Reading list

I know this blog is supposed to be about makeup. But since this blog is mine, I decided I needed to pour a little more of myself into it, not only the makeup lover side of me. This is why I'm considering changing my blog's name soon (when I think of a name I truly love).

You should know something about me: I'm a bookworm.
I love sitting on my couch and reading for hours. And suddenly remembering its 11pm and past dinner time.
I read absolutely every book that I catch sight of.

This is the little notebook where I write my lists in. 

Such as... wishlists, to do list, bucket list, and... reading lists!

I read the whole "A song of ice and fire" series, and I'm (im)patiently waiting for the sixth book! LOVED all of them.

Also, "The Fault in Our Stars" was a great book, I recommend checking it out ASAP.

And yesterday I finished "The Night Circus", which I liked, but not loved :( And I'm already starting "Tell the Wolves I'm Home".

I know "The Perks of being a Wallflower" is a very famous book and in the US you normally read it in school, but I had never heard about it until this year. Weird, right? It's already on my Kindle, will check it out as soon as I finish "Tell the Wolves I'm Home".

The (?) stands for.. should I read this? Is this too similar to Twilight?

I thought maybe you'd like to know what I've read these last months and what books I'm planning to read as soon as I finish the one I'm on.

If you'd like book reviews, please ask. I don't want to push my book obsession on you guys, but if you ask me to review any of the books I've read or will read, I will gladly do so! :)


Love,
Maria.

Nails Inc Juicy Sheers: "Henley Regatta" & "Chelsea Flower Show"

I never thought I'd be a fan of sheer nail polishes. I've always loved bright and opaque colours, but since I laid my eyes on these two on a random post I read (sorry, I just can't remember which one it was), I decided sheer would be my next obsession.

These two nail polishes are just BEAUTIFUL.

They are also scented, by the way! Henley Regatta (once dry!) smells like strawberries, and Chelsea Flower Show like oranges. I never thought I'd like scented nail polish, but I LOVE it (weird, right?)

The colours are sheer but intense. By this, I mean that once you've layered three coats on your nails, the colour is definitely bright but you can still see your nail underneath. As I said, I like this polish on short nails best. But, really, I'm a short nail lover, so I wear every nail polish with short nails. 

Henley Regatta & Chelsea Flower Show

(None of them were on my nails in this picture, by the way)

Henley Regatta 

(1 coat, except for thumb + index that have 2 coats on)

Chelsea Flower Show (1 coat)

Chelsea Flower Show (3 coats)

Chelsea Flower Show (natural light)

Chelsea Flower Show & Henley Regatta (3 coats)

Close-up

Would you give sheer nail polishes a try? 

Love,
Maria

Latest additions (swatches soon!)

Models Own 'Pink Punch';
Nails Inc 'Henley Regatta' + 'Chelsea Flower Show';
Barry M 'Pink Flamingo', 'Strawberry Ice Cream' + 'Fuchsia';
OPI 'Just Spotted the Lizard'

My nail polish collection

In the past months, I've become a nail polish magpie. I kid you not if I tell you I have around 45 (give or take) nail polishes in my stash, and I have ordered 7 more that have to arrive soon.

Yes, I have a terrible addiction, and it's a problem.
My idea is that, (if I'm able to), I will give the polishes I don't use to my girl friends. But it's quite probable also that I won't be able to part with any of them. You know, "just in case" I might use them later.

So, if you have a problem with nail polish like I do, then maybe you'll like this post, where I will show you swatches and comparisons of every nail polish I own and group them together with those in the same colour family.

Hope you like <3

Teals, bright blues and green blues

L to R: MAC Mischievous Mint, KIKO 389, Essie Turquoise and Caicos, KIKO 352, KIKO 342, Butter London 'Slapper'

(LEFT) Pinky: Mischievous Mint; Ring: KIKO 389; Middle: Turquoise + Caicos; Index: KIKO 352; Thumb: KIKO 342

(LEFT) Pinky: Mischievous Mint; Ring: KIKO 389; Middle: Turquoise + Caicos; Index: KIKO 352; Thumb: KIKO 342

(RIGHT) Thumb: Butter London 'Slapper'

Yellows and Greens

L to R: KIKO 279, Illamasqua "Rare", H&M "I'm not a kiwi", KIKO 396

Index: KIKO 279; Middle: Illamasqua Rare; Ring: H&M I'm not a kiwi; Pinky: KIKO 396

Neutrals and Nudes

L to R: Sephora nº49; Astor 610 Satin Angel; Rimmel "018 Rose Orchid"; H&M duo "Lavender Frost"

Pinky: Sephora nº49; Ring: Astor 610 Satin Angel; Middle: Rimmel "018 Rose Orchid"; Index: H&M duo "Lavender Frost"

Pinky: Sephora nº49; Ring: Astor 610 Satin Angel; Middle: Rimmel "018 Rose Orchid"; Index: H&M duo "Lavender Frost"

Metallics

L to R: OPI "Rainbow Connection", KIKO 354; KIKO 274; KIKO 395; H&M duo "Golden Nails"

Pinky: OPI "Rainbow Connection"; Ring: KIKO 354; Middle: KIKO 274; Index: KIKO 395; Thumb: H&M duo "Golden Nails"

Pinky: OPI "Rainbow Connection"; Ring: KIKO 354; Middle: KIKO 274; Index: KIKO 395; Thumb: H&M duo "Golden Nails"

