Essie polishes for £1.99 - save 80%

I have loved all of the Essie nail polishes that I have tried so far, so couldn't resist clicking on an email from Half Price Perfumes with the subject line, '£1.99 Essie nail polishes' (saving 80%) I was expecting the shades to be from a collection from last year, but was really pleased when I discovered the polishes in question are from the Spring 2013 collection. 

Regular readers of my blog won't be surprised to hear that I opted for the luscious red shade, 'Hip-Anema'. Given that I nearly purchased this on the Boots website two weeks ago at full price, this was even more of a steal.

 

The other shades available at Half Price Perfumes are Cascade Cool, Go Ginza and Madison Ave Hue.

7 Nails Inc polishes for £18

Just a quick post to let you know that today Nails Inc are again offering their 'lucky dip' selection of 7 polishes. For the bargain price of £18 you will be sent a random selection of Nails Inc polishes. You can potentially save up to £75! 

I have purchased one of these collections previously, and was very pleasantly surprised. I was sent a good selection of polishes and it made me try shades that I might not otherwise I have tried. You can't go wrong for this price. Even if you aren't completely happy with all of your polishes, then you can always share the beauty loveliness with friends. A great manicure and great karma!

If you want to try this offer, then you will have to be quick, as it ends at midnight tonight, and is only whilst stock lasts.

Have you purchased one of these selections before? What did you think?

Gel BioSculpture Manicure at Belle Toujours

Here is my Gel BioSculpture manicure that I had at the Belle Toujours Beauty Forum last week. There were lots of colours to choose from, but I opted for a classic pillar box red as I thought that it was best to choose a classic colour given that this manicure lasts for 3 weeks.

Pillarbox Red

I forgot to take a photo on the night, so the one above is after a week! As I have never had a longer-term manicure, it was quite strange to have totally chip-free colour on my nails after a week.

 

The nail salon is tucked away behind the hair salon, but is still really spacious and feels like part of the salon with its monochrome decor.

  

I have been really impressed with this manicure and think that it would be the perfect solution for occasions when you don't want to risk chipped nails, e.g. at a wedding, or for when you don't want the hassle of having to re-apply nail polish, e.g. on holiday.

Belle Toujours are currently offering 25% off Gel BioSculpture Manicures between Monday and Thursday, so you can try the manicure for £30.00.

Mid-week Manicure: Chanel 'Blue Rebel'

Today's mid-week manicure is a bit of a blast from the past. It is 'Blue Rebel' by Chanel - a dark navy blue. 'Blue Rebel' was part of their limited edition 'Les Jeans de Chanel' collection from 2011. 

I chose this from my collection as I was looking for a dark polish, but fancied a change from a burgundy polish (of which I have more than a few!). This applied really well and gave excellent coverage in just two coats. I had forgotten how great this polish was, and in case I needed reminding, the first morning that I wore it, a lady stopped me on the train to ask me where my nail polish was from. She then proceeded to scribble the name in her diary and to tell me that she would be paying a visit to her nearest Chanel counter that very lunchtime to buy it!

Although this polish was limited edition, you can still find it on counters, or at Debenhams.com

Mid-week Manicure: Essie 'Really Red'

I have always been a fan of red nail polish, and often find myself returning to it. However it can be hard to find the perfect shade of red nail polish. Some are too blue, others too pink and others too orange! For me this polish is most definitely a contender for the perfect red.

I first came across this polish when I saw a photograph of the lovely Donna Ida wearing it. Donna always look fabulous, so in addition to wanting her outfit ( and in fact her whole closet!) I had to tweet her to find out what polish she was wearing. The shade in question? Essie's 'Really Red'. Donna told me that she wears this polish every day.

I was really impressed with this polish, it applied really smoothly and I only needed two coats for full coverage.

You can buy Essie polishes from a number of stockists, including Boots, John Lewis and Look Fantastic.

Update: Donna has just told me that this shade is going to be discontinued, so if you like the look of this shade then you better stock up. If you will be stocking up on a few bottles, then you might like to know that you can buy this shade for £5.58 on Amazon. 

Have you found your perfect shade of red polish?

Mid-week Manicure: Nars-Thakoon 'Koliary'

Today's mid-week manicure is a limited edition nail polish, 'Koliary' which is part of the Nars-Thakoon collection of five nail polishes. The shades in the collection have been inspired by the vibrant colours seen in Indian spice-markets.

I decided to apply this shade, when the winter weather re-appeared at the start of the week. I was feeling in need of a burst of vivid colour to brighten things up! If you like the look of this shade, you can buy it at HQ Hair, for £14.50 (free delivery!) and House of Fraser for £14.00.

