Summer Nail Challenge - Day 7

Today is Day 7 of Makeup Savvy's Nail Challenge and todays theme is neon nails, if you don't know what I am talking about then you can see more info on, or if you want to get involved yourself you can find all the information HERE.  I also did the challenge yesterday so if you want to see my glitter nail post then you can HERE.

Today's theme is Neon which I think is a perfect theme for the summery months because I always think that those girls who can rock a neon nail look on holiday or just during the summer months in general, always looks amazing.  But I have been a little resistant to try this out because I am always afraid of them looking to over the top, but I have tried this design as a way to try and break myself into the bright coloured nail trend for this summer and future summers to come.

I tried to stay away from the typical highlighter shades of orange, yellow, pink and green as I wanted to try out some other colours and show that neon nails can be worn, even if you are slightly afraid of the fluorescent colours that are traditional worn as neon.  Instead of using one neon shade I have opted for a few different colours and shades because I think this adds an extra bit of interest to the nails.  Also the design sort of combats the bright colour (well in my mind anyway) because the pattern is a bit more eye-catching than the bright colours themselves, if you see where I'm coming from, as you notice the pattern and multiple colours rather than simply being overwhelmed by one neon colour.

On my thumb I have used this bright pink shade from the 17 vintage collection which I got ages ago, but I love this colour because it is such an unusual shade of pink.  Not the traditional neon or bubblegum pink put a softer bright pink which I haven't found anywhere else.  This is a very girly colour but I think it is also a very good alternative if you are not into the pastel pinks that are in at the moment because it is a nice compromise between a pastel and a neon.  This applied very well and within 2 coats was completely opaque, so that is a definite bonus in my books.

On my index finger I have used this bright orange colour, which is probably the brightest colour that is in this design, and in my collection.  It is from the Miss Sporty Clubbing Colours range number 303 which can be found in Boots and Superdrug.  I Miss Sporty polishes because they have such good pigmentation and last a really long time on the nails, and the best part, they are extremely affordable as they are only £1.99 and for that price you get 7ml of product.  This also applied amazingly as it dries really quickly and only required 2 coats, after being nearly opaque enough to leave it after 1 coat!

My middle finger is a bright corally pinky orange colour, which I don't think is being show up true to colour in the photo as it is even brighter in real life.  This is colour is by Nails Inc and is called Copacabana, but unfortunately I don't think this is still available to buy because it was part of a deal in Boots last summer where you brought 2 products and got this free.  In my opinion it is the perfect summer shade, being a bright coral I would have thought this would only look nice on tanned skin, but in fact it looks gorgeous on any skin tone and I think this is something really nice about this product.  This required 2-3 coats as it is a slightly thinner product, but again it dried relatively quickly meaning it was not too much of a problem.

My ring finger is in this bright canary yellow colour, which is another Miss Sporty Clubbing Colours Nail varnish number 453.  This is a bright yellow, but not the kind of highlighter neon yellow which I like because it is much more wearable than that fluorescent yellow colour.  When I first bought this I was worried about when and wear I would be able to wear this but actually I was pleasantly surprised when I wore this a couple of weeks ago and got lot of complements about the shade of yellow and how unusual it was, so maybe check this out if you are interested in a new yellow nail varnish.  Again the application on this was really quick and easy and only required 2 coats at the max as this product is very opaque.  But I would warn you that it applies a slightly stronger colour than in the bottle so not be afraid if this happens when you first apply the product.

Finally on my little finger I have used the Sally Hansen nail varnish in colour Orange you Cute number 450 which is a bright pink, but this is a slightly red pink so it is not your typical pink colour.  This means it is slightly brighter than your average pink but not too over the top, instead it is just a really nice colour that is the perfect summer shade.  I have to admit that when I bought this Sally Hansen was not really readily available where I live, but I now know that they have started to stock this in Superdrug when I last went in.  But this nail varnish was actually brought in Poundland, for £1! It is such an unusual colour and an absolute bargain, so when you are next in your nearest pound land keep your eyes open for any nail varnish.  This applied well too and only required 2 coats to get this opacity.

Today's challenge has been a bit more of a challenge for me than maybe a few others as I don't often wear these kind of neon colours but this combination has really inspired me to wear more bright colours this summer without feeling worried of looking over the top.

If you have entered todays challenge feel free to leave a link to your blog in the comments section below, or feel free to email or tweet your photos to me, all information on how to contact me can be found on the right side of my blog.  If you haven't entered today feel free to head on over to Makeup Savvy's page to see tomorrows category HERE and see if you are up for the challenge on Day 8.

Summer Nail Challenge - Day 6

So I realise a challenge should start at Day 1 but after seeing the post only yesterday I decided that its better to be late than never.  I have decided to do Makeup Savvy's 15 day challenge which if you want more info on, or if you want to get involved yourself you can find all the information HERE.

