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Posts tagged Nail
NOTD: Barry M Glitterati ‘Fashion Icon’
0
7 years
When it comes to nail products, Barry M are one of my favourite brands, so when they announced a flurry of new shades for Autumn/Winter 2014, I was incredibly excited! As well as adding new colours to their Gelly, Silk, Classic and Aquarium ranges, and releasing some gorgeous Christmas glitters, Barry M have also launched the new Glitterati collection. Glitterati features six ‘blinging’ glitter paints, and they really caught my eye when I first saw them on Instagram.
So far I’ve only picked up three shades from the new selection – Rockstar and Fashion Icon from Glitterati, and the new Aquarium Glitter, Atlantis. I’ll be posting about each shade individually over the coming weeks, plus any more that I end up buying, but today’s NOTD is Fashion Icon.
Blue and purple are two of my favourite and most worn colours, so I was immediately drawn to this beautiful shade. Fashion Icon has a purple base with a blue duochrome effect, and is packed full of micro glitter, some of which is holographic. I find this shade so mesmerizing as it looks different every time I look at it. It goes from electric blue to grape purple to bright violet in one movement, whilst all the time remaining strikingly sparkly.
All of my swatches show three thin coats, with no base coat or top coat, which I think looks great, but I bet it’d look just as gorgeous layered over a deep purple shade.
I’ve also found Fashion Icon to be impressively hard-wearing. Despite spending the whole day cleaning, unpacking boxes and generally being busy, my nails look just as good as they did when I first painted them.
I can really see this wonderful shade becoming one of my all time favourite glitters, and I can’t wait to swatch Rockstar to see if it’s as stunning as this one.
Barry M’s Glitterati nail paints cost £3.99 each, and are available in store and online from Superdrug and Boots, and online from Barry M.
Naomi x
China Glaze Autumn 2014
3
7 years
by Naomi in Nails
Hi everyone,
Well, after two busy weeks of starting a new full time job and planning for a house move, I’m finally back to blogging! Today’s post features two China Glaze shades that were kindly gifted to me by nailpolish.co.uk for review.
Both shades are from the new China Glaze 2014 Autumn collections, and retail for £4.95 each. There are two autumn collections this year – All Aboard Fall and Apocalypse of Colour, and I picked a shade from each.
‘Choo-Choo Choose You’ is from the All Aboard Fall 2014 collection, which includes twelve stunning, on trend autumnal shades. At first glance the varnish looks to be a blue-grey shade with a hint of gold shimmer, but as soon as you move into natural light it explodes with purple, orange and green.
The varnish is a colour changing metallic, which with some brands makes for a streaky finish, but this one goes on perfectly without any imperfections. The formula is slightly runny, but applies nicely and two coats gives an opaque look. The only downside is it takes a little longer to dry than I’d like, but it’s worth the wait.
You can view the rest of the All Aboard Fall collection here.
‘Rest In Pieces’ is from the Apocalypse of Colour collection, which features five Halloween themed shades, all of which have brilliant names! Halloween is my favourite time of year so I was very excited about this range, and it doesn’t disappoint. ‘Rest In Pieces’ is a gorgeous metallic orange, black and gold holographic glitter that reminds me of pumpkins, autumnal leaves and fireworks. Some of my absolute favourite things!
The glitter comprises of various different types of glitter, large flecks, small flecks, micro and straw, which gives fantastic depth and texture. For maximum impact, the varnish is best applied in a dabbing motion rather than brushing, as dabbing leaves more glitter behind. This one dries a lot quicker than the other shade, and makes an amazing top coat. Perfect for adding a little something extra to any autumn mani! I love it.
You can view the rest of the Apocalypse of Colour collection here.
nailpolish.co.uk is a one stop shop for nail varnish, and they stock a HUGE range of brands, including OPI, Essie and Barry M, and over 350 colours! They also offer free first class delivery on every order. Check them out here.
What do you think of these new China Glaze shades?
Naomi x
*These two China Glaze nail varnishes were sent to me by nailpolish.co.uk for review purposes. All opinions expressed are honest and my own.*
Limited Edition British Summer Barry M Nail Paints
1
8 years
by Naomi in Nails
To celebrate the slow but sure arrival of the British summer, Barry M have launched two limited edition nail paints, exclusive to Superdrug. Both shades have a pastel bright colouring, which is very on trend this season, and a shimmer finish which looks stunning in the summer sunshine.
