Fiery Blaze by Miss Sporty

This was the polish that caught my attention on the Miss Sporty stand. It's a duo chrome polish of purple/green with a metallic finish. It's the colours of petrol on water. It translates so well on the nails, in one light it's purple, it another light it's a green/brass colour. The colour changes are amazing, I could look at my nails all day.

The consistency of this polish is excellent and with two coats it was fully opaque. The wide brush makes it really easy to apply. For £1.99 I cannot find fault with this polish at all and would recommend that everyone needs to go out and buy it right away!

Next up is Good as Gold by Essie.
Until then,
Lealea x

Elizabeth Street by Nails Inc

I got this polish recently with Decembers Glamour magazine. As Nails Inc polishes are usually £11 a bottle they are outside of the amount I am normally willing to pay. So when Glamour do their annual Nails Inc polish giveaway, I usually make sure I get all the colours. Elizabeth Street is a very pale pink colour, which looks nice in the bottle. On the nails though I find its just too pale for my colouring, not my favourite I must say.

I also found that this polish was very thick and hard to apply. The polish is streaky when dry and after three coats you can still see the whites of my nails under the polish. All in all I am disappointed with this polish and glad I did not pay £11 for it.

Next up is Fiery Blaze by Miss Sporty.
Until then,
Lealea x

Blue Rhapsody by Essie

This Essie polish is part of the Mirror Metallics range that Essie released last summer. I have never used an Essie nail polish before and at £7.99 a bottle as much as I was drawn to these polishes I felt these would not worth the money. Then last month I found these at Xtras-online.co.uk for the bargain price of £2.99 each (they have since gone up to £3.99 each). I bought all five polishes in the range for the same price as I would have paid for two full price. Bargain!

This polish is a steel blue/grey colour, looks great in the bottle and is even more amazing on the nails.  The polish shines in natural light and just looks like polished steel on the nails.

The consistency of these Essie polishes is really good, in my opinion it needed two coats but I believe that all metallic polishes do as every brushstroke shows up. That is my only criticism of this polish though. The brush is wide and very easy to use. I was very impressed. Not sure i would stretch to paying £7.99 a bottle but I will definitely be keeping my eye out for other Essie bargains online.

Next up is Elizabeth Street by Nails Inc.
Until then,
Lealea x

Blood Orange by Barry M

This polish is one of Barry M's new Gelly nail paint range. This is supposed to be like a Gel effect but a heck of a lot cheaper! This colour is exactly what it says on the tin, a blood orange colour, perfect for christmastime. Unfortunately I think it's a colour that looks better in the bottle than it does on my nails, it's just not quite red enough for me.

In terms of the Gel effect, I have never had Gel nails so can't really compare fully. This nail paint is supposed to produce a high shine effect without the need for a top coat. The polish is shiny but because I am used to wearing Sally Hansen Insta-dri top coat which is really shiny this does not quite produce the same effect. I also found that the polish is very slow to dry (again because I am used to using Insta-dri, I had forgotten how long it can take some polishes to fully dry and managed to knock it in several places before it had dried fully.

All in all I can't say that I was wowed by the effect and I don't think it's worth paying the extra £1 over and above the original Barry M polishes.
Next up is a polish I am excited about trying - Blue Rhapsody by Essie.
Until then (and Merry Christmas)
Lealea x

Aurora Borealis by Miss Sporty

Miss Sporty is not a brand that I normally would even look at. I have always dismissed it as a cheap brand aimed at teenagers. However they have a new range of Metal Flip nail polishes which caught my eye in the shop so I decided to buy them and see what I thought. Boots were having a 3 for 2 sale on, so I bought three at £1.99 each. This polish is a beautiful green/purple duo chrome with a metallic finish. The colour really does change from green to purple depending on the light you are in.

For a cheap brand I had previously dismissed I was really impressed with this polish. The application was really easy with a nice sized brush and the consistency was great. My only complaint was that the colour payoff is a bit weak and after three coats you could still see my nails underneath. I think the point of these polishes though is to layer them over other colours so maybe over another polish it would not be as thin.

All in all I am really impressed with what I have tried of Miss Sporty so far.
Next up is Blood Orange by Barry M.
Until then,
Lealea x

Mysterious by George

I bought this polish just after Christmas last year when Asda Living had an ofer on George nail polishes - they were two for £3 I think instead of £1.75 each. The colour is a beautiful purple colour with silver running through it, beautiful in the bottle and it translates so well on the nails, you can really see the silver highlights in sunlight.

For a cheap polish it applies really well and the consistency is really good, not too thin. Three coats would have been better than two to give a really opaque coverage but two was enough to get a nice coverage.

