Happy Halloween My Lovely Ghoulies

Hope everyone has a great night whether you are out at a Halloween party or staying home and watching a scary film.  We are trying to decide which Korean horror film to watch :)

 

Polishes used:

Illamasqua Boosh, Illamasqua Scorch & Julep Molly

Tribal Nail Art

This is a bit of a failure (in my eyes), but I had a good time playing around.

Polishes used:

Base: Elevation Polish Pic Du Sotllo

Black: Models Own black nail art pen

White: Illamasqua's Scorch

 

I think I need to practice more, but the key thing is that I am getting the passion back for nail art :)

 

Illamasqua Hemlock is Back in Stock

I'll cut to the chase, Get yours now!
http://www.illamasqua.com/shop/products/nails/nail-varnish-in-hemlock

My Homage to Yayoi Kasuma: Polka Dot Nail Art

Who doesn't love polka dots right?

Ms. Kasuma's polka dots have infiltrated the fashion world with her recent collaboration with Louis Vuitton.  We are inundated with polka dots.  I really admire her and I want to live in this amazing, intricate, colorful, and dynamic world.  

Here is my homage to the princess of polka dots!

Polishes used:

Base: Illamasqua Scorch

Red dots: Julep Molly

Now only if I was talented enough to do some of her other designs :)

Illamasqua nail varnish duo in Scorch and Self (Selfrdiges Pantone 109 nail duo)

Sorry about these long overdue swatches, but this one was perfect for the hot weather we've been having.

Illamasqua never ceases to amaze me with their excellent formula and gorgeous highly pigmented varnishes.  

Scorch is a bright white polish with an amazing glossy top coat.  My fear was that it would look like white-out, but the glossiness made it look like no other.  Very impressed!

Self is my favourite yellow this season.  It's bright and bold and I LOVE it!

This set is a Selfridges exclusive and can be purchased here for £21.

Nail Mail: Tom Ford Coral Blame & Illamasqua Selfridges Pantone 109 Set

There is something so exciting about nail mail.  I guess the cliche statement is true, great things come in small packages.  I should really name this old nail mail as I've been sitting on these two awesome polishes for quite some time. 

I've been wanting to try Tom Ford makeup items for quite sometime, but the price tag has scared me away.  I had an amazing swap on MUA and this beauty landed on my doorstep from the states.  As usual, it was cheaper there than there.

I requested Coral Blame as I am loving these coral, tangerine, bright colours this summer. I almost said spring as the UK is just now getting spring/summer weather (about time!).

The package exudes luxury from it's textured box to the Tom Ford golden logo'ed square bottle.  It's heavy and for some odd reason I equate expensive with heavy things (I apply this logic to handbags too). I'm so happy to have this polish despite not swatching it yet.

 

My photos made the box and cap look black, but it's a very dark dark brown in real life. 

it's very luxurious to say the least.

I'm so in love with anything Tom Ford at the moment, so I welcome this little piece of TF into the collection.  The formula looks creamy and absolutely amazing. I can't wait to swatch this one.

Retails £25 

The next polish was an exclusive set for Selfridges.  It is my favourite shop in the UK, and when I heard that one of my favourite brands was doing an exclusive set that featured a bright yellow, I just had to jump at getting it.

Retails £21 exclusively at Selfridges

 

The duo comes with Self and Scorch. I really bought this duo for Self, but the Illamasqua ad really won me over.  I love the contrast of two very bold colours. Superb!

 I have actually worn Self recently and I got loads of compliments and also loads of odd looks as this really is a solid bright yellow creme.  The only downside to Self is that it does stain, and yes I even wore a base coat.  It is still worth the colour pay off, so I will just spend extra time scrubbing my nails, that's how worth it the colour really is.

So these are my two newbies to the collection.  I'm trying not to splurge too much on polish at the moment as I'm saving up for the AW rococo bag, but when products like this come along, I am too weak to resist.

What have you gotten in the mail lately?

Dior Waterlily vs. Illamasqua Nomad Swatches & Review

I think I need to adjust my colour setting on my computer as I swore these two were similar.  They are not at all.  Illamasqua is a bold and bright green and Waterlily is a muted soft jade with a slight blue shimmer.  I am really glad I bought both of these polishes as they are perfect for spring.

