OCC Lip Tar Katricia

Or another one that makes me look dead according to She Who Knows.
Well, I like it. These Lip Tars use a mere droplet of product for maximum coverage. They last forever on the lip and make a great base for other stuff. Sadly the £8 was but a short-lived offer on Love Makeup - they're back to £8.99 now. Still worth it but I should really make some money by clearing out some items from my hoard before I make another purchase. Lots of people report these to be minty/tangy even to an unpleasant degree. This shade is one of the more minty but only marginally to my way of thinking.

 I am using 'hi-speed burst' on my camera the last couple of days which captures colour really well but loses a bit in the sharpness of focus sometimes. Swings and those round things that go round...

Nail polish tomorrow and then I may be taking a weekend break. I could cue some posts but sometimes they just bizarrely and unexpectedly post themselves immediately despite my having followed all the processes correctly. I blame blogger.

Have you ever had problems when you've scheduled a post but it's rebelled against you?

Jenni

Silver comparisons

I surely have enough polish now to do comparisons - hundreds but not a thousand, I think. But curiously there are few outright dupes.

I do like silver. It ended up NOT a straight silver post but wanted to go glittery.

Little finger - new Topshop polish Wilderness - a poxy 6ml - it looks like a proper size polish on the website - swizz! metallic silver and a good polish
Ring - Topshop White Witch (goes pink on!) + Diamond Cosmetics Glitter Silver
Middle - Misa Dance Fever
Index - Hansen Dividends which is like the Misa only darker and leaves bald spots and never dries and wound me up no end + GOSH Silver Star (see Dividends for how it applies....boo)
Thumb - Diamond Cosmetics Silver Brocade - very like Wilderness but a hint of glitter

I conclude:

• Topshop sold me a pig in a poke with a teeny mini that didn't say it was a mini
• Don't bother with White Witch
• Misa is one of the best brands bar none - buy Misa
• Hansen Dividends not very good and neither is the GOSH - these are generally 2 brands I don't have much success with though
• Diamond Cosmetics - such a shame you can't get this in the UK any longer because it's another GREAT brand and it's crazy cheap
• My skin is unsually dry and it may be attributable to the Hansen Kwik Off polish remover that I am using but that people report to be tough on the skin

Jenni

2 questions

1. Straight silver OR silver glitter?
2. Are the LFW models too thin? When I say too thin I mean unattractively thin. Not unhealthily - that's another issue. Too thin to be attractive.

OCC Lip Tar Uber + how taupe is not just for nails

There's a little pink in there but that's because I don't clean my lipbrush after every application. Oh, and I can see my lips need exfoliation (for which read my olive oil/sugar mixture). Other than that and the smudgy foundation - perfetto! And the weird lip line isn't the best. But everything is done in such a hurry these days.

I'll just reiterate how much I love Lip Tars. Although the reaction of She Who Knows was "cyanotic" and, "You look like a dead person." Heck, I still like it.


I only work 3 days a week at the best of times with 13 weeks of holiday and I'm on half-term now but I still don't know which way is up. Mum is now in a hospital in the small town where she lives so that's good for her numerous neighbours and frequent visitors but even further away from me. Extra driving. But hey. She seems happy enough. She's talking fluently but it's like jamming the wrong pieces of a jigsaw together and doesn't make much sense overall even though it sounds pretty much like the old Mum superficially. Day at a time and all that jazz. As I say, she's merry enough so that's fine!

Jenni

Taupe/mauve/beige for lips? Or not?

Topshop Utilitarian + a brief introduction to the philosophy of Utilitarianism

First the polish. Worst pictures EVER. It looks gritty (it isn't), it looks very dark (it isn't). The bottle shows it properly. It's a lovely polish IRL.

2 coats. One might do it. I tried so desperately hard to get an accurate photo but cannot explain what went wrong. Familiar Topshop quality.

Now on to the much more interesting meat after the disappointing hors d'oeuvre.

