E.L.F. Mango Madness

I have been a fan of E.L.F. polishes for quite some time. They have a brilliant choice of colours and finishes, and at just £1.50 make the perfect guilt free purchase. With Valentine's day approaching last week I decided to switch up my french manicure for something a little more fun and romantic. I decided to go for one of the new colours in the range called Mango Madness.

In the bottle this colour is absolutely stunning - a warm pink flecked with the finest gold shimmers that glow in the light. In the past I have found ELF polished to be opaque and long wearing, however this one didn't quite live up to its promises. Mango Madness is a sheer polish, so much so that after 4 coats of colour I could still see the french manicure peeking through. It did dry very fast so by the time I was done with one hand I could reapply another coat on the other, but still I found this very arduous! I was also surprised that it dried fairly matte and the gold shimmer wasn't as visible as it had been in the bottle. I topped it off with my trusty Seche Vite, but as you can see the results weren't quite as vibrant as I had expected.

Excuse the ridiculous amount of growth, I am overdue for infills! This photo was taken a week after application so there has been some considerable tip wear. However, you can see just how sheer the polish is after 4 coats of colour, and how different it look on the nails as opposed to in the bottle - I would say it is more of an orangey coral than a peachy pink.

I have never had this before with ELF polishes, and to tell you the truth it's not something that worries me since I still like the colour, and if I didn't have french tips underneath it would be opaque enough to cover the natural markings on my nails. I maintain my love of these polishes and will continue to purchase and recommend them regardless of this minor mishap as they are fantastic value for money. Check them out here!

Have you tried any ELF polishes? What have been you experiences? Do yo have any favourites? xxx

Twilight

Ciate's latest nail colours are dark, glossy and undeniably sexy! I love rich colours for the Winter, and this collection does not disappoint with some exciting, unique shades, as well as a few great staples.

Ghetto Fabulous (black creme)

 Burlesque (rich plum creme)

Dangerous Affair (rouge noir creme)

 Twilight (black with gold flakes)

 Paparazzi (vampy red black creme)

3am Girl (deep inky blue creme)

 Guest List (deep brown with a hint of purple creme)

 

 Strictly Legal (shimmery plum)

I have to confess that I love them all, especially for the Winter season. However, given the choice of one I decided on Twilight (Strictly legal is a close runner up). Now, before scrolling to the swtaches I have to prepare you for my nails. I am weeks overdue for gel infills, but haven't had the time to get to my regular salon (in Woking) so they are awfully long! Apologies, they are hideous, I am ashamed :(.

Twilight is a unique colour as the richness of the black is lifted and brought to life by the dense gold micro glitter. Some glitter polishes can look a little flat, but this seems to somehow have more dimension. In certain lights it can appear a simple black, but when it catches the light the gold flecks really glow and sparkle!

Like all Ciate polishes I have tried the pigmentation is excellent, and even this deep black is opaque in just one coat. I always go for two, but if you are in a rush you can easily settle for one generous layer. Although the consistency is quite thick the stiff, flat brush helps to apply it smoothly, without dragging across the nail (though you couldn't tell by my 2am shaky application). It dries in a decent amount of time and wears well, but you do have to be careful not to apply it too thick as it can chip. The photos above were taken after 3 days of wear, and though I have a few minor chips I would say it has held up well, especially for a black as any tip wear is instantly noticeable.

Ciate polishes are £9 each and can be purchased from ciate.co.uk.

Have you tried any Ciate polishes? What did you think of their formulation? Do you have any favourites and do any of the above take your fancy? xxx

Paul and Joe Beaute - Symphony Holiday Collection

Paul and Joe has always been a brand I have admired - mainly for their beautiful packaging, so I was very excited a few weeks ago when I got the chance to learn all about their latest products!

My favourite items in the Holiday Collection is the Symphony Eye and Lip Colour set, which comes in a gorgeous clutch/makeup bag in the stunning pattern that runs all the way through the packaging of this collection. Inside is your choice of two colour palettes - Adagio (£30) for lovers of neutrals and Allegro (£24 -pictured below).

Both sets include a lovely little lip tint with rose detailing and five sheet music eyeshadows. Although they may seem small at first glance each one contains up to 30 applications. The shadows are quite pigmented and smooth. The delicate colours they come in would be easy to apply with your fingers, without fear of being too heavy, making them absolutely perfect for makeup on the go! I think this set would also make a lovely gift, if only for the adorable clutch ;).

The collection also features a pressed powder duo in a case of the same pattern (£14). The duo has both a matte powder for blotting and setting and a shimmering pearl powder crescent for highlighting.

 

The powder is finely milled and lightweight, perfect for that 3pm touch up ;). The shimmer is also very subtle and adds a lovely, natural sheen without being glittery. I have been swirling both together to create a matte look with a little bit of glow.

The Holiday collection also features five nail enamels (£9) - how cute is that packaging, it definitely stands out on my little nail polish shelf!

I was given Orchestral to try (far right) a deep navy with multicoloured specks of glitter. This is the perfect colour for this time of year - dark, but with dimension and character.

I would prefer this colour on shorter nails, but as I am a little overdue for gel infills I had to make do with the talons ;). The application was pretty smooth, building up to an opaque colour in two coats. As with most glitter polishes not as much glitter transfers to the nail as in the bottle, but with a little Seche Vite top coat the sparkles were still visible. Wear has been good with minimal chipping and tip wear (but as I have gels polishes wear better than on natural nails).

More information about Paul and Joe Beaute, including stockists is available here. Just a little heads up if you are looking for a bargain as ASOS are having a little sale on some P&J products (including the pressed powder duo) at the moment ;). 

Do you have any recommendations or favourites from Paul and Joe makeuo? Have you spotted anything from their holiday collection that you are lusting after? xxx

Nails, nails, nails.

Since so many of you were keen for me to post more nail related pictures I bring you my mother's nails, freshly painted this morning :).Before anyone comments on these nails (or as i like to call them - claws) they are acrylic, and long overdue for an infill, so are very long. However, I think this design would work perfectly well on shorter or square nails too.

I used one coat of ciate paint pots in no. 39, Mistress. It is no wonder that this polish has won the Kiss and Makeup Beauty Awards, as with just one coat I got an opaque coverage and a glossy finish. These ciate polishes come in a really fun range of colours and finishes and I especially love the cute bow detail on the bottle. They can be purchased from the Powder Rooms website for £7.50. Also, be sure to check out Hele's blog for a 20% discount code ;).
For the flower design I used Konad black nail varnish and plate m7.
I then finished it off with my favourite top coat- Seche Vite.

What do you guys think? Too vamp?