Nails Of The Day - Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure - 409 Good To Grape

Think of high street nail brands, and more than likely one of the first brands that will probably come to mind will be Sally Hansen. A chemist and even supermarket staple Sally Hansen was one of the first nail brands that I ever used, over the years I've tried quite a few of their treatments, but I haven't tried that many of their polishes. They do a few different polish ranges and the polish that I am going to share with you today comes from their Complete Salon Manicure range.

Shade 409 Good To Grape, is a gorgeous, slightly dusky purple, it's darker than I expected to be but it's still a beautiful almost deep lilac shade. This is the first polish that I've actually tried from the Complete Salon Manicure range and I have to say it was a winner.

First up the bottle, a nice shape, easy to hold in the hands and it looks quite striking. The black stripe that you can see at the base of the cap is actually rubberised so the handle is really easy to grip. Compared to the length of the handle the brush inside is really easy to control and to paint with, it's quite short and stubby, but it's quite wide so you only to paint one of two stripes on each nail.

The coverage after the first quite was decent, but in order to achieve the rich and glossy finish that you can here I went for a second coat. The polish was really quite drying though so adding another coat was no real hardship.

As I've told you on many occasions I'm pretty rough on my nail polish, and especially when I wear it without a top coat, I can barely manage two full days of wear, this polish though really surprised me. Even though it was quite a deep shade, it went on and on and on, with only a tiny bit of tip wear. In fact it was still going strong 8 days later when I removed it.

I love, love, love everything about this polish. I love purple nail polishes anyway but this one applies really easily, dries quickly and it also wear incredibly well. I only own one other Sally Hansen polish from this line, which I really need to try but based purely on this particular polish I'm definitely going to be buying a few more. I think I bought this polish from a discount retailer so I think this particular shade has now been discontinued, you still might be able to find either in discount type stores, or market stalls or on the secondary market, but even if you can't I'm sure that there will be a dupe out there somewhere x

A Spring Like Nails Of The Day - OPI Polly Want A Lacquer?

Hi Guys x I hope you all had a lovely Easter weekend, if you were celebrating. I found it all a bit surreal if I'm being honest, every day at the moment seems like the one before, and being unable to see friends and family, the only thing that made it seem any different was a chocolate egg or three. Seeing as the weather is so nice and spring like at the moment I decided to break up the unboxing catch up posts by sharing a little spring like nails of the day with you.

Being poorly, an increase in hand washing and of course liberal applications of hand sanitiser, have all meant that my hands and nails aren't in the best of shapes at the moment but it's surprising what a difference an application of pretty  nail colour can make to even the shortest of nails.

Officially described as a "lovely lavender" Polly Want A Lacquer? from OPI's 2017 Spring / Summer's Fiji collection, is a beautiful lilac shade. It's quite a pale one but in real it's a tiny touch more vibrant than my pictures show.

Although cream formulations are probably one of the most popular finishes, they can be a bit of a nightmare to apply. Thanks to their signature pro wide brush this polish applies with ease but like with a lot of cream polishes the first coat was thin and streaky, but after a couple of coats full coverage was achieved on most nails with only a couple requiring a third coat.

If the polish is decent I really don't mind having to apply a couple of coats, and this one dried pretty quickly so it wasn't too much of a problem. It dried down to a lovely glossy finish, but look closely and you can still see the odd brush stroke,  which often one of the downsides of pale, cream nail polishes, not matter what the brand or the price point.

I'm notoriously rough on my nail polish, and in the current circumstances even more so. To try this out properly I didn't apply a top coat, and I subjected it to showers, hand washing and sanitising, and cooking, so it was no surprise that I saw a bit of tip wear after around 36 hours, annoying but nothing that gentler treatment and a good top coat wouldn't fix.

