Good evening ladies and gents, tonight you are going to help me through one of the most painful activities a makeup and varnish addict like myself, can go through. For tonight... I give up some of my precious treasures, to you, THE INTERBUTTTUBES!
So the haul I have to go through is 95 polishes big! I will go through them, picking and choosing between my 36 purples, 8 glittery blacks and silvers, 15 blues and greens and 35 assorted others.
Some will go to my housemates, as they have dibbs, others will go to the bin and the rest will go up here, as a giveaway!
I have chosen 20 polishes to send to new, loving homes and I will post one a day starting tomorrow. To win the polish you must be a follower (yes it is a cheeky way to get you to read us, but who cares, free stuff right!!) and comment on the post giving the colour a new and fantasmic name! Easy peasy, nothin' to it, no worries, simples!
So tell your family, tell your friends, tell the cat next door, hell, tell that bum down the street, internet cafe's are free right!? Turn up tomorrow for the first of 20 giveaways!
toodles!
Showing posts with label Nail polish. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Nail polish. Show all posts
Tuesday, 4 January 2011
Saturday, 23 October 2010
Illamasqua Prism review compared to China Glaze Rainbow
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| Prism and China Glaze Rainbow |
I finally got my hands on Illamasqua prism several weeks ago now, but the demands of my PGCE (that is getting up at 5.30 and home at 8pm) mean that I get about an hour awake in my own house every day and that's if I'm lucky. That hour is spent showering, eating dinner and packing things for the next day.
Now that i've managed to grab a moment to upload one of the many reviews i've got stacked up in my folder I'm pleased to show you PRISM.
The application is smooth. One coat is shown below with no cleanup. Where possible I like to use one coat, it dries fast and gives a natural polished look. I do this with all polishes. With Prism I can do it without streaks at all. I did eventually layer three coats to see what it looked like, it was stunning. Unfortunately then I did the washing up and it started to peel off at the corners. Not quite sure why that happened, I think it's my nails rather than the polish.
Prism is very blue toned, whereas China Glaze Rainbow is very very pink. Both colours other than that have a very similar effect to them, but Prism dries quickly and to a glossier finish. Rainbow is a lovely pretty colour but takes an age to dry and I smudged it into my duvet last night so no photo. On a similar note, does anyone else find that some polishes seem to take forever to dry, but the minute you smudge it into something and spoil the finish it sets INSTANTANEOUSLY in the new horrible smudgyness giving you no hope of smoothing it out. >:[
In short, Prism is stunning. The colour is beautiful, drying time is fast, application smooth. The only thing I can fault is the brush because I love the new style wide ones SOSO much. Buy prism. And Rainbow. They're both fabulous. Great wedding colours too.
I mean to layer prism over a white polish to see if I can get a nice snowy effect so look out for that soon!
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| Stubbystubbystubby nails. They're back to normal length now. |
Saturday, 2 October 2010
Free Ciate Nail Polish with Marie Claire
A Brilliant deal in this month's Marie Claire magazine as these polishes normally retail for £9 each. The magazine is only £3.50. I say "only". If it weren't for the free posh nail polish I wouldn't be too impressed at paying £3.50 for advertisements and one or two articles I could easily find online.
On the subject, Ciate nail polishes ASOS edition are down to £1 on ASOS at the moment so hurrah!
As it stands I've painted one coat of my free polish shade "dangerous affair" and it is streaky as hell. I'm going to do the second coat of course, but I always personally find that two coats makes my nail polish more likley to chip, not less! I can't get Illamasqua prism to last more than 5 hours with two coats, it peels off, but with one coat I took it off after 7 days out of boredom!
........
Ok second coat applied now. The colour is true to the bottle and very shiny. They dry quickly to the touch but with all nail polish i'd leave it at least 20 mins before doing anything that might scrape all your hard work off.
The brush in these is large, which is great, but the polish in this shade was a lot thicker than i'm used to and I made a mess all around the edges of my nail. I think if the brush was more shaped with a curve, like the fantastic (and cheaper) bourjois brush that application would be easier. Because the polish is so thick it does tend to drag unless you have a lot of liquid on the brush, though then you increase the risk of making a big mess!
