... When acetone is not your friend - Part 2 ...

If you missed yesterdays post, start there! It'll make more sense ;)

Today I'm just testing out some false nails to see how it goes on my injured nail. These are from the brand Elegant Touch and I found these in Priceline for under $10. I know a lot come with nail glue but as glue will mean I'll need remover, so I went looking for ones that just used those soft adhesive patches that just peel off.

It's been a long time since I picked out some false nails so I was surprised how pretty these actually were.

Elegant Touch seems to be a brand from the UK but I was really taken by their designs. These are pretty peacock feathers! We've come a long way from the standard colour falsies I remember of the mid 90s. I actually can't believe I found it hard to make a decision on which packet to get!

The pack consists of 24 nails, adhesive tabs, the instruction leaflet and a buffer. Very easy to apply. Find which nail works best on each finger, peel off each side off the adhesive tab and press the nail on top, break the little tab off and file smooth. Voila! Really easy and if you are in a rush these would be ideal!

The packaging claims that it could last up to a week but I think unless you are super careful that they would catch before then.  As always my pointer finger isn't quite the right shape so I have ended up with a gap that I found myself picking at.  They still lasted 24 hours while doing all housework and cleaning!

Pros - They are very easy and quick to apply. The hardest part is selecting the right nail for each finger! Also they are really easy to remove. Biggest pro is the design! I mean look at how pretty this one is!! Well worth a look.

Cons - These apparently are the "short" nails and for me they are definitely anything by short. My nails are quite long at the moment and the only one peeking out is my little finger. Also if your nail doesn't shape to the plastic then you'll have gaps.

I'll be back tomorrow with another edition - please keep the comments coming with suggestions on other things to use! I'll be only doing this series til Monday but as my bite is not quite  half way grown out I'll be back for round 2 soon!!

... When acetone is not your friend - Part 1 ...

[Seems I got a bit ranty ... sorry!!]

I've been in a bit of a polish rut lately *sad* I've been unmotivated, unmoved and unexcited about doing a manicure. It's a same as I've had some really great opportunities come my way lately and I've blown them off *mega sad face*

So why the major sadness?? Well cos of this ... (if you are squeamish look away now)

I'm growing out an injury - a cat bite to be exact (lesson learnt - don't hold a frightened kitten!)  While I've done some great growing on my nails (the original was right on the cuticle) and the bruising just seems to be a colour on the nail now, that white mark is a dent. A deep dent. It looks like a crack but I'm not proding around on it. My doctor said it's fine - I'll trust her judgement as originally I thought I'd lose my whole nail.

I naively thought nothing of it after it happened and did my nail removal as usual. Lets just say this happened.

It hurt. A lot. 

I think I even cried. Even the hardcore nail polish addicts would find this hard to bounce back from. Even non-acetone hurt.

So I've been avoiding polish, just so I could avoid removing it. Only painting 9 nails isn't fun and even painting one hand to swatch still means that you have to wear a glove on the other hand when removing to make sure nothing transfers over. Annoying. Too Hard Basket. Frustrating. Depressing. Blah!

Recently I went out to celebrate my birthday with my favourite polish loving friends and my beautiful mate Margie suggested wearing some Sally Hansen Salon Effects strips. Sadly those require remove to get them off but it got me thinking. Surely I'm not the only polish addict with a nail injury. Plus we've all had the ouch acetone feeling when it's gotten near a cut.

So ... here's a small series on suggestions on how to have pretty nails without resorting to swearing like a sailor or painting your nails with sharpies!

Thanks for the friendship acetone ... but it's time to part for us to part ways temporarily.

So first up on the test block are these - Salon Nail Foils from Pretty Woman.

I didn't buy these but I'm pretty sure I've seen them at Woolworths or Coles. The first thing that grabbed me about these is the fact it contains 16 foils. I get having a few spare but 16 just seems like an odd number!  The second thing is that it comes with some spiffy scissors, file and a pusher.

I've had zero luck with foils in the past so let's see how we go this time!! As always I manged to stuff them when putting on the nail but that pusher - man it works magic!!!

