My Top 5 Nail Polish Brands

I had a request for what my Top 5 Nail Polish Brands were from the lovely Liloo. I have found with Nail Polish, sometimes it's the cheapest polishes that are often, surprisingly, the best in terms of quality, colour range and durability and it’s not always the case of paying the high-end designer prices and getting value for money.


1. O.P.I - My favourite polishes have to be O.P.I, their vibrant and trend setting colour range is wonderful, the quality is amazing and I love the individual quirky nail polish names. The chip-resistant polish ensures flawless results with each application, and its green ingredient list excludes DBP, toluene and formaldehyde. Although OPI are priced at around £10 each, you get a lot of polish for your money in terms of the quantity of the large bottles, however,  they have started selling mini bottles which are great value for people that find the normal sized bottles too large. I find OPI polishes are long lasting and great quality and they stay chip-free for around 7 days. The wide curved brush means achieving a quick and easy application is simple. OPI are priced at £9.95 each and are available from http://www.lenawhite.co.uk/ OPI have also collaborated with Sephora to bring over 50 fashion-forward, wearable nail colours for the 'modern women' which are worth checking out if your ever at a Sephora store.

2. Revlon - the company that invented Nail Polish in 1932, when the creator wanted lip and nail colour to match. 'Revlon Red' was even the inspiration for the infamous red soles of Christian Louboutin shoes! They have a great mix of classic colours that will never go out of fashion such as their famous 'Revlon Red' and 'Cherries in the Snow' with a brilliant range of seasonal on-trend colours and finishes. They are excellent value for money, good quality polishes that are long lasting and stay chip-free for around 10 days. They are easy to apply, non streaky, a little sheer but are buildable to achieve an opaque finish. Revlon Nail polishes cost £6.29 and are available from http://www.revlon.com/, http://www.boots.com/ and http://www.superdrug.com/

3. Ciate - fabulous range of gorgeous 'on-trend' colours which are good quality, creamy, long lasting and easy to apply. The ciate paint pots forumulations are Formaldehyde, Toluene and Paraben free yet promise to maintain a full coverage, high gloss and long stay colour wear. They certain live up to expectations, only one coat is needed for a lovely glossy finish and the staying power was brilliant -atleast 10 days of no chipping! Flawless painting is made easier with the optimum 250 bristle flat brush, which is ergonomically designed to enable maximum control with a long handle and curved bottle to sit comfortably in your hand. The polishes are presented in such cute pretty bottles that look great displayed on a dressing table. Ciate paint pots are priced at £9 each and are available from http://www.ciate.co.uk/, ASOS also have a collaboration with Ciate and have a limited edition range of shades inspired by celebrity trends.

4. Eyeko - I'm a huge fan of Eyeko polishes and recently have been featuring them often in my NOTD posts. Eyeko have a brilliant range of fashion-forward shades and dupes of high-end brands such as Chanel. They are good quality and apply perfectly, give a smooth glossy finish and are highly pigmented usually one coat is enough. I love dinky bottles and their cute packaging; I find there's usually no chipping for at least 5 days. They feature a nail friendly formula that is Toluene, Formaldehyde, DBP and Camphor free. Eyeko polishes are priced at a purse-friendly £3.50 each and are available from http://www.eyeko.com/ (don't forget to enter my code at the checkout E6670 to receive a free gift with your order)

5. Mavala - Swiss brand with a huge colour range of over 100 shades. Mavala minis are perfect little 5ml pots of colour that won't dry out before you reach the bottom, and are great when travelling or carrying around in your handbag (please tell me im not the only one that carries nail polish in my bag?!). Mavala combine high quality, technically impeccable products with long lasting staying power at an affordable price. The polishes apply like a dream effortlessly and produce a professional finish thats even, creamy, smooth and glossy, yet comes off easily with one sweep of remover. They last a good 10 days without chipping and only need one coat as they are so highly pigmented. Unlike traditional nail colour, Mavala's unique formula delivers microscopic air pockets to allow nails to breath, ensuring your natural nails are cared for. All Mavala's colours are fee from parabens, formaldehydes, toluene, camphore, cellophane, animal ingredients and heavy metal. Mavala mini pots are priced at £3.49 each, so an affordable way to buy into key trends without breaking the bank.

