2013 in review - My favourite blog reads!

Hey all!

These are some of my favourite blog reads. Feel free to pop along and have a look - they really are good.

1. Em's Little Corner

One of my favourite blogs - simply because she has such unique nails and hand poses - I would know them anywhere. She loves dots (so do I) and is honest in her opinion of anything she reviews, which means a lot when I'm going to spend my money. Emma is one of only a few bloggers who rocks short nails. She really does have beautiful nails and I am looking forward to what she brings in 2014.

2. Kitty's Painted Claws

The lady who runs the Pokémon Gen 2 challenge. She has beautiful nails and is my first stop every day on my blog reads. She is another shortie rocker, although she does go between short and long but she never lets this stop her from posting beautiful nails. She's also very quirky and posts all sorts of geekery which is another reason why I love reading her blog.

3. UKNailRunner

Possibly my biggest source of nail porn. EVER. Her swatches are unreal, photos are beautiful. I sometimes have to remind myself to stop drooling over the photos and read what she's written. 

4. Special Girl Nails

My one stop shop for all things indie. Especially UK indie. She's also a wonderful stamper and has gorgeous nails!

5. Nail Lacquer UK

AJ has beautiful nails. I often admire them over a cup of tea when we go into town. Even so, I still love to check out her reviews and her freehand nail art is just out of this world. Stunning!

2013 in review - my achievements!

Hey all!

Don't worry - this isn't a long post! Just a few things that I am proud of this year.

1. I plucked up the courage to start nail blogging. It's harder than you think - especially with so many other beautiful nail bloggers out there! Here is a photo from my very first post. Cringe!

2. I got accepted to review items for companies - big thank you to all those who asked me to review for them!

3. I finally 'got' stamping!

4. I improved my photos - my hand poses, my lighting, pretty much all of my photography improved!

5. The best one - I made some fantastic new nail friends, and joined some fantastic nail communities. Thanks everyone!

What did you do in 2013? 

Rachael xxx

Knowing Vera - Giveaway!

ONE LUCKY WINNER WILL WIN THEIR CHOICE OF 

$20 AMAZON / PAYPAL GIFTCARD

PLUS A PRINTED BOOK FROM RACHELLE AYALA

Ending on Sunday 8th December at 11.59pm EST

Open Worldwide !!

Vera Custodio has never fallen in love, though she has strong feelings for her friend and sometimes lover, Zach Spencer. Long-forgotten memories resurface when Vera discovers Zach’s mother was the woman her father supposedly murdered many years ago.

After losing his leg, former triathlete Zach Spencer reevaluates his life—and realizes he’s falling in love with Vera. After she ends their relationship, Zach is determined to prove his love and follows her to Australia in search of the killer.

Caught between a web of family secrets and a deranged adversary, Vera and Zach must depend on each other for survival. Love blossoms, but the truth explodes everything Vera knows about herself. Will she close her heart forever or risk it all for a shot at happily-ever-after?

Book 3 of The Chance For Love Series - Each book can be read standalone, but earlier plots will be revealed by reading later books.

Winners Choice of Book (plus $20 Amazon/Paypal Giftcard)

Michal's Widow

Michal is one of those fascinating women in history who had the guts to stand up to the establishment and the courage to take her punishment. I knew there was more to her story than the surface presentation in the Bible. If God was so adamant about men remaining with the wife of their youth (Proverbs 5:18-19) and not mistreating their covenant wife (Malachi 2:14), then why did it seem as if David got away with his burgeoning harem? 

Michal was shortchanged in most history books, novels and Bible commentaries, so I wrote my own version of her story to vindicate this heroic woman, too strong for her time.

#1 of The Chance For Love Series - Broken Build (Dave & Jen)

When a woman wrongs a man… can a man forgive and love?

Jen Jones wasn't a criminal. She just made a few bad choices and ruined a few lives, primarily that of her boss, CEO Dave Jewell. When her blackmailer is murdered, she becomes the next target.

Dave Jewell protects Jen because she holds the key to his company's code. What he doesn't expect is love, lies, and a link to his past. Jen must solve the mystery and thwart a ruthless killer while keeping her heart from being broken.

#2 of The Chance For Love Series - Hidden Under Her Heart (Maryanne & Lucas)

Maryanne Torres has sworn off sex. Intent on finding a marrying man, she joins a church youth group. A party at her pastor’s house turns into a drinking binge, and Maryanne is raped.

