This is one of the first Nails Inc colours I ever bought, yet I don't remember having worn it before.
It is such a pretty, feminine shade, reminiscent of mother of pearl. I have worn different colours with it, and it blends well with most colours. I am wearing purple today and the pale pink hue goes really well with deeper colours.
Once my year is out, I will will be wearing this again.
This is a very poor photo, so apologies. In real life this Nails Inc colour seemed very orange based, which didn't suit me at all I felt.
This manicure lasted 20 minutes before I had to take it off. So this is the only photo of it.
Knitting is one of my favourite ways to relax. At the moment I have about 4 projects I'm planning and this is a project I have been procrastinating over.
The colour of the yarn was the inspiration for the manicure. The colour used is Bond Street Gel Effect by Nails Inc. The photo doesn't do it justice, I adore this shade. It is so rich and regal.
This stayed on from Saturday to Tuesday as I had been bed bound pretty much from Sunday afternoon. It had one chip in it when I came to remove it.
This is a recent addition to Nails Inc's product lines. I am currently looking at other colours to try. This polish is expensive at £14 a bottle, and at present there are only 2 other shades available that would suit my pale skin.
It is a good alternative to a full gel manicure if time is a factor, but doesn't last as long.
Its true to say that the majority of my nail polish collection is Nails Inc brand. There are other brands sneaking in to my stash now though.
This combination is Leighton Denny's Little Thief and Nails Inc's Electric Lane holographic top coat. I wasn't sure if this was going to work. The colour on its own was rather uninteresting to the more creative part of my mind. When I first put the top coat on, I thought it was a step too far, although that was done in poor lighting. In daylight it really brought the colour alive.
Again, it wears well and the colour is well pigmented. I would wear it alone in circumstances where a glitter or holographic top coat would not be appropriate. I am considering buying a few more colours by Leighton Denny as I only have 2 at present.
This is Southwark by Nails inc as a base, and polka dots in South Kensington foil by Nails inc. This was inspired by a fellow nail bloggers post of the design in grey and ivory. I was wearing navy and white to an meeting so adapted the colours to suit.
To do the dots I used a small dotting tool I got in the Avon cosmetics brochure recently. Its double ended with a brush on the other end. The size is just right for what I wanted.
I love this polish, such a pretty effect and so much colour. It lasts well too. This is the lilac shade called moon walking.
Admission of guilt
I have been very slack with the blog. The reason why is simple, and goes back a long time. I have 2 major health conditions that try to take over my life. Fibromyalgia and Myalgic Encephomylitis ( American term is Chronic Fatigue Syndrome)
They can both ruin lives. I have been sick for over 10 years now, so I have the tools to deal with it. Unfortunately January is always a tough month for me.
Both conditions have pain and fatigue as their main symptoms, but they both have other symptoms. At the moment I am having extra trouble with my spine, which is making both conditions flare up into extended episodes. At its worst, I can barely get out of bed. The fatigue is crushing. The pain is never ending, pain killers take the edge off it.
I do have good days too, its all about balance. This year has started out stressful so my body is giving me the signals to say stop.
I have learned how to listen to my body better now, but I have to balance that with the feelings of guilt for not being able to do standard tasks.
So that's why I've taken so long to update this blog. I don't expect sympathy, I just needed to get it out there.
So for this mani I cheated again. I was feeling a little delicate and didn't think I could stomach the smell of polish remover.
It was my husband who suggested putting something over the top. I looked through the effect polishes I have and realised I hadn't tried this one. This is part of Nails Inc's Graffiti range. This shade is called Old Street. I did it as a thumb and ring finger mani as I thought it would look overpowering on all 10 nails. I am really pleased with this mani, I think it has emphasised the neon nature of the leather effect underneath.
I will be wearing this one again.
For brownie points, can anyone name the chord I'm playing?
So today I was feeling blue (ironic considering yesterday's Cinderella). I wanted something bright and cheerful to lift my mood.
I saw this painted on a hand with a darker skin tone on Facebook yesterday, and knew that this would be the colour for today.
