I.Color Focus Nail Polish: VN24

After my last disappointing manicure it was nice to wear something unashamedly pretty...

This I.Color nail polish was a random find in Hong Kong beauty store Bonjour a few years ago and it has not been worn until now.  VN24 is an unfortunately non-descript name for what is a really pretty jelly glitter polish.  I just adored the soft mauve-pink with the shimmery aqua blue glitter floating about and considering this probably cost me next to nothing it applied beautifully - and - lasted a full week too.  I was full of superlative, creative descriptions for this polish the other day but I'm drawing a blank tonight so I will let these pictures hopefully do the talking.  But, can I just simply say that I loved wearing it!

  All pictures taken in indirect daylight:

Sometimes it's good to embrace the pretty...

Do you have any obscure branded nail polish or makeup in your collection that you absolutely love?

FABY: The Ladies Of Leonardo

Bright pink nails are back on the radar this season as I've seen in magazines and beauty catalogues. I probably follow trends more accidentally than anything as I'd rather follow my mood when it comes to colour, however, I'm bang on trend...on point...on fleek (lol!) with this manicure!

The Ladies Of Leonardo is my second pick from FABY's polish collection and it is without a doubt a bright, hot pink.  At first glance I thought this was a glossy cream but there is the barest hint of pearly shimmer visible in the sunlit pictures. This polish was another easy two-coater, with no issues whatsoever with application or coverage and it lasted about five days with a topcoat before I got noticeable chipping on a few nails.  I've opted for natural daylight pictures this time as they came out the most true to colour.

Outdoors shade

Sun

Until next time!


(This product was provided for my consideration.  All comments and opinions are my own.)

Wet n Wild Color Shine Nail Color: Lady Luck

It's time to sport another old polish from the depths of my equally old Ikea Helmer cabinet!

I'd decided that the right shade of pink can be just as easily worn in the middle of winter as the middle of summer so Wet n Wild's Lady Luck is what I came up with for a quick cheer-me-up manicure.  Lady Luck is deeper shade of pink - almost fuchsia - with the barest hint of shimmer that only really reveals itself in the brightest light.  This polish was a travel souvenir from a friend a few years ago and I think it may be discontinued so I apologize again and I won't get into the application details - my point is that pink is a valid nail colour choice for winter, unless of course you're lucky enough to be enjoying the Northern summer right now!

Full sun

 Partial sun

How do you like to brighten up your winter?

OPI Hawaii Collection: Suzi Shops & Island Hops

OPI's new Hawaii collection actually had me excited with all of its colourful choices so I was glad to get my hands onto the Little Hulas mini lacquers box for review. 

My first swatch is a cotton candy pink cream called Suzi Shops & Island Hops.  The OPI site makes me giggle at the description of this shade as a "...light and happy pink that's the perfect traveling companion" because this is the polish I unwittingly chose for my two-week beach getaway!  This is a two to three coater pastel although the finish is a durable one and with top coat this lasted almost the entire two weeks with minimal chipping.  All pictures were taken in indirect, cloudy old daylight (before I went away):

The mini brush is a little more fiddly than the regular OPI brush but because it's neatly cut it's still relatively easy to use. 

Until next time!

 (This product was provided for my consideration.  All comments and opinions are my own.)

Island Girl Nail Color: Mahalo Color

Being the last day of summer down here in Melbourne I have no choice but to post the most summery nail swatch I can find!

 

When I was in Hawaii last year I finally came face to face with the Island Girl range of polishes and despite the vast array of summery colours I was uncharacteristically disciplined and only chose two.  For whatever reason I was suffering nail polish fatigue but these things happen.  In any case...

 

Mahalo Girl is one of those obvious picks for a beachside mani or pedi as it's a neon watermelon pink and instantly sets off or gives the impression of a tan.  While some neon polishes can be quite sheer and demand a white polish base this polish was as opaque as the average non-neon variety so I got away with two coats for complete coverage.  If only I knew that back in Hawaii I may have reconsidered my conservative shopping and grabbed a few more! An excuse for a return visit perhaps? *winks* 

 

Shade

 

 

Sun

 

Is there anything you regret not buying on holiday?

