HJ Manicure - Peach Blossom Swatch

Hi all,

Today I have a quick Swatch shot of a brand that is new to me, HJ Manicure.

Here's what they say about the shade I was sent:

"Peach Blossom is a beautiful soft pastel peach shade, perfect for everyday wear. This HJ Manicure polish is long lasting, 5 FREE, easy to apply and quick drying. Apply two coats and finish with HJ Manicure Dual top & base coat, for a professional shiny finish."

Peach Blossom is a perfect peachy for nude-nails occasions.  I've actually worn this a few times since (but wasn't near a camera!) for some bridal style nails after swatching these.

HJ Manicure - Peach Blossom 2 Coats

 

This polish was really hard wearing, and basically didn't chip.  I did have some tipwear, which is to b expected from the length of my nails at the time, my employment, and for the length of time I was wearing these.

You can get your hands on these polishes from www.HJManicure.com - I would check on Thunder Storm, a gorgeous lilac-grey!


**This polish was sent to me for consideration of review**

Candy Coloured Splatter With Skull Stamping

Hi all.

How's everyone doing this murky Sunday? I'm particularly gloomy, and still feeling rough with this horrid cold, but I'm going to try and be productive and maybe even get some Christmas themed nails done later!

This mani is something I did back in August, and I loved these, quite a lot. I'm a little obsessed with the using the method of using the rough side of a sponge to "splatter" colours on for a base before stamping.

The base colours for this mani were all from the Nicole by OPI Selena Gomez range. I used Selena, Love Song and Pretty In Plum, and used Konad White and the Cheeky Viva Mexico Plate for stamping.

Base Coat: CND - Stickey

Base Colour: Nicole by OPI - Selena

Splatter Colours: Nicole by OPI - Pretty In Plum, Love Song

Stamping Colour: Konad White

Image Plate: Cheeky Viva Mexico

Top coat: Sally Hansen Advanced Hard As Nails

 Here's the splatter mani:

And here's a picture of the pretty Selena

I think I'm gonna settle myself in bed with some nail supplies and a film and see what I come up with! Hope you've all had a good weekend.

Nailtopia Shining Stars Review

Hi my lovelies, happy Sunday! I'm not working tomrorow so I actually mean that :P

Today I have a little review of Nailtopia Shining Stars which, I will be honest, are my favourites from the bunch I got sent which you can see here.

When I started this mani I decided that I wasn't going to use stickers on all the nails, just three on each hand (middle, ring and thumb). I personally love the look, but my mum wasn't so keen!

Base Coat: CND - Stickey

Base Colour: Models Own - Peach Sherbet

Glitter: Sinful Colors - Paris

Stickers: Nailtopia Shining Stars

Top Coat: Sally Hansen Advanced Hard As Nails

It was honestly one of the hardest things ever trying to capture the glitter on these stars as they're so sparkly, the texture of them is a little bit like fabric so you get a real depth to the glitter too.

I decided to try and cut these so I didn't have a massive gap on the sides of my nails etc, and it worked out perfectly, they were really easy to cut, and it didn't damage the stickers at all.

See what I mean about fabric-like? It gives the glitter such a great pay off.

Peach Sherbet had actually been on my buy list for quite some time. When it comes to a few different colours I'm mega fussy about the particular shade, I have plenty of peaches in my stash, but this is perfect for this type of look, and I just love Models Own cremes!

Hope you've all had a good weekend so far. I've spent most of mine being gloomy, but I'm off to see The 1975 later so I'm sure that will perk me up!

*Nail stickers were sent to me for consideration of review*

Saran Wrap Base - We Stamp On Sundays

Hi everyone, happy Sunday and all that :]

I hope everyone's doing good. I've had nice lazy chilled weekend, ready for the chaos of the week ahead.

This week's challenge for Adventures In Stamping - We Stamp On Sundays is to stamp over a saran wrap (clingfilm) base. When I started painting my nails I knew I wanted to do pastel, so I picked up one of the palest polishes from my 'untried' tub and went from there.

Base Coat: CND - Stickey

Base Colour: Models Own - Banana Split

Saran Colours: Purple Professional - 53 & 55

Stamping Colour: W7 - Blue Lagoon

Image Plate: Bundle Monster BM 313

Top Coat: Sally Hansen Advanced Hard As Nails

 Here's the saran wrap base using Purple 53 & 55 over Models Own - Banana Split

Swatch of Banana Split & What I used:

Banana Split was the first scented polish of two I've tried and I wasn't that impressed. Formula was kind of normal for yellows like his, crelly like, but the scent just didn't last an hour. Which is very disappointing as I've had scented polishes that last until they come off. Nevertheless, very pretty yellow, perfect as a base which is why I bought it - so I can't complain too much.

