Ebalay : Olive Gold Dust

Hey, I'm back! Finally! Sorry I've been quiet for so long, it's been completely mad around here and blogging has been pretty much impossible. But I've missed you all and I'm back at last!

Today I have a special manicure to show you : 'Olive Gold Dust' from Ebalay. You'll have to excuse the number of pictures: it's absolutely gorgeous outside today and when the sun shines, it's a lot easier to take nice pictures of manicures!

This beautiful polish came from KKCenterHK. (Click HERE or the banner below to check out their website). When I saw this pretty olive/gold shade I knew I had to try it right away! KKcenterHK is located in Hong Kong and I'm in the UK: when I've ordered things from Hong Kong in the past it's sometimes taken a long time to get here but this only took about a week to arrive. Not bad for such a long journey.

The colour is really just called 'EBALAY 020' - not such an exciting name :( But the website describes it as Olive Gold Dust and I'd say this is pretty accurate so that's what I'm calling it from now on. In the bottle it's an olive green with dense, fine gold glitter. On the nail it loses some of the green and the gold becomes more dominant, though the green is still definitely there.

The glitter is so fine that I almost thought it might be a holo once I got it into the sunshine; it has that same sort of muted yet grainy appearance in the bottle that you see with polishes like GOSH holographic. Sadly it isn't holo at all, but it is extremely pretty and catches the sunlight beautifully. Because the glitter is fine, it's not too in your face; it's classy as well as sparkly and you could easily wear it to work.

Application looked like it might be a pain when I opened the bottle: the polish is pretty thick and I have to say I expected it to be gloopy and slow drying - but actually, it went on really smoothly and evenly. It's also so pigmented and full of glitter that you could easily use this as a one coat polish! (All pictures here are two coats, over Nail Envy, with Orly Sec'N'Dry topcoat).

Drying time was good, too. I thought I'd be there for ages waiting for the second coat to dry; but it took no longer than any other (thinner) polish. I did use quick drying topcoat, but not until the second coat was already touch dry. The brush was quite thick and soft and reminded me a little of an OPI brush. Mine was a little bent to one side, but it didn't make it any harder to paint my nails.

The bottle is a generous 15ml for £4.30 / $6.92 so you're getting a good amount of polish for quite a cheap price; in the UK this is about the same sort of price you'd pay for a low to mid range polish brand like Rimmel or Maybelline, but you'd probably get 5-10ml for that price so this is pretty good value.  

In the shade, the glitter is much less obvious; it looks more like a suede effect/textured metallic, or perhaps a glitter that's had a matte top coat added. It's still very pretty though.

It kind of looks like a sandy texture here, doesn't it? Like I dipped my nails in gold dust and it stuck, hence the name! Actually when it dries, it's got a slightly sandy feel to it - not gritty, but not completely smooth. This went away when I added the topcoat, though.

Close up bottle shot, to show the fine glitter! It's greener than this in real life, but my camera couldn't cope with showing that plus all the glitter all at the same time.

Overall, I really like this polish. It's a lovely yet slightly unusual colour, applies nicely and so far in 5 days of wear (including doing laundry, typing, washing my hands and general household chores) I haven't had any chips OR tipwear. It still looks like the day I first applied it. I couldn't really find any faults with it, other than I wish it had a proper name instead of a number and the formula could do with being a bit thinner. It also smells quite strong. I was also a bit confused because the bottle says 'Rose Water' on the bottom, as did the other bottle I was sent, yet neither polish is scented in any way. I guess they just have rose water as an ingredient?

EDIT: KKCenterhk have kindly offered any readers of Glitter Mountain a 10% discount on all their products until the 31st of January 2013. Just use the code glitter-mountain at the checkout! (please note, using this code does not benefit me in any way)

This is a PR sample sent to me for review by KKCenterhk. The opinions I have given are my own, honest and unbiased.

Barry M Instant Nail Effects : Gold Foil 320

Good news, I found the battery charger for my camera at last! You no longer have to put up with the dreadful camera phone pictures I've been inflicting on you recently :D

In way of celebration, I decided to paint my nails with Barry M Instant Nail Effects, in Gold Foil 320.

This blingtastic gold foil paint is supposed to look something like a Minx nail wrap, and, well, it doesn't really. It's nowhere near as shiny as a wrap and instead of polished, mirror-like gold, it has an almost-but-not-quite matte, 'brushed metal' kind of finish that I guess you could describe as 'satin metallic'. If nail wraps are the shiny effect of cooking foil, then this polish is the less shiny reverse side. However, it's still utterly gorgeous!

This polish is VERY pigmented; I kid you not when I say it was opaque in one coat; though I actually used two because it made it look smoother and more wrap-like than it appeared at just one coat. As it's such a smooth foil effect, it does unfortunately show up every imperfection in your nails, though it isn't as obvious in real life as it is in these pictures (close up photography and macro can be so brutal!). Regardless, unless your nails are in really good shape, you're going to need a good base coat, preferably a ridge filling one. You're also going to need to apply this stuff with confident, even brush strokes, because like most metallic foils, it's prone to brush marks if you stop to faff around or go back over already wet areas - though again this is less obvious in real life and also improved by adding a second coat. The formula helps make this easier than it could have been, since it's not too runny and not too thick and applies nicely; the brush isn't a bad shape either. Drying time is pretty decent; one coat dries very quickly, two takes a little longer, but nothing arduous.

