Happy Birthday to me!

Hi!

It was my birthday on Saturday, and my nails celebrated with a bit of glitter! It wasn't a 'milestone' birthday (I turned 32...not sure how I feel about that...) and so it was just a quiet one with my family. For the manicure I used three coats of Bourjois Rose Lounge, a sheer pretty pink, and two different gold glitters for the tips: Milani Gold gems and an un-named gold micro glitter. The accent nail is stamped with Barry M Gold Foil and an image from Pueen 45.

I had convinced my self when I was planning this manicure that I had OPI Bubble Bath in my stash, but I've never actually owned it. Do you ever do that? Think you have a polish but don't? I felt really dumb when I realised! Dementia must be setting in... Anyway, I think this worked just as well in the end!

Hx

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NOTD – Shopping the stash for a new look...

Hello!

After taking off China Glaze Flying Dragon (Neon-that-isn't) I wanted something soft and pretty (I don't do soft and pretty very often...) on my nails for a while. I've seen some lovely things done with the new OPI New York Ballet polishes – milky jellies and a glitter topcoat, but I don't have any and my bank balance is less than healthy at the moment, so I decided to try and create something similar with what I already have. You Callin' Me a Lyre? is the pink jelly from the collection and I decided to try and recreate it by using a coat of Barry M Strawberry Ice Cream, topped with Bourgois Rose Lounge. Rose Lounge is a sheer milky pink, which apparently is one of the polishes worn by K-Mid on her wedding day to Prince Billy. Apparently. Anyway, a coat of that over the Barry M made a more or less opaque crelly-like soft pink, not exactly the same as You Callin' Me a Lyre, but as close as I was going to get. I then added a coat of Revlon Stunning, in place of Pirouette My Whistle from the OPI collection, added another layer of Rose Lounge and then mattefied it all with 17 Nail Xtras Matte topcoat.

 

Before I mattefied it...

Exactly what I wanted, and without having to buy anything new! Ok, so if I had bought the polishes especially for this manicure it probably would have come in at about the same cost as two ebay-sourced OPIs (Barry M £2.99, Revlon £6.49 and Bourgois around £6) but since I had them already it cost nothing. Chuffed. I hoping that the Rose Lounge will have the same effect over some other pale crème polishes so that I might be able to recreate the grey and lavender OPI soft shades from the NY Ballet collection.

Do you have any of the NY ballet polishes? Did I get close?

Hx

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Saturday Randomness - What's in my bag...

Because I don't have a nail post for you today (still rocking the splatter for a few more hours until I change them for my night out) and I'm bored I decided to show you what's in my bag. I've seen a couple of these posts, in video and photo form, and the inner peeping tom in me loves it. Now, I know you're thinking, hang on, she's got kids isn't her bag going to be full of nappies, squashed bananas and crumbs? Well, yes, my big bag is. Nappies, wipes, bum cream, spare clothes, hand sanitiser, juice, biscuits, toys, 11tybillion spare dummies, several different fruits in various stages of 'squashed' you get the picture. But I have a separate bag for my everyday things - I don't need to take the big bag for the school run or nipping to the shops so I downsized recently and got my own handbag back! And it's not big enough for a banana, squashed or otherwise...

First the bag itself. I got it at Tesco fairly recently for £5. I'm on a bit of a floral kick at the moment, and have had a few compliments on it so it must be ok! The strap is pleather and adjustable but I have it as long as it will go so I can wear it across my body and be hands free.

Now for what's inside...

Purse, a Christmas gift a few years ago. I have a bag to match which is a lot bigger so I use it more for going out for the day. Keys. Actually, key and rather a lot of keyrings. Phone headphones (I have a Samsung Galaxy S and it is sexy. It's usually in here too but I couldn't take pictures of it because I was using the camera on it...) Chewing gum, spearmint only please. Tissues. Folding hairbrush. Lipstick and gloss. Mouth ulcer pastiles because for some reason my mouth is full of them at the moment.

Folding hairbrush with mirror, £1.49 from Superdrug. Deep pinky red lipstick from Bourgois. It also has a handy mirror on the cap. This is really sheer and more like a tinted balm, which is perfect for me. They call it a lipshine and the shade is 07 Rose Parero. Barry M clear sparkly lipgloss, which I got in a pack with an Impulse bodyspray. It doesn't have a name on the tube, but is just clear with sparkles. Great for layering over lipstick or on it's own if you need a bit of moisture. I switch the lippie and gloss with a few others quite regularly, but these are my faves at the moment

My purse...

Some photos I keep in my purse: 

L-R: My goddaughters when they were little. They're great big surly teenagers now, and taller than me (not hard, I'm only 5'2) Baby boy no 2, 6 days old. The OH when we met 9 years ago (now considerably less hair). Baby boy no 1, not even a day old. My niece and nephew.

Ha you can see my swimming pool loyalty card poking out the top! And my Superdrug beauty card :)

So that's it. Not a lot of stuff in there really, and I should really fling an emery board in to stop me having to frantically rub my nails against my flies every time I get a snag and looking like a pervert...

What's in your bag? Do share ;)

Hx

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