Lucas Knight’s only concern was winning the Ironman Triathlon until the morning he finds Maryanne unconscious in the church parking lot. He becomes the prime suspect, even though Maryanne cannot identify her attacker.

Maryanne wants justice but the identity of her rapist is hidden in the baby she plans to abort. A trap is set. Lucas races to clear his name and keep Maryanne’s secret from drowning her and her baby.

Enter Below & Good Luck !!

a Rafflecopter giveaway 

Book Review - Taming Jenna by Charlene Raddon

NEW RELEASE .........

THE WRONG MAN

Deserted by her father at the tender age of seven, Jenna Leigh-Whittington had taught herself to ride, shoot, brawl…and steer clear of the opposite sex. But now, in a lonely Utah canyon, the Pinkerton agent has drawn her gun on a rugged stranger—only to discover that, far from the dangerous outlaw she’d been tracking, he is Branch McCauley, hired gun…and the most irresistible rascal ever to tempt and torment a woman!

THE RIGHT WOMAN

If there’s one thing McCauley trusts less than a female, it’s a female who packs a six-gun. But what a woman! Vowing to bring the sensuous hellcat to heel, McCauley has no inkling that their passionate battle of wills has just begun. Taming Jenna will be the most seductive—and satisfying—job he’s ever taken on.

Buy the book from .....

Amazon.co.uk

Amazon.com

Barnes and Noble

My Review:

This is not the sort of book that I normally pick up and I have to say that it was such a refreshing change. I worried that I would struggle to get into the book with it being different to my usual choice, but as soon as I picked it up I was glued to it.

Raddon has a fantastic ability to develop characters that are easy to like. I instantly fell in love with Jenna's character - strong and willful (something I have always thought I was!) and I was intrigued by McCauley - his description at first caused me to think huh? Not what I expected at all! But as I read on, I think I really started to engage with his character and the little hints of his personality that were dropped in with the storyline.

The historic element for me was really enjoyable. It added another dimension to the story and really got me stuck in. I'm also not going to lie - the sensual moments in this book are fantastic. Graphic but not overly so - making Taming Jenna a thoroughly enjoyable read. I would definitely recommend it to any romance lovers who want a bit of a different storyline!

About the Author

Charlene began her writing life at an early age, often penning stories where she cast herself as the heroine. It was after college when she dug out her old college typewriter and started her first novel, which came from a spirited dream she'd had the pervious night.

While that book never sold, her second novel did. Tender Touch became a Golden Heart finalist and earned her an agent who signed the book, and two others, in a three book contract with Kensington Publishing. Kensington went onto publish five of Charlene's western historical romances: Taming Jenna (1994); Tender Touch (1994 Golden Heart Finalist); Forever Mine (1996 Romantic Times Magazine Reviewer's Choice Award Nominee and Affaire de Coeur Reader/Writer Poll finalist); To Have and To Hold (1997); and as Rachel Summers, The Scent of Roses (1999).

Charlene took a break from publishing, but not from writing. A Kiss and A Dare is Charlene's first paranormal romance.

Divine Gamble is Charlene's latest work and won first place in the western historical category of the 2010 Romance Through The Ages contest.

When Charlene isn't writing, she loves to travel, do genealogy, digital scrapbooking and dyes eggs in the Ukrainian style. And she enjoys camping and fishing with her husband in the Utah wilderness. 

Follow the Author
Website,  Blog, Facebook Twitter, Pinterest and Goodreads

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I received this book to review through Beck Valley Books Book Tours, all the opinions above are 100% my own.

KKCenter HK - Review of N.Nail Blue Peony Decals

**Products in this post were provided for an honest review**

OMG I LOVE THESE!

Check these out - 'N.NAIL Dejected Sad Tear Blue Bee Peony Nail Water Decals'

When KKCenterHK let me pick some products, I was drawn to these. I love anything that looks like old blue and white china, so when I saw the peony design I just had to ask for them!

These come with no instructions and they also come attached as one sheet of 10 so if you cut wrong, or if you mess one up, you're pretty screwed. But for the price of only $2.82 they are definitely worth a go!

I cut mine up and soaked them in water until the decals would slide off easily. I used tweezers to pick up each sheet and place it on the nail. Each decal is quite long - I had to carefully file off the end of each to fit my nail once they had dried in place. They are 2.3cm in length, which is a fair size I think! One thing I didn't anticipate was that theyre not blue and white, the blue design is there but if you want blue and white, you will need to apply over a white base.

I have them here over 2 coats of Revlon 'Sneak' which is a pale pastel blue. I think they look really cute!

