Christmas nail art and gifts

Merry Christmas, everyone! I hope you had a nice day (whether you celebrate it or not)
I always love looking at what other people received so I'm showing off my gifts, because why not.
The bag is kinda like the Freitag bags, this one is made with old ads and recycled seat belts. All recycled! I really wanted something in that style so I'm really happy!
And the beauty case is a nice addition too, it's very big.

Aaand a close up of the Sugarpill makeup I received! I've been wanting this palette for so long! And finally a good matte yellow eyeshadow!

Aren't those the prettiest colors you've ever seen?! Look at that palette, seriously! It's all my favorite colors combined in one palette, I can't wait to try this!

And my Christmas nail art. I didn't want to use red, so I used Essence Colour 3 Midnight Date and Catrice Bronze Deco for a simple star-inspired nail art. Not a typical Christmas nail art but I really like it.

Christmas Dramatag: Make A Wish (or five)

Well, it's not to late, is it? Ok, maybe it is. But I really wanted to do this tag and show you 5 things I own and love and that, maybe, someone else will love...

Like a mug. They're beautiful object.. and seriously, look at my eeeveelutions mug. It's so pretty! And it has Vaporeon and Umbreon on the same side, whate else could I ask for?

And tea! This is a herbal tea they make in a bio-store close to where I live, and it has apples, almonds, cinnamon and everything you might need to get in a Christimas/winter spirit. And tea is always a good gift imho.

Something with Alphonse Mucha's artwork on it. I use this notebook for my writing ideas, and it has one of my favourite illustrations. It's so pretty, how can you not like it?

Books. Books are always something appreciated. And in case, there's always a gift card! Here I took pics of a couple of Shaun Tan books, a wonderful illustrator of dreamy, weird atmospheres and stories. Both were Christmas gifts..

Brushes! Whether one is a makeup newbie or a pro, you can never have enough brushes! The Neve Cosmetics ones are so pretty, I'd get all of them!


And that's all for this evening! Have a nice Christmas Eve and a nice Christmas tomorrow! Or whatever you celebrate ^_^

Revlon Wintermint

I always wanted to try those "scented" nail polishes by Revlon. And the cute bottles were a part, I'm going to admit it. However since I could never find them under 5 euros I always left them on the shelf with a sigh. After all, what if the quality isn't that great or the scent fades instantly?
But I found a Revlon store at the train station... who sold those for 2,90 euros. Now, that is what i call a good price.
I got only one because I wanted to test it, but I am probably getting more of them soon.
The one I got was Wintermint, a mint green (duh) with golden shimmer and blue microglitter. Even if it were scentless it would be nice in a collection, right?

I applied three thin coats of polish and no top coat, to see if the scent thing was real. Boy, it really was! My nails smelled of delicious mint and it was quite a strong scent! The thing I liked more was how relaxing the scent felt, it was really pleasing.
I've been wearing it for 3 days now, and not only it hasn't chipped, but if put my nails under my nose I can still smell the mint. Granted, it's not as strong as the first day, but it still feels nice.
Really satisfied about this, I can't wait to try some more, maybe Lime Basil.

Christmas gift ideas (under 15 €)

Boy, do I love Christmas. But everytime I find myself struggling to find the perfect gifts, and I keep finding things I'd love to receive instead. So I made a little list for you of makeup-related gifts. No, I haven't tried these products - but I'd love to. More than a personal wishlist, it's a list of suggestions, but maybe it's useful for you!

Lip Scrub Set (Kiko) - 11,90 €

Available in Cinnamon&Orange, Red Berries and Candy Canes. I can't resist things that smell nice and I am pretty sure I am not the only one or Yankee Candles would be out of businnes by now. A lip scrub and a lip balm duo can be a pretty useful gift since it's winter, and the packaging looks pretty cool.
Get it in Kiko stores or online.

Dancing til Dusk eye and face palette (Sleek) - 12.90 €

Ah, Sleek palettes are always a pleasure. This one contains eyeshadows, blushes, and two brushes. It would be a good gift for a person always on the move, even for a makeup newbie, since the price is affordable and Sleek quality is usually good.
Get it at Sephora (and on their website).

Travel Brush Set 9,90 (Sephora)

I've never tried those, but hell, a bunch of travel brushes never goes amiss. Sephora brushes are usually good (I've got one) and the price/amount of brushes ratio is honest.
Get it at Sephora.

