Models Own purple ash

I got this in the Models Own sale - they generally do a 50% off bonanza once a year on facebook so I save up all my purchases for then. (That and Boots 3 for 2...always a killer). This one was a bit of an impulse but I actually really like it. It's sort of a muted grape colour. I think it was part of the Chanel rip-off collection they did, which wouldn't usually attract me to a colour, but this one is pretty cool - and for £2.50 I can't complain.

Models Own Utopia

I wanted this for ages. It applies nicely (this was three coats, but it was mostly fine with two) and looks nice. It's kind of a berry yoghurt colour. I was kind of hoping it might be a bit less...pink? I had in mind a slightly more grey/white shade. Like a baby elephant colour.

Dunno whether to franken this or swap it.

On another note, I love slanting Autumn light for nail pics - better make the most of it before the Winter fug descends in earnest!

Models Own Bronze Rage

As I believe I may have mentioned, I am a total sucker for a good metallic bronze. This one is pretty similar to Harvest Moon but has a smoother finish and thus looks a bit more duochrome and less sparkly. It's also got a slightly nuttier hue. (Yeah, I am totally trying to justify keeping two very similar polishes...). It was a little sheer so it took three coats to build but it's worth the effort.

I think this is going to be in heavy rotation for Autumn!

Grey glitter - Models Own Juicy Jules

I never know if it is Models Own or Models' Own. Or even Model's Own. I'm turning into the people who write into Pedants/Pedants'/Pedant's Corner in Private Eye.

Anyway, this is one coat of Juicy Jules over one coat of Illamasqua DWS. Opaque, sparkly, easy to apply and quick drying - what's not to like? DWS you've seen before - it's a great basic grey with a hint of blue. It took me ages to find Juicy Jules since it's always out of stock at Boots, but I was putting in an order for Lab Muffin - we're doing a swap, coming soon to a blog near you! - and using the 'two for you, one for me' principle I threw this in the basket as well.

Models Own Beth's Blue

Pretty, clean blue. A little deeper than a pastel and with a slight violet undertone. This is in the same colour family as China Glaze secret peri-wink-le, but it's paler and creamier. Two coat application and it wasn't difficult to apply, although it does have that thick/runny tendency that a lot of pastels are prone to. I think this would make a great summer pedicure colour!

Models Own Indian Ocean

In the words of Blackadder*: I have a cunning plan.

I really like RBL's newest blogger collection. I entered at the time with a mallard duck inspired green glitter fest, but I'm so glad that the submissions that won did, because I think they're all awesome and original. BUT. I can't afford $20 a bottle plus $19 shipping. Super nice though they are, that is quite a lot of money, and I'd honestly rather spend it on important academic books wine and shoes.

So, I have been on a mission to try and find polishes with a similar 'feel', if you will. Scrangie swatched some comparable blues with IKB 2012 and has made me very tempted to buy Orly Royal Navy, which is supposedly a pretty close match, despite the shimmer. I've also picked up Nails Inc Baker Street (which I saw on Beyoncé and loved...don't judge), which will be up later in the week.

For your viewing pleasure today though is Models Own Indian Ocean from the new Beetlejuice collection, over CG Four Leaf Clover. I really liked it - even though it's nothing like Aqua Lily, because FLC for some reason went really green with the Models Own over it (it's still turquoise around the edges where it didn't get coated...weird, given the MO is blue-based).

Gorgeous, but I wanted to see if I could get a bit closer to the inspiration. So I took the ring nail off and tried it again over CG For Audrey. I love how the orange/pink shimmer shows up over the green, and the pink/purple over the blue, although both are more complex and multifaceted in the flesh. Very cool. I kept this on a week, I was so enamoured with it, and it wore like a champ. £3.50 nail polish for the win.

*One of my very favourite TV shows, along with The Thick of It and Father Ted.

Models Own Dream Stream, and some casual misogyny

Models Own Dream Stream, three coats, no top coat. It's shiny and pearly and a stunning bright clean blue with turquoise undertones, which are a little more visible than they appear here. Dries super fast, applies very easily, and I love it. Big thumbs up. (It's also a near clone for my beloved car's paintwork, VW Mercato Blue, which always gives me a nerdy glow of satisfaction).

I bought this polish yesterday and applied it yesterday night, photographed this morning, up on the blog today. I don't usually operate on this sort of snappy turnaround but I really wanted to wear this as a pick-me-up. I was dashing back from swimming to head to the chemists because I had a really bad case of heartburn (I've still not quite worked out what I can eat that doesn't disagree with doing 50 tumble turns) and on my way there, passed a slighly lairy Irish pub. I got the usual 'hello darlin' hollers. When I ignored them (what else does one do?) this turned into 'you're a horrible piece of **** with a fat arse'. Romance isn't dead...

I'm not going to lose any sleep over it - particularly since I was wearing a new pair of size 26 jeans which I'd finally managed to shoe horn myself into, and had just swum 2k, which suggests they are probably empirically incorrect - but why on earth do some men think it's OK to say those kinds of things in public? what gives them the right?

Naturally as I continued on my way down the road I composed a witty response about the patriarchy and self ownership and so on and so forth but my on-the-spot response is always either a) pretend I can't hear them or b) flip them the bird. Neither of which goes very far to showing that I'm a confident, out and proud feminist who thinks that kind of behaviour is pathetic and funny in equal measure. Sigh.

Anyway, after that rant, happy Easter to you all!

Models Own Nude Beige

What is it with me and nudes lately? Not sure. But I've had this in my drawer for ages and put off wearing it, because I thought the colour would look horrible on me. It's so much darker than my skintone. I even almost gave it away untried.

But after digging it out and gritting my teeth, I actually love this on me. It reminds me of the colour of Irish Cream (not that it takes much for me to think of booze) and it has a slight chocolatey undertone. Application was pretty easy, coverage is great although it does slightly fall prey to being thick but runny. The brush is good though, which helps control. I'm definitely going to use this again - maybe as a pedi?

Models Own Jade Stone: Mermaid's Tears' more cheerful sister

After placing my OPI pirates order, it occurred to me that I might have a dupe for one of the colours in my order. (Buy first, check later, that's my motto). Anyway, I had no qualms about potential twinning, since I own about a million billion mint greens and still I buy more. This one's a particular pleasure to wear. I present: Models Own Jade Stone.

A very pretty minty green creme, this is opaque in two coats. It's in the same vein as mint candy apple but a couple of shades darker/more intense. The finish is good and it's nice to use (fairly average brush, probably most comparable to china glaze, but all the MO cremes I've tried have been good quality and very easy to manipulate). Dried quickly and lasted with no tip wear at all for three days before I got bored and took it off.

I kept it on long enough for my Pirates haul to arrive, and long enough to compare the two. It's definitely not a dupe (phew!). As you can see, they're similar, but Mermaid's tears has a murky, grungy quality to it that Jade Stone doesn't share. It's a simpler, more cheerful rendition of minty green. Love them both, but then, I would.