I am super impressed with these - I really like them. Theyre beautifully delicate and elegant and suitable for any occasion. Just something special that is easy to do and quick to apply. What can't you like?

What do you think? Have you ordered anything from KKCenterHK before? Anything you've had your eye on?

Rachael xxx

Book Review - The Witch's Salvation by Francesca Pelaccia

Hello all! I have something totally new and different for you today. My second love - reading. I have a wonderful book called The Witch's Salvation by Francesca Pelaccia to share with you today.

The Blurb

A witch who demands humanity.

The immortal families who denied her of it.

Two mortals commanded to right the wrong.

That is the fate of the urban princess Anasztasia and the renegade prince Matthias, born shockingly mortal to two immortal families. If they go back in time and restore the witch’s humanity, she will grant them immortality. She will also break a 550 year-old curse that imprisons Matthias’s family in their ancestral homeland and exiles Anasztasia’s family from it.

But to make their lives their own, the heirs must return to the most dangerous day in their families’ past, Easter Sunday, 1457. This is the day Vlad III, aka Dracula, massacred all nobles and their families involved in the death of his father and older brother.

How can Anasztasia and Matthias reverse the past when their families will not speak of their wrongs? How can they refuse when the witch owns their lives?

The Witch’s Salvation is a time-travel fantasy weaved around myth, historical fact, and a whole lot of creative license.

My Review

So you've already read the gist of what the books about - so I'll give you a bit more information about what its like to read.

Pelaccia pays particular detail to the description of characters and as you read through the book, it pieces together bits of their past to give you a fuller picture of who the characters are and what made them become who they are. This really helps you identify with the characters and turns the book into a real page turner - it keeps you reading wanting to find out more about each of the characters. I really loved both the main characters in the book - you identify with them and their situation straight away and it makes you want to find out more.

The chapters are at times quite lengthy and often end with a cliffhanger - this is somewhat a good and bad thing, especially if you want to put the book down (or don't want to.. but have to!) and also because it's so frustrating that you get to the end of a chapter and oh NO! Can't possibly stop reading here because the cliffhanger just makes you need to keep reading. 

The only thing I would mention is that at times, some phrases can be confusing - at times I have had to go back and reread to check I really got what was meant. Also throughout the book there are some mentions of things that leave you wondering - they're not tied up. I hope the case is that this will be answered in another book!

I would recommend this for anyone who likes a mix of fantasy intertwined with history - there are some great snippets that have been picked and written into the book that makes it a truly enjoyable read.

Buy the book from.....

Amazon.co.uk

Amazon.com

Barnes and Noble

Francesca Cesario Pelaccia grew up in Toronto, Canada, and went to the University of Toronto, where she studied English literature. She started her working career moving in and out of teaching and corporate editing and publishing before settling on teaching adults English as a Second Language. 

The Witch’s Salvation is Francesca’s first published novel. She has many other manuscripts in various stages of completion and genres gathering dust on her bookshelves. But it was not until The Witch’s Salvation that she “found her voice”. Francesca lives just outside Toronto with her family. She is working on the second book of the Witch’s trilogy, entitled, The Witch’s Monastery.

Follow the Author

Website
Facebook
Twitter

Goodreads

Follow the Book Tour

 

printed book         ebook version

I received this book to review through Beck Valley Books Book Tours, all the opinions above are 100% my own.

Nail Art using MoYou London stamping plates

Good morning all!

Just a quick little post to show you my autumny nails - these are my first full hand of successful stamps - I feel like I have just 'got' stamping!

I used an image from one of the new MoYou London plates - I picked up a few when they released some of their new collections. This is one of the XL plates, although my nails are easily small enough for the small plates at the moment.

The base is the beautiful Butter London Tee Total. I then used Barry M Gold Foil Effects as the stamping polish (because its brilliant for stamping!) and used the tree rings from the top row. I really love this plate and can't wait to try out some more images - the tree rings turned out really crisp - they picked up well from the plate and then transferred brilliantly from the stamper to the nail. Really really happy!

You will definitely be seeing more stamping from me! Those cobwebs are definitely on my to-do list for Halloween! 

What do you think? Are you yay or nay for stamping? Do you have any of the MoYou plates yet? What do you think? 

Rachael xxx

KKCenterHK - Chrysanthemum Tear Drop Nail Decorations

**Products in this post were provided for an honest review**

Good morning everyone! Today I have a product from KKCenterHK to share with you.

These are 'BlueSea Chrysanthemum Tear Drop Nail Decorations'. 

