Precious Polish - Very Lovely Stuff's Custom Polish

Hello!

So, posting last month took a bit of a nose dive. But I'm making it up by talking about a gorgeous nail polish, which I think counts for something. Last year, Anita of The Beauty Spot entered the indie nail polish world, with the creation of Precious Polish. It was a brand I kept meaning to try, especially because I saw so many positive reviews, but I forgot, and then I was in Germany. So when I came home, getting a nail polish was on my list!

After seeing Anita's Bloggers Collection, I decided I wanted a polish that was unique to me. I asked for a base of Blowing Raspberries (a pink), with orange glitter. Pink & orange are two of my favourite nail colours, & orange glitters aren't common, so I thought it was worth a try! A base colour with one glitter costs €8, which is more than reasonable.

The bottles are nice & sturdy.. I sent mine flying 

across a room (accident) & it was safe!

I'm not sure of exact delivery time, because I wasn't at home, but they did arrive within a week, and delivery is included in the cost. They arrived well packaged (I ordered another two polishes for friends) and I couldn't wait to try out my polish! The first coat was very sheer & I did worry slightly that I'd end up needing loads of coats & it'd just be thick & gloopy because of the glitter, but another coat gave me perfect colour. (It did still photograph a bit sheer though, so a third coat for some colours might be necessary).

Just to note - I was left with a rough nail, but a top coat should sort it, 

I know a lot of people prefer smooth nails!

I know the combination won't be too everyone's taste, but I really like it! The glitter is a golden-orange more than a brought orange, which worked well with the rich pink. Together, I think they're actually a bit Barbie-ish? (Which is not a problem for me!) It lasted really well, with only tip wear for five days, then I started picking at it in work, My photos were actually taken on the third day because the sun came out, so you can see it still looked pretty fresh!

As I said above, I ordered another two polishes, because two of my friends had 21sts coming up, but I forgot to give them their custom polishes... Smart. Hopefully I'll remember soon & I can get a photo of their polishes to show you! Getting a polish made for someone is a really nice idea - Mother's Day present maybe?

What do you think of the colours?

Chloe 

Lancome Vernis in Love Nail Polish: 179M Madame Tulipe

Sorry for the lack of posts this week (All last weekends were scheduled!), I had an exam yesterday morning that required some serious last minute cramming.. Right up to 5AM yesterday morning. Stress like that requires a treat, right? So enter my first high-end polish - Lancome's Vernis in Love. 

The bottle is sturdy, with a nice glass bottle & glossy black lid, and the Lancome rose printed on the bottle. I spent ages looking through the colours - When a nail polish is €18, you want to love it! I'm lacking in red polishes, so this deep red stood out to me. 

No joke, one coat is all it took for some serious colour & shine. I was impressed! I ended up adding a second coat though, just for longevity. The colour didn't change at all, so if you're in a rush, you can definitely do a quick coat & run. Sounds all good, right? It was.. Until the next day. Forget the extra coat for longevity, you'd need Superglue to keep this on your nails. In fairness, I can't be bothered with a topcoat because I'm always changing my nail polish, but I still don't expect massive chips the next day.

I won't lie, the chipping after paying that price puts me off buying another shade. I do still love the colour, & ended up taking it off to re-apply it, but it's not something I'm going to turn to when I'm rowing or in work.. My nails would be bare after 10 minutes. However I've just picked up a top coat (first time for everything) so hopefully that'll help, seeing as I've bought it.

In general though, I'd sadly avoid Lancome's nail polish. I'd rather just pay €2 or less for an Essence polish! Does this mean I can buy something else as an exam treat...?

Have you tried any Lancome polishes? Or have there been any other brands that have really disappointed you?

Chloe x

Essence NOTD

Hello hello hello,
Seeing as the first week of January is apparently the worst of the year, why not paint my nails something equally as gloomy? Haha in reality I've just been loving both of these polishes for the last month or two, but only now has it hit me - I should combine them! I did, & I'm loving the result.

