Natio: Peach

It's time for a nail polish post!

I've collected quite a few polishes from Australian brand Natio's Little Treasures range because the 9ml bottles are so cute and pretty affordable too at around $5.95 each.  I'm sure I've said it before but I think it's such a savvy idea for brands to sell smaller bottles of polish because there are a lot of fickle people out there like me who want to change it up, and don't have the opportunity or inclination to finish full size bottles.  Anyway, I now have lots of these so I'd better post one right now!

Peach is a self-explanatory pastel peach cream polish so no more to say there.  With regard to application this performed brilliantly for a pastel cream - two coats provided 100% smoothly opaque coverage.  If I have one - really teeny - criticism of this line it's the lack of different finishes as the overwhelming majority of the Little Treasures are creams, but heck they're still cute and the rainbow of colours just sucks me right in to collecting them!

Sun

 

 

 

Indoors

 

 

Outdoors shade

 

That's all for now!

Missha The Style Lucid Nail Polish - CR03

So...after another internet-related hiccup I'm back again!  I've got a load of backlogged posts to get onto so let's kick off with a quickie nail polish post which should suit both the Northern and Southern hemispheres.

Unfortunately Missha don't get descriptive with their shade names so this nail polish is simply known as CR03.  My guess is maybe CR stands for cream(?) because this is a Spring/Summer/Autumn appropriate cream polish - a flattering pink-toned peach with a hint of pearly sheen that glints subtly in the sunlight.  Missha polishes have huge flat brushes which make for quick coverage although I had to take a bit of extra care as the formula was a little on gluggy side.  With super careful application I'd say this could be a one-coater but I found I needed two for a perfectly smooth veneer. 

Sun

Shade

I'm happy to be back from the internet wilderness and I hope you all had a great Easter!

Lime Crime: Peaches ♡ Cream

Now onto another change of pace manicure-wise!

Today I have something completely different for you, something I would normally hesitate to wear:  a neon pastel peach!  Peaches ♡ Cream is another one of those wonderfully "intense" pastels from Lime Crime's Les Desserts d'Antoinette collection.  I really didn't know what to expect and this is one bright pastel! I nearly expected it to glow in the dark because of the strong neon leaning (LOL!) - alas no after dark glow, but it certainly does make my normally anaemic looking hands suddenly appear tanned!  The formula was a little thicker than most of the polishes in this range so I took extra care with application (read applied it s-l-o-w-l-y) and ended up with an even veneer in two coats.

Now just look at those "tanned" looking hands - I don't need a beach holiday, I just need Peaches ♡ Cream on my tips!

Sun

(this picture is the most colour accurate)

Shade

Indoors

What do you think of this neon pastel?

Until next time.

Vita :)

Face of Australia: Would You Like Some Orange Sherbet?

 Another pastel NOTD post to kick off the weekend!

Would You Like Some Orange Sherbet? is another shade from Face Of Australia's girly Pastels range.  Supposedly this was going to be the last of these I had to show you, but -  you know me right? - as I really liked these I had to have more.  So...expect two more FOA pastel NOTD's in future posts!

Now, Would You Like Some Orange Sherbet? does look the colour of orange sherbet, although it's a creme finish and not frosty like the real thing.  I found the application to be a little sheerer than the previous polishes I've tried in the range, and while I applied two coats I can clearly see some sheer patches on the nails, so a third coat is recommended.  As this shade bordered on peachy nude against my skin I added an accent nail (BYS Diamond Glitter Silk) for a bit of interest. 

Shade

Sun

That's all for now.

Vita :)

Face of Australia: After Dinner Mint (& more pastel polish bottle spam)

A few months ago all the pastel polish ranges were launching for the Northern Spring and because I was heading towards our Southern Autumn/Fall I just wasn't feeling it - I was all about berry and burgundy and just anything dark, darker and darkest.  Now finally we're well into Spring down here, our local brands are getting in on the act and - yes - with the sun making its appearance higher and brighter in the sky, I'm definitely feeling it!

