Chanel Diwali

Chanel is a brand that has never really been on my radar, both for fashion and beauty.  I've never really been excited by what they have to offer when it comes to beauty and for fashion, I have never really fallen in love with their handbags.  It's probably because I see it as being quite a classic brand and I prefer my handbags to have a bit of 'life' to them..hence my love of Balenciaga.

Anyway, the other day, I saw a tweet which mentioned Chanel Diwali.  Now, with me being Indian, Diwali is a big thing in my life.  Basically, it's an evening where we let off shitloads of fireworks and eat and drink really nice things.  The reason that Sikhs celebrate it is explained here.

I thought at first this might be a new collection of clothes from Chanel and immediately my mind ran away with itself, imagining suits adorned with gems and Chanel branded mojeh.  Then I googled it and was a nail polish.  I wouldn't have minded some Chanel mojeh you know..

At first, I was bit let down by the colour.  If I was to make a Diwali polish, it would be a black (maybe matte) shot through with multicoloured glitters and those hexagonal pieces.  You know, so it looks like a firework in the sky.

What Diwali by Chanel actually is, is a shiny gold with some 'grit' in it.  To me, it looks more like the colour of a groom's sherwani at an Indian wedding.

I saw some swatches on Temptalia (which is where most of the images for this post are from) and when Diwali catches the light, it manages to sparkle in a way that I think catches the colour of Diwali, so good going Chanel!

 The more I look at it, the more I realise what it reminds me of..you know sparklers?  The second you light one of those and you get that instant whizzy explosion thing.

I showed the polish to my mum who now wants me to pick one up for her..fingers crossed I find one!  It's not on the Chanel website yet but I am going 'up West' soon so will ask on the counters and update this post.

The Models Own Bottle Shop: What I thought..

Not since being so fascinated with the floor of the Prada concession  in Selfridges as a child has a shop ever excited me as much as this Models Own Bottle Shop does..

The idea for this shop is inspired but then I wouldn't have expected a bog standard shop from a brand who are constantly bringing out new shades and collections that are bang on trend.

I went to Westfield on Friday to do a deal with the lady in Dorothy Perkins (I bought trousers, the button fell off, I wanted to keep them so she gave me a discount) and I was adamant I would check the Models Own Bottle Shop out.

I went to Boots first, trying to pick up their new polishes as they were on 3 for 2.  However, the Hed Kandi one I wanted was sold out.  So, I headed off in search of the new store and found it with great ease.

The easiest way to find it is to find either the Apple shop, Zara, the taco place or Topshop and you will see the bottle shop.  Or, if you look for the massive Vue sign, you'll also find it.  If you're by MAC/All Saints/AX then right above AX is where the shop is.  If you know where the Nandos is (below the Vue) then you'll definitely see the bottle shop.

Anyway, I got the bottle shop, had a mooch around and was then approached by one of the ladies who worked there, she found me a sealed bottle of the Hed Kandi polish I wanted and then let me browse as I wished.  I picked up the bright blue from the Hed Kandi range and then another lady who worked there suggested I buy Fuzzy Peach as it would go wonderfully with my skintone.

I asked the lady if the shop was just a pop up shop and she told me that it was now a permanent fixture which is fantastic as I've always wanted to see all the MO polishes before buying and I find that Boots don't stock the entire range.

The shop was quite busy when I was there but I found all the staff to be really helpful.  My only issue (and this is a minor issue) was that the blue bottle of Hed Kandi polish was not sealed and had some polish around the rim..but hopefully I'll be able to return it for one that is sealed.

Also, I noticed that Models Own were saying that the store would have some exclusives which they may well do, I was too enamoured with the Hed Kandi polishes that I totally forgot to ask about these but will be doing so when I get back.

Apart from that, I'd definitely suggest getting down there and having a good old look.  They've also got the full range of brushes and makeup there which I thought was an added bonus..

