Viva La Nails Sample Pack

Viva La Nails are offering a sample pack worth £20 to bloggers etc for just the £2.95 shipping and handling fee (what a great idea!)....so of course I went for it! Here's what I received:

I'm really pleased with the selection and variety I received! I think some of this stuff - like the crushed shells, glitter strands and the little balls - would be better in acrylic nail art, embedded in the tip or something but I'll have a go at using it in some natural nail art and maybe keep the rest of it for if I ever actually do get round to learning nails. My favourites are the white flower stickers and the crystal flower stickers.

They arrived exactly a week (including the weekend here) after I placed my order, I was a little surprised that they arrived from Latvia since the website is a co.uk one but that doesn't really matter does it, they arrived here, well packaged and even better than expected!

Now, I have tried some of the stickers and they look really cute on, as well as being so easy to apply. I haven't included any pictures of these though as I'm planning on doing some special posts about nail art in the not-too-distant future and would like to include them in this! They do look ace and I'd definately recommend the stickers.

This sample pack can be found at http://www.vivalanails.co.uk/samples.html, be sure to check out the rest of the site as well, they have some ace stuff including Japanese nail art magazines...argh! I think it might be out of stock at the moment, but if it is, click the "email me when back in stock" link, and they will. That's what I did as it was unavailable at the time.

Products I liked last month

Clinique 7 Day Scrub

I like this because it's "scrubby", you can actually feel it exfoliating your face and removing any dead skin. Despite its name, I don't think I'd actually use this every day, I think it would be slightly too harsh on my skin because of how scrubby it is (did I mention that it's scrubby?)

Superdrug Nourising Nail Polish Remover Pads

These were a godsend on holiday and meant I didn't have to lug a bottle of remover and cotton wool with me. Each pad (using both sides) did all of my fingers and it smelled nicer than normal polish remover too, almost fruity. Theres a lot less mess and waste than with cotton wool this way too, I'm considering using this in future instead of normal remover.
Barry M Lipgloss in Bubblegum Pink

It's cheap, the colour is cute and it actually does smell like bubblegum...result! It's also not sticky at all which I like.

MAC Eye Kohl in Smoulder

Perfect for doing smokey eyes and lining lower lashes, this pencil is super-soft and blendable as well as lasting the whole night - looks amazing with Mac 7 lashes.

Has anyone else made any new discoveries in August?

P.s. I passed my driving test yesterday, woohoo! And I may have just bought a few new bits and bobs to congratulate myself, so expect to see them on here soon :-)

Montagne Jeunesse Natural Beeswax Lipbalms

As I've said before, I love Montagne Jeunesse face masks, so when I was offered the chance to try their new lip balms, I jumped at it!

They come in five different flavours:

• Wheatgerm & Shea Butter (Weather Screen)
• Aloe Vera & Spearmint (Healing Balm)
• Shea Butter & Mango (Sore Lips)
• Pressed Cherry & Cocoa (Chocolate Balm)
• Cranberry & Aloe Vera (Cracked Lips)

The first three I've listed are my favourite ones, they taste and smell so yummy! These lip balms feel nice and moisturising, the moisturised feeling lasts a couple of hours and isn't sticky or gooey. They aren't really pigmented at all, though the Chocolate Balm is brown and gives a very slight tint/wash of brown when applied.

It's in a standard twist lip balm stick container and the packaging is ok too (less boring looking tham stuff like Carmex/Chapstick etc). I've taken to carrying this around in my bag for when a dry-lip emergency occurrs (the only difficulty is deciding which one to sling in my bag!).

These lipbalms are available for www.montagnejuenesse.com priced at £2.99 each

Kiss Everlasting French Nails

I was lucky enough to win a giveaway over at Vex in the City to win £50 of Kiss Nails items. Here’s what I won below:

2 sets of Kiss Everlasting French Nails – Petite Length (includes glue and file)
2 sets of Kiss Everlasting French Salon UV Gel Effect Nails – Real Short Length (includes glue and file)
Draw on French Tip Pen
Mega Hold Press on Tabs
2 Nail Files
Artificial Nail Remover

How lucky am I! Anyway, my nails are quite short at the moment so I decided to put these on for work. I liked the look of the Petite Length ones better (a little more natural looking, plus they actually had a colour to them whereas the UV Gel Effect ones are almost see-through), but was a bit dubious about whether or not they’d be too short or not.

