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

Essie Coat Couture

with flash

 I know I haven't posted for a while, I really miss blogging more frequently but the time for nail art has significantly reduced in my life. I could still create a series of posts of "rediscoveries" of old polishes, since it's pretty much what I've been doing.
But first, something new! Essie Coat Couture, a cashmere matte from the upcoming fall LE, bought at Cosmoprof. Not that hard to believe that this was the last bottle of this color left, am I right?

This color is a nice cold taupe with a blue shimmer, more visible under flash. Opaque in two coats. Drying time was good, no complaints. I can't wait to try to wear it with a shiny topcoat to see how it changes! For now I am quite satisfied, if you count that it's my first Essie!

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

Orly Tropical Pop

The second Orly I got at Cosmoprof - second, but not in beauty. I mean, look at it. Tropical Pop, from the old Baked LE.

A little neon gem, perfect for those first warm sunny days. Or to brighten the dark winter days. Perfect for everytime. Here it looks like a warm toned orange creme, but irl it's more of a unapologetically neon orange.
The quality of this polish is astounding. You know how they usually suggest to use a white base under neon polishes? Well, this doesn't need it, and it't almost a one coater.
Application doesn't present problems and the finish is demi-matte, like many neons. Here it's topped with Seche Vite.

I don't own many neons, and I immediately fell in love with this color.

Orly Lunar Eclipse

Here it comes the first one of the polishes I bought at Cosmoprof this year, Orly Lunar Eclipse. A total beauty. In the bottle it's a dark blue - blurple shimmer with a shift towards violet-purple.
On my nails the duochrome shift is visible only under artificial lights.
As other Orly shimmers I have tried, it's quite sheer and I had to apply three coats for full opacity - would probably look great on a black base.

The quality is really good, however. With Seche Vite it lasted 4, almost 5 days without chipping!
And it's really beautiful, I can never have enough blue polishes. And enough Orlys. I mean, who does?

Cosmoprof Report

As last year, I went to Cosmoprof with my sister. But this year I forgot to bring my camera, because I am a shitty blogger. So all pics you see besides the last one have been taken with my cellphone.
 I didn't request a blogger pass, so I just enjoyed the day with her. I went there on monday hoping to find less chaos and more discounts. I was kinda wrong on the first of these because there were so many people! More than I had expected, to be honest. And kids, despite being it theoretically only for +14. Who the hell brings their kid to such a place is beyond my understand.
Anyway, a lot of other great bloggers wrote lengthy articles about the new upcoming products and limited editions, so I am only writing my humble impressions here.
The pavillion 34 has always some nice surprises and confirmations. I left my heart at the Manic Panic booth, I really wanted the teal lipstick and another cross gloss, but I ended up getting only the pressed powder identical to the one I already own and have almost finished.
At BB Cream Italia I got a Make Up Revolution palette (Give Them Nightmares) and a liquid matte lippie in a wonderful violet, kinda similar to the Electric Amethyst shade by MP but matte. Ah, I really wanted a matte lippie in that color, I'm so glad I found it! I kinda wish I had gotten another one too, I already tried it and it feels soft and wonderful, it's not lip drying at all! I went back to their booth before leaving, but there was almost nothing left, and in terms of Make Up Revolution liquid lipsticks there was only the shade I had already purchased (Depraved) and a hot pink. I would have gotten the red.
We also visited the Nations pavillion, where at Flormar I got some square cotton pads and a hand cream. The hand cream's inci isn't exactly great, but for 2 euros I can't really complain. We also visited the Nyx booth, where I drooled over the macaron lipstick and discovered that no, they don't sell on monday. Last year we were told they would sell on monday, so shame on you Nyx, either your sales assistants are ill informed or you're a liar.
In the Nails pavillion I got a couple Orlys - the ones you see in the picture, the shades are Lunar Eclipse and Tropical Pop - and the Essie polish you see, from the new autumn range, a cashmere matte shade. It's my first Essie!
On a second note, why does the nail pavillion always has such loud and blaring music? It's like being at a disco. The Color Club booth was tempting but the prices were not low at all - like Opi, they didn't discount their products so much, and I got nothing from them in the end.

Shoot out to the Essence booth that had a very cute vending machine: you inserted a "Beauty Dollar" coupon given for free at their booth and you could choose a new polish for you (for free)! They had to refill it quite often, believe me!
In terms of free samples we were given a free shampoo with a fragrance of our choice by Davines and a super cute shopper with some hair treatment samples by Amika. And Manic Panic gave us pens and keychains, and we also got a sticker and sticky pads. At this point I own a ridiculous amount of MP merchandise, probably more than the people who work there.
I am satisfied of my haul, quite frankly I came there mostly for shopping and to enjoy a day with my sister, I had not seen her for months, not even spent an entire day with her!

( I will load the pics from my phone as soon as I can, obviously the bluetooth isn't working)

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!