OPI Patience Pays Off - Review & Swatch

Hi everyone!

Today I have another nail polish swatch for you, this is 'Patience Pays Off' and its one of OPI's new Infinite Shine polishes which are said to have a gel like finish. As I mentioned in my previous post about Nails Inc's Gel effect polishes, so many brands are bringing these types of polishes out now so how does OPI's offering fare? Pretty well I'd say! This polish was good to apply, it levelled itself out and dried quite quickly which surprised me due to how thick the polish is!

November 2015 Favourites

Hi Everyone!

I haven't done a favourites post in a long time so I decided it'd be fun to do one today! I've tried a few new things over the last month, mainly lip products, so here are my stand out items!

Beauty Blender: I have owned my Beauty Blender for quite a while now but I've just recently gotten in to using it every time I apply my foundation! Nothing blends product into the skin like this little sponge!


La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo: This is stuff is AMAZING! I have recommended it to so many people! It does an excellent job of clearing up your skin. I apply it once a day after cleansing my skin and before moisturiser.


Make up Geek Eyeshadows: These are a relatively new discovery for me and I love them! Especially Peach Smoothie, Crème Brule and Cocoa Bear. They are so pigmented and apply like a dream! I'm planning on doing a swatch post soon!


MAC Tan Pigment: This is my favourite MAC pigment and has been for a very long time now! Its a stunning rosy- tan colour and works wonderfully when paired with the three Make up Geek eyshadows above!


MAC Soar Lip Pencil & Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk Lip Cheat: I have really been loving a rosy-nude lip recently and these two lip pencils are the perfect accompaniment to lipsticks such as MAC's Whirl, Brave and Velvet Teddy.

L'Oreal Miss Manga Mascara: This is a mascara that I've has several tubes of and I just keep coming back to it! It's quite simply brilliant!


Becca Skin Perfector in Moonstone & Anastasia Beverly Hills Contour Powder in Fawn: We all love to highlight and contour our faces nowadays and these are the best two products on the market for that job in my opinion!


MAC Lipsticks in Brave & Mehr and Charlotte Tilbury Lipstick in Stoned Rose: As I previously mentioned I have been trying out some new lipsticks recently and these three are my pick of the crop!


OPI 'Just Lanai-ing Around Nail Polish: I've been all about rosy colours over the past couple of months so this colour suits me down to the ground! It's a gorgeous dark, creamy mauve shade that's so flattering to wear!


Tom Ford Velvet Orchid: This perfume is incredible and perfect for this time of year! It's quite a heavy fragrance but I love it! It's worth the heavy price tag in my opinion, if only for the staying power!


I hope that you enjoyed reading about my current favourite products. Please feel free to share some of your below!
Maz x

Essie She's Picture Perfect & OPI Polka.com

Hi everyone!

I decided to go for a purple, sparkly manicure today! First I applied 2 coats of OPI Matte Nail Envy as my base, I love this stuff, it really helps to strengthen your nails and the matte finish helps your nail polish to stick. I then applied 2 coats of Essie's She's Picture Perfect which is described as a 'iridescent, reflective lilac'. This polish is gorgeous, it applies fairly evenly and dries quickly too! I then added 2 coats of OPI's Polka.com which has a clear base with different sized purple, fuchsia and teal glitter pieces. This polish is amazing and really eye catching, it is one of my favourite glitter polishes ever! I finished off, as always, with a layer of Seche Vite Top Coat.

Essie Fiji

 

 

Hi everyone!

 

First of all I would like to apologise for the lack of posts recently! I have now finished my studies so can devote much more time and attention to my blog again!

 

Essie Fiji

 

Today I applied one of my favourite nail polishes, Essie Fiji which is a gorgeous strawberry milkshake colour. It's fairly easy to apply but is quite thick and can be a little patchy. The polish is fully opaque after two coats which is great. I love this kind of pinky-white colour as it is a great 'go-to' polish and perfect for spring/ summer. It is fairly similar to OPI Mod About You and Butter London Teddy Girl, both of which I own, in my opinion Fiji is the best of the three due to opacity and durability on the nail!