As you can see, they aren’t long enough interfere with my typing at work or to catch on stuff and ping off. They just look like my nails (but better!) with a nice French polish, which is exactly what I wanted, I’m not keen on huge talons with a massive white free edge on myself, it looks strange on me.

I used to wear glue on nails all the time and I found application of these easy - just select the size, attach with glue using the tab to hold the nail steady, snap the tab off, then file any excess. The tabs are also numbered which makes it easier to match the nails on each hand. The instructions on the back are very clear and glue and file are included.

They lasted a day before one pinged off (that might be due to me not using enough glue though). It wasn’t difficult to reapply them, and the glue was small enough and the lid tight enough to carry it around. Removal was easy too, I just used the artificial nail remover that Kiss sent me. I’ve not used the other nails, press on tabs or the French pen either but I will definately try them out in the near future.

I'm back from my holidays with some beauty goodies from the US

I had a lovely holiday – I won’t bore you with details but needless to say I had a fab time, I was so busy though I committed a cardinal holiday sin…I spent days wandering around with unpainted toenails. The horror! I’ve also got ridiculous tan lines on my feet where my gladiator sandal straps were. My Minx toes didn’t even last the flight out, I definitely need more practice!

Anyhow, onto the important stuff, I did get to buy some Mac, Sephora and Sally Hansen stuff whilst I was over there and frequented many a Walgreens and CVS too! I didn’t buy a ridiculous amount but over in Florida there are some really good outlet malls as well as a pretty big normal mall. This is what I bought:

· Crest 3D White Toothpaste – I saw some ads for this whilst I was away and got sucked in!
· Sephora Lip Gloss in Pin-Up Pink – this tastes/smells even more vanilla-y than the Mac glosses and looks really pretty on
· Mac Lashes (7) and Cremesheen Gloss in Crème Anglaise – both of these were from The Cosmetics Company Store
· Sephora by OPI Nail Polish in Charge It!
· Sally Hansen Hard as Nails Xtreme Wear Nail Color in Strobe Light – this is ridiculously pink and glittery, I’ll swatch it as soon as my nails are looking a bit less short

I bought a couple of bras from Victoria Secret too and ummed and aahed at some other stuff before walking away quickly!

I also spotted this at a Ripley’s Believe It Or Not! we went to and thought I’d share, it’s beauty-related and pretty impressive – the pic below is painted entirely in nail polish:

Puts my nail art to shame!

Pink Cheetah Minx Toes

As I may have mentioned (ahem) – I’m off on my holidays at the weekend, so I decided this was the perfect opportunity to try out Minx toes. As I have my mani and pedi qualifications, I have a supplier account with the UK distributor of Minx, yay.

These are the results (who’d have thought I’d ever be posting pics of my feet on the internet!):

They’re not perfect, but for a first attempt I don’t think they’re too bad! Minx recommend you do between 10-15 sets before you’re considered practiced enough to know what you’re doing. The proof of the pudding will be in the eating I suppose – Minx is a plastic nail covering applied with heat that can last between 2-6 weeks on toes, however if they’re not applied right, it will be much less! I’ll report back on their longevity and ease of removal after the hol.


I hate my feet and if I’m honest, I’m pretty neglectful of them. In order to get my feet in shape a bit more for summer I used a Ped Egg, Sanctuary Instant Foot Callus Treatment (which is pretty good actually, but I think my feet were a bit far gone for it on its own!), Palmers Cocoa Butter Oil and some cuticle oil, nail file and orange stick for my nails.