You will notice that all the ladies who work there are equipped with iPads.  When you buy your polish of choice, they tap into the iPad what you have bought (exactly like when you're online) and then you pay via your chosen method.  The only reason why I think they do that is market research?  See which shades are most popular etc..

They run the same deals in-store that they do online, I bought these three for £12...

The presentation box is a nice touch and gives you the peace of mind that they're secure whilst you're shopping until you drop..

It would have been nice if they had Models Own bags..I was handed this blue bag which reminds me of the meat shop.  Yes, to Indian children, there's no butchers.  It's the meat shop.  Since the dawn of time (or since Indian meat shops existed in England), meat has been given to customers in these blue bags.  Now, the blue bags for meat are a bit darker than these but still..same colour family!

So, is it worth a visit? 
It doesn't take me long to get to Westfield but I would say 'yes'.  I know a lot of bloggers come down to Westfield to visit Inglot and now Kiko but I think the new Models Own shop is definitely worth a visit.  Nail polish is something that is really difficult to buy blind and as the store has everything Models Own sell, you'll be able to see if the colour you thought you wanted is actually the same in the flesh as it was on the screen.

Models Own Beetlejuice Collection: Released today!

Have a look at these gorgeous polishes that Models Own are releasing TODAY..

They go on sale at 10 a.m., hopefully they still have the ones I want (the end three) by the time I get home.

They remind me of two toned fabric that is used a lot for Indian outfits so they'd be perfect for parties when you can't find one colour to match.  Those who follow me on Twitter know that I am going to America in December as my cousin is getting married.  I have bought a two toned outfit that is a perfect match for the polish that is one in from the right.  I bought the outfit before I saw the polish but as it matches so well, it'd be rude not to buy it!

Each polish is £5 which is a bargain price for the quality of polish that you get.

Anyone else tempted by these?  Ps, is it only me that is reminded of the infamous armpit fart scene from Beetlejuice whenever anyone mentions this collection?  No?  Only me then?

Is LA Colors Jewel Tone a dupe for Models Own Disco Mix?

Disco Mix is probably one of my favourite glitter polishes of all time.  It is nearly always on my toes and it seldom chips.  As a result of this, I am nearly half way through my bottle.  I was planning on buying it again when Models Own had their sale this year but one thing lead to another and I forgot.

Regular readers know that a trip to Westfield with me is never complete without me having a good old staredown with the LA Colors stand in Beauty Base.  On my last trip there, I found Jewel Tone.  This polish immediately caught my eye as it looked very similar to Models Own Disco Mix.

In their bottles, they look similar, the only difference I see is that Disco Mix has more pink in it than Jewel Tone does.  The density with which the glitter is packed in is also something that becomes obvious. I find that you can get total nail covereage with two coats when using Disco Mix but with Jewel Tone, you need about three or four.

The Swatch Files: Oh My Gosh nail polishes in Electric Pink and Peachy Rose

I have had these for an absolute age but I lost my nail wheel so was unable to blog about them until now.

I don't think they're available in stores anymore but you can probably find some on ebay.

GOSH should really bring them back as I cannot fault their application.  The brush is pefect (no streak marks) and the consistency is everything you'd want from a nail polish.

I don't know why GOSH don't adopt this formula for their permanent polishes as I know they're tricky to apply.  I have Holographic and that's quite a mare to apply.

Whenever I look at Peachy Rose, it instantly reminds me of orange lollies, I defy you to tell me anything else!  When I grew my nails before, I wore both of these and my cousin said it looked like I'd dipped my nails in juice..which was nice!

I can't believe how well these apply considering they are only £2.99.  Seriously, that's one coat.  One!  I've seldom used a polish that gave such a good finish after one coat.

L.A. Colors Top Coat

One of my biggest problems with nail polish is that it never lasts on my toenails.  I bite my (finger) nails so toes are the only thing I can really paint.  I only paint them when wearing peep toe shoes/flip flops or if my toes will be on show.

The nail polish begins chipping after the first wear of a pair of shoes and that used to frustrate me no end.  You know what I mean.  You paint your toes, wear shoes..taken them off and BAM!! Chip central..and not the good kind of chips either.  Those I could live with.