Utilitarianism 

This fascinated me as a teenager when I read an article (Sunday supplement, I think) about Jeremy Bentham. He died in 1832 and left his body to medical science. In the 60s or 70s his head was still on display in one of the London University colleges and there was a picture of it which both intrigued and disgusted me. Being a typical teenager with an interest in the macabre and radical thought I was hugely interested. Bentham advocated sexual equality and the liberalisation of laws against homosexuals amongst other things. Good egg.

This is NOT the real head which is now safely locked away as it became the target for student pranks (yuk!) but I believe that the skeleton stuffed with straw does remain the basis of the body.

Utilitarianism is swiftly described as ".. the greatest good for the greatest number.." Now read on!

This means that all acts require "Felicific calculus" to achieve "the greatest pleasure for the greatest number." Therefore there are definite rules and codes as to what the person must do in each situation to benefit the most people. The hedonic calculus is what Bentham thought all people must do before deciding the utility of the certain act in question. It is dependent on:

• Its intensity.
• Its duration.
• Its certainty or uncertainty.
• Its propinquity, or remoteness.
• Its fecundity, or the chance it has of being followed by similar sensations: that is, pleasures, if it is pleasure: pains, if it is pain.
• Its purity, or the chance it has of not being followed by, sensations of the opposite kind: that is, pain, if it is pleasure: pleasure, if it is pain.
• Its extent (the number of people who are affected by it).

Hedonic calculus? It sounds so good, no? The text in italics is from wiki.

It's one way to determine your actions and not a bad one at that. Discuss.

Jenni

Topshop Silver Bullet + general Topshop observations + many thanks for your tape-method assistance

A straightupanddown silver chrome.
Excellent quality. One coat would do (I did two though) and it went on very easily.
I didn't know it was a chrome as I bought it in a set for the sake of Gypsy Night. I tend not to go for chromes as they look a bit manky on ridged nails but this is a peach.

I have a few Topshop polishes and they are excellent quality and they do well-funky colours.

Topshop
1. Why is it one word and not two? Just marginally irritating.
2.  They are doing free P&P until Tuesday.
3.  I ordered this from the new collection. Plus 2 other things. Including one item for the next giveaway. Not telling btw.

4. This is the set I bought which includes Bullet and Gypsy. In general their photos are informative but this little set not so much. Luckily Gypsy Night is stonkingly fabulous, Bullet is really good and so is the third! But nul points for the picture which I magnified HUGELY.

5. I do Topshop buying online. I'm not sure if they existed when I was a teenager. Probably not as it was in the days of Methuselah. Naturally I wouldn't set foot in the actual shop for fear of frightening the youthful clientele. Just wanted to reassure you that although I have a mutton dressed as lamb natty way with my appearance I won't be lowering the tone in Topshop.

Are there any shops you avoid? Because you think they are too young or too OLD for you? Too exclusive/expensive or too down-market?

Jenni

Using sticky tape - got it taped?!

Well, I tried the tape method (again) and the results weren't great.
This is my 2 hands together. I never have them the same.

The blue is Nails Inc Duke St with Barielle Falling Star. But the Barielle is too thick and I didn't work AWAY from the tape so the line ended up not being crisp.

The other hand is Rimmel Scene Stealer with The Edge Egyptian Gold. The contrast isn't strong enough but I'm happy enough with the neatness of application.

The Barry M Nail Effects covers the mess.

• Colour choices - 2 blues/poor - 2 golds/OK
• Formula choices - Falling Star too thick
• Working method - should have worked away from the tape rather than towards it as this leads to a build-up of polish against the tape which is unsightly
• Spacing - should have had larger areas on the blue but was rushing and already had strips of tape adhering to the other fingers so slightly hampered in my task

Are you a straight 'paint the nail' kind of woman? Or like to experiment with decals and stones and stamping and all that razzmatazz?

Jenni

Rimmel Play Fast Scene Stealer

Mashed my middle finger on a kitchen cupboard. I am clumsier than a hippo at a hog-roast.

