Nail of the day - Dior 'Calypso'

Today I felt like sporting a bright red creme, this one is probably a little summery for the weather we're having but it caught my eye when I was looking through my stash and I just really wanted to use it once more before I properly retired it for autumn and winter.

2 coats of Dior 'Calypso' with a coat of Sally Hansen Mega Shine top coat

'Dior' Calypso is a very bright, ever so slightly orange based red creme polish. And I think it's gorgeous, application was lovely, almost a 1 coater. This was one of my summer go to polishes, it almost eclipsed my favourite red; OPI 'Red My Fortune Cookie'.

2 coats of Dior 'Calypso' with a coat of Sally Hansen Mega Shine top coat

Now that I've got this polish out of my system for a little while I am fully ready to embrace all that autumn has to offer nail polish-wise, I already have been but I'm ready to put away all of my brighter colours and focus on rich, vampy colours on my nails for when I go jumping in piles of crispy, autumn leaves.

2 coats of Dior 'Calypso' with a coat of Sally Hansen Mega Shine top coat

Hope you all had a great Sunday :)

My picks from the Jessica Spicy Dreams collection

This post is long overdue, but I really wasn't able to find this collection in UK stores so I ended up ordering them online from the states. There was no way I was going without getting at least a couple of the polishes from this collection, if i'd seen them in an actual store I probably would have walked out with all them so, they're all such and pretty and seasonal colours.

2 coats of 'Cinnamon Kiss' with a coat Seche Vite fast dry top coat

As soon as I saw the promo photos I knew that I would have to get Cinnamon Kiss. It's a very shimmery red colour that looks a little vampy because it has a kind of blackened base. This kind of ended up looking how I wish OPI's 'Every day is Oktoberfest' looked. What I particularly like about this polish is that although it does have a blackened base it is definitely red and couldn't be mistaken for black which I think is a trap that many darker nail polishes fall into. I really love this polish, it seems to really glow on my fingers and the formula was pretty nice too, 2 coats for an opaque finish and it doesn't have the brush stroke problems that some metallic polishes have.

2 coats of 'Pumpkin Delight' with a coat Seche Vite fast dry top coat

Pumpkin Delight is a very unique looking polish for my collection. It's a highly concentrated glitter thats a mix of red and some gold. There really is a whole lot of glitter in this baby, I ended up using 2 coats of this and got full coverage. I really love this one, from far away it looks almost like a bronzey coppery colour but when you get a proper look at it you can definitely see the different colours of glitter, it's a very interesting polish. It gives almost a duochrome kind of effect, reminds me of fire or the changing colours of leaves - perfect for autumn!

Overall I am incredibly impressed with these polishes, I already know that Cinnamon Kiss will be a nail staple for me this autumn and winter! What are some of your picks from the Spicy Dreams collection?

New for autumn - Rimmel Precious Stones

Along with the Metal rush polishes that I talked about here Rimmel also released these two gems for autumn. They are basically high coverage glitter nail polishes, two coats and my nails were completely covered and sparkling. I initially thought that these were going to be more like a glitter topcoat kind of polish which I thought would be pretty but there are lots of those about, I like that these are opaque, great for the festive party season.

2 coats of 'Diamond Dust' and a coat of Seche Vite fast dry top coat

'Diamond Dust' has a dark grey base solidly packed with silver and grey shimmer and slightly larger holographic glitter. I think this is a stunning polish, I really really like it and think it will be amazing for when I want something sophisticated but still a bit sparkly and fun. I definitely think i'll be busting this one out a lot this winter, because the glitter is so dense it does your nails feeling bumpy but nothing that a layer of top coat can't sort out. I was actually shocked at how dense the glitter was, but the actual base polish wasn't too thick so it was easy to apply. I think i'm in love, the holographic glitter is just so striking.

3 coats of 'Ruby Crush' and a coat of Seche Vite fast dry top coat

'Ruby Crush' is Rimmel's other Precious Stones offering. I like it, i'm not as impressed with it as I was with 'Diamond Dust' but I do think that it's a pretty shade that will come in handy around christmas time for making your nails look a little more festive and fun. This has a red base that is packed with red and silver glitters all of the same size. For some reason this one needed 3 coats instead of the 2 that 'Diamond Dust' took which is strange because it seemed to have the same density of glitter. All the same this still is a really good glitter polish, I would recommend this one for people who prefer to have a bit of colour on their nails rather than neutrals or darks.