I really like this polish for the price.
Next up I am going back in the alphabet. I have been guilty of buying a number if polishes lately and so am going to run through all those that come before N in the alphabet before I start with the N's in the New Year. So the next polish is Aurora Borealis from Miss Sporty.
Until then,
Lealea x

My Fair Lady by Ciate

I got this polish free with Marie Claire magazine sometime last year. It is a nude colour, very good for using as a base colour for a French manicure. I have tried lots of different nude colours and this one seems to be the perfect shade for my nails. Like my nails only better! I did not put white tips on the ends of my nails when I had this polish on this time around, so it just dulled the whites of my nails a bit, but I don't think the effect was too bad.

I find Ciate's polishes a bit hit and miss. This one was easy to apply but some I find too gloopy. I would not have paid £9 for this polish but for £3 for the magazine with the polish included it wasn't a bad bargain.

Next up is Mysterious by George.
Until then,
Lealea x

Mulled Wine by Nails Inc

I got this mini bottle of Nails Inc polish with a can of Impulse body spray from Boots sometime last summer.  Given the colour is called Mulled Wine it seems appropriate then that I should be wearing it  on the run up to Christmas. The colour is a deep red wine colour, almost plummy.  It is a lovely colour on the nails.

Unfortunately I found that this polish was very gloopy and thick. I don't know whether its because it's a year or so old, but I have had polishes longer that have not been this thick.  It meant that the polish was very hard to apply and was patchy in places. Such a shame as otherwise I would have really liked this polish.

Next up is My Fair Lady by Ciate.
Until then,
Lealea x

Mudslide by Sally Hansen

This polish is a weird colour to like.  It is a very muddy browny pink colour, and looks a bit wishy washy in the bottle. However wearing on the nails it looks like a creamy rosy brown, very grown up and sophisticated.  I really like it on.

As with all Sally Hansen polishes, it applies really well with the wide angled brush.  The creamy formula is great. However, I have found it does also have a tendency to separate in the bottle so needs a good shake up before using it.

This is definitely a polish I would recommend as an alternative to peaches/nudes.

Next up is Mulled Wine by Nails Inc.
Until then,
Lealea x

Motcomb Street by Nails Inc

I got this polish free with December's Glamour Magazine.  I have tons of Nails Inc polishes, none of which I have actually bought outright, most of which have come free with Glamour Magazine over the last few years.  At £11 a bottle, this polish is too expensive for me, but for £2 with a magazine, I think they are a real bargain.

Motcomb Street is a very very dark navy colour, almost black on your nails.  The polish applies nicely and was opaque in two coats.

I am not sure that these polishes are any nicer than Barry M polishes which are a snip of the cost and I certainly would not pay the full price. 

Next up is Mudslide by Sally Hansen.
Until then,
Lealea x

Mojo by No. 7

I got this polish at Halloween last year as I was looking for an orange that was similar to Tangerine by Barry M which I could not find anywhere.  The polish is an orange streaked with gold shimmer.  This does translate well and it makes for a lovely colour on your nails.

My main problem with this polish is how thin it is.  I put on two coats and it was like I had barely added one thin coat.  I do not have time these days to be putting on lots of coats of polish and waiting for them to dry and for that reason I was massively disappointed with this polish.  Shame because the colour really is lovely.  If you have time to be applying lots of coats of polish and you like oranges/golds, then Mojo could be the polish for you.

Next up is Motcomb Street by Nails Inc.

Until next time,
Lealea x

Model Behaviour by Sally Hansen

Regular readers will note that in my last blog entry for Mistress by Ciate I said the next polish would be Mojo by No. 7.  It appears however that I am incapable of working out the alphabet and so actually the next polish should be Model Behaviour by Sally Hansen.  My apologies, I blame it on the baby brain!

Model Behaviour is a polish I bought at the beginning of this year in a cheap makeup shop for £1.99.  It is a colour that I think has been discontinued as you cannot find it with the other Sally Hansen polishes in Boots.  The colour is a creamy vibrant blue, very bright.

As with all Sally Hansen polishes this one has a wide angled brush for easy application.  The cream formula is great although after two coats was not fully opaque but close enough.  The colour is very bright though so if you were looking for a subtle blue this would not be it.  It lasted a good few days without chipping although did start to wear on the ends after a day or so.

All in all a lovely creamy bright blue, an antidote to all the rubbish weather we have been experiencing here lately.

Next up is Mojo by No. 7 (I promise!).
Until then,
Lealea x

Mistress by Ciate

This polish was given away free with Marie Claire magazine a couple of years ago.  The colour is a lovely vibrant, bright orangy red, a colour I have been looking forward to wearing.  It looks darker in this photo that it does in real life.

It is a shame then that the consistency of this polish is so thin.  After two coats you can still see straight through it, almost as if I had only applied one coat.  I don't have time at the moment to be spending ages doing my nails and therefore I want a polish that is easy to apply and opaque after only a couple of coats and sadly this is not it.  I'm glad this polish was free and that I did spend £9 to be disappointed.

