NOTD: Barry M "Burgundy Croc Effects"

I saw this on 'Imagination in Colour' and had to find it! I love Emma's manicure with orange-golds and this! I put "Burgundy Croc Effects" over Isadora "Gold Sparkles" which is a fine gold glitter polish. I think I would need to slather on the "Burgundy Croc Effects" thicker next time, as I seem to have got a 'micro-croc' effect instead of mock-croc like Emma's swatches :S

I love it though - this photo is the best of an awful bunch. It just wouldn't show the glittery gold through the cracks. It's much cooler in reality :)

NOTD: Zoya "Ivanka"

I fancied a proper, can't-miss-it green, so I broke out "Ivanka" from the Sparkle Collection from Zoya. The only whole collection I own :) I love this on the nail, it's a forest green with shimmering glass-fleck. Very lovely! It doesn't photograph well at all however - my previous "Ivanka" NOTD also had a crap photo.

The formula is a bit thin and runny, but it covers ok. Just be careful with application as it can create some see-thru bits if you haven't got enought polish on the brush. But you can't have too much either or it will flood the cuticles. Took me couple fingers to get it right... This is 3 coats with a slick of MegaShine (couldn't find the Lumos bottle - I suspect the cat has been playing on my desk...).

Please excuse the broken cuticle on my little finger AGAIN. I was out surveying plants today again and while brushing off some dirt the cuticle (that wasn't actually that dry and sticky-out) caught and ripped off :S It's very hot and swollen despite me cleaning it and dressing it (ahem, after I finished the nails..). I hope this is not going to be a continuing problem.

NOTD: OPI "La Paz-itively Hot"

Decided I needed a nice and bright pink so there was only one solution - go matte and neon :) I love this OPI, it's like a hot summers day in a bottle!

The formula on mattes is generally crap and this is no exception. This is 2 coats but it has gone a bit streaky as you can see. But far away this is not an issue! It dries super-fast. It does last decently a couple of days but the matte look gradually fades and the resulting finish is more satiny. But not a problem, it's still gorgeous :)

NOTD: H&M "Lady Luck"

I found this in an H&M in Sweden while I was on holiday. It's an intensely shimmery, almost metallic, teal green with a slight blue duochrome. It's just what you'd need to cheer yourself up for a Monday that is fast approaching... :(

This is 2 coats with a slick of Lumos top coat. It's sooooo sparkly! It's got a tricky formula though, you will need to take care while you apply as you easily get brushstrokes. It's kind of runny as well so pools easily at your cuticles if you are not careful which is also annoying. But for the fabulous colour, I will put up with the crappy formula :)

I'm off to feed my beasties and finish up the baby blanket I have been knitting for my work colleague!

NOTD: Sally Hansen Nail Prisms "Amber Ruby"

Today was really misty and grey all day and walking home we saw the first autumn leaves falling into the street :O To cheer myself up I decided to put on this multichromatic polish that is sadly now long discontinued! You can still find bottles now and then on eBay though. I put it over a coat of Rimmel "Black Cherries", a dark, vampy purple to darken the colour of the finished paintjob. This is 1 coat of "Black Cherries" and 2 coats of "Amber Ruby". I finished off with a coat of Lumos top coat.

I then tried to photograph it... :( You can see the shimmery dark red base colour well on my nails but to get the spectrum that this polish changes through, you need to look at the bottom left corner of the bottle! It goes from teal to green to amber to the deep red of the base colour - absolutely amazing :) It's reassured me of the beauty of autumn colours and I don't feel so bad it's now autumn after we missed out on a proper summer!

NOTD: Depend Holographic "Plum 2030"

I needed something cheerful for returning to work tomorrow :( ugh, it's really not been long enough of a holiday... And it feels disappointing that the Olympics are over too, I'd forgotten how much I love watching it :) 

This is 3 coats which surprised me - all my other holos have been one-coaters? But the multiple coats with it's jelly quality makes the sparkles truly shine! This photo is the best of a bad bunch - you need to see this in person to fully appreciate it :) The base colour is a lilac, even though it's called 'plum'. Love this - really wish I'd been able to find the pink one "Charm Pink 2029" now!! 

I have got a bunch of samples to try including my Sophyto products, so I will need to work up a plan. I think I will start with the 14 day Garnier Ultralift challenge. Here is the dreaded 'before' shot (please excuse the midge-eaten eyebrow):

I am not sure if I fit into the age group for this test? :) I think I will say I am a 2, and we can take it from there! The scale goes up to 10. 

NOTD: Depend "308"

I got this lovely jelly red shimmer on my holidays, so I thought I would post a quick photo! :) This is 3 coats with some Depend top coat; you still get VNL with that but its so hot and shimmery you won't care :)

NOTD: Isadora "Paradise Green"

I'm just posting a quick manicure while waiting for our bbq to heat up :) this is one of Isadoras summer polishes. This is 2 costs with Depend top coat. The top cost has a bluish pigment to it, probably to enhance the colour if polishes but I'm not so sure I'm a fan? But it is cheap and dries quickly so hey...