With Love // Birchbox February 2020 Nails

This took a while to get up on the blog mainly because for some reason Hermes delivered the box to my old address this month for no particular reason. It wasn't an exciting box but the hand cream is nice and I got another sample of the Sand & Sky exfoliator which was a repeat product but I actually love that product so I'm quite happy.

I wanted to match the box exactly however, I couldn't find any hearts of the right size and when I eventually settled on a heart stamp I had difficulty getting a clean stamp with the Born Pretty and MoYou polishes. At this point I'm thinking of just buying all the polishes from Twinkled T as they're the only ones that work perfectly.

Polishes/Tools used:-
- Jessica // Cheeky (pink nude)
- Born Pretty // 1787 (red)
- MoYou London // Candy Floss (light pink)
- Twinkled T // Glow Up (white)
- Revlon Colorstay Gel Envy // Diamond Top Coat
- MoYou London Stamping Plates // Love Is...04, 02

Bohemian Birds // Dark Blue & Gold Bird Feather Design

Oh my god, what happened to October? I blinked and it's gone and I only did 1 Halloween look...cue the see no evil monkey emoji;  🙈.

I won't lie though, I barely did any nail art last month mainly due to work and just overall lack of motivation to do anything really. It's harder than I thought, moving away from everyone and everything that you know so well and you've just gotta get on with it. When I was younger, I moved to Dubai to work for Emirates and it was very different as I was 22, and we were all in the same boat (or plane) in that we were single girls, ready to party and surrounded by lots of great things to do. Here, even though I'm in the same country as my family again (just a 3 hour drive away) it's even lonelier because everyone I work with is married with kids and there is nothing around for miles and miles. I program at work, go home, program at home, watch Minecraft videos and sleep...rinse repeat. I love doing my nails though but I'm starting to become overwhelmed with all the different things I could do thanks to my inability to stop buying nail products so I think I'm going to do a no nail spend November...it's going to be so hard...especially if MoYou release a new collection and you just know they're going to.

Anyway, these nails are inspired by a shower gel I bought from TK Maxx by a brand called Sara Miller. I honestly thought it was one of TK's in house brands however you can buy this shower gel at John Lewis for £15!

It smells wonderful though and lathers into a thick and creamy foam. I'm super impressed and I'll keep my eye out for other things by Sara Miller now. I'd love to make some nail oil in this scent though. I already have the vanilla but just need to invest in some good Tuberose and Sandalwood essential oil.

Polishes/Tools Used:-

- Jessica // Bohemian Rhapsody (dark blue)
- Barry M Liquid Chrome // Bright Lights (gold metallic)

- Essie  // Platinum Grade Top Coat
- Harunouta Plate // ?? ( I can't remember right now)
- MoYou London Plate // Princess 04

Safari 'Teal Dawn // Clairestelle8 August Challenge 2019

My first entry for a Clairestelle8 challenge in months! Granted I've already missed a few for August and the Safari one was supposed to be out on the 13th but you know work'n'stuff so here it is:

I love this look. I wanted to do something a little different than all the orange sunset looks as they look great but I feel it's the obvious choice when you think of a safari mani. So I went for an 'almost' dark look with the moon rising in the sky. The gradient turned out perfectly and here is shot on it's on because it's beautiful and could be the base for so many other designs. Galaxy forest at night, canyon, desert road trip...endless.

I used one the new Nicole Diary plates as well as some Nicole diary stamping polishes and I'm pleasantly surprised. The white isn't completely opaque but I'm actually ok with that for this look because I didn't want the moon to be super bright. The plate has a load of interesting scenes on it from the safari to grass with bunnies, dense trees and mountains with dragons. There are also some great individual animal designs and solo trees to help flesh out your scene. For £2 off eBay I couldn't ask for more.

How I did it:-
I did the gradient on bare nails (2 coats) using Bohemian Rhapsody, Dance Party 'Teal Dawn, Take me to Heaven and Monoi; then applied a layer of top coat. Once that was dry I used a dotting tool and some of the white polish to create little stars and stamped on the image of the moon. Then, I placed the safari scene with the elephants, lion and tree on my thumb being extras I added to fill in the gaps. I then added another layer of top coat to seal it all in.

Polishes/Tools Used:

- Jessica // Bohemian Rhapsody (dark navy)

- OPI // Dance Party 'Teal Dawn (bright teal)
- Essence Shine Last & Go // Take me to Heaven (baby blue)
- H&M // Monoi (citrus green)
- Nicole Diary // Black Knight (black), Born Perfect (white)
- Avon Mark. // Gel Shine Top Coat

- Nicole Diary // L10 Plate

MATCH THAT MANI // Kitsch Blush-Mauve Hair Ties

So, because I love stealing designs from life, I'm starting a new section called "match that mani" to well, match that mani to life and eventually I'm hoping to start doing videos as well (if I ever finish this degree lol). First up we have these hair ties from Kitsch because god damn if they don't look cute and who doesn't love a simple ombre mani?

