Friday 28 February 2014

Monthly charity challenge- parkinson's disease

Blah blah blogger ate my post and I'm lazy. This challenge was started by dawn at sassy little nails. She has chosen a different 'flavour' of charity for each month and those involved each choose a charity from that group to promote using nail art. I meant to join in last month but ran out of days!
Parkinson's is important to me largely because I work with a lot of people in the middle to late stages. It's a disease of the nervous system and is, sadly, degenerative. Whilst there are treatments, there is as yet no cure.
Generally it starts with physical symptoms affecting muscle control- the classic shaking, rigidity and reduced mobility for example- but in later stages can result in behavioural changes as well as dementia.
It has no known cause, apart from rare genetic forms, and gently develops in later life although, again, there are exceptions where early onset occurs.
As mentioned, there are drugs to treat the symptoms in earlier stages but these become ineffectual and can cause counterproductive side effects as the disease progresses. Other treatments include dietary changes, rehab and occasionally surgical procedures though, as with medication, none have long term results. People can, however, remain reasonably stable in the earlier stages and retain a certain quality of life with the right support.

Mani: the silver is the colour of the awareness ribbon. The tulip (that's what it's supposed to be anyway!) Is a logo used mainly in the usa. Polishes are all nails Inc. Pass on names lol sorry.
For more information visit parkinson's uk. X

Thursday 27 February 2014

GOT- orange

o we come to orange. And for once I actually had a glimmer of an idea for this mani. Or at least a starting point. This theme fell at the perfect time as coincidently this Saturday is self injury awareness day, and the related colour for the campaign is orange. Or orange and purple.... For obvious reasons the day is important to me and I have another mani semi-planned for the actual day so I won't ramble on about it too much today. Just some vague background to explain the nails. SIAD has been championed in recent years by a charity called life signs and their motto for this year is 'new thoughts, new actions, new life' with focus on the metaphor of the phoenix rising from the ashes. One of the oldest oranges I have is the beautiful polish talks from tarastalons so I decided to use this as the base for my 'Ashes', it's a beautiful glowing tangerine colour (I actually really love this polish I just never wear it because I don't wear orange lol) so it worked quite well as embers. I topped it with one of my very oldest polishes of all collection 2000 nail smash top coat 1. Black smash (catchy!). The other nails are an old tkmaxx purchase in the form of the orange part of an opi mini neons set. I wore this once when I first got it for a hen night and not touched it since. It's over nails Inc floral Street which isn't old but figured I could cheat just a little as it doesn't even show lol. Then I added some tiger stripes a. For similar reasons to the leopard print yesterday and b. As a nod towards the image that circulates fb now and again wrt stretch marks, scars etc saying 'I'm a Tiger, I've earned my stripes' something like that. I don't think si is something to be proud of per se or view my scars as a badge of honour but equally I don't think people should be ashamed either.... and I think surviving is always something worth being proud of. But I said I wouldn't ramble. The black is really, really, REALLY old... As in it's the only polish I have that genuinely follows the rules by being over a year old. It comes from accessorize and I bought it as part of a set with black lipstick for Halloween one year. It's a really weird polish... it's more only than anything, very thin and chalky and dries matte. I'm choosing to use that as an excuse for the wonky Tiger stripes :p lol. X

Smoking

I haven't done it for a year.
That is all really.
I'm not good at doing things that are good for me.... But I quit smoking. And it made me crazier than usual for a really long time because it served many many purposes in my life and for my brain. There's a strong correlation between mental illness and smoking apparently, easy to see why.
But yea I don't have much to say. Just that I achieved something positive for myself and that has to be worth noting.
Besides my nails are naked atm! x

