OPI Nail Polish Review

I've heard a lot about OPI nail polishes on the internet and spent quite a bit of time ogling the beautiful range of vintage-esque reds they have, but never got around to buying any until discovering them at John Lewis yesterday. At £9.95, they are a fairly pricey nail polish for me but are absolutely worth it

Colour
So maybe I'm just a sucker for advertising but I adore the name of this colour. "Vodka and Caviar". How evocative is that? It brings to mind a romantic Russian-influenced dream land: silk evening gowns and luxurious fur capes amid frosty blankets of snow. Lovely. It's a nicely balanced blueish red; not too dark, not too bright, but just the right shade to introduce a touch of glamour into the everyday.

The Brush
I'm very picky about my nail polish brushes, and they often disappoint (I'm looking at you, Chanel...). OPI are extremely impressive in this area, however. The brush is my holy grail of polish brushes: wide and flat, making application easy even on my extremely short nails. I'm also a fan of the chunky brush handle which gives even greater control. There are some things I'm quite good at, but painting my nails with my left hand has never been one of them, so I need all the help I can get!

Drying and General Wear
The superficial drying time was good, but I found it took quite a long time to dry properly. This is only a real problem if, like me, you find it hard to sit and do nothing for a long time. Either way, if you're using this polish I would suggest setting aside a fair bit of time to do your nails. A good excuse to avoid doing housework, perhaps? It also seems to have worn well, although I haven't been that active. The real test will be whether it lasts while I'm working.

 Overall
A really wonderful vintage shade with the best brush in the world, as long as you don't mind waiting for a while for it to dry. Go ahead and unleash your inner vixen!


From Russia With Love by Opalrose

Colour Obsession

Every so often I become obsessed with a particular colour, or colour combination. This usually manifests itself through yarn. One minute I'm looking at my stash and it's 90% purple, the next I've acquired 10 skeins in varying shades of light blue  (without quite remembering how it got there - a dangerous situation that is no doubt responsible for the avalanche of yarn every time I open the cupboard door).

My current obsession, however, is grey and pink. It may be influenced by the weather, of course, which has indeed been rather grey and gloomy here. A kick of fuschia pink seems just the thing to liven it up.

Pink and Grey by Opalrose on Polyvore.com


I'm thinking a cowl with fairisle in grey and pink is just what I need to face this new season. After all, I may not be able to afford that gorgeous dusky pink coat - but at least I can knit!

J.

(You see that OPI nail polish? Well, after eyeing them up on the internet I discovered that John Lewis carries them! I bought "Vodka and Caviar" (fantastic name! will go well with my MAC Russian Red lipstick) today. Review coming soon!)

Beginning Again

*blows off the cobwebs* Well, hello there!
Guess what? I am done with University. Well, not officially at the moment, it's true. I still have to graduate, after all. But the last essay (or rather, the beast of a dissertation: female power and the courtly mistress in 16th century English poetry in case you're interested) has been handed in, the last exam has been sat, and the 7.5 million trees worth of notes have been stuffed in boxes for storage.
And it feels weird. Crazy weird. Shouldn't I be analysing something? Reading too much into something? Finding the phallic imagery in "The Cat Sat on the Mat"? Nope. Nothing to do now except knit, knit and be merry. Also knit.
Now, this knitting ad infinitum is all very well but I think I'm going to need a few goals to stop me from wasting time. Clearly everything must be turned into work!

1. Design a sweater from start to finish. Grade it for multiple sizes (this part has me quaking in my patent leather pumps)

2. Learn to sew. Properly. Begin with Amy Butler Birdie Sling, version 2.0. End by designing own dress.

3. Learn to cook things other than pasta bolognese. Also cupcakes.

4. Master colourwork. Definitely begin with fair isle.

5. Get designs written up. Publish online. Maybe even try submitting them somewhere...

6. Blog at least 3 times a week. Actually post on Ravelry forums once in a while. Establish online presence. Take over world.


Ok, now that they're all written out I'm thinking I might have been a wee bit ambitious. Time will tell. In the mean time! Just before I left halls for good, A and I had a bit of a photoshoot and so I shall close this post with one of my favourites. This is the beautiful Haruni shawl which I urge you all to go out and knit right away. Details can be found at my Ravelry page.