Do or DIY: Magnetic Palette, Depotting & How to Fix Broken Powders

Buying an empty magnetic can cost you quite a bit, they range from about £15 up past £20, and none of the ones I've seen are as big as I would've liked them to be.
Fancying a bit of DIY and not having very much money, I decided to make a couple of my own magnetic palettes to hold single shadows and shadows from small palettes.

The end result is on the outside quite similar to the original mac magnetic palettes, that signature rubberised plastic, hard opaque exterior and tightly snapping clasp. The similarities end on the inside though as my palette can hold all manner of pan shapes and sizes so I can see all my single/small shadows in one place and use them more often without having to find them first!

And the best bit? This palette cost less than £9 to make, with enough materials left to make a hand bag travel size palette as well. Click below to find out how to make your own magnetic palette.

I'm going to start off with how to make a magnetic palette, then move on to the depotting so you have something to put in it!

For the Palette:
-An empty palette, or one with the inner bits to hold the pans taken out. I bought one very similar to this one from Ebay.
-A self adhesive magnetic sheet. These need to have a reasonably strong magnetic pull, I bought this one in size A4 which was plenty for my palette and to use on the bottom of pans. (Self adhesive is not essential, it just means you'll be able to stick the magnets quickly & easily to the pans).
-Some WD40
-A Pencil and Scissors
-Glue (PVA is fine)

1. First you need to remove anything that's already there to hold the pans inside your palette. The palette I bought had a flimsy plastic interior that took a bit of prying and leverage to get off the base.
2. Next you need to remove any glue that's left on the bottom of your palette, this is what the WD40 is for- it takes a bit of rubbing (use an old cloth or sponge) but makes it really easy to get the glue off.
3. Then you need to measure round your palette onto the magnetic sheet. Make sure to measure accurately and remember to mark out any clasps etc that may change the shape of the inside of your palette. Mark this onto the magnetic sheet and then cut out, its always better to go a little bigger and cut bits off instead of going too small in the beginning.
4. Check you've got the size and shape right by placing the sheet into the palette, it should be a tight fit to avoid powder from slipping down cracks and being impossible to clean out. Then cover the inside base of the palette with glue, right up to the edges. We're using glue and the sheet's self adhesive to make sure it really sticks- there would be nothing worse than the sheet coming loose and all your powders smashing.
5. Finally, remove the backing to the magnetic sheet and place over the glue, making sure to press down firmly.

Now you have your palette made, you need something to put in it! You ll find lots of pan depotting guides on youtube etc but this is the method I used, and some little tricks that worked for me. You might find that once you've depotted them some pans are already magnetic which is great and will save time on the last step of the palette, the ones of mine that turned out to be magnetic were by Rimmel, Borjouis and Loreal.

This is a shadow I made by crushing light coloured bronzing pearls and pressing into an empty depotted pan, as detailed below. 

A Quick Guide to Depotting:
You'll need
- Hair Straighteners, mine are pretty old, any will do
- A small square of Tin Foil just to protect the straightener
- A pair of Tweezers and a Needle or Thick pin
- A pair of Scissors

1. First gather all the shadows, blushers, bronzers etc you want to depot and take the inner pan holder out of the outer palette. Its not the end of the world if it wont come out but it will make depotting a lot quicker.
2. Next turn your straighteners so one of the plates is facing upwards and place the tin foil on the plate. Once the straighteners have reached temperature, place a powder you want to depot onto the plate, pan holder against the tin foil. If your pan holder is holding more than one shadow then depot in sections according to how much you can fit on your straightener plate.
3. Be patient, it might take quite a while for the straightener to melt the glue holding the pot down, and you might find the plastic melts before the glue does (this is what the tin foil is for). Don't be alarmed if it starts to smell, this is just the plastic.
4. After 5-6 minutes test your pan- hold the plastic pan holder by the edges as it will be hot and use the tweezers to get down a gap between the pan and holder, and try to pull the pan out. You might find that some come out really easily and others take a lot of work even when they've been on the straighteners for a long time. Be careful with this step as you don't want to break your shadow! If you cant find a gap that will fit your tweezers down or you're having difficulty prising the pan out, use the needle (This worked best for me, and prevented the pans bending too much). 
5. Once you get the pan out remember that its metal and very hot!! use your tweezers, or if its too big use the scissors, to place it onto a surface out the way. Use a tissue or toilet paper to prevent the melted glue sticking.
6. Once the pan has cooled enough to hold, use the tweezers to pick off as much glue as you can from the bottom of the pan. This will help it to sit flat in the palette.