How do you guys like the saran wrap method? I really love doing it, it always reminds me of stone. and it's so so easy.

Til next time!

Cliche - Maldivas & Psyche Pink UFO Stamping

Hi hi all. So Happy It's Friday.

Although I'm currently back to half time at work I'm really looking forward to this weekend as getting things sorted for my new contract for work have been a little stressful this week, and it should be sorted after today, so looking forward to chilling!

I have a little bit of a odd combo today. Cliché - Maldivas is a lovely Orange creme that looks a little peachy in certain lights. The formula isn't that great though, still having visible nail line after two medium coats. I decided to pair it with Konad Special Polish in Psyche Pink, which made the stamping hard to see from afar, but the shimmer against the creme was really pretty. And the bright colour combination really perked me up a bit when I wore this a few weeks back.



Base coat CND - Stickey
Base Colour: Cliché - Maldivas
Stamping Colour: Konad Special Polish - Psyche Pink
Image Plate: Cheeky CH46
Top Coat: Sally Hansen Advanced Hard As Nails

 

Looking at these kind of photos, where all I have is overcast light giving me a corpse look, or using crazy flash it makes me so so happy that I'm actually starting to get daylight before and after work. It's even been sunny the past few days!

Hopefully by the time Autumn and Winter roll around this year I'll be prepared and have a light box all set up!

Have a great weekend ^-^

Spring Flowers - We Stamp On Sundays

Hi all.

Happy Monday, start to a four day week, four day weekend combo - I like! I always feel a little strange posting these on Mondays, but as it was getting so so late last night I decided to take advantage of the fact I can now set up posts in my lunch break!

This week's challenge over at Adventures In Stamping called for spring flowers. When I started these I didn't know what stamp I was going to use, or what colours, just that I wanted to stamp over a gradient. So I was pleasantly surprised by the outcome.

Base Coat: CND - Stickey
Base Colour: Rimmel - White
Gradient Colours: Catrice - London, H&M - Make Me Blush, Revlon - Teak Rose
Stamp Colour: Sally Hansen Fairy Teal
Image Plate: Cheeky CH44
Top Coat: Sally Hansen Advanced Hard As Nails

 Two coats of white:

Then I sponged on the three colours at once, and did two coats of this, these pictures were taken without a top coat.

Here's what I used minus the stamping polish: 

Hope you guys like these!

Back to work I go :(

H&M Snow White Skittles - Glitter & Stamping

Hi all, happy Tuesday!

No doubt by the time this posts I'll be powering through work not even realising the time!

This is a mani I did a week or so back, with the H&M polishes that I won from Rainbowify Me. Make Me Blush Is the nicest peach I've ever found with my skin tone, and although the formula is a little runny, the coverage is amazing. Nothing like the dreaded Revlon Peach Smoothie. I decided Snow white would look quite cool over black, so I've used that layering combo for my ring finger. Also the Silver Frost is a lot nice than it looks here, the flash on my camera kind of kills the lightness that the glitter gave to the mani.

Base Coat: CND Stickey

Index & Pinky: H&M - Make Me Blush & Silver Frost

Middle: Three Coats of H&M - Snow White

Ring: W7 - Black & One coat of Snow White
Image Plate: Born Pretty Store QA5
Stamp Colour: BYS - Black Satin
Top Coat: Sally Hansen Advanced Hard As Nails

I did a gradient on my thumb using Make Me Blush, and W7- Blackm topping with two coats of Silver Frost

And here's a couple shots of the base colours themselves.

Index & Pinky: Two coats of H&M - Make Me Blush

Middle: Three Coats of H&M - Snow White

Ring: W7 - Black & One coat of H&M - Snow White

Please excuse the lobster hands in the next photo, but it really shows how bright Snow White is even in horrible lighting.

Snow white is really much more than a silvery white frost, it's really beautiful in decent light, and I'm going to try and capture that this weekend if I can.

Hope you've all had a good start to the week :]

Beauty UK - Peach Melba & Purple Double Stamping

Still on the mission of powering through some mani's from the "vault" so today we have some summery nail stamping. Double stamping on super shorties.

I started with a base of Beauty UK - Peach Melba, which was a little tricky if I'm honest, and I think I should've spent an extra pound on the Barry M, and had a friendlier brush to deal with. The base is two coats, then stamped with Max Factor - Fantasy Fire and Bundle Monster BM20, and then Barry M - Indigo and Bundle Monster BM08.

