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

IsaDora 123 Apricot + I'm OFFICIALLY on a no-buy

It's the only IsaDora I have. Got it from http://www.xtras-online.co.uk/cosmetics/nails/. This a great company. I had a discount code but I forgot to apply it at checkout so I emailed them and they just gave me the discount right away. No bother. Tres cool. Very good peeps to do business with.

Anyhows... this is very sheer but works frightfully well as a layering polish. Goes a bit duochrome-y. I think they are probably quality polishes. If only I were not on a no-buy I might find out by buying some more.

Soooooo this is like Slimming World or something. Not that I've ever been but I flippin' well ought to. I need your support in encouraging me to get a grip and not buy more polish. It's turned a bit too OCD for my (well, the wife's) liking and I now find I have to buy a polish a day or I feel bereft. Not good. I don't like the anxious feeling of 'Where's my next nail polish coming from' so it has to stop.

This has worn well btw.

I believe I'm the only current member of the NBC (no-buy club) but feel free to join. Membership is currently on special offer.

Jenni

Illamasqua Purity + Barielle Blossom

(Ever so slightly washed out by the flash.)

How thick is Purity? Thicker than a very thick thing with added thickitude. But it covers in 2 coats which is remarkable for a chalky pastel so no complaints really....

The Barielle has a reputation for being thick and possibly unworkable but actually it behaved quite nicely. Also 2 coats. And when, pray, is Barielle going to introduce some new polishes? Hm? Well? Come along, come along. We're waiting.

Recommend me some peachy shades, please!

Jenni

Nails Inc Captivating Selfridges + W7 Earthquake White

We have here a crackle polish costing £3.98 including the ol' P&P. I think this makes a pretty mani. Delicate, feminine, pretty. SOOOOOOOO not adjectives that apply to me!

http://www.xtras-online.co.uk/cosmetics/w7cra.html for the W7. I have turned up my nose at W7 for many a long year but now I've tried 'em I LOVE them. W7 do a crackle black and a silver. The silver will be making a guest appearance here tomorrow. Why was I so snooty about W7? They are cheap and they look like they are ripping-off OPI. I have now decided that's a good thing. Teaches me not to be so narrow-minded.

This shows the Nails Inc. Must be an ancient limited edition polish as I've only seen it on one website. This is seriously sweet. 'Captivating Selfridges'. What's that all about? IS Selfridges particularly captivating? If I could be bothered to troll down to the smoke I wouldn't be making Selfridges a must-see. That I DO know. Really like this polish. Shows a little warm in the picture - I'd say it's paler IRL. Beautiful consistency. I thought it would be a streaky mess but went on with ease. 3 coats for full opacity but it was so good to work with.

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

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

Miners Flamingo + Borghese Dolce Vita Fuchsia + PETA

Look at this hideous picture and
a) rejoice that YOUR nails don't look this bad and YOU had the sense not to buy this polish
b) pity me

Miners Flamingo

It's not bad in the bottle and that's where it's staying from now on.
What possessed me to think peach shimmer was a good idea?
Honest to God I've made some stupid decisions in my time. I thought a self-catering chalet in Dorset would make for a great holiday, I admit that. I wore red vinyl pixie boots in the 80s. I'm not ashamed. Actually I am a little ashamed about the boots.
But this!

That's it before my desperate effort to conceal it under a layer of Canmake.
I am so mortified. Spend your life trying not to succumb to your inner oldie and this is where you end. Even by my standards this is bad.

The polish dries slowly and also reacted badly to my usual top coat. Probably nothing inherently wrong with it but I hate it on me. Trouble is I haven't the time to remove it and recommence so I'm stuck with it for  day. Where are my gloves?

Moreover I now detest the Borghese by association. So that's two duff polishes at the swipe of a brush.

Next!

Now I'm sure he looks miserable enough already without having chemicals dropped into his eyes. So read on for more animal-testing info. (He was probably sulking because I was on my way out. You wouldn't think he has a personal dog-walker to keep him company when I go out to work which is only 3 days anyway!)

http://search.caringconsumer.com/search_list_icons.aspx?Donottest=-1&Product=0&Dotest=8

This (above) lists companies that DO still animal-test. It's a long list.
For our purposes the big names are L'Oreal and Maybelline.
I suggest you take a look at it yourself.
The ethical issues surrounding spending are legion. Personally I won't buy stuff made in China (human rights). Then there are environmental issues. Am I buying the right detergent? Should I be buying Turkish cherries (air miles)? It's easier just not to bother. It's also difficult to trace the origins of many products. But I do try to be as well-informed as I can and forgive myself if I make a mistake and buy something which is theoretically on my banned list.

On that jolly note
Good weekend to one and all (except the Ginger + Liz legal department)

Jenni

Essie + a puzzle/Hokey cokey karaoke and let the dog see the rabbit...

Here's an Essie

Got it for £3.50. Didn't much like it in the bottle. 3 coats. LOVE it on. L O V E   I T.

Here's the puzzle!

A recent Rimmel polish was called Coralicious because it was coral-coloured. That's my opening example. Other polishes with the colour in the name are: Ruby Pumps, Red Stallion, Blue Moon.

So what did Essie call THIS?

What colour family do you think this belongs to?

I want you to guess by posting a comment, if you feel so inclined.

But the answer (the actual moniker by which this is marketed) can be found below. Highlight the supposedly blank area and you will see what it's called. 

Mauve-ing Along

Now you can call me a blind old bat with the colour sense of a mole in a hole but I really don't think that this polish can be called mauve. But what do you think?

I'm going to post my 5 Cherry tag blogger/folk/peeps later today and an Illamasqua question.

Jennifer