Tuesday 25 February 2014

purple for eating disoders awareness week

Ok so I spotted this link up when pocket money polishes posted about in the British nail bloggers fb group. And I needed to take part for so many reasons. The most obvious reason, of course, being thaet raising awareness of mental health is one of my aims with this blog. Though I guess in this case raising understanding might be a better phrase. Eating disorders, and anorexia in particular, are probably some of the most talked about but least understood mental health conditions. Models are accused of it like it's bad behaviour. Flippant remarks get bandied about 'I had anorexia for a couple weeks in high school', 'oh I could never be anorexic I like cookies too much'. Anorexic equates to vanity. Bulimia equates to greed (and of course is disgusting into the bargain) binge eating disuse or compulsive over eating are just lack of self discipline and Ed-nos, What's Ed-nos? I keep seeing this thing on Fb that says before anorexia and implants there were real women. And it makes me angry. I'm not 'pr-ana' I don't encourage eating disorders but seriously? For a start there was no 'before anorexia' it's an illness and has been observed for many, many years. Secondly a serious illness with the highest mortality rate of any mental health condition is really not the same as cosmetic surgery. Thirdly, um I'm pretty sure anorexics are real women. I'm all for promoting healthy body image and I certainly don't agree with attacking people for being overweight... But attacking people for being underweight is not the opposite.... it's exactly the same thing! Sorry I think I distracted myself. I have watched, and continue to watch friends go through a spectrum of different eating disorders. And no matter what form it takes I can tell you it's most certainly not a choice or a fad or an extreme diet. It's horrible to watch. I can't, and don't want to, tell you their stories. They're not mine to tell. I can tell you mine, such as it is, but I've never identified as 'eating disordered'. I've used food in unhealthy ways, certainly, haven't we all? I guess if I'd ever felt the need to self diagnose I would have come up with ed-nos...flitting between restriction binging fasting purging exercise and diet pills. But it was 'only' ever another way to sh, that's my 'thing'. Food has never taken over my life in the way I see it do for others. It's never become all encompassing and life altering. It had never taken control. I'm not, by the way, suggesting that this distinction is correct and if anyone is engaging in any of the above behaviours id strongly urge them to see a Dr. It's just the way i look at myself... and on that score im frequently wrong. Whether I label myself as Ed or not I was definitely not healthy, which is the real point. All mental illness is a continuum and eating disorders are no different. I'm writing this post because I've hung around in the horribleness at one and of that continuum and watched the hell at the other and I hate the idea of anyone having to endure either one. That's all. X The polishes are tarastalons #smile over white on base with leopard print using sinful colors Let's talk and the darker essie sexy divide. I chose the pattern because I wanted something strong and powerful to represent the strength of men and women who fight this every day. X

Another quick swatch

Ok so I have several wordy, awareness type posts planned for this week. So here's another quick NOTD. It comes from the little package that landed on my doorstep toga morning from the tara emporium (aka tarastalons). I've been admiring this polish from afar for ages.... But I'm trying to be good because I need to be able to afford petrol (well diesel would probably work better tbh!) And bills and stuff. Anyway I gave in... plus have a few more to show as well. Why be just a little bit naughty? Hehe.
I don't regret it anyway :). It's worth it for the name alone but the polish just happens to be beautiful. A while geometry lesson of glitter shapes in cheerful bright blue all held up in a clear (and this is important here) HOLO base. I'm genuinely in love. Plus I know I can rely on Tara's polishes not to be stingy with the glitter so no fishing which is even better. I wore it over nails Inc sheraton street because I wanted it to show up but didn't fancy white. The end, night night. X

Sunday 23 February 2014

Random tarastalons

I haven't got a lot to say today (everyone can breathe a sigh of relief lol). So I thought I'd just pop in and post my NOTD. I don't think I've blogged about this polish before, it's one of the Christmas gift set ones and is called 'three wise men'. It's a fun mix of bright blue, lilac and bright pink glitters which is a colour scheme I enjoy. Also as they're all small to medium glitters is ready to apply and very wearable. The base is a-England avalon which I've definitely posted about before. The tip shrinkage is my laziness lol. Night. X

