St Patrick's Day skittles

Hello and happy St Patrick's Day to you if you celebrate!

I was originally going to wear a plain green manicure but got caught up in the excitement this time.  This mani is really rough and ready and it's all too easy for me to point out the faults - you already know by now I'm no nail artist - but it doesn't stop me for having an occasional bit of creative fun!  I've thrown everything at this one: cream, shimmer, glitter and crackle with a predictably eclectic result.  Now onto the madness.  You know, if you squint it doesn't look all that bad, lol...

What I played with used...

Left to Right:

Sally Hansen Crackle Overcoat (11 Sage Smash) - I applied this to top my pinky and index nails.  I was a little underwhelmed by this sheer sparkly crackle.

Ulta3 (Luck of the Irish) - With a name like that I just HAD to wear this glitter and it looked great over the matching green underwear on my ring finger.  I'd love this combination worn as a full manicure!

Nicole by OPI (Fell From the Tree) - I wore this forest green shimmer on my ring and pinky - and yes, applied this shakily with a toothpick to create a wonky shamrock on my middle fingernail.  

Revlon (Super Nature) - This is the perfect grass green cream - and I think it also picks up on the green of the Irish flag too!

Until next time...

Pretty purples: Inglot & MAC

Purple eyes and lips are popping up all over the place again, on fashion runways, magazines - well everywhere really!  Personally I'm pleased purple is having a 'moment' because it's never out of style as far as I'm concerned.  I've read - and I agree - that purple is one of the universally flattering eye makeup colours and I think there's a variation of this shade for everyone.  I'll often wear a cool neutral daytime eye and that frequently includes a purple crease shade because of the contrast with my green eyes.  It gives me a hint of colour without ever feeling overdone.

I've put this post together to share a soft purple makeup look I've been wearing lately...

 

Inglot Freedom Palette quad (shades clockwise from top: Pearl 440, Pearl 441, D.S 459, Pearl 439) This is my first Inglot palette and I love the idea behind these custom selected Freedom palettes! I selected these variations on the purple colour scale for my quad because they cover a variety of looks from daytime shimmer through to nighttime smoky.  Lately I've been wearing 440 over the lid to brighten my eyes with 441 as the crease shade for a pretty and daytime appropriate lilac eye look.  It's been my weekend go-to combination anchored with...

MAC Powerpoint (Bordeauxline) 

 I've lost count of the number of times I've posted this eyeliner pencil because I literally use it every other day!  Bordeauxline is the perfect plum shade which makes my eyes pop but is neutral enough for everyday wear.  I usually just wear it on the outer upper lash line (if I want to smoke it up a bit I'll smudge a little of the darkly sparkly D.S 459 Inglot shade over the top).

Diorshow Mascara (Black) 

A quick coat of this defines my lashes during the day.

MAC Amplified lipstick (Up The Amp)

  This creamy, opaque mid-toned purple lipstick looks a little intimidating when swatched on the arm but looks surprisingly flattering on the lips.  It sits beautifully on the border of bright but wearable and I feel quite comfortable wearing it to compliment purple eye makeup or contrast a warmer brown eye - trust me, it works!

Face of Australia blush (Nutmeg)

  I'll apply this warm toned peach blush for a pop of colour without looking too dolly!

The swatches left to right:

 Bordeauxline, Nutmeg, 440, 441, Up The Amp

To see how I wore it click on my Instagram link here.

Are you a fan of purple too?

Layered NOTD: OPI You Only Live Twice + Goldeneye

Now for something that really screams Autumn and falling leaves!

I'd seen OPI's Goldeneye layered over the other Skyfall colours so I thought I'd give it a go too.  I had a bit of an issue controlling the application for a suitably sheer and even coverage over You Only Live Twice so I had to apply an extra coat just down the middle of the nail to get a better effect.  While it has transformed the raspberry polish into a warm antique finish I don't know what I think of this mani - ultimately it didn't turn out the way I'd planned.  I'll let you be the judge as to whether you like it or not!

Sun

Shade

What do you think?

OPI: You Only Live Twice

I still have a few unworn shades from OPI's Skyfall collection and I finally had the opportunity to wear this glass-flecked beauty not so long ago.

You Only Live Twice does live up to its name as it has a multi-faceted appeal about it with its flashes of pink glass fleck lifting the magenta base.  I think this is a very pretty but still sophisticated jewel-like shade and will be perfect to wear when the Autumn weather (and wardrobe) finally takes hold.  In terms of application I got great coverage in two coats and added top coat for extra shine. I know I'm a little late to the party with my swatches but better late than never, right?

Sun

Shade

 

 What are your picks from the Skyfall collection?

Until next time.

Mavala: Blue Curacao

We're in the midst of an Indian Summer down here so I'm still embracing summery choices for my nails - like watery blues!

Blue Curacao is from Swiss brand Mavala's Art Colour Summer Collection released in 2011 and is a totally, smack-on summer appropriate, beachy aqua blue.  It's slightly reminiscent of my favourite aqua For Audrey from China Glaze but is a shade darker with a hint more green. The coverage was superior with this polish, and it was almost a one coater.  I don't have much more to say about this really so I'll move straight onto the pictures...