The colour match isn't great...clearly a sign I need to buy more polish. I wanted to do a little more than just a simple ombre...who knows I may end up stamping on top...I can never resist.

I almost don't even want to use these they're so cute. I chose them in my Latest In Beauty box for March and they had a set of black/grey as well but I loved these ones the most. I was hoping they wouldn't sell out by my next order date so I could get both but they did.

I kind of like the simplicity of the look though. I normally don't wear just polish on its own on my 'main' hand. The colours remind me of Neapolitan ice cream. Oh I should put ice cream stamps on it....don't ruin it girl...

Ok it didn't ruin it and it looks hella cute.

Bless, this stamping plate was also the first one I ever bought. I stuck a matte top coat on as well and the colour match is much better now as well. I also didn't use a white stamping polish...oh no I used OPI Alpine Snow which, as I discovered in this post, is one of the greatest white stamping polishes ever! It's weak as hell painted on but stamping is perfect. I also love how it doesn't smudge under a matte top coat.

Polishes/Tools Used:-
- Ciaté // Prima Ballerina (grey/mauve)

- Cuccio Colour// I Wonder Where (light grey)

- MoYou London Polish // Teenage Blush (dark pink)
- MoYou London Polish // One and Only (light pink)
- Jessica // Tease (pale pink)
- OPI // Alpine Snow (white)
- Barry M // Matte Top Coat
- Born Pretty Plate // BP-L076

Spotlights // Look Fantastic March 2019 Nails

Aaannnndd I finally got round to doing this months Look Fantastic nails. I really thought I was going to miss it this month due to Uni deadlines but I got them done. Hopefully I'll be a little more organised next month. I was also trying to figure out how I could do this design without going to abstract. 

I'm pretty pleased with the outcome; it's not exactly like the box but without a printer I don't think I would've got exactly there. I'm also very happy with this months contents as well! Apart from the Morphe (which I gave away immediately; I can't stand that brand) every other product was pretty good. I haven't tried The Ordinary serum, Madara Face mask or Omorovicza Cleanser yet but I love EOS balms (they're my favourite) and the Rituals hand balm is actually very nice. At £13, I couldn't have bought them any cheaper.

On to the nails though. I started out with a white base coat then sponged on a few layers of Fresh Blue, Bohemian Rhapsody, Orchid Chic and Jam Sesh in a diagonal pattern. After a layer of top coat, I then layered on the white stripe using Blanc, followed with a matte top coat.

It actually took me a while to find a white polish that was sheer enough to create that layered looking effect. I thought Alpine Snow by OPI would be perfect as it's milky AF and needs around 7 coats to become opaque; but no, it turned out to be one of the best white stamping polishes I've used...who'd have thought? I've finally found a use for it.

Polishes/Tools Used:-
- NYC Expert Last // Fresh Blue (primary blue)

- Jessica // Bohemian Rhapsody (dark denim blue)

- MoYou London Polish // Orchid Chic (purple)
- Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear // Jam Sesh (lavender)
- Essie // Blanc (white)
- Barry M // Matte Top Coat
- Born Pretty Plate // Geometry L001

SWATCHES: Jessica // Tease, Confident Coral & Cherrywood

So I received these three beauties in this months Latest in Beauty box. I don't normally talk about this box here because they rarely feature polishes (the last time was these three Morgan Taylor polishes; incidentally my introduction to that brand) but I was happy to see these in the line up this month and dutifully waited until they were added. 

Basically LIB works like this; you can pay £9, £15 or £18 a month and that will enable you to choose either 3, 6 or 9 products from their line up of around 150 products. They add something new everyday (sometimes more than one product if it's the same brand). I've been subbed on and off for around 2 years now and have recently gone back up to the 9 product sub as I like ordering things I'm about to run out of like face masks and hand creams. They also have some ridiculously priced items up for grabs and every box I make is at least worth triple the price.

I only have two Jessica shades right now and love both of them so I snapped these up straight away.

Tease // Pale Dusty Pink Creme

Oh man this is a beautiful shade. This is one of those perfect nudes that will literally suit any skintone. Also, thanks to it's glossy almost gel-like shine, it's perfect in just one coat. If you prefer a little more colour you can add a second coat (I'm wearing two in the swatch) but one is just as good. I feel this would be a perfect wedding shade as well and I can imagine some light lace stamped on top in an off white.