Help Ive Broken a Powder!

You might find that your pan flicks out suddenly and your powder shatters, or the metal of your pan might bend as you're removing it and half the powder breaks. You don't have to throw these away or lose half your powder:

-Crush up all the powder in the pan (trust me) until there are no lumps.
-Mix in a few drops of surgical alcohol (Ive used absinthe in a pinch but drinking alcohol doesn't evaporate as quickly and leaves an odd smell).
-Mix until all the powder is incorporated then find an object a bit smaller than your pan, cover with a folded tissue and press down hard. Keep moving the tissue to soak up as much of the liquid as you can make sure every part of the pan has been pressed down firmly.
-Then leave to dry and your powder will be good as new!

You can buy various sized magnetics to put on the bottom of your newly depotted pans but I think using the magnetic sheet is fine as it holds well and you can cut it to size.
Cut it down and place on the bottom of your pans along with a sticker telling you whats in the pan- brand, colour, and the palette it came from.
Most magnetic sheets are polarised in thin lines so you might need to spin the pan to get it to hold, but once you get it the right way round it'll snap into place and be held well. Ive taken my palette around in my handbag (which I like to chuck about) and have had no casualties so far.

I hope you found this quick guide interesting, I'm so pleased with my palette. I have a little empty ELF palette left over that didn't melt badly which will be perfect to make into a tiny handbag palette and useful as most of my favourite shadows are now magnetic!

Maybelline 24 hr Color Tattoo in On and On Bronze

I'd seen the Color Tattoos floating around on other blogs and so the other day decided to pick one up to see what I thought, I chose the colour On and On Bronze.
(the berries seemed pretty fitting for the weather recently, even though its nearly April!)

Im usually not a bit fan of cream eyeshadows- I have oily uneven lids that need a good layer of foundation to even out and then a base powder to stop my eyeshadows moving or creasing so I was interested to see whether this little pot of shimmery brown would live up to its 24 hour no creasing hype. Im very pleased to say that it does, even just on top of foundation it's going no where and there hasnt been a crease in sight!

The colour is a bronzey brown with silver shimmer that can be used sheer or built up to be more intense. Its quite a bit more frosty in person than in photos which I wasnt expecting and I tend to go for wamer colours with a gold instead of silver shimmer, but I do like the colour and have got a lot of wear out of it so far.

It blends easily even with my finger and doesnt set too fast so can be reblended if need be or shadow can be applied before it dries so help it stick better. I wear this colour alone during the day and at night layer it with wamer and darker colours for a bit of definition. This gel-cream eyeshadow usually lasts all day or night on me, I have slept in it and while it didnt look quite the same as before I went to bed, it was still there in the morning which is quite impressive.

These shadows are available for £4.99 and come in a good shade range however I tend to stick to neutrals and pinks so while the brighter colours do appeal to me, Id rather look at them in the pot than put them on my eyes. Two shades Ive fallen in love with (Too Cool and Pomegranate Punk) are only available in the States which is a bit of a disappointment, but I think my next purchase will definitely be the slightly warmer Eternal Gold.

Dont laugh at my posey face! 24 hr Color Tattoo in On and On Bronze shaded with St Moriz Bronzing Powder and shimmery black from Bourjois Effets Lumiere Trio in Les Argents (close up taken before blending). Photos taken on Iphone 4s with flash.

Review: Nailgenie Kwik Wipes

Not long ago I was given a tub of Nailgenie Kwik Wipes, acetone free nail polish remover pads that claim to also naturally condition the nails. The polish remover on these pads is made from Organic Methyl Esters which gives the pads an oily feel and a slightly plastic-y smell which is in my opinion much nicer than the acetone smell of normal polish removers.

