I'm back + Essence Lady Mermaid

It's been a long time. It's almost hard to believe I haven't posted anything for more than two months, months that have been extremely demanding in terms of time and energy.
Now I would really love to go back at posting more regularly. I'm not promising anything, I don't wanna make promises I'm not sure I can't keep, but... I really missed this blog and the awesome beauty blogging community. I will do my best from now on.
I also want to post more about make up, not only nail polishes. I'd love to write a post about liquid-to-matte lipsticks, something I can never have enough of.

But now I want to show you something really pretty: Essence 30 Lady Mermaid, part of their standard special effect polishes range.

with flash

A gorgeous blue foil that really deserves the mermaid-related name. It's so shiny! In the bottle it has a duochrome effect from blue to violet, hard to capture in photographs (and much less visible on the nails, I have to say), but under artificial lights it can be seen and appreciated.
A bit sheer like a lot of foils, but it's not an issue for me. This is three coats.

 It was also quite long lasting, so I really appreciated it in a moment of my life when I didn't have much time to devote to my nails. Also, can you imagine how awesome will this look with something stamped on it?I must try it someday.
I definitely recommend this.

without flash

Essence the Gel Polish 22 I love my blue jeans

Part of the Cosmoprof loot, this little gem is part of Essence's new gel polish range. I've been wanting to get this polish for ages when the same color was part of the regular range, but always hesitate and decided to get it at the sales, when of course I couldn't find it anymore. Therefore getting this for free was a pleasant surprise!

Essence 22 I <3 my blue jeans is a navy blue creme with a matte finish. I love, love Essence's big brushes. One swipe and the nail is done! It's soo much easier to use and requires zero cleanup.
Also this polish is greatly pigmented, it's pretty much a one coater (here's two coats, no topcoat).
The formula seems more dense than regular Essence polishes, but I don't mind it, since it dried quickly even without a topcoat.
Considering how cheap this polish is, the quality is astounding!
Vote: A

Black and blue nail art

Hi! Here's my latest nail art, done using Kiko 624 as blue and Essence Stamp me! Black.
My very first plan was to stamp the pattern on all nails...

I have the best background paper

... using my trustworthy galscosmetics stamping plates. However I liked how it turned out so much when I had only done two fingers, that I left it as it was. Plus it allowed me to play with different finishes, as I left the black matte and made the blue nail and the stamped ones shiny with seche vite. I quite like this one!

Green and black nail art

 Hello! Today I want to show you a nail art inspired by this. Don't you miss Nailside? I do.
I didn't want to use pink, so I used Essence L.O.L., my favourite lime green creme, topped with essence Stamp me! black polish. Nailside covered it with a matte topcoat but I left it shiny (with Seche Vite obvs.). These geometric shapes aren't as easy as it seems, especially since the tape I use doesn't stick to the nail as strongly as I wish. Still, the result ain't that bad!

Galaxy nails

I can't believe I haven't posted anything in almost two weeks. The life I am leading now makes me quite busy, I still miss posting regularly but I can't deny that this is a good moment for me.
I haven't stopped painting my nails (pfft as if it could ever happen), I just have less time for more elaborate nail art.
Anyway I want to show you this attempt at "proper" galaxy nails. I have nicknamed it Galaxy Fail because, as pretty as it is, it doesn't make me think of a galaxy when I look at it.
Or maybe it's just me.

The base was Rimmel Blue Vogue, the other polishes are Essence Over The Rainbow, Catrice Play it Blue, Revlon Ginger Melon, Essence Elves Like Liliac and some Sinful Colors Snow Me White.
My favourite thing of this nail art was having it topped with Essence's More Than Words from a very old (almost 2 years old, I believe) Valentine's day LE. The glitters are in warmer colors which allows for a very nice effect.
Not perfect, but I enjoyed having it on my nails.
I hope I'll be able to post regulary soon!

Colorful Galaxy

I wanted to do something colorful over Revlon Ginger Melon and I sponged a few colors on it to create a galaxy effect and it didn't turn out exactly how I wanted, but I am still posting it because the color scheme is pretty and it reminds me of the effects during a magical girl transformation.
I used Essence Elves Like Liliac, Essence Over The Rainbow, Sinful Colors Snow Me White and a bit of Catrice Play It Blue.
I still don't know what to think of it... but the colors are pretty, of that I am sure! I still want to try a "proper" galaxy nail art.

