Claire's Dreamcatcher (from SilverDiva swap) and dog-of-the-day

I requested this specifically from Sam because I've seen such great pix of DC. Swaps - do you not just love them?
My pic is not a great pic.
It is nonetheless a great polish.

This clearly shows the twinkle in this polish.
That's what differentiates it from yer standard mint creme.
Very streaky to apply but it makes all my other mints redundant.

And I KNOW it gives me lobster claws. Do I look as if I care? No.
The oiliness around my nails is......oil. Well, drying drops. They are so oily. And I usually just take my pix as soon as the stuff is on the nail. I do a clean-up but...Oh, why am I rabbiting on like this. Just ignore the ring nail. I generally do.

If you can get Dreamcatcher then do so. If you like it. Those of you however who possess Chanel Jade will doubtless be content with that. So be it.

DotD.

I took his ball from him and made him sit for a snap. So he is shouting at me to give him his ball. He is thoroughly obsessed and generally collects a ball per walk. The record is 6.

For a cocker he has quite a number of "faults" but his feathers are quite good. The curls that many of you admired yesterday on Her Majesty are not desirable in show-cockers but this lot are family pets. They all enjoy swimming. Hence the wet feathers. One doesn't have a pool. One takes them down to the river. Yesterday's dog took like a duck (dog) to water on a visit to Dorset. We had to shout at her to come back before she made it to France.

Sunny Wednesday

Jenni(dog)fur

CG Lasso My Heart + my swap with Silver Diva + a d-o-g

CG Lasso My Heart

2 coats. Easy as a lady-of-easy-virtue.
Part of the Wagon Wheel collection. (Maybe that's not quite right.)

I needed to bulk up an order to make the P&P worthwhile because I was really after something else but I can't remember what my prime target was. Hm. This was one of my afterthoughts but I must say it's rather spiffingly good.

I think this looks great with the Pop Beauty Twinkle.
Typical CG. Great quality. Great value.

A dog was requested. A dog is provided.

The number 1 dog snapped in an act of verbal defiance.
I think she is telling me to stop sitting on the bench and get on with the walk. She can be very imperious. Downright impertinent actually.

From my Silver Diva (Nail-ing Life Online - check yesterday for details) swap. Thanks, Sam!!!!!

NOW THEN NOW THEN - these have figured in enough blogs for a lot of us to be able to hazard a guess as to their identity. So what do you think? What are these????? These 2 above.

What about these lovelies? My first Finger Paints!! SOOOO pretty. Their names are....?

And the OPI? It's not a good pic but any guesses?

No prizes this time. But any correct guesses can be used as entries in my next giveaway. Incorrect guesses that sound fun will also count! The giveaway will probably be a bunch of cremes. Cremes that may be once-used or are untried. I don't think cremes are for me. I just have to sort them out.

What are your guesses for these 5? Or just guess 1 or 2.

I never explain these things properly so don't stress about it. It's not worth it. 

Tum te tum.

Jen

Pop Beauty nail glam - Xmas

PLUS an announcement in the sidebar - please check out the giveaway results there.

Xmas? On June the thingyeth? Yes.

A good pic of the bottle.

Followed by a bad pic of the polish on the nail.

I cannot claim that this pic is colour-accurate. It is more blue-red IRL.
I'm sure you'd like to see a good pic of this but you can't because it wouldn't happen for me.
This is like having fairy-lights embedded in your nails or even your skin!
This is like falling down a twinkling tunnel of rubies and diamonds.
This is like losing yourself in a palace of blood and crystal. (Maybe not that because that doesn't actually sound too attractive a prospect).
I LIKE THIS A LOT.

Sunlight. 2 coats. 

I'm a huge sucker for red and glitter so this is my joy and delight.

In conclusion - and what a conclusion!!!!!

This is the box I got from  Silver Diva. Click here for her blog.
This has polish in. It is HUGE.
I am so frightened to open this. We did a swap and I sent 6 polishes. In a jiffy bag thing.
And I know Sam (for it is she) had trouble with the post office in the US.
But this is huge. And I only sent her some stuff in a bag.
Frightened and ASHAMED.
I just blithely sent her a few polishes.
And she sent me THIS.

