Temple Spa Well Polished Summer Nail Treats Collection

When Temple Spa announced they had released their WELL POLISHED Summer Nail Treats Collection alongside the Mani Pedi Cures Hand and Foot Care Essentials, I couldn't wait for it to arrive because from the sneak previews I had seen of the shades, each one looked just stunning - and they are!

Described as being a gorgeous quartet of high-shine and long-lasting nail colours which have been inspired by our favourite Mediterranean cocktails. Packaged inside the most beautiful bag, is four full-sized nail polishes in some incredibly bright shades:

• MONACO | Kir Royale red
• LUCCA | Peach Bellini coral
• MARSEILLE | Sea Breeze pink
• Capri | Pink Champagne

Each one is as stunning as the next. Packaged in glass bottles with a really short brush, the Polish is made up of a unique resin complex base which is made with 68% naturally-derived and ethically-sourced materials. These materials make the Polish air and water-vapour permeable so not only does it let your nails breathe but it also works to keep them healthy and in good condition.

When it comes to applying the polish, I was really impressed with how easy it was to apply, I often find the brushes of a nail polish can be a tad difficult to work with because they don't cover the whole nail in one swipe, thankfully, Temple Spa have clearly thought this through because the brush does exactly that and because the shades are so pigmented, you could very easily get away with applying just one coat to your nail of all the shades, except Capril which is the Pink Champagne shade, which needs 2-3 coats for as good a colour payoff as the rest of the shades.

From all of these shades, I have worn both Capri or Lucca, which you could say are the shades most suited to the Spring and Summer months because of how bright they are. I have swapped and changed between both shades on my toes and neither shade has chipped once, I have only re-applied when it has grown out.

This set of four polishes is available from Temple Spa and you can find them priced at just £25 which is an absolute steal!

*this post contains PR samples and/or Affiliate Links unless indicated otherwise - you can learn more on my Disclaimer page.

The OPI Muse of Milan Collection (+ swatches)

Whenever OPI launches a new collection, you can guarantee it will be very special and this one is perhaps my favourite so far. I loved the Hello Kitty Collection and The Tokoyo Collection, but this one is special. The Muse of Milan Collection* takes you on a journey of celebration of culture, resilience and spirit that Milan has to offer.

Featuring 12 colours in three different formulas, the shade include variations of vintage-inspired hues of warm taupe, burnt orange, terracotta and dark teal to give your nails that retro feel, whilst classic denim blues have been reinvented with shades ranging from icy blue to peacock blue. You will also find grey and shiny steel shades come together to inspire gunmetal hues and then floral tones which are dusky and rich complete the set.

These shades launched on 1st August are currently on offer with OPI Nails, for me what they do is get you ready for Autumn and there isn't a single shade I dislike. From the moment they arrived, I couldn't wait to give them a try and I have since then, tried every single shade.

From left to right we have the following shades:

• Have your Panettone and eat it – Burnt Orange
• Suzi talks with her hands – Steely grey
• Duomo Days Isola Nights – Sapphire blue
• OPI nails the runway – Granite grey

Each one of these shades has two coats onto the nail wheel, though you can just have one coat if you prefer. Opi Nails The Runway is a perfect shade for an accent nail and I love Duomo Days and Have your Panettone together, they compliment each other so well.

From left to right with these shades we have:

• Complimentary Wine – Deep berry
• This color hits all the high notes – Pearly blue
• My Italian is a little Rusty – Rich chestnut
• Galleria Vittoria Violet – Violet amethyst

This collection really does show off the amazing array of colours that the Muse of Milan has to offer and Complimentary Wine definitely screams Autumn to me.

The final shades within this collection from left to right are:

• Fall-ing For Milan – Bronzed nude
• Leonardo’s model colour – Dimensional purple
• Drama at La Scala – Teal
• Addio Bad Nails – Smoky lavender

I absolutely love Drama at la Scala and from all of the shades I have tried from this collection, it is the one which has lasted the longest on my nails. It also applies like an absolute dream.

