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    Nail Art, Stamping, Swatch

    Models Own Colour Chrome Collection: Every Stamper’s Dream

    Models Own Colour Chrome Stamping

    If you’re a seasoned stamper like me, you’ll know that nothing compares to chrome finish polishes when you want to get the job done. When I first heard about the new Colour Chrome collection of 10 polishes from Models Own I immediately got to wondering how they’d hold up when put to the test. So, naturally, when I got my hands on a select few of them I went straight to work trying them out with some different designs.

    As you can see, they don’t disappoint in the stamping department. I stamped them over Cirque Memento Mori which is a flawless deep black and they held up without any issues (the designs are from MoYou Fashionista Plate 05). They’re all very opaque which makes them ideal for the job. The consistency is quite creamy and easy to work with but I think that once they’ve aged and thickened up a little, they’ll be even better.

    If you’re in the UK and are into your stamping, or even just a beginner, I’d seriously recommend investing in a few of these as I collections like this never seem to be around for long. I’m going to snap up Blue and Gold as soon as they’re in stores.

    Models Own Colour Chrome Collection

    As for wearing them alone, it’s advised you ditch the base coat and top coat and just apply 2-3 coats of the chromes over freshly buffed nails. I was curious, so I tried both anyway! Base coat is a no-no as it gets dragged around by the chrome and makes little unsightly lumps underneath. Top coat is a-okay as long as you wait until the colour chrome is completely dry first.

    This swatch is two coats of each with no base or top coat. From thumb to pinky, the shades are Rose, Cerise, Olive, Mauve and Indigo. You do have to use a very light hand and use as few storkes as possible to get a decent finish. Each shade has its own level of streakiness and they cling to any ridges or imperfections on your nails which is, I suppose, why it’s recommended you buff before application (I skipped that step, oops!). I’ve never been a fan of the all-over chrome look and I think I’ll only use these for stamping but I could be converted by Mauve and Mauve alone!

    Models Own Colour Chrome Swatches

    Where to Buy

    The full collection of 10 Colour Chrome Shades will retails at £4.99 each. They’ll be available at modelsownit.com from 29th January, from UK Models Own bottleshops on the 31st January and Superdrug stores nationwide on the 11th February.

    Chevron Stamping with Models Own Colour Chrome

    Stamping Nail Art Models Own Colour Chrome

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    Nail Art

    A Catch Up: With Cats

    Cat Nail Art

    No more ‘Happy New Year’, it really is the new year now and I can’t believe how quickly it’s passing. Admittedly I’ve been pretty awful at posting on the blog so I thought today would be a good time for a quick catch up.

    I was completely overwhelmed by the number of you that took the time to complete my End of Year Survey. Every response has been perfect and will really help to shape the future of The Nailasaurus. I’ll be taking some time out this weekend to take a thorough look at the replies and pick out the important parts but if you haven’t had a chance to fill it out, there’s still time. Now let’s find out what I’ve been up to recently…

    Doing: A huge deep clean and clear out. Goodbye old clothes and anything else that’s outlived its usefulness. Clear house; clear head, I say!

    Avoiding: Emails and carbonated drinks

    Watching: The Walking Dead – Season 3

    Listening to: Purity Ring and Fall Out Boy: American Beauty/American Psycho (Faves: Irresistible, Fourth of July and Uma Thurman)

    Playing: Assassin’s Creed: Rogue

    Crazy For: The Body Shop Camomile Cleansing Butter, piCture pOlish Holiday, buying cheap watches from China, and my new jewellery.

    The Nail Art

    I started with a base coat of Nicole by OPI At Least I Pink So, then applied some darn cute DIY Nails Here, Kitty water decals.

    Once they were all in place, I used a tiny dotting tool to add the random polka dots using Sally Hansen Pinch of Punch and Barry M Coconut.

    Cat Water Decals

    DIY Nails Here, Kitty

    Cat Nail Art Macro

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    Favourites, Nail Care, Review

    Nail Care Favourites: OPI Nail Envy Base Coat

    OPI Nail Envy: Strengthening Base Coat for Nails

    Shop UK: Boots / Amazon
    Shop US: Ulta / Amazon

    Nothing I can say about OPI Nail Envy will ever do this bottle of miracle juice real justice. I’ve never used another base coat because I’ve never had the need to stray.

    My first bottle came my way in a giveaway package I was lucky enough to win back in 2010 and I was quickly hooked. Within 2 weeks, my soft, breakage-prone nails were noticeably stronger and growing at triple speed. Before this eye-opener, I had never understood the need to invest in a base coat – probably because all the cheaper versions I’d tried up to then had never improved the condition of my nails. Turns out that it is in fact a very sound investment and one I’ve made time and again since that fateful encounter all those years ago. Read more

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    Comparison, Nail Polish

    The Classic Red: Rimmel Reds Comparison

    Rimmel Red Nail Polish Comparison

    The classic red is a staple of any lacquer addict’s collection and I’ve never looked further than Rimmel for a pocket friendly red polish that wears for days. I first struck gold with Heart on Fire but the Lycra Pro range has since been phased out (or more likely rebranded as Salon Pro) and I had to find an alternative. Of course, the first place I looked was the Rimmel stand and I found Rock N Roll, a very worthy replacement. More recently, I also got my hands on Mars and Raw as Night from the Rita Ora 60 Seconds line. So, how do they stack up against each other… Read more

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    Glitter, Gradient, Holographic, Nail Art, Studs

    Just a Refresher

    Green Gradient Nail Art

    It’s a few weeks since I was in normal blogging mode and I must admit, I’m a bit rusty but slowly easing back in to the routine. I recently had another big sort out of my polishes and downsized my collection a fair bit. Whilst looking through I discovered a few hidden gems which I had forgotten were in there so I’ve brought them out to see the light of day and hop back to summer with my brights. I think the colour combination is very refreshing – it makes me think of ice cold cocktails somewhere sunny! Read more

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    News

    Speak Up: End of Year Blog Survey

    — Take The Survey —

    2014 was a really great year for The Nailasaurus – I released my own nail colour in collaboration with piCture pOlish, found myself shortlisted in the Cosmopolitan Blog Awards for the third time in a row and completed the 31 Day Challenge again (okay, it took me 37 days but who’s counting?) – but I really want to make 2015 the best year yet.

