OPI Mariah Carey 3 Piece Mini Holiday Collection | Christmas Gift Guide £25 and Under

Give the ladies in your life a little sparkle this Christmas with this fabulous OPI Mariah Carey 3 Piece Mini Holiday Collection Set, which includes three beautiful shades in Silent Stars Go By (a seriously glitzy Rose Gold), Baby Please come Home (a sparkly lilac) and the piece de resistance Make Him Mine (a fabulous dusky pink). This really is the ultimate stocking filler for any nail polish lovers, or for those wishing to try something from the brand without having to fork out £10 for one full bottle. These sparkly little bottles maybe teeny tiny, but I can guarantee that they will last a seriously long time.

As the above set is a gift I sadly dont have any swatches to show you (believe me I was ridiculously tempted to give them a try), that being said I am still pretty sure that you will have seriously sparkly, party perfect manis/pedis thanks to the liquid sand formula. The OPI Mariah Carey 3 Piece Holiday Collection can be purchased from the likes of Sally's and Beauty Bay for around £12, however I actually spotted this set during a recent mooch around TkMaxx (yes that place again) for the grand total of £9.99, so its definitely worth shopping around if you fancy saving a few pennies!!

Would you be happy to see this in your stocking Christmas morning?!

NOTD: Dutch-Ya Just Love OPI?

Opening up my May birchbox I couldn't help but let out a little squeal when I caught a glimpse of this beautiful polish sitting pretty at the bottom of the box! Dutch- Ya Just Love OPI? A deep creamy purple with red and gold shimmer running throughout was originally released last year as part of the Holland Collection!! Thinking that it couldn't get much prettier, Dutch-Ya Just Love OPI? is truly eye catching once greeted with natural light. 

Like all OPI polishes Dutch-Ya Just Love OPI? has a great formula and becomes opaque with just two coats!! Unlike any other shade in my collection, a hard task with a drawer brimming full of every colour of the rainbow and then some (sadly im not kidding) this beautiful polish has safely made its way to the top of my ever bulging drawer. 

After falling for its shimmery charm, im now resisting the urge to track down the other shades that were released in the collection!! 

Have you tried Dutch-Ya Just Love OPI?! 

Nicole by OPI- here Kim's the sun

 Ah who cant help but love the gorgeous Kardashian sisters with their fabulous sense of style?!! So whilst in New York (my word that seems like a lifetime ago now) i made it my mission through the help of our movie and tv sights guide and my patient boyfriend to visit DASH the shop created by the gorgeous sisters themselves. the shop was rather small to what i was expecting but my word did it hold some hidden gems. After lusting after many a wildfox top, and gasping at the price of the $10 bottles of water emblazoned with pictures of the 'dash' sisters (only they could get away with this ha), the stand of Kardashian Kolor polishes caught my attention, and after serious umming and aaaahing i finally left with 'Here Kim's the sun' feeling rather pleased with myself that i now owned something from dash (i seriously am that sad). 

Being an OPI polish i new that the formula would be good. In all honesty i was stupidly expecting this to have a gel like texture and result, and although it looks fine on its own, i think 'here Kim's the sun' is more ideal as the perfect top coat. That being said, with lashings of micro glitter whats not to love right? 

Have you tried any of the Kardashian Kolor Polishes??

ever visited DASH?? 

OPI Vintage Minnie

so i love OPI, i love all things disney and to top it all off im obsessed with the colour pink when it comes to nail polish, so it was inevitable that at some point i was going to give into temptation and purchase something from the OPI vintage Minnie collection. A visit to the hairdressers is becoming frequently dangerous to my bank balance as they have now stocked up on OPI aswell as a range of other tempting delights. Noticing that they had the vintage Minnie collection in stock, it would have been rude not to make a naughty purchase, right?? (i have problems). So i decided to pick up the vintage Minnie minis set which includes the colour of Minnie (shimmery red), if you moust you moust (pastel pink), im all ears (a vibrant pink) and a rapidry topcoat, on top of this set i also picked up nothin mousie 'bout it (ah dont you just love the names). Although i like the rapidry topcoat i feel as though the set would have been that little bit better if nothin mousie 'bout it were a part of it instead. 

