Saturday 30 June 2012

June Haul!

 So after basically a year of not buying polishes for myself, and any new additions were because of Scott buying some for me, I went a little wild this month ^-^ In fact I've just realised I've missed out two polishes, but never mind!

FCUK Bronze & Blue Purple, they don't have a name or number.
LA Colors - Current, Force & Radiation
Sinful Colours - Paris, See You soon & Daddy's Girl
Barry M - Multi Black Glitter, Rimmel - Night Before, Miss Sporty - Fatal Plum & Raindrop, Models Own - Slate Green.
When I got home after buying these I realised these two were quite similar, but Night Before has more red shimmer (you can't really see the shimmer in Fatal Plum) but when I tested them on my nails Fatal Plum Is so opaque compared to Night Before.
And a close up of Barry M - Black Multi Glitter. I didn't even know this existed until a few weeks back when I went to go buy one for a swap I'm doing, and yesterday I finally bought one for myself. It's so pretty.

Thursday 28 June 2012

Yes Love Neon Green & Black Dogtooth

I'm almost sure I mention this every time, but as soon as I'm sporting shorter nails I reach for one my favourite stamps, from the original Bundle Monster series, BM19. I wish I had a bigger version of this, same small print, just more of it, though saying that If I could wear it with longer nails you all would probably get sick of seeing Dogtooth once a week :P

Dogtooth, or Houndstooth is actually how I came to find out about nail stamping. I was watching some YouTube guru (can't remember who now) and was just like "O_O those nails! I want!" So I went on a Google hunt, and stumbled into the crazy possibilities of stamping, and I've never looked back. : P

Anyhow I really love bright/black Dogtooth nails as they are always so bold, and eye catching. Here they are:
Base Coat: La Femme - Base Coat
Base Colour: Yes Love - Green 23
Stamping Colour: BYS - Black Satin
Image Plate: Bundle Monster BM19
Top Coat: Models Own - 3 In 1

What's your favourite image plate?

Tuesday 26 June 2012

Beauty UK - Peach Melba & Purple Double Stamping

Still on the mission of powering through some mani's from the "vault" so today we have some summery nail stamping. Double stamping on super shorties.

I started with a base of Beauty UK - Peach Melba, which was a little tricky if I'm honest, and I think I should've spent an extra pound on the Barry M, and had a friendlier brush to deal with. The base is two coats, then stamped with Max Factor - Fantasy Fire and Bundle Monster BM20, and then Barry M - Indigo and Bundle Monster BM08.

Base Coat: CND - Stickey
Base Colour: Beauty UK - Peach Melba
Stamping Colours: Max Factor - Fantasy Fire
                             Barry M - Indigo
Image Plates: Bundle Monster BM08, BM20
Top Coat: Models Own - 3 In 1
I'm a little gutted that this is the only decent photo I got of these, It was so so hard trying to capture a photo of the shift sparkle going on in Fantasy Fire, but trust me it was there. It almost looked like little veins of sparkly goodness when I moved my fingers. That may be a gross description, but it's the only one I've got :P

And here's two shots of Peach Melba.
Sunlight
This is probably the truest representation of colour.
Such a pretty polish, just like all those pretty peaches around though, but a bargain at £1.99.

Sunday 24 June 2012

Goth - We Stamp On Sundays

This weeks stamping challenge over at Adventures In Stamping called for a "goth" mani. While I'd be more than happy to have some kick ass skull nails, the skull stamping images I really love - I do not own :( So after that thought came and left I felt a little inspired by the pattern of a corset I own, blue and gold brocade. So I reached for a new polish, gold foil, and one of my favourite image stamps of all time.

It didn't turn out too much like the corset, but I love these. I have been wearing them since Friday. I love this stamp so much if you couldn't tell haha. I wonder how many posts I've had using this image!

Base Coat: La Femme - Base Coat
Base Colour: Sinful Colors - See You Soon
Stamp Colour: Barry M - Gold Foil
Image Plate: Bundle Monster BM21
Top Coat: Rimmel - 60 Seconds Clear
 

 Here's some swatches of See You Soon, one of my recent fantastic £1 bargains. Two amazingly perfect coats, and a top coat.

Sunlight
Natural daylight - cloudy sky
With flash
  And heres the polishes & plate used:


I hope everyone's had a good Sunday. I'm desperate for the weekdays to roll around to get another piece of proof of address so I can start a job :] If all goes to plan I'll be working back where I was when I started this blog; so fingers crossed!

