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Moi Beauty – Edinburgh*

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A few months ago I took something of a pledge to take better care of myself, and as a result I’ve been sampling some of the best spas and nail bars Edinburgh has to offer! Last week, Moi Beauty in Edinburgh’s Morningside was on my must-visit list, when I was kindly invited to give their Luxury Shellac Mani and Pedi.

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The salon is an absolute haven in the city – all exposed brick walls and white; it feels more New York than Edinburgh. I popped in on a rather dull Saturday morning, and the welcome couldn’t be warmer. I was ushered in out of the drizzle, shown to one of the salon chairs and tasked with choosing my colours.

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Shellac is no joke at Moi Beauty – I’m not sure that I’ve ever come across a bigger selection of colours to choose from! Even though my heart was all about the pink and neon, my head prevailed and I opted for chic and understated nude for my fingers and a deep chocolate for my toes.

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My morning started with my Luxury Shellac Pedicure, and it was exactly what I needed! While I poured over Hello! magazine, my therapist Claire got to work. My feel were buffed, exfoliated and massaged, and honestly, I have to say, Claire worked miracles! My heels were filed into submission, any a bit of reflexology soothed away the week’s stress. Then, once the Shellac had been applied and dried, my feet were dipped into bags of liquid paraffin to soften them even further.

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Then, once the paraffin had hardened and been peeled off, I popped over to the nail bar for a Shellac manicure. Considering I had peeled off a three week old shellac manicure the night before, my nails weren’t in the best of shape. Claire didn’t so much as blink, and got to grips with her clippers and files, leaving my fingers looking immeasurably better!

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My cuticles were softened and clipped, and I was buffed into having hands that look like they belong to an adult! My beige polish is just beautiful, and it’s such a great choice for a long-wearing polish, as it goes with absolutely everything! It was such a heavenly way to start the weekend, and a week later, my nails still look perfect!

Thank you so much to Moi Beauty for having me! You can find their website here.

 

Leighton Denny Tribal Collection*

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When it comes to nail brands, you know it’s going to be great when it comes to Leighton Denny. From colours which just feel perfect, to formulas which have to be used to be believed, you can see Leighton’s expertise in every aspect of his polishes!

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The first colour that I pulled from the line up was Desert Rain. It’s a perfect, punchy, cobalt blue which verges on neon, and is perfect if you’re after something that’s bright, fun and a little bit different. I’ve actually been looking for a shade like this one for a while – a couple of years ago I splashed out on an YSL Arty Ring in blue and gold, and I’ve been looking for a run manicure colour to wear with it, and this one fits the bill beautifully.

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One coat of the polish leaves nails with a rich, colour saturated, opaque coat of varnish, whilst a second coat gives an extra sense of richness. The varnish is incredibly easy to work with, and dries quickly to a high shine. I got three days of wear with Tribal Rain.

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Possibly the most challenging colour of the collection is Tiger Tamer, which is a rich, mustard yellow, which, in certain lights, almost hits neon. Since I’m really not a yellow type of person – it’s not my colour in the slightest – I passed it on to a friend to use and review, and I’m seriously glad I did.

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On her, it looks gorgeous, a seriously cool green-tinged yellow that shifts in the light, and looks all round awesome. She raved about the formula too! Like Tribal Rain, the formula was rich and creamy with serious lasting power.

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Tribal Survival was the third polish I tried, and is an exclusive to M&S colour. a stunning, subtle tone-shifting lilac, this is a polish like no other in my collection. If you’re looking for something soft and pretty, but which feels modern to use, this is the one for you!

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Depending on the light, Survival Instinct flits between a soft grey and lavender, and it looks great if you’ve got a hint of a tan. Surprisingly, for such a light colour, it applies wonderfully – almost opaque in a single coat, and with a second your left with smooth, glossy digits.

Leighton Denny polishes are priced at £12 each and are available here

 

Essie It’s a Celebration!*

Essie It's a Celebration!

When it comes to Essie polishes, it can feel like there are hundreds of shades to choose from. Every time I pop into Boots, it feels like there are new shades calling my name, and it’s not unsurprising – It’s a Celebration is the brand’s 1000th shade!

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Packaged in one of the brands signature bottles, complete with golden confetti cap (the gold came off mine when I was removing some spilled polish), It’s a Celebration! is a bright, true yellow shade which is unlikely to already be in your collection.

Essie It's a Celebration! Swatch

The formula for It’s a Celebration! was a big surprise. It was easy to work with, and completely opaque in two coats – the micro shimmer caught the light, and my fingers looked like they had been dipped in gold! It’s such a fun and unusual shade, and when the light catches it, it’s so beautiful!

