She Paints Her Nails...

SensatioNail in Kitten Heel

2013-10-18T21:10:00.001+01:00

So...something new for the blog. I decided to try gel nail polish at home. At the moment, I'm painting my nails almost daily, and I wanted to see if I could maybe try gel and do it just once a week or so. Plus, the idea of nails that chip less easily is appealing. I looked around for a while, and came across SensatioNail. I spent my birthday money on the Super Deluxe starter kit, and it arrived today (two days later!)

The process was much easier than I had hoped. You need only to lightly buff the nails, clean each nail with the gel cleanser (which I guess is rubbing alcohol) apply a layer of primer (I just applied this around the edges of my nail as I hear it makes for easier removal) apply a basecoat and cure for thirty seconds, then apply two thin layers of colour, curing for sixty seconds after each. The whole lot is finished with the topcoat, which is then cured for thirty seconds. The weirdest part is removing the moisture layer that makes the nail feel sticky - basically, you rub your fresh manicure with alcohol and feel like it's going to smear all over the place. It doesn't, of course...weirdest sensation. The feeling of having newly done nails but no fear of smearing, denting or otherwise ruining them is really quite nice. The whole process took me about 45 minutes.

My first SensatioNail set up!

SensatioNail in Kitten Heel

As you can see, I went for a lovely pink for my first attempt. Kitten Heel seemed almost perfect in two coats. My left ring finger shows a tiny bit of visible nail line, but this is likely due to an inconsistent thickness in the layer of polish. I was worried that painting with gel polish would be somehow different, but it was more or less the same as standard polish. The gel goes on smoothly and the brush was the perfect size for me - not one of those wide monstrosities I can't stand! I also managed to get a fairly decent cuticle line, and I suppose that this can only improve as I get used to the process. When I was researching gel polish, one of my main concerns was removal, so I intend to do a removal post when I take it off.

Overall, I'm pretty happy with my first attempt, and I can't wait to try more of the colours!

Thank you for reading!

*all products purchased by me! I have no affiliation with SensatioNail or Nailene.

Superdrug 2true Colour Quick Shade 19

2013-09-18T15:56:00.000+01:00

Today I have to show you a new polish. It's a beauty...

This is 2true Colour Quick in Shade 19. Now, I've got to admit, when I saw the 'New Flat Brush' on the bottle, my heart sank a little. I hate those huge, wide flat brushes that are supposed to easily cover the nail in one sweep. I don't WANT to cover my nail in one brush stroke, it's messy. Besides, I have really small nails. But thankfully, this brush isn't one of those...it's really nice, just a little flatter to make the cuticle easy to get close to. Top marks.

The formula is also pretty spot on. For such budget polish, it's lovely and smooth, and this was perfect in two coats (over Models Own base coat, and under Seche Vite topcoat) It dries suprisingly fast. Overall, I'm really impressed. Obviously, the best bit is the colour. This is a beautiful pink, and I have a lot of pink polish. It's bright enough to stop it being old fashioned, and very eye catching. I'm a fan.

My only slight grumble, is the tall thin bottle. It teeters alarmingly if you're not careful when wiping the excess off on the neck of the bottle. If I wasn't being careful I would have knocked it over for sure. I prefer standard, slightly more stable bottles. But, only a small gripe, I shouldn't be so clumsy.

Available exclusively at Superdrug stores or HERE priced at a splendiferous £1.99. I'll be getting more shades.

*press sample

Long overdue catch up AKA Mega Blog Entry

2013-08-16T16:05:00.000+01:00

Well hello. As my own version of a Constant Reader, the lovely Emma, pointed out, I haven't blogged since May. May! I hang my head in shame. Honestly though, I wasn't feeling like it, and I said all along (to myself, obviously, no one else cares) that if I didn't feel like blogging, I wouldn't. I go to work enough, I don't want blogging to turn into a chore.