Duo Nail Kit (Pupa) 9,90 €

I was very tempted to get this with my 20% discount at Sephora. Two polishes and a beautiful pochette? Considering the usual price of Pupa polishes, it's a bargain. And it looks very pretty!
Get it in various makeup stores.

Neve Cosmetics Mistero Barocco palette

I haven't written the price because it has disappeared from the Neve Cosmetics website, being out of stock.  But you can still find it in brick and mortar stores and here, if you're inclined. (Also, check out that website, there's a lot of great stuff).
I actually own this (review soon), and I can tell you the quality is reaaaal good. That pink makes a great blush, it's an awesome multitasking palette and you can't go wrong with it.


That's all for now!

Pupa Made To Last Foundation Review

Yes, yes, I know this is a nail polish blog. But make up matters too, so here's a few words about the new foundation by Pupa. I purchased it using the coupon, so it was just 10 euros instead of almost 20.
Surprise surprise, I got the lightest shade, 010, which really is light enough for me. A miracle, right?
Not only the shade is nearly identical to my skin color, but I have good things to say about this foundation as well. I am used to the idea of applying some setting powder afterwards to get some opacity and make everything last longer. If I didn't do this with the Maybelline Fit Me foundation, it didn't take much for my face to get, well, oily.
With this foundation, however, I can almost forget about it. I mean, immediately after applying it my face already looks mattified and in a natural way. The coverage is, I'd say, medium, and it does very well on the small imperfections of my skin.

It's also as long lasting as they promise, and it feels very lightweight, I almost forget I have anything on my face with it.
It can be applied with your fingers but I prefer to use a brush, like this.
What else can I say? It looks natural, it feels nice, it's the right color... I really have no complaints for now!

Catrice Viennart LE 04 ARTful Red

blurry, but you can see the color nicely

This is the first nail polish review that I write in my new room! It feels weird and nice...
And today I show you ARTful Red, the result of a shopping afternoon and the lucky finding of an untouched Catrice display.
The color is a wonderful red (rosso mattone, diremmo noi), a brownish red with cold undertones. An extremely elegant color. It's a shimmery polish opaque in 2 coats, but here you can see three of them.

 

 As you can see, it would be a perfect color for Christmas (and a perfect gift too - it's what I call a mom friendly polish) and I think I will use it again for a Christmas mani.
The polish lasted a good 4 days without chipping, and it chipped because of something I did so if you're a bit more careful it'll last longer.
It's very shiny even without the Seche Vite.
So, do I recommend it? Yes, it's quite an unique color, I don't have many reds but this was quite a pleasant surprise and I'm very satisfied of my purchase.
Did you find this LE? Got anything?

Latest purchases

I can finally show you pictures! Yay! And what's better than showing you what I bought lately?
It's not properly a haul, since not everything was bought on the same shopping trip, but still...

The Catrice nail polish is 04 Artful Red, from the Viennart LE. I'm gonna try it this evening, so be ready for a review! The silver one of this LE was also promising, but I only got the red for now.
The foundation is Pupa Made To Last in Ivory (lightest shade) and I got it with the special 10 euros coupon (so I paid 10 euros something that costed almost 20, a real bargain) and I am absolutely loving it, it feels wonderful, lighweight despite the very good coverage and it's really great. I'm not a foundation expert but I could post a review of it as well.
The brush is from H&M, and I am loving it, I use it to apply the Pupa foundation and it works perfectly.
The two Kiko products were the result of an afteroon with my boyfriend, the 30% discount coupon and a lot of patience and help from him xD I ended getting only two products, even if I initally had four of them in my hands. I have chosen the eyeliner in the colour 107, because it was (and is) an important element in my makeup routine and I used it so much that I finished one (I never finished a black eyeliner, for comparison). Whenever I don't know what to wear I choose it, maybe paired with a blue mascara as well. I think it compliments my eyes fairly well and it's really long lasting.
The eye pencil is from the Daring Game LE, I've been craving it since the first time I saw this LE, which was in august, so I waited quite a lot! The shade is 29, Irresistible teal. I can't wait to wear it, since I've been rediscovering the beauty of a dark eye makeup.
I don't have much makeup here yet, I plan on bringing more of it when I go back at my parents' next weekend. I am definitely in need of some brushes!
That's all for now!
Bought anything interesting recently?

