Who’s da boss? Leila’s da boss (when I’m not around – sorry Mr. L!)
It’s Leila’s 3rd birthday party today, though she doesn’t turn three until the 16th May it was the only day available at the venue so I’ve been trying to explain to a very confused tot why it isn’t actually her birthday yet but everyone will be wishing her a Happy Birthday – cue confused face.
I’m wearing Butter London’s Bossy Boots from their Spring/Summer 2012 collection in honour of the occasion, seeing as I’ll be rounding up a few under 8s, I thought it quite appropriate!
Isn’t it Spring-like? I love muted shades but whoulda thunk I’d go gaga for a pistachio shade like this! I like that Butter London haven’t made it too dirgy or grey and have kept it feeling somehow fresh and airy without sounding the “woah green nails” klaxon. I’m absolutely, positively against wearing green nail polish on your toes usually (fungal feet) but I’m gonna admit to being tempted by this one. Talk me out of it please!
Opaque in two coats, it needs the second to get rid of pastel streaks – the formula covered nicely but did have a tendency to pool around the cuticles… thin strokes required!
Fourteen days, that’s approximately 336 hours, or 20,160 minutes. In other words, a fair amount of time. In the world of long-lasting manicures, just what you do with that time is almost as important as the duration spent doing it. For me, that time was spent typing, packing, cooking, swimming, running, playing at Butlins, and chasing ants in the dark. I like to think that this manicure has been put through its paces over the last fortnight. The question is, did it survive?
See for yourself…
I think that it’s coped fairly admirably no? There is a small chip on my index finger but that was it for the tips… across the entire manicure – spending that extra time to ensure that I had capped all my nails really paid off in this instance. Infact, you can see that most of the ‘damage’ actually comes from the other end of the nail bed where I’ll happily admit that I didn’t do quite so well at applying with the kind of precision one needs.
I suffered some pooling in the cuticles with the base coat and on a couple of nails this led to a small amount being cured over the cuticle so I wasn’t particularly surprised when I experienced a little bit of lifting after a few days in those areas. What I was surprised at though is that despite the lifting, I was able to gently clip those areas off without causing any further damage to the manicure. Most of what you see in the photo above is actually new growth at the base of the colour.
Now, whilst this is a glowing report so far, I do have one issue that I’d like to talk about… removal.
Damn, this stuff is a bitch to remove without damaging your nails. I lightly buffed the surface of my nails firstly to remove the shine and create a penetrable layer for the remover to do its work before soaking pre-cut cotton pads in acetone remover (where acetone is the primary ingredient) and laying them down over the nails. Wrapping the tips in foil, I gave it a full 10-12 minutes before sliding the foil tips off my fingers, expecting to see the gel slide off with them. Uh, not a chance. The surface had bubbled and warped and the edges had further lifted but it wasn’t giving up without a fight. I ended up using an orange stick to (as gently as I could) scrape off the gel polish before buffing the surface of the nail to remove the residue.
My nails are definitely in worse condition post Sensationail but seemingly nothing that a hefty dose of almond oil (thanks Squarrell) can’t sort out – I’d say that they’re halfway back to feeling “normal” within a day of diligent oiling.
Hopefully that’s provided an indepth (enough) review for you from application, to pricing, to wear and finally removal. I’d be really interested to find out what you think about the product in terms of value, I’m confident that it provides the kind of long-lasting, salon-quality manicure that we pay £20+ a time for – but despite knowing that, I’m curious if the initial price tag would still put you off? I think that this is probably a great bit of kit for a group of friends to pool together and purchase, otherwise – you’ve got to be a very dedicated nailista – know any of those?
The Sensationail starter kit is available to buy online from Boots, priced at £85, additional shades are available at £15 each.You can get more tips and tricks from the brand’s facebook and twitter pages.
Essie Limited Addiction came out a couple of years ago and I picked it up alongside some of it’s partner releases, Sew Psyched and Merino Cool, you remember that collection? Lush wasn’t it?
I don’t own very many Essie polishes, and I don’t really like this one. As a red, it just misses for me. It’s darker-toned with a not-entirely-creme finish. You may be able to tell that despite the three coats shown in the photo above, the overall look isn’t quite uniform? It’s a little sheerer and more jelly-ish in some places and whenever I look down at my fingers, it just looks a little… untidy.
If you’re looking for a more work-appropriate red that isn’t all shouty and screamy though, this may well be the one for you.
Essie Limited Addiction is priced at £8.50 from BeautyBay.com
Remember my post a couple of weeks ago about bringing salon-style beauty to the comfort of your own home? I wasn’t convinced that DIY options generally lived up to the expectations or convenience of salon service. Well, the people atSensationail rose to the challenge and sent me the Sensationail Starter Kit* to give it a whirl for myself. I’ll do the review in two-parts, today is the application and initial results and I’ll be back in a couple of weeks to let you know how the manicure lasted.
