Saturday 24 March 2012

brands.

If you've looked through my blog you'll notice I tend to revert back to the same polishes time and time again but work them in a different way. When I first started with the nail art I never really had a preference for polish but now I do (I'm a nail polish snob!). I'm going to give a quick run through of the brands I regularly use and grade them according to colour/coat ratio, chip resistance, drying time, choice of colours, average price and overall quality. I'm only going to do my main 5 for now.

(1) Essie
Essie is arguably the brand I use the most now. I got my first few bottles of it when I was in Canada because the exchange rate meant they were cheaper over there than they are in my home in jolly old England.
Colour/coat ratio: 4/5 stars.
I find the colours go on really quickly and easily and are beautiful. I usually only have to do one coat, which in my book is a great deal.
Chip resistance: 3/5 stars.
It seems to depend which colours you go for. The lighter ones chip a lot easier than the darker or brighter shades I've found, which is fairly disappointing when the candy type colours are huge this season.
Dry time: 4/5 stars.
Really quick drying time and rarely smudge.
Colours: 5/5 stars.
The colour choices are ENDLESS with this brand.
Average price: 3/5 stars.
They're relatively expensive. I think the average bottle is about £8.
Quality: Unbeatable. Worth the price you pay for them and they go the distance. Just wish they were a little bit cheaper and the paler colours didn't chip so much.

(2) Rimmel (including all sub-brands within the range)
Colour/coat ratio: 3/5 stars.
I find that some of the colours need quite a few coats before they eventually build up into a strong colour.
Chip resistance: 2/5 stars.
Tends to be chip resistant, but the yellow and green colours chip almost seconds after you've finished painting your nails.
Dry time: 4/5 stars.
Quick drying.
Colours: 5/5 stars.
Absolutely huge range.
Average price: 5/5 stars.
Most bottles are anywhere between £2.50 and £4.
Quality: Overall good quality, but aren't reliable to wear for a long time. Aren't very long lasting. You'll more than likely have to paint your nails a few times to top up if you want to keep the colour on for longer.

(3) Sephora
I can only get these when I'm in mainland Europe or North America so to me they're a pretty big deal.
Colour/coat ratio: 5/5 stars.
Cannot be beaten. Wide brush and thick gloss mean it takes seconds to paint a whole nail perfectly.
Chip resistance: 5/5 stars.
Extremely chip resistant.
Dry time: 5/5 stars.
Dries almost instantly with a pretty shine.
Colours: 5/5 stars.
Average price: I can't actually remember this (sorry!)
Quality: Very high quality brand and worth the reputation. This is my favourite brand of polish ever. You will not be disappointed. Just wish the bottles were bigger.

(4) GOSH
Colour/coat ratio: 1/5 stars.
Colour goes streaky and uneven very quickly. Hard to get a good smooth coating.
Chip resistance: 2/5 stars.
Chips easily but can probably go for a few days without any signs of damage.
Dry time: 1/5 stars.
I've been known to wait for this polish to dry for over half an hour then think it's dry and smudge it everywhere. It also makes a massive mess.
Colours: 3/5 stars.
A lot of nice colours but a very small range.
Average price: 1/5 stars.
Not worth the price that it costs.
Quality: Some of the colours in this range are breathtaking which is why I have invested in them. Would I invest in more polishes by this brand? No. Could be okay if you have the time to sit and wait around for it to dry and have the time to apply coat after coat.

(5) OPI
Colour/coat ratio: 3/5 stars.
Some of the colours (such as Your Royal Shine-ness) are a one-coat job that looks amazing. Others (such as Fiercely Fiona) take a while to apply and need multiple coats.
Chip resistance: 5/5 stars.
I am yet to have OPI nail polish chip off before it grows out or I've taken it off.
Dry time: 3/5 stars.
This again depends on the colour. The glittery ones dry very very quickly as do some of the normal lacquers, however others have taken a while and have smudged while I've been waiting (such as Dating A Royal). They're worth the drying time though, so it does balance out somewhat.
Colours: 5/5 stars.
Ridiculously large range nobody can knock.
Average price: 3/5 stars.
The average bottle is about £13.50 which is very expensive for a bottle of nail polish, but it is genuinely worth the price. The polish lasts for ages and the quality of it doesn't decrease with age. It's just parting with the cash to begin with that's the issue....
Quality: Would be better if all the colours dried as quickly as each other and if the price was a little bit lower. Other than that this is an extremely promising brand to invest in and the quality is second to none.

the hunger games!



