Five-And-Ten

I don't know about you but I love to get to the airport early to have a look around the Duty Free and sit and relax before a flight. I've become a bit of a nervous flyer as I've gotten older and so being there with plenty of time to spare just makes me feel so much more at ease. JFK is one of the best airports I've been to, there's lots of shops and places to eat and it makes all the difference especially before a long flight because there's a lot to keep you occupied.

I wanted to pick up a few presents for people and didn't really have any intention of getting anything for myself after clearing out the Glossier Showroom and Sephora. I was browsing the OPI stand and I noticed they had a Breakfast at Tiffany's collection which I've since learned was their Holiday 2016 collection. I hadn't heard of it or seen it anywhere even though we now have OPI here in Ireland. I don't tend to keep with with nail polish brands as much as I used to but OPI are one of my favourites along with Essie and they always do great collections. 

I had a look at the shades and there were a few I liked but I ended up buying Five-and-Ten which is a champagne/silver shade with micro glitter. It's such a pretty shade that looks gorgeous under lights or in the sun and the glitter is quite inoffensive so it could act as a nice neutral too. 

I love the OPI nail polish formula, I find it so easy to apply and like Essie they have a bigger brush that I prefer for my nail shape. I had a look around online and the collection doesn't seem to be available in that many places anymore. A lot of websites won't ship nail polishes outside of their country but I found this shade here and here on sale! Some of the other shades are available on Nail Polish Direct and HB Beauty Bar as well as on Amazon and eBay. I also bought the set of 4 mini shades for my mam and sister and I kind of regret not buying one for myself. I bought another OPI polish from Rite Aid while I was in New York so I'll share that one soon too because it's part of their permanent line. It's seems my not buying nail polish spell is over!

What have you been wearing on your nails recently?

Emma x

Eternal Optimist

Anyone who has been reading my blog for a while will know I'm partial to an Essie nail polish (I just counted and I have 21 Essie polishes). It's definitely my favourite nail brand and I've tried a lot of them. When I first saw one of their newer shades Eternal Optimist on Alix from I Covet Thee, I had to have it. It's described as "a spiced tea rose with a dash of cream" which I'd say is pretty spot on. 

Eternal Optimist is pretty much the on trend dusky pink colour of the past couple of seasons. It's light enough to be worn as a neutral all year round but it's a particularly pretty shade for this time of year. The warmer tones make it a more grown up pink shade compared to the likes of Fiji by Essie which is a more true baby pink. I've been wearing it almost non-stop since I got it before Christmas. 

I haven't been buying nail polish all that much recently, in fact I think this could be the only nail polish I've bought in the past year. I tend to go for Essie because they're one of the most long lasting and easy to apply nail polishes on the market and I always love their new shades.

What shade is currently on your nails? Do you have a favourite nail brand?

Emma x

Maximillian Strasse Her and Stones n' Roses

I haven't written a post about nail polish in a while, but after digging out some Essie polishes I bought last year I was inspired to share them with you. Maximillian Strasse Her is from the Spring 2013 collection. I remember this shade got a bit of attention when it was released because it is such a  unique colour. When I first saw it in the bottle I wasn't that pushed on it, but whenever I saw someone wearing it I made note to buy it the next time I was at an Essie stand.

It's a cool toned pale grey/green that almost works as a neutral. It's like the green version of Essie's Cocktail Bling which is one of my favourite shades of theirs. I get compliments on it every time I wear it because it's such an unusual shade. It's still available on Debenhams, Amazon and Superdrug if you want to get your hands on it.

Stones n' Roses was part to the Resort 2015 collection and is what I would describe as a pastel coral quite similar to Tart Deco, but a little more washed out. I've been wearing this a lot throughout Spring and now that it's "Summer" I'm wearing it on my toes too.

As with all of my other Essie polishes, the formula of these is excellent, in fact you could get away with one coat of both of these shades. The diffusion line in Boots and other pharmacies has a wider brush than the usual Essie polishes I've bought online and I definitely prefer this kind of brush as it allows me to coat my nails much quicker and more easily. Even though I apply a top coat over these, I still find them longer lasting than most of the other nail polish formulas I've tried.

Stones n' Roses can be found on Boots website and on Amazon.

Essie remain one of my favourite nail brands, I think I've featured them more than any other brand here on the blog. I adore both of these shades and feel like they're the perfect subdued Spring/Summer nail colours.  

What nail colours are you loving at the moment? Do you know any dupes for these shades?

Emma x

Miss Fancy Pants

I'm a big fan of Essie nail polishes, I don't know anyone who has tried them and not liked them. The formula, lasting power, brush and colour range make Essie polishes some of the best I've ever tried. I saw Miss Fancy Pants on somebody, I can't remember who and I ordered it straight away. It's described as a "refined, chic greige" on the Essie site and I couldn't have put it better myself. For me, it's the perfect understated nail colour. 

Do you have a go to neutral nail polish? What are you wearing on your nails right now?

