Collection Lasting Gel Colour in Stormy Grey

Hi Everyone,

This is a mani from a few weeks ago now - so forgive me if you've seen it before on my Twitter or Instagram (@charnailsntails) but I really liked it - so it's worth a share!

After seeing so many people talking about them on Twitter, I really wanted to try the Collection Lasting Gel Colour Polishes - which are a snip compared to other gel based ones at around £3.20 each! Bargain.

As Summer has been a slight fail for me so far (come on sunshine - don't be shy) I am leaning towards more nudes than usual! Neons need sunshine!!

This colour is called Stormy Grey - which is apt given today's weather. I'm not sure if I agree with the grey part - this leans more brown in my eyes, but the name is not the important part. At least it's not just a number!

This is two coats. I probably could have done with three, or a white base. As a gel based polish, I was really hoping for something a bit more pigmented to be honest. For me though, this just hits the acceptable shade for avoiding mannequin hands, and therefore is a good nude in my opinion!

I decided to also go with a LE Barry M polish from Superdrug, from Christmas 2012 - a turquoise foil! I really loved the contrast of the colours, and how simple, but stylish this mani is! I got a lot of compliments for this one!

Unfortunately, I do have an issue with this is the name of the Collection polish. No, not the Stormy Grey part - we've already covered that! It's the 'lasting' part. It didn't - well not for me anyway. So far... Let me explain!

I have been using OPI's Nail Envy for over a year as a base coat (and to strengthen my nails) and it's always done a good job. Recently I'm starting to think it might be the NE causing mani's to fail (I've tried the matte version and it seems a LOT better as a base coat) but I can't be sure. So... I don't know if it's a bad reaction with the NE, or if it just doesn't last, but this one chipped and peeled. I haven't had that happen for a long time.

Either way, it's a fab colour, the brush and formula is gorgeous and I will be using it again! I'll try a different base coat next time though... And at that price, I may have to try a few of the other shades too. In the interest of a fair trial of course!

What did you think of Collection's Gel offering? Have you tried them yet?

And does anyone else still think of them as Collection 2000, despite the re-brand? I'm probably just showing my age there...! Haha!

Thanks for reading,

Love Charlotte x

My Weekend Nails!

Hi Everyone!

I hope you have had a chance to enjoy some of the sunshine we've had over the last few days! We went to visit the Newlyweds last night for a barbecue and to see their beautiful wedding photos! We stayed out until the sun was hidden behind the houses, and then watched a lovely slide show! It was so fun to remember all of the things we did that day! And, I have to say, my sister made the MOST beautiful bride. Stunning. So jealous!! Haha!

Anyway, I actually painted my nails on Saturday morning after throwing a minor hissy fit with the nails I had been doing. I had a lovely lilac gradient pretty much finished, when I knocked a nail. Smudge.

I repaired it, and then knocked another one. Smudge.

I repaired that, and knocked the final one. Smudge. Off it came.That remains a mani for another day - perhaps when I have more time and patience!

After it all, I'm kinda glad that that did happens. I mean, they say everything happens for a reason, don't they? And in this situation, I think I had the smudgies so that I could find this beautiful combination.

This is Sally Hansen Eel Skin (my favourite grey polish!) and the stunning OPI DS Coronation (a birthday gift from the lovely Beth)! I already have a couple of mini Coronation bottles, as the full size ones seem to be discontinued, and if they had ever run out, I probably would have cried. Yes, actual tears. Beth (fairy-glam mother and granter of wishes) managed to find me a surprise full size bottle for my birthday! Is she awesome, or what?

Anyway, lets have a look!

 

These first few shots show my nails in natural lighting, which shows the beautiful pale grey base, and the almost speckled effect Coronation leaves over the top. You can also see the slightest hint of the holographic effect of the polish. Pretty!

I also needed a few shots with the flash too, just to show how gorgeous the scattered holo is in the light. I love how this switches so elegantly from being a grey mani, to one that is full of colour! A beautiful transition!

What do you think of this combination? Do you share my love of all things holo?

I know I certainly loved it enough to keep it on all weekend. The only question I have left, is what should I put on my nails now? This is a tough act to follow...

Thanks for reading,

Love Charlotte x

More Random Nail Spam...

Well hello there,

How are you all? I hope you're better than I am! I seem to have done something funky to my back. (Yes, I am like a walking medical issue - there is always something lol!) Alas, it means I've had to have a few pain killers now and then - and they do a really good job of making me drowsy and sleepy - so no computer time for me!

It probably has something to do with the entire week we spent having a good spring clean! I never thought of my house as messy, just a little cluttered in places. So I roped the Mr. into helping me have a good sort out. Very therapeutic! And, dare I admit, maybe my house WAS messy. (Three car's full to the local tip/recycling centre...) There's still some stuff to do - like things to eBay, things to donate to charity, and a final run to recycle an old TV. I didn't realise we had acquired so much junk! Ooops! Also, during this epic tidy-a-thon, we discovered that we've had a leaky pipe for a while, which has caused much stress, and will probably cause more before its completely resolved! Oh well...!