 

 



My (eclectic) MAC lipstick collection...

This post has been sitting around patiently, waiting to be written for so long that I've literally finished one of my MAC lipsticks in the meantime!  It's just that combination of being busy, feeling obliged to do PR posts first (beauty blogger problems clearly!) AND suffering three internet outages in as many weeks, but now I finally have that window of opportunity to do one of my just for fun posts. 

 

Let me open up my MAC lipstick wardrobe and share - I love reading other people's lipstick posts (lipstick is my other obsession besides nails) so this was definitely fun to do!  It did actually serve another, "practical" purpose too because I was well and truly ready for a Back 2 MAC lipstick so I wanted to do a bit of a colour inventory first and see where the gap is in my own collection.  Read on and you shall see!

 

Reds

I'll start with classic reds because that's where my MAC obsession started all those years ago - as you might have spotted in the picture one of these is very old too (original packaging!) but I've been keeping it for sentimental value and because it - amazingly - hasn't gone bad otherwise it would be going Back 2 MAC for sure! I'm going to list everything throughout the post from left to right so here we go...

• Lady Danger (Matte) - Described by MAC as a vivid bright coral-red.  I've been fixated with orangey reds over the past year and this was my most recent addition to my MAC family by way of Back 2 MAC actually! It's screechingly bright to the point I have to be feeling confident to wear it but it adds confidence once it's on so it's worth that first step.  While some of my MAC matte lipsticks are dry and apply with a lot of dragging across the lips Lady Danger positively glides on in one swipe.

• RiRi Woo (Matte) - Matte cool red with a retro matte finish.  Now this one literally is a drag unfortunately so it needs the help of balm to get it onto my lips without tearing them up. I love the blue red but it doesn't love me back.  I've hung onto this lipstick mostly because of the rose gold limited edition packaging.

• Russian Red (Matte) - I'm not sure what the official shade description is but to me this is probably the truest red lipstick in my entire lipstick collection! It's obviously old judging by the packaging and I've only worn it a couple of times a year on average because again it's a serious red and unfortunately that powdery matte formula dries out my lips.

• Dubonnet (Amplified) - The deepest red in my MAC collection and my favourite of the four.  This is brownish slightly vampy red which adds impact in a more toned down way than my brighter shades.  Being a fan of the Amplified formula I love how this piles on the colour in a single swipe and has a slight creamy sheen. Best of all it's the one red which doesn't dry out my lips! Without sounding depressing Dubonnet is the perfect austere red for autumn and winter in Melbourne when I wear my black clothes in all their glory.

 

Now for some rather messy swatches in the same order as above!

Nudes

One of these nudes has literally been worn to death since I took these pictures because I loved it to death...

• Peach Blossom (Cremesheen) - A soft pink-nude with a shiny finish.  I've been enjoying this as my nude of choice over the summer because it's a swipe and go kind of colour.  Cremesheens are up there as being one of my favourite finishes in the MAC family for their shiny formula but for one significant drawback:  a lot of mine have snapped at the stub.

• Modesty (Cremesheen) - This was the nude lipstick I loved to death and finished off.  The mauve-nude tone perfectly emulated and embellished my natural lip colour so it was the 'my lips but better' lipstick of choice and I can definitely see it being repurchased.  Despite being a Cremesheen the bullet held fast without snapping so that's another reason it was/is a favourite. 

• Brave (Satin) - This is the 'other' Modesty if you like as it has a very similar, ever so slightly more mauve nude tone and is my current MLBB choice.  Being a satin it can look a bit flat and lifeless on my lips worn on its own so I prefer to top it with a bit of gloss. I've just been reading this is one of the shades for the Kylie Jenner lip if you're into that look although I bought this lipstick a couple of years before the craze.  Apparently I was ahead of the trend!

• Plastique (Frost) - Caramel frost.  I bought this one more than a couple of years ago and it only comes out to play as a topper these days because it's just a little too beigey on its own.  I'm considering putting this lipstick in my Back 2 MAC pile.