Next up is Mojo by No. 7.
Until then,
Lealea x

Mint Mojo by Collection 2000

I was given this polish by my Mother in Law - I have no idea why she even had this in her collection, its not a colour I can ever imagine her buying, she is more about muted tones than bright colours.  The polish was bought before Collection 2000 became just Collection.  As I wore this straight after Mint Green by Barry M I can't help but compare the two and unfortunately Mint Mojo does not come out the winner.  I find the colour slightly insipid after the brightness of Mint Green.

The polish was difficult to apply, it was really streaky and hard to get an even finish.  It was also very thin and see through.  This is the only Collection 2000 polish I own and it does not make me want to rush out and by any others.  Maybe then have changed something about the formula when they became Collection, but unless they had an outstanding colour I really really wanted to try, I would not be purchasing any polishes from them.

Next up is Mistress by Ciate.
Until then,
Lealea x

Mint Green by Barry M

This colour is all the rage with beauty bloggers and youtubers alike.  It is an amazing bright green colour, great for spring and summer.  I always get lots of comments when wearing this colour, people always ask what it is.

As with all Barry M nail polishes, the consistency is great and it is really easy to apply.  A must to have in everyone's collection.

Next up is Mint Mojo by Collection 2000 (as was).
Until then,
Lealea x

Milan by No. 7

I got this nail polish in a set as a Christmas present a few years ago.  The colour is a shimmery pink with silver highlights, like really really finely milled pieces of glitter.  It is a beautiful colour and looks amazing on your nails.

The only downside is that it is very thin and takes a few coats to achieve a decent coverage.  It is worth the effort though.  It would look even more amazing on tanned hands.

Next up is Mint Green by Barry M.

Until then,
Lealea x

Me! Me! Me! by No. 7

I bought this polish recently with a No. 7 £5 off voucher so the polish cost me £2.  It is a bright creamy pink colour, very Barbie-esque.  I loved the creamyness of the colour in the bottle and it does translate the same on the nails.

As with all No. 7 polishes it has a wide brush for easy application and the formula was great.  Creamy polishes are usually easy to apply and only take a couple of coats to achieve an opaque finish.  My only complaint about this polish was that it chipped on my nails after 24 hours of wear and I had to touch up the ends on a couple of nails to cover up the chips.  Other than that, I do really like this polish.

Next up is Milan by No. 7.
Until then,
Lealea x

Marron Glace by Mavala

I bought this polish in a set with another Mavala polish - Aquamarine.  It was in the reduced makeup items section in Boots and cost me £5 for the whole set.  Mavala is not a polish I had ever tried before but I did like the Aquamarine so I bought the set.

Marron Glace is a brown/grey colour with a shimmer running through it.  It is very similar to Commander in Chic from Sally Hansen but with the added shimmer.  Its not a colour I would be immediately drawn to however, a bit dull and boring if you ask me.

The polish applies ok, a bit streaky on the first coat.  On the strength of trying this polish, I would not rush out to buy more Mavala polishes, unless I saw one in a colour I absolutely had to have. 

Overall the polish is ok, nothing special.

Next up is Me! Me! Me! by No. 7.
Until then,
Lealea x

Mardi Gras by Jessica

I got this nail polish for free after I had a mani/pedi at a spa on holiday last year.  I did not realise I was getting the bottle given for free until after I had picked the colour, but I was really pleased that I had picked this, as at the time I had no polishes in a vivid orange/red colour in my collection.  A large bottle of Jessica nail polish will set you back approximately £9 - £10, so this mini bottle should have been worth about £5.

The orange colour is so bright and vivid, the polish applies really easily and is opaque within two coats.  It looks more red in the photo than it actually goes in real life.  I also have this polish on my toes and it looks amazing whatever your skin colour.  I think this is the type of colour everyone should have one of in their collection.

Next up is Marron Glace by Mavala.
Until then,
Lealea x

Magenta Glitter by Barry M

I bought this nail polish at the same time as I bought Aqua Glitter by Barry M.  As you may know from my review of the Aqua Glitter, I thought that this polish would apply like the Red and Blue Glitters, in that they contain nail colour and glitter, but both the Aqua Glitter and the Magenta Glitter are just high concentrate glitter polishes with a clear base.  Therefore you need a good base colour under them, otherwise it takes forever to build up enough layers of glitter on your nails to cover your nails.  I did not layer anything underneath the Magenta Glitter and so it took four coats to build up some coverage before I gave up. 

The colour itself is lovely, a nice Magenta colour which has a purply appearance.  I'm sure the effect over a base colour such as Barry M's Raspberry or a violet colour would look amazing.  However note that as with all glitter polishes it takes forever to remove unless you use the nail polish/tin foil trick. 

I would maybe wear this polish for a night out, but not necessarily as an every day colour.

Next up is Mardi Gras by Jessica.
Until then,
Lealea x

Lilac Foil by Barry M

This is a limited release polish that I think was only available in Superdrug (or was it Boots?) sometime last year.  As I love all things purple, I just had to make sure I bought it.  This is a metallic foil lilac colour, very pretty on the nails.