Illamasqua on the first two fingers and Dior on the last two.

Here's the lowdown on these two polishes:

Application:  Smooth, consistent, and easy

Coverage:  Very opaque, one coat does the job

Scent:  Dior has a slight rose scent. I didn't get why Dior felt it necessary to try to scent their polishes as who really smells their nails anyways

Packaging:  Love both brands' packaging, but this time Dior placed their limited edition polish into a silver box instead of their traditional dark blue.  I actually like that they did that, as it makes it stand out a bit more and makes it more "collectible"

Retail:  Dior £19 and Illamasqua was £13.50

What's your favourite polish colour for Spring?

TUNE OF THE DAY

***********************

Lana Del Rey - Blue Jeans

Nail Polish Haul - Chanel Blue Rebel, Dior Waterlily, Illamasqua Nomad and YSL Black Indigo

I finally have the next two days off, so I will be doing tons of swatching and listening to music.  I've been in this odd space where my life is moving along, but I feel like I'm not really going anywhere.  Does anyone know what I am talking about?  Music seems to be the only thing that is keeping me going. I'm not very good with words (despite trying to write on this blog), but music helps me express myself.  So I'm actually going to show you my haul from this week, and then I am going to share with you all the songs that have been very close to me this week.

So, I did a massive haul and really splurged on some high priced polishes.  Not the smartest thing for me to do right now, but I really couldn't help myself.  They were all purchased at a discounted price, if that means anything? lol

YSL Black Indigo, Dior Waterlily, Illamasqua Nomad, Chanel Blue Rebel

I think I'm in a very green & blue mood this spring/summer.  I've been a bit naughty, so I'm going to have to chill on the NP haul front.  Plus..I'm running out of drawer space, but I love these.  Swatches up tomorrow.

So onto the tunes that I have on repeat this week...

Nina Sinatra - Bang Bang

Rita Ora - R.I.P. ft. Tinie Tempah

Shirley Bassey - I who have nothing

 

The Shangrilas - Remember Walkin' in the sand

Lana Del Rey - Video Games

NOTD: Illamasqua Sponge Nails

I wish I could take credit for my awesome NOTD, but I can't.  I got an email yesterday morning from Illamasqua displaying their new series of Nail art, and I absolutely loved the sponge nails, so I gave it a go.  It's fool proof and so easy to do.  

 

The negative degree weather is really taking a toll on my cuticles.  I'm dumping loads of oil on it, and yet it doesn't look any better.  Roll on Spring!

So if you want to take a stab at sponging, check out their video below. 

 

In this video, they used Illamasqua MILF & Jo'Mina.  I love both of these polishes, but do not have them in my stash, so I ended up using Models Own Aciid and Gosh Lavender Love.

My Favourite nail polishes of 2011

Merry Christmas Eve everyone :)  

Yes, I'm over here being a bit anti-social as the mood here is a bit awkward.  So I retreated into my bedroom and decided this is a perfect time for me to post up my favourite nail polishes of 2011.  I'll be doing a separate favourite beauty products of 2011, but this one is for the nail polish lovers out there.

The nail polish that are going to be featured will not surprise anyone, as I'm pretty sure these are favourites of many ladies out there, but I really do LOVE these.  

My favourite polishes are......

 

Sephora OPI 212, Dior Czarina Gold, Chanel Peridot, D&G Stromboli

 

Nubar 2010, Chanel Graphite, CG Sea Spray, Dior Gris Montaigne, Illamasqua Raindrops

CHANEL PERIDOT

CHANEL GRAPHITE

SEPHORA FOR OPI 212

D&G STROMBOLI  

 

DIOR CZARINA GOLD

DIOR GRIS MONTAIGNE

ILLAMASQUA RAINDROPS

CHINA GLAZE SEA SPRAY

NUBAR 2010

I would love to know what your favourite polishes of 2011 are, even if it's one of 50, let me know by leaving a comment below.

Now off to be social.

Merry Christmas Eve everyone!!!!!

Up to 70% off with Illamasqua Sale

Hurry ladies, you know things go super fast.

ILLAMASQUA SALE

Here's a quick snapshot of what's available as of 9:30 tonight ;)

 

Loads of £5 and  £7.50 items still left.