Moonless Nights & Here's My Number

I used Essence 03 Moonless Night, which is the suede from the Dark Romance collection on all my nails, & then did an accent nail of their Sparkle Sand Effect polish, 165 Here's My Number. Moonless Night goes on really well, two thin coats gives perfect opacity & it finishes to a lovely matte. Yep, I'd call it more matte than suede, but I can forgive that because it's such a pretty, unique grey. It's quite smokey, but it nearly has teal tones to it as well. Definitely a winter shade! Here's My Number has even better coverage - One coat, good to go. (Though obviously it was layered over Moonless Night, so it didn't have to work as hard..) It's a dark grey grey base, with black & holographic glitter it - It's so pretty, I keep looking at the glitter changing from silver to blue to purple etc! It is a bit gritty to the touch, but it's not too bad if you only use one coat.

Please, looks at the polish, not at the state of the skin surrounding them..

I really like these two polishes together - I think the glitter contrasts nicely against the matte polish, but the colours tie in together. Plus, they're both around €1.49 -What's not to love? Essence is usually in Penneys & Sam McCauleys.

What's your favourite nail combo?
Chloe x

Essie Dive Bar - Winter Nails

Normally, I love neon nail polishes. But after finding that Essie nail polishes were €2 cheaper here, I decided to pick up a shade outside my comfort zone. Since it's cold (hello below freezing temperatures), I thought a dark, traditional winter colour would be good.. So I saw Dive Bar at the top of the stand & picked it up.

I like the packaging too - Squared bottles makes them easier to store.. Just saying.

Dive Bar is a deep, shimmery green, that flashes navy under different lights. It reminds me of a marble fireplace... Is that weird? Anyway, we used to have a dark green marble fireplace, with black flecks, & this reminds me of it. It's absolutely gorgeous - I'm a sucker for colours that change in different light. If you have After School Boy Blazer (which I picked up after realising how much I like dark polishes), it's like a teal version of that.

I found it hard to truly get the colour on camera, but the contrast between the index finger & darker little finger indicate how it changes, a little bit at least.

I really do think Essie polishes are worth the price - I find them to last well, which is important for me because my nails are in absolute bits. While they look pretty & chip-free, I'll admire them & look after them. The second a chip appears, I start picking away at my nails, until they're damaged again. Boo. But this lasted almost a week, with only a bit of tip-wear, minus any top coat.

Essie polishes are €9.99 (€7.99 for me!) & are available in Boots & Sam McCauleys. I've picked up a couple & am consistently impressed with the quality, so they may cost a bit more but I love the colours & am willing to fork out extra if it helps my nails in the long run!

What Essie colours would you recommend? 

Chloe x

Models Own Ice Neon Pink Punch

Well hello there lovely ladies, look at me with posts four days in a row! You won't hear from me now for a month, no doubt. But onto today's offering; A colour from Models Own's new(ish) Ice Neon collection. I picked up three & first up is Pink Punch.

Let's get this straight - IT IS NOT PINK. It's more of a neon coral. Or something like that. It looks orange, but next to pink polishes, it does start to show some pink. Either way, it definitely packs a punch! I am a huge lover of matte/ creme polishes & this is my type of finish.

Models Own tell you that the bottles are frosted glass so you can pop them in the fridge to keep them bright. Honestly, I'm not sure if this is just a gimmick, plus my housemates might think I'm a freak. As a result, I'm trying to figure out the best hiding place in my fridge... I'll keep you posted.

Wear time is decent, it got a bit scraggly on my tips after 2 days but look at the state of my nails. It probably could have been prevented with a top coat but then I'd lose the lovely creme finish - Nail polish problems!

I can't wait to show you Pukka Purple & Bubblegum and I'm tempted to pick up Toxic Apple & Luis Lemon, despite already having them both in a regular polish. I know, I need to stop hoarding. The polishes are around €7 but quite otfen on 3-for-two, etc in Boots.

What do you think? Another gimmick or something you'd buy?
Chloe x

Lá Fhéile Pádraig

Hello girls!

