Nina Ultra Pro Caribbean Blue and OPI Save Me Swatches

I asked hubby to pick a colour to paint my nails as I just couldn't decide! 

He picked this combination which goes really well together.  It is the first time I have used the Nina polish.

OPI Save Me

Nina Ultra Pro Caribbean Blue

Caribbean blue applies beautifully and is opaque in two coats.

Save Me has gone a bit gloopy was fine for one finger!

Caribbean blue is beautiful, it really does remind me of tropical seas!

I have had this on for a few days now and it still hasn't chipped, it was quick to dry too.

Thumbs up from me :)

Have you tried any of the Nina Ultra Pro polishes?

OPI Mariah Carey Liquid Sand Review

When Caroline from Musings of a Beauty Addict Mum went on holiday to America for Christmas she kindly asked if there was anything I would like her to pick up for me.  I had seen quite a few swatches of these online so asked her to pick me up the mini set, these retail at approx $10 (£6) in America and £12.95 over here on Lena White so it was quite a saving! 

The mini set contains 4 shades L-R

Get Your Number

Can't Let Go

The Impossible

Stay The Night

Get Your Number - matte blue with holo glitter

Can't Let Go - matte purple with purple glitter

The Impossible - matte pink with pink glitter and stars

Stay The Night - matte black with red glitter 

These are two coats, no topcoat.

Consistency of all the polishes is really good, drying time average (although felt like a long time without the help of Seche Vite!)

The polishes are a lot more sparkly in real life, I thought that the glitters would be matte but its is the base that is matt not the glitter.

I thought the texture of the polishes would be quite rough but while you can feel they are slightly rough I wouldn't say its a much as a normal glitter.

I was disappointed that no stars come out of the bottle for the swatch of The Impossible!

These have one coat of Seche Vite, they probably need two coats to feel smooth.  

Caroline got me these as a Christmas present!

Wet n Wild palette in Petal Pusher

EOS balm in lemon drop

I can't wait to try the palette the shades are perfect for me.  I have read a lot of good things about Wet n Wild eyeshadows!

I love EOS balms, I currently have three on the go.  I'll open this one when the weather starts getting sunny as the SPF15 will come in very handy.

What do you think of these polishes?  Will you be buying them?

OPI Spiderman Collection

My first nail polish swatch post!

These are from the Spiderman collection by OPI. 

I purchased the mini set as I love the OPI mini collections and think they are a great way to try out the colours without spending too much money.

Its hard to take pics of nails! Any tips much appreciated ;)

All the colours are two coats and no topcoat.

Your Web or Mine?

A frosty pink - I like this more than I thought I would. Its quite pretty and great for daytime nails. 

Just Spotted the Lizard

This colour is gorgeous! Its a green/gold chrome.

Into the Night

 A sapphire blue shimmer - I don't usually like blue nail polish but I do like this, the colour is lovely and the shimmer sets it off. 

Number One Nemesis

A steel grey shimmer - the formula was very sheer and really this needed three coats.

I have had these mini's in my collection for a few weeks and had not got around to trying them out, I wasn't sure what I would think of them as I am definitely a pink glitter polish kind of girl but I am impressed once again by OPI. The only one I don't really like is Number One Nemesis, I just don't suit this colour.

I love, love, love Just Spotted the Lizard and may well have to purchase the full size. As I said at the beginning of the post that's the great thing with the mini OPI collections I think they are a great price to try out the colours without having to spend too much money.

Aprils Beauty Budget Challenge - Week 3

I'm a bit scared this week! I know I have bought quite a few things and I haven't totted up how much I have spent!

I started the week with a budget of 61p due to my overspend in Week 2. I made £78 on eBay this week (woohooo) plus I have listed some more items that end next week.

First up a mini haul from MUA at Superdrug, I did the banking for work this week and couldn't resist popping into Superdrug to see what they had.  These are the first MUA items that I have bought.

Lipsticks in shades 6 and 12. £1 each.

Eye Primer £2.50 with a free eyeshadow! So I picked up the shade Pearl. Extreme mascara in Black £2 and a brunette eyebrow pencil for £1. Total cost £7.50

Nails Inc in Connaught Square and Park Lane. £11.00 inc postage from eBay.

OPI minis in L-R Planks a Lot, French Quarter for your thoughts, Strawberry Margarita, My Address is Hollywood.  £6.76 inc postage from eBay

Erm more sparkles! Models Own polishes in Juicy Jules and Ibiza Mix. £8.

Beneefit Smokin' Eyes kit - received in a swap that was included in last weeks spends.

Plus

£31.95 on my TK Maxx Haul

and

I eventually gave into temptation and signed up to the first Lux Box, they had an offer for £2.50 off the first box so it came to £10.45

Gees spent a lot this week...let me just add it all up.

£67.71! Get in! I have £10.90 left over!

Although I did list the items on eBay to pay off a bit of my credit card and not to spend on more stuff!