Saturday 23 June 2012

Revlon - Emerald City & Golden Rose - Scale Effects 04

Another quick post today, I'm not really feeling too sociable so I'll just share some pictures. These again are from a while back, I need to wear Emerald City again as it's so, so gorgeous!

Revlon - Emerald City 2 Coats
I wouldn't really describe this as matte finish; I would say It was a satin finish for sure. This was the best Revlon I've ever tried, and I think that is down to the finish of the polish, I've never had such an easy two coats from revlon. The only time I've managed two coats with a Revlon was because of the coats being extremely thick.

Adding a top coat really made this beauty pop though. So much gorgeous shimmer! The photo below does not even do it any justice.


Then I added a coat of Golden Rose - Scale Effects 04 a gorgeous flakie top coat that shines blue to green. I've been lusting after a flakie top coat that's blue-green ever since I discovered flakie top coats, so wearing this was a dream. You guys might get a load of flakie mani's soon hehe.




I hope everyone's having an alright weekend.

Thursday 21 June 2012

Elf Desert Haze Gold And Brown Leopard Print

Hey all.. Simple Leopard print today. I'm still trying to catch up with all the mani's I've done but haven't posted, so these are from a few weeks ago. I've done this combo before on a nail set, but with Models Own - Nude Beige, and I think the warmth of that shade helps tone down the brassy look of the Citadel Paint, so I'm not fully a fan of these. But I like them matte =]

Base Coat: Nai RX - Stuck On You
Base Colour: ELF - Desert Haze
Stamp Colour: W7 - Suede
Image Plate: Konad M57
Gold: Citadel - Shining Gold
Top Coat: Models Own - 3 In 1

Elf - Desert Haze, 2 coats
And here's the basee colour, the first Elf I've ever tried; and I loved it. The formula was so great, and dried so quickly! I think it's my favourite nude right now. Then I added a coat of Rimmel - Matte Finish.


Hope everyone's had an okay day.

Tuesday 19 June 2012

Gosh Berry Me & Layering Different Flakies

So I didn't take any photos of this beautiful red on its own. The sun wasn't playing out, so I just decided to carry on with the plan to play with the flakies that I won from fyeahilovenails. The first two photos are of Golden Rose Scale Effect - 13, and the last two are with a coat of 03 on top. No top coat, so you can still see the texture of the flakes I'm afraid.





After I added Golden Rose Scale Effect - 03, I just felt like I had flakie Christmas nails. I loved these, and I'm a little gutted that I didn't stamp over these, maybe I will do in the future though.

Sunday 17 June 2012

Glitter - We Stamp On Sundays

This week over at Adventures In Stamping the challenge was to use glitter in the mani. As soon as I heard that I knew I wanted to use some of my mac glitters, and while I couldn't find my fuchsia one, I settled for using Crystalled Lime, and a Teal glitter by Lanmei that I got for 50p years ago.

First I painted my nails with on my favourite polishes (especially before I started this blog) though it has been quite neglected, and I haven't worn it in over a year! No swatches though sorry ;( I used a top coat and waited for it to be tacky before pressing in the glitter, added top coat, stamped, and then top coat again. :]

Base Coat: La Femme
Base Colour: Beauty UK - Turquoise Shimmer
Glitter: Mac - Crystalled Lime
Lanmei - Teal
Image Colour: BYS - Black Satin
Image Plate: Dashica Big SpD-A
Top Coat: China Glaze - No Chip Top Coat


Before stamp, before top coat, you can clearly see the difference in between the glitters, The Mac glitter went on so smooth, and the Lanmei glitter just clumped.



This is the first week where there will be no bottle shot/ photo of the plate, and that is because I'm feeling way too lazy to do that :P I hope everyone's had a good weekend :]

Friday 15 June 2012

Revlon - Sunshine Sparkle

Hi all! TGIF! Little swatch post today, it needs to be a quickie post as I have a lot to do :] My interview that was going to be near the end of the month has been moved up to Monday, so I have some planning to do, I have no idea what to wear either :/

Anyhoo - Sunshine Sparkle is a really pretty yellow, I thought it was going to be a horrid formula but It wasn't really that bad in the end, pretty milky yellow with glass flecks. This is three coats, no base or top coat.