Close up, with flash. As you can see, when the light hits it, this polish gleams! It might not be full on polished metal Minx effect, but it's very definitely gold, and actually I love the semi-matte effect; it means that most of the time this polish is subtle, not too in your face, and just shines and catches the eye when you move your fingers. I wore this at work and wasn't even the least self conscious about having garish nails. Two days later and there's still no tip wear or chipping anywhere. I'm really impressed!

Oh, and for those of you that are into stamping nail art; I'm told that this polish is very good for stamping!

The Versatile Blogger Award!

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Quinoderm (and TMI Thursday Update 3)

Well my lovelies, it's TMI Thursday again and therefore time for another problem skin update. This week I have been using Quinoderm cream morning and night.

Quinoderm cream contains 10% Benzoyl Peroxide and 0.5% Potassium Hydroxyquinoline Sulphate. The Benzoyl Peroxide works by breaking down some of the links between the skin cells in the top layer of skin and allowing them to slough away: it works a bit like a skin peel, useful in acne because a lot of the problems are caused by pores becoming blocked by dead skin cells. The blocked pores then become infected which is what gives you nasty spots, and that's where the Hydroxyquinoline comes into play: it kills bacteria and fungi that could otherwise have infected your pores.

The cream itself is described as a 'vanishing' cream, this just means that you don't have to rub it in very much and it will still disappear quite quickly. It's an off white colour and it has a sort of musky, medical smell. You apply it to the problem areas of your face after cleansing and then you leave it alone to soak in.

I'm not going to lie to you, girls. (And boys? Do I have any male readers? I hope so!) This stuff is STRONG. 10% Benzoyl Peroxide is about as strong an acne treatment as you can get without a prescription and you're going to need to do a patch test before covering your face in this stuff for the first time. You're also going to discover one especially noticeable side effect when using Quinoderm : it STINGS. Not unbearably so, but it's definitely beyond just 'tingling a bit'. The stinging lasts maybe 5 or ten minutes after application and then it goes away. You will also need to be careful not to get it anywhere near your eyes; this means if you apply make up, don't accidentally transfer the cream from another part of your face onto your eye area because YOU WILL REGRET IT. Trust me on this one. You won't die, or go blind, but you'll have some pretty uncomfortable burning sensations under your eyes for about half an hour to an hour afterwards and let's just say it won't be especially fun >.<  In order to avoid this happening, I try to let the Quinoderm dry right into my skin before applying moisturiser etc. I also do my eye make up first before the rest of my face so that I don't accidentally pick any of the cream up and move it to my eye area on my make up brushes.

Something else I've noticed is that this cream causes a bit of dry skin and peeling. This is SUPPOSED to happen because it's part of the way it works. It's annoying but not so bad it can't be dealt with by moisturising well and the careful use of a facial scrub here and there. I'm just gritting my teeth and telling myself it's a sign the stuff is working! (EDIT: I eventually found that the dry skin wore off anyway: it seems to be an initial reaction that doesn't last forever)

This stinging and the peeling is definitely worth putting up with, though. I've been using Quinoderm for about three weeks now, once a day to start with and over the last week I've increased it to twice a day - and there's a definite change going on here. It's too soon for my spots to magically vanish (I'm told it can take 6-8 weeks of twice a day application for that to happen) but I've noticed that my blackheads are becoming much easier to remove, and when I have a spot, it's smaller and doesn't seem to last as long. I haven't had to use my extraction kit as often, which can only be a good sign! (EDIT: after 6 weeks, magic happened. Trust me, it's worth persevering with this stuff).

I'm not going to put up any progress photos this week though. Even though things are definitely better and my skin has improved, it doesn't seem to want to show up in photographs just yet. The change is more to do with how my skin feels and how long the spots hang around when they do appear. Only bad things happen quickly, eh? Watch this space and hopefully I will have update piccies for you in a week's time!

Rimmel 60 Seconds Vinyl Shine : Denim Dreams

OK so let me apologise up front for the pictures in this post; they're rushed to death, taken on a camera phone and blurry. It's also about the least tidy manicure I've done in a long time... it looks like I don't even know what cleanup means! GAH!

There's a very good reason for this: I'm trying to beat the clock! A very good friend of mine sent me this polish as part of a polish swap, and it's one of her favourites. Her mum is very poorly in hospital and she's flying out to see her this afternoon. I wanted to make her smile, so I'm trying to rush this mani and get it online in time for her to see it before she leaves. Soooo... no time for perfection! LOL

Denim Dreams is one of Rimmel's 60 second fast dry polishes, but unlike the rest of them, this one is supposed to have a vinyl effect once it dries. In reality this makes it a little tricky to apply; it's prone to brush strokes, and doesn't have the fancy Pro brush that Lycra Pro and some other Rimmels have. But applied carefully (and by carefully I mean with a decent, but not excessive amount of polish on the brush, applied quickly, with as few strokes as possible) it does give a rather cool wet look plastic finish that doesn't come across too well in these pictures, but in real life does look rather like you've got a layer of vinyl coating your nails. As with all of the 60 second Rimmel polishes I've tried so far, the 60 second claim is NOT to be believed; I used two coats of Denim Dreams over one coat of Nail Envy and after an hour, I touched something (lightly) and immediately got a dent! I'd definitely say that quick drying top coat is a must for this polish if you don't want to be sat there all night waiting for it to dry.