Going to try really hard to stick to the £10 budget for the final week, plus will not spend any money I make this week or the £10.90 left over from this week and will pay it off my credit card like a good girl :)

Aprils Beauty Budget Challenge - Week 2

Hi All,

Sorry this is a little late but I had a super busy weekend - we went to see a musical show called Remembering Michael which was a celebration of Michael Jacksons music and life, it was amazing I didn't want it to end.  Then we spent the day at the Gadget Show Live in Birmingham, which my inner geek loved!

This is how I got on this week.  I had £3.58 left over from Week 1 meaning I started the week with £13.58.

I spent £9.48 on postage for swaps through the FB page Beauty Box Swaps. These are all the fab items I got! Did well this week, did't I!

Looking forward to trying both these products, I have the Real Techniques stippling brush and I love it so was excited to get the powder brush.

I need a new bronzer and this Bourjois one in light is great for my pale skin.  I have swatched the cheek activator but its a bit too dark for me.

OPI's in Meet Me on the StarFerry and Jade is the new Black.

I have this VIVO baked palette in Divine and did a review here, I love the colours and the blusher is gorgeous.  The palette that I received in my swaps is Paparazzi.

I have listed lots of items on eBay to try and make some extra money - in week 2 I made £30 and I bought....

A large pink cosmetics case from Argos to store all my nail polishes in, this cost me £27.99

Katy Perry Mini Opi Set for £7.00 from eBay - bargain! I was concerned these might have been fakes, but they are genuine and I absolutely love them.

 

Texas Lil Shooters Mini OPI set for £8.50 from eBay, pleased with these too - can't wait to try the shimmery turquoise shade.

 I got this OPI mask from the lovely Susan over on the Beauty Box Swaps page, she sent it to me for being the first person to comment on her swap post! Its gorgeous, it smells like holidays :)

I got this amazing necklace from Wendy, she is the lovely lady who I did the Easter Box Swaps with.  She forgot to put this in the box and so sent it separately.  I love it! I'm a complete bookworm and this is just such a thoughtful present.

So lets tot it up.....Funds in (£13.58 + £30) £43.58, Funds Out (£9.48 + £27.99 + £7 + £8.50) £52.97 = Yikes went over by £9.39!!

So for Week 3 I have 61p!

Erm.... I better get listing some more stuff on eBay!

I did actually spend quite a lot of money this week, but its not clothes, make up or beauty items....it was tickets to go and see Lady Gaga in Manchester in September.  She is my favourite artist and I tried for four hours to get tickets, couldn't believe it when I got them! WOOOOOOHOOOOOO!

Nail Polish Water Marbling - First Attempt!

Happy Easter! I've had chocolate for breakfast and lunch today and I now feel a bit sick and I'm craving salad (thats a first!) hope you are having a lovely day.

Yesterday I got a text from my best friend Vicki asking me to come round for a girly night of nail painting, she had been watching some online tutorials on water marbling and thought it would be fun to give it a go.  Now I am not creative in the slightest and whenever I have tried to do any nail art in the past I have always messed it up, so I didn't hold out too much hope but thought it would be great to have a go.

You will need:
A glass/tub of water
An orange stick/pin for swirling the varnish
An orange stick for "collecting" the varnish from the water
A selection of nail polish
Masking tape
Some kitchen towel!
Vodka and cranberry and some chocolate caramel bunnies (optional)


Firstly I painted my nails with Models Own Pro Polish in Lavender Blue 036 (sorry for the pic quality, it was night-time the lighting was poor and my camera is rubbish!). 

Then I choose three colours that I thought would look nice together, L-R Mellow Yellow 027, Yas-Mint 048 and Matt Purple 018

Then time to tape up the skin around your fingers - Vicki had done a practise run in the day using sellotape and said it was a bit too sticky so I took around a roll of masking tape. Thanks to Vics' hubby for taping up our fingers! I was a bit distracted by the vodka and cranberry....

Then I dropped onto the surface of the water one drop of purple, then mint then yellow then repeated. Don't put the nail polish onto the water, let it drop from the brush.  I kept the lids unscrewed as you have to work quite quickly before the polish starts to set.

Then using an orange stick/pin make the varnish into whatever pattern you want. I just swirled mine around!

Then place your nail straight into the water through the polish, keep your finger in the water and use the orange stick to collect any varnish from the surface of the water.  Use a swirling technique, like you are making a candy floss :)

My very first attempt! I did this finger so that my nail was placed vertically through the varnish and into the water.

I did these slightly differently by putting my nail in horizontally and I think this worked much better.

My first hand before I tidied it up - the polish looks quite thick but it isn't its just the picture.

These are dry without a topcoat - I'm quite pleased with my first attempt :)

These pics are Vicki's fabulous attempt - they look gorgeous!

She did try and put a bit of OPI Rainbow Connection into the mix but it didn't work, so she just used the three colours above.

 

I then changed the colours for my right hand and used the same purple as the left hand plus Nails Inc in Shoreditch and used two drops of each colour.  I like this combination a lot more than my left hand, it looks really pretty.

 Couldn't resist sneaking this pic in! These are Vicki's Lalaloopsy's!

I am pleased with my first attempt, you could spend hours doing this with different colours and patterns.

Inspired anyone to give it a go?