Seriously shiny and everything. Removal instructions are to wash hands in warm soapy water and to lift an edge of the foil and peel it off which worked really well.

Pros - Easy to apply, Look good, Easy to cut the right size, Super easy to remove!

Cons - Not long lasting. Can't wear in the shower or doing dishes. You could wear for a day/night but after that it will start to catch. Boo!

I was quite impressed though. I've had no luck with foils in the past and these covered my bite no problems and removal was so easy. Definitely give this a thumbs up.   I'll be back tomorrow with another gem!

... Aussie Nails Monday - Dots ...

It's been awhile so here's Aussie Nails Monday! Today's theme is dots and while I like the look of dots, I seriously need a lot more practice!!

I've chosen to use Ulta3 Black Satin, Rimmel Matte Finished and the dots are Layla Mirror Effects Mirror Chrome, Metal Plum, Titanium Sky and Pink Iron.

I really loved the contrast between the matte of the black and the shiny mirror metallic from the Laylas. I'm not entirely happy with my effort but practice makes perfect. I'm hoping one day I'll figure out how to do foolproof beautiful dots!

For more pretty Aussie Nails check us out on Instagram using the tag #aussienailsmonday or check out the following ladies!

Elissa - Ten Little Nubs

Bec - Nail Gun XS

Marie - Marie’s Manicure Madhouse

Sarah - Shatter Me Claire

Chantelle - A Polished Prance

Teneil -Shades of Phoenix

Nicole - The Epitome of Superficiality

Bec - Lacquer Dreams

Naomi - NananaisNails

Eboni - Enamoured With Enamel

Adelle - Adelle1985 (Instagram)

Kelly - Kelly's Kolors

Rebecca - Polished Peripherals

Rosemarie - Every Little Polish

Melissa - Mel My Issta

Natalie - Walk In My Eyeshadow

Jennifer - JennLojko (Instagram)

Erin - Erinzi’s Nails

Astrid - Lovessweetas (Instagram)

Jasmyn - Jas’ Blingtastic Nails

Kate - Mckfresh (Instagram)

Jessica - Maedaynails (instagram)

Elizabeth - Lili_Bete (Instagram)

Cassandra - The Reluctant Femme

Tammy - Lacquer and Leather

Julia - Messy Mansion

Ann - Nailovelogy

Ronda

Theresa It's All About The Polish

Katie - Pretty Polish Please

Melissa - polished_off (Instagram)

Jennifer - jennersx (Instagram)

Rachael - thepolishedclaw (Instagram)

Julz - Julzperrinails

Caylah

Tash

Jane - Nails In Oz

Jasmine - Nailed By Jasmine

Sylvia - lilyandjinks (Instagram)

Genna - Eternal Dreamer

Tammy - http://ohmygoshpolish.blogspot.com.au/

Stacey - @staceymeldrum (Instagram)

Jess - radjecca (Instagram)

Shannen - shannen_arrowsmith (Instagram)

Sarah - lilyloveslouise.blogspot.com

Tracy

Kate - Pimped Out Nails

Casey - Drama Queen Nails

Holly - nails_by_holly (Instagram)

... Orly - Elation Generation ...

Orly - Elation Generation

$18.95 AUD at selected stockists. Check the Orly Australia website!

This is the last Orly polish I have to show you from the Hope & Freedom Collection and she's a beaut! This is Elation Generation and it's a pink glitter creme.

This is my favourite out of the products I've been reviewing from Orly [it's pink! How can I not love it!] but these pictures definitely don't reflect how seriously stunning it actually is.

Look at all the pretty little holo glitter sparkles!! Oooh. They just are everywhere and while they are a pain to capture in their holographic goodness, they will bring a smile to your face when out in sunlight.

Even though this is showcased as an autumn polish for us down here in the Southern Hemisphere it's definitely bright to shine through on those days as the temperature drops and you just want to spend the day lounging in your tracky dacks and uggs!

Polishes were provided for review but all opinions, Aussie humour and dodgy photography are my own!

... Orly - Melodious Utopia ...

Orly - Melodious Utopia

$18.95 AUD at selected stockists. Check the Orly Australia website!

