China Glaze - Harvest Moon

The weekend at last!

This week has seriously dragged for me, probably because I've been looking forward all week to finally going to see The Hunger Games tonight!

Very excited!

Hopefully I will have sometime between swimming lessons and a trip to the park to to some Katniss inspired nails for the evening, but we shall see!

Today however, I will show you Harvest Moon.

Harvest Moon represents District 9 Grain. It is a beautiful, rich, burnt copper foil.

To me it is a perfect Autumn colour.

I applied two coats and it was an absolute dream to apply.

Just look at it shimmer in the sun!

Really very beautiful.

A x

China Glaze - Fast Track

I was going to show you my black and white nails today for the 31 day nail challenge but my camera has mysteriously stopped cooperating with my laptop so until I can coerce the two into working harmoniously together once again I shall just have to make do with what I've got on the computer already!

I decided I'd start off the Capitol Colors swatches with my personal favourite Fast Track.

Fast Tract is representative of District 6 Transportation. I don't see the link between the colour and the district myself but my goodness this colour is pretty.

It is a nude/beige colour jam packed with shimmering gold flecks. I love my nude shades anyway, but Fast track is something special, especially when the sun hits it!

I have added this to my list of polishes not to wear when driving, so pretty it's actually distracting.

Next time I will show you Harvest Moon, and hopefully I can get the pictures of my black and white nails off my camera to show you this weekend too!

A x

China Glaze Capitol Colors

I love The Hunger Games books.

I was so hooked from page one I read all three books in just under a week. That's quite an accomplishment for me what with school runs to do, lunches to make and finger painting children to clean up after!

I was very excited to get my hands on 8 of the 12 polishes from the China Glaze Capitol Colors collection. I'm still in two minds as to if I really want the other four, the more swatches I see the more they are growing on me, so we'll see if I cave.

Here are the ones I could not resist.

 Fast Track, Smoke & Ashes, Harvest Moon, Luxe & Lush.

Agro, Riveting, Stone Cold, Electrify.

They are all so gorgeous!

I have lots of swatches ready and waiting to post over the next couple of days so you can see for yourself!

A x

31 Day Nail Challenge - Day 6 - Violet Nails

Here is my violet nail offering.

I did these really quick yesterday before going to dinner round my Mum's. I wish I spent a bit longer on them though as I really like them.

I used Avon Matte Nailwear in Violetta but put a layer of Seche Vite over the top. It was the first time I did that and I have to say I like it a lot more when it's glossy! 

A x

Nail Polish Tag and NOTN

I saw this Nail Polish Tag over at Makeup Savvy and fancied giving it a go!

1. Whats your favourite Nail polish Company?
High end I'd have to say OPI because of their near constant stream of gorgeous colours, and drug store is Barry M.

2. Glitter or no glitter?
Glitter! I love glitter so much I don't even mind the hassle of taking it off after.
It's so worth it.

3. OPI, China Glaze or Essie?
I've never really paid much attention to Essie and don't own any of their polishes. Between the other two it's a hard choice, I love OPIs range but I prefer China Glaze prices! But if they were both on a shelf in front of me I'd go for OPI first.

4. When do you change your nail polish?
Usually every other day-ish. But if I've done a design I particularly like then I'll keep it on until it chips!

5. What's your favourite colour on your nails?
Bright corals and pinks. Just love 'em.

6. Darks or Brights?
Both. You can't make me pick.
I like Brights for summer days and darks for winter and nights out.

7. What are you wearing on your nails right at this moment?
I'm still wearing my blue nail design for the 31 day challenge, although it chipped this morning so it'll be gone by the end of the day!

8. Matt Nails, in or out?
In. I like them.

9. French Manicure?
The one and only time I've worn one was for my wedding and I'm in no particular rush to have it done again. It looks classy and elegant when done well and if the occasion calls for it again I'll do it, but there are far too many more interesting ways to paint my nails!

10. Favourite summer colours?

I like brights in the summer! Coral is my absolute favourite but I love bright pinks, purples and blues too.

Nail of the Night.

Friday night I went out for one to two too many drinks with some friends to celebrate my best friends fiances birthday.
I wore this dress from River Island so obviously it was an opportunity for studded nails that I just couldn't miss!

I took these pictures yesterday before taking them off so they are a bit worse for wear but you can't get the general jist.
I bought these studs from Superdrug a while a go. I used two coats Avon Nailwear Pro in Golden witch, then China Glaze No-Chip Topcoat. I then used the little stick provided with the studs to position and press the studs into the topcoat whilst it was still wet and finished with Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat.
They lasted through a night out and helping a friend move house on Saturday!
I was impressed!

A x

Boots 17 Spring Petal

So as you know I bought the new spring shades from Boots 17 the other week.
I showed you Juicy in my 31 Day Challenge Day 4 post and now I'm going to show you Spring Petal.

It's. So. Pretty!

Spring Petal is a pinky coral with pink shimmer. It's so difficult to describe and even more difficult to photograph but I shall try to explain it best I can.
It almost changes colour in different lights. Sometimes it appears to be and more of an orange pink which kinda glows and other times it's a soft pink coral with an understated but gorgeous none the less pink shimmer. It's just. So. Pretty!

This is the best I could get to try capture the shimmer and it really doesn't do it enough justice!

I have Glisten to show you too and as I predicted, I did go back to get Mellow Yellow.
I just couldn't resist.