Promenade is a gorgeous pink shade, which is reminiscent of the candyfloss and sticks of peppermint rock that you find adorning the British prom. It’s such a happy colour, and really gets you in the mood for a fun day on the seafront!
Seaside, my favourite shade, is a glistening blue that brings to mind the sea and skies of a hot day in July. It’s so pretty, and I can just imagine a mermaid wearing this one.
As with all Barry M nail paints, Promenade and Seaside both apply like a dream, and dry incredibly quickly, which means more time outside enjoying the sun!
Barry M’s British Summer nail paints will be available in Superdrug, whilst stocks last, between 4th June and 1st July, and you can choose one for FREE when you spend £6! Which colour will you be snapping up?
Naomi x
*These Barry M Nail Paints were sent to me by Superdrug for review purposes. All opinions expressed are honest and my own.*
NOTD: GOSH ‘Frosted Plum’
5
8 years
by Naomi in Nails
You may remember that at the beginning of January I swatched and reviewed a gorgeous glitter varnish from GOSH’s Frosted Sand collection, called ‘Frosted Purple‘. Well, it officially became one of my favourite varnishes of all time, and I couldn’t wait to add more frosted shades to my collection. In particular I was trying to get hold of ‘Frosted Plum’, but the only bottle in my local Superdrug for months was a damaged one. Then, earlier this week, I noticed that they had a few more in stock, and luckily for me all of GOSH’s varnishes were on offer for £1.99 each! Obviously I bought it straight away and applied it when I got home, so today I thought I’d share the swatches with you.
Like its purple counterpart, ‘Frosted Plum’ is a pleasure to apply, looks opaque in just one coat (although I applied two), and dries really quickly. It’s also rather hard-wearing, and stays put for a good few days without chipping, even without a base or top coat.
The best thing about it though is the colour. The base shade, as you’d expect, is a beautiful deep plum purple, but throughout it are flecks of gold, bronze and bright pink, which give it a brilliant depth. It looks absolutely amazing in the sun, and even indoors it still looks impressive. The glitter in this one is a lot more consistently sized than in ‘Frosted Purple’, and I think it looks a bit like a caviar manicure.
Indoors (with flash)
Outdoors
I’ll stand by my previous statement that GOSH’s Frosted Sand glitters are honestly the best glitters I’ve tried, and I will continue to add to my collection! I have my eye on a couple of their spring pastel shades, ‘Soft Blue’ and ‘Soft Green’, which are also currently £1.99 in Superdrug (reduced from £3.99).
Will you be buying any of GOSH’s frosted glitters?
Naomi x
NOTD: GOSH ‘Frosted Purple’
5
8 years
by Naomi in Nails
Earlier this week I nipped into Superdrug whilst shopping with my mum, and whilst browsing the make up stands I spotted this gorgeous nail varnish by GOSH. Most GOSH varnishes usually retail for £3.99 each, but the range of ‘Frosted Sand’ glitters, which are very similar to OPI’s Liquid Sand collection, are currently discounted to £1.99. I was instantly drawn to this shade, ‘Frosted Purple‘, as the colour looked incredible in the bottle, so I snapped it up and couldn’t wait to get it home to try it out.
‘Frosted Purple’ is a simply beautiful colour, and is neutral enough to wear with just about anything. It’s a dark silver tone with a lilac tinge, and consists of two sizes of glitter – a very fine micro glitter, with larger flecks throughout. The varnish dries matte, which is quite unusual for a glitter varnish in my experience, and is textured like ‘frosted sand’. It feels slightly rough to the touch, but I’ve used far rougher glitters in the past.
Now, I know this is a bold statement to make, but I think this varnish is the best glitter varnish that I have ever owned/tried. It even beats my trusty favourite brands, Barry M and Models Own. Most glitters need layers and layers for full coverage, but not this one. My swatches show the coverage after just one coat. That’s right, ONE COAT! And it really doesn’t need any more than that, as it’s completely opaque. The formula is lovely too – very smooth and not at all gloopy, so you can actually brush it on (the brush is nice and wide, yay) rather than dab it on, as is usually required with glitters. It also dries very quickly for a glitter.