So a huge shout-out to Sam.
You all probably follow her already but once again.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.
I will summon the courage to open this but I feel rather humbled at the moment.



And to Rebecca.

NAILS ETC

http://nailsnailsetc.blogspot.com/

I won her giveaway and it's a BIG ONE!!!
I am the luckiest bunny in the nailiverse at the moment.
And I'm closing on 100 followers. Not that I need any more because the ones I already have are the best!
So I'll sort out some stuff and have another giveaway soon.
An "I love you all" giveaway....

Jenni

Bourjois Effet Faux Ongles - Beige Sophistique AND Pop Beauty Nail Glam Twinkle

Phew! That's a lot of writing for the names of 2 polishes!

The Bourjois is new. As in new on the market. I saw this on Just Nice Things on Helen's super-long nails and just had to have it. It looks better on her but that doesn't mean I can't wear it.

It's some amazing, revolutionary, innovative, life-enhancing,  revelatory ....stuff.
It does apply beautifully, I must admit.
Whipped cream. 2 coats.
Look, if you want all the technical hype I'm not up to that.
It's from asos. The colour range is bor-ING! But I wanted a boring colour so that's OK. I got a bright red too and that looks as if it will be hot!
And asos is free P&P. More companies are going this way. I likey likey.

And I got 3 Pop Beauty Nail Glam. OMG, I am going to get more. I registered with them or something and got a discount. Even at £6 full price these are superlative. 2 coats. Not very gritty. They don't have a huge variety but I'm having them. Having them all, do you hear!!! Seem to be getting a bit crazed..

And in sunlight.

3 questions. 1 is not nail-related. You have to guess which one.
1 Your fave nude? If you have such a thing. The concept of nude polishes was anathema to me but a few weeks ago.
2 Best glitter?
3 Should that Green fellow be sacked as England goalie? How shocked were you by that error? I'm saying 100% appalled. I could have saved that with my bloomers round my ankles whilst whipping up a souffle and taking a 'phone call from my Mum.

Jenni-fur

Eyeko Cosmic - black glitter

I ended up loving the coral but you have to move on.....In nails as in life...

Just noticed I messed up the clean-up on my little finger. Went too far. Story of my life.

This is great. 2 coats over my new Boots ridge-filler.

That's it. 2 coats. In ordinary light (think grey day) it's basically black.

But I decided to take pix under halogen in my bathroom as they seem to come out fairly well and - Crikey O'Reilly - we had lift off.

Now we get the glitter.

With glitters my camera behaves like a nuclear missile honing in on target. It swoops, it locks on, it wavers, it hovers, it gets a fix, it veers away, it wobbles. I'm thinking Top Gun here. You may be able to tell that's how close I've ever got to armaments. A seat at the cinema.

Anyway the blurry pic is good. In a way.

Great polish by Eyeko. Again. They don't pay me and have given me precisely nothing but I still love them. This isn't hype btw.

And while I'm at it.

I ordered an Eyeko mascara and eyeliner for £10 and they sent me a lippie too.

The mascara has pretty stones on. The lippie has a mirror and a light! You press the base and it lights up. You can sort-of see that above. Tee hee. Pretty things. Child in a sweet shop. The eyeliner is good too.

Happy with Eyeko. Not happy with my dry hands.

What is your favourite CHEAP brand/brands? Of anything really. Soap. Hand cream. Tights.

You know - amazingly cheap and surprisingly good.

Don't mention the match. Shhh!

Jenni-fur

Jessica My Cabana Boy - coral creme

I must be quick as I have one of those missives from the postperson inviting me to collect 2 (yes, TWO) parcels! Can only be nail bobbins. Unless a mysterious admirer has decided to send me unsolicited gifts! Probably not...

Bought because it was cheaper than usual.
I believe I can't wear orange/peach and. by extension, coral. So - time to test my theory.
This (above) is 2 coats + GOSH Rainbow because...

I saw this photo and realised that it was streaky. Ah, the power of the camera lens!
This is with topcoat because it does dry matte to semi-matte.
So I added a 3rd coat. Yer real professional routinely does 3 (polishaddict - sadly too busy with important legal affairs to upkeep her blog) minimum. And then got the matte effect again.

