Pop Four

This is my final Pop polish to show you and it is another green, Four. It's a brighter green than Grass but it is not quite a neon.

This had better coverage than my other two as at 2 coats it was completely opaque. It does however, still possess that quick - drying, funny finish that my other 2 Pop polishes have.

Essie Tart Deco

Essie Tart Deco is a bright peach toned orange. It was one of my earlier Essie polishes and I can't say I'm a lover of the formula of this one. It was streaky to apply and took 3-4 coats to look decent.

It put me off Essie for quite a while but thankfully I chanced trying another and have since found some great colours and formulas. 

That said Tart Deco is a beautiful colour so at least thats something.

Sally Hansen Green Chrome

Sally Hansen Green Chrome is one of those push pen type polishes. You click the button at the end and the polish comes out of a little fan brush the other side. It reminds me of YSL Touché Eclat.

The colour is stunning. A metallic green with great coverage. One coat of this was quite adequate but I did two coats. It went slightly streaky on me but that was my own fault for not giving the first coat enough time to dry

                                     

I like the idea of the pen and it means I finally have the chance of using up a polish hah.

China Glaze Electric Pineapple

I only seem to have one photo of this polish, I don't know where the rest disappeared to!

Electric Pineapple was part of the Island Escape collection which was released in Summer 2011.

It is a reasonably bright yellow but not neon. This was only two coats but it would need three to completely cover any nail lines. It is slightly green-toned and looks like a proper yellow - it doesn't just look like your nails are yellow-stained!

No7 Spun Sugar

No7 Spun Sugar was, I believe one of my first No7 nail polishes. I don't think I even used a €7.50 off voucher to buy it!

It is a bronzey golden colour and was opaque in two coats. It really does remind me of spun sugar, it's very luxurious looking, nearly silken.

It had a slight gritty texture to it when it dried but nothing that a topcoat wouldn't sort out.

Wet n' Wild Hannah Pinktana

I love this colour! It's a pinky purple with small silver particles. It's discreet yet it's certainly not plain.

It is a sheerer polish and I definitely should have put on more than 2 coats.

It dried to a semi-matte finish with a little bit of grittiness due to the silver particles so a glossy topcoat is a must to bring out the prettiness of this polish.

OPI Funky Dunky

OPI's Funky Dunky was released as part of the Shrek collection in Spring 2010. It is also one of the first OPI's that I bought.

It is a deep purple creme that was easily opaque in just two coats.

I'm not sure how I feel about darker creme polishes. I feel like some of them fall a little flat in comparison to pastel creme shades.

MAC Heavenly Creature Collection: Lips - Pictures and Swatches

There were a number of lipsticks and lipglosses released with the Heavenly Creature collection. Two of the lipstick stood out to me as did one of the glosses.

Cut a Caper, Venus

Meteoric

Meteoric, Venus, Cut a Caper

Cut a Caper

Cut a Caper lipstick is a peachy pink lipstick. Extremely wearable.

Venus

Venus lipstick is the most perfect lipstick. I love it. It is a sheerish pink/red and just glistens on the lips.

Meteoric lipgloss over Cut a Caper

Meteoric lipgloss over Venus

Meteoric lipgloss is a coral pink with golden shimmer. It is quite pigmented so it does end up creating nearly the same look over both Cut a Caper and Venus lipsticks. It makes a lovely combination over both of them. It was my first time using a MAC lipgloss of the Cremesheen Glass formula and I have to say it is a lovely formula. Very moisturising and not at all sticky.

Pop Yellow

I have another Pop polish to show you today and this one is neon! It's called yellow and is super bright and super neon.

I used this directly on the nail over a clear basecoat but I think it would look even better if I layered it over a white base. It would also help reduce the visible nail line. 

What do you think of neon colours? 

OPI It's My Year

OPI It's My Year is a gorgeous purple gold polish which was released with the 2011 Miss Universe collection.

It's such a stunning polish with amazing reflect but it is surprisingly sheer. The photos here are 2 coats but there is still quite visible nail line so to get good coverage you definitely need 3 coats, if not 4.

I am not particularly fond of polishes that require lots of coats, but It's My Year is such a beautiful colour that it's worth it.

Hits Hermes

Hits Hermes is my only polish from the brand and to be honest I don't know a whole lot about the brand. This was given to me by a friend who ended up with an extra one.

