W7 mega matte lips

Ugh, you say, who wants matte lips? We want glossy lips. Seductive, kissable lips.

That's as maybe but...
1 What if you don't like the gloopy feel of glossy lips?
2 What if you have old lips which have lost outline and pigmentation and want your lips to look fuller and not have shine distracting the eye and minimising the area?
3 What if you have thin lips and want to enhance them (see above)?
4 What if you are after a fairly natural look that's easy to maintain?
5 And other stuff...

Anyway, I found these in TJ Hughes (closing down, get there fast) and got 2 for under £3.

I love this, I do. Can't find a number or name on it but the print is fearfully tiny so it may be there somewhere. They do a variety but they're all pretty much of a muchness. Didn't prevent me from buying 2 though. Feels so velvety. Love matte lips.

(See how good beauty uk shatter polish is? Yes?)
Oh, and the cap is itself matte. How cool is that? I do love the feel of matte rubber tops and lids to beauty products. Like Orly polishes. Fab.

My lips used to be fuller and plumper and so forth. Shine on the lips just gives the effect of lustre but doesn't really suit the *ahem* more mature woman. That's my opinion and I'm sticking to it. Forgive hideous grey.

Jenni

Giveaway - GOSH Holographic

It is but a humble bottle of polish I offer. Somewhat careworn and tattered (probably due to having been languishing in the back of my local NotSoSuperDrug for aeons) but unopened, unused, untried nonetheless. A virgin bottle of holo goodness. Although, I have to admit, I have never managed to make it work for me. It has never agreed with any base coat I use. I know some people prefer to apply it to unprepared nails to avoid streaks but I can't bear not to prep my nails. Be warned. The results can be spectacular but it is temperamental.

• Open to my first 300 followers only. This isn't a desperate gambit to acquire new followers. This includes Trixx who appears to be 301 but I stupidly managed to follow myself in the early days so 301 is the cut-off point.
• Open internationally as it's just 1 ickle bockle.
• 1 entry each for leaving your contact details in comments below and stating a. which polish in your collection you'd be MOST reluctant to giveaway b. which polish in the whole, wide world you wish you could have c. whether or not you already have this polish.
• If you don't have it then you get an extra entry as I'd prefer it to find a home with someone who doesn't have it already as it's one of those HTF/rare/niche/Holy Grail polishes. So I'm enhancing the odds for those who don't have it. And if you're a blogger I can check! Sneaky and suspicious,  moi?
• Closes (hm, now let me think) 9th August.

If I've forgotten anything then please let me know.

Bonne chance!

J

Mavala Milky

My new favourite coral-peach. 2 coats of Mavala-lousness. *It just never gets old!* Just maybe could take a 3rd coat. Application as easy as (insert here your personally-favoured dubious analogy referring to a woman's sexual availability) ...... anything.

Next up in the Mavala-fest will be Daring Pink.

Jenni

beauty uk shatter polish night fever (THEIR lack of caps - not mine)

 

1. Top class packaging - me likey
2. Top class product - I have a few shatter polishes and this is the best by far, more predictable application than others, doesn't go gloopy or streaky, excellent
3. The gold is properly gold - not drab like the Boots 17 I have
4. It was a poor decision to layer it over Mavala Vanilla - needs a more striking base
5. 'dix points' on the Eurovision scale - might even stretch to 'onze'!

Jenni

China Glaze Pelican Grey

Grey is fearfully dull but does make a rather flattering nail polish shade. I am now madly researching shimmery and frosty greys. This has my trusty FlorMar over it just to even it out and just enhance the shimmer a jot and tittle.

This conspired to be both thick and watery. Nonetheless I award it 'neuf points' on the Eurovision nail-scoring scale.

Even more remarkable was the price. £2.10 plus VAT from Sally's. One does have to pop in and check out the sale shelves and brave the inevitable "D'you need any help?" from the predatory assistants when one is in town.

Favourite greys?

Jenni

Mavala Vanilla and FlorMar

I knew it would be a streak-fest and I was right. After 3 coats of pastel (and what pastel doesn't behave badly?) shimmer I had to apply a coat of FlorMar to try to even things out.