Anyway, despite the fact that I've been quiet for so long, I have still been doing what I do best - my nails, and so I've got quite a few manis to share. Here's a selection of my favourite from the time that I've been gone...

[Above] The gorgeous Nails Inc Copacabana. This one saw me through large part of our holiday in Turkey, it's a bright and beautiful coral.

[Above] Barry M Gelly Shine in Greenberry, with Models Own Indian Ocean on top! Proving once again that Barry M make beautiful nail polish for bargainous prices. [Above] Nails Inc Basil Street. I wore this uncharacteristically plain colour for a fancy dress party. I was dressed as Clark Kent, and he doesn't usually wear nail polish.

[Above] Color Club in Pardon My French. This is BRIGHT. Retina searingly bright, though that clearly doesn't translate to the picture. I love it. Perfect formula, gorgeous colour. [Above] Exposed in Grey with China Glaze Fairy Dust on top. Who doesn't love a good holo? Fairy Dust is one of the finest, most holo of all. It's lovely.

[Above] Rimmel London Cocktail Colours in Baby Bellini. This is so pretty. The only downside is the one coat claim. Not true. This is three coats - one coat is very, very thin. I want this whole collection though, the colours are gorgeous.

[Above] And finally, of course, a bit of leopard print Konad stamping. Barry M Pink Flamingo with black Konad polish and plate m57. I think that should just about do it! It's good to be back.

Nails Inc Knightsbridge Green

2013-05-13T19:55:00.003+01:00

Here's another of my Lucky Dip polishes:

This is Nails Inc Knightsbridge Green, and it's lovely. However, and I want you to know this so much that I'm going to shout it. USE A BASECOAT. Use two. Seriously. I double basecoat my nails and they were unbelievably stained when I removed this polish. I looked like an extra from The Walking Dead. It is the stainiest polish I've ever used (yeah it's a word) My basecoat was Nails Inc Kensington Caviar, and topcoat was Seche Vite.

Beautiful colour though, it got a lot of compliments.

What do you think? Is it worth the zombie nails afterwards?

Nails Inc Draycott Place

2013-05-01T20:05:00.001+01:00

This is the first of my Lucky Dip polishes, Draycott Place, and what a beauty. It's eye-searingly bright in the sun (woo, sun!) but this is the best picture I managed to get today. It's the kind of colour I want to wear on the beach, with a tan!

It looks much more dull here...Also, the bottle is covering the spot where I cut the palm of my hand with a breadknife (I'm an idiot) It stings when I wash my hair, haha.

This is two coats, with Seche Vite topcoat. What do you think?

Nails Inc Lucky Dip!!

2013-04-29T19:53:00.001+01:00

Okay. This is the best Nails Inc Lucky Dip ever. EVER.

The Lucky Dip is an incredible 7 full size polishes for £18. I always try and get one if I can (they sell very fast, as you might imagine) and in the past I've had a few dodgy colours/spiky brushes. I received this one this morning though, and it is brilliant!

I got (L-R):

Cherry Road - from the Sprinkles collection
Notting Hill Carnival
Westbourne Grove
Draycott Place
Knightsbridge Green
Southwark
Grosvenor Street

I think I'm in love with them all. I actually don't know which one to try first! What do you think?

Are you tempted to try and get a Nails Inc Lucky Dip?

Illamasqua Eurydice, Soap and Glory

2013-04-09T18:37:00.002+01:00

I did a little bit of shopping yesterday, and couldn't help but notice there was a pink theme going, so I thought I'd show you...It's a change from the usual nail post, so feel free to skip by if you prefer just nails!

L-R: Soap and Glory Scrub Gloves, Clean, Girls, Illamasqua Eurydice lipstick, S&G Butter Yourself

Boots have an excellent offer on at the moment, if you spend £10 you get the body butter for free, and since I was buying body wash and new gloves anyway, this was a bonus!

