Matte & Metal

NOTD: Cyan Blue and Blueberry Ice Cream

2012-06-21T03:57:00.002-07:00

So, today and yesterday I wore my two favourite Barry M Shades, Cyan Blue and Blueberry Ice Cream.

You may have already read me raving about it in the first NOTD post, but BIC is probably my favourite colour by Barry M, it has a rich and easy to apply texture, going opaque in just one coat. I used this on my ring finger nail to act as an accent. It works so well with CB because the shades are very similar, meaning they fit together really well.

Cyan Blue was one I'd only used once before, but have friends who wear it a lot and really enjoy it so figured I'd try it. It's a very thick and opaque polish, much like BIC which makes for easy application and a very good finish, which is always a bonus when you're in a hurry like I was yesterday!

I'm not too sure if you can see, but on the accent nail I also swept a thin coat of Nubar's 2010. I love duochrome flakies, although this was my first time applying one to such a light colour, it didn't go so well so in the future I'll stick to applying to a darker, richer colour to get the full effect! And because my bottle's running really low!

Once again, this was finished off with my Sally Hansen topcoat, MegaShine, it's lasted really well, especially with all the guitar I've been playing!

Nails of the day: Teal and Silver Cascade

2012-06-19T05:34:00.002-07:00

Barry M Teal and Silver Cascade

Nails of the day: Barry M 216 Silver Cascade and 334 Teal.

Before applying any polish, or once a week if I'm not wearing some, I use my Boots 4-Way Nail Buffer to shape, remove any ridges and buff. This Boots one has been the best so far, I find file shape ones far too flimsy and the coating has always broken away for me. This is super sturdy compared to my older ones and creates a good, uniform finish.

I've had Silver Cascade for a while, but never really got round to using it. It's a very pink based glitter, with the bottle separating out into pink and silver after a while, giving it a very 3D look, which is impressive for a cheap polish. The silver glitter is interspersed with green, blue and red flakes as well which help build up a deep look to my accent nail. It takes a few applications to build up a good opaque layer, I'd say about 3/4, but the effect is worth it, and a little goes a long way.

The Teal colour is very similar to other metallic shades I've had previously, notably one by Miss Sporty I picked up a while back., however the application of this Barry M shade is far easier. To get this rich colour, I only needed two coats which is impressive, especially when the texture is quite thin. Barry M can be a little hit and miss with the texture and thickness of their polishes, for example, Blue Moon needs a good 3/4 layers to get some depth and good opaque coverage on there, whereas Blueberry Ice Cream only takes one coat!

As per usual, I finished off these with my Sally Hansen Mega Shine 'Extended Wear Top Coat which is amazing and the bottle is fantastic, too. It has a really nice long brush which means it fans and extends across the whole nail, giving even coverage without needing to reapply or risk an uneven finish.

What's on your nails today? What colours do you want to see me do next week? Let me know below!

An Introduction

2012-06-19T04:51:00.002-07:00

So, this is my first post on my new beauty, fashion, DIY and hair blog, Matte & Metal.

I'm sure we all have a few questions butting about here, so I figured I'd address a few first!

Who am I? I am Emily. I'm a 19 year old gap-year student, counting down the last 4 months until I travel to Essex University to study BSc in Genetics! I'm 5'2, and a UK 14. I am missing over half my hair due to alopecia and trichitillomania, but that won't stop me.

What's this blog about? Everything in my life to do with make-up, beauty, skincare, fashion, DIY and hair! I'll be posting hauls, reviews, swatches, designs, my mashed-together DIY clothing attempts, what I'm wearing today and whatever else I can!

Why 'Matte and Metal?'
I run a few other blogs, and asked on the one with a fair few followers if they could come up with a decent name with metal at the end, and this came about! Also, M&M was my nickname in school for the most part.

Describe your style: My style's a little all over the place. I wear a lot of black, shirts, leather jackets and Doc Marten's. I take a lot of my influence from 90's grunge inspired high fashion, although I have to do it on a tight budget! My mum once described my style as 'Fashionably Metal', so I guess we can go with that!

I'm pretty sure that's all for now, if you have any questions,come ask me on Tumblr!