Essence Hello Autumn LE 02 & 03 Nail Polishes

I have a confession to make: I have yet to learn how to take pics of thermo polishes properly.
I still want to show you 02 Meet My Pumpkin and 03 Charlie Seen in Green, because they're two beautiful polishes with a great autumn feel.
02 is my personal favorite: in the bottle it looks like a cool dark chocolate brown (exemplified by my ring finger, but it can get even colder and darker than that), exposed to warmness it becomes a brick/rusty orange that is absolutely perfect for the season. You can see it better on my index. The quality is also great, it needs 2 coats for full opacity but it's almost a crelly, veeery shiny. A pleasure to wear.
03 goes from cool pistachio green (a bit like OPI Don't Talk Bach to Me) from warm pastel yellow. And it was very very hard to capture for my camera. I am sorry that you can barely see it.

 This is very blurry but at least it captures the orange nicely but, as you can see, 02 has a far more visible and bigger chromatic change compared to 03. Which is still a beautiful polish, since it's a warm light green that could look great with autumn themed nail arts.. If you can pick only one of them and want to see a strong thermo effect, go for 02.
Some people complained about the thermo effect for the polish from the Road Trip LE to be too subtle, and 02 will leave even those people satisfied (but 03 probably wont).
Ultimately, it's up to you: to me they are both beautiful and purchase-worth.
Also, my mom got the 01 Beauti-FALL red for herself and I will review it soon.
It will be a month filled with thermo polishes! I also got the colour adapting blush from this LE: I mistook it for a highlighter at first, but I tried it and damn, it works really nicely. Reviews soon!

Essence Haul

A mini Essence haul! Reviews of the single products coming soon.
For now I can show you I what I got. There were many Essence products that were tempting, but I ended up only getting the Lash Princess mascara, since I'm almost out of mascare and it came with a free eyeliner. Who am I to say no to a free eyeliner? The Lash Princess packaging is super cool.
I found the Hello Autumn display almost already ravaged, but there were still a couple of palettes. And these two polishes, which I took. So far, I've been loving them-the termo effect is far more visible on the brown one, and I suggest you don't miss it.
My boyfriend went on a small trip abroad (Slovenia) and I asked him to get me some thermo polishes. This was the only one left! I haven't tried it yet, but I'm looking forward to it.
The liquid sand effect top coat was tempting, and I will probably get it someday. And the striping tape too.

Did you get anything new from Essence?

Essence 04 My Sweet Escape- Road Trip LE

Hello, meet my very first thermo effect nail polish! I am so glad that Essence jumped on this bandwagon, and don't worry if you missed this- there will be some thermo effect polishes in the new Essence standard range as well!
This would be a pretty polish on its own, a pretty shade of nude but not a boring nude, more like a rosy nude, if it makes any sense.
For the sake of science I stuck my hand in the refrigerator. I mean, I had to test if the effect worked, right?
Aaand, guess what, it did!
Capturing it on photos was a bit hard and it doesn't give justice to the real color, but here it is: a dark rose with grey/blue undertones.

And then I put my hand under warm water. The color was a warm, bright salmon pink. The photos don't give it too much justice, though. But you can definitely see the color change!

FAQ:

Why is it of a such dark pink even before the refrigerator thing?

Because I have the coldest hands ever.

Does it work with a topcoat on too?

Yes, I put the seche vite on one hand and nothing on the other. It worked perfectly.

Do I recommend it?

Hell yes. 
 

Essence 172 Splash!

A simple but beautiful metallic blue with hints of teal/green, Essnece Splash! was given to me by a person who thought the shade didn't fit with their skin undertones, along with another Essence polish.
Quality wise, it's good, I wore it without the Seche Vite above it and it still dried quickly enough, and it lasted for approximately 4 days before the first signs of chipping.
The color is nothing groundbreaking for me... because I love it and already have something similar. But if you don't, it's a little jewel of a polish. You can't go wrong with it.
It's perfect for summer and shines wonderfully under sunlight!

Holiday Haul

Woah, long time no write! But I really needed some holiday time, and I spent quite some time away from the computer. I spent a few days in London with my boyfriend, then a few days at his parents'.