Australian brand Face of Australia (aka FOA) have just launched their Pastels nail enamel range and I was completely enamored by all of the pretty gelato shades.   It was pretty tough making a choice but I walked away with 4 of the 8 shades (probably just as a start, knowing me!).  The first NOTD I'm posting from this range is the cool mint green creme, aptly named After Dinner Mint.  Every time I look at it I seriously get reminded of mint ice cream - and then I want some, lol!  This polish applied super smoothly, with no flooding or streaking and was perfectly opaque in two coats. 

Sun

Shade

Before I go here's a quick pic of the shades I bought.

Clockwise from top left:

After Dinner Mint, Have Your Cupcake & Eat it Too,

Easy Peazy Lemon Squeezy,  Would You Like Some Orange Sherbet?

What's your favourite pastel shade?

Until next time.

Vita :)

A mini Missha haul

I've been sticking faithfully to my P10P and as of today I've only got two more empties to go *pats back*.  Even though my ban only applied to makeup I tried to stay away from hauling nail polish for as long as possible too but I cracked a little while back.  I was out shopping with my Hubby in suburban Box Hill a few weekends ago when I spotted the sole Melbourne located Missha store.  Missha is a Korean cosmetics brand which I don't know much about so curious me had to check it out.  I didn't dare go near any of the cosmetics but made a beeline for the nail polish and came away with four bottles.  I did spot some amazing chunky glitters but went for the safer options this time.  It just means there's a reason to go back!

The individual colours are not very descriptively titled with their generic codes and numbers so I'll add my little explanation for each:

Lucid Nail Polish VL04

Grape purple with gold sparkle

Lucid Nail Polish SV02

Gunmetal grey with silver sparkle

 

Lucid Nail Polish CR03

Peach cream with pearl shimmer

Crystal Nail Polish GVL01

Magenta/silver micro-glitter in a purple base

As the weather was sunny yesterday I did some quick tape swatches to get a good indication of the colours as they'll appear on the nail.  These are the widest swatches I've ever done because the brushes are surprising wide and stumpy, so the real test will be application on the nail.  In terms of colour I'm really happy with all of these shades, but especially in love with both of the purples!

Swatched L - R:

VL04, SV02, CR03, GVL01

Have you tried Missha makeup or nail polish?

Until next time.

Vita :)

Essence: What Do U Think?

Hi-Hi! I've been under house arrest for the last couple of days looking after my son.  The poor little guy is getting over a nasty bout of stomach 'flu so we're all a little exhausted around here.  This blogging caper is my escape for the day...

Okay, onto today's (well last weekend's really) mani.  I haven't posted an Essence Colour & Go for a while so this was a welcome reminder of why I love the formula on these little lacquers - they dry so quickly with that smooth streak-free finish.  They barely need a top coat!  Right - so the formula was great but the colour, although nice enough, let me down a little.  What Do U Think? is an apt name for this polish and this post really.  The bottle promised a peachy polish with golden sparkle but the sparkle did not translate onto the nail at all.  There was no sparkle. Nothing. Nada. Zip.  Don't you just hate it when that happens?

All of these pictures were taken outdoors in cloudy conditions:

So...What do you think?

Vita :)

Orly: Life's a Peach

Life's a Peach is the last of my Orly mini collection polishes, and this one unfortunately disappointed me.

Don't get me wrong here, I like the colour and was really looking forward to wearing it - it was the formula that let me down this time.  On the positive side this is a summer-appropriate tangerine with just a hint of shimmer which would look its best with a (fake for me) tan.  Onto the negatives:  I had all sorts of problems applying this polish, which I don't understand as all my other Orly polishes glided on so smoothly.  This polish was a bit thick and gloopy and applied unevenly with bald patches even after three coats.  Luckily some top coat smoothed it out well enough to photograph, but then I went and smudged it badly an hour later so it didn't last long on my nails after that.  Oh well...