Base Coat: CND - Stickey
Base Colour: Beauty UK - Peach Melba
Stamping Colours: Max Factor - Fantasy Fire
                             Barry M - Indigo
Image Plates: Bundle Monster BM08, BM20
Top Coat: Models Own - 3 In 1

I'm a little gutted that this is the only decent photo I got of these, It was so so hard trying to capture a photo of the shift sparkle going on in Fantasy Fire, but trust me it was there. It almost looked like little veins of sparkly goodness when I moved my fingers. That may be a gross description, but it's the only one I've got :P

And here's two shots of Peach Melba.

Sunlight

This is probably the truest representation of colour.

Such a pretty polish, just like all those pretty peaches around though, but a bargain at £1.99.

Peach & Green Using Dashica Big SpD-A

Bit of an odd combo today, but I really loved the shimmer against the creme. This was done with Dashica's Big SpD-A double stamping one of the images, turning it around. I can't believe I forgot to take photos of the base colour, but all I know the formula and the brush was a total PITA. I should've spent an extra quid on a Barry M instead I think.

Base Coat: CND - Stickey
Base Colour: Beauty UK - Peach Melba
Stamping Colour: Revlon - Emerald City
Image Plate: Dashica Big SpD-A
Top Coat: Models Own - 3 In 1

Last photo's a bit out of focus but you can see the shimmer from Emerald City more clearly. I almost feel like I should've stamped something else over these...

Using Circles - We Stamp On Sundays

This weeks challenge over at Adventures In Stamping was to use circles. This week I knew straight away what image I was going to use which is a nice change :P

I had just painted my nails with Models Own - Golden Peach when I decided to do nails for the challenge. I was going to stamp in three colours, but after I did two I decided to call it quits.

These seriously reminded my of Fruit Salad sweets, which I loooooove. Man I miss Fruit Salads & Black Jacks!

Base Coat: Nail RX - Stuck On You
Base Colour: Models Own - Golden Peach
Stamping Colours: Manhattan - Lemonade & So-Ho Hot
Image Plate: Konad - M85
Top Coat: Models Own - 3 In 1
Matte Coat: Rimmel - Matte Finish

Just for funsies this is what I found pre-mani when I went to go put a load on :P This is Cheese :]

More Interview Nails

Another boring set of interview nails. These looked much better in real life, as the shimmer in Peach Smoothie popped against the Chrome. But in pictures you can hardly see the shimmer.

Base Coat: Nail RX - Stuck On You
Base Colour: Revlon - Peach Smoothie
Stamping Colour: NYC - Foiled Rotten
Image Plate: Konad M85
Top Coat: China Glaze - No Chip Top Coat

Like I said, in person these looked much better. And I still love the scent of Peach smoothie. Nomnom.

Happy Mondayyyyy :]

Rainbow Chevron

I was in the mood for fun and bright, and these were crazy fun to wear ^_^

I used Bundle Monster BM201 for the chevron design, and used BYS - black satin for the stamp

Colours Used: Sally Hansen - White On
Barbara Daly - Sunshine & Neon Pink
L.A. Colors - Atomic & Static Electricity
BYS - Pouty Purple
Collection 2000 - Teeny Bikini
Models Own - Golden Peach
Yes Love - Neon Green
Barry M - Unkown Red ( free with a magazine about a year ago)

I used two coats of White On first, so the colours would pop, and then starting doing the lines, some of the colours have two coats to make the colours really opaque. Majority of the lines aren't srtaight, and for some reason my "bad" hand had the straighter lines, but you can't really tell after I stamped them.

Hope you like :]

Raspberry Peach Swirl

I'm back home! Yay! I can't wait for Friday to roll around so I can spend the whole day doing my nails. While I was house sitting I was getting stuck for ideas mainly because of having such a small amount of polishes with me! That and I never really had a chance to do my nails. But I have some ideas rolling around in my head now :]

Base Coat: CND - Stickey
Base Colour: Models Own - Golden Peach
Stamp Colour: N.Y.C - Foil'er Up
Plate: Konad - M63
Top Coat: Rimmel

Golden Peach is a great colour, and the frosty gold to it cools it down in a way, however I was a little bit saddened by how sheer it was, and it gave me a slight case of lobster hands. Foil'er Up is such an amazing coloured chrome though! So glad to have it in my stamping collection now ^_^ Apologies for the smeared stamp, I've ran out of my preferred top coat ( I scraped the walls of the bottle for the mani before this) and I used a Rimmel one, 10 day wear I think.

Also please excuse the state of my cuticles, and the fact the swatch is pre clean up. I seriously need a cuticle oil rather than lotion. Anyone have any recommendations?