This is without question an incredible collection and one I have loved trying. I would love to know if any of these shades jump out at you?

You can shop the collection here and they are currently on offer for just over £11.

*this post contains PR samples and/or Affiliate Links unless indicated otherwise - you can learn more on my Disclaimer page.

CND Vinylux 2-in-1

I absolutely love CND Vinylux as a nail polish brand and have featured them a few times on my blog now, the last collection being The Crystal Alchemy Collection and today I am sharing something that I think it is a little bit genius and it is the CND Vinylux 2-in-1.

"Save on the suitcase space this year and make your life easier with the brand new CND Vinylux 2in1"

Giving you the ability to create the perfect mani on the go, CND has created an innovative two-step system to make painting your nails on the go, on your holiday or quickly. This portable applicator features a high-shine Vinylux long-wear colour at one end and then a fast-drying topcoat at the other, so you have everything you need in one product, which is no bigger than your average mascara wand.

This long-wear CND polish formula is infused with Vitamin E, Keratin and Jojoba Oil which works to condition and strengthen the nails, therefore, creating a healthy base for smooth colour application. Lasting for up to 7 days, the polish helps to minimise the drying and damaging effects associated with regular nail polish wear.

I was kindly sent three of the five shades available and I love all three of them which are:

• Negligee - A sheer opalescent baby pink
• Field Fox - A beautiful nude
• Lobster Roll - A bright red with a slight hint of orange as it dries down.

I like CND polishes because they are long-lasting and the applicator is really easy to use as it covers my entire nail in one stroke. These polishes I've found need between one and two coats depending on how deep a coat you want to have, for Negligee as an example because it is so sheer, it definitely needs two coats.

I really like having the nail polish and then the topcoat on one applicator, the polish dries within a few minutes, much quicker than I had expected and then applying the topcoat afterwards means you need to have around 3-4 minutes time to apply, let dry and add your topcoat. It doesn't streak or smudge and I have found Field Fox lasts at least 7 days without chips, which for a normal polish is really impressive, Lobster Roll I had for 6 days but impressively Negligee was the longest lasting and I have had 8 days wear from it, all using the topcoat.

This 2in1 from CND is perfect for travelling and it helps with maximising space in your makeup bag. Priced at just £16.95 each and can be found at Lookfantastic*.

*this post contains PR samples and/or Affiliate Links unless indicated otherwise - you can learn more on my Disclaimer page.

OPI Mexico City Collection

Over the past few years, OPI has had some incredible collections of nail polishes, one of the last being the Hello Kitty collection which I was lucky enough to review. The newest launch from OPI is the Mexico City collection and if bright colours are your thing, then you will absolutely love these shades.

Featuring 12-shades, this collection officially launched around February 1, 2020, and the collection draws inspiration from the city’s vibrant art and fashion scenes, jet-set appeal with trendy locales and award-winning cuisine, and exploration of individual self-expression.

Experience the eclectic Colours of the world’s most thriving art scene- Ciudad de Mexico (CDMX)- for Spring 2020 with the Mexico City Collection by OPI.

When I think of Mexico, I do think bright greens and reds as well as some of the most amazing food and of course Churros, which yes came from Spain and Portugal originally, but some of the best I have tasted have been in Mexican restaurants, where I am a huge fan of dishes such as Enfrijoladas and Fish Tacos and it is all of those bright colours from the food I expected to see within this collection and to an extent, it is exactly what you get, but with one or two surprises.

The first group of shades really sit well together and all have a hint of orange too them:

From left to right we have Coral-ing Your Spirit Animal, Mural Mural On The Wall, iViva Opi! and My Chihuahua Doesn't Bite Anymore.  What I love about this group is that Mural Mural On The Wall works with all the shades:

Coral-ing Your Spirit Animal: A light tone orange.

Mural Mural On The Wall: A dusty orange/brown with hints of gold & red glitter.
iViva Opi!: A hot orange/red. 
My Chihuahua Doesn't Bite Anymore: A warm orange.

The next group of shades I was really happy to see included but there is one shade from the collection of 12 which I feel is missing.