What are your favourite Nail polish brands?

O.P.I – Its Totally Fort Worth It

As requested by the lovely Liloo here is a swatch of OPI - It's Totally Fort Worth It from the Spring Summer 2011 Texas Collection. It is a shimmery lavender pale grey shade which is quite sheer but buildable - 3 coats were needed for a smooth opaque finish, but it also looks nice with one coat for a more subtle finish (as seen here). The new wide curved brush means it is so easy and quick to apply to get a flawless shiny finish.

This photo was taken on my iphone -

it was difficult to capture how nice this polish is on camera!

This is an unique twist on the metallic trend as seen on the catwalks this season. This shade looks stunning on the toes, as well as the fingers and I can image this would look even more amazing with a tan in the Summer!This is my star pick from the Texas collection as I haven’t seen any shade like it before – very unusual and pretty! What do you think? What are your favourite OPI shades?


The O.P.I Texas Collection is due to hit stores in Feb 2011 priced at £9.95 each and will be available online from http://www.lenawhite.co.uk/

O.P.I Houston We Have A Purple

Here is a swatch as promised of O.P.I Houston We Have A Purple from the new Spring/Summer 2011 Texas Collection. It is a pink toned violet purple shade which is simply gorgeous! It was very sheer coverage when applied but buildable, two coats were needed but the new wide curved brush means it is so easy and quick to apply to get a flawless shiny finish.

What do you think? What are your favourite OPI shades?
The O.P.I Texas Collection is due to hit stores in Feb 2011 priced at £9.95 each and will be available online from http://www.lenawhite.co.uk/ 

Free Clinique Mascara Anyone?

Clinique are offering a 'mascara swap' whereby you can trade in your current mascara (any brand) for your choice of Clinique deluxe mascara sample absolutely FREE! There is no purchase necessary and you can swap your old dried-up mascara for either a deluxe sample of High Impact Mascara or High Lengths Mascara.

Want dramatic, over-sized lashes? High Impact Mascara's the one for you.

For unrivalled length there's High Lengths Mascara.

The offer is at Clinique Counters at Boots Stores from 29th October until 16th November 2010.

I have used High Impact many times but I am intrigued to try the High Lengths Mascara, especially since its been award a style award! Which mascara will you be going for?

O.P.I Suzi Loves Cowboys

Here is a swatch as promised of O.P.I Suzi Loves Cowboys from the new Spring/Summer 2011 Texas Collection. It is a lovely rich chocolate flat brown, very chic and suits a variety of skintones. Chocolate browns have been seen all over the catwalk this season. It was quite a sheer coverage when applied but buildable, two coats were needed but the new wide curved brush means it is so easy and quick to apply to get a flawless shiny finish.

taken with flash

taken without flash

What do you think? Are you a fan of Cowgirl - Chic Nails?

The O.P.I Texas Collection is due to hit stores in Feb 2011 priced at £9.95 each and will be available online from http://www.lenawhite.co.uk/

Lauren Conrad Style Book Giveaway!

For all you Lauren Conrad fans I'm holding a giveaway for five lucky winners to win a copy of Lauren's New Style Book! This is open to any follower of Perfectly Polished as I shall ship world-wide. The giveaway shall close on 23rd Nov at 9pm (UK Time)

So here are the rules:

1. You must be a follower of my Blog through Google Friend Connect

2. Watch the exclusive Lauren Conrad Video found in the Right Side Bar

3. Write a comment below telling me your favourite Lauren look in the video!

4. For extra entries follow me on Twitter @perfectpolished and Tweet: 'RT Win Lauren Conrad Style Book http://bit.ly/aiMeLW @perfectpolished'

5. For extra entries publicise on your blog or website and post the link in the comments below

I will pick five lucky winners at random!

