Nails Of The Day | Off The Shoulder

Essie Nail Lacquer in "Off The Shoulder" | £7.99

Today I wanted to show you my new favourite nail polish! This is Essie's "Off The Shoulder" and you may have seen it in my Spring & Summer Nail Polishes post. I have absolutely fallen in love with this polish and wear it almost every time I paint my nails (lilacs are my next favourite shade!).

"Off The Shoulder" is a gorgeous glossy hot pink shade which, despite being such a popular nail polish colour, stands out from the rest in my collection. I love how this looks on my nails and I feel that it really compliments my skin tone. Also, the formula of this polish is amazing! It's creamy and opaque with just 1 coat, but out of habit I usually apply 2 for a more even finish. The flat, rounded Essie brushes make it so you can paint right down to the cuticle without creating a mess, plus they cover the whole nail in just a couple of swipes! Basically, the most easiest polish to apply! I find Essie polishes to last very well on the nails. Without a top coat the polish slightly chips within a day, but not so much that it bothers me.

Overall this is such a pretty nail polish and one that will be perfect with the Spring and Summer time! I recently ordered this from Fragrance Direct for just £1.99, so do keep checking the site to see if they have it back in stock!

What is your favourite Essie polish?

 Bloglovin'  |  Twitter  |  Instagram  |  Facebook  |  YouTube

My exclusive advertiser of the month is Paris Alma. To find out how you can advertise with me, click HERE.

Spring & Summer Nail Polishes

As it's been a bit more sunny and "Spring" like in England for the past couple days, I decided to make a post on what nail polishes I will be wearing this Spring/ Summer! I'm a girl who loves bright nails and I really look forward to this time of the year where I can wear my colourful nail polishes. I have chosen 5 of my absolute favourites which I have loved wearing so far and probably will do so right through the Summer!

Barry M Gelly Hi-Shine Nail Paint in "Prickly Pear" (Review) LINK

Barry M is one of my favourite brands for nail polishes and this year they have released some amazing new finishes and effects! My first Spring/ Summer favourite is this gorgeous lilac shade in "Prickly Pear". This shade is so pretty and has a glossy finish which means you can have amazing looking nails without a top coat. Lilac has always been one of my favourite nail polish shades and I think it will look great all through Spring and Summer.

Barry M Gelly Hi-Shine Nail Paint in "Blueberry" (Review) LINK

Yes another Barry M Gelly polish, but I just find the colour range of these polishes right up my street! "Blueberry" is a bright, bold blue which looks stunning on the nails after 2 coats. I've really been into blue nail polish recently and "Blueberry" has to be one of my favourite shades! 

Nails inc. in "Royal Botanical Gardens"* (Review) LINK

I don't think I could ever get over how gorgeous this nail polish is! "Royal Botanical Gardens" is a bright cool mint shade and is part of the new "Trend Shades" by Nails inc. I think this shade will go perfectly with a tan and is one of the nail polishes I'm thinking about taking on holiday with me in July! This shade is so bright and colourful it just screams "Summer", I had to put it in my top 5!

Essie Nail Lacquer in "To Buy Or Not To Buy" (Swatch) LINK

I bought a set of 4 Essie polishes from TK Maxx last year and "To Buy Or Not To Buy" was the one that stood out to me this most. Again, this is a lilac/ lavender shade but is much lighter than "Prickly Pear" and has tiny blue shimmers running through it. Essie polishes have an amazing formula and their brushes make it so easy to apply, a big must have during the Summer when you want neatly painted nails. This is a really pretty pastel shade that is perfect for this time of the year!

Essie Nail Lacquer in "Off The Shoulder" LINK

 This is one of the newest polishes in my collection (read the haul HERE) and has jumped straight on to my "favourite nail polishes" list! "Off The Shoulder" is a hot pink shade which has something about it that makes it look amazing on my nails! It's bright but not too in your face and just looks really pretty and girly. Pink nail polish is such a staple shade to wear during the Summer and this polish is my new go to one this year!

So these are the polishes that I think will look perfect this Spring and Summer! Barry M, Nails inc and Essie have to be my favourite nail polish brands. The quality and colour range of each of the brands is amazing and I think they are well worth trying out!

What is your favourite nail polish for Spring and Summer?

