beauty uk Gun Metal

A regulation shimmer/frost gunmetal but it has a tiny hint of glitz, I'd say. 2 coats are more than adequate. I have a Revlon like this - only not so good. Another impressive polish from beauty uk. Well done to them.

I'm very anti-colour these days. Couldn't bear the thought of another coral/green/yellow/blue. A little jaded.

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

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...

Grossly misleading IMO.....RMK

OK, I mattified it and added glitter to the middle finger and threw some GOSH Rainbow over a bunch of nails BUT BUT BUT BUT...see that word on the label? Yeah? Holographic.

Yes, and I'm the love child of Barbara Windsor and Stephen Hawking.

It is pink with blue shimmer is what it is. I got this from asos as it was much reduced and I like to have a representative polish from as many brands as I can. Good or bad. This isn't bad but it isn't effin' holographic. 

Any tales of products which you consider badly mis-described? Also your best most holo-y holo?

Jenni

Lilac ombre with beauty uk

This goes:
Little finger Lilac
Ring - Lilac plus a coat of FlorMar (OK, this makes it too blue, I know)
Middle - Soft Lilac
Index and thumb - Cotton Candy

It works alright conceptually but what I can assure you is that the beauty uk polishes continue to be great successes. 2 or 3 coats and you're done. Very pleased with the quality. Days were that cheap polish was sh!t quality. Those days seem long-gone. If you can buy it in a reputable shop then that's your guarantee that it's good stuff.

The apparent crustiness on my fingers is where I went overboard with base coat. Oops.


BIG APOLOGIES

• I'm not keeping up well with comments

• I'm not fulfilling all my promises to mention people when I said I would

*smacks hand and vows to do better*

Jenni (What kind of things do you beat yourself up about and how do you make amends/improve?) 

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

beauty uk Frozen Kingdom

This is BYOOOOOOOTIFUL.

 

This is 2 sloppy coats. Or 3 more careful ones. Ivory with a definite golden warmth. So flattering. SO pretty. But not in a girlie way. Obviously. I love China Glaze White Cap and this is no dupe. This is........way better! Hurrah.

Kate, I don't know what you'll be wearing on your nails next week but this is brilliant. And better still - it's made in the UK! Not that mealy-mouthed designed in the UK and made in China. Who do we think we are? We can design stuff because we're all arty-farty artistic but we can't manufacture stuff because that's far too plebeian. No. Manufacturing should be valued - as should service industries and child-minding. Feel free to add your own undervalued profession.

Furthermore it's (back to the nail polish) £1.99 from Superdrug. The bottle is tiny, 'tis true. However larger bottles are available online from the beauty uk website and there's a discount code. More will be revealed when I receive my mini-haul.

I am such a snob sometimes but 2true and beauty uk have rubbed my nose in my snobbery good and proper this last week. Shame on me.

Cosmetic snobbery?

• A snob? Moi? Quelle idee!
• I do have a penchant for high-end, yes
• I take products on their merits, I don't consider myself a label-freak
• Confirmed bargain-hunter on the whole
• Pay mega-pounds for a fancy name? I think NOT

Jenni

Kinetics Butterfly Wing Velvet

 

3 coats. This is another Wunderkind of a Kinetics polish. The quality of these is superb. Metallic brown with gold/amber flakies.

Enough said. Blog sale tomorrow. I'll post at 5pm UK time. It's 'first come first served'. Reserve a polish by using the 'comments' box. Easy. Paypal. Open internationally. Oo, hark at HER.

Jenni

Illamasqua Bacterium

 

It's kinda dirty and odd and strange. Doesn't sound like an attractive cosmetic item, does it? But I love it. 2 coats and fairly thick but manageable. Looks much darker most of the time when there's no direct light source. It looks 'goldish' in the photos (almost Urban Decay Twisted) but I don't see that IRL. Complex polish. If you like Illamasqua (what d'you mean you don't?!), you should love this. I conjecture.

I look forward to 'sellotaping' it. What would make a good contrast colour? What would complement this colour well? Any ideas?

Jen

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

Color Club Feel The Beat

My first Color Club. 2 coats. The index finger is mattified with another colour over half the nail but the other colour wasn't enough of a contrast so that was a fail. But this is one heck of a shiny, easy polish. Problems? Yes, tip shrinkage but I tried 2 new products under the CC so I may have to blame the chemical combination. And chipping after 2 days - may again be related to new Mavala ridge-filler (only one to be found in Boots).

Yes, I know it came out ages ago but I got this for £8.99 plus £2.49 P&P. Yes, that's right. Less than £11.50 all in!!! If you're in the US you can have NO IDEA what a bargain that is. Stuff generally is mega-expensive over here with nail polish no exception. I know Color Club is not a premium brand but it has a high reputation over here nonetheless and I have seen some great swatches. I couldn't pass this up at that price. Evidently I was not the only one. It's all sold out now (ebay) so no point giving you the link.

The Vitabase product (far right) is great too and makes a good base. I am now hunting for CC in a BIIIIIG way. Luckily they are now stocked by: http://www.venusnailsupplies.co.uk/ This is a company I can recommend. The P&P is a bit steep but the polish prices are low so make sure you order plenty.

