Stamping Joy Layla Mirror Effect Metal Plum

 

This is another polish I just couldn't resist using from the latest delivery. I have never owned a Layla, and as I am a slave to my stamping I thought it was best to give the mirror effects a go. 

They have an excellent consistency and are smooth to use with the stamper. A little goes a heck of a long way and it applies evenly. Now you only have to convince me to keep my fingers off the rest of them blighters!

For anyone interested they are available here for £7.50 each.

Layla Ceramic's My New Love

Long time no see, and I am sorry, just life has been sooo busy its unbelievable. But, the Layla's arrived for the shop yesterday and unfortunately some of the bottles were broken. Boo Hoo, but I did manage to salvage some of the polishes and it would have been rude not to try them just once. Hence, my first Layla Ceramics post.

Never having used a Layla product in my life I was really impressed with them. The polish goes on smoothly, no brush strokes and they applied evenly and easily. The pink is called 'Hot Pink' and it borders on a magenta type colour. Its hard to display in these macro shots, but it varies from bright cerise pink to a purpely sheen. Too lovely.

For the tips I used Space Cowboy which is a gold glitter with sprinkles, tiny hexes and larger hexes. It again applies easily and the glitter was well mixed it, you didn't have to fish it out.

Hope you like the pics, just got to stop using the stock or there won't be anything left for anyone else!

Jade Diamond Joy

 

I made a promise to myself when I opened Sally Magpies that I wouldn't help myself to the stock. Well that lasted a week! I couldn't resist one of the Jade Diamonds as they are just so sparkly and bright. Out of them all I chose Joy, a really bright sparkly orange. 

This is the first Jade I have ever tried and I was really impressed with  formula. It did lean itself towards three thin layers rather than a thick one, but I am girl more into that kind of thing anyway. The finish is almost foil like and beautiful. Reminds me of spray paint on the car.

Now I just have to convince myself not to dip into the others. ( Its going to be really hard)

 

 

British Bloggers Roundup 25/11/12

I have forgot to update this over the last few weeks, much to my detriment. But here we go, a little bit of what the British Bloggers have been doing this week. 

Emma practises polka dots in this China Glaze dotticure at Emma's Little Corner.

Nada got her hands on Miss Sporty's new nail polishes Metal Flip Duochromes! Check out the swatches!

Lyndsay from Pie's Eyes has been playing with fire this week Max Factor's Fantasy Fire. It's fast becoming a Top 10 polish!

Jazz at Glitter Infatuation has been continuing the Lazy 15 Challenge Even if that means interpreting it in her own funny way.. Glitter is appropriate no what what the occasion!

Wendy over at Wendy's Delights has a Yellow Mani with Glitter for the 31 day Challenge!

Claire at nuthin' but a nail thing has been fishscale manicuring it up - there is a tutorial too!

Rachel at Phoenix Nails has been getting all childish with a Disney mani for day 9 of the Lazy 15 challenge

Vic's been experimenting with layering and has come up with a Swishy Junk Yard.

Sally of NailPron has found some new Speciallita polishes, and they look amazing.

Anna from Anna's Polish Addiction has tried Nails Inc Southwark from the most recent QVC Today's Special Value, posted a rainbow mani and more pics of her stash.

Sam at Polished Art created this pretty half moon manicure using dried flowers!

Kerry at JustTalkNails has a swatch of Essie Smooth Sailing this week.

This week there was some Quilted Nail Art going on over at Enigmatic Rambles.

Speciallita Guerra Dos Sexos

Speciallita have come up with yet another lovely set of new polishes. They are called battle of the sexes and they come as a double ended polish. Either end can be worn on its own, or they can be worn together to make a third colour. They are called war of the sexes and they look like this.

Speciallita's press release reads

''The male never alone. The female never lonely. States have created a purpose in the world of possibilities in which we live today. A blend that recreates that recycles and reinvents itself.

With the concept that 1 +1 = 3, the new bottles are double the Gender Wars. Two glazes sharing the same cover, each with its own brush. Each color can be used alone, as any enamel line HITS Speciallità. But by purchasing the product, you can also prepare your nails using one over the other, thus creating a third or fourth enamel often quite different than imagined. Just free your imagination and make their blends show to her friends, exchange pictures over the internet, send emails, and go crazy with the party. After all, war is war.

These are the principles of the new collection of enamels War of the Sexes - HITS Speciallitá in its seventh successful partnership with Globo Brands, after the collections Bites & blows, Malhação, One Kiss, The Life of the People, buzz and Full of Charm. Effects, colors, coatings and pigments only. A glaze that is creating its greatest essence.