I bought ridge filler (for blindingly obvious reasons) and £10 (I kid you not) on a nail file. A Leighton Denny crystal nail file. The larger one was £14!!!
The small one is smaller and has a box. Now the big one had no box. That's not sensible. I wanted the case/container for that money. And who needs a big nail file anyway? A person with big hands and that's not me.
My previous nail filing (when done at all) was with any old emery board/match box I could find at the drop of a beret. And to be frank you could tell. You could definitely tell.

Even more bizarrely the other hand is coral too. I never do that. My hands are always asymmetrical. Not the same corals as THIS hand but at a casual glance you'd think I had matched hands today. Not entirely comfortable with that. I look as if I might be acting my age. Eeek. Worse. Old-lady coral.

Believe me, the other hand is way better.
I think the Jessica is a lovely polish for some people. I don't dislike it but I'm going to have to go Twilight or something soon.


Let's have a not-so-heated debate.
Do you file nails damp or dry?
Do you resent spending money on a nail file?
Do you use ridge filler?
Which is a better use of cash - on preparation of the nail (lotions/remover etc) OR on colours?

I thank you
Jenni-FUR (all that dog hair I haven't yet shaken off)

This is for Vix - only it isn't eyeliner..Sorry!

Vix (Vintage Vixen) posted in a comment that I must be well-groomed since I do change my polish very frequently and appear to give a damn.

Now this made me laugh my smelly socks off.
How is Vix supposed to know that I'm a scruff of the scruffiest order?
But I started to see myself as some sort of fashion and beauty guru - perhaps in an alternative universe? - and invited you yesterday to state an area of interest where I might regale you with advice and the invaluable knowledge I have gleaned over 54 years. You know - me being an authority on these things.

Vix voted eyeliner but the majority went for shoes.
So you get summer footwear. Summer of 1972.

There will be eyeliner another day. That's a threat promise.

I don't do gladiator sandals.

You want these, don't you? I knew it!
Well, you'll have to buy mine. They don't make them any more. And that, my dears, is a SAD story.

These aren't vintage 1972. They are a company called SWEAR. And they have recently gone out of business in women's shoes. They still do stuff for men. Their stuff is made in Spain not China. It wasn't Primark prices but for the quality they were completely worth it.
Google "swear-alternative" if you know a bloke who likes mad shoes. There is still some stuff out there. They still have some ginza sandals I MUST get.

These are suede with cork soles. The leather is beautifully soft. The soles aren't heavy. Maple leaves. Perfect for Canadians. The stitching is immaculate. The logo is embossed beautifully. Everything about them is of the highest quality. I weep at their demise. (That's not me being facetious.)

And on a fashion note I can GUARANTEE that these will be trendy again within 5 years. That's the way it goes. That's if you care about trends. For my taste you can shove those gladiator sandals up Spartacus' back alley. They are hideous and (probably) bad for your feet.

Next fashion point, purleeze.

So who bought Crocs?
And who still wears them?
And who bought knock-offs?
That's 3 questions.
These are genuine 2nd hand from ebay. I didn't clean them up for the pic. They're mostly for dog-walking. I like Crocs and I have the big guys too - also in Barbie.
Oh, and will they make a comeback?? Q4.

A new Jessica. Something to do with /cabana/ as if I know what that is.
 New Eyeko. Now I have every Eyeko polish. Hurrah.
Essie Alligator Purse - only because I like singing "Miss Polly had a dolly who was sick sick sick So she..." - I don't like the colour but it was half-price.

You may compliment me on my taste in shoes now.
And the Crocs questions.
Did you?
Do you now?
Authentic or cheapo?
Do you believe they'll undergo a renaissance?

Not long left in the giveaway.
And I've won a giveaway myself! PELICAN BEAK PURPLE!! More details tres tres soon.

Jenni-fur

Sally Hansen - Fairy Dust Pink - The magical range - a holo

I do love a good holo. And a good cup of tea. But that's another story.

2 coats.

Halogen lighting. I have found that my bathroom is an excellent venue for photography.

Began with the hair-tearingout-inducing drag and bald spots associated with every holo in existence.

This happens with most holos and I have to re-remember every time how to apply the stuff.

Lots of polish on the nail is the solution. Lots. It's all plain sailing from that point.

