Tri Polish Challenge April #2 - Barmy Blue and Neon too

Hi!

This week's TPC couldn't be more different to last weeks - in contrast to soft, pastel and girly I have gone for neon, sharp edges and eyesearing! I started with a base of white and then sponged a gradient with Rimmel Barmy Blue and Models Own Bubblegum. Because they're both quite deep colours I had to sponge on a few more layers than usual and so mu sponge started sticking to my nails. So I decided to cover it up with a good old bit of stamping, with Pueen 52 and Konad White.

I think I should have added a navy blue at the cuticle end of my nail, as I wanted the base a bit darker, but overall I was pleased with these :) I think I was all pastelled out after last week! And I must just put a good word in for these new Pueen plates, so far they are flawless. Good stuff.

Hx

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Unicorns and lilac clouds

Hi!

This weeks adventures in stamping theme was pastel, and because I've done a couple of pastel manicures this week I went for something a little bit different. I started with a base of Chubby Owl Polish Blitzed Unicornz II, a white crelly base with multi-coloured matte and shiny pastel glitter. It's a really complex polish, but there's pastel pink, lilac, mint, pale blue and gold bits in there, really pretty! I used to coats over white and then stamped swirly clouds in Sally Hansen Lively Lilac with Nailz Craze NC02. Then, because it just wasn't girly enough, I added some flatback pearls too, picking up some of the colours of the glitter.

I really liked this manicure, although girly is definitely not me! Using the pastel glitter instead of a solid pastel colour was a good choice, although now I think I'm all pastelled out for a while!

Hx

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Holo haze

Hi!

A-England recently had a sale, where all of their polishes were £6 instead of £9, so of course I had to indulge! While I was checking my stash to see what I already had I stumbled upon this neglected beauty and had to wear it immediately! A England Tristam is a deep dusty midnight blue with holo. Need I say more? The formula is perfect, it could be a one coater if you're not a clumsy oaf like me and it stamps well too. The holo particles are smooth and not rough at all and it removes super easily and without staining - which for a blue this deep and pigmented is a rarity. Best blue ever? It's definitely a contender. I decided to stamp some leafy goodness from the Pueen buffet set and Color Club Blue Heaven.

Now of course, I wear a holo, the sun gets hidden by a thick layer of sahara desert haze. I'm not even kidding, most of the country has been covered in a cloud of Victorian-esque smog and where I live has been quite badly affected (not as bad as Paris though...) So I had to enlist good old Mr Flash to show the beauty.

In essence, this was a fairly simple mani, but I sometimes just need something simple. I went for eyesearing next though, which you can see on Tuesday!

Hx

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GOT Polish - Pastels!

Hi!

It's been a bit of a Barry M fest on the blog this week! I'm continuing the theme with today's Golden Oldie Thursday challenge which was pastels. I used Barry's first textured range (which I bought and loved but only used once...) in skittles and then stamped sweeties, ice cream and cake over the top. Perfect springy pastels! The colours pointer to pinkie are Ridley Road, Kingsland Road, Atlantic Road and Station Road. I love the textures on these, they're not too much that they're too rough but they're bumpy enough to notice. They remind me of the old woodchip wallpaper I had on my bedroom wall as a teenager!

I do love a bit of a skittle anyway, so it was no surprise that I loved this mani :) Next week's GOT theme is coral, and lord knows I have a lot of those!

Hx

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A sparkling Minty Moment

Hi!

In the name of self satisfaction, I went for two of my favourites for this manicure - mint and glitter! Add a bit of holo-y shimmer and I'm a happy Helly. It was a simple mani, but so sparkly and happy making, and isn't that what it's all about? The base is Lilypad Lacquer Minty Moment, which has such pretty holo sparkles that just lean pink, and I accented and reverse glitter gradiented (totally a word) with China Glaze Lorelei's Tiara, perfect silver glitter with blue flecks. Mine has thickened up quite a lot, which means it's full coverage in one coat and perfect for a lazy gradient like this, just use a fairly dry brush and a light touch, brushing from cuticle upwards and building up gradually.

This will be my last post for the month of March - this year is zooming by! Check out my Instagram for my monthly mani favourites!

Hx

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Off topic Tuesday - Sleek iDivine Garden of Eden Palette

Hi!

I have a love of eyeshadow palettes, and have added to my collection considerably recently. One of my most recent purchases has been the newest addition to Sleek's iDivine range, the Garden of Eden Palette. As you would expect from the name, the palette consists of several green toned hues, complimented by earthy browns in a range of finishes. There are 12 shadows included in the palette, housed in Sleek's usual surdy matte black case with a mirror and (useless) sponge applicator. I have to say, I love these palettes, the design is sleek and practical and the mirror is big enough so that you could use it for your full face of makeup if you needed to. The shades are all named (yay! I really appreciate it when a brand takes the time to name their product...) and are:

Top row

Gates of Eden - beautiful shimmery golden orange

Eve’s Kiss - sweet lavender toned neutral

Paradise on Earth - darker, less pink version of Eve's Kiss

Python - deep brown shimmer

Forbidden - matte mid-brown with gold glitter flecks

Flora - deep satin brown

Bottom row

Entwined - matte dark brown with gold glitter flecks

Adam’s Apple - matte light green

Fig - really pretty golden green

Evergreen - gorgeous blue toned light green

Fauna - stunning blue toned dark green

Tree of Life - perfect satin finish dark green

This whole palette is stunning, especially the shimmer and satin finishes, but I have to say it is let down by Forbidden, Adams Apple and Entwined - the matte additions. They just don't have the same creamyness and great colour payoff as the other shades. Maybe I'd have better luck with a primer, but even then I think I'd struggle to get them to blend. And I just don't understand the addition of the glitter to the other two, it's chunky and serves no purpose. That said, the rest of the shades a re so wearable, I have been reaching for it everyday. I've been using Eve's Kiss and Fig quite a lot for a daytime look, and even with my blue eyes they look great just with a little smoky black eyeliner. The look below is a bit more dramatic, using Fig, Fauna, Tree of Life and a dab of Evergreen.

Have you got any Sleek palettes? Would you recommend any? I love their blushes too!

 Hx

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Tri Polish Tuesday - April #1 Blue, Pink & Yellow

How is it April already? Not complaining, the sooner summer comes the better! The tri polish colours this month are blue, yellow and pink, which just screamed floral to me so that's what I went with for week one! The base is Barry M Huckleberry (naughty, steaky, gloopy polish, but so pretty!) which I then stamped this script writing from MoYou XL Pro 07 on top of. I have no idea if it says anything, means anything or is from something but it fitted what I wanted here! I then freehanded some flowers using two pinks, Orly Preamp, which I thought would add depth as it is sparkly, but it wasn't enough, so I added OPI Pink Friday accents. The middles of the flowers are Illamasqua Blow. Once I'd topcoated it, I mattefied it too, and it just made it all so much more delicate looking.

I think this is one of my favourite manis ever! Possibly...I think...there's been so many now! I am rather fond of it though!

Hx

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