From left to right here we have Suzi's Slinging Mezcal, Don't Tell A Sol, Verde Nice To Meet You and Mi Casa Es Blue Casa.  I absolutely love the deep blue shade and currently have it on my toes, perfect for Spring and Summer.

Suzi's Slinging Mezcal: A sparkling gold. 
Don't Tell A SOL: A bright tone yellow. 
Verde Nice To Meet You: An pastel green teal. 
Mi Casa Es Blue Casa: A deep warm sea blue. 

The final collection of shades are the ones which I wasn't expecting to find within the Mexico City Collection, for me, it is missing a whole lot of green nail colours, which admittedly is not something everyone would wear, but something similar to OPI Envy the Adventure from the Nutcracker Collection would be perfect.

From left to right is Mariachi Makes My Day, Mexico City Move-Mint, Hue Is The Artist and Telenovela Me About It.  Whilst this section confuses me slightly with its connection to Mexico City, what I do love is each of the shades, especially the light baby blue shade which again is perfect for Spring and Summer.  

Mariachi Makes My Day: A elegant tone of purple. 

Mexico City Move-Mint: A light tone baby blue.

Hue Is The Artist?: A pale tone pink. 

Telenovela Me About It: A warm fuchsia pink. 

As with most OPI swatches, the advice is to add at least two coats of polish and I think this is the first collection I have tried that works really well with one coat, but two just gives that deeper hint of colour.

As with most collections from OPI, with Mexico City to have the choice of the Infinite Shine Collection at £15.90 per bottle of polish or the Nail Lacquer, which I have reviewed for £13.90 per bottle and you can see the whole collection with OPI.

This collection is available to purchase right now and you can buy the shades singularly or as a set from OPI directly.  I would love to know if any of these shades jumps out at you?

*this post contains PR samples and/or Affiliate Links unless indicated otherwise - you can learn more on my Disclaimer page.

Hello Kitty OPI Collection

Over the past 18 months, OPI has had some incredible collections, some of which I have featured on my blog - Disney Nutcracker, Toyko and today we see the turn of the Hello Kitty Collection. 

 When a huge Hatbox arrived by courier with the word OPI written across the top, I had no idea what I was about to find inside.  If you follow me on Instagram, then you would have seen on my grid a photograph detailing exactly what was inside.  A huge 1.5kg white chocolate Hello Kitty shaped structure with a hammer and I could not wait to give it a whack to see what was inside.

As you can see, hidden inside this white chocolate Hello Kitty structure was a whole host of sweets that the mister and I made our way through as well as a box of nail polishes, 12 Hello Kitty nail polishes from the Hello Kitty collaboration and if you are an OPI fan and love a bit of Hello Kitty, then this set could not be more perfect and they are still available now.

On the top row, we have Hush of Blush, All about Bows, Let's Celebrate, A Kiss On The Chic and Many Celebrations to Go.  Along the bottom we have My Favourite Gal Pal, Let Love Sparkle, Pile On The Sprinkle, Let's be Friends, isn't She Iconic, Hello Pretty and Glitter to My Heart.

Celebrate the 2019 season with The Hello Kitty Holiday Collection by OPI. Find limited edition color shades in lacquers, GelColor, and Infinite Shine.

The Collection features a host of different shades and finishes and with 30 options to choose from, you won't be spoilt for choice when it comes to picking your favourites.  What I found with these shades is that some need to be applied with just one coat, some need two and others need three and it is all about your preference of colour.  I swatched them all and this is what they look like.

The first swatches feature My Favourite Gal Pal which is a classic dark blue nail polish, almost denim-like in colour. Quite sheer and needs two coats. Next is Let Love Sparkle which reminds me of Frozen. Almost a silvery-white shade, this polish features small iridescent lavender glitter and to get it to appear smooth and glittery, it is definitely one you have to persevere with and apply at a minimum two, if not three coats. The final swatch is Pile On The Sprinkle and this is a polish which works amazingly well on its own if you just want a bit of sparkle or as a topcoat with purple polish to really show off its iridescent shimmers, fine lavender and holographic glitters. I found one coat was more than enough, but two adds quite the dimension.

