What's On My Nails #6 // Swift Sherbet

Avon Speed Dry 30+ in Swift Sherbet - R87.95

This is my favourite colour of all time. I have never found a colour like this, I was instantly attracted to it when I googled pictures of this colour and I wanted it then and there. It was actually on special when I got it so it only costed me R49.95 but the usual price is R87.95.

Its a very summery pastel orange that looks great against my skin colour and makes my nails pop. I was definitely impressed with this one more than the other one from this range in Vamp It Up (see full review here) which lasted only two days with a base coat and top coat. I've worn this nail polish twice now and both times it has lasted five days until the first chip appeared. Two coats of this are required as the first coat is pigmented but streaky. The formula is quite thick and easy to spread not very watery like Vamp It Up (I don't mind it watery as it spreads better.) Also this nail polish didn't dry in 30 seconds like the other nail polish it only took 10 seconds longer, which still is better than waiting for 5 minutes before you can apply the next coat, I think it took longer because the formula is thicker. By far my favourite nail polish this month especially if I've worn it twice already!

xxx

May Favourites

So today I'm doing my May favourites, there's not too many products that really stood out to me last month but these are definitely the winners for May and every other month. It's a real mix of all products ranging from hair to skin to nails, I love it when that happens!

Anyways my favourites for May are:

Clarins Cleansing Milk

Catrice Cosmetics Infinite Matt Makeup in 010 Light Beige

A Beauty Blender dupe (see full review here)

Avon Speed Dry+ in Vamp It Up (see full review here)

Rimmel Kate Moss lipstick

Advance Techniques 360 Nourishment Moroccan Argan Oil Conditioner

Palmers Cocoa Butter Formula (mini size)

Tip Top Protein Base Coat

I've been using the Clarins Cleansing Milk for about two months now and I can really feel a difference in my skin. It hydrates my skin but not too much that it makes it oily and it removes excess makeup and cleans your skin. My skin hasn't felt so soft and hydrated in a long time and I'll be doing a full review once I'm completed satisfied.

The Catrice Infinite Matt Makeup is the perfect shade for me. I've also been using this for about two months and I'm completely sold. It's so easy to apply and its matte so it doesn't make my t-zone shiny but its also not that matte where you skin is flaky and visibly dry, it still provides hydration. I would say this is medium coverage and is definitely buildable and I find that it covers dark circles like never before while also brightening the eye area. It covers redness and blemishes (with a little help from concealer) but it still looks natural because it allows your freckles to show through it. I find I get the best look out of it when I use my Beauty Blender dupe which has also made it to my May Favourites without hesitation. It blends foundation out so well and almost gives it a sheer, dewy effect when the sponge is damp.

The Avon Speed Dry nail polish is my favourite colour and I love that it really does dry in 30 seconds, I just wish it would last longer.

The Rimmel Kate Moss lipstick is a no brainer. These lipsticks are so soft and hydrating to your lips and provide such a nice colour on your lips.

Advance Techniques conditioner is a conditioner that I don't think I'd be able to live without anytime soon. This make the ends of my hair so soft and shiny and manageable that I can't stop playing with my hair after I wash it. And paired with the shampoo these two are a killer team.

The Palmers Cocoa Butter Formula is one that surprised me. I really don't like the smell of a chocolate cream, nor do I like smelling like chocolate, for some reason I find the smell quite nauseating. Anyways like I said this surprised me. I thought I wouldn't like it just based on the smell but I reach for it all the time because of how soft it makes my skin during these cold days and I've gotten used to the smell now. My skin is visibly smoother and I'm definitely getting a bigger sized bottle though.

The Tip Top protein base coat is my favourite. It doesn't allow coloured nail polish to stain my nails and it makes nail polish last for longer. I've worn this on its own too and it has an incredible shine too while making your nails feel stronger. Repurchase again and again.

So those are my favourites for last month and I can't wait to see what this month brings for me!

xxx

What's On My Nails #5 // Absolutely Blue

Essence Colour & Go Absolutely Blue - R24.95

Tip Top Nail Chic Protein Base Coat - R41.50

The Essence Colour & Go range is a quick drying nail polish. Personally I don't find it dries all that quickly but it dries quicker than normal nail polish. The colour I got was Absolutely Blue, I was stuck with this colour and a minty colour when I bought this. Eventually I put down the minty colour and I got this instead because I have a minty colour already and I had nothing like this colour - it was pretty hard to put down that mint colour though! This colour is like a powdery, blue and almost bordering on slight purple. I love this colour, its so pretty, feminine and it draws attention to your nails without being too "in your face".

