Color Club Kaleidoscope - In Theory & Evolution

I don't do nail polish posts that often but these colours were not to be ignored. I have had a hard time tracking the names of the polishes exactly but these two are from the Color Club Kaleidoscope collection. I think the coral/orange shade is called In Theory and the pastely blue shade is called Evolution but there's a chance I'm wrong.

They seem to be pastel colours with a neon sheen to them that I really love. Both colours have been perfect for use over the summer both on holiday and going to summer garden parties or celebrations as they echo the beautiful colours of summer on your nails.

I like the formula a lot - it isn't too think and two coats is enough. I also dotted the coral/orange over the blue to test the opacity and it was passable. They don't go together fabulously but I liked the clash on alternate nails.

I have seen a beautiful milky pink shade which I think is called Endless that I definitely want to get my hands on!

You can buy your own Color Club polishes from the Birchbox website here (click!) or from the Color Club shop here (click!).

Glossybox - July 2013

There have certainly been months when I have been less than impressed at Glossybox's offerings, but this month was the complete opposite. This Seaside Splash themed box was bursting with products that aim to enhance any girl's holiday beauty stash.

The box itself is beautiful - a bright blue box with orange starfish and coral complete with matching wrapping paper and a blue ribbon.

In my box I received - 

Essie Sleek Sticks in So Haute! - £9.99 : These are classic nail transfers. Not a new concept but this pattern is certainly prettier than any I've seen. Glossybox has sent products similar to this out before but not by Essie so this was new to me.

Anatomicals Spray Misty For Me Facial Sprits - 100ml / £6.00 : This is perfect for the hot, stuffy days or evenings either in the UK or on holiday. Last year there was a similar product to this by Paul Mitchell but it was for hair and body. I like that this is aimed at skincare as it doesn't feel wasteful to use frequently (plus I will be reusing this bottle!)

Coola Organic Suncare Collection Facial SPF 20 - 50ml / £29.99 (sample size in box) : This looks like a good product though I am yet to try it. It doesn't just protect the skin from both UVA and UVB rays but is also hypoallergenic, paraben free and soothes and tones the skin. Sounds perfect for days in the garden!

Sleek Pout Paint - 8ml / £4.99 (2 products included in box) : I have been looking forward to trying these for months - I nearly bought the OCC Lip Tars yesterday but these look like a good, cheaper dupe for them.

Alterna Haircare Bamboo Style Boho Waves Tousled Texture Mist - 125ml / £23.00 : I think this is basically another type of salt spray-esque product. With the aim of helping to create "just back from the beach" waves I really look forward to trying this spray. 

I'm super happy with this month's products, I've found that Glossybox is very hit-and-miss but the last couple of months have been a nice surprise. This one seems to cover skincare, nails, beauty AND haircare, and with 2 pout paints this box has six products overall rather than five!

Did you get the same selection or is yours different?

American Apparel Nail Lacquer - Angeline

As mentioned in my last post, whilst in America I hit the American Apparel store at the Las Vegas Outlet Mall. After snapping up my Bobble I went in for the kill at the nail polishes too. I seem to always stock up on accessories rather than clothes.. probably because you can never be too big or small for shoes, bags and nails!

Anyway, I've read a few good reviews on the American Apparel Nail Lacquer range so I picked up three colours, all various shades of pink. This post is to show my favourite one, Angeline.

I can't remember exactly what I paid for this polish as I've thrown away my receipts but I think they were on 3 for $15 which is why I grabbed 3!

natural light   |   flash 

These photos were taken roughly 3 days after application and as you can see there is barely any chipping other than right on the tip of my index finger. There were no lumps or bubbles in the formula and 2 coats was perfect to get a "salon" type finish. If you've ever had a Shellac manicure the end product looked a lot like how Shellac looks once dry. You won't even need a top coat to keep the colour shiny as it is vibrant without.

There's not much more to say other than I'd definitely repurchase this, even if it wasn't on offer as it looked almost perfect for 5 whole days which is something I haven't found in any other polish brand. 