As a result of our hard work, there were a few casualties in the nail department. Which sucks, but at least my house makes me happier! Whilst I'm getting back into a better shape, here are a few old pictures again - as the title suggests, some random spam!

(I know, I know, but still, who doesn't like looking at nails?!)

Model's Own Jade Stone - So pretty... so very pretty...!

A bit of nail art using Angelica polishes from Primark! And yes, terrible cuticles :(

Stripes and swirls using Sinful Colors, China Glaze and Chanel

A late photo - hence the tip wear - but this is my fishtail attempt for the few days of summer we had.

Be still my beating heart - Essie Jamaica Me Crazy. Insta-Love with this one! Oh yes!

I loved this wrapping paper - I used it for pass the parcel for my sister's hen party. It's so cute! And so, I had to do a mani inspired by it!

Finally, a terrible photo, but it shows the pink shimmer in the blue. Sinful Colors Cinderella and Pinky Glitter. <3

What do you think of the mani's and polishes? Any of your favourites in here? And where do you get inspiration from? Anything stranger than wrapping paper?

Let me know!

See you soon,

Love Charlotte x

OPI Liquid Sand Swatches - The Mariah Minis

Hi Everyone,

I think that like most OPI fans, when the term Liquid Sand started popping up, I was rather curious.

The whole textured thing has been rather massive so far, and whilst I can't ever see myself with Care Bear nails, glitter is a bandwagon I can jump on!

So, rather than go crazy and just buy everything, I decided getting the minis would be a sensible and less space consuming idea. (I just got my first Nail Polish Only Helmer - and it's almost full...).



First up, we have Get Your Number. A mid blue with holo glitter pieces.

This is two coats - and as you can see, the colour is a fair bit lighter than the bottle when it's fully dry. It takes about 10 minutes to dry completely.

I didn't expect to like this - I'm not a huge fan of blue polish normally, but I really loved it. Possibly because of the holo glitter infusion. It was surprisingly easy to apply, and a rather hard wearing polish. I only had it on for about 30 hours, but I didn't see any tip wear or chips in that time. The texture took a bit of getting used to - I found myself rubbing my nails quite a bit!



Next is Can't Let Go - a rich purple with purple glitter.

As a self confessed lover of purple, I knew I would really like this one! But - shock horror - it's not my favourite. It comes second, in case you were wondering haha!! It comes up a bit blue - and reminded me of a darker version of Get Your Number. And I think the glitter pieces are lacking something. I would have liked to see this with a different colour glitter, perhaps a pink or gold. Again, this is two coats.


Third is my least favourite from the collection - Stay The Night. A blackened base with red sparkles.

OK, I'm just going to say it. This made me feel like I had a disease growing on my nails. Did not like. No matter how I tried to look at it, I hated it. I kept thinking of bacteria and microbes and Dettol adverts about killing E-coli. Sorry OPI, but ewww. This took three coats for proper coverage. Again, a great formula, but if you want my humble opinion, wear it like this:

With a glossy top coat! It magically turns from an ugly duckling and into a gorgeous swan.The red becomes all glowy and bright, and the shine adds depth to the polish! I actually sighed with relief when I did this. It saved this polish, and gave it a place in my collection. I probably would have labelled it as a Biohazard and called a Hazmat team in otherwise.

Finally, we have my favourite from the minis collection - The Impossible. A Fuchsia pink - which allegedly has star shaped glitter in it. Mine didn't. Where are my bleedin' star shaped glitters?? WHERE OPI, WHERE?!

Anyway. I've calmed down, so lets have a peek!

It's just so pretty. The colour is bright, despite it being matte, and it gives a girly element to the rough texture. I say this a lot, I realise, but this will look beautiful with a tan.This was two and a half coats. The half was me fishing for the star shaped glitter that I was promised, but did not get. Pfft.

What do you think about this Liquid Sand collection? Do you have any favourites? Personally, I was a huge Mariah fan when I was growing up, but I felt that this was not a great collection. Where are all of the pinks? The butterfly references? A collection of charms to stick on? With the exception of the Liquid Sand polishes, I couldn't help but feel like we had seen it all before. I would have loved to see some references to early Mariah too! I mean, Hero is one her best known songs - where was the nod for that?

*Goes back to the 90's*

Any thoughts about this collection? I'd love to know,

Love Charlotte x

Ciaté MMM - Vintage

Hi Everyone,

Today I'm going to show you another polish that I wouldn't have picked personally. There seem to be a few of those in my little Ciaté section - some of them turned out to be nice surprises, some... well.... didn't make it onto the blog. So...

As for the colour on the nail - I'm still undecided. This is Vintage - a dusty, greyish green in the bottle. A bit mossy, but a softer version of khaki I would say.  Do I like it, or don't I? I don't know!! Sometimes I look at these pictures and think 'meh', and other times I kinda like it. Let's be honest, I don't love it - and I think that's all we need to know!

As I wasn't sure if I would make it through an entire day with this polish, I added some of my OPI 18k top coat. A bit of bling never hurt anybody!

I can't remember how many coats this took, but the coverage was certainly a lot better. The polish is a lot more pigmented than some of the others!

What do you think about this one? Would you reach for this off the shelf, or leave it behind?