Just wanted to pop by & wish you all a Happy St Patrick's Day. Last night I shared a picture of what I thought I'd do with my make up so I thought I'd pop up what I actually did on the day. (I love doing my make up to sit at home in front of the fire watching Catfish.. It's pouring rain so I opted out of the parade!)

I used MUA Pearl Eyeshadows in Shades 5 & 6 as my green shades, 

& Barry M Dazzle Dust 100 for the gold. 

Barry M 289 Gold, topped with Barry M Copper, 

Model's Own Toxic Apple topped with Louise Gray for Topshop Hat Trick

Face

Revlon Colourstay Foundation in Ivory

Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer in Light

Benefit Boo-ing Concealer in 001

MAC Mineralise Skinfinish in Light

Urban Decay Afterglow Blush in Quickie 

Benefit Hoola Bronzer

Lancome Highlighter in Moonlight Rose

Eyes

Urban Decay Primer Potion

MUA Pearl Eyeshadow Shades 5&6

Barry M Dazzle Dust 100

Urban Decay Heavy Metal Glitter Eyeliner in Stage Dive

Naked Palette in Virgin

Benefit They're Real

Loreal Super Liner Gel

Collection Eyebrow Definer in Blonde

Lips

Elemis Lip Balm

Essence Stay With Me Lipgloss in Candy Bar

Did you do anything for the day? Or change your nails/ make up in honour of it? Leave a link if so!
Chloe x

Barry M Hi-Shine Gelly Nail Paint

Hello!

It's been a while, I ended up spending way too much time in the library this week, so no posts were written & no photos taken! Then, when running into Boots for tissues (I'm sitting here sniffling away), I caught sight of one of the Barry M Gelly polishes that I had been searching for! And realised it was high time I reviewed the shades I have.

Clock wise from top left: grape fruit - prickly pear - pomegranate - greenberry

The Gelly polishes cost €5.99 in Boots, I picked 3 up on a 3 for 2 offer & got the other on another promotion. The first three I picked up were mostly just to try out, but the latest one (Greenberry) was just a gorgeous colour.

So, I'm still a bit undecided. I think it depends on the individual shades - Some need three layers (Prickly Pear), others could get away with one. (Pomegranate) They are definitely glossier than other polishes, and they are long lasting, but no more so than regular Barry M polishes.

Overall, I guess if you're looking for a cheaper version of gel nails, these might be a good alternative, but I'd rather just get one of the regular nail polishes. (Though I do love Pomegranate & Greenberry, they're beautiful!)

Have you tried the Gelly Hi Shine nail paints? Or would you rather stick to actual gel nails/ regular polishes?

Chloe x

Catrice It's All I Can Blue

Hello girls!

Apologies for a bit of absence this week, (though I did contribute to the lovely Aoife's blog during the week, with a joint post on the style at the IFTAs.) while I'm definitely not as stressed as last week, my memory card decided not to save the photos I took for the blog this week & I just didn't have time to get around to re-do them. But I really wanted to share this with you!

You may have heard that Catrice are 're-formulating' their nail polishes. While I'm devastated that some colours might disappear, it does mean that they've reduced some polishes to half-price. So if you want to pick up this colour for 1.29.. Get moving!

It's All I Can Blue is a true cornflower blue. I usually like bright shades, but figured I may as well use the saving on polishes to pick up some colours that are a bit more muted. It did take three coats to completely get rid of any streaks, but my picture shows four coats because I managed to smudge my nails eating popcorn (as I painted them.. I have no patience!)

Because of the afore-mentioned camera troubles, this was taken after four days of wear. A bit of tip-wear, but it lasted well, especially seeing as there was no top coat. It's reasonably shiny on its own as well.

My verdict? A colour I don't already own (for once) and definitely worth the price, so pick it up at your local stockist before it's gone! Just to note, Penneys don't seem to have it reduced, but Sam McCauley's & independent chemists do.

Which Catrice shades will you miss?
Chloe x

My kind of nude.

Hey girls,

I don't know if anyone else feels like this, but I get so bored of nude nail polishes. I know they look understated and elegant, but I'm always dying for a bit of glitter or nail art. And last week, I found my perfect combination.

