M & S Rainbow and Jessica jellies/tints

Picture. Without further ado.

Sloshed (hence the particularly messy cuticles) the jellies over the top of the silver holo in the kitchen. FAIL, thought I. Got to take the pix anyway, thought I.

Took photos, looked at results and decided it was only a partial fail.

This next one is blurry - but I like the violet tint and it does show that the pink tint doesn't work at all.

The aqua works and so does the red.

The tints that were layered on top of the Rainbow are my trusted Jessica jellies.

Must find the green. Where have I put it? Actually I must do a thorough inventory of my stash. There's a coral too but that's my least favourite.

Hey, it's actually NOT raining. Much to my shame I stayed in yesterday so the dogs are keen to get out and about. I bought a pedometer yesterday (the rain didn't prevent me shopping) so I'm keen to discover how many steps my dog-walking will amount to. 10,000 is my target. Wish me luck. I'm at 1143 steps so far and I've been up for a couple of hours.

What's your exercise regime? Do you even have one? Went to the GP earlier (routine stuff) and was so depressed by the clientele that I decided I really do have to spruce myself up a bit to avoid becoming a bit of a saddo.

Jenni

Marks and Spencer Rainbow

Long Wear Nail Lacquer

Well, well, well. It comes to something when I had to see this on an Australian blog You've Got Nail before I knew it existed. Marks? Marketing? Not in the same sentence, methinks.

Silver holo. 2 coats.
Sounds simple enough.
BUT I've had silver holo before. GOSH holo. Dragged like a draggy thing. Hopeless. It had to go.
This just goes one like a normal polish and you KNOW how awkward holo lacquers can be. So, simple is good. Better than good.

I actually painted this on the nails of both hands and I never do that.
I'm going to layer it with my Jessica jellies tomorrow to make (I hope) a pink holo, a blue etc etc. That's the plan.

Nul points for the choice of name. Rainbow should be banned as a polish name due to extensive overuse. Lamer than a 3-legged donkey.

Likewise red polishes called anything including the words Red Square.

Any cosmetic names you've had enough of?
Jenni

PS Does Ed Miliband have a cold or does he always sound that nasal? He's beginning to annoy me.

Maybelline and a blast from the past...

Picture first - got no new nails today. Well, I got OPI Miami Beet in the post from Lithuania (ebay) and I've wanted that for a long time. But no time to do the 1 000 001 things I need to do today PLUS paint my nails.

So...

Lynda Carter looking very Dallas/Dynasty. I don't remember these bottles though. And why indeed would you? Got a few pix of slebs used for campaigns. Which brings me to....

What d'you think about slebs being the "face" or "nails" of a brand? I hate the cult of celebrity. I give you Paris Hilton, Katie Price, anyone who has ever been on Big Brother. Why would anyone want to ape these people?

Looking at this more positively - is there anyone you WOULD like to see fronting a campaign? Seriously or facetiously. Or d'you prefer an anonymous model? Or just product photos? Does V Beckham looking moody make you want to buy stuff?

Jenni

Rimmel Sunrise + Barielle Blossom

Popped in to TJ Hughes. They had a whole load of Rimmel for £1.99. And not just sad old pinks either! You have to check up on TJ Hughes. Got a Stila moisturiser for £1.99 as well. They are a good place to get skin care stuff IMO.

3 coats but it's the 60 second stuff and it went on as easy as an easy thing.
Blossom is 2 coats and still streaky but I didn't notice before I did the photo-thing.
Sunrise is so preeeeeettty
It's not exactly a thrill-ride into oblivion and beyond but it is a nice polish.

Mind you, 8ml isn't much so it isn't even a great bargain. Oh, what the hell....

An ad from 1968. Cutex.

It's a bit eerie due to the "foreign fingers".  Makes the whole face look distorted. And casts unbecoming shadows on the face. Oo, hark at her. Graphic design expert or what? NOT.

Believe me, I was there in '68 and we didn't all wear washed-out shimmers. Bright lime green and banana yellow were my favourites in those days.

What nail colours did you wear when you started out with nail varnish? And, if it's not giving too much away, how old were you and when was it?