Soap & Glory 'Clean, Girls' body wash is my favourite. I used it when I was on my honeymoon, so the smell always reminds me of that. I love the fact that it comes in a pump bottle, and that you can remove the top to get every bit out, then reuse the bottle! It also helps to keep my skin soft. It's one that I stock up on time and time again.

The Scrub Gloves are just amazing. It's possible to get cheaper exfoliating gloves, but the Soap & Glory ones are the best in my opinion, they leave skin so smooth. The first time I got these was as a birthday present from my husband, and this is my third pair. They last a long time, but I eventually like to get a fresh pair as they soften up too much to be very scrubby.

I had never tried the body butter, but used it after my shower this morning and I'm impressed. It's a lovely consistency, buttery and rich but not greasy and it soaks in straight away. There's nothing worse than heavy body butter that just sits there. With this I was able to put my jeans on after a minute or two, and my skin feels lovely. I'm very prone to extremely dry skin, especially my legs, in the winter, and this made a noticeable difference after one use. Also, the smell is incredible, so fruity!

Finally...Illamasqua Eurydice! Isn't it beautiful?

I've been tempted by this for quite some time, but since I am nervous about wearing bright lipstick, I never took the plunge. Then, the Illamasqua website had an Easter Egg hunt, and Eurydice was half price, at £8! Added to the fact that I had £4 sitting in my PayPal account and it had to be done. So, now I own it...let's see if I can get up the courage to wear it! I'll post a picture if I do...

Do you have any tips for successfully wearing bright lipstick? Please leave me a comment if you do!

Models Own Indian Ocean, Barry M Berry Ice Cream, Avon Nailwear Pro in Midnight

2013-04-02T13:35:00.002+01:00

Two different manis to show today! Totally different ones at that...

The first is Barry M Berry Ice Cream with Models Own Indian Ocean on top - Indian Ocean looks good on everything.

As always, it's hard to capture properly, but in the light it's absolutely lovely, and shimmers between pink and blue.

Next up is a beautiful polish that was given to me by my lovely friend Emma. Emma is my own Constant Reader, to borrow from my favourite author of all time, Stephen King (not that I would dream of comparing myself to him, the man is incredible, I just like the term. Ramble ramble.)

It's from Avon, and is part of the Nailwear Pro collection. The shade is 'Midnight'. It's a very dark, very vampy purple, and it goes on really smoothly. I was also surprised that it doesn't smell as bad as most polishes (not that it bothers me, nail polish smells like home, haha) and also that it dries very quickly. Thank you Emma!!

Avon claim it is "Nail enamel fortified with acrylic gel for strength" and I agree that it certainly has the shine of gel.

Two coats, Nails Inc Kensington Caviar base, Nubar Diamont topcoat

Awful picture, as usual, but hopefully you get the idea. It looks a tiny bit patchy here, but not in real life. I would like to try more Avon polishes if they are all as nice as this.

Edited to add: I just noticed that these are on sale at £2.50 on the Avon website HERE. Bargain! I might have to invest in a few shades...

Thank you for reading!

Nails Inc Brook Street

2013-03-19T19:47:00.001+00:00

A nice bright pink tonight. I've become such a fan of pink, my 17 year old self would be cringing. I actually used to use black nail polish...

This is a rare daylight shot. I actually think the colour is much brighter and pinker in real life though. This is three coats, with Nails Inc Kensington Caviar basecoat and Nubar Diamont topcoat.

What do you think? Do you have a favourite shade of pink?

Leighton Denny Rampant Rose

2013-03-14T19:45:00.000+00:00

This is another one of the colours from the Leighton Denny Little Black Dress pack.

I quite like it. To be honest, it's just a standard red. I love reds, probably more than any other colour, but since I have so many, it does take something special to really stand out. This one is perfectly pleasant though. The formula is a bit patchy, but two coats was fine. Topcoat is Nubar Diamont, basecoat is Nails Inc Kensington Caviar.

What's your favourite colour group?

