H & M ~ Orangeade

H & M ~ Orangeade

Orange crème

Some of you have probably noticed that I have developed a love for orange polishes over the last year or so. I found Orangeade on special in my local H & M – I paid half price for it, yay!

I used two easy coats for my base and the drying time was good.

I was in the mood for something different so I dug out two Maybelline polishes: Blue Freeze and #54. It’s a dark blue shimmer and a raspberry red jelly with holo glitter. I dapped a few drops of each polish onto my nail art mat and pressed my stamper into the mix. Then I transferred the polish onto my nails with the stamper. It looked quite cool, but I didn’t photograph that step. The outcome reminded me of fire so I added a layer of golden glitter: Vivid Lacquer’s “Rainbow’s End”.

I honestly think it would have worked a bit better if Rainbow’s End had been less glitter dense. But never mind – you also get to see the manicures that didn’t turn out quite the way I expected.

This is what it all ended out looking like:

Here’s Orangeade on its own. Two coats and no topcoat yet. Isn’t it beautiful?

These are the four polishes I used today.

I wasn’t 100 % satisfied with the outcome, but that’s okay. It’s fun to try different things out! :D

Number of coats: 2
Drying time: Good

Finish: Crème

Overall impression: Great colour, good quality, good price

Buy again: Yes

Color by Llarowe ~ Her Red Hair

Color by Llarowe ~ Her Red Hair

Red to orange duochrome

Her Red Hair is a store exclusive for Nailland.

I have seen beautiful swatches of this, but the most beautiful swatch of them all had the polish layered over black, so that’s exactly what I did.

One layer of Essence’s Black is Back. Then one layer of Her Red Hair over that. Drying time was good, no issues to report whatsoever.

And this polish is spectacular. This is what it looks like in my lightbox:

This is the same polish taken in ordinary daylight! Same polish!! Isn’t that amazing?

I stamped on it. I found a great stamping motif on Vivid Lacquer’s stamping plate “VL022” and I stamped with Essie’s Penny Talk.

This is my final mani taken in the lightbox:

And here it is in ordinary daylight. It’s so hard to believe that it’s actually the same polish, isn’t it?

I love this polish, it’s really cool!

Number of coats: 1 over black
Drying time: Good

Finish: Duochrome
Overall impression: Works on its own but is more amazing over black. Great colour

Buy again: Yes

Glittering Elements ~ OOAK 86

Glittering Elements ~ OOAK 86

Blue to purple duochromatic holo with flecks

You know how I feel about surprise polishes! I love them! It’s like Christmas every time the mail man brings a package with a polish I don’t know what looks like beforehand. Agreed: There has been disappointments as well. If it happens more than once from the same seller, that’s the end of grab bags from that seller for me. I haven’t really been disappointed in grab bags from Glittering Elements. I think I’ve only ever received two polishes I thought were weird. One of them was from the “What’s In-Die Box”, so that doesn’t really count.

Anyway, let’s get to the polish. Application was good, coverage was good, drying time was good. Check, check, check.

Here’s what OOAK 86 looks like with flash:

And here’s a low light picture that reveals that the true colour of it is purple. You can also see a flakie here and there.

I stamped on it. I found a flowery swirly motif on VL019 from Vivid Lacquer. I got that plate from my friend Carolyn <3. I used a blue stamping polish from Moyou for the stamp. Here’s the final mani:

I quite like these colours together.

Unfortunately this only lasted for a few hours, then I dented it really badly, boo!!! :(

Number of coats: 2
Drying time: Good

Finish: Linear holo with duochrome effect, shimmer and flakies
Overall impression: It’s a little dusky, but I like it nonetheless

Buy again: Yes

Vivid Lacquer ~ In the House of Upside-Down

Vivid Lacquer ~ In the House of Upside-Down

blue jelly with pink glitters and butterflies and blue glitters and hearts

I received this polish in a swap, and even though I really like glitter in various shapes, I just knew that this wasn’t for me. But hey ho, shit hap, doesn’t it :D

But before I pass it on to a better home, I decided to swatch it. I think it would be silly not to; after all, I have been positively surprised before once a polish gets on the nails.

If you have been here for a while then you know that I’m not a fan of jellies. I often find their formula annoying and they seldom look good on me. I used three coats for my swatch here, and a fourth coat would probably have done wonders, but I couldn’t be bothered, to be honest. Drying time between the coats is average. I didn’t fish for the glitter, and I got both butterflies, hearts and round glitter without any effort whatsoever. So far so good, yeah?

Here’s the result. Three coats and a layer of topcoat:

I don’t hate it, but I don’t love it either. It would have worked much better for me if the base has been less transparent.

Perhaps it would have been a better idea to layer it, and I would have tried that next time, if I had decided to keep it.

But this is not destined to live with me, so she’s now sitting in the box of shame, waiting for a new owner to turn up :)

Number of coats: 3
Drying time: Average

Finish: Jelly with various sizes and shapes of pink and blue glitter

Overall impression: Too sheer for my likings, although I like the idea of hearts and butterflies in the same polish

Buy again: No