Hermes is a holographic gold colour. I love holo's. I don't think many brands make them though, I think I read somewhere that the materials used to make them are hard to get hold of or something?

Anyway, it is light gold and reflects a multitude of colours when the light hits it right. Very pretty indeed.

MAC Heavenly Creature Collection: Eyes - Pictures and Swatches

This second post on the MAC Heavenly Creature collection is based on the Mineralized Eyehadows. There were nine released with the collection and I have four of them.

Clockwise from top left; Bright Moon, Universal Appeal, Magnetic Attraction and Neo Nebula

Neo Nebula - Dry, Wet. Bright Moon - Dry, Wet.

Neo Nebula: This is a swirl of purple and pink in the pot but it swatches with more pink than purple.It has a lovely metallic sheen to it both wet and dry and is extremely pigmented.

Bright Moon: This is a light blue in the pot and swatches as silvery blue with slight grey tones. Again this had great pigmentation.

Magnetic Attraction - Dry, Wet. Universal Appeal - Dry, Wet.

Magnetic Attraction: This gorgeous copper is probably my favourite out of the four, both in the pot and when applied.

Universal Appeal: A green and purple combination which may be the hardest to work with. It applies slightly muddy but with a little bit of effort should hopefully work beautifully.

I only tried my first Mineralize Eyeshadow last year, Clarity, and I really enjoy using it so I was excited about this years collection. There are so many options with a mineralized eyeshadow. Not only can they be used wet or dry but you can just select the coloured swirls you want to use or simply swirl them all together.

Have you tried any of the MES's from this collection?

Essie Van D'go

Today's post is one of my favourite peachy pink shades - Essie's Van D'go. I love love love this colour.

It is just such a perfect colour. Classic and clean, the peachiness of it makes it look fresh.

It applied streak free. I used 3 coats for these photos but you could easily just use 2. 

I could gush about this polish for ages but I'd basically just be repeating myself in different ways so  there's no point really, lol.

Have you succumbed to Van D'go yet?

MAC Heavenly Creature Collection: MSF's - Pictures and Swatches

As promised here is a post on some of the items that I got from the MAC Heavenly Creature collection, which is this years' annual Mineralized collection. I was lucky that my mum surprised me with some items from the collection that she got in the airport on her way home from holidays, which was lovely of her:) And luckily not the same items I already had ordered!

I've split the collection up into three posts - face, eyes and lips.

Today's post is the face items which consists of 3 of the 4 Minerlaized Skin Finshes that were released with the collection.

Light Year

The lightest of the MSF's. This looks really pink toned in the pot but is surprisingly peachy when it is swatched. A beautiful colour to add some summer glow.

Star Wonder

This is the pinkest of the MSF's and it is a soft but pigmented colour. A perfect pink for any occasion.

Centre of the Universe

The scariest looking one, hah! It is a strong brown-toned orange that is intimidating  even when swatched. You definitely will needed a light handed application of this one but it will look stunning when used in a glowy bronzed look.

L-R Light Year, Star Wonder and Centre of the Universe

I've really fallen in love with MSF's. I always include them in my make-up routine as they add that 'finished' look to your make-up. Love them!

Heavenly Creature truly is a beautiful collection, so check it out while you can!

No7 Milan

No7's Milan is one of my favourite No7 polishes. Hell, I think it's one of my favourite polishes ever!

It's a frosty toned pink with a kind of silvery shimmer running through it.

It applied like a dream, this is two coats.

I love wearing this polish, it's the kind of polish that makes you keep second-glancing at your nails. If you're like me, this is maybe not the best polish to wear if you have a busy day at work as you might waste a lot of time admiring your nails, ha!

Pop Grass

This is the aptly named Grass by the brand Pop. It is a gorgeous green shade, very vibrant.

This was only two coats and as you can see it needs at least three to completely cover the nail line. 

This was a very quick drying polish and had a funny finish to it. Kind of matte but not completely so. Whatever it was, it meant it dried quick but was easily made shiny by a topcoat.

China Glaze Fairy Dust

China Glaze Fairy Dust was one of my very first China Glaze polishes.

It is a finely milled silver glitter and is perfect for adding a touch of sparkle to any polish.

This is one coat of it over OPI's A Dozen Rosas. I don't think you would be able to get this glitter opaque, it's just too fine and sparse. 