I bought the LA Colors Top Coat from..you guessed it, Beauty Base yet again although this time I was on my own so was free to browse for as long as I wanted.

I only got it out a few weeks ago as I thought Summer had arrived and that it was time to get my feet out.

For those of you with a foot fetish, I'll let you know now that my feet will never grace this blog so you might want to look somewhere else for your fix of brown trotters.

I can't vouch for how long/well this lasts on your fingers because I don't paint them.  However, I do have toenail news and views.  I applied it on a Saturday afternoon, traipsed around Western International market on a rainy Sunday, kept my feet in court shoes all week and my polish didn't chip at all.  I even had a 45 minute soak and my polish didn't slide off.

I thought that top coats would be thick and gloopy but this is really nice to apply.  You do need to let your polish dry before you put this on but you don't need much of it to cover a nail.  It spreads really well and it does dry quickly.  And you don't get streaks which is always a plus.

It doesn't have the typical nail polish smell to it but I can't say if that's what all top coats smell like as this is the first one I've used.

Here's what it looks like over polish, you can't really see a difference but then you're not really meant to, are you?

You can't ask for much more, especially considering it was only 99p! 

NOTD: LA Colors Tropical Breeze aka my Jo'Mina dupe..

I was in Beauty Base in Westfields (ages ago now) and my glamourous assistant Simon was getting pissed off because I couldn't decide which polishes I wanted.  It wasn't MY fault they didn't have the nice pistachio green I was looking for..

I came away clutching another LA Colors polish, this time the object of affection was Tropical Breeze.  A lovely purple number..

I was a bit saddened that one coat was SUPER thin (as you can see in the photo) but it built up nicely when I was on three coats.  It was not at all streaky although the brush does pick up a fair bit of polish so you have to get rid of the excess.

I find that LA Colors polishes behave differently depending on whether the colour is light or dark.  My darker ones (Wired, Jungle Fever and Circuits) don't apply as thin as this so one coat gives you the colour you see in the bottle.  That's not a problem them and for the grand sum of £1, I'm more than impressed with them..

I didn't even THINK this could be a dupe for Jo'Mina when I picked it up..it was just the nicest light colour they had.  I wore it for a week or so and the ladies at an Illamasqua concession were quite surprised when I told them it wasn't the infamous Jo'Mina..

Anyone else tried any LA Colors nail polishes?  Does this look like a dupe or is it way off? 

NOTD: Revlon Ruby Ribbon

This is a belated NOTD post, mainly because I drunk too much over Christmas and lost my camera lead.

I have had this polish for a fair while now but as red polishes aren't my thing, I never got around to wearing it until the festive season came about..

It stood up quite well without a topcoat considering how much chopping, peeling and general food fondling I undertook that day.  I know there's a boo boo on the middle finger but I'm a noob..

It says it's a matte polish but it wasn't totally matte..it had enough shine on it for me.  I think semi matte would be a better description.  It has small flecks of glitter in it which are a welcome touch.  It dries very quickly and was slightly streaky on my first coat but a second coat sorted that right out.  The brush provided me with no complaints and all in all, it's a nice polish.  The consistency is pretty spot on too, you don't find it hard to smooth it along the nail, nor does it slide down the brush at alarming speed when you're applying it..

Nail by mouth (aka my nail polish storage..)

First there was the Ikea box..

Then there was the Molton Brown box...

Now there's this..

This is a make it yourself box from The Body Shop...you just pop the sides up and slide the stripey thing over the top..

It's quite sturdy and holds them all in there and they're easy to see which is always a bonus..

I've got a mixture of polishes in there..you can see the indentifiable Models Own/Boots No7/Mavala/Nails Inc from a distance but I also have some gems by lesser known companies like LA Colors (a bargain for 99p in Beauty Base).

I'm semi regretting buying the Mavala ones as they're super glittery and I had a right 'mare getting Discomix off but I might see if putting a neutral shade under the glitter works..

