mist You Madly™ Fragrant Body Spray - 250ml
• Sexy Mother Pucker™ Lip Plumper In Candy Gloss - 7ml
• Calm One, Calm All™ Bubble Bath - 500ml.

If there was anything I would miss in this set it would be the hair care products that Soap & Glory launched this year. And next year I hope to get some of their new make up products in gift sets too, perhaps?...

And now I am off for a nice bath! And I am bringing back my rating system - I missed it :)

Lina-Elvira loves it this much:

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ +

NOTD and my xmas present to myself!

This is 'Electronica' by Massini. It's not blue, it's purple, my camera doesn't agree however. This is 2 coats. I've got some serious bubbling now that's not fully visible in this photo. I am not sure how happy I am with this mani :-/


But I got something else in the mail today I've been waiting ages for - my Versace by H&M bracelet :D Woohoo!! How cool is the box?? It's my xmas present to myself!

NOTD: Misa "Speed of Life"

I was bored with "Robotic" so I replaced it with this polish for tomorrow! This is 2 coats, I should have done 3. It's pretty tricky to apply, kind of streaky and thin. And it gives me lobster-hands! But I don't care, the orange totally lightens up dark winter nights :)

Looking at this mani it is clear I need to replace my bottle of MegaShine, there's hardly anything left and it's starting to produce serious shrinkage on the polish....

NOTD: NYX "Robotic"

This is another of the NYX polishes. This is a rather sheer polish so I put 2 coats over a coat of the black creme from the Fearne "Midnight Manicure" box set. It has an alluring twinkle in more direct light but in dim light it's one of those annoying 'almost black' finishes... I may tire of this quickly ie before Monday, but we shall see! :)

Pantone Color of The Year 2012 'Tangerine Tango'

Many people are agast at Pantone's projected top colour for 2012 - a deep orange called 'Tangerine Tango'. I think it's lovely! :) Now what nail polish matches this colour?...

Pantone Color of The Year 2012 - 'Tangerine Tango'

Perhaps Misa 'Speed of Life'? Let that be my next NOTD :)

NOTD: Collection 2000 Hot Looks "Diva"

I am finally recovering from the massive cold I had, so I needed something red. This is 2 coats of "Diva" with a slick of MegaShine for a speedy drying - it's such a shiny polish it doesn't need a high-shine top coat :) It is very tricky to photograph this; in some lights it looks tomato red, in others a dark vampy blood red...It is really much darker than the photo shows but at least I managed to get the cool clean red base of this polish.

Must be off as I've still got quite a few Xmas presents to buy online :O

NOTD: NYX "Sue"

It's not often I say it but.. I really don't like this nail polish. It's sheer (this is 3 coats), streaky, runny and the colour is just that 'too nude' gold that makes my nails look like smoker's hands but in a nail polish :(


Sorry NYX, nil points on this polish. It wasn't even on for ten minutes before I had to take it off as it suffered some serious shrinkage and was wrinklier than a raisin...

So I instead quickly slicked on one coat of OPI Matte "La Paz-itively Hot". And in an instant I went from hollow inside with disappointment to feeling like a million dollars :) This is one coat over base coat (as sometimes I get staining from mattes). It won't last very well but it doesn't matter - this is hot summer all-night party in a bottle!

November' s BOUDOIR PRIVE box

So it FINALLY arrived, the November 2011 Boudoir Prive box. This was my first box, so I haven't got any to compare with. I am glad I got the red shade of lipstick - I've seen online that some subscribers got a shimmery nude - REALLY not my colour! But red is totally me :)

I was a bit disappointed to see sachets in the box, but looking at the full price of these products in the little leaflet, it's clear it's still a good deal for the £10 you spend!

I am yet to try the shampoos and conditioner, but the other products are really nice on. Unfortunately I've got a mega-cold so I can't comment on any fragrances... I especially like the face mask, it feels very luxurious. I will let you know once I've tried the products for a week to see how they stand up :)

In my box this month was:

1) Dead Sea Spa Magic Silky Smooth Body Lotion
2) Korres Wild Rose 24 hour Moisturiser
3) Rahua Voluminous Shampoo and Conditioner (2 x sachet of each)
4) Vinies Ayurveda's Soul Luminous Skin Mask
5) Studiomakeup Rich Hydration Lipstick (full-size product)

XMAS GIFT GUIDE: Age-Defying Lingerie anyone?

Debenhams Age-Defying T-Shirt Bra, £20

So let this be the first instalment of the Official Pretty Perfect Beauty XMAS Gift Guide 2011 - anti-ageing lingerie. Pushes up your bosom in the right places to give you a more youthful look! Well, why spend all that money on anti wrinkle creams for your face if your cleavage then betrays your years??