I haven't worn nail polish for a little while now and I have to say that this pretty shade really lifted my spirits, I love lilacs and purples anyway, but there was just something so simple, and fresh about this pretty pastel shade, that made me feel a bit more positive about things. Although it was originally released in 2017 this nail polish is still available from a variety of retailers including direct from OPI, and from Nail Polish Direct. It has a RRP of £13.90 for this 15ml size but like with all things it pays you to shop around a bit, and if it takes your fancy it's also available in OPI's Infinite Shine, and Gel polish formulations. It might be a bit of a cliche but are you fan of pastel colours for Spring ? Let me know in the comments x

Nails Inc Multivitamin - Clarence Avenue - Nails Of The Day

After a little unplanned break I'm trying to get back on track again and tackle the mountains of posts that I wanted to get finished before Christmas - I'm not sure I'll manage them all now unfortunately but I'm definitely going to try my best. 

Today's post as the title may suggest, is a nails of the day the post all be it one from quite a few weeks ago now.

Nails Inc Clarence Avenue is a beautiful deep purple shade and a shade that I wore for the most recent Intu Metrocentre Style Garden event (you can read about the event here). I wore just a plain jersey from Boohoo, in a similar shade and if you follow me on Instagram you'll also now that I stepped way out of my comfort zone and  I teamed it up with a deep purple lipstick from Make Up Revolution.

I'm going to try and show you the dress in a future but today I'm concentrating on the nail polish. Clarence Avenue is one of Nails Inc's Limited Edition Multivitamin polishes that are / were exclusive to QVC in the UK. The polishes are designed to care and nourish the nails crammed full of vitamin complexes including vitamins B5, C and E, and Zinc and Calcium.

The polish came in Nails Inc's newest style of bottle, and all you need to do it pull off the chunky, square silver lid, to reveal a easy to grip, ridged handle underneath. All the polishes and products from Nails Inc in this chunky style bottle, feature the same wide brush which perfectly contours and shapes to the cuticle. 

With the deep colour and my favourite type of brush you would think that application would be a breeze but in this case I did find it a bit of a struggle. The polish was quite thick but unfortunately the coverage wasn't the best, and I needed at least two coats on each nail. The polish dried fairly quickly though and the finish was super glossy. Wear time though was a bit disappointing and I had my first chip after less than two days. Like I always say though a good top coat might have made all the difference.

I know you always have to be more careful when you apply darker colours but this was a lot more difficult than I'd hoped, throw in the poor wear time and I'm left wondering if it was worth it. Despite that I do love the colour though, this deep, dark purple, is both funky and sophisticated at the same time. Unfortunately I can't seem to find this shade online either in the multivitamin or the original Nails Inc formulation, but I don't think it would be too hard to find something similar. Do you like this deep, dark purple shade? Let me know x 

Unboxing The First QVC UK Tili Beauty Box

If you're a regular watcher of my You Tube channel you'll know that I love beauty boxes. I love the element of surprise when you open the box and for me it feels a bit like Christmas - ripping open the packaging to see what goodies lie inside.

I personally love the surprise but unfortunately you do have to be prepared to be disappointed - you're not going to like everything in a box all the time and I know that the surprise element can put some people off. Thankfully though there are now ways that you can embrace the whole beauty box trend, and try new products without that unknown factor.

An increasing number of companies are now releasing boxes where you can either choose your own content, or where you know exactly whats in the box before you place your order. The boxes in these cases or either one offs or the subscriptions are more flexible. That way though you can choose what you want to try and minimise the risks and the disappointment 

If that's the route you want to go down though, then there is a new box in town, and you can buy it exclusively from one of my favourite place to shop QVC UK. Tili stands for one their well used phrases Try It Love It, and that's exactly what their box is all about.