The only problem I had with this polish was that it was difficult to apply evenly and you can see every brush mark made on my nails.  However this can only really be seen at close up range, and from a distance the effect of the metallic polish looks really good.

If you like metallic polishes, I would suggest hunting this down on ebay, it is a lovely polish.

This polish marks the end of the L's - next up is the start of the M's with Magenta Glitter by Barry M.
Until then,
Lealea x

Lilac - Magnestised by No. 17

As you know if you regularly read my blog, I do really like the effect of magnetised polishes.  This is one of the first ones I bought when No. 17 released their range at christmas last year, however I never got chance to try this one out and so I was quite excited to try this colour. 

The colour is a dark metallic purple of which the magnetised part almost goes black to give the striped effect.  Having not tried this polish since I bought it 9 months ago, I don't know whether the consistency of the polish was thick when I bought it, or it has degraded since its been sat in a drawer, but the polish was difficult to apply.  It was uneven and very thick.  This made the magnet very hard to use and on a couple of nails, there was hardly any magnetised effect. 

Also, given that Barry M have since brought out magnets which make different patterns, the wavy pattern made by all the No. 17 magnetised polishes seems quite boring.  Overall I was disappointed with this polish, with both the colour and its application.

Next up is Lilac Foil by Barry M.
Until then,
Lealea x

Lemon Drop by Rimmel

This polish is part of Rimmel's "I love Fruities" range, which are scented polishes.  This one smells of lemons (hence the name!).  The colour is a very pale lemon yellow, a colour that in my opinion should really be worn in the summer on people with a tan. 

The scent does linger on the nails for a couple of days and really does smell like lemons (although its a chemical lemon smell, a bit more like scented kitchen cleaner than actual lemons).  The polish is easy enough to apply, although it did take around three coats to achieve an even coverage and even then the polish was not truly opaque.  I would say that yellow is not a favourite colour of mine to wear as I don't think that it suits my colouring.  Still, the scented gimmick is interesting and certainly is better than the usual nail polish smell!

Next up is Lilac - Magnetised by No. 17.
Until then,
Lealea x

Lavender Hexagons by Barry M

This is another glitter polish that I bought last year when I was going through a glitter phase.  The polish is a clear consistency with minute particles of silver glitter mixed in with large purple hexagons of glitter.  This is not a polish to wear on its own and so I layered this polish over the top of the Lavender Cloud by Sally Hansen that I was wearing.

Once again with these glitter polishes I found it hard to apply the larger pieces of glitter evenly across the whole nail.  The minute particles of silver glitter really showed up and looked great, but the larger hexagons just didn't work for me.  I used two coats and still found it difficult to get an even look.  Its not a look I would choose to wear again.

Next up is Lemon Drop by Rimmel.
Until then,
Lealea x

Lavender Cloud by Sally Hansen

I bought this colour from ebay in a set with another Sally Hansen polish that I really wanted.  This is not a colour I would normally choose to wear, its a very pastel lavender colour, almost white.  The polish has a creamy consistency and just really reminds me of tipex.  Not a look I would normally go for on my nails.

As ever the Sally Hansen brushes are easy to use as they are wide with long handles.  The consistency of the polish was ok, although I used three coats and polish was still not completely opaque.

Overall I do not really like this polish and its not a colour that I would encourage people to go out and buy (unless you really like the look).

Next up is Lavender Hexagons by Barry M.
Until then,
Lealea x

Lagoon by Marks and Spencer

I bought this polish last christmas when Marks and Spencer were doing a buy one get one half price offer on makeup.  Marks and Spencer is not somewhere I would normally shop (let alone for makeup) but I had heard good things about their range so decided to check it out.  They had some great colours at the time and I especially loved this colour which is a bright, sparkly blue.

The consistency of these polishes are great, two coats covered my nails fully.  The brush is easy to use and the polish was easy to apply.  I really like this polish and looks great on my nails, such a pop of colour.

Next up is Lavender by Sally Hansen.
Until then,
Lealea x

Knockout Red by No. 17

I got this nail polish free in a No. 17 offer (buy so much and get some makeup free - I think it was an eyeliner, eyeshadow and nail polish set).  The polish is from their Fast Finish range so is supposed to be dry in 60 seconds.  The colour is a pillar box red which is nice although I think should be worn on shorter nails so as to not look like a 1960's secretary!

Although the colour is nice I had an awful time applying this polish.  Although the polish is not new (probably 18 months old or so) I would not expect it to have degraded that much yet.  However the consistency of this polish was very thick and because it is fast drying, it was actually drying faster than I could apply it to my nails.  This meant that if I did not apply the whole thing in one stroke, the polish would clump and bobble together with the next stroke giving an extremely uneven finish and on some nails, chips and pieces missing.  It was only when I added a topcoat that it smoothed everything out, although some nails are far from perfect.  For this reason I do not rate this polish at all. 