Nails Inc Westminster

2013-03-12T19:40:00.002+00:00

I haven't done anything more than just paint my nails in ages. Lazy, I know. So the other day I decided to try and do something a bit more interesting. Here's what I came up with:

Eh, I don't know. I suppose it's okay, I just blended lots of shades of purple with a piece of cosmetic sponge. They look a bit smoky I think. Base colour is Nails Inc Westminster and topcoat is Nubar Diamont. I also used a couple of Barry M purples.

What do you think? Do you like blendy, smoky, cloudy weird nails?

Leighton Denny Jailbird

2013-03-01T21:18:00.000+00:00

Tonight, I used another Leighton Denny colour. I was thinking that it looked nice, that I quite fancied wearing green, so yep, started applying it...

It is beautiful. Italics and everything. I really, really like this colour. In the bottle it looks average, on the nail it's amazing. It's so pigmented that you could probably use just one coat (I used two, habit...)and it goes on extremely smoothly. This is the way that all polishes should be!

This is a mini bottle, by the way, my hands aren't ginormous

This is two coats of Jailbird, over Nails Inc Kensington Caviar basecoat, and Nubar Diamont topcoat. Lovely, right?! I really want to try more Leighton Denny polishes now, they're next on my list!

Thanks for reading!

Leighton Denny Razzmatazz

2013-02-24T19:38:00.001+00:00

I went to TK Maxx the other day and just look what they had in!!

It was £7.99, I couldn't leave without it. I love TK Maxx for nail bargains, they had loads of OPI and Nails Inc too. I get drawn in every time...

So, anyway, tonight I tried the purple, Razzmatazz.

I layered it over my all time favourite purple, Exposed Mystic, as it's quite thin and I hate to waste it. This is two coats of Mystic and two of Razzmatazz. The colour is beautiful, with flecks of purple, red and black. It dried to a disappointingly matte finish but that's nothing that Nubar Diamont topcoat (my new love) couldn't fix. Basecoat was Nails Inc Kensington Caviar.

Which colour would you like to see swatched next? I love them all!

Thanks for reading!

Kinetics Nail Colors in So Coral

2013-02-11T20:33:00.001+00:00

Tonight I have a lovely pink mani to show you. There was a time where I didn't like pink polish, but there are just so many gorgeous shades out there that I can't resist.

This is Kinetics Nail Colors in So Coral:

Kinetics So Coral

Kinetics So Coral and Catwalk (review soon!)

Awful 'with flash' picture that shows off the lovely pink!

Now, I wouldn't necessarily say this was coral enough in colour to warrant the name, but it's a lovely pink. The kind that seems to go really well with all the navy blue and grey clothes that I wear. It goes on very smoothly, although I had to be careful to keep the coats nice and thin, and it was perfect in two coats. It's not the best in terms of self-levelling, but I have used polishes way more expensive that were much worse, and this is nothing that a good top coat doesn't help. In terms of formula, if you're familiar with Barry M Pink Flamingo, then this is similar (though this polish is perfect in two coats whereas Pink Flamingo takes three to four) The polish is also beautifully shiny before topcoat, which is really nice to see.

One of the best things about this polish was the brush, it's nice and thin - if you've read my blog before you'll probably have heard me whinging about those annoying 'one stroke' brushes. I have very small, narrow nail beds, and I loved the thin brush on this polish - it allows me to do three strokes of the brush without smearing polish everywhere. I definitely want to try more Kinetics colours.

Topcoat today was my brand new Nubar Diamont, which I love, and basecoat was Nails Inc Kensington Caviar.

Kinetics are at www.margaritabelska.com priced at £3.37 for 15ml (ex.vat) and I noticed that they've got a 'buy two get one free' offer on, which is useful, as there are almost too many colours to choose from.

Margarita Belska Nail School have kindly offered a 5% discount for all my readers - just enter code SAVE5VDBL at the checkout to save.

What do you think?