On first use I rubbed the pad on my nail as I would with normal acetone and wasnt impressed at how difficult it was to get my polish off and how long it took, but after changing technique I found these wipes are actually much quicker and more effective than my usual polish remover (Cutex). The trick is to swipe the pad once on each nail of one hand, then do the same with the other hand and by the time you come back to your first nail (about 10 seconds later) the oil will have started to break down the polish and you can rub it off quickly and easily, using one pad for all 10 nails. Im not sure what it is about leaving the oil on the nail for a few seconds that helps the process, but after that theres definitely not as much rubbing as with my usual Cutex, and not as much wastage of cotton wool as the polish rubs right off onto the pad.

After use my fingers definitely need a quick wash, not because they smell horrible but because the oils in the product make my fingers feel a bit greasy. After washing my nails dont look flaky and my cuticles are moisturised due to the natural blended oils included in the product to condition the nail.

The Kiwk Wipes are made by KK Toiletries who also make a resealable pack of self tan wipes which contain the highest allowed concentration of DHA. I cant remember the last time I used self tan without a guide colour but it would be interesting to try these if I can find anywhere near me that sells them!

The Kwik Wipes come in tubs of 40 and can be found at Truly Fair Cosmetics for £2.50 or Ebay for £3.69, its also worth checking your local chemist as they may stock them there.

What do you usually use to remove your nail polish?

My Favourite Natural Beauty DIYs

There's something really satisfying about making a DIY recipe and seeing results afterwards. Ive always been a fan of homemade face masks but since becoming allergic to normal shampoo about 6 months ago Ive been trying out a lot of beauty recipes in a bit of an effort to reduce the amount of chemicals and nasties I put on my skin. Below are my favourites, some found from research and some reinvented by me. I'm no skin expert/pharmacist though so if you have a concern about using an ingredient then I'd advise just to skip that DIY!

Calming, Smoothing and Brightening Mask
Mix 2 tbsp Natural Oats with 4 tbsp water and microwave for approx 30 seconds until the oats become soft and soak up the water, add 1 tsp Honey, one mashed Banana and a couple of drops of Glycerine (available in the cake decorating section of the supermarket or from a chemist). Optionally you can also add a few drops of Tea Tree Oil to calm any blemishes.
I also like to add in 2 tsp of Engevita flakes. These are used as a condiment to add a savoury mushroomy flavour to food but are full of vitamins, minerals and micronutrients including high levels of Vitamin B which is brilliant for the skin! (Freederm acne gel is made from a form of Vitamin B).
Smear on your face, I would lean over a sink as the mixture is a bit lumpy, and wait for about 20 minutes or so until it dries (avoid mirrors so you don't give yourself a fright) then rinse off. Your skin will feel soft, glowy and toned without being tight.

After Makeup Spray
Mix a few drops of Glycerine with bottled water in a spray bottle to make a spray that takes away the powdery look of face powder, and can be used before make up to moisturise the skin (I haven't tried the second as my skin needs mattifying more than moisturising).

Mattifying Primer
For oily skin Milk of Magnesia (available from a chemist, I use Magnesium Oxide and water which is the same) will mattify the skin and keep it oil free under foundation. The mixture, especially if you're using magnesium oxide, will need to be shaken well as it separates when left to stand. Don't worry if you look a bit ghostly before your foundation goes on but If I apply too much I remove the excess with a powder brush.

Clarifying Shampoo
Use Bicarbonate of Soda to wash away hair product build up. Mix approx 3 tsp with your usual shampoo for a clarifying effect. Ive used this DIY a lot since becoming allergic to shampoo, I haven't yet found out the exact ingredient I'm allergic to so have stuck with a basic one that leaves my hair a bit dull. I flip my head over and make sure to get right in at the roots!

Sheer Coconut Lipgloss
Mix a powder blush or eyeshadow you're not likely to wear (I use bright pink eyeshadows) with Coconut Oil to create a sheer shiny gloss with moisturising properties and a coconut taste. I don't measure each out so its easier to start with a little of the oil and powder and keep adding more of each until you have the amount and consistency you like. The oil is solid at room temperature so the gloss can be kept in a pot or tin like lip balm but quickly melts to a moisturising shine in contact with body temperature. The oil stays glossy on the lips but once it has soaked in still leaves a light wash of colour that wont sink into cracks.
The gloss in the bottom right picture above was made with a light pink eyeshadow that had a touch of shimmer, it was a cheapy but works really well as a coconut gloss!