Furthermore it chipped off the end of one of my nails not more than 12 hours after I had applied it.  Not impressed at all.

Well that was the end of the K's (that was fast!) so onto the L's next with Lagoon from Marks and Spencer.
Until then,
Lealea x

Kismet Elated by Sinful Colors

I bought this polish from a cheap make up shop at the beginning of this year.  Sinful Colors is not regularly available in this country so I only have few in my collection.  This colour is very hard to describe, its like a russet pink metallic colour, very unusual.  I can't quite decide whether I like it or not.

The problem I found with this polish is that again it is very thin which is a problem I have found with a lot of the other Sinful Colors polishes.  However the polish is very cheap so you can't always expect amazing quality and get what you pay for.  The brush is good and allows you apply the polish easily enough.  I applied three coats with this polish and it is mostly opaque on my nails.

All in all, for the price of the polish it is good, although I would not tell you to rush out and buy this colour immediately.

Next up is Knockout Red by No. 17.
Until then,
Lealea x

Jester by George

This polish is a bright red colour with tiny fine flecks of red sparkle glitter running through it.  The polish is lovely looking in the bottle and the fine flecks of glitter do translate onto your nails giving them a lovely effect (not glittery but not flat colour). 

My only complaint about this polish is that it is again very very thin.  I added four coats onto my nails and it was still not opaque on my nails.  The size and shape of the George bottles are very similar to the small bottles of no. 7 polishes, but the consistency and coverage is slightly thinner.  The price of these polishes at £1.75 - £2 a bottle is great though, so I would put up with having to apply slightly more coats.

This polish concludes the end of the J's - onto the K's next with Kismet Elated by Sinful Colors.

Until then,
Lealea x

Jellybean by Ciate

I got this nail polish free with Marie Claire magazine early this summer.  The colour is a bright creamy fuschia pink.  Very similar to Jammy by No. 7 but without the shimmer.  Its very bright and in your face.

I do like the colour but again, like the Jammy by No. 7 it has a very thin consistency and takes several coats to achieve anything like an opaque coverage.  I used three coats and you can see from the photo that you can see the whites of my nails underneath still.  The polish was easy enough to apply and the long handled brush gives you good control so you don't end up painting the sides of your fingers!  However I think the consistency of this polish lets it down and I would not recommend purchasing this colour for this reason, I think there are better Fuschia coloured polishes out there.

Next up is Jester by George.
Until then,
Lealea x

Jammy by No. 7

This nail polish was bought last summer during my massive No. 7 haul when I had a ton of £5 off No. 7 products vouchers - meaning that each full size polish was £2.  The colour is a bluish toned fuschia pink with a shimmery tint running through it, very bright and very summery.  I do like the colour but it is similar to quite a number of other pinks I have (Jellybean by Ciate, Back to the Fuschia by Sally Hansen and Shocker by Rimmel all spring to mind).

The main downside to this polish is that it is very thin.  I applied three coats and you could still see the whites of my nails underneath the polish.  As you probably know if you are a regular reader of my blog, that is my most biggest pet hate about some nail polishes.  I refused to apply a fourth coat of this polish though as the more coats you add the longer it takes to dry.  On the upside, the No.7 brushes are very easy to work with and it makes the polish easy to apply.

Although I like the colour, I can't say its one of my stand out favourites, although I do think everyone should own at least one fuschia pink nail polish.

Next up is another one of the fuschia pinks I own - Jellybean by Ciate.  I'll let you know what I think of it compared to Jammy.
Until then,
Lealea xx

Indigo Dazzle by George

This colour is very, very similar to the previous polish I wore on my nails (Indigo by Barry M).  The main differences are that this polish has very finely milled glitter running through it.  The colour in the bottle is a beautiful purple with reddish tints, although these do not translate onto the nails.  The glitter shine is mainly evident in natural light/sunlight.  It does translate more of a navy colour on the nails rather than a purple.

The consistency of the polish is good, it applied evenly in two coats.  My only problem with applying this polish is that the brush is not great, its quite wide and splayed out meaning its too easy to smear the polish along the sides of your fingers as well as on your nails.  Again as with the previous Barry M polish, I found it chipped easily after only 24 hours of wear and began to wear off the ends of the nails after a similar length of time.  However given how cheap these George nail polishes are, I don't think you can complain that they don't last long.

This polish represents the last of the I's.  Next up is the beginning of the J's and Jammy by No. 7.
Until then,
Lealea x

Indigo by Barry M

This polish is a beautiful inky purple colour.  It really looks like ink from an old school style inkwell.  It is a lovely colour, although I find it slightly too dark for my colouring, and makes my hands look slightly paler than they are.  The photo makes it look more navy than it actually is on the nails, it has more of a purple tone than can be seen here.

The consistency of the polish is as good as any other Barry M polishes.  It did go on streaky the first coat, but the second coat evened it out.  The only downside is that I found it chipped quite easily and wore off the end of my nails very quickly (easy to notice given the dark colour).

