Summer Nail Picks by Kirsty from KIMAMELY BEAUTY | GUEST POST

Forward: 

Hello! Today we have a guest post from the lovely Kirstie from KimamelyBeauty.com and we're talking all things Summer nails! She has picked out very pretty colours, and I'm sure you'll love hearing all about it! Love, Puja x

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Fuchsia with a bit of Glitter | MANICURE MONDAY

Hello!

"a lovely shade that screams 'ME'"

Spring is well and truly upon us, and if you caught a glimpse of the Spring Nail Colour Picks, and had a little look at the Spring Inspiration Board, you'd know this colour is definitely a go-to Spring shade. Oh, and what better way to spice it up than with a bit of glitter, ey? :)

The combination is one of those, you know, the ones that you do not want to get rid of, even if it's chipping from left, right and centre? Yep, one of those! You can bet your bottom dollar that I'll be wearing this shade, if not the combo, again sometime this season.

"what better way to spice it up than with a bit of glitter, ey? :)"

In all honesty, I was going for the gold glitter, but as I only had a candle lit and the lamp on in my room (you know, to create a nice atmosphere and all), I blindly picked out the silver glitter instead. However, I loved the way it looked - everything happens for a reason, right?! 

All in all, the fuchsia is a lovely shade that screams 'ME'. Shame it was a limited edition, though! Nonetheless, I'll enjoy it while it lasts!

Tell me, if you were to pick one 'ME' shade, what would it be? 

Blogger Spring Gift Swap | LIFE

Hello!

"there was some nail polish, which we can never get enough of,"

Being part of the blogging community is amazing! Not only being a blogger, but being a reader has so many benefits too. You get a sneak peak into someone else's life (let's face it: we're all a little nosy) and it's good to check reviews of stuff before you go ahead and purchase.

This post, however, is the evidence of the benefits of meeting people from the community. Adele from adelesmith.co.uk organised this little Spring Gift Swap. I received my end of the swap and sent it off too. I thought I'd show you what my wonderful Swap-pee sent me.

My 'swap-pee' as we have now called it, was Emily from recipesandreviews.co.uk. I've got to hand it to her, the packaging was absolutely gorgeous! I love a bit of pink and you can only guess my excitement when I opened the package.

"maybe made you feel a little more Spring-festive.. "

Inside, Emily has individually packaged each item with a few easter chocolates! It was so cute!

If you follow my instagram, you'd know about the scrapbook. Emily also knew about it and kindly sent over some washi tape! Along with that, there was some nail polish, which we can never get enough of, and stationary! It was so thoughtful of her.

"awesome community we are lucky to have"

Overall, it was a super fun thing to do, and a nice way to connect in the community!
Hopefully this has somewhat reminded you of the awesome community we are lucky to have, and maybe made you feel a little more Spring-festive.. like these posts haven't done enough of that!

Nonetheless, I hope you have a lovely day, and tell me:
What is one thing you'd put in a gift swap inspired by Spring?

Spring 2015 Nail Picks | BEAUTY

Hello!

"the colours I picked haven't 'gone-all-out', but there's a nice range that I think truly represents me"

It feels like forever since we've bought out the pastels, and now the time has come. The first day of Spring has sprung (ha!) so you can feel free to whip out those shades you put away about 6 months ago. Having said that, it is totally fine to wear whatever shade you want to in the autumn and winter - so if you were rocking pastels in the mist of November, GO YOU! :)

"the grey may still dominate"

Although it's Spring, the weather hasn't been wanting to change too much in London. Well, it did for about 3 days, and then went back to grey clouds. Maybe it's the weather that doesn't let the little nail-colour freak inside of me not want to pick out all the pastel shades, or maybe I'm just saving them for the summer. Either way, the colours I picked haven't 'gone-all-out', but there's a nice range that I think truly represents me.

From Left to Right:
Barry M Watermelon
Barry M Kiwi
Barry M Limited Edition 030
Barry M Cappuccino 
Barry M Aqua Glitter
Ciaté Pocket Money

"choosing the colours that make you feel comfortable"

As you can tell, there's a lot of Barry M going on here! With great formulas, an ever-growing shade range and their incredible price - where can one go wrong?

In the end, it's all about choosing the colours that make you feel comfortable. To me, these are the ones. I'll leave them lined up on the shelf near my nail polish box, so I can just pick and go! Having still being obsessed with grey's, I have a feeling it may be the most used this season, but I shall keep you updated!

"It feels like forever since we've bought out the pastels, and now the time has come."

As most of the colours on the runways for SS15 were bare/nude nails, it'd be wrong not to include Ciaté Pocket Money. Nonetheless, the grey may still dominate for me. It's not ALL about the trends now, is it?! :D

Tell me, what shade do you think will be on your nails a lot this Spring? 

Blue With Sparkles: Manicure Monday

Hello!

"this shade is super forgiving, and works all year round, despite the name on the bottle."

When comes a day off, comes a day to paint your nails. In the mist of February, with rain sometimes pouring like nobody's business, and other times you feeling so close to summer you can (literally) feel the sun on your skin, it's hard to decide what colour to wear on your nails. Fear not, this shade is super forgiving, and works all year round, despite the name on the bottle.