Pinky: OPI "Rainbow Connection"; Ring: KIKO 354; Middle: KIKO 274; Index: KIKO 395; Thumb: H&M duo "Golden Nails"

Oranges and Red-orange colours

L to R: Models Own "Tangerine Queen"; KIKO 280; Models Own "Fluro Orange"; KIKO 236; Models Own "Hedonist"

Thumb: Models Own "Tangerine Queen"; Index: KIKO 280; Middle: Models Own "Fluro Orange"; Ring: KIKO 236; Pinky: Models Own "Hedonist"

Thumb: Models Own "Tangerine Queen"; Index: KIKO 280; Middle: Models Own "Fluro Orange"; Ring: KIKO 236; Pinky: Models Own "Hedonist"

Pinks and Corals

L to R: KIKO 281; H&M "Check Me Out"; OPI "Kiss Me On My Tulips"; ASTOR 235 Insolence; Butter London "Disco Biscuit"; Models Own "Bubble gum" 

(LEFT) Pinky: KIKO 281; Ring: H&M "Check Me Out"; Middle: OPI "Kiss Me On My Tulips"; Index: ASTOR 235 Insolence; Thumb: Butter London "Disco Biscuit"

Pinky: KIKO 281; Ring: H&M "Check Me Out"; Middle: OPI "Kiss Me On My Tulips"; Index: ASTOR 235 Insolence; Thumb: Butter London "Disco Biscuit"

(RIGHT) Thumb: Models Own "Bubble gum"

Pure blues

L to R: KIKO 338, KIKO 299, KIKO 265, Nails Inc "Baker Street"

Index: KIKO 338, Middle: KIKO 299, Ring: KIKO 265, Pinky: Nails Inc "Baker Street"

Index: KIKO 338, Middle: KIKO 299, Ring: KIKO 265, Pinky: Nails Inc "Baker Street"

Index: KIKO 338, Middle: KIKO 299, Ring: KIKO 265, Pinky: Nails Inc "Baker Street"

Dark hues: purples, reds + black

L to R: H&M "Soaked in Purple", H&M duo "Lavender Frost"; NARS "Purple Rain"; H&M duo "Golden Nails"; KIKO 227; Maybelline 501 Cherry Sin; Astor 550 Red Lace; KIKO 275

(LEFT) Pinky: H&M "Soaked in Purple", Ring: H&M duo "Lavender Frost"; Middle: NARS "Purple Rain"; Index: H&M duo "Golden Nails"; Thumb: KIKO 227

Pinky: H&M "Soaked in Purple", Ring: H&M duo "Lavender Frost"; Middle: NARS "Purple Rain"; Index: H&M duo "Golden Nails"; Thumb: KIKO 227

(RIGHT) Thumb: Maybelline 501 Cherry Sin; Index: Astor 550 Red Lace; Middle: KIKO 275

(RIGHT) Thumb: Maybelline 501 Cherry Sin; Index: Astor 550 Red Lace; Middle: KIKO 275

Have you got a huge nail polish collection you're ashamed of but love at the same time too? 

Love,

Maria.

RIGHT NOW

Wearing (on my nails):
Models Own "Fluro Orange"

I've never worn too many orange things, but I find bright orange nail polish VERY flattering.

Listening to:
You Make My Dreams - Hall & Oates
(500 days of Summer; amazing film and soundtrack!)

Watching: 
LLYMLRS' July Favourites on Youtube
(LINK)

Reading (on my Kindle):
The Night Circus (by Erin Morgenstein) 

Nothing like Harry Potter, but I definitely recommend this book, it's full of magic and enchantment. You'll want to live in this monochrome circus.

Latest app used:
Camera Bag

You can create really amazing effects, and then upload them to Instagram (that's what I do).

Last order placed:
Nails Inc Juicy Sheer in "Henley Regatta" & "Chelsea Flower"

Two beautiful sheer nail polishes in pink (HR) and orange (CF), from BeautyBay.
I think these look much better with short nails than with longer nails.

What are YOU doing right now? :)

Love,
Maria.

Models Own Utopia

At the moment, I'm preparing a huge post on my nail polish collection (45+ nail polishes in total, guys!), but a new nail polish order arrived a couple of days ago. I'll show you the rest in following posts, but my favourite is Models Own Utopia, and I couldn't wait to show it to you!

Models Own 'Utopia' is the perfect neutral nail polish. It looks very neat and nice on the nails, like you have them done, but not overly-done. It looks like a concrete whitish grey on the bottle, but once on your nails, you can definitely appreciate a lilac-pink tinge. At night, though, it looks mostly whitish. 

I think this nail polish is creamy, but is not streaky at all. It hasn't chipped in a couple of days, but I admit I'm not the most patient of people, that's why my swatches sometimes have some scratches, etc. (See thumb in the following picture) 

Would I recommend this nail polish? 

Definitely YES. Of the whole pack, I thought it would be the one I'd like the least, because I normally tend to love bright colours rather than neutrals, but this is such a surprising colour that it has made me fall in love. 

Even if you're not a fan of neutrals, I strongly recommend that you give this nail polish a chance, because it makes you look tanned, it goes with everything you wear, it looks polished and BTW, many men have complimented my nails when I wear this colour! 

Love,

Maria.