12 are double glaze, which can be combined with each other to form endless mixtures and effects on the nails. Creativity is the limit.

The novel War of the Sexes is a remake of the 1984 hit, written by Silvio de Abreu and now directed by Jorge Fernando. The story revolves around the eternal struggle between men and women. Performed by Tony Ramos, who lives OtávioII, and is in constant fights with Charlô II, played by Irene Ravache.

Check out the collection:

Cable War: A bottle is a bright orange and the second, a shimmering pink. The mixture of them form a new pink enamel well marked.

Carolina: A pale lilac and the other a transparent iridescent color, together result in a smooth and shimmering lilac.

Charlô: A striking red and silver metallic other coverage, together form an irresistible metallic red.

Perfect Duet: A very dark blue with sparkles and the other a turquoise very much alive. Together they form an intense blue with sparkles.

Loving Explosion: A delicate pink and pearl, and in the other an orange bottle, together form a pearly coral alive.

Front Line: A light gray and the other a transparent iridescent color, but together form a gray iridescent indispensable for a good ballad.

Cheque-Mate: A bottle navy blue and the other pink creamy but together result in a royal blue chic and unique.

Counterattack: A pale mauve blue and subtle, and together form a lilac evening.

Iron Lady: A metallic pink and wine chiquérrimo, but together they form a metallic wine intense and sophisticated.

Manoela: A mild creamy brown bottle and the other, a transparent cover iridescent color, together result in a brown metallic scandal.

Vanya: An amazing matte black cover and a slight lilac, but only together could form a sophisticated metallic purple.

Veruska: A delicate pink and blue roses with pearls, and together, it creates a light pink metallic.''

 

I have placed an order for these polishes and they will be stocked in the Sally Magpies Shop very shortly. ( and while I am plugging it we also have the new Speciallita Glitters World in stock along with No Olimpo and Jade Diamond/Holographic polishes too)

Magnetism Gone Sparkly...Don't Mind If I Do

Way back when my obsession with polish was still in its infancy I invested in a couple of magnetic polishes from Fashionista ( named after the girl group the Saturdays) and they have been the best ones I have ever used. they were just a plain purple and red. I have used other magnetics since and to be honest they have never really lived up to those first ones. So I was dead chuffed to pop into Superdrug this weekend and see some new shades.

Its almost like Magnetic polish has got its vibe back with these polishes, they are all colours with glitter embedded in them. The first you see is Gold Glamour which is a rich gold polish with brighter gold sparkles. The magnet I have used isn't from the Fashionista a range as they only do a wave one, and I wanted something a bit different to that, so I used the star shaped one from the Barry M range.

This polish goes on well, and the thicker the top coat the better. It allows all the gold sprinkles to move with the iron and leave you with a plain shape from the magnet, but an ultra deep and glittery pattern. I left the magnet on for 12 seconds, which is longer than they normally say, but it gives a really good finish to me.

 The other two polishes in the set are Embellish on the left. Its a mid grey with red glitter throughout and Bit of Sparkle in the middle, which is a deeper grey with gold glitter through it. I have used the other two polishes below so you can see how they work out aswell.

 Next is 'A Bit of Sparkle' This was probably my least favourite when I picked them, but it looks quite special on. It has the same effect as Gold Glamour as the glitter is drawn into the pattern well and looks very understated but very pretty. If you want to see bigger pictures just click on the images below.

Finally we have Embellish. I fell in love with this polish and could easily wear it without the magnet work so it just looked lovely. It is a paler grey, but this allows the red to really sparkle and shine. This effect is muted a bit when the magnet is used which is a shame as you can't see the red flecks as much.

The consistency of the polish is lovely, and it goes on well. You can't really ask for more in a polish. 

I got these polishes from Superdrug in store. Although they are available on their website aswell. They are £6 each without a magnet, so a bit pricey, but I just use any magnet from any set, so you needn't go to that expense if you don't want to. As a bit of a bargain aswell the cosmetics in Superdrug are on offer at 3 for 2, so I only paid £12 for all three. Cheap as chips.

Happy Halloween

 

Shattered today, three days into a busy week at work and I feel I need more sleep than I am getting. Going to remedy that after posting this and diving straight into bed. 

Must admit Halloween isn't really my think. we weren't allowed pumpkins as kids as they were too expensive and my mum used to make us have swede's. They were evil to empty out as they were just solid, it used to take all day. Suppose I should add to this that my mum insists that pumpkins weren't available in shops when I was a kid. We also weren't allowed to trick or treat as this was 'begging'. Hmmm

I'm not bitter, honest. 