Quick Tooth Whitening
Use Bicarbonate of Soda (Sodium Bicarbonate) to brush teeth for instant whitening. Dip toothbrush in the powder, add a little toothpaste and brush, you'll see the results straight afterwards! This is an abrasive way to whiten the teeth so shouldn't be used often and not at all if you have sore or sensitive gums.

Body and Self Tanning Oil
Make a DIY body oil by mixing virgin Coconut Oil with 1/4 virgin Olive Oil and a drop or two of your favourite essential oil. The olive oil stops the coconut oil from solidifying at room temperature and the coconut oil is easily absorbed to leave skin silky smooth.
This mixture is great for legs and dry areas like elbows, also works really well as a barrier on ankles, knees and elbows when self tanning to avoid the product clinging and becoming too dark. My right elbow for some reason turns very dark when I use tanning products but this oil works as the perfect barrier, the trick is to not rub it in completely.


Id love to know your favourite DIY beauty recipes, please tell me in the comments!

Review: W7 Candyfloss and Africa Boxed Powders (Benefit/Too Faced Dupes)

I hinted at these little beauties with a quick description in my February Favourites and promised a proper review, along with Rimmel Smoked Oyster blush swatches, read on for the full review.

The first I saw of these powders was on a make up retail website, I was quickly drawn to them and noticed how similar the packaging is to the Benefit products like Hoola and Thrrob. A quick google brought up a few reviews and also a few comparisons to Benefit powders. Being in the market for some new face powders, and having a strange obsession with bronzers (and with these having a price tag of £3.99-£4.99) I thought Id give them a try.

To start; the packaging. These little boxes do bare a striking resemblance to those from Benefit with their sturdy bottoms and high sides. Each has ingredients written on the bottom, and the W7 powders also have a little picture of the powder inside. Of course the W7 boxes aren't quite as well made, but we can forgive that for the price and we can also forgive the brush that comes with them which, although it looks pretty with its dip dyed pink and white bristles, is also pretty useless and doesn't pick up much product at all. While I do like pretty packaging, Ive always thought the box designs aren't all that practical when wanting to put a product in your make up bag, although they do prevent messy fall out.

Onto the products; Candy Floss Brightening Face Powder
W7 tell us 'This brightening face powder with its soft silky finish will leave your skin with a healthy natural glow' and I cant disagree! The powder is very soft, not as creamy as others but definitely not chalky,and has very fine shimmer particles that make it look pearly in the pan.

The colour is a soft pastel pink with as much pigmentation as you would want from a powder meant to be used on more than part of the face. Candy Floss can be swiped sheerly on the high and centre points of the face to give a subtle and healthy glow or built up on the cheeks as a girly blush. I think it's the brightening effects of this powder that prevent it looking cakey when built up on the cheeks. I have to say I really love this product and for me it lived up to its description.
As far as a Benefit dupe goes, this powder is incredibly similar to the boxed blush Dandelion (I don't own Dandelion but borrowed my friend's to compare). The ballerina pink colours are almost an exact match, but I think the Candy Floss has a touch more shimmer.

Africa Bronzing Powder
W7 say 'Go wild with this W7 multi bronzing face powder, lightly brush on for that all year round summer look' and I have just one disagreement with this- it isn't quite a bronzer!
I love the look of this product in the palette, it might be because Id just finished watching David Attenborough's Africa series, but I think its a lovely pattern with a girly twist. The powder itself isn't quite as silky soft as the Candy Floss but again definitely not chalky, it does produce a touch more fallout and because it's made of blocks of different colours I did get some unfortunate lost corners when I accidentally dropped the box during swatch photos.