If pinks and sparkles are more your shades then this trio might just capture your attention as we have a Hush of Blush, Let's Celebrate and Glitter To My Heart.  On the left, we have Hush Of Blush and it is a soft lavender-pink which is packed with super-fine iridescent shimmers and it needs 2-3 coats to really let the colour show through as it is quite sheer.  Let's Celebrate is the sister to Pile On The Sparkle and it makes a great little polish on its own on top of clear varnish or over the top of anything that has a pink or purple colour too it. Again as above, it features iridescent shimmers, fine pink and holographic glitters and I really like this one. The final swatch is Glitter to my Heart and I absolutely love it. When applied you can see the scattered white hexagonal glitter sitting alongside a much finer silver glitter particle and for me, this is one you would wear over a deeper shade of purple, red or maybe even a black to let it stand out.

With this trio of swatches we have Let's Be Friends, Isn't She Iconic and Hello Pretty and all three shades are beautiful but ones I found the hardest to work with.  Starting off with Let's Be Friends, a polish I am told featured in the 2016 Hello Kitty Collection and proved to be quite popular.  Best described as being a powder pink cream, I found that the application was really patchy and it definitely needed three coats for a smooth and even coverage, but the downside of that is each layer had to dry completely before another application could be applied, so this is a time consuming one to say the last. In the middle we have Isn't She Iconic which is a really beautiful deep silver shimmer shade which in the light has a gold undertone. Again, another shade that needed two coats but looked much better with a third. The final swatch is Hello Pretty and it is best described as a dark purple navy shade, again quite sheer and needs two if not three coats to really show off its shade.

A nail polish collection wouldn't be complete without a red shade or two being thrown in right? Well within the Hello Kitty OPI Collection we have two to choose from as well as a beautiful gold.  The first shade is All About Bows which is a deep cranberry red shade and whilst it appears quite sheer on the first application, once it dries, the colour settles really well.  In the middle, we have Many Celebrations To Go which can be best be described as a pale iridescent champagne gold shimmer and one which is too sheer with one application but with two, or even three, it really looks perfect for the festive season. The final polish within the collection is A Kiss On The Chic which is a deep warm red and whilst it is sheerer than All About Bows, after two coats, it is much brighter and definitely that Christmassy red shade.

I absolutely love this collection, whilst I do think a lovely deep burgundy would have been a nice inclusion, there is definitely something for everyone and I love the option of applying a glitter topper to any one of these shades depending on my mood, outfit or occasion.  

The OPI Holiday 2019 Hello Kitty Collection is available right now in the original, GelColor, and Infinite Shine formulation with prices starting at £13.50 per polish.

*this post contains PR samples and/or Affiliate Links unless indicated otherwise - you can learn more on my Disclaimer page.

OPI Tokyo Nail Polish Collection Review and Swatches

My nail polish collection has really been slimmed down, I sat down and spent hours shaking bottles, swatching and binning anything that would be of no use anymore. When the OPI Tokyo Nail Polish Collection launched, I was delighted to see such an impressive array of shades, many that are perfect for the Spring and Summer months and others that would be perfect all year round.

Tokyo is a city at the forefront of fashion, beauty and nail art. It is said that Tokyo's unique balance of rich tradition and nature inspired a variety of nail colours that evoke the eclectic fashion, vibrant nightlife and world-renowned cuisine. The OPI Collection consists of 12 incredibly beautiful shades in their original Nail Lacquer formula and is priced at £13.50 each or £14.50 if you prefer the Infinite Shine Formula.

At the beginning of 2019, I reviewed the OPI Nutcracker collection and what I really love about these polishes is just how easy the brush is to use. One swipe across the nails gives such good coverage.

1) Kanpai OPI – Periwinkle Blue and Grey team up to make your day in this nail polish. Cheers!   I wasn't too sure about this shade to begin with but it has really grown on me.  Not quote pastel blue but not quite grey either, it meets somewhere in the middle to create a beautiful shade which sits perfectly between the two.  It does dry slightly darker than the shade shows in the bottle and I personally feel it needs two coats to give that perfect streak free finish.