I do like this polish, a great autumn colour.

Next up is Indigo Dazzle from George.
Until then,
Lealea x

In Awe of Amber by China Glaze

I bought this nail polish from ebay so did not see the true colour until it arrived in the post.  The colour in the bottle is a beautiful amber/copper colour with tiny glitter particles which make the bottle shine.  I was quite excited to try this on my nails.  Shame then, that I was left a little disappointed with it.  The colour is just a bit brassy, a little orangy/gold.

The consistency of this polish is a little thin, it took three to four coats to achieve full coverage.  Furthermore it has a very strong smell, as other China Glaze polishes have, a bit overpowering.  Due to the glitter particles, it does take a bit of extra work to get off, but not as much a full glitter polishes do.

All in all I like to look at the polish in the bottle more than I do on the nails.  Maybe I'll just keep it to look at!!

Next up is Indigo from Barry M.
Until then,
Lealea x

I'm Not Really a Waitress by OPI

This is another polish that was sent to me by an American friend.  OPI is so much cheaper in the US as compared to over here.  She chose the colour for me and I absolutely love it.  Its a metallic looking dark red which looks great in the bottle and translates the same on your nails.  Its quite vampy but grown up at the same time and would look great at Christmastime.  The photo makes it look darker than it actually is, its actual slightly brighter red in sunlight.

I only have one other OPI polish so do not have many to compare it to, but the formulation of the polish is good and it applies like a dream.  It lasted about three days on my nails before chipping although was showing signs of wear on the ends after a couple of days.  Although I love it, I still don't think it would entice me to spend £11 on a nail polish though. 

For those that love this shade, I would say its almost exactly alike Salsa by No. 7 which is £7 from Boots.  Other than that, I'm sure it can be found on ebay.

Next up is In Awe of Amber by China Glaze.
Until then,
Lealea x

Hot to Trot by No. 7

I think this polish came in a set of four small No. 7 polishes bought last Christmastime.  I did not buy the set specifically for this colour (the one I really bought it for was Damsen Dream).

The colour is gold but more of a tarnished gold than a bright gold.  For that reason it is quite understated.

I do like the colour, but I do not think that golds suit my colouring very well.  The polish itself is quite thin.  I added two coats but really three were needed to make it opaque as you could see the tips of my nails through the two coats.

A nice colour for Christmas if you wanted something understated for a Christmas party maybe.  It would probably also look great on someone with a tan.

This concludes the end of the H's.  Next up are the I's and I'm Not Really a Waitress by OPI. 
Until then,
Lealea x

Hot Shot by Rimmel

The downside of wearing colours in alphabetical order is that sometimes you get two colours with similar names and similar colours.  Therefore todays colour Hot Shot by Rimmel is very, very similar to yesterdays colour of Hot Pink by George.  The main difference between the two however is that Hot Shot is a creamy formula whereas Hot Pink had a metallic shine to it.

Hot Shot is a very bright pink, almost fluorescent.  It looks amazing on both fingernails and toe nails, and I was rocking that colour for quite a while on my toes over the summer.  Its probably best worn on shorter fingernails, anything too long and your nails can start to look like talons (in my opinion anyway).  Mine were just on the edge of getting too long for this colour I think.

The formula of this polish is great, easy to apply and opaque in a couple of coats.  I do like Rimmel polishes as they are usually very easy to apply.  The polish did start to wear at the ends of my nails after a couple of days, but with lighter colours its easy to get away with for longer and I wore this polish for four days which is practically unheard of here!

Next up is Hot to Trot by No. 7.
Until then,
Lealea x

Hot Pink by George

This nail polish from George was bought last Christmas although this is the first time I have worn it.  It was one of the bargain polishes, bought in their sale for £1.50 each.  The colour in the bottle is amazing - pink with strands of silver.  So cute.

The silver itself does not translate onto the nails, but does give it a lovely sheen which is amazing on.  My four year old was also in love with this colour and chose it ot of my collection to wear.  A gorgeous pink to be warn on a lovely summers day (shame we don't get many round here!!).

The polish is easy to apply, the consistency is great and two coats were enough to provide an opaque coverage.  I would recommend this polish for both the colour and the price (I think its around £2 in George now) if you love brights.

Next up is Hot Shot by Rimmel.

Until then,
Lealea x

Hologram by Barry M

I bought this nail polish when I was on a glitter kick a few months ago.  The difference between this and other glitters that I have is that the glitter is in massive chunky pieces as well as having some tiny flecks of glitter.  The colour of the glitter changes depending on the light (hence the name Hologram).  It is silver flecks which appear green, red, blue, pink etc.

I can't say that I love this polish.  The polish itself is quite thick and its hard to get the glitter flecks off the brush and onto your nails easily.  What I ended up with were mostly flecks of glitter at the ends of my nails which looked silly, so I had to use the brush to try and move them, causing the polish to be thicker in places than others.  Is it just me that has this problems with glitter polishes?  I only applied one coat, but you would need at least two or three to give better coverage to your nails, but as the polish was so thick, I didn't want to apply that many coats as it would take an eon to dry.

