Models Own Indian Ocean

In what's quickly becoming a Sunday tradition, here's a quick nail of the day. I'm normally so tempted to add a top layer of glitter, flakies or nail art but this colour is so unique and interesting that I'm letting it speak for itself (for now).

From the Beetlejuice collection, Indian Ocean is the most unique of my recent polish purchases along with Max Factor Fantasy Fire (review coming soon!) and way out of my comfort zone. It is quite sheer so I've layered it over Models Own Utopia which is a pale pink/lavender shade but I'm looking forward to trying it with some darker shades too. Two coats of Indian Ocean over a base are enough to bring out the multichrome nature of the polish which varies depending on the angle and light.

I'm not too sure about Tropical Sun, but I'm going to take a good look at the rest of this collection the next time I see it in store. For research purposes, obviously...

Chanel Illusion D'Ombre in Émerveillé

I've only just realised that lately I've been reaching for this long-wear cream shadow on an almost daily basis without even thinking about it as it's such an easy product to apply and to wear. So I think it's about time that I share my love for this product with the strangest consistency and most difficult to pronounce name.

Chanel's Illusion D'Ombre in number 82, Émerveillé (approx. €30, ouch) is a peachy, champagne toned shimmery shadow with a light cream consistency which is very soft to the touch. In terms of both formula and colour, it's perfect as an all-over-the-lid type of product or as a base for similarly toned powder shadows (I love it with Stila Kitten and MAC Paradisco).

I have no complaints about this product (apart from the price tag, ahem) but I'm not in any rush to buy or even look at the other shades in this range as none of them appeal to me. I hope Chanel takes a hint from the success of the Illusion D'Ombres to add some more shades in the same vein as Émerveillé rather than the current dark smokey shades as this formula is ideal for light, eye brightening colours.

Hologram Hexograms and Matt Black

Yep, I did promise more non-nail related posts next but they're coming (I have a list and everything). I don't typically go for dark colours but this chunky holo glitter was calling out for a matt black base.

The matt finish of the top coat had worn off slightly by the time this photo was taken but I like the non super glossy effect. Barry M's Hologram Hexograms is one of my top 5 polishes as it's so unusual, at least I haven't seen anything similar. It also looks great applied more sparingly all over a sold white or lighter colour.

I applied 2-3 coats over the matt black (any finish would work, this was one I had close to hand) staying close to the tips and the result is multi-reflective confetti that's seriously eye-catching.

Pastels and Confetti with Models Own Ibiza Mix

I couldn't wait to use Ibiza Mix as a topper for some pastels and ended up with a two tone effect of mint green and lilac due to my lack of decision making skills.

I'm working on some non-nail related posts but for now enjoy this fun confetti look featuring OPI Rumples Wiggin', China Glaze Refreshmint and, of course, Models Own Ibiza Mix.

Alternating Pink Glitter Mani and Models Own Purchases

After wandering into my local Boots store and seeing that the Models Own stand was advertising a two for €12 on all nail products (minus mini polish sets) I guessed that I'd walk out with at least two polishes since I've been so impressed with the brand lately. I then scanned the stand and my two purchases quickly turned into four, and it was hard to narrow it down at that. 


As soon as I got home I knew I had to try some combination and this was the most obvious. I was dying to see how Pink Fizz would translate and as it has a similar warm pink undertone to Utopia I know they would work together. I went for an alternating glitter/solid mani and opted to leave the glitter nails sans top coat as I love the slightly rough texture of Pink Fizz. I can't wait to try more combos with these colours, especially some glitter gradients. 

Of the four I bought Utopia was the biggest surprise. From the swatch online it looked to be a slightly grey toned off white and as I own Models Own Snow White I hadn't intended on ever buying this but in store the pink undertone was more obvious and completely sold me on it. I've noticed that Lily of LLYMLRS often uses Utopia as a base for glitters and I'll definitely be trying it with Ibiza Mix. 

Ibiza Mix is from the recent Hed Kandi collection and is a very chunky multicoloured glitter which I'll be trying next over a solid pastel shade. Indian Ocean is my pick from the Beetlejuice collection but seems to be rather sheer so I'm planning to try this over a variety of bases.

I'm sure these colours will feature in upcoming posts and I'll have a very hard time staying away from the Models Own stand in future since I'm so impressed with these polishes.

DIY Bright Multi Caviar Manicure

As soon as I saw the promo images for Ciate's new caviar manicure sets I pounced on eBay to snap up some microbeads in a variety of colours. Despite the fact that prior to this I had no idea what microbeads were or what they were used for (scrapbooking and pillow stuffing in case you were wondering) I'm now obsessed with this surprisingly simple technique of adding colour and texture to the nail. The colour combo featured here was my first experiment but I've since tried a black and multicolour variation which I may even prefer. Regardless, I'm sure I'll be featuring more variations on this theme in the very near future.

To achieve this look I used Models Own Snow White as an opaque white base and clear microbeads with a rainbow finish (clear or white would also work) with a sprinkling of pink and green beads. This technique is almost too simple to go into much detail but here are some simple steps:

1. Pour your microbeads out onto a paper place or other suitable container.

2. Apply one coat of white polish to nails and allow to dry.

3. Taking one nail at a time, apply another coat of white polish and immediately press the wet nail onto the microbeads and roll gently from side to side, making sure that the beads stick to the entire surface of the nail.

4. Gently press the beads into the still wet polish to ensure they cling securely.

5. Wait a minute and then apply a top coat across the tip of the nail (avoid the surface of the nail as the top coat will spoil the effect of the beaded texture).

This may not be the longest lasting manicure (the beads around the edges of the nail tend to become unstuck first but can be patched up easily) but as it doesn't take much longer than a solid colour manicure it is well worth a little extra effort. Give it a go!