A Makeup & Beauty Blog – Lipglossiping

Slowly making my way through the Urban Decay Summer of Love nail kit (£17.50) and I’m currently sporting Psychedelic Sister!

Described as a bright coral, but it isn’t.  It’s far too red to qualify as coral.  However, it’s a beautiful shade of red meets salmon pink.  It shouldn’t work, but it does!

3 coats (as most of these seem to need) for a good finish, my one complaint is that I’ve got more tip wear than normal AND a chip *sharp intake of breath* on only my first full day of wear.  Can’t count, that’s two complaints… oh well.  You can see the chip on my index fingernail and the tip wear on the middle.

I don’t usually get chips, soooooooo it’s something that is noticeable when I do.

See my other swatches from the collection:

Aquarius
Woodstock
The Whole Kit

Some of you ladies have your Summer of Love nail kits now, how are you liking them?  Have you spotted them in Debenhams yet or is it only some Boots that have put them up?

Here’s another Eyeko I was sent recently…

…don’t like it (said in the style of Lou & Andy).

Eyeko’s Petite Polish (£3.50) is a pale girly pink, and there’s nothing wrong with that…. infact, the idea appeals and I’m not sure I have anything similar.  However, it just didn’t work that well for me.  It took 4 coats to achieve opacity (so probably great if you’re looking for a sheer!) and once finished it just looked kinda “thick” and not very feminine at all.

Is it supposed to be a sheer?  I dunno… I guess maybe it’s a French Manicure polish, in which case I’m being a bit harsh… but I want an opaque baby pink that looks all delicate, and this isn’t it.

Can anyone recommend some nice baby pinks that are all feminine and floaty and stuff?

A stand out from the collection, Aquarius is a beautiful metallic mermaid teal that screams summer!

Application was sadly a bit of a PITA, you need at least 3 coats to achieve a good-looking finish owing to a slightly patchy formula that seems to apply extra-thinly in some areas despite care and concentration!

However, once applied… it’s a beautiful hybrid finish with just as much shimmer as metallic.  I doubt it’s a hugely unique shade, but I imagine it will be the jewel in the collection for many.

See my other swatches from the collection here and the Urban Decay Summer of Love Nail Kit as a whole, here.

This is in proper “I can’t stop looking at how hot my nails are” territory.  A neon pink creme that lends itself fabulously to slightly cooler toned ladies.  This is three coats.  Application was fine if a little bit patchy.  I couldn’t have gotten away with less than three coats despite it’s apparent opaqueness.  You would also be wise to pair this with a topcoat as it dries somewhat matte.

All in all, there’s a few niggles… but it didn’t make me want to tear my hair out with frustration or anything extreme like that… and the colour… OH the colour.  I lurve.

Woodstock is from the Urban Decay Summer of Love collection which is supposed to be released on the 7th June in the UK, but I’ve heard a few people say that it’s already available in Boots and Debenhams.

See my other swatches from the collection here and the Urban Decay Summer of Love Nail Kit as a whole, here.

Released on the 7th June, the highly anticipated return of Urban Decay Nail Polishes to the UK is nearly upon us!

I’ve been snapping up the UD Polishes from yesteryear as and when I see them on eBay or in discount stores, so I’m pretty darn excited about this set.  Infact, it was through their polishes that I first discovered the brand… anyone else remember the polishes?

Anyway, last year I found myself whining (I know, quelle surprise!) at Urban Decay’s UK PR peeps when I was told that we wouldn’t be seeing the Apocalyptic Nail Kit on our shores, so I nearly peed my knickers when I was sent these this week.

7 mini-sized nail polishes housed in a faux gold snakeskin little zip-up case.  Tack-o-rama!  Um, in a good way!

One for every day of the week!  The colours do shout summer…. well… nearly all of them.  I just can’t associate purple with summer… and that one on the far left.. I’m thinking more early Autumn.  Pedantic, sorry.

I couldn’t wait to begin swatching and I’ve been deliberating… Do I post them all up at once, or do one at a time in a  usual NOTD?  I decided that I’d just get some quick swatches up so you can see if the shades are colours you’d be interested in wearing in advance of the release.  As I work my way through them over the next week or so I’ll give thoughts on formula, application and a better swatch photo…

In particular, my Woodstock photo is a bit off…. so I’ll make sure I get another one up early in the week (it’s my favourite too!)

For now…

Very, very quick first impression.  Each polish is 5ml, so we’re talking the same quantity as a Mavala.  Packaging is cute and even better, the brush is normal sized… a little wide even.  I much prefer this as it means I can cover my nail in 2/3 strokes… none of this faffing about with a teeny brush.

The set consists of 3 cremes (woodstock, psychedelic sister & magic bus), 2 shimmers (love light & hashbury) and 2 metallics (aquarius & shine on).  Formula wise, I had the most application joy from those cremes (but they benefit from a glossy top coat).  The metallics gave me the biggest application woes with a touch of cuticle drag.

The set will be priced at £17.50 and available from the 7th June.  Now…. if only they sold them full size and separately…

Now that Models Own have expanded into Boots stores nationwide, their legendary polishes are a whole lot easier to get your hands on!

The range is simply quite mind boggling, with a shade for every occassion.  They also sell other cosmetics including eye and lip products and I have a particularly lovely neon pink lip product to show you very soon!

I was sent this Models Own shade in Fuzzy Peach and it’s a touch more neon in real life than my photo shows… the colour is pretty spot on, but it’s a little more vibrant in person.  Application was….interesting.

First 2 coats were streaksville.  Worse than Eyeko’s streakiness…. I laid down the first coat… waited 10 minutes and despite feeling pretty dry to the touch, I got some crappy cuticle drag on the second coat.  Thankfully the third coat evened everything out enough for me to be satisfied with the finish but I made sure to top everything off with a quick dry top coat.