Confident Coral // Bright Orange Red Creme

This is an amazing bright shade that's slightly sheer but in a good way. Unfortunately I don't feel it quite suits my skintone as I prefer cooler toned shades but I don't hate it because of that. I'll definitely be able to use this in Halloween mani's. I think this would work for some great bright summer looks; miami vice style. 

Cherrywood // Deep Blood Red Creme

Now this is my kinda red. This is practically identical to Dangerous Affair by Ciaté but a lot shinier. It needs at least two coats but every layer just adds more depth. I kinda love how all these shades are slightly sheer. It makes me want to try them out over a black base coat with a white design stamped on top to see if it produces that sheer colour look like some Jelly polishes do.

// Verdict

Such a great selection although I'm not sure if I should be calling them cremes due to the sheer factor. It does make me desperately want their new Tea Party collection though but they're £9 each on NPD *ugh*. 

Latest In Beauty

Crystal Healing // Pink Gradient with Purple Crystals

Look 2 of my self-imposed Mani & Lola challenge to do at least 5 looks using that months polish. On my little sheet, I simply scribbled down "Jessica & Razzle Dazzle Chrome". I was thinking chevrons but then when I was rooting through my plates I saw the Crystal plate and was like "oh yes." 

This didn't turn out exactly how I wanted it to however I did manage to paint inside the lines for the most part when reverse stamping which is a first for me; I did really take my time though. The gradient turned out quite well and I was really shocked by the pigmentation of the Essence polishes. They only cost £1.69 each but every time I use them they surprise me; I'm definitely going to have to go get some more. 

How I did it:-

I started off with a base coat of Cheeky and then sponged on 2 layers of Cheeky, Rosewood Forest and Perfect Match. After a quick dry top coat I picked up the crystal designs with Razzle Dazzle and then filled them in with Fly Away whilst they were still on the stamper. As this takes a while, I applied a layer of top coat, waited about 40 seconds and then stamped them on. I double stamped the writing and then just used another design from the Crystal plate on my middle finger.

Polishes/Tools Used:-
- Jessica // Cheeky (pale pink)

- Essence The Gel Polish // Rosewood Forest (pink mauve)

- Essence The Gel Polish // Perfect Match (salmon pink)
- Barry M Liquid Chrome // Razzle Dazzle (metallic ice pink)
- Ciaté // Fly Away (purple)

- Revlon // Quick Dry Top Coat
- Revlon // Colorstay Gel Envy Diamond Top Coat
- Barry M // Matte Top Coat

- MoYou London Stamping Plate // Crystal 01

Serene Forest // Pink & Green Woodland Scene

I just received some new Born Pretty & Harunouta plates off eBay and one of the ones I chose was this woodland scene plate which has an assortment of forest trees and little creatures on it. Originally, I only started off with the pink to green gradient and was fully intent on using some rose gold geometric prints on top but something stirred in my imagination and persuaded me to go ahead and create a misty woodland scene.

I'm super happy with how this looks, the forest looks calm and peaceful with the light green (Lake) almost giving off this mist quality as the shade between the pink and bright green. 

How I did it:-

I started off with one coat of Cheeky and then sponged on a couple layers of Cheeky, Lake & Ness. After a layer of top coat, I then used Stone and the BP-L011 plate to create the trees and deer. Stone isn't the best stamping polish as it breaks up with intricate details, but I like how it wasn't completely opaque for this design. I then added a layer of top coat and then a layer of matte top coat (as the matte one always smears the design).

Polishes/Tools Used:-
- Jessica // Cheeky (pale pink)

- Zoya // Lake (pale mint)

- Zoya // Ness (pastel apple green)
- Nailberry // Stone (grey)

- Revlon // Quick Dry Top Coat
- Revlon // Colorstay Gel Envy Diamond Top Coat
- Barry M // Matte Top Coat

- Born Pretty Stamping Plate // BP-L011

Mani & Lola January 2019 // Nail Subscription Box

Finally, I'm here with the Mani & Lola January 2019 box! It's been a wild ride this month, with not one but two messed up nail polish orders this month. The first was from a haul and this package was the second. I knew something was up the moment the delivery guy handed me the parcel as I got a strong whiff of nail polish. As I opened the package, it got stronger and then I noticed the polish all inside the box :( 

It only took me around 20 minutes to clean up the other polishes but the Jessica bottle had smashed completely so there was no saving it. However, Mani & Lola sent me a replacement polish the next day. So thank you to them for excellent and swift customer service.

When I first saw this box, I wasn't that impressed as the colours just didn't seem to match each other. You've got these two lovely neutral "new year, new me" shades from Jessica and Barry M but then you've got these bright red and green shades practically screaming

But, my opinion changed pretty quickly as I started using them and I'm going to stick to my self-made Mani & Lola challenge that I made last year; to make at least 5 designs using these shades (I've already done two, go me!). Let's get into the box!

// ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ //

Jessica // Cheeky (14.8ml - £4.95)

This shade caused me a few problems this month but in the end I'm happy to report that this is a fantastic shade to add to your collection. It's a beautiful pale pink creme that's ready in two coats. This shade and Razzle Dazzle pair really well together and produce wonderful Valentines-esque looks:

When researching this shade, I found that Nail Polish Direct sells it for £4.95, whereas it's £11 on the official Jessica website so if you're interested, make sure you get it from NPD (which, I found out this week, owns Mani & Lola).

Will it stamp? // Surprisingly it actually stamps quite well. It looks thin and runny on the plate but has good pigment. I think it may look a little washed out on darker colours, but it does well on light/pastel shades.

// ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ //
Barry M Liquid Chrome // Razzle Dazzle (10ml - £3.99)

I wasn't expecting much from this shade, but holy moly, I think it's become one of my favourite stamping shimmers. This is a stunning true icy pink shimmer and stamps as good as any dedicated stamping polish. There are three other shades in this range and I think I might have to go buy them if they all stamp this well. 

That said I'm a little disappointed at the state of this polish. It looks like it's been pre-owned and thrown around quite a bit. The cap is all scratched with chips and the barcode label looks like it was dipped in water as half the information on it is missing. It looks like I picked it up from a carboot sale for 50p. 

Other than that, this is a solid shade. It only needs one coat and I just love the Barry M brushes as they fan perfectly across the nail. I rarely have to do cleanup when I use a BM shade. 

Will it stamp? // Yes! And perfectly so.

// ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ //
Nailberry // Pop My Berry (15ml - £14.50)

My God, there's red and then there's RED. This shade reminds me heavily of Ciaté's Boudior (you can see a swatch here) and it's quite strange that they both have bedroom themed names....

Names aside, I wouldn't wear this by itself as I've never been a bright red person. I prefer darker crimsons and oxblood-esque shades but I was impressed with the application. The brush is similar to the Barry M ones and I found it easy to apply with minimum mess. I'm wearing two coats but that's only because I could slightly see my nail tips peaking through. One coat is definitely wearable though as there is no streaking in sight. I could see some nice Valentines look being created with this and the Jessica shade.

Will it stamp? // Yes, but it looks much darker and is no where near as bright or vivid. But it handles detail well .

// ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ //

Zoya // Ness (15ml - £6.95)

I won't lie, I saw this shade in the reveal post and hated it the most. However, now I'm wearing it....I really like it. It's a different kind of green to what I was expecting. Apparently this is from the Zoya 2016 Summer Sunsets collection and I can totally see that. It's kind of one those pastel-ly 80/90's vibes shades that you would see on a Miami Vice poster. It's muted and subdued and kinda perfect for the upcoming spring months.

Also, I've seen a few comments saying that a lot don't really enjoy Zoya, and I know what they mean as often they're thin and streaky, with at least 3-4 layers needed. But this one is much thicker and you can almost get away with one coat. I'm really impressed. 

Will it stamp? // Yes, actually. I know I'm shocked. It's a little translucent in some places but the pattern doesn't break on intricate details and it holds up pretty well against bright/darker colours.

// ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ //
Orly // Won't Chip Top Coat (9ml - £5.95)

Like the Jessica shade, this is being sold cheaper from NPD than on Orly's website so I've linked the cheapest. I was looking forward to using this, however, this is not the best top coat I've ever used. I don't think anything can replace my Revlon Colorstay Diamond top coat but this tried. Even with a big drop on the top, it still caused stamping designs to smear and in some just removed the stamping completely. It also doesn't give that great a shine. I may use this on top of swatches on my swatch wheels but I won't be rushing out to replace it.

Price of Box - £22.95

Number of Items - 6 

Estimated Worth - £36.34

When I first got this box I wasn't all that happy. There seemed to be no theme to the polishes, other than they're all vegan, and it kind of annoyed me that they seemed out of place with each other. However, after trying them all out I've grown to really like the shades; even the bright red one. The estimated worth isn't that high again, however, if I were to buy these all separately, I'd practically be getting the Nailberry polish for free which is ok I guess (I just love the design of those bottles). 

I'm hoping that the shades next month kind of match each other a little more and we get some more nail tools. This month the extra item was a nail buffer/file but I'd love to see some stamping plates or decals; something different. 

Looks I've done using these shades:-

- Serene Forest // Pink & Green Woodland Scene
- Crystal Healing // Pink Gradient with Purple Crystals