 

Zoya Trixie & OPI Disco Ball Sparkle

 

I also used two coats of Zoya Trixie with OPI Disco Ball Sparkle to create a sparkly, silver accent nail, and finished off with a layer of my favourite top coat, Seche Vite!

 

Maz x

OPI The Spy Who Loved Me - Review & Swatches

Hi Everyone!

 

First of all I would like to apologise for the lack of posts over the recent months. I have been really busy starting back at university after a fairly long break so haven't had much time to spend on my blog. I'm hoping that now I am settled that will all change!

 

Anyway on to the nail polish! Today I painted my nails with one of OPI's new polishes from the James Bond Skyfall Collection. I choose 'The Spy Who Loved Me' which is described as a 'romantic red with sparkle'.

 

I began by applying 2 coats of OPI Matte Nail Envy as my base followed by 2 coats of The Spy Who Loved Me. The polish applied smoothly and evenly and was more or less opaque after the first coat which surprised me a little as you don't always expect that after just one coat! I finished off with a layer of Seche Vite Top Coat.

 

 

This polish is really bright and eye catching and is a nice change from the usual darker shades that you tend to see at this time of year!

 

Let me know if you recommend any of the other polishes from the collection! I can't wait to see the movie!

 

You can purchase this polish from Look Fantastic for £11

 

Maz x

OPI Color So Hot It Berns

Hi Everyone!

Today I applied OPI Color So Hot It Berns from the Swiss Collection for Autumn/ Winter 2010. This polish is bright red colour with a creme finish.

I began by applying a coat of Seche Ridge Filling Base Coat followed by 2 coats of the polish. It applies smoothly and evenly and dries quickly. There is some visible nail line after the 2 coats but it's not too obvious. I finished off with a layer of Seche Vite Top Coat.

This polish is beautiful and a classic red shade. It's similar to Big Apple Red but that has slightly better coverage in my opinion.

You can purchase this polish from Beauty Bay for £11

Maz x

OPI I Vant To Be A-lone Star - Review & Swatch

Hi Everyone!

Today I applied OPI'S I Want To Be A-lone Star nail polish from their Texas Collection for Spring/ Summer 2011. I have had the miniature size of this polish in my collection for around a year now and have never worn it! It is described as a 'pale pastel blue with silver shimmer'.

I began by applying a layer of Seche Ridge Filling Base Coat followed by 3 coats of I Want To Be A-lone Star. This polish is very streaky and not the easiest to apply. It was more-or-less opaque after the second coat but still quite patchy in places so I applied a third coat. My tip with this polish would be to use a few brush strokes as possible when applying. I finished off with a coat of Seche Vite Top Coat.

I really like the colour of this polish, the pale, pastel blue colour is gorgeous and the silver shimmer gives the polish that little bit of something extra. It is quite similar to China Glaze's Sea Spray which, in my opinion, applies better but has less shimmer.

You can purchase this polish from John & Ginger for £11.

Maz x

OPI Thanks a Windmillion - Review & Swatches

Hi Everyone!

I have really been loving the colour green recently and have had my eye on OPI's Thanks a Windmillion ever since Lauren Conrad posted a photo of her wearing it recently on her website. This polish is from the recent Holland collection and is a gorgeous pistachio colour.

I began by applying 2 coats of OPI Matte Nail Envy as my base followed by 2 coats of Thanks a Windmillion. This polish has a gorgeous creme consistency and is super smooth and easy to apply. It's fully opaque after the first coat too and dries pretty quickly. I finished off with a coat of Seche Vite.

I am so in love with this colour! It's perfect for any time of the year and is bang on trend too.

You can purchase this polish from Lena White here in the UK for £11
Maz x

Top Spring/ Summer Nail Polishes

Hi Everyone!

