Chanel Garconne Le Vernis Nail Polish Review & Swatch

I have a very short post for you all today, but one that I have been looking forward to sharing with you since I posted my little review of Chanel Organdi. My manicure of the week in Garonne is one of the latest additions to the Chanel nail polish line, and is a lovely colour and unlike any other in my collection.

Garconne is a grey colour with warm undertones.  The coverage is lovely and rich and applies very easily and gives a lovely smooth streak free coverage.

To achieve this particular finish I applied two coats of the Garconne nail polish and a top coat of Out The Door Fast Drying Top Coat.

You can purchase the Chanel Le Vernis nail colour for £18.00 from Chanel counters nationwide.

Talk to you all soon x

 

Chanel Organdi Le Vernis Longwear Nail Colour Review & Swatch

I have fallen head over heels in love with my latest Chanel nail polish.  Organdi belongs to the Longwear nail colour range that promise to deliver a longer lasting colour.  I was instantly drawn to this colour as it is simplicity at its best yet delightfully different and pretty.  A beautiful cashmere dusky pink with a subtle brown undertone. The colour is shimmer free and makes my nails look so clean and elegant.  Some nude colours can be relatively hard to pull off, but this shade would suit a range of skin tones.

I applied two coats of Organdi and used the Chanel Le Gel Longwear top coat to achieve a glossy finish, and a review of the top coat will follow shortly once I have tested the longevity of the product.

You can purchase this nail colour from Chanel counters nationwide priced at £18.00.

Organdi is officially my new favourite nail colour. This colour is going to take some beating –   I absolutely love it!

Talk to you all soon x

 

Take A Look At My Pretty Little Haul From MAC! – MAC Charlotte Olympia Collection Review & Swatch

It has been some time since I bought anything from MAC, but the Charlotte Olympia collection was one that I just could not resist! Charlotte Olympia is the queen of retro and glamour from a bygone era.

Last week saw the release of the collection here in the UK, and I eagerly waited to place my order! I originally wanted a cute little mirror for my work handbag but unfortunately this sold out before I got the chance to purchase the contents in my basket! However, I had more luck with the rest and I chose two pieces from the collection, one nail polish and one lipstick.

First up, lets talk lips! I have enough red lipstick to literally last me a lifetime however that doesn’t seem to stop me buying (all in the name of blog research!)

There were three lipsticks to choose from, and I chose Leading Lady Red. A perfect red lipstick for the femme fatale look. This is a classic matte finish and easy to apply.  I feel this shade has slight orange undertones and for that reason isn’t as flattering on me as some other lipsticks I have however I can still make this work.  The image above is applied straight from the bullet with no lip liner.  The lipstick is slightly more expensive than the regular line at £17.00, however for the packaging I feel it is worth it.  It has the sweet vanilla scent that MAC do so well, and so far has been a real joy to wear.

I also treated myself to a nail polish in To Have Or Have Not.  At £11.00 this is a real bargain and one I just couldn’t resist! Again, this has slight orange undertones.  It glides on effortlessly and has a real high shine – the image above is without a topcoat. The brush is a nice length and holds the polish well to prevent streaking.  Nail lacquer is not something I would usually buy from MAC, however I am pleasantly surprised by the overall  finish.

The packaging is absolutely divine.  The transparent lipstick tube looks very retro.  I love the spiderweb detailing and the boxes the products come in are just too cute to throw away!

There are a few pieces left in the MAC Charlotte Olympia collection – including the lipsticks,  so if you are interested make sure you are quick!

Did you treat yourself to any pieces from this collection? I would love to hear from you!

Talk to you all soon x

My Manicure Of The Week | Ciaté London Olivia Palermo Hutch Nail Colour

Just a short blog post for today. On Sunday I shared with you all the Ciaté London Olivia Palermo Fashion Edit collection and promised to share with you all a look at the full manicure as and when I used the different polishes.  I decided I would choose a red for this week which is a change from my usual trusted nudes. I won’t go into too much detail,  as you can read my earlier blog post here.

To achieve this look I applied a base coat to protect my nails.  This is really  important especially when using a darker colour.  I then applied two coats of Hutch and topped it off with a top coat. Olivia created this as her go-to red.  I think it may become mine too!

I am quite enjoying flaunting my red nails this week.  Its nice to have a change, and we all  know a change is as good as a rest!

Do let me know your thoughts on this colour.  I would love to hear from you!

Talk to you all soon x

Ciaté London Olivia Palermo The Fashion Edit Collection | Review and Swatches

Sunday evening is upon us again. For me anyway, the most depressing night of the week. For that reason I am going to share with you all a post I have been looking forward to doing for some time. The Ciaté London Olivia Palermo Fashion Edit collection includes four miniature nail polishes created in collaboration with the beautiful Olivia. They have been inspired by the runway from the London, Milan, New York and Paris fashion weeks. This collection really does offer a colour for everyone and is the perfect way to try a new shade without splashing out on the full size.