Iv'e yet to try the colour of Minnie, but i can definitely vouch for the other shades by saying that they are bloody gorgeous aswell as being easy to apply. On my nails above (ignore my awful application) i have im all ears as the main polish, this took two coats to be opaque, a gorgeous vibrant fuchsia pink complete with a glitter effect, on my ring finger i have if you moust you moust a perfect barbie pink which was opaque in just one coat (im seriously impressed) with nothin mousie 'bout it on top, i must be honest although i love the glittery effect this achieves, it was a pain to get the large glitter hearts out of the bottle and as a result i didn't really get the full effect of the polish. 

Overall im really impressed with this collection. I can definitely see im all ears becoming a firm faviourite!!

Have you purchased anything from the Vintage Minnie collection?? what did you think??

http://ahintofsparkle.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/new-york-giveaway.html

Thinking in floral, NOTD

 Hello lovelies i hope your all well! so with all the Cath Kidston esque nail art flying around the blogosphere and with two new models own nail art pens at hand, i decided to have a go at some floral nail art. to be honest its not the best but for a first attempt im pretty pleased with it, the effects were definitely better on my toes (apologies for those who hate feet), as the white behind the flowers on my hands looks somewhat like fried eggs ;). I used Essie mint candy apple as the base, i then made little squiggles with a white nail art pen and then swirled pixi pirouette and a pink nail art pen together to create the flowers and finished off with little green dots for the stems!! Even if there not the most floral looking nails i love the pattern that's been created none the less!!

Have you had a go at floral nail art?

NOTD..its all about pastels

 i mentioned in my previous post that im loving the pastel and brights trend..ive been meaning to try the nicki minaj polishes since purchasing them and i haven't had a go at nail art for a while, so being the lover of the whole painting the ring finger, i decided to go stripey and summery ha, whilst incorporating all things pastel..i used my beloved OPI Rumples wiggins as the main colour and then used did it on em, fly and pink friday on my ring finger, aswell as Modelsown Snow White, tbh i cant say ive created the straightest of lines but im liking the effect all the same  

 l-r- rumples wiggins, did it on em, fly and pink friday

In all honesty although i used to rave about rumples wiggins, and have used it in several NOTD i think  my love for it has dwindled out, yes i love the colour but i find that within a day it chips even with a top coat :( 

Pretty in Pink

Hello lovelies, so with all the gloomy weather lately its no surprise that im desperate for summer to arrive (aren't we all!) and nothing shows this more than my current love for all things pastel and bright, but without being to out there, my current lusting has been towards pink nail polish, glittery, neon, pastel, bright you name it and im drooling over it haha..with all the summer spring/summer collections being released, presenting the beauty world with yet another beautiful pink shade, its safe to say it has left me with quite a wishlist, my faviourite of the above has to be Butter London's Disco Biscuit, its so girly and summery and sigh haha 

Are you craving for summer to begin??

Nicki Minaj for OPI

Hello lovelies i hope your all well. So its safe to say that i have a MASSIVE obsession with nail polish, so much so that im trying my utmost to stop myself from purchasing anymore (i have a big box of polishes and still tell myself i dont have a colour to use :S)..So when i heared that the Nicki Minaj collection had been released, i tried to ignore all temptation, such as beautybay and reading reviews, but i didn't think my biggest temptation would be at the hairdressers..in the month or so that i haven't been they have introduced Moroccan oil and OPI to their new brands (so you can understand any strength went out the window) aswell as my beautiful hairdresser declaring how lovely and in season the colours were, so i left the salon with new hair, new polishes and £12 shorter than i originally expected :S.. anyway enough of my rambling and onto the colours.

