Summertime Nail Saviours

You may remember my springtime nail polish recommendations that I wrote not too long back, well I delved back into my nail polish collection and pulled out a few Summer shades. 

I was waiting for the weather to perk up to post this but it really doesn't look like the sun is popping out any time soon, so what better way than to get into that summer spirit that get those nails painted a jazzy bright colour.

I am really getting back into loving nail polish again, I went through a phase of never hardly wearing any...purely because of the time it takes and its not something that can easily be done with a toddler by your side. It all involves smudges, nail polish vapours and broken bottles...yup! It doesn't mix well, but now Finley is going to bed earlier and earlier plus he now sleeps like a dream....finallllllyyyyy! Haha. I have that little extra time to fall back in love with my huge stash of polish again. 

OPI - Nice Stems Collection

OPI Polishes Left to Right - I Lily Love You, Be a Dahlia won't you, Come to Poppy, Play the Peonies.

First up I picked 4 mini OPI lacquers from the Summer 2011 collection called Nice Stems. I got mine a while back from Buya Powa but you can still get a set from Ebay here.

All four shades have pinky tones and all have an element of shimmer , some more subtle some brighter and sparkleier - if that's a word haha. My personal favourite out of the four has to be Play the Peonies which is the pale pearlescent shade...how amazing would that look with a tan. Here are a few OPI facts for you :) Whilst watching QVC the other day the OPI lady was saying how with even the mini bottles you still will get at lest 16-17 manicures out of each bottle....possibly more from a glitter as the majority of the time you use it as a top coat. Plus if you notice the lid/brush holder is ever so slightly textured, this is so it is less likely to slip whilst your holding so you don't mess up your fab polish job! 

Leighton Denny

LD Left to Right - Shipwrecked, Cool Blue, Sunburst.

Next I wanted to show you some new shades that Matthew picked up for me :) He doesn't understand why I have over a hundred nail polishes but doesn't question my obsession lol. So whilst on his online travels he picked up a few Leighton Denny Shades for me...Thanks Matthew :) 

The two more pastel shades are more like spring shades but I didn't have them at the time I wrote my previous post so thought they would slot in nicely here. 

All three are amazing quality, you could get away with one coat for that 'dashing out of the house' moment but I would recommend two just for that extra pizazz. You may notice in time to come I LOVE orange and coral shades on my nails, and Sunburst fits the bill to a tee. Its bright and glossy and contains no shimmer whatsoever :) I have to be in a certain mood for shimmers and tend to only wear pink shimmery shades, unless they wow me! The pastel colours are also beautiful, I don't have long nails so personally I love them on a short nail for that pop of bright pastel colour. If you fancy some Leighton Denny Loveliness you can grab them all over the Internet but Matt got mine on Ebay. The only places he shops lol.

Mix of Allsorts

Mix Polish Left to Right - Rimmel Sunshine, Nails Inc Candy Orange, 17 Miami, 17 Peacock

 

3rd in the Que are a mix matched jumble of shades, however I am not all that impressed with all of them! 

Again another orange, Nails Inc in Candy Orange. I picked this up last year in Instyle magazine and if my memory serves me correctly the new sets should be out around now or very soon. I love the shade and always find the brushes on a Nails Inc polish so easy to work with! The next three are for the cheaper end of the budgets, however I can really tell the difference....sorry drugstore. First the two 17 polishes, the colours are lovely and I have used them so many times but they just don't last. They are already gloopy and unfortunately may be heading to Nail polish heaven. The next is a vibrant yellow colour from Rimmel, I wore this last year and it stained my nails soooo bad but recently re-visited it as I thought it may have been my own fault for not using a base coat....nope it still stained each and every nail. It is such a shame because I love the colour so much but it ruins my nails each time...sorry Rimmel. So I am out to hunt for a new 'in your face' yellow as that was my only one. All these apart from the free magazine polish were from Boots.

Models Own Summer Shades

MO Swatches Left to Right - Bubblegum, Coral Reef, Top Turquoise, Sophie's Pink, Toxic Apple, Golden Peach.

Last up I have picked a couple of my fave bright Models Own shades. You may notice I love Models Own, they offer great quality nail polish for not masses of money. Plus if you are like me you stock up when they have their huge 50% off sale on. Now there is a shade missing, we had a casualty when I was sorting through my bag of colours...Finley grabbed a beautiful blue shade and it smashed! Don't panic he was fine as I was right next to him but my couch, new tshirt and Matthews hands didn't escape! Ironically the shade was 'feeling blue' which I was! I am hoping to replace and it isn't discontinued as it was stunning. 

Anyway here are the unscathed colours I picked, 2 are the very first ever polishes I bought from Models Own! 'Coral reef' and a Neon pink shade 'Bubblegum'. Coral reef is so old its in the really really old bottles - plus you can tell they are all really well loved as most are half empty. Here is a little tip I learnt, if you own any really bright or neon polishes you should pop them in the fridge to help it retain its wow factor!

The other colours are a stunning pink that I am wearing today, a beautiful turquoise that is a regular for my toe nails. A rare shimmery polish that I love called golden peach, this would be amazing if you are really tanned or olive skin toned...perfect for the holidays. And lastly a mega bright green that I have only really worn once or twice, I just cant figure out a way to wear it, maybe I am too pale but I love the colour! Maybe its more of a festival shade. Overall they are all amazing quality and the shade range Models Own stock is outstanding for the price they charge.