Partly my own fault as I didn't prepare properly with ridge-filler so I'm going to give it 'huit points' anyway because I love the colour and finish and Mavala can generally do no wrong in my eyes. It doesn't even suit my skintone but what the hell!

Got my covetous eyes on the launch of Sleek Pout Paints. Bet my grotty little branch of Superdrug (no, my TWO grotty little Superdrugs) doesn't stock these until the seas run dry. Bah.

Day 4 of my 44 day holiday. That's a lot of blogging and tweeting.

Jenni

Flakies must always be mattified: IT'S THE LAW

Because, if you leave them glossy, reflections detract from the flakie goodness. I just thought I'd mention it.

This is Leighton Denny Provocative (lovely formula but the little beggar chipped on 3 nails in one day) with Nubar 2010. Then 17 matte top coat over that.

Took me a long time to see any merit in matte and I wouldn't buy a matte colour but top coat does have some value.

Jenni

Berlin in 2010

 

Mavala Berlin topped with a FlorMar and then Nubar 2010. Only ever so slightly washed-out by the flash. Really loving this Mavala grey.

Wish things weren't named after specific years though. Whatever happened to 1984? I could never reread the book now. And 2001? One of my favourite films but the actual 2001 was such a sore disappointment that even that is now somewhat spoiled.

You see, I was born in 1955 and when I was small I thought of 2000 as the science-fiction-future. After all, I'd be 45. Forty-whole-five! I really believed we'd all be time-travelling. I looked at Dr Who and Star Trek (and indeed 2001:Space Odyssey) as pretty firm predictions. I was thoroughly convinced I'd have a small aircraft/vehicle of my own - very much like Fifth Element.  We all know the rather pedestrian reality. 

How horribly off-topic I have strayed. What I really want to know is this. What flakies are available in the UK apart from the Nubar and GOSH Rainbow? I have Barielle Elle's Spell and a Kinetic with flakies but surely there have to be some others. It's driving me nuts!

Jenni

Mavala Berlin - hot from Smurf Central

The curse of blue nail polish. You can never get rid of it...

This was streaky after the 1st coat and I thought I'd be heading for a minimum of 3 but the 2nd was more than sufficient. Another excellent polish from Mavala.

Looks like me, Mavala and Leighton Denny are going to make a cosy threesome. Really want to support European brands. And UK polishes if possible. I checked and the LD are made here. This may account in part for their higher price in addition to their excellent quality but I'm happy to pay more to keep jobs in the UK. Don't want us to be seen just as a nation of bankers. Bankers. Is that the right word, I wonder? Hm.

Jenni

Leighton Denny Provocative

OMG, a perfect jelly red in 2 coats. So shiny. A beautiful blue-red shade. Mwah! How much do I now love LD polishes. They are truly fabulous. I am now on a mission to hunt them down at semi-bargain prices. Wish me luck.

I had to fiddle in iPhoto with temperature and tint because this was showing way too yellow-orange. Consequently my skin looks positively purple. Matters not.

Nothing more to say.

Jenni

I cracked it with Comments! Hurrah!

 See this? I had to paste my comments into Word and then repaste into the blog but it works! Brilliantly! My comments on your comments are in red.

