Beauty // Winter Nails.

When it comes to beauty I am for all intents and purpose a complete novice. Despite wearing make-up everyday I have somewhat of a "slap it on and hope for the best" attitude , in fact that's pretty much my motto. This of course results in me looking a complete mess 99.9% of the time. FACT. I therefore do not at all consider myself to be a "Beauty Blogger". In fact if I do decide to ever post about actual make-up in the future, take my advice and don't read it! I'm the last person you should listen too when it comes to make up! However despite all this there is one beauty product I feel confident enough to talk about with you all ... Nail Polish!

A few weeks ago I briefly mentioned that this winter I was obsessing over all things sugary and sweet on my nails (hello pastels!), and whilst I could of just posted about the "50 shades of pink" I seem to have acquired in my nail collection lately, I decided to share the other somewhat "neglected" colours that I'm loving this festive season; as even though I hate to admit it, not every one loves pink!

//The "Neutral Oh-So-Sophisticated" Nail //

Over the last few years as Its approached winter wearing neutral shades on my nails has become my default. Perhaps its because they simply go with every outfit, or perhaps its because it makes a refreshing change from the incredibly bright colours I wear throughout the summer (yeah I'm that girl!) ... whatever the reason all I know is that I'll definitely be wearing a "sophisticated" neutral nail again this winter (Apparently there is no sophistication in having bright blue nails ...) Above I've selected a few that I've been enjoying lately, and hopefully you might too...

Ciate "Pocket money" // This shade oozes understated elegance, and because of this I'm completely in love with it. Its a very girly colour (in subtle way though!) , and has a soft creamy fudge appearance to it which I think is perfect for Christmas.

Ciate "Cookies and Cream" // This is perhaps the most easiest colour to wear ever. FACT. Its a very light nude, that's almost bordering on being a pastel grey. Due to its versatility it can honestly be worn with anything. Seriously what more could you ask for!

Maybelline Colour show "Mauve Kiss"// I would consider this one of my all time "go-to" colours. If in doubt wham it on ... not literally though as that could be a disaster (Trust me, I've been there!) Its very similar to Barry M mushroom, but I would say slightly lighter. The colour itself is more of creamy beige with undertones of pale mauve ... honestly  I don't know what else to say, over than It's perfect!

Maybelline Colour Show "Winter Baby"// A white nail polish is an essential. Despite this however I've always shied away from wearing pure white personally, in fact I quote "white nails look ridiculously tacky" (me, 2009). Things have changed though, and this year I 've found myself being drawn it. Although it takes around 3 coats to perfect the smooth snowy finish, its definitely worth it for a cold winters day. Also with a name like "Winter Baby" it seemed almost rude not to include it!

//The "I'm a little bit obsessed with Gatsby" Nail //

In the past I've always had this hatred of sparkly nails, in fact I've always hated anything remotely sparkly (glitter, metallics, sequins, diamonds, ... and don't get me started on tinsel!). I'm not sure why this started,  it's just something I've always found aesthetically displeasing ... however things have changed (only slightly though!). This year I've weirdly started to embrace a more Gatsby-esque nail. OK, so as fickle as it may sound watching The Great Gatsby perhaps made me fall in love with the more shiny embellished things in life. So like before here are a few "sparkly" nail polishes that I've been wearing ...

Barry M Instant Nail Effects Foil "Gold"// Its gold. And I mean gold. To many that may seem perfectly normal, but to me its a colour that I never imagined wearing ... and I mean ever! Despite all that I'm completely in love with it. I adore the colour, the finish, and the way it catches the light. It has a luxurious foil like finish to it which I think looks sooo ridiculously festive ... now If only I was going to one of Gatsby's parties!

Barry M Glitter Nail Paint "Hologram Hexagons" // This is the first glittery nail polish I've owned since the 90's. FACT. As a child I remember owning these little kids glittery nails polishes, and I would only ever really wear them if I was going to a birthday party. (I'm pretty sure they were peel-able ... anyone else remember those?) Like I've already mentioned a million times, I'm not a massive fan of glitter so me purchasing this was somewhat peculiar. I'm not sure what initially attracted me to this, but seriously it looks really amazing worn as an accent nail. What I love about it is that its has really big hexagon pieces in it, rather than your typical glitter. Lately I've really been enjoying it over the top of pastel shades .. yep I'm addicted to pastels!

Ciate Caviar Manicure // The Caviar Manicure is ridiculously beautiful, and despite what you might think incredibly easy to apply. Instead of rambling on about it again, you can read my full post on this polish "here".

// The "One" //

In my opinion Christmas isn't complete until you find the perfect deep red nail polish (and lipstick to match too!). Each year I find myself searching for a new perfect shade! Of course I could just repurchase the same one I obsessed over the year before, but well there's no fun in that! However when you find the "one", you know instantly ... as cliché as it sounds it's almost definitely "love at first sight". And without further ado here's the "one" for me this year ...

Maybelline Colour show "Downtown Red"// The number of times I've already worn this is unimaginable (perhaps a slight exaggeration, but you get the idea!) I feel that my nails look at there best when I'm wearing this colour, which might seem a little strange, but I think its because I love the contrast between my incredibly pale white skin and the richness of this colour. (OK so that is strange.) This colour is the perfect cross between an intensely rich burgundy and a vivid ruby red, and for that reason alone I will be wearing this polish for a very long time. For me this is definitely the "one" this year! And in the words of "Buddy the Elf", "I'm in love, I'm in love, and I don't care who knows it!"

Phew! And finally we're done! This is by far the longest post I've ever wrote. Perhaps too long. If you've actually managed to read though all that with dying of complete boredom than I salute you! (Note to self: Write less.) 

Feel free to leave any nail polish recommendations of colours you've been loving lately ... as well lets face it I'm slightly obsessed! ... and perhaps slightly nosey curious!