I like the colour and the gloss, it's not too warm on my pale skin, which is nice and the darker colour isn't as bad as some for making fingers look stubby. Just inspecting them closely, the application is smooth now, but all of the streaking and dragging in the first coat makes me think that i'm going to be seeing lots of tip wear in lieu of chipping, when ideally of course I'd like it to do neither, like the glorious max factor nail finity polishes.
As you can tell, so far i'm not incredibly keen. I do genuinely like the colour, which I wasn't expecting to, but the polish is just so thick and sticky and hard to work with compared to other polishes I own that I struggle not to be irritated.
On the subject, Ciate nail polishes ASOS edition are down to £1 on ASOS at the moment so hurrah!
As it stands I've painted one coat of my free polish shade "dangerous affair" and it is streaky as hell. I'm going to do the second coat of course, but I always personally find that two coats makes my nail polish more likley to chip, not less! I can't get Illamasqua prism to last more than 5 hours with two coats, it peels off, but with one coat I took it off after 7 days out of boredom!
........
Ok second coat applied now. The colour is true to the bottle and very shiny. They dry quickly to the touch but with all nail polish i'd leave it at least 20 mins before doing anything that might scrape all your hard work off.
The brush in these is large, which is great, but the polish in this shade was a lot thicker than i'm used to and I made a mess all around the edges of my nail. I think if the brush was more shaped with a curve, like the fantastic (and cheaper) bourjois brush that application would be easier. Because the polish is so thick it does tend to drag unless you have a lot of liquid on the brush, though then you increase the risk of making a big mess!
I like the colour and the gloss, it's not too warm on my pale skin, which is nice and the darker colour isn't as bad as some for making fingers look stubby. Just inspecting them closely, the application is smooth now, but all of the streaking and dragging in the first coat makes me think that i'm going to be seeing lots of tip wear in lieu of chipping, when ideally of course I'd like it to do neither, like the glorious max factor nail finity polishes.
As you can tell, so far i'm not incredibly keen. I do genuinely like the colour, which I wasn't expecting to, but the polish is just so thick and sticky and hard to work with compared to other polishes I own that I struggle not to be irritated.
Friday, 17 September 2010
Quality, on the cheap.
After three days of wearing the Collection 2000 dupe, I was rather impatient to review it, yet have not had a chance to upload it, so here is the judgment of Midnight Rouge!
After three days of wear, there was some chipping on the tips of my weakest nails, (alas I have two that like to flake :( ) however this is to be expected from my nails.
Curse you weak nails! Aside from this however there was zero tip wear and my nails looked freshly applied on the other hand!
Glorious! They are still marvelously glossy and very pretty.
Let's break it down! Collection 2000 Lasting Colour, Midnight Rouge, COME FORWARD!
Colour: 3/5
It pains me to say that this colour was not very close to the Dragon's Blood varnish, it was far more on the burgundy side and didn't have that deep, red, glow that I so fondly remember of Dragon's Blood. It is however a beautiful varnish.
Gloss: 3/5
It wasn't *quite* as glossy as the L'Oreal varnish but it was still lovely and shiny, especially in the sunlight.
Cost: 5/5
At £2.49 you really can't go wrong with this varnish.
Wear: 5/5
Three days, minimal chipping and only on the nails of *mine* that I expect to chip, zero tip wear and no smudging. If I wasn't such an impatient lady I'd like to see if it could last ten days! I wouldn't be surprised if it did :)
Overall it kicked L'Oreal's arse! If you're looking for an affordable, lasting varnish, then I highly recommend this!
After three days of wear, there was some chipping on the tips of my weakest nails, (alas I have two that like to flake :( ) however this is to be expected from my nails.
Curse you weak nails! Aside from this however there was zero tip wear and my nails looked freshly applied on the other hand!
