14 Dec: Ciate Mini Mani Month – Speed Dial

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Today’s post is a bit late because I was on deadline – ugh! Anyway, I still managed to find time to get the snaps in during daylight, so there’s that! The shade is called Speed Dial, and it’s a deep coral pink – although the website describes it as orange…

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It definitely doesn’t look like the colour on Ciate’s site, where the description reads: “An extremely juicy orange. Wear two coats to induce a sunny smile every time you catch a glimpse of your nails.”

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It’s definitely a vibrant shade – a bit of sunshine in December, maybe? Not something I’d pick myself, but it looked better on my nails than in the bottle… What did you think – was your shade as pink hued as mine?

13 Dec: Ciate Mini Mani Month – Glass Slipper

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Today it’s the first exclusive colour in the Mini Mani Month, Glass Slipper! It’s a turquoise glitter suspended in clear varnish. You need a lot of layers to get good coverage!

ONE!

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THREE!

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The formula is actually pretty hard to work with, as it’s very thick – in the end, I was dabbing it on rather than applying it properly with brush strokes.

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It’s a very pretty shade, but I don’t think it’s my colour – a wee bit young, perhaps? What did you guys think?

12 Dec: Ciate Mini Mani Month – Twilight

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Ooo, what a dark beauty this one is! Behind door 12 is Twilight, a dark, deep, black infused with golden olive flecks. Another confession here – my friends had already raided my Ciate calendar when they popped over for tea the other day, and Lorraine actually kidnapped Twilight to wear at a wedding last weekend! By chance, she had a beautiful black and greenish gold dress that looked like it was made for this colour. Luckily, she returned it last night – just in time!

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This is definitely my favourite shade so far (not including the Caviar Pearls, of course!) as it’s so unique and very pretty. Ciate’s site says: “A rich and glamorous black polish with teeny flecks of golden glitter for the ultimate after dark treat. Tremendously special.” It certainly is – love it!

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11 Dec: Ciate Mini Mani Month – Bumble Bee

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Yay, another bottle of Ciate Caviar Pearls! Today it’s Bumble Bee, a mix of black and yellow-gold. There are no sequins this time, just pure microbeads. Because yesterday was Ladylike Luxe, a gold shimmer, I decided to keep that varnish on and layer Bumble Bee over the top.

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What did you guys think of today’s colour? I have to admit, I love the Caviar Pearls even more than I thought I would! I wore some during my trip to Bath at the weekend and got so many compliments… It really is a bit of a show stopper. If you’re looking for a present for a nail varnish addict this Christmas, a bottle of these would be brilliant!

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8 Dec: Ciate Mini Mani Month – Vintage

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Okay you guys, I have a confession… I took these yesterday, because I knew I wouldn’t have enough time to get everything done today – I’ve gone off on a day trip with my parents to a Christmas fair. Or rather, by the time you read this I will have! I also took a peek behind the window for this colour earlier in the month – and I’m glad I did, because the bottle had a tiny hole in the top, hence the colour leaking everywhere! Thankfully, Ciate’s customer service was excellent, and they sent me a replacement.

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This creme is called Vintage, a blue-hued grey. Ciate says: “Rich, deep and majestic grey. Unusually striking and even more so when paired with our Matte top coat, Mattnificient. Wear this futuristic nail trend and watch the compliments roll in.”

Unfortunately, I don’t have a matte topcoat, but I still like the look of this bold colour! It’s lovely as a creamy gloss, but I think I’ll try it out with matte if I ever get one…

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7 Dec: Ciate Mini Mani Month – Cutie Pie

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Today it’s Cutie Pie! In the bottle, it’s a solid baby pink hue, but it actually goes on very sheer, giving your nails a French manicure look. Here’s what the Ciate website says about this creme: “A soft, girly pink. Apply one coat for a hint of pink gloss on your nails or three coats for clean light pink hue.”

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I’m wearing three coats in this photo, and it’s still very sheer. It was also hard to apply without streaks, but I think I just about managed it. This is the kind of colour I wouldn’t pick up usually, but after applying it I realised that I already have a very similar colour (French Rose from Rimmel) that I bought to do French manicures! I don’t think this sheer colour suits my damaged nails, but if yours are in good condition it’s a lovely neutral tone. Very romantic and subtle – good for weddings, maybe!
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4 Dec: Ciate Mini Mani Month – Prom Queen

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Yay! My first ever Ciate Caviar! I’ve been dying try these out ever since I heard about them, so this morning was like an early Christmas for me!

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The calendar comes with a cute little funnel to pour the beads back into the bottle when you’re done. I’d read about how to do these Caviar manicures on various blogs, so I knew what to do – and it was very easy, I have to say! I’m not sure what I thought would be hard about it, but it was very quick and simple to pour the beads onto my wet nail, push down, and then repour for extra coverage. I applied it over a plate with a sheet of greaseproof paper on it, so I could just fold the paper up and pour back into the bottle, and it all went without a hitch. I only did one nail on each hand, because I didn’t want to get carried away – plus, I cook a lot and I didn’t want to shed baubles into my fajitas tonight (oo er!).

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As for the Caviar itself, it was everything I hoped for and more! Again, not a colour I would have picked for myself, but I love it – the mixture of blue, silver and pink is very pretty, and the nail’s texture is divine. There are also pieces of flat, hexagonal, reflective discs in the pot, which add a bit of interest to the baubles.

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I’m very impressed with how well the baubles are sticking to my nail at the moment – I applied top coat to the tips, but all of the balls feel very sturdy. However, the test will be whether they can withstand a shower – I’m betting not, but I’ll let you know tomorrow!