NOTD: Models Own Discomix

This could quite possibly be my favourite nail polish in all my stash..

I can't wear glittery polish on my fingers at work as it's not deemed professional but this beauty has been adorning my toes ever since I got it.

Now that my nails have grown again (woo!) I've decided to coat them with it..why should the toes have all the fun?

It's a typical glitter polish..feels gritty when you put it on and is prone to chipping but a topcoat solves that.  If you want to use it as a topcoat over a base colour then one coat will do you.  I, however, wanted full on glitter so this is three coats.  My right hand looks better (it's literally glitterbombed nails over there) but as I can't hold the camera sufficiently in my left hand, you get to see the left..

The flash really brings out the missing patches but without the flash (and in real life) it's not that noticeable..

Apologies for the cuticle situation, I need to find a trimmer.

This is one of those polishes that I find are really nice, so much so that you can't stop taking photographs of them and a post which would be complete with one photo ends up having four or five..

I go back to work on Wednesday and I'm going to try and get away with wearing this until Friday..lets see how well that pans out..

Now all I need to do is find a mess free removal system...

Barry M Instant Nail Effects

Here's something I bet you haven't come across on any other blog before (!)

I'm not usually the kind of person who gives into blogging hype, you didn't see me rushing out to order the Urban Decay Alice in Wonderland palette, you didn't see me rushing out to buy Chanel's Paradoxal and you sure are hell didn't see me rushing out to find myself a bottle of Chanel's Jade nail polish.

But then something comes along that not even I, a girl who bites her nails, can resist.

This is the product in question:

Yes, the Barry M Instant Nail Effects nail polish.  A polish which has taken the blogging world by storm.  I found out about this little marvel either early last week or late the week before.

I didn't want it as soon as I saw it..then I saw Yinka post about, then I saw a million and one other people do the same.

The lust for it grew..and grew.

Normally, the more I see something saturated on blogs, the less I want it.  The opposite happened to me this time.

So, I scoured all the Superdrugs and Boots near me and couldn't find it..

Then I took a trip to Primark in Hounslow. There is also a Primark in Watford which is nearer to where my parents live but my mum prefers the Hounslow one because she knows she can get me to take her to Rockys afterwards.  If you're not from West London, you won't know what Rockys is.  If you are from West London and you don't know what Rockys is, (like my man B.I. says) get to know.

Anyway, there is a Boots near this Primark and it is a little gem of a store.  Whenever something LE comes out and can't be found anywhere, you can bet your bollocks to a barn dance (can you tell I've been watching Snatch?) they'll have it.  They had the Coke nail polishes long after they were released with Coke, they had copious amounts of Barry M's mushroom polish and yesterday, they had about five of these left.

I practically ran into the shop and grasped it as fast as I could.  My mum couldn't understand why I was so enamoured with the bottle, especially when I can't stop biting my nails.

You may also have noticed that I was asking on Twitter about matte black eyeshadows. Well, my plan was to buy the polish, swatch for shadows.  In my excitement to buy the damn thing, I totally forgot about shadow swatching.

I was itching to try it last night but I couldn't because certain people have sensitive noses and complain about "fumes".  So, I rushed home from work today and whacked it on my nail..

Two coats of George @ ASDA Ultra violet and then the Instant Nail Effects gives me what you see above.  The nail in question is currently being grown, hence it's less than stately stature.

When you first apply INE, it turns matte.  After a few hours it has a shine to it and it really comes to life.  Also, in the video on the Barry M site (click here to see it) the polish applies as a full coat of black and then starts to change.  Mine started to change before I'd finished the nail.  That's not a big point in itself but it just shows that you don't have to wait around for ages and wait for it to dry.

My Models Own Loot

I have been lusting after two Models Own polishes for ages, after seeing this post. Thus, when they had their 50% sale on, I decided that I'd place a little order with them.

