Red Alert: Burberry Beauty

"There is a shade of red for every woman"

― Audrey Hepburn, supposedly. 

I've been on the hunt for the perfect red for quite some time. Like thousands of others, I turn to Chanel Le Vernis 'Rouge Noir' when I need a dark tone. But, what I've been looking for is red red. Not orangey red, not burgundy red, don't even mention oxblood… 

I almost gave in to OPI Big Apple Red, but thought I'd have one more look around first. In Covent Garden, Dior, Burberry, and Chanel conveniently sit side by side. Chanel are giving red a BIG push at the moment, and as I 'collect' this brand I was certain I'd find something. Yet, from 'Dragon' to 'Fire', 'Pirate' to 'Rouge Fatal', nothing was drawing me in quite enough.

Next, I popped into Burberry. Other than some lovely skin illuminator, Burberry Beauty hasn't been on my radar. I went in and opened a bottle to have a look at the width of the nail brushes (wow, I'm cool). A security guard was pointing at a computer screen, suggesting I use it to look at shades. I did the whole 'smile, say thanks, ignore instruction' routine. Then the make-up artist started lining up nail polish bottles on the machine. Each time he added a bottle, a colour would appear on the screen. At this point, I couldn't hide my excitement: 'LET ME USE IT. LET ME USE IT! HEY, YOU! I'M THE CUSTOMER. LET ME PLAY.' The security guard did the telling 'I-told-you-so' kinda thing, while I started playing with the bottles ― each one has a computer chip underneath, so that the data can be detected. Here's a picture to demonstrate… 

While I was comparing reds, Wai (the make-up artist) introduced himself. Keen to help, he applied the shade of red I was contemplating on himself. SOLD. Burberry Military Red, you're coming home with me.  

Here are some things I've learned about Burberry nail polish:

• It dries very fast. It's one of fastest-drying polishes I've owned. Make sure you've got a good painting technique, because you won't have much time to spread it around!

• It lasts ages. I've taken a picture of my nails on the day I painted them (left) and then ten days later (right). The polish stays shiny, and with a good top coat it doesn't fade or chip ― the only change is where I've picked at the cuticles slightly. 

• The packaging is pretty. And I'm a sucker for pretty packaging. 

Nail varnish in Military Red 300, £15, Burberry.

A trip to Belgium…

After a recent trip to Belgium, I’ve been able to surmise a timeline of university friendships. It does lead to nail art, honest.

1. You meet lots of people.

2. You quickly find that some of these people are sh*theads. Through no fault of your own, some people will decide that they consider you a sh*thead too.

3. After sifting through the figurative sh*t, you find friends. Brilliant, all sorted right? Not quite…

4. You and your friend(s) will probably like the same person. It’s inevitable. You’ll potentially both sleep with that person during Fresher’s Fortnight. Oops.

5. The metaphorical sh*t returns to hit the fan… Gossip travels faster than the speed of light on campus.

6. Everyone gets over it and accepts that university is a rather incestuous place. You can all bond further while you sit in the sexual health clinic holding hands. #STI

7. You spend around three happy years together – give or take an odd domestic over the washing up.

8. You have to say goodbye as everyone you’ve grown so close to are now flocking back to different places across the country. Or even harder… across the world. You cry all the way home. You cry more as you unpack. You conclude that no one understands your woes, and that the best days of your life are now over.

9. Your relationships turn digital. Facebook, Instagram, Skype… not quite the same as knocking on your roommate’s door at 2am with pizza.

10. It might take a fortnight, a month, one year or TWO, but you finally get organised and see each other again. Some of your friends will move to interesting places – take advantage and VISIT.

Okay, so every uni experience is slightly different, but you’ve got the gist of it.

Where am I going with this? A uni friend, Max (who kindly provided the photos for this blog post – except the chips, the chip picture is all mine) moved to Brussels. After two years, three of us decided to get on a Megabus and visit Belgium. A three-day reunion involving Belgian frites, beer, and waffles, is a beautiful thing. One of the most beautiful things in the world.

So here’s to friendship. And Belgian chocolate.

Oh, and nails. Because this is a nail blog. And of course, the theme was Belgium…

As well as acting as a tour guide, Max is a talented Web Developer. You can take a look at his work here: MaxMakeDesign. 

*Disclaimer: Not all personal experiences.*

Time to turn holographic

I’ve wanted holographic nail varnish for a while. I’ve tried a few but they’ve never been quite right. At work I was told about one from Urban Outfitters. So, I trundled down to Oxford Street and parted £12 for the varnish.

When I applied it I was slightly disappointed – it looked just like any other silver shade... UNTIL I saw it under the light. When artificial or natural light shines on this varnish, it creates rainbows at your fingertips.

Would I recommend it? Yes, but save it for when the sun is shining more. It’s perfect for festivals – I wore it for seven days without any chips (aside from a minor bowling incident). 

Easter nail art: Bunnies, chicks and speckled eggs

Happy Easter!

It’s been two months since my last blog post (tut tut!) – I’ve probably painted my nails at least 20 times since then but haven’t kept up to date with photographs. I don’t think you’ve missed anything spectacular, but some of the highlights include going girly pink for Cosmopolitan March and matching my nails to April Vogue (both accidents). 

The pink nail polish on the left is Chanel Fracas. I have never had so many positive remarks on my nails than when I was wearing this shade. From women on the Tube to middle-aged men in lifts, everyone took notice of this bright colour. It’s part of Chanel’s Spring 2013 collection and I have a sneaky suspicion it’s limited edition, so get it quick.

As you may have noticed from previous posts, I love a theme. Easter has provided the perfect opportunity to bring some spring fun to my nails.

The speckled nails are a mixture of Butter, Avon and L'Oréal  pastel shades. The black and white dots were created by L'Oréal’s very clever Confetti top coat. It’s an absolute nightmare to remove but it’s a great way to create patterned nails in seconds.

It wouldn’t be Easter without chicks and rabbits. I drew these on with WAH Nails for Model’s Own nail art pens.

Enjoy the rest of the long weekend and all of that chocolate. 

Biffy Clyro: Opposites

Okay, this post may not be for everyone, but give it a chance! Biffy Clyro have just released their double album, Opposites. I am a huge Biffy fan. The album is brilliant, so if you haven't bought it already I recommend giving it a listen. 

Moving on to nails, it seemed right to make them Biffy themed. Even if you don't like the band (how can you not?!), you might be able to pull some ideas from these anyway: 

A few are a bit on the abstract side, so in case you want some explanations:

Left hand: 
Little: Folding Stars. Ring: Puzzle. Middle: Black Chandelier (I forgot to join the dots, oops!). Index: Taking 'Spanish Radio' literally. Thumb: The Opposites album cover. 


Right hand:
Thumb: #MonTheBiff. Index: The Thaw. Middle: 57. Ring: Biblical. Little: Only Revolutions. 


I suppose that's enough praise for Biffy for one day. Next up, I'll be reviewing the Chanel Spring 2013 collection.