Emma x

Deep Wine

I picked up No7 Deep Wine back in Spetember when I was craving a more Autumnal nail polish. This shade is from their Gel-Look Shine collection which claims to have rich colour pay off in one coat, helps to smooth and plump nails so ridges can't be seen and the patented technology makes the polish tough and flexible to prevent chipping. 

I wore it for 5 days in which I was doing a lot, both working and travelling all around London and I had minimal wear on the tips of my nails before I took it off. I was very impressed with the wear time and I found it did all that it claimed it would. 

I've written about many No7 nail polishes before as they are some of my all time favourites. They are so easy to apply with the big brush and you only need one coat for full opacity which is so great for when you need your nail polish to dry quickly. 

I love this shade and it is surprisingly one that was lacking in my vast collection. I had classic red and deep burgundy but nothing in between until now. For €8 (or €4 with the famous No7 vouchers) I can't recommend these highly enough.

What's on your nails at the moment?

Emma x

Revlon Apricot Nectar

When I read about the Revlon Parfumerie range I was excited to try it out. I had never tried scented nail polish before so it was about time I gave them a go. Revlon polishes are up there with my favourite drugstore nail polishes so I had high hopes for this range. I bought the shade Apricot Nectar after seeing it on someone and loving the colour. 

The only reason I decided to write about this polish is because I loved the shade so much, however I was disappointed with the formula, brush and packaging. I found it difficult to apply because of the shape of the lid which was awkward to hold. The formula was thick and the brush was thin making it hard to get an even coat. The shade is very similar to Essie Tart Deco so I think I would advise anyone who likes this shade to go for that instead as I much prefer Essie's formula and brush.

I found it did last well, around 4 days without chipping which is standard for most polishes I use. To be honest, the scent didn't do it for me, as fun as the concept is, it didn't make up for the downfalls of the polish. They have some gorgeous shades in the range, Wintermint and Beachy in particular caught my eye but I don't know if I would buy another one because of the problems I had with this one. 

The Parfumerie range is priced at €8.99 in Boots. Have you tried any of these polishes yet? Did you have the same problems as me?

Emma x

KIKO Sun Show Nail Lacquer

During our visit to France, we took a day trip to the beautiful city of Le Mans. We went to a shopping centre there which had a KIKO store so I took the opportunity to pick up some products to try out. One of the current Limited Edition collections KIKO has on offer is Life in Rio, a Summer collection consisting of products with beautiful vibrant packaging and many of the products are water/sun proof and contain SPF.

The Sun Show Nail Lacquers caught my eye straight away and I struggled to choose just one of the nine shimmery shades. I eventually went with shade 471 Juicy Pitaya (a Pitaya is a Dragon Fruit, FYI), a beautiful iridescent hot pink. 

I have two other shades of KIKO Nail Lacquers and to be perfectly honest I didn't find them to be the most long wearing formula, however I'm more than willing to overlook that when the shade is as gorgeous as this one. Despite that, they are very easy to apply and have my favourite thing in a nail polish- a big brush. They are also easy to remove which isn't always the case with these shimmery polishes. 

This particular range is more expensive than the normal Nail Lacquers at €5.90,  unfortunately they are only available to Ireland from the European website but I am hoping KIKO will be available here in the future as I'm really impressed with the brand and would love to try out more of their products. 

I have a few more things from KIKO which I have yet had the chance to use but once I do I will hopefully share them with you.

 Are there any brands we don't have here in Ireland (or in your country) that you would love to get your hands on?

Emma x

Baptiste

My mam got me this Illamasqua nail polish in the shade Baptiste a few months ago and I had high hopes after she raved about their nail polishes.




The colour is so beautiful, it's a deep shimmery purple that applies beautifully and wears really well. I actually didn't have a darker purple shade in my collection, for some reason I'd never come across one that I really liked but this one is so stunning. I now want to try out more of the Illamasqua polishes.

What are you wearing on your nails at the moment?

Emma x

2013 in Nails

I didn't photograph nearly as many nail shades as I would have liked to last year considering how often I paint my nails. This is but a tiny selection of my hefty collection (rhyming unintentional).




1. Lavendairy
2. Me! Me! Me!
3. Blanc
4. You're Such A Budapest
5. Beauty And The Beach 2
6. Amande Défilé
7. Hot Lava
8. Soft Peach
9. Evening Opulence
10. Velvet Voyeur
11. Rock N Roll Red

There were a few new nail discoveries for me this year. The Lime Crime nail polish really impressed me and I want to add more shades to my collection for Spring/Summer because they're all such pretty pastel shades. I also got into trying new base and top coats and my favourites were Seche Vite and CND Stickey Base Coat. Both I found worked really well together and made the polish last for days and days without chipping. My most worn nail brand was definitely No7, I think they are one of the best "drug store" nail brands. My most worn shades were No7 Hot Lava during the Summer and Essie Velvet Voyeur since the beginning of Autumn.

I have lots of nail shades that I want to share with you in 2014. What was your favourite polish of 2013?