As for the colour, this is a tricky one! Swirling your finger around the outside edges of the pan does give a shimmery pinky brown, but reaching around the edges isn't possible with a normal blush brush and it will pick up colour from the vivid pink centre of the powder. With all shades together, this powder is  quite a bright and shimmery pink- much more Mac 'Well Dressed' than Nars 'Casino' (I'm talking colours not quality!). The colour does look nice on the cheeks, it has more pigmentation than the Candy Floss so delivers a bright pink flush with bronzey brown undertones- definitely summery but not what I was expecting!
As for a dupe- this powder has design very similar to the Too Faced Pink Leopard Blushing Bronzer but a colour more like Benefit's Bella Bamba.


Sunlight L-R W7 Candy Floss, W7 Africa, Rimmel Smoked Oyster

Left- Natural Light, Right- Flash

As the photos show, Candy Floss is a pale shimmery pink which relects light to give a subtle glow. Rimmel's Smoked Oyster is much more of a bronze-y colour than the W7 Africa, even though it's actually a blusher (review here).

W7 do a range of boxed powders (which also includes Honolulu bronzing powder and Double Act bronzer and blusher) and although I cant find much information about the brand its been available in my local independent make up shop for years. I have tried a couple of their products long ago but they seem to have stepped up their game and even have their own BB Cream. Some of their products also have intriguing (but often a bit familiar!) packaging, eg the Light Diffusing Concealer, Kiss Me Plumping Gloss, Carnival Dust and Go Go Go Get Glossed.

In conclusion, I think the Candy Floss is a great product and my go to at the moment when my winter complexion is looking a bit dull, the Africa is a lovely warm toned blush but I think I'll stick to my Bourjois as a bronzer for now. The powder can be found for £3.99 and £3.40 respectively at Xtras-Online.co.uk (just wanted to say, I am not an affiliate of Xtras even though I link to them a lot, I just think they've got a great affordable range!).

What do you think of the look of these powders, and have you tried any W7 products?

Rimmel Powder Blush in Smoked Oyster

I'm a big fan of Rimmel as a highstreet brand and have been since I started buying make up, as their products are always quite reasonably priced I decided to have a quick look at the counter when I was searching for a coral peachy blush as a change to my usual girly pinks.

I came across 037 Smoked Oyster and fell in love, in the pan this blush looks like a light tawny bronzer but on the skin transforms into a lovely coral colour- just enough pink to stop it being orange, and tiny flecks of gold that subtly catch the light. 

The powder itself is silky and blends easily, I use a Real Techniques Kabuki brush to apply my blushers and I do find it needs a good swirl in the pan to get a dense enough colour on the cheeks but as theres barely any fallout and the blush is easily layered it doesn't look too powdery.
In the winter I do like a good amount of colour on my cheeks to brighten me up so in the spring/summer I reckon just a couple of swipes would do, and this will be a gorgeous colour for when the sun actually comes out!

I really like the Rimmel crown logo in the centre of these blushes, I think it somehow makes it look a bit more expensive and also means theres a bit of texture to aid getting the product onto a brush. For some reason I also really like the name Smoked Oyster, not sure Ive ever seen smoked oysters on a menu but it makes a nice change to the 'pink rose' and 'nude flush' type names that blushers usually have.

I have taken a few swatches of the colour on my hand but have used it to compare to a couple of W7 powders coming up in my next post, so will add a link in to that when it goes live.

Ive read a few reviews complaining about the packaging of the mono blushers but I find them quite easy to open despite being a bit of an uncoordinated type, I like that's its very easy to slip into a make up bag but do have a crack in the lid from dropping it so hopefully it will stand up to my abuse!

The Rimmel Powder Blush Mono in Smoked Oyster is available from Superdrug for £3.99.



This pinky coral is my new favourite shade, whats your favourite shade of blusher?

Review: Excellence Cosmetics Flare Medium False Individual Eyelashes

 
While unfortunately Ive never really got on with false eyelashes, I do love some individual lashes for a special occasion or evening out. I really like the Flare Medium Black by Excellence Cosmetics, they aren't too much longer than my real lashes but add great definition to my eyes.

Each of the flares is made up of 10 lashes which flare out (as the name suggests) and are held together by a knot at the top. I know some people prefer a spine on their individual lashes similar to a full eye false lash instead of the knot, but I find knots easier to position and with a good coat of mascara they're not too visible.


