Interview with a Polish Blogger: Rebecca (Nails Etc.)

Hello lovely readers! Our first interview was a huge hit so I think I'm going to make this a reoccurring feature! The fancy schmancy images on the questions took FOREVER to edit so I am not going to do that again but I am sure you won't miss that too much. I am aiming to make each interview a little bit different depending on the person's interests, I think it's more fun that way. I hope to learn more about many of you, and again if you'd like to be featured please email me at primandpolished@gmail.com

Today we're meeting Rebecca from Nails Etc. If you haven't checked out her blog you're missing out!!! So without further ado meet Rebecca...

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How did you get so interested in nail polish?

Answer: Well, I've always liked having nice nails and as a kid I learned cello and piano, which meant I had to keep my nails short. Because I couldn't grow them long like my friends did I painted them! I remember giving and receiving nail polishes for Christmas at school!

Then when I was training as a teacher (last year), I was so busy I rarely had time to do my nails so they got neglected until I was re-inspired by MAC Steamy, and the whole thing has spiraled from there really! My mum thinks I'm weird, and doesn't like it when I wear bright colours.

Music seems to be a big part of you life, tell us a bit about that...

Answer: Well, I already mentioned the cello and piano parts...I was never very good at piano but I was in charge of an orchestra at uni, which was stressful but great fun! I am also a member of an opera company called Midland Opera and we rehearse every Thursday in an amazing church in Birmingham. In November I was honoured to be a chorus member in the opera of Macbeth by Verdi. It was a phenomenal experience and one of the things I am most going to miss when I leave the UK later in the year :(

Singing has always been part fo my life for as long as I can remember. All through school and university I have been in various choirs and sung all different kinds of music. It is something I cannot imagine my life without.

Aside from that, I love listening to all kinds of music but my favourite artists are Joni Mitchell and Paul Weller.

What's your collection like size wise? Have you counted?

Answer: I've not counted recently, but I'd say it's under 40 polishes. Nothing like the crazy amounts some of the ladies in the blogging world have!

What's your favorite polish brand?

Answer: Illamasqua. Definitely.

If you had to choose only 5 polishes to use for the rest of your life, what would they be?

Answer: Probably 5 Illamasqua polishes :p But If I had to choose from my current collection, It would be my 3 Illamasquas (Fern, Poke and Alarm) plus MAC Steamy (for the memories, plus everyone needs a pink creme) and OPI Paint My Moji-Toes Red, for the quality.

What colors have you been rocking most lately?

Answer: I love to rock all colours, but the amount of blue and purple I've worn recently has gone up!

Is there any color you do not like wearing?

Answer: It's not really a colour, but I don't like sheer finishes or polishes with MAHOOSIVE bits of glitter in them.

How did you decide to start your blog? What was your motivation? How did you chose the name?

Answer: Well in the summer I started reading beauty blogs, and through these got hooked on nail polish blogs. It seemed like a really nice community and I'd planned on starting one for aaaaages but like I said, up until recently I've been busy learning to teach! Now I have a bit more time to myself I not only paint my nails but I have time to photograph and write about them as well. I was really motivated by the desire to talk to people who are as obsessed if not MORE obsessed with nails than me! And boy are there a lot of you out there... ;)

The name, well it's a pretty terrible name that just popped into my head!

What do you think is the most essential tool/technique/product needed to achieve the perfect manicure.

Answer: A steady hand and nice cuticles (neither of which I have).

You mentioned you like to read. What's your favorite novel? Favorite non-fiction?

Answer: I love fiction and my favourite author at the moment is Jasper Fforde. He's a really clever British writer who includes lots of characters from other works of fiction in his novels. The books are just so multi-layered and there is so much to discover about the world he's created that they are un-put-downable!

My favourite non-fiction is Bill Bryson's travel books. He's an American from Des Moines, Iowa who ended up in the UK as one of our adopted citizens. He's also the chancellor of my old university and I got to shake his hand when I graduated. He said "congratulations, Rebecca!" and I was grinning all day!