Revlon - Sunshine Sparkle


Time to go play dress up! Hopefully I'll get up to date with my reading list tomorrow :]

Wednesday 13 June 2012

Miss Sporty - 346 & Gosh - Berry Me Stamping

Today's polishes were gifted to me by way of giveaway from the lovely fyeahilovenails I don't know why I'm so behind in posting loads of manis, but I'm starting to catch up and will have more swatches and mani's on the way, including those I won in her giveaway :]
Base Coat: Nail RX - Stuck On You
Base Colour: Miss Sporty - 346
Stamping Colour: Gosh - Berry Me
Image Plate: Bundle Monster BM201
Top Coat: Models Own - 3 In 1

Not my best stamping, but I love how Gosh - Berry Me stamped sheer, so it looks purple, rather than the brilliant berry red it is. Gosh - Berry Me is now one of my favourite reds; I loove it.

And to show the beauty of this Miss Sporty polish here's a swatch shot, and a close up. I remember now this polish being an absolute pain in the arse to photograph, it was showing up as blue, and although it looks more like turquoise here, in real life it's a little more teal like.

There's some weird shadows going on here because of the rain on the window.
Look at all that silver shimmery goodness!

I hope everyone's having a good Wednesday!

Sunday 10 June 2012

Hot Hot Hot - We Stamp On Sundays

This weeks challenge over at Adventures In Stamping was to use hot colours, or a hot theme? I'm not sure, but I was just bored; and was thinking about this mani, and how I loved the combo, and that led me to using a hot pink chrome for my stamping today.

Base Coat: Nail RX - Stuck On You
Base Colour: Deborah - Turquoise Fever
Stamping Colour: NYC - Foil'er Up
Image Plate: Bundle Monster BM201
Top Coat: Models Own - 3 In 1


And here's the gorgeous base colour

Honestly the stamping and base colour look great in the photos, but it was mesmerising in real life, like, so shiny and so bold :D love them xD

Friday 8 June 2012

Guest Post Over At Red Hair And Black Nails!

Hey everyone, today I have a guest post over at Red Hair and Black Nails, If you don't know about Theodora's blog yet you should check it out, It's great. And her nails <3 such a gorgeous shape!

Click the pic to be taken to the post =]
Here's what I used:
Base Coat: Nail RX - Stuck On You
Base Colour: Rimmel - Tip Whitener
Sponged Colours: MUA - Shade 20
                              LA Colors - Atomic
Image Plate: Dashica Big SpD-A
Image Colour: Konad Special White
Top Coat: Models Own - 3 In 1


Happy Friday!

Thursday 7 June 2012

Green Gradient & Frog Stamping

So after testing out the images from the plates I recieved from the Born Pretty Store I decided to do some stamping, and I was in the mood for the froggie so I used  M30, and used a green gradient for the background :]

This is more colour true.
Base Coat: Nail RX - Stuck On You
Base colour: Rimmel - Tip Whitener
Sponged Colours: Yes Love - Neon Green - 23
                                  W7 - Matte Green
                                  Revlon - Emerald City
Stamping Colour: Konad White
Image Plate: BPM30
Top Coat: Models Own - 3 In 1
The gradient's a lot prettier in real life, but it was bad photo weather lol. I hope everyone's having a good Thursday!

*This product was sent to me for review*
They also offered a 5% off coupon for you guys using code DS5X31

Wednesday 6 June 2012

Born Pretty Stamping Plate Review

A while back I was contacted by Nicole from the Born Pretty Store team about doing some reviews. I was honoured so I gladly accepted, and picked a few things to try out.

For those of you that don't know about the Born Pretty Store, it offers so much in the way of nail art.Nail art tools, glitter, polishes, plates, and they offer free international shipping, which is amazing. They also stock a range of things from false eyelashes to iPhone cases and jewellery.

 

Here's what I picked, two super cute animal plates, and a magnetic polish (my first) but more on that some other time. I chose plates S10, and M30, I got the email the day after the realisation that I don't own enough animal plates, at all, so it was a happy coincidence. I recently used S10 in this mani.


I didn't think the images from this plate were going to stamp too well as they seemed really deeply engraved. See what I mean below - It looked a little buckled, but it didn't effect the stamping at all. I do think he was meant to have nostrils though.



Any flaws in the stamping above are due to me. I almost always have issues with scraping too hard with little images. So these plates are great, and for only $2.99 a plate they're such great value. I can't wait to use more of the little cuties.

*This product was sent to me for review*
They also offered a 5% off coupon for you guys using code DS5X31 :]