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!

My New Year's Eve Polish

Hello! And happy new year to all of you! I originally planned to post this on NYE but I got carried out in food preparation... So here it is, Barry M Gold Mine Glitter, brought to me by my cousin who is currently living in England.
I always wanted to try a Barry M polish, and this one was perfect for the holidays! Two coats and seche vite here. Gold glitter in a black base that is opaque enough to cover the nails in two coats, and with an averagely good glitter distribution, I'd say this is a good polish!
However I have to add  that, over my mom's Kiko base, it chipped really soon: yesterday evening while I was cooking... it's not the first time I wear a polish for NYE that ends up chipping on that very evening, it must be a curse!
I want to test it over my regular Essence base too. For now, i really like this polish and I think a better base would do it justice.
I hope we all have a nice 2015!

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.

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...

Black and white

I was in a "argh, I don't know what to wear on my nails" moment yesterday, and since I couldn't decide on the color, I went for black and white!
I hadn't worn Shaka Sugary White for a while and had forgotten how cute (and how sheer) it was. A really lovely polish, very shimmery. Under sunlight you can catch its actually very colorful shimmer.
I added Maybelline Color Show Polka Dots in Chalk Dust over it. A bit of a salt and pepper effect perhaps, but still cute. And it's always nice to use polishes that had been neglected for a while.

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!

Color Spotlight: Blue (pt 1)

Hello! Welcome to the next episode of the "Color Spotlight" series. Blue is one of my favourite colors (along with acid green, bugundy and more), and there are so many shades of it, that I decided to divide the post in 2 parts. The second one will focus more on teal and light blue, while I'll keep this for the most "traditional" shades of blue. I also have a new blue polish to show you, but I'm keeping that for tomorrow... for now, enjoy my 5 favorites.
Kiko 435 was part of the Dark Heroine LE, a blue with strong violet hues (practically a duochrome) absolutely fit for a dark lady. A bit of a wintery polish, but that doesn't make it less awesome.
In its simplicity, Kiko 294 is a wonderful, warm toned blue. I call it Egyptian blue, and it's a wonderful shade. Bit reminiscent of ceramic decorations and jewels. I prefer it with nail art rather than alone.
Kiko Quick Dry 830 was a pleasing surprise, since it's a very pretty metallic blue that looks stunning under the lights. I have nicknamed it superhero blue, because it's a great color for a supersuit!
Kiko 440 from the Digital Emotion LE is a glittery party of awesomeness. Annoying to remove, as every glittery polish, yes, but so pretty I am willing to forgive that.
Pupa 054 really creates on the nails the gel/glass effect it promises. Smells awfully in the bottle, is simple yet classy on the hands.

And now, some blue eye make up. I wear blue eyeliner way more than black eyeliner, so I will be eternally thankful to Concrete Minerals for making the holy grail of blue eyeliner/eyeshadows.
Bulletproof by CM is seriously the best. Irl is a bit darker. Once it sets on the eyelids it stays all day (will stain a little bit, but oily makeup remover does the trick).
The two Kiko eyeliners, 106 and 107, are actually quite different, 106 is glittery and 107 is darker and matte. Unsurprisingly, I like 107 more, but 106 isn't that bad either, even if it seems less pigmented.
And a blue mascara, obviously, shown here is Kiko 07. Beautiful and pigmented, no complaints.
The UD eye pencil in LSD is a personal fave, because it really lasts and lasts and lasts. A dark blue with light blue microglitter, it would look stunning with every eye color.
The Sephora eye pencil in Azur Blue deserves a mention because, before CM's Bulletproof, it was my go-to eye pencil. It still has a place in my heart because it's small, easy to carry and lasts long. The color is less intense than Bulletproof though.




And that's all for the first part! Second part coming soon! Comments and opinions are always appreciated.

China Glaze Lubu Heels

Look, some sunlight! It allows me to show you China Glaze Lubu Heels, another Cosmoprof purchase.
I was afraid it might be a bit sheer, but look at this, this is two generous coats (no black base!) and I'd say it's enough. The glitters give it a "rough" surface so I recommend adding a top coat.
A sheer black base with red glitters, Lubu Heels is a lovely polish, a bit gothic perhaps and in the best possible sense. The effect is undoubtedly elegant.
The glitters are very small, and it could be mistaken for a plain black polish... until the sun hits it.
I wonder how it could look with an extra coat of red glitter above it.
Overall I am extremely pleased with it! (I've been wearing it for a few days and it shows only minor tipwear).

