Invogue Parakeet

Feathers! whatever next! when I first heard about feather polish I thought, oh no, not for me. I think Nails Inc were probably the first to bring them out, the first ones I've seen anyway and I wasn't that fussed by the colours or the effect, but then I saw the metallic feathers and I loved them. I am now lucky enough to own 2 of them from Nails Inc.
Then I saw some other swatches and my interest grew but still not enough to spend £11 a bottle, on something I might well hate. Then through a post on one of the facebook groups, I heard about the Invogue feathers - they brought 4 out, all of them dupes for Nails Inc shades - and only £3.49 from Superdrug. Also available at ohbeauty, where 1st class postage is free.
This one is Parakeet, a dupe for Nails Inc Chester. It is a mix of teal blue, yellow and peach strands in a clear base. I don't have any of the Nails Inc coloured feathers so I can't compare but this was well packed, without being over packed with strands and application was quite easy. I didn't need to spend ages rearranging them to get an even distribution, but after a couple of hours I did add a second coat to get a fuller coverage. Both times they dried quickly.
I have applied this over OPI Green-Wich Village and the contrast for me with one coat was a bit too much, I am happier with 2 coats.
The first few pics are with 1 coat, then the rest with 2 coats. I am pleased with these, at the price I paid, still don't think I'd pay £11 but I hear Barry M are also bring some out. Their range is called Confetti, 3 are similar to the Invogues, but the other two Licorice and Marshmallow (Black and Pink) look lovely, I've already seen swatches and they are on my wishlist!!
Too many words? OK here are the pics...I coat first

Invogue Parakeet - 1 coat

and with 2 coats... 

Invogue Parakeet - 2 coats

 

 

 

OPI Green-Wich Village

I have had this polish for quite some time but not ever used it - what a crime - it's beautiful, especially on a spring day, sun shining, daffodils out, green everywhere!
OPI Green-Wich Village is a beautiful vibrant green creme, I did do 3 coats for full coverage as I sometimes have to with OPIs. 2 coats were mostly good but a bit streaky in places. Pictures here are with no top coat.
I did put something on over the top of this and then wished I had left it on its own a bit longer, I missed its pure green-ness.
I have had a hankering for Nails Inc Ladbroke for a while and dithered in case it was just a bit too bright but having used Green-Wich Village, I think my green longing has been satiated, for the time being at least!

OPI Green-Wich Village

 

 

 

 

 

A England Beauty Never Fails

A deliciously dark one for you today, A England Beauty Never Fails. This is a stunning green black, a dark olive green with a gold/bronze shimmer.

It painted on beautifully in two coats and for me just one of those colours I love instantly. 

I struggled to find a pair of gloves to match, none of my greens were quite right but I think the autumnal shades of the orange/green marl gloves went well. 

I don't care much for "nail polish seasons" - I'll happily wear darks all year round with the occasional nude for variety, but I am trying to broaden my horizons - the nail polish groups help with that, but since its "green week" (Along came greenie) I'm OK with this one :)

A England Beauty Never Fails

 

 

A England Beauty Never Fails with orange/green marl gloves

 

Nails Inc Colville Mews with pretty top coats

Much as I was loving Nails Inc Colville Mews, I just had to have a little play with some glitter. I added one coat of Nails Inc Electric Lane which is a very fine holographic glitter. It gave a very pretty but quite subtle sparkle to the mani. Electric Lane is great over most things but I personally prefer it over darker shades where the contrast is more pronounced. This is lovely and you can begin to see the lovely rainbow of colours being picked up in the sunshine but I was in the mood for something  a little bit more.

Nails Inc Electric Lane over Colville Mews

So here is a little bit more : OPI Which is Witch?, which I have already reviewed twice but really wanted to try over a pale base. Isn't it just stunning ? a combination of fine glitter, and holographic hexes and bar glitter it picks up some many colours and I absolutely love it! It is so super sparkly and I think I will be wearing this a lot during the summer while my lovely darks have a rest.

OPI Which is Witch? over Nails Inc Colville Mews

Nails Inc Colville Mews

Something utterly beautiful for you today, Nails Inc Colville Mews. So simple but just absolutely lovely, I can't stop looking at it.
I think this is the palest nude I have, it is a beautiful creamy nude. It painted on well, but I do have 3 coats to hide the nail line. In some lights I can still see the line, but only if I hold my hand up and look for it. For the most part I just keep looking at my nails and thinking how perfect a colour this is. I can't believe it sat in my box for so long without trying it and I must make more of an effort to try these polishes.
I think it helps that its been so much warmer, the sun has been out for a good part of the day, so everything seems more wonderful anyway, and I have to say, I don't think this would look so good on freezing cold, nearly blue hands.
Quite a few pics as I took loads when I did it and then took a few more today.

Nails Inc Colville Mews

 

 

 

 

OPI Which is Witch? with OPI Tomorrow Never Dies

The sun is shining today, hooray!! excellent opportunity to take a few picks of this very pretty sparkly glitter, OPI Which is Witch?
I have already reviewed this once, here but couldn't miss the chance to take some sunshine pics of it today over OPI Tomorrow Never Dies.
Which is Witch? is a wonderful combination of fine glitter, and holographic hexes and bar glitter and it picks up a whole rainbow of colours in the sunshine. This is just one coat, and the glitter distribution was pretty good. I still need to try it out against some paler colours but I'm loving this combination.

OPI Which is Witch? with OPI Tomorrow Never Dies

  

 

 

OPI Tomorrow Never Dies

I have gone for something which is quite bright today, OPI Tomorrow Never Dies from the Skyfall Collection.
This is a beautiful polish, it went on smoothly although I did use 3 coats for complete coverage. It's a bit brighter than my usual tones but I love it and it reminds me a bit of Leighton Denny Drama Queen, that I had done at the QVC Beauty Bash, and maybe also A England Avalon. If I'd realised before I started I would have done a comparison between Avalon and Tomorrow Never Dies but Avalon does look more purple in the bottle, and looking back at the pictures, Drama Queen seems to have more of a shimmer
This is another of those polishes where my camera and my eyes are obviously not in sync, to my eyes this looks like a Cadbury purple, but in the pictures it looks more blue. I did go and take another late pic with a creme egg, (one left in my Easter stash!!) and bizarrely I think the nails look more purple there.
Anyway, whether it is blue or purple it is beautiful, very glossy and just happens to be a rather good match for my purple gloves, which I am still wearing. The sun may have been out but it still feels cold to me. 

OPI Tomorrow Never Dies

 

Nails Inc Bedford Square

I got this polish a while back and have been looking for an opportunity to try it out. I've seen pics of it on its own and as a top coat. I am not a big fan of gold nails, so it was my intention to try it as a topcoat.

Bedford Square is a very fine mix of gold & holographic glitter, perhaps a little like Electric Lane is silver & holographic.

It struck me as I was gazing at my nails with my previous manicure that it would be fun to see what Bedford Square looked like over OPI What Wizardry Is This?, reviewed here.

I like the darker backround that the OPI gives this and I took a couple of pics with no top coat, this is just one coat of Bedford Square.

Nails Inc Bedford Square

 

I then took a few pics with a top coat. The texture is still there, I think it would take a few coats for it to be completely smooth. This first pic hints at the holo glitter, which even in the dusk as I am typing this is very clear to me, but in bright sunshine earlier my camera couldn't really see it - how annoying is that!