Not my favourite I must say.  I have seen other wear this type of polish on one nail only (usually the ring finger) and it can look kind of cute and quirky, so maybe thats where I am going wrong!

Next up is Hot Pink by George.
Until then,
Lealea x

High Hopes by China Glaze

I bought this China Glaze polish from ebay so did not really see the true colour until it arrived on my doorstep.  This is a very vibrant orange colour, almost dayglo orange.  Its not for the fainthearted or those that wanted a muted nail colour, thats for sure! 

The consistency of the polish was a little thin and it took me three coats to achieve opaque coverage.  The polish did last and did not chip although I managed to catch one of my nails on something and it left a white scuff mark in the centre of one of my nails which I could not get rid of.  I had to take it off after that because it was annoying me!

I do love this in your face colour though, so bright and vibrant after all the greys and browns I have been sporting recently!

Next up is Hologram glitter by Barry M.
Until then,
Lealea x

Heath Street by Nails Inc

This is a mini pot of Nails Inc polish that came in a set bought for me last Christmas.  It is a dark red colour which could also double as a red/brown in certain lights (not disimilar to Haute Chocolate by Sally Hansen in some lights).  As it is a mini pot, I found it a bit difficult to apply, as I found that the brush didn't seem to hold much polish and I kept having to get more on my brush after each swipe over the nails.  It also did not last long on the ends of my nails, probably because it is such a dark colour any wear tends to show up rather quickly.

The colour is lovely and I would say very nice for a christmastime colour.  It did make my hands look rather pale though (something easily achieved on me!).

Next up is High Hopes by China Glaze.
Until then,
Lealea x

Haute Chocolate by Sally Hansen

This is a polish which is truly gorgeous in the bottle.  It is a chocolately molten brown with stands of silver running through it.  I could look at the bottle for hours.  The colour does not quite translate to the nails though, it goes on a more reddy brown colour than in the bottle I found. 

It does have quite a metallic appearance though and would make a fantastic Autumn colour (what is is with all these polishes I try lately that would be great in Autumn - I bet I'll end up wearing summery colours in the Winter!).

I found the polish applied streaky on the first coat, but evened up on the second.  Sally Hansen Complete Salon Manicure polishes have a wide applicator brush and it does make them easy to apply in fewer strokes.  I did find that this colour did start to wear on the ends of my nails though after only 24 hours, but I think its because of the dark colour, the wearing tends to stand out more.  However it was for this reason I took it off after two days because once it starts to wear on the ends, it annoys me. (Hey its not like I don't have any other polishes to replace it with!!).

Next up is Heath Street by Nails Inc.
Until then,
Lealea x

Grey Matter by Rimmel

I bought this nail polish in a bid to find a light grey polish that I liked.  This is much lighter than the Grey by Barry M, similar I think to Eel Skin by Sally Hansen.  The colour is quite light, maybe not as light as I would like but its a nice colour.

This is a fast drying 60 seconds nail polish from Rimmel and I would say that it does live up to its name.  Coupled with my Insta Dri top coat from Sally Hansen and this was a finished look in about 20 mins (usually I would say leave nail polish for up to an hour before it becomes truly dry even with Insta Dri top coat).  It also has the wide applicator brush which is supposed to mean you can do your nails with one swipe of the brush.  Maybe with my little finger yes, although I do end up getting it on the side of my finger too but no way with my thumbnails which usually need at least three swipes.  It is an easy to use brush though so I don't mind.

Again not a colour I would choose to wear in summer, this again is more an Autumn colour I would say.

This is the end of the G's - next we move on to the H's.  I'm cooking on gas now with these colours, I might even get to the middle of the alphabet before the two tiny humans I am growing make their appearance and interrupt my nail polish flow!

Next up is Haute Chocolate by Sally Hansen.
Until then,
Lealea x

Grey - Magnetised by No. 17

Last time I wore magnetised nail polish, I didn't bother with the magnet effect, and just wore the colour, which I really liked.  This time around I thought I would use the magnet as I had just taken off a grey polish and so wanted to distinguish between that grey polish and this one.

Grey Magnetised nail polish from No. 17 was the first magnetised nail polish I bought, around last christmas time.  I love the effect that this magnet gives, the curved pattern gives your nails an almost 3D effect.  I get a lot of comments on my nails when I am wearing magnetised polish, a lot of people ask if they are fake or stick on as they don't quite look real.

I must confess I always find it easier to do one hand than the other, I always seem to have one hand where the effect is fab, and the other hand where the effect is not so good.  I must be more adept with the magnet with one hand more than the other.  I also find that my thumbnails are quite wide and the magnet effect does not always reach the sides.  It doesn't detract from the overall look though.

All in all, I really like this polish and the colour and effect it gives.