They are almost 1cm (9.9mm) in length, 6mm wide and are rigid. They have a pretty flower and circled dot print and make a nice accent to any manicure.

As they are quite large, they do not sit flat to the nail. I have particularly curved nails so they certainly do not sit flat to mine. However, with enough adhesive (I would recommend nail glue as topcoat will not hold them for very long because of the size) they will stay on for long enough. They are quite a statement and therefore I think they would be great for a special occasion. The colour makes them quite summery so I will definitely be reusing these come spring time!

The drops come as a pair - which makes them perfect for accent nails, but it is a shame they dont come in bigger packs. 

What do you think?

Rachael xxx

Swatched - Butter London Tee Total

Hey all!

Firstly, I'm so sorry for being quiet the last week or so. Work is so hectic and last weekend I had no time to prepare anything.. so unfortunately I only managed a couple of posts. I have been trying this weekend to get a little bit more ahead so there are a few more posts coming this week!

Here is one polish I've saved for awhile - I am SO glad I picked it up as I am loving neutral shades at the moment and this is definitely on my keeps list. Butter London Tee Total. Like its brand name, it applied like butter. The first coat is deceivingly patchy despite being easy to apply but the second coat just glides on leaving the beautiful glossy cappuccino coloured creme finish you can see. I am in love. 

This is 2 coats, base of matte Nail Envy and a top coat of Sally Hansen Insta-Dri. It dried really quickly and levelled beautifully. Like I already said, it needs the second coat as the first is patchy. Other than that, I can't fault it.. really love it and can see it being a staple in my winter polish collection!

I picked this up from TK Maxx when they had an influx of Butter London polishes for £5.99, so keep your eye out for some!

What do you think? Do you have it / want it / like / dislike it? 

Rachael xxx

Nelly Polish - Swatches and Review of Jonah's Green and Freckled Primrose

Hey all! Happy 1st October!

First of all.. what do you think of my swanky new header? I am really not talented with these things, but my wonderful friend Becca whipped this up for me. Thanks Becca <3 LOVE YOU LOTS! :)

Today I have two more beautiful colours from Nelly Polish.

After having the opportunity to review 2 of her first collection, I jumped at buying a few more colours. I really enjoyed making them up and now have biceps of STEEL from shaking them about so much!

The first I tried was Jonah's Green. I ADORE this colour. 

This is everything that Essie Naughty Nautical promised to be but wasnt. A gorgeous deep teal green with a sprinkling of small gold hex glitters peeking out at you on occasion. I just love it.



 It was really easy to mix (I did need a small amount of help from Becca's OH to get one tiny corner of dry pigment mixed) and the finished formula was lovely - much thinner and easier to work with than a lot of indie polishes I have had recently. It has lovely coverage as it is so pigmented - I used two coats here with my usual Rimmel Stronger basecoat and SV top coat.

Freckled Primrose was much more difficult to photograph. Firstly, I lost daylight as I was painting my nails and secondly, it was just a pig to photo. I ended up waiting until the morning to rephoto them. Even so, for a yellow I REALLY loved it (I have well over 500 polishes and I now own a grand total of 3 yellows including Freckled Primrose) and autumn be damned, I will be wearing this again soon! 



As per all yellows, it needed extra coats for full coverage and to level out - 3 in total. I used OPI topcoat to mix this one (lucky polish!) and I was interested to see if there was any difference in the suspension and mixing. Although it looked completely mixed (I sat shaking for a good 5-10 minutes) the pigment in this didnt mix quite as easily as Jonah's Green and when I applied it to the nail I was concerned that I could still see specks of pigment that wouldnt dissolve properly. However, once each coat dried you couldnt see them at all, so I wasnt bothered really as it didnt affect my finish. This mix has a gorgeous holo lavender hex mixed into it, so once dry you can see specks of lavender sparkling out at you. Such an unusual but really very pretty mix - I love it!

Both polishes dried super fast - much faster than any other indies I own. They dry matted, so you will need to add topcoat, especially if you're a matte hater like me. It will also help you protect your beautiful new Nelly'd nails for longer.

So, what do you think? Do you like either of these? Have any of them? Want any? I am sure in the coming weeks I will see some more that I want.. I just love playing mini polish maker!

Rachael xxx

Beauty UK Posh Polish Gel FX - Swatches and Review

**Products in this post were provided for an honest review**

Good morning everyone! I have the latest range of polishes from BeautyUK to share with you today. I am always happy to share more British brands and this is no exception!