As part of a recent cheapo purchase (is there any other kind?) I got this and Rimmel Cafe au Lait (part of the French Manicure range).  Really French manicures and I don't inhabit the same space-time continuum - or even ones that are a few shifts to the left - but I bought it for what seemed like a good reason at the time.

The Cafe au Lait was the base with SS on top. I love the SS. It's the first Play Fast polish I have and I am looking for best-price on the funky blue and purple and orange ones now. Ebay seems the best bet.

Lots of coats except on the mashed-up middle finger. Look at the pureeeetty bottle. This is way better IRL than it looks here.

I always used to despise Rimmel but I can't remember why. Their polishes are great and they make Diva Red which is one of the best red lipsticks you can get. Sorry, Rimmel.

Is there a brand for which you have an unreasoning dislike?

Jenni

Emilio Cavallini giraffe tights

The legs aren't worthy of a giraffe. I'd be more of a hippo if my soul were to be transmigrated into an appropriate African animal receptacle.

At least the shoes aren't muddy this time. Oh, and I bet hippos have loads more fun than giraffes.

On the subject of tights look at this UK designer. Tiffany Quinn. Just look at the image. The model does not have improbably long legs. She looks like she might be almost human. Almost.

Check out her stuff on uk tights. And they are made in the UK!! I am just waiting for the end of the month and I am going to get some. Reptile, Argyle, Pearl Spiral, Blue Hollywood. And then some...

If you DO go on uk tights PLEASE tell me if you like any of her designs. I'd hazard a guess that they may not be for absolutely everyone so let me know about that too, if you would be so kind.

Jen

OCC Lip Tar Anime - £8 WELL spent - + a bloomin' good website

This is a Lip Tar tutorial - if I may be so bold. These are SO worth buying but they do need careful handling. These are from Love MakeUp and currently at £8. Put it like this - if you like lipstick with more than 2 atoms of your being you need these.

http://www.love-makeup.co.uk/

This is almost colour-accurate. It's probably a tad brighter IRL.

Now this is how it begins.

1.

See the little blob? That's too much. That was there when I removed the cap. Do not squeeze the tube. REPEAT. Do NOT! Don't just casually handle these. Take care.



2.

They sent me a free mixing palette! Cool. That's still too much product. I intended to mix the Anime with another Lip Tar but the blob was too big a blob so I felt I had to try to use it and it gives a 'pure' swatch anyway...Combining will come later.

3.

Apply from the centre. If you start with the outer line it will feather. Put the bulk of the product at the centre to prevent this.

4.

That's what is LEFT! Pity my brush is too big for the allocated area..So I will leave that on the assumption that it will remain tacky and workable and use it will another shade next time!

I have 5 others and I can't see me stopping there. I believe professionals use these and may invest in the full library. Worth every penny of the 800 pennies I paid.

Lip Tars?

• Don't float my boat not no how not no way
• I'll think about it maybe
• Yeah, but too expensive
• Definitely on my list
• You only have 6?! I have 16!!! Call yourself a fan?!

Jenni

Nails Inc Duke St - 24 Euros for a nail polish and a box and a bit of tat?!

OK, I didn't pay the price on the box. Far from it. But who pays that kind of money? Maybe nobody did which is why it's on sale for £6.95...Talk about ripping people off!

First the polish info. Lovely blue-grey creme. 2 coats. Nice enough. Excellent formula.

It's a leeeeeeettle bit less blue IRL.

Next the outrage. I bought a load of stuff. This polish however was in its own box. Hubris or what? Its own box?! The box clearly states 24 Euros. For 1 polish in a plastic tray and a 'phone charm' in a box. What's charming about it I simply don't know. You have to laugh at the audacity of a company that charges astronomical amounts for a handful of beans (Jack and the Beanstalk allusion). Of course I'm not really outraged - more astonished that some people (I pray it wasn't any of YOU) would dream of paying 24 Euros (£20.06) for such a thing.

See! I didn't lie. It says quite clearly 24 Euros.

I'm slightly ashamed I paid what I did, let alone twenty quid! But it was part of a bargain buy and the rest were cheap-as-chips so I'm not too guilt-ridden by it.