Another pretty from Orly today. This is Melodious Utopia which is described as a "soft yellow creme" but it's definitely not another pale pastel. It's very pretty and I thought it worked really well with my skin tone.

There is a bonus shimmer inside which is a pain to capture but it's definitely there. It's like the hidden surprise that you weren't expecting! So pretty! It seems to appear as a yellow but in certain light it goes towards more of a coral.

I'm not sure why yellows aren't loved as much as they should but if you haven't branched into the happiness that yellow can offer, then I'd recommend trying this one! Like the other polishes in this collection it's 3 free.

If it's too much yellow for you then you can easily tone it down with some nail art. I've gone for some simple dots today and I've dotted using Orly Coachella Dweller that I reviewed in my last post.

I really enjoyed this polish. I try to love all yellows but a lot don't work with my skintone but this one looked fab. I like to wear brighter polishes through autumn before the doom and gloom appears with the cold weather and this one will definitely be on my rotation.

Polishes were provided for review but all opinions, Aussie humour and dodgy photography are my own!

... Orly - Coachella Dweller ...

Orly - Coachella Dweller

$18.95 AUD at selected stockists. Check the Orly Australia website!

Howdy everyone! I hope you all enjoyed a spiffy Easter. I've personally had some well deserved time off and now I'm planning to do some major catching up before the school holidays are on top of me!

Today I have this beauty to show you from the Orly Hope & Freedom collection. I was quite excited actually as while I've seen Orly from time to time in Australia, I haven't seen new collections! Woo! Anyway, the Hope & Freedom collection is described as "reminiscent of a crisp Autumn garden with a soft green, two shades of blue, a sunny yellow, pinky red and a milky white making up the pretty palette". They are also 3 free [hoorah!] and come with the soft gripper cap that I love to use as it's super soft [slight problem is my cat seems to love the caps aswell ... probably a good thing that the caps don't come as cat toys or I'd go broke within a week]

So this super pretty number is Coachella Dweller [say that 10 times fast!], which is a pretty green creme and do not be fooled if your bottle is slightly on the more liquid side as I found flowed really smoothly on the nail which was a pleasant surprise!!!

I've used 3 coats for these swatches and had some great wear from it aswell for those reading who like longevity in their polish!

Even without a top coat it's shiner than end of the day autumn glare blinding you through the window! Perfect for those who like glossy polishes with that super smooth finish.

And as always, I can't leave anything alone ... here it is with some leopard print stamping! I really liked it as it  being a pastel base. It was striking but not overpowering!

I used the Konad m81 for this funky design with black polish. Easy!

For more information on Orly in Australia, you can find them on Facebook here www.facebook.com/ORLYAustralia and also on Twitter @ORLYAustralia

Polishes were provided for review but all opinions, Aussie humour and dodgy photography are my own!

... Easter Collection - Loki's Lacquer ...

Why shouldn't you tell an Easter Egg a joke?

It might crack up!!

Bad jokes aside, today I'm showing the limited edition Easter polishes from Loki's Lacquer.  So grab your easter baskets and get ready for some egg-cellent photos.

Now I've never tried anything from Loki's Lacquer so I'm very curious to see how they measure up. All these shots are 3 coats plus a top coat unless mentioned.

Hey Chicky - Now this polish seriously intrigued me from the start as it's so bright in the bottle and it borders on that yellow/green and honestly I couldn't wait to see what it looked like on my nails.

It's a sparkly yellow gold and while it doesn't look green anymore out of the bottle it definitely is still on the bright side of life [do do ... do do do do do do!]

As a hidden surprise there is some scattered holo action going on. If you are like me and want super smooth nails then you will need to add a top coat. I'd highly suggest the Essence Gel Look top coat - that baby makes anything smooth [and if it doesn't, shove that polish into your swap box!!]

Spring has sprung - While I'll admit I've never had an Easter in the springtime I can see how it relates. I'll admit I found it hard to photo the colour shift in this but it is clearly visible [especially at night] without a dark base colour.

And like Hey Chicky, there is some slight scattered holo action going on. It definitely looks green in the sunlight!