Ive been using about 6 of the flares, 4 in the outer corners where my natural lashes are a bit sparse and don't tend to curl well, and one or two in the centre of the eye to add a bit more volume. As they are more fanned than some other lashes Ive tried, they give a nice feminine shape to the corners of my eyes and I don't need to place them all along the lash line to get a voluminous effect.

Ive found that this pack has lasted quite a long time for me- each contains 56 lashes and I get about 2 or 3 wears out of each, so even if a few escape in my bed when Ive been naughty and slept in them a pack will still last me quite a while!
For maintenance I like to take as much glue off with my fingers as I can, float them for a few minutes in a shot glass filled with an inch or two of make up remover, rub the rest of the glue and mascara off with a tissue and brush them through with an eyelash comb. The lashes to tend to get a bit splayed out after being used a few times (you can see these on the middle and left of the bottom row) and these I reuse in the centre of my eye where my lashes are a bit thicker.

Overall I really like these individual lashes, they definitely add volume to my natural lashes without looking too unnatural or over-done.The only downside was that these packs don't come with glue, although for the price you cant expect everything! I have naturally long lashes but if yours are a little short I think these would be great to add length as well.


The Excellence Flare Medium Black Individual Lashes retail for £4.99, but I bought mine for £2.99 from Xtras Online (not in stock at the moment) and you can also find them at GlitterStore.co.uk for £2.99.

Have you tried any lashes from Excellence Cosmetics? And do you prefer individuals or full eye false lashes?





Most Loved: February Favourites

St Moriz Medium Self Tanning Mousse- Forgive me Vita Liberata for I have sinned!! I've tried the dark lotion but found the colour a tad strange, the medium looks more natural on my skin tone and with my purse a little empty I've been reaching for this mousse a couple of times a week!

Vaseline Rosy Lips- with Aloe Vera and Almond oil, and a lovely rosy colour I've been using this old staple throughout the day to give my sad winter lips some moisturising colour.

Rimmel Stay Matte Dual Action Concealer in 030 Classic Beige- this is my favourite concealer of the moment, it can be quite stiff on bare skin but blends wonderfully on top of foundation. It also has a green core (that includes Salicylic Acid, Cotton Powder, Cucumber and Chamomile) which helps to heal blemishes and works as a subtle corrector on any redness.

Opi Euro Centrale Can't Find my Czechbook- I've been wearing this colour constantly since receiving the mini set and and have been complimented on its unusual colour, read my review of the set here.

Stila Mineral Matte Eyeshadow in Makalu- My 'signature makeup' always includes a black winged out shadow liner applied with an angled brush and this shadow is the best I've ever used for this purpose. The texture is soft, silky and so easy to sweep along the lash line. The colour payoff is the best of any shadow I own and even though it is blackest black it has very faint warm undertones when blended so doesn't look stark or panda-y.

Urban Decay Eyeshadow in Roach- I just love this rich metallic brown, if not blended out on my lid I've been using it as a thin line in the inner corners to give a metallic copper glint to the edges of a smoky liner. Urban Decay's X was also a big contender this month.

Maybelline 24hr Gel Liner in Black- I love this liner for its deep dark colour and the way it can be easily swiped along the lashline. Unfortunately it didn't pass the naughty sleep-in-makeup test so on me doesn't last 24 hours (but I do have oily lids).
 

 

W7 Candy Floss Brightening Face Powder and Africa Bronzing Powder-  The Candy Floss is a light sheer pink powder with a hint of light reflecting shimmer, a lovely colour to brighten and highlight the face. 

Despite being called a bronzer, the Africa powder comes out a bright brownish pink (looks much nicer than that description!) it does give a bronzed effect but ive been using it as a blusher and I love it for livening up the face. Reviews and swatches on both coming soon (possible Benefit dupe alert).

 

 

Stila Oil Free Tinted Moisturiser- I picked this up as a bargain and think Stila have stopped making it but this is the only tinted moisturiser I have ever rated enough to actually wear out the house. There's quite a difference in colours so I use light 02 and 03 mixed together and as its so bendable I can use an extra layer anywhere I need more coverage. With SPF 30 this will be perfect for the summer.

