This Autumn sees Burberry launch it's very own collection of 3 superb signature coloured nail polishes.

The polishes boast strengtheners and moisturising ingredients, pro-vitamin B5 and myrrh extract.Created by Burberry artist Wendy Rowe and Christopher Bailey.
The trio of shades are:

Deep Red - their signature oxblood red.

Black - Poopy black.

Stone - Burberry's signature milky beige.

Coming soon this September!

Deborah Lippmann 'Stronger' Launch

The launch of Kelly Clarkson's first ever nail polish happens this month!

Described as a holographic glitter polish, it is a chunky textured violet blue.

Kelly Clarkson herself describes it as 'Jewelry for the nails.'

Worn first by Kelly at this years 2013 Grammys, it is named after one of her songs 'Stronger'.

Now the question is that if this is a success will the be more? And will they continue to be named after her hit songs? Watch this space...

Available to buy now from Deborah Lippmann ranges.

Denim Nails Review

I finally got hold of some Denim Nail polish from George Asda for just £3! I purchased the Blue Denim and Black Denim.
First up, the Blue Denim....
Slightly disappointed with this effect as it is meant to give a stone washed denim effect, yet I don't feel it does enough. I think if I were to add some sponged white effect it may look more like denim.
The application was very easy and with it's medium consistency it spread evenly and you could probably get away with one coat, though I used two.


It had average drying time and didn't run. However, within the hour the tips of my nails had chipped, probably due to no topcoat, as it can ruin the effect if add clear coat on top. The finish is a slightly textured matte effect that still looks really good though.
Overall I would say worth trying, but not as much denim effect as I would have liked to have seen.


Now to the Black Denim...
As with the Blue, the application was simple and easy with no runs and an average drying time.
This one I feel looks nothing like black denim and instead looks more like a shimmery matte. But I Love it! It's such a pretty black polish with a brilliant matte shimmer and texture. Also, unlike the Blue, it took over a week and a half until my nails chipped with the Black!
Again, I may have to experiment with dabbing some sponged white to try to create a more denim look.
Overall, despite this being the east of the two to look denim I love the black effect it offers as a matte polish!

Butter London Top Coats

Top coats are usually clear and used to set your finished manicure. However, Butter London offer a way to add top coat that will transform your manicure into something much more exciting!!



First up is 'Hen Party'. A sheer neutral lacquer that adds a nude opal overtone to your nails. Works best with pastel pinks and nudes/
then there's 'Knackered'. A brilliantly fun name for a sheer shimmery blue duo chrome lacquer that works perfectly with blues and greens.
Last, but by no means least, is their Matte Finish Top Coat which of course will transform any manicure to this seasons hottest shine free trend.
All formulas are '3 Free' in 11ml bottles from ButterLondon.com

Essie Baby Duo Launch

With recent Royal baby fever and the likes of Butter London releasing their baby themed polishes, Essie have launched their very own adorable Baby Duo Collection in Blue for a boy and Pink for a girl.
A great gift for mums-to-be and newbie mums out there!



It makes such a more refreshing and unique gift than the usual nappy stacks and stretch mark oil and either way the 2 new shades are beautiful to wear anytime.
The Blue shade is named 'Lapiz of Luxury'
the pink shade is named 'Muchi Muchi'

The duos are available for £12.99 from www.boots.com

Color Club 'Miss Bliss' Review

I have many various holo's as I'm such a huge fan of the shimmering spectra flair look, so when Color Club launched their new summer Holographic shades I was keen to try a pink holo of theirs called 'Miss Bliss'









 
 The application of this polish is near perfect! It took just one coat with no streaking or running!Drying time was fairly quick ( about 10 minutes with top coat).The finish is an ultra high shimmer and gloss.



 
Miss Bliss is not the sparkliest of the holographics I have tried I have to admit, but it still offers a luscious sparkle and shine.
 
 
 
 
 
 











As you can see I also took a picture with the flash to try to capture just how amazing and shimmery this polish was, as I feel the other pics don't do it justice!
Despite it being slightly less vibrant than the other Holographics from Color Club that I have tried, I still absolutely adore Miss Bliss! I have worn it numerous times and use it as my 'go to' sparkly polish for a quick smooth manicure.






 
 
 
You can also purchase pink and blue holographic nails from my website http://www.melodymoo.co.uk/

China Glaze 'Too Yacht to Handle' Review

Part of the new Summer 2013 Sunsational Collection! This is a gorgeous turquoise crème. With summer here I wanted a really bright luscious turquoise and this did not disappoint!

