NOTD - Essie Island Hopping and new lipbalm

I couldn't wait to try this beauty out.  I love, love, love this...

This is two coats and fully opaque.  Very similar to Chinchilly and Sew Psyched in formulation, applied very easily and fabulously glossy - no topcoat in the picture!

It's a murky purple not so far removed from OPI Parlez Vous, OPI? however this definitely has a more mauve look to it. It's unique in my collection and fills a whole I didn't know I had.  I can see me wearing this lots!

In general, I'm finding Essie longevity to be very good, I can get a good 3 days without chipping or tipwear whereas my OPIs tend to average at 2 (though I do find the designer series last longer.)  It will be interesting to see if this continues as I collect more Essies, I only have 3 at the moment so perhaps I've been lucky with no duffs.

Onto something else... my lips are feeling the effects of the British winter already so I ordered the following from Dorothy Perkins for £3 each.

I was sucked in by the cupcake packaging and the scrummy sounding flavours.  I opened up Very Vanilla to find the lipbalm was bright red!  Not what I was expecting from something vanilla cupcake flavoured.  Thankfully the garish colour doesn't transfer onto the lip!  The scent is a bit artificial - I get hints of coconut and maybe strawberry but it's quite fake-smelling if that makes sense - not unpleasant, just not what I was expecting!  They are averagely moisturising, my lips feel smooth and soft after application but I doubt it would be effective on full on chapped lips.  I'll stick to Carmex on those occasions, I think.

So overall, not fantastic but not bad for the money and hey, you can never have too many lipbalms :)

NOTD - OPI DS Coronation

Today I'm wearing another of my OPI Designer polishes - Coronation.

Outside

Inside



I'm not a fan of silver nail polish, in fact this is the only one I have in my vast collection.  To me, it's just a little bit... er... 1995.  Does that make sense to anyone?  Maybe because it was my colour of choice throughout school.  Grey polish? - most definitely... silver? - not sure.

As far as silvers go, this isn't a bad one.  It did take 3 coats and is still only about 90% opaque.  As with other Designer Series polishes, it is a holo however a very subtle one compared to the others I have.

What I love about the DS polishes is how easily they apply; it takes no skill whatsoever just to swipe on the colour and another positive is that the finish is completely smooth, even without a top coat unlike Mad as a Hatter and Absolutely Alice which have that gritty feel.

This is only the second time I've worn this polish and I've had it for ages.  I can't imagine me reaching for it again anytime soon.  I guess being pretty pale at the moment doesn't help - maybe it would look better with a tan?  But when I have a tan I want to wear bright and fun colours - corals, hot pinks, oranges and so on.

Am I alone in my apathy towards silver polish?  Would love to hear from you x

P.S. A few of us Mums are taking the kids to watch the Fireman Sam stage show today... wish us luck!

A very special NOTD - OPI Absolutely Alice

This polish was 'the one that got away' from the Alice in Wonderland collection; I only opted for Off With Her Red and Mad as a Hatter at the time but always lusted after the blue sparkles, so imagine my surprise when a little parcel arrived for me yesterday from the lovely Leanne OCD!  I had commented on her blog after she had asked about limited edition products we had missed and mentioned Absolutely Alice.  Leanne had this bottle in her collection and sent it to me with a beautiful card, explaining that she didn't use it any more and would I be able to give it a good home?  Err, let me think... of course ;)  How kind is that?!

Of course, I had to immediately remove ELF Mint Green (which had lasted a good 4 days with very little wear) and apply Absolutely Alice straight away!

Indoors

Outside - look at the sparkle!



Here is two coats and no visible nail which is great for a glitter polish.  I love the golden sparkle which contrasts really effectively against the aqua blue glitter.  I haven't applied a top coat so I do have that rough feel to my nails as often happens with dense glitter polishes.

I haven't stopped staring at my nails all day; they have attracted admiring glances and comments from various colleagues (even a couple of men!)  Such a striking colour!

So I would like to say a HUGE thank you once again to Leanne, and urge you go check out her blog if you haven't already :)

NOTD - E.L.F. Mint Green

Yet another venture away from OPI, I feel like such a traitor!

This time, thanks to Chrystal at Chrystal's Beauty Blog who provided me with a fab giveaway prize :)

This is the first lower priced nail polish I've tried in years.  I guess I've become a bit of nail polish snob since professional brands became more accessible, price-wise, on Ebay.  Retailing at £1.50 a bottle, the ELF polishes are still a third of the price we can get OPI for.

