NOTD - Essie Lapiz of Luxury

Blue is a hot colour for nails, or so it seems at the moment and I have been on the look out for the perfect (for me) shade of blue and I think I've found it!

Those who read my blog, will know how much I lurrrvvve Essie polishes and I was pretty darn happy to discover this gem from their range.

As much as I like the colour blue, being a gal of advancing years (!) and being on the pale side it can be a tad tricky to pick the right hue of blue which doesn't end up making my digits look like dead mans fingers. It can't be too icy but needs some warmth to it. This polish definitely leans towards the warmer shades of blue. Just perfect for this gloriously hot (read that as blinking sweltering) weather we are having.

So if like me you are looking for the perfect blue I couldn't recommend this shade highly enough.

So what do you reckon? Are you loving the blue nail look or are you more of a conservative nail colour wearer? I'd love to know. Let me know if you have found the perfect shade of blue for you too!

NOTD - Essie 'Fiji'

Oooh look at the state of my cuticles :(

I haven't done a nail of the day post for a while, so here I am to 'delight' you with my latest paint job.

I (probably the same as you) am SO over the winter and in my attempt to get Spring to...well...spring have cracked open my nudes collection.

I'm a funny old thing, I tend to wear polish on my finger nails right through the autumn and winter months but come the warmer days, I usually forgo painting my fingers and opt for brighter colours on my tootsies, but as it is still so blumming cold, my trotters are STILL encased in boots and 3 pairs of socks, so I'm sticking with painting the nails on my fair hands. Is anyone the same as me?

For those of you who have read previous posts, you will note I wear a lot of Essie polishes. I have tried so many other brands over the years and I was thrilled when my local(ish) Boots started stocking Essie. There is just something I find different about their polishes. Aside from the brush, which in my book is just perfect, the consistency of the product is second to none. I find it to be quite a thick but not gloopy polish and it just suits my nail bed down to the ground.

Why do my hands look SO shiny here?!

This polish, I got sometime last year when Boots where doing their regular 3 for 2 offer. A little tip-off for you all (if you don't already know), The Original Factory Shop very often stock discontinued Essie polishes and you can get two for a fiver. What's not to love there hey? And don't say I don't teach you anything on this little blog ;)

This colour is quite 'white' if you know what I mean (don't think it fully translates in these pics), so it took me a bit of getting use to. I'd call it a marshmallow pink and I think it will look really good come the summer time. If we ever get any sun that is :(

So what colours are you lovelies rocking on your nails at present? Let me know if there is anything out there that you think I really should purchase.

Have a great weekend!

NOTD - midnight skies

After a couple of days wear, please excuse the wearing tips!

This polish isn't really called midnight skies, I made that bit up! It's actually a mix of Sloe Berry with a top coat of Guinea by Front Cover.

But midnight skies is what it reminds me of. After all the terrible rain and subsequent floods we have recently had in my neck of the woods, we are now being blessed with some of the most beautiful crystal clear nights.  The sort of nights where every sound is amplified because it is so crisp, with purple-blue skies lit with thousands of stars, the sort of night where you just know you will wake to a beautiful frost.  So this is why I've called this NOTD midnight skies as it just reminds me of those glorious nights.

These polishes came in a gift set last Christmas from my sister-in-law, actually I 'blame' her for seriously getting me back into different polishes and I've been steadily building my collection of metallics and sparkly topcoats over the past 12 months. I store my polishes in a couple of old Glossyboxes!

So what nails are you rocking this festive period and what do you think I should try out next?

NOTD - Essie 'Dive Bar' review

Dive Bar by Essie

If you've read my previous posts or follow me on Twitter you will know of my love of Essie nail polishes.

I first saw a tweet by Rachael from Made up of regarding this polish and as it was on 3 for 2 at Boots at the time, I rushed in and got my mitts on this.

In the bottle it is the most gorgeous of gorgeous shades.  It looks like the colours of a peacock or spilled oil, all glistening emerald greens, petrol blues and iridescent purples.  Unfortunately I found it does not translate as such onto your nails.  Yes the colour is shimmering with high shine, yes it IS a stunningly beautiful shade.  In some lights it looks blue and in others green, but where is the purple?  As Essie describe this colour as a mysterious blackest blue with shimmer I should have known that there was to be no purple in it and I now believe, after showing the bottle to Mr B.P., that it is just an illusion of light against glass. What a total shame!

After 2 days a little tip wear on ring finger

This shade is so glam and I would have been chuffed if it appeared in the bottle as it does on my nails, but as it doesn't and as I just can't get that gorgeous purple hue out of my mind, for me this is 'nail fail'.

I think to make it work for me I am going to have to layer it with a shimmer/glimmer top coat to keep me happy.  What would you guys recommend as a complimentary top coat?