Good luck X

Lauren Conrad Style Book Review

The fashionista Hills Star Lauren Conrad is thought of as a style icon so no surprise given shes got her own fashion-clothing line and she is a best-selling author that she would eventually bring out her own Style Bible Book. I admire Lauren’s Style and always think she looks gorgeous whether she is attending a red-carpet event or having a casual day shopping, she always looks effortlessly cool, sophisticated and glam without trying too hard.

Over the weekend, I managed to get hold of a copy of her style book. In the book Lauren offers tips on how to create your own unique look and shares how favourite sources of inspiration and identifies the absolute must-haves for any fashionista’s wardrobe. It is a beautifully illustrated book with lots of gorgeous photographs of Lauren looking effortlessly chic. I particularly liked the ‘Little Black Dress’ feature in the book – how to dress the same, simple black dress in five different ways:

The same black dress is used, yet it looks so different in each shot, by adding different layers, accessories and styling her hair differently can change an outfit altogether. The book contains some clever ideas on how to make the most of your wardrobe and clothes.

Lauren is naturally beautiful and normally keeps her makeup very simple with her signature look of black cat-winged eyeliner and her hair is normally beach-like waves or boho style plaits. She is the queen of Ombre Hair! Overall, she likes to highlight what she’s happy with and her simple makeup look works for her and this book is about finding the right signature look for yourself and creating a look that you’re comfortable with. It would have been nice for Lauren to have gone into more detail about what her favourite beauty products or makeup items are and maybe giving an insight into her wardrobe and making it more personal for her fans.

Absoutely love her wavy relaxed beachy look hair here:

It didn’t take me long to read the book – an hour at most. There is no ground breaking information in this book but it has some beautiful photographs and some great tips on how to organise your wardrobe, shop better and useful packing for holidays. If you love Lauren Conrad, then you will enjoy this book.

All you Lauren fans can watch an exclusive behind the scene video of Lauren's style shoot for her new book - the video is in my right side bar!

Have you read this book? What were your thoughts?

ASOS by Ciate "Lauren" Inspired Nails

Today's Nail of the Day is 'Lauren' by Ciate for ASOS and has been inspired by Lauren Conrad after reading her new Style Book.

The Blue nail polish trend was huge over Summer and it is still going to be seen for the coming Spring. Lauren Conrad has been seen sporting navy nails and also baby powder blue. The darker shades of blue look best on nails that are kept neatly filed short and with a square tip.

I'm a huge fan of the Ciate polishes and have featured them several times, they are great quality, long-lasting and give a flawless finish. I absoutely adore the cute bottles with the bow. I got this polish in the ASOS sale for £1 and couldn't resist buying it! I was a little miffed that I also ordered 'Megan' in the same range which looked a perfect shade of pink but it was out of stock and didnt arrive with my order this morning.

For all of you Lauren Conrad fans - you can watch exclusive behind the scene video footage of Lauren's style shoot for her new book right on perfectly polished - the video is in my right side bar! My review of Lauren's Style Book will be coming shortly :)

Are you a fan of the blue nail polish trend?

QVC to Launch Dedicated 24 Hour Beauty Channel

The first ever dedicated Beauty Channel is launching tomorrow (Tuesday 26th October) on QVC - giving you 24 hours of premium beauty brands, products and experts every day! 


The new channel - QVC Beauty - will broadcast one hour programmes from QVC’s extensive range of salon and prestige skin care, cosmetics and hair care brands. These will be complied from video clips of the most recent live presentations, enhanced with original content from industry experts and brand personalities.

I quite enjoy watching QVC and can easily spend hours glued to the TV - yet I never buy anything! Am I alone here? Maybe its just the easy watching that gets us hooked? Have to say the beauty items on QVC are the most appealing to me and they do have some great offers - Will this be a good or bad thing for all of us shop-a-holics?