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Mid-week Manicure: Nails Inc Porchester Square

It has been a while since I have done a nail polish post, so I thought that I would try and start a regular feature, ‘Mid-week Manicure’. Today’s polish of choice is Nails Inc ‘Porchester Square’, which they describe as one of their hero shades. When I first saw this shade, it immediately reminded me of Chanel’s ‘Frenzy’, one of their latest limited edition releases. Although I love the Chanel shades, I am trying to be a bit more sensible with my beauty spending (with the emphasis on the ‘trying’!), so I have been reluctant to spend £17 on a nail polish, even if I do LOVE all things Chanel-related.

 

Therefore, I jumped at the opportunity to try this when I saw that it is on offer in the ‘Latest in Beauty’ online store for £5 (a saving of £6). Having read a number of reviews of Chanel ‘Frenzy’, the consensus seems to be that although this shade has a more lavender tone than ‘Frenzy’, they are still very similar. So, for now I will be getting my ‘Chanel’ fix thanks to 'Nails Inc' and 'Latest in Beauty’!

Bargain Essie nail polishes at TK Maxx

Never one to be able to resist a red nail polish, I grabbed this 'Essie' shade as soon as I saw that it was available in my local TK Maxx store for the bargainous price of £7 for 3 bottles of nail polish! When you consider that 'Essie' polishes retail for £9.95 each, I think that you will agree that this was too good a bargain to leave behind on the shelf. The only drawback is that the shade of the polish isn't named on the bottle, but given the great price, I am sure that I can cope with that. The polish applied really easily and lasted really well. I will definitely be trying other 'Essie' polishes. Have you got any particular 'Essie' shades that you would recommend?

OPI Bastille My Heart nail polish

As the nights draw in and the temperature drops I tend to start wearing darker nail colours as opposed to the eye-catching bright shades from Summer. Perhaps not surprising given that one of my first nail polish must-buys was Chanels's Rouge Noir. I came across this polish after I commented on one of the lovely A Girl, A Style 's Instagram photos, asking where her nail polish was from. Although she had a Shellac manicure in the photos she told me that she also loved OPI Bastille My Heart which was a similar shade.

I need  no encouragement to add more nail polishes to my collection, and snapped mine up from the London Perfume Company for £7.99, saving £3.00 on the usual RRP of OPI polishes. You can also purchase OPI polishes at Beauty Bay and Look Fantastic . 

I took the photo below to show that in certain lights the polish can look more red than burgundy, but as red nail polishes are a staple part of my beauty must-haves, I am more than happy with that!

All For Eve Body Scrub

I love my 'All For Eve' red lipstick and nail polish,  created by Daniel Sandler and Sophy Robson respectively, but for some reason I have never tried any of the other products the brand offers. 'All For Eve' products have been created to raise money for the 'Eve Appeal', which raises funds for research into gynaecological cancers . 'All For Eve' was set up by George Hammer, the man who brought brands such as Aveda, Urban Retreat and Ruby & Millie to the fore of the beauty industry in the UK. This was in response to the loss of his sister in law to ovarian cancer in 2008.

However I have now added to my 'All For Eve' collection by purchasing the body scrub (£7.50), which has been created by Urban Retreat. I don't know about you, but for me, body scrubs can be really hit or miss. They are either too grainy and so irritate the skin, or are so 'gentle' that they don't appear to do anything, making them completely pointless. However, I think I might just have found 'the one' for me. When I first opened the pot, the scrub's creamy texture made it look like a rich body lotion, and so I was doubtful as to whether it would really deliver as a scrub. However, I definitely wasn't left disappointed, as this scrub not only got rid of my dry skin, but also delivered a micro massage (courtesy of the jojoba beads) and left my skin feeling as soft and smooth as if I had applied moisturiser. For me, this product is a total no-brainer: supersoft skin at a great price AND helping charity at the same time. What is not to love? The question is, which product to try next?!

Nails Inc Lucky Dip - 6 polishes for £15

We might not always be able to rely on having fantastic weather, but one thing that is almost guaranteed when another British Bank Holiday comes around, is that your inbox will be flooded with discount codes and special offers. One of the ones that caught my eye today, was a great offer from Nails Inc. Until midnight on 5th June, you can purchase a 'Lucky Dip' selection, containing six full-size polishes, for only £15. Since Nails Inc polishes usually retail for £11 each, you make a saving of £51! Of course, if you don't like surprises, then this might not be your thing. But I definitely think it is worth giving it a go at that price.

Free Nails Inc polish with the June issue of InStyle

 

I haven't done a nail polish post in a while, so I thought I would do one to share a great offer that is out at the moment. If you buy the current issue of 'InStyle' (June issue), which costs £3.80, you can choose from one of three shades of 'Nails Inc' polish (worth £11). The three shades available are 'Power Pink'; 'Bluebell', and 'Peach Sorbet'. I opted for the 'Power Pink', which has an orchid tone to it. Although I have far too many nail polishes, I couldn't resist this, as it seemed a great way to tap into the Summer's tropical brights trend, without going for the orange and hot pink shades I would usually go for.