Shade

Sun

Until next time!

February's farewelled products (2013 edition)

It's a little late coming but these are the products I said goodbye to last month. Without further ado...

Skin care

8) Olay Regenerist Thermal Skin Polisher (125ml) - Once I realized this wasn't a daily cleanser (I suffered from a sensitive skin episode from OVER exfoliating!) and used it a few times a week I found this was really effective in smoothing my skin.  The polish feels warm on the skin once it's activated with water and the micro-crystal granules do the physical exfoliation.  Good stuff - as long as you don't use it every day!

9) Natio Lift Skin Firming Serum (50ml/1.6 fl.oz) - I generally love Natio's products so I'm a little sad that I was underwhelmed by this serum.  It was a rather watery formula which would literally run off my skin if I wasn't quick enough to rub it in.  I can't say I noticed it did anything magical for my skin either other than add a little extra moisture.  I'm glad I picked this up at last year's warehouse sale and didn't pay full price.

10) Natio Facial Cleansing Gel (100g/3.52oz) - OK, I didn't love the serum but I did love this gentle cleanser.  It's a very refreshing green tea and cucumber gel that smelt fresh, gently cleansed the skin and rinsed off in an instant.  This was a lovely alternative to my preferred foaming cleansers and as it's pH neutral it can be used morning, noon and night - not literally of course! Well, morning and night anyway.

11) Missha The Style Lip & Eye Makeup Remover (100ml approx.) - I bought this a few months ago when I last stepped into a Missha store.  It's the same gentle, non stinging, dual-phase remover that I'm devoted to (shake it up, soak a cotton pad and gently wipe off waterproof eye makeup or long lasting lip makeup) and it was in a nifty spill-proof bottle.  I would certainly use this again.

12) Swisspers Naturals Aloe Skin Perfecting Facial Cleansing Wipes (25 wipes) - As far as wipes go these ticked all the boxes:  not too small, softly textured cloths with just enough product to cleanse thoroughly, and they were enriched with aloe vera so my skin felt comfortably clean afterward with no need to add any moisturizer.  And yes the packaging has that fantastic snap fastening opening to keep the wipes from drying out! 

 Hand and body care

13) Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula Eventone Age Spot Hand Cream (60g) - I loved this rich hand cream and would definitely repurchase for its added SPF protection and skin brightening properties (see my original review here).

14) OPI Original Polish Remover (120ml - 4 fl.oz) - the only usual suspect this month. I average a bottle of this remover a month.

15) Avon Foot Works Cracked Heel Relief Cream (100g) - This humble but wonderful cream prevents my heels from becoming ashy or cracking.  I use it religiously every day during the warmer months and it keeps my heels looking soft and youthful with its concoction of ingredients including glycerin, canola oil(!), lactic acid and stearic acid.  A tube seems to last an eternity too so it's a great value product - although I do tend to snap these up whenever Avon does a 2 for 1 deal!

16) Crabtree & Evelyn Pomegranate, Argan & Grapeseed Deep Cleansing Hand Wash (250ml/8.5fl.oz) - I bought this for the most frivolous reason:  the satiny, ruby red hand wash looked so pretty and I just wanted to display it on my bathroom vanity! Pretty, yes, but also pretty harsh on my skin unfortunately and I found the exfoliating seedy granules a little too deep cleaning for my sensitive skin. I also had a beef with the pump packaging because I couldn't get the last dregs out of the bottle without watering it down. Not a repurchase for me.

Fragrance

17) Prada L'Eau Ambree EDP (80ml/2.7fl.oz) - This smoked glass bottle contained one my favourite scents and I'm sure I'll buy it again as it has such a classic air about it - I keep opening the cap to smell the fragrance as I write this.  The top notes are Cedrat Lemon, Mandarin and Neroli;  middle notes are Benzoin, May Rose and Gardenia; base notes are Amber blended with Patchouli, Vanilla and Opoponax.

 That's it for this month!

 

Nails Inc: Baker Street

There's a little tale to tell about this nail polish -

I've recently realised I have a new colour obsession - cobalt blue - as the colour was appearing more and more in my wardrobe. Of course that meant I had to have THE perfect cobalt blue polish to complement the wardrobe.  And the perfect cobalt blue polish is....Nails Inc Baker Street! So, I order it online, the order is invoiced when the seller realizes it's...OUT OF STOCK!!! My mood goes from excitement to frustration and then I must WAIT another two weeks. 

Well, finally it's mine and yes it's the blue I dreamt of, the blue I really didn't have, the blue I HAD to have.  A true cobalt blue creme and soooo hard to capture accurately.  I've colour corrected the hell out of this and I still don't think I've done it justice.  Just trust me on this one, okay!  It really is up there if you're a cobalt-obsessed person like me!!

All pictures taken in cloudy condtions:

What's your current colour obsession?