Jenni

Barielle Daring Dahlia BOGOF

There's a BOGOF on all the 2010 ranges and I badly wanted Aura Angora and the silly one with a long name with Cashmere in it. So I picked up Blossom and Daring Dahlia to make it worth the £3.95 postage. Working out at just less than a fiver each all in. Not too shoddy.

2 coats. I was expecting this to be a creme but it's more of a jelly and hence has become an instant favourite. Most people would require 3 coats because they prefer an even finish. I quite like the way the polish settles at the tip and gently pools there. Looks interesting in different lights.

A lot of people also report Barielle generally being "too" thick to work with easily. I really like their formula.

What I do NOT appreciate is the way they (yet again after me complaining) shove 4 polishes loose in a padded bag. So the polishes have every opportunity to bang together and shatter. This did not happen fortunately but what a negligent way of posting a fragile product. Boo!

Can you believe this ad is from 1944? With a bit of restyling this could easily work in 2010.

Jenni

Barielle Aura Angora + Konad Grey Pearl

Sorry. I ain't mastered the art of Konad - just got a polish by them.

The Barielle is not flattering. One of those effin' ugly shades known as fugly. But I like it. 2 coats. Not nearly as glossy as I imagined it would be. Top coat was absolutely essential.

I much prefer the Grey Pearl but BUT BUT it is an example of Jennifer thinking she knows it all.
See the vertical line? Course you do.
That's there because this polish never dries.
Not that they didn't warn me.
"Do not use this polish for any purpose except Konad as it will not dry under normal usage."
Something like that. Words to that effect.
But I knew better.  Or thought I did.
OK, Konad-people, you were right and I was wrong. You warned me. I went ahead. I admit it. It's designed to be used as a thin layer to be superimposed over a base colour using the Konad methods and tools. Not just slathered on like I intended.

No matter. It's very pretty.
Have you ever tried to use a product in a way it wasn't quite designed for?

Jennifer

Misa High Waist Hue

Absolutely fuming! Ink on fingers. And they looked so neat!

Misa. Great brand.
HWH. Great colour.

DISASTER!

Gawd, this looked good.
Went to TJ Hughes and found some old Rimmel polishes at £1.99.
Dug hand in bag.
Came out covered in black ink.
Bl00dy school rubbishy bl00dy bleedin' pen had leaked in my bag.
Leaked? Flooded. Cascaded. Deluged (not a word).
My one and only bag. Luckily the stain didn't reach the exterior.
Assistant had to give me some wipes but I'd got it all over the place by then.
Ruined my thumb and index finger.

Too damned lazy to re-mani though. Grr.

Do you have any stain stories? Self-censor, if you please. ;o)

Jenni

Not nails - boots

An ebay triumph (IMHO)
Last autumn - £15 plus P&P

Not new. I like used better.

See the star (well, it's not easy in my cruddy pic) on the wedge?

I'm not going to apologise for my footballer's legs because they're what I have and I don't dislike them. They're very serviceable. They run in the family - or rather stomp.
They DO mean I need wide-calf boots which is one of the reasons I was lucky to find these because most boots of that kind are simply unwearably hideous.
They DO mean ordinary boots cut me at the back of the knee because my legs are very short so I couldn't wear them even if I could squeeze in.
They DO mean patterned tights don't sit properly on me because my muscles (and yes, lard) distort the pattern. I just love these tartan tights because they're fun. I never wear the boots with these (always opting for black opaque) but I just grabbed them out of the drawer. Too hot for tights today.

But people are starting to bring out their boots so I got boot-envy. The fur goes all the way inside. Toasty. But there's no label on them. I have no clue how to find any more. Maddening.

The word /chocolat/ is embossed on the sole and that's all. Trail the web as I may, I can't find their origin.

Do you have a body part that's awkward to clothe?
Would you wear tartan tights?

Jenni

Nina Ultra Pro Brandywine

I started my current collection 13 months ago and this is one of the first polishes I bought. Certainly one of the initial 30.

2 or 3 coats. I can never remember. I love this. A little later I was desperate for Nubar Raspberry Truffle, promptly ordered it, got it and found it not nearly as nice as this.

These are about £3.50 from Sally Beauty. We have one in the soulless concrete monstrosity that houses many of the local shops. The Nina bottles are not especially attractive to the eye but this particular polish is a corker!