I thought that it would be fun to write a post about my pick of nail polishes for this Spring and Summer, as I did last year (click here to read that post). I went with brights and pastels, so let's get started!

(In no particular order)

1. Essie Van D'Go: This is the perfect peachy shade and was in my pick of polishes for last year. Click here to read my full review

2. Essie She's Picture Perfect: Beautiful lilac shade with an iridescent sheen.

3. Essie Borrowed and Blue: Pale, pastel blue. Click here to read my review.

4. Essie Mint Candy Apple: Gorgeous pastel mint shade.

5. OPI Do You Lilac It? This polish also featured in last year's pick of Spring and Summer nail polishes. It is a perfect lilac shade and is one of my all time favourites from OPI.

6. Nails Inc Portobello: This is a bright, neon orange shade. Click here to read my full review.

7. China Glaze Wicked Style: Bright, watermelon pink shade from the Electropop collection for 2012.

8. Nails Inc Baker Street: This is a bright blue shade that became a bestseller for  Nails Inc after it was seen on Beyonce. Click here to read my review.

9. Zoya Kimber: This is a coral-red shade with a golden shimmer and is from the 2012 Surf collection.

10. Essie Pansy: This is one of my all time favourite polishes and was featured on last year's list. It is a hot pink shade. Click here to read my full review of this polish.

11. OPI Flashbulb Fuchsia: This is a really sophisticated pink shade. Click here to read my full review.

12. Orly Passion Fruit: This is a bright, almost neon matte pink shade.

SWATCHES:

(L to R) Van D'Go, She's Picture Perfect, Borrowed and Blue, Mint Candy Apple, Do You Lilac It?

(L to R) Portobello, Wicked Style, Baker Street, Kimber, Pansy, Flashbulb Fuchsia, Passion Fruit

I hope that you enjoyed reading this post! Please feel free to share your favourite nail polishes for Spring and Summer with me in the comments section below!

Maz x

Essie A Cut Above with OPI Mod About You - Review & Swatches

Hi Everyone!

I decided to go for a glittery, spring-time manicure today so applied OPI's Mod About You which is a solid, opaque light pink colour from their Classics Range with Essie's A Cut Above which is a clear based polish packed full of rosey-pink coloured small and large round and hexagonal shaped pieces of glitter from the Luxe Effects Collection from 2011.

OPI Mod About You

Essie A Cut Above

I began by applying 2 coats of OPI Matte Nail Envy as my base followed by 2 coats of OPI Mod About You. This polish applies so smoothly and evenly and dries to a gorgeous opaque finish. I then applied 2 coats of A Cut Above which is such a beautiful glitter top coat, it applies really well and disperses the glitter evenly. I then finished off by adding a layer of OPI Top Coat.

I love this manicure! It's so girly and pink and is perfect for Spring and Summer!

You can purchase OPI's Mod About you from Beauty Bay for £10.50 and you can get Essie's A Cut Above from Effortless Nails for £7.95

Maz x

Illamasqua Force Nail Polish - Review & Swatch

Hi Everyone!

Today I applied Illamasqua's Force nail polish to my nails which is described as a 'deep electric blue'. This is a stunning blue with a hint of purple. I have only tried a couple of Illamasqua polishes but I have found them to be such good quality and long wearing however, they are a little on the expensive side (£13.50 in the UK) but I think that they are worth splashing out on as a treat if you spot a colour you really like!

OPI Last Friday Night

I began by applying one coat of OPI Natural Nail Base Coat followed by two coats of Force. The polish applied like a dream! The consistency is quite thick but just glides onto the nail like butter and is so smooth and even. The polish was opaque after the first coat but I always like to apply two. The lacquer dries quickly too. I added a couple of coats of OPI Last Friday Night polish from their Katy Perry collection (a sheer, blue-based glitter) to my ring finger's as a glitter accent nail. I finished off by applying a layer of Seche Vite Top Coat.

I really love this polish, it's application and finish are amazing. If you have any other Illamasqua nail polish suggestions please let me know in the comments section below!