Exclusive video footage of Lauren Conrad Style Shoot

For all of you Lauren Conrad fans - you can watch exclusive behind the scene video footage of Lauren's style shoot for her new book right on perfectly polished - the video is in my right side bar! My review of Lauren's Style Book will be coming shortly :)

Cheryl Cole’s Bondage Style Tights on X Factor for ‘Promise This’ Performance

Cheryl Cole's 'Live' Performance of 'Promise This' on Sunday's X Factor Live Results Show 3 has had everyone talking. Whether it be her talent (or lack of when it comes to her singing or should I say miming ahem) we cannot doubt that when it comes to her style, Cheryl pulls out the stops!

Cheryl sexy stage outfit consisted of a white jacket with black detailing, black sequined hotpants and Wolford ‘Bondage’ Tights with biker style boots. Are you a fan of her look?


Priced at £32 a pair, Wolford ‘Bondage’ Tights are available from http://www.wolfordshop.co.uk/

Eyeko Lilac Polish (For lovely nails)

Today’s Nail of the day is Eyeko Lilac Polish (For Lovely Nails). It is simply a gorgeous bright creamy lilac but still delicate and girly with a modern twist. Lilac pastel shades were huge over the summer season and the pastel trend is going to be huge for the coming Spring. Eyeko polishes apply perfectly and give a smooth finish and are such good quality for the price. I only needed to apply only one coat of Lilac polish as it was so creamy and very highly pigmented. What do you think? What pastel shades do you love at the moment?

Eyeko Lilac Polish is priced at £3.50 and available from http://www.eyeko.com/ - dont forget to enter my code at the checkout E6670 to claim your free gift with your order :)

Lanvin for H&M Collection Preview

THE most exciting collaboration H&M has ever produced is due to hit the shops on November 23. The new Lanvin for H&M collection is one of the industry's biggest stories of the year and it's sure going to be a sell out. With asymmetric necklines, ruffles and super-flattering, feminine silhouettes, the collection will carry all of Lanvin's signature trademarks with a pleasing H&M price tag.

Here is a sneek preview of the collection:

Left: Puff sleeve dress £99.99, leather gloves £29.99, clutch £24.99.

Right: Tiered dress £99.99, bag £29.99. sunglasses £14.99, necklace £24.99.

Left: Black one shoulder dress £99.99, Sunglasses £14.99.

Second left: Coat £99.99, necklace £34.99, sunglasses £14.99.

Right: Tux jacket £69.99, skirt £34.99, bracelet £24.99, sunglasses £14.99.

Far right: Black dress £79.99, necklace £34.99.

I've made my wishlist and I'll be first in the queue! What are your favourite picks? 

Umberto Giannini Glam Hair Catwalk Show

This week I was invited to the very glamourous Umberto Giannini Glam Hair Catwalk Show at London's Home House to showcase hairstyles created by Umberto Giannini stylists. British model Amber Le Bon has been appointed the face of Umberto Giannini’s new Glam Hair range. Amber had her hair backcombed into a giant beehive style before taking to the catwalk at the fashion event attended by many celebrities.

To promote the hair styling collection, Amber is appearing in an interactive video http://www.backcomb.me/ where users can attempt to help her achieve a dramatic backcomb look using all the elements of water, wind, fire and earth. The final stage of the game demonstrates how players can use Umberto Giannini’s Glam Hair Backcomb in a Bottle to achieve the style they want without damaging their hair with extreme styling.

Here are a few pictures from the event:

 

I shall let you know my thoughts on the new Glam Hair products once I have had a chance to try them out! I am certainly excited to try 'Backcomb in a Bottle' and their dry shampoo. For more information on the range of products you can visit http://www.umbertogiannini.co.uk/ 

Are you a fan of volume in your hair?