Sally Hansen 220 Cafe Au Lait is a beautiful, creamy polish that's just a bit deeper than my natural nails. I was getting a bit restless with the classiness of my nails after just a day, so I rooted through my topcoats & found one of my favourites - Catrice Have An Ice Day. It's a silvery-looking polish, but has flecks of green, orange, gold, purple, blue.. It genuinely twinkles. Together, I had a lovely manicure, that still sparkled enough to amuse me. (Not that it takes much!)

Look at all the micro glitter!

What's your opinion? Are you a fan of nudes or are they just boring?

Chloe x

What I got for Christmas

Hello lovelies,

Christmas may be well and truly over (We took down the decorations yesterday - Sob!) but I thought I'd do a little post on what I got from friends & Santy (Yes, the big man still delivers my presents. I'm a believer.)

I've seen a few posts with disclaimers on them, reminding their readers that they are not bragging about their gifts. I simply love these type of posts, as it appeals to my inner curiosity, so I wanted to share my presents just in case any one has run out of other posts to nose through!

My presents.

I was incredibly lucky in what I received. Probably enough bath & body sets to last til next Christmas - A ready made excuse to chill out in a bath sometime soon. 

My main present was an Android tablet, which I requested for travelling, because my laptop was giving me awful back pains & I felt 19 going on 90... Coupled with my lovely new diary, I will try to be a tad more organised this year! 

Lancome La Vie Est Belle is a perfume I've been lusting after for a while, so when I saw a set in the Christmas sales, I picked it up for myself. I also picked up a new purse a few months back, and kept it until Christmas. I gave it to my parents, to give back to me as a present! I appreciate it more like that.

Beauty & nail-related bits & bobs.

I should also have enough make up to last me for a very, very long time.. But I can't say no. YSL Le Teint Touche Eclat is my new favourite thing, followed closely by the Real Techniques Expert Face brush. Lots of new nail polishes, a few nail wraps to experiment with, & Benefit's Sexy Little Stowaways kit, and I'm a happy bunny.

So, that's Christmas & the season of good-will gone for another year. I'll try get up a post on the few things I picked up in the sales, but there may be a spending ban on the way!

If you did a post on your Christmas gifts, feel free to leave a link in the comments so I can re-live the joy of gifts all over again!

Chloe x

Mice & Easy

Hey!

I have to admit, I am a sucker for nail polishes. I haven't used a ridiculous amount of some that I just 'had to' buy, but one thing I'm not big on is collections. Until this one came along.

How cute is the packaging? I was easily amused by this.

OPI's Vintage Minnie Mouse Collection looked pretty, I don't have THAT many reds or pinks, and the mini bottles seemed like a sensible option, with just 3.75ml in each bottle (If You Moust You Moust, The Colour of Minnie, I'm All Ears & an OPI topcoat).  And then it arrived in the post & I realised that my love for one polish overshadowed all the others. 

(L-R) The Colour of Minnie, If You Moust You Moust, I'm All Ears, Rapidry Topcoat

'If You Moust You Moust' jumped out at me - I'm a big fan of creme finishes. While I've read a few reviews claiming that it's a standard pink, I don't have anything like it. I expected a light pink but what I got was much nicer - A bright, yet not neon polish. To be frank, if you're a fan of Barbie pink nails, stock up on this quick. If not, it's still a nice colour for when you want something simple. 

I won't lie, it does take three coats for opacity. Normally this doesn't bother me, but seeing as the mini bottle is quite small, I wanted to get as much use out of it as possible. (I have a ready-made excuse for picking up the full size.)

Three coats of If You Moust You Moust.

Like what you see? I originally purchased the set for €14.50 from Cloud 10 Beauty, but Beauty Emporium currently have the full sized bottle on offer for €6.75. It's a sign. 

Have you been lured in by collections, to find one stand out polish?

Until next time,
Chloe x

Winner of Catrice Million Styles Topcoats

Hello girls!