    Now that 2015 is upon us, I’ve already started making changes for the better. I’ve been working on some home improvement projects for the last week or so (with the broken nails to prove it) and have been on a de-cluttering kick, sorting through old clothes and nail polish like there’s no tomorrow. My only resolution is to ‘Live Better’; it’s very general and non-descriptive but it’s really the only one I need to cover all bases!

    So that I can ‘Blog Better’ in the coming year, I’ve put together a quick end of year survey for you guys to take that will help me immensely! To keep this blog moving ever upward and onward, it’s essential that I know what’s working for you guys and what (if anything) you’d like to see shaken up around here.

    The survey is a super quick 13 questions, most of them multiple choice, and every answer you can give really makes a difference. The questions go from a little info about yourself, to your thoughts on The Nailasaurus, to some general asks about blogs and social media.

    If you don’t fancy filling out the survey, you can email me at any time with your feedback or suggestions and I’ll always get back to you. Thank you!

    — Take The Survey —

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    Favourites

    Top 10 of 2014: Nail Polish

    Top 10 of 2014: Nail Polish

    Continuing with the 2014 round ups, today I’ve picked out my Top Ten polishes from this year. Each made the list for their own reasons and every polish is special in its own way. This year, I really embraced light shades whereas I was always into moody colours in years past. There is definitely an abundance of purples and I don’t think my Number 1 will be a surprise to anyone!

    I chose these ten shades without looking in to my Helmer to force myself to really think back through the year to the colours that were on my nails the most. Doing it this way rather than sifting through the bottles made it much easier because the ones that came straight to mind were obviously the ones that have become special to me over the last 12 months. I did have to concentrate a little harder trying to go back to the start of the year but I eventually came up with a shortlist and narrowed it down to just ten…

    Barry M Coconut

    10. Barry M Coconut

    Barry M’s Gelly range has always been one of my staples for creme base coats to use in my nail art but there wasn’t a decent white until Coconut came along this year. It’s a slightly off white and just the perfect base for nail art. I’m on my second bottle now and it does need thinning out occasionally but when it’s at it’s best consistency, I only need to use two coats for perfectly smooth application.

    China Glaze Cowgirl Up

    9. China Glaze Cowgirl Up

    Cowgirl Up has been a firm favourite of mine since 2013 but it still makes the cut all this time later. It’s just one of those old faithful polishes that I always grab if I’m in a rush. A stunning shade when worn glossy and even more fascinating, like velvet, when mattified.

    NYC Hudson Breeze

    8. NYC Hudson Breeze

    This year I found THE PREFECT cobalt blue in NYC’s Hudson Breeze. It’s a pure creme, not a jelly like so many cobalt polishes, perfect in two coats and it doesn’t stain my nails at all.

    NYC Peach Posicles

    7. NYC Peach Popsicles

    I was very taken with Pastels this year and it lasted way past the ends of summer. Another perfect two coater from NYC, Peach Popsicles is the one that stayed out on my desk for the longest. I soon discovered that goes really well with almost everything – try a peach with purple and you’ll be pleasantly surprised with the results!

    ILNP Black Orchid

    6. ILNP Black Orchid

    Black Orchid is basically my holographic version of Cowgirl Up. I’m a sucker for deep purples and to have one in holo form really ties my collection together nicely! This is one of my first ILNP polishes and I remember being so impressed with the quality and lasting power of this fall holographic collection.

    China Glaze Fairy Dust

    5. China Glaze Fairy Dust

    After a long time pining after this polish, I finally got around to ordering it at the very end of 2013. A sprinkling of this superfine holographic glitter will make any mani look magical and even though it went unloved into the end of the year, I wore it on everything until May!

    piCture pOlish LakoDom

    4. piCture pOlish LakoDom

    LakoDom was released in October but I didn’t get my hands on it until early December. It immediately became a firm favourite and made my list of Top 5 Christmas Colours. It’s a slightly grey-toned white with holographic shards and looks gorgeous worn alone or with nail art. It’s a very soft and dreamy shade and it goes with everything so it’s quickly become a staple of my collection.

    The Lacquer Lab Ultra Violet

    3. The Lacquer Lab Ultra Violet

    I picked this bottle up knowing that it would be a nice shade but the first time I wore it, I knew it was an amazing shade! It’s super vibrant with a wonderful formula and just an all around easy to wear polsh.

    Nicole by OPI The Coral of the Story

    2. Nicole by OPI The Coral of the Story

    This polish is one from Nicole by OPI’s Seize the Summer collection and the most beautiful coral I’ve ever worn. I wore this to death over the summer! This was a sample that I got from OPI and I’ve had trouble tracking it down for purchase in the UK (even online) but according to Of Life and Lacquer, OPI’s Live.Love.Carnaval is a perfect dupe.

    piCture pOlish Fool's Gold

    1. piCture pOlish Fool’s Gold (by The Nailasaurus)

    How could I write about my favourite polishes from this year without mentioning what is perhaps the single proudest moment of my time as a blogger. This is the nail polish that I’ve always wanted to own and having the chance to create my own shade meant that I finally could. So of course, it comes in at number 1 because it literally is the perfect shade for me! You can read more about the process of creating this shade with piCture pOlish here.

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