Love Charlotte x

2013 Catch Up! OPI On Her Majesty's Secret Service

Hi Everyone,

Despite my adoration (yes, I do love it that much) for The Man With The Golden Gun, this is my favourite from the Skyfall collection. I love the steely grey base, and the shimmer. Ohhhhh, this shimmer is pretty special. It's just beautiful.

Photo Spam!!

 

Sorry for the giant spam, but what can I say? I am loving this polish! I love the steely, almost masculine base, that is made so pretty by the multi-coloured sparkles. The sparkles themselves use the same colours you'll find in The Living Daylights - the more grown up version of Rainbow Connection. I spot a rusty orangey bronze, a jade green, a few hints of blue, gold and silver.  It was beautiful to apply - a dream polish!!

What do you think of this polish? Let me know,

Love Charlotte x

2013 Catch Up! OPI The Man With The Golden Gun

Hi Everyone,

Yes, I bought it. The Limited Edition 18k gold top coat.

My excuse? It was on Buyapowa for about £18. That's about £12 cheaper than retail. T'was a bargain!

And yes, I am so pleased that I did. It's just gorgeous!

This was a quick coat over Casino Royale... whilst I was in work. Yeah.... I so could NOT wait until I got home! I think my boss was more confused about me getting so excited over the arrival of this little one. I don't think he saw that value in an 18k top coat! But I do! Instant mani transformer. From simple to glam in one stroke of a brush!

Did you get the The Man With The Golden Gun? What's your favourite combination? I can't wait to try it over white in the Summer!

Love Charlotte x

2013 Catch Up! OPI Casino Royale

Hi everyone,

Now I've worked through my old drafts, I'm just gonna spam a few sets of swatches that have been hanging around on my desktop. I have it in my head that I would like to be organised ready for my first Blogiversary (?) on the 31st of January. That will be one whole year of blogging! Its crazy how quickly time has passed!

Anyway, the first polish pics on the pile are from last year's Skyfall collection. Might I say that this has been my favourite OPI collection so far. I loved it.So yes, a few of these catch ups WILL be from the Skyfall collection. You know my motto by now, better late than never!!

I loved the rich, pinky berry colour of this polish! It was instantly a favourite - it's rather a glam polish on the nail. I didn't love the application. It shows up a bit streaky, and I found it difficult to control and needed a bit of clean up. I also don't think it's a unique colour - over Christmas I saw plenty of brands offering this kind of shade. But still, it's a pretty one! And I'm glad I've got it :)

What do you think? Are you a fan of the Skyfall collection?

Love Charlotte x

Abstract Nails

Hi Everyone,


I hope you guys are all good, and not suffering too much with the rubbish weather at this time of year! Alas, I have been a busy bee (again) and my nails have taken a slight back seat for a little while! Work is manic, my computer was out of action for a few days and I've had lots to do at home!! (Excuses, excuses - I know!) So, here is another one from the vault - again on my rather short nubbin nails! Hopefully, I'll get myself sorted enough to blog regularly again!!

I used OPI's Skull and Glossbones for the base colour, and went a little bit wild with my nail art pens! The result? Well, random is the first word that comes to mind haha!!

 

I must admit, I'm not really all that happy when I have short nails. It sends me into a weird kind of mourning. But these nails make me smile, for being so random, bright and little bit 80's!

What do you think?

Love Charlotte x

OPI's Mermaids Tears +

Hi Everyone,

Here's a mani I found in my stash of pictures, from quite a while back. I have uncovered lots of forgotten photos, as you can see from the rather short length of my poor nails!! So, you can expect that you will be seeing some pretty random nail posts from me!

This has been done using OPI's Mermaids Tears. On it's own, the colour is beautiful. 

I, however, must have been feeling the need for something more. Using a green striper, in a slightly darker shade, I added a few vertical lines to the tips!

I simple way to add a bit more depth to a single colour mani - subtle, but still pretty!

I hope you like it!

Love Charlotte x

Summer Flames

Hi Everyone,

Seeing as everyone in the UK, and pretty much everyone else on the planet Twitter has been talking about the Olympic Opening Ceremony - and more specifically the lighting of the Torch, I had flames in mind when painting my nails for last night's outing.

We were off out for a meal to celebrate my Brother's birthday, and of course, the nail polish fiend in the family had to do something with her claws!

For my flame inspired mani, I started with a black glossy base. I used Bourjois Ultra Shine Noir de Chine. Although not typical flame-esque colours, I am a complete sucker for purples and bright pinks. I used OPI's Pamplona Purple, and Leighton Denny's Plush Pink. How's about that for alliteration - Pamplona Purple Plush Pink?!

I started with a few blobs of the purple on the tip of my nail, and using a pin, I dragged it up in varying swirls and flicks. I left it to dry slightly and then added the pink in the same manner. I sealed it with a top coat, and I was done!

This is my first time doing a manicure with pins. Whilst not ah-may-zing, I was happy with my finished result! I love the colour combination, and the flame effect is so cool!

Either way, I hope you like it! Have you done a mani like this before? I would love to see any pictures of yours!

Love Charlotte x