I placed the order on Saturday or Sunday and my goodies turned up today.  To say I was excited about their arrival would be the biggest understatement of the year.  I was coo-ing over them all day at work, itching to get home and test them out.

I've been home a few hours now and feel lousy, I'm sure I have a cold coming on thanks to the rain!  Thus, I haven't swatched any of them but I have taken photographs.

Here's what I got..

Your invoice comes in this envelope..it impressed ME!

The photos are edited to show the colours are true to life as I could get them.  Silver Fox, Mixed Up and Gold Finger came in a set and the other three were individuals.

And they're glit-tastic!

The middle colour in the bottom row is Mixed Up.  You can't tell that it has multi coloured sparkles in it but it's a beaut.

Disco Mix is even more handsome than I assumed it would be and I can't wait to layer Silver Spangle over my favourite black polish.

I've been on the lookout for a decent eyeliner and pencil brush for ages and when I saw these in the sale, I snatched them up.

Anybody else buy anything? I'm more than tempted to make another order but I need to remind myself of the amount of polishes I already have.  Also, before I forget, the code is FACEBOOK50 and the sale ends tomorrow..so get ordering!

This month I have mainly been..

Given a very nice shade of  nail polish from my Grandmother.. (if only the staying power of the polish was as strong as the staying power of the aforementioned Grandmother).

Going food shopping and finding some brilliant bargains (it was originally £8)

Eating far too many of these..and I mean far too many, I ate three in one evening.

Stabbing myself with a quick unpick (cucumpuck to the Indians amongst us) whilst trying to liberate a mascara.  It was a futile mission as the mascara isn't that brilliant but it DOES hug your lashes.

So, I ask you:

NOTD: Grurple

I've had this polish for a million and one years and I LOVE the colour.

It's a green and purple combo..sometimes it photographs green and sometimes it photographs purple.  The colour reminds me of those cars which change colour under the sun.  I don't know the technical term for them so I call them chameleon cars.

I love the way it looks so different in different lights, have a look at the thumb nail and then how it looks different with the flash on and off.

Does anyone else like duochrome shades? (Thanks to Jen for telling me the technical term for these polishes!)

London Fashion Week: Part 3: The manicure!

Before I attended LFW I was asked if I wanted a complimentary manicure and for someone who has been growing her nails, I'd have been a fool to say no.

The EdC show finished and I hung around a bit waiting to find someone who could take me backstage.  The staff were, to their credit very helpful and polite.  I don't think I could have been so polite if my work day had of been so hectic.

I was finally led to the backstage entry and given this:

I went on through to the media room and was introduced to Heather from Jessica Nails by Mary Tabitha (also from Jessica Nails).

Heather sat me down and asked me questions about my nails and what I wanted from the manicure and so I started rambling about how I'd been growing them and how one was a bit funny (anti biotic nail) but how now I was pleased that I had a surface where you could put more than a milimetre of nail polish.

She was really patient and listened to everything I had to say and explained which products would be best for my nails.

The manicure itself was my first ever manicure and I now have very high standards for any which follow.  I can't remember the order in which Heather applied products because I didn't think to write it down as soon as I got home but I don't have it totally out of sync.

Everything that was used on me was by Jessica Nails so I'll just state the name of the product.

First, Heather removed my clear nail polish with this and then got me to soak my fingers in some warm water.  I don't know if it was plain warm water or if it was diluted with a Jessica Nails product.  My fingers and were dried and Heather applied some Nourish Cuticle Formula and worked that into my cuticles (I have this in the Jessica Nails giveaway that I won on Twitter but was never sure how to use it but I do know now).  I asked a million and one questions about what cuticles were (I had no idea) and she explained what they were and how to make sure that you are removing only cuticle and not parts of the nail/skin.

Heather then applied some Phenomenon Oil to the cuticle area and massaged it in.  My cuticles were then pushed back by a vibrating machine thingy which looked painful but totally wasn't.  My nails keep getting really dirty underneath and despite me having cleaned them a million and one times during the day, they still had dirt under them so Heather took a wooden stick thingy (which I've since learnt is called an orangewood stick) and took the dirt out from under my nails.