You are probably realising by now that I love nail polish! For some reason I cant seem to wear gel or acrylic nails, so I love experimenting with colour. I love the way false nails look but I end up walking around like a robot with them on and cant do anything haha. My friend Keri is an amazing nail technician and wants to get my nails all fancy but I panic I wouldn't be able to do anything but sit....hmmmm maybe I should get them done haha.

Also I have just bought 10 new polishes from Nails Inc so I may do that on a separate post as the value was ridiculously amazing - they will also be in an upcoming haul video so keep your eyes peeled.

If you have any tips for nails or polish recommendations please let me know as I am always expanding my never ending collection.

Have a great weekend everyone 

Love Kayleigh x

Springtime Nail Saviours

I am still sitting here in hope that some sunshine is on its way so in an effort to coax him to pop his hat on I shall brighten up our day with a little bit of nail varnish chat. I have only just recently rekindled my love with polishes....I think if you ask a new mum how they manage to paint their nails they will more than likely say they don't due to lack of time haha. Now Finley is in bed early and sleeping great YAY I can finally paint those fingers and even include a base and top coat....its the little things.

For ages I had bottles of polish dotted all over the house, some in the Bathroom, a few in the sideboard drawers and even some in the attic!! Well, to my surprise when I finally managed to get them all together it seems I have more than I need...a lot more. So I have split them all into seasons (in my mind that is) am I the only one who has done this? And as we are in the midst of Spring I thought I would share my fave spring shades, if you fancy I shall do the same for the rest of the year :)

Mavala Pastel Polishes*

Mavala Polishes Left to Right - Lagoon, Lemon Cream, White, Aquamarine

I love these subtle Spring/Summer Mavala pastel shades, they are inspired by laid back feminine, beachy fun, achieved with playful candy and pastel hues. I have short nails and think shades like the white really pop on a shorter squarer nail. They have a slight shimmer only visible in the direct light which is definitely a plus. Sometimes I find shimmer can overwhelm a colour but in these polishes it really compliments each shade. Out of all the 4 colours I am loving the Lemon Cream Yellow which I am currently wearing, I even got complemented in my local Newsagent! Loving the consistency also, they haven't gone the slightest bit clagy or gloopy and the brush is the perfect width for easy application. I am loving these polishes and they come in at a great price range at £4.50 each and available here

O.P.I New York Mini Ballet Collection

O.P.I Laquers Left to Right - Dont touch my tutu, Care to Danse?, My Pointe Exactly, Pirouette my Whistle

I bought this set of polishes around 12 months ago and LOVE them, you will probably notice from the polishes swatched I really enjoy a solid colour and a good nude oo-err! These lacquers as O.P.I call them are very sheer, if you are looking for an opaque finish you will be looking at nearly 5 coats. But I love that sheer wash of colour, it is such a classy effortless look that will suit all skintones. O.P.I are famous for their great lasting power and quality and all though these are minis they are still as fab as the larger size lacquers. These would also be a perfect wedding nail colour, sheer, feminine and a little pearlised what more could you ask for. LOVE! You can get yours here for £12.95 for the whole set.

A Spring Mix and Match

Mix Match Left to Right - Barry M Strawberry, MeMeMe Sensuous, Eyeko Rain Polish, Leighton Denny Babydoll

From left to right Barry M - Strawberry 309. This is an amazing baby pink, you only need two coats and it has phenomenal lasting power. The consistency has never changed in the 2 years I have owned this bad boy, they only thing I would change is the strong varnish smell it gives off..but I can live with that for the colour.
MeMeMe - Sensuous 97. This was another fab Glossybox polish I received months back, the shade is a soft peachy nude that starts of sheer but is easily buildable within 3 coats. 
Eyeko Rain Polish - This is from the days when Eyeko was just too amazing, their skinny mascara was only £7.50, they did jumbo lip crayons and they stocked an amazing range of nail polishes. I really wish you could still get hold of these and I will be so sad when it runs out so I am using it sparingly. Its a gorgeous muted grey/blue that looks stunning on the nail.
Leighton Denny Babydoll - A deeper but still pastel pink, that is so easy to apply. I have a bit of a soft spot for Leighton as I am always watching him on QVC showing off his fab nail painting skills. His polishes are so long lasting, if you don't have a top coat to hand always grab one of his colours as they will be sure to last.

Models Own Collective

Models Own Left to Right - Snow White, Fuzzy Peach, Lemon Meringue, Beth's Blue, Buff Pink, Jade Stone, Lilac Dream

I am a massive fan of Models Own polishes, I own way too many but just love everything about them. They stock an amazing array of colours from nudes to shocking pinks and to top it off the price is fantastic. I tend to stock up when they have their massive 50% off sale - who else joins in on this?
One of my fave shades I have been wearing this spring is Jade Stone, it looks darker in the bottle but when its painted on it is almost a dupe for Essies Mint Candy Apple. :D
Lastability is really great and if you start getting a few chips here and there you can pop over one of their glitter polishes for a few extra days before you have to re-apply. 
One thing that really stands out for me is the shape of the bottle, the lids are so chunky you get a great hold of the brush so you aren't wobbling all over trying not to hit your finger. If you haven't already head over to the Models Own Website to check out their fab range of colours and glitters.

There you have it, my recommendations for this Springtime and my most fave polishes at the moment, I'm thinking of running the same feature for Summer so let me know if you would like to see it?

Ohhh I had to swatch on little nail thingys because no-one wants to see the ends of my fingers lol. My poor cuticles are not in great shape so for every ones benefit I used these plastic swatchy thingys. Plus I quite enjoyed sitting there painting away, just remember if you are going to do this please open a window....I soon realised swatching 20 nail varnishes makes for a very dizzy Kayleigh...oops.

Love Kayleigh x