Okay so today's theme was glitter and I wanted to do a summery design that is appropriate for the summer holiday season, if you are going away or staying at home I think that this is something that everyone can wear, no matter where you are this summer.  I was contemplating using the models own glitter in Ibiza Mix which is a very summery polish but as I have already used that in a few of my reviews and posts which you can see HERE if you wish, I decided to use another combination which is equally as summery.



I have recently done a post on the MaxFactor Mini Polish Dazzling Blue - number 14 -  which you can read HERE if you want to find more information about the product and what I thought of it.  I think it is the perfect summery blue that is not too over the top, so everyone can use this for what ever summer event you may be attending this month.  This polish doesn't have any glitter in it but makes a gorgeous base, especially as it catches the light and changes colour which I think is a lovely combination with the glitter which also sparkles in the light.

I then decided to add a blue glitter colour on top as to keep with the blue theme, and for this I chose NYC's Lights, Camera, Glitter - number 105 - which is one of my favourite glitter polishes to date.  When I first saw this polish I was instantly drawn to all the glitter suspended in the polish, this was an instant seller as it looked really pretty and glittery.  But when it came to applying it I didn't have high hopes for the glitter to pay off as it in the bottle onto the nails, as I thought back to when I was much younger and would spend hours fishing around the glitter polish to get more than one glitter particle onto my nails at a time.  Upon application, I have to say I was pleasantly surprised that all the glitter translated beautifully onto the nails.  

Although there are far fewer larger pieces of blue and purple glitter on my nails, the fact that this largely milled glitter is suspended in a very finely milled silver glitter meant that even though the large pieces of glitter didn't totally cover my nails the small pieces did.  This meant the nails weren't patchy or unevenly covered, instead it left this beautiful blue glittery nail that was not too in your face, but when it caught the light meant it sparkled enough to catch some peoples attention.  



I love this new found combination and definitely will be trying this out again in the near future, whilst also trying different combinations with the glitter polish as I think the pay off for the money is excellent.

If you have entered todays challenge feel free to leave a link to your blog in the comments section below, or feel free to email or tweet your photos to me, all information on how to contact me can be found on the right side of my blog.  If you haven't entered today feel free to head on over to Makeup Savvy's page to see tomorrows category HERE and see if you are up for the challenge on Day 7.

MaxFactor - Dazzling Blue

When I was in Superdrug a while back they were having a 3 for 2 offer, so I decided to try the MaxFactor Mini Nail Polishes and after a long and hard deliberation I chose up Fantasy Fire, Moon Dust and Dazzling Blue.  I have done reviews of Fantasy Fire on my blog HERE and I recently did a guest blog on Imagination in Colour which is another Nail Varnish blog so if you aren't already subscribed to this blog, you can check her blog out HERE and my review HERE.  So finally here is the last of my MaxFactor Minis reviews so here we go....

When I purchased this polish I was stuck to decide a third polish to go with Fantasy Fire and Moon Dust and it was between Graffiti and Dazzling Blue.  I decided to go for Dazzling Blue because it is a lighter shade of blue than graffiti and for that reason I thought I would get more use out of it throughout the summer months.  To be perfectly honest this was the one that was theoretically free in the 3 for 2 deal so I wasn't expecting too much, but when applying this to my nails I fell in love with the colour and everything about this product, probably making it my favourite out of the three which I was not expecting.

The consistency of the product was a bit thin so required a fair few coats to get an opaque finish, but unlike the other two products I found that it actually built a lot more, so the whole process didn't feel as laborious because you could see the product becoming more opaque.  I think for the full coverage I used about 4 coats, which is quite a lot but the finish is pretty opaque so I am pleased with how it turned out.

The colour is another thing that drew me to the product as the light blue was a colour that I hadn't seen before.  It was only on closer inspection that I could see the different tones and shades of this product.  In some lights it can look slightly more of a green or a light teal colour or in other lights a glint of light purple appears on your nails so in my opinion this is a very unique product.

I know that many people are a little sceptical about blue nail varnish but I think in the summer it is the perfect time to wear a blue polish as a statement piece if its a vivid blue colour, but if not then this is more of a subtle alternative.  Also this colour sort of reminds me of a mermaid kind of colour and for that reason with a tan on holiday I think this is a stunning colour to wear on the beach, by the pool or if you are staying at home even at a BBQ with friends and family.  I would highly recommend this product and if you have a chance next time you are in Boots or Superdrug check out the MaxFactor section as I think these mini pots are the best way to try out new colours without having a massive bottle of a colour you only wear once in a blue moon stuck in your cupboard.