The first addition went on sale just over a week ago, and I ordered mine on launch day. The whole idea of Tili is to give customers, and beauty lovers the chance to try some of QVC's newest and best selling beauty products and brands. The website provides you with a full product listing, so you know exactly what your going to get before you checkout. This is the July box and you can see what was inside and my initial thoughts by watching the video below or if your on a mobile device, via this link

At just £20 and free postage I think this box, is pretty good value. The contents has a retail value of around £55 which seems about right - the Alpha H alone works out at about £15 ish, the Elemis Micellar Water retails at £6.90 direct from Elemis, and the full size Essie polish retails at around £7.99. I can't wait to try out some of the products in this kit and I'll definitely be picking up the next Tili box if I can get my hands on it x 

This box doesn't seem to be a monthly thing, in fact I don't think that the next one is released till October, so you're not tied to anything, just a warning though, it's way to easy to shop with QVC and one purchase will inevitably lead to another!. You can find out more about the Tili box and how to order via this link. What do you think of the Tili box? Do you like the flexibility and the knowledge? or do you like a surprise? Let me know and I'd love to know what subscription boxes you like, so hit me up with your recommendations, oh and of course don't forget to subscribe to my You Tube channel for more unboxings, shopping and beauty content x 

Nails Of The Day - Illamasqua Seance And A TK Maxx Love In

If you love a bargain and especially a high end or a quirky one, then one of my favourite shops to go to is TK Maxx. One of the first stores in the North East opened many moon ago near my dads old workplace and from the very first moment I stepped through the door I was heaven. Over the years I've picked up all sorts of bargains from Missoni cardigans and towels, to Givenchy and Emilio Pucci handbags - It can take a bit of time to search through the rails but believe me there are gems to be had!

When I was young and skinny I used to head straight to the clothes but nowadays I tend to gravitate more towards the beauty section. Yes I know it can sometimes look like a disaster zone with opened and smashed products left, right and centre but if you're after something a bit unusual or something that's been discontinued for sale at a bargain price, then TK Maxx is well worth a look - case in point this beautiful nail polish from Illamasqua, which I picked up a couple of months ago for just £3.99 (RRP £14.50!!)

Originally released in 2013 as part of their Paranormal collection, Illamasqua Seance, was one of their limited edition UV Glow nail varnishes. Whilst I haven't managed to go into a club or a bar to test out it's glowing aspect, I can still appreciate the beauty of this polish

Described as a bright violet, this beautiful pink / purple shade is crammed full of silver sparkle that gives it an almost holographic appearance. Application was nigh on perfect, one coat gave almost full coverage, and gave a more pink colour, but add a second coat like I have here, and the true bright purple shade comes into it's own.

This polish dried almost instantaneously and it wore well. Despite containing a whole load of sparkle, this polish has a super smooth finish.Whilst the camera flash suggests otherwise, this isn't the glossiest polish I've ever used in fact it has more of a satin finish, obviously if you wanted a glossy finish, then you could use a top coat but I like it just the way it is.

Alas this polish was a limited edition and unless you can find it in a TK Maxx store or online then you're probably out of luck. I'm pretty pleased that I managed to pick up this shade though, I love everything about it, from the colour, to the finish, and the formulation. 

I'm definitely going to pick up some more Illamasqua polishes up in the future and I'm also going to keep checking out the beauty section in TK Maxx, to see what other bargains I can find? Have you picked up anything interesting in TK Maxx lately? Let me know x 

An Update And A Nails Of The Day - AVON Gel Shine Nail Enamel - Citronized

Hey Guys x I hope you've all had a good week x I've been a little bit under the weather this week but I've been busy doing bit of blog admin and I'm also trying to sort out my SEO. Having over 9 years of blog post to go through, I think I've  under estimated the task but this is the way that blogging's gone and if you can't beat them then you have to join them- no guesses what I'm going to working on for the next month or so then! Anyways, apart from sleeping, and getting stressed over back links and no follow links, I have managed to take quite a few photos and I managed to film a few You Tube videos, so normal posting and video uploads will resume from today.

Despite a pretty positive weather forecast this week has turned into a bit of a damp squib, it's been dull, and boy has it rained! Having just watched the weather forecast better weather is hopefully on the way but in the meantime I decided to brighten up my day with a super bright nail polish.

AVON Gel Shine Nail Enamel is Citronized is one of those shades that people will either love or hate. It's a way brighter than it's appearing here and it's a very bright, yellowy, lime shade, think Shrek, pond slime or even mushy peas before they took out the artificial colouring! - this is one noticeable shade but it's one that I can totally get on board with.

