NOTD: Hard Candy "Lava"

I decided I wanted to wear something red and scorching hot after recovering from this wretched 'flu I've been suffering for a week. I chose this old super-hot glitter from the revamped Hard Candy range (they have since revamped again!). I doubled up and did a matching pedicure as well!

I used 2 coats here with a slick of Seche Vite. It really does glow like lava!! :) I think if you are sensitive about VNL you need to do 3 coats but my nails are so short it doesn't bother me.

I've picked up something new as well - Sally Hansen Cuticle Rehab nail oil. I decided I needed something portable for my cuticles after months of hideously dry cuticles. This is an oil in a squeezy tube with a little brush. I found it rather hard to squeeze the oil out, which might be a good thing if you're thinking of keeping this in your handbag... The oil smells lovely and fresh, almost like watermelon? Love it! Now we just have to wait and see how it works using it 3 times a day for 7 days :)

Sally Hansen Cuticle Rehab - Before!

NOTD: Maybelline Color Show Acid Wash "Mint Acid-ittude"

I lusted after these 'Acid Wash' polishes as soon as I saw the promos popping up on the shelf in Boots (as usual well in advance of them actually having any stock...). I then saw some swatches elsewhere on the Internet and was sold. I needed.

So I got this particular one from the collection because it's mint coloured and I'm a sucker for mint coloured. The formula is OK if you don't overload the brush, this is 3 thin coats and a slick of Seche Vite. The large hexagons are a bit tricky, they just tend to appear where you don't want one, like in a clump together on the same nail. The polish isn't entirely flat on my nail either because of the various glitters, but it could be because I've got very strongly C-curved nails? But it looks cool! Not sure how it's 'Acid Wash'?... Never mind, it's still cool. Totally sets me up for going to see 'Godzilla' tomorrow night! :) I'll warm up by watching 'Age of Dinosaurs' tonight on Syfy Channel!

NOTD: Collection Work The Colour "Fairy Dust"

This is a new line for Collection and it has some nice colours, but most are all fairly 'safe' cremes so didn't attract my attention much. I picked this one up even though I realised it was going to be quite sheer as I am a sucker for a glassfleck. I layered it over Rimmel LycraPRO "Aqua Cool", after hesitating as the colour on "Aqua Cool" is so amazing :) This is 1 coat of each and a slick of Seche Vite. I was at Gardening Scotland on Friday and saw this amazing vegetable display among other really awesome things :) It was a glorious sunny warm day and we finished off with a nice run around Harvey Nichols beauty department in Edinburgh City Centre!

National Vegetable Society display

NOTD: China Glaze "Gussied Up Green"

I am going to Gardening Scotland show tomorrow, so of course I needed a green manicure :) I decided to do "Gussied Up Green" as it's one of my old-time faves!

This is 3 thin coats with Seche Vite top coat, and in full evening sunshine! I will try and get a nice one in the morning light too just to show you how much like expensive green velvet this looks :) Totally 70s. I love the whole 'Rodeo Diva' collection that China Glaze did, but I've not got them all and I am still lemming-ing some of the shades! It does still almost look black in certain lights which will always annoy me but I can live with it!

NOTD: Hot n' Tropical

Occasionally I get inspired and come up with cool nail art ideas, today was kind of one of those occasions. However it's not come out as abstract as it was when I first painted it on; the glitter has hidden the squiggly lines too much! I named it Hot n' Tropical because it is - it's summery brights with a slick of gold running through it. Like a pina colada on a tropical golden beach at sundown...

I used TopShop "Summit" for the vintage yellow, Collection Hot Looks "Swizzles" for the fuchsia and then a band of OPI "Goldeneye" and Sephora "Gold Fever".

I love layering intense fine glitters with these chunky glitters, you can definitely achieve a nice glitter gradient!

AND... VampyVarnish has some awesome swatches of the OPI Coca Cola polishes here. I cannot wait to get my hands on "Green on the runway" and "Orange You Fantastic" seems pretty unique too!

I've not been doing my nails much lately because I've been busy in the garden... I finally have a nice big raised bed and it's now almost fully seeded!!

NOTD: OPI "Absolutely Alice"

I love the glitter power of this polish from the Alice in Wonderland collection from OPI :) It's kinda Swedish as well, with it's gold glitter among the blue glitter. You can hardly see it in these photos but it is there! This is actually day 3 of this polish as I was so busy I forgot to photograph and post!!

This is 2 tricky coats with some Seche Vite over the top. I'd forgotten just how awful the formula is on this polish - thick / runny at the same time and while it dries fast this means the brush starts to get clumpy before finishing 5 fingers!! AAARGHHH!! I refuse to acknowledge at this point in time how long it's going to take to soak off this glitter...

But it's kinda worth it for the sparkle! :)

NOTD: L'Oreal JetSet "752"

I had a bit of a rummage and found this old polish from goodness-knows-when, probably early 2000's or something. I can definitely tell that this is old and chemical-laden as it is smelly but butter-smooth. I had to try and photograph this is early morning light as the synthetic light coupled with my camera just made all photos look washed out. I did 2 coats here with a slick of Seche Vite on top. Such a great summery colour! Do you have any really old polishes hiding in your stash that deserves to be aired again??