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 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.

Catrice Haute Future 04 GaLILACxy

Hello ladies! Today I'm showing you the only polish from the Haute Future LE I bought, GaLILACxy. The other two were holos and another one was a shimmer. A weirdly assorted collection!
This one is hard to classify because it seems a simple metallic pastel violet/lilac, but it's actually a duochrome, as I hoped from the bottle.
It goes from lilac to a pale yellow/champagne color. I couldn't capture it in photos really well, but under artificial lights it's very visible and impressive.
The formula isn't to die for, very sheer, this is three coats (could probably use a white base).
The color is however something very "soft" and quite unique, I have nothing similar to it and find it an interesting addition to my stash.
I could classify it as a "polish even my mom would wear" because it's very delicate.

Orly Space Cadet

The last one of the Cosmoprof polishes! Very similar to NYC Empire Purple (EP is metallic, this one is a foil).

A beautiful duochrome from purple to bronze with greenish undertones, it would probably look far better on a black base, because it's extremely sheer. This is three coats, and the coverage still isn't perfect.

The color is super pretty, so I don't mind having to apply countless layers... at least while I have my trusty Seche Vite at my side. I can understand why it became famous, good duochromes aren't as easy to find as they should be. I can't say much for the duration so far, but it already has (3 days after) some tipwear.

Sci-fi fishtail nail art

Aka my very first fishtail nail art. The base is Sinful Colors Snow Me White, the other two colors are Pupa 001 and 002 of the Cosmic Beauty LE. I topped everything with an old, discontinued top coat by Catrice called Prismatic Effect, that adds a blue-ish shade. On the white it's nicely visible but nearly impossible to capture in photos.

It's called sci-fi fishtail because of the colors (shiny white, grey.. they're all colors that make me think of spaceships) and because I did it while rewatching Judge Dredd on tv xD.

And I'm afraid that's all for today, and sorry for the tipwear..

NYC Bronze Metal

When I got Empire Purple I was tempted to buy the other duochrome in the display, and when I tried EP and realized how good it was, I came back next day to buy his fellow, Bronze Metal.

While I couldn't think of a better name for Empire Purple myself, the name of this one left me a bit perplexed, because it's really more than bronze, being a duochrome. "Mother Earth" would be a far better name for it, since it shifts from bronze to green, with golden hues.

The green part is, in fact far more prominent than the bronze one. The color is very unique and I'm definitely satisfied by it. The formula was ok, neither extremely good nor extremely bad, might be a bit streaky so I recommend a perfect smooth base. You'll need at least 2 coats for full coverage (or a white base).

Pretty color, good quality, cheap... no complaints, really! (Vote: A)

NYC Empire Purple

Don't ever try to convince me you never had a day in which you felt down and needed something to cheer you up, possibily a new nail polish. I cheered up myself with Empire Purple by New York Color, a brand I can find only in a small shop in my parent's town. It would have been stunning even if it wouldn't have been a duochrome, since the purple base is a gorgeous metallic purple, a bit funerary but not too gothic. Honestly, the definition of "Empire" suits it perfectly since it reminds me of the purple vests worn by byzantine emperors. According to the light, however, it gains wonderful bronze hues.

Under artificial light it seems to gain even orange reflections. Bronze and purple, very fitting for an empire!
The formula is quite good, great coverage in two coats and not too streaky (I still recommend some caution not to leave brush strokes), I have no complaints to make about it. Should you get it? It's cheap (less than 2 euros) and wonderful, so yes, definitely. You can never have enough duochromes ( I certainly don't).


Vote: A

Stamping over Kiko Venom Teal

As I've already told you before, Kiko Venom Teal is a gorgeous, gorgeous polish.
So I've experimented with some stamping on it, and now look at this hot duochrome on duochrome action. The stamping polish is Pupa 001 from the Cosmic Beauty LE. It's truly a beauty, since it stamps really amazing. It was an one coater, so I could guess that, but the results were better than I expected. The contrast with the dark base really makes the design pop out, and under the right angle or/and light, when the pink/violet hues of the Pupa polishes are visible, well, it's magnificent. For me it's one of those nail days when I can't stop staring at my nails!