Have you tried this colour?  What do you think about blue polishes?  Whats your favourite MaxFactor mini polish and do you have any recommendations for ones that I can try out next.

Floral Nail Wraps - A Summer Hit or Miss?

Nail Wraps have been the one of the newest and most inventive nail products to come onto the scene in recent years and have been something that has intrigued me for a while.  They range in designs from plain block colours similar to those you can achieve with 2 coats of nail varnish, to intricate patterns that unless you are prepared to spend hours on end trying to recreate and are a whizz with a nail art set, are unachievable (at least for me).  However, something that has put me off trying these nail wraps are the price, the average being around 10-16 nail wraps for prices varying from £5-£6 depending on shop, make and design.  But, whilst nosing around the Accessorize sale a couple of weeks ago I saw some that were 50% off, so for only £2.50 I thought it was my best opportunity to try some out, so here is what I thought about the product.


Did you like the product itself?
I decided to choose a pattern that I otherwise was not likely to achieve no matter how long I sat in front of the TV with my nail art kit, so I chose to this floral pattern which I thought was perfect for the long awaited summer months.  The overall look of these nail wraps is really pretty and girly and gorgeous for the summer.  


The pattern is highly detailed with lots of small brightly coloured flowers.  Overall I cant fault the look of the product as I got lots of compliments on the design so in this respect they are a real winner.  Also when I was looking around before purchasing these, I hadn't seen any that were similar to this design which was quite nice to find something that no one else would have.




How easy was it to apply the nail wraps?
Here is another rave review for this part of the product, prior to applying these I was worried how difficult it would be to effectively apply these to create the smooth almost painted on effect that these wraps should have.  But, I was surprised just how easy they are, and this was a definite plus point in my books.  When people asked about my nails and how I had done them, they were surprised I had applied them myself and said they would have thought it would have been a tricky and fiddly process, but I can promise you its not.  The instructions on the back make out that the process is a little tricky, so if you would be interested I can do another post on how to apply nail wraps if this would be useful?  Let me know your thoughts in the comments section below.

How long did the nail wrap design last?
Unfortunately this is where the good news and rave reviews end.  After everything I have said about the product you can tell that I loved the product, but after the first day I was very disappointed with the wear of this product.  On the back of the product itself it does not say how long they are expected to last, but whilst having a little bit of a search on the web many similar products from other brands say they will last between 5-7 days on the nails, some promising even more but the average was about 6 days.  So I'm sure you'll agree that after about 1-2 days finding that my nails were terribly chipped and beyond a small chip you can ignore, really dampened the mood and my view of these nail wraps.  To save this post from being to long I have done a separate post on this aspect day by day pictures so you can see what I mean, so you can see that HERE if you are interested.


Do you think that nail wraps are worth the hype or the price tag?
Now this is a tricky one.  For colour, design, application and the amount of compliments I got yes, I can not fault them on this.  But in terms of how long these ones lasted, I think I would have been outraged to pay £5-£6 for something that only lasts one day.  But I don't know if I got a dodgy pack or if thats why they were in the sale or anything.  Maybe some other nail wrap makes would be better quality but for the moment I will not be buying anymore.


I don't like writing bad reviews on any products but I thought that I should make you aware of this problem and I wanted to know if you have tried any nail wraps and they have lasted longer than these please let me know.  Also if you have any tips for making nail wraps last longer then I would appreciate that.  Any other questions let me know in the comments below and I will answer them...

Pastel Perfect - Lilac and Green

So for a bit of a change today I decided to paint my nails using 2 colours instead of one, to create a bit more of an unusual design.  If you have seen many blogs recently you may have seen a few designs using accent nails and 2 colours in one nail combination, and I thought I would share my new combination with you.

I often find that when the weather is a bit dull, as it has been over the past few weeks, its often hard to wear brighter colours even though it is technically summer, I can't face wearing garish colours on my nails sometimes but fear not...I have a solution for you.

For my pastel combination I have chosen to wear a green colour as the basis for my nails but feeling as though I couldn't pull this off in the not so summery weather I combined this with a lilac purple colour which has created a nice duo in my opinion.

For my Green colour I have used NYC Expert Last Nail Polish number 253 and in colour Mint Macaroon, which I think is such a amazing name.  It is a slightly duller mint green colour which is perfect for the days where the sun is not shining so brightly where you are, and I also think this will be a lovely colour for the late summer/autumn time of year because you can still be wearing a bright colour even though if it is not quite the time for a neon green.


In terms of application it was pretty good, with a creamy consistency which applied very nicely and was almost completely opaque after 2 coats.  Also the polish claims to last for up 7 days which would be perfect if it did but as I have just applied this I can not tell you if that is true, but so far it has lasted pretty well and shows no sign of chipping after the first day, but I will try to update this throughout the week to see how this polish lasts.



