NOTD Barry M Nail Effects over Ciaté Main Stage

Everyone and their granny has done a post on this but I thought I’d volunteer my thoughts on it anyway.  Crackle polishes seem to be all the rage at the moment but frankly why would you pay for an OPI version when Barry M do the same things for £3.99? Ciaté Main Stage is a bold, bright pink with no shimmer. It is opaque in one coat and being almost neon dried to an almost non glossy finish. The nail effects dries to a matte black finish, there is a glossy top coat over all of this. I find if you don’t use a top coat it can scratch off very easily. 

The things about the nail effects is you can control the pattern to an extent by applying it differently. I like to slap it on in a really thick layer. Here I did one layer of Ciaté, Seche Vite, left it till it was almost but not quite dry then slapped on a really thick layer of nail effects. The result is a very chunky and defined pattern. By applying a thin layer over dry polish it results in smaller fractured pieces. I really like the effect!

*I bought these myself*

NOTD: Ciaté Headliner

I’m afraid work is taking up every waking moment at the minute so the posts have been a little thin on the ground. Sorry! I’m going to get back into the habit of scheduling posts this weekend so normal service should resume as of erm... now. Here we have another gorgeous shade from Ciaté. Ooh those bottles are cute! 

Two gloriously smooth coats. Love it! The colour is stunning too. The wear was only two days on this (over OPI Nail Envy and under Seche Vite) but still it is pretty. This was my constant toe nail colour on holiday. I personally don’t subscribe to the theory that brights are for summer and darks are for winter. I like it so I’ll wear it whatever  the season! Xx

*I got this free with a magazine subscription*

NOTD: Ciaté Talent Scout

About 6 weeks ago I got a subscription to Instyle Magazine. As part of the deal you got a set of 4 Ciaté polishes. Now the blurb at the bottom stated that it was only whilst stocks lasted and you might now get any so after a month I gave up and assumed I wasn’t getting any. It was a really pleasant surprise when the little box of loveliness turned up! Here is Talent Scout. It’s a gorgeous purple crème that was opaque in two slightly thick coats.



Mmmm grape. The wear on this was fantastic with tip wear and chipping at the end of day 3. The bottles are really cute too. I’m excited to try the rest of them now!

*I got this free with a magazine subscription*

Review: Ciaté Love Me Oil

This was a freebie that I stole from my Mum. She received it as a gift over a year ago (hence why this is the old school packaging, there is a newer style out) but never used it so gave it to me. Now I am currently trying to grow my nails. This is a lot more difficult than it sounds. I’ve been a biter for years (disgusting I know) and my nails manage to be both soft and brittle at the same time. They flake off in sheets without polish on to protect them. Recently this has been bothering me more than usual as I am due to get married in a couple of months. I’m essentially going to spend the day with people looking at my fingers and I’d rather they didn’t recoil in horror... Plus I just love nail polish and it just looks funny on my stumpy little nails.

One of the keys to great looking nails is good looking cuticles. All too often they are neglected and mine had become as dry and peeling as my nails themselves. Thus this cute little bottle of cuticle oil has become one of the mainstays of my new nail care regime. The adorable bottle of pink cranberry scented oil (it also comes in almond but I suspect that would make me crave marzipan) comes with a handy varnish type brush and despite having used this daily for over two weeks the level hasn’t dropped at all. I suspect this will last me a very long time. I simply brush the oil onto my cuticles after removing my polish, massage in and then wash off after a few minutes before repainting my nails. The result is softer cuticles that are easier to push back and they no longer peel up with jagged edges. I haven’t really tried any other cuticle oils so I can’t compare them but I will say this, this product has defiantly converted me and I will always make a point of using an oil from now on.

P.S Please don't judge my cuticles in this pic... I'm working on them and I still think this cuticle oil has helped soften them...