This shot was indoors. I've cut my nails again. I hate it when I begin to feel them against my palm if I make a fist. Ugh.

Now I going to close with a question as I usually do but am getting a little more personal today (intrusive?). This is called Brandywine. Last Christmas I decided my drinking had reached worrying levels - maybe a bottle of wine per night. Even worse is the feeling that you simply must have a bottle to hand and that you look forward to it so much and you can't face the thought of even a single day without it. So I didn't have a single drink for about five months. Now I can have just one small glass of wine and leave it at that so I'm very fortunate. I needed to knock it on the head and I did.

Sorry for the sob story but I'm so relieved I managed to retrain myself! One day at a time though - mustn't get too complacent.

So - brandywine. What's your favourite tipple? Champagne? Shorts? Cocktails?

Jenni

More Quirius including Harlem Passion and Belmont Garden

These colours dry matte. But I applied top coat to the index and little fingers. 3 coats. The middle and ring have no top coat but I'd just oiled my hands so the green is generally more matte than it appears here. Look, I know what I mean.

I just adore the bottles. In the middle is Rainbow Glitter. I tried to show the holo characteristics of this but failed. In addition the purple Harlem Passion is accurate in this pic but the green is far too pale! How can this be? One colour is spot-on and the other quite wrong! There's no sense in it.

I have a weird predilection for purple and green. What's that all about? Thank goodness the asylum doesn't let me choose my own clothes. I'd frighten the horses with my bizarre combinations.

Which is worse?
Blue and green together OR pink and yellow?

Jenni

Sally Hansen Black Patent

It's black.
That's not why I posted it. Just to show a small haul really that I felt was a good price on ebay.

I forget how useful black nail polish is and how much I like it.


I like the Salon polishes and I got 6 for £7.45 including P&P.
Poppy Love has come out pink. It's actually a shimmery blue-red and I think I'll love it.
I've seen pix of Gilty (ha ha NOT) Pleasures on other blogs and this also is a keeper.
The black is a single-coater so that's good.

Carthane may suit me as I'm finding these warmer shades look quite good on me even though I don't adore them.
Dawn is so-so but I'll give it a go.
Moonstone? We'll see.

Oh, and don't miss the Barielle BOGOF.
This includes the autumn collection in addition to 2010 spring and summer.
I've ordered Aura Angora (or whatever), Cashmere or Loose Me (what the hell does that mean and what's wrong with plain old Cashmere?), Daring Dahlia and Blossom. Works out as just under a fiver per polish including the dreaded P&P (pup pip pop pep pap?) which is reasonably bargainous for Barielle.

Are you planning any sale purchases or waiting for reductions of a longed-for item? Or saving for something special?

Jenni

Eyeko Chi Chi + proof that I have no creative eye/sense/instincts

OK then.

Quirius Black Coal was showing a little tip wear so I thought layering would be a good idea. I was mistaken.

In theory pink and grey are fabulous together. See below.

But not so much when I try it. 

Actually of the pix above I only like the Dior ring and the Ferretti dress so what do I know? And I don't love them or anything....

Should bloggers post mistakes/errors/wrong turns or feature only highlights and successes?

Jenni

Rimmel Apricot Punch

From the Lasting Finish range. New apparently. Fruities. Meaning it's supposed to smell nice. It does too. Faint and "chemically" but still nice enough.

3 coats but I never leave coats to dry between applications so it doesn't take a long time. Didn't do enough ridge-fill preparation but too bad....

I would never wear coral colours in clothing but I do like it as a polish shade even though I feel faintly old-lady. The lemon colour in this range has got some good reviews and I do have a soft spot for yellow polishes even though they don't suit me so I may get that one.

What do you insist on wearing just because you like it even though it's wildly out of fashion/doesn't really flatter you?

Jenni

Quirius Frozen Tears

I really like foils. All foils. I obviously ordered this on the basis that I wanted/liked it but it turned out better than expected. Pretty. Pretty is good. But it deepens in colour rather remarkably depending upon the light levels. It's very pale violet at times but much more vivid at others.

See what I mean?

Same polish but good value in different lights. Just look at the bottle too.