Emma x

Rock N Roll Red

Bonjour!

I'm back from an amazing week in Paris and just getting around to catching up on blogging after my break. I have Paris posts planned to fill you in on what I got up to as well as lots more. Firstly, I want to tell you about the nail polish I wore during my holiday.

I went into Boots last month on a mission to buy a red nail polish because shockingly I didn't have a true red in my collection. I was originally planning on buying No7's Devil's Delight which I have used before and loved the shade but it was sold out so I opted for one of the Rimmel Salon Pro by Kate Moss polishes in the shade Rock N Roll.



I love this nail polish, the shade, the brush, the formula. Is it just me or does anyone else just love giant nail polish brushes? I find polish so much easier to apply with a bigger brush. This is basically the perfect glamorous shade of red. I wore it when I was in Paris and it lasted the entire week without chipping, there was some very slight wear on the tips of my nails but that's it. I am truly impressed, and I'm definitely going to check out the other shades in this range.

What are you wearing on your nails at the moment?


Emma x

Velvet Voyeur

Since the beginning of September I have been mostly wearing darker colours on my nails. I bought Essie's Velvet Voyeur (How amazing is that name?) a few months ago when it was very hot and I was longing for cool Autumn days. When I saw this shade I initially thought it was too similar to my bottle of OPI We'll Always Have Paris which I wore to death last Winter but I figured since I wore that shade so much I would probably love this one too. 

Velvet Voyeur is one of those almost black shades but with a plum/purple hint to it that makes it less severe than an all out black. Like most Essie polishes it goes on smoothly and wears very well on my nails.

I was searching for a good base coat and top coat and I decided on the CND Stickey Base Coat after it was used on my nails when I had a manicure a few months ago. I found it made the manicure last very well.

I had wanted to try Seche Vite for a long time after reading so many great reviews of it. I couldn't quite understand why it was raved about so much, that is until I actually tried it for myself. It makes painting my nails so much easier. I don't know anyone who doesn't hate waiting around for their nails to dry and this just eliminates that problem completely, it's replaced Sally Hansen's Insta-Dri for me.

I love these two products together, they give me the most beautiful glossy nails and a few people have asked me if my nails were Shellac or a professional manicure, I'd say that's a pretty good reason to repurchase both of them.

You can find both the CND Base Coat and Seche Vite on Cult Beauty for about £8.95/£9.95 respectively.  I got Velvet Voyeur on sale from HQ Hair for €9.45.

What are you wearing on your nails right now?

Emma x

Evening Opulence

As I've mentioned numerous times before, Revlon is my favourite drug store/pharmacy make up brand. I always get excited to see their new releases and this years Autumn collection was no different. The Evening Opulence Collection by Gucci Westman is described as "full- fledged glamour and colour... with over the top brights and rich jewel tones".

The collection consists of three new ColorBurst lip glosses in the shades Bejewelled, Adorned and Embellished, two ColorBurst lip butters in Provocative and Invite Only, four Nail Enamels in the shades Rich, Elusive, Divine and Seductive, a PhotoReady eye palette and a double ended PhotoReady Kajal eye liner. 

After looking at all the products I ended up buying the Rich Nail Enamel and the Embellished and Adorned ColorBurst lip glosses.  

Rich is a gunmetal/pewter shade with micro gold glitter. As with all of the other Revlon polishes I have, this applies beautifully and lasts very well. I can't fault this formula, it's such a pleasure to use. I love the shade too, it's a great Autumn/Winter shade that's so eye-catching on the nails. 

When I first saw Adorned and Embellished I was completely taken back by how beautiful they looked in the packaging. One thing I will say about both of these lip glosses is that they are significantly less glittery when applied than they look in their packaging which I find makes them more wearable for daytime. Embellished is a wine/burgundy shade that's perfect for getting that berry lips look for daytime. Whereas Adorned has a bit more of an impact. It is a very bright pink with a lot more colour pay off than Embellished. In  the campaign photographs Olivia Wilde and Emma Stone wear these glosses with jewel toned eye make which I actually really like for a dramatic evening look. I'm looking forward to wearing this particular shade as it looks so stunning on. 

The formula of the ColorBurst glosses is one of the best I've tried, they look amazing on and are comfortable to wear. The also have a very subtle inoffensive scent which I can't imagine would bother too many people. I already have Bordeaux, Peony and Pink Ice and I wear them all the time. I'm quite picky about lip glosses and these are some of my all time favourites. 

This collection is still available in Boots, but if you see something you like, get it while you can as most stands I've seen have been almost empty. The Nail Enamel is €9.15 and the lip glosses are €11.20 each.

What do you think? Do you like wearing dramatic make up?

Emma x

PS. I just wanted to let you know that I have been shortlisted in the Best Beauty/Fashion blog category for the Blog Awards Ireland 2013. I just wanted to say a huge thank to anyone who voted for me as it was a complete surprise! Thank you to everyone for your continued support of my blog, you don't know what it means to me. You can see a list of the nominees here, check them all out!