*press sample

Rimmel London 60 Seconds in Pompous

2013-02-02T18:55:00.001+00:00

This is another of the polishes that I got given at Christmas!

It's actually surprisingly lovely. I say 'surprisingly' because the 60 Seconds polishes are often a bit thin for me, and I'm not keen on the big flat brush that they advertise as a good thing, haha. It's a very shiny, deep colour, and this was good in two coats. I like it.

Ooh, also, I finally decided to try a different topcoat. I've had enough of Seche Vite...it starts off so great, but about a week later it's so thick and gloopy. Not to mention the horrendous shrinkage it causes on most polishes. Anyway, I tweeted Kelly from Vampy Varnish (one of my favourite blogs ever!) and she kindly tweeted back and said her favourite is Nubar Diamont Seal and Shine. So I ordered some from BeautyBay.com, and I'll let you know how I get on!

What's your favourite topcoat?

More Max Factor Fantasy Fire!

2013-01-27T20:21:00.003+00:00

I couldn't resist - after the other day I fell in love with Max Factor Fantasy Fire all over again. It's still very much a layering/topcoat type of polish of course, but it's just so beautiful. I know it's old news, but I don't care...

This is over two coats of Barry M Indigo, which is pretty much perfect to show it off. Basecoat and topcoat are Nails Inc - Kensington Caviar and Albert Bridge.

What do you think? Are you still captivated by Fantasy Fire?

Max Factor Fantasy Fire over Barry M Navy

2013-01-20T19:11:00.002+00:00

Bit of the lovely Fantasy Fire tonight...I forget how awesome it is every time!

The Barry M Navy is a firm favourite too, it's just so shiny! I sponged Fantasy Fire just on the tips, and it looks great when it catches the light.

This is two coats of Barry M Navy, two sponged layers of Fantasy Fire, and Seche Vite topcoat (which I have had enough of...the shrinkage is getting to me) Basecoat today was Nails Inc.

Are you a fan of Max Factor Fantasy Fire?

Thanks for reading!

Alice + Eliza for Marks and Spencer

2013-01-15T19:30:00.000+00:00

This was another polish that I received for Christmas. I'm working through all the new loveliness...

Also pictured is the snuggly blanket my mum bought me :)

It's an unnamed polish. Now...this is a lovely colour, but I really had to work for it, haha. Horribly streaky formula, spiky brush, you name it. But, still, lovely colour! I used Essie basecoat, and a generous coat of Seche Vite topcoat. So, Marks and Spencer/Alice + Eliza, please work on your brushes and polish formula, because the colours are great, and the packaging is really sweet.

What do you think? Will you put up with spiky brushes for a good colour, or just choose something else?

Real Techniques by Samantha Chapman Makeup Brushes

2013-01-13T20:34:00.002+00:00

I just a Christmas voucher to buy the Real Techniques Core Collection by Samantha Chapman makeup brushes. I'm so pleased with them that I thought I'd have to share a picture of them here, and let you know what I thought.

I have immediately started using them all on a daily basis. They are so good that I went out and bought some MAC brush cleanser so that I could use them again and again, rather than doing my usual of letting them get dirty and not using them again because I'm so lazy. Of the brushes above, the far right is my favourite. I've been using it to blend my blusher, which it does seamlessly.

I also purchased the Expert Face Brush a few weeks ago and I love that one so much that I have bought a second one already. I use it for my foundation (Estee Lauder Double Wear), but I think it would also be perfect for cream blusher. I'm not great with makeup application, and that's probably why I like these brushes so much - they do all the work. This brush blends flawlessly without soaking up loads of product. It's also so well made that it doesn't shed that I can see, and dries perfectly back in shape.

The core collection can be found HERE. I'd highly recommend any of them, and I'll definitely be getting the rest of the collection as soon as I can!

Thanks for reading, we will shortly return to our usual nail polish based schedule ;)

*This is NOT a sponsored post, I just really like these brushes!