I should also preface this by saying that I’ve had two gelish/shellac-type exeriences in a salon and both were poor, with lifting after only a few days. That’s Groupon on for you I guess? Basically, I’ll admit that my expectations aren’t all that high.
The kit is frankly over-priced at £85 in the UK. Over-priced? I hear you say. Yes, not because it’s lacking in quality (although the bottles I received did have the writing peeling off them and the labels weren’t fully stuck down which didn’t give the best impression of quality) but because in the U.S., our neighbours across the pond are charged $59.99 for the same kit. That’s around £35.
Cross-border rip-offs aside, in theory – you should still be able to break even fairly easily with this kit against the cost of getting your nails done in a salon. The average price in my area for shellac/gelish nails is around £22 – so you’re looking at around 5 manicures before you get your money’s worth. Which is all well and good, providing the kit lives up to its name and actually provides a good quality gel nail that lasts the course.
I’ll admit that application was indeed, very simple and didn’t cause a single problem for me. The instructions are clear and easy to follow, the lamp worked just as it should (although I did wonder how I was going to fit all five fingers and thumbs inside until I read that you er, don’t).
In the starter kit, you receive: an LED curing lamp, gel cleanser (basically an alcohol solution), gel primer (nail dehydrator/bonder), gel base/top coat, gel colour, and some lint-free swabs.
Following the instructions, from start-to-finish, I was completed in around 30-minutes and the nails were completely bone dry at the end of it. The beauty of the UV-activated gel is that you have ample time to get your manicure applied neatly, my biggest tip would be to keep the coats as thin as possible. The base/top coat in particular had a tendency to pool in my cuticles while I was completing the other nails, not really a fault of the system… simply a sign that my coats were not thin enough.
If you do get some gel on your skin, make sure you wipe it off before curing…. not only will it feel pretty uncomfortable with this hard resin stuck to your skin but it will also cause your manicure to prematurely lift at the edges.
Here’s my finished result… basically, it looks and feels great.
I’m going to embed a tutorial video which I found on the Boots website, you may notice that she hasn’t capped the tips of her nails with the polish (you can see this at the end) – this is a pretty crucial step when it comes to making gel nails last. If you want them to stay the distance, you need to take a little more time to ensure that you’ve bullet-proofed your manicure.
I haven’t been able to fault the application process but the bottles in the starter kit are tiny and feel/look cheap. The UK price hike is outrageous. Ultimately, my final thoughts on Sensationail’s worth will come down to how long this manicure lasts on me. I’ll be back with an update soon, but hopefully not too soon eh?
Check out the brand’s UK Facebook page for more information, they’re also active on Twitter (something this Twitter-addict always likes to see!)
You can purchase the Sensationail Starter Kit instore and online at Boots.com, priced at £85.00(individual colour gels are priced at £15.00 each)
Here’s one from the archives. And by archives, I mean that I found it in an old photo folder, not that I’m re-posting stuff from a couple of years back. I may be nearly 2200 posts down but I’ve still got plenty to show you thankyouverymuch!
I’m not a massive fan of Ciate… I don’t generally get excited about their releases if I’m honest. The bows (once you get past the cute factor) are a complete pain in the arse to re-tie and the bottle is a really awkward shape to hold for photos (SO not a valid excuse).
Ciate Silhouette is pretty though, it has a delicate shimmer running through the burgundy base and a nice amount of depth that gives a lovely velvety, plush look to the nails. It’s unremarkable in drying time and wear, I have no complaints at all. Definitely one of my preferred Ciate shades, you should also check out Starlet and Velvet Tuxedo if you want some other lovely Ciate polishes.
Ciate Silhouette is priced at £9.00 and available to buy online from PowderRooms
When I heard that Glitter Gal polishes had made it across to the UK last month, I immediately skipped over to the UK stockist and placed an order for the two polishes that I’d been wanting for a while. I first tried a Glitter Gal polish a couple of years back, and very pretty it was too – since then, the line has expanded greatly and my heart was going pitter-patter for their holographic RED… but more on that one another time (i.e. when I’ve done the photos).
Light As A Feather is a subdued holo which compliments the soft, ethereal shade beautifully. It looks plumpity and squishy on the nails with a little visible nail line peeping through despite three coats. I think it actually suits the calm demeanor of this shade to be a little sheerer. Sure, it’s not a wham-bam in your face holo but it feels like a demure, more grown up version of the trend – ideal for those of us looking for a work-appropriate bit of sparkle.
Once the light hits it (please excuse my dry hands and nails), the holographic particles spring forth and dance a little jig on your fingertips. They’re linear in placement and sparkle rather than dazzle with their prettiness. Jenni has a great swatch of it here.