	I love this polish... always have! By Charlie on China Glaze First Mate at 17:39
	thats a gorgeous colour and it looks really nice on you, i've never tried leighton denny but might get some now after reading this : ) By nail loopy on Leighton Denny Miss Behavin' at 11:05  Another funky French with Miss Behavin'.
	Ooo i love a good funky french mani. They remind me of mermaid nails! x WHAT A LOVELY THING TO SAY! By Clazzerati on Attitude Asteroid at 09:02
	I love that colour, I used to get a Revlon colour very similar called Ink off the market and was gutted when they discontinued it. x IT IS BETTER THAN IT LOOKS IN THE BOTTLE. AND THAT'S QUITE UNUSUAL. By Vix on Leighton Denny Miss Behavin' on 17/07/11
	Oh so pretty! It's all twinkly like stars :D By Lillian Funny Face on Leighton Denny Miss Behavin' on 17/07/11
	would love to find this in US =( ISN'T IT NICE THAT OLDER POSTS CAN STILL BE READ. By Anonymous on Topshop Gypsy Night on 16/07/11
	Loving the funky french! Foil + glitter looks great :) x By Gemx on Attitude Asteroid on 14/07/11
	Ooh that looks awesome! By Lillian Funny Face on Attitude Asteroid on 14/07/11
	I love this funky french! I have a few attitudes but not as lovely as this one :) By rmcandlelight (nailsbeautiqued) on Attitude Asteroid on 14/07/11
	That makes for a fascinating read. Men's nails must grow faster as Jon's forever cutting his talons. Love the Cutex ad even if the pointy nails are a bit scary. x POINTY NAILS WERE A VILE TREND. By Vix on Who knew? Fact or fiction. Truth or lies? on 13/07/11
	How interesting! These type of things just make me wonder 'why?' Why on earth is our body made this way, what is the point? :P I KNOW, I KNOW. By Lillian Funny Face on Who knew? Fact or fiction. Truth or lies? on 13/07/11
	Great post! Don't know if it's all true...THAT'S THE PROBLEM WITH THE INTERNET. ANYTHING PRINTED APPEARS TO BE TRUTHFUL....I CAN BE SO GULLIBLE AT THE BEST OF TIMES.... By rmcandlelight (nailsbeautiqued) on Who knew? Fact or fiction. Truth or lies? on 13/07/11
	I've never heard of Nina before. I actually like this colour for myself :-) By Karen on Nina Ultra Pro Hazelnut on 13/07/11
	Thats lovely, I want it on my toes. Hx By Helly on Nina Ultra Pro Hazelnut on 12/07/11
	Can't say I've heard of this brand before! Cool colour though.YOU GET IT FROM SALLY'S. THIS WAS ONLINE THOUGH. RAVEN COSMETICS. By The Student's Guide To Nail Polish on Nina Ultra Pro Hazelnut on 12/07/11
	Nina does tend to get ignored. Sometimes Sally stores here will have sales on them, and I've picked up a few on clearance from time to time. THE PACKAGING IS JUST "MEH" IMHO AND THAT COSTS THEM SALES....EVERYBODY GOES IN AND JUST LOOKS FOR THE OPI AND CHINA GLAZE. By KarenD on Nina Ultra Pro Hazelnut on 12/07/11
	What Sarah said--not to glam up the corpse but rather keep it from horrifying people any more than having a dead body on display already does. My immediate family leans toward the cremation followed by memorial service school of thought so we haven't had many open caskets, but they are pretty commonplace. Odd to go to visitation to support friends and see their parent for the first time, dead and laid out as if sleeping in their Sunday best. JUST DON'T DISPLAY THE BODY IS EASIEST. I JUST THINK IT'S WEIRD. CULTURALLY BRAINWASHED I AM. By KarenD on Twitter will be the death of me... on 12/07/11
	I never get along well with these corrector sticks, they always seems to make me spotty and I always gets the stuff everywhere when I twist the end for ages and then it all comes out at once :/ I love the pink grapefruit polish and knockout red is my favourite reds, especially for the price! :) xx THE PINK G SEEMS TO HAVE SLIGHT SHIMMER IN OTHER SWATCHES BUT NOT ON ME. I WAS SLIGHTLY DISAPPOINTED. By Gemx on Boots 17 Hide & Chic - not so much YSL Touche Ecla... on 11/07/11
	Despite having ridiculously red cheeks I've never actually liked green correctors, maybe it's because I'm so pale but I always just end up looking a bit green! I love the free nail art stickers, pink leopard print hearts? Yes please! YOU HAVE TO BE REALLY RUDDY TO WEAR THEM AND I AM. YOU ARE TOO PERFECT! By Lillian Funny Face on Boots 17 Hide & Chic - not so much YSL Touche Ecla... on 10/07/11
	Pretty. And yes she's is very thin, I'm most fascinated by her lack of hips (as someone who is overendowed in the hip department). It's obviously her natural body shape as Pippa is v. similar but how she's gonna do her sprogging duty?! By Cali369 on Mavala Romantic on 10/07/11 YEAH, POTENTIAL ROYALS HAVE TO BE CHECKED FOR FECUNDITY. GUESS THEY HAVE C-SECTIONS WHEN PUSH COMES TO SHOVE?    Spam   |   Delete   |   Remove Content
	Ooh, this is a nice one! By ABOP (laquerlove on MUA) on Mavala Khaki Vintage on 10/07/11
	Painting the nails of prom goers? Where was my invitation??? Though technically I'm attending afterprom, not prom :P What I like to do is to paint the tips on with tape, and then create a nice smile line with a cotton bud in acetone. Thanks for the shoutout in your previous post! BELIEVE ME, OUR PROM WAS NOT A COOL PROM. By The Student's Guide To Nail Polish on French tips....a bad day in Bordeaux.. on 07/07/11
	Karen, thanks for the advice. Northern Lights is by The Edge. They are well cheap. Google 'em. By jaljen on French tips....a bad day in Bordeaux.. on 07/07/11
	Sorry Jenni is Northern Lights a BeautyUK or another brand? I can't find it on their website? By Karen on French tips....a bad day in Bordeaux.. on 07/07/11 NO, IT'S "THE EDGE". ALSO BRITISH. NEVER SEEN IT BLOGGED. WHICH IS A SHAME.
	Hi Jenni, I love this mani. I love glitter too! I'm definitely going to get myself Northern Lights for starters I don't have any BeautyUK polish but I'm going to go have a look tomorrow. One tip for Manis that I do is use a ring binder sticker to cover your cuticle that way you don't have nail polish too near your nail bed and cuticle, its a tip someone told me so feel free to share it. Karen THIS IS ME SHARING THE IDEA AND IT'S A DARNED GOOD ONE. By Karen on French tips....a bad day in Bordeaux.. on 07/07/11     Jenni