So, my Halloween mani. Its bright Barry M Gelly in Satsuma with stamps over two fingers with crackle on the others. I liked them, I liked them alot. Made me think about what stamps I could do like this in the future. 

Goodbye October, It Was Nice Knowing You

  

So today is the last day for pink manicures for Breast Cancer Awareness. Tomorrow is Halloween and I have a special mani for that one. 

This manicure was much nicer in the flesh than it looks in the picture. No17 Miami is something I have had fora  long time. It is a lovely colour and goes on well. Infact, its a one coater. On top I put a wonderful coat of Picture Polish Festival which is a mixture of beautiful pretty creamy sparkles which go multi coloured when they catch the light. One of those polishes that you have to look at all day long.

Suppose this reflects my mood aswell. I am happier, I feel more sorted and know that there is a light at the end of the tunnel. I am just looking for an overnight break for us somewhere amazing, somewhere in Europe. Travel makes the heart go boo boom.

A Brighter Day, A Brighter Future.

So, going from the moaning and misery of yesterday I felt I should pull myself up by my bootstraps and sort things out. Got myself up and out and went to work, which was a proper positive step. It wasn't easy, but I have some wonderful friends there and I was felt very supportive.

So as October comes to a close I have still got a pink accent with a crackle from W7 with undies of lime florescent green also from W7. Really liked it, although the crackle went a bit too crackle and left gaping holes across the green. It felt proper funky.

Being Brave - Easy On The Nails, Difficult In The Head

 

Over the past week I have been completely and utterly amazed at the response to my post about my anxiety. I didn't feel brave in what I was saying, because it is something I have come to terms with and faced with friends. But I am so overwhelmed by the contact I have had from people I am truly humbled. 

But as with pride, there is a fall. 

Last week I properly fell off my anxiety horse. Things in my life haven't been smooth running over the past 6 months. My work life is increasingly pressured as every day comes, and I am coming to the reality that I need to find something else to do. We have half the number of staff we need and we are twice as busy as we should be. I feel thoroughly ashamed that I am the first person to crack, as I know I am experienced, but with my past I suppose it is to be expected.

Additionally to this my husband hasn't seen his children for the past 5 months. I don't have children of my own, so they have been my surrogates for the past 7 years. We both miss them more than anyone can imagine, but the situation is out of our hands. I feel so raw and emotional about it, I cannot imagine what it is like for him. I empathise with any parent in this situation, its heartbreaking and even as a step-parent it never really leaves your thoughts. 

I am glad to say that I have started to get both of these things into perspective. I am living by the motto that I want the grace to accept the things I cannot change, and the courage to challenge the things I can. 

So today's manicure is a showcase for Orly 'Be Brave' The name of the polished seemed appropriate, also, I love how bright and sparkly it is. Almost like electric is running through the polish, fireworks on your nails. It would have been easy to put it over a pink or black base, but I wanted it to stand on its own, so employed a lovely nude, Sally Hansen Quick Sand. 

I hope you like it. I don't believe in religion, its not my type of thing. But spare a thought for me over the next few days, and anyone else going thought something similar.

Love, Lace and Lawsuit Wedding Nails

 

On the forum the other day someone asked what to do for wedding day nails. Shamefully for my wedding day I wasn't into polish and I barely had time to paint mine! I just threw on a shade of No17 pale shimmery pink and that was it. 

So, if I had my time again, this is what my wedding nails would look like. A pale pink base of No7 Pinky Pure with a coat of Ninja Polish Love Lace and Lawsuits over the top. It was incredibly difficult to photograph, but I think they look lovely.

Problem is, if we renew our vows it is likely to be somewhere crazy like Vegas, so there will be no space for pretty nails like this. 

Finding My Lemming - Nancy's Birthday, a Whimsical by Pam

 

I have lemmed over the Whimsical polishes by Pam for ages. Sadly she doesn't ship outside the USA, so it felt an impossible task to get one. But luckily for me one popped up in a blog sale last week and I managed to get my sticky little paws on it. All I can say is the wait was worth it. 

I try and be true to myself and I don't have a huge polish budget. Therefore indies are out of my price range and after the drama with some of them they are out of my interest range aswell. One sniff of drama and I am out of there. But Pam seems like a genuinely nice lady, so I am happy to participate.

All I can say is that this polish is wonderful. It is a pink jelly base, which looks lovely on my skintone, but has different size hexes in a myriad of colours. My explanation just cannot do justice to it. I hope the pictures say more than I am in words. 

Needless to say this is precious and will only come out on special occasions!