Imagination In Colour UK Nail Polish Blog
When I was about 12, I had this lovely T-shirt from Jane Norman which was turquoise, with brown writing and a brown halterneck underneath-top-thing, and some lovely glittery bits and a brown palm tree. I adored this T-shirt because, as many UK ladies may know, Jane Norman was pretty expensive (at least to little 12 year old me!). Anyways, one of the things I always remembered about the T-shirt was how good turquoise and brown looked together. Which is what inspired this manicure. I’ll stop waffling now!
Barry M Shocking Pink
Here is one of my favourite bright pink creme polishes (in close competition with Marks and Spencer Neon Pink). It’s one of those standard pink polishes that everyone needs in their collection. For some reason I often overlook bright pink polishes, I think because I only ever used to wear pinks and reds as a young girl and I tend to forget how flattering and beautiful they can look.
Daisy Nail Art
I find I’m really getting into nail art these days, feeling quite inspired! Hopefully the feeling will last! Here are some Spring/Summer nails, inspired by one of my favourite flowers – daisies.
Barielle Swizzle Stix
Here is my new favourite sky blue – it’s well in the running for top spot (currently held by Barry M Blue Moon) for all time favourite blue! Barielle isn’t really available to us in the UK but I managed to find a pack of 5 blues in TK Maxx so it’s worth keeping an eye out!
Pretty! This shade is really unique to my collection – it’s not quite a pure blue. In certain lights it seems to pull grey-toned or yellow-toned, making it slightly turquoise. I can’t quite figure it out but I know I love it! Ever so delicate and pretty. I find that pure blues often look too stark against my skin (e.g. GOSH Gypsy Blue/Balloon or Barry M Blueberry Ice Cream), so this one fits the bill nicely. I love that it’s such a beautiful creme, sometimes I feel I need a good palate-cleanser after so much glitter.
Application:
Swizzle Stix (what a cool name!) is opaque in 2-3 coats. The polish is a little thick and drags slightly, but I find that it levels itself out into a perfect finish as it dries so it’s not really a problem – just be sure not to go over the same spot too many times in a single coat. It applies evenly (no streaky-ness), which is always a nice surprise with a pastel. I found that the polish dries relatively quickly, but stays touch-dry for a good couple of hours (meaning it can still be dented or get sheet-marks). It does dry to a high shine, and I also noticed that this polish just will not leave your nails! I wore it for 4 days straight, without topcoat, and had no chips or tipwear whatsoever! So in terms of longevity this is the best polish I have ever worn.
The pity of it is that it’s pretty much unseen in the UK, and most eBay sellers charge a whopping £8-9 for it. Mine came as a pack of five for £9.99 so I am more than reluctant to shell out for one what I could pay for five. So TK Maxx seems to be your best bet… sorry ladies! For those of you to whom it’s more accessible, I completely 100% recommend it to you!
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Disclaimer: Everything mentioned in this blog post was either bought by myself with my own money, or given to me as a gift from friends/relatives. All opinions expressed here are my own.
A England Saint George
Remember when I showed you the gorgeous lilac-nude-duochrome-holo that was A England Princess Tears? Well today I have for you an equally gorgeous teal-green-holo! This is another one which has zoomed right up into my top favourite ever polishes. I was lucky enough to be able to capture this one in the sun, which is where the holo is most apparent.
Green-lovers and holo-addicts unite – this one’s AMAZING. I feel I should stress that the holographic effect of this polish isn’t always visible – I found it looked almost like a teal with silver shimmer in some lower lights. The holo effect isn’t nearly as strong as in GOSH Holographic. The sun really does make this polish come to life though, and I almost love it more for its hidden holographic quality.
Application:
The polish was opaque at 2 coats, as shown in the photos. It dried to a high shine, so no topcoat necessary (although topcoat seems to intensify the holographic effect!). Saint George dried relatively quickly too. I did find the brush was a little tricky to control in that it’s quite round, which made getting into the corners of my nails neatly quite a task! But I really can’t fault it. When I removed the polish, my fingers did go very green but that was easily removed with polish remover.
What do you think of Saint George? It’s easily a winner in my books. EASILY. The depth of the polish makes me think of mythical sea creatures and dragons… polish heaven!
A England Saint George is available from A-England.co.uk for £9. A England offer free delivery worldwide! As it’s an indie brand I am more than happy to splash out the extra cash for it, and I really think this one earns its price and more.
I am currently lusting after pretty much ALL of their polishes. Which is your favourite?
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Disclaimer: Everything mentioned in this blog post was either bought by myself with my own money, or given to me as a gift from friends/relatives. All opinions expressed here are my own.