Glitter Gal Light As A Feather is priced at £8.75 and available to buy online in the UK at Sjmwell Nail’s & Beauty
I’ve got two NOTDs to show you today, and I thought I’d bunch them together seeing as they both fit neatly along a theme. Union Jack Black and Saucy Jack… err, you’re getting the connection right?
Butter London – Union Jack Black
Butter London – Saucy Jack
Union Jack Black is a rich black with a patent, high-gloss shine. At three coats, it requires one more than I’d like to reach full opacity but it applies effortlessly and dries rapidly. When I got to meet Nonie Creme, she ranked Union Jack Black as one of her personal favourites from the line.
Saucy Jack is an intriguing shade with its almost jelly-like finish and blood-red hue. It gives a stained glass-like impression that is really intriguing and ranks up there as one of my most vampy shades. Most jellies are quite soft and squishy looking, this is far more gothic in its interpretation.
Talking of Jacks… my brother used to get mistaken for Jack Black a lot. This is not really relevant but watching this clip always makes me laugh. Not only does my brother look a little like Barry. He basically is Barry, albeit slightly less hyperactive. Also not relevant to the post, but my other brother played bass on Dry The Rain, also in the film here. It’s like trufax Thursday right here!
Both shades are available to buy online from Powder Rooms, priced at £11.95 each.
It’s like that time I found out about coconut m&ms(did the m&m website really just age-check me?!), I can’t remember where… some foodie blogger who was baking immense cookies with them or something. Oh, how I hungered for the crunch of a more tropical m&m… I thought about ordering online but realised that if I’d ordered enough “candy” to make the postage worth it, I could kiss goodbye to both my diet and ever-decreasing arse. So I waited. And I waited. I contented myself with peanut M&Ms as my weekly treat but it was never quite enough.
Then one day. I snapped. Actually, I think it was about three days later, but whatevs.
I don’t know if I’d dreamt about them but I woke up with a mission, and one that I was going to fulfil if it killed me. We were going on a roadtrip and I WAS going to have my coconut m&ms damnit. We jumped in the car, Leila still rubbing her eyes after being dragged from her bed (don’t worry, I made it up to her with a Tootsie Roll) and we headed up the M3 in search of Shangri-La. Or theStateside Candy Co. in Aldershot as Mr. L called it.
I bought two packets. And some root beer, mac & cheese, cheetos and Vanilla coke… what?
Well anyway, I got back to the car… cracked open my Vanilla Coke (O.M.G) and dipped into the bag of coconut m&ms.
Meh.
A bit like this polish.
I wanted China Glaze Fast Track from the moment I saw it online, I mean… look at the bottle! What in the name of all things sprinkled in gold shimmer could be more beautiful? But on my nails, it just doesn’t translate so well. There’s nothing wrong with it per se, it’s just that the base shade does absolutely nothing for my skin colouring. Infact, it looks a bit fecal in an anaemic kinda way and no amount of beautiful golden sparkle can make a turd look good. Unless, you completely obscure the turd with gold glitter, but this doesn’t do that. I digress. I didn’t mean to talk about turds either, sorry.
So yes, on paper… it’s a wonder, but when you get down to it… like coconut m&ms. it just leaves me feeling a bit, disappointed.
China Glaze Fast Lane is available to buy as part of the Hunger Games collection, priced at £6.59 from Sallys
* I want to live off cheetos and mac & cheese for the rest of my life. Orange food ftw. Oh and these mini-doughnut things that must have been packed with enough preservatives to restore the defunct do-do.
I’m crackled out. I’ve been crackled out for about a year. I’m bored of crackle. No more crackle. Boo to crackle.
China Glaze have released FOUR new crackle glitter polishes, because they think that I OBVIOUSLY haven’t seen enough crackle yet. The new China Glaze Crackle Glitters* landed on my doormat yesterday and I thought I’d swatch them up for all those 3 people out there who aren’t bored of crackle polishes yet.
If I’m serious for a moment, they’re actually pretty cool (in a really boring crackly way). The four shades are Summer brights and each dries to a matte finish. I haven’t applied a top coat in the swatches because all the swatches I’ve seen so far DO include a top coat and I also wanted to gauge their drying time and how much they might/might no pull apart the lower layers of my maniucre as they dried.
Turns out, they didn’t fare too badly at all, each finger was touch dry in about 10 minutes and fully dry within half an hour. That’s without top coat remember.
The four shades from left to right:
Luminous Lavender (luscious light purple) Glam-More (bold fuchsia) Jade-d (radiant bright green) Gleam Me Up (bright sky blue)
Jade-d is a beaut, it’s a golden green that really pops against a black nail. Glam-more and Gleam Me Up are equally punchy and Luminous Lavender is left languishing as my least favourite. It’s simply sheerer than the rest and lacks the spark and contrast apparent in the other shades.
