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!

Neve Cosmetics Mistero Barocco eyeshadow palette

I have ten minutes to spare (I am a busy woman) and I miss regularly updating this blog. So here's a review of NC's Mistero Barocco eyeshadow palette. NC is seriously becoming my favourite brand.

This palette is no longer available on their website, but single eyeshadows are, and you could still find it in brick&mortar stores or other retailers.
The packaging is pretty awesome, white with the golden symbol, it's definitely going to rank high you your list of awesome packaging cosmetics.
It's not much different than a smaller regular palette (like the Duochrome, the Scurissimi and so on), it's in plastic and holds four shades: Crinoline (warm shimmery gold) Ember (pure matte red), Obscure (dark brown, matte with some really subtle shimmer) and Ornament (shimmery antique pink). No primer here, just swatched on bare skin.

Crinoline is very pretty, it's not just a warm gold, to me it has hints of orange and it's extremely beautiful. Highlight the inner corner of your eyes with this, or just use it as a regular eyeshadow. I know many gold eyeshadows but this one really is different.
Ember is a pure, simple matte red with cold/neutral undertones. I have used this as eyeshadow, eyeliner and blush. As blush I recommend caution because it's extremely pigmented. It doesn't look too much Heid-ish once you learn how to apply it.
Ornament is a personal favourite. Like, if you can only get one of these please get Ornament! It's not only a ridiculously beautiful eyeshadow (if you do neutrals this is your new best friend) but it's also a great blush! I used it more as a blush I believe, and it really looks wonderfully ... natural on me, the shimmer doesn't highlight the imperfections of my skin and it's extremely long lasting.
Obscure is a pretty beautiful brown, not that unique but still good and useful, you could use it in your brows as well if they're dark enough. NC suggested you to use it as bronzer as well, but it depends heavily on your skin color. On mine it would be way too dark, and would need a lot of work and blending. You can still use it as eyeshadow or eyeliner, the color is very pretty after all.

The pigmentation varies a bit, Obscure is much more buildable than the others, but that's a good thing in my eyes.
So, any of you got this or plan on getting it? Personally I am quite in love with it, it's extremely multitasking (you can do eyes, brows, face...)!

Magical girl transformation nails

Why yes, I did wait too much to take a pic of this nail art, resulting in some chipping in the index.
Besides that, I created this nail art using the Sailor Moon transformation sequences as inspiration source, I wanted to create that bubbly gradient effect.
I used Revlon Ginger Melon again, because it's a great color, with Kiko 830 as a gradient color. I used Kiko 617 and Galscosmetics stamping plates to draw the bubbles on it.
And I topped everything with Seche Vite, ofc.
I really love the colors on this one!

Colorful Galaxy

I wanted to do something colorful over Revlon Ginger Melon and I sponged a few colors on it to create a galaxy effect and it didn't turn out exactly how I wanted, but I am still posting it because the color scheme is pretty and it reminds me of the effects during a magical girl transformation.
I used Essence Elves Like Liliac, Essence Over The Rainbow, Sinful Colors Snow Me White and a bit of Catrice Play It Blue.
I still don't know what to think of it... but the colors are pretty, of that I am sure! I still want to try a "proper" galaxy nail art.

Revlon Ginger Melon

I was supposed to post about another polish, and I've got a review of the Neve Cosmetics Mistero Barocco palette coming soon. But this polish is so stunning I had to blog about it.
Basically, it's a Barbie pink perfectly opaque in two coats. I was afraid it might show some lines  but the color ended up perfectly, and with a good drying time (no seche vite here).
The smell isn't as strong as its companion Wintermint, but it's a delicious sweet smell that really makes me think of melon.
Yeah, it might seem like a summer color.. but there were 21 degrees here yesterday (Northern Italy, guys), so why not. A vibrant neon pink that doesn't require a white base to stand out? Yes, please!
The color is very reminiscent of the Eighties, so I'll probably do a nail art on it.
For now, i really love this color and I definitely recommend it!

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...

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. 
 

Dots on pink

Can you tell I'm in a dots mood? I used Essence Ben & Cherries as a base and added green dots with Essence L.O.L. I was tempted to stop there because the pastel pink and the acid green looked wonderful together. But I decided to add some dots, this time with a textured polish, Essence Hello Rosy. I didn't apply seche vite over the dots in order not to lose the liquid sand effect of the dots. I personally think it's a lovely color combination!

