Nails Nails Nails

So..as the title suggests this post is going to be all about nails. Well nail polish anyway. During college I kind of neglected my nails apart from a brief foray into gel nails. My friend had recently finished a nail course and and wanted to practice so I was somewhat of a guinea pig! I did like them but upkeep was hard because most of the time I was living hours away from her. So I then relied on stick on nails for special occasions.

Nearly a year ago my obsession with nail polish began again....now, I'm not going to bore you with the boring details of my life but I basically finished college just after the recession began and so I still work in the part time job I had in college... a sandwich bar...which means gloves all day, so my nails are quite weak and break quite a bit. If I have time off I have lovely nails!! So when you see my nails in pictures, they may be quite short, however I love nail polish and will continue to buy and paint my nails.

My favourite polish is OPI but everyone knows about OPI so I'll talk about other brands I'm loving right now the first being Barry M nail paints

As you can see I have 7, and apart from not loving the acid yellow (far right) on me I love love love these polishes, in fact they are fast becoming my favourite I think. They always go on the nails perfectly, I always use two coats just out of habit! And they last. Chipping is rarely an issue with these unless you are hard on your nails. I've put these on and left them on for 5-6 days with very minimal chipping. So basically I love these and want to collect them all!! I can't remember the price of these but I think the last time I bought them I got 2 for €11 in Boots...bargain! Especially for the quality.

Next up is something I haven't seen much about in blogs, but I love them! They are, surprisingly Avon! I hadn't bought Avon since I was about 16 but recently my friend started to sell it so I decided to give it ago and I find the Nailwear Pro polishes really really good.

Above are the ones I own. I seem to keep ending up going for reddish colours! Annyway, I think they are €8.50 each, a bit expensive for nails polish like this I know, but they are on offer practically every second catalog so thats when I buy them. Now while I don't love them as much as OPI or Barry M they come in a close 3rd place. I think they are very good quality and really like the formulation. The blue one is, Blue Flair, is definitely my favourite one, its gorgeous. I have tried other Avon polishes such as the speed dry ones but these are the best imo.

A special mention goes to....

Essence multi dimension nail polish. A hidden gem found browsing around a local pharmacy one day. These are I believe €1.99

each...and they are really really good. I'm definitely going to get more of these!

Before I finish, nail polish I'm not loving

Now in general I am a fan of many Rimmel prouducts but nail polish is not something I will be buying from them again! These look lovely when they first go on but they chip unbelievably easily, like its quite ridiculous and I've tried them with many base and top coats. Not worth it!

Oh and currently on my nails

See horrible short nails at the moment but one of my favourite ever polishes!!!

What are your nail polish recommendations?

Marat Safin-Its Been Emotional

Ok, so not a makeup post but I couldn't let this day go by without a mention of Marat Safin, the enigmatic Russian tennis player who played his last professional match today.

I have been a tennis fan for a long time and a Marat supporter since that US Open final in 2000, I began watching as a Sampras fan and by the end I was a Marat convert, it was in a word, perfect. A so began a nine year rollercoaster ride!! Do I wish he had won more slams, sure! Would I have changed a thing? Not a hope, because then it wouldn't have been Marat Safin, that unpredicatble nature is what draws you in. Throughout his entire career, all the highs and lows, he always remained true to himself something I have always admired....from afar. Had I been a coach, I may have killed him!!

A lot can and has been written about Marat Safin, so I'll finish this by saying he did himself proud today, you're not always sure which Marat shows up but today fighter Marat definitely did. Losing to Juan Martin del Potro felt in some ways like a changing of the guard, a fitting end in a way.

So all thats left to say is....Marat its been emotional and thanks for the memories!!

Let's Get Started - Daily Make Up Survey

Daily Make Up Survey
I found this on the website www.makeupandbeauty.ie, by Amy and Irish makeup guru and thought it was fun...

1. What time did you do your makeup today? A very late 11.30, I was off work today and slept in :-)
2. What’s the least expensive beauty item you used? My rimmel sexy curves mascara, my holy grail mascara
3. What was the biggest problem you needed to correct? Eyeshadow fallout, there was loads today I dont know what happened!
4. Did you apply false eyelashes? Nope, I very rarely use them and if I do its for when I go out.
5. Did you do anything while applying make-up? I listened to the Muse album, album of the year imo!!!
6. Biggest make-up mishap today? No mishaps today, I painted my nails last night and it was the most disastrous thing ever, including spilling my top coat all over my bedroom floor, not cool!
7. Did you have a makeup inspiration in mind? No, my friend rang to see if I wanted to meet up so I had to be quick.
8. What was the most time-consuming part of your makeup routine? My eyes definitely
9. What part of your routine is the most fun? Mascara, I love putting on mascara, oh and asl blush
10. What part of your make-up makes the biggest difference in the way you look? Eyeliner, I think I look sick without it!
11. Neutral or colorful eyeshdaow? Neutral, I didnt have much time and its the quickest
12. Liquid or mineral foundation? Liquid all the way, at the moment I'm using Urban Decay
13. Do you do your hair or make-up first? I do my make up in between! I dry my hair, then do my makeup the straighten my hair, or do it while my hair is curling
14. Did you pack a make-up bag to take with you for the day? Yup I always do! My lip products always go into the back pocket of my bag, at the moment there's about 10 in there lol!
15. When did you finish your make-up? 11.45 am, which wasn't too bad, I love applying makeup and usually take my time!