TGWTGN Festive Edit Part 3: Tristam, Snowflakes and a Gilt-y Pleasure

One of the things I think of when I think of Christmas is snowflakes. I can't even think of the last time it snowed on Christmas Day, yet it still comes to mind. I've been wanting to do snowflakes on a dark background for ages. Then recently I was ordering a little present from Rainbow Connection for a friend, and Different Dimension Mistle-Toad fell into my basket, along with Wingdust Gilty-Pleasure. So you see how this is mani came together :) Now how appropriate is the name Gilt-y Pleasure when you're buying even more polish?!

NOTD: Nightcrawler

You know, these prolonged absences are becoming the norm, which makes me sad :( I'm trying to improve though (famous last words), and am returning with new hope after finally having a holiday... Wish me luck! Oops, I had better warn you, I still have terrible lighting, I've had no time to sort out my ceiling light, and have been living by lamp light for the past couple of months *sigh*. Having now watermarked said photos, you'll be able to tell I painted them by rubbish lighting because of a couple of bald spots, so apologies in advance. If I get an opportunity I'll redo them and update this post.

Polish Days: To Boldly Go...

When I first saw the Polish Days email from Hannah with the theme, I had so many ideas! When it came to my usual last minute rush, I couldn't remember any of them :( I love Sci-Fi I have to say. I'm not a major geek, but I do love watching Star Trek (if it's the series it's got to be The Next Generation) and other programmes like Stargate. Digressing, how awesome was Star Trek Into Darkness??! I loved it! Anyway, sitting there for half an hour, totally unable to think of anything I decided to finally try galaxy nails (with a few others I'm suspecting).

A Little Chilli & Spice

How's everyone doing today? Well I hope! I've been having an extremely stressful time at work recently, and it has worn me out. To top it off, a motorbike decided to get up close to the back of my car, and my back is still suffering the after effects :( On a happier note, today I have a collection for you. You read right, an entire collection! I've been a fan of Mavala since I first tried the little bottles of goodness. When the Chilli & Spice collection was announced alongside promotional photos I knew I just had to have them. Thanks to Feelunique, I caved to the peer pressure in my mind, and bought all 6.

When Stars Collide I Faint

Hello all! Today I have for you another of the China Glaze Hologlam collection; I'm on a roll here! When Stars Collide is a beautiful purple, and I can see the holo in it, so this is in the running to be my favourite Hologlam :) Thanks again to Susan at The Subtle Shimmer for getting this for me!

Polish Days: Sentimental

The theme of this month's Polish Days is sentimental. I can't even begin to say how difficult it was to chose what to do. My nail art skills are basic, so I wanted to go with a colour. But should I chose the first indie polish I owned, or the first high end? Should it be my first ever polish (no idea what that is though) or the one that started me down the slippery slope (no idea what that is either)? I've gone basic though. I've chosen my first custom polish.

Why did I have a custom polish made? Well, for my birthday I wanted to gift my sisters and nieces with something. My Mum too, but she's set in her polish ways lol! They are all amazing people, and my life without them really wouldn't be the same. I wanted to give them something individual that was a part of me, if that makes any sense. So this post may not be immediately apparent sentimental polish, but it's sentimental in that I dedicate it to my Mum, my two sisters and my two nieces. I'm pretty sure they all liked the polish, my eldest niece is already down to half-way!

This was made for me by the lovely Carrie at Darling Diva Polish. I'm slightly indecisive (no...really?!?) but I did have an idea of what I wanted. I've been taken to the dark, or rather light, side of polish: white polishes with you-name-it colour combinations of glitter.

These are the pictures I sent Carrie that were the inspiration for what I could see in my head:

One of my favourite earrings

A purple outfit

My coffee mug (of course)

One of my many scarves

Now at this point, I thought I'd made her regret agreeing to make a custom for me :p

But being wonderful, this is what she made:

Gorgeous, right?

I should have better placed that piece of glitter on my ring finger!!

 

I love the vivid colours!! It's exactly what I imagined!!

There are times when I argue with my sisters, but the truth of the matter is that I love them way more than I argue with them. This 'polish present' is something that I hope they & my nieces will look at in future, and remember with fondness. I think I will always associate it with the great party I had for my birthday, surrounded by friends and family :)

Thanks again to Carrie, and be sure to check out the Darling Diva Polish Etsy shop!!

What do you think of my custom polish? Do you think it was appropriate for Sentimental Polish Days? Have you tried any Darling Diva creations?
x

The Magic of Layering

So my title is a bit obscure, but the reason is pretty simple: I used four polishes for this mani!! If I'm honest, I have been delaying trying these, but decided to bite the bullet and just go for it. I don't mind layering polishes, but time always seems to be running away from me, and I wanted to give these beauties the attention I knew that they deserved. It's a picture heavy post this time round, you have been warned!

Let it Rain Autograph's Purple Rain

I was very surprised to see Marks and Spencer updated nail polish ranges, but in a good way. The packaging is attractive and there's a large colour selection. There are lots of colours I like, and quite a few that I love. But rare is the colour that I find mind-blowing. But this is one of those colours. As soon as it was on my fingertips I knew it was the one for me, the one I would have to convince myself not to wear 24 hours a day for a fortnight.

A Purple Gradient

This is a quick post to show off my niece's Christmas present to me :) I initially set out to simply paint my nails with the Barry M Limited Edition Lilac Foil. This is a wonderful colour, with a frosty finish.

Going Rococo A Go Go

Orly's Rococo-A-Go-Go is from the Mineral FX range. Of all the polishes from the sales haul, this was the colour I was most eager to try. I have seen this swatched and heard of celebrities wearing it. But for me, it was the look of the colour.