I’ve got my eyes on some other Minx designs now:

(pics courtesy of minxnails.com and sweetsquared.com)

There are so many more though - these are just a small selection of my faves! You can get Minx manicures and pedicures in salons for not much more than a normal mani/pedi - have you seen any Minx designs you love?

I haven't scheduled any posts for when I'm away - basically, because I like hearing what everyone has to say! :-) But I'm planning on doing a bit of shopping in Florida so I'm sure I'll pick up a few things when I'm there that I might end up reviewing (hello CVS, Sephora and Mac!). I’ve been quite restrained this year and not gone for lash extensions, loads of waxing etc, though I did get my hair and brows done today. I also have a 15kg case limit which I feel is kind of cruel.

Orange nail polish just makes me think "summer!"

This is Rimmel Lasting Finish Nail Polish in 050 Tangerine Queen – I can’t find any of my orange polishes so wanted a new one, not too neon or bright but not dull or frosted either. This is perfect, the exact colour I wanted. A nice juicy, glossy orange.

Please excuse the slight crapplication on the middle two fingers, I swatched this whilst writing an essay, in a dimly lit room, with sleep deprivation and without my swanky D&G specs on. I should really wear them more, they make me look smarter (oh, and I can see of course).

I actually don’t own any other Rimmel polishes and I was pretty impressed with this one (especially for the price). Application was easy, the formulation is a little thick, dry time was ok though this it two coats and you can still sort of see VNL . I love the finish too, it’s really shiny and plasticised. I’ve got Leighton Denny All for One Base and Top Coat on with it.

It lasted 2 days without chipping or tipwear, quite a feat since my nails are getting long.

This gets a thumbs (with orange painted nails, of course) up from me for summer. Oh yes, Tangerine Queen, you shall travel in my suitcase all the way to Florida next week!

Refresh and Revive Spa Day at Crewe Hall - review

I got this spa day for £120 for two people from lastminute.com (you can get a percentage cashback too if you go through Quidco, which I am a big fan of – seriously, Google it!). How fancy does Crewe Hall look!



Included in the price is an aromatherapy facial, deep cleansing back exfoliation, a back, neck and shoulder massage with aromatic oils, two course lunch and use of the facilities (steam room, pool, sauna, ice fountain, gym etc).

I’ve divided this into sections to make it a bit easier to read and less of a ramble by me.

Treatments
These were lovely and relaxing – the back exfoliation and massage definitely worked at getting the tension out of my shoulders and at the bottom of my back. The facial was so nice too and included a head massage (which I loved!). They used ESPA products, which I have heard of but haven’t used before – they smell amazing, and by the looks of the brochures dotted around are pretty expensive. They use male ESPA products for mens facials.

The girl who did my treatment was really friendly, professional and good at her job, she also knew when to talk and when not to (that sounds awful but you know what I mean don’t you? I’ve had a bikini wax before where the lass was telling me intimate details of her life as she ripped the hairs out of my...um...area. There is a time and a place!)

The girl on reception was very helpful too, explaining where things were and what to do – she also gave us our complimentary robes and slippers.

Surroundings
Crewe Hall is very impressive when you drive up to it – the spa bits are around the back in a more modern building. The treatment rooms are lovely, dim lights, wood and tranquil music everywhere, plenty of room too and the whole place was very well kept and clean.

Even the swimming pool changing rooms were nicer than average!

The whole place is pretty huge, we didn’t walk round much of it, I bet if it had been a nicer day though a little walk around the grounds or surrounding area would have been in order.

Facilities
Disappointingly the Jacuzzi and ice fountain (which isn’t as impressive as it sounds) were out of order when we were there. However, the gym, sauna, pool and steam room were all in working order. We didn’t check out the gym (what a surprise!) but the pool was nice, albeit a bit cold. The sauna was nicer than others I’ve been to (but I always feel a bit weird in saunas as I feel like I can’t breathe because it’s so dry in there)! The steam room was nice too – it had twinkly lights in the ceiling and periodically sprayed out further scented steam. There was also a very posh shower and some heated stone seats (I spent a lot of time on one of these seats).