China Glaze First Mate

Any decent blogger would be ashamed to post this. But I have no shame.

 

Honestly. The cuticle remover has completely knackered the skin round my nails. Hey ho.

2 coats of this gorgeous 'dirty' blue. Lovely quality.

Begs the perennial question. China Glaze or OPI? Ditch it or dig it? If one company had to bite the dust which should it be? I'd ditch OPI. They are loads more expensive and do too many boring colours. Plus they got into commercial bed with L'Oreal which isn't all it should be on the animal experimentation front.

Jenni

Leighton Denny Miss Behavin'

 

I like blue least of all possible nail colours on me (except perhaps red which is such a cliche) but I am currently sporting blue polish on both hands. Not the SAME blue. Obviously.

2 coats of LD which is plenty, plenty. I think Leighton Denny is the best polish I have ever tried. I do wish it weren't so expensive. This colour has shimmer, depth and a jewel-like quality. Exquisite.

I have tried my very best to source LD more cheaply but they keep a very tight hold on their distribution. There isn't even a sale section on their own website! Grrr.

When they come up as a magazine freebie then BUY THE blahddy magazine. This is a mini that I got from TK Maxx. Four for eleven quid. 4.6 ml bottles but totally worth it. I tell you no lies.

Jenni

Attitude Asteroid

For some reason I have become addicted to funky-French manis! So this one has foil tips. Then a clear-based glitter coat over the top. My index nail is especially yellow but ... what can ya do?

This British brand is Star Nails Attitude. Apparently it's mostly available in salons. Don't think I've ever seen it however. I bought mine online (usual suspects) and they manufacture some funky colours and I do recommend their polishes. The bottles are 14ml (whoever said that size isn't important simply lied) and you can always get them for two or three quid. Result.

Jenni

Who knew? Fact or fiction. Truth or lies?

1. Nails grow faster in the summer than in the winter. I probably knew this.
2. Men's nails grow faster than women's (except during pregnancy and later in life when growth increases). Nails grow faster when you're older. Are they quite sure?
3. The nails on the hand you write with grow faster. Think I had heard this.
4. The longer the finger, the faster your nail grows. Crazy! Bad for me with my stubby fingers. So not fair. Not that I even want long nails but WHY?
5. After an illness, your nail growth increases. Suppose it makes sense.
6. Nail disorders make up about 10 percent of all skin conditions. Ugh. Had a partner with a fungal nail problem once. Gross. I blame the acrylics.