Buddy - The description describes a "pink-silver-green" shift so I'm really really interested so see how this turns out.  The bottle appears more of a purple so lets dive in!

While the shift didn't appear without a base I wanted to show this anyway as I really like the colour - a pale pink.

This is 3 coats over Ulta3 Black Satin and there is definitely pink, green and silver all going on there. Wowsers Batman. My camera decided that it wasn't going to show the scattered holo but it's there in that soft look.

Bluebell - This is an extremely pretty blue. I originally thought it may be a metallic but it's definitely a shimmer. It's not opaque after 3 coats but it's got that old school streaky goodness going on! Oh yeah!

If you look closely you can see little bronze flecks. These are definitely more noticable in real life.

Easter Egg Hunt - I've layered this over Bluebells and I quite like the look. This glitter has multi sizes of hex and squares in all sorts of pastel colours.

Actually it really reminds me of those speckled Cadbury Mini Eggs .. hmmmmm. Om Nom Nom Nom Nom

Photo from Nori's Findings - found via Google Images.

So there you go. Out of these 5 I think "Buddy" would be my top runner as I love that shade of pink. All of these polishes could be layered and the possibilities are endless. You just need to find the best combo for yourself!

Loki's Lacquer is an Australian indie and you can find them on Etsy! The link is -  http://www.etsy.com/shop/Lokislacquer.  Again these polishes are limited edition so if you want any you'd better be quick!

Polishes were provided for review but all opinions, Aussie humour and dodgy photography are my own!

... Aussie Nails Monday - "Stripes" featuring piCture pOlish Marine, Mad Magenta and Black ...

Wayhey! Happy Monday! Todays Aussie Nails Monday is "Stripes" and here is my take on it! I was quite please with how it worked out to be honest.

Firstly I sponged piCture pOlish Marine and Mad Magenta and then stamped on top using piCture pOlish Black and the Konad S6 plate.

I always love how Mad Magenta changes from a pink to a purple and I love where these 2 colours meet - it's like a funky indigo going on there!

Want to read more Aussie Nail Monday posts?? Check these blogs out!

Lissa’s Polish Addiction

Nail Gun XS

Marie’s Manicure Madhouse

Shatter Me Claire

A Polished Prance

Shades of Phoenix

The Epitome of Superficiality

Lacquer Dreams

NananaisNails

Enamoured With Enamel

Adelle1985 (Instagram)

Kelly's Kolors

Polished Peripherals

Every Little Polish

Mel My Issta

Walk In My Eyeshadow

JennLojko (Instagram)

Erinzi’s Nails

Lovessweetas (Instagram)

Jas’ Blingtastic Nails

Mckfresh (Instagram)

Maedaynails (instagram)

Lili_Bete (Instagram)

The Reluctant Femme

Jibber Jabber

Messy Mansion

Nailovelogy

Ronda

It's All About The Polish

Pretty Polish Please

.... Sarah Claire - Cat Owner ...

Recently we had a new addition to our little family. The purring machine, Mr Fizzy has joined us and while it's been a huge exciting time, I've forgotten how many scratches you can accumulate from a kitten! It's been a long time since we've had a cat in our lives and so far the kiddiewinks are enjoying the experience aswell.

Why yes, I will pose for photos!

Although photos tend to show him as black and white, he's definitely grey and not black. I wanted to try and match his colouring so here are my "Fizzy Cat" nails. I didn't realise that my collection only holds a few greys. I must remedy that! So here is what I came up with to colour match to him.

I've used Ulta3 Lily White for the base and sponged with Face of Australia Party at the Gap from the Barbados collection.

I actually think it worked really well! I didn't want standard gradient lines as his fur isn't defined by straight lines but I liked it and thought I matched pretty well! YAY!

... We have a Winner!!! Pretty Serious Cosmetics Giveaway...

Hurrah!!! Thank you to everyone who entered the Pretty Serious giveaway I was holding combined with Nails in the Desert and The Polish Haven.

So congratulations to the winner Athanasia- she now has the choice of picking out some prettys from the fantastic range over at Pretty Serious Cosmetics! Hurrah!!