Aubergine - Royal William

Bad cuticles - sorry...One bit of mattification.

• OPI William Tell (as yesterday) with 1 coat of Revlon Royal.
• RR is the best blue ever. I trust we are united on that. #JUSTsaying Don't feel free to disagree!
• This is now too blue to be actual aubergine but it's no longer wine/damson/plum. I'm happy.

So - do you know of a GENUINE aubergine?

Thanks
Jenni

Tell me, dear William!

When 2 thick coats simply are not enough! OPI William Tell blah blah blah - with mattification - index finger worked out by far the best

• One of my prize polishes from Leanne - hurrah!
• Love the colour
• Now I want a genuine aubergine - this however is definitely damson/brown/wine - I want something very similar but with a blue cast to it
• Streaky - 3 solid coats required (but I didn't do that because I wasn't paying attention)

Jenni

Giveaway!

One I won. Not one I'm host(ess)ing. Sorry.

And there was more!

Thanks to Leanne at Do Not Refreeze. I so needed brushes and I just wasn't going to buy any because I'm relentlessly cheap like that.

Leanne invited suggestions for nailart and I thought album covers! Specifically this one (see below). Such a shame vinyl is dead because the covers were works of art. (Cue a series of fave album covers.)

You do know this one? I imagine some of you don't predate mp3 so 39 years ago may be a bit of a streeeeeeeeeeeetch...

Lucky me, eh?
Favourite album cover?

Jenni

Doesn't it annoy you....?

Because it does ME!

Can you name all the brands?

• My polishes aren't stored so much as littered.
• I have huge clusters all over the house.
• I then look for something specific and it's so much easier when you can derive some information from the bottle tops - logo or actual NAME or something distinctive! Otherwise it's a sea of black plastic.
• Why don't ALL companies do this?
• How annoying is it when there are just dozens of black or silver tops? So boring and so uninformative.
• What distinctive brands have I missed? With clearly identifiable tops?

Jenni

Answers
Column 1 China Glaze and QRS
Column 2 Jessica and Orly
Column 3 Borghese and OPI
Column 4 Color Club and CQ
Column 5 Essie and Misa
Column 6 Mavala and NYC

Illamasqua - do they need the younger model to sell stuff or would the older lady alone just 'frighten the horses'?

"If you’re someone who has never let age define you, or you know someone who fits that description, please get in touch. We know you’re not ready to blend in – and why should you be? All we need is one recent photograph of yourself, or the person you’re nominating, plus a sentence on your relationship with make-up. You will need to be available to take part in the shoot in London on Wednesday 23rd and Thursday 24th May 2012."

So. This is Illamasqua's current campaign for faces to feature in their advertising.

• I'm 56 and don't regard myself as old or past it and thought I might enter a photo.
• Neither do I regard myself as a beauty - nor ever have been - just someone who likes fripperies and colour!
• I couldn't even attend the shoot if I were chosen so I'd just be doing it for my own amusement.

Questions

1. Would you, will you or have you already entered this?
2. How would you 'style' yourself for a single photo?
3. How old are you?
4. I have some new items and I was thinking black, pink and silver and vaguely piratical as I have a headband I'd probably wear. (Btw I know pirates are somewhat passe atm.)
5. Illamasqua are also seeking joint entries. With whom might you like to enter as a pair to show two generations? Doesn't have to be female btw.
6. Or do you think it's ridiculous and only young model-types sell cosmetics?
7. Is there a cut-off age for cosmetics modelling? If so - what age?

Jenni

Eye Candy Graphite

From Sainsburgerswurgers

• It was £6 or £8 (can't remember) and that's a crucial difference because
• At the lower price I'd perhaps recommend it
• For the higher figure I'd forget this and opt for Jessica Smoky Feather
• Two thick coats - it drags if you don't load the brush but that's fairly standard for this foily finish
• Doesn't have the pink and blue particles that the Jessica has - hence my preference for the Jessica
• Clearly this is easier to obtain
• If you're looking for a Chanel Graphite dupe then this looks (from perusal of online swatches) fairly good

Jenni
You checked out this brand yet?
NB I had a small chip after 24 hours which does not bode well....

Bargainiferous...

CQ Slate

• 'Slate' only on the basis that slate is actually a deep, dark teal colour. Which it isn't. Ho hum.
• 50p from the Post Office because it had got leaked upon! Bargain box bliss...
• 2 coats though one careful coat might suffice
• I have 2 CQ polishes. They are bloomin' good quality.
• A few shades are available from Cosmetics Fairy but it's a Walmart /RiteAid brand from the US and generally impossible to find here - shame
• Absolute nightmare to photograph 
• I don't have anything quite like this but I'm sure you peeps do
• This works out much darker on the nail than in bottle - decidedly odd

It really isn't as dark as it seems - I am loving this - for a plain creme it's got quite a bit of complexity

Jenni

What a lovely name!

L'Oreal Yellow Seahorse

• another Post Office find
• 3 coats
• didn't look streaky when I did it but it turns out it is in fact a bit streaky when I scrutinise it more closely
• good for a yellow - really good

But not as good as THIS!

Is he (?) not just outstandingly gorgeous!!!

• Best yellow?
• Do you wear yellow clothes? (I don't.)
• Do you wear yellow accessories? (I don't).
• Do you have yellow furnishings?
• Would you have a yellow car?

Jenni

Blog sale - EASY blog sale...HELP!

Please help. I want to do a blog sale. I've done it before. I've assembled the bottles, photographed them, edited the photos, listed the polishes....You know how it goes.

I have dozens and dozens and dozens to sell!
This is but the very tip of the iceberg.

If you've ever held one you'll know it takes forEVAH to prepare the post. UNLESS I am doing it wrong.

So what is the speediest and most efficient way of blogselling a lot of polish? Can anyone help me? Is it OK to just list them without photos on the basis that you peeps largely know what they're like and could google them if you don't? Or ask me for more information/a photo?

Most of my higher-end stuff has gone over ebay so the prices will be LOW.  I'm not selling them because I don't like them. I just have far too many now and so many dupes or near-dupes.

What advice do you have for me to enable me not to spend many hours of my life on this, please? Or should I just bite the bullet and do it the old-fashioned way?

Thank you
Jenni

Smoky Feather? *shakes head in bewilderment at daft name*

OK, mani 2 from my spa half-day.

Jessica Smoky Feather

This is the alleged Chanel Graphite dupe.  2 coats. The only Chanel I ever wanted was Jade but I'd never buy it. Silly money.

Daft name for a thoroughly glorious polish. I don't care about trends or following fashion but I do know a good polish when I see it. This is one that appears different in varying environmental conditions and is superb quality. Smoky Feather? Why? Sounds like a native American Indian but it's from the Peacock Queen collection. Er, that'd be a peaHEN btw. The peaCOCK is the fella. PeaHEN is the female!! Doh. And I do know OPI do way dafter polish names.

I shall be extending the wear of this by assiduously topcoating it daily. So that's 2 Jessica polishes on my hitlist. Good thing I've been paid. But then I want to buy daughter 2 some earrings. Grandson's 4th birthday is soon (but we have his present already). Wedding outfit for me. Mini-break? More spa-time? Better start saving!

J

The latest new thing? Do you
A want the latest polish to see what the deal is and hang the expense
B want the latest polish but in cheaper form to stay on-trend
C wait until the fuss dies down and then reassess once you've read plenty of reviews
D only get it if you really, really like it and even then resent the price
E never get seduced by hype
F franken it