Ultimately, whilst I’m massively over the crackle trend, the formula on these is great and I’ll begrudgingly admit that there’s nothing better for patching up a tired manicure in minutes. Got tip wear? Slick a coat of one of these over the top and you’re sorted. It’s a lazy girl’s secret weapon in her nail arsenal (am I giving away my secrets?)
If you’re on a budget, it’s worth pointing out that MUA do some crackle glitters for around half the price of these, though I haven’t tried them so can’t comment on their quality.
China Glaze Crackle Glitters should be available to buy in the UK instore from Sallys. I can’t see them up on radiant-babe-beauty or beauty4nails-body yet, but I’m sure it won’t be long.
Are these reigniting a spark of fondness for just one more dip into the trend?
Maybe I’ve been eyeing up too many chocolate eggs but this is just making me think of a Cadbury’s egg with a good dose of speckling!
Today’s NOTD is courtesy of Butter London’s HRH with a coat of the lovely L.A Colors in Jewel Tone ontop. Although the glitter in Jewel Tone is fairly dense, the base is far too translucent to work as anything other than a layering polish. Nevermind, it’s only 99p from BeautyBase afterall (£1.29 online) and works beautifully with a whole range of purples, blues and pinks!
Check out Rhamnousia’s great comparison with the much-loved Models Own Disco Mix.
Have you got your Easter Egg sorted for the weekend? Whatchu got?
Halloween-mad Liloo is passionate about makeup and its effectiveness at allowing people to feel more confident. The following article is a guest submission, you can read more of Liloo’s writing at Le Petit Jardin de Liloo.
To complement the recent release of their Foils Collection, BeautyUK have launched The Gemstone Collection*, a stunning selection of six pastel polish shades with a difference: a smooth and glittery finish.
If you’re new to the brand, Beauty UK is a British brand of affordable makeup, mainly sold in Superdrug but usually shoved at the back of the shop. Why is this so? I really don’t know. A crying shame for the brand in my opinion, as their nail polishes offer impressive coverage in a minimal amount of coats and are a doddle to apply. The new Gemstone polishes are no exception to the rule. In honour of the semi-precious stones where BeautyUK took their inspiration, the Gemstone Posh Polishes are donning a fancy cap for the occasion, reminiscent of Nails Inc. polishes but at a much more budget friendly price of £3.49 each.
They say: Inspired by precious gemstones, these metallized pastels combine subtle hues with a light shimmer and superb coverage to bring a touch of class to any look. Treat yourself to a bit of posh in any of the six shades – Amethyst (lilac), Sunstone (blush), Topaz (taupe), Silmaril (gold), Elfstone (green) and Moonstone (blue).
The brunette in me had to try the amethyst shade first as I like to think that purple shades really make my brown eyes stand out.
Application for the gemstone polishes was even easier than normal thanks to their forgiving pastel nature. I was able to apply my polish even more sloppily than normal without feeling too self conscious. All my photos show two coats but I could have gotten away with one. Drying time was a little slower than usual, but nothing as slow as Boots No.7 Sultry Sands and Golden Palms which have to be the slowest-to-dry polishes known to mankind.
These are Moonstone and Elfstone:
At first glance, the golden shades Silmaril, Topaz and Sandstone will look very similar in their bottles. Wear them all on one hand on a bright sunny day and you’ll be able to marvel at their subtle nuances.
Don’t ask me to choose a favourite. At the beginning, my heart was set amethyst, but looking at the photos again, I just want to wear topaz and sunstone as the same time, in a muted ‘ombre’ kind of manicure.
If you’re fussy about your polishes and want something ultra wearable, subtle but eye catching simultaneously, shimmery/glittery but without the removal nightmare of traditional glitter polishes, pastel shades evocative of the Spring season, *and* inexpensive, the gemstone collection might just well be for you.
*Disclosure: Polishes were sent for review purposes
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I love a good rusty orange, and before you jump on the it’s too Autumnal thing (I saw you making me feel completely off-trend with Minger!), I’m sticking two fingers up at trends. Well, that and the fact that I bought this last Autumn. Busted.
I see brushstrokes, does that make this a frost? Does anyone else struggle a little bit telling the difference between all the various finishes? I’m gonna call this a frost. Go on, you can correct me if I’m wrong – I’m wearing my big girl’s pants. I’m always wearing big girl’s pants 🙁
Desert Dune is a great shade for Autumn Spring, it’s rich… velvety and a looks non too shabby on a pale skintone. Application with this one was trouble-free, with a few coats covering the nail bed to a good opacity.
LA Colours is available to buy in BeautyBase in both of London’s Westfields. I picked this up from Whiteleys Shopping Centre on Queensway last time I was in London. I think it was 99p? I might have made that up.
Halloween-mad Liloo is passionate about makeup and its effectiveness at allowing people to feel more confident. The following article is a guest submission, you can read more of Liloo’s writing at 
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