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

China Glaze Hologlam Swatch - Get Outta My Space

Hi Everyone!

This is just a quickie post to share the loveliness that is Get Outta My Space, from the rather exciting China Glaze Hologlam collection due this Spring.

It arrived on my doorstep this morning... so I took off the mani I had just applied... as you do... just so I could spend the day wearing this beauty!

Please ignore the state of my cuticles - I'm literally on my way out of the door to work!! I just had to share this gorgeous polish with you!!

FYI - This is two coats - rather quick drying, as with my Layla holos - and can drag if you're not quick enough. No top coat (of course). The formula is beautiful (except for the drag - but just be aware!) and the colour is gorgeous. The holo flash is not quite as big as it is with the Layla holos, but I am a little bit in love with this polish already. A huge thumbs up (with a cheesy grin) from me!

Nail Squee!!

Love Charlotte x

You Never Forget Your First... OPI

Hi Everyone!

Did you all think it was going to be that kind of post? Noooo, I am no where near drunk enough for those kinds of posts, as you can see from the lack of typos and written slurring.

I'm writing about my first ever OPI polish. And what a first.

Designer Series Coronation.

I received a mini bottle in a Glossybox - the first Glossybox if I remember correctly.

It's beautiful. It is silver shimmery micro-fine glitter, and is packed with very subtle holographic particles. It looks beautiful on. Just stunning.The holographic effect is scattered, rather than being in your face like my Layla polishes. It's elegant and ladylike. Beautiful.

I mean, look.

This polish is partly to blame for my serious addiction to polish. I've always liked it, but this is the one that made my inner polisholic scream 'MOAR'!!

The only thing that makes me sad is that it's £18 for a full-size bottle, and difficult to find in full size. I bought myself another mini bottle, just in case. I don't wear it often, as it is a bit special to me. I wish it dried a bit quicker, and that it didn't require four coats for opacity.

But still, it is pretty amazing.

For the sake of scientific curiosity, I did compare it to my other scattered holo polish - the Claire's Accessories one from here. My index and middle finger has the Claire's holo, and my ring finger and pinky have the OPI. Have a look for yourself...

You can see that the OPI is obviously a lot finer - whilst they both dry smooth, the Claire's looks gritty in comparison. You can see why the OPI is more expensive, it's far more luxurious a polish. Under the light, they both have a beautiful holo effect, but in normal light conditions, it's the OPI that steals the show.

So, what do you think? Would you hunt down a full size Coronation, or make do with the much cheaper and readily available Claire's Accessories polish?

This is a tough one if you ask me - but I know which my favourite is!

Love Charlotte x

Color Club Swatches - Part Deux!

Hi Everyone,

Here we are again with some more swatches of my Color Club Collection which I started yesterday! As I said last time, these were done with speed in mind, so please excuse the fact that they are not the best swatches you will ever see - I just wanted to avoid the glitter-removal nightmare!

First up is one of my favourites - Sexy Siren. This, I believe was from the Glitter Vixen collection of 2010.

These polishes all applied much better than I expected - especially for a glitter polish. This one was a particular delight though. This was just two coats.

I adore the switch from subtle to BAM! SPARKLE!! In the light, this is full on nail bling. The multicoloured effect is beautiful - I would say this has a silver base with a hint of lilac - perhaps more 'grilac', one might say, and a rainbow of holographic glitters.

 Yes, I am aware I love the blurred photo thing a bit too much, but ooooh, its shiny!!

This polish was an absolute pleasure - however I must admit that I did actually wear this one for a day. It was beautiful. Squeal-worthy. Utter nail porn. And a must for any self confessed glitter lover. I'm afraid that I can't remember what it was like during removal, but I know it wasn't as bad as some I have tried. And you will see that it was a few days before I got round to the rest of the swatches as my nails are different lengths! Ooops!!

Next is Candy Cane, a sweet pale pink glitter that looks good enough to eat! This had a much thicker consistency, and is still pretty sheer after two thick coats. This one will be lovely for layering.

 

Excuse my naked nails underneath - there will be swatches of this with a base soon. Promise!

This reminded me of a more luxurious version of Barry M's Pink Iridescent. A slightly darker pink too, but on the nail, that would hardly be noticeable. Here they are side by side on paper, so you can see the difference.

I love the Color Club version, but it will be difficult to source in the UK. I would be inclined to recommend getting the Barry M version if you feel the need for some pink sparkles (who doesn't?) in your life!

Last, but certainly not least, is Diamond Drops. This is a gawjus shimmery flakies polish in a clear base. I see silver and gold, blue, lilac and pink and just a hint of green. Holographic flakies then, to be precise. Say it with me now... Oooooooh!!

Here it is over a variety of polishes!

A variety of pictures - I don't have the ability to take photo where each nail looks its best, so I just added photos so each nail had a complimentary picture! That's much easier than being a skilled photographer!

