Dotty digits - Maybelline Color Show Polka Dots

I've never tried Maybelline nail varnishes and it's not a brand I think of when I go on the hunt for new polishes, but when I spotted these dotty numbers, I had to give them a go. These remind me a little of the Illamasqua Imperfection nail varnishes which I drooled over (a lot!), although the glitter in these is chunkier and the colours less subtle.

200 Rain Forest Canopy: A dark teal colour with black and white matte hex glitters in various sizes. The base is very sheer so two+ coats are a must - below you can see one coat on the left and two on the right. Adding a white base underneath would also help the colour pack a punch. I'm not 100% sure I like this on my nails... I would prefer a more earthy, forest green (y'know, rainforest canopy...)

 

201 Speckled Pink: A deceptive pink-based polish shot through with the same black and white hex glitters. This applies to the nails a completely different colour to how it looks in the bottle, although it's still lovely. Again, the base is very sheer and you can see one coat (L) and two coats (R) below. I really love this colour and think it will make for a gorgeous summer manicure.

 

The glitter has a tendency to clump together, so it's worth taking a bit of time to spread it out in some random fashion on the nails. For both, wear time isn't that impressive - I noticed a lot of chipping after 1-2 days, so the rest came off pretty sharpish. As with all glitter polishes, removal is an absolute pain. The things we do for beautiful fingertips, eh.

Priced at £2.99, Boots is currently running a buy-one-get-one-half-price deal on all make up items. The Polka Dot range also includes a dark blue (Shooting Stars) and clear base version (Chalk Dust), but these didn't really tickle my fancy. (Ha, what a fun phrase!)

Are you a fan of Maybelline nail varnishes? Do you have any colour recommendations?

NOTD: Nails Inc. 'Belgrave Mews'

I got this as part of the lucky dip which Nails Inc. runs every now and then. You receive five random full size nail varnishes for £15, which isn't at all bad considering that one bottle normally costs £11. Belgrave Mews is the standout of the five for me and I've worn it loads since it dropped through the letterbox. As you can see, it's a rich forest green with a subtle copper shimmer running through it. As with other Nails Inc. polishes I've tried, the application is great and it's opaque enough to get away with just one coat if you're feeling lazy or rushed.

I think this colour was part of the spring 2012 collection, and I can't see it listed on the Nails Inc. website so assume it's no longer available. However, if you happen across it while you're out and about, I'd definitely recommend picking it up.

   

   

NOTD: Essie 'Eternal Optimist' + Look Beauty Nail Pop 'Bling'

This weekend's manicure is a very pretty and unashamedly girly one. Using my all-time favourite colour, Essie's 'Eternal Optimist', I added a coat of Look Beauty's Nail Pop in 'Bling' for a little sparkly interest. This is one of the best glitter polishes I've found in terms of opacity, and it's not too pricey either, currently on sale in Superdrug for £2.50. Bargain!

 

NOTD: Space nails

I can’t get enough of glitter nails and love this dark variation, with Rimmel Lasting Finish Pro in ‘Midnight Blue’ as a base. I created a similar thing when I uncovered Ciaté’s ‘Glass Slipper’ in the Mini Mani Month calendar (post on that here), but wanted to add more depth to the nails, cue Nina Ultra Pro in ‘Puple-Xing’. This is a glitter-heavy purple polish, with purple, silver and halo chunks throughout. It applies almost opaque, so I dabbed it on with a cosmetic sponge to get a lighter distribution. I then painted on a coat of ‘Glass Slipper’, although again dabbed the sponge over my nails to take some of it off and make it a little less harsh.

I keep staring down at my nails and wiggling them so the different glitters catch the light. I must look a right oddbod.

Ciaté Mini Mani Month - Day 24

Christmas Eve is here (how exciting!) and the calendar has come to an end. The final door revealed the last exclusive-to-the-calendar shade, 'Enchanted Rose', which is a clear-based red glitter. Again, I hoped that this would be opaque on the nails, but it goes on fairly sheer. I applied it on top of the unnamed shade in the calender, which I've worked out must be 'Mistress'. (Sherlock Holmes here...) The finished result is very sparkly and festive and reminds me a bit of Essie's 'Leading Lady', which I had been lusting after in Boots.

All in all, I'm happy I splurged and bought the calendar; there are definitely some gorgeous colours and formulas which I might not have tried otherwise. However, I think four Caviar blends is a bit excessive as they're not something I'll reach for that often. I would have liked there to have been a velvet powder or two included in their place as I'm curious to try those.

Merry Christmas!

   

   

Ciaté Mini Mani Month - Day 23

Today's nail varnish is another bright one, grab your sunglasses. 'Mojito' is a lime green colour unlike anything else I own. Application was ok, although three coats are needed to get an opaque finish. I can't say bright green nails are ever something I fancy wearing, so don't see me getting much use out of this, and I'm not sure my sister would appreciate it as a gift either. I'm a bit disappointed that this is included in the calendar, not entirely sure how it's one of Ciaté's best-selling shades...