NYC is a brand that I previously had not explored or heard of all that much but honestly I can not say much bad about it.  Their products are really cheap for their quality and can easily be picked up in Superdrug without breaking the bank, so definitely check them out the next time you are in your local Superdrug store.

For the other colour I used Ciaté paint pot in the colour Purple Sherbet which I got in Marie Claire last month.  I have already done a whole review based on this polish which you can see HERE but basically I love Ciaté polishes.  I previously had not seen or tried Ciaté because they are on the pricier end of the spectrum but I can totally see why they are more expensive and I am now a convert and I will definitely be picked some more to add to my collection in the future.

I think that this combination is really pretty and something that anyone can pull off and put together no matter how big your collection is, or what colours you have.  Another idea that I had is to combine different tones of polish into one design and also using a vivid colour for the summer as the accent colour.  I will probably be trying these designs out in the future, so watch this space!

Have you tried any accent nail designs?  What is your favourite colour combination?

Ciaté Purple Sherbet Update

As I said in my previous post which can be seen HERE I have decided to include an update on how this polish has worn, to test how long lasting it is, because sometimes what appears to be an amazing polish can often fall down on how long it lasts on the nails before chipping.

1-3 days after applying the polish there was relatively little wear on the nail varnish which I found amazing because normally without a top coat you can begin to see slight chipping and just overall wear on the nails in this time frame.

4 days after applying the polish I developed a small amount of chipping on corners of the nails, but this was not extremely noticeable to anyone else apart from me, and it was not bad enough to have to reapply the whole nail varnish layer on your nails.  But in the same respect, if you were particularly bothered by this small amount of chipping you can easily reapply 1 or 2 coats of nail polish on top to hide this, but personally it was not bad enough for me to do this yet.

So far I have been particularly amazed by the long lasting finish of this polish especially without applying a top coat, suggesting that if you did it would last for much much longer than without.  I will continue to update this throughout the remainder of the week to see how this continues to progress, but so far I have been extremely impressed.

Summery rainbow nails

Today I decided to create a bright and fun nail design that will cheer you up and is an eye catching design without using complicated designs.
The colours that I chose were a minty green, peachy orange, sky blue, candyfloss pink and banana yellow as I thought these were a nice variation on the traditional pastel or ice cream shades out this spring/summer.


The first colour I used which is really popular at the moment was the mint green colour from Barry M number 304 called "Mint Green" which is a beautiful colour as it is not too wishy washy and after 2 coats is completely opaque.  You can pick up Barry M in Boots and Superdrug and with a price of £2.99 how can you not afford to pick it up.  It is fresh and very appropriate for spring/summer and is a very versatile polish that I know will last me all throughout the summer time.


Another Barry M polish that I used is the sky blue colour, number 306 called "Blueberry Ice Cream" which is a perfect blue that is brighter than a pastel blue such as a baby blue, but is still not as vivid as a turquoise.  It is the perfect summer colour that is great on toes as well as fingers and whenever I wear this I get complements on the colour, so for £2.99 why not pick yourself up one?

The pink colour on my nails is a 17 polish called "Fairy cake" which I bought a couple of years back but is currently part of the Candy Collection from Boots.  This is a little brighter, again, than a traditional baby pink however, it is a very girly pink that is not fluorescent and so is a very flattering shade. I would say it is more of a candy floss pink which I prefer because sometimes some pinks can look a bit young and childish on.


The peachy orange shade that I used on my index finger is by Miss Sporty and is number 452, which is a very unusual peachy colour.  I searched up and down the aisles to find the perfect peachy shade that was not too pink or too orange and I think I finally may have found it.  Although in the bottle the polish looks to be more of a pastel peach shade when applied it turns out slightly darker than I expected however, I think that is still a gorgeous colour and I think I will have a lot of wear out of this shade and for £1.99 I can hardly complain!

The final shade of my rainbow nails is the banana yellow on my little finger again by Miss Sport number 453.  I would describe this colour as more of a banana or sunshine yellow than a strictly lemon or pastel yellow but I think this shade of yellow is very summery.  This colour would also probably look amazing as the summer goes on and your skin starts to get a bit of a tan, so at just £1.99 these are definitely something to buy up and if you are not confident enough at the moment maybe you could bring it out as we head further into the summer months.


I think these polishes are very pretty and summery without being over the top or too bright for the duller days that still occur in summer.  It is a very easy combination that looks very interesting and can be redone in any colour combination, even different shades of the same colour would make an interesting gradient rainbow effect.

Thumb - Barry M 304 Mint Green, Index finger- Miss Sporty 452, Middle finger- Barry M 306 Blueberry Ice Cream, Ring Finger- 17 Fairy Cake, Little finger- Miss Sporty 453