OPI Various Swatches

Antoher mix and match post of OPI swatches.

Pamplona Purple

It is a mid-tone purple creme that hails from the Coleccion de Espana collection of 2009. A pretty shade of purple but nothing spectacular.

Big Hair...Big Nails

This is from the Texas collection released in Spring 2011. It is one of their 'sorbet' or jelly finish polishes. It is a coral pink and the sorbet effect is quite nice, if a tad sheer.

I Juggle Men

I Juggle Men is a fine, blue-tinged sparkle polish, from the Femme de Cirque collection, also from Spring 2011. I can't imagine wearing it on it's lonesome but I think it looks very pretty here layered over Catrice's It Blue My Mind.

Skull and Glossbones

Skull and Glossbones is a light grey polish from the Pirates of the Caribbean collection of Summer 2011. A nice, bright grey.

And that's all for today's random OPI swatches.

Missing: Blogging Mojo

Ah blogging mojo is a great thing. You have so much inspiration and just can't seem to stop writing blog posts or thinking of new ones and your little blogging notebook is jam-packed. And then your mojo disappears. Mine is away on holiday somewhere, no word of warning just gone and with no return date confirmed. 

Mojo: Gone to the Swiss Alps perhaps?

I love blogging so much but the last few days I'm just stuck. I can't think of any new or fun or original posts to write so I'm not going to put pressure on myself to create something fantastic. Blogging is supposed to be fun for me and piling pressure on myself is not fun. 

So for the next few weeks, the blog is pretty much going to be all about the nails. I know that's what it has turned into the last few months anyways but I'm happy with it being more of a nail orientated blog with added beauty bits. I'm trying to get all the photos of my nail polish that are currently in my computer library posted. Some of them are so bad that they have already being set aside for re-swatching once I'm happy with my nail length but the remainder I will post. By all means a lot of them aren't fantastic quality/angles but they aren't too bad and I don't think I could set about re-swatching all of them! I already have a shoebox full of polish that has never being swatched before! Damn you stubby nails!  I'd like to get them all out of the way though so that once they are all done, any future nail posts will be of similar quality/angle/length i.e. a style I am happy with. 

Mojo: Enjoying Irish sunsets, maybe?

So yes, that's a long explanation of saying that nearly all of my blog posts will be nail posts over the next few weeks until my mojo returns from holiday. One beauty post that I will get up however is some of the new MAC Heavenly Creatures items. I'm waiting for them to arrive but I will post pictures and swatches in case they help anybody decide what to buy.

My Ultimate Foundation?! Dior Forever Foundation

Like a lot of people I am continuously on the search for the perfect foundation. Since my skin went crazy on me about a year ago, I've needed a foundation with more coverage than I used to need. Thankfully my skin has calmed down a lot but there is still a lot of redness/scarring that remains that needs covering.

However, I detest the feel of being caked in make-up and the feel of heavy coverage foundation on my skin. A bit of a pickle one might say. Where could I find decent coverage foundation that was also lightweight?

Enter my sample box. A while ago I did this post on all the samples I had that I needed to use up. Amongst them were foundation samples, including a sample of Dior's Forever Foundation. I decided to try it on a day when I was just going to be around the house and just as well I did because it turned out to be around 3 shades too dark for me! 

Regardless of the shade issue, I was amazed by how the foundation looked. It glided over my skin easily erasing all the spots, scars and redness that blemished my skin. My face looked dewy, fresh and clear. The closest I have ever gotten to making my skin look flawless. And the best part? It felt like I had no make-up on whatsoever. 

And it smells amazing! I'm not the best at describing scents but it smells slightly floral? not overpowering but a scent that makes me feel happy when I apply it.

After the success of the sample, I went to my local Dior counter the next day to test out some shades. My shade is 010 which of course they were sold out of and weren't going to be getting back in stock for a while. So I ordered off House of Fraser and had it within a few days. It cost me £29 so it is a pricy foundation, but one I feel is definitely worth the money.

010 is still slightly dark but my face is darker than my inner arm which is shown here.

I am nearly at the end of the bottle now and will I re-purchase? Hell yea! It is just an unbelievable foundation. I don't think I will limit myself to only that foundation for the rest of my life as there are others I've been itching to try like NARS Sheer Glow, but it will be a constant in my make-up bag. 

Do you have a Holy Grail foundation?