So today's mani is Ladbroke Grove by Nails Inc. It's a leather effect polish. That means no top coat, and its a very forgiving finish if you aren't the neatest of painter.
This bottle is special to me. Its one of a handful that I paid full price for (I never buy at full price unless absolutely necessary). I bought it at House Of Fraser in Birmingham. My parents met at the store in the early 70's. It was called Rackhams then. They were working in different departments but attended college together on a day release course. It was also the time I unsuccessfully auditioned for BBC's The Voice. Although I was obviously gutted not to get through, I learned plenty. Experience is priceless.
This colour will look fabulous against my new deep purple handbag, and against the steering wheel when I drive tomorrow.
Todays manicure is a colour I have wanted to try for a little while. As a rule, I tend to go for either very bright or very dark colours as a statement. This pale blue is a big departure from my regular colour choices.
So this is Cinderella by Sinful Colors. I bought this at boots for the bargain price of £1.99.
I wasn't sure at first, but during the day it grew on me. I used a milky white base coat (soho silk by Nails Inc, which may have been a mistake. It took 3 coats to give an even coverage over the base. It has the most beautiful delicate glitter to it, that is so fine you could mistake it for iridescence. This was covered with Kensington Caviar top coat.
Again, my pale skin tone left me wondering if it actually suited me, but I think it did. I will be trying water marble techniques with this one in the future.
Today's manicure was one that I had been putting off. Porchester Square is one of Nails Inc's iconic shades. Many people see it as the perfect nude shade.
I'm not convinced. I think it doesn't suit me, and just makes my fingers look red. I have to say I was disappointed. The way the beauty industry favours this colour, I wondered if I was just seeing things.
So judge for yourself. Is it me, or does it not suit my pale hands?
So I cheated. I put Nails Inc Electric Lane holographic top coat over the No 7 Galaxy. As soon as it had dried, I knew it was wrong. The finished look lost the original depth of colour.
So, as the phrase goes, cheats never prosper.
I have the ladies on a Facebook group to thank for today's mani. This polish has been discussed at length.
Does it look familiar? have you seen the iconic shade Taboo by Chanel? This is the perfect dupe shade for those on a budget. This is No7 gel shine in shade Galaxy. It applied well and dried really quickly. I love the shade. In real daylight it is far more purple, and has a really lovely depth. What surprised me most is that it cleans up well if you are not the neatest polish painter. My cuticles are clean without scrubbing, only having only used Opi non acetone polish remover.
The shine is great, although I automatically reach for my Albert Bridge wet look top coat by Nails Inc. I always use top coat, even though I'm doing a manicure every day.
Today I wanted to try a different brand. I have had this polish for a while, but hadn't tried it until today.
This polish is by Barry M, a magnetic polish in the shade Venus Sunset, number 346.
I am really pleased with the magnet and pattern. The design was easy to achieve. I am going to try this magnet with other magnetic polishes.
I fancied something a little different today. I found this bottle in the back of my collection. I had not tried it before.
This is black denim by George at Asda. I bought it back in the summer, it isn't available any longer. I think I paid £3 for it.
On first inspection it seemed ok. The first coat went on a bit patchy, but I didn't worry about it too much. After the second coat it was still patchy. This photo is after a third coat. I haven't top coated it so I can compare it with the Nails Inc equivalent. So far I am not convinced by it, but we will see how it lasts over 24 hours.
Today my mani is inspired by speed. As we are going out for dinner, it had to be something that would dry quickly.
I have gone for Nails Inc's Fleet Street leather effect polish. Its featured in the polish diary set from Nails Inc. I love the colour. It will be a perfect match for my Model Co cosmetics lipstick in shade Kitty., which I will be wearing this evening.
So day one of the challenge arrived. This manicure was inspired after a photo I saw on a Facebook group.
The comments on the group were really positive, and I love the colour combination. The colours used are Nails Inc. The shades are Kabaret as the base navy blue, then the Fibre Optic effect Mayfair Mews on the ring finger. The other fingers have on Snow Hill, a snowflake effect only currently available at QVC.
