Miss Sporty Peel Off Base Coat

I don't wear glitter nail polish often, but when I do, I am always filled with instant regret when it comes to removal - I hate removing glitter nail polish.

I'd seen that OPI had released their Glitter Off Base Coat not too long ago, but with an £11.75 price tag I just couldn't justify putting that into my basket just yet.  I went on the hunt for a more affordable version and found Miss Sporty's Peel Off Base Coat in Superdrug!  It's also available in Boots, but was sold out when I came to buying unfortunately.  Through out December though, Superdrug Beauty Card holders get free delivery on all orders so I managed to pay just £2.29 and get free delivery!  It's currently £1.99 in Superdrug too if you did want to try it for yourself.

Now...I loved the idea of this.  Hassle free glitter nail polish removal - sounds amazing, right?  I have to say it just wasn't!  I painted my nails with a generous layer as instructed and waited for it to dry - the base coat applies white and eventually dries transparent.  I'd say the drying time is in excess of fifteen minutes which isn't ideal for speedy manicures.  The base coat smelt, looked and behaved exactly like PVA glue.  The finish of the base coat was semi-matte and I actually loved the finish of just the base coat alone.

My glitter polish applied as normal (I chose Butter London's The Black Knight - the perfect glitter for a subtle nod towards the festivities, and definitely one to keep back for NYE) and lasted on my nails approximately three hours before I had fully lost an entire nail of it's paint - it was completely bare!  It lasted perfectly through a meal out, but when I came home and started actually using my hands for more than eating, it just wasn't having any of it - my first polish removal was quickly followed by another two, before I eventually just peeled off the remaining manicured fingers.

Maybe this is a case of you get what you pay for, but in short - this is great for a quick Christmas meal with work that doesn't require much use of your hands.  But, you might as well buy a small bottle of PVA glue as it's cheaper and seems exactly the same.  The Miss Sporty Base Coat also sports some similar ingredients to that of PVA glue so don't waste your money and instead save your pennies for some foil for the more traditional method of glitter polish removal!

What's your method for removing glitter polish?  Have you tried the OPI version?

Nails Inc Kensington Caviar Top and Base Coat

In one of my previous ASOS hauls, I managed to pick myself up a Nails Inc Kensington Caviar Top and Base Coat for less than the cost of one bottle!  It was a huge bargain and I was feeling pretty pleased with myself.

The Kensington Caviar Base Coat (left) was one that I had never tried before.  It is a pink base coat, which dries semi matte with a pink sheen...yep, a pink sheen.  It's such a shame, because the caviar extract in the base coat is both strengthening and nourishing, and I did notice some strengthening to my horrendously weak nails.  But the sheer pink can alter the shades of some of my lighter nail polishes, which I've been reaching for more now it's getting into the warmer months.  I don't think you could even get away with wearing just the base coat either, because the colouring applies quite unevenly and is obvious against the natural nail.

I'd tried the Kensington Caviar Top Coat (right) before, as I had a small sample in a Glossybox and really liked it.  I do still love the top coat, and it gives a really nice, high gloss finish and dries to touch dry quite quickly!  I have found that, like the base coat, if you apply this in too thick of a layer there is a pink tinge to lighter shades so thin coats are the way to go.  I feel like this works better without the base coat.  Since using the base coat alongside the top coat, my nail polish chips really easily in large chunks, or just peels up completely.  It's almost like the base coat is a bit like PVA glue, and it just peels up in one big sheet of nail polish which is actually damaging my weak nails and leaving them flakey and peeling.  Wearing the top coat without the matching base coat, I found that my nail polish lasted really well!

I think that next time, I'll just repurchase the top coat as a single, unless I can get the duo for cheaper than one like this time!  But I still don't think I can beat my Nail Envy...

Have you tried the Nails Inc Kensington Caviar set?

What I've Bought: ASOS

Since before Christmas, I have had an outrageous number of items in my saved basket on ASOS.  Let me put this out there - ASOS is a dangerous place.  It is too good, and has too much stuff on, but everything is too nice to leave behind so...I bought the majority of my basket, spent my birthday money and probably even a smidge more.

The only positive I can think to point out is that everything was on the sale, and I had a sneaky ASOS Insider discount code which I was allowed to use on sale items!  I've skimmed my basket down to show you my favourite bits of what I scouted from the sale!

1/2/3/4/5/6/7

1.  I have been meaning to switch up my wardrobe for a while now, I'm very much a leggings/jeans girl because that's all that I own.  One pair of good leggings, and one pair of good jeans.  I know...deprived.  So I bought this dress - it's the ASOS Smock Dress In Nepi and I bought mine in green.  It also came in coral and a gorgeous blue, but I have a lot of this bright blue in my wardrobe so fancied a change.  It's half price in the sale at £12.50.

2.  This dress is the Motel Elsa Skull Dress.  It's £35 down from £60, and I think is one of those patterns which are a bit deceptive.  I think it looks like a nice lacey/paisley patterning, but on closer look, it's actually little skulls with a bit of a Mexican sugar skull feel.  Really like this, and I will be wearing this on my next night out!

3.  The item that has been in my basket the longest, and is my absolute favourite buy is this Evil Twin Buzz Kill Babydoll dress.  I love the print on it, it looks like crazy storms with lightening.  I'm a bit unsure if the fit will suit my figure, but I'm giving it a good go! I really hope I can keep it!  It was the most expensive thing in my basket at £45, but it was down from £75.

4.  The Lavish Alice Sweatshirt in Floral Print is something I've been looking at for a while too.  I really love the bright blue rose print and think this would look nice with some leggings for the day, or even with my black jeans in the evening.  They also have matching trousers which I'd love to try, but I just don't think that a print on my bottom half would look very flattering on my pear shape.

5.  This is the Noisy May Harlequin Sweat.  I think that I like this, I'm a little unsure so it may be something that I send back.  But I need to see it in real life to decide if it's a real keeper.  I like that the print is in a t-shirt shape, and it's not something I've ever really seen before.

6.  You didn't think I'd not get a beauty buy in did you?  I got this Nails Inc Kensington Caviar Top and Base Coat Duo for less than £14 with my extra discount, what a bargain.  I've had a mini of the Kensington Caviar Top Coat before, so I'm pleased I managed to get a full size with the base coat for what is essentially free.  It says this has sold out now, but keep your eyes peeled as it might come back!

7.  My favourite of my ridiculous underwear top up was this ASOS Boudoir Floral set.  The bra was a bargain at £8 and the matching bottoms were £4.50.

Did you get anything in the sale?  What did I miss?

Edit: I had to send a few bits back!  Noo!  I was right about the fit for the Babydoll dress, and as much as I loved it, the shape of the dress just didn't flatter my figure at all!  I also had to send back the Smock dress for the same reason, but the colour when it arrived was a lot darker than it looked in the picture, which was disappointing.  The Motel dress was outrageously short, and by short, I mean it didn't even pull past my bum!  It could have passed for a long top - had to go back.  BUT.  I absolutely love everything else, even the Noisy May sweat which is gorgeous!