NOTD: Seventeen "Green Gold Shimmer"

Artificial light

In natural light!

This is possibly contender for Nail Polish of the Year!! :) I can't get a good photo of this at all, I will need to take another photo tomorrow in daylight so that you can experience the awesome green that is this rather boringly named polish.

I used 2 coats here and topped it off with Seche Vite. I just love how sumptuous this is. And the formula was top notch too - not too runny and perfect coverage in just 2 coats. I am in love!! :D

So a little update on the MUA Peel Off Base coat - rousing success! So much so that one nail just pinged off when I was making up some fresh substrate for my hermit crabs... Luckily I found it, and the one that subsequently pinged off, before the substrate went into the crab cage. It peels very easily without a trace and there was no damage or staining to my nails (unlike the Isadora Peel Off Basecoat). I will so wear awesome glitter manis now :)

No damage! :)

The polish just comes off in a one - almost like a false nail

My 'dressing table' and everyday makeup!

When people find out I have a beauty blog, they always say "But your makeup is really casual!". Well, yes, my every day makeup needs to be above all office friendly. I can't get away with rocking up with technicolour eyes or fully contoured face - I'm too old for that. Although I get away with any outrageous manicure I like, as that doesn't seem to have an age limit? :) I also don't tend to wear foundation anymore, as I got older it seems my skin hates *everything* including certain foods. The only thing it gets on with lately is Clinique Moisture Surge CC Cream, but it is now coming to the time of year when the nice shade I bought in the summer is too dark. Last winter I used Bareminerals READY Foundation I got as a sample when I needed a bit more cover, but usually I go 'naked' in the winter. But I always do my eyes/lips as you can see! :)

Now, I am not fancy so I don't actually have a dressing table. I use the top of my baby bookshelf and I do have a full-length mirror with very bright makeup lights on it! I bought these LED lights with self-adhesive backs in IKEA, I think they are for under cupboard lighting in kitchens?.. They are mains powered so very bright. The hairdryer is in a holder which I bought in a storage solution shop. I have a jar filled with small buttons to hold all my makeup brushes, and the green fabric box hold my bedside table essentials such as foot cream, hand cream and gloves, hair spray and asthma inhaler. I stand my pencils and such in a glass jar inside the Really Useful Box I use for my makeup essentials.

My 'dressing table' - far left is my box of everyday makeup, my hairdryer, box of 'stuff' and my jar of makeup brushes! I also have a children's night light and a box for my wedding rings!

My makeup mirror - those lights can shine a light down wrinkles the depth of Grand Canyon!!

It's not glamorous perhaps, but it's practical and does exactly what it needs to do! Onto the makeup I use...

You may wonder how many tinted lip balms does one woman need...

So here is my collection of everyday essential makeup items I use. This isn't to say I don't use other stuff and I also don't use all of these things every day! ;)

Clinique Moisture Surge CC Cream in 'Light Medium'
Bobbi Brown 'Brightening Nudes' Finishing Powder
Bareminerals READY Foundation in 'R170' (with mini Kabuki brush)
Smashbox Photo Finish Light Oil-Free Primer
Revlon Colorstay Quad '500 Addictive'
Maybelline Color Tattoo 24hr '65 Pink Gold'
Bourjois Pot Rouge '54 Rose Frisson/Frosted Rose'
Mister Mascara Eye Lash Curler
Rimmel Professional Eye Brow Pencil '002 Hazel'
Rimmel Scandaleyes Eye Kohl '004 Taupe'
Clinique Chubby Stick Moisturizing Lip Colour Balm '07 Super Strawberry' *mini size*
Barry M Showgirl Extra Lengthening Black Mascara
L'Oreal Volume Million Lashes Waterproof Mascara 'Black'
Seventeen Doll'd Up Mascara 'Black'
Nails Inc Cuticle Oil Pen
Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer 'Medium'
MUA ProBase Eye Primer
Burt's Bees Lip Balm Original (with Blax Snag-Free Hair Elastic wrapped around it)
Lip balms from L to R: Barry M Cor Balmy 'Jam Jar', Maybelline Baby Lips Electro 'Pink Shock', Baby Lips Electro 'Strike a Rose' and Baby Lips Original 'Cherry Me'.

So what about application? I always curly my lashes as they are dead straight... I use Real Techniques Expert Face Brush to put on my CC cream/foundation, and use a large powder brush from Bareminerals for the Bobbi Brown finishing powder. For powder eye shadows/pigments I tend to use small sponge applicators, blending them with the Real Techniques Shading Brush. I use my fingers to apply concealer and cream eye shadows. And for lip product I just slap it oooon! :)

Hope you have enjoyed this peek into my 'drawers' and stay tuned for another

report soon featuring palettes that I own... :)

NOTD and small-ish haul

So lots of new stuff sailing into the shops right now in time for winter, including gift sets for Xmas, would you believe it?? It's TOO EARLY!!! Ain't even Halloween yet, jeez...