In terms of hardiness, I’ve been wearing ‘Frosted Purple’ for three days now, and the tips of my nails are just starting to show signs of wear. There are no chips or anything though. I can tell it’s going to be a pain to remove as it has the same texture as Models Own ‘Northern Lights’ and ‘Southern Lights’ which are really tough to get off, but it’s a small price to pay for such a high quality glitter.
EDIT: I was wrong! The varnish was actually really easy to remove with a normal nail varnish remover, and it barely took any soaking or rubbing to get it to budge. I’m very, very impressed.
I spotted four shades in the ‘Frosted Sand’ range, all of which are Toluene-free and Formaldehyde-free. ‘Frosted Silver’, ‘Frosted Gold’, ‘Frosted Purple’, and ‘Frosted Plum’, which I think is a new addition, and is next on my nail varnish shopping list! Will you be trying any? If so, get on down to Superdrug quick to take advantage of the £1.99 offer!
Naomi x
Orly Nail Lacquer – Swatches and Review
8
8 years
by Naomi in Nails
One of the first places I look when searching for a beauty bargain is Fragrance Direct, especially when it comes to nail varnish. In the past I have purchased Essie products from them for £1.99, and even OPI for £3.99, and last month they added another well-known brand to their site – Orly. Orly nail varnishes usually retail for £10.95 each, but Fragrance Direct are selling full-size bottles for just £3.99.
Fragrance Direct very kindly sent me four Orly shades to review, and after trying all of them out I can now share my thoughts, so here they are…
Velvet Rope / Moonlit Madness / Charged Up / Liquid Vinyl
Despite their different finishes, all four varnishes have a very similar formula. The consistency is smooth and, even though the brush is narrow, it applies easily, but the first coat always comes out slightly streaky. No matter how careful I was when swatching these, I couldn’t get the first coat to look right, and it was nowhere near opaque. Luckily, a slightly thicker second coat solved that issue, and the overall look was good. They also dry fairly quickly which is always a positive. They’re not quite 60 second varnishes, but they’re not far off.
When choosing the shades I wanted I struggled slightly as there are so many gorgeous colours in the range, but I’m really happy with the ones I settled for, and here they are…
Velvet Rope
As it’s my favourite colour, my nail varnish collection is overflowing with purples, but Velvet Rope is unlike any other I own. It’s a lovely violet purple with a shimmer finish, which is studded with particles of silver micro glitter. The overall effect isn’t quite ‘velvet’, but it’s really pretty, and despite the glitter is still easy to remove.
Moonlit Madness
I’m not always keen on red varnishes as a lot of them have an orange undertone which I really don’t like, but I love Moonlit Madness as it’s a bright cherry red, which I wore a lot over Christmas. It also gives the classic red nail a bit of a twist with a subtle shimmer finish.
Charged Up
Charged Up is my favourite of all four shades as it’s so beautifully vibrant and eye-catching, and in the right light hints of both pink and blue come through, as seen above. It also has a lovely creme finish. This is a great shade for Spring and I know I’ll be getting a lot of wear out of this one in the coming months.
Liquid Vinyl
I currently have three black nail varnishes – one from Primark, one by Barry M and this one, and this is by far the best. As the name suggests, Orly’s black is gorgeously fluid and looks stunning on. It has an incredible shine to it as well, and its high quality is just so obvious.
If you want to grab yourself some bargain Orly shades, just visit Fragrance Direct. Their standard delivery is only £1.99 too!
Naomi x
*These Orly Nail Lacquers were sent to me by Fragrance Direct for review purposes. All opinions expressed are honest and my own.*
NOTD: George Quick Dry in Boom
6
8 years
by Naomi in Nails
Whilst getting something for dinner from Asda yesterday, I stopped by the cosmetics stands for a quick browse, and was pleased to find that the George nail varnishes were on offer for £1 each, down from £1.75. I can never resist a nail varnish bargain, so having read many positive reviews about the range I decided to pick up a shade to see whether they live up to the hype. The colour I settled for is called ‘Boom’, a brilliant blue with a glossy creme finish.