I don't really find a great deal of difference between the AVON Nailwear Pro polishes and the Gel polishes but this polish is probably a touch thicker then the Nailwears. With a wide brush and a thick formulation you would expect this polish to cover really well, and in a round about way it does. The application was a touch streaky but the polish levelled out nicely, and as AVON claim one coat was probably enough on most nails.

As per usual though I went for two coats, and as well as an even finish and a great depth of colour, what was apparent with this polish was the shine - this colour was super, super glossy, I did apply a top coat after I'd took these pictures but gloss wise it really didn't need it . I can't really comment on wear time because I used a top coat but as I say I haven't found a lot of difference between these and AVON's original nail enamel formulation.

Citroized definitely isn't for everyone but for the summer season I think it's a real winner. The super bright colour looks great with a tan be it real or fake, and it's just a happy colour and one that is bound to get you noticed. AVON Gel Shine Nail Enamel in Citronized comes in a 10ml bottle and has a recommended retail price of £7 but it's currently half price on both the AVON UK website and in the latest sale brochure x Are you a fan of lime green nails or are they a bit too much like pond slime for you? Let me know in the comments x

Nails Of The Day - Nails Inc For Instyle - Orgeon's Out

I'm going to be honest with you guys, I'm not the type of blogger that over edits their photographs. Yes I'll crop them, and maybe alter the colour slightly but I always try to stay as true as I can to the original photo; In this case though I'm going to have to make a bit of an exception, and you're going to have to deal with my slightly odd coloured skin.

If you've packed up this month's issue of InStyle UK, then you may have already managed to get your hands on a bottle of Nails Inc Oregon's Out. I love a freebie and  for me a full sized,branded nail polish is always a good one. There were 4 shades to choose from but I couldn't resist this beautiful, deep almost electric blue cream.

Try as I might though I just can't replicate it on camera so I've had to  use a lot of tints and filters to achieve the colour that you can see here, that still isn't quite right - in real life it's darker, inkier, and it has a little bit more depth than it does in my pictures

When I first saw this shade I thought that it looked quite similar to Nails Inc's trend shade Baker Street and it is very similar but if you're a real blue aficionado like me than you see that it's ever so slightly different. Oregon's Out is just a touch deeper and not quite as bright or electric as Baker Street. Do you need both in your collection? Probably not but if you love blue as much as I do you can definitely justify it.

Like most darker cream polishes, this was pretty easy to apply, this is two coats but on most nails I probably could have got away with one. Wear time unfortunately wasn't that amazing, admittedly I didn't top coat it but I only managed around two days wear before it started chipping :( That's nothing though, that a good top coat won't fix though, and if you like blue polishes or even if you fancy trying Nails Inc for the first time, than I would definitely recommend that you pick up a copy of InStyle magazine this month and give either Oregon's Out or one of the other shades a go.

OPI Hawaii Collection Little Hulas Mini Nail Lacquers And Just My Look*

When the nights start to draw in, and the temperatures start to fall there seems to be some sort of acceptance that our colour palette has to change with the changing seasons, both in fashion and in beauty. If the magazines and even some blogs are to be believed, it's time to put those hot pinks, corals and pale blues into storage and it's time to embrace those berries, wines and dark moody shades. Do you know what though? I don't want to! Although I've given up on the idea of an Indian summer, I think bright colours can cheer you up and lift your spirits, no matter what the season, No doubt I will make a few changes, but I'm still going to be embracing those bright colours and pretty pastels, especially in my nail polish, even as we head into those winter months.

OPI's Spring / Summer 2015, Hawaii collection, contained everything that you would expect from a summer collection themed around tropical islands. There were brights,and pastels, shades that go perfectly with a tan and quirky names that throw you head on into the surf. This 12 piece collection was and still is perfect for that beach holiday, but there is no reason why you can't embrace some of these bright and beautiful shades, even when the rain is pouring and the wind is howling.