The slightly tricky application and slow drying time are more than made up for the unusual vinyl look and the really pretty denim colour of the blue. Most of the pictures I took showed this polish as a much brighter shade than it really is, but this one solitary shot here has the colour pretty much perfect. (Excuse the lobster red fingers; apparently my camera can't cope with photographing blue AND flesh tones correctly at the same time!). Those two bright spots on my index and middle fingers are light reflections in the wet look plastic finish :-). I've worn this polish a few times now and it goes nicely with my favourite blue denim dress, as well as jeans.

Thanks Hilde, hope your trip goes well and your mum is OK!!

Blog Love Therapy Blog Hop!

I'm taking part in the Blog Love Therapy blog hop! Why not join in the fun?


Blog hops are a great and fun way to get discovered, meet and gain new followers, and to be inspired by other bloggers. This hop will last an entire week; from Saturday, February 18, 2012 to Friday, February 24, 2012. To join this blog hop, click the button :)

Dermatologist's Extraction Kit

I thought I'd start my series of skincare reviews with a tool rather than a product: the dermatology extraction kit, because this is what's made the biggest difference to my skin so far.

It consists of a handle with several interchangeable head pieces in a storage case. I picked this up on Ebay for about £10; there are cheaper ones out there with fewer ‘bits’ but since my skin is so stubborn when it comes to extraction, I wanted a good selection of attachments to experiment with.

1. It’s not a good idea to buy one of those and just stab at your face willy nilly; you could easily damage your skin if you go at it unprepared. Talking to a dermatologist is a good idea, failing that, there are quite a few videos on YouTube which demonstrate the correct way to use these kinds of tools safely and I'd recommend you check them out before trying this at home.

2. It’s also VITAL that you sterilise these tools in between uses. If you have acne, your skin is already infected and sore... the last thing you want to do is add even more germs!! I do it by soaking them in a mug of boiling water for ten minutes. You could also use alcohol, or those tablets that disinfect babies’ bottles.

Now on to the review!

These somewhat barbaric looking tools are basically just very sharp points which you can use to pierce a lesion (usually open comodogenes, also known as whiteheads, or zits) before you try to extract it. By doing this, much less force is needed, which means you do less damage to the surrounding skin when you squeeze, there's less swelling, it hurts less, and the lesion heals much quicker afterwards. Because they're so sharp, they don't hurt; you just find the 'head' of the spot and prick gently - you can feel when the skin breaks and you end up with a tiny neat hole instead of a horrible big split in the skin where you forced the spot out by brute force and ignorance!!  You can also use these sharp tools on smaller cystic acne. These are the zits that form so deep under the skin that they don’t form a proper ‘head’ like a regular zit does. Some of them can last for weeks, months even - and they really hurt! However, you need to be careful with this type of acne. Shine a strong light on the lesion. If it seems to be coming to a point somewhere, like maybe it’s trying to form a head, then make the hole at that point, but GENTLY. If it doesn’t work the first time, it’s not ready and needs to be left alone. You can maybe try again a day or two later. Really big and deep cysts that don’t even try to form a head, shouldn’t be pierced at all and should be treated by a doctor, probably with antibiotics.

The strange looking things on the left are for extracting closed comodogenes; or 'blackheads'. You’re supposed to put the hole over the blackhead (suitably prepared for extraction by steaming or a long hot shower) and press, so that the round part pushes out the blackhead. Many people swear by this, however my blackheads tend to be deep and hard to remove, so I have had little success with these tools - since pressing hard enough to extract the blackhead would result in the metal part literally cutting into my skin. On the right of the picture is a loop shaped tool intended for whiteheads. You use it for removing the, uh, contents of the zit once you’ve pierced it (nice). It works quite well, however I honestly found it more effective to use my fingers and a tissue. If you have very long nails, though, it’s very hard to do this, which is where this tool would be extra handy! 

Finally there are these weird looking things here. I have no idea what they're for, so if anyone knows, please feel free to educate me. They look like tools an ancient egyptian might use for scooping out mummies’ brains through their nose :-p

Overall, this has proven a very useful set of tools for me, even though I only really use the sharp tools and occasionally the loop, it’s been worth the money I spent.  Along with the treatment products I’ve been using, it's stopped my cystic acne in its’ tracks. I used to get the really big, deep cysts, but timely use of this kit has allowed me to get rid of those while they’re still small. It’s also let me get rid of any zits as and when they’ve appeared; I could have done this without any tools but it’s quicker and easier this way and seems to take less time to heal afterwards.



Please note although I am a Biologist, and I do know a thing or two about skin and germs, I am not certified as a dermatologist. This is not official dermatology advice, it’s just what I’ve learned works for me.