Glorious! They are still marvelously glossy and very pretty.Let's break it down! Collection 2000 Lasting Colour, Midnight Rouge, COME FORWARD!
Colour: 3/5
It pains me to say that this colour was not very close to the Dragon's Blood varnish, it was far more on the burgundy side and didn't have that deep, red, glow that I so fondly remember of Dragon's Blood. It is however a beautiful varnish.
Gloss: 3/5
It wasn't *quite* as glossy as the L'Oreal varnish but it was still lovely and shiny, especially in the sunlight.
Cost: 5/5
At £2.49 you really can't go wrong with this varnish.
Wear: 5/5
Three days, minimal chipping and only on the nails of *mine* that I expect to chip, zero tip wear and no smudging. If I wasn't such an impatient lady I'd like to see if it could last ten days! I wouldn't be surprised if it did :)
Overall it kicked L'Oreal's arse! If you're looking for an affordable, lasting varnish, then I highly recommend this!
Sunday, 12 September 2010
I Am Disappoint! .\/.
After deciding to give L'Oreal Resist&Shine Titanium a good chance, I am very disappointed to find that at the end of the second day my nails look like this;
This is not what I expect from a varnish that promises me 7 days of wear.
Incidentally, that is my 'I am disappoint!' face. Hopefully you will not see it too often, in this situation however is it called for!
As a dupe for No 17 Dragon's Blood, which was of the Rock Hard Nails line, it has lost quite a few points for me... Did I not mention I'll be scoring the potential dupes out of 20?... Well, umm... Too late now! We already started playing!
L'Oreal Resist&Shine Titanium! Come forward for judgement!
Colour: 3/5
Well, it's certainly red and dark red at that, however with the two coats required to make it sufficiently dark enough and streak free, the colour gets lost.
Gloss: 5/5
I cannot deny that this varnish is extremely glossy, it does look freshly applied hours after. Which I like.
Cost: 0/5
£5.99 for a varnish that simply does not deliver what it promises? On your bike son.
Wear: 2/5
I'll give it the obligatory 2 points for lasting through an entire day of my baby related chores, almost continual typing and washing up. But I am doing it begrudgingly, promising 7 days of wear and delivering this, is shocking L'Oreal. SHOCKING.
I would also add that the application, whilst aided by the smaller cap, was hindered by the ridiculously thin and rigid brush. Ah well, on to the next conquest!!
Hanibee out <3
This is not what I expect from a varnish that promises me 7 days of wear.
Incidentally, that is my 'I am disappoint!' face. Hopefully you will not see it too often, in this situation however is it called for!As a dupe for No 17 Dragon's Blood, which was of the Rock Hard Nails line, it has lost quite a few points for me... Did I not mention I'll be scoring the potential dupes out of 20?... Well, umm... Too late now! We already started playing!
L'Oreal Resist&Shine Titanium! Come forward for judgement!
Colour: 3/5
Well, it's certainly red and dark red at that, however with the two coats required to make it sufficiently dark enough and streak free, the colour gets lost.
Gloss: 5/5
I cannot deny that this varnish is extremely glossy, it does look freshly applied hours after. Which I like.
Cost: 0/5
£5.99 for a varnish that simply does not deliver what it promises? On your bike son.
Wear: 2/5
I'll give it the obligatory 2 points for lasting through an entire day of my baby related chores, almost continual typing and washing up. But I am doing it begrudgingly, promising 7 days of wear and delivering this, is shocking L'Oreal. SHOCKING.
I would also add that the application, whilst aided by the smaller cap, was hindered by the ridiculously thin and rigid brush. Ah well, on to the next conquest!!
Hanibee out <3
Saturday, 11 September 2010
Quest for Dragon's Blood; The Journey Begins
My last post got me thinking; why, oh why have I not been looking for a dupe of No. 17 Dragon's Blood, all these years!?
It shouldn't be that hard a colour to duplicate, gothic is all the rage (again >_>) these days! Surely I can find another red that matches its beauteousness?