A little while ago now I was sent one of the Hawaii mini collections from the lovely people at Just My Look. The Little Hulas Mini Nail Lacquer collection contains 4 of the most popular colours from the Hawaii collection only in miniature 3.5ml bottles, compared to the usual 15ml full size. I'm a huge fan of the OPI mini polishes, I mean has anyone ever finished a full sized bottle? They're ideal for travel, for trying new shades and of course for gifting, and you get exactly the same quality polish and formulation only in a mini size. All of the polishes as toluene, formaldehyde, and DBP free, and the minis also come with OPI's exclusive full sized, Pro Wide Brush.

I've had a little while to play with these polishes and try them out properly so here are plenty of pretty nails of the day pictures and some reviews x

Suzi Shops & Island Hops

The first two shades in this kit are both pretty spring / summer pastels, Suzi Shops & Island Hops is the perfect, creamy pale, strawberry milkshake pink.

Like most pale, cream polishes the first coat was quite streaky but on most nails, two coats was enough for full coverage. I've always found OPI polishes to have quite a self levelling formula and this one was no different. As per usual I tried this without a top coat and wear time was decent but this is one of those colours that you can't really touch up so once it chips off it comes.

I'm not usually a fan of shades like this but this one really grew on me. This is a perfect spring, summer colour but by the same note I think that pale pinks also work well with the pale greys and charcoals of autumn and winter.

That's Hula-rious!

Ah OPI and their quirky names, that's hilarious or should I say That's Hula-rious! Another pastel shade and this time it's a very pale mint green, it's a little bit greener though than it appearing here.

Unlike with some mini polishes the brush on these OPI minis is good, and even though the first coat was very streaky, you couldn't fault the brush or the formulation, that's just how cream polishes are. I'm wearing two coats here but to be honest I could probably have done with three. I didn't find this quite as long lasting as the previous polish but again I didn't use a top coat, which would obviously have improved wear time.

That's Hula-rious! is another perfect spring / summer pastel shade, and white based colours like this were very in this year ( see I do follow trends even if I don't stick to them ;) Although this screams new shoots, and mini eggs I see no reason why you couldn't wear this colour all year round. Again I think it would work well with grey and I think it would look really nice alongside bottle and olive green tones.

Lost My Bikini In Molokini

Ah the first bright in this kit and it's a purple. I love purple polishes and whilst I'm not convinced that I've captured this one in all its glory, Lost My Bikini In Molokini is a deep, creamy slightly smokey purple.

Application was perfect, I still needed two coats but the first coat went on easily, and the polish dried quickly, left a super glossy finish, and the wear time was excellent.

 Out of all of the colours in the Little Hulas kit this one is probably the most versatile and even if you only wear bright colours in the spring and summer then you would probably wear this one all year round. It's bright but not too bright and purple is one of those colours that works equally well if not better in the autumn and winter months. This is probably the shade that I'll get the most use out of all year round.

Aloha From OPI

Aloha from me and from OPI - At the risk of sounding a bit hypocritical, a rich creamy coral like this is your archetypal summer shade. I nearly always take some form of coral shade with me on holiday and this one would be perfect. Coral shades look amazing with a sun tan but at the same time I think that they can really warm the skin tone up in the colder months, throw in the fact that coral and oranges can make you think of autumn leaves, and chocolate oranges and you've got an all year round colour.

Application was a dream, it dried quickly and this was probably the hardest wearing polish of the four. Again this was two coats but most nails were adequately covered with one.

How can this colour not make you happy? If even a tiny glimpse of a bright coral nail makes you happy, why shouldn't you wear brights all year round x 

Although I probably wouldn't buy some of these shades in the full size, I think that this kit is great value. The polishes were of comparable quality to the the full sizes, and since these tiny 3.75ml  sizes average around 15 manicures per bottle, they are a great way of trying new colours, or deciding which full size to buy, or even for building up you nail polish wardrobe. I also think kits like this are great for gifting, stocking fillers and given the small sizes I think there a great way to introduce youngsters to a high end polish brand. The Hawaii Collection By OPI Little Hulas Mini Nail Lacquer Collection retails at £9.95 including free postage from Just My Look.