My cuticles were then trimmed with a cuticle trimmer (shocker, I know!) and some more Nourish Cuticle Formula was rubbed in.

My nails were then filed into a round shape which I was told was the best and strongest shape for nails.  I didn't really notice a difference until I properly examined my nails the day after, they looked a lot more "professional" in shape.

My nails were brushed with warm water to get any of the excess cuticle off my hands.  I soaked them again and they were dried and ready for painting.

Heather applied Reward (a basecoat) and then two coats of the nail polish I chose (I really should have asked for the name!)

Oh, I forgot to mention this.  I asked about my anti biotic nail (ring finger nail) and Heather said that the actual nail had been injured and that this was why there was a ridge in it but she did have a product for it so that nail got a special coating with Flawless which helps to even out nails with bumps and ridges.

I asked about drying times and was told that Jessica Nails nail polish works itself into the nail and by the time you've completed your last nail, the first one is dry.

After two coats of polish, a top coat (Brilliance) was applied and once that had dried Heather added a drop of Quick Dry to each of my nails so that the polish would dry quicker.

One thing I was mighty impressed with was the high standard of hygiene, Heather cleaned her hands with a sanitiser after every single step which is something I have never seen a manicurist do before (I've seen them carried out, never had one myself).

This is the finished product and the pics don't do the brilliance of the manicure any favour, it was looking mint when I had it done but I had to get things out of my bag and pockets and so there were some slight imperfections, all my fault though :(  I took the first two pics on the Tube so the bumps and wobbly bits are reflections. 

This is how they looked when I was back home:

I didn't think to ask the name of the colour I chose to go on my nails but it's a very nice dark purple/plummy affair and I love it.

The manicure lasted from Sunday until Friday and I've decided that when my nails are a bit longer, I'm going to get another Jessica Nails manicure.

NOTD (woot woot): Jessica Nails Black Ice (and a mini-ish review)

I won this polish along with some other Jessica Nails items back in December.

There is already a post on what I won (check it out here).  This polish was the standout polish me for, not in terms of application but in terms of the stunning colour.  All the colours that I recieved are fantastic but this is my favourite.  It's very hard to photograph and I had to edit the pics to get the true colour out (and even then it's about 100 times better).

Black Ice is the name of this beauty.  It's a shiny, glossy black with palpable bits of smooth glitter in it.  I say smooth because you do get nail polishes which have gritty glitter in them.  This, however, is not one of them.  Once the polish is dry, you can run your fingertips over the polish and it's all smooth. 

   

You know how sometimes you get a nail polish with glitter in it and you have to apply it five times to get a decent glitter coverage on the nail? One coat with this gives you proper glitter coverage. Also, you know how sometimes, you apply a glittery polish only to find that the glitter has worn off? This isn't the case, the glitter stays put.  I've washed dished and handwashed some clothes and it hasn't come off.

Another thing I love about it is the fact that it's two polishes in one.  You know I wax lyrical about makeup that saves time, well this beauty saves money.  After one coat, it's a nice sheer colour and after two, its "unsheer".

Pardon the dodgy application, I'm a noob as most you know.  This is the polish after two coats

I keep thinking of more things to like about this polish, if you have no patience then Jessica Nails are the polishes for you, if you apply a second coat whilst the first is wet, you get no smears and it blends in seamlessly.

I still get urges to chew my nails but the prettyness of this polish prevents me from wanting to touch them.  It's been on a few days now and I'm having no chips and the colour hasn't faded either.

I'm not sure if the brush is a different shape to other brushes but it applied really nicely, no gloopy messes and the brush was a nice "bump" kind of shape.

I've left the best til the end.  The smell of the polish is like no other.  When I applied it, I couldn't smell the usual polish smell.  When it dries, it smells like Southern Comfort..something which is never a bad thing!

In short, I love this.

Black Ice retails for £8.95 and can be bought here.