2) Tempura-ture is Rising! – Get out of the heat and into a salon to experience this cool new orange nail polish! I loved this shade as soon as a saw it and it is just stunning.  A real bold orange which isn't quite on that neon spectrum but it is definitely one you will not miss whether it is worn on the finger or toenails. On my nail wheels, I did two coats and it applies like a dream 

3) How Does Your Zen Garden Grow? – Now and then you gotta go Zen with this luscious lime green nail polish. I liked this shade a lot more than I expected too and I think it is a lovely shade for the Spring.  With a white base, it isn't too dark a lime green and it does need at least three generous coats because it is one of the streakier shades within the collection.

4) All Your Dreams in Vending Machines – An electric pink nail polish that delivers instant glamification. If you like a polish which is not quite what it seems, then this is one to tick that box. It has a lilac shift which becomes more evident with more coats you decide to use, I opted for two because I found the formula to be much thicker than a few of the other shades. I do love the shimmer finish of this shade.

5) Arigato from Tokyo – ありがと THANK YOU from the bottom of our OPI hearts for loving this pink nail polish. This is very much a pinky lilac creme, and it’s perfect for spring.  It needs a minimum of one coat but two really makes the colour stand out.

6) Rice Rice Baby – Be a Nice Nice Baby and experience this mauve-lous shade of nail polish. Rice Rice Baby is more of muted, pastel version of Arigato From Tokyo rather than the shade I hoped it would be, but it is one which is definitely wearable and I found I only needed to apply just the one coat.

7) Chopstix and Stones – …may break my bones but this deep blue nail polish shade will never hurt me! This is my favourite shade from the whole collection and it is the one I have worn the most. It is best described as being an intense navy blue but with brighter blue shimmer which has a little sparkle to it. The darkest of all the shades within the collection and it needs just two coats to bring out the very best of the shade.

8) I’m On a Sushi Roll – Your manicure is hungry for this green nail polish colour. This is a light teal creme shade and it has possibly the thickest formula of all the shades, so I found I only needed just the one coat to get really good coverage, but two would be as good.  What I like about this shade is that it is one I hadn't expected to like at all, but I love it.

9) Suzi-San Climbs Fuji-San – Mt. Fuji is calling, so fill your backpack with this new essential emerald nail polish. This shade sits between the teals and greens and to me it is neither one or the another and I really like the shade.  I found I needed three coats of this one to ensure there was no streak in sight.

10) Samurai Breaks a Nail – OPI to the rescue! If purple is your colour of choice, then this is the one you will love from the collection.  It has a slight blue iridescent shift which looks amazing when it catches the light and whilst it is one of the formulas on the thinner side, I found I did need at three to get even coverage.

11) Hurry-Juku Get This Color! – Better be berry quick! This nail polish shade promises to be berry hot. Enjoy a kiss of dusty rose nail polish with your favourite bowl and beau. This is a beautiful bright fuchsia creme shade and I was surprised I only need to apply one coat when I had been expecting to add more. 

12) Another Ramen-Tic Evening – Enjoy a kiss of dusty rose nail polish with your favourite bowl and beau. One of my favourite named polishes from the collection, it is a really pretty cool toned pastel pink shade. It does need at least two coats for good coverage and to get the most form the colour, but it is just beautiful and delicate and perfect for that almost nude but with a bit of colour coverage on the nails.  Of all the shades within the collection, I found this to be one of the longest lasting on my nails.

It is fair to say that I adore this collection, it is just stunning. I love that there is a shade for everyone despite your usual 'go to' shade, which for me would usually be a berry red and here I am just as happy with Another Ramen-Tic Evening as I am with Chopstix and Stones.  I think the name of the polishes is superb and so in keeping with the collection and I also feel they match their shades perfectly.

I would love to know if any of the shades from the OPI Tokyo Collection is your favourite?