HURRY HURRY! :)

For all you Illamasqua Freaks - Free UK & International Shipping

Ok, if you love Illamasqua as much as I do, then you will be happy to know about their free shipping...especially all the international people who want some products that you can't get over there at Sephora!

"To redeem your free UK standard delivery, simply enter the promotional code ‘FREEUK11’ when you reach the checkout page of the Illamasqua Shop.

To redeem your free international delivery, simply enter the promotional code ‘INTERNATIONAL50’ at the checkout – when you spend £50 or more.

Offer ends Midnight GMT Friday 25th November 2011"

Hemlock is calling my name :)

My October Swaps Reveal

I won't be swapping anymore this month, so I am revealing this month's swaps a little earlier.

This month has been slow, because the postage cost was starting to really start to add up.

But I'm super excited about my October swaps!

 

This month, I got:

Dior - Eye shadow brush

This is one of the two brushes from Dior that I recently swapped for.  I was eager to swap for these, not because I didn't have any brushes, but because this will complete my Dior brush set :) What I don't like about these brushes is that the logo rubs off, but then again I believe they all do. The brush is pretty densely packed, so it picks up colour well and doesn't have too much all out.

Dior - Lip brush

This retractable lip brush is very handy for sure.  I like that it is retractable, because the worst thing is to have a lip brush and then have to deal with the residue lipstick on the brush, especially if you want to keep it in your purse/makeup bag.

Fresh - Creme Ancienne face cream (deluxe sample)

Lightly scented and very soothing.

I love how this feels on my face right now, especially with the weather getting colder and dryer.

Illamasqua - Stagnate nail polish

This is a lovely formula, like all other Illamasqua nail polishes

If you like greyed out mauves, then this is for you!

Garnier BB Cream in Medium

This is probably my most excited swap of this month.

I didn't want to spend a tenner to try this haha, but it is so worth that and more.

This BB Cream is a lot more dewy and definitely more moisturizing than the other BB Creams that I have tried.  There isn't much coverage, but it is by far the most light reflecting and doesn't make your face look super pale either.

Illamasqua Stagnate

I was up until 4am last night watching episode after episode of The office season 4.  I'm highly addicted right now! So today was a late start :::stretches::: :)

GOOD MORNING!!!!!!!! or should I say GOOD AFTERNOON lovelies!

Last night I put on Illamasqua Stagnate, and decided to wait until this morning to take photos, well.....considering that I'm always doing something with my hands, I'm already getting tipwear. Yikes! Very unlike Illamasqua.  I blame it on the constant typing that I have to do.

I recently swapped for this, and I realise that I have so many polishes in this type of shade. I would say that I have an exact dupe, but China Glaze's Below Deck seems awfully close to me.    

This is the perfect polish for a gloomy and wet morning. Ahhhhhh England, this is how I remember you!

Add caption

 

I don't know how I feel about this colour anymore.  I love colours that are a bit murky and greyed out, but I think I loved this colour so much that I went a little overboard.  I'm looking at my drawer and I have too many similar shades of this haha!

Going to have to make a tough decision on which ones to let go of, hmmm....

Anyways, I had an awful nightmare last night that I'm still trying to shake, and I'm going to be proactive in making this day a good day!

So I hope you all have a wonderful day too!! :)

NOTD - Illamasqua Nail Polish in Kink

Illamasqua is one of those companies that either speak to you or don't.  They are unforgiving in their boldness, and not shy to go to the extreme.  For all those reasons and for a very well thought out artistic bases for their collections, Illamasqua has pushed up to the my top 5 brands.  

When the rubber textured collection released, I had to grab one of them.  It was very hard to pick, but I decided to pick Kink, and I'm very happy I did.

 

The texture is fun, and mimics latex. 

I'm not into latex in my personal life (HAHA!), but I do like this risky erotic influenced nail polish. It's either you love this or hate it, and I really love it!

A London Story

I am so sorry that I have been away.  Life just got so busy all of a sudden, and next thing I know I haven't blogged in almost 2 days.  That's really the longest and it won't ever happen again (or at least I hope not) :).  So I have another long post full of reveals, and just chitter chatter...

