Swatched: Sinful Colors Green Ocean

Hello all! 

I just have a simple swatch for you today, but it is a beautiful one.

I managed to get my mitts on Sinful Colors Green Ocean. A beautiful green/blue flakie polish with a handful of triangular holo shards thrown in for good luck. I think (dont quote me) that it was released around St Patricks Day this year. I havent seen it anywhere in the UK, but we were flooded with swatches of it, giveaways of it.. but I never managed to get hold of it until now. And it was only £1! Bargain! :D

So here it is over black - I truly love it and can't stop looking at my nails. I have actually used it for a base for a challenge, so keep reading over the next few days to see what I did with it!

What do you think? Were you lucky enough to pick one of these up somewhere? 

Rachael xxx

Blog Your Heart Out Award

Hey all!

Jade was wonderful enough to nominate me for this, so the very least I can do is post my answers and nominate a few more of you! Thanks Jade!

First of all, here are my nominations:

1. Kittys Painted Claws (my best friend in RL and the polish world)

2. Nail Lacquer UK (another 'Nailie' friend)

3. Nails and Colour (one of my first followers and first for me to follow and whose small blog Is one of the first I check)

4. Pokenailart (One of my favourite bloggers who indulges in my favourite nail art - Pokemon!)

5. Painting Nails and Baking Scales (my go to for new polish news and beautiful nails!)

and an extra, cause I couldnt narrow to 5:

6. The Nail Snail - one of my latest fave reads.

And the five questions:

1. What/who encouraged you to start blogging?

I stumbled across KBShimmer's latest collection (Jack and Quantum Leaf) and fell head first into the world of nail bloggers. It took me a lot of thought and consideration and about a week later I had a blogger account and some frankly awful pictures uploaded of my first polishes!

2. How did you choose what topic(s) to blog about?

I blog about whatever I want. I know followers are important but I blog mainly because I enjoy it rather than because my followers will. I appreciate every last one of my followers of course and i hope they choose to follow me because they like my little ramblings!

3. What is something that most people don't know about you?

I am a lover of Final Fantasy games and a Narutard.

4. What three words describe your style?

Geek, late, unfashionable. 

5. What do you like to do when you are not blogging?

Reading, watching films or tv (Robin Hood is my flavour of the week!) and i dont like to do it but I work alot. Unfortunately, I love eating too and I do far too much of that for fun! Blogging is my main source of fun and I share my love of all things nails with my BFF Becca from Kittys Painted Claws.

If you havent gotten this award yet, then I'd love to read a little about you!

Rachael xxx

Swatched: Taras Talons - The Best Things in Life are Polishes!

Hey all! Got another one of my TT beauties today to share - nabbed this awhile back as I love circle glitters, and I am pleasantly surprised which how much I love this!

The Best Things in Life are Polishes (TBTINAP) is a very pale mint-leaning off white crelly with a fine sprinkling of small gold circle glitters and large blue/teal holo circles. I impulse bought this for the circles, without thinking about whether the colour would suit me, but as it isnt stark white, I really like how it looks.

It is very thin in consistency, and this was 4 coats to build full opacity. Because of the small amount of glitters in the polish, I think it would be best as a topper to make sure every mani gets a fair share of glitters. I did have to fish for the circles but it wasnt a massive effort, I just wanted big circle glitters on every nail (have to be even!).

This had a beautifully soft look to it - I had loads of compliments while I wore it for work.

What do you think? Is it something you would consider buying? Are you a lover or a non lover of circle glitters and/or crelly polishes? 

Rachael xxx

ER31DC Day 24 - Inspired by a Book

Good morning!

Got another episode of the 31DC for you today - I'm getting there! Today's is inspired by a book. I recently finished book 3 and 4 of the Rachel Mariana Morgan / The Hollows series by Kim Harrison.

If you haven't read any of these books, then check out the first one here:

Dead Witch Walking

I really love all the characters, but I instantly thought 'this is what I'm doing for the 31DC' when I first read about Ivy and her cross necklace. She always dresses in black leather (hence the black matted nails) and I dotted and freehanded my imagined version of her cross necklace onto my accent nail.

What do you think? I'm still not a fan of matte.. maybe in time it may grow on me!

Rachael xxx

Swatched: Julep - Jodie

Hey all!

Couldnt resist picking this one up. My wonderful step sister is called Jodie, so when I caught this in a blog sale that could make it to the UK, I just had to have it. It has sat, well guarded but untried for around 6 months, but that has worked pretty well as its a beautiful autumn colour!

I also decided to pair this up with my new OPI Man with a Golden Gun, which I snagged from one of the nail sale groups on Facebook. What do you think?

Rachael xxx

ER31DC Day 23 - Inspired by a Movie

Hello all!

First of all, I want to say sorry for being absent a fair bit this week. Work is hectic and I am so busy teaching myself everything before I can teach it to my kids. So I have some nails done, but havent had the chance to crop, watermark and write posts for them all yet!

Here is one though - my movie nails. I already did some Stargate ones before, so I went for one of the best movies I have seen this year, and one that has seen a lot of nail art love already - Despicable Me 2! Minion nails!

Hope you enjoy them!

Rachael xxx

Swatched - A-England St George

Good morning!

I have my 2nd A-England purchase today. I picked up this beauty and Dragon when A-England had their £6 sale.

I have to say, I love this even more than Dragon. You will have to pry this from my dead hands! 

Again, pigmented but a much richer colour with 2 coats. This is Nail Envy base, 2 coats of St George and 1 coat of SV.

What do you think? Did you pick up any lovelies in the A-England sale??

Rachael xxx

Swatched - Cadillacquer We'll Meet Again

Hellooooo :)

Another swatch post for you today - trying to use up some of my untrieds. I picked up this beauty as part of a trio from The Nail Arcade pop up shop. 

This was the polish I picked up just because it was part of the set, not because I really wanted it. So of course I was over the moon when I popped it onto my nails and saw how beautiful it was!

This is 2 coats of We'll Meet Again with my usual  Nail Envy basecoat and SV topcoat combo. Its a beautiful soft raspberry pink with a sprinkling of small red circle glitters and holo microglitter. It applies really sheer in the first coat but goes opaque with the second. It levels beautifully and is just stunning. I've worn this all week for work and I just feel very feminine but not overly girly! Love it!

What do you think? Do you own any Cadillacquers? Want any? Which is your favourite? 

Rachael xxx

Swatched - A-England Dragon

Good morning!

Just a quick swatch today - I used these a few days ago for my Chikorita nails and they are so beautiful they deserve their own post.

This is A-England Dragon - perfectly pigmented for 1 coat coverage, shown with a coat of topcoat. I'm in love! So pretty!

What do you think?

Rachael xxx

ER31DC - Inspired by a Song

Hey all!

Another installment of the 31DC today - Inspired by a Song. 

The song I chose was Shinedown - Miracle. This is the song that my partner and I are having as our first dance. We chose it for the words and how we feel about each other, so I thought I would do some bridal style nails.

These come from 'something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue'. My nails have the blue element and also the old lace.. sort of.

I used 2 coats of Cadillacquer - Morning Comes as my base. This is a stunning periwinkle blue base with various blue / lilac glitters. Its so beautiful! I then freehanded and dotted a lace corner design over the top.

What do you think? Not sure this is refined enough for my wedding, but I do love the blue base, but think I would change the overall design.

Don't forget to check out everyone else's song inspired nails!

Rachael xxx