So there you have it, i'm really quite impressed with Rimmel's autumn releases, I think they've really stepped it up. You can find theses polishes for £3.99 anywhere where Rimmel is sold, I got them at Boots which is currently running a pretty extensive 3 for 2 offer, so i'd check that out if you were looking to get them.

Experimenting with nail effects

Lately i've been trying out quite a few different nail effect polishes. Normally I really don't like the look they give but I wanted a cool nail to go with my halloween costume (because I get super excited for halloween) so I decided to experiment with some different combo's and I thought that you might like to see the results.

1 coat of Bourjois 'Python top coat' over 2 coats of Essie 'Sand Tropez'

First up was Bourjois 'Python top coat' over 2 coats of Essie 'Sand Tropez'. I didn't really like how this one turned out, I thought it might look like blood on plain nails but it really didn't. Oh well, thats what experimentation is for, right?

 1 coat of Bourjois 'Python top coat' over 2 coats of Nails Inc 'Black Taxi'

Then I tried that same Bourjois polish over Nails Inch 'Black Taxi'. The problem with this was that the red python effect polish was too sheer to be seen as an actual colour over black and turned out looking kind of like glossy, lumpy dirt. I thought this could be cool for a halloween look but just wasn't the kind of thing that I was going for really.

1 coat of Barry M 'Black Croc Effect' over 2 coats of Ciate 'Dangerous Affair'

My favourite of the 3 combos I tried was the Barry M 'Black Croc Effect' with the deep red Ciate 'Dangerous Affair' polish underneath. I think this managed to look menacing enough to be a part of a halloween polish without looking so weird that i'd feel odd wearing it for a day afterward or whatever. Plus red and black will probably be the colour scheme of my costume and this will go nicely.

So what do you think? Do you style your nails especially for halloween?

Deborah Lippmann 'Ruby Red Slippers'

It's been a while since i've used a Deborah Lippmann polish and when I was looking through my stash I knew it was time to put on my 'Ruby Red Slippers'.....and follow the yellow brick road. Cute name of this polish aside (I really love The Wizard of Oz) this polish really is something. I have a lot of red glitters, and I mean a boat load, but I think the black base on this one makes it feel much more modern.

4 thin coats of 'Ruby Red Slippers' - much more black is present on the nail than in the bottle in this photo and I think that it's fairly accurate

'Ruby Red Slippers' is a black jelly base with smaller red microshimmer and larger red hexagonal glitter. Application was nice, although this was a sheer polish, it applied quite evenly and it wasn't too hard to get plenty of glitter on the nail. Because of how sheer this polish is I used 4 thin coats which makes it quite a time consuming polish so that's something to keep in mind.

4 thin coats of 'Ruby Red Slippers'

I think that this could be a great twist on a sparkly red polish for when it gets closer to the festive season, I think that the black base is something quite unexpected and is perhaps more interesting than just having a red base. I will admit the first thing that sprang to mind when I first saw it was 'Oh my.....I have found the perfect polish to wear on halloween' but it looks very different on the nail. In some lights fleeting glances may lead you to believe that the polish is a burgundy colour which I think is pretty cool.

4 thin coats of 'Ruby Red Slippers'

This polish is quite expensive, I got mine for £16 at House of Fraser which is the only place that i've seen Lippmann polishes being sold in-store in the UK. I feel like I might actually use up this polish at some stage because it does require many coats (I will be trying it over a black creme base though) so it doesn't seem like great value but I love the look it gives and haven't seen anything else like it. I know that in the US there is a Wet N Wild dupe, unfortunately we don't get that brand here in the UK but its something to keep an eye out for if you're in the states and are considering 'Ruby Red Slippers'.

4 thin coats of 'Ruby Red Slippers'

What do you think of Ruby Red Slippers? What are some of your favourite Deborah Lippmann polishes?

top 10 nail polish picks for autumn - part 2!

My top 10 nail polish picks for autumn!