If these colours aren't to your taste Just My Look has a wide range of other OPI mini kits including the Brazil, Venice,  and 50 Shades collections, and some other gift sets and limited editions as well as a wide variety of full sizes OPI polishes. and treatments.They also sell other nail brands including CND and Morgan Taylor, as well as beauty products, and cosmetics from the like of W7, Fake Bake, Babyliss, Bed Head, Macadamia and Maybelline. if you're a beauty junkie that likes a website with free UK postage than I would definitely recommend checking Just My Look out - I may have placed a little nail polish order with them myself x

Do you divide your nail polish colours into seasons? or do you just do what I do and go with the flow? x Let me know and of course please let me know if you have any questions x Thanks for reading

*Sample

Essence I ♥ Trends Nail Polish - The Nudes - 07 Hope For Love* - Nails Of The Day

Hi Guys x Hope you're all having a great day x Today's post is another nails of the day post and it's something that I was recently sent from top European budget brand, Essence. The majority of Essence polishes in my collection are either special effects shades, or they're bright and vibrant colours, this one though is just a little bit different.

Essence I ♥ Trends Nail Polish - The Nudes - 07 Hope For Love, is one of a  wider range of nude toned polishes recently released by Essence. The range contains a variety of nude and neutral tones including everything from pale pinks to beige's, and skin tone and mannequin hands shades.

Hope For Love is a beautiful dusky, neutral pink. There is probably not a place or a time that you couldn't wear this shade. It's one of those colours that would be perfect for work, for play or even for the most formal of social occasions.

The coverage is excellent and believe it or not this is just one coat. Normally you have to be careful with cream polishes, but this one was pretty good. The polish is pretty thick but it is self levelling so as long as your nail tips aren't too white, and your first coat is decent, one coat should be enough.

Creamy polishes, especially in paler shades like this often have a reputation for being streaky and hard to work with but I have to say this one really surprised me. It was easy to apply, the coverage was good and the wear time was acceptable for the price. Essence I ♥ Trends Nail Polish - The Nudes -07 Hope For Love, retails at just £1.80 for an 8ml bottle and is available in the UK from Wilko, Wilko Online and from Essence standalone stores. 

Is the quality of this polish a one off ? well, we'll see x I have quite a few more Essence items to review including another polish from The Nudes range, so if you're a fan of more affordable beauty products make sure that your following my blog x Thanks for reading and if you have any questions please leave me a comment below x 

*Sample

FNUG - This Season - A Nails Of The Day Featuring My Pure*

If there was a song to describe this post I think it would be Alanis Morissette and Ironic. Up until about 3 weeks ago my nails and hands were fine, but almost as soon as my March My Pure requests went in, my nails started to snap and my hands became drier than the Sahara.

Both Ironic and annoying - granted they look slightly better than what they did say a week ago, but they still aren't great, so you're going to have to imagine what this polish would look like on longer nails and nicer hands.

The polish in question is FNUG - 93 This Season. If you've read any of my other FNUG reviews you'll know how impressed I've been with this Danish brand. Not only is it 3 free but also contains ingredients such as silica and vitamins A, D, E and B, to help strengthen the nails.

In the bottle This Season looks like an almost two tone lilac and silver. On the nails though in the majority of lights it applies as a metallic lilac foil, with a textured sparkly finish. It's coming across more purple here but in real life, it's less bright and a little bit more silvery

The short, wide brush made application a breeze even on my little stubby nails and the dry time was excellent. In these pictures I'm wearing two coats but the coverage was so good you could easily get away with one.

I'm normally a huge metallic and lilac fan but this polish doesn't do a lot for me. I'm normally okay with textured polishes but I'm just not a big fan of the foil and texture combination. Don't get me wrong this isn't a bad polish by any means ,the wear time and application are easily comparable to the other FNUG polishes I've tried, I just don't like the finish. FNUG - This Season Nail Polish retails at £12 for an 8.5ml bottle from My Pure. Are you a fan of textured nail polishes? Let me know in the comments below x

(*Sample)