Saturday 22 February 2014

Thinking day and nail art weekly

So. Today is thinking day. The day when girl guides and girl scouts around the world take time to think of each other. A day of friendship and unity and awareness. It's chosen as it's the joint birthday of Lord and lady Baden-Powell  Each year there's a specific theme, this year it's all about education, 'education opens doors for all boys and girls'. It's based on the UN's millennium development goal of achieving primary education for all.
We often spend a lot of time moaning about teachers and schools and exams. As students of course and also as a society... But around the world there are millions of children who would jump at the chance of free education. This isn't a 'feel guilty, there are people worse off than you, think of the starving children in Africa' thing. It's just a fact. We moan about it because it could be better, things could always be better. But we have it and so should the rest of the world.
Education empowers. Education promotes independence. Education allows an individual to make informed decisions and to be their own person. It's important.
To read more about this goal and thinking day in general you can visit the world thinking day site here.

Obviously I painted my nails. I chose the colours of five of the  girlguiding uk sections: yellow for Brownies, Blue for guides, turquoise for seniors, navy for adults and red for trefoil guild. Going from the youngest group upwards. I apologise to rainbows for leaving you out I didn't have enough fingers and I was going to leave us adults out but it turned out I didn't have an appropriate colour for rainbows so sorry :(.

As for nail art weekly the theme is the month you were born in. I was born in February and I was going to do an amethyst based mani... until I realised that what I think when I think of this month is thinking day (lots of things there lol) and that guiding means a lot more to me than birth stones. So what better mani to use than this?
I'm sorry I can't list the polishes I forgot and put them away... I'll come back tomorrow if I remember. The red, navy, yellow and white are all nails Inc. The blue is color club and the turquoise is a England that's as far as I can get....no ok the white is floral Street I can remember than one lol is the yellow Carnaby Street? The a England is one of Arthur's Knights and the color club is unnamed anyway. Oh dear I'm not helpful lol. Plus do forgive the wonky trefoils (our logo) I really can't draw them on paper nvm on my nails Haha. X

