Where I buy

A few people have asked where I buy my polishes. We have a limited selection of polishes availible in New Zealand and what is in stores is generally over priced. $26.90 for OPI? So I tend not to buy retail very often. I instead buy online. I have a rather bad ebay addiction. The trouble with ebay is you need to watch for shipping costs and if you've never used a seller before

OPI: I buy a lot of my OPI's on ebay. Just generally finding who ever has the colour I want cheapest with reasonable shipping. If I want to buy OPI in New Zealand I use Beyond Beauty. Some ebay sellers I've used are:  Enchanted Beauty Spot Be Bold Go Glam Glitz and Glamorize and  Send the Trend

OPI Simply Smashing

Color Club: In New Zealand Color Clubs are available at Life Pharmacy and online at USA Nails Online. I always use the same seller on ebay for Color Clubs Top Nail Shop .

Color Club Space Case

Milani: I don't own many Milani polishes, but what I do own I got on Cherry Culture

Milani Cyberspace

 Nubar: I've only used one ebay seller for Nubar polishes, they also sell China Glaze, Essie and more. Enchanted Beauty Spot

Nubar Moon Shadow

Essie: Yup these are the two sellers I've bought Essie from.  Top Nail Shop  and  Enchanted Beauty Spot
Life Pharmacy sells Essie...but at $25 a bottle and they're a year behind. 

Essie Lapis of Luxury

China Glaze: There are so many sellers on ebay that sell China Glaze. I've used quite a few but these are two sellers I use regularly. Enchanted Beauty Spot and  Top Nail Shop.

China Glaze Tantalize Me

 Nail Prisms: I bought most of my Nail Prisms on ebay. I wouldn't actually recommend that, as they sell for rather high prices. But if you want to pay those prices, these are the sellers I've used. Cassie Cosmetics and Tzyoia.

Sally Hansen Nail Prisms Garnet Lapis 07

BYS: BYS is very easy for me to get. Cosmetics Plus has a massive stand and more.

BYS Glitter Purple

Maybelline: I've actually picked up most of my Maybelline polishes at Postie Plus.

Kleancolor: Again I bought these at Postie Plus for $4.00 each. Although they often have buy 2 for $6 specials on them. Unfortunately the selection isn't the greatest. I wish they had the awesome glitter on the Kleancolor website.

Another website I've managed to get polish on and shoes and clothes...is NZ Sale. I've picked up Nail Prisms, Glitter Gals and they recently had a Butter London sale.

Nail Prisms: Diamond LE 01

Todays Nail Prism is Diamond. I have the Limited Edition version which produces a less linear holographic effect than the original version. Well as far as I can tell looking at swatches! Diamond LE has more of a fine scattered holo effect.

Diamond 01 LE

This was 3 coats. In awesome news...I have a brand new unopened bottle of Diamond 01 LE...which could possibly make an appearance in a giveaway at some point.

Pink Wednesday

Today, well ok I took the picture yesterday....but I'm still wearing it today...I'm wearing one of my not so new, just unworn, Nyx Girls polishes. This is one of those polishes I ordered for the name.

I was tossing up whether to buy Roxy or Kinky Pink. Kinky Pink won. I'm glad I decided on Kinky Pink. It'sa gorgeous almost neon pink with shimmer and tiny glitter particles. My pictures can't capture how awesome Kinky Pink is. Rain and no sun is not the best for capturing almost neon pinks. I may have to try my hand at building a light box over winter if I want to get decent photos.

Anyway here is Kinky Pink...ignore the stubby nail!

Nyx Girls Kinky Pink

I used two coats, because I'm lazy, but there was still visible nail line. So three coats would have been better. It looks almost glass flecked in these pictures.

NYX Haulies

I didn't really break my no buy...These were purchased and arrived a little while ago.

To be honest if I can't remember the exact date....then it doesn't count as breaking my no buy...which has been going so well...hahaha. I'm useless at no buys. Although I haven't ordered anything online for the last 2 weeks. I did however pick up a couple of polishes when I was in Porrirua last week. I really do have to get serious about my no buy though. I just finished paying my wedding dress and veil...and next month I'll have to shell out for the alterations that need to be done. I have been good and resisted most things on my wish list. The only polishes I wont be resisting are the Pirates of the Caribbean ones.