I have 3 Quirius left to wear and planned to do them as a series but got seduced by OPI one day and Rimmel the next. So tomorrow will be Rimmel. Or maybe Eyeko. I just can't stick to a schedule. I simply have to tinker.

Do you plan your posts (if you blog) and adhere rigidly to your projected timetable or are you very flighty and changeable like me? Do you try lots of different outfits on before you settle on something or do you just dress'n'go?

Jenni

Quirius Black Coal

You look at this in the bottle and think, "Pleasant silver foil but black coal? Not so much..."

But it does manage to capture a dark quality on the nail. 2 coats. Or was it 3? Let's say 2.5.

It was worth $3 of your earth money. Not such a simple silver.  Actually it was 6 for $15 so even less than that. And when you consider the extra gift polish....Not that I'm counting or anything!

Nail polish is a bit of an indulgence. Do you keep track of your spending on this kind of thing or regard it (for you) as essential and therefore money-no-object?

Jenni

OPI Bronzed to Perfection

I don't have many browns - 3?

I can't remember why I wanted a new brown. It was only a week ago but a week ago I simply HAD TO HAVE IT. How does that work? From ardent desire to forgetfulness?

Pic1 shows the colour a bit over-orange. 2 coats.

Pic 2 has too much flash and is consequently a little washed-out but shows the subtle sparkle (technically fine glass fleck).

It's really got my OPI-juices flowing again because the quality is superb. So I'm going to add to my OPIs but will I pay premium prices? I will not.

OPI? Must-haves or not-bovvereds?

Jenni

Quirius haul

Black Coal and Lucy Diamond.

Frozen Tears and Erin Island.

Paris Night and Cresskill Eve.

Roose Flambe and an OPI. Bronzed to Perfection.
(Whether Roose was a typo they got stuck with or they actually meant it I do not know...)

So I've already shown Erin and Cresskill. That leaves 6.

Guess what's coming tomorrow. 1 of the remaining 6. Any ideas?

And speaking of prizes (except there are no prizes for guessing) - I'm up to 134 followers so I'll do a giveaway at 150 (if I ever get there). But there'll be a loading towards my most frequent correspondents. It needn't just be nail polish. I'm collecting other items.

In many ways 134 is perfect. If you get squillions of followers you probably feel it's rather a burden and a responsibility and that you have to issue a daily edict or you'll desperately disappoint the reading masses. Plus you can't respond to comments individually very easily. Although some bloggers are punctilious about that. Kelly of Vampy Varnish often answers questions and it's clear she reads her comments so well done to her. (Just one example - I'm sure you're all frightfully respectful of your readers.)

Jenni

Quirius Cresskill Eve

I had visions of Cresskill Eve being a little-known pagan festival (it jolly well ought to be) but after a spot of googling it turns out that Cresskill is just a place in Noo Joyzee (which is where Quirius is located). Somewhat disappointing. Unlike the polish.

This is after 36 hours or so. 2 coats over the Bourjois Beige Sophistique I now use as a base. Easy as an easy-thing.

How about that? Admittedly all that glorious complexity isn't always visible on the nail. But when the sun emerges and bestows a blessing upon it then you do begin to perceive all the golden aspects of this mighty nail-paint.

I ordered another set of 6 Quirius last night. Some bloggers detest the bottle shape. I love it. These look good on my desk, I can tell you. I may pop one in the pocket of my shorts and take it to work just to feeeeeeeel it. I am a fearful fidgeter and feeler and drive the OH wild with pen-clicking and sundry other irritants. Allegedly I should be a skinny-Minnie (all that fidgeting) but I'm disproof (I know that's not a word) of the theory.

Are you a persistent fiddler (no, not the violin) or do you sit quietly with free fingers?

Jenni

Quirius Erin Island

Be prepared for an outpouring of hyperbole, please.

2 coats over Bourjois Beige Sophistique which I am now using as a (brilliant) base coat.

Jenni, I haven't seen Quirius in the shops. How did you come by this?
I'd seen it around a few times on the blogosphere and looked up QRS/Quirius and thought I MIGHT get some.

Why d'you say MIGHT?
Well, I know it's a US brand but I've got this issue with things being made in China.

