Nails Inc Warwick Avenue

I've had a bit of trouble with this polish. I bought it a couple of years ago because I love the colour, a baby pink creme. When I tried it I was a bit disappointed as it seemed to have a very soft finish- the slightest knock and the polish would crinkle. This seems to be a problem with creme pastels; the amount of pigment required for an opaque finish messes up the resilience of the polish. Fast-forward a couple of years and I decided to give it another go.

 

It was a great success! The trick is to make sure that each coat is really, really thin and to wait a long time between coats. I was hoping for a solid colour, but the above picture shows three coats of Warwick Avenue. In a way, I like the sheer finish and still being able to see my nail line- it is a beautiful, soft look. I think that a solid look could be achieved with 4 coats. Oh, and it is lasting very well. the pictures are of a 4-day old manicure with no touch-ups. It is starting to chip now, but the colour is so pale that noone would know.

OPI Sicilian Vermillion

I have had this polish for ages- about 10 years. I get it out at the first glimmer of sunshine; it doesn't disappoint.

It is a beautiful deep orange creme. I like the bright colours, but I am a bit too shy and a bit too pale to carry off the look too often. This polish is bright enough to be eye-catching without having the 'disco-nails' look of true neon. I apologise for the poor picture, but once again, it was taken on my mobile.

Nails Inc Haymarket

Long time, no see! I've been busy!

Anyway, just a quick post with Nails Inc's Haymarket. I apologise for the rubbish picture; it was taken on my mobile. I didn't have my proper camera, but I love this colour so much. It is a perfect sunny shade- a bright aqua blue. It looks more vibrant on the nail than in the bottle. It is a fabulous polish too, applying evenly, with full colour after 1 coat (although I used 2). It lasts ages too!

OPI Lincoln Park After Dark

From one of my oldest polishes, Maui Mango, to one of my newest, Lincoln Park After Dark. It's been on my list for a while- I love the idea of a polish so purple it's black!

The polish was slightly disappointing. I didn't realise it would be so black. Even in daylight, it looks black. In fact, it only looks vaguely purple if a very bright white light is shone on it, or when the pigment is revealed when using nail varnish remover. I had done my homework and looked at swatches online, but my bottle seems so much darker. Is mine a dud? I do not have a true black polish and I think I could get away with using this.

My other niggle is the new brush. It appears to be wider and flattens out to allow the nail to be coated in fewer brush strokes. This is all very well, but I have tiny nails! This brush is too wide!

In daylight:

Indoors, with flash:

See what I mean? Black Tie Optional is a black polish, but has different coloured shimmers which make it interesting, a black plus. Lincoln Park After Dark is so black that it appears to be nothing more than a black polish. I may try to wear the polish in the height of summer and see if the bright sunlight helps the purple base shine through.

OPI Maui Mango

I decided to have a look through my ancient polishes and give them a shake, checking to make sure they've not gone claggy. I came across OPI's Maui Mango, a polish which has been in my collection for over 10 years.

It's a red-brown berry creme, and comes with the older, smaller brushes. It still paints and wears well, as I'm sure you'll agree:

Nails Inc Magnetic Polish Trafalgar Square

Okay, so I couldn't wait!

I decided to test out Trafalgar Square, the gunmetal grey of the trio.

The first coat was not easy to apply- if the brush is not loaded the polish will streak. I didn't see this as too much of a problem, it's just that the brush and consistency of the polish is different to the usual bottles of Nails Inc. I suppose this is to be expected as the polish is load with iron filings...

I have a picture of just one coat of Trafalgar Square. You can see on my little finger the problem of a thin coat.

The for the fun bit: the second coat and magnet! The second coat applied beautifully and gave excellent coverage. I was concerned that the magnet would be fiddly, especially when doing my right hand. I needn't have worried. Each nail only takes a few seconds to magnetise, and I only caught two nails on the magnet.

I have one piece of advice when using magnetic polishes: when applying the top coat, make sure the brush is loaded and use a nice thin lacquer. If you use a slightly claggy top coat you will need to use more brush strokes to achieve an even finish. This can start to erode the design formed by the magnet. As few strokes as possible is the key. You can see where I started to erase the stripes on my index finger:

Overall I am very pleased with the results. I know that next time I will do a better job by applying generous coats of polish. I think the 3D-metallic look is stunning, and I am already planning which colours I can put beneath the magnetised coat in the hope it peaks through!

Exciting news- New Followers and Nails Inc Magnetic Polishes

Exciting times- I now have three followers! Welcome to Deez Nails, Bethereen and Vettel!

Even more exciting- my Nails Inc Magnetic Polish has arrived. I have all three: Trafalgar Square (gunmetal grey), Houses of Parliament (purple/brown) and Big Ben (antique gold).

I have not been this excited since my Nfu Oh flakies turned up. Hmm, I'm in a quandary. My last mani is still looking fab, but I want to swatch my new haul.

What's a girl to do?