the wonders of music

It can cheer you up, it can send you flying into the past, it can make you cry or release tension or motivate you or distract you or calm you down or help you focus or it can help you feel less alone. It can express you mood better than you ever could. Ok so I chose the sum41 song out of silliness because of the amount of times I've moaned about lscking it lately but I'm not averse to sum41. And I'm not ashamed to have them on my phone. Im not ashamed of any ofthe music on my phone, though it's pretty random and not very cool. It's all there for a reason. If I'm anxious I listen to music to help control it. If im angry I listen to music to help vent it. If I'm dissociating music can bring me back to reality and if I can't sleep music can help. It can make things less lonely and it can make things less pointless. I read somewhere (lifesigns.org.uk?) Ages ago about a way to use music to prevent sh. Set up a playlist for when you feel *insert negative emotion here* which starts with sad, angry, negative songs and gradually works it's way, through neutral, to positive songs. I used that for ages. That's an interesting point actually. I frequently get told off for having 'depressing' music. Believe me, there are many things that contribute to my mh issues but listening to leonard cohen isn't one of them. Listening to happy music can have the opposite effect (hence the gradual shift in the above technique), just highlighting what you don't/'can't' have. Like having to sit and watch all your friends at the park while you can't join in cos you broke your leg. Sitting at a banquet whilst on a diet. Sometimes sad songs serve a purpose. Ninety per cent of the music onmy phone is there forba reason. Shall we play the shuffle game? tanita tikaram- valentines heart Way back when I firs passed my driving test I drove a couple of cars that only had cassette players, the first was myggrandad's and the second was bought for me by him. In search of music I asked dad what he had and he suggested this album (sacred heart I think?). So the songs on it remind me of my dad and my grandad and the freedom of being able to geg around alone easily for the first time. College before it got shit. elbow- the birds Yea ok this is another one that makes me think of dad (hey I'm a daddy's girl what can I say?), he introduced me to elbow. I saw them at the o2 with mum and dad too which is a good memory. And there's always something wonderfully rousing about elbow songs (one day like this anyone?), you can't help but feel a little energised. It also weirdly makes me think of work, there's something in the lyrics (hey what we gonna do with you, same tale every time, what we gonna do with you come on inside) that makes me think of an elderly manwith dementia thinking of his first love and looking for the birds which have become associated with it. My brain is odd. red hot chili peppers- scar tissue My baby (aka 21 year old) brother used to love rhcp so I think of him. And of car journeys to france and Cornwall on family holidays, even though the parents complained about it. Plus there's just something about the emotion in this song. joan armitrading- I'm lucky Switch of parent, joan always makes me think of mum...even though both parents are fans. I remember being very small listening to all the way from america on record (haha). This song is also fun to sing along to and that's very important. I can't sing but I dont care, driving along at work I sing all the way from one house to the next lol. alanis morrisette- would not come Ah alanis, go to for all angst ridden, emotional and unstable folks of the world. Seriously though. Her music has feeling and her earlier songs particularly are very raw, great for yelling along in anger or shouting through tears. Plus I love this song. The lyrics are just perfect. It's just true. The next song is white flag by dido...I couldn't reasonably explain why this is here but it's important that it is. There's some unspecified nostalgia to it. ed sheeran- you need me, I don't need you Well he's just amazing isn't he? There's a defiance to this song which is great for frustration. And it's amazing fun to sing along to. Another one of dad's recommendations...and makes me think if a friend who loves him. Also 'theysay II'm up and coming like I'm f***ing in an elevator'. the saw doctors- hay wrap If we're talking nostalgic music these guys win every time. Heard so much of them as a kid. And they make me think ofmum and ddad's friend that I used to visit with dad while brother was at beavers. I think I know this whole album iff by heart so great sing along potential. Also associated with a couple of friends to whom I played it after they'dbeen out bailing all day lol. This is long sorry! I just love music!! Honourary mention to a few artists that didn't manage to pop up on shuffle: adele, avril lavigne (seriously don't mock, if you need to blow off steam she's your girl), billy joel, bob dylan, bullet for my valentine, christina aguilera (empowering much?), christina perri, emeli sande, evanescence (pure emotion), mumford and sons, mcr, paul simon/simon and garfunkle, queen (!!), snow patrol, the kinks, the who, vanessacarlton...plus your biwie, beatkes and sstones, led zep etc. Yea I get carried away! Maybe I'll do this again. X

Thursday 20 February 2014

GOT fail- chevrons

Nothing of great importance to report...crappy head ache, which goes someway towards explaining the shoddiness of this. The rest is explained by the fact I'm crap lol.
This looked better in my head if I'm honest. But then in my head I'd planned to add more of the black and white glitter and tape out the chevrons and do it properly. I did the pink (which is a fail in itself cos I used it for last week's got lol) and one layer of glitter (fail two, I used this for my tinnitus mani recently) earlier, before going out for a meal. The plan was to finish when I got in. But Yea pain had cba so sparse glitter and sloppy chevrons hand drawn with the bottle brush lol.
Anyway. There will be an in linkz thingummy added tomorrow when my brain works. And polish names and stuff. X

Wednesday 19 February 2014

Liebster award part two

Right Yes. Eleven questions:

1. How are you today?
2. Do you eat breakfast? What?
3. What's your top coat of choice?
4. What do you watch on tv?
5. Can you cook? What's your best dish?
6. Do you like to read?
7. Do you have any special talents?
8. Who's your favourite artist?
9. Science museum, cool or boring?
10. How would you like to celebrate your birthday?
11. How clumsy are you?