So what did you do?
I emailed them and asked where they make their polishes and ya know what? They got back to me within the hour and told me their polishes are made in New Jersey (or Noo Joyzee as I like to think of it). So that was fine.

And you ordered some. Doesn't that work out expensive?
Well, it was $10 for 6 polishes and the grand total was less than $26. Today that's £16.92. Expensive? I don't think so.

So you got them obviously. How long did you wait ?
I think it was 9 or 10 days. They were meticulously packaged AND they sent me an extra!

So I got 7 polishes! Ordered 6 and got 7.

Frozen Tears and Erin Island.
I have 5 more to show you. 2 foils, 2 cremes and an extraordinary shimmer. Colours? 2 blues, silver, green and pink.
Their customer service is excellent. I LOVE the bottle design. I love the range of colours and I adore the one I first tried (Erin Island).
Google QRS Beauty and take a gander.

What retail therapy has been brightening your week?
Jenni

Mavala Violet Diamond

Another lazy-bones effort. Mavala glitter over Essence Lilac Forever.

These Mavala Diamonds always end up looking like freckles in the photos. They're actually not that bad.

See? They were good value for about £6 on ebay. You have to be so vigilant for bargains on ebay. I love it.

So why do some people call it evilbay? What is it that people have against it? I think it's a fabulous resource and ideal for ensuring that we reuse things rather than simply throw it away. So what's wrong with it?

Jenni

The Edge Costa Rica

So short of time. Slapped 1 coat of Costa Rica over the ELF. I got me an autumnal mani which would hold its own in the China Glaze VV collection but The Edge polishes are £1.99. They can be found on ebay and their own website but there aren't many shades and some crackers have been discontinued. They do more acrylics and gels and so on than polishes. I love their stuff though.

No more to be said.

OK, let's go with the brown theme...after a fashion.

Wartime obviously. Cavalry officers (why?) and ladies be-ribboned and be-gloved. How I dislike that nail shape. But there is a lot of brown.

I am hankering after browns and camels. What can you recommend? And to what extent will you be going the camel-route (metaphorically speaking) in terms of clothing this autumn?

Jenni

ELF Smoky Brown

This is nice enough. 3 coats. Applied the same night I was rushing to see the GP and subject therefore to rather sloppy application.

I have a big gripe with ELF. It's really my own fault though.

Head. Brain. Idea. Ting! £1.50 per polish. Got to get me some.

Too good to be true? But of course. Made in China. Hence cheapo. China has a hideous record of abuse of human rights and I take great pains not to buy Chinese-made goods. On this occasion my greed for cheap polish overcame my normal prudence. When I buy online I usually:
a buy second-hand/used so I'm not stimulating demand for new items
b email the company and ask them where they make stuff
I failed to check and consequently I ended up with unethical stuff. Not happy with myself or ELF.

Today's ad. From 1966.

Who was Hazel Bishop? What about these drug stores? Do they still exist? I notice the nail polish is the cheapest item.  And look at those fake lashes. 100% human hair. Freaky? I think so. 

Random question. How autumnal are you feeling today?

Jen

Essence Lilac Forever

I said I'd do a post of a polish and I am - even though I had to rush this yesterday. Firstly I applied 2 coats and dashed out. I realised later they were too patchy so I added a third and it was all downhill from there. It seemed impolite to refuse to hold hands with the OH on the sofa because one had just re-painted the old nails so I have smudges. It is equally discourteous to then sod off in order to redo the messed-up mani. Hence what you see before you.

This colour is ten-a-penny but I got this because I don't have any Essence polishes and it has a funky cap. Oh, and it was cheap in Croatia. I don't need a gazillion lilacs in my life but I'll keep it as a holiday souvenir. Fave lilac that I have? OPI A Grape Fit.

Speaking of Croatia. The black squirrel.

The wildlife we mostly saw was black squirrels, small and very fast lizards/newts, bats. Mercifully short on midges and mozzies. We wage war against grey squirrels at home because they trash the bird-feeders but we're in favour of red and black squirrels. 

Question.

How much does your OH (if applicable) grumble about the time you spend on blogging/reading blogs/talking and thinking about cosmetics and fragrances and clothes?

Jenni