The shade is a vibrant and beautiful turquoise blue that goes on as a crème and dries with a high shine smooth finish.
Too Yacht to Handle applies like all other China Glazes. Simple application with a slightly thin brush and formula can sometimes be a tad runny. But overall, the application is smooth and the polish has a standard dry time (15- 45 mins depending on how many coats have been applied).

If you're looking for a gorgeous summer blue or turquoise I would definitely recommend this!

Simple Quilted Nails Tutorial

 

What You Will Need:

• Chosen nail polish (I used Saffron Black).
• Matte Top Coat ( I use Boots No 17).
• Dental Floss Pick (See pic below).
• Dotting tool and Caviar beads (optional).

 


1. Paint your nails in chosen colour until almost dry (may need one or two coats depending on your polish).


2. Apply Matte top coat quickly to your nails (or you may prefer to do one nail at a time).








3. Leave for few minutes, then whilst nails are still soft (but not wet or tacky!) take your floss pick and is the floss like a saw to create  a criss cross effect.

4. Using the dotting tool and a small amount of clear polish or nail glue ( and I mean small or it will seep onto the matte and make parts shiny). carefully place caviar beads onto the corners of the criss cross to complete your quilted nails.






There you have it, very simple quilted nails!
Don't worry if you don't get it right straight away, it took me a couple of tries when I first started. The key to getting this right is to get the nails dried just enough to not be wet or tacky, yet not enough to be completely dry, which can take some practice and really does depend on the nail polish that it used as they all vary and have different drying times.

Nails Inc Leather Effect Bling It On Review

So I've been intrigued by the leather effect trend so I decided to buy Nails Inc Bling It On Leather Effect polish in Black.

All I can say is WOW! This nail polish has AMAZED me and I absolutely LOVE IT!!
Let me tell you why.......












1. It really does look like leather! I was curious as to how nail polish can be made to look like leather but somehow Nails Inc have...well...nailed it!










2.I put 2 coats on like it says to and the drying time was outstanding! It only took just a few minutes for 2 thick coats to dry with no top coat.











3. The application was smooth and easy.


4. the finish was a rough textured leather effect!











5. I dubiously placed on the skull and crossbones that comes with the polish set as the 'bling'. I say dubiously because in my experience 3D embellishments often don't stay on long, especially when you're a busy mum and nails go through a lot! But...after a week the skulls were still on!!!









6. Finally, as far as chipping and wear time goes...No chips!!..No cracks!!...No smudges!! and well over 7 days continuous wear!!






I would definitely recommend buying this! Available for £19 from http://www.selfridges.com/en/Beauty/Categories/Shop-Nails/Nail-polishes/Bling-It-On-Leather-Skulls-nail-polish-black_464-2001226-4380/?previewAttribute=Black









 

Nail Tutorial: Fuchsia & Polka Dot Nails

 

What you will need:

• Black nail polish (I used Saffron Black).
• Silver nail art pen ( I used Rio Silver).
• Fuchsia pink nail polish (I used Sally Hansen Fuchsia Power).
• Silver nail polish (I used Rimmel Pro Silver).
• Silver Glitter ( I used Lavat).
• White nail polish (I used La Femme).
• Striping Tape.
• Dotting tool in medium.

Step 1: Apply striping tape diagonally across nails.

Step 2: Apply fuchsia to bottom half of nail and white to the top half of the nail.

Step 3: Once dry, remove striping tape.

Step 4: Using the silver nail art pen, carefully draw a line across the nail where the striping tape has left a gap.

Step 5: Using a 'glob' of black polish, use the dotting tool to add polka dots to the white of the nails.

Step 6: Apply top coat to the nails once they are dry and you're done!

Simple nail art! I also used Silver polish and Glitter for an accent nail.

MAC All About Orange Collection

 

 

To celebrate one of this summer's hottest colours MAC are launching a new range of orange hues on June 6th.

The eye-catching oranges range from pale peach to neon tangerine!

The nail polishes will be part of the All About Orange Collection extending to their cosmetics for face and lips too.

The nail polishes comes in 4 luscious oranges:

• 'KeAi' - Soft pink frost.
• 'Sweet Pop' - Peachy cream.
• 'Fiestaware' - Orange coral.
• 'Morange' - Neon tangerine.

MAC's formula offers long wearing finishes that are no-streaking and chip resistant.
The 10ml bottles are £10 at http://www.maccosmetics.com/index.tmpl

 

Ciate Corrupted Neon Collection

Contributing to the huge neon trend this summer, Ciate will be launching their Corrupted Neon Kit. the kit will also include Neon Caviar pearls, which together with the popping neons it will be sure to make your nails stand out this summer!

 

The collection will launch in June and will be available at http://www.selfridges.com/ for £25.