I should remove it and wear something else, since I won't have time to do my nails again until sunday, but it's too pretty...

Kiko Venom Teal over China Glaze Charmed, I'm Sure

The good thing: the two colors go really well together.
The bad thing: apparently i cannot draw triangles.
The teal ones were supposed to be triangles. I was expecting Venom Teal to be an one-coater and it was not, which kinda complicated things. I purchased it with the 30% off coupon, together with a violet lipstick.
The duochrome effect present in the bottle isn't much visible on the nail, but it's still a magnificent color. For once, they chose a really good name, it's really dark and venom-like, fitting for a Dark Heroine.
I can't wait to try it all over my nails. More of a fall color than a winter one, but in the end who cares, it's awesome. I have a couple of teals, but this is different than any I own.
I was afraid it might be a dupe of the Pupa blue/violet duochrome of the fall LE, but they're actually very different. This is less duochrome-ish (unfortunately) and much more teal-based.
For some weird reason I don't like my nails when they're fully covered by polish...

Rainbow Challenge Day 6, Indigo Nails

Ok, in the pic it looks more blue than indigo, but I swear, it is indigo. The base is 07 Nail Art Twins-Chuck by Essence, the french tips are Pupa 002 from the new LE.
I  didn't have much time and energy for nail art lately, but I can still present you indigo, a very complicated color to define, in between blue and purple. A simple french sometimes pays!

A multichrome experiment

I've had this mani in my to do list for a while, so I'm happy to have it finally done.
The base is Pupa 209, and the top coats are Deborah 102 for the blue/greenish parts...and a very old L'Oréal Jet-Set polish for the orange/green ones.. It belonged to my sister, and despite being very old I never threw it away, due to its mighty duochrome powers. I kept it thinking to use it for paintings and art, but how could I resist using it on my nails? It looks like some certain high-end duochrome top coats.
It's really old (I wouldn't be surprised to find out it's 10 years old) but still works magnificently.
It has more duochrome fleckes than the Deborah one, and they're bigger overall: one coat of it was enough, while I had to apply 2 covers of the Deborah one to have a better coverage.
The silvery line is Kiko 617.

Urban Decay Smog nail polish & Essence new products haul

No, I don't have the whole Naked Nail Set... my sister does, but she didn't like this one, so she gave it to me.
A shimmery brown/bronze, very warm. It's almost a duochrome, under the light it shifts from brown to bronze to dark purple. I love this color, but it's not much pigmented, after three coats it still didn't offer the coverage I'd ask for. I think it would be better as a layering polish, since it did just a couple of days without topcoat before chipping. Certainly not a groundbreaking polish, and it would've been great if it had offered the same apocalyptic-proof resistance of, say, the UD pencils.

And now, to the Essence haul!

I have studied the Essence website when the new products were presented, and there were a couple of things I found worth trying. So when the Essence display was updated at Coin, well, I took the chance to test them:
Eye Sorbet in illuminating coconut: I had great hopes for this, but it's a bit too glittery and less whitey than I'd expect. It could make a good cream eyeshadow, but not an highlighter, unless you are going for a Twilight vampire look. I will post swatches as soon as I get back home.
Lashes Go Wild mascara: I can't wait to try this, the wand reminds me of Neve Cosmetics' mascara.
Glow In The Night topcoat:  This is going to be fun.
Sparkly Sand Effect in Hey, Nude! : I'm trying this right now! I've chosen it because it reminded me of an OPI polish. I'll post a review real soon!

Pupa Iridescent Nail Polish 001 & 002- Cosmic Beauty LE review

I picked those two beauties at La Gardenia, where they offer a 40% discount on the second product you buy of the same or lower price. Also, those polishes cost 3.50 euros each, so I ended up paying little more than 5 euros for two polishes: not bad, if you consider that the recommended retail price for those is 5.95 euros on the Pupa website..

I was sure I was going to love 002 Iridescent Blue, but I ended up loving 001 Iridescent Silver more.