*this post contains PR samples and/or Affiliate Links unless indicated otherwise - you can learn more on my Disclaimer page.

CND Vinylux for Halloween

I make no secret of the fact my favourite nail polish brand is CND Vinylux and it is the one I always opt for when having a manicure locally.  I find it lasts the longest without chipping, it doesn't send my nails that horrible yellow colour (though yes I do use a base coat), it is easy to remove and it applies like a dream, even if like, you are not the most adept at painting the nails on both hands.

For Halloween, I was kindly sent two shades which I think fit the bill really well. The first shade is Decadence, a beautiful shade of red which is incredibly bold and bright and perfect for this time of year.  

On the swatch shown below, I found I only needed one coat to get really good coverage and this was obviously without using a base coat.

The Second shade is called Serene Green. I am not usually a fan of greens or browns when it comes to nail polish, in fact, it is rare I will stray away from Berry shades as I just feel most comfortable with them, but this is a beautiful shade of green that I can't help but like.

Unlike Decadence above, this swatch has two coats on the nail wheel, but what I like about it is there is a slight, and it is very slight sparkle where the light catches the shade.

With over 70, yes 70 different shades to choose from, the CND Vinylux polishes last around 7 days, slightly longer if you use the CND Vinylux Weekly Top Coat. 

CND Vinylux shades are uniquely formulated to be activated when exposed to natural light to create an enduring and long-lasting finish and they all dry naturally which helps to give that flawless finish and I am told also helps to strengthen its resistance to chips over time.

Do you have a favourite nail polish brand?

*this post contains PR samples and/or Affiliate Links unless indicated otherwise - you can learn more on my Disclaimer page.

CND Vinylux Nail Polish

Without question, my favourite nail polish brand is CND and it has been for a good few years now.  Whenever I go and have my nails done, my brand of choice is always CND and it has got to the point now where my manicurist doesn't even ask which brand or shade - I am that predictable.

CND Vinylux is described as being the ultimate, long-wear lacquer and chip-resistant polish which stays as good as new for seven days. It has its own built-in base coat, so there is no need to apply one beforehand and it stars the brand’s innovative ‘Pro-light Technology’, which hardens through exposure to natural light – meaning your manicure becomes more durable with time. I was kindly sent two shades from the Nightspell collection and both are shades that I would wear all year round and a Weekly Top Coat too, which is amazing. I am not someone who is a huge fan of bright pastel shades, I am definitely a Berry nail kind of girl. 

Berry Boudoir is a beautiful rich berry metallic which needs just two coats to really shine. I like how the brush is not too long but it fans out to cover my entire nail really well. For me, using a nail polish needs to be straightforward and the wrong kind of brush can ruin it all.

Two coats of Boudoir Berry is just enough to ensure the colour coats the nail well and gives it a shine.  Once applied it dries in just a few minutes and I always wait a good 10-15 minutes before applying the weekly top coat.

The second shade is called Lilac Eclipse and it is best described as being creamy light berry shade. Again it features the same brush as Boudoir Berry, so the application is a breeze and texture wise, I did find this one to be just slightly thicker, but you do still need those two coats to ensure you have full nail coverage.

Again, once the polish has dried, I add the Weekly Top Coat and allow around ten minutes for drying time. It does actually dry much quicker than the time I allow, but I am a bit of a clutz when I polish my own nails and always manage to smudge at least one nail, so I am always cautious having gone to the effort of doing my own.

The Weekly Top Coat is described as being a quick-drying, this clear glossy top coat protects your Vinylux nail polish with mirror-like shine.

You only need to apply one, generous coat of Weekly Top Coat to protect your colour and create a high-shine finish.

As I have said, CND is my favourite nail polish. I use my hands a lot for work, I am always typing somewhere on something and can also be found sticking my hands into the photocopier to remove jammed paper, changing cartridges and even dealing with other bits of machinery which often ruin nail polish and manicures. With CND, what I have found is that it is more durable than most and it doesn't chip, even at my most clumsy. It is also easy to remove and doesn't require industrial strength nail polish remover to shift it, the Cutex one I use removes it all in one simple swipe of the nail.