 

The swatches:



 Pink & Purples

 

This is a bit of a motley grouping of colours but close enough for me...

 

• Impassioned (Amplified) - Described by MAC as a bright warm pink this - HOT coral pink in my words - is the most screamingly bright MAC lipstick in my collection hands down!!!  I jumped on the bandwagon with this one when it felt like everyone was raving about it.  Honestly whenever I wear this statement shade my lips enter the room before I do! I really need to pluck up every ounce of courage to put it on - although right now I can feel my little inner voice daring me to again!

• Up The Amp (Amplified) - The official description for this shade is lavender violet - a pinkish purple!  I don't shy away from purple because it works with my complexion, whitens my teeth and it's an unexpected alternative to pink.  I've worn this lippy a lot but because the Amplified formula is a one-swipe wonder and super pigmented it's going to take forever to wear down the stub.

• Rebel (Satin) - This scary looking bullet wears as a bright pink plum on my lips and this is my favourite MAC lipstick shade of all time and the first MAC lipstick I have repurchased.  I love how this shade can be built up from a sheer raspberry to a deeply vibrant colour depending on my mood.  I opt for this in the cooler months as an alternative to dark red but I can also get away with it as an unexpected summer evening lipstick choice when I want to wear a statement lip.

 

And the vibrant swatches!





 

 ****************************

 

After going through all the lipstick shades in my collection I realised there was indeed a gap and I needed a soft pink lipstick to fill it.  My selection when I finally did go the MAC counter?  Angel!

 

What's your favourite MAC lipstick shade?



My Valentines Day manicure (featuring FABY Innocent Fantasy and Valentina's Day)

Hello beauties!

I've come back up for air after another hectic few days around here so I'm posting my Valentine's Day manicure a few days after the fact. To those who celebrated, I hope you had a good one! We had a crazy busy weekend and hubs and I actually went out for Valentines dinner the following evening, which is a deliberate way of celebrating our way on our own (slightly "rebellious") terms.  Every day is potentially Valentines Day right? Okay at least I did find the time for an appropriately themed manicure...

 

I received a duo set of nail lacquers from Italian brand FABY in Valentine shades just in time for my speedy manicure - and I even managed some simple nail art this year! The brand is new to me so I've grabbed some info from their Australian site:  Originally launching in Milan Italy early in 2013 FABY have recently arrived in Australia. The lacquer shades are styled and designed, "...working in partnership with Milan’s leading garment houses who design and produce all the exquisite fabrics and textures for the world’s more recognised fashion labels; including Versace, Dolce & Gabbana, Salvatore Ferragamo and Fendi."  The lacquers are 5 Free so don't contain DBP, Toluene, Formaldehyde, Formaldehyde Resin or Camphor.

For my manicure I was going to keep it simple and stick with one colour so I applied two coats of the baby pink Innocent Fantasy for an understated look.  Application was smooth and easy to control with the medium sized brush and despite being a pastel this polish gave excellent opaque coverage.  I applied top coat as I was going to stop here...

Innocent Fantasy

...but the next morning I was inspired to take it just a little further with a little bit of simple nail art.  I cut a heart shape out of some tape to make a stencil and filled in my accent nail with a single coat of the pink toned red Valentina's Day...

Again I found the polish formula to be that smooth consistency, being neither too thick nor too watery so it was easy to get a controlled result.  I wore this manicure for two days so I can't comment on wear time but I have another colour to try for a weekday manicure so I'll put that to the test soon.

FABY nail lacquers come in a range of 205 shades and are priced at $19.90AUD. They are available from leading salons or the FABY website here.


(These products were provided for my consideration.  All comments and opinions are my own.)




OPI: Blush Hour

I came across OPI's Blush Hour at a 50% off sale last month and I scored a bargain with this one!

