Talon-tastic Thursday: Glitter Monster

{image source: the glitter guide} 

A couple of weeks ago when Himself was in Las Vegas with work and I was feeling a bit sorry for myself as a result, I had a look in my stash for a nail varnish to cheer me up.

Obviously, I was going to pick a glitter polish for the job, but which one should I go for? That random gold from Tenerife? My Lancôme BB Sand? A Milani holo? A little Deborah Lippman number? My new and gorgeous OPI Bring On The Bling?

In the end, I decided I wanted multi-coloured super happy bling. I lashed on three coats of the L.A. Colors purple 'n' blue 'n' pink glitter I told you about a few weeks ago, and here it is for your viewing pleasure:

{indoors, no flash}

This photo was taken after 10 days of wear with no topcoat, during which time no touch ups were required. I am definitely picking up some more of these blingy minis on my next trip to Westfield! 

The stockist there, for anyone wondering, is a place called Beauty Base, which you'll find on the ground floor between Superdrug and Boots. It mostly does fragrance and looks like the lovechild of The Perfume Store and the beauty section of a T.K. Maxx, but without the knockdown prices. Maybe the smellz are cheaper there than in other stores, but it seemed to me that cosmetics and skincare items weren't reduced. Wah.

Jam jars + doilies + tea lights = AMAZEBALLS outdoor lighting idea

{image source: Crafts By Amanda}

Sticking tea light in jam jars is a dead easy way to get some al fresco lighting on, but I've always felt it to be a bit of a bachelor pad/utilitarian looking solution. And then I saw these prettified doily-embellished versions and had an honest-to-goodness "now why didn't I think of that!" moment, complete with mucho forehead slapping.

This is one of the nicest little DIY projects I've seen in a while, and I fully intend to follow Amanda's instructions and make several myself. Just as soon as I've amassed enough jars to do so on a grand(ish) scale - I currently have a grand total of one, which wouldn't exactly look spectacular.

I only wish that I'd come across this "how to" while I was waiting on Camden to send me recycling bins, when I had about six weeks' worth of recycling piled up and a veritable army of glass jars that would have been perfect for the job.

In other news: must really try and get Himself to polish off the last of that honey and jam this weekend. The jars they're in are taking up valuable cupboard space.

Ehem.

Talon-tastic Thursday: In the nude.

I spent my nail painting time yesterday helping Himself shop for "business casual" clothes - we're still none the wiser about what that might actually mean - so Talon-tastic Thursday was put on hold until this morning. This week, I decided to DIY some Shellac for myself, going for the light white-pink Romantique shade for a change. 

Totally out of character, I know. I blame that Kate Middleton wan and the way her nudey nails might look at you. 

{outdoors, direct sunlight, no flash}

For anyone who hasn't heard about it before, CND Shellac is a salon treatment for natural nails that applies like polish but wears like gel, offering 14 days chip-free wear. It's cured under a UV lamp so there's no risk of accidentally ruining your new manicure as you try to fish your car keys out of your bag before the paint job's totally dry. It's priced, usually, at €35ish quid, but I've seen a few places offering it on special for €20-€25 recently. 

The only downside for me involves the removal process: because most salons charge to take off Shellac, I just MacGuyver some removal wraps with cotton pads, tin foil, and acetone to do the job myself. 

Since it's messy and takes quite a while, I reckon the other essential bit of kit for the task is a box set. 

Not long after my Shellac-ing, I happened upon a bottle of L.A. Colors Jewel Tone glitter polish (99p! Looks to me like a dead ringer for Models Own Disco Mix!) that I'd picked up in Westfield with Kirstie a couple of weeks ago. 

You can probably guess what happened next. 

{indoors, no flash}

Ahhhh, bling. Much better (although probably not business casual.)