 

Special Mention to Alien by Thierry Mugler- this is my all time favourite fragrance and its been the only perfume I've used in February. It's a gorgeous deep warm scent and it comes across to me as a night time smell (if that makes any sense). Ive got a refill bottle and it has lasted me ages!


Have you tried any of these products? What's your most loved of February?



Review: OPI Euro Centrale Mini Collection

The Euro Centrale Mini collection is part of OPI's Spring/Summer collection for 2013 based on the countries of Hungary, Poland, Romania and Czech Republic.

The mini collection features 4 polishes presented in a lovely little box with a summery watercolour style illustration by swedish illustrator Stina Perrson.

The full Euro Centrale features 12 polishes with OPIs usual quirky names, included in this set is Cant Find My Czechbook, Suzi's Hungary Again!, You're Such a Budapest and Oy- Another Polish Joke.
These polishes use OPI's exclusive ProWide brush for ease of application and are DBP, Toulene and Formaldehyde free. I tend to look for polishes without formaldehyde as it is used as a tissue fixative and embalming agent (remember Damien Hirst's shark preserved in formaldehyde?) and the long term effects on the nails and fingers arent clear.
I own a few other polishes from OPI, including their Original Nail Envy but unfortunately dont use it regularly enough and my first 3 nails on each hand are thin, bendy and prone to peeling so I need to keep them short to avoid horizontal splitting. Ive used all types of bases, top coats and long wearing formulas but all have chipped or peeled within 24 hours so I was excited to see how these polishes would last on my problem nails.

These colours are perfect for spring, in the bottles they look quite muted and pastel-y but on the nails they really increase in vibrancy and dry to a lovely bright finish. 
Pink, especially bright pink has been my go to nail colour for about 5 years. My favourite colours are Rimmel's Shocker and No7's Pink Grapefruit, so I was fully expecting the pink polish (described on the box as warm and yummy) to be my number one in this set and I was surprised to find a new faouvrite when trying these polishes out.

Cant Find My Czechbook / Youre Such a Budapest

Cant Find My Czechbook- In the bottle this colour looks a pastel blue-green but on the nails transforms to a bright aqua colour that seems to change in the light, sometimes looking like a vivid pale blue and other times like a greeny turquoise. I was surprised to like this colour so much, given my love for pink polishes, but i think it looks gorgeous on the nails and really catches the eye in sunlight. This colour took 3 coats to make it opaque.

Youre Such a Budapest- Again this polish looks muted and a pastel colour in the bottle but really comes to life on the nail as a shiny lilac. OPI described this colour as a 'peri-winkle purple' and it has a very very faint amount of silver that is only apparent in the first coat but makes it glisten in the light. All four polishes dried quickly between coats and, again, this colour took 3 layers for opacity.

Suzi's Hungary Again! / Oy- Another Polish Joke!

Suzi's Hungary Again!- This colour is indeed a warm pink, it's noticeable but quite muted so looks sophisticated rather than garish. This polish also took 3 coats to create an opaque colour.

Oy- Another Polish Joke- Im still a big fan of the 'accent nail' trend as you can tell by the stripe of shimmering gold on the ring finger and Oy- Another Polish Joke certainly doesnt disappoint in creating a bright and bold statement. This polish took just 2 coats to stop the pink peeking through and dries to a lovely smooth finish, not scratchy and bumpy like some other glittery polishes. Because of the small size of the shimmer particles this polish quickly builds in opacity despite being the thinnest in formula and gives a beautiful light catching sheen. This polish does look lovely as an all over colour but personally I dont think it matches well with my skin tone so have worn it as an accent over the other colours, and it looks great with each.

Overall, I think each of these polishes has its own charm, they are like a new set of staples to add to my sea of pinks and magentas and I'll definitely get wear out of each of them. And for the big question: did they chip? Unfortunately yes they did but no quicker or worse than even the long wearing formulas Ive tried, so I think if you have 'normal' nails these should definitely stay put for a while.


The OPI Euro Centrale Mini Collection is available from LookFantastic.com for £13.95 with free UK and Worldwide delivery.


Have you tried the Euro Centrale collection, or do you have other OPI favourites?