The packaging is really pretty and has been taking pride of place on my dressing table since Christmas! The lid lifts off to reveal the four polishes, and was a real pleasure to photograph. They are however so pretty that this gives me the problem of deciding which colour to choose! Decisions decisions!

New York – Hutch – A vivid bold red

Milan – Sunday’s – A lovely powdery pink and is, surprise surprise, my favourite!    

Paris – Napa Valley – A rich bordeaux red

London – Brooklyn – A deep purple

The Nail Polishes are very pigmented and the darker polishes looked good with just one coat.  The bottle design made application a breeze and I particularly appreciated the larger brush that Ciaté are known for that make application a dream. I found the formula of the nail colours to be particularly good.  The polishes contain an exclusive and advanced dual polymer mesh lock technology that ensures a durable and long lasting shine. Volcanic glass is also added to the polish to create a plumped up gel like appearance.

Left to Right: Brooklyn,Hutch,Sunday’s and Napa Valley.

I will share with you the full manicure as and when I choose to wear the colours, but at least you can see swatches of them if you are thinking of purchasing. You can buy the full sizes for £17.00. This collection of miniatures (each 5ml) is priced at £25.00 so it is an affordable way of trying out a variety of shades.

I love how the nail colours are so rich and the packaging divinely pretty. A box ticker in every way.

I hope you found this post useful, and I would love to hear if you have tried these colours out. Ciaté London have collaborated with Olivia Palermo to create a makeup collection and the colours look equally as amazing. Lovely earthy browns and muted nudes are the colour palette in making everyday lipsticks and eyeshadows. Have you tried any of these products? I would love to hear how you have found them and if they are as impressive as the pigmentation of these nail colours.  I can say however, that if they make me look like Olivia Palermo then put my name down for one of everything!

I will see you all tomorrow for Lipstick Monday.

Talk to you all soon x

Nails Inc Nailkale Illuminator Bright Street | Review

Following on from my post yesterday where I shared with you all my thoughts on the Margaret Dabbs Crystal Nail File, I thought I would stick with a similar theme and share with you all how to further enhance your natural nails.

The Nails Inc Nailkale collection has long been something I have been keen to try out. It is the first superfood nail care range made with kale extract for stronger, smoother and healthier nails. I was given this lovely gift set for Christmas which includes a mini Nailkale Superfood Base Coat, Bright Street Illuminator and St John’s Wood Gardens Nail Polish. I will do a review of each of these in the coming weeks but for todays post I am concentrating on the Bright Street Illuminator.

The Bright Street Illuminator features iridescent pearls to brighten the pink of the nail bed and make the appearance of the tips whiter.  This creates the illusion of healthy nails and is perfect for those who want to look well groomed, and lets face it, who doesn’t want that!

I applied one coat of the Bright Street Illuminator to my nails and it dried very quickly. I could immediately see the results and it lasted for a good 4 days chip free. It made my nails feel very strong and much more resilient against splitting and breaking.  This is thanks to the patented regenerating complex (a Aldehyde, Zinc and Calcium blend) that boosts the production of keratin for harder healthier nails.

I feel my nails have benefited from taking a break from a regular nail polish, however because the Illuminator gives a glossy polished look I feel I get all the benefits of a top coat with a treatment rolled into one.  I will definitely include this in my routine from now on and try to to ensure I use the Nailkale Illuminator every few weeks.

You can purchase a 14ml bottle of the Nails Inc Bright Street Illuminator for £14.00 from various outlets including Feelunique.com, John Lewis and Sephora to name but a few! You can also get the set that I have for £19.00. Perfect for trying each of them out before investing in a larger bottle!

Have you tried the Nails Inc Nailkale collection? Do you love it too? I would love to hear your thoughts!

Talk to you all soon x

Smith & Cult Pillow Pie Nail Polish | Review

For todays post I wanted to share with you all another Smith & Cult nail polish.  Pillow Pie is a lovely powdery pink that looks simply gorgeous on the nails.  Finding that perfect opaque soft pink is actually quite hard.  All too often the colour I am expecting from the bottle is not what translates to my nails and the pink is much more sheer than what I really want.

As you know from my previous review of Doe My Dear , the nail polishes are 5-free meaning they are free from nasties that are quite often found in nail polishes.  The bottles are absolutely drop dead gorgeous with each lid being unique in shape. They look stunning on my dressing table.

I used two coats of Pillow Pie and one Above It All top coat.  The colour did not drag and went on streak free. The nail polish is very highly pigmented and glossy. The top coat really plumped the colour up and added exceptional shine.