What Color Club can you recommend? (international readers)
Does Color Club interest you sufficiently to seek it out? (UK readers)

Jenni

Illamasqua Viridian ombre + a total disaster

Here it is in all its hideousness. No point in tarting it up.

 
And how the nightmare was wrought.
It was NOT a good idea to franken with the myface polish because it was thick and streaky on its own so why did I think it would make a good base for adding Viridian? Because I'm a cheapskate, that's why. Thought I could use it for good. Who am I? Superman?

So - DON'T use rubbish polishes for frankens.
DON'T neglect the thorough blending of the 2 shades.
DON'T persist with it when it's obvious from the first nail that it's no ruddy good.

Such a shame as the Illamasqua is a lovely polish.

Two for just over a tenner from asos.  That's not a lot for such quality items. And I eff it up bigtime. Maybe I should try foils or something. Something FOOLPROOF for people like me who are fools. *grump grump*

Off to Boots to see if they have the new Barry M crackles in stock. And get a nail buffer.

Jenni

Sally Hansen Super Frost Platinum + more lacy tips

Keep looking for a shimmery white that covers in fewer than half a dozen coats. This could be it. Platinum thingummy by SH.

Creme polishes are no ruddy use on my nails any more. Can someone PLEASE recommend a ridge-filler? I'm getting desperate now.

Now, I realise this would be better with a black base and white or silver tips and I will do that when Models Own bring out their range of crackle polishes. I wasn't going to post the MO promo pic because who needs it all over again for the umpteenth time? BUT I decided I would because I could then refer to the actual shades and say I shall definitely get the silver and white. I'm not a fan of coloured crackles though. Maybe the yellow may prove alluring but I shall wait for swatches. The OPI and China Glaze are too expensive over here so they can take a running jump.

To conclude:

• Do you know of a heavy-duty ridge-filler?
• Will you get any of the above?
• Do you too find the Models Own caps wide and unwieldy and a s0d to work with?

Jen

Rimmel Play Fast Camouflage + Hello again...

Been moving my mother down from Shropshire to live in a new home two miles down the road from me. Busy.Wore a mani for a straight week. Priorities.

• Focus is rubbish.
• State of nails and skin likewise rubbish.
• Polish is fantastic! 2 coats and one would probably do it.

Why, oh why, do companies discontinue some of their best-quality formulae and shades? Barking. Not as if Rimmel is a high-fashion label that has to be avant-garde...


On that topic I notice a couple of highly-desirable new collections out. Illamasqua Toxic Nature. I don't have enough reserves of hyperbole for that one. And BB Couture Touch of Greece (damn silly name but stunning colours).

And in closing:

 

A photograph of my grandson and my dog. I rather like the pouty pose. He was eating one of his beloved apples. Dog is naturally intent on fate of apple. He would gladly eat the scraps from his master's table/hand.

Personal photos on a nail blog?

• Too much information. Yawn.
• OK in moderation.
• Nice to have a bit of personal background.
• Other

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

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

Zoya Zaufda

Zoya is buckets of money in the UK. BIG buckets. Biggest buckets you ever did see.

That's why I don't have any. Until I got 3 for about £7.50 on ebay including P&P.
Zaufda  is the one I expected to like least. Orange. Just shows the power of expectation and anticipation. Aim LOW. Contrary to what the government and these 'life-coaches' would have you believe. Slightly tongue-in-cheek? Not even sure myself.

2 coats. You have to keep your eyes peeled on ebay. Persistence pays. This is a great colour. Duochrome-ish too. Seems to darken in some lights. Great brand but I'm not paying £10 so I don't expect my little trio to expand within the near future.

Anyone else up for the giveaway? There was a brief flurry and then nothing. That's fine by me. I'm not touting for readers. Just reminding any regulars out there. See RH menu.

Jenni

Barielle Gelt me to the Party

I do find I get bad tipwear on Barielle (as you can see). Typically takes less than a day to develop. Not chips you understand. That's a huge no-no. But I still like their colours so I'm sticking by them.

With an accent of Accessorize Gold Dust. I thought that this would be a streaky mess but I rather like it. Not saying it suits me but I like it nonetheless.

I'm awaiting a bundle from BB Couture with no great patience. Also coming my way from the US is my cousin and her husband from Philly. Well, they fly out tomorrow/Wednesday. I warned them to expect cold weather. I think they know what that's like in PA.

I apologise for stating that Barielle was a British brand a few posts back. I should have known!

Jenni

Barielle Jess' Champagne Toast & Misa Shop till u drop

Ridiculous name.

The BOGOF on autumn/winter 2010 polishes. I would never pay £8 for these. Don't get me wrong, Barielle are British (I think) and they are good but not THAT good.

I read that this is a bit of a weed so I put a coat of a similar colour underneath and then 2 coats of this. It dries dull as it's a foil so top coat was a must. I always TC anyway though....

It's pretty and that's as far as it goes. Pretty underwhelming. Heck, it's only nail polish.

I need to post about something more profound - cars, fashion, TV. Something really deep and meaningful...ahem.

I hear they've isolated some anti-matter particles in Switzerland. Now that IS remarkable. Apparently. If I understood it and hadn't failed physics at the age of 13. What gets to me is this: the scientists try to explain by way of analogy/simile but even THAT makes no sense to me. Which makes me think that they don't understand it either. I wonder......

What leaves you cold?
Quantum theory?

Jenni