On a side note, I can not wait to wear Diamond Drops over the black polish! It really makes the flakies look their best, and more noticeable. The white looked better in real life than is shown in the photos - it made me think of fairy wings, very girly and sweet!

So there we have it! The conclusion of my Color Club Collection! Alliteration - woot! I hope you liked them! Don't forget, TK Maxx is your friend, especially for finds like these!!

Happy shopping,

Love Charlotte x

My Little Color Club Collection - Part One!

Hi Everyone!

Ok, first of all, did that title make anyone else think of My Little Pony? Even as I was typing it, I was having flashbacks to the 80's - there was something  about the smell of My Little Ponies that made me want them ALL! Ah, thems were the days!

Anyway, seeing as I've started going off topic if the first paragraph now I best get back to the important and interesting stuff! Polish! Wooooo!

A little while ago, whilst on an exciting expedition into my local TK Maxx, I came across some nail polish. I always check out their beauty shelves as they have some amazing bargains - but you have to be willing to root around, under and behind things. So far, I have only come away empty handed once. Not even I could use three bottle of OPI's Who The Shrek Are You, even if they were £5 for all three. Lime green? Its so not me!

What is me, is holographic glittery goodness. I have been keeping a little lemming lust wish-list for a while now. Just a few polishes that I feel I need to own, and if I have a bit of spare cash - I treat myself. One of these was Color Club's Sugar Plum Fairy from their 2011 Christmas collection, Beyond The Mistletoe.

So, picture the scene - I'm in TK Maxx, and the shelves are a mess. If you've been there, you know just what I mean. I had not long finished a loooong day in work, and was very low in energy (and stupidly walked past a Costa without getting myself a coffee). There was only one thing for it. I put my game face on and dived in. Not quite the epic William Wallace Braveheart charge - there was no blue face paint, or me yelling 'you'll never take my POLISH!!!' But still, I had a battle ahead.

In I go, handbag at me feet - my work handbag is one of those magic ones, you shove everything in and it's fine until you go shopping with it. Then it triples in weight. Magic.

I start having a rummage - there were some un-tempting Nails Inc collections in the way, some random-branded box sets of old lady pinks cluttering the shelf and oddly, a pair of shoes. Men's shoes. (I told you it was a mess!) And then, with what felt like bolts of heavenly light coming from the sky (yes, even though it IS of course indoors) I saw them. Color Club Box sets.

Anyone living in the UK will tell you how RARE it is to find Color Club on a shelf here. Rare. I felt like Indiana  Jones finding a hidden treasure.

 Now, I know that this isn't the Glitter Vixen Collection, in fact it seems to be a mix of two separate collections, but who cares? POLISH!!

I did what anyone else would have done. I bought the only two boxes of this they had left. One for me (insert cheesy grin here) and one for Beth.

Want me to upset you and tell you something really wonderful? Yes?? The sets were only £7.99 each. (Insert silly happy dance here!)

Now, I will start with a few swatches, but please be aware that I kind of cheated here. Many of us will know the annoyance of removing glitter polish. You know, the whole foil wrapped around your fingers for five minutes thing - and having your husband mock you because he thinks, that you think, that aliens might be after your nails and the foil will stop them from seeing them?!  Or is that just me and my daft other half?

Because of the time it takes to get it off, I basically slapped on the polish, took very quick photos, and took it off whilst it was still wet. So much easier for the blogging swatchathons, but did leave the odd random glitter particle on my fingers! And yes, I can paint my nails better than these pictures will dictate, but I just wanted to be quick!

Sorry! :)


First up is Sugar Plum Fairy - I spotted this and realised the packaging was labelled incorrectly and that I was be the world's biggest idiot if I didn't buy it immediately.

These photo's don't seem to pick up the beautiful lavender shimmer this has, but this is only two rushed coats. The polish itself is literally packed with chunky holographic glitter. I am in love with this polish. I heart it. I would sell my virtual first-born for it.


Next, is Beyond The Mistletoe - a gorgeous blue holo glitter. This one was slightly thinner, and required three coats in all. Still, its beautiful and I can't wait to wear this one properly.

Finally - for this post at least, I'll show you Gingerbread. Oddly, this is my least favourite of the collection, despite how pretty it is. I think its a psychological thing, as I don't really like gingerbread. The smell, yes. The biscuit/cookie/thingy - not so much.
This is a thinner polish, with what I felt were smaller glitter pieces. However, by this point I had inhaled a lot of nail polish remover fumes...! This was just two coats, but looking back, I could have done with a third.

I'm not sure why I don't love this one, I suppose there has to be one in each collection that makes you go meh! This is mine!

What do you think? Next time, I'll show you Candy Cane, Sexy Siren and Diamond Drops. Those of you eagle-eyed enough to know I missed a polish, the last one in the box is an unlabelled clear polish. I'm running with the assumption that its a top coat.