Have you tried any of these shades? Which one was your favourite?

Free Leighton Denny polish with Red magazine

Just a quick post to let you know about one of this month's beauty freebies. If you buy 'Red' magazine in a branch of Marks & Spencer or a WHSmith in a railway station, you get a free Leighton Denny nail polish worth £11.00. There are three shades to choose from: 'Whatever' ( a lilac colour ); 'Vamp' (a dark Rouge Noir-ish shade), and 'Crushed Grape' (a grape purple, which makes me think of Chanel 'April', even though that is more of a red shade). When I was instore, they only had the 'Whatever' shade, which was actually the perfect choice for me since I have been wanting to try more pastel shades.

I really liked this polish. The two coats applied really smoothly, and gave great coverage. I tried a pale lilac colour the other day, but didn't like it, as it had a coldness to it. I like that this polish had a bit of depth and warmth to it. I am definitely considering picking up another copy of 'Red' in order to get another bottle of this polish.

Have you managed to get your hands on one of these polishes? What did you think?

Springtime in Chanel: Le Vernis in 'April'

Our weather may be having a Winter flashback, but I am definitely all about Spring/Summer. And in particular, 'April', 'May' and 'June', otherwise known as this season's Limited Edition nail polish shades from Chanel.

The shades are part of the Chanel Spring/Summer 2012 collection. I am always keen to try the latest Chanel releases, and loved the look of all three shades when I first saw pictures on Lisa Eldridge's blog. 'April' is a berry/port shade; 'May' is the perfect pink for Spring - reminiscent of sugared almonds and carnations, whilst 'June' is a shade of apricot. After much deliberation I settled on 'April'.

The creme finish of 'April' applied really smoothly, and I was really impressed with the high-gloss finish that it has. I wear a lot of dark red nail polishes, and I think this is the perfect way of taking that look through into Spring/Summer. It is a red with a berry-ish tone, which isn't too dark against Summer brights and pastels.

Have you tried any of the latest 'Chanel' shades? If yes, which one is your favourite?

Chanel 'Black Pearl'

I am eagerly waiting to pick up the new Chanel nail polish shades, which came out on Friday, but until I get my hands on them, I thought that I would post about one of my recently re-discovered Chanel favourites. I love my nail polishes, and I generally treat myself to one of the limited edition shades every season. It’s the closest that I will get to a Chanel 2.55 anytime soon!

Last week I watched a video on Lisa Eldridge’s website, in which she shows her ten favourite polishes. I own two of them, Chanel ‘Black Pearl’ and Ciate ‘Mistress’. I regularly wear ‘Mistress’, but realised that I hadn’t used ‘Black Pearl’ for a while. So I decided to give it an outing.

‘Black Pearl’ is from the S/S 2011 Collection, and is meant to look like Tahitian black pearls. I initially wasn’t 100% convinced about this when I saw it in the bottle, but decided to give it a go. But when I tried it I really liked it. Which is why I’m not sure why I haven’t worn it in a while! It is a green-black with a pearl lustre finish. I like wearing this, as it is very different to other polishes I own, but isn’t too ‘in your face’, so it is perfect to wear every day. This is definitely going back on my list of favourites.

Have you tried ‘Black Pearl’? What did you think of it? What other ‘Chanel’ polishes do you like?

Iris Apfel for MAC

Iris Apfel. You might not recognise the name, but I am fairly sure that you will have seen photos of this inimitable lady in plenty of style publications and blogs. Over the past decade, Iris has become a style icon, partly due to the 2005 exhibition celebrating her distinctive style : Rara Avis (Rare Bird). Apparently, Alexis Bittar's PR person has a tattoo of Iris on her wrist! Over the course of her eventful life, Iris has worked at Women's Wear Daily, established her own textile firm, and designed interiors in the White House for 9 American Presidents. And now she can add MAC collaborator to her CV, as she has created a 20-piece collection with MAC.

If you have been reading my blog from the start, then you will know that  I have been trying to move away from the neutrals of old, and to experiment with brighter makeup shades, and in particular brighter lip colours. Therefore I was really excited when I saw the Iris Apfel collection.

MAC say that the collection, which Apfel worked closely on, is "inspired by a rare bird who has always been ahead of her time". The collection contains lipsticks, eyeshadows, mascara, eyeliner, brow pencil, nail polishes and beauty powder. The products come in a range of vibrant shades, from scarlet to hot pink to "robin's egg" green. I love the names of the products too, with most of the products being named after birds, e.g. 'Party Parrott' and 'Scarlet Ibis'. 'Scarlet Ibis' matte lipstick is actually top of my wishlist from this collection, and I can't wait to try it. It was used by the make up artist backstage at the Erdem S/S 2012 show.

