Barry M Gelly Week - Polka Dots

Hi Goddesses

It’s Barry M Gelly Week on the blog this week to celebrate the very imminent arrival of the new Barry M Gellys to the High Street.  They are due to launch next week on the 5th, but I know some ladies have had luck picking some up already.

Today’s post uses all 5 Gellys from the Collection – you can refresh yourself on them HERE – and is over a base of OPI My Boyfriend Scales Walls.

I don’t care what anyone says, there is just something SO happy about a polka dot mani.   To me they always look smiley, cheerful, bright – a little like having your own garden on your nails lol.

This one is the very definition of simplicity – I used my largest dotting tool for the large dots, and then flipped it over and used the thinner end for the smaller dots.

I love how the white background really makes these colours pop.  It reminds me of Twister AND Smarties.  It’s childlike and playful.  Happiness.

Enjoy xx 

May 2012 - Where Are They Now ?

Hi Goddesses

A fun little post for you today.  Each month, I'm going to look back at the same month last year.  This is for various reasons which may have the words "Then and Now" in them, lol, and also because ... well, it's just FUN.    So here's a round-up of the polishes I swatched this time last year and professed my undying love for ..... Where Are They Now ???

OPI - Call Me Gwen-Ever

Shockingly, this has actually been used since, mainly as the coral in the inaugaral Tri Polish Challenge in March.  Other than that, nada.  To be fair, this was always bought as a summer polish - it was always unlikely to be used between October and April, so we're ahead of ourselves really .....

Cult Nails - Manipulative

Ah, this is still lovely but erm ... yeh, hasn't seen much action.  That said, it IS an essential colour and must be kept.  I just need to tell Zoya Wednesday that she is no longer required .... wish me luck.

Bettina - Flip Flops, Vintage and Green

Hat trick!  I still own all 3 of these!  What's not to love about the Bettina shiny glossy shiny glossy formula!  Unfortunately, these are staple colours that I have by other brands so er .... yeh they might have gathered dust.  Ironically, I think I've used the green though in the last year as it's a good grass colour for nail art.  Go figure ....

ManGlaze - Mink Mitten

Oh, this makes me ashamed.  ManGlaze is such a rich and awesome brand and I don't wear the ones I have nearly enough.  In fact, I barely wear them at all.   ManGlaze, I am SO sorry.

This one I have used a few times, mainly as a polish in a nail art pattern as it gives good contrast.

Cult Nails - My Kind of Cool Aid

Yikes.  This was one of last year's favourite polishes.  It's possibly my very favourite lilac.   It's STILL one of my favourite polishes.  So why haven't I worn it since?  Madness, madness!  See, this is what being a polishaholic does to you - gives you a chronic inability to wear anything that's not brand new and shiny shiny.  BAD Crumpet!.

NerdLacquer - Nebula

I vividly remember wearing this last year and thinking it was the most amazing thing I had ever seen.  Shame (in those pre-PVA days) that it was such a bitch to remove, which I think has put me off wearing it.   To be honest, although I bought a LOT of NerdLacquers, there are very few I reach for repeatedly ... in fact, possibly none.  Now that I have Femme Fatale Fatal Attraction, I am thinking of letting this one go.

Pretty & Polished - Galactus

Wow, this takes me back to a simpler time - when there were less than a dozen "good" indie polish makers, and it was easy to have favourite makers.   Galactus bit the bullet quite quickly - although holo-oh-ey, it was a grey mush rather than the lilac my friend Kirsten got.  Boo.

Red Carpet Lacquer - Oz, Not Kansas

Wow, I was OBSESSED with this polish.   No, haven't worn it since.

Dollish Polish - I'm A Material Girl

I got rid of this not long after I swatched.  It was a little bit too sickly for me, although I still think pink and black make a rockin' combo.

Floam !!!!!!!

OMG yes, I forgot I owned Floam.  This was the original Nail-Venturous Lacquers version.   Wow.  Definitely one of the most important polishes of last year, but this bitch took me 52 minutes to remove.  Yup, seriously.   Wow, for some PVA and a time machine.  I got rid, obvs.  Who's gonna keep a polish that takes the entire length of a good TV programme to remove?  Not even me!