Eleven blogs under two hundred followers (this was hard, your blogs are all so popular lol)

- swishie nails
- adventures in nail art
- Claire with the camera
- penny pinching polish
- nail art novice
- Oh to feel pretty
- pocket money polishes
- POW nails
- vic and her nails
- druid nails
- fixin to faff

And here's hoping I got the links right lol. X

liebster award

Hey...ok so I seem to have been nominated by three dufferent people, that will teach me to procrastinate and not do it insrantky won't it?! Lol. Anyway I guess I have 33 questions to answer :s...you still inky get 11 facts about me though cos I'm just not that interesting lol. So thanks to Ivy at two by two, nails of blue, pretty british 44 and Sarah at Sarah smiles. How it works: -11 random facts about yourself -answer the nominators 11 questions -write 11 questions oc your own -nominare 11 people and let them know Soooo 11 facts 1. I ring church bells (most people know this lol) 2. I'm a guide leader 3. I love fantasy, especially bizarre fatasy (hitchhiker's guide, terry pratchett etc.) 4. I could live off tea and walkers (very important!) Salt and vinegar crisps 5. Speaking of vinegar, I put it on everything...in copious amounts 6. I studied forensic science for a year but now doing an ou science degree 7. I love the tube because it's organised and colour coded hehe 8. I always run iplayer when im trying to sleep 9. I want to be an occupational therapist eventually 10. I love things like climbing, high ropes, themeparks...adrenaline-y things though I haven't done any in ages 11. I enjoy driving...which is good cos I do a lot of work Two by two, nails of blue Questions Which nail art technique do you love, and which do you hate? I have a real soft spot for dotting, it's so versatile, but simple enough even for me :p. I don't really hate anything though I fail at anything free hand...and I'm not sure about the recent part bare part painted thing. What's your favourite polish colour and finish? Purple. Always purple. I love textures and holo's right now but I thik it has to be shimmer. What's your most prized polish bottle? I wouldn't even know how to begin to choose! Lol Which nail polish blog you could never unfollow? Ooo that's hard too! Probably the crumpet? Do you prefer sweet or savoury snacks? Savoury...you may have guessed from the crisp thing lol What's the thing that makes you squee? Elephants? I love elephants....I have shelves full of them. Do you have a favourite internet meme? I enjoy the mh ones I posted for time to talk day...also socially awkward penguin lol. If you could have a superpower, what would it be? I don't know? I'd like to be able to magically heal people (physically, mentally, whatever)...or to fly lol How do you spend your Saturday nights? Often ringing, sometimes down the pub, frequently lazing around watching casualty haha Have you ever performed anything in public? Erm I've done school plays and things, readings at guide events, sang at a time to change event (interesting as I really suck at singing lol. If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would it be? Everywhere...there's so much I want to see! New zealand, india and ireland are topping the lust right now Pretty british questions (sorry I'm going to stop bolding cos it's fiddly lol) Chilli chocolate, yes or no? Definitely yes...chilli chocokate brownies, mmm... What type of animal scares you the most? Im scared of spiders a little, does that count? Are you allergic to anything? Not as far as I know What was the last thing you ate? Crisps (seeing a theme anyone?) What's the next event you'll be attending? Work? Lol. Got my birthday meal with parents soon, though ringing annual meal may be first, or even committee meeting...I'm not really organised lol Lipstick or lipgloss? I hardly ever wear either but when I do it's lipstick Long nails or short nails? Like the look of long nails but I like to wear mine short, for practical reasons mainly What inspired you to start a blog? I wanted a place to dump my nail pics, and somewhere other than fb to get mh awareness rants off my chest lol What is your all time favourite brand? Brand? What Of? Polish? I kinda don't really have one...though I own an insane amount of tarastalons so that. What is your dream job? Physical OT, in the community...working with the elderly? Slightly specific :p What's your favourite piece of clothing that you're wearing right now? Right now I'm still in my work uniform...so my slippers? Lol Sarah smiles questions 1) Favourite place to visit? My nanny's house 2) Typical order from Starbucks/Costa? Tea or tall black americano...or just black filter coffee. I'm dull with drinks! 3) Proudest moment so far while blogging? Erm? I don't think I've ever felt particularly proud of my blog! 4) All time favourite song? Woah. Alanis morrisette would not come or the saw doctors out for a smoke, or this is me...ed sheeran you need me, I don't need you or well any ed sheeran or emile sande or elbow...one of theirs or a kinks song or bab o'reilly by the who or or or...yea ok I cant pick lol 5) Victoria sponge or chocolate cake? I'm not a huge cake fan but victoria 6) Do you have/plan to get an tattoos? I don't have any...I'd kinda like one as a symbolic thing over some scars if I ever quit sh for a decent time 7) Favourite season? Spring 8) Favourite nail polish colour ever? Still purple lol 9) What do you imagine you'll be doing in ten years time? Hopefully ot-ing...at this rate probably still studying though lol 10) One piece of advice for anyone wanting to start a blog? Plan your posts properly...I never do and I always regret it. And blog about what you love/care about nit what you think you should 11) If you could only read one blog forever, who would it be and why? Erm? Maybe the agoraphobic fashionista? Just because it's very ecclectic and I like her writing. Phew!! Can I do my questions and nominations later? I need food lol and this is a huge kump of text! Xx