I’m happy to announce that George’s varnish completely lives up to the rave reviews. The brush is narrow, but it’s fairly long and the decently-sized lid makes it easy to control the application. The varnish applies smoothly, and gives amazing coverage even in one coat, but as always I applied two coats for a flawless finish. As you’d expect of a quick dry varnish, it dries incredibly quickly, and a day later it is still free of any smudges, dents, chips or scratches. It looks like it’s going to last a lot longer, too!
Here’s how it looks on the nails…
‘Boom’ is a gorgeous, bold shade that really catches the eye. The pigmentation of the varnish is incredible, and the colour has a real depth to it. I’ve always liked blues, but seem to be lacking in blue varnishes, so this is a great addition to my collection.
For such a budget range the quality of George’s quick dry nail varnish is very high, and if you’re a fan of nail products I recommend you try them if you can, especially as they’re currently only £1. I’ll definitely be going back to Asda to buy more! I spotted a lovely pink shade that I’ll be picking up next time.
Have you ever tried any varnishes from this range? What do you think of them?
Naomi x
NOTD: Jacava London Blueberry Muffin
4
8 years
by Naomi in Nails
Nail varnish is one of my favourite things to review, so when London brand Jacava gave me the opportunity to choose a colour from their collection to write about, I just couldn’t say no. After much deliberation I settled for Blueberry Muffin, that I received along with a Top Coat with UV Inhibitor which I wasn’t expecting, so that was a nice surprise.
Jacava are a 100% British brand who are vegan-friendly, cruelty-free, and never test on animals. They also boast the first 8-free polishes in the world (yes, that’s right, EIGHT-free), as they don’t contain Formaldehyde, Camphor, Toluene, DBP, Cellophane, Phthalates, Parabens or animal ingredients. So, right from word go, they’re a brand I’m happy to support, and luckily their products match up to their good name!
Top Coat with UV Inhibitors and Blueberry Muffin
Jacava’s packaging is simple but sleek, and the long, slim lids that their polishes come with are easy to grip which makes application effortless.
The polish itself has a silky smooth formula which gives surprisingly opaque coverage in one coat, but I like to apply two coats for a bolder, more intense colour. Perhaps the most stand-out aspect of Jacava’s polishes for me is how quickly it dries. It’s literally dry to the touch within a minute, and after five minutes it’s good to go. I even got my two pet rats out to play just after painting my nails, and they didn’t smudge at all. Just one word of advice. In my experience the top coat isn’t suitable as a base coat, and will make the polish peel off extremely easily. It stays put for a long time without a base coat, though, and looks gorgeously glossy with the top coat for an all round perfect manicure. Jacava’s website also states that the top coat’s UV Inhibitors keep white nail polish white for longer, which is a nice feature that I’ve never seen before, so worth investing in if you regularly wear pale shades.
Blueberry Muffin has a lovely creme finish, but is more of a pinky purple than a blue purple. Sort of a soft and dusky dark lilac. It’s an absolutely beautiful shade which reminds me of spring flowers and lightning skies all at once. I love it.
Click image for a closer look!
Jacava’s range features eighteen beautiful shades and several different finishes, including creme, metallic, shimmer and glitter. Every polish contains 22-carat gold for a nourishing, luxurious formula, and they cost just £14.50 each. I personally have my eye on Blackberry Fool, Marrakesh Nights, Midnight’s Secrets and Chillax! To view the full Jacava range click here, or find them on Feel Unique.
Which shade do you like best?
Naomi x
*These two nail polishes were sent to me by Jacava London for review purposes. All opinions expressed are honest and my own.*
Models Own Ice Neon in Pukka Purple
7
9 years
by Naomi in Nails
Models Own are one of my favourite nail varnish brands, mainly because they constantly come up with new and exciting colours and finishes, and they haven’t disappointed with their latest offerings for Spring/Summer. Last week, Models Own launched their Ice Neon and Fruit Pastel collections in Boots stores, and since I had a £10 Boots voucher to spend I decided to pick up a colour from each. I couldn’t wait to give them a go, and since we’ve been having a lot of snow lately I decided it would be fitting to use the Ice Neon varnish first, which is the one I will be reviewing today.
The Ice Neon collection features five shades – Bubblegum, Toxic Apple, Luis Lemon, Pink Punch and, the shade I own, Pukka Purple. Each shade is intensely fluorescent, and comes packaged in a frosted glass bottle which is intended to be stored in the fridge, in order to preserve the vibrancy of the varnish.