So last minute I hopped on the train to head to London for work and some play.  I absolutely enjoyed my short 1.5 days in that fabulous city.  Got to get my a$$ closer there in the future (god willing on how my business goes).  So not only was it really educational, but it was loads of fun.

Here's the nails that I rocked while I was there:

Chanel Graphite with Chanel black velvet on the ring fingers topped off with Rococo's Gold Leaf. Rococo (as stunning as it is) was a very difficult polish to use.  The clear polish is so thick that the Gold Leaf pieces just seem to slide off.  It took a long time to get 2 fingers done.  The overall effect is gorgeous, and I'm so blessed to have been given this polish, but it takes a skilled and patient type of person to use this polish.

 

Here's me on the train.

I pushed my way to get a great seat with a table.

Meet my Louis Vuitton damier musette tango.

This bag is so handy when I need to be hands free.

 

 

So my friend that I met up with is a such a fantastic person.

It's rare to meet people like this.

So well rounded, decent, down to earth and just someone that I look up!

So when she started busting out her awesome goodies, I just had to snap up pictures.

I mean look at this?

WHAT?! A highly limited edition Chanel piece.

 

 

 

 

You can mix and the pigments to be used for lips, cheeks, eyes...

It is a beauty addicts dream come true.

I joked with her about how I was going to steal this from her :p

 Then she knocked me off my feet, when she showed me her Vintage Chanel earrings!

Just look at the craftsmanship on this baby.  Such a stunner!

 

Then she decided to be even more awesome by giving me this!!!

An entire Nails Inc nail care set!!!!

 

Talk about a welcome present! 

I guess my love for nail polish is THAT obvious haha!

 We had a good pow wow, and a fun trip down to Oxford Street.  I didn't splurge, and just bought something that I felt was a necessity.  Selfridges is just a beautiful place for any beauty addict. The building, the lighting, the merchandise is just beyond anything that I have ever seen.  Nothing in the states comes close, not even the best of the best of the Neiman Marcus or Saks.  Selfridges really knows how present products, and really just create an amazing beauty hall like no other!

I have been wanting the Suqqu eyebrow pen forever.  It had to be mine! and now it is.  I immediately used it while I was there, and I will now retire my Dior eyebrow pen.  I will never cheat on Suqqu with anyone...it is just THAT good.

 I know, I know, just one product seems like such a restraint for someone like me, but times are tough, so I did treat myself to just this one thing.  I am very proud of myself.

So only 4 hours of sleep and many hours on the go, I have been exhausted, but not exhausted enough to rip open my packages when I arrived.  Here are my new goodies.

Actually, before I show this...I do want to mention something.  I know that I have been revealing a lot of gifts from people over the last few posts.  I do this for many reasons.  First, because I'm so excited to have these items, and I thought I could share that enthusiasm with my readers.  Second, because it is my way of thanking my friend(s) for giving them to me.  Yet, my intentions have been misunderstood by someone out there in cyber land.  I got a comment that I had to reject recently that stated "Stop showing off".  Trust me, it's not showing off.  In fact, compared to many bloggers, my shopping habits is very very modest and minimal.  When I blog reveals it is merely to show how grateful I am of the generosity that has been bestowed upon me.  However...I'm not writing this rebuttal to say that I don't listen to my readers.  I understand that in today's tough economy, showing a huge package of products given to me can make someone jealous or even bitter.  So out of courtesy and true respect for my readers, I will no longer be doing reveals of gifts.  I will just continue doing reviews of products.  

Ok sorry about that huge tangent! 

Now onto some new products that were waiting for me today.

First bunch came from a makeupalley swap recently.

 

 

Christian Dior retractable lipbrush and

Fresh Creme Ancienne sample

I already tried the sample, and it feels so nice on my skin.

The Dior brush is very handy, and you get a lot of brush for fast and even coverage.

Next are two items that I have been really wanting to try for a long time!

Guerlain's Jasminora mini perfume, and

Illamasqua Kink.

 

Isn't that bottle just beautiful?

I love the fragrance, and I believe I am going to purchase a full size bottle sometime in the future.

Watch out for the NOTD of the Illamasqua Kink tomorrow!

How is everyone spending their fall?

The weather has definitely changed here, and it is now time for jackets & boots.

Until next time,

take it ez!

AND.....

Don't forget to enter my giveaway if you haven't already!