OK, what d'you reckon is a fair price for a Nails Inc polish with a *ahem* charm?

Jenni

Aristoc tights

A friend, knowing that I am fond of them, always gives me tights. Marvellous. I believe she gets them from TK Maxx. Again - excellent. I don't need them to be full price. I just need them to be patterned or highly coloured.

(Oh, no! I just grabbed these shoes out of the cupboard and realised they are muddy. I was wearing flats today for work.)

My legs look a bit odd as a result of the camera angle. I normally do shots like this in one of the only 2 mirrors we have in the house. But I asked the wife to take the pic this afternoon (much to her bewilderment) and didn't like to keep badgering until I got a shot I could really live with so this will have to do. I really like these tights. Well done, Pamela (friend)!

The reason I have so many tights is that I always wear shorts. Trousers are too long and flappy and get mud-spattered. Skirts? Well, I tend to favour indecently short ones that aren't appropriate for a chalk-pusher. So shorts are the answer.

These are the ones I really want but the wife says they are too snakeskin and she has a complete screaming heebie-jeebie phobia of snakes so that's a no-go. They are Emilio Cavallini which is a brand John Lewis stocks. These are on ebay though......Maybe I should get them to wear when she's working away?

Phobias? Dare you share?

Jenni

Illamasqua Ruthless + red cremes

Got this with a lipstick for a good price on asos.

Btw this is emphatically not a Valentine's mani. I acknowledge Christmas and Easter and that's about it. Hallmark and all the other card companies can take a running jump. If you can only be loving/thoughtful/considerate one day of the year (after a great deal of hinting etc) then you're not the woman for me! Not that I'm looking anyway.

This photo is taken on day 3. Three coats. Excellent quality.

A red creme is a red creme. I don't have many because what's the point of THAT then? These are the ones I DO have. I'm quite impressed that I don't have many similar polishes in my collection. I do try not to duplicate things.

Nails Inc The Hurlingham (untried) - veering orange?
Cover Girl Candy Apple - my first! really good
Illamasqua Brigitte - lovely jelly finish
Illamasqua Ruthless - see above (bit on the blue side?)
CG Phat Santa - also good, the darkest

It's hard to formulate a poor quality red creme. It's one shade that seems to be fairly foolproof.
Tbh the Nails Inc and the CG were in sets and I wouldn't have bought them separately. I wanted the others in the set.
The CG was in a set too with a sparkle topcoat. For me the CG was fine as my solitary red creme. But I'm getting a bit of an Illamasqua obsession so I will buy stuff I find on sale whether I need it or not. Foolish woman!

Why do we do stupid things whilst knowing full well that we should not?

Examples

• continue to buy nail polish we neither need nor can afford
• persist with partners whom we no longer love nor respect (could be just me and it was a few years ago)
• eat foods that we know will make us fatter and less healthy
• drink to excess when we know we are very likely to have a sore head or do something desperately embarrassing
• the list goes on...

People are odd.

Jenni

Topshop Gypsy Night

1 of a set of 3 x 6 ml bottles. But I must have immediate emergency back-up. Express delivery. US cavalry. Military outriders. Presidential escort. (Don't know why I've gone all gung-ho Bruce Willis meets John Wayne all of a sudden but this polish is HUGE.) The other 2 polishes are probably lovely too btw.

3 coats. Is it brown or black or olive-brown? Don't care. Is the glitter brilliantly integrated? Yes. Are there flakies in there? Could be.

A bit too much of the ol' flash but those look like flakies to me.

Women of Britain, buy this polish. Swatch it on your lovely nails. And get some blinding pictures posted. Thank you.

Jenni

YSL Rouge Volupte Brun Vibrant lipstick

If it's Rouge then how can it be Brun? Just idly asking...

Looks glossier than I was expecting. Doesn't feel glossy/messy though which is something I welcome. It's not that I have long hair to get caught in lipstick but I still feel mildly queasy thinking about that scenario.