The collection is available online at www.maccosmetics.co.uk .

February Elle UK - Dakota Fanning

There's nothing like the latest issue of one of your favourite magazines landing on the doormat to herald the start of a new month, and indeed the start of a new year! I've said it before, but I really love the subscriber covers that Elle do. As they don't have all the text and coverlines that you get on the standard copy of the magazine, you can really focus on the great photography.

This month's cover star is 17 year old Dakota Fanning, featuring on her first UK glossy magazine cover. I am seriously coveting her makeup look. I love the matte red lip (Lancome L'Absolu Rouge in Rouge Odysee - £19.50) and the red nail polish (Rimmel Lycra Pro in Hot Gossip - a very purse-friendly £3.99). I have one matte red in my collection (Revlon Strawberry Suede) so I think I will give that another wearing after seeing Dakota's lip look.

This month's magazine also comes with a 'Front Row: The Runway Edit' supplement, which highlights the key trends for S/S 2012 and the key designers from each Fashion Week. I love these supplements as they give a really good flavour of the style highlights to come over the next few months. It's the perfect read to get 2012 off to a stylish start.

I love the 'Techno Print' trend that is featured, as it includes one of my favourite designers, Mary Katrantzou. I recently had to choose a non-work related topic to give a presentation on, and I chose Mary's work as my focus. I opted not to have any text in my presentation so as not to distract from the beautiful clothing, which meant that I was wholly reliant on knowing my topic inside out. I'm happy to report that it went really well. Given that nobody else in the group was interested in fashion, they hadn't heard of her. But by the end of my 25 minutes, they all said they had found it really interesting and enjoyable and loved hearing about her work. A few more converts to the Katrantzou cause!

All for Eve Nail Polish

I noticed that I haven't done a nail polish post in a while, so thought that it was about time for another one.

Today's Nail of the Day is the 'all for eve' nail polish in 'Eve', created to raise money for the 'Eve Appeal', which raises funds for research into gynaecological cancer . 'all for eve' was set up by George Hammer, the man who brought brands such as Aveda, Urban Retreat and Ruby & Millie to the fore of the beauty industry in the UK. This was in response to the death of his sister in law to ovarian cancer in 2008.

If you have read my blog before you might remember that the 'all for eve' lipstick by Daniel Sandler is one of my favourite reds. Therefore I was really keen to try this red polish, which was created by nail guru extraordinaire, Sophy Robson, who is the lady behind well-known and trendsetting nail looks like the Giles Deacon 'Eek' nails. I am a big fan of red nail polish, and can never resist adding another one to my collection.

As well as looking very stylish, I found that the unusual curved shape of the bottle, and the textured lid helped to hold it when applying the polish.

The shape of the brush meant that the polish applied really smoothly and evenly. I needed two coats for full coverage, but it gave a lovely glossy finish.

I love this classic vibrant red polish and will definitely be repurchasing it. What's not to love about a brilliant beauty product that also raises funds for a great cause?

If you would like to try this, you can order it from All For Eve, Feel Unique, Zuneta and Urban Retreat Beautique for £10.50.

Mini Blog Sale: Nail Polishes (Nails Inc; Essie; No 7; Leighton Denny; Bourjois; Ciate)

I am having a bit of a clearout to make way for some new Autumn Winter purchases, so I have decided to have a mini blog sale. Most of the items are unused. Where I have used the product at all I have stated clearly how much has been used.

Here is the boring bit, before we get to the beauty products:

1. Please leave your comment below letting me know which item you are interested in, together with your email address. I will then send you an email regarding payment (Paypal only). Please note that I would like you to select the gift option when paying via Paypal in order that no fees are applied.
2. All of the items are as shown. If you have a particular question about an item, please feel free to ask.
3. I will not accept returns so please make sure you check swatches online etc. before buying.
4. Standard postage for the UK will be £1.50 for one item. If you buy more than one item it will only be an additional 50p per extra item.

Essie - Great Expectations - Unused - £2.50

No 7 - 90s Pink Slip - Used once - £2.00

Leighton Denny Double Up Duo - Yellow Brick Road - Used x3 - £3.50

Nails Inc - Elle/North Row - Unused - £2.00

Bourjois So Laque Ultra Shine - Magenta Show - Unused - £2.50

Ciate - Wait Until Dark - Used Once - £2.00

Essie - No Boundaries - Used Once - £2.00

Nails Inc - Caramel - Never Used - £2.50