 I think naming the gel polish collection after a fruit is a trend, seeing as they also did it for the other blue shade I have from this line, see this post here. The formulation of the line is lovely, and 2 coats gives the ideal opaque finish.

Compared to the Rimmel Pro Polish's, the brush on this polish is a lot more narrow, and I'm a huge fan of the wide brushes. None-the-less, as you continue to paint your nails, the brush becomes wider and moves more freely, allowing better application.

Now it had been a while since I put on an accent nail, but having not had used this glitter topcoat in a while, I feel like it needed to go for a run. Having said that, the polish is beginning to get gloopy, yet, I'm sticking with it for now, and hopefully it still works for me next time! Who says that accent nail trend is going out of style?

As for the base and top coat, the No 7 ones, mentioned in this post, are the ones I used. My favourite thing about them is that they dry very quickly. I've always had that issue where I get prints, out of nowhere, on my nails before the polish dries - yet the No 7 top coat prevents this as they're dry before I have time to destroy them! Did I mention it's super quick drying? Well, it deserved to be said twice!

What's your in-between-seasons go to shade?

Autumn Nail Picks - 2014

Hello!

"a REAL reason for you to buy more nail polish ...we're always looking for a justification!"

The colder weather means snuggling up in knit scarves, gloves and putting on your favourite booties. It also means autumn nail shades - you know the ones I mean. It may even be a REAL reason for you to buy more nail polish (lets be honest, we're always looking for a justification!).

"range from nudes, to greys to jewel-toned red's and greens are all of which I love!"

Autumn is my favourite season, and this seasons nail colours are no different. The range from nudes, to greys to jewel-toned red's and greens are all of which I love! Never-the-less, you could of course wear whatever shade you would like to - no one is going to stop you ;)

"A staple in every girls collection!"

My Picks (from Left to Right):
FCUK grey tone (part of a previous fall collection): It's a one tone plain grey. Minimal, clean yet fit for fall.

Barry M - Cappuccino: a warmer grey shade, more of a creamy finish and by far one of my fav Barry M shades I've tried!

Barry M Magnetic - Blue: A metallic navy blue shade which has cool designs when you put a magnet over it. Not sure if I'm still into the magnet thing but the shade on it's own is awesome!

FCUK blue (part of previous fall collection): A one tone blue. Not too dark to be a navy - just the perfect mid-blue!

Ciaté - Pocket Money: The nude of my collection. You may have read about it in this post. It is a gorgeous flat nude shade and I don't know what I'd do without it!

FCUK deep purple (part of previous fall collection): The vampy, almost black shades also come out during this time of year. This is a one-tone (notice a trend?) deep purple which is a go-to if you want black, but not black!

Barry M - Red Wine: A deep red, burgundy shade which is definitely the go-to for a glam, Marilyn Monroe look. A staple in every girls collection!

That's it! Whats your favourite nail shade for Autumn 2014?

Manicure Monday: Mint Sparkles

Hello!

"you've basically seen everything before - yet this time, it's completely different."

If you were ANYWHERE in the last few weeks, you would have read this. If you read that, you would recognise something on here today. You may recognise another something if you saw this post and hence meaning you've basically seen everything before - yet this time, it's completely different.

"can we agree that the overall finish is pretty?"

Well, after all that, can we agree that the overall finish is pretty? At first, the mint shade, called Kiwi, was thought to be uber lovely by itself as a perfect summer shade but when choosing a colour to go with my outfit I wore to a wedding last week (can you tell with the henna tattoo?!?!), this one was a perfect match and to make it more wedding-y, I added some sparkle! 

Overall, that's my mani Monday - what's yours? 

Mani Monday... purchase - Barry M Gelly Kiwi

Hello! 

"Many brands are releasing the gel manicure"

A slightly different type of Mani Monday for you... This time a haul/purchase! Nevertheless, I'm sure it'll soon be featured as a proper Mani Monday sometime soon! 

"a mint colour was needed in my collection"

Many brands are releasing the gel manicure type of polished and I reel that Barry M were one of the first. The 'Gelly' line has been out for at least a year now as I had owned the 'Watermelon' and 'Blood. Orange' last summer and they are lovely, but not very bright, hence a mint colour was needed in my collection! 

"kiwis are meant to be green whereas this is more of a mint shade"

The one thing that can be confusing is the names to the colours, for example, the shade 'watermelon' does not look like the colour of a watermelon! And kiwis are meant to be green whereas this is more of a mint shade! It's a bit confusing but I guess it's all fun anyway! Let's be honest, the name doesn't REALLY matter yet the OPI names are very funny and make me want to buy them even more - but it doesn't really matter!

Have you tried Gel finish nail polishes yet?

Nude at the Beach - ft. Ciate | Mani Monday

Hello!

Incase you didn't read the last two words of the title, it is a manicure monday - and just FYI I wasn't nude at the beach! :)

"The accent nail is a little added bonus bling"

I know this combination may not be your cup of tea, I was originally going for an orange and blue, but found I don't own the right orange so the next best was the nude - and I love it.