Was an absolute bargain. A fiver? Cheap Smells. Think I must have secured the last one. Just love the packaging. I'm really not supposed to be getting into lipstick as well as nail polish but .....too late. Just ordered 3 OCC Lip Tars and got an Illamasqua from asos at a bargain price.

Just to say - I hate the abbreviation 'lippie'. It's very useful and labour-saving and so forth but I just hate that word. Any words or phrases you particularly dislike?

Jenni

Jamie K - I Psychologise YOU! Featured blogger...GUEST blogger

Jamie K was the first to comment in my giveaway Silly Survey. I don't threaten promise to do this to everyone who commented but I thought I'd make use of the data because I'm nosy really interested.

 

So Jamie is my Guest blogger - even though she doesn't know it! 

 

 

http://squovalicious.blogspot.com/ Jamie's blog! Loving the banner. You can tell this young lady has great taste.

 

Jamie K. said...

THE GREAT SILLY SURVEY What did you do last night? Worried about my boy;s health and my project! So Jamie has at least one child and studies full or part time. I just cheated and looked at her profile and I'm not sure if her boy might be a rabbit!!! Oops. What did you last download? How I Met Your Mother!! I have no idea what this is. When did you last swim in a pool? last December? She is probably fairly fit. What are you wearing this minute? tshirt and shorts lol Is she embarrassed about her attire? What's with the 'lol'? Shorts are fabulous! How many cars have you owned? none! Maybe she lives in a city and doesn't need one. What music do you most dislike? Bieber A woman of good taste - even though I would not know Justin Bieber if he came to fix my washing machine. Not that he would... Did you vote in the last election? nope, it was a walkover >.< Oh, Jamie is either extremely happy with her government and feels they did not need her support or she knows she could do nothing to oppose them. Do you have cable or satellite? eh none! Have you ever made a prank 'phone call? nope! Me neither. Would you do bungee jumping or sky-diving? NOPE! pee my pants! That's very definite. No extreme sports for Jamie. Where's the furthest you've ever been? Beijing, China? That may be a long way away. I need to look it up on a map.

You may know exactly where Singapore is but this map helps me!

Do you know all the words to your national anthem? Yes, i do, even though it's in the Malay language :D So Jamie doesn't have Malay as a first language? Do you prefer to shower or bathe morning or evening? both times, before i get out of the house and before i sleep:D Jamie is very particular and very clean. Best recent film? INCEPTION! I should see this but haven't yet. Good choice. Have you ever been sick in public? Yes, i fainted but no one helped dragged me out of the subway. My dad had to do it. Sigh. That is just awful that nobody helped. Shocking. Big city life? Crisps or popcorn? both :P Oh, well. We can't all be perfect. Fave pizza topping? cheese :P Classic choice. Safe choice. Jamie is a careful woman. Controlled. Orange juice or apple juice? ornage juice! i love the colour! That is an odd reason for choosing a juice, I think. Red or white wine? neither :/ Jamie may have religious or health reasons for this or maybe just doesn't enjoy it. How long have you had your oldest friend? since I was in kindergarten! but we rarely talk much, we have each other on Facebook though! My next question would be: How much do you converse on facebook? Have you ever grown tomatoes? nope! Is the tomato a staple of Malay cuisine? I have no idea and am ashamed of myself. Have you ever bought something from a TV shopping channel? nope! Me neither. Have you ever worn uniform? When and how did you feel about it? i did! i like it, so that I dont have to spend time choosing clothes each day So Jamie has lots of clothes and finds it hard to choose! Have you ever stripped off in public? nope OK.    Do you believe in love at first sight? not really. Cautious answer. Jamie IS careful. We can surmise that Jamie hasn't been struck by Cupid's arrow in a big way just yet. What's the longest you've ever had your hair? Is it long now? now is the longest, slightly past my shoulders. Probably very lovely. What message is on your voicemail? no voicemail! Doesn't want some wacky message on her 'phone. What bag are you using today? eyebags :( Joker! That's all the worrying that gives you eyebags. Unless it's partying. Hm. Dogs or cats? CATS! meow~Very clear about her answer.       Conclusions Jamie is something of a worrier. She is thoughtful and caring but can be shy. She likes clothes and make-up (well, duh!) and is very particular about her appearance. She has high standards generally and is probably ambitious. She will work very hard to achieve her aims. Jamie rarely acts impulsively. People think her very smart. She is ordered and has a life-plan. Her home is impeccably tidy. She is close to her father. She is very likely to be successful in her chosen field and is highly organised.   I am probably barking up the completely wrong tree here but this is my analysis!     I love the way blogs give you insights into other worlds. Different ages, locations, interests etc... Jenni PS If you entered my giveaway and strongly DO or DON'T want me to ruin enhance your image in this way then do tell. I had lots of great responses so I wouldn't 'do' everyone but I thought a representative sample might be nice to show diversity of age and location. Or indeed diversity AND similarity! Jamie was the first to comment and lives in Singapore so I thought it appropriate to begin with her! Best wishes to Jamie  

