Sunday, August 31, 2014

China Glaze ~ Under the Boardwalk



China Glaze ~ Under the Boardwalk
Neon purple creme

Welcome to the polish that comes directly from Hell! Well, maybe not literally because I actually bought this polish in Hungary where it’s quite nice, but before it materialised in Hungary it must have originated in Hell.

Under the Boardwalk is from the Summer Neons 2014 collection.

The formula is awful. It’s thick and gloopy and I seriously couldn’t work with it.

At first I tried to apply two coats alone. I couldn’t get the polish out to the edges of my nails; it was either not even close to the cuticles or ON the cuticles, grr. Drying time was fast – that’s the best thing there is to say about this polish. It dries up matte, like many neons do, so I applied a layer of topcoat to make it shiny.

Here’s my first attempt. Two coats and a layer of topcoat. Streaky, ugly, fail!

China Glaze ~ Under the Boardwalk

China Glaze ~ Under the Boardwalk


Then I thought to myself that it might be the kind of polish that likes white underwear! So I took it all off and started out with a layer of OPI’s Angel with a Leadfoot which is a plain white crème. When that was dry I applied three layers of Under the Boardwalk and a layer of topcoat. I still don’t like it. The formula is just annoying and I can’t seem to get the coverage I want. All I get in an uneven streaky mani.

Here’s second attempt: Three layers of Under the Boardwalk over white + a layer of topcoat:

China Glaze ~ Under the Boardwalk

China Glaze ~ Under the Boardwalk


Look at how different the colour is on the nails when you compare them to the bottle colour!

There’s only one thing that can fix this mess: Glittah – and lots of it!!!

I applied a layer of Color Club’s “Something New”, which seemed to be appropriate name wise; this is the first Color Club I got in the new bottles. I didn’t like the look of them at first, but now I actually think they’re ok. The glitter is white and baby blue and it’s extremely dense. You know the rule: One dip in the bottle per nail.

Here’s the cover up of the China Glaze:


I really like this white glitter, I’m going to use it a lot when winter arrives! 


Did you buy any of the China Glaze Summer Neons? If yes, did you also have problems with the formula?

Saturday, August 30, 2014

Resinail ~ Tropical Treasure



Resinail ~ Tropical Treat
Light green jelly base and peridot holographic glitter

Today I’m going to show you the last of the three Resinail polishes I have. I have saved the best till last – I love holo glitters!

The formula is good and the glitter spreads out easily. I did stir the polish with the brush a couple of times during application, to make sure it was loaded with glitter. Tropical Treat is a jelly and I don’t like visible nail line, so I used three coats for this mani. The drying time between the coats is relatively fast, so that’s not a worry. I applied a layer of topcoat before I took my pictures.

Here’s three coats and a layer of topcoat taken in the sunshine:


Oh yeah baby… holo glitter… I just love it!

The shine is fantastic and the holo glitter just sparkles and glitters. *happy sigh*


Showing off the holo glitter:


I stamped on it, and this green called for flowers. I found a flower motif on Moyou London’s stamping plate Pro Collection-14 and I used Sally Hansen Insta Dri “Whirlwind White” as my stamping polish. When the motif was on the nails, I made a yellow dot in the middle of each flower with Sally Hansen Insta-Dri “Lightening”.

Here’s how I wore Tropical Treasure:


I kid you not: I love it!


Verdict:
If you’re into holo glitters like I am, then you need this in your collection. The colour is great and the sparkles amazing. Yes. Just yes. I thank you :)

Darling Diva ~ Macarize



Darling Diva ~ Macarize
Warm purple linear holo

Let me show you a beautiful purple from Darling Diva.

The formula is good, like I’ve come to expect from Darling Diva. I’ve got quite a lot of them by now, and they don’t normally let me down. I used two easy coats for this mani and the drying time between is good.

The sun worked with me today, so here’s a pic of two coats and no topcoat in the sun:


Impressive yes? Well take a look at this then:


I am wowed! I also took a picture in my light box. When the polish is out of the sun, the metallic shimmer takes over, and makes the polish look like this:


I think that’s pretty too!
So I decided to do a bit of gradient stamping on it. I found a swirly motif on Moyou London’s plate Princess Collection-10 and I made the stamping gradient with Sally Hansen Whirlwind White from the Insta-Dri series and a pink from Moyou (not Moyou London, just Moyou!).

And here’s my final mani in the sun:


The same thing in the light box:


I have to admit that I really like gradient stamping, I think it looks super cool! What about you girls?

Macarize was limited edition and is now sold out.


Number of coats: 2
Drying time: Good
Finish: Shimmery linear holo
Overall impression: Wow! Just Wow!
Buy again: Yes

Friday, August 29, 2014

Resinail ~ Fuchsia Fade



Resinail ~ Fuchsia Fade
Pink shimmer to fuchsia thermal

The formula is good and easy to work with. I didn’t experience any problems with application. The polish was opaque after two coats, but I wanted to be on the safe side and show this polish from its prettiest side, so I applied a third coat. The drying time between the coats is a little bit faster than average, but not much.