"I now can say it's my favourite nude"

Having owned the Ciate polish for a while now, I had only worn it once - this being the second time and I now can say it's my favourite nude. The accent nail is a little added bonus bling, creating correlations to the seaside - hence the idea of 'Nude at the Beach'!

"the next best was the nude - and I love it"

The perfect summer mani IMO, and I must say, the packing for Ciate is so gorgeous!

Have you tried Ciate, if so what's your favourite shade? 

Manicure Monday: Pastels are Back - Ice Cream Purple

Hello!

What is THE biggest trend for Summer pretty much every year?

Yep it's Pastels. That means there are pastel bags, pastel clothes and.... inevitably pastel nails! 

Pastels are said to make one look tanner and more summer ready! The most popular pastels would probably be the pastel pinks and whites - you know what I mean if you read this post. 

I was going for a pastel pink but opted for a pastel PURPLE this time round and I love it! It's slightly different yet also in the same pastel family.

This particular shade is Barry M Nail Paint in Ice Cream Purple - I've always loved Barry M for their quality and for this shade I needed 2 coats for an opaque finish.

What's on your favourite Pastel shade?

Manicure Monday - the Brightest of Purples

Hello!

Happy Monday! I hope you're well and enjoying the Spring Weather (or Winter weather, depending where you are in the World)!
Considering that it is Spring in London, I wanted to pick a colour that would suit the season and my preferences! I love deeper colours and this one really was exactly what I wanted!

This Barry M shade caught my eye, and it turned out beautiful! 

I did put on quite a few coats as I like the colour to be opaque, yet one/two coats would have easily been enough!

I love the shade range that Barry M have, a lot of which I have acquired in my collection!
I love that the shade is perfect for this season and suits my preferences!

What's your favourite nail polish brand? 

Mani Monday: April Picks

Hello!

Being it the 1st of April tomorrow, OMG I just clicked it's April Fools Day *gasp*, I thought it would be fun to see what nails colours stand out for the month of April!





This is the month where it can either rain or the time or be super duper sunny in London, and let's be honest here, the weather does affect the colour of nail polish you're wearing - it's not just me, right?!

Cobalt Blue

I thought this colour would be gorgeous for the season, the picture doesn't do it justice, but Essie Mesmerize, is a bright blue - yet not a pastel blue that's more for the July months, if you see what I mean! I think this would be the colour I paint my nails this week! 

Duo-Tone

Barry M has launch a new collection! It has aquarium inspired shades and has a few two-tone polishes which are to die for - so why not give the duo-tone trend a go for April? 

Nude

I'm always up for nude, and this polish from the Brazil Collection is no different!

Confetti/Sparkle (matte)

The Confetti trend came out a while ago, yet it's very much like sparkle polish - and a girl can never get enough of it! I haven't worn sparkle in a while, so might pick that out for April!

I hope you enjoyed reading this - what is your go-to April shade?  

1 // 2 // 3 // 4

Manicure Monday - Matte GunMetal

Hello! 

I love the look of freshly painted nails - it's a nice aspect to change as it is easy to do so and can make a difference! I swear I pick the colours of the polish depending on my mood!

Being a fan of the Matte Nail Polish trend, I again picked up the matte topcoat to paint my nails! I used Barry M 'Dusky Mauve'. I am in love with this polish. It is a Grey with Purple Shimmer.

Adding the Rimmel Matte Top Coat meant that the polish lost it's purple shimmer and is left with a gunmetal-y grey colour.

I've got to say I really like the way the matte topcoat turned out on this polish. It completely changed the look of it can I can't stop touching my nails. Others have mentioned how good it looks and feels (… yes people actually felt my nails!)...

Using the Matte Topcoat in the LAST Mani Monday was not as effective as it turned out this time. I am really pleased with it. Unfortunately last time my nails chipped quickly - having not enough experience with the Matte Topcoat, I'm not sure if it was that or another reason why the polish chipped so quickly, I'll keep you updated!

Are you in for the Matte Nails trend?

Manicure Monday - OPI dupe Edition

Hello!

If you read this blog last week then you would have seen the post of OPI's new collection: Raw Granite. I did mention that you can dupe the shades with a bit of tweaking of the polishes you have and guess what I did? Yep, I tried it! So, obviously, you had to know, right?! haha!

Well, the colour I tried to dupe was Lapis. This is one of the new polishes out from that collection. Actually, my friend had the polish on and when I asked her she said it was from OPI's new collection - so obviously I screamed and started jumping up and down because I had posted the blog post about it the day before I saw her wearing it… anyway, so it encouraged me even more to try to dupe it!

As you know from previous Mani Mondays, I love Barry M - their quality is amazing and the price is perfect! Using a sparkle top coat - with a very light hand - achieved the diamond sparkle look that the OPI polishes have, and finally using the Rimmel Matte Top Coat made the finish matte, the same finish as the OPI polish!

Shades:
Blue = Barry M, Christmas Blue
Glitter = Barry M, Yellow Topaz
Matte Finish = Rimmel, Pro Matte Finish


I think it turned out okay!
What do you think, what's your manicure for this week? Oh, and if you would like to see a review of the Matte Top Coat, let me know!