LAYERED LOOK: LIPPMANN - TODAY WAS A FAIRYTALE

Here is TWAF layered over a dark blue jelly. I liked this look, but I didn't like that the cornflower blue of the Lippmann disappeared on this. This was super sparkly in real life folks!!

LIPPMANN - TODAY WAS A FAIRYTALE

This is the second Lippmann polish I told you about. Like I said before, not sure of a release date for this just yet, and I *think* it is part of her Holiday collection.

I LOVE THIS!!! I really liked Boom Boom Pow, but I LOVE this one! It is really pretty unique. I tend to want to call this sort of a cornflower blue with silver glitters. Other times it seems to look more gray than cornflower blue. This one was a tad bit more buildable than Boom Boom Pow, but not much more. But I thought it looked cool with that weird colored blue base that I just fell in love with it's sheer version - shocker, I know! LOVE LOVE LOVE! I did 3 coats below.

I do have a layered look I did with this one for my NOTD that I will post for you today.





(Sorry forgot a name label pic, but will have one in my next post!)

LIPPMANN - BOOM BOOM POW

I'm so excited to bring you all swatches of Boom Boom Pow! Another awesome chunky glitter to come from Deborah Lippmann! Boom Boom Pow has different sized gold glitters and shimmer suspended in a clear jelly formula. While this color isn't buildable (I'm wearing 4 coats in my pictures) it still looks pretty awesome on it's own. BBP could be layered over another base color to really make it sizzle! I am going to try layering this over several different colors tonight to see what sort of combo's I come up with.

I'm not exactly for sure when this is set to be released yet, but I *think* it is part of their Holiday collection, which consists of another color - Today Was A Fairytale, which I will have swatches of later today.

HALLOWEEN NAILS & MORE!

Bewitching Halloween nails. This is a mix of stuff from just about everywhere lol.

New gel polish colors from OPI. I'm loving the new glitter colors.

More OPI gel polish.

The glitter is from sparklesnailproducts.com. The little clay leaves are from kennickkreations.com

I just love purple and green for Halloween. This client asked for tiger stripes a long time ago and she finally got them!

This is a glitter from sparkles nail products. So easy and so cute!

This is a glitter in #110 Caribbean Blue from sparklesnailproducts.com. I faded a little turquoise acrylic into it.

Surprise, surprise another glitter from sparkles nail art that I faded into a glitter from artglitter.com

ORLY Cosmic FX - Galaxy Girl

Galaxy Girl

Hi guys! For today I have another stunning piece from the ORLY Cosmic FX collection: Galaxy Girl. Galaxy Girl is a brownish burgundy base filled with those amazing flecks. The flecks in this polish flash a color somewhere between teal and cyan and sometimes a bit of purple too. I love how it's dark with a twist, so it's still 'fun' - if you know what I mean. I'd say it's a pretty unique color, although there is already a dupe available in Mac's Venomous Villains Collection: Formidable! For me this is definitely a great color for Fall.

Application

Just like Space Cadet, I had no problems applying Galaxy Girl. I threw on three coats and it dried pretty quickly. I love how the sizes of the flecks are irregular, but the finish still remains smooth as glass.

I will write about every single polish in this collection soon, I could have made one post about all six of them, but I have more fun when I'm writing about them separately - if that makes any sense. Dd you get any of the ORLY Cosmic FX's? Which one is your favorite?

ORLY polishes from the Cosmix FX collection cost 10 USD each. You can get Galaxy Girl from eBay, TransDesign, Head2ToeBeauty etc.

Beauty Salon Dimensions 2010 & A dupe for Chanel Paradoxal?

Beauty Salon Dimensions Event

Hi guys! Today Daphne and me went to an event called Beauty Salon Dimensions. This fair is visited by cosmeticians and nail techs mostly, but everyone is welcome there. A lot of awesome brands were present, showcasing their beautiful products. Nailwise, you could visit stands with brands like China Glaze, OPI, CND, Herome, Trind, Nfu Oh, and the list goes on.
The Netherlands is a bit behind when it comes to new collections, so unfortunately I won't be able to present hot scoops to you, but I do have some eyecandy for you to see. Read More after the jump!

Trind Cosmetics

Dutch brand Trind Cosmetics gives us a sneak peak of their newest collection for this winter. Pretty huh? The representative told me Trind adds four new colors to their selection every winter and summer, so I'll definitely keep an eye out for those!

Nfu Oh

Nfu Oh Nederland was there as well. I've never seen so many Nfu Oh's Together. Heaven! I've added a lot of these to my ever-growing wish list.

OPI

OPI had such a beautiful and impressive stand. Their entire range of products were beautifully showcased. The products were selling so fast they had to keep restocking non stop. I was really hoping to catch a glimpse of the Burlesques, but as I mentioned before, Holland is a tad slow.

OPI's current Designer Series Collection. The two new shades Magic and Radiance were also there. DS Magic looked insanely close to my manicure of the day: ORLY's Lunar Eclipse! Dupe alert?

