A Makeup & Beauty Blog – Lipglossiping

Or… sweety nails as I like to call them.  What is it about these punchy corals that make me want to bite off my fingertips in the hope of a sugar high?  They’re just edible.

I think I should start a tag: nail polishes that make me want to self-cannibalise.  This one also does it to me.  As does this one.

As much as I love Macbeth on my nails, the fact that the above photo shows a single coat means that I may, MAY have to save this one for my tootsies.  I hate painting my toenails but it has to be done in the Summer and a one-coater coral with a beautiful formula is pretty much holy grail for ladies with short arms, big boobs and a belly.  You know what I’m talking about.

Buy this one, buy it now – it’s a fabulous shade for Spring with a brilliant formula to boot (even if it’s not the most original shade in the world).

Butter London Macbeth is priced at £11.95 and available to buy online at PowderRooms.

I think that when a girl is born, she’s born with two things: 1). girly bits and 2). a unwaivering adoration for “Cadbury’s purple”.  Butter London’s HRH fulfills that need to have a beautifully shiny Dairy Milk wrapper on your nails.

Perfect in three thin coats, though I would have preferred two – HRH looks indulgent, decadent and totally makes me want to lick my nails.  Priced at £11.95 and available online from PowderRooms.

What’s your favourite Cadbury’s purple shade?

I’m going all demure and sophistimicated with today’s nails courtesy of Butter London…

Hoorah Henri is a pale, creamy nude that would make a beautiful French mani with clean, white tips.  The above photo shows three coats because I wanted to see how it built up – not too badly as it happens because three coats were just about enough to disguise the ‘orrible stains on my nails.  The formula was good and drying time perfectly adequate.  What do you think, too pale?  I don’t actually own anything quite like this and it may well inspire me to attempt a Frenchie before the month is out.

Butter London Hoorah Henri is priced at £11.95 and available online from PowderRooms

Love the name of this cheeky little number!  Butter London’s Frilly Knickers is a definite contender for a super-cool Christmas polish.  It’s a low maintenance sparkler with more bling than your Christmas lights.

Please excuse my yellow nails (yuk).  Over bare nails, it doesn’t look that incredible, although it’s still a pretty touch for those that prefer a sheer sparkle.  However…

Layer a single coat over a black or dark base and you’re cooking on turbo-powered gas!  A multi-hued, multi-faceted gem of a polish that magically saves shitty manicures with a single stroke.

I heart my Frilly Knickers.

Butter London Frilly Knickers is priced at £11.95 and available online from Powder Rooms.

No, my nails aren’t this long anymore – this was back in the day when I hadn’t abused them to within a millimetre of their poor, peeling lives.  Although looking at that length now, I think I’ve gone off it a bit… funny how our tastes change constantly isn’t it?

My tastes haven’t changed for Butter London’s beautiful Artful Dodger though.  When I was a little girl, I distinctly remember wanting to be the Artful Dodger… it’s not that I had a penchant for petty theft, I just thought it was a cool name.  Still do.

Artful Dodger is a super-pretty blue that feels a little different to my other squillion blues in my blue drawer.  Yes, I have a blue drawer.  What of it?  It manages to feel light, airy, a little frosty but somehow calming and mediterranean at the same time.  Plus, the beautiful BL cream formula is a dream to apply, something that of course, always helps.

Butter London Artful Dodger is priced at £11.95 and available to buy online at PowderRooms.

This is unexplored territory for me… white.  It’s one of those nail shades that suddenly become “bang on trend” and throw everyone into a fizz of polarised opinions on how great/terrible it looks!

Butter London’s Cream Tea isn’t a pure, stark white.  As the name might suggest, it’s a slightly creamy white that would work nicely for the tips in French manicures were it not so sheer.  The above shows three coats and there’s still a certain veil-like quality to the finish.

I’m on the fence… I think it’s one of those shades you appreciate more freely on someone else’s fingers than your own.

Butter London Cream Tea is available online from Powder Rooms priced at £11.95

What say you?  Do you ever wear white or off-white polishes?

Butter London’s Founding Creative Director, Nonie Creme was on a flying trip to the UK earlier in the month and I was excited to get the opportunity to see her for a chat about the upcoming Fall collection and preview the shades…

Frequently looking to the catwalks for nail inspiration, Butter London’s Autumn/Winter 2011 collection is no exception.

Nonie Creme says of her new collection:

“My inspiration was a variation on jewel tones.  Imagine taking a traditional jewel tone palette, then moving each shade about two notes to the left, this means a garnet instead of a ruby, a dirty teal instead of a sapphire and an olive or patina gold instead of a brassy or yellow tone.”

The Limited Edition shade No More Waity, Katie finds itself in the main lineup and I’m very pleased to see Knees Up (one of my enduring BL faves) put in a reappearance.  Wallis, Bluey and Toff are all-new shades for the season.