Towels are provided by reception as well so no need to take your own. You do need £1 for the lockers in the changing rooms though.

Food
Food is an important factor to me (which is why none of my clothes fit). Our meal in the brasserie was buffet style, but way fancier than a normal buffet. They had soup and rolls, a selection of hot foods (posh chicken tikka breasts, paprika roast potatoes, lasagne, veg and other stuff). I went for the healthier option and had salad stuff, there was a fab selection of things on there! Desserts were good too, fresh fruit with cream or lemon mousse stuff, I think there was something else too? Tea, coffee and water were available too.

I was a bit worried that because we had booked as part of a package we’d get fobbed off with food but it was really nice.

All in all, we spent 4 ½ hours there (they had rang up the day after I booked and we had booked our treatments to start at 11am), and probably could have spent longer there if we’d gymmed it and things. I can definitely say we both felt refreshed and revived afterwards, though I came home and had a massive sleep when I got in! I still feel like I could have another sleep now, might have to set two alarms tomorrow morning. I definately think it was worth the money, I feel loads better for it and it was a really nice treat. I feel like I've used the word "nice" a lot in this review but it really is the best way to describe the day and how I feel about it.

Decleor Aroma Cleanse Cleansing Milk - Face and Eyes

Decleor is generally a little out of my price range so I was pretty pleased to receive this as a gift, especially as my Dermalogica cleanser has ran out and I can't afford more at the moment.

The instructions recommend that you apply the cream to your face with your fingertips and remove with cotton wool, then use the recommended Decleor toner. Since I find toner a bit harsh, and certainly don't own the Decleor one, I skipped the last step and left it on my skin. I certainly had no negative reactions with my skin but I do wonder if having the product lying on my skin (i.e. not using a toner) is doing it any good, so I'm not recommending that you do that.

This felt so moisturising, my skin feels very soft and smooth after use but the product doesn't feel heavy. It's gentle enough to use on your eyes and though it didn't quite get all of my lash primer off (seriously, Shiseido lash base it like concrete mixed with superglue but it gives such amazing results) it had a good go. You can also see the make up that you've removed on the cotton wool, which I personally find very satisfying! It's very lightly scented as well, but not overpowering or chemically.

The downsides are having to use the cotton wool - kind of wasteful - and the fact that this isn't at all "scrubby", so you'd need to use an exfoliator regularly; really this is just my personal preference though. I don't think I'd repurchase but that's mainly because I can't afford to!

Anatomicals Stop Cracking Up Lip Balm

I bought this on a whim last winter when my lips were dry and sore, nothing was doing the trick to make them look lovely again until I used this. I was mainly attracted by the quirky packaging and the price and just added it into my ASOS basket when I was ordering some other stuff but I've since repurchased it quite a few times, each tube lasts a surprising amount of time.

It's more like a gloss than a balm (see pic below), it's clear but it isn't at all sticky or gooey. It has a very slight sweet taste but nothing too noticeable. It's SO hydrating and applies really smoothly. Whether the weather is freezing cold/windy and chapping my lips or the weather's warm and they just need a bit more moisture, this really does the trick and has dry skin gone in no time.

It's not expensive either (£2.50) and I think you can get it in some supermarkets. I really want to try more of the Anatomicals range actually, if this is anything to go by!

Revlon Scents of Summer 2010 Polish in Cotton Candy – candy floss scented polish!

I’m a sucker for a gimmick, so when I saw that Revlon had brought out some scented polish, I knew I’d have to try it. I chose Cotton Candy because the colour looked wearable and I love sweet smells (some of my favourite perfumes are ridiculous).

Cotton candy is a pale pink with a hint of gold shimmer to it and is “scented when dry”. Application was so-so, after 3 coats I could still see bald patches on my nails. The consistency of the polish was pretty good but I was a bit disappointed that I couldn’t really see the gold shimmer in it; this might be because it wasn’t really sunny when I tried this though as I’ve seen other pics and the gold is slightly more visible. The polish did last less than a day before chipping which was a bit disappointing too.