Available exclusively at your Debenhams department store.

NOTD: NYX Girls "Woman"

I have officially started on the red glitters, so what else is there to say other than "It's 31 days til Xmas!"

This is 2 coats of polish over base coat with a slick of Sally Hansen MegaShine top coat on the top. After seeing it dry and how the polish has "eaten" the top coat, I may slick on another coat tomorrow morning to bring back the shine.

This polish glows like embers :) I have a couple of more NYX Girls polishes for you in the next few weeks that should be real corkers on the nails!

And look what I found for £1.50 in Boots??? I wanted this compact when it came out (I believe it was Spring 2011?) but didn't want to pay full price. I love the different pastels, I hope I can try some of these over the coming couple weeks for you to see.

NOTD: Depend "186"

And check out my camoflaged Hermit Crab, it's like she thinks she's a Navy S.E.A.L or something... :)

I put on Zoya "Irene" yesterday but I had  to take it off as it had produced the most horrific shrinkage when I woke up this morning. May I just say how addictive pure acetone is to remove polish?... It's just so.. strong! Melts through glitter and deep colours. Not like the slow-ass usual non-acetone remover I use. But no more pure acetone. It's lethal to the nails. Must stop using it.

Anyway onto today's NOTD, Depend "186". This is 1 coat. That's right, 1 coat. And a slick of MegaShine. Perfect formula, glides on like a penguin on ice. It may be a dark brown creme but it's gorgeous! I may have to get a back-up bottle of this when I go home to Sweden for Xmas :)

NOTD: Nail Rock for BBC Children In Need

Elvis the Cat is moderately excited by my 'Pudsey' nails...

Every year, the BBC hosts a giant spectacle called Children In Need to raise money for just that! This year, Nail Rock did two sets of designer nail wraps of which 25% of the price goes to Children In Need. I saw them by fluke in Boots and I am very glad I bought them! I just love the spotty pattern. There was this white version and also a black version with coloured spots. The pack contains 16 nail wraps and I still have six bits left to do maybe two sets of pedicures and a feature nail :)

Nail Rocks do not require heat to put on or remove from your nails, other than that they apply pretty much like Minx or Kooky Nails. I have a very strong C-curve on my nails so nail wraps are very tricky to fit, especially when you are doing it on yourself... Hence I have wrinkles on them. I have not tried Nail Rock before so I will let you know how they wear!

EDIT: I had to take these off after about 24 hrs as they were starting to peel off and wrinkle up. With patience, they come off easy and without nail damage. The trick is to pick it up gently at a corner and GENTLY and SLOWLY peel the sticker off the nail.

REVIEW: UNE Skin-Matt Foundation

UNE Skin-Matt Foundation

I am starting to get back into my makeup routine now so I thought I'd review some of my latest finds. I have had my eye out for UNE foundations since the brand launched but they seem so expensive (£12.99 RRP) for a high street brand. However, I discovered I had A LOT of Boots Advantage Card points so I thought, why not treat myself?? And I am glad I did!

I normally have a major issue with foundations - they irritate my skin. So that's why I thought that the UNE range might be ok as it it more natural and contains organic ingredients. The colour I chose was M05, it seemed the closest to my current skin colour after my summer tan has faded. It looks like the range has a large-ish range of colours from very pale to dark but I am not sure how the colours would work for really dark skin, as the range doesn't seem to stretch that far.

The consistency of this foundation makes it a bit tricky to apply. I found I squirted out far too much product the first time. Also you have to be fairly quick to blend it in and it has a 'dry' texture. Once you have mastered the texture you are onto a winner, however. It dries to a semi-matte finish that stayed put until the late afternoon to me. The finish is a light to medium coverage, which is fine with me as I don't have a lot of spots or other imperfections to hide. It doesn't seem to smell a lot; supposedly the perfume is 'natural lotus flower fragrance', whatever that is...

I've no outbreaks of spots from this yet. It doesn't state the ingredients on the UNE website but other sites have a detailed breakdown and there appears to be no silicones in it. That may be why my skin seems ok with this foundation!

I am not sure I should have picked a matte finish for winter though, so I might have to take my Boots Advantage Card out again to get the UNE Skin-Glow foundation as I still have loads of points! :)

You can read more about the UNE range here.

Has anyone else tried anything from UNE? What did you try, and did you like it?

NOTD: Holo layering

I think I should call this layering 'Galaxy' or something :)

One of my rescued Red Claw Crabs!