Dior Bird of Paradise Collection

 

I love the sound of this collection! It just shouts exotic, luxurious, classy, summer nails.To add even more excitement the collection is divided into 2 looks: 'Glowy Exotic', the daytime look and 'Wild Feather', the night time look.

Both collections have 2 nail polishes to complement your look divided into duos 'Samba' and 'Bahia'

The co-ordinated shades are:
'Samba' - Peacock Green & Sea Blue.
'Bahia' - Hibiscus Pink & Petroleum Blue.
Each duo comes in 7ml bottles available for £18 from http://www.escentual.com/

Royal Baby fever hits polish!

With a Royal baby on the way and in honour of the recent Queen Jubilee and Royal Wedding, Butter London have launched a Limited Edition Royal Collection just in time for celebrating Kate and William's new baby!

The shades in the collection are:

• 'Pitter Patter' - An opaque shimmer aubergine.
• 'No More Waity, Katie' - Sheer lilac..
• 'Lillibet's Jubilee' - opaque silver/lavender metallic foil.

All Butter London's lacquers are 3-Free and can be purchased for £13 from http://www.butterlondon.com/
Hopefully they will be sending Kate the lacquer too!

New Brand: Eve Snow

Launched on April 2013, this new brand is the vision of Yvette Snowden, a cosmetics entrepreneur who wanted to introduce a nail product with added vitamins and nourishing ingredients.
The new formula is a '3 added' lacquer brand with the shades containing Vitamin E, Argon Oil and Ginko Biloba. The lacquer is also free from toxins including formaldehyde and DPP (dibutyl phthalate).
Not only that but the extensive research behind the products has managed to bring us an innovative colour solution with a high pigmented formula, giving higher colour percentage. And the cherry on top for this nourishing, non-toxic, colourful brand is that it of course is a cruelty free company.
Wow! This sounds like a really good product and I cannot wait to try it out. This may set a trend for other polish brands to take note and follow in Eve Snow's footsteps of bringing us a less toxic and much more nourishing nail polish. I'm a big fan of natural skincare products and cosmetics and they have a large market, so it's about time a polish brand came along and brought out something more nourishing.

The new collection brings 16 shades:

• Sunrise Glow - Warm red.
• Racey - Labelled as their signature red shade, in a deep blood red.
• Poppy - Rich red.
• Prima Donna - Foil effect metallic pink/rose gold look.
• Opium - Pure white.
• Pixie - Candy pink.
• Modesty - Natural pale pink.
• Material Girl - Bright Barbie pink.
• LBD - Black.
• Harlot - Plum red.
• First Kiss - Blush red.
• Film Noir - Grey/lavender undertones.
• EZ Like Sunday Morning - Turquoise.
• Daydreamer - Sky blue.
• Birthday Suit - Nude.
• Alter Ego - Foil effect purple metallic.

Eve Snow Collection available in 10ml bottles for £12 from http://www.beautybay.com/

Sally Hansen Complete Manicure Review

So I came across this whilst out on a nail haul a few weeks ago and thought that I would give it a try. It claims to have '5 steps of a manicure in 1 bottle' :

• Base Coat.
• Strengthener.
• Growth Treatment.
• Colour.
• Top Coat.

It also boasts to be chip-resistant for up to 10 days and the formula has Patented Micro-Encapsulated time-release Technology.

The shade I applied is named 'Barely Blue Bell', a deep mint shade.
I was actually pleasantly surprised by this polish! I know that it boasts to be a good manicure polish, but having tried so many top branded 'chip-free long lasting' polishes and having them all fail, I must admit I didn't have high hopes for poor Sally.
The application was ultra-smooth and I only needed one coat!! It gave great full coverage and I was amazed at how quickly it dried! The finish gave me a strong, glossy manicure.
Now the reason that I turned to this polish was because I was facing a very busy week and knew that I wouldn't have time to do my nails. I have a business to run, a house to clean and a very active 1 year old to see to, so the wear and tear on my nails is usually quite harsh (washing, cleaning ,baby, shopping etc). The Sally Hansen Manicure definitely passed the test!! Most of my manicures only last a day or two, but Sally came through for me!



After 8 days of wear ( I had to take it off to do a nail tutorial) my nails were still going strong and looked shiney. I had a couple of barely noticeable chips ( from hedge trimming!) but that was it.
The only disadvantage I found was that when I  came to remove the polish one of my nails was slightly stained a green mint colour in the corner, which came off after more remover.
I would give Sally Hansen Complete Manicure 8/10 and will definitely be buying more!
Available from http://www.boots.com/en/Sally-Hansen-Complete-Salon-Manicure-Nail-Colour_1317168/ for £6.99