There are six new shades in the brand new Gel FX collection - all gorgeous for the coming autumn and winter months. 

The colours are:

Midnight Iris, Crimson Rose, Himalayan Blue, Poppy Red, Pink Orchid and Café Cosmos.

They are all 9ml and will cost £3.49 each, available at Superdrug from this weekend - keep your eye out for them!

Here is a what BeautyUK say about them:

The silky and ultra-smooth, high coverage formula combined with the vivid shades makes this latest addition to the popular posh polish collection a must have item. Available in six on-trend catwalk colours, new GEL-FX not only provides a high gloss finish it also uses a plumping agent to make the nail appear fuller. Get your hands on the collection in 6 exotic-flower inspired shades.

Midnight Iris - an intense and mysterious dark inky blue.

Crimson Rose - a deep dark velvet red with hits of burgundy.

Pink Orchid - the essence of pink rich with berry coloured undertones.

Blue Himalayan - colour of the ocean with the waves of intense electric blue.

Cafe Cosmos - cushioned by the colour of the clouds in the grey winter sky.

Poppy Red - vibrant red exploding with festive spirit.

Onto the swatches! All swatches are WITHOUT topcoat to show you the finish of these polishes. I have used a base of OPI Nail Envy and two coats of each polish unless otherwise stated. I have altered colour settings on some photos to give you the most colour accurate photos I can.

(with flash - this is how it looks up close)

The first one I have to show you is Crimson Rose - one of my surprise favourites. In the bottle, this looks deceptively browner than it turns out on the nail. It is a vampy brown/red that looks almost black in certain lights and something I would normally avoid if I was out browsing for a new polish.

 (natural light)

(In shade)

The bottles are nice. A good size and at a good value price, so I was unsure of what the formula would be like. It is surprisingly nice - slightly thinner than the Gelly range by Barry M, but with just as much pigment and good coverage. This colour in particular is much redder with one coat, and levels out browner more burgundy with the second. It  It dries to a beautiful glossy finish as you can see. I was truly surprised at how much I liked this one. Be careful when you take it off, as I rubbed the wrong way and it stained my cuticles. No stainage on my nails though which is the main thing.

The second I have is the nude - Café Cosmos. A gorgeous light cream/beige creme that covered perfectly in just one coat. I have shortish nails, so this might not be the case for longer ones but it was perfect for me. Again, the formula was excellent - no streaks, levelled beautifully and dried in good time to a lovely shiny finish. Couldn't fault this one.

(both in natural light)

The next - the pink. There's always a pink. This is Pink Orchid. I am not a big pink fan, but its always good to have one as a back up, and this is one I'd recommend. Good formula like the others, full coverage in first coat, but I did use two here to level it out. Beautifully glossy and easy to apply.

(both natural light)


(shade)

The next - Midnight Iris. An inky, dark navy blue. This was a slightly thinner formula than the other five, but it was still super pigmented and covered fine. This was like Crimson Rose - so difficult to photograph as in certain lights it is almost black. Really nice work polish I think, but has endless possibilities with some nail art for a nice occasion.

(natural light)

(natural light)

This is Red Poppy - a totally different formula to the rest. This is what I refer to as 'tart red' - the best kind. Beautifully bright, slightly orange leaning but unlike the others as it is a true jelly. It doesnt fully cover the nail line  as you can see, so you might decide on a third coat - but I like it just as it is. It dries just as beautifully glossy as the rest as you can see.

 (both natural light)

And last, but definitely not least - Himalayan Blue. I own a ton of blues, but this is a new shade in my collection - what I would call a cornflower blue. Again, lovely formula and a glossy finish. Not what I would choose first for the time of year, but one can always find time for a nice injection of colour!

(natural light)

I wore this last colour for a full day and night - I would advise using a topcoat. It does stay glossy, however it doesnt hold up too well to wear and you could see a lot of dints (not much wear on the tips though which is good) so I would recommend a topcoat just to protect your mani for longer. 

Overall thoughts - I am so impressed with these. I will be holding out in hope that eventually the collection will get bigger and there will be more colours available. But the colours they have released are on the whole nice wintery colours that will get plenty of use with the odd less seasonal colour for whenever I need a colour pick me up! They have picked a nice selection too, so if you're picky about your colours there will at hopefully be at least one that piques your interest. Favourites? Definitely Crimson Rose and Himalayan Blue, but Poppy Red is close behind!

What do you think? Will you be grabbing any of these? Are you a fan of Gel effect polishes? What do you think of the price? 

Rachael xxx