SWATCHES: Nails Inc // Nail Spice Set

I saw this in TK Maxx for £12.99 and stayed strong however a few weeks later I was there again and caved because it's such a cute set! I'm also a sucker for ombre shades.

The Nail Spice set was released October 2021 with a retail price of £22.

Pudding Lane // Off-White Pink Taupe Creme

Coats: 2

Nails Inc have reused this name as it used to be a blue glitter polish from the early 2010's. I found this be on the streaky/runny side making it somewhat difficult to apply. I'm a big fan of off-white shades though so this will be going on my favourites shelf. 

2 coats can still be a bit streaky but it's not the end of the world.

Bread Street // Neutral Dusty Pink Creme

Coats: 2

I am in love with this polish. It's hard to imagine this looking bad on any skin tone. It's one of those perfect, autumn mauve dusty shades. Like Pudding Lane, it's quite runny with streaks making it slightly annoying to apply but all is forgiven on that second coat.

Honey Lane // Neutral Dusty Peach Creme

Coats: 2

This is an amazing shade that could be used for any time of the year. It pairs incredibly well with Bread Street. I can see all of these shades being used in a nude art deco look. This one is also a perfect match for my skin tone and would provide the best base for nude nails with neon decorations.

This one had the best formula so far, slightly thicker and less streaky.

Nutmeg Lane // Deep Terracotta Creme

Coats: 2

I like this shade however I wish it was more brown-ish and resembled actual gingerbread which has more of an orange tint to it. it was also the easiest to apply and you could get away with one coat but I did 2 just to smooth everything out. This is a proper cosy autumn shade and stamps really well. 

// Overall

This set is advertised as being "gingerbread scented" which is perfect for the autumn/winter seasons however there is no scent. To me it just smells like nail polish with a slight sweetener aroma somewhere. 

On the box it says you should fill in your thumb and pinkie with Pudding Lane, Bread Street to your index, Honey Lane on the middle and Nutmeg Lane on the ring finger for "on trend ombre look". So that's what I did:

I think the shades tonally match each other well and you can create some fantastic nail art however this set should have a 5th dark brown shade to complete it. 

Nails Inc // Nail Spice Set // £22

Tropical Terracotta // Tropical Leaves with Nude Background

This look was inspired by a painted plant pot I saw on pinterest! I was swatching some new Barry M shades I got and I thought Honeysuckle would make the perfect background for the dark blue and white and I was right! It's just neutral and soft enough to provide the perfect contrast.

I started off with Honeysuckle as the base then stamped on the designs from one my favourite paradise plates. Followed by some gold dots and topped off with a matte top coat.

Polishes/Tools Used:

Base:

- Barry M Gelly Hi-Shine // Honeysuckle (terracotta)

Stamping:

- MoYou London // Midnight Madness (dark blue)

- Twinkled T // Glow Up (white)

- L'Oreal Color Riche // L'Or (gold)

- MoYou London // Paradise 01 Stamping Plate

Top:

- Barry M // Matte Top Coat

 

Pastel Paradise // Tropical Summer Nail Look

So I did these nails whilst swatching my latest Essence haul (swatches here) and I knew they'd all go beautifully together to create some wonder tropical looks; including this one!

This was pretty easy but the large brush on Essence polishes make it hard to free-hand circles and shapes cleanly (especially as the formula is a bit gloopy). But it turned out fine in the end.

I started off with 2 layers of Sugar Blush, then placed random splotches of Bubble Trouble followed by Isn't She Minty. The stamps are from Paradise 01 using Ghosted and then I used a dotting tool to place random dots of Don't Leaf Me and Swirl Pool. I topped it off with a layer of Smudge Proof top coat, and then a matte top coat.

I think using a dark grey instead of black made this much better.

Polishes/Tools Used:

- Essence // 05 Sugar Blush (sheer pink), 40 Isn't She Minty (light green), 04 Bubble Trouble (pastel pink)

- Essence // 42 Swirl Pool (blue), 19 Don't Leaf Me (teal green)

- Twinkled T // Smokey (dark grey)

- MoYou London // Paradise 01 Stamping Plate

- MoYou London // Smudge Proof Top Coat

- Barry M // Matte Top Coat

Match That Mani // Strange Bird Cleanser

This look came about when I was in the shower one day and using my favourite cleanser. I've always loved the design on the bottle and have been wanting to do a matching look for a while.

I didn't want an all white base for this look and finally settled on Cuccio - Mystery in Milan however as I started painting I could smell the tell tale sign of formaldehyde. I managed to peel back the little on sticker on the bottom and yep, it's barely even 1 free. The shade isn't even that old. It's a shame as I like the shade and it doesn't have the black specks in it that all new Cuccio shades have but I hate the smell.

Anyway, this was a super quick look to do. Just 2 coats of Mystery in Milan followed by some lines in Cantaloupe first, then some more detailed stamps in Ghosted. I topped it off with a smudge proof top coat. 

I then added a matte top coat as I can never decide between matte or glossy. 

I'm glad I went with an off-white base though as I think the pure white would of slightly ruined the look. This way it also looks like a chic fall look as well.

Polishes & Tools:

Base:

- Cuccio // Mystery In Milan (off white)

Stamping:

- H&M // Cantaloupe (orange)

- Twinkled T // Smokey (dark grey)

- MoYou London // Artist 29 Plate

Top:

- MoYou London // Smudge Proof Top coat

- Barry M // Matte Top Coat

SWATCHES: OPI // Orange You A Rockstar & V-I-Pink Passes

Found recently in TK Maxx for £2.99 each. I already have what feels like 1000 pink/peach polishes but I just can't stop buying them.

Orange You A Rockstar // pink/peach satin crelly

Collection: Neon

Release: Summer 2019

Coats: 3

I love the formula on this; it's a crelly and super easy to apply but it has a satin finish so it can leave streaks if you overwork it.

I wouldn't really call this a neon due to how sheer it is. After 3 coats I can still see my nail tips slightly peaking through. I think the satin finish is a disservice to this polish though; I love it with a super plumping top coat.

V-I-Pink Passes // magenta satin crelly

Collection: Neon

Release: Summer 2019

Coats: 3

This one is much brighter and more in the neon realm. It also has a crelly satin formula which I think all of them in this range do. I also have Dance Party Teal Dawn which I swatched here.

Watch out when removing as this really stains the skin and edges of the nails. It took me a while to get it all off.