I first tried this colour without a base coat or a top coat and it lasted a day literally - that was my fault too but generally Essence nail polishes don't have the longest staying power - I wish Essence nail polishes lasted for longer than two days because they have such great colours. I then applied this Tip Top protein base coat, that I got when I bought this Essence nail polish, the second time I painted my nails and this really makes a difference! When you remove your nail polish it makes the nail polish just glide off instead of you having to vigorously rub it off and it also protected my nails from getting stained. It made my nail polish last for an extra day too which is great for the Essence nail polishes.

All in all I think I'll only buy Essence nail polishes because of their wide range of beautiful colours and because they are very affordable but I wouldn't buy it if you're looking for something that'll last longer than two days. The Tip Top Protein Base Coat is excellent, easy to apply and at R40 a pop its very afforable for a product that works so well. Tip Top also have a wide range of colours and the base coat has convinced me to try their nail polishes out very soon.

xxx

Links below:

Essence

Tip Top - their Facebook page

What's On My Nails #4 // Vamp It Up

Avon Speed Dry+30 in Vamp It Up - R87.95.

This nail polish is a very dark red colour, like red wine. I love this colour as a true red doesn't suit me at all but dark reds do. I must say I wasn't expecting much from this nail polish, I usually trust high end nail polishes more (even though this nail polish is as expensive as a high end nail polish anyways). One coat literally dries in 30 seconds, no word of a lie and the colour is the colour you see in the bottle with two coats. The pictures make it look almost streaky and patchy but when you look at them "in real life" its a solid colourand its a cream finish like most nail polishes. It's really lovely to apply as it spreads so easy and you don't need a lot on your brush. The nice thing is that you can apply it slowly without having to rush in fear of the nail polish drying before you've covered your whole nail because it's very "liquidy" if that makes sense? It's not sticky or too thick, its just right. I tested how long it lasts and without a top coat it lasts two days which isn't too bad and with a top coat it lasts about four to five days, thats a bonus for me because I take my nail polish off eventually during that time frame whether its chipped or not. I really like this nail polish even though I think the normal price is just a little too expensive since it doesn't last very long without a top coat and I see this month its on offer for just R50 (which is more suitable) and I'm tempted to get Swift Sherbet and Smoky Plumes added to my collection although I'm having doubts about Smoky Plumes (its a greyish purple colour but I'm not sure if it'll suit my skin)! Oh and its also worth a mention that these nail polishes contain volcanic rock so that it hardens nails and allows nails to dry quicker.

xxx

What's On My Nails #3 // It's All I Can Blue

Catrice Cosmetics Nail Lacquer in It's All I Can Blue - R34.94 at Dischem - is almost like a denim blue colour and it's similar to Nails Inc Baker Street but a shade lighter that a lot of bloggers rave about.
Applying this nail polish is a dream, it glides on so smoothly and the brush is soft and thick so it covers your whole nail. In this picture I only applied two coats and it had very strong colour but in some areas it was light so to be safe next time I'll put three coats on. The nice thing about this nail polish is that it isn't too thick so you can apply three coats without your nail looking thick. Also I find when you put three coats of colour on your nails the nail polish chips quicker; which brings me onto the lasting power of this nail polish. This nail polish lasted about three days before it got the tiniest of chips in the corner of my thumb (that's with a top coat) and with me and my bad habits I start to pick at the nail polish once it has a chip in - don't ask why - which causes even bigger chips and I think it only chipped because I was trying to open a box at work and the corner of my thumb nail bent a bit. Anyways for me three to four days of nail polish lasting is enough for me. I eventually get bored of seeing the same colour on my nails after about three days and then remove it anyway so if a nail polish lasts that long for me I'm sold. I'm really in love with this colour and Catrice has a very big range of colours that I'll definitely get more of (I've already got Take Me To Coral Island).

