Wednesday 29 January 2014

Purple - 49 & W7- Mauve Suede Cheeky Stamping

Hi all, happy Wednesday yayyy. This means I have today, and interview tomorrow and then a couple of days off :D Happy days!

Today I have some simple stamping for you. I love stamping with a polish like W7 - Mauve Suede over a creme, I love the little flecks of silver shining in the stamping.

The base is a polish brand called Purple Professional, and this particular polish is shade 49, which is a very very fair lilac. I then stamped it with W7 - Mauve Suede and Cheeky plate CH44 and added a top coat.
Base Coat: CND - Stickey
Base Colour: Purple Professional - 49
Stamping Colour: W7 - Mauve Suede
Image Plate: Cheeky CH44
Top Coat: Sally Hansen Advanced Hard As Nails
 

Above is three thin coats. no top coat.

Hope you've all ha a good week so far :]

Sunday 26 January 2014

A Few Manis From November

Hi all.

I've spent a few hours today editing through some old photos (most of which were taken on my iPhone, so aren't the best quality) so I have a few mani's to show you today, and hopefully will get some more set up to post so I can start posting regularly again!
Base coat: CND - Stickey
Base Colour: NOPI - Pretty In Plum
Stamping Colour: Barry M - Silver Foil
Image Plate: Bundle Monster BM417
Top Coat: Sally Hansen Advanced Hard As Nails

Please excuse the tip wear in the next one, and the not so great stamping. I actually think that this purple and yellow combo was from mid October!
Base Coat CND - Stickey
Base Colour: Sinful Colors - Amethyst
Stamping Colour: Konad Yellow
Image Plate: BM423
Top Coat: Sally Hansen Advanced Hard As Nails
Base Coat: CND - Stickey
Base Colour: Revlon - Emerald City
Stamping Colour: Revlon - Copper Chrome
Image Plate: Bundle Monster BM415
Image Plate: Sally Hansen Advanced Hard As Nails
Not the best pictures, but the first mani I especially loved. The base is Nicole by OPI - Pretty In Plum very lovely shade, and it looks quite different in different lighting.

Other than that there's not much more to say! Hope you've had a lovely weekend, mine has been a let down; as per. But at least I have a busy three days before I have an interview on Thursday, and then I'm not back in work until Monday!

Wednesday 15 January 2014

NOPI - I Lilac Gumdrops

Hi all. Happy Wednesday!

By the time this posts i'm hoping my newest little nephew has been born. My soon to be sister-in-law has been in labour since yesterday evening. Dying to find out his name; dying to meet him!

Today I have some swatches of Nicole by OPI - I Lilac Gumdrops from the Gumdrops line.  This is a really stunning sugar-matte frosted polish, which has the prettiest irregular silver flecks in it. I believe this is two coats shown below, not the best light, but murky overcast days are full upon the North East of England.
Nicole by OPI - I Lilac Gumdrops

I really love the glow of this polish, in fact, all the polishes from this line (I still have more swatches to come). I also couldn't help but try this with a top coat, and with a matte top coat too, to see the difference.
Still very glowy with a top coat
Matte Top Coat, gives such a beautiful powdery finish!
That's all from me today! I'm hoping to be back at the weekend with some more stamping, and some more from the Gumdrops collection.

**This polish was sent to me for consideration of review**

Sunday 12 January 2014

Born Pretty Store Review - Holo Shade 12 & White Stamping Polish

Hi all. Hope you've all had a good weekend like I have so far :]

I've been putting off doing this review for weeks now as I've not managed to see a single scrap of sun on my days off when I've had a chance to swatch this polish. And as you all know, holographic polishes must have sunlight photos, or else they don't make me fall in love or make my face look like this: *.*

The Born Pretty Store were kind enough to send me this lovely holographic polish in shade 12 which is a gorgeous greeny-teal. They also sent me some stamping polishes to try, and for the testing of these below I used the double ended stamper they sent me the last time.
Born Pretty Store Holo Polish in Shade 12

Just so pretty! The formula on this is really great, and I'm really impressed with the drying time. I feel with Holos they're either super speedy, or deceptively slow at drying, but this was quick drying, but not so quick that you wouldn't be able to stamp using it (I have major difficulty trying to stamp with Gosh - Holographic Hero).

When trying the white stamping polish they sent me I noticed a few things; the formula is very good, stickier than most stamping polishes I've tried so it really gets to the edges. The downside of this polish that it's just not as white as Konad White (ring finger) but it's a really good polish if you're looking for a manicure that's not as harsh. I'm yet to try the black, but I will be testing that out soon.
Base Colour: Born Pretty Store - Holo Shade 12
Stamping: Born Pretty - White Stamping Polish, Ring finger - Konad White
Image Plate: Bundle Monster - BM406
Top Coat: Sally Hansen Advanced Hard As Nails
 As you can see it really can't compete with Konad White, but it does give a very different look, so I will definitely be using for future manicures. Using the double ended stamper was an experience.  I have no idea now how I managed to live so long using the small Konad stamper. The double ended stamper is just much more comfortable to handle, and it definitely gives a lot more control when rolling across the nail, almost because it's longer you have to use less pressure because of the leverage.  I haven't compared it to my Konad stamper, but I feel no need as it stamps perfectly.

And for good measure heres' a shot of the very pretty shade 12 with a flash.  This is from a few weeks ago when I was hovering by the window most of the day trying to catch the sun!
Born Pretty Store - Holo Shade 12
To check any of these products out simply click on the links within the post.

If you're interested in anything from the Born Pretty Store, don't forget to use my coupon code DS5X31 for 10% off your order.

*These products were sent for possible review*

Wednesday 8 January 2014

Matte Glitter Tape Mani

Hi all!

I can't believe It's been so long since my last post! Happy New Year! I don't have any real excuses for lack of blogging other than being a bad blogger! :( Apologies.

This is a mani from the back end of November. I wanted something quick and simple for a night out, and as I was (still am) obsessed with Nicole by OPI - A-Nise Treat I really wanted to use it in conjunction with a nudienudie creme. So I reached for another favourite, Barry M - Lychee.

Base Coat: CND - Stickey
Base Colour: Barry M - Lychee
Base V-Moon: W7 - Night Suede
I started by painting two coats of Lychee, and then after a shower (to avoid the tape pulling up the base) I cut triangles into the tape and placed it on the nail; painting over with W7 - Night Suede. I did this to try and establish what kind of shape I would be left with so I could then go in with striping tape and NOPI - A-Nise Treat to even out the length of the triangles, and add that loooovely matte glitter.

Here's before adding the glitter and making things much more even, and this pic shows the colours better where there's light, and my hands aren't freezing as I was waiting for a Metro for 25 minutes!


iPhone pics definitely do not do this manicure justice. I really loved wearing these as they were so bold.

Hope you've all had a good start to the year :]