The Nail Update: Summer.

3 for 2 knocked at the door, I bought three, plus one... 

I don't know if it's the burst of sunshine that the UK has been basking in, or the sudden desire to get a bit tropical in the nail department but brights are firmly back on my talons.

Essie Not Just a Pretty Face 

Yes, I know it's not a tropical explosion of colour but it's the pretty pink nude I've been craving for an age. After previous perilous experiences with the Essie nude family (I'm looking at you Sugar Daddy) I was slightly dubious about taking the plunge, but it really is a beaut. Three coats and your away. 

Barry M Gelly Polish in Papaya.

Even the name makes me want to swing in hammock on a tropical island with cocktail in hand. Consistancy wise the Gelly range is magic. Two coats and you've got the perfect shiny nails that far outshine their affordable price point. Bravo. The colour is the perfect bright peach, If you're not too keen on going all out this is the perfect gateway polish to brights. 

Bourjois 1 Seconde Nail Polish in Blue No Blues.

This polish strikes the perfect balance between a pastel mint and a bright turquoise. It's tropical party in a bottle. What makes this even more of a winner is the wide brush and foolproof application. For Lazy Susan's like me this is holy grail. 

Models Own Pink Punch.

The Ice Neon drew me in, the bottle promised wonders. It delivered a bit of a damp squib. I will concede that I've only tried it on a bare nail and maybe a white undercoat with pep this up. I'm hoping this will deliver the neon pop it promised once I've given it a proper whirl! 

What are you sporting this summer? 

xx

It's a Coral Thing.

It's no secret that Coral makes me happy. My love for it is strong and everlasting. But, when it comes to that love, I tend to hop around on the shade spectrum. What is a true Coral? Some people would immediately pop it in the peach camp, others firmly in the bright neon red end of things. Others would match it in the orange family. To be honest, I don't really spend too much time sweating over it, I just love me some Coral.

 

Out from the Archives comes an oldie but a goodie, Barry M 296 Coral. Yep, Barry has gone there and he's firmly planting his coral leanings in the orange/red camp. 

This is a bold bright coral that is (dare I say it) soo hot right now (Sorry) and It makes me happy every time I look down at my nails. Winner. 

Sidenote, a notoriously difficult colour to capture, as you may have noticed, my fancy camera has well and truly been sidetracked and the trusty iphone/instagram combo has come up trumps. If you're looking for a cheap and cheerful summer pick me up, look no further. It definitely has something of a Chanel Holiday about it...

xx

Going Up/Going Down.

I'm kicking it old school today, but we're talking products. I've had two products this week that have both amazed and disappointed, so why not pop them both in one post.

Going Up.

L'Oreal Telescopic Waterproof.

After several black eye incidents in the gym/pool/...rain I decided I needed to pull my finger out and replace my waterproof mascara. I went with Anna's much raved about choice. She's raving for a reason kids. It holds curl, gives great length and separation and brilliant volume after a coat or two. Just make sure you've got your make up remover to hand at the end of the day, patience is required to budge this beauty!

Going Down.

Barry M Gelly Polish in Lychee.

Now, Barry M have really turned a corner recently. I'd begun to get tired of what they had to offer but I've become re-obsessed with the range thanks to the Gelly & Nail Effects Nail Paints came to the market. It's not so much the actual product. It's just the colour. Blurgh, not generally, but next to my skintone? Blurgh. It's rather bizarre as Essie's Sand Tropez ranks amongst my all time favourites, and they're not worlds apart. Lychee just registers slightly too far on the yellow side for me. Sorry Barry! I'm sure I'll find a good home for it though...

What Going Up or Down for you this week?

xx

Barry M Ridley Road.

It's not my usual style, but I'm hooked. 

Barry M Ridley Road has well and truly dragged me out of my neutral rut. 

A perfect pale mint with a concrete effect twist. I never thought i'd see the day that I fell in love with minty pebbledash nails, but it's here. 

The only downside? I've already scuffed them with concealer and cannot get it off... 

At £3.99, it's well worth a whirl. 

xx

Shopping the Stash Take Two.

It's my favourite kind of shopping, the free kind. 

Products I've Been Loving: 

Vera Wang Princess

Benefit Benetint

Prestige My Blackest Lashes

Barry M Lipgloss in No 11

MAC Fleur Power Blush

The Lowdown: 

First of all, I am a big fan of mini perfume rollerballs & this mini Vera Wang Princess is no exception. It was lost in a handbag for a little while but it's now back with a vengeance. It's a pretty, no offensive scent that perks me up throughout the day. I've also managed to find a bargain 100ml bottle AND a rollerball for £33.14, here, amazing!