xxx

ColorTrend Nail Enamel

I ordered these two from Avon as it was a buy one and get one free. I love both these colours because they very summery and pretty. My favourite colour would be Mint Ice, it reminds me very much of Essie Mint Candy Apple except a bit more greener. The colours shown on my fingers are coated about three times. They aren't very pigmented and the pink one - Sweet Sundae - on the first coat looks like clear nail polish with just one coat. They also chip very easily even with a base coat and a top coat on which is quite irritating because I like nail polish to last for about four or five days at most, so when it doesn't last long it disappoints me very much. There are more negatives with this nail polish than positives. The only positives is the colour you get after about 3 coats. I do like these nail polishes though because of the colour despite the negative bits and I like the cute little boxes that they come in. Overall a good and bad product from Avon and maybe if they lasted longer I'd be sold... So I guess I'm leaving the decision up to you guys if you'd like it or not :)

xxx

*PS - sorry for the dark images, the colour of the nail polishes weren't showing up very well in the bright light.

Budget Beauty: What's On My Nails #2 // Perfect Nude

I love a perfect nude nail polish, I go out my way to look for nudes or pinky nudes. I really love them as they are so classic and easy to wear.



Essence Nude Glam - R34.95


I found this beauty about a month back and I haven't worn it yet and I wanted to smack myself that I didn't wear it sooner. This is Essence Nude Glam in 01 Hazelnut Cream. Its a beautiful creamy colour with a purple shine to it when the light catches it which is the 'Glam' bit to the nail polish. I was a bit skeptical at first about the purple shine to it but I bought it anyway. Its a very subtle shine and if light doesn't catch it you don't even notice it as you can see in the photo.

What I also love about this nail polish is the brush. Its a wide brush so it covers your nail perfectly without having to apply a million strokes for your nail to be covered with a tiny brush. I apply two coats as the first coat is a bit too light and slightly streaky but you can get away with one coat.

I've missed my nude nails so much and I'm so glad I've found the perfect nude with a great consistancy, brush and colour.

What's your perfect nude?

xxx

What's On My Nails

I never used to do my nails very often because I could never find a nail polish that didn't chip. Seriously I used to paint my nails and the very next day or even that night my nails would be chipping. So eventually I gave up, although I still didn't stop buying nail polish because they're so pretty!

On Saturday morning I felt like doing my nails so I hauled out my coral red colour that I'm in love with at the moment!

From Left: Yardley Treatment Proteinised Glaze R52.95 & Kangol Nail Varnish in Mango Tango R49

In all fairness when I bought this Kangol nail polish it was more orange, hence the name Mango Tango. I didn't really like the orange colour that it was but I bought it anyway cause I was going to mix it up a bit. I rumaged through my nail polish collection and found a strong red that was a bit too red for me and I started pouring the red into the Kangol nail polish. Needless to say I made the most beautiful coral red colour I've ever seen!!

All Kangol nail varnishes go on so smoothly and perfectly when you apply two coats to get that pop of colour. They do chip if you don't put a top coat over it (sigh...) and that is when I discovered this baby from Yardley. My holy oath I promise you that this Treatment from Yardley is just the shizz. It says that it strengthens and hardens your nails and prevents staining and chipping. That is exactly what it does. It makes your nail polish look shiny and it almost gives it a gel finish at first and then it dries and settles in with the colour nail polish you've applied. It's a little bit sticky if you don't put enough varnish on so you really have to put a lot on the brush. It dries semi quickly but I find that even if you think your nail polish is dry... it's not really. That's with most nail polish though. I find it does strengthen your nails which is a plus for me because I have very weak nails that break at the drop of a hat. I can't judge about it preventing stains because my nails don't stain easily.

As I said I applied nail polish on the Saturday morning and since then I've washed dishes, the car, my hair and dug in dirt to plant some pretty plants in the garden and used a scrubbing brush to get the dirt out from under my nails and now on a Monday morning there is still NOT ONE CHIP!! For only R52.95 I think this was one of the biggest bargains I've ever bought in my life.

The finished product - isn't the colour lovely?

I highly recommend this Yardley product and my promise to you is you won't be dissappointed! And just to prove how long this nail polish will last for I will do another post on when my nails start chipping and we can count the days it's lasted for and the activities it's outlasted!

Would you use this product?

Have you tried Yardley before?

Let me know if you'd be keen for a follow up post!

xxx