Revlon ColorStay Gel Envy // Review

Shades L-R: Diamond Top Coat 010 // Checkmate 540 // Cardshark 100 // All or Nothing 020 

Revlon ColourStay Gel Envy nail polishes - aka the only nail polish you need in your life. I honestly cannot describe my love for these nail polishes. It's a bold statement but I'm going to say it anyway; this is my all-time favourite nail polish formula. They do exactly what the say on the bottle - two coats and you get a really opaque, gel-like finish. They're easy to apply because the brush is quite wide and rounded at the bottom. 

The pale pink shade, "All or Nothing" is easily my most worn - I've just purchased my third bottle. Since I bought my first bottle of the shade a year ago, one of these 3 shades has been on my nails and toes. I honestly haven't really used any other polishes!

I would say that even if you don't buy any of the range's shades, you have to try the Diamond Top Coat. I know that the Seche Vite Top Coat has always been raved about but I think this one is perfect, and it's a couple of quid cheaper too. Two coats of polish and the top coat and my nails can last a week before they need to be painted again. Even then they're usually chip free - but they are growing out a bit so I give them a touch up.

As you can probably tell, I'm a big fan of these nail polishes. I think as long as I'm still loving the shade range, I'll keep buying this formula for a long long time. (If Revlon ever discontinues this formula I'll deffo shed a tear or two)

Have you tried this formula? (It has been around for a few years now). Or - are there any other nail polishes you think I should try? xx

Topshop's Chiffon

February Favourites

NOTD: The Floating Manicure DIY

The Cool Toned Mani

Barry M Aquarium Collection

It felt like in every November favourites video I watched this year duo-chrome nail polish was mentioned, so it was only a matter of time before I tried one out.

Barry M is always the place to look if you want to try out a new nail trend- they've probably got it covered for a price tag of £3.99! I picked up the shade Persian from their Aquarium collection, but it didn't quite live up to all my hopes. In the bottle it comes across as a purple / gold / green colour but after painting on two coats, it was a bright purple / brown colour. In hindsight I probably didn't pick the right shade for me - I consistently go for the more muted or dark shades, so many the navy option would have been a wiser choice. 

As with all Barry M polishes, the formula is great for the price you pay. Sans top coat it will definitely last a good 3-4 days before it needs some attention! I'm definitely going to revisit the collection next time I go to Boots. Are there any other duo-chrome polishes I should look at? 

Before I go- can I give a little shout-out to blogger and friend Katy? She braved the cold walk to the park to take these photos for me. Go and say hi on her blog for me? 

Mid-Month Favourites

I'm just going to put my hands up and say that I haven't blogged in forever because university life has been hectic. Writing and shooting outfits is something that I love to do and it sucks that I haven't been able to. But, I've just handed in my first assignment and my the outfits should hopefully be back soon. For now here's what I've been loving recently.

1) Phone Case, Primark- This is the cutest thing I've ever seen. It was super cheap and cheerful and I was seriously needing to update my phone case situation!

2) Carmex- After my favourite chapstick went walkies I picked this one up at the Supermarket. It works like nothing else and I love the packaging.

3) Rainy Day Nail Polish, Topshop- blue toned greys are a new favourite nail polish shade. It goes with everything and the Topshop nail polish is so long lasting!

4) Vixen Nail Polish, Revlon- the brush on this baby ain't so great, but the colour is! This was doing the rounds on all the blogs last year but I held off because last winter was all about Essie's Luxedo for me.

5) Alarm Clock, M&S- I tried to bring as many little reminders of home when I moved into university. Being surrounded by familiar little trinkets has made my room feel so much more like my room, if that makes sense. 

How has October been for you so far? All I can think about right now is Halloween and playing dress-up. Did someone say Wednesday Addams? Watch this space! x

NOTD: The Evil Eye DIY

If my bank account were a bottomless pit of money, (or if I had any amount of skill) nail art would be my thing. Sadly the reality is that I'm a student with very little hand-eye coordination! However, summer break has caused me to whittle away rainy afternoons by attempting nail art designs, and I finally have one to show you that went well.

The Evil Eye has been all over my tumblr dashboard recently in various shapes and forms - remember that design that Alexa Chung wore? 

Get this nail design in four steps! 

1) Paint a semi-circle at the base of your nail. Wait for it to dry! 

2) Take a nail dotting tool, or cocktail stick, to paint a small light blue dot in the centre of the semi-circle.

3) Once this is dry, paint a small black dot in the centre of the blue dot, to create the pupil. 

4) Paint over with a top coat, and you're done!  

Let me know your thoughts on this design- do you spend money on manis, or do you DIY? 

May Favourites

Over the past few months I've fallen out of love with writing favourites posts. Some months there are just no inspiring finds to write about. May has brought me a few new loves though, so carry on reading for the details on things that I couldn't get enough of. 

Nike Free 3.0 Running Shoes- I could ramble on about these shoes till the cows come home because I don't think I've ever worn a trainer that looked so darn cool. Check back on Friday for a full blown ode to these, and a new vest top that make up my new gym kit. 

D-Frame Sunglasses, Warehouse- On the rare occasion that the Sun has been out this month I've been reaching towards these. They have a classic, universally flattering shape and I love tortoiseshell shades, they're a little less harsh than jet black sunnies. 

Exposed, Topshop-  My last post gave an in-depth analysis of this nail polish but the general consensus is, even if it's a pesky three coat polish, I love it. The colour is a muted, off-white grey and super pretty. 

Sarah Chapman Overnight Exfoliating Booster- I've nearly come to the end of this little sample and it breaks my heart just a little bit. I'm rubbish with the scientific stuff but all I know is it works- my skin never feels smoother and fresher than when I use this. It helps get rid of the dry patches around my forehead and I still haven't figured out what I'm going to do when it runs out. It's a great product to have in your evening routine, if it's not too pricey for your purse. 