What a pretty bottle. Such cute packaging.
BUT - and you know the problem - what the blue blazes does the polish look like inside?
I HATE it when the companies do this.
But no matter. It was cheap. Ebay. Discontinued. The holo effect is strong so I don't much care about the colour. Luckily I like it but the opaque bottle is a daft idea.
This is more lavender than pink but WTF. It has aspects of blue and is different in varying conditions. It's also quite reflective and has a slight mirror-finish.

Notice anything?
Yes, I've been de-digitated.
Voluntarily.
Removed the old stuff and there was a split. A SPLIT. Right down the middle.
That nail has gone on holiday for a week to recover. Crete, I think it said. I've never been.

I think my next post is going to encompass either footwear for summer OR eyeliner.

Please vote for your preference now.
Eyeliner
Shoes

Happy dreary day
Jenni

Eyeko and GOSH - how not to be bored by pink..

I had a nude nail and some other nails. I can't remember what they were doing to annoy me but they had to be brought into line.

Dull pic. In both senses.

The nude nail is the one on the right. Eyeko Nude.

The others are Eyeko Petite. But as pretty as it was I had to mess with it. Anyway I'd put a few coats on and it was a bit bubbly. And there may have been dog hairs. Did I TELL you about that dog?

\

Oo, you little cutie-pies. 

GOSH Rainbow on middle and little.

Attitudes Oyster Pearl on ring.

You may not love this. I do.

A word to the wise. Get GOSH Rainbow. Don't say I never give you any good advice.

The accent nail yesterday didn't work either so the red jelly was replaced with blue foil. This works better and yet...

The blue nail is China Glaze Blue Island Iced Tea.

Which has led me to a moment of illumination. It is this.

Blues don't suit me.

Consequently there will be a cluster (what is the collective noun) of polishes up for grabs. Should I do a blog sale. Or would you prefer a giveaway? I think I can guess! Ebay?

OK, if there is to be a giveaway can we begin with a survey, please?

A Your fave blue?

B A suggestion for the collective noun for polishes/varnishes (what you will).

Some of the polishes are likely to be:

China Glaze Blue Island Iced Tea    (cue my habitual expression of disgust at the beverage-abomination that is known as iced tea)

BB Couture Sea of Cortez

Barielle Falling Star 

There will be about 20.

So - A and B, if you'd be so kind.

Jenni

A cautionary tale - no, 2 cautionary tales!

1 Easy. Use basecoat before you apply Jessica Aqua Tint or you will get smurf-paws like this... Ta da!

See those cuticles! I have had pumice stone all over these fingers. I was 50 kinds of fool not to use basecoat under a blue. (This looks slightly washed-out in the sun. My cuticles are much worse IRL.)
This is part of universal nail-lore. Blues stain. Yellows streak.

What's on my nails today?

This is cautionary tale 2 btw.

CT 2
I check ebay for OPI bargains. The one on the left was sold as an unnamed OPI. Caveat emptor. Look at the pic, buy it if you like it. Fine. Nowt exciting but..fine.

The one on the right was described as Overexposed in South Beach. The pic wasn't great. Hey, it was described....(Yeah, I did that bit). Now that's a polish I wanted. £5.99. Ting! Thank you.

It duly arrives. I tear open the parcel to be confronted by....all I know is this. It ain't OE in SB. I negotiated a partial refund from the seller because I couldn't be @rsed to go through the faff of returning it. It's a pink foil of no particular distinction whatever. It's functional for days when I just can't decide. They said that the labels had been mixed up. It came with a label saying: Not So Berry Daring. It isn't that particular baby either! I don't mind them guessing at an attribution if they make it clear that there is a degree of doubt. I got a fair deal for an average polish so it's OK. It was meant to be love but it's just the nice lady I talk to at the supermarket - pleasant but not earth-shattering.

The accent nail?

It has to be slightly blurry to pick up the fleck in the jelly. It's over the lighter unnamed OPI. It is???

Who said BB Couture Napa Valley Red? All of you? Good.

My daughter's dog is moulting like a moulty-thing and I am getting white dog hairs all over my nails. I must be inhaling its hair because it's everywhere and on everything.

Jenni