     

Ciaté Mini Mani Month - Day 22

The final Caviar blend included in the calendar was hidden behind door number 22. 'Sundance' is a mix of teal and gold pearls, with gold hex glitter mixed in. I really love the colour combination, so liked the look of this straight away. Although I'm not a massive fan of the glitter chunks, they look more subtle than the glitters in 'Prom Queen'. I used it as an accent nail with Ciaté's 'Headliner' and am very pleased with the finished result. It's a nice fancy nail I'll definitely be sporting at some point over the Christmas period.

   

   

Ciaté Mini Mani Month - Day 21

Door 21 was hiding ‘Fade to Greige', a lovely mauve tinged taupe. The formula of this was ok, but not as good as some other Ciaté shades have been. I had to use three coats to get an opaque finish - my nail was still peeping through with two - and the consistency is a tad thin. I already own Essie’s ‘Merino Cool’, which is an almost exact dupe for this and a much nicer formula, with two coats giving a perfectly smooth, opaque finish - see picture four. All in all, 'Fade to Greige' is a nice neutral shade, but better quality (and cheaper!) versions can be found elsewhere.

   

   

Ciaté Mini Mani Month - Day 20

Behind door number 20 was the second of the exclusive-to-the-calendar shades. ‘Magic Carpet’ is a gorgeous dark pink, mid-size glitter. I hoped that this would be opaque on the nails – wishful thinking for a glitter I guess. One coat is pretty sheer, as you can see below, but with three or four coats, I’m sure you could pack it out to cover the nail. I paired it with Essie’s ‘Recessionista’, a beautiful deep berry shade which I’ve been wearing loads this autumn and winter. I absolutely love the finished look; it’s definitely a cosy winter manicure I’ll be recreating soon.

   

   

Ciaté Mini Mani Month - Day 19

Today’s shade is ‘Cookies and Cream’ - a beige / light taupe colour. This looks like a pretty inoffensive and boring nude in the bottle, and it doesn't shine on the nails either. The thin formula made it difficult to get a perfectly smooth finish, and it took three coats before it was opaque. The first picture below shows two coats, while the last shows three. I don't like this on my nails at all; I don't think brown-based nudes flatter my skin tone and much prefer pink-based polishes, such as Essie's 'Muchi, Muchi', seen here. This is sadly another shade which I'll be palming off on a sister or friend.

Five nail varnishes to go... fingers crossed for no more nudes.

   

   

Ciaté Mini Mani Month - Day 18

We’re now three quarters of the way through the calendar and, although I can’t wait for Christmas to come, I’ll be sad when the nail varnish treats end. Door 18 revealed the third Caviar blend in the calendar – ‘Candyshop’. This is a mix of fuschia, orange and turquoise pearls, which sounds like a bit of a mish-mash, but actually looks pretty good on the nails. I paired it with two coats of ‘Cupcake Queen’, but have seen this used with a turquoise polish and the result is equally nice. The darker colours in this and the lack of glitter chunks make it more wearable than ‘Prom Queen’ for me, so I’m pleased to get another Caviar blend which I’ll actually get some use out of.

   

   

Ciaté Mini Mani Month - Day 17

Hidden behind door 17 was ‘Power Dressing’, a rich navy blue which looks gorgeous on the nails. The formula of this is great and it dries to a lovely glossy finish. I used two coats in the below photos and had no problems with opacity. For comparison, 'Power Dressing' is lighter and more of a flat colour than Rimmel's 'Midnight Blue' (seen here), which has a subtle, light blue shimmer running through it. I can't say I often opt for a navy manicure, but I really like the finished result. It's very chic and understated, especially on shorter nails.

   

   

Ciaté Mini Mani Month - Day 16

Door number 16 revealed 'Big Yellow Taxi'. Although yellow is my favourite colour, I never opt to wear it as it looks weird against my pale skin and can make me look a bit ill. The formula is ok; I needed three coats to reach opacity as it was a little streaky with just two. As with other Ciaté polishes, it dries quickly so you need to apply an even coat in a pretty short time to avoid a streaky finish. It doesn't look quite as bright in the bottle as I was expecting (more like a dark pastel, if that makes sense...), although three coats on the nails give a rich, almost neon finish.

Three coats... sunglasses on

Deceptive in the bottle

Ciaté Mini Mani Month - Day 15

‘Headliner’ is today's festive treat, a turquoise which is slightly more blue than green. The formula of this is great; very pigmented and easy to apply - you could get an opaque finish with one slightly thicker coat, but I opted for two thin ones. I'd normally save turquoise nails for sunnier months, but 'Headliner' is dark enough that it wouldn't look out of place throughout the year, and I think topped with a chunky gold glitter, it'd make a gorgeous festive manicure.