Review: Kiko Nail Polish Remover Travel Wipes

Hi! So, I am more or less settled in terms of housing, but I have a problem in terms of uploading pictures because my new laptop doesn't read my old camera's memory card and I need to get an adapter. Until I get it, no pics, sorry.
But I still wanted to tell you about Kiko's travel wipes...

And yes, the pic is from Kiko's website. Sorry.

I never realized how useful they could be, until I was on the move. Before settling in this house I stayed at some friends' for almost a week, then a few days at a B&B, and with a great amount of luggage already, I didn't want to buy acetone or something similar. Not to mention the "what if it opens in the bag" panic and so on. But I still wanted to get rid of an old, chipped nail polish on my nails and use one of the few polishes I had brought. It's not exactly hard to explain why, despite being super busy and anxious about the room to find and whatnot I still wanted to have perfect nails, right?
Feeling ready makes me feel better, and I'm sure I'm not the only one.
So I decided to get these travel wipes, and here's my impressions:

• They come in a tiny round box that's really small. Less than half of a Sleek palette, to give you an idea. You will be able to stick it in any beauty case.
• Being acetone-free, they're rather oily. Consider that, I know that some people dislike it.
• The smell is delicious!
• They're really small. In the Kiko pic they look like those powder puffs, but they're nothing like it, they're more similar to a make up remover wipe. Being small, I noticed I needed at least two to remove nail polish from both my hands. It may depend from the color/amount of coats/topcoat but I doubt you could remove your nail polish from both hands with just one of those.

That being said, do I recommend them? Yes, because they can be awfully practical. If you're going on holiday or are in a situation similar to mine, they could prove very useful. Just make sure you've a way to wash your hands afterwards for the oily effect (as in, I wouldn't recommend to use them on a train and whatnot). Just keep them for extreme situations,

Update

I can't believe I haven't written anything here for ten days. Just when I thought I could relax, I received to good but sudden news that I was going to be one of the 16 lucky people selected for a translation course in Turin. I received those news on a friday, and the lessons in Turin were going to start next thursday. Needless to say the road has been a bit bumpy, currently I am staying at some friends' who were incredibly kind to give me even a room for a few days, but I have to move to the couch tomorrow. I'm currently seeing as many rooms as I can and soon I'll be able to move. Needless to say I've brought only a limited amount of nail polishes and makeup, which makes a blogger's life a bit harder. Oh and it has been raining for days, which doesn't help because Turin isn't Bologna and there aren't as many porticoes.
Tomorrow I'll have my first proper lesson of the course, and I'm excited but anxiety wont leave me until I find a proper, steady accomodation. I miss my regular blogging, my scouting of the Essence &Catrice displays... But what can I say, having to get adjusted to a completely new city requires some time.
I hope to be back reviewing soon!

Neve Cosmetics Bio Primer (Mattifying) review

I've always wanted to try a face primer, but the ingredients discouraged me a bit and I didn't want to put liquid plastic on my face. Plus, who cares if people can see my pores? I'm a human being! What is this, some robot uprising and we have to blend in with the androids?
A primer that promises to make your base more long lasting would've interested me more. When Neve Cosmetics came out with the primers (there's a brightening one too) I knew I had to try one. Since I have combinated skin I went for the mattifying one, after having tried both at a bio makeup store.
At first I was a bit worried. Because they're dark, and I'm super duper pale.

Luckily, however, it blends nicely and becomes invisible really easily. It does make my skin look more, well, matte, and since it adapts nicely to your skin color (more than some of those "adapting bbcreams") you can use it as a colored cream when you're not in the mood for foundation.
I love using it with my Manic Panic compact foundation, but it works nicely with a liquid foundation (Maybelline Fit Me) too.
I've noticed that it makes my face makeup last longer and it gives me a healthy look without looking like a doll. It truly has a mattifying effect. It feels nicely, it's fresh, and it doubles as an extra skin protection during winter.
Have you tried it? Because I'd definitely recommend it! Neve Cosmetics is quickly becoming my fave brand out there...