Here’s what three coats and no topcoat looks like in the sunshine:


That pink shimmer is just amazing!


The effect that I’m showing you here is the way it looks in real life without use of cold/warm water. I have relatively short nails, but this would be even more awesome on really long nails – that would give a gradient effect!


I did try and play with warm and cold water, but we have relatively warm here at the moment, even out of the cold tap, and the instant I pulled my fingers out of the (semi) cold water, the polish reverted back to it’s ‘warm’ colour before I could snap pictures of it :D


Here’s one last shot. I must admit that I find this really fascinating, because it shows how well it works and how the effect looks in “real life” instead of under a running tap!


Verdict:
I’m impressed with this thermal. The effect is really good and it works even on short nails like mine. The formula is good too, so yes, if you like pinks and thermals, this is definitely a winner!

Smitten Polish ~ Her name was Rose



Smitten Polish ~ Her name was Rose
Raspberry base packed with hologlitter

Here’s another hologlittery polish from Smitten. I really like Smittens, they’ve made some really cool stuff, and Her Name Was Rose is no exception.

Formula is great and the polish dries really fast. It took two coats to get rid of any visible nail line and the polish was extremely easy to work with. All the right boxes ticked, no worries.

I had sunshine available, hurra! So here’s two coats and no topcoat taken in the sun:


That glittery holo goodness just looks amazing!


Her Name Was Rose is also pretty in lower lights.


The polish called for flowers, so I dotted some flowers on it. I used a regular white crème from Savina called “French White” for the petals and Smitten Endless Sunset (which I showed you HERE – LINK) mixed with a bit of white for better opacity for the middle of the flowers. I used a regular dotting tool to make the flowers. There’s a layer of topcoat to seal it all up too.

Here is my final mani taken in the sunshine:


I really like this!


It’s been a while since I dotted flowers on my nails, and this is definitely my best attempt so far. Do you like my little flowers?


Number of coats: 2
Drying time: Fast
Finish: Orange base with holo micro glitter, dries up semi-gritty
Overall impression: A great orange, I love the effect and the finish  
Buy again: Yes

I bought Her name was Rose from Edgy Polish, which fortunately ships internationally!

Thursday, August 28, 2014

Resinail ~ Fizzy Water



Resinail ~ Fizzy Water
Silver Linear holo

Hi girls,

It’s time to introduce a new Australian indie! I’m proud to present Resinail on the indie scene.

The formula of Fizzy Water is good and really easy to apply. I used my regular base coat and didn’t experience any problems with dragging or bald spots, so you don’t need an aqua base coat for this shiny baby. Fizzy Water is a bit on the sheer side, so I needed three coats to get rid of visible nail line. The drying time between the coats is really good, so the three coats weren’t in any way an issue.

The holo effect is good! Let me show you what I’m talking about. Here’s three coats and no topcoat, picture is taken in the sunshine:


I might as well tell you right away: I took a million pictures of this and had a really hard time killing my darlings afterwards! :D


The holo made my camera freak out a bit, so I was really happy that some of the pictures show the beauty of Fizzy Water.


Rainbows! I just love them!


*happy sigh*


I didn’t wear it on its own – I hardly ever do that. I decided to make some blue “bubbles” on it – it is fizzy water after all! :D I made dots with the blue holo from Color Club’s Halo Hues: Over the Moon. I made the dots in various sizes and I made a silver dot inside of the bigger dots with the Fizzy Water.

Here, sweet ladies, is my final design:


Verdict:
My first impression of Resinail is very positive. The bottles look really professional with the big “R”-label on the front. The bottom labels needs to be worked on in my opinion. This is a mini bottle, and the bottom sticker fell off in the envelope. Fortunately it’s a minor thing that’s easily fixed. The quality of the polish is absolutely great and it dries fast, so there’s two wins right there!
Fizzy Water is a bit on the sheer side. I tried to layer it over black to see if it can be used as a holo topper, but it greys the base colour quite a bit. But if you don’t mind that, then it gives a great holo effect over a dark colour.
So all in all, yes, this was a great first experience with Resinail.

Smitten Polish ~ Endless Sunset



Smitten Polish ~ Endless Sunset
Peachy orange base packed with hologlitter

Orange has never been my favourite colour, not in nail polish nor in anything else. But this summer has surprisingly enough made me buy more orange polishes than I ever dreamed of. I think it’s because the polish makers are doing oranges that aren’t just either neon or autumn-coloured, if you know what I mean.

I bought Endless Sunset, which is an Edgy Polish exclusive because the few swatches I saw intrigued me. I knew I had to try it on my own. My heart honestly sank when I saw the bottle – I didn’t think it looked like any of the swatches I’ve seen (because you know how some people over-manipulate their pics and fool you into thinking that’s actually what the polish looks like in the real world, the annoying little egocentrics). But behold: This polish turned out to be much prettier on the nails than in the bottle, so it all ends well :)

The formula is great and the polish applies easily and effortlessly. It takes two coats to make it opaque and the drying time between the coats is really fast! Endless Sunset dries up semi-gritty, so you’ll need a layer of good topcoat if you want a silky smooth finish.