OPI Swiss Collection swatches, how convenient!

I also took this picture of the Go Goth! collection. They sold these mini packs as well, too bad I couldn't purchase anything since I'm just a consumer.

Hollywood Nails

I LOVE discovering (new to) me brands. Hollywood Nails is a German brand, but their products are available in 12 European countries. I picked up four polishes here, 3 of them cost 2.99 EUR and one of them cost only 0.99 EUR! I hope I will be able to swatch these soon, they're absolute stunners. Further down in this post you will see #509 compared to a high end nail polish..

Aren't these pretty?! From this collection I bought #04 and #509.

ProNailFoil

ProNailFoil is a company that specializes in foils for nails. Appliques seem to be hotter than ever! They gave a nice demo and they looked really cool. I didn't really like the designs that much, but they did have a huuuge selection to choose from.

Chanel versus Hollywood Nails

Woah look at that! The colors in this picture aren't true to life AT ALL, but it shows the similarities very well. The base color and even the shimmer is practically the same! The shimmer in Paradoxal is a little bit bigger, but damn, it's close. I'd say this is closer to being a dupe than Models Own's Purple Grey! And it only cost me 3 euros.

Overall

I had a great time today! I absolutely loved oogling all the pretty polishes and makeup. I've bought some awesome polishes by Hollywood Nails and the new fall colors by CND. Score! Me and Daphne had a really nice talk with one of CND's representatives from BeautyXL and she told us CND will be releasing a gorgeous deep navy blue polish this winter. Can't wait!

I hope you enjoyed this little report of our day, thanks so much for stopping by!
- With love, Michèle

ORLY Cosmic FX - Space Cadet: Sci-Fi on your Nails

Normally I would save the best for last, but I'm so infatuated with this polish I just had to show it first. Space Cadet belongs to ORLY's latest 6 piece collection for fall: Cosmic FX.

According to ORLY

ORLY introduces its latest addition to its portfolio of textured finishes with Cosmic FX. The new, limited-edition collection delivers multi-dimensional flashes of intense shimmering shine that is so electrifying your nails will explode with color! This lighting phenomenon is achieved by ORLY’s exclusive MINERAL FX technology.
The innovation infuses natural rock minerals, crystals, and glass to give nails a special optical effect with extreme luster, rich pearlescence, and a smooth, sparkling spectrum of concentrated color.

Space Cadet

Wow, is all I can say. Since I started blogging I've seen so many different colors and finishes, oversaturation is inevitable. It takes a lot to leave me stunned like this.
Space Cadet is a very sparkly foily multichrome. It flashes an incredible array of colors, there is purple, orange, golden green and mauve all chucked together in a teal-ish base. In times like these I'd wish I had a video camera to capture the beauty of this polish. I think it's safe to say Space Cadet already made it to my favorites of all time. Damn baby.

scary macro shot

Application

Application was fine, 3 thin coats, which surprised me, somehow I expected I wouldn't be able to wear this polish on its own. The drying time was another surprise, it dried in a ZzZap! The wear was pretty good as well, stayed on for about five days with minor tipwear.

I will write about every single polish in this collection eventually, I could have made one post about all six of them, but I have more fun when I'm writing about them separately - if that makes any sense.

ORLY polishes from the Cosmix FX collection cost 10 USD each. You can get Space Cadet from eBay, TransDesign, Head2ToeBeauty etc.

Review: Essence Studio Nails - Nail Fashion Stickers

Essence Nail Stickers

Hi guys! With the change of seasons Essence likes to update their collection with tons of new colors and cool products. This September they added Essence Nail Fashion Stickers to their selection and I was really curious about them. I've tried the Incoco appliques before, and those really knew how to impress me. However, these Essence stickers are much less spenny! There are 14 different designs available and I picked up 3 of them: So hot!, Drama Queen! and Hollywood! (they sure shout a lot over at Essence).

Application

Before applying these you need to clean your nails first. I removed my polish and thoroughly cleaned them with alcohol. After that you select the correct size for each nail and place them on your nails. Some rubbing should remove or reduce wrinkles. Gentle file off the excess of the sticker and you're good to go! As you can see these are nothing like the appliques by Incoco, as they are made from actual polish. Essence Nail Fashion stickers should last up to 5 days. If you'd like you can seal them with a top coat.

Let's not sugarcoat this, these aren't exactly right for my nails. The sizes were pretty okay, but they were still a little bit too small and I don't have the broadest nails in the world to start with. I tried applying these as neat as I could but my nails are just too curvy, so I ended up with wrinkles everywhere.

Wear

So, these should last five days? Nuh uh. I applied top coat on one hand to see if it would make a difference but after an ordinary shower, the stickers decided to curl up around the edges, on both hands! It looked like a big mess so they didn't even make it through the day.