I already talked about how much I love autumn and autumn colours in part 1 so I won't bore you too much by going on again. Theres some really great nail polish options out there that fit the season and some great collections have been released for autumn and winter (I can't wait to pick up a few colours from the Jessica 'Spicy Dream' collection!) So without further ado, lets dive into the second half of my favourite polishes for autumn!

(left-right) Chanel 'Rouge noir', Deborah Lippmann 'Ruby red slippers', Barry M 'Navy', OPI 'Designer de-better', Deborah Lippmann 'Diamonds and pearls'

2 coats of Chanel 'Rouge noir'

'Rouge noir' was very raved about a few years back, but the hype seems to have died down in the wake of other polishes such as 'Peridot' and 'Paradoxal'. Oh well, I don't care if its hyped about or not, I still love the colour. Its an extremely blackened red creme that in some lighting comes off as flat black. I love this for when I want to have a fairly neutral (odd calling this colour a neutral, but it does seem to go with everything), dark and moody polish. I don't wear flat black nail polish as it can seem a bit harsh against my pale complexion, especially in the winter months, so this polish is a nice alternative.

3 coats of Deborah Lippmann 'Ruby red slippers'

I got this polish rather a long time ago back at the start of spring and just haven't had a chance to wear it throughout spring and summer. Alas, autumn is upon us and I can now don my 'Ruby red slippers'. This is a black jelly base with red hexagonal chunky glitter and small red shimmer particles running throughout. I think i'll wear this one a lot more closer to christmas time actually but it certainly won't go unworn throughout autumn. The sheerness of the black base is a bit of a bummer if i'm honest but the colours pretty, so I will spend the time, it just probably won't be worn as much as shades the require 1-2 coats.

2 coats of Barry M 'Navy'

I wasn't expecting to like this colour half as much as I actually do, I bought it because I thought it looked like a pretty close dupe for Chanel 'Blue Satin' and thought it would be great if I could find a much cheaper alternative. The truth is I like this polish better than the Chanel one, which i'm surprised by. I find Barry M nail paints to be a bit of a hit or miss but with this one the quality is definitely there. Compared to the Chanel this one is a little less blackened; 'Blue satin' can read as black in dim lighting but this is definitely a metallic navy, which is what I was looking for. I feel it's just the right balance of being dark and rich in colour without being too blackened. I may do a separate comparison post on these two as there's much more to say.

2 coats of OPI 'Designer de-better'

When I first thought of including this polish I wasn't sure whether to include this or the oh so hyped about Orly 'Rage' but I included this one because I like the formula better. 'Designer de-better' is a pretty old OPI shade that came out with the Muppets collection. Its a metallic rose gold shade with tonnes of micro-shimmer. I don't know why but shades like these just seem to suit my skin-tone better in the cooler months, plus I generally prefer metallics and shimmery polishes once summer closes in because they make up for the lack of sun and make me happy.

1 coat of Deborah Lippmann 'Diamonds and pearls' over 2 coats of Essie 'Sand tropez'

This isn't really an autumn colour as much as I wear it all the time so i'm sure that it will be on my nails alot during autumn. In the summer time when i'm a tad less pale I can wear 'Sand tropez' on its own but in the autumn and winter I need something to give it a bit of a lift so that its not completely nude and doesn't make my hands look dead. 'Diamonds and pearls' is a light, shimmery warm-toned polish that is very sheer and best worn over another colour. I think this will look good as a jazzier neutral when the weather starts to close in; plus the shimmer will make me happy when the sun goes away.

So there you have it, my top 10 nail polish picks for autumn 2012, i'm excited for the leaves to start falling so I can jump in a big pile of crunchy leafy goodness :D

Top 10 nail polish picks for autumn - part 1!

My top 10 nail polish picks for the autumn!

Autumn is by far one of my favourite seasons, it starts to get chilly but isn't as deeply cold as winter, the clothes are adorable, and the colours associated with it are some of my favourites. i just love taking a walk in the crisp, chilly air bundled up in a nice warm jumper taking in the falling leaves in various shades of red, orange, burgundy and yellow. But enough about my love of the autumn and onto the first half of my top 10 autumn nail polishes!