Now, me and Benetint have a long standing relationship. Along with High Beam, they were amongst the very first make up products I possessed. I often forget about this old favourite, I mean it is the right of a beauty blogger to stray isn't it?! But, I've been reaching for after work if i'm going straight on to something else just to perk me up. Similarly it's been a gem for a quite post gym spruce up. I can never be bothered to put on a full face after showering/hair drying at the gym, but similarly I don't want to look like the living dead if I have a quick coffee after. My only gripe is that is it not the friend of the chapped lip. Looking like you've been scoffing raspberries isn't something I strive to achieve...

Moving onto a sad tale. Prestige My Blackest Lashes has to be one of my all time favourite mascaras, and they only went and discontinued Prestige in the UK didn't they!? So sad. Therefore I rave about this cautiously, I adore it and I rue the day this runs dry.

MAC Fleur Power Blush has won a place in my heart thanks to the recent purchase of the Real Techniques Blush Brush as it applies like a totally different blush when coupled with such a soft, feathery applicator. I've really been shunning lots of shimmer recently and sticking to soft matte shades, it's a trend I can see continuing! 

Finally, Barry M Lipgloss in No11 is firmly back in the mix thanks to a bit of friend envy. One of my lovely friends whipped it out the other day and I was instantly cooing over how nice it is. Low and behold I definitely had it in my collection. It's a soft coral pink that leaves a subtle shine without being too sticky or gloopy, the fact it smells like pineapple only elevates it further up the rankings, yum. 

What have you been rediscovering recently? 

xx

Barry M Gelly Polish in Prickly Pear.

You may have seen in this recent post, I was definitely craving summer pastels. I got my greasy mitts on this lilac beauty by Barry M and It has certainly scratched an itch. It's a delicate shade of milky lilac that gives an opaque finish in two coats. My only previous gripe about Barry M polish is that it can take some serious coats to achieve an even opaque finish (I'm talking to you Peach Melba) but the Gelly Hi-Shine formula seems to have fixed the problem. 

Despite it being Hi-Shine, I popped on a coat of Seche Vite over the top, purely for longevity. 

Which pastel polish are you wearing this spring? 

xx

Wednesday Wishlist: Pastel Polish.

I'm having the expected love affair with pastel polish at the moment. I've shyed away from the brighter pastels of last summer and settled on a few muted beauties that I'm anxious to get my mitts on. 

1. Essie Absolutely Shore

2. Essie Lilacism

3. Barry M Gelly Hi-Shine in Prickly Pear

4. OPI I Vant To Be A Lone Star

5. Essie Ballet Slippers

Which nail polish are you lusting after? 

xx

101 Dalmatians.

It is never a good idea to attempt any sort of nail art when you are suffering from the worlds worst coffee shakes...however, I'm not too unimpressed by the results. 

It kinda reminds me of Dalmatians and Mini Eggs... 

What I Used... 

Barry M Nail Paint 66 White

Illamasqua Precision Ink in Abyss (Literally any black liquid liner will do)

Seche Vite. 

Slap on the White, Paint the Dots, Seal with Seche Vite. 

Easy.

In other news, I attempted some outfit photos today and they were just too poor to post, but the main jist was to profess my love for this peach shirt. I first spotted this combo on Lily's blog and decided to hunt a similar version down, It's a shameless rip off of Lily's excellent style, but I love it and her equally! It's fast becoming my new favourite thing. I paired it with this H&M Jumper & Black Leigh Jeans on the bottom. 

What are your current nail/outfit obsessions. 

Laura xx

Murky, Muddy Fingernails.

It's official, It's gone beyond a brief affair and has turned into a full blown union. 

Some may say it's past its sell by date, but you really can't go wrong with a pretty hue of purple/grey/brown. 

My favourites are: 

MeMeMe Delicate 84

Nails Inc Jermyn Street

Mavala Elle Polish

OPI You Don't Know Jacques!

MUA Shade 21 

MeMeMe Demure 65 

Barry M Dusky Mauve

If you're looking for a bargain, MUA Shade 21 is an absolute winner, it's opaque in 2 coats and looks far more chic than it's £1 price tag. 

I'm still loving the Elle Mavala Polish, it's my new obsession. 

Barry M Dusky Mauve also ticks all the boxes, a dead match for Chanel Paradoxal. 

Are you a fan of the murky nail? 

Laura xx