Annd, this is what I got, make up-wise.
The MUFE Aqua Cream n 23, a green with golden shimmer, was purchased in a Sephora store in northern Italy. That store had so much stuff, compared to the ones where I usually go, that I didn't know where to start, especially due to the sales. The Aqua Cream was in fact on sale, for little more than 10 euros.
I've already worn it during a very long and hot train trip and it didn't smudge or fade. Perfection.
I've been in love with that Essence eyebrow set since I saw it on the website, disappointed by the fact that they didn't sell it in Italy. They do sell it in Slovenia, and during a trip to Qlandia (yes, the same mall where Aly from Maisenzasmalto went once) I just had to get it. I'm really satisfied, it's exactly what I needed.

But the Lond purchases, well, they're even more interesting. The Kryolan UV lipstick in blue is utter perfection, even if it needs retouching more often than a regular lipstick because, well, it's blue, so it's quite an unnatural color and mistakes are far easier to detect. Mixed with reds it will make great violets and purples. I already have a black and a white, with this blue I will be able to make so many pretty shades!
And it's pretty awesome all by itself.
The Sugarpill Charlotte eyelashes..ah, so splendid! Bought at Cyberdog with the Kryolan lipstick, since they were out of stock of the Heart Breaker palette (it will be mine, sooner or later *evil grin*), because I really wanted some Sugarpill for once. I haven't worn them yet but they're sooo pretty!
And finally, something I've been wanting for a long time! An OCC lip tar! Bought this in that labyritnth called Selfridges, in the shade Black Metal Dahlia. At least I think, there's no color indication over it.
Extremely pigmented and requires some time and patience to get it right, but it's worth the effort.
I have a thing for matte purple/violet lips, what can I say? This is why I got this MUA velvet lips in Kooky. And the quality, man, the quality! If you give it time do dry properly, it resists even a full meal. Really it's extremely long lasting and not lip drying at all!

That's all for now, no nailpolishes since they're not allowed in Ryanair flights.

Two weeks after midnight

This title ended better than I expected! Anyway, I haven't posted much lately because between my thesis, the time staying at my parents, my other relatives.. the time for nail polish was definitely not enough!
So I did an experiment: I wore Essence Midnight Date + City That Never Sleeps...for almost two weeks:

Yes, there is some serious chipping on my index finger, surely. But overall, it all lasted way better than I expected! The beach damage has been minimal because the rain (and the study) allowed me 2 days at the beach. And I am glad because I'm easily bored by it..
Another thing that delayed my polish habit is the fact that next week I will be on holidays, as in, real, no computer holidays. I will also be in London for a few days! I will try to make a pre-London post, and surely an after-London haul post when I come back!
Have fun you all!

Dots on pink

Can you tell I'm in a dots mood? I used Essence Ben & Cherries as a base and added green dots with Essence L.O.L. I was tempted to stop there because the pastel pink and the acid green looked wonderful together. But I decided to add some dots, this time with a textured polish, Essence Hello Rosy. I didn't apply seche vite over the dots in order not to lose the liquid sand effect of the dots. I personally think it's a lovely color combination!

Dots over the rainbow

A simple nail art, I haven't done dots for a while so I tried putting some dots over Over the Rainbow with Kiko 830. I want to experiment more with dots in the future, for now, I really liked this because it makes me think of Sailor Mercury...

Essence 173 Over the Rainbow

I've been curious about this polish for a while and since I haven't bought a nail polish in weeks (can you believe it? me neither), I decided to go for this little beauty.
The color is a dusty light blue with a soft duochrome to lavender, with light blue shimmer. This is the best description I could come up with, because it's a really special polish, and hard to define.
Application was easy, it's a bit sheer but two coats are enough, I put on 3 just to be sure but two would have been enough.
Can't say much about its lasting power yet but the color is very pretty, and I recommend it.

Teal and pink

I can't believe I haven't posted anything with this color combination yet.  And look, no triangles for this time! I wanted to make dots, but I realized I liked the little strips more...
For this I used Deborah 55 Blue Lagoon, Kiko 284 and an Essence tip painter from the old Tribal Summer set.