Essence 182 Hello Rosy (Sparkle Sand Effect) review

When I saw the Essence display with all the new products, I had a moment of "I want this and that and that" but since Cosmoprof is near, I decided to limit myself to this polish that I really, really wanted. Like, since it appeared in the preview. It looks like a strawberry smoothie and I love it! This is two coats of polish.
It's as awesome as I imagined, with a pink base and darker glitter that distribute themselves quite eavenly. I love this shade of pink, it's a bit darker than Kiko 375.
The texture is the standard Essence liquid sand one-not too gritty ( less than the new Kiko ones) but more than the very first Kiko sand polishes.
Drying time was good, and I had absolutely no application issues, the big brush is perfect for my nails.
Overall vote is A, but I still can't say anything about duration.
What do you say, have you already bought anything new from Essence? 

Catrice Crushed Crystals 04 Oyster & Champagne and small haul

Aka: I swear I only went there to buy the nail base..

The backstory is kinda funny, because I stopped at Coin before an university lesson to buy the nail base that I had finished, but as soon as I saw the new Catrice products I freaked out a little and investigated everything, neglecting the Essence display. So I forgot to buy the base.
I did get, however, a sand polish, Oyster and Champagne of the Crushed Crystals (sand effect) line and a lip polish. The eyebrow lifter was intriguing and so one of the new palettes, but I decided to stick to these 2 for the moment.
You'll find the review of the Catrice polish at the end of the post, for the moment let me tell you that the lip polish (in Megan Fuchsia) is amazing. It really stays a lot, not 8 hours if you eat a main meal, but after lunch I still have a pleasant fuchsia stain on my lips, so the effect doesn't completely go away. It's not lip drying at all, it's soft as a lip gloss (but not sticky) and extremely pigmented. Recommended!

Today I went to OVS to get the nail base. They didn't have any new stuff, but Essence products were on sale and sadly there weren't any pigments left. I still got the base (yay!) and another sand effect polish, this time Essence 165 Here's My Number, which was on sale.

Catrice 04 Oyster and Champagne is a really pretty golden-rose liquid sand effect polish. It contains hex rose microglitter; it looks as if the base was soft gold and rose micro- and standard sized glitters have been added to it. It's very pretty, and discreet too. It shines beautifully under the light, so of course this morning was cloudy when I wanted to take the photos. I can't tell you anything about duration yet, but application was easy (I recommend 3 coats or a rose base) and it dried quickly, so no complaints!
It reminds me of the gold and pink polish of the Maybelline Brocades LE, the colors seem very similar, but since I couldn't find the Maybelline one anywhere, well, at least I have this.


Tried anything new from Catrice/ Essence? Bought anything on sale?

Maybelline Color Show Brocades 224 Rosy Rosettes

The first time I saw this LE, I didn't get anything. What a mistake. Weeks after, I went searching for the gold/rose polish, not finding it anywhere. I searched it in every shop I knew had Maybelline products, and I gave up after my last hope (a Target-like shop near my parent's house). Some pieces of the collection were still available, and I surrendered to my second choice, the pink/red one. I honestly remembered this as red, I'm glad it's more pinkish or the effect would me too Christmas-like.
The finish is a beauty, it's like Shaka Burlesque on a darker base and loaded with glitter. Shines beautifully under the light (if only it hadn't been raining for weeks you'd see it under sunlight).
I had read reviews on how the pieces of this LE were pretty but not long lasting, on this one I have no particular complaints, it lasted 3 days before chipping on my index... could be better, but also worse.

I haven't seen anything like it, and I really love it. Vote: A-

Kiko 441 Illusion Green- Digital Emotion LE

I'm lucky I bought this before the sales, since I went to a Kiko shop today and the polishes of this line were almost finished...
This one in particular is a super shiny glitter polish. It contains small round and rectangular glitters that reflect the light in a wonderful way, all in a light green base. The intensity of the base is lower than the one of the blue polish of the same edition, and it requires at least 3 coats for opacity. Would look good as a layering polish. It's a really beautiful polish and if you find it in the sales, get it! It's so pretty and eye-catching!
(And, paired with the Seche Vite, even three coats dry pretty quickly).


Vote: A

Kiko 440 Electron Blue- Digital Emotion LE

I finally had the time to put my new polish on! Electron Blue, made of blue and light blue microglitters that reflect the light so awesomely it seems the glitters are multicolored, is a great polish.
Here shown is three coats (you'll need them to build the opacity up, or you can use a dark base), no topcoat. I will aplly topcoat in the future to make it more shiny, and of course it's a bit gritty at the touch, due to the glitter density. For reviewing purposes, however, I never use topcoat.

I wish I could take pics under sunlight, but it has been raining for weeks.
Anyway, good and easy application: the brush takes up the amount of glitter you need, and drying time is very good for three coats of polish. I love this polish so much, I have lots of blue polishes but no one is like this. As I predicted, it shines like a city at night.