But back to the main point of the purchase…the smell! Did it really smell like cotton candy when it dried? Well yes, pretty much, a very sweet and synthetic smell anyway that doesn’t quite smell like candyfloss to me, but isn’t far off at all. The smell actually lasts quite long and is pretty noticeable for a while. I could even still smell it after using Seche Vite!

As a novelty purchase, this gets the thumbs up from me but I don’t think I’d have bothered if it didn’t have that unique selling point. I don’t think this is available in the UK at the moment and/or whether it will be but mine is from the US.

My Friday Favourites :-)

Ah Friday, you're finally here. Just thought I’d do a quick round up of some of my favourite beauty-related things at the moment rather than doing loads of different review posts.

1. Flower hair accessories – nice and summery, perfect for when you can’t be bothered with your hair but still want to look like you made an effort.

2. Max Factor Masterpiece Max Mascara in Rich Black – highly pigmented, works wonders with my tiny stubby lashes, comes off easily without taking any lashes with it, brush is easy to use.

3. E45 cream – been using this rather than my Clinique (credit crunch and all that) and my skin is just as good

4. Wella Toners & Shaders Sachets – keeping my hair looking half decent until I go to the hairdressers to get my highlights done for my hols, all for the princely sum of 99p

5. Topshop White Stud Clutch – this is what I shall be dragging around all summer.

6. No7 Cleanse and Care Eye Make Up Remover – this removes absolutely everything easily from your eye area and feels nice and nourishing!

7. Aussie Dual Personality Hairspray – this stuff smells amazing and really holds hair. I like! I'm actually impressed with everything I've used from the Aussie range - this, Dual Personality Heat Protection Spray, Luscious Long Leave In Conditioner and any of the 3 minute miracles are my fave

(Pics are from Ebay and Google, not my own)

Fun with nail decals and stickers

Firstly, I’d like to apologise for the crapness of the white polish in these pics, the only white crème I had was a one for French tips so it just hasn’t worked well as a proper polish, it looks like Tippex! I did think white was best to show these off and can assure you I will be rectifying the “not owning a white crème polish” as soon as possible.

Here we have some fab nail decals and stickers from http://stores.ebay.co.uk/The-Nail-Art-and-Wristband-Shop?_rdc=1 – I’ve tested my favourites on my hand here:

The decals are a little more tricky than the stickers (but even then, hardly so) but both types come with very clear instructions on how to apply – I’d got the hang of it by the time I came to apply the unicorn one, which is a bit better positioned than the best. I’d say the top tip is to cut them out as close to the sticker as possible. Also, just to add, they don’t feel rough in any way either!

The seller was even kind enough to send me the playing card ones with a thicker outline to see if they were easier to cut out. I think he does custom nail stickers/decals too if you ask, I couldn’t see the playing card ones in his items for sale so I just asked and he made :-)

Legally Blonde - The Musical

I went to London at the weekend and part of my trip was to see Legally Blonde - The Musical at the Savoy Theatre. Quite frankly I bloody loved it!

It was camp, cute, funny, frothy and lots of fun - true to the film and just what I expected. The songs are catchy, the comedy element is there and the dance routines were good. Sheridan Smith wasn't playing the lead role when we went which was a bit disappointing but Richard Fleeshman and Gill Halfpenny (both of whom can really belt out a tune!) were in it, you'd never know Gill Halfpenny was the same person as dowdy Kate from Eastenders though, she looks totally different.

The cutest cast members however, were the two little dogs playing Bruiser and Paulette's dog. Actual, real, cute little doggies on stage, I loved it! I felt so sorry for the little chihuahua at one point though, he/she misjudged a jump onto a bed and fell over, looking very startled. Aaaaw!