 Bloglovin'  |  Twitter  |  Instagram  |  Facebook  |  YouTube

 

My exclusive advertiser of the month is Paris Alma. To find out how you can advertise with me, click HERE.

Review | Barry M Gelly Hi-Shine Nail Paints

Left to right: Blueberry, Grapefruit, Prickly Pear & Plum

Barry M Gelly Hi-Shine Nail Paints | £3.99

I have always been a huge fan of Barry M's nail paints and over the years, I have collected quite a few of them! The quality and range of their nail paints is amazing for how cheap they are. One of the latest collections to be released was the "Gelly Nail Effects" which are meant to look like gel nails. I fell in love with the colour selection and decided to pick up two in Blueberry and Prickly Pear. I was then lucky enough to win Chelsea's, from Through Chelsea's Eyes, giveaway where I received 2 new shades in Grapefruit and Plum (plus another Prickly Pear which I gave to my mum because she loves lilac nail polish!).

I'll be honest and say that when I first tried these nail paints, I was rather disappointed! I found that they applied really thin and streaky and just didn't live up to the standard nail paints! However, I later found out that you need to apply these nail paints much thicker than normal nail polish in order to have an opaque finish. Or, you could build up lots of thin layers for the same result, but I don't think I would have the time to do that. In the photo I am wearing 2 thick coats of each polish and as you can see the result is lovely! These polishes are really nice to apply and the finish is opaque and glossy without the need of a top coat! But, because you need to apply so much nail polish, the drying time is so long! They take forever to touch dry and even after then you have to be extra careful because it's so easy to smudge and ruin the polish. I also find that once they are dry, as there's so much polish on your nail, they're quite easy to peel off and chip so a thin layer of top coat is essential to keep them on your nails!

Despite these faults, I think these nail paints are lovely and absolutely perfect for Summer! The colour selection is amazing and there isn't a shade that I wouldn't buy. If you love the look of bright, glossy nails then these nail paints will be perfect for you. There is also a Summer collection of shades which include: Lychee, Dragon Fruit, Greenberry and Papaya, all of which look so pretty. Papaya and Dragon Fruit are definitely the next ones to buy on my list though, especially that Barry M nail paints are usually on offer!

Have you tried the Barry M Gelly Hi-Shine Nail Paints?

 Bloglovin'  |  Twitter  |  Instagram  |  Facebook  |  YouTube

Review | Mavala Nail Colours

Mavala Nail Colours in Metallic Grey* & Peacock Green* £5.55

Mavala is a Swiss nail polish brand that I had heard of a couple of times, but never got round to buying. Recently I was able to try 2 of the nail polishes from the Arabesque Collection, which features 4 metallic shades inspired by the Autumn/ Winter 2013 season. The shades you can collect are: Copper Gold, Shimmer Violet, Peacock Green and Metallic Grey (I have the last two). Metallic shades are also in for Spring 2013, so I was really excited to try these shades out!

Each polish comes in little glass bottles with golden handles that holds 5ml of product. This isn't much compared to other brands, in actual fact it's half the amount to a Barry M Nail Paint. However, I rarely find myself finishing a nail polish so I know this will still last me a long time.

The first shade is 192 Metallic Grey, which is a light grey/ light lilac with silver iridescent shimmer. You can't really see the shimmer on your nails once it's applied as it's very subtle, but it does look pretty in the bottle. The second shade is 191 Peacock Green which is a beautiful emerald colour with shimmer. Both of the polishes are very easy and smooth to apply. However I do find them to be a little streaky with just 1 coat, but applying 2 coats makes them look perfect. The brush is quite small and flat which means you can get right to the cuticle without flooding it and making a mess.
The finish of each polish is glossy and shiny so look great without a top coat. The drying time is also quite quick, which I was pleasantly surprised about. Once dry, your nails feel very smooth which was an added bonus!

In terms of how long they last without a top coat, both polishes started to chip after the first day. By the second day, my nails were looking a bit tatty so I think it's essential to wear a top coat with these polishes. I also found that with Peacock Green, one of my nail's polish peeled off quite easily. This could be because I applied it thicker than I did with Metallic Grey, but I did only do 2 coats which is what it needs! However, I don't think this will put me off wearing these polishes again! I really love the colour of Metallic Grey as it gives my nails a simple yet pretty finish. Peacock Green is also a really pretty colour and I love how shiny it is on the nails.