From the Spotlight on Glitter collection released in 2014 this polish is a dimensional mix of multi-sized hex and round pink and silver glitter in a sheer pink jelly base.  Now the best bit is this is a one-coater when used for layering! I applied it over Australis bethatgirl (featured in my last nail polish post here) and ended up with a dense coverage normally only achieved after 2-3 coats.  All I had to do was add a single layer of topcoat to seal the deal.  And the result?  In my opinion this one is just freaking gorgeous!

Sun

Shade

Until my next glitter fix!



OPI: Shorts Story

As I write this - on the last day of the southern hemisphere spring - it's feeling distinctly like summer and, I can't resist the pun, like shorts weather! I'm flaking out on the bed, under the ceiling cooler so you know I'm not kidding at all!

 

Let's just segue awkwardly from the shorts wearing weather to Shorts Story, one of the summery shades from OPI's Brights Collection.  I'm a huge fan of this particular pink shade because it's just so PINK!  It's a pure bright pink - not a coral pink, not a mauve pink, not a blue pink - just PINK! Two coats of colour later and I had glossy pink statement nails for a week...

 

 Sun

 

 

Shade

 

 

What's your favourite shade of pink polish?

 

 



Rimmel 60 Seconds Colour Rush Rita Ora Nail Polish: Don't Be Shy

For once I'm getting a limited edition nail polish post up in time for you to get your hands on it! 

 

I received this polish from the about to be released Rita Ora Colour Rush collection for Rimmel and after all the moody colours I've been wearing lately I couldn't resist the lure of wearing a hot fuchsia pink in the middle of winter.  Don't Be Shy is one of 6 vibrant nail colours created and named by Rita herself in this collection which comprises a mix of 3 hot and 3 cool shades.  As per the 60 Seconds formula this polish could easily work as a single-coater (although I habitually applied another coat of colour because I can't help myself) and it dries within minutes.  Don't Be Shy has been shaking off the winter blues just nicely for me this week.

All pictures taken in indirect daylight:

Here's the lady herself modelling for Rimmel. This collection is not for the colour shy!...

Rimmel Colour Rush 60 Seconds Nail Polish from the Rita Ora collection will be available from August 2014 at Priceline, Priceline Pharmacy, Target, Kmart, BIG W, selected pharmacies and selected Coles and Woolworths stores.


(This product was provided for my consideration.  All comments and opinions are my own.)

Sally Hansen Triple Shine: Blow Bubbles

I have another pearly polish from Sally Hansen's Triple Shine range to share with you, and quite appropriate for a Wednesday because it's pink!   For those Mean Girls fans who go by the motto "On Wednesday's we wear pink" this one's for you! Yes this week's making me go just a little bit silly...

 

Blow Bubbles is a medium pink pearl finish with blue undertones.  As with my Pool Party swatch this translucent formula took 3 coats to build up full opacity but the result was a streak free shimmery, subtly iridescent finish.  This one's a very unapologetically girly polish and suits the name Blow Bubbles because it has a very youthful, almost tween feel about it.

 

All pictures taken in indirect daylight:

 

 

 

Fun fact:  these polishes actually contain natural crushed pearl.

 

Sally Hansen polishes are available from Woolworths, K Mart, Target, Coles, Chemist Warehouse and Priceline stores around Australia.

 

 

 

(This product was provided for my consideration.  All comments and opinions are my own.) 

Face It Nail Polish: PP409

I've been wearing a lot of cream polishes lately so it's time to mix it up with a bit of glitter!

 

Face It nail polish is from Korean brand The Face Shop. I love venturing in to their Melbourne Central store from time to time for skin care - in particular sheet masks -  and to "incidentally" check out their affordable nail polish as the range is largely made up of bright colours and some pretty glitter mixes.  PP409 is one of two Face It glitters I bought around a year ago and it's a medium-dense mix of round pink glitter with blue and purple micro-glitter in a clear base polish.  I applied two coats over my L'Oreal Flaming Lilac base then sealed it with a thick layer of top coat for a glassy finish.

 

All pictures taken in indirect daylight:

 

 

 

I hope you enjoy this combination :)

 

Until next time.



OPI: Kiss Me I'm Brazilian

I'm back in my comfort zone with my second Brazil collection manicure - pink!