You can purchase Smith & Cult Pillow Pie from Space NK and Selfridges for £19.00. I would recommend this colour if you are after a shade that makes your hands look clean and tidy and one that matches any outfit!

Have you tried any of the Smith & Cult nail polishes? Do you like this particular colour? I would love to hear from you!

Talk to you all soon x

Tom Ford Toasted Sugar 02 Nail Polish Review …. And Must See Dupe!

Nothing screams luxury quite like Tom Ford.  Not only is he the king of lipstick but in my eyes he can wear the crown for nail polish too!  Nude colours have long been my ‘thing’ and when I saw the shade Toasted Sugar last year my heart quite literally skipped a beat.  The perfect natural canvas shade with just the right amount of colour to prevent it being unflattering.

Before I go into more detail about the formula, I must touch upon how beautiful the packaging is.  Well, it is Tom Ford, we would expect nothing less would we?! The bottle is square with gold detailing and the shape of the bottle makes the polish easy to hold when applying the colour to the nail.

The brush applicator is nice and long, and the brush itself is long and thin.  The polish is a nice consistency and glides onto the nails effortlessly.

The manicure pictured above is achieved using two coats of Tom Ford Toasted Sugar finished with a top coat.

I really can’t fault this nail polish, however it is rather pricey at £27.00.  The good news is that I have found a colour that is an excellent dupe and priced at only £4.99. Tanya Burr Peaches & Cream is perfect for those who love this particular shade!

I have reviewed the Tanya Burr Peaches & Cream polish in more detail here.  But as you can see, the colours are very similar.  Obviously there is no doubt that the Tom Ford colour is much better quality and lasts over a week without chipping.  This for me, is priceless and makes the price tag worth paying. However as you can see, if it is the colour you are after then perhaps the Tanya Burr polish may be worth looking out for!

I really hope you find this useful! Do you agree with me that this polish is a good dupe? I would love to hear from you!

Talk to you all soon x

Smith & Cult Doe My Dear Nail Polish | Review and Swatch

Hello readers! Today I wanted to share with you my manicure of choice for the week.  Chanel Frenzy has long been my all time favourite grey / beige / lilac shade so when I saw this offering from cult brand Smith & Cult in my local Space NK branch, I could not help but add it to my ‘wish-list!’

Smith & Cult was designed by the founder of 90’s brand Hard Candy.  I spent many a day as a teen swooning over Hard Candy nail polishes with the little plastic ring in a similar hue attached to the bottle.  The price has gone up a little since the Hard Candy days, but when a company get the formula and colour spot on like Smith & Cult seem to have done, that £19 seems money well spent.

Imagine my excitement when my lovely Mum bought me two colours and a top coat for Christmas.  Today’s post is dedicated to ‘Doe My Dear’ described as an opaque dove grey.

The nail colour applied very smoothly and was easy to get a tidy neat finish. This particular manicure was two coats of the polish.

I have finished the manicure with the Smith & Cult top coat named ‘Above It All’.  First impression was, whilst lovely, was perhaps an unnecessary purchase from the collection- but I stand corrected! This top coat gives an extremely glossy ‘plumped up’ look with extreme clarity and shine.

I can’t wait to try my other shade and report back to you all.  I am really excited about this brand and can’t wait to explore more of the collection in the coming months.

Smith & Cult are 5 free (formulated without nasties), offer a lovely range of colours and have graced the pages of Vogue.  What more could a beauty addict want!

Talk to you all soon x

 

Chanel Le Vernis Nail Polish 491 Rose Confidentiel Review and Swatch

 

For todays post I wanted to share with you what is now one of my favourite nail colours of recent times.  Oh yes readers, this is up there with my Nails Inc Victoria Beckham Bamboo!

Rose Confidentiel 491 is a classic rose pink colour that looks just as elegant on the nails as it does in the bottle. It is not too bold, or too nude and is the perfect colour for everyday wear.  It is very flattering and adds a lovely warmth to my skin.

Application was a dream.  It glides onto the shape of my nail effortlessly.  The image above is two layers of Rose Confidentiel.  I think two coats is needed to give a nice opaque finish.  I used Chanel Extreme Shine Topcoat to finish this manicure.  I will do a different review on this product in the future as I want to try it out again before I share it with you all.  I think you can see though that the overall finish looks great.

I had two people ask what nail polish I was wearing, so if you are after a colour that is effortlessly classic and just, well… pretty then I recommend Chanel Rose Confidentiel as a ‘must-have’ and definitely one to try!

Chanel Rose Confidentiel is available nationwide and priced at £18.00 for 13ml.

Have you tried Rose Confidentiel? Do you love this colour as much as I do? I would love to hear from you!

Talk to you all soon x