Maybelline Colour Sensational Shine Gloss, Cashmere Rose- I held out on buying this for such a long time because lip gloss was always something I associated with my first forays into makeup, and hair getting stuck to my lips. Not a good look, but I think we've all been there. This lip gloss has filled the little void in my collection though, because now I actually own a lipgloss, and I've yet to relive the hair + mouth situ. Score.

Tan Leather Buckle Sandals, New Look- The holiday shopping has begun and I was in need of some new sandals. New Look always do the best shoes and these are a 10 on comfort factor. The white cleated sole makes them a little bit different, and they were a steal considering they're real leather. We know what I'll be wearing this month...

So there you have it. Another month done and dusted! Let me know what you've been loving this past month too, I would love to hear! Happy June, everyone. 

NOTD: Exposed, Topshop

After a few weeks of bare nails, it was time to try out a new polish. Queue Exposed by Topshop. Ever since I saw Master Plan by Essie I've been wanting a pale, off white grey so I picked this one up on my last trip to Topshop because I have no will power in that shop when it comes to their nail polish stand. The shade is everything I wanted, although slightly paler than Master Plan- you probably know that I'm not all that into bright shades on my tips and this is so muted and pretty. Now here comes the kinda bad news. I know I'm usually safe with the Topshop formula but this polish was so streaky that I needed three coats. That's something that I usually reserve for a shade as pale as Ballet Slippers, but if you're willing to put the effort in the final result will be super smooth and shiny. I'm willing to overlook this little hiccup because I'll get lots of wear out of this little babe all throughout the year. 

I hope you all enjoyed yet another long weekend? I spent my weekend at work from a ridiculously early time on Saturday, before spending some time with friends, and revising in between. I can't wait until these exams are all done so I can just enjoy summer, although I'll undoubtedly be worrying about my results until August 14th comes around.

NOTD: Ballet Slippers, Essie

Rings- Topshop and River Island 

Ballet Slippers has just been added to ever-growing nail polish stash and I couldn't be happier. I'm sure you've heard all about this shade because there's constant hype around it, but it's the perfect combination of pastel, off-white goodness. It's pretty sheer, so you'll need three coats before you get a nice, opaque effect. But I kind of like that about it, because you can have a really subtle wash of pink, or build it up. 

Granted, you need a good dollop of top coat to protect this from chipping (I think I lasted 3 days tops), but you can't fault Essie on their colour selection. What's next on my list, I hear you ask? It's definitely Master Plan. After Suzie at Hello October blogged about this shade I have decided I need it. The perfect taupe-y, lilac grey? I'm sold. 

Queen Victoria Street

I'm back with a new nail offering- Nails Inc, Queen Victoria Street. 

It's the first time I've tried a Nails Inc polish and I really can't make my mind up about this shade. 99% of the time it looks like quite a dark green, and I can't decide if I like it or not. However, in some light it looks more blue than green, and on camera it looks surprisingly turquoise. 

Aside from colour, I really like the formula of this polish. I've been wearing it for about a week now, and I am wearing a top coat, but my nails haven't chipped. The only thing I'm not so sure about, however, is the lid. (This is me being really fussy now) but I feel like the top is quite hard to work with because it's so large. 

Have you ever tried a Nails Inc polish, and what do you think about a green nail polish? I'm still undecided on this one...

NOTD: Lychee and Sour Apple

If you read my last post, you'll know that I love a textured nail polish every now and again, even if my nails don't. You'll also know that I got this new beauty to for my birthday, and it was only a matter of time until I tried it out! 

It's Sour Apple by Barry M, and is described as a confetti effect polish. The polish is clear, but there are tiny flecks of turquoise and neon yellow in there, which I think have a really striking effect. I toned it down a little with my favourite nude, Lychee. I've waxed lyrical about this polish and my seemingly undying love for it, all of which you can read about here. 

I'm all ready for Autumn and to me, this looks more like a spring/ summer colour, but who cares, it's so darn pretty. I have yet to try and remove the stuff though- and something's telling me that it ain't gonna be easy. 

Wearing: Vendetta

I can't believe I've never blogged about this nail polish. Along with a few pastels and nudes, it's my favourite nail polish colour. It's purple, almost black colour means that I only wear it in Autumn and Winter so I have to admit, it feels a bit strange to be wearing it mid August, but I couldn't resist any longer. 

This polish was a birthday present from a friend a few years ago and I've used it so much it's not far away from running out. *cries* It's the only high-end nail polish I own so I'll probably still keep it once it's all gone, just because the packaging is so pretty and I'm a sucker for it. I like a really opaque colour on my nails and for that you would definitely need two coats, but its finish is really glossy and in theory, you could get away without a top coat, if only it were more chip resistant! Having said that, I couldn't say a bad word about this nail polish (even though I have £4 polishes which are more chip resistant). 

RNIL: Lychee & Greenberry

I've heard numerous bloggers talk about how fab they think the Gelly Hi-Shine range from Barry M is, so on my last trip to Boots I had to pick a few up. First of all, I can't get over how amazingly priced they are! At only £3.99 each they are a bargain if I ever saw one. Keep an eye on the offers too, when I bought these they were two for £5.99

Anyway, back to the nail polish. I love them. Personally, I don't think one coat is enough but with two you get a nice opaque finish. Just a few things to mention- definitely use a base coat, although I think they last fine without a top coat, and they're already pretty shiny. Barry M usually have a great colour selection, so I was kind of disappointed when I saw how few there were in Boots. The colours they did have were nice, but there weren't many. Maybe it's because it's quite a new range, so finger's crossed they bring out more!