I would totally recommend this if you're in London and like the film Legally Blonde (which incidentally I have realised I don't own, how did this happen?!! I must rectify this at Amazon immediately). It's probably my favourite girly film and as a blonde myself who is prone to being a bit ditsy I like the idea that in theory I could be super-successful in a traditionally "demanding" career, I think the film sends out a good message. Yes, I know it's only a film - and a pretty unrealistic one at that - but we can dream right?!

I also did a lot of the tourist attractions whilst I was there, ate at Pret a Manger a lot and went to see Wicked at the Apollo (also great) - I hardly shopped at all though, apart from buying two plain tops in Topshop for my hols (less than 4 weeks to go, yeah!).

Green People Organic Formula Self Tan Lotion

I was given this to try by our resident organic champion at work. It contains 88.57% certified organically grown ingredients and works by sugar derivatives reacting with your skin to create pigments (basically the same as a "chemical" fake tan would). I googled and it seems to cost between £13-17 online.

It doesn’t look like fake tan – it’s a slightly yellow cream that looks a bit like cocoa butter and when you rub it into your skin it leaves a startling thick white residue that thankfully sinks in after 5-10 minutes. But other than the initial shock application is pretty straightforward (I did manage to mess up my ankles though, which I happen to do every single time I try any fake tannage!) and at least you can see where you’ve applied.

It also smells nothing like fake tan – it has a strong herbal scent (that’ll be the rosehip, geranium and sandalwood then) that stays even when the tan is developing, and you definitely don’t get that horrible biscuity smell that usually comes post–tan development. My boyfriend described me as “smelling like a lovely curry”, which I’m not sure is a good thing. I think the smell might be a bit much for some people.

The other thing about this tan is that it develops FAST, the colour was coming out in about 2 hours and fully developed after about 5. It gives a nice golden colour – quite subtle, but definitely still noticeable.

The con of this tan for me was it’s longevity - 2 showers later and you’d be hard pressed to tell I ever had tan on apart from a few little areas. But this also has a plus point as it means that you’re not ending up really patchy like with some other tans, but who wants to be reapplying tan every 2 days? I’m sporadic enough with tan application as it is!

If you want a quick developing tan that doesn’t stink or you're a bit scared of tan and want some where any mistakes aren't there for long, then this is the stuff for you! I have actually applied this just before work before, then left it to develop throughout my working day (no awful tan smell), then showered off when I got home and went out. I think I’ll be sticking with my L’Oreal Nutrisummer though– sorry colleague, your organic mission has failed on this occasion.

This warm weather we've been having has really played havoc with my Mac Cremesheen Lipstick in Speed Dial...

This WAS my 3 week old Mac Cremesheen in Speed Dial - it's died a death in the warm weather before I even had a chance to review it. I loved it and it had quickly become my go-to lippy. I even tried to resuscitate it in the fridge but no joy :-(

Here's a swatch of it to show just how pretty it was:

Weirdly, Mac Chatterbox (not a Cremesheen) which I bought at the same time and kept in the same conditions is ok. Has anyone elses makeup gone strange? How do people who have hot weather all the time cope with their lipsticks melting?!

GOSH Polishes - Holographic 549, Rainbow 546, Vanilla Ice 539

L-R: Rainbow, Vanilla Ice, Holographic

Just thought I'd show you some GOSH sparkly polishes I bought when they were on 3 for 2 a few weeks ago (making it £10 for these 3 polishes in total). All of these are pictured without basecoat or topcoat, just call me a rebel!

GOSH Holographic 549

• Application takes a bit of practice - it has a tendency to drag pretty badly. The bottle suggests for best results to use GOSH 565 Fix Base Coat but I don't own this so I didn't!
• 3 coats got rid of any baldy spots
• As with most holos, this badboy dries quickly
• Chiptastic and the surface almost scratches away after a few days....I still love it though, and even though it's high maintenance (like the best of us) it looks so nice!