Barry M Gelly Hi-Shine in Blackberry

2013-01-13T20:02:00.000+00:00

I got this polish for Christmas from a lovely friend, and I'm really impressed with it! It's a Barry M Gelly Hi-Shine polish - supposedly they're very shiny without topcoat. It's true, they are very shiny, but I can't do without topcoat...

Please excuse my glittery cuticles! I'm dangerously low on nail polish remover. Anyway, this is two coats of the Barry M polish, over Essie basecoat, with Seche Vite topcoat.

I've begun to tire of my Seche Vite thickening so ridiculously, though. I have got Seche Restore, but it's just not the same. What do you all recommend for a high shine, quick dry topcoat that doesn't go all gungy in the bottle?

Thanks for reading!

Nails Inc Buckingham Street over Exposed Grey

2013-01-06T19:30:00.000+00:00

I did a bit of a reverse glitter mani tonight. Normally I paint the tips of my nails, this time I went from the cuticle...

I really like the effect. It's not perfect but it looks nice in real life, stands out a lot more that in the photos. This Nails Inc glitter is really a gorgeous colour but I think it needs to be layered, it's suspended in a clear base so you wouldn't get far with it on it's own.

What I used:

Essie Trillionails basecoat (still going strong, LOVE this stuff, it makes my nails so strong)
Exposed - an unnamed polish in grey (2 coats)
Nails Inc Buckingham Street glitter (sponged on)
Seche Vite top coat

What do you think? Do you prefer cuticle glitter, or just on the tips of the nail?

Thanks for reading!

Nails Inc Aspen with Ciate Enchanted Rose

2013-01-05T19:30:00.000+00:00

Another bright mani to show you tonight. I've gone back to brighter colours for some reason...

This is Nails Inc Aspen with an accent nail (ring finger) of Ciate Enchanted Rose, which was a limited edition colour for the Mini Mani Month calendar. I love Aspen, and it looks even nicer with a sparkly nail!

Nails Inc and Ciate are available at QVC HERE.

Two coats of Aspen, and two of Enchanted Rose, under Seche Vite topcoat. My basecoat at the moment is still Essie Trillionails, because I love it.

Do you like red polish?

Nails Inc Beaumont Street

2013-01-03T19:30:00.000+00:00

On the back of telling you that I've been wearing lots of dark, wintery polish, I decided I needed a bit of sunshine in my life...here's one of my favourite Nails Inc polishes, Beaumont Street:

This must be one of the easiest polishes in the world to paint with - it's smooth, even and lovely - and what a colour. I used to be the sort of person that didn't like pink polish, but I've changed. Oh how I've changed...This is two coats with Seche Vite topcoat. This would probably be okay with just one coat, but as I've said before, it's a habit.

Nails Inc is available HERE at QVC. I've got my eye on the Sprinkles collection, amongst others!

What do you think?

Ciate Mini Mani Month in Power Dressing 063

2013-01-01T17:30:00.000+00:00

Happy New Year everyone! As always, I prefer to spend my New Year's Eve at home with my husband (I'm the most boring person...) What did you do?

Today's blog is to show you Ciate's Power Dressing 063. I really like this one. It's a very dark, inky blue. At first I was worried that it would just look black but it's lovely in the light. This is two coats with Seche Vite topcoat.

I've been using a lot of dark polishes recently. I guess it's because it's winter, they just suit.

Do you prefer bright summery polish, or dark, vampy winter polish?

Ciate Mini Mani Month in Twilight 072

2012-12-30T20:23:00.001+00:00

Tonight I've got yet another Ciate Mini Mani Month polish to show you. This is Twilight 072. It's a dark creme full of gold sparkles. I'm ignoring the obvious vampire based comparisons, because that's just not my thing, but I wonder if that was what Ciate were thinking of. Either way, very nice polish. This is two coats. It's not too bad to paint with, but as with all dark polish, you need to be really careful.

Ooh, free Kindle shot. I didn't notice that.

What do you think of Twilight?