I'm back (with an old gem)

Thanks for bearing with me, gals (and guys). I survived a tour de force consisting of: 1) the Translation Slam at Lucca Comics 2) a saturday in Lucca Comics (coming back home was a disaster, we had to queue for 4 hours just to reach the train station...) 3) my graduation! I've obtained my Laurea Magistrale! (110 e lode, ragazze, non ci posso credere!)
Now I can finally go back to blogging regularly. I'll do my best, because I have a new laptop and it doesn't read my memory card, but I still will post some stuff this week. I also have a review of Neve Cosmetics's primer coming down the pipeline!
For now I want to show you a little gem, an old discontinued Kiko polish, 382.

A shimmery gunmetal grey that reminds me of the Pupa matt cream eyeshadows (review of one of those soon too!) in terms of color, but it has a shimmer finish. Here it's not topped with seche vite, because, uh, I got distracted playing Payday 2 (new laptop = more videogames!), but it's really beautiful. It's quite old, I had recently started to be into nail polishes when I got this but I absolutely love it, it's extremely elegant also because it's not 100% black.
A personal favorite, if I had to say. I hadn't worn it in a lifetime so I am happy to show it to you!

P.s. here's what I got at Lucca Comics!

I would've gotten more if I had had more time and if there had been less of a crowd. But hey, I've got 3rd issue of Saga, the second volume of the Elric of Melnibone comic, a mug with Eevee and the eeveelutions (sounds like a band name...) and a Sailor Moon set containing a small purse where I'll keep my lipsticks, a small mirror and a hair band. There were sooo many SM goodies, I didn't know where to start!
That's all for today, tomorrow I'll post the first review!

Autumn Leaves

Despite being busy, I still wanted to do some nail art. I though that the base polish, Kiko 436 from the old Dark Heroine LE was at my parents' home (to be used by mom), but I actually have it here. So I put it on because it's a goddamn beautiful polish.
Inspiration struck and I used my favorite stamping plate design ever, with Kiko 629, to create this autumn-like design. I really love it, it feels elegant and nice.
I had forgotten how much I love stamping, I should do it more often..

Color Spotlight: Black

This month is an insane month in terms of stuff to do. So I haven't created any special nail art, which gives me an excuse to continue with the Color Spotlight series.
I don't have much to offer in terms of polishes. I usually use Pupa 209 as a standard black, and that's it. In terms of makeup, however...

I don't wear that much black, but I have a few essentials. The Kiko gel eyeliner was part of the Bad Girl LE, now they also have one in their standard line. At the beginning it was a bit hard to work with, too liquid, but after a month or so it has reached a much more gel-like consistency that makes it great to use.
It has a good lasting power and I tend to use it for my more graphic looks.
The Sehora black liquid eyeliner is a very good product, my other standard eyeliner. Works nicely, I have no complaints, I love the small tip brush that allows me to make thin and precise lines.
I don't use black eye pencils a lot, but those two (Pupa Multiplay and a Revlon one) deserve a spotlight. The Pupa one can be used as a kajal too, and while many pencils have a weird effect (meaning tears and pain and oh god I need to remove this) on my waterline, this works very nicely. I also own UD's Perversion black eye pencil. And it hurts, I can't use it on my waterline.
The other eyeliner pen is by Essence, the one I received with their new Princess mascara. I had a few doubts about it but it works well and is quite long lasting. I keep it in my travel beauty case for quick, nice looks when I don't want to use the Sephora one.
The black eyeshadow in UD's Naked Basics is my go-to black eyeshadow. I have nothing as pigmented, it's really, really awesome.

I am a firm believer that black lips are not for halloween only.
The black lipstick, Kiko 523, is a creme, which means it needs a pencil underneath to stay (and with such a bold color you've got to have flawless lips). And good look finding a lipsafe black pencil! I usually use the Revlon one, but I know it's not the best option. I've seen tutorials for black lips that were made using liquid eyeliner, meh, for some reason I can't bring myself to put black eyeliner on my lips... (maybe because you'd need a lot of it, while pencils are easier to work with).
The other product is by Topshop and is a Velvet Lips liquid matte lipstick in Black Velvet.
You probably have heard of Lime Crime's liquid matte lipsticks and how, in general, liquid matte lipsticks are a trend that is going to stay (also check Pretty Zombie Cosmetics lipsticks).
This one was a surprise gift from my boyfriend, and it's a great product. It has some micro sparkle if you look close to it, so if you don't want a 100% gothic look it may be your choice. Especially if you want to try something like LC's Velvetines but disagree with the company's shady past.
I've been wearing it quite a lot lately, usually paired with graphic blue eyeliner, and it looks very nice. Once it's dried, it stays on your lips forever. Definitely recommended
So, do you like black? Wear it a lot or not at all? Would you go for black lips on your average day?

