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:

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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:
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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:

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