Here’s two coats, no topcoat, picture taken in the sun:


Is that an amazing polish or what? Now even I can wear orange!!


Here’s a lightbox picture. It’s still pretty imo!


I paired it with another Smitten of mine, namely Not Your Mama’s Easter Grass. I made small lines by the tips to resemble grass. Then I topcoated the whole thing and went back into the sunshine to take this picture:


It should have looked like grass but all I can think of when I see this is carrots, hahaha!! :D 

Here’s a lightbox pic:


I need to say thanks to Katarina from Edgy Polish for having such an awesome orange made!


Number of coats: 2
Drying time: Fast
Finish: Orange base with holo micro glitter, dries up semi-gritty
Overall impression: A great orange, I love the effect and the finish  
Buy again: Yes

I bought Endless Sunset from Edgy Polish – it’s a store exclusive so it’s the only place you can buy it if you want it :)

Wednesday, August 27, 2014

Darling Diva ~ Sassy Ass Mouth



Darling Diva ~ Sassy Ass Mouth
Red linear holo

Girls, be prepared for a jaw-dropping holo today!

Sassy Ass Mouth is practically a one coater, but I do think that the second coat enhanced the depth a bit so that’s how I wore it. Drying time between the coats is good, no worries in that department either. In fact – I can’t say anything bad about this polish at all. Sweet as, bro :)

Put on your sunglasses and get ready to look at two coats and no topcoat, the picture is taken in the sunshine:


If that isn’t amazing then I don’t know what is!


I think this went right into my top ten of favourite polishes! Wow!


I considered to wear it on its own because this is the type of polish that is pretty enough for that. But, guess what : I stamped a bit on it anyway because I was in that mood. I used a motif from Moyou London’s stamping plate Pro Collection-02 and I stamped with Wily from Mentality.

Here’s a sunshine pic:


And here’s a lightbox pic. Look how pretty the polish is in the shade as well!


I’m impressed. I’m seriously impressed!!

Number of coats: 2
Drying time: Good
Finish: Strong linear holo
Overall impression: Wow! Just Wow!
Buy again: Yes, yes, yes!

Tuesday, August 26, 2014

Ooh la lacquer ~ Summer Daze



Ooh la lacquer ~ Summer Daze
Lilac linear holographic

Here’s my last Ooh La Lacquer for now.

The formula is good but the polish is rather sheer. I used three coats to achieve the opacity and depth you see on the pictures. The drying time between the coats is pretty average.

Here’s three coats and no topcoat:


It looks pretty, doesn’t it?


Here’s a low light picture:


I can see that it’s a pretty polish, but seriously, it’s not me at all. It’s way too discrete, or inoffensive if you like.

So I made some dots on it. I used Smitten’s Ker-Bloom, which I showed you here. It helps a bit, take a look at my final mani:


Low light picture:


It helped with the dots, but this is my least favourite Ooh La Lacquer polish. It might even end up in the infamous box of shame!!


Number of coats: 3
Drying time: Average
Finish: Linear holo
Overall impression: The colour is too soft for my likings and the sheerness puts me off a bit.
Buy again: No

Monday, August 25, 2014

Ooh la lacquer ~ Vamp up the Volume



Ooh la lacquer ~ Vamp up the Volume
Magenta linear holo with iridescent flecks

I really like Ooh la lacquers, so it’s really a shame that they don’t ship to Denmark – boo! So I have gotten the ones I have in swaps or via good Facebook friends overseas. Thanks girls – you rock!! ♥

Vamp up the Volume went right onto my wishlist from the moment I laid my eyes on it. It looked stunning on the pics I saw.

I might as well reveal it right now: I wasn’t disappointed! The formula is great, and the polish almost applies itself. Nice, eh? :D It took two coats to make me a happy bunny and the drying time is fast.

Here’s what Vamp up the Volume looks like; two coats and no topcoat; the picture is taken with flash:


Isn’t that colour just adorable??



Here’s a low light picture. The rainbows still want to play and the flecks show a little bit.


I stamped on it, a simple flower motif I found on my XL stamping plate H. I used Kiko’s #625 Metallic Green from the Mirror collection. That collection is just perfect for stamping!

Here’s what my mani ended up looking like:


And here’s your low light picture:


The green Kiko looks like blue on my nails, but I honestly don’t mind that very much. I find it somewhat intriguing when the polishes change colour when they’re layered over another polish!


Number of coats: 2
Drying time: Good
Finish: Linear holo with iridescent flecks
Overall impression: I love the colour and the rainbows, the quality is good – the only complaint I have is that Ooh La Lacquer doesn’t ship to Denmark!
Buy again: Yes