 

Kiss Me I'm Brazilian is another of the vivid hues from the Brazil collection and OPI describes it as a "warm luscious pink".  I describe it in my own long-winded way as a warm neon pastel pink cream with a slight leaning to coral - very vibrant and pretty at the same time.  Don't be fooled by this polish in the bottle because it dries down a full shade darker (and brighter). It's definitely a statement pink, perfect for summery fingers and toes or for delaying the inevitable late autumn mood we're going to be creeping into soon down here in Melbourne.  Two coats were enough to do the job this time for a smooth creamy coverage.

 

All pictures taken in indirect daylight:

 

 

 

Thanks for looking!

 

 

 (This product was provided for my consideration.  All comments and opinions are my own.)

 

YSL Spring Collection 2014 picks

So my first makeup purchase of 2014 was driven by a rapidly building obsession for orange lipstick.  My second, and third - both featured here - were driven by a longer held obsession, acquired from the moment I first eyed YSL's Spring 2014 collection at the start of the year.  I have a well shared weakness for pretty things and the YSL Flower Crush collection seduced me instantly with its combination of floral embossed gilt packaging, pretty spring colours and the promise of...

 

 "Whorls of petals. A rush of roses and peonies.

A whirlwind of a thousand flowers envelops the Saint Laurent woman in a soft, feverishly sensual cloud. Flower crush..."

 

I gritted my teeth, saved my money and held out for the Australian release, ready to literally swoop on that counter. As it happens I didn't do the swooping but my partner in YouTube crime did - thank you Ling for performing my personal shopper duties yet again!  I was initially deciding between the 5 colour eye palette, Pivoine Crush or the Rosy Blush and in the end decided on both.  Call me indecisive but I think I was very decisive when I made that choice.

Pivoine Crush Ombrés 5 Lumières Eye Palette

 

 

 

The YSL website describes this palette as:
 "A collector eye palette with 5 vibrant eye shadow shades inspired by the perfect spring flower storm..."

 

Indeed the palette design itself has a highly collectable appeal. The bowerbird in me attracted to pretty shiny things was powerless to resist it based on that alone! The bright colours within are a bit of a departure from my usual choices of purples and taupes and in the palette they actually look a little too bright for comfort - I don't want to look theatrical (or as though I have an eye inflammation!) but swatching quickly put any concerns to rest.  The mostly warm shades are all surprisingly soft, even when applied over primer.  Some of the shades have a subtle sparkle but there's nothing over the top in the selection.  If you're after a very bright or shimmery look then this may disappoint but for someone like me who likes to dabble in colour in a subtle everyday way it's going to be perfect and I look forward to experimenting: 

 

 

 

 

Rosy Blush Duo Collector Face Palette

 

 

YSL refers to this beauty as:

"...a creamy powder that sculpts and illuminates the complexion. A collector face creamy powder palette that displays a graphic motif to unveil 2 marble pink shades that swirl and unravel an arty rose petal motif."

 

The blush is a duo of non-shimmery soft pastel pink blush swirled with a golden pink highlight shade in a ridiculously pretty, rather organic looking design in the pan.  YSL recommends the matte pink shade be used for sculpting the cheeks, then applying the golden highlight on the cheekbones however I've been swirling both shades together for a subtle pink glow on my cheeks - maybe because I'm fair skinned I find this works beautifully for a daytime look and I just love it because I get a healthy pink glow without anything too obvious.  Yes, there is a bit of sparkle but not too otherworldly for me so I am 100% in love with this!

 

  I can see that if you have medium to darker skin this won't do much for you as a blush, although it could probably still work as a highlight.  I've also read it can be layered over other blush to add a subtle glow.

 

Swirled and swatched on my arm:

 

These pretty things were both very much an indulgence for me but I don't regret them at all - like I said I'm a sucker for pretty and these are undeniably pretty and, importantly, wearable too. If you like pink then this might just be your thing. Both of these items are limited edition so you need to be quick to snap them up!

 

Until next time.