Overall I really like these nail polishes, the formula is nice to work with and the range of colours is great! The next shade I want to try is Blue Mint as I think it will be perfect for the Spring time!

Mavala Nail Colours are available on the lookfantastic.com website for £4.30 plus free delivery!

Have you tried Mavala Nail Colours before?

Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Blog Lovin' | YouTube 

Nails Of The Day | Floral

Floral Primark Nail Wraps £1

I've always loved the effect of nail foils/ wraps and Minx nails but I didn't want to spend around £10 on a set and not being sure if I would ruin them or if they would even last a day. I recently saw a review on the Primark nail wraps saying they were actually very good for £1, so I decided to pick up a floral set to try out. There are quite a few different styles you can pick from from tribal patterns to neon colours, but personally I think these ones are the prettiest!

These wraps are a black base with pink and yellow roses on which I think are very pretty for anytime of the year. You get 20 different sized strips per pack which means you can have them on your nails or toes!

They apply very easily. You select the wrap which most fits your nail and you can trim it so it fits perfectly. You then warm the strip up by rubbing it, peel it off and then apply it to your nail. Once you have smoothed it down, you file the edges to remove the excess strip. Very quick and simple! 

I don't think these will last very long on the nails, probably about a day as they may come off in the shower. But, I think these would be perfect for a special occasion where you'd only need them for that day.

I will definitely be picking these up again, they're a perfect way to have effortless and pretty nails!

Have you tried the Primark nail wraps?

Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Blog Lovin

Review | The Nail Doctor Nail Strengthening System

The Nail Doctor Rescue Me 10 Day Nail Strengthening System RRP £10.29

I have always suffered with really weak, peeling nails that hardly grow and when they did, would snap off instantly. I saw this on the Fragrance Direct website and for £1.95, thought it was worth trying out.

 This system is aimed at nails that are: thin, peeling and splitting, which are definitely what my nails are like. It promises within 10 days your nails will be healthier and stronger.

This system comes with two steps: Toughen Up extra strength base coat and Rock On nail hardener.

The base coat is there to nourish the nails and has "the perfect combination" of vitamins A, E and B5 as well as aloe, proteins, red algae and a calcium builder to make your nails thicker and stronger.

The nail hardener (or top coat) creates a durable, protective layer over the nails. It contains: nonychosine, amino acids, ceramium rubrum extract and calcium to help the nails maintain moisture, become harder and improve their growth. To be fair, I didn't know what some of these ingredients were actually for, but they sounded impressive on the bottle. 

These polishes can either be used with a coloured polish in between or on their own. I have mostly been using them on their own as I can't wear nail polish to college. However, when I do use them with a coloured polish they do act as a good base and top coat. My nails haven't been badly stained and the top coat does refrain from chipping. My one big issue with the polishes is how small they are! Per bottle you get 4.4ml of product and as you can seen within a month I have used half of each! I only use both polishes about twice a week and it seems like I've used up a lot of product. If I was paying the full £10.29 for this set I would be very annoyed.

As for the results, within 10 days my nails felt a little bit stronger. However the tips of the free edges were still very weak so broke and caught on things easily. I really didn't think there would be any improvement in just 10 days as my nails grow so slow, it would take ages for the damaged nail to grow out. I have now been using this system for about a month and I must say my nails are slowly but surely getting stronger. They actually have white tips instead of clear and they seem to grow quicker. However, they are still easy to break which meant I had some long nails and some really short. So I made the decision to cut my nails down short so that they could grow together and hopefully be stronger.

I do recommend trying this, but only if you're a patient person who will use this weekly. For me, it doesn't stand by the 10 days promise, but this may depend on the condition of your nails. 

You can buy this system from Cheap Smells for £3.49 HERE or Amazon for £6.51 HERE.

Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Blog Lovin

Haul | Fragrance Direct & TK Maxx

Vera Wang Princess Eau De Toilette Spray 100 ml & Vera Wang Princess Roller Ball 6ml £38.99

Essie Nail Polish in Orange, It's Obvious, Tour De Fiance, To Buy Or Not To Buy & Navigate Her £9.99 | YSL Manifesto Eau de Parfum Sample RRP £44 for 30ml, £60 for 50ml & £85 for 90ml

The Nail Doctor Rescue Me 10 Day Strengthening System £1.95 | Rimmel Lasting Finish Pro in 332 Baby Pink 99p| Revlon Super Lustrous Lip Balm in Pink Crystal £1

All 5 Nail Polishes Swatches With 2 Coats

Hello, I'm back with another of my hauls! 