 

An ad from 1949.With that tapered nail shape that I really don't like.

(Facts from the Cutex website.)

Well, I say "facts". I tend to credulously assume (ouch, split infinitive) that everything I read online is true. If I stop for a moment to reflect I know that my assumption is foolish. But I can't help wondering - how many of those 6 facts are 'true'? And to misquote Prince Charles "...whatever true is..".

Jenni

Nina Ultra Pro Hazelnut

Typical fugly colour such as I love.

3 coats.  Topcoat. Little finger has a coat of Flormar because I had a 'ding' to obscure.

I don't have many Ninas. Two? Three? I am not much disposed to root round Sally's and the Ninas are never reduced. They always give the impression they are the unloved ugly sister to Cinderella China Glaze and Princess Perfect OPI. This one was from my beloved Raven Cosmetics etailer.

Well, I like it.

Jenni

Boots 17 Hide & Chic - not so much YSL Touche Eclat as...

...a bit of paint and a few bristles in a plastic case.

 

One of those promo teasers - spend a fiver (I think it was) and get the following for nowt.

 

The one to which I am pointing is Pink Grapefruit. The other Knockout Red. And I did actually want Pink G so that was fair enough. Heart stickers? Maybe not so much. But who can resist a freebie? Rhetorical question.

OK, now to review the items for which I paid.

1. Even Tone Corrector Stick - if you have cheeks as rosy as mine (think tomatoes crossed with traffic lights) then you need a greenstick and this one is fine TICK VG
2. Hide & Chic Eye Brightening Concealer in Light Rose

• problemo numero uno: the number of times you have to twist the top to get any fluid to the bristles, thought it was never going to work
• the amount was negligible and dried almost instantly on the skin making blending an impossibility
• I had to cover over it with another, more accommodating, concealer
• Touche Eclat it ain't, looking for a dupe? this ain't it - you could just smudge anything beneath your eyes (emulsion?) and it'd be better than this
• THUMBS FIRMLY DOWN

The pictures are poor but I'm not recommending this so I didn't bother with pictorial verisimilitude. The polishes will be reviewed in due course.

Jenni

Mavala Romantic

Nowt special. Just a perfectly bog-standard coral-pink. 2 coats.
But still it's the excellent quality I now expect of Mavala. It gets me every time! I think, "This one's going to be a bit thin and weedy. It'll need more coats than a skinny girl in Saskatchewan." (Oh, and isn't Kate Middleton too THIN!)

Every time the polish turns out to be a thick (but not overly thick) 2-coater! How do they do that? Bizarre.

Where to get Mavala?

• ebay
• Beauty Bay - this and the 2 greens were from BB but I should have got a bigger order as the P&P was a leeeeettle high
• Amazon
• Lloyds pharmacy locally

Jenni

French tips....a bad day in Bordeaux..

 

I used sticky tape and did the tips, then base coat, then a glitter coat. I shouldn't have magnified the pix really as it looks plenty better IRL. I should also have done a much thinner fake 'free nail' section. I'll know better next time.

The beautyuk polish is the exceptional Frozen Kingdom (loving that name) and the other is Northern Lights.

I've never done an 'Essex-girl' before and am surprised by how much I like it. I am painting nails of prom-goers tomorrow. Requests are for purple, hot pink and gold. They don't believe me when I say I've got lots of colours. They think gold is just....gold. SO innocent!

How many golds do you have? I'm going to count mine now.

Jenni

Twitter will be the death of me...

Do I need more excuses to time-waste?
But if it were not for twitter I wouldn't have been alerted by Lena to something I at first dismissed out of hand as ridiculous.

I got the promo for this in my inbox but I get so much Illamasqua spam I didn't bother to open it.

HOWEVER.....Illamasqua are now tied in professionally with an undertaker's business to do funeral cosmetology.  NOT something I'd ever thought much about. I have now!