As with every other Models Own varnish that I’ve ever tried, Pukka Purple has a wonderful creamy consistency and applies effortlessly thanks to the easy grip lid and long brush. The varnish is very opaque, and looks flawless after just one coat, but I still find it necessary to apply two coats in order to intensify the colour. It also dries impressively quickly – within a few minutes of application I was able to go about my business without any worry of smudges or dents.
All of the Ice Neon varnishes have a matte finish (which may explain why it dries so quickly, as mattes tend to in my experience), but can be made shiny with a gloss top coat. Unlike some matte varnishes, this one applies well over a base coat, so there’s no need to worry about staining. Though I love the matte finish of Pukka Purple (which is still a little bit shiny, but not in a glossy way), I did find that it didn’t last too well without a top coat. Within a day my nails were showing wear at the ends, and after two days the varnish was chipping. Not ideal, but the amazing colour makes up for the poor lasting power.
Pukka Purple is an absolutely beautiful indigo purple, and is unlike any other purple varnish that I own (and I own a lot!) I’m not usually a fan of neons as I think they can look quite tacky, but this has the bold brightness of a neon colour but manages to remain classy with its matte finish and blue undertone. It’s definitely an attention grabber, and has brought me many compliments over the last few days!
Overall, despite its tendency to chip easily, Pukka Purple is a stunningly unusual varnish and boasts Models Own’s characteristic high quality formula. A definite must if you’re looking for something a little bit different and on trend this season. All of the Ice Neon collection is available online, individually or in a box set, and can be found in Boots stores around the country. At £5 each (or £20 for the set) they are kind on the bank account too, and worth every penny.
Check back later this week for my review of Grape Juice from the scented Fruit Pastel collection.
Naomi x
Bad Apple Cosmetics Nail Varnish
13
9 years
by Naomi in Nails
A few weeks ago I entered a competition on Twitter to win some Bad Apple Cosmetics nail varnishes from The Lady Boys of Bangkok, and I was lucky enough to be chosen as one of their winners. The prize I received consisted of three nail varnish shades from the Bad Apple range, and they are all absolutely gorgeous – thanks @TheLadyBoys!
Before entering the competition I had never heard of Bad Apple Cosmetics, but according to their Twitter account their products are all made in England and free from nasty chemicals, and they are apparently the first site in the world who will put any picture you send them onto nail wraps!
Since receiving my prize I have tried and tested all three varnishes, and I must say I am rather impressed. When I first saw them I immediately liked the little apple-shaped bottles, and the Bad Apple logo is pretty cool too. Each varnish comes with a wide brush which is easy to grip due to the large lid, which means it applies smoothly without any streaks. The varnish itself has a creamy consistency, but it is fairly sheer so two or three coats are needed for a completely opaque look. It also dries to the touch very quickly, within a minute or two, so you can create a beautiful smudge-free manicure in no time at all.
One of my favourite things about Bad Apple’s varnishes is that they last a very long time. I didn’t apply a top coat over any of the shades, and I wore each one for around four days before removing it, and signs of wear were minimal. At the worst I had a small chip on one or two nails, and that was all.
Here’s a closer look at each varnish… (Excuse the short nails – they were all breaking so I decided to cut them off and start again!)
Misty
Misty is a stunning dark slate grey which has an intense glossy shine. It’s a very unusual grey due to its azure undertone, but it’s really versatile as it’s neutral enough to go with anything.
Anna
Anna is a bright bubblegum pink with a shiny creme finish. This is my favourite of the three shades and the one I will wear the most, I imagine. I love how pretty and girly it is.
Akane
True to its name, Akane is a brilliant red, which has a Gothic feel to it due to its deep colouring, and like the other two varnishes it also has a lovely shine. This is a classic varnish which is perfect for a glamorous evening look. Simply beautiful.
Bad Apple’s varnishes cost £9.95 each, which considering their quality is well worth it and I’d be happy to pay that for them. In fact, I hope to add to my collection in the not too distant future! You can view the full range of Bad Apple products here, and you can also follow the company on Twitter.
Which of these shades do you like best?
Naomi x
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