So sorry for lack of blogging & announcement of my give-away winners - Anyone following me on Twitter will know that I have faced major problems with my laptop but I managed to borrow one to calculate the winners & let you guys know!
As before, I used Random.org to generate the winners from Rafflecopter, & I apologise for not having pictures to show the numbers that were generated, etc but it's just as I'm on a borrowed laptop.
However, the numbers were 25, 36 & 4 - Nina, Laura & Donna.
From the comments, Laura of WhatLarryLoves has won Shake It! Flake It!, Nina of Nina's Bargain Beauty has won ¿Holo Qué Tal?! & Donna of Not Just On The Inside has won Miss MoneyPenny.
I'll give each of you a Tweet for addresses ASAP!
Congrats to the girls & for everyone else, I will hopefully be back blogging, with another give away soon!
Chloe x

July Wishlist

1. 2.

3. 4.

5. 6.

1. I love shirts - I've bought more recently than I have owned in my lifetime. I'm a stud & embellished collar fan too so this desperately needs to be mine.

2. As above, collar love right here. Ever thought a top would be amazing with a multi-coloured glittery Peter Pan collar? Just add this.

3. The blogging world and it's great aunt have been raving about YSL's new foundation so this isn't the first you'll have heard of it. I don't think this needs to be justified.

4. It's a bag.. That looks like a book! A book with the most gorgeous gold detail. I want it, & I want it to come in diary form too, so I can actually write in it. Please.

5. I only own one pair of converse - Neon pink ones. But, every girl needs some basic things that don't require army-like coordination to match an outfit together.

6. Nail polish is my weakness. Seeing as Ireland is pretty dark & dull right now, who could deny me one of the brightest shades in existence? 

DO you have you eye on anything?

Chloe x

WIN Catrice Million Styles Topcoats

Hi girls :)

I showed off my haul of Catrice's Million Styles Topcoats & after falling in love with them, I thought some of you who couldn't get your hands on them deserved to get them in all their beauty. So, it's simple - Enter using the form beneath, making sure that you're following the blog using GFC, and comment below letting me know which polishes you would like to have the chance to win. (I'm going to choose three individual winners for the polishes, but feel free to enter for all three!) 

Don't see a polish you like? Don't fret - If my local Sam McCauley's re-stock the stand, I'll hopefully have a full collection to give away, so stay tuned! This give-away is open until 6th of July, 2012.

C03 Miss Money Penny, C04 Shake It! Flake It!, C07 ¿Holo Qué Tal?!

Swatches can be seen here. These pictures do the top coats much more justice than I ever could!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck! 

Chloe x

Barry M Cyan Blue

Hello girls :)

Well, time to follow up another long absence with a nail polish review! This time up is Barry M's beautiful Cyan Blue, which I picked up in Superdrug last week.

I love Barry M polishes, and this one is no different. They apply easily and are generally opaque in two coats, plus they don't break the bank at €3.65 and last for quite a while. I applied one coat of this a week ago, and got away with just one thick coat - It was completely opaque. I did throw on another coat three days later, because there was a bit of tip wear (Work is fairly hard on my poor nails!) and the photos were taken four days later - A little tip wear can be seen, but I think their staying power is pretty amazing, especially seeing as I didn't use a base or top coat. (I'm lazy, I know.)

The colour is amazingly bright - I'm pretty sure it's the closest to a neon blue you can get. It's definitely a summer shade! Most of you probably have a few Barry M polishes in your collection, so you know they have a consistently good quality, and I can confirm that Cyan Blue is one of the best shades I've tried. I've only taken it off to try out another new shade!

What's your favourite blue polish?

Chloe x

Catrice Million Styles Shake It! Flake It!

Hello :)

Well, as shown previously, I had a bit of a splurge on Catrice's Million Styles Topcoats at the weekend. Today was my first day to test them - namely C04 Shake It! Flake It! and ladies, it did not disappoint.

Bee-yoo-tiful chunks of glitter that simply shimmer from gold, to red, to green, it's like having strobe lights at your fingertips. I tried it on over a black polish, and just one coat transformed my nails from simple & sleek to something that I've been admiring ever since. My pictures don't do it justice - A Blackberry simply doesn't cut it when you want to be smug about something this pretty.