Do you have any 'nail fails'? Which polishes did you rush out to buy only to be disappointed?

i heart fall tag

So I was tagged by the gorgeous Sarah over at Ample Curvature to do this tag which has been doing the rounds on Youtube and blogs recently.  If you haven't seen Sarah's blog pop over and take a peek, it's fab!  As a brit I call Fall Autumn, so please don't get confused if I drop the odd Autumn in here and there lovely North American viewers!

Right lets crack on with it...

1. Favourite fall lip product?
I get really dry lips in the Autumn, like many others, from a drop in temperature and the good old heating coming on, but I have been loving my Figs and Rouge 100% organic lip balm which came in my Glossybox a few months ago.

I'm a sucker for anything organic and this cherry and vanilla balm goes on sooooo smoothly and is really hydrating.  Unfortunately I've been forgoing any of the beautiful deep plum and burgandy lip colours which are so popular this A/W, for if you've read my previous It's all about Meeeeeee post you will note I have the six month smiles braces.  Which for those who don't know is like traditional train track braces but they are clear.  Which is great but they stain oh so easily.  You know what it's like when you get a smear of lippy on your teeth, well imagine what it looks like on clear braces - Nice (not!).

2. Favourite Fall nail polish?
Currently I am in love with these, Essie's Bahama Mama and Models Own Hot Stuff.

Two coats of Essie and a slick of Models Own and you get this.

The Essie polish is such a bang on the money colour for this season and with the coat of Models Own which gives a gorgeous red, green, golden shimmer it reminds me of fallen leaves on a crisp autumnal day.  I am loving this so much I think it will get much wear over the party season.  It's a pretty good wear time as well considering it has a glitter topcoat; 3-4 days which is about the same as my normal polishes.

3. Favourite Starbucks Fall drink?
Hmmmm I don't really frequent Starbucks.  Purely because my nearest one is a good 45 minute drive away.  I do have a Costa Coffee about 10 minutes down the road and I stick to my usual latte or Chai latte if I pop in there.  Boring I know!

4. Favourite Fall candle?
Ahhh now candles, unlike Starbucks, are my thing!  I do a lot of work and study from home so I usually have one candle or another burning away on my desk and I do like to stick to seasonal scents.  I've just come to the end of my Mandarin Cranberry Yankee candle and on the good word of the lovely Rachael over at Made up of  (check out her blog too if you haven't already) I picked up Yankee's Honey and Spice candle.  Oh my! If you like toffee apples, sticky toffee pudding, caramel and pecan pie, this will be right up your street.  I got it earlier today and have been burning it nonstop.  If you like sweetness with your spice, try this candle, you will not be disappointed.

5. Favourite Fall scarf or accessory?
This one is easy.  I got this beautiful teal scarf from Boden's A/W sale either last year or the year before.  I just love the richness of its colour and it is so warm.

6. Haunted house, haunted hay ride or haunted corn maize?
I know what these are and that they are big in the states but Halloween isn't such a big deal in the UK (yet!).  Also I don't like to be scared, I'm not a big one for scary movies etc so I would have to say Haunted house.  I saw the film Children of the Corn a few years back and almost peed my pants so Haunted corn maize would be bottom of the list!

7. Favourite Halloween movie?
As I mentioned above I'm not a great one for scary movies but I would probably have to say the original Halloween film.  The one from 1978 starring Jamie Lee Curtis - "A psychotic murderer institutionalized since childhood for the murder of his sister, escapes and stalks a bookish teenage girl and her friends while his doctor chases him through the streets" - yep that movie.  I watched it as a teenager, not in 1978, blimey I'm not that old!  And the memory of it has stayed with me ever since.

8. Favourite candy to eat on Halloween?
I am a sweet toothed kinda gal.  I do love the Haribo sour (can't remember their full name) sweets, but any sweets/chocolate is fine by me and I am a sucker for toasted marshmallows dipped in melted chocolate - ummmmmmm.

9. What are you dressing up as for Halloween?
Well as Halloween has been and gone, I'm abit late with that one.  But I didn't dress up at all as I was busy flying back from Amsterdam on the 31st.  Think I would've struggled to get through security if I had dressed up though ha ha.

10. What is your favourite thing about fall?
I like it when Mr B.P. and I have a rare, (very rare) day off together and you get one of those really crisp autumnal days, with a beautiful clear blue sky, with just a nip in the air.  I like to wrap up warmly, take our dog for a walk through the fallen leaves and maybe stop for a hot chocolate enroute and then come home and curl up on the sofa with either a good book or film.

So what about you lovely readers?  I tag all of you.  Let me know all about your I heart Fall tags.