Monday 17 February 2014

Practice makes perfect- gradient

I'm back, did you miss me? Lol. I need to start posting again, blogging is good for me. Allowing myself to wallow in the black sludge of cba-ness really isn't.
So anyway. I said at the start of the year that I wanted to work on perfecting some staple techniques this year. Particularly thinking about stamping, water marble and gradients. My stamping is improving slowly....it's still scruffy but it's starting to look almost passable on most occasions. Water marble I tried once she's all and I haven't quite dared to attempt it again yet.
So gradients. I've tried several gradients. Somehow they never quite turn out right. I dunno if it's the colours I choose or the specific polishes or my technique... They just always turn out way too subtle. As in pretty much invisible lol. Maybe I need to try something really clashing. Anyway this one does actually look a little more obvious irl. It's tarastalons hope, a bright blue holo and blending into the purple of color club Let's talk. I'm reasonably happy with how the gradient works and actually several people have remarked that they look nice but maybe the blue in Let's talk makes it a bit too close. I dunno. But like I say it does look a bit better in the flesh so to speak.
I might try to do posts like this more often...I just can't face the clean up lol. X

Thursday 13 February 2014

GOT- valentines

I'm still here, honest! Apologies for absence and all that. Not having the best week and have no energy (for no reason lol). Besides I'm house sitting so not got all my stuff here. Only at the other end of the village to home lol but it means I have to plan manis in advance and I fail at that totally (have I said this before?).
That aside, I struggled with this one simply because valentines doesn't really interest me. I don't find it particularly upsetting to be reminded I'm alone or have other people's love rubbed in my face it whatever.... I'm just not interested. Lol. Sorry. So inspiration was lacking.
In the end it was Tara of tarastalons who gave me a hint.... In that she included little tubes of love hearts with the prototype talons packages. So yes, love hearts nails. Plus two random glitter nails cos I'm feeling lazy :p.

Polishes. Opi my boyfriend scales walls. Old but not unused (you may have noticed I use this a lot lol). Barielle sailors delight. This is old and from a set and I may have used it once but that's about it. Maybelline surreal. About the second polish I ever bought. Pretty much not worn it since. Sinful colors unicorn (why is this called unicorn? Are unicorns yellow?). This is only couple months old tbh but one of very few unused polishes I have, usually they get used at least once unless they're sets and I get distracted lol. The red is a color club with no name on the bottle.
The glitter is a total and utter cheat because it only arrived yesterday....I just couldn't resist using it lol. I'll post about this and it's friends soon. Mattified with Essie matte about you. Which I bought soon after surreal. X

Tuesday 11 February 2014

Time to talk day (was last week)

Haha yea im a little late. Though it's kinda good in a way. I think time to talk day is a great awareness raising idea.... But it's also something that needs to be continued day in day out. So this is me continuing it. In a garbled way cos I'm a little brain dead today lol.
I don't think the fact I have mental health issues (whatever they're being labelled as at any given time) so I won't ramble on about that. I'm lucky that the people in close to have been very accepting. Obviously some of the things I do hurt them, and I'm sorry for that, but they're always there. And I'm not treated any differently just cos I'm 'crazy' (sorry I will eternally be politically incorrect in my language cos humour is what I do).
That is the point that I think is really majorly important. And I've said it here before I know. It's not about being able to fix things. It's not even about having deep and meaningful conversations about illness constantly. It's about being a friend in exactly the same way you'd be to anyone. It's about sticking around when really it would be easier not to. It's about tea and biscuits and friendly gossip :p.
Like I say, obviously I talk about this stuff all the time. So I figured I'd just add a few of the pics I shared on Fb last Thursday. You can also visit the time to change website.