It's so hard to photograph the holo glitter - it's mega-sparkly but it only hints to it in the photo! This is Essie's "Carnival" over the black polish from Fearne 'Midnight Manicure' Christmas box set (BEST box set ever!!). I don't know why I fancied this combo but I did, just like I don't know why I love "Terra Nova" TV series, I just do!

I am hoping to review some new makeup later in the week, I went on a spree with my Boots points :)

NOTD: Barry M Instant Nail Effects "Silver Foil"

It's become unusal for me to do my nails at the weekend but I couldn't stand the Models Own any more... And judging by the comments on my previous post, I am not alone in being mega-disappointed :(

Anyway, back to today's NOTD. This is only 1 coat with MegaShine. It's very very foily :) The formula is a bit tricky however, it is runny and can streak if you are not careful. It's flooded my cuticles quite a bit. I actually got this polish when it first came out but I tidied it away in a safe place and only just found it today!

I have acquired a really bad case of acute neck and shoulder pain, it's very sore, so I am lying comfortably watching Jaws 2 (completely dire movie)... I am glad I found this post at Nailtastic - I have pre-booked my bottle with my Mum!!!  One look at these photos makes me wish I still lived in Sweden!

NOTD: Models Own "Purple Blue" from the Beetlejuice collection

I hate to say it but once again I am disappointed in the opacity and formula of Models Own polishes. This may be the last one I ever buy from this brand. This is 3 coats and a slick of MegaShine top coat.

This collection of duochromes was very hyped but - I don't like it. I can't actually get it to shift in colour, just a dirty purple... I will see if daylight will make a difference tomorrow.

If you are tempted by these, forget about them and save your money for xmas shopping...

NOTD: 2True Crystal Polish "Shade 04"

I have started a love affair with purple lately. I had a long phase of purple in my youth before pink, and now green, took over. A certain old pal of mine called me 'Lady Lilac'! :) Anyway, moving on. I saw this £1.99 beauty in Superdrug (this brand is exclusive to Superdrug I believe) and couldn't resist! There was also a cool blue one. This is 2 coats with a slick of MegaShine. The glitter seems a bit dull in the photo, the camera just isn't able to translate the glitteriness.

Now I have to admit I actually chose this polish over the Models Own "Purple Blue" from their Beetle Juice collection... I know. It's sickening really. But I just really wanted to try this purple out instead :)

NOTD: Orly "It's up to blue"

Man I love the colour of this polish! And I hate how it never photographs right :( It's not actually as blue as it appears in the photo - it has a luminous green duochrome flash to it. My old swatch is slightly better. I had also forgotten how much I really do hate the formula :( this is 3 coats, with a slick of MegaShine.

Anyway I spotted the advert for the new Orly GelFX soak off gel polish in the November 'Scratch' magazine - and hence my desire to put on "It's up to blue"! I will have to get myself one of these manis!

Look at the green flash in this photo - that's what this colour looks like in real life!!

Unknown mushrooms in my garden!

I needed a dark manicure today after digging around in the garden all day. It's now ready for winter. And winter is here. Last night temperature dropped to below 2C, and while I was out it was only about 5C even though it was clear blue sky and sunny. Good thing I finally found a winter jacket I like this week :)

My baby is a calendar girl! :)

I love my wee critters, and today I found out one of my hermit crabs has been chosen to appear in an exotic pets 2012 calendar :D I entered the photo in this post, and it's been chosen! I have pre-ordered a desktop calendar so of course I will have to show it to you when it arrives!

Hermione is burrowed down to moult at the moment or I could have treated her to a nice bit of food :)

NOTD: Dior Addict "Rose Ellipse"

Dior Addict "Rose Ellipse"

Nanoblur cream on the right hand side of my hand! Can you spot the difference?...

This polish has been sitting untried for, eh, 7 years, or more?.. My dad bought it for me in tax free some years back but I have always put it aside for more enticing shades! No longer! This is 2 coats with a slick of MegaShine for quick-dry finish. It is a whitish nude with gold shimmer, very subtle and fresh!

I also tried a bit of Nanoblur cream on my hand at lunchtime. Haven't heard? It's the latest thing! It is an optical cream that blurs out imperfections. I've read several reviews of it, the debate rages on whether you love or loathe it. It doesn't seem to work with liquid foundations at all, however I do not usually wear liquid foundation so I might have to spend some Booths points on this tomorrow... I ran a 'blind test' with my colleagues and it seems we all agree - you can see a difference. Forgive the rubbish photo off my phone!