Wallis

Inspiration: In honour of the Saucy Yank who ran away with the King’s heart.
Detail: A tarnished, metallic, olive gold, as mysterious and regal as its namesake.

Bluey

Inspiration: Vintage British slang for a pornographic film.  Ah, the good ‘ol days.
Detail: A slightly metallic dark peacock blue, perfect for fashionable birds.

Toff

Inspiration: A slightly derogartory name for a member of the British upperclass.
Details: A darker, dustier, brownish variation on rose pink.  Stop to smell them.  The roses, not the toffs.

No More Waity, Katie

Inspiration: One day my prince will come, and I will wrap him around my tiny, sparkling finger.
Detail: A soft griege littered with lilac glitter for the perfect marriage of fashion and fun.

Knees Up

Inspiration: A smashing metallic red for getting smashed in.
Detail: Brit slang for a drunken party.

Butter London A/W 2011 will be available instore at Harvey Nichols and online at The Powder Rooms.  Priced £12.00

What do you think of the new collection?  Any must-haves, disappointments or “mehs”?  Stay tuned later in the week for my interview with Nonie!

An oldie because my nails haven’t been this long for nearly a year but they do show off this gorgeous shade quite well (even if I do vainly say so myself!)

Butter London Scoundrel is a muted, warm lilac which sits nicely against cool skin tones like mine.  It’s one of my favourites from the brand and applies well without issues.

Look out next week because I’ve got a special interview with Butter London’s Founding Creative Director Nonie Creme and some Autumn/Winter 2011 previews for you!

Have a great Bank Holiday weekend party people! xx

I’ll admit that when I first saw this shade in the bottle… I thought it looked a bit mauve/rose-granny-chic.  I’m still not sure it feels very Spring/Summer to me but it thankfully has enough raspberry in it to keep it looking modern.

Dahling *air kisses* is a pleasant enough shade.  It doesn’t knock my socks off but it does look good with most outfits and is conservative enough to wear whenever a red might be considered a touch too saucy!  It’s one of those shades that you’d reach for when you want a neat/polished look with little thought.

Application was solid with no issues to report… wear was average too… it’s an all round average kinda polish that will fulfil all your polish needs without blowing your mind.  And let’s be honest, we all need something we can depend on sometimes!

Dahling is available online from PowderRooms priced at £11.95.

Are there any polish shades that you can’t get excited over?

I walked up Primrose Hill once and it is most definitely a perfect spot for a picnic (just be sure to dodge all the yummy mummies and their icandy prams).

See?

But perhaps even better than that view, is the view I get when I look down at my nails and spy Butter London’s version of a Primrose Hill Picnic.

A gorgeous summery pink that instantly makes me think “fruit salad”.   Though, in fairness, it doesn’t take much to make me think of food.

The formula was a touch thick and a little draggy which made it one of those “comes good on the 3rd coat” polishes.  Not at all unworkable (less thick than BarryM polishes) but worth a mention incase you can’t stand a hint of gloop!

Wear was fine for me, 3 days before I noticed any real tip wear and no chipping.

Butter London Primrose Hill Picnic is available online from PowderRooms and priced at 9.75

A bright, strong… vivid blue creme.  Perfect for tips or toes this Summer!

A solid two-coater, a great all rounder with average wear of 2/3 days before the tips start looking a bit ragged.  No chips but as I’ve said many times… I don’t generally suffer from poor nail wear.

It feels like a very clean colour that is somehow almost sensible enough to wear in the office.  Of course, being BLUE it isn’t.  But it just gives an impression of formality.  That makes more sense in my head than it does on this page.

But the thing is… surely it’s incredibly dupable?  And at £11.95, you’d hope it might be…

I went and bought BarryM‘s Cobalt Blue to compare because I figured it would probably be the nearest match (off the top of my head):

In the above photo, I’m wearing Cobalt Blue on the little and middle fingers whilst I’m sporting Blagger on my index and ring fingers.  They’re similar but Blagger has a teal edge to it and isn’t quite so “primary” blue after all.

What do you think?  Is the difference worth £8.96?

You can purchase Butter London Blagger online from PowderRooms priced at £11.95

If pastel pinks are your thing, you’re in for a treat!

Now… I don’t wanna get too cultural about things (says the lady with the degree in Cultural Studies) but DUDE! What’s with calling a Mod Pink “Teddy Girl”… tsk.

Names aside, Teddy Girl is a very striking pepto-bismol pink creme that needs a few coats to rescue it from streaksville.  This isn’t uncommon with these ‘white-out’ shades but it is irritating nonetheless when you get pretty good cover from the first coat.

Once any patches have been evened out, wear is perfectly adequate and the shade is super-striking.  I love combining it with a black outfit to really make my nails POP!

Butter London – Teddy Girl is is available to buy online now from PowderRooms priced at £11.95