Vote: A.

Black and white glitter over mint green

Base: E.L.F. Mint Cream. Top Coats: Maybelline Polka Dots 197 Chalk Dust, Essence Matte Top Coat.

I have rediscovered the pleasure of glitter toppers. Especially if mattified. Due to the hex shape of the glitters if I look closely at my nails I feel like I'm watching some molecule or chemical component through a microscope.
Anyway I just wanted to test my other Maybelline Polka Dots polish, the on with black and white glitter on a clear base. I can see myself using it quite a lot, it's very versatile. Good drying time, and the brush catches lots of glitter (this is one coat of glitter). The E.L.F. polish is quite old, but I love the color so I haven't thrown it away yet. And now that I look at it it's the exact same color of my toothpaste.
Well I am getting very random, must be the tiredness... anyway let me know what you think, do you use glitter toppers a lot? Do you wear pastels in fall/winter too?

Rainbow Challenge day 5, Blue Nails

I had almost lost all hope to find those Maybelline Polka Dots polishes, so when I found them in a Limoni store I got the black and white one and this one, 196 Shooting Stars. It's basically black and white hex-shaped glitter (in different sizes) in a blue base. It doesn't need a blue base to stand out, but it would surely look better with a topcoat.
I can only do simple decors, so I did an accent nail using Kiko 294 as base. With a blue base everything looks, well, blue-er (wow, a top description) while 196SS alone has some greenish undertones. It reminds me of the sea.
It's a polish I definitely recommend. I used three coats and it dried perfectly in a short time... It's one of those polishes that don't require many attentions but create a very interesting effect.

Back from Lucca Comics & Urban Decay Creep Nail Polish

Man, Lucca Comics was awesome as always. Of course it was very tiresome, after all it's made of days of standing in queues, walking around the town to look at stuff and people, visiting exhibitions, you know, stuff.
This is what I got (I also got a Hand of the King pin from Game of Thrones, but it's already on my jacket)

The first issue of Saga went sold out really quickly!  The Elric book was a really pleasant discovery, there are many comics derived from the saga of Elric of Melniboné, but this one is definitely the best. And how could I say no to having my own copy of the League of Extraordinary Gentlemen? The Art School Confidential pages you see are the text I chose to translate at the Translation Slam.

And now, back to nail polish!

Continuing my days of swatches, here's Creep from the UD Naked nail polish set. As the other ones, it has a very thin and sheer formula, not so easy to apply due to the glitter. Here shown are three coats of Creep.
It seems even more sheer than its fellows, but I bet it looks great with a topcoat to make it even shinier.
Honestly I am not much of a fan of this set, I'd expect better polishes from them. I have to admit that drying time was very good, despite 3 coats.

Essence Sparkle Sand Effect nail polish 163- Hey Nude!

When the OPI Bond Girls collection came out I fell in love with many of its polishes, mainly Pussy Galore and Jinx. So when I found a Kiko polish that was Jinx's dupe, it became mine! (It was Kiko 640).
A dupe of Pussy Galore didn't seem to exist. Until Essence came out with this.
Now, let's be honest, it's not a perfect dupe: Pussy Galore is pinker, Hey Nude is more nude-ish (as you could guess). PG is pearly and has no big glitters, HN does.
However, it's exactly what I wanted: a pink/nude shiny sand effect polish. The glitters are quite big, but it's still an office-friendly shade imho. I love how they reflect the light!
I applied three coats for full coverage. If you want less coats, you might want to use a base, and I wonder how it looks on a pinker base, since it can be quite sheer.
Drying time, as most sand effect polishes, was pretty good.
Side note: if you have very long nails the white part of the nail might still be visible under this polish.

I'm still going to give it an A, well done again, Essence.

Wjcon Sugar Effect 804

One thing has to be said about Wjcon: they took the sand effect trend very seriously. They sand-ified everything, from glittery to neon colors. The one that caught my eye is this black/gunmetal with light blue microglitter. In the bottle the glitters shifted from blue form purple, but sadly the purple is almost invisible on the nail (under artificial light is slightly more visible).
It's a really great color, I've never seen anything like this before. Three coats and very fast drying.
Very stunning, the effect is gritty and urban-like. The blue glitters are very visible.
I can't stop staring at my nails!

Vote: A- (if it had had duochrome glitters as in the bottle it would have been epic.)

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.

Copper on copper

An experiment: Kiko 629 stamped over Pupa 810

And yes, I do think that this Kiko polish is slightly worse at stamping compared, for example, to the golden one.
I really like this effect, mostly because the Pupa polish I used as base is so gorgeous... overall it is all a bit too autumn-ish, perhaps, but surely eye catching.