Put it this way, I was a bit disappointed with the formula.

However, there’s no denying it’s one helluva colour for summer!  Someone with a tan and warmer skin would knock ’em dead with this on their tips.

Models Own Fuzzy Peach is £5 and available online and instore at Boots.

I’d heard that Berry Ice Cream was a hard colour to track down, so I was really delighted to be able to waltz into my local Superdrug and whisk this and Mushroom off the shelves without any problems at all!  And I only paid a fiver for both!

Berry Ice Cream is a bright lilac pastel.  It’s not pastelly enough to be soft and floaty (if that makes sense!).  It has a bit o brightness to it that would endear it to most skintones.  Sometimes, lilacs can make darker skintones look kinda dead… zombie hands.  I can’t imagine you’d have the same issues with this one, it has enough punch to it!

Application was fair… 3 coats to cover any imperfections or patches from a small amount of cuticle drag.  Dried speedily and as with most BarryM shades I’ve tried, it has an impressive glossy finish.

Many people have issues with BarryM polishes chipping on them, but I never do… so although I can safely state that in 2 full days of wear I had no chipping, that doesn’t necessarily mean much.

If you’re looking for a colour to take you from Spring into Summer… this is a great choice.  However, I’m totally lagging in the ‘what’s hot’ stakes so this shade is probably already SO LAST SEASON.

Whatever bitches, I was rocking an Autumn colour last weekend… my fingers transcend fashion.

BarryM Nail polishes are still on a 2 for £5 offer in Superdrug, so get ’em while they’re hot! (or not).

The other evening, after painting my nails in Essie’s Wrapped im Rubies… it ddn’t take me long to decide that it was a dull, dull colour…

…but I’ve changed my mind.  It’s not dull, it’s just not Summery.

Application was a teeny bit awkward, it seemed to remain sheer in certain places on the nail and I experienced a tiny bit of bubbling on my thumb.  To be fair though, I was in more of a hurry than usual… so it could well be down to my application skills (or lack of them on this occassion).

I’m on my 2nd full day of wear and tip wear is barely noticeable.  I did dent one nail despite my quick dry top coat, so it seems to be a slow dryer… deffo crack open the seche or alternative.  Essie Wrapped in Rubies is a beautiful bronzed-red with flecks of gold from the Winter 2007 collection… perfect for Autumn.

Shame it’s May!

This time of year (especially with the mini heatwave we had yesterday) it’s tricky to decide which season we’re currently enjoying!

With that in mind, check out Miners Spring/Summer nail collection which comprises a bit of both!

A nifty combination of 2 seasons in one collection…

Rio Pink: Not to look out of place on a Brazilian beauty dancing her way down the main strip of Rio Carnival, this shade is perfect for the beach. With a pearlescent finish and bright pink tone Rio Pink is fun, flirty and fashionable – the perfect colour for a beached beauty, along with those who like to dream.

Jaffa: Inspired by bright African colours and prints, Jaffa is a muted orange shade with a pink pearlescent undertone giving an electric look without being over the top. Jaffa is perfect for a sunny adventurous look either adding a bit of sunshine to ware away the April showers or to enhance your beach bronzed tan.

Apricot Blush: Seen on the catwalks from London to New York this is a milky-pink shade with a silver pearlescent base. Apricot Blush is perfect to add a bit of sparkle and make this seasons 70s romance style rock!

Flamingo: Putting the fun back into girly, Flamingo is a gorgeous rosy shade of pink, with a slightly orange undertone – perfect to add a touch of glamour to an everyday feminine look.

Denim Shorts: Following the catwalk trendsetters Jeremy Scott and Giles we have added a blue hue to our nail collection. Denim Shorts is a washed out blue with light pink undertones, a perfect shade for the beach or to brighten up a natural, plain look.

I’m loving the look of all of these with the exception of Jaffa (which is ontop of the blue).  I have a Miners glitter polish that I love, so will have to see if I can hunt these down as stockists seem to be pretty thin on the ground.

Alternatively, retailing at £2.99 each – you can buy online from Miners.co.uk

One word sums this Eyeko Coral polish up… SUMMER!

No wait, I’ve got another one.  Longevity.  6 days, no chipping and minimal tip wear.

Application is ok… it’s the same as all the other Eyeko polishes, on the thick and gloopy side but not unworkable with a fairly slow drying time.  Top coat recommended.

The colour is lovely though, on my short nails it really ‘pops’ and makes my fingertips look like sweeties!  Or maybe I’m just hungry.

Either way, I like this one lots!  The new formulation is definitely an approvement on the old version.

£3.50 from Eyeko online with free UK delivery and cheap international shipping.

I broke ’em while bowling at the Sleek MakeUP do last week *sniff*

Still, every cloud and all that… it gave me the opportunity to break out a nice nude in an attempt to elongate my fingers.

Essie’s Jazz is just that.  A great nude!  It’s slightly ‘dirty’ toned which I love!  It just gives it an edge.

Formula was fabulous… 2 coats gave plently of coverage and the quick-dry glossy finish meant that I didn’t need to top coat it at all.  A super mani for lazy sods like me!

Do you prefer nude polishes on long or short nails?  I can never decide which looks best!

…only a teeny haul!

It was 3 for £12… and there were 3 further colours I was tempted by, but I’m not convinced of the quality so held off splurging further until I’d given these a try!

L-R: Mouse, Peacock, Factory Grey.

I wore Peacock to the Sleek event, and whilst I love the colour… I wasn’t too enamoured of the formula which was a bit gloopy.

I would have a NOTD for you but I fractured 2 of my nails whilst bowling (of course) so have given them all a much needed prune instead!

Have you tried the American Apparel polishes yet?