A week ago, I made my very first order with Fragrance Direct as I have heard you can grab some really good beauty bargains. The delivery is cheap, but not the quickest (I chose 2nd class for just £1.99) however I am a patient person, so I wasn't too fussed. This is definitely a great site to shop on and I will be doing so very soon, especially for Christmas presents!

The first thing I put in my 'basket' was the Vera Wang Princess perfume. I have been dying to try this for so long but could never justify spending £60 or so on a perfume. When I saw it on Fragrance Direct for £38.99 for the 100ml, 6ml roller ball and a free sample of the YSL Manifesto perfume, I jumped at the chance! It's a lovely girly, fruity and floral scent which would have been perfect for Summer. There is also another 100ml Vera Wang Princess perfume on this site which retails at £50.99 which doesn't include the roller ball or the free sample! So make sure you click on this LINK like I did to save and get more for your money!

Next I clicked on The Nail Doctor Rescue Me 10 Day Strengthening System. I have never heard of this brand before or seen any reviews on it, but it was only £1.95 so thought I'd pick it up. I have very weak nails and always split and peel, so if this works out, I'll be very happy! This is a 2 step system that includes a base and top coat which have vitamins and proteins to help strengthen your nails. I will do a review on this product once I have tried it out, so there will be more details in that post.

The final thing from Fragrance Direct was the Rimmel Lasting Finish Pro Nail Polish in 332 Baby Pink for just 99p. As you can see from the pictures, I wouldn't class this as a baby pink, just a normal to Barbie kind of pink. However, I did read a review of this before I bought it and actually like the colour despite the name. It applies really well, but probably needs 3 coats to be fully opaque.

At the weekend, I popped into my local TK Maxx to see if I could find any bargains. I ended up buying a box of 4 Essie Nail Polishes for £9.99 in the colours: Orange, It's Obvious (an orange - obviously), Tour De Fiance (a hot pink with blue/ purple shimmer), To Buy Or Not To Buy (a lilac with blue shimmer) and Navigate Her (a pale green). I love all of the colours, even the green which I wasn't so keen on. They apply really well and I can see why people have so many of them! I also saw that all these polishes are on Fragrance Direct as well for £1.99 each, but I don't feel ripped off as buying all 4 including the P&P, it comes to £9.95.

And finally, what is a haul without something from Poundland? I found this Revlon Super Lustrous Lip Balm in Pink Crystal which is a hot pink colour with bits of shimmer in. I'm slightly disappointed with this as the colour pay off is non-existent and I find it's quite sticky on the lips. However, I like the watermelon smell and the fact it has SPF 15. It also comes with a little brush, which is slightly pointless as I didn't realise it was there until I was editing these photos haha!

Hoped you enjoyed this haul! Please recommend any more Essie nail polish colours as I really want to get some more!

Amie ♥

Follow on Twitter | Instagram 

Nails Of The Day | Once Upon A Time

Left to right - Revlon 910 Barely Peach | Revlon 762 Plum Attraction | Barry M 210 Once Upon A Time

Today I have a autumn/ fall type nail look that I think would be great for Bonfire night! The little strands of purple and silver look like mini fireworks and add texture to your nail.

I have a layer of Barely Peach by Revlon as my base coat and then 2 layers of Revlon's Plum Attraction. This is a lovely plummy purple colour with blue and pink shimmer running through it. It has a very glossy finish so I didn't bother with a top coat today! 

I then applied 2 layers of Once Upon A Time by Barry M to my ring fingers. Chunky glitter polishes can be hard to work with because you can get a lot of the clear nail polish, but not a lot of the glitter. My advice is to apply a normal coat of the glitter polish and then take some of the glitters that are sitting inside neck of the bottle. These won't have much nail polish on them, so you can stick them to your wet nail allowing you to easily have more glitters on your nail. If you kept layering up the nail polish, it would get too thick and either smudge easily or peel off a couple hours later.

Hope you like this nail look!

Amie ♥

Follow on Twitter | Instagram