  Jenni 

BB Couture Tuxedo Night

Vampy. Seem to be very vampy-prone at the mo.

Reminds me of fruits and seeds. Not raspberry exactly because raspberry juice would be paler but...well, raspberry-esque.

This is actually 2 coats of the BB over 2 coats of a Zoya which I shan't even bother to name (Divincia or some such) because it is pathetic. The BB however is a BB and is a class act (despite my ham-fistedness).

One of the BB Couture men's range. Do you know any men who wear nail polish? I think I do but I'm not saying any more because even he (though he's quite 'out there' in many ways) just kinda plays with it and then removes it. Is it just rockers? I'm sure many men have very nice nails and hands and would look good in polish. Would you freak if a fella close to you wore polish?

Jenni

Nubar Chocolate Coffee Bean

I got Raspberry Truffle but it didn't turn out as spectacular on me as it did on every other blog so I ebayed it.

Took a chance on this one and this is (for me) a better polish.

Application these days is not at all good. Sorry. Can't properly see what I'm doing as darkness falls. I do have electricity btw! Just in case you thought I'd been cut off or something. 3 coats. Tried 2 but just wasn't enough.

I'm no chocoholic but it is an appealing idea/theme for cosmetics. I'm a big Nubar fan. Or even just plain BIG. Too many chips, I fear!

Chocolate?

• Not bothered. More of a savoury soul.
• I would kill anyone who got in my way.
• Kinda hormonal about it. Appetite for it comes and goes.
• Other

And WHAT brands or flavours?

Jenni

Urban Decay Vinyl + Leichner Camera Clear Porcelain

First the "after" - believe me, I DO know what I'm doing!

I've never used Leichner before despite it having been around for longer than the brontosaurus! It's really good. Cheap, fragrant, lots of coverage. My other fave is Maybelline Dream Matte Mousse. It was once L'Oreal Cashmere Perfect but I am now looking for maximum concealment with extra cloaking properties.

The lippie is UD. Sort of liquorice smell which I like despite detesting liquorice as a sweet. Hey ho. TJ Hughes £2.40 as it was a 20% off day. Get IN. UD can do no wrong in my book. I got an amazing eyeliner the selfsame day.

Great packaging, UD. Respect.

Now for the before photo. This is meant to show my acne rosacea but it's not as bad as it was and I was going to do a whole spiel about acne rosacea but maybe I shan't. What the picture does show, I think, is that it never hurts to smile rather than stare superciliously into the camera like a latter-day Myra Hindley.

This photography thing is tough as you knock on a bit. I'm 17 inside. Honestly, if you met me I swear you'd never recognise me....*ahem*


Jenni

Star Gazer 131

Sorry for the poor quality of the application. It was quite thick and gloopy and I wasn't paying much attention. Not too gloopy and, if it were, a drop or two of Seche Restore could easily make it more malleable. 2 coats.

Crikey, those rhinestones are teeny. But this combo has a nice flash to it and works really well when you gesture extravagantly. A colleague admired them and that rarely happens.

My daughter (numero 2) uses Star Gazer quite a bit and bought me some. Pleasantly surprised.