Overall

Considering the price (1.99 eur) these are not that bad. They're not fantastic either. I do love the designs, I think they're fun and the finish does remind me a bit of Minx Nails. I bet someone with flat, small nails would rock the hell out of these. It would have been great if there were more sizes to choose from! The wear isn't like they promised at all, but these would make a nice manicure for a party.

I'm not sure where these stickers are being sold, but you can buy Essence products at Kruidvat (NL), Rossman, Muller, DM Drogist (DL), Ulta (USA) and Shoppers (Canada). For more info check www.essence.eu

Review: Fast Forward with China Glaze

China Glaze's Quick Drying Top coat - Fast Forward

The perfect quick drying top coat. I haven't found it yet. I've tried some, but I didn't really like the finish of OPI RapiDry, the cracking "David" caused, the shrinkage I got with Seche Vite and Nubar Diamont is clearly having an identity crisis because it isn't behaving as it should be. So, I decided it was time for some fresh meat!

The good.. and the bad?

I realize I'm a bit overly critical and picky when it comes to a top coat, that's probably why I haven't found my perfect match yet (Gee, this reminds me of why I'm still single). Anyway..! I want my top coat to be quick drying, manageable, glossy, smooth as glass and chip resistant. Fast Forward actually scores quite good in these departments. It dries fairly quick (not as fast as Seche but still FAST). It does an awesome job at leveling, I'd really recommend using this over gritty glitters and stuff like that. The finish is the thing I love the most, it's glassy, stays that way too and it just feels very smooth. I haven't experienced unusual cases of chipping, cracking etc. But, is it all that and a bag of crips?

Application

Application is super easy. It isn't thick or thin, it's easy to handle and almost applies itself. I'm not even halfway the bottle though so I don't know if Fast Forward tends to thicken up after a while. Also, it doesn't get streaky or bubbly, sounds good right?
There is one thing though and that's the smell. I don't mind strong smells but if you do, this is not your guy! The very strong smell of Fast Forward reminds me of peppermint candy with acetone icing. While Fast Forward is b3f, it still smells like a chemical explosion.
Unfortunately I have experienced some shrinkage too. Yup, it's there. Not always, it depends on the polish you're painting over, but yes, it can happen.

Overall

I'm really happy with this top coat and if it wouldn't cause shrinkage, I'd be in love. It's glassy, sexy smooth and stays put rather well. I'm pretty sure the smell will be a problem for some, but if you can handle it and you're still looking for a decent top coat you might want to give Fast Forward a shot!

You can get this top coat at eBay, TransDesign, Head2toebeauty and other etailers. Prices may vary - starting $3.

Lush Coalface Cleanser

Apologies for the lack of posts! I've just moved to Leeds and it took me awhile to get settled. However, I bought some new Lush cleanser, Coalface has liquorice and charcoal to remove make up and dirt and it's slightly abrasive too so it also exfoliates. 

It's the usual solid Lush-style bar, which I think is great. I cut a piece off and use it bit by bit. I used to take the whole bar and leave it in the shower but it would always get all wet and ruined, so I think this way works better. After taking off my make up using cleanser or make up removing wipes, I wash my face with this bar to remove any last traces. 

In the past I've found that some Lush cleansers leave my face dry and tight, but I've not had any problems with Coalface. After use, my skin is smoother and softer because of the tiny exfoliating particles. In the long run, it's supposed to help even skin tone and fade any imperfections. So far, so good. I can actually notice a slight change after a week but I'm going to stick at it in the hope that it helps a bit more. 

A lovely product, perfect for quickly washing away dirt at the end of the day. And of course it's a Lush product so it's all natural!

Models Own vs. Chanel

Models Own Car Key Collection

After Chanel's Paradoxal, Models Own figured out how to gain success by duping another brand. They already had Purple Grey which is a close dupe to Paradoxal (minus the shimmer) but it only started selling like crazy after Chanel's release.

Obviously they're not stupid because in October Models Own will be releasing the Car Key (get it? haha!) collection. It's quite clear they're duping the Les Khakis de Chanel collection over here. Haha, I love this. These shades go by the names: Grace Green, Becca's Brown and Purple Ash. I'm not sure whether they're exact dupes (judging from this pic I don't think so) but who knows!

Release date: 6 October at Boots and on the site as well. Models Own polishes cost £5 each.

Edit:

BritishBeautyBlogger already did a comparison of these polishes versus the real deal. Just like I expected, they're not THAT dupey, too bad!

source & image credit: britishbeautyblogger.com

SEPTEMBER 2010

This is opi gel polish in yodel me on my cell. I added a coat of happy anniversary to add some shimmer.

I faded two colors of acrylic and added some new sparkles called seasons from sparklesnailproducts.com

I purchased these silver squares from artglitter.com.

This is opi gel polish in yodel me on my cell. It's even cuter in person.

These are not Halloween nails hehehe :) This glitter is called hocus pocus and it is also from sparklesnailproducts.com