So, this is my left and right hand together and yes, I did only just figure out how to get this to happen. This design is in honor of my pal Michaela. We're going to see The Hunger Games tonight and she suggested I do a design for them so here it it. I'm pretty happy with the way my left hand went more than my right in all honesty. Not to blow my own trumpet, but I love how the glitter drips worked out on the black varnish. And the mockingjay took forever to do (try drawing upside down with a leaky nail pen and you'll know my pain). I stuck with the whole 'girl on fire' thing for my right hand, which is why the nails are bronze with a bronze glitter over the top. It's not too clear on the photos either, but the thumb nail of my right hand says 'The Capitol'.


I used:
Sephora Nail Lacquer in Chic and Rebel
Essie in Cocktail Bling
Accessorize nail polish in Molten Copper
Sephora Nail Lacquer in Not That Shy
Sephora gold nail art pen
Nail star black and red pens
Claire's accessories gold glitter
Natural Collection Nail Polish in Sunset (I got this years ago so I'm not sure if it's still in production, but any bronze shade will work fine)

roses

The picture doesn't actually do the nail any justice. I should probably get a real camera instead of using my phone camera all the time. In real life they genuinely looked like roses and not little pink splodges haha.

I used:
Sephora Nail Lacquer in Let's Dance
Essie in Fiji
Essie in E-nuf is E-nuf
NYC Nail Polish in 155 Gramercy Glitz
Sephora nail pens in dark pink and green
Rimmel Lycra Pro in 500 Peppermint
GOSH in 562 Magic Star

suited and booted.

I decided to get my nails ready as if I was going to the ballet. In all honesty, I didn't keep them on as long as I'd have liked to.

I used:
GOSH in Avantgarde
Sally Hansen Nearly Nude in 1 Natural White
Essie in Cocktail Bling
Essie in Fiji
Sephora dark pink nail pen
Sally Hansen nail art pink in neon pink

Wednesday 7 March 2012

vegas baby!

From a city I adore to a city I want to explore. I have never been to Las Vegas but I really do want to go. I don't know much about the city other than the stereotypical vices, so I'll maybe re-do these nails when I've eventually been to Vegas and maybe have a more culturally acceptable view.

I used:
OPI in Rainbow Connection (this is gorgeous in person, if you don't own it, get something similar. It was a limited edition and trying to find it now is like hunting for unicorns)
Rimmel I love Lasting Finish in Sunshine
OPI by Sephora pens in gold and blue
Nail Star art pens in black, white and red
Sally Hansen nearly nude in 1 Natural White
OPI in Your Royal Shine-ness
Bloom in Charlie (the colour looks even better in real life. If you want a striking colour, go for Bloom. Just be prepared to wait a while for it to dry.....)

paris :)

I spent a lot of my time in Paris in summer when I was growing up. The city still feels like a home away from home with me and I imagine it always will be. I honestly can't express my love for this place enough. I plan on living there for at least a year at one point in my life. If you haven't been, go. It's the most beautiful city in the world.

I used:
Essie in Fiji
Essie in Cocktail Bling
Essie in Aruba Blue
Essie in Pure Pearlfection
NYC Nail Colour in Gramercy Glitz, 155
Nails Inc in Victoria & Albert
Sally Hansen nearly nude in 1 Natural White

symbols


I couldn't decide how to do my nails, so I decided to bring back a few designs I'd done in the past. These nails didn't last long and I took them off today because the varnish was so thick, it was still smudging days later and just looked terrible.
I used:
Sephora Nail Lacquer in Myrtille
Bloom nail polish in Dolly
Milani nail lacquer in Pink Hottie 504 (available from all good drugstores in North America)
OPI in Your Royal Shine-Ness
OPI in Rainbow Connection
Essie in Pure Pearlfection
Nail Star art pens in black and white
Sephora Nail Lacquer in Chic and Rebel
Sinful lacquer in Thrill (this is one of the most effective, lovely coloured glitters I've ever used)