I've never seen a dead person. Not as far as I know. Certainly not reposing in their coffin! Do the British do that open coffin thing? I believe it's much more common in the US but I have no clue as to the customs surrounding funerals worldwide. Please enlighten me.

So I was hugely derisive at first. Make-up when you're dead! No, no, no. Once I googled it I realised how run-of-the-mill it is in the US. I just can't see 'funeral cosmetician' as a prime career option somehow. I know I've limited vision. Who am I to make mock...

What d'you reckon to a bit of slap in such circumstances? Consoling to the bereaved? A sign of respect? Look your best at all times? Somewhat superfluous?

I think my current position is that it perhaps detracts from the gravity of the event. Cosmetics are very much a part of life. Cosmetics (delightful as they are) are transient and of the world whilst death is perhaps the time to think on higher things.

Jenni
PS A very good initiative commercially by Illamasqua, I think. Suits their image and marketing strategies. Innovative. Bold.

Mavala Bronze Green

More Mavala-lous polish. (Sorry. REALLY sorry...)

2 coats of hotness. Plus topcoat. These Mavala polishes are at their best when glossy and I've read other blogs saying that they do need topcoat top-up to achieve the best effect and I'd agree with that.

An unassuming little number in the bottle but fabulous on. Different under different lighting conditions.

Jenni

PS Please recommend a cuticle-remover that doesn't strip the flesh from the digits and make one look like a snake sloughing its skin! But does effectively remove cuticles. Natch.

Mavala Khaki Vintage

Ordered this online and was disappointed when it arrived.

"Thin green shimmer, huh? Well, this'll take about 8 coats then. Oh, dear. Maybe I shan't bother then." WRONG. It's green and it's grey and it's soft and it's shimmery.

It's actually rather thick too and took only 2 coats which was plenty! Plus topcoat. Jumping Jehosophat, but this is one cool polish. I know Mavala works out pretty expensive when you consider the bottle holds only 5ml. But Mavala are really impressing me quality-wise. Their ridge-filler is excellent. And that's high praise from me. The woman with ridges deeper than the Grand Canyon.

I have 2 more to show you. Mavala doesn't get much love on UK blogs which is a shame.

Jenni
PS Comments promptly attended to...

Comments and how to handle them...

I fear I am a very bad blogger (yes, yes, in addition to the dodgy camera-work and rubbish cuticles) and am hopeless with comments made.

 (This is a tinkering mani with W7 Earthquake Silver, Barry M Nail Effects in black, Boots 17 matte coat, topoat over ring finger and then W7 again over the original Nubar Knight's Armour.)

I don't seem to know how to acknowledge comments properly and I feel guilty about it. I love getting them but I just think I'm not paying them enough respect. It gets to the point where I don't want to/am afraid to read them in case someone left me a really lovely comment or question and it's obvious I haven't been paying proper attention and what will people think of me for not having made a super-prompt response.

I do not know how you peeps with big followings cope! Does it prey on your mind? How do you handle it?

So should I

A just continue to do my best and leave things as they are
B discipline myself to read and answer comments at the same time each day without fail
C disable comments and invite peeps with QUESTIONS and ADVICE to email me and then I KNOW I will get back to them because I'm fairly good with my email correspondence
D other (please advise)
E if you leave comments on blogs what do you expect from the blogger? Do you go back and check?

Help!!!

Jenni

Nubar Knight's Armour

My red hands are due to the pressure exerted by trying to grasp 2 bottles of polish simultaneously in my teeny little paws.

Lazy woman that I am I slopped the Nubar over the 2true "Paradoxal". How much do I love that 2true! Do get it. 2 coats of Nubar btw.

Cor, I love this Nubar too. This is a great way to wear black which can otherwise be rather dull (ha!). I do feel rather bold and chivalrous wearing this! I realised it's pretty well identical in the bottle to Mavala Black Diamond. I'm developing a real "thing" for Mavala. Knight's Armour was the star of the Fortress collection which I derided at the time. I was unwise in the ways of lacquer then and thought a bunch of greys was a pointless waste of space. I know better now.

I love Nubar and I love Mavala. And on that positive note - adieu.

Jenni