NOTD - Barry M Cappucino with 'graped tips'

I don't actually think the term 'graped tips' exists (although try saying it over and over again as fast as you can, it's worth 30 seconds of braindead amusement.... ) but what I mean is a deep wine/grape coloured French tip.

I picked up Barry M Cappucino last week, alongside a goddess green shade called Racing Green.
2 for £5 at Superdrug, people. Go grab 'em.

Barry M Cappucino with Honk if you love OPI on the tips

Just so you all know, I'm fully aware that 'cappuccino' has TWO c's, but clearly Barry doesn't. Besides, it's not even cappuccino coloured so I don't know what he was thinking. It's more of a mauve-grey-taupe hybrid. And very, very beautiful. So Barry, I will forgive your misspelling and misnaming of this little bottle of goodness, because I think you have just topped Mushroom (which in fact wasn't even mushroom coloured anyway) with this.

French Cappuccino?

The formula is great, two smooth coats give effortlessly lady-like, but edgy, chic. And the lasting power is amazing. It's been on now for four days and because it was only looking a little sorry at the tips (absolutely no chipping, miracle), I decided it was a shame to remove it and vamped it up a notch with a deep purple tip, using Honk If You Love OPI (see here for swatches of it on it's glorious ownsome).

 Did you know that doing a French tip is really hard? Or at least it is if you are as cack-handed as moi. But I managed just about and I'm quite pleased with the effect. I think the colours complement each other and I'm feeling delightedly rock chick sporting my 'graped tips'....

What do you think? Do you like a bit of grape with your cappuccino?

Nudes & Neutrals Nail Wheel - Picture Heavy :)

They're easy to wear, effortlessly chic and forgive even a shaky hand, don't we all love a good nude nail polish?

Once upon a time 'natural' coloured nails were all about the French manicure and those sheer baby pinks which contrasted strongly against those vixen, wantonly reds and their even brasher, brightly coloured sisters.

Nowadays, nudes come in all different tones and there is definitely more than one way to go naked on the nails. Baby pink doesn't even get a look in....

I invested (well... all of £1.50 or something like that) in some nail wheels from ebay just before Christmas and I've been organising them into colour families, both for fun and also for my own reference. My collection has quadrupled since last year and sometimes I look into my nail boxes and just can't choose. These nail wheels will definitely help the painstaking decision making process :)

So, here is the 'jeans and t-shirt' nail wheel. My current and somewhat modest (hmmm must remedy that...) collection of neutral shades:

Here you can see the beautiful shimmer in the two Essie shades in the middle, Au Naturel and Sand of a beach

Another gratuitous pic of the Essie polishes! Check that fine shimmer!

Unfortunately I smudged the OPI, it took at least 4 coats to get that depth of colour, it's a very sheer polish.

 The OPI Altar Ego polish was my wedding day choice. It looks a lot better on the nail than on the dead white plastic of the nail wheel but it is quite sheer. It adds a pretty irridescent pink shimmer and is suitably bridal. It would make a nice layering polish, in fact I might try it over one of the others....

Here you can see the very fine shimmer in the Model's Own Pro polish (centre)

Swatching them all the wheel was a revelation, they are all quite different (to me at least!). I realised how much I really love some of them, and I have to say that it's an extremely close call between the two Essie polishes and my Ciate one, but I think that Ciate my still win the crown for being my favourite.  I also had a hankering to wear the Barry M Mushroom shade again, it's just so effortlessly chic and makes me feel 'expensive'!

Which shades do you like best?

Nude polishes, the line up!

NOTD - Barry M Raspberry (273)

This is my first ever Barry M polish. I picked up this colour along with Mushroom on a visit to London back at the beginning of August but I hadn't tried either of them yet.

This is love at first stroke. Gloriously pigmented, smooth, liquid enough to spread on the nail but without being either watery or gloopy, fast drying, high shine finish and actually opaque enough for one coat only, but I gave it two for longevity. And only £2.99! Makes you wonder ....

Barry M Raspberry

Raspberry is a beautiful deep red with a pinky undertone. It's a cream finish, so no shimmer. I adore it. It's the perfect summer/autumn crossover red.

Barry M Raspberry

Look how shiny!

Do you likey? What are your favourite colours at the moment?

By the way, I have another absolute beauty coming up soon.....