Considering the price of these, I didn't have high expectations for the quality however I was impressed.  This polish was opaque in 3 coats and slightly runny in texture.  I love the colour, it reminds me of another of my favourites, OPI Hey, Get in Lime but ELF's version has slightly bluer undertones which I like.  It reminds me of spearmint Softmints, haven't had those for ages!

One thing I did find about the finish of the polish is that a few dints have appeared.  OPI seems to have a much more solid finish, even with 3 coats whereas ELF Mint Green has proven to be less durable.  Not a huge problem for me as I tend to change my polish every other day.

I know this post may appear picky, but it's not meant to be.  I'm glad I've had the opportunity to try ELF nail polish and I will buy it again. All I have to compare it to is OPI (and some Essie) which I guess is the equivalent of comparing a Ford Escort to a Mercedes ;)  Nothing wrong with a Ford Escort of course but it's not a hugely fair comparison.

So thanks again to Chrystal for sending me a wonderful prize.  Look out for more posts reviewing the other ELF goodies I received.

NOTD - OPI Japanese Rose Garden

I was in the mood for pink today :)  Pink nails always make me smile and Japanese Rose Garden is no exception.



JRG is a dusty, mid-tone candy pink creme which is 95% opaque in one coat!  I've done two here for full coverage.  I find this shade very girly, very pretty but with a slighty dusty undertone which makes it just that bit more interesting.

This colour came from the Far East Collection, although it doesn't feel very oriental?  However a quick search on the Internet told me that there is a variety for rose called the Japanese Rose and  the nail polish appears to be a good match for it!

As I said before, I love pink polishes and own lots however I'm always on the lookout for more.  What's your fave pink polish?  Tell me in the comments :) x

NOTD - Essie Chinchilly. The love affair continues...

I've applied Essie Chinchilly for the first time today and WOW!  It goes straight into my 'top 5 polishes...ever!'

I'm sure you've seen swatches of these a hundred times over, but here are mine to add into the mix:


Taken indoors




Outside, in sunlight





One of the reasons Chinchilly has jumped straight into my favourites list is its wearability; I love these putty / murky / clay shades, they are, as our Cheryl (Cole) would say, 'right up my street'.  It's the kind of shade I can wear for work, wont clash with any outfit or accessory (not that this normally bothers me, mind) yet still offers a little bit of interest which I miss when I wear nudes.

Consistency-wise, I found this runnier than Sew Psyched, however this is how I prefer my polish to be so no complaints there.  I was expecting that at least 3 coats would be required because of this fact however 2 coats was easily sufficient.  I did find that I inadvertently over-loaded the brush a few times, it's not one of those polishes you can just dip in the brush and swipe over the nail (I'm thinking OPI Sheer Your Toys - so easy to apply.) 

So a big thumbs up for Essie Chinchilly!  I've been pondering over my next polish order and as much as I want to try more Essie in the very near future, the OPI Burlesque collection is now available to buy and, the magpie that I am, the glitter is drawing me in big time.  Hmmm, ponder, ponder...

P.S. HELLO to my new followers!  I'm finding the comments you have given regarding my blog very useful so thanks for those.  For any lurkers out there, there's still time to enter my Nouba giveaway!  Don't be shy :)

NOTD - OPI Here Today, Aragon Tomorrow

We had a fantastic, but exhausting day yesterday at Drayton Manor.  My train-obsessed little boy was in heaven in Thomas Land.  We will definitely go again - they're building a Drayton Manor hotel which will be complete by Summer 2011 so that will be an option for us next year as it was a good 1.5 hrs each way in the car for us from Doncaster.

So, a quick NOTD post from me today.  OPI Here Today, Aragon Tomorrow.

HTAT is a blackened forest green.  Here is 3 coats which I felt it needed; this made the result almost black with only a hint of green showing through in direct sunlight.  2 coats was much more green, but quite streaky.

It's very glossy though, no topcoat here!  This one has been languishing in the bottom of my stash for a long time, I've used it maybe once only prior to this application but I do think it will make more of a regular appearance as I have enjoyed wearing it :)

NOTD - OPI Blue Moon Lagoon

Blue Moon Lagoon is from the Summer for Shore collection which was released a few years ago.  One of the prettiest collections OPI has ever done in my opinion!  Alas, the polishes are now quite hard to find, and when they do pop up, they're often quite pricey.