Anyway I went in to see if I could see the new Glitterati polishes from Barry M that launched today, and ended up with a few bits more :)

FREE Barry M Showgirl mascara if you spend £7 in Superdrug just now, which is easy with all the new stuff! :)

This is my NOTD, Barry M Glitterati "Catwalk Queen" over MUA Peel Off Base and with a slick of Seche Vite over the top. I did 3 coats to get the coverage I wanted. Hopefully it will pop right off with the Peel Off Base or I'm screwed :O

I cleaned up the edges with the new WAH London Clean Up Brush and acetone. It doesn't really move the stubborn glitter particles but I assume it will move any other polish fine!

I also got the new Barry M "Atlantis" as well (middle swatch) and stumbled upon a new display of Seventeen polishes called Colour Carnival, and they are £1.99. OMG. I am going back for a backup bottle already of "Green Gold Shimmer" (left swatch)!!

L to R: Seventeen Colour Carnival "Green Gold Shimmer", Barry M Aquarium "Atlantis"
and Barry M Glitterati "Catwalk Queen"

NOTD: Essie "Angora Cardi" with Barry M Matte "Vanilla"

This is one of those manicures that when you have finished it, you realise the idea was better than the reality. I think it might have been better with the colours on the accent nail the other way round but I can't be bothered redoing it now!

I used 2 coats of Essie "Angora Cardi" and 2 coats of each colour on the accent nail. I used Seche Vite over the top. Oh well. It will have to do :) I might change the accent nail tomorrow night.

NOTD: Circuit Board Geeky Nail Art

So I was feeling like painting my nails on a Friday night... I did Isadora "Beetle Green" as a base; this is 1 coat (yes, 1 coat!). It is a dark green shimmer but it's a bit too 'nearly black' for me to love it. I then used two nail art pens to draw the pattern and dot on the gold. Not as steady as it could be but looks decent further away :)

The other hand looks decent as well, the lines are just a bit fatter :)

Autumn Shimmer Skittle

This is what happens when a nail polishaholic goes crazy and can't make up her mind about what to wear on her nails... I think I might have done something similar before but can't find the exact post?

I used from thumb to pinkie:
OPI Lucerne-tainly Look Marvelous
Sinful Color All Mighty
Sinful Color San Francisco
Sinful Color Color Scare
Sinful Color Sugar Sugar

I used 3 coats on all of these to give a really deep colour, these are all quite sheer but very glowy. Can you tell I dug into my Sinful Color stash?... The photo isn't great, I will try to get a daylight photo tomorrow.

Bring on Halloween!!

So my Halloween Bath & Bodyworks Pocketbac arrived!  :) Very pleased it smells amazing! 

NOTD: George "Kiwi Crush" Nail Art

For the end of the week I sported this rather snazzy manicure, it is two coats of NYC 1Min "Little Italy" (white) with 2 coats of contrasting George "Kiwi Crush" (mint) sugar textured polish. And then I decided I wanted to put some star studs on from one of my Nail Rockits kits. Quite awesome and lasted all weekend too!

I've got a poorly cat at the moment, He was in a fight over territory with another cat and sustained a nasty bite on the front of his shoulder. He's been inside since Wednesday afternoon with a restraint collar but it still isn't healing so he's off to the vets tomorrow. I have used a knee-length sock with dish towels inside as a comfy restraint collar - none of those horrid Elizabethan cones here! He's quite content but it's obviously hurting him today, probably not helped by me having to clean it with salty water to kill the infection.

Mummy's fur-baby...

Unfortunately tonight after washing the cat (no, he's good, just murmurs a bit) I couldn't be bothered doing a laborious manicure so I just put on some nail whitener and Seche Vite... I might change my mind after reading the new issue of Scratch Magazine... :)

NOTD: Barry M Matte "Vanilla"

This is another one of the Barry M's I got when it was 3 for 2 and the new Gelly polishes were released. I have loved it since I first saw it but I tend to wait for a special offer before I buy these, there's always a good offer somewhere on Barry M's :)

This is 2 coats and no top coat. The formula of the Barry M Mattes is a bit weird and can pool easily, flooding your cuticles. But if you're careful they apply beautifully in 2 coats. I found it has worn a bit on the tips today, but all my mattes do that for me. It also loses it's matteness a bit, becomes more of a satiny finish. But it still looks amazing :)

Today's bonus photo is of my hermit crab Zoidberg, after he won the roll-around fight with one of my other hermit crabs over the seaweed sheet! :) To my amusement I saw that Chalkboard Nails has done a crab manicure :D