002 is surely beautiful: a duochrome that goes from blue to violet/purple. The color is intense, really reminiscent of galaxies. 001, however, is stunning: a multichrome with a silver base that shifts from light oilive green to purple. If you look at it very closely it looks like it has micro-holographic particles or something like that (002 has them, but they're less visible). This is Catrice's Iron Mermaiden as it should have been. It's going to make a great F/W polish. It can also be an office-friendly ladylike shade. So if you should buy just one, I'd say buy 001, and this is really weird from me, because peacock-like colors like 002 are usually a must have for me.

Now, to the problems: application is meh. Used to the flawless application and formula of last year's fall LE (remember, the China Doll one?) polishes, I was a bit disappointed by those. 002, especially: the formula is thick and dense, and the brush seemed unable to carry enough color to cover the nail fully, resulting in a streaky effect and zones of your nails where the color didn't apply just right. I was using a basecoat, my trusty Essence one. Make sure you file your nails and hide the lines on them, those colors make them super visible.
The coverage could be better, I was expecting them to be one coaters, but they're not. Still better than Catrice's Iron Mermaiden.
The formula of 001 is slightly better than 002. I wonder if I had an unlucky bottle (that had been opened before) or that's the standard for the line.
I can't wait to try stamping on/with them.

Would I recommend them?
001 for sure, 002 I'm not sure. It really saddens me to say so, because they look very pretty in the bottles and really have a galaxy/cyber effect. This depends on you, wheter if you are ready to forgive a not so great application for a pretty color. If you can get them for a lower price than 5 euros, they're worth a try.

The Great Nailsby

Another thing I should specify on my personal info: I have a horrible sense of humor.
Anyway, I'm going  to see the Great Gatsby this evening, so i recreated an old Art Deco nail art I did last winter...with an addition.

Glitter! 'Cause there's no party like a Gatbsy party. Until people die and everybody is disillusioned with the jazz age as a whole, you know.

The gold base is Catrice's Genius in the Bottle, a dupe of Chanel Peridot. Sort of a duochrome, with not much visible green/light blue hues. Still gorgeous. Other polishes: Essence Stamp Me! Black and Kiko 617.
The glitters are OPI's The Living Daylights.

Catrice Iron Mermaiden

So, a discontinued beauty: Catrice Iron Mermaiden (the name is absolutely brilliant).
In the bottle it's mostly grey, purple and green, like a mermaid (or a pidgeon's neck, if you're feeling less poetic), but on the nail it's the purple that stands out, and at first it seems just like a metallic purple... artificial light makes the grey/green stand out a bit more.
Even if it's really sheer (this is 3 coats), I don't get why they discontinued it, 'cause it's really pretty!

Max Factor Dazzling Blue

Now, this is a polish that deserves a fame, and way more than Fantasy Fire. I just don't get the title, they could have found something nicer, like "mermaid's tail" or something to render this beautiful multi-duochrome that goes from light blue to sea green, according to light. I could swear it has some golden hues under artificial light.

It's a bit sheer, this is three coats. It will start chipping after two days without topcoat. Overall I think it's a beautiful shade you shouldn't miss.

Vote: A-

Review: Take a Ride on Pegasus by Essence

I interrupt the holiday gifts posts to show you Essence's Take a Ride on Pegasus from the Fantasia collection. I went to the store to buy a yellow polish, but in the end I had to buy this too. The color, a sort of of coral pink/burgundy, and the blue and greenish shades were familiar, and I later realized they were the same of a very old eyeshadow pencil I had when I was a teenager and used to color drawings on black paper.

When I tried this polish I was at my parents' and without basecoat and standard topcoat, so I used a coat of Prismatic Effects topcoat by Catrice, that enhanced the blue shade but hid the green ones a bit, which is a pity. Although the shade of this polish is nice, I am a bit disappointed by his duration. Three coats without basecoat and topcoat and on the second day, well, look at my index. And that's when I tried to repair the damage and put the aforementioned top coat. I wonder how it would look with a matte top coat.

Vote: between B and C. Buy it only if you like the shade and use lots of topcoat.