Nails Inc - All Saints Road and Malibu Mojito

Yeh, moving on.  Pardon?  Well, yes, I do still have them.  I may have used them.  No, only for art.  Well, because they're really good "stash staples".   I'm sure I'll use them again.  Well, yes, if not in this life, SURELY the next.  Yes, even if I come back as a squirrel.

Zoya - Nidhi

Wow, another blast from the past.  I loved this a lot when I wore it.   Truth be told, I'm not even sure if I still have it .. bad momma.  It's one of those orangey-reds I love and I may have got rid of it when I de-stashed.  Maybe.

China Glaze - Riveting

Another one of THE polishes of 2012 and certainly one of the most exciting.  Which is why I have never worn it since. Shit the bed, what is WRONG with me, people ???!!!

Catherine Arley Holos 673, 677, 800 and 946

Aren't they lovely ?   And you KNOW I haven't .....

So there we go.  We have discovered that -

* I am a BAD Momma Crumpet and have basically abandoned many, many polish children

* I seem to be incapable of wearing a polish more than once

* I seem to keep stuff for nail art and use it, but heaven forbid I should wear it again as a full mani

* I need help .... quickly

Enjoy xx :)

The Other Stuff I Wore This Week - KIKO Sugar Mat Texture Polishes

Morning Goddesses

Welcome to another instalment of The Other Stuff, where I show you the manis I have worn which HAVEN’T made it to the blog.   I’ve been super poorly this week and actually wore the same mani for 5 days, but this is what I was wearing the OTHER week  - lol.

These are the KIKO Sugar Mats which are their range of textured polishes.  KIKO is a brand I have a LOT of love for.  They apply easily, the brush is perfect, they are reasonably priced, and the colour choices are great.  As I knew I wouldn’t be able to get my hand on the Zoyas, I turned to KIKO to help me put a summer twist on texture.

The range was divided into 2 halves – “plain” and “sparkly” – let’s do the plain ones first.

This is True Red, or 632 as KIKO prefer to call her.   Super vibrant.  This is a really bright, poppy style red.  No hints of ruby at all.  I loved this one.

Next is Lilac, 634.   As you know, I am a purple and therefore lilac whore, so this one was a must.  However, it didn’t look very lilac-y to me.  There’s a LOT of pink undertones in this one, and for me, it ended up in that pink/lilac no man’s land that I hate.   It did make a good base for the purple crackle gradient though.

637 is Turquoise.  This was a colour I was really keen to get my hands on.  Turquoise is officially this year’s obsession.  This is bright, intense and cheerful as a spring day.  Lovely.

The sparkly ones start with Sea Blue aka 644.   This is quite a dark denim colour, scattered with shimmer.  I hoped it was a blue-purple hybrid, and whilst it does have tones, this is definitely almost completely blue.

I mixed the Sea Blue and Turquoise for my Fake Tattoos gradient.   I don’t think the textures lend themselves to art very well at all, but the gradient was interesting.  Due to the texture, the colour blend is more forgiving.  If gradient is still something that perplexes you, it might be worth practicing with textures.

639 is Golden Mandarin.  Again, I was lusting after an orange texture, and as this had added gold shimmer, it seemed a perfect choice.  Sadly, it was one of those oranges that just didn’t quite suit my skin tone, and it made my hands look tanned all day.  It is a fabulous colour – this is probably the one with the most complexity and wow factor.

Finally 642, Hot Pink.   This is lovely.  I could have stood for this to be a few shades darker.  This sits in Bubblegum land, but it’s lovely.  The shimmer is perfect, and there’s almost an indian vibe to this one for me.  Really lovely.

So overall, winner winner chicken dinner.    KIKO rarely put a foot wrong, and this is a great range of texture polishes with something for everyone.  There is a mint, which I regret not getting, and a few friends have swooned in front of the green.

If you’re in the UK or Europe you can buy KIKO online.

Enjoy xx  :)