(left- right) Butter London 'No more waity, Katie', OPI '20 candles on my cake', Deborah Lippmann 'Good girl gone bad', Essie 'Chinchilly', Butter London 'Shag'

The above nail polishes on the nail.

2 coats of Butter London 'Shag'

Butter London ' Shag' is one of the colours from their new A/W 12 collection and the most autumnal looking of the bunch, to me anyway. I was immediately attracted to this when I saw the first press photos of the collection, it just screams autumn to me. Its a deep orange colour with a hint of copper, it has a metallic finish with lots of micro-shimmer running throughout.

3 thing coats of Essie 'Chinchilly'

Essie's 'Chinchilly' is a dark, muted greige creme with a hint of purple. This colour is my favourite neutral for autumn or winter because it  literally goes with everything and it doesn't make my pale skin look too odd as neutral colours sometimes can. In some ways this isn't specifically an autumn colour for me because I do wear it all year round but I get the most wear out of it in autumn.

2 coats of 'Good girl gone bad'

Deborah Lippmann 'Good girl gone bad' is a polish that I bought specifically with autumn in mind. Burgundy is my favourite colour for this time of the year, and to me, shimmery polishes are more suited to the colder weather. I really love this because it is just so shimmery and I didn't really have anything like it in my collection, I had plenty of shimmery reds but nothing a little darker. Its a great way to add a glitzy touch to a more neutral autumn outfit.

2 coats of OPI '20 candles on my cake'

I really don't like to wear pinks as much in autumn and winter and this is as close as I get. '20 candles on my cake' is a red based raspberry creme. I like this shade for the transition between summer and autumn because its still bright enough to look great for those last summer days but its not so bright that it would look silly on a duller day. The finish on this one is really great and it really does provide a bright pop of colour when you wear it with a darker outfit. Its really quite an unusual mix of pink and red that I can't think of any dupes for.

3 coats of Butter London 'No more waity, Katie'

This is a really interesting colour to me, I usually favour darker shades for autumn and winter but this one really appealed to me. It has serious bottle appeal and I really love it on the nail too, its a dirty purpley grey base with pretty lilac shimmer in it.I like that the base has a bit of a dirty quality to it, makes it much more interesting than if it was a lilac base to match the shimmer. I'm not sure this is something that everyone would love but I really enjoy it. It's the only cooler toned polish that i've really chosen, I feel like its the perfect mix of pretty and edgy. A lot of people talk about the horrible formula of this but I didn't find it that bad, it's a 3-coater but that doesn't bother me too much.

My picks from the OPI Germany collection

When I first saw photos of OPI's Germany collection i'll have to admit that I was slightly underwhelmed. I mean, there are definitely pretty shades but they were all highly dupeable, or so I thought. When I actually saw the collection in store, my opinion changed somewhat.

The nude colours were nice and the kind of thing that appeals to me but they all very closely resembled polishes that I already have in my collection. Despite owning similar polishes I slightly regret not getting 'Berlin there, done that' which is a greige creme polish. Its similar to Essie's 'Chinchilly' which is  one of my favourite autumn nail polishes, only the Essie polish is a tad greyer. But now onto my two purchases from the 

collection.

2 coats of OPI's 'Every month is Oktoberfest'

'Every month is Oktoberfest' is an ideal autumnal shade. Its a metallic purple with a hint of red and some red micro-shimmer. It was quite hard to photograph this polish true to how it appears on the nail. In darker lights this looks almost black but in sunlight the shimmer is really beautiful. This kind of colour just screams autumn to me, the purple and red duochrome kind of reminds me of the changing colour of leaves. When I saw the original images of the collection this was the one that really stood out to me that I knew I had to get. I know that Jessica has some very similar colours in the autumn 'Spicy Dream' collection but I haven't actually seen this in UK stores yet.

1 coat of 'Deutsch you want me baby?'

'Deutsch you want me baby?' is a deep orange colour with some micro-shimmer and a metallic finish. I really love this colour, it seems to me like its a autumn/winter version of my favourite summer orange; 'Holiday' by Chanel. This polish seemed like a bit of a miracle actually, in 1 coat it dried to an opaque, streak free and glossy finish - I was amazed and a very happy bunny. The colour isn't as red as it looks in the above photo, in person it is a true deep orange in all lighting situations.