I've decided I'm going to analyse (psycho-analyse?) the data from the silly survey and see if I can make any generalisations about blog-readers/bloggers or just make random penetrating insights into your various quirks and fascinating personalities. Stand by your beds!

Jenni

Giveaway winner - Hermetic!

Result: 21 Powered by RANDOM.ORG

This result was based on inputting all the responses to the Silly Survey of which Hermetic's was the 21st.  Voila. QED.

http://hermetic-blog.blogspot.com/


Hermetic is from Serbia and I shall be leaving her a message asking for her address details.



Talk about random..


This is Revlon. Couldn't they have chosen a better photo? Boring colours and what IS that expression on her face? Not good.  Looks like she's in pain...Maybe the photographer has bad breath and she's mouth-breathing?

Thanks for all your well-wishing. Mum not so good yesterday. 'Vague' is what the nurses called it. 'Not very with it' is more my line of thinking. One day at a time. Bright side. All that. Work is good. Spring feels as if it may be in the air. My grandson is SO sweet. My daughters are being supportive. My OH is lovely. You are all lovely.

Jenni

Cutex Sweet Pea + rhinestones

This is one of a range of 6 autumnal colours. No idea when Cutex produced these. Still available on ebay and I rather like them.

I love sludgy, murky, muddy, dirty greens. This is no exception. 2 coats of creme formula goodness. Simple. Unspectacular. Reliable. Cheap.

Pity it doesn't have a sweet pea fragrance as I adore sweet peas. But there's Acqua di Gio for that. Although I have sadly run out.

Maybe I should grow sweet peas this year. 2 snags.

A I have brown fingers and kill plant-life just by looking at it


B Our soil is thick clay

Other than that it should all go swimmingly. I would love a beautiful garden. I did once have one when I had a dutiful husband to carry out my instructions (ie do the donkey-work).
 
You good with plants?

Jenni

GOSH Holographic - the very devil itself...

Did this mani a few weeks ago. Pictures just languished on my desktop.

Context:
Had a bottle of the GOSH (lots of people rave about it), got rid as it was a 'mare to apply. Saw it the other week half-price at Superdrug (always want to write Supadrug - seems to be more appropriate) and did what you should never do. Bought the blasted bleedin' thing again.

Well, it certainly hasn't changed for the better. Hence the liberal application of Barry M. I think they are discontinuing this so I may be too late to save you from wasting your money as GOSH already have it in hand.

I actually like the look (except for the mess on the middle finger) but it's not what I was aiming for. I can slap Barry M on any day of the week after all!

Medical miracle that is my mother now can walk a bit with a frame, sit up in the chair and put her teeth in, open the plastic wrappings and help herself to grapes, read the paper and talk very well. Certainly enough to tell me when she is tired and I can go. Hates to be helped so fell out of the chair yesterday whilst trying to fend for herself! And daughter no. 1 is helping out with the visiting. Cool.

• Will get back to reading all my fave blogs very soon and leaving my usual comments
• Will generate randomly at the weekend for a giveaway winner
• Officially thank everyone who reads this blog

Jenni

Rhinestones

£2.50 (ebay) for 12 of the teeniest bottles I ever did see.

Imagine the production line! Extraordinary. These are glass bottles. I had to remove the stopper with my teeth! How do people place these things on the nail with such accuracy? Sheesh.

First attempt. Rubbish. Things can only get better.

Made me think about the origin of the word /rhinestone/. Unsurprisingly (wikipedia, you are my friend) the whole shebang started with rock crystal gathered from the Rhine. These days they may still be made of rock crystal or glass or acrylic.

Update
My mother can now sit up, almost stand, talk sensibly, feed herself and may be transferred to the local community hospital and then home - maybe with some adaptations and help. Who would've thought?! Poor dear has shingles too although she says she's in no discomfort with it. Hurrah! All despite a rather large bleed into the brain. Tough nut. A lot to live up to!

Apology
Haven't been tracking my comments or checking out all the blogs I usually do so sorry about that....

Jenni