You can purchase this polish from Debenhams for £13.50

Maz x

Spring Manicure

Hi Everyone!

Happy Easter! I love watching beauty videos on YouTube and really like Miss Jen Fabulous' Channel (Click here to view it). She recently did a gorgeous, fun manicure for Spring/ Easter that I decided to try and recreate.

Here are the products that I used, some of which differ from the ones just in her video:

(L to R)
OPI - A Grape Fit! (Jen used Essie's Play Date)
Essie - Mint Candy Apple
Essie - Borrowed and Blue
Essie - Van D'Go
Revlon - Sparkling (Jen used Essie's A Cut Above)
Nicole by OPI - It's All About the Glam (Jen used Essie's Marshmallow)
Nubar Nail Art Pen - Basic White

I began by applying 2 coats of OPI's Matte Nail Envy as my base then painted my nails with A Grape Fit, Borrowed and Blue, Van D'Go and Mint Candy Apple. I used Revlon's Sparkling to add glitter to a couple of the nails. I then used a dotting tool along with Nicole by OPI's It's All About the Glam to add dots to a couple of the nails. I then used the Nubar Nail Art Pen to draw a bow on my left thumb nail and added a dot of A Grape Fit to the centre. I then finished off with a coat of Seche Vite Top Coat.

I love this manicure! It is so cute and different and fairly easy to do! If you like nail polish then I would definitely recommend checking Jen's channel out as her tutorials are brilliant!

Maz x

Ciate Burlesque & OPI Show it & Glow it Nail Polishes

Hi Everyone!

After loving Ciate's Cookies and Cream nail polish so much I decided to grab another bottle from the brand! This time I went for Burlesque which is a deep, eggplant purple shade. I love purple nail polishes and my favourite nail polish of all time is OPI's Lincoln Park After Dark and I have to say that Burlesque is a pretty close dupe for it!

Ciate Burlesque

I began by applying 2 coats of OPI's Matte Nail Envy as my base followed by 2 coats of Burlesque. The Ciate brushes are great and make application really easy. The polish goes on really evenly and smoothly and is fully opaque after the first coat but I always apply 2. The polish is also really quick drying.

OPI Show it and Glow it

I think that the current trend for painting an accent nail in either a different colour or finish is so pretty so I decided to add a glitter to my ring fingers. I chose OPI's Show it and Glow it from their 2010 Burlesque collection which is a gorgeous polish containing magenta and silver round glitter. I then finished off by adding a coat of Seche Vite Top Coat.

You can purchase Ciate Burlesque nail polish from Ciate for £9.

I purchased OPI Show it and Glow it just after the collection was released in 2010, it may still be available to buy from some online stockists.

Maz x

OPI Pedal Faster Suzi - Review & Swatch

Hi Everyone!

We are coming into Spring soon so many nail polish companies are bringing out their new collections including the Holland Collection from OPI. I am a massive fan of OPI, as I am sure regular readers of my blog will know, so I was very excited about the launch of this large collection! I have picked up the mini set which is called 'Dutch Treats' and contains I Have a Herring Problem which is shimmery green-blue, Red Lights Ahead which is described as a coral-red, Kiss Me on My Tulips which is a hot pink and Pedal Faster Suzi which is a delicate lavender-pink with shimmer plus the full size bottle of Dutch Ya Just Love OPI? which is a red toned purple with red shimmer. Today I applied Pedal Faster Suzi to my nails.

OPI Holland Collection Mini Set

I began by applying 2 coats of OPI Original Nail Envy to my nails as a base followed by 3 coats of Pedal Faster Suzi. This polish is very sheer after the first coat but becomes much more opaque after the second although there is still some visible nail line. I hate applying more than 2 coats of polish but this needed a third in my opinion and it dries pretty quickly which is good. I finished by applying a coat of Seche Vite Top Coat.