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?

Color Spotlight: Red

I thought I had already done this...but apparently I haven't! So here's red, the color of passion, danger, and many other things...

...like my Ikea Lack table.
These are my favourite reds. Overall, I don't own many red polishes at all. I have such a little amount of reds that I included a China Glaze polish that is a black base with red glitters. I did it because it's awesome.
From L to R: Orly Red Flare, Pupa 620 from the old China Doll LE, China Glaze Lubu Heels, H&M Super Red and Deborah Shine Tech 13.
Red Flare is a wonderful, classy red with cool undertones. If you're into reds, you can't miss this. Two coats of it makes you instantly flawless and fierce. Unless, of course, you prefere Pupa 620 which is still the best red polish on the planet. I have yet to find a polish that can top it, it makes me feel like a femme fatale and I love it. China Glaze Lubu Heels is an interesting polish, a sheer black base with red glitter. The glitter really pops out and is veeeery pretty. H&M Super Red is really... a super red. No, really. Almost a crelly, it shines like a gel polish and has a wonderful duration. Deborah Shine Tech 13 has more of a cool undertone, compared to Super Red, and it's another beautiful red creme.

And here's my favourite reds in terms of makeup.
The eyeshadow in the palette (Sleek Lagoon) is a pretty neon matte red, and I used it a lot as eyeliner. I also appreciate as eyeliner Neve Cosmetics Watermelon, a single eyeshadow that I love. I've used it on my lips too, but I prefer it as an eyeliner/eyeshadow.
And three red lipstick. The matte red is Catrice It's a Matt World, I haven't worn it for a while, since I'm currently in love with dark, violet/plum/berry shades, but daamn, it's a beautiful red and I should wear it more.
The same for Kiko Latex Like Lipstick in 04 Plastic Red. A pretty, shiny cyber red that guarantees you a stunning look. This was from the Dark Heroine LE and I am really glad I bought it because it's pretty awesome. The other red is Kiss of Life from Rimmel by Kate, another matte red, but softer tha It's a Matt World and a bit more lip drying.
And that's all for now! What are you favourites when it comes to red?

Lavender and black

And for today, another small gradient experiment, done using Kiko 338 and Pupa 209.

I wanted to create a gritty urban effect, and quite frankly I am satisfied. I still have lots to learn about gradients, and I also want to try gradients with three colors. But for now, enjoy this. I've been having more time for myself, since I'm waiting for the feedback on my thesis, which I'd say it's 95% complete.
I've also planned another color spotlight post, so stay tuned for details!

Enigma/Blue eye pencil by Neve Cosmetics

Look, guys, a post! I am still alive!
And today I want to show you Neve Cosmetics' new eye pencil in Enigma/Blue. Quite frankly I am in love with the idea of a sci-fi themed collection, and I sort of end up collecting matte blue eye colors, so hey, who was I not to give it a try. Especially since the good price, you know.
The color is a matte bright blue. I have a comparison image here:
From L to R: Sephora eye pencil in Azur Blue, Maybelline Master Drama Kohl in electric blue, Kiko eyeliner 107, and Neve Cosmetics Enigma.

The only one that is similar here is Sephora's eye pencil, but the color is less intense and slightly more indigo-ish, so they are not identical.
I have read many comments about this pencil (and the others of the set), and I don't agree with some of them. First, yes, they are soft. It's not a bad thing. UD eye pencils are soft too, and I haven't seen anybody criticize them.
Second, for this reason, they're impossible to work with and stain your eyelid. Duuude, no. With a good primer they last as a standard eye pencil (well, unless you rub your eyes), and I experienced minimal to no lid stain.
So, is it a good pencil? Yes, and I recommend it. At least try it for yourself if you can find a brick and mortar store that has NC.

Stamping on green and and my current situation

You might have noticed my absence... well, I'm currently working on my thesis, and I only have almost a month to finish it. I will graduate in november. So, yeah, this is the main reason why I haven't posted much: super duper busy and without many energy for complicate nail art. I've still painted my nails, but with colors you've already seen and without anything really elaborate. No energy for that, at least for now.

