Secret Beauty Blog -

I actually came about ‘Beach’ by accident, I ordered a couple of the new Revlon scented polishes as they had an offer on (2 for £8 from Boots.com) and I ordered Mad about Mango & Ocean Breeze but got sent Pretty in Papaya & Beach instead….? I couldn’t be bothered with the hassle of arguing it so just kept them, and for the money it was no big loss and I actually LOVE Pretty in Papaya! Beach wouldn’t be my usual choice, but I thought I would try it out and as I thought, with my skintone the lime green/gold tone looked hideous but under the crackle polish the result was quite stunning!

These pics are with 3 coats of Beach, it would’ve been OK with just the 2 but there was a slight showing of  nail line. Application was perfect, the formula is the perfect balance of thickness with a slight runny feel that enables you to cover the whole nail with just one stroke. The brush is wide, with a long, sturdy handle which is very comfortable to hold. I’ve never tried a Revlon polish before and will definitely be buying more! The scent is just a gimmick, it …

I’m really not very good at nail art, or any kind of art really, so Barry M’s crackle polish really is the only way I can get some kind of arty effect on my nails. I’ve tried (and failed, badly) with Konad and freehand leopard print designs but never got the desired effect so this is the closest to leopard print my nails are ever likely to come, unfortunately.
I used Models Own 25 Carat Gold as a base colour, then the Barry M Nail Effects crackle polish over the top all sealed with my Sally Hansen mega shine topcoat.

The Models Own polish has a really strong smell, it smells like car battery acid and is really not very pleasant. The colour was opaque in just the one coat, and went on smoothly without any visible brush strokes but I added another coat for full effect. I feel with my skin tone the gold on it’s own looks a bit odd, like it really washes me out and makes my skin look pink and… Old? I probably wouldn’t wear it without the Barry M crackle polish over the top but for darker skin tones I can imagine this looking quite stunning, …

It’s no secret I’m not a fan of ‘mannequin hands’ or the ‘griege’ trend that dominated fashionistas fingers during summer/autumn, the neutral tones seem to highlight every flaw on my hands and make my skintone look horrid. My skin is very sensitive to redness etc. and I’m always covered in at least 3 cat scratches (!) but going through my polish collection recently I found this gorgeous muted taupe which I didn’t even know I had. Putting it on, I hated it, but with a quick coat of Barry M’s Instant Nail Effects it gave the polish a really interesting edge and I really like it.

From the ELF core line, the polish is just £1.50 and is a fabulous ‘my nails but better’  shade which would also be perfect for a french mani. I find the ELF polishes really good quality for the money, I hear complaints of dodgy brushes and streaky forumlas but I own 13 of them and have never encountered these problems.
What do you think, do you do naked nails?

I hate blogger bandwagons, but I had to jump ride on board with this one. After my complete fails at Konad and various other nail art I am really happy a product like this has finally come on the market.

You simply paint it over your chosen base colour, mine is Barry M 304, and watch it dry!
Instant Nail Effects priced at £3.95 available at Boots, Barry M & other usual outlets

Here are the Revlon A/W Suede Rhapsody collection nail enamels applied, I found them easy to apply although I did have to apply it quite thickly otherwise it would drag and go patchy. I used ELFs Matte Finisher as a topcoat and I think it extended the life of them as I’ve seen on other blogs they have only a day or so lasting power? With the Matte Finisher I had these on a good 4-5 days before any tipwear or chipping was visable!

Ruby Ribbon – 2 coats & ELF Matte Finisher

Emerald City – 2 coats with ELF Matte Finisher
This was my first experience with Revlon polishes and I was pleasantly surprised! Like I said they do need a thicker layer as they dry so quick but I that happens with all matte polishes. Saying that, I think they would look amazing with a shiny topcoat, but for the purpose of them being matte I kept them so.
Both polishes retail at £6.29 each

I really like deep, autumnal shades of purple and I think the matte topcoat gives it a modern twist.

I find ELF polishes apply perfectly, I like the chunky lid and long brush. For £1.50 you really can’t compain, they knock socks off other cheap polishes (ahem, Collection 2000 Hot Colours!) and the new autumn shades are really quite lovely.
The Matte Finisher lasted a good 4 days before the tipwear was really noticable, this pic was taken on day 2 and you can already see some slight tips coming through. It didn’t chip or flake like I’ve heard other matte topcoats/polishes do but this is the only matte topcoat I’ve ever used so I can’t compare. The matte finish got slightly shinier as the days wore on, but this can’t be helped.
Overall – very impressed. I can’t wait to experiment the topcoat with my other polishes!
£1.50 from ELF

The PERFECT neon barbie pink. Fabulous application as usual, long wearing as usual….. Perfection as usual! I have to say, Illamasqua polishes are the BEST I have ever used. I like the thin but opaque formula, the thin narrow brush and the chunky handle. The wear is like no other brand, a full 7 days and then some. The only thing I don’t like is the price tag, at £13 they’re not cheap but they ARE worth it IMO.

2 coats with Sally Hansen Maximum Shine topcoat
Isn’t it gorgeous!
£13 Illamasqua.com

Illamasqua Muse… Geddit?
Bought in the 50% off Illamasqua sale, usual R.R.P £13.00 (I wouldn’t pay that btw) but the formula is FABULOUS. Not too thin, not too thick, nice slim brush and a nice chunky square handle. Very unique colour, but looks very much like the new MAC Alice & Olivia ‘Morning After’?
I have a few of these now, and they really are the best quality polishes I have ever used. But I still think £13 is a bit too steep =0/

Of course my camera failed to pick up the true murky green/blue colour but it really is a lovely polish. This picture is a 5 day old mani, so you can see a bit of tip wear etc. But I think I can get away with at least another 2 days!

The sun may have left us, but my nails light up the whole street!

Again my camera hasn’t captured the true neon brightness of these polishes, and like the others it took a good 3 coats to get that coverage. Maybe it could of done with another coat?
3 coats with my OPI top coat

I don’t know if I like it or not, it seems to draw alot of attention… I wore it when I did a bank transfer and the stuck up cashier couldn’t stop looking at my hands =)

This photo does the shade no justice whatsoever! It is the most beautiful, vibrant bordering on neon, perfect summer hot pink!

It was quite odd using a matte look  polish and I had to use 3 coats for a fully opaque finish but I do love it =)
3 Coats with my OPI top coat

Did you pick up anything from the Poolside collection?