 

Essie Gel Couture Polishes – Bubbles Only & Take Me to Thread*

Essie Gel Couture

When it comes to gel manicures, I’m not going to lie – I’m not the biggest fan. I have nails that bend in the breeze, and coupled with my short attention span for colours, I think I’m better suited regular polishes. What I do love about gels though, is the super shiny finish. So, when Essie sent over their brand new Gel Couture range, I got rather excited. (Evidently the post office did too, as a rather fetching coral shade had exploded in the envelope, so excuse any smudges or polish on the bottles!)

Essie Bubbles Only

The whole concept behind the Gel Couture line is fashion-forward colours with 14 days of shiny, chip-free wear. Applied to clean, bare nails, Essie recommends two coats of colour with one of the new Top Coat. Everything about the line is new – the bottles are twisted (inspired by the line of couture dresses) and the brushes are even remodelled. The new line contains 42 brand new shades, and I’ve already picked out a few to order!

Essie Bubbles Only Swatch

The first polish I tried was Bubbles Only – a stunningly rich red which verges on burgundy. It’s such a rich shade – it looks so chic on short nails, or as a pedicure. The formula was an absolute dream to work with – it applied perfectly smoothly and was nearly opaque in a single coat. There was no streaking or smudging, just really beautiful shiny colour, which stayed glossy well after the top coat had dried. Admittedly I did pop a base coat on my nails (they’re already a little stained, and I’m trying to prevent further damage) and I got three days of chip-free wear.

Essie Take Me To Thread

Take Me to Thread is a stunning neutral shade which hovers somewhere between grey and purple. Unlike a lot of similar shades in my collection, this one is a true one-coat-wonder, although, being the stickler for the instructions I went with two. The formula of the polish is creamy perfection, and self levels, meaning your left with beautifully even nails.

Essie Take me to Thread Swatch

Depending on the light, the colour veers between lavender and grey, so it’s a great choice if you’re rotating through a summer wardrobe of neutrals. It feels like a nice alternative to my usual baby pink polishes, and I love how fresh it looks paired with a white shirt and jeans. Again, I got about three days of chip free wear with the polish.

Essie Gel Couture Top Coat

The Gel Couture Top Coat comes in a white version of the new twisted bottles. It looks really fun (although mine got a little chipped when I was removing the coral polish) and it feels very Instagram-worthy.

Essie Gel Couture Brush

The brush, like the polishes, has had a bit of makeover. It means you only need a single sweep to cover the entire nail, and it doesn’t pull or drag on polish. I absolutely love how quickly it dries, and I didn’t get a single bubble or smear. I’m more than a little obsessed with these new takes on Essie, and I can’t wait to collect a few more shades!

Essie Gel Couture Top Coat and polishes are priced at £9.99 each, and they’re available here.

Soigne Nails Summer Colour Collection 2016*

Soigne Summer Collection

Soigne Nails is one of those brands I’ve been absolutely dying to try out for ages. Like most things which mix fashion and luxury, the brand is French, and encompasses pretty much every colour you can imagine.

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The summer collection couldn’t be pretty, and is a trio of brights, which are sure to add a much needed pop of colour all season long. The shades have been inspired by Africa, and I’m just loving the seriously saturated shades.

Soigne Shibori

Shibori was the shade that I was most excited about trying out. I love a deep blue nail, as they’re such a great and surprising neutral, and I’ve become completely obsessed with Shibori.

Soigne Shibori swatch

On tha nail, the polish is a stunning cerulean blue which applies wonderfully smoothly. It’s fully opaque in two coats, and dries quickly to a high shine. I think this makes such a beautiful choice for a pedicure colour – it’s deep enough to look chic, and the subtle colour looks so gorgeous in stroppy sandals!

Soigne Ikat

Next up is Ikat which is the most beautiful fuchsia pink. Have real Barbie-girl nails always feels so fun in the sunshine! I’ve been wearing it on my rather short nails, and I can’t tell you how many people have asked me what I’m wearing!

Soigne Ikat Swatch

The formula, again, is an absolute dream to work with, even for a klutz like me! Two coats gave me fully opaque coverage, and I don’t think think I have a prettier pink shade. On the nails it’s a wonderful warm-toned shade which I just cannot wait to wear with a tan!

Soigne Dutch Wax

Dutch Wax is the shade which is definitely the most unusual in the line up. In the bottle, the polish looks like it will be a bright sunny yellow, but on the nail it’s actually a beautifully rich golden mustard.

Soigne Dutch Wax swatch

Unlike most yellow polishes I’ve tried in the past, the formula from Soigne is rich enough to be opaque within two coats, and the polish applied smoothly and evenly. I was really pleasantly surprised with how pretty it looks on nails – it’s a beautiful change from my regular pinks and feels like a really fresh way to inject a little colour into my outfits!

Soigne Nail Varnishes are priced at £11.00 each and are availble here.

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