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!

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.

Holo gradient

Yes, I know the gradient isn't much visible, but it's still some holo goodness shining under the sun! The basis is the old Kiko 400, with some Kiko 399 spinged on the tips.. It might seem like a cloudy nail art, unfit for spring, due to the color.. but as soon as sunlight hits it, bam, instant awesomeness!
A very short post today, since I had an exam yesterday and I have another next monday so life's keeping me busy (and tired).

Grey and pink swirls

Don't you just hate when you do a nice nail art, take a pic and see all the small mistakes and imperfections brought to light? Like the line left by the Seche Vite on my middle finger... anyway, here's a nail art done yesterday evening while rewatching Hunger Games: Catching Fire in search of an inspiration.

Effie Trinket is my spirit animal

I wanted to use Kiko 328, a simple cold-toned grey, and Effie's outfit, which looks more lavender or blueish according to the light, was my inspiration source. I wanted to recreate something "round", no hard edges, and fluffy. The grey is reminiscent of the outfit and the pink of her makeup. Plus, I just really love grey and pink together, I think they look fine.
The swirls were stamped using Kiko 617 and 618, the pink is Kiko 375.

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..

Christmas beauty-related gifts

Hello! Are you enjoying the holidays? I hope so!
I wanted to show you three beauty products I received this year, who are also my first UD products, not counting the nail polishes.
Do they really need an introduction?

The Naked Basics was on my wishlist for many reasons: it's small, travel friendly and contains beautiful nude matte shades. Small nude palettes are very popular now, but they aren't matte...
I've tried it on Christmas day, and it's just great. The colors are very pigmented (Faint is my new fave brown) and Walk of Shame is a "my lid but better".  I know Venus is a frost/subtle shimmery color, but It's perfect for highlighting needs, so I'm not gonna complain. I can't wait to learn many combinations and makeups with this.

The UD 24/7 Glide-on Eye Pencils are my  new favourite pencils ever. Unsurprising, I know.
Once, I was at Sephora and tried some of them. I fell in love with Uzi, a wonderful gunmetal (with a very appropriate name too). They're soft and allow me to do precise, smooth lines as eyeliner. Uzi might seem too glittery, but it's just metallic and it's a perfect day shade. It has cold undertones and it's just fantastic.
The other one is Invasion, a dark forest green, matte and with cold/blue undertones. It's hard to express how I feel finally owning it, not only because I've desired it for months, but because of the story behind it.
Once I was looking at some online swatches of the UD pencils (I think it was on Sparkage's blog) and was struck by certain color combinations and their names. The matte grey of Desperation, the blue-green of Invasion, the weapon-like grey of Uzi... I fell in love with the color scheme, and started writing a story based on it (inspired by the names too). I haven't finished it yet, but the placeholder title for it is Invasion...
(I plan on connecting that shade to one of my character's outfit).
I feel as if simply staring at it and owning it will help me writing my story.

I hope this doesn't sound too weird... for now, happy holidays! And don't forget to tell me f you received some beauty products for Christmas..

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...

Gunmetal Brocade

The base for this nail art is one of my favourite polishes, Kiko 382: a softly shimmery gunmetal grey, very classy and eye-catching in its "not exactly black" darkness. It's definitely a winter polish.
I attempted some stamping after a long time and I have to admit I am quite satisfied with the results, Kiko 328 is an excellent stamping polish. I used my Gals stamping plate GA29, and covered everything in Essence quick dry top coat to seal the design.
It could make a good festive nail art, and the design could be used in many other ways. Imagine it in silver over green...
I really love how elegant it looks. Plus, gunmetal is the coolest name for a color ever.

Deborah Shine Tech Magnetic 78

I went out for a walk with my boyfriend last saturday, and he brought me to a Deborah store he had found... that was really nice of him!
 I had never been to a Deborah one brand store so it was an interesting opportunity. I found a foundation that seems exactly my skin colour ( it's a miracle!), but I didn't buy it. I bought a couple of polishes that were in a monthly sale basket: a matte polish for 1 euro and a magnetic one for 3. That's some really good prices, considering the quality!
Today I'm showing your the magnetic one...

I picked up this because it seemed amazing in the bottle: not the standard magnetic =metallic polish, but rather a grey with green/light blue shimmer. It would be gorgeous to use even without the magnetic effect!
It's a bit sheer, but it does its job really well, and due to the green shimmer it's like having dragon scales on my nails!

Vote: A

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!

Holo and red

Phew, it's exam time at the uni and I have lots of stuff to study! But that's not going to take my nail art time away, just to reduce it, I guess.
I just needed an excuse to wear Deborah Shine Tech 13 again, such a gorgeous red.

I added kiko 400 on the tips. Holos and cremes really match, I wish I had bought the other two kiko holos that were in that LE. Those are supposed to be sunlight pics, but there isn't much sunlight since it's raining, sigh.

Glossip 15 Win Beetle

A few days ago, just outside of the Glossip shop, I was given a coupon that allowed me to buy the small bottles of polish (5 ml) for 1 euro each, with a buying limit of three. If you wanted to find a nice way to make people try that brand, you did the right thing! I bought a red for my sister, and she is very happy about it. For me I bough the 15, Win Beetle. In the bottle is a duochrome grey that goes from blue undertones to pink/violet undertones.

On the nails, the pink undertones are impossible to see, and that is surely a disappointment! I was expecting a duochrome, i got grey with cold blue undertones.
The upside of this? It's a nice, very metallic shade of grey, and under daylight the blue emerges beautifully.
The formula isn't the best either, be careful or you'll leave brush strokes. It is however longlasting, i have to admit it.
Vote: B-.
Later I added Kiko 615 on the tips... although I received compliments for this nail art, I'm not 100% sure whether I like it or not, even if they go fine together as colors.

Kiko 638 Sugar Mat Nail Lacquer

Pretty much every blogger in a country where Kiko shops can be found has been interested in Kiko's last polish news, the Mirror and the Sugar Mat series, also because of the 20% promo. At the beginning I was only interested in Sugar Mat polishes, then I also bought a Mirror one, for stamping reasons.

I would have loved a grey Sugar Mat polish, since the great concrete-like effect, so I bought the closest color to it: taupe. I tried the black one but didn't like the little glitters, so onwards with taupe!
You can see it on my ring finger.
Personally, I don't think that the sand effect is annoying to touch at all, I kinda spent the whole day touching my nail, it feels nicely.

I apologize for the conditions of my cuticles, it doesn't matter how much I moisturize my skin, winter still hates me.

The other polishes are Nude Dude by H&M and Money Maker by Sephora.

Review: Kiko 400

The sky above the port was the color of television, tuned to a dead channel.

The above quote, from Gibson's Neuromancer (that I haven't read yet, shame on me), is the first thing I thought when looking at this polish, Kiko 400, especially without direct light.
As I tought, it's really beautiful and having finally some sunlight to take pictures it's a blessing, especially with this kind of polish.

The second pic is a bit blurred but I wanted to show you a close up of the shiny-ness and colors. This is three coats and basecoat, but no top coat. I eventually tried on one finger and I'm pleased to say it doesn't ruin the holo effect at all.
Considering the price ( 2.40 euros) this was definitely worth buying!
Vote: A