The nail art you see below was pretty much the only exception. I used OPI Don't Talk Bach To Me and Kiko 619 for stamping. I routinely thank the gods of nail polish for bringing the Seche Vite on earth, without it, it would be worse.

I am afraid that is all for now.
 P.s. In case you missed it, the Duochrome palette by Neve Cosmetics is coming back! Keep your eyes on their website...

Shaka Stone Like Sky

I've been stalking the local OVS for the new Shaka polishes for a while, and finally, my patience was rewarded! I haven't seen the duochromes yet, only the Stone Like polishes which, as you can guess, have a liquid sand finish.
Quite frankly, this color is awesome. A peacock teal based polish with yellow, blue and lime microglitters that make it shine incredibly well - for the first time I felt the curiosity to wear it with a topcoat, but then I'd have to wear sunglasses all the time because damn, the shine!

Without flash

The color is really wonderful, and the drying time was wonderfully short. Definitely recommended! I can't wait to find more colors and other finishes of the new series...

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. 
 

Wjcon 215

I had planned a longer post about another polish, but my fingers hurt ( too much thesis writing) so for this time I'll do a small review of a Wjcon polish I got. It was on sale and it was tempting, I am in an autumn mood and it seemed really like a beautiful shade of grey.

The finish is hard to describe, like a foil but very, very sheer. This is three coats.
The color is a grey with micro green and purple sparkles. Alas, I was fooled by the lights in the store and thought the blue undertones were stronger. It does shine beautifully under sunlight, and its sheerness could make it good for layering. It kinda looks like a cloud's grey.
Still, there's something that disappoints me about it., even if I am not sure of what it could be yet.
Quality is good so far, 4 days and some minor tipwear.

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!

Kiko Daring Game first impressions and swatches

It's not a change of season if I don't come up with a post about Kiko's latest LE. This autumn's theme is, according to Kiko, the exciting game of seduction. Or something like that.

Personally, I really dig the Casino Royale theme, and the packaging is really pretty. Can't say the same for the prices, 6,90 for the nail polishes is a bit too much.. polishes have always been the cheapest element of a LE, now there are eye pencils that cost less...
And it's not the only complaint I have for the nail polishes:

From L to R: 02 Irresistible Orchid, 01 Prestigious Taupe, 03 Suggestive Red, 04 Intuition Wine, 05 Exclusive Blue, 06 Slick Bluenoir.

Look at the colors, there is nothing groundbreaking there. The finish is probably a crelly, they're slick but not so much pigmented. Oh and there is nothing blue in 06, I've tried looking at it in various angles and to me it's just a plain black. Oh and yeah, surely, the packaging with the dice effect is nice but you have to remove it, it only covers the cap, it's not part of it. Sorry but for me this is a downside, it makes everything a bit less practical.

 From L to R: 24 Majestic Dove Grey, 29 Irresistible Teal, 20Mysterious Acai, 10 Bold Rosy Taupe, 22 Fine Jade, 11 Charming Champagne, 8 Sinuous Shell, 33 Likable Blackberry
 What I really liked were the Color-Up Long Lasting Eyeshadows (aka the big chubby eye pencils). I hope I got the identification of the colors right beacuse the numbers had faded on all the pencils and some colors are really similar. I also realized right now I am missing the swatches of 31 Tasteful Indigo, but I could swear it wasn't among the testers.
The quality seems very promising because once you wear them, they don't seem to smudge or fade, I've worn a couple of them on my hand yesterday and I had to wash them off at the endo of the day because they were still perfectly there. 29 Irresistible Teal is the most interesting color of the bunch for me (a shimmery teal with cold undertones? hell yeah). 11 Charming champagne seems like a bunch of glitter on a transparent base, 20 Mysterious Acai looks like a glittery nail polish turned eyeshadow and 33 Likable Blackberry is the only matte of the bunch. What a weird assortment of colors.. but they make me wish it were already autumn, sigh! I might be tempted to get the 29, but I will see and wait, for the moment.

You can also see something of the eye pencils: 02 Extraordinary Sapphire, 04 Gritty Ivy, 06 Powerful Burgundy and 13 Wily Bright Wood. 
02 and 13 are glittery, 4 is shimmery and 6 seems matte again. Pretty colors but nothing we haven't seen before.

What do you think of this LE? Tried anything?

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.