Full sun

 

Outdoors shade

That's all for now

Vita :)

What my nails wore to work: Revlon - Demure

Last week I decided on something peachy for my work manicure -

Revlon's Demure fit the bill perfectly.  Demure is a recent release in Australia from Revlon's retro Fire & Ice collection (I believe it was released in 2010 in the US).  With other shades given feisty names such as Siren and All Fired Up, Demure fits the icy element nicely.  This is a medium slightly pink-toned peach creme polish and very retro, conjuring up images of Grace Kelly and Mad Men.  All I needed was the sharply pointed fingernails rather than my usual squovals and an updo and I would have been right there (in my mind anyway!) This polish was opaque in two coats.

Outdoors indirect light:

Is there anything retro that takes your fancy?

Until next time.

Vita :)

Feeling just peachy...

 

 ...Or at least my makeup collection has lately as spring takes hold in the southern hemisphere.  This spring I've been heavily favouring peach as an alternative to nude - it must be the beauty bloggers' influence I guess! 

So what peach toned products do I have in my personal stash?

Lip colours

Left to right:

• Mirenesse 3D Forever Gloss (Hello Kitten) - Cute name!  I got this as a freebie with a weekly magazine.  Bright toned peach creme gloss.  Has a slightly orange scent and taste.  
• Revlon Creme Gloss (060 Peachy Sheen) - Deeper warm toned peach.  Doesn't look it in the swatch but this gloss is quite thick and heavily pigmented.  Unfortunately this has been discontinued.
• Avon Glosswear Silky Shine Lipstick (peach silk) - Super shiny, pale "60's mod" peach.  Great understated lip colour to pair with a smoky eye. 
• L'Oreal Nutrishine (pretty peach) - I love this pink/peach hybrid glossy lipbalm. It's a very feminine semi-sheer tone that gives my lips a pretty boost of colour and shine.
• Revlon Colorburst Lipstick (075 Peach) - Mid-toned peach lipstick with a very subtle shimmer.  Feels light wearing on my lips.

Blush

 

Left to right:

• b collection by bloom cheek tint (yarra valley) - This looks almost neon in the swatch but this cream blends beautifully to give me a subtle peachy glow. 
• BYS powder blusher (coral) - Super soft and richly pigmented.  I only need a little bit of this blush brushed onto my cheeks.

Nail colours

Left to right:

• Zoya (Lulu) - Milky translucent creme. Soft and subtle - love this one!
• Revlon (229 Demure) - Pink/peach creme.
• Essence (What Do U Think?) - Warm orange/peach with a subtle shimmer
• L'Oreal (Beach Bum) - Shimmery peach - I can see myself wearing this on my toes and strolling along the beach - love this one too!

Has peach crept into your makeup bag this spring?

Until my next post.

Vita :)

Freebie alert for Aussie girls: Kit nail polish

This is a quickie post to let you know - just in case you don't already cos it came out last week - about the freebie deal in this month's issue of Shop Til You Drop magazine.

Shop mag and Kit cosmetics have collaborated to produce a limited edition free nail polish shade called SHOP Loves Sunset, described on Shop mag's website as a "creamy blend of lolly pink and peach".  I've picked one up myself and I think it's a pretty accurate description although I've not had the chance to wear it - Yet!

If you love Kit nail polish then pick up the May issue of Shop Til You Drop and head down to your nearest Kit store!

That's all for now.

Vita :)

Layering: Revlon Sunflash

Hi there!

Today I felt like adding a little sparkle to my current mani so I applied two coats of Revlon Sunflash.  This polish has peachy microglitter suspended in a sheer peach base.  Too sheer on it's own for me but it adds a subtle lift to creme polishes.  I usually wear it over a red creme but I thought it would work well over the Tropical Temptation coral creme. 

Here are the pics.  Unfortunately the sun didn't come right out from behind the clouds so you can't see the full sparkly effect:

Part sun

Shade

Flash

As with most of my Revlons, I've had this one for YEARS.  Can't actually remember when exactly I got it.

That's all for this post.

Vita :)