It seems like quite a few people have been buying up NYX Girls polishes lately. I joined that club and placed an order on Cherry Culture when it was 20% off. I ordered 16 polishes...when you're paying for international shipping you have to make it worth it!

Woman, Kinky Pink, Chick lit and Dreamy Glitter

Buzz Worthy, Sunday Afternoon, Gilded Glitter and Carnival.

Algae, Sea of Cortez, Boho and Emerald Forest.

Charcoal Pearl, Robotic, Ink heart and Indigo Blue.

The Nyx Girls polishes come in cute 10ml bottles. I haven't had any problems with the brushes and I'm quite happy with application. I think I managed to get a very nice array of colours but there's still more I'm eyeing up!

I was planning to swatch these over my holidays, but the weather was yuck. Rain and more rain. Winter seems to be hitting. Then I broke my nail. Soon as there's a sunny day and my nail doesn't look quite so stubby I'll swatch these properly! Until then....here's a nail wheel.

Dreamy Glitter, Chick Lit, Kinky Pink, Woman, Sunday Afternoon, Buzz Worthy, Gilded Glitter, Emerald Forest, Boho, Algae, Sea of Cortez, Indigo Blue, Ink Heart, Robotic, Charcoal Pearl and Carnival.

Nail Prisms: Ruby Topaz 37

Todays Nail Prism is another 'ruby' but this time it's gone pink not red.
Ruby Topaz is a very pretty pink toned ruby that flashes gold and neutral tones depending on the angle of you nails!

Ruby Topaz 37

I actually really like Ruby Topaz, it's a pretty feminine colour that would be suitable to wear for most occasions. It's subtle enough yet has a very pretty duochrome to it. This was three coats, although I could have worn four.

Sometimes I think these subtle colours may be prettier than the in your face colours. They're more elegant.

Better late...

Well yesterday was Anzac Day and I did special Anzac Day nails and everything...

I just forgot to post them!

Thanks So Muchness with Black Shatter (Flash)

Thanks So Muchness with Black Shatter  (Natural cloudy light)

Anzac Day commemorates the day that the Anzac Soldiers landed in Gallipoli in 1915. It's the day we remember the soldiers of WW1 and WW2. I'm part of the generation whose grandparents were in the war. My mum's dad, Toppy, was Artillery and and a Dessert Rat. My dads father, Granddad, forged his age and joined the Navy, ending up in Japan. I believe that Anzac Day is an important day of remembrance, but I'm concerned that the next generation after me will have no comprehension of why the shops are closed and why we have a day off. Unfortunately when Anzac falls in the holidays I can't teach my class at school about it either. We'll have a chat when we get back, but it's too far out of their minds to spend too much time on. They are only 6!

On Anzac Day we wear red poppies in remembrance. They're a symbol of our return servicemen. At my Granddads funeral we placed poppies on the casket. I choose to wear a gorgeous red Thanks So Muchness to represent the red poppy and because I am thankful to the men and women of WW1 and WW2. I could come up with a symbolic reason of why I decided to Shatter my red nails. I could say it was to represent the way that war shatters life...but I just did it because I really wanted to see what it looked like! and I'm not really into red nails...I think they look really good. It's a shame about my stubby nail!

In awesome news, there will be post today! w00t! Due to Easter we haven't had any mail since Thursday. I'm hoping my China Glaze Island Escapes polishes will arrive today. That would be awesome.

In other awesome news, my mum rang me on Sunday night. She was very excited because she had just used Black Shatter on her Turquoise nails. Haha. Yay Mum! It was her first time stepping away from the reds and neutrals to wear Nicole Jade in the Shade (which I gave her the other week) and she crackled it!

Jade in the Shade, The colour my mum is currently rocking with black shatter!

Nail Prisms: White Turquoise 35

Todays Nail Prism is not a crazy holo or duochrome. Instead it's a more sedated colour.

White Turquoise is exactly what it's name says. A pretty fresh white colour with turquoise shimmer. The turquoise shimmer was so hard to capture, but I promise you it's there and it's obvious!

I used 4 coats as this one was a rather sheer colour.

White Turquoise 35

White Turquoise is a very pretty relaxed colour to wear. It's appropriate for so many different situations, I'm even thinking it could work as a wedding polish. White Turquoise may not be a holo or crazy duochrome but it is a very pretty clean polish to wear.