This is a really pretty, girlie pink colour and is very shimmery and shiny. It makes a nice Spring/ Summer shade. It reminds me a lot of OPI's Princesses rules but is more pigmented and achieves a much more opaque finish. 3 coats of the polish makes it a pretty solid colour but there is still some visible nail line showing through.

Look out for more polishes from the OPI Holland Collection on my blog soon! If you have purchased any from the collection let me know what you think of them in the comments section below!

I purchased the mini nail polish kit from Amazon for £11.95 and the full size bottle from Beauty Bay for £11

Maz x

OPI Pink Friday & Save Me - Review & Swatches

Hi Everyone!

I painted my nails today with a couple of the new nail polishes from OPI's Nicki Minaj Collection. I really wanted to go for a sparkly, girlie look so I went for Pink Friday which is a 'Bubblegum Pink Creme' and then a layer of Save Me over it which is described as a 'Clear base with small silver glitter pieces and blue and holographic bar glitter.

Pink Friday

Save Me

Save Me - Close Up!

I applied 2 coats of OPI Matte Nail Envy as my base to begin with followed by 2 coats of Pink Friday. The polish has a creme formula and applies smoothly but a little unevenly, however the finish is perfect after the second coat and fully opaque. I then added 1 coat of Save Me to each nail. Save Me is fairly easy to apply, however, you need to watch out that you don't have any of the strips of glitter hanging over the edges of your nails! I then finished off with a coat of Seche Vite Top Coat.

I love this nail look and it's perfect if you want that ultra girlie look! The strip glitter is a great change from your normal glitter top coats too!

I purchased my polishes from Beauty 4 Nails. I purchased Save Me in the full size for £8.99. Pink Friday was part of a set of 4 mini polishes which cost £13.99.

To read my review of the OPI Nicki Minaj Collection and to see swatches of the other polishes please click here.

Maz x

OPI Nicki Minaj Collection - Fly & Super Bass Shatter

Hi Everyone!

I am a sucker for any new OPI collection and I really love the new Nicki Minaj one that has just been released! As you would imagine, a collaboration with Nicki is very colourful! The collection consists of 3 cremes, 2 glitters (I only have 1 of them) and a new shatter coat.

(L to R) Pink Friday, Fly, Did it on 'em

(L to R) Super Bass, Save Me

COLOUR DESCRIPTIONS

Fly: Teal creme.

Did it on 'em: Yellow toned green creme.

Metallic 4 Life: Black base with square and hexagonal silver glitter.

Pink Friday: Bubblegum pink.

Save Me: Clear base with small silver glitter pieces and blue and holographic bar glitter.

Super Bass: Glittery magenta/ purple shatter top coat.

(L to R) Did it on 'em, Pink Friday, Save Me

This collection is gorgeous! The 3 creme polishes are gorgeous and perfect for Spring and Summer. Save Me is an amazing polish, the bar glitters are stunning and a nice change from your usual glitter polishes. The last polish in the collection is Super Bass with is a crackle polish and looks great over any of the creme polishes.

Save Me Glitter Polish over the 3 creme polishes:

(L to R) Fly, Did it on 'em, Pink Friday

Today I applied Fly nail polish. As with any OPI creme polish this one applies really well. The polish was fairly opaque after the first coat and solid after two.

Fly

I then decided to add Super Bass Shatter polish over the top of it. This applied really well and dried very quickly! I then finished off with a coat of Seche Vite Fast Drying Top Coat. I would always recommend adding a top coat to your manicure as it gives a nicer finishes and makes it last longer. Shatter polishes also dry matte so the top coat will add a lovely shine.

I love this look! I think that the teal and purple work really well together (I love to wear this colour combination on my eyes) and reminds me of peacock feathers!

Let me know if you have purchased any of the Nicki Minaj nail polishes and what you think of them in the comments section below.

I ordered my polishes from Beauty 4 Nails the full size polishes cost £8.99 each and the mini pack (containing 4 mini polishes) cost £13.99.

Maz x