The moral of this story, is that if you see a Color Club polish set - buy it, and TK Maxx is the home of random and wonderful polish that is particularly bargainous!

Happy polish hunting!!

Love Charlotte x

Claire's Accessories Glitter Holographic

Hi Everyone,

We all know I have a weakness. Well, several actually! But holographic polish is my Kryptonite. I fall over myself for it. (That might just be because I am about as graceful as a house brick, but I'll blame the polish.) I can't pass a holo polish without going weak at the knees. It yells at me until I buy it. And I don't like being shouted at, so I do it and the voices stop...

Working in retail often means you are surrounded by other shops. And other shops mean other things to buy. You get the picture.

I went for a walk on my lunch break. Trying to get more exercise and all that. There is a handy Claire's Accessories about 5 minutes from where I work. That means I had a 10 minute walk. Going into Claire's Accessories was my reward for walking on my break, instead of just lounging around!

And this was my prize!!

Pretty, huh? This was a three coater. I think I could have done with one more, but I didn't notice that until I had left the house and my bottle behind. Doh!

Despite the dinky bottle, application was relatively easy, and the drying time was pretty quick too - which is always a bonus! It dried smooth too, which is always nice with a glitter polish.

The next day, I couldn't bear to take it off. So I got out my nail art pens and added some bling to change the mani instead of just replacing it!

Each nail gained three curved stripes and a black gemstone. Each ring finger got an extra couple of clear gems, but unfortunately it doesn't show so well in the pictures. This makes me think of a comet - the sparkles of the glitter being stars, the gems being the comet and the stripes being the comet's tail!

I hope you like them!

Love Charlotte x

Holographic Upgrade!

Hi Everyone,

We all know by now that I love my holo polishes. And I mentioned last time that the wear wasn't fantastic on my Layla ones. Beeeeeeautiful polishes, but crappy wear - whats a girl to do?

Despite the fact that I love to change my polish more regularly than some people change their socks, I couldn't discard my Mermaid Spell mani after just one day. So I improvised! Clever me, eh? :D

 

I added a new (to me) and instant favourite polish (thanks Beth x). China Glaze (who else?) Senorita Bonita! This was a brain worm for me for ages... yet another purple for my collection! Woot!!  I managed such neatness that is somewhat unusual for me with the use of tape and a shed load of patience. I am one of those idiots people who struggle drawing a straight line whilst using a ruler. So freehanding a straight line on nails - especially on my right hand - is a teensy bit difficult. But this looks pretty good, even if I think so myself. There are even a few cheeky gems in there for good measure! Ooooh shiny and blingy!!

I absolutely loved wearing this mani - both of these colours are certified nail porn (to me at least) and I loved the fact that other people kept staring at my nails. I felt as though I was hypnotising them with my flashy holographic polish. I R Hypnotoad!

Or, maybe not! 

Thanks for reading,

Love Charlotte x

Oh YES! Holographic Nails!!

Hi Everyone!

A few weeks ago, I celebrated my birthday. I'm in my 20's - that's as close as you will get to my real age! And like the dutiful husband he is, the Mr. purchased some wonderful nail polish for me.

So what if I picked them out and pointed at them until he ordered them...? He did it - that's the mani main thing!!

These are my objects of desire and nail lust. Layla Holographic - available from simply occasions - who are currently the only UK stockists.

This is how they arrived. Look!!

 

The first time you order the Layla polishes, you get a free nail file and buffer - to remove all the ridges from your nails.

But what I really loved is the attention to detail in the packaging.

The little bag, the teal crepe paper and the holographic flower sticker! It's just pretty - and it tells me that Simply Occasions is run by someone who takes pride in their work. I like!

Anyway, now the important stuff.

I happily introduce you to Layla Mercury Twilight. The was four quick and easy coats. On first application, I got this horrible sinking feeling - there was no holo! My inner diva started to get all worked up - and let me tell you , that is NOT pretty. But as it started to dry, you could see the holo effect creep across the nail. Happy!!!

This beauty is called Mermaid Spell - I LOVE that name. If I was going to be a mermaid for a day, I would choose a tail in this colour. It's blue, green, pink and orange all at once.
Again, this is about four coats - this time over a white base. I was hoping that the white base reduced the need for so many coats, but for me it didn't. I am not a fan of VNL, and will happily layer on polish to try and avoid it.

I have many many polishes. Many. But these have risen to the top of my favourites tree. The wear is not fantastic, I had minor wear and tear within hours - but they are beautiful. Really stunning. And who can resist nail porn like this? I can't!

So thank you to the Mr. for buying me these treasures.

And thank you to everyone else who bought me polish for my birthday! Those polishes will be getting blog space soon!!

Thanks for reading - now go get your own Holo polishes - these are MINE!!

Charlotte x