GOSH Rainbow 546

• Yellow toned clear polish with light red/pink flakies - reminds me a little of Sally Hansen Hidden Treasure
• In the pic below it's shown over Leighton Denny Monroe - it was hard to tell the flakieness without a base colour, it's a good layering polish but a bit wishywashy on it's own
• Doesn't feel too bumpy
• Application is straightforward enough - two coats over a base colour gives good impact

GOSH Vanilla Ice 539

Not much to say about this, it's a sheer (check out my nail staining, lovely!) frost with very fine glitter and it looks as it should. Probably another layering polish I think. No application issues.

I am obsessed with....

Montagne Jeunesse Fudge Sauna Face Mask. It costs 98p, so whilst I'm saving up for my hols (and coming to terms with the public sector pay freeze, d'oh) this is the perfect treat, it smells yummy, feels warm and comforting on the skin and makes your skin feel lovely afterwards. The Honey & Cream one is amazing too but seems to be a bit harder to find.

However, this doesn't mean I'm not coveting other stuff (see my wishlist!). It just means I'll wait until after my holiday to buy it (plus my birthday's in September so I'm hoping a few heavy hints dropped in August will lead to good things!)

Guest reviewing Clinique Anti-Blemish over at Vex in the City

I trialled Clinique Anti-Blemish Solutions Liquid Makeup as a guest reviewer for Vex in the City over the past week or so. If you want to know what I thought, you can see my review here

Illamasqua Nail Polish in Ruthless

I know, I’m a bit late to the Illamasqua party but Illamasqua polish was on my wishlist, so when I saw that this colour was £8.50 on ASOS (and I had a £5 voucher) and they were doing free delivery I went for it!

“Ruthless” is what I’d call a true red – a bright, classic, jelly colour more on the orange side of red than the pink, as I think the first pic shows.

Application was lovely, the formula isn’t too wet or too gloopy and the brush is firm enough for you not to end up with polish everywhere, but not so stiff that it causes drag. I didn’t have a problem with the square lid of the brush when I was painting either, which I've read is a problem for some people - they just remove the square part of the lid and use the smaller bit underneath. It dries in a reasonable amount of time (note to self: find Seche Vite, AWOL since I moved house!) and lasted 2 days on without chipping, this is without a topcoat though since without a fast-drying one available I’m too lazy to put it on.

This pic is after the 2 days and you can see the tip wear, particularly on my index finger - again, I must stress that this is without topcoat.

Diamond Cosmetics Nail Polish in Chainmail Charm (310)

After seeing amazing pics of this polish on a few blogs (which you’ve probably already seen too), I thought I’d give it a go – I bought it for £5 including postage from Funky Nails and it arrived the next day.

When I first started applying it, I was like “hmm.” It seemed very watery, thin and not like it would actually reach any sort of decent pigmentation no matter the number of coats at all. And the glitter just looked silver. After 3 coats I was still a bit disheartened as it looked a bit of a greyish black with lots of fine silver glitter. Um, why in everyone elses pics did it look an amazing multicoloured holo and mine looked like this? But I then found that under bright light – artificial I’m afraid as I live in crappy old grey England – the gorgeous holo effect comes out as you can see in the pics.

I’ve said before and I’ll say it again…WHERE’S THE SUN?!

For £3 plus postage, I can’t argue with this. I’m love black polishes with glitter, and multicoloured glitter? Count me in! I’d definitely buy this again. I used Stickey basecoat and Seche Vite topcoat. The polish lasted 4 sparkly holo days before chipping.

"Women turned to nail polish during the recession"...

...I don't mean that women all over the US were turning into bottles of polish, but they were definately buying them!

According to this piece of research by Kline Group , US nail polish sales grew by 14.3% in 2009 "due to the return of nail color in the fashion world, as well as the shift from nail salons to at-home application as economic instability motivated consumers to forego salon visits. Nail industry marketers also responded well to consumer demand and focused on new launches, offering a wide range of new products to engage the recession-stricken consumer."

Sales of lipsticks and glosses declined by 5.3% and perfumes considerably more. Other toiletries and personal care items (the every day stuff like deodorants, shaving stuff etc) suffered the least.

God if my business degree was about this kind of thing, I'd enjoy writing the damn essays!