You can find these three products and many more from the CND catalogue via Cult Beauty where prices start around £9.

*this post contains PR samples and/or Affiliate Links unless indicated otherwise - you can learn more on my Disclaimer page here

Rimmel London New Super Gel Beach Ready Collection

The Super Gel Beach Ready Collection from Rimmel consists of five incredible summery shades of nail polish and they form a 2 step application that it is claimed will:

• Give you Gel Nails
• Up to 14 days wear
• No UV Lamp Needed

I love my gel nails, well in truth I am Shellac girl because one thing which really winds me up is going to all the hassle of painting your nails, which can be quite a traumatic process lets face it, for them to chip before you leave the house.  Nail polish chips just do not look good, much like having the one shade of foundation or being a tad orange from your fake tan - both a big no-no from me.

The Five shades within this collection are:

• Coral Queen - A beautiful orange shade
• Purple Splash - Less purple more a Lilac/Lavender shade
• Dive Right In - A beautiful bright blue
• Sun Fun Daze - A bright pink
• Flamenco Beach - Red. No collection seems complete without a red.

To use, the directions tell you to apply 1-2 thin, even coats of your chosen Super Gel shade and for this polish, a base coat is not required, so that is a huge plus point for me.  Once the polish dries and you need a good 4-5 minutes before it is no longer tacky.  What I love about these polishes, other than the shades is the brush, which Rimmel refer to as being a Maxi Brush. It is short and fan and one swipe down the nail is enough to give good and even coverage.  I am quite particular about nail polishes brushes and this one is in my view perfect.  Once your nails are dry, you then apply the Super Gel top coat, only one coat of this is needed and it is this gel coating that activates the 14 days of wear.

I opted to test the Purple Splash shade on my fingers and SunFun Daze on my toes.  Three weeks on and there is no chipping on my toes and I have worn my FitFlops every single day, but for me, polish on my toes never ever chips.  On my fingernails, the polish lasted 5 days before the first chip happened in whilst I was opening the post at work with a letter opener and then as soon as you get one you know that it is game over.

Now I am happy with my polish lasting for 5 days in all honesty and it is much longer than it usually lasts without having Shellac applied.  Each polish retails for £5.99 and is currently on a 3 for 2 right here.  The top coat is also £5.99 here and is part of the 3 for 2 deal.




*this post contains PR samples unless indicated otherwise

Midnight Gelly from Barry M

Barry M is one of those brands I absolutely love, I find them a bit quirky and within their range, there are some amazing products just waiting to be discovered.  

The Midnight Gelly range is a set of four off-black nail polishes which have really captured my attention and they are perfect shades for AW15.  The description is as follows:

"Devilishly dark past the midnight hour. AW15 saw a range of dark moody hues hit the runway, get the look and rock an off-black shade this season".

Now I wear dark shade nail polishes all year round.  I am not the kind of girl who likes pastel shades on my fingers at all.  You'll often find me sporting an off black shade - usually a deep burgundy or my latest favourite being a dark grey shade, so for there, these are quite exciting.

Within the range the four shades are Black Grape, Black Pistachio, Black Currant and Black Cherry and I like each and every one of them.  

Black Grape isn't black and it doesn't remind me of grapes either, but what you do get this is stunning deep blue shade which looks black out of the sunlight or away from my camera flash.  

Black Pistachio again isn't black but what you get is a deep dark moody green shade which as you might have guessed, looks black away from the sunlight and away from my camera flash.  I am not usually a fan of green, but this shade I absolutely love.

Black Currant is everything a good Ribena should be.  Brooding, not quite black but definitely purple and it is an amazing shade which you can clearly see from the swatch above.

Black Cherry is possibly my favourite of the four shades.  If I was to described black cherry as a shade, then this would be it.  It is dark, moody not quite black and definitely not a red but somewhere in between.

So here we have four great shades for AW15 and even better for those, like me, who prefer darker shades of polish on our nails.

What do you think to this collection?