Catrice Dirty Berry - you have to love that name...

 

I nearly didn't get this one. The air-con in the shop was such a blessed relief that I couldn't concentrate on the cosmetics. But I'm jolly glad I took a better look. 2 coats of very subtle holo. And it applies like a dream. The kind of dream with meadows and a gentle stream - not the dream I usually have about school or exams or being in a room with someone lurking outside or doing the same thing over and over and over again. 

Catrice is a super brand. Really cheap. Round the £2 mark. Watch out for this in Croatia (if you ever go - I love it there) and Central Europe and wherever else it's sold. I like the bottle design and everything about Catrice.

Jenni

 

Essence Choose Me - and I did...

3 coats of a quick-dry polish that cost about £2 in Hrvatska (Croatia). I think it's a glass fleck. Pretty vibrant and doesn't smurfify the nails to any great extent. Phew. There weren't many polishes in the little town where we stay but I don't go there to cosmetic-shop. Ignore the little finger. That's an experiment.

This stuff lasts really well. But wouldn't you know it - I only noticed a chip on the last morning when we were due to leave at 9am?! Could do nothing about it. All packed.

In the forthcoming days there will be :

• my mini-haul from Hrvatska
• my holiday snaps (you can skip over them, that's understood)
• my amazing gift from Glam Nails
• some moaning about having to go back to work on Monday - boo, hiss...
• nail swatches

Jenni

Oo, Radio 4 is just broadcasting a trail for a programme about caves in Croatia! What are the chances, huh?

Nail Art "Competition" that isn't a competition - PLEASE participate

There used to be quite a few blogs a while back that invited photos. Haven't noticed it for a while so I thought I'd have a go moi-meme and launch an initiative. Idea is that we all have a go at doing some nail art along these lines and you send me your pix and I publish 'em. No prizes. Sorry.

Here's the inspiration. Atsuko Tanaka. 1932 - 2005.

There's an exhibition at the Ikon in Birmingham. Found this card in my library. How hard can this be? Even for me. Mind you, I haven't tried it yet.

If you have a go then email your effort to nutty teacher at gmail dot com. I'll do it too and we'll have a sell-by date of September 4th. Please do have a go. I have lots of ideas/inspirations that are better than this one but thought this would be an easy start (for me).

Jenni

Nail art (allegedly)

A blast from the past. This was my very first post. Two years ago now. I was inspired by Leanne at DoNotRefreeze. Do ya know what it's meant to be yet? (That reference only makes sense if you were brought up with Rolf Harris - life isn't all a bowl of cherries...)

Didn't even know how to take a non-blurry photo. Pipe down at the back there! What d'you mean: You still can't!? Cheeky.

I do like those bendy, jelly, rubbery rings you got with Hard Candy polishes. Pity the precious stone falls out after a couple of hand-washes or they might be worth something!

And, if you hadn't guessed, it's a tiger mani. Frankly that's my best nail art ever. It all went sadly pear-shaped after that. But I have a cunning plan. All will be revealed. Ta da DA.


Jenni

The embarrassing story of a frog...

2009 - went to Canada on holiday. Stayed first in Montreal and then Mont Tremblant.

Hotel in Tremblant had its own little lake. Cue frog. This was a big frog. Just bear that in mind.

Now what does this frog have that's a little unusual? A very long tail. I was convinced I'd discovered a mutant frog at the least or a new species at best. When I got home I emailed lots of Canadian universities with my discovery. Anura Jenniferiana I thought it might be known as. I'd be hailed as the Linnaeus/Attenborough of my generation! I did get Biology 'O' level, after all. That makes me a naturalist, right? Also a naturist (but that's another story).

Er, no. It was not to be. I received very kind responses which did not treat me like a moron (for which I am grateful to the native politeness of the Canadian) that informed me it's a froglet. The tail was soon to disappear. I think it absorbs into the body rather than just falls off. Freaky.

I tell you something for nothing. You don't get baby frogs that size in the UK!

Any road up - in my researches I found out a lot about frogs. All of which I have subsequently forgotten. But one thing I do know. There are some really cute ones out there.

Unnamed Canadian lake. They have so many they don't even bother to name them all! So cool.

Jenni

GONE FISHING + bonus CUTE animal and Dobar Dan from Croatia

Not really. Don't fancy fishing. Love eating fish though....

If you need me I'll be here.

Now here's someone who does excel at fishing.  Adorable sea otter. I have not seen one here. Not sure if they hang out in the Adriatic.

Jenni

...buttercups our gold...

Children's hymn theme continued...

 Same rules as the silvers. I have fewer gold because I'm not a 'gold' person. You're either silver or gold, aren't you? It's a Marmite thing.

• 2 coats
• The Edge Egyptian Gold - could do with a 3rd coat but I do like this
• Misa Disco Queen which has a sulphurous, greenish tinge to it - devilish!
• Leighton Denny Golden Girl with Mavala Gold Diamond (got a hair on the nail I couldn't dislodge)
• Boots 17 Sphinx (well, it looked gold in the bottle - er, gold-ISH) - the maxi-brush on this is HUUUUGE

Obviously the Boots 17 just doesn't belong. Nothing wrong with it. It's just batting for another side.

Are you silver or gold?

Jenni

Daisies are our silver...

(It's a children's hymn.)

Pathetic, I know, but I'm running out of ideas. I have quite a few silvers so here are four I just grabbed.

• 2 coats of each for fairness
• Little: Leighton Denny Diamond Diva
• Ring: Models Own Sterling Silver
• Marks and Spencer Rainbow (a bit holo)
• Misa Dance Fever
• I like them all and they're all good and they don't need further coats (unlike the golds I grabbed - see tomorrow's post)

You get to the point where you're looking for silver with a twist. D'you know any silvers with added oomph?

Jenni

Nails Inc Barnsbury Road

 

Not going to revolutionise the nail-polish world, is it? Plus it's suede finish (I'd say satin). Perfectly pleasant 2 coats with a top coat. Don't know why I bothered. No, I do. One of a cheap set of 4 from TK Maxx. That's why I bothered.

And this is Barnsbury Road, N1. For what it's worth.

Jenni

Frozen Jelly (a Jessica Red Tint and beauty uk Frozen Kingdom hybrid)

 

Oh, dear. It's a bit blurry. I used red whereas I really wanted pink but couldn't find it and had no patience or perseverance to look harder. Typical lazy-bones. 

It took me ages to paint my nails today though what with ridge-filler and top coat and layers PLUS the Missguided Misstique left me with Super-Smurf nails and fingers. Honestly, I don't even like blue that much. Why did I bother? Almost enough to make me utter the 'never again' phrase. Never again will I wear blue polish. For now....

Is there any blue that doesn't smurfify the nails?

Jenni