I will add that one of the other shades I purchased was Coney Island and I loved the colour but found it chipped very quickly without a top coat and I have yet to try it with one.

You can buy American Apparel Nail Lacquer in most AA stores, online and also in Selfridges for an RRP of £9.00 

Love, 

imPRESS Press On Manicure in Just Say Yes!

I picked these up last week when I was supposed to be buying other people's birthday presents... oops! Fortunately they have quickly become my choice for a hassle free manicure so no regrets there.

imPRESS Press On Manicure nails are by Broadway Nails. You might've seen their recent campaign with Nicole Sherzinger, it seems to be on every ad break at the moment!

I'd like to point out that I'm not usually as daring as this with the bright pink shade, I tend to go for pastels in the spring - summer months but I couldn't resist a bit of Barbie style for a night out last week!
They literally took about 15 minutes, if that, to apply. I washed my hands and pushed down/trimmed my cuticles before settling down with the pack of nails (which by the way was an ABSOLUTE NIGHTMARE to open.. I broke mine in order to get the nails out!), measured up the sizes I needed for each hand and then used the supplied wipe to clean each nail individually before removing the plastic tab from the back of the nail and pressing it down on my nail.

They lasted around 4 days with only two nails pinging off. The glue on the back of the nails is very strong for temporaries which impressed (heh...) me. There were plenty of size options in the box, I actually have very small nails so there were a few that were a little too big but with any luck Impress will do a Nailene and bring out petite sizes in the future. I'm not bothered about their lasting time to be honest, 4 days was enough for me to feel like I had made good use of them.

They didn't damage my nails, however I did notice a difference in the texture of my nail after removing them, I think this is because there was some moisture build up on the nail bed, similar to when you've had a plaster on for too long but with a bit of hand and nail cream that was easily sorted out.

My only complaint would be that there was only one wipe provided in the packet. This meant when I replaced any nails they only lasted about a day because I hadn't been able to properly clean the nail again.

Overall I would definitely buy these again, I had compliments from almost everyone who saw them..possibly because they were so bright! I plan to stock up for my summer holidays to Turkey and Las Vegas where I won't really have time to keep filing, buffing and painting my own nails. I'm going to go for "Don't Wanna" to tone it down slightly and also the maroon colour. For £8 you really can't argue with this product - the nails lasted long enough to feel like I had made the most of them and they had almost no application time. I bought mine from my local Boots where they had a wide range of colours and styles by imPRESS.

Have you used these?? I know a few people got them in a Glossybox a couple of months ago..let me know!

Love,

Shellac Manicure

Last Friday morning I had a Shellac manicure on my nails. I chose a "Barbie" pink and initially, I was very impressed. I had my nails shaped very square, as that's how I prefer my nails to look, almost fake looking. The process took about 45 minutes and it looked very simple, only 4 coats were needed, one base, 2 colour and one "sealant". In between each coat I had to place my hands under a UV lamp for about 3 minutes. One thing that made me dubious is that I couldn't file my nails once the process was complete due to the top coat being "sealed" over the end of the nail, if that seal is broken then it can allow for the varnish to chip/peel off.

Shellac claims to have a "14 day finish" and unfortunately, I can prove that wrong. By Sunday evening the tip of the varnish on my left index finger had peeled right off. You can see in this photo that I painted over it with a similar shade of pink but even that is peeling off now..

My right hand has been a bit more resilient to whatever it is that my left isn't! I haven't had to re-paint any nails though I have noticed a couple of the tips are cracked slightly more than others, again my index finger is suffering!

I think Shellac nails are perfect if you're looking for a couple of days of flawless nails but you should be prepared for one or two to suffer, especially if you type or do jobs that are very "hands-on" as such. In this sense I don't see why a normal manicure wouldn't suffice.
To look at the 8 nails that aren't chipped I am very, very impressed. They're long lasting and they look like I could have painted them five minutes ago! The chipping could be due to the fact I'm an ex-nail biter and sometimes I find my hands wandering up by my mouth! I don't blame Shellac for not being good enough in this situation, my nails are very impressive to look at and I've had a lot of compliments so I would definitely recommend them.