I purchased this bottle from Ebay for about £10.

Blue Moon Lagoon is a subtle aqua holo.  It's quite sheer and the pictures here are 3 coats although there is still a hint of VNL under some lights.  It's quite thin in consistency and applied very easily.  My photography skills are rubbish however the holo you can see in the bottle pic is there on the nail too but only in direct sunlight.

I like these kind of polishes, they're quite mysterious as it's almost like a little secret between you and your nails.  From afar, Blue Moon Lagoon looks like a pale aqua with a hint of shimmer however go outside and see them sparkle!

NOTD - OPI DS Illuminate

I'm having an indulgent morning; no work today and my son Fin is at his grandparent's.  My husband left strict instructions for me to stay in bed as long as possible and then do very little when I wake up... aah how lucky am I?! 

I've been having an uncertain time at work where things are changing and I'm unsure of my place and last week I put my back out which was very, very painful.  A long lay in was just what the doctor ordered!

So, making the most of my 'lazy morning', changing my nail polish with no interruptions of 'can you get me a drink?' or 'can you take me to the toilet?' (From my son, not my husband.  In case you were wondering) has been a rare treat.

Today I went for OPI DS Illuminate with is a tan holo with green flash

This is definitely one of my 'go to' shades.  Applies so smoothly (2 coats here), subtle enough to wear for work yet the holo and green flash adds a little more interest when you look more closely.  Quite autumnal, don't you think?

 I love this ring; it gets so many comments when I wear it.  And the best bit - £2.50 from Primark!

I've never been disappointed with any of the OPI Designer Series.  I find the application effortless and the results, stunning.  Well worth the couple of quid extra! 

I will swatch some more of my DS shades in the future but for now, lunch in solitude... bliss!

New perfume plus my first FOTD / NOTD

If there's one thing that excites me on a similar kind of level to nail polish, it's perfume.

I feel naked if I'm not wearing it and could easily waste an hour in Boots oohing and aahing over the latest releases.

I don't have a 'type' but tend to go for pretty bottles or perfumes that have had a lot of hype (yes I am a sheep, baa!)  Marc Jacobs' Lola fits both of those criteria perfectly, however my latest perfume doesn't.

It's this:

There was a sample towelette in this month's glamour and I was instantly hooked.  I'm rubbish at explaining scents so I'll leave it to the experts:

Calvin Klein Beauty evokes the ultimate power of femininity and sophistication, while capturing the spirit of a woman who is beautiful from the inside out, with an aura that radiates

The feminine, sophisticated fragrance opens with top notes of Ambrette Seeds, middle notes of Jasmine and dries down to base notes of Cedarwood.

For me, CK beauty bridges the gap effortlessly between contemporary and sophisticated.  It's potent without being headache-inducing and longevity is good.  There's a hint of floral and an underlying burst of freshness.  However... the bottle!  Thank you to Glamour for introducing this fragrance to me as I can honestly imagine me re-purchasing this over a long period of time, but had I have been browsing the perfume aisles, I would have skipped straight past it.  I want a bottle of perfume to look good on my dressing table, like MJ Lola where the packaging has proven to be equally as exciting as the scent. 

Aesthetically,  CK Beauty is snoresville! 

Thankfully, the scent more than makes up for it and I imagine it will be a favourite for a long time to come.  I got mine from Boots for £34 for 30ml.

Anyhoo, here's my first FOTD.

The lips were doing the talking today!

• 
  
  MAC Mineralize Satinfinish foundation in NW20
• 
  
  Benefit Bluffdust
• 
  
  Benefit Hoola
• 
  
  MAC Powder Blush in Dame
• 
  
  Urban Decay Primer Potion
• 
  
  UD e/s in Virgin on the brow bone
• 
  
  UD e/s in Naked all over the lid
• 
  
  UD e/s in Toasted on the inner socket and blended outwards
• 
  
  UD 24/7 eyeliner in Whiskey on the upper lid and waterline
• 
  
  YSL Faux Cills Mascara
• 
  
  No 7 Lipliner in Nude
• 
  
  Nouba Lipstick in 183
• 
  
  Chanel Briliant Levres Lip Gloss in 68 

And NOTD: OPI - Meet me on the Starferry

Thanks for reading!