Of Love and Lipstick

I first spotted a pot of random OPI shades sitting on the counter of one of the shops I was in whilst on holiday. My plan was to pick out clothes and makeup suitable for the upcoming Autumn season. Rooting around in the pot revealed this amazing shade. My first thought when I picked it up was that it made me think of pumpkin spice; the ultimate icon of Autumn.

Spring is just around the corner. Here in Scotland, I've have been noticing a lot more sunshine and warm weather. Wildflowers are popping up left, right and centre! I've started moving away from my darker burgundies and chocolates and making the effort to reach for brighter, lighter tones. Whenever the season changes I feel the urge to buy new nail polish; like my transformation from winter to spring, starts with my nails.

I've been feeling like I'm stuck in a nail polish stump recently. I've been going back and forth between my two favourite Barry M Nail Paints for the past month, Chilli and Almond, and generally being feeling uninspired. I was contemplating buying some new additions to my collection, when I decided to clean out what I already own. It was during this clear out that I discovered this NARS Nail Polish that I had bought but only tried a few times.

University exams are over, all this semesters coursework's finished, homework assigned, it's safe to say the Christmas Holidays start now!! This semester of university has been so much harder which is why I had to stop posting for a while. Regardless, I'm back now and ready to roll!

August has gone by in such a flash, I cannot believe I go into the final year of my Psychology degree in two weeks. Where has all the time gone? I feel like I say that every month but I honestly feel like my life is on fast forward right now. You might have noticed that I have not been posting as regularly as I usually do. That's because I am trying to amass a large stockpile of scheduled post for when University starts back. With this being my final year I expect to get really busy with lectures and time in the research labs. So hopefully, starting from next week I can get back to my two-three times a week upload schedule! With all that said and done, here is my August Monthly Favourites!

It's been such nice weather recently; the sun has been splitting the sky. I've been feeling very summery. I have been enjoying this Barry M Nail Paint in the shade Peach Melba. It is a perfect pastel peachy colour which just fits amazingly with this great weather. One thing that I will mention that is negative, it that it chips a lot easier than any of my other Barry M Nail Paints; maybe the formula is a bit different?

I think that one of the most exciting things about going on holiday, other than the actual trip, is doing my nails. I pick up one or two nail polishes for specific holidays and they become sentimental to me. Does that make me seem  weird? Nails were my big passion before I really got into makeup, and it probably will always be my first beauty love. 

I'm in a bit of a nail slump here, my nails are naturally all chipped, peeled and grotesque. I'm so close to packing it all in and chopping them all off. Until that time, though, I have been using the  Sensationail at home gel kit to strengthen them and make them look less ugly. My favourite method, and probably not the best, is to use the clear base/top coat as normal, but add normal nail polishes on top. My nails are not as strong as a proper gel manicure, but by using acetone-free remover I can change the colours when ever I feel like it.

While the weather outside is freezing and dismal, I am in spring mode already. Putting away thick winter jackets, and getting out my lightweight blazers. I've started bring out all my pastel nail polishes and nude lipstick in hopes of warmer weather.

I love to paint my nails; people seem to have cottoned on then notion that nail polish is the way to my heart. I have so many new shades to try thanks to numerous Christmas gifts. I love to share on the blog what shades enjoy, and on the odd occasion, which shades I don't. Now, it's not often that I find any kind of product that I don't like, but it does happen.

It is getting closer to that time of year...and the end of my winter exams!! I feel that Christmas is now rushing in and that I still have so much to get done. I decided to have a little pamper evening to try and chill out a bit. I ran a bath, used a mask and painted my nails. I'm currently in a blissed out mood; feeling fresh with sparkling festive nails.

New favourite alert! I recently cannot get enough of the Barry M Nail Paint in 'Vintage Violet'! It has been all I've worn for the past two weeks. Vintage Violet is a blue toned plum colour, that has the dulled down tone to it. I find it quite hard to explain. I think it's an unusual colour as I haven't found anything similar to it yet. It's a deep and rich colour; two coats is all it needs to reach full opacity.It's such an autumnal shade; perfect for the dark evenings and dreary weather.

My current favourite nail varnish. I've been using it to combat the winter blues, as such. The weather here, in my part of Scotland, has been dismal. Rain, Rain, Rain! The temperatures are getting so cold, I wonder sometimes if it is acceptable to just hibernate until spring. This colour acts as a little pick me up to keep me happy until the weather gets better.

Happy Bonfire Night! I love Bonfire Night, mostly because it's like one of the last public 'celebrations' until Christmas. I think after tonight there is just the local switching on of the city's Christmas lights and then...Christmas! Where has the year went?!

I picked this up while in a Sephora, in the States. I was one of those buys on a whim, like 'I don't need it but I want it'. My only previous Nails Inc polish before hand had been from a Glamour magazine, which I really enjoyed, so I was ready to try more.

I went looking for a new nail polish that was nude or a bit toned down for this season. I recently had to cut off all the tips of my nails as they were too damaged through peeling and breaking. I usually go to Barry M, but there was nothing there that was calling to me. So I need up in front of Essie, which I wouldn't usually buy unless it was from Tk Maxx.

I made the decision to not have my nails professionally done before I go on holiday, instead I want to save the money for a splurge in Duty-Free. I'm just going to do my own french tipped nails, so that they are no fuss and I don't have to lug about ten bottles of nail polish away with me. This has led to my hunt for the perfect summer nail colour, which I think I have found!

I had to go out and buy a new polish this weekend as there was nothing in my collection that was tickling my fancy. I've really been liking opaque creamy polishes with no shimmer or sparkle to them. It's just one of those odd nail phases I tend to go through. I picked up this rather pleasing shade at my local Superdrug.

I was rooting through the deep abyss in which I keep all my nail varnishes when I stumbled upon this pretty little beauty. To my shock it had never been opened; the plastic seal was still on it. I was so shocked that it was still sealed as it's rare for me to not even try a product out.

As I get closer to my Florida holiday, I've started searching for that perfect summer shade. I'm planning on getting acrylics with almond tips, but I still need a pretty colour over that. Rimmel's 'Too Cool to Tango' is a high contender for a place on my perfect summer shades list!