NOTD: Deborah Lippmann

Hey there!

I haven't bought any new nail varnish in a long time but when I saw these in a set in TK Maxx I couldn't leave them behind. Deborah Lippmann polishes are really well known especially their glitter ones - who doesn't love the Birthday polish with multiple coloured pieces of glitter?? Its beautiful!

So when I was there and saw a bundle of them together I couldn't resist.

In the set that I bought there was a beautiful classic red, a dark vampy purple and a bright summery coral.

First up is the red; aptly titled My Old Flame. 

This red is a classic colour that can be worn any time, its so beautiful on that I've been wearing it a lot recently.

Two coats of this is usually enough but it is quite thin so three can be required to make sure there aren't any streaks, I guess its all dependent on your painting skills! FYI mine aren't great as I'm too impatient so three is normally required for a smooth streak free finish.





Surprisingly I don't have a red like this in my collection and it has definitely filled a gap. The consistency is quite good and I was initially impressed but it can chip easily so it needs a few coats of topcoat and needs to be regularly replaced.

The purple; Dark Side of the Moon. This is also a beautiful dark purple that was probably one that I wouldn't have bought individually if it hadn't have been in the set.

This colour is also quite thin and needs three coats for opacity which is definitely the best with darker colours like this. Truthfully this isn't a colour that I would choose and  I probably won't wear it very much, I love vampy reds and dark navy or blacks but purple isn't something that I wear very often.

That said it is a gorgeous colour and being pale seems to set it off, I will probably donate this polish to a friend who will get the full benefit of it.



Last up is Daytripper - the gorgeous bright coral that's going to be just perfect for spring and summer!

Again this is a thin polish, are they all like or just the colours that I have?

It needed three coats for full opacity but did apply well. You could probably get away with 2 coats if you're more careful but generally I'd say it was a 3 coater!

Below shows the polish with flash to show the true colour of the polish, I'm not convinced that after a few days it didn't get a bit more orange so maybe the sunlight can affect this particular colour.

That said it is my favourite out of the lot and I can see my fingers and toes getting a lot of wear out of this colour.

Overall I'm pleased with my purchases however I'm not sure I'd pay full price for any Deborah Lippmann polishes if they are all like these. Needing three coats for full opacity means you will get through colours a lot faster, high street brands such as Essie manage to create polishes that can be opaque in 1 or 2 coats for half of the price so its a shame that these ones aren't either. As mentioned I also had an issue with chipping even though each layer was quite thin and allowed to dry in between each coat.

That aside they are great polishes and the range is fantastic, the glitter's are something that I always have my eye on...........I guess I'll just be waiting for when they are all in the sale to be getting them so my money can be saved!

What do you think of Deborah Lippmann polishes? Do you think the formula could be improved?

What's your favourite nail colour from DL?

L xxx

NOTD: Deborah Lippmann's Ruby Red Slippers

Well hello there!

It has been a while since I've done a NOTD but i thought this was appropriate for the time of year. I spotted this a long time ago courtesy of the blogging world and fell in love; there were many copies such as Essie's Leading Lady (post here) which i tried and loved but there really isn't anything like the original is there?

Eventually when a website (beauty bay maybe?) had a post Christmas sale and I found a discount code I couldn't resist!

Ruby Red Slippers is a black gelly type polish with loads and loads of beautiful dark red glitter particles in various sizes. It is perfect for Halloween, Bonfire Night and Christmas, so get it now and all of your manicure problems are sorted for the next 2 months!

Another thing i like about DL polishes is that they are free from some chemical nasties and they don't test on animals. I would love to avoid all products that come from companies who test on animals but after looking into it extensively and having a few skin issues with reactions etc i just can't seem to work out how I can get by, which is disappointing and needs change. And is an entirely different topic for another day!

I LOVE the square shaped bottles, they are really classic and the lids are really sturdy too. They don't look like they'd break any time soon which is handy as I can be pretty clumsy sometimes.

Also, Ruby Red Slippers? Doesn't it just take you back to your childhood and wishing you had a pair of sparkly red shoes that would take you away to a magical land? I know it's not just me!

On the nails how did they fair? Well I will start by telling you that I absolutely love it but I'm glad I didn't pay the full price for it. However much I love it, it takes a good 4 coats to get it opaque which is pretty substantial and I end up painting my nails red or black to stop me from using it all up.

Next up is the dreaded chipping. I've always been a fan of glitter tips as they're pretty hard wearing and can save your nails for weeks if you're clever about it but this just seems to flake off like no one's business and drives me mad! 4 coats painstakingly painted and then they flake off.

See the photos below for how beautiful it is and also how it has chipped already between painting them and taking photos:

Granted it doesn't look a neat paint job, it is extremely hard to get a gelly polish like this to look neat at the cuticles without extreme patience! I love the layering of the polish as it really gives it a 3D look and it looks lush....but it just flakes and it makes me so angry.

It is possible that the base and top coat combo weren't good enough for the polish and so that is why it chips off so easily, or it could be many things. I'm thinking that my patience may only let me wear this once a year but that way the bottle will last ages!

What do you think of glitter polishes from Deborah Lippmann? Have you got a favourite?

Happy Birthday seems to be the classic but there are so many it is very hard to choose!

(as a quick edit there seems to be a few left on Beauty Bay for £9 if my review hasn't put you off!)

L xxx