Next up is another grey (I'm nearly done - honest!) - Grey Matter by Rimmel.
Until then,
Lealea x

Grey by Barry M

I bought this nail polish last Autumn.  Grey is not a colour I would normally think of wearing (its a bit boring really).  However I really like this colour.  Its a dark grey/blue colour - really nice for Autumn.  In my opinion, it is the perfect colour for wearing with jeans and a flannel shirt (my staple Autumn clothing!).  Its a shame then that I got to this colour in summer, when it was actually quite warm here (doesn't happen often!).  Oh well, thats what happens when you decide to let the alphabet dictate your nail polish choices!

As with all Barry M nail polishes, the polish is easy to apply, great consistency and coverage.  I find nail polishes tend to last about three days on me before they start to wear on the ends or chip and this one was no exception.

Lovely colour, lovely polish, buy it if you can.

Next up is another grey colour - Grey Magnetised by No. 17.
Until then,
Lealea x

Green (Magnetised) by No. 17

I decided to something different with this polish so instead of wearing it with the magnetised finish I decided to just apply a couple of coats and wear the colour without.  It is actually a lovely colour and great finish without the magnetised effect.

The green is a nice creamy metallic (if that makes sense!) and goes on opaque after just one coat (although two coats make it much more even).

As much as I like the magnetised finishes, I actually enjoyed wearing this polish without and its great that with this polish you can mix it up like that and have two different ways to wear the polish.

Next up is Grey by Barry M.
Until next time,
Lealea x

Grays Anatomy by Wet n Wild

This is another polish I was sent by an American friend.  When I opened the package and found this polish inside I couldn't help say "wow".  This polish is amazing in the bottle.  It is a duochrome polish which is a mixture of grey, green and purple. 

In one light the polish is a greeny grey on your nails, in another light its light purple.  My four year old was fascinated watching it change colours depending on where I moved my hands (and I found myself staring at it at lot too!).

My only complaint is that it is very thin.  It took four coats to achieve anything like average coverage and in some lights I could still see the whites of my nails underneath the polish.  I only have a couple of Wet n Wild polishes as they are not available over here and this is the first one I have tried so I don't know whether its this polish or just typical of Wet n Wild polishes in general.

In any case, I urge you to try and find this polish if you can, it is pretty special.

Next up is Green (Magnestised) by No. 17.
Until then
Lealea x

Gorgeous by Sinful Colors

I was sent this nail polish by a lovely friend in America, so I don't think that its available over here.  I cannot tell you how much I love, love, love this polish.  It so lives up to its name.  It is absolutely gorgeous on your nails.  The polish is a beautiful teal blue/peacock green. 

I was worried it would be very thin to apply as other Sinful Colors polishes I have tried have been.  Not so this one, it went on beautifully in two coats and gave amazing coverage. 

I had so many compliments while I was wearing this polish, it is so vibrant you can't stop staring at your nails whilst wearing it.  I did not want to take it off.  I think this is one I would wear again and again and again.  Hats off to my friend, she did me proud picking this one for me!  If you are in America you must go and buy this immediately (if its still available), if you are in England look out for it on ebay, find yourself a friend in America to send it to you or plan yourself an American holiday just to buy this polish.  It is that amazing!

Next up is Grays Anatomy by Wet n Wild.
Until then,
Lealea x

Gold Effects by Barry M

This is a crackle polish which creates a shatter look on your nails.  I only have Barry M crackle polishes so I don't know what other brands are like.  I find with the Barry M polishes that they are quite thick so the crackle effect itself is raised up from the nails. 

The last time I used my Black Effects crackle polish I wore it over the last nail polish I wore which was a yellow (Big Yellow Taxi by Ciate).  This time though, the Gold Effects polish comes alphabetically after Gold by Barry M, so slightly pointless to layer the Gold Effects over the top.  So I broke protocol and layered the crackle over the Maybelline MNY polish I wore previously.  This is the effect it gave...

It is ok, not greatly dramatic I think.  It probably would look better over black more than any other colour.

I can't say that I am a huge fan of the crackle polishes (again I've only ever tried Barry M so I can't speak to the effects given by other brands).  I find the premise much nicer than the actual effect.

Next up is Gorgeous by Sinful Colors.
Until next time,
Lealea x

Gold by Barry M

This is an old Barry M polish, I've probably had it for about 5 years or so.  I think I bought it for a christmas outfit as gold is not my favourite - I much prefer silver as I think it suits my colouring better.

This gold has very fine flecks of gold glitter in it, giving it a bit of a shimmery effect.  My main complaint about this polish is that it is very thin and takes a lot of coats to achieve anything like an opaque coverage.  I put three coats on and really a fourth would have been better to give better coverage.

Like I said, I don't think that gold polish suits my colouring, but I do like the shimmery effect this polish creates.  If gold is your colour, this is a good polish.

Next up is Gold Effects by Barry M.
Until then,
Lealea x