Black nails -C04 Shake It! Flake It!

The polish itself - Close up of the glitter

I can't help but feel that it's not the most summery of looks, & therefore, I'm thinking of layering another of the topcoats over a brighter (i.e. in your face) polish because this level of amazing needs to be seen. Catrice Million Style Topcoats are just €3.29, if you can find them. They're becoming notorious to track down, but if you're near a Sam McCauleys, you may be in luck.

Have you gotten your hands on any, or are you looking for them?
Chloe x

Weekend Haul.

Hello ladies,

I haven't posted all week because I've been working flat out - I'm not used to long, long days so even though I was home about 6PM, I couldn't find the energy to type up a new post. But we finished our stock take miraculously early today, so I managed to get tomorrow off, AND have a wander to the shops. Where I blew my hard-earned cash.

What did I pick up?

Head in the Clouds, Floating on a Breeze, Heart on your Sleeve

Superdrug Dy Shampoo - Buy 1, get 2 free. Don't worry, I do actually wash my hair & don't resort to a daily dousing of dry shampoo. But for €2.35 for three, I couldn't say no. I'll see how they compare with my usual Batiste!

c07 ¿Holo Qué Tal?!, C02 Million Dollar Baby, C04 Shake It! Flake It!

Catrice Million Styles Effect Top Coat - If the Beaut.ie Blather is anything to go by, these topcoats are highly sought after & more difficult to find than Wally. I picked them up in Sam McCauley's in Wexford for €3.29 each, & might just return for a few extras to give-away, so keep your eyes peeled!

NP 294 Cyan Blue, RNP 2 Blue, TMLP 207

Barry M Nail Paint & Lip Paint - After seeing Cyan Blue on so many blogs, I just wanted it, so I forked out €3.65 in Superdrug. And since the Retro Blue nail paint was free if you spent €7.50, I picked up the Touch of Magic Lip Paint  for €5.55 too. 

Cotton Wool Pads, V05 Nourish Me Truly conditioner

Finally, the least exciting of my purchases - Boots had buy one, get one half-price on cotton pads, so I got packets for €3.94, for removing nail polish & eye make up. Since bleaching my hair, it needs a bit of a boost, so the conditioner was €1.25 in Superdrug, & promises a 'divine transformation'. We'll see.

So considering that this is my first shopping trip in about a month, and looking at the amount I got, I don't think I spent too much - They were necessary purchases! Sort of.

I might review a few of these items soon, so watch out! 

Have you picked up anything recently?

Chloe x

Life via pictures #4

New nail polishes - New ring - Love hear nails

Make-up for an interview - Broken, dirty nails - Liz Earle delivery 

Rainbow eyes on my sister - Essence blush sorbet - Burned my hand 

Pasta Carbonara - Scented Revlon polish - Bath time & pampering

Skittles Manicure

Hi there :)

After our quick burst of sunshine last week, I'm really hoping that Ireland doesn't get flooded at this stage. But even if the weather outside isn't quite so bright, the perfect solution has to be a Skittles manicure. It's easy  Just paint all your nails a different colour, then sit back and be blinded by the clashing colours. You can go for rainbow brights, like me, or try out more subtle pastels.

Aren't they pretty?

From left - right: Rimmel London 825 Sky High, Essence 39 Lime Up!, Claire's Accessories Yellow, Maybelline MNY My Varnish 341, Leighton Denny Plush Pink.
I painted my nails with a white polish first, to make the colours a little brighter.

You can use whatever colours & nail polishes you want to recreate this look, or something similar.

What do you think of the Skittles manicure? Too fussy, or something you'd wear?

Chloe x

Life via Pictures #3

Some birthday presents - Strawberries & chocolate - Free Chicken Super Noodles

Re-ombred my hair - Exam make up - River Island clutch

Barry M Strawberry Ice Cream & Rimmel Disco Ball - Packing to move home - Packing my make up

Dinner with my Dad - Metal collar tips & fur collar - Stage at Strawberry Fest