Violet and stripes

Let's face it, this kind of nail art is perfect when you don't have much time on your hands...to use for your hands, I mean, nails. Bad puns aside, it's a great way to explore new color combinations.
I spiced up the Pupa polish, 410, that I had worn during the second ballot at the elections, with some colorful stripes.
I used Kiko 284, Shaka Juicy Pumpkin and Essence L.O.L. 
Personally I love this color scheme! And the Seche Vite makes it look soo shiny!

Color Spotlight: Blue (pt 2)

Welcome to the next episode of Color Spotlight, this time we're reviewing more shades of blue.

Essence 03 Life is a Freeride, from the Snow Jam LE is a shimmery/metallic teal you can't go wrong with. But if you're not in for shimmer, and prefer a darker, more petrol-like shade of teal, go for Deborah 55 Blue Lagoon.
How could I not include the famous Cinderella by Sinful Colors? a light blue with a soft golden/pink shimmer so cute that will make you feel on a raibowy cloud while riding a winged unicorn.
Layla 66 is a simple creme, yes, but a nice shade of blue, almost a denim blue, with grey undertones. Would look awesome with a matte topcoat.
Nails Inc. Sweets Way may look like a mere glitter topper, but don't let looks deceive you. It has a light blue base and an intense concentration of glitters really reminiscent of a cupcake.

And here's the makeup. I am not really much a fan of light blue as an eye makeup color, because I've got light blue eyes and I don't think it compliments them well.
Neve Cosmetics Abracadabra from the Duochrome palette is a pretty light blue that shifts to a greenish/golden shade, it looks way better with other eyeshadows in a more complex makeup rather than alone. A Deborah teal mascara can't go wrong, and the old Pupa eyeshadow is, like Abracadabra, not so great alone on my eyelid. The pigmentation is good, especially with a wet brush.
On the left a Kiko cream eyeshadow from the Boulevard Rock LE, 107 Inspiration Emerald. Now, besides the fact that it's not emerald but teal, I have a few complaints about this. It acts weird, as in, it's not enough pigmented and you have to apply lots of it for a full eyelid coverage (using it as eyeliner would be even harder) and besides the 80s music video effect... when it dries it creates wrinkles. I am so sad because it's a really pretty color, and I've usually had god experiences with Kiko cream eyeshadows. I have to experiment with it, to find a way to still use it without side effects.

And that's all for today!

Gradient and dots

Here's another gradient I tried, with Snow me White by Sinful Colors and Kiko 294. It didn't end as smooth as I would've wanted to, but it's still pretty. I added some dots with Essence L.O.L. since I wanted a touch of green.
I need to get better at gradients but I love this color combination a lot, it puts me in a good mood.

Color spotlight: green

So, I know I have neglected this blog for a while (university, urgh), but now I have the first of what I hope will be a nice series of posts. I will focus on my favorite shades of green when it comes to makeup and nail polish. For nail polish, you can see Deborah Green Fluo 45 that I've been wearing lately. 

I tried to select my 5 favorite green polishes. Not easy!

Besides the Deborah one, I picked Kiko 441 Electron Green, Essence L.O.L, OPI Don't Talk Bach To Me and Essence Choose Me!

Green Fluo 45 is a nice neon green, that like all neons requires a white base. Topped with a shiny top coat it's really nice. Electron Green is a personal fave, annoying to remove for the glitter, but very pretty. I have a thing for lime green, so L.O.L. and Don't Talk Bach To Me (which leans more to pistachio, actually, but whatevs). Choose Me! is a wonderful dragon green (can I define it like that? ), packed with shimmer and awesomeness that got discontinued for no good reason, if you ask me. Essence, seriously, why?

When it comes to make up, I can show you two brushes, one by Neve Cosmetics and the other one by Essence, both definitely good (the Essence one was surprisingly good), a waterproof eye pencil by Sephora that shows how clearly Sephora and me have different ideas of what waterproof means. It's not much resistant and it gets in my crease pretty quickly, it's a pity because it's a wonderful shimmery olive green.
UD eye pencil in Invasion needs no explanations, I believe.. a wonderful matte dark forest green.
For the eyeshadows, there's Concrete Minerals Toxic. I wish it were more on the limey side rather than a pastel green, but I honestly don't care because, like its blue brother, it's greatly pigmented and the quality is amazing.
I included the whole Neve Cosmetics Duochrome palette because all its greens are wonderful. All of them.

What do you think of this series of posts? Any idea for improvement and/or color you really want to see next?