Im not exactly a fan of Nicki Minaj so the names of the polishes mean nothing to me.. but the little set comes in:

 Did it on em-an almost lime, perhaps yellowy green, which does not seem to unsimilar to OPI's who the Shrek are you?..however i dont own this polish to compare, anyone who does, id love to know whether its a dupe or not!!

Fly- A lovely teal colour, im a total fan of this colour on my nails, so i think this will definitely be getting alot of wear out of this 

Pink Friday- a lovely light creamy pink colour (im really loving the pastel theme going on)

Metallic 4 life- tbh im not to fussed on this polish, its basically silver glitter within a black base, my opinions could completely change when i get around to using it!!

Altogether- im really impressed with this collection, although i would have preferred Save me (a blue holographic glitter) than metallic 4 life, but that's just personal choice. The colours are lovely (im a definite fan of Fly and Pink Friday), however the shades are not to dissimilar to others out there. 

Price- £12ish for the set which is pretty good when a single OPI polish is usually about £10 

Quality-like all OPI Polishes, you need about two coats for an Opaque look

So have you tried anything from the Nicki Minaj Collection? Any similar dupes?

New years NOTD- Once Upon A Time

 hello lovelies, hope your all having a great start to the new year!! if you read my previous post then you will know i wasn't really in the mood to celebrate new years, but me the boyf and my parents all sat together welcoming in the new years and raising a toast to my Nan!!..the only thing that was dressed for the occasion was my nails, ever since i saw Hannah's post on Barry M's Once upon a Time, i knew this sparkly gem needed to be in my collection, however this was easier said than done, i to ok several trips to Superdrug and boots without seeing this gem aswell as continuously trying on the Barry M site and it being forever sold out, so i gave in and tried Amazon and low and behold they had it, okay it was £4 but it was definitely worth the extra pound.

 Once Upon a Time is a clear polish with loads of pink and silver glitter its so pretty and reminds me of cake sprinkles, it really is a glitter explosion of a nail polish..i chose to put OPI's Planks alot as a base coat and i needed about four coats of Once Upon A time to achieve the look below aswell as Barry M's topcoat, although my pictures really do not show this beauty justice!! 

 Like all Barry M nail polishes, this beauty is really good quality, if you like glitter and sparkles then you will love this and for £2.99 (or the £4 i payed) you cannot go wrong

have any of you tried this?? any dupes for once upon a time??

My Dream Christmas Wishlist

If Money wasn't an option what would you ask Santa for, for Christmas ;)?? haha..im thinking i'd love to wake up to items, although very expensive, none the less, things that i would cherish and wear or use to death!!..a piece of Tiffany jewellery is something every girl would love to receive in their stocking or a gorgeous Mulberry Handbag, and then you've got to think of the makeup, with a lovely new foundation haha

What would you love in your dream Christmas Stocking??

OPI.. Muppet's review

Hello lovelies,So if you were to put OPI polishes, lots of glitter and THE MUPPET'S together, what not to love??.. so you can imagine the excitement i had yesterday when i was mooching around Sally's and spotted this little set from the new Muppet's collection..aswell as this there were also a lot of the single polishes from the collection including rainbow connection which i think il have to invest in (think a glitter explosion/deborah lippmann's Happy Birthday)

(please excuse the poor quality photos, im getting used to using my naff little camera, and having to deal with poor lighting in my lil uni room)

So here the lovelies are!! i haven't yet used Designer...de better! or Warm and Fozzie but they look such lovely colours i hope they dont let me down (expect to see them in a NOTD at some point!!)

However i am currently sporting Wocka Wocka! and Excuse Moi! (dont you just love the names)

Wocka Wocka! is a really lovely red with a slight pink sheen to it, and i love it paired with Excuse Moi! aswell as being just the average glittery polish Excuse Moi has bigger bits of coloured glitter in it, which i think makes it that extra bit special..i wouldn't say any of these polishes are unique colours, but together they are a perfect little set for the winter season!!

 Wocka Wocka! and Excuse Moi! with flash

In natural light

So what do you guys think of the new collection?? will any of you be investing in some Muppet's fun?? haha