How many languages do you speak?

I did my degree in French and Italian so those are my strongest languages. I also learned German at school and studied Spanish for a year at uni. PLUS I am going to live with my OH in Norway in September so I am learning that as well. I guess you could say I have a working knowledge of about 5 languages other than English.
What polish brand do you think is the best kept secret? (not popular but fabulous)
Definitely Hot Looks by Collection 2000. For the price it's amazing quality!

You mentioned you like to cook? What's your favorite dish to make?

Answer: I think I make a great macaroni cheese. The secret is to use really strong cheese and some wholegrain mustard mmm. Risotto is one of my favourites to do as well. It's so versatile and satisfying and my Italian friends said that I made it in the true Italian way! I was so proud.

Are there any products you can't get in your country that you wish you could?

Answer: It's not so much that I can't get things like China Glaze, Orly, etc but I wish they were more readily available in the shops rather than having to stumble across them online or in hair salons.

From blogging I know that I really wish we had Man Glaze and Milani polishes here though!

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China Glaze "VIII"

I picked this up the other day at Sally Beauty Supply because they had a coupon where you get one free China Glaze with the purchase of a Seche Vite top coat, so I couldn't pass up a deal like that, two of my favorites in one!

China Glaze "VIII" is a gorgeous sort of vampy blackened purple color. In the bottle the color is just a stunning, very clearly purple, on the nails it takes on a bit more of the black and appears to be a black but better type of color.

I always find colors like this difficult to work with, requiring lots of clean up but I think that speaks more to my application style than formula. The formula on this isn't too thick or too thin it's just right.

I am a huge fan of this color, especially on shorter nails. I am not sure why but I tend to wear these sorts of colors when I have little nubbins after a break. I feel like, on me, they look better that way. But obviously colors like this work on any sort of nail.

If you're into dark and vampy I think this color would be a winner for you. Not quite black, not quite violet but a beautiful mysterious mixture of the two.






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Pastel Yellow Comparison Featuring "Lemonade" & "Lemon Fizz"

Today's post is a comparison of two pastel yellow colors from two companies' spring collections. We have China Glaze's "Lemon Fizz" from the Up & Away Collection and Orly's "Lemonade" from the Spring II Sweets Collection coming in April. As you can see from the photos below the two colors are quite similar. China Glaze's "Lemon Fizz" is a teeny tiny bit warmer but I feel like you can really only see that warmth in the photo comparing the bottles:



On the nails I feel like the colors are almost identical. If you look closely enough you can see the slightly warmer tone on the China Glaze but honestly these are essentially dead on dupes. I actually enjoy this color, I was not sure how I'd feel about yellow nails but this color yellow is actually quite pretty!



As far as the formulas go they are quite different. I feel like the Orly is thick and the China Glaze was thin. Pastels and yellows are both known for their finicky application as they often are streaky. I feel like these two were actually both pretty nice applications though I think the Orly has a very slight edge in application. The Orly was thick and applied pretty smoothly, almost no streaking. The China Glaze was much thinner and on the first coat was quite streaky but that completely evened out upon second coat. Overall both polishes performed well for pastel yellows. The difference was not enough for me to say I prefer one over the other. The final look of both polishes was smooth and streak free.

If you're looking for a nice pastel yellow either of these two will satisfy your craving. I feel like you cannot go wrong with either one as the differences are negligible. Besides the tiny difference in application and slightly warmer hue of the China Glaze they're great dupes. So if you can get one but not the other don't fret.





China Glaze's "Lemon Fizz" is available now from places like Sally Beauty Supply and Trans Design. Orly's "Lemonade" will be available in April 2010 and comes with the matching lip gloss seen in the photo (smells like lemons).


Disclosure: "Lemonade" was furnished to me by Orly for consideration. All reviews published on this blog are at my own discretion. Please refer to my Disclosure Policy.


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