A x

31 Day Nail Challenge - Day 5 - Blue Nails

Day 5 of the challenge called for blue nails and the blue I choose was Nails Inc Tudor Way.

I do love a navy blue and this is such a gorgeous one.

I have done these nails before several times, I just love the combination of colours and the pattern so much. It was inspired by my daughter swimming costume!

Here's a nice grainy picture of the first time I did these nails with the swim suit in the background.

For the polka dots I used Boots 17 Mini Skirt. The flowers are Barry M Shocking Pink and Boots 17 Fairy Cake and for the leaves I used Barry M Spring Green.

I'm going to be so sad to take these off!

A x

31 Day Nail Challenge - Day 4 - Green Nails

I have not had the best of weeks!

Started off well with my parents wedding anniversary (33 years and zero fatalities, now that's something to aspire to!) and has gone down hill what with my own worsening knee injury, the Mini-Tips taking it in turns to get ill and then finally (I hope!?) my best friends bike which Mr GT was borrowing, was stolen from our back garden last night. 

Whilst we were home! 

Bastards.

Anywhoo!

I hobbled to town and shopped away my misery. I came away with three of the four new shades Boots 17 have bought out for the spring. I only got three because they were on 3 for 2 in Boots and I wasn't overly keen on the Yellow. I'll probably end up going back for it anyway but that's besides the point. I bought three this time and one of them was Juicy.

Hello Juicy.

Juicy is a bright, yellowy-lime green with shimmer.

It's the the most perfect spring green I've seen yet, it reminds me of fresh shoots and buds and I love it!

You can see the shimmer a bit better in the next photo but I've included a close up too!

Yum!

I am just about to paint my nails with another of the Boots 17 spring shades so I'll post some pics soon!

A x

New Nail Polish Storage.

I've been meaning to find a more practical way of storing my nail polishes for months now. I'd been keeping them in a large vanity/wash bag I bought last year from Peacocks but it wasn't working out. The more nail polishes I got the harder it became to find what I wanted when it came to painting my nails, and it was quickly filled up to the point where I struggled to close it.

So I've been keeping an eye out for a while, I wanted something quite small, but obviously with enough room to accommodate my growing collection and space to spare. Not an entirely unreasonable list of demands but I was beginning to think that no such thing existed. Until I found this in Wilkinsons!

It ain't pretty, but it works!

Most of my collection has gone into the bottom draw.

Starting from the back I've got my Barry M's, GOSH, Nails Inc, Accessorize, Models Own, 17, Studio, George, Avon, M&S, Evie Glam, Topshop, No7 LE's, and Two Eyekos that fit nicely in each corner.

Next draw up is a few random lonely polishes, minitures and ones that are too tall to stand up.

These include Famous by Sue Moxley, Look Nail Pop, NYC, Blaze, Rimmel, Max Factor, O.P.I, Nails Inc, China Glaze, Revlon, Lacura, POP, No7, Orly and W7.

In the very top draw I have put top coats, remover, nail art pens and brushes etc, acrylic paints, nail files and my colour wheels.

I also have a case which for the moment sits under my dressing table holding things like spare remover, hand creams, orange sticks, nail files blah blah blah, but that's not very interesting!

So there you have it, my new storage.

Hope this post wasn't too dull!

Ax

31 Day Nail Challenge - Day 3 - Yellow Nails

Any one seen Despicable Me?

If you have then you probably know what I am about to show you.

Yep. Minion nails!

I can't explain to you how much joy these nails have brought me, or how many times Mr GT has rolled his eyes at me when I've been caught making them dance. They are quite possibly my most favorite nails I have ever done!

The yellow I used was Barry M Lemon Ice Cream. Then I used GOSH Blue Balloon for the tips, Models Own Nail Art Pen, 17 Moonstruck and Mini Skirt for the black, silver and white details and 17 Fairy Cake for the little pink tongues.

Source

Love 'em!

Ax

31 Day Nail Challenge - Day 2 - Orange Nails

I only owned one orange nail polish before this, I bought it for Halloween and I'm not overly keen on it so I wasn't feeling very inspired to use it.

However, whilst in Boots having a mooch around the No7 counter itching to spend my spare £5 voucher I came across No7's Stay Perfect Nail Colour in Tangy.

Orangey goodness.

I decided to add some gold in the form of Barry M Instant Effects Crackle Gold, GOSH Gold for the polka dots and Accessorize Illusion Nail Polish in Gold Dust.

A x

31 Day Nail Challenge - Day 1 - Red Nails

It is a very rare occasion that I wear red on my nails.

 I own a few reds but, apart from Barry M Red Black they only ever really get a look in around Christmas, so I made a conscious effort to use a red that I have yet to wear.

This is 'Poppy' by Studio London. I was bought this as part of a set for Christmas but I didn't like it on it's own so decided to add a bit of interest with polka dots and glitter. 

What's not to love?

I'm definitely going to be bringing out the reds more often now that I have realised how much I neglect the poor blighters. And before my husband realises there are unused nail polishes in my collection!

A x

31 Day Challenge

I have been umming and ahhing for a while about starting this blog off with the 31 day challenge, I didn't want to start something I might not be able to keep up with and a new mani everyday for 31 days is a rather large commitment time wise. However I have decided to go ahead, not doing it daily but weekly instead. Much more manageable I feel.

So, I'm sure everyone knows what the challenge entails but I'll pop a reminder up anyway!

Oh my.

Right so day one is Red Nails. I better get on that. 

A x