Monday 10 February 2014

Tinnitus?

Random lol.
It's tinnitus awareness week (I like awareness weeks and days you may have noticed :p). So I figured I'd paint my nails. Any excuse.
Tinnitus basically is the experience of heating a sound that has no external cause (though not to be confused with auditory hallucinations). It happens when the brain misinterprets, or doesn't properly filter out, meaningless background signals.
The word tinnitus derives from the Latin for 'ringing', but the exact sound heard varies in type, pitch and volume between people. Some people experience only intermittent tinnitus whilst for others it's constant. The sound is generally more noticeably in quieter settings.
Tinnitus can be a sign of an underlying problem but more often than not has no cause (though you should of course talk to your Dr if you're at all concerned or have other symptoms). It's common with an estimated 1 in 10 people experiencing mild tinnitus and 1 in 100 experiencing a level which affects their day to day life. Mild tinnitus generally doesn't affect daily life, though it can have an effect on concentration and sleep.
There is no actual cure but in cases it eventually goes away on its own.
Common causes include exposure to loud noise, inner ear blockages and some medications. It can also be exacerbated by stress or anxiety.

I rarely get tinnitus anymore, only really when I'm very anxious. I had it pretty constantly for a long time a few years ago though (an unexpected side effect of taking too much of a particular drug).
Anyway. If you're interested, or worried or want help with tinnitus related anything there's a tinnitus association.
The mani is supposed to be 'static'  representing 'white noise' which is what I used to hear. Polishes are opi my boyfriend scales walls and L'Oréal something or other Black and White glitter. X

Sunday 9 February 2014

A trio of tarastalons

Phew. Normal services will now resume. Whatever normal is round here :p.
A quick post tonight as I'm, quite unreasonably it has to be said, shattered. I will at some point do a belated post about time to talk day which was on Thursday but polish pictures are easier for now!
Anyway yesterday I eagerly tore into a package from tarastalons. If you haven't checked out all the new subscription options you can find them here. Note that this is a different Web address to the usual as Tara has now expanded to create 'the tara emporium' incorporating the tarastalons polish brand but also much, much more.
Sorry, ramble. When the new subscriptions were introduced I decided to have a change and switched from polish club to 'prototype talons'. Below are three of the four polishes I received. First is glitterous (middle, ring and thumb) over a polish labelled simply <3. As always I misjudged the opacity so this is four coats of <3. I'll use undies in future because I love this and I've already used a significant amount of the 5ml bottle now lol. As for the glitter, well it's purple so obviously I love it. It's also overflowing with variety and super fun. That's what I love about tarastalons glitters, each polish has such an eclectic mix of shapes, sizes and colours and yet they always gel as a whole. I particularly like the random hints of gold which liven it up. Plus you can't go wrong with holo bits. I layered over the light colour to illustrate it better but I'd quite like to try it to brighten up/add depth to a dark purple or similar.
The other is also called glitterous, and is really not my kind of colour at all. But I really kind of like it. It's Brown/bronze but leans strongly towards gold. Plus it's also holo. And it has random little flecks of different colour glitters, Green and blue which sound wrong but look right. It sounds like it should be an autumn colour. But it doesn't feel like one. It's more bronzed skin than bronzed foliage. Or, if we wish to stick with arboreal imagery, a sun dappled wood awakening in spring rather than preparing for sleep in autumn.

Sorry I'm tired. And I always get crazy over excited about this brand. I just love it. And I get the feeling Tara loves it. And I love that.
Shut up and sleep Katie. X