Teal and pink

I can't believe I haven't posted anything with this color combination yet.  And look, no triangles for this time! I wanted to make dots, but I realized I liked the little strips more...
For this I used Deborah 55 Blue Lagoon, Kiko 284 and an Essence tip painter from the old Tribal Summer set.

Violet and stripes

Let's face it, this kind of nail art is perfect when you don't have much time on your hands...to use for your hands, I mean, nails. Bad puns aside, it's a great way to explore new color combinations.
I spiced up the Pupa polish, 410, that I had worn during the second ballot at the elections, with some colorful stripes.
I used Kiko 284, Shaka Juicy Pumpkin and Essence L.O.L. 
Personally I love this color scheme! And the Seche Vite makes it look soo shiny!

Orly Miss Conduct

Ah, there is something incredibly satisfying in removing a polish from the wishlist to the stash list. I've been wanting this one since I discovered its existence, and guys, am I happy I have it!
Basically, it's a fuchsia shimmery polish. But that shimmer! It's a holo shimmer! Under sunlight it's super eye-catching.

It looks like a "plain" silver and purple shimmer, but the particles are actually holographic, so put it under the light and enjoy the awesomeness. This is 2 coats of polish.
I am very thankful to the Orly booth at cosmoprof for selling polishes from old LEs (this comes from the Naughty or Nice 2012 Christmas one), because now I have this beauty.
Duration was ok, it chipped at day 4. Despite having been considered part of a winter LE, to me it screams spring/summer, mostly because you need sunlight to fully appreciate its beauty, because in the end I don't care about the season when it comes to polishes, what really matters is my mood.

Stamping and gradient over Essence 182 Hello Rosy

The gradient is barely visible here, but under sunlight the yellow/gold particles of Kiko 640 really pop out! I stamped a nice geometrical pattern with Kiko 328 and it kinda looks aztec/pre-colombian to me, it reminds me of The Road to El Dorado. It's the first time I stamp over a sand effect polish and I am not disappointed at all, it was easy. The only downside is that you cannot fix your design with topcoat.
I love this pattern, the only problem I have is that the design on the plate is much bigger than my nail (not only longer, it's wider too) and it's hard to restamp always the same portion of the design. Ah well, it's still a nice mani so I wont complain.

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? 

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.

Camellia petals nail art

In my parents' garden there's a camellia (in Italy known simply as camelia), and last week the flowers had opened their petals in all their magnificence. Our camellia makes fuchsia and rose with fuchsia stripes flowers, like the image above kindly supplied by Wikipedia, because I forgot to take a picture of our own. As pretty as they are, they last only a few weeks, sometimes even less, which is a real pity. When I was a kid I used to play with those flowers a lot, because when they're fully open they weigh too much and fall from the plant, especially when they're already decaying. Sometimes they just lose petals, so that part of the garden is filled with petals in a very fairy-like atmosphere.

This is my tribute to those petals, done with Kiko 284 (I had forgotten the amazing quality of this polish!) and Essence's fuchsia tip painter over Ben & Cherries from the Me & My Ice Cream LE. It really looks like the real thing, so I'm quite satisfied with it!

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-

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.

Astra Holographic Nail Lacquer 707

Today I was at the market and found a display with Astra nail polishes. I asked for the holos, and found them! There was a pink, a grass green, an emerald green and a violet. I bought the emerald green one and the pink one.
The formula is great, and so is the brush. It dries very quickly too. The holo effect is more visible under direct light, and it's very beautiful, and so is the color. Definitely recommended.

Vote: A

Strawberry, vanilla & chocolate nails

You caught me: when I don't post nail art for a while it's because I'm not 100% satisfied with the results. This one isn't a masterpiece either, but I still find it cute.

You can either imagine it as chocolate dripped over vanilla or strawberry cream, or vice versa.
I used Max Factor Mellow Yellow (urgh, what a bad formula), Essence Very Cherry, Essence Tip Painter in pink (the one from the Tribal Summer LE) and an old unnamed brown I had at home. All covered in Essence's matte top coat. Actually the pink flakies on Very Cherry are above the top coat, as if on cake icing.