So in light of this revelation, I have donned my suit of armour, raised the colours and set out to find another Dragon to slay! This is a dangerous quest, it will be long and arduous, some of you may not survive, those who do will have the honour of decorating themselves with the blood of our fallen enemy! TO BATTLE!
The first Dragon slain goes by the name Burgundy Black and is of the line L'Oreal Resist&Shine Titanium.
It was a hefty beast, costing £5.99 of my shiny pennies but we shall see if it is worth the cost. The bottle is rather large and quite pretty, I like chunky bottles but I haaate using chunky lids for application, luckily this bottle top handily comes away to reveal....
TADA! A handily small cap! This made application far easier than expected, which I was happy with. My main quibble however is with the brush, it doesn't fan out to cover the nail efficiently and it meant I had to be careful to avoid bubbling.
Coming in at 9ml the formula is a rather thick one, as is often the case with varnish that promises 7 day wear, I applied my habitual two coats (I like things to be dark and opaque, it is the nature of a dirty goff) and was quite pleased with the colour.
Ok so, it's red, it's dark, it's shiney, it's certainly got a gothic vibe to it.... But is it sanguineous enough? Hmm... I know I'm being picky but something just feels off to me, perhaps I resent paying so much for a varnish, I'm going to give it three days of wear and see how it fares!
Hanibee out! <3
It shouldn't be that hard a colour to duplicate, gothic is all the rage (again >_>) these days! Surely I can find another red that matches its beauteousness?
So in light of this revelation, I have donned my suit of armour, raised the colours and set out to find another Dragon to slay! This is a dangerous quest, it will be long and arduous, some of you may not survive, those who do will have the honour of decorating themselves with the blood of our fallen enemy! TO BATTLE!
The first Dragon slain goes by the name Burgundy Black and is of the line L'Oreal Resist&Shine Titanium.
It was a hefty beast, costing £5.99 of my shiny pennies but we shall see if it is worth the cost. The bottle is rather large and quite pretty, I like chunky bottles but I haaate using chunky lids for application, luckily this bottle top handily comes away to reveal....
TADA! A handily small cap! This made application far easier than expected, which I was happy with. My main quibble however is with the brush, it doesn't fan out to cover the nail efficiently and it meant I had to be careful to avoid bubbling.
Coming in at 9ml the formula is a rather thick one, as is often the case with varnish that promises 7 day wear, I applied my habitual two coats (I like things to be dark and opaque, it is the nature of a dirty goff) and was quite pleased with the colour.
Ok so, it's red, it's dark, it's shiney, it's certainly got a gothic vibe to it.... But is it sanguineous enough? Hmm... I know I'm being picky but something just feels off to me, perhaps I resent paying so much for a varnish, I'm going to give it three days of wear and see how it fares!
Hanibee out! <3
Friday, 10 September 2010
Nail Varnish: A Love Story
Hello there!
I am the infamous Hanibee! You may have seen my stunning face around here, in the photos of my amateur attempts at unique eye makeup, on previous posts. I am here at the request of the lovely lady Sammi, to contribute to her wonderful blog and write about my experiences of makeup and more specifically, my obsession with Nail Varnish and the colour Purple.
Let me first begin by saying that when I use the word 'obsession', I do not mean this lightly. Growing up I had well over 200 bottles of varnish in my various and numerous makeup boxes, that cluttered my parents' house.... However! Before I set off for university my Mother made me throw out all of the varnishes I did not use, all the ones that had turned into gloop and all those that were duplicates. This ordeal left me with a mere 10 bottles, my absolute favourite of which, was the gorgeously deep, sanguine red No 17, 'Dragon's Blood'.
I loved this varnish, so very, very much. It was dark, gothic and had the word DRAGON in it's name, it was perfect. So when it came time to apply the last remnants of my beloved Dragon's Blood, I decided that instead of accumulating hundreds of varnishes, that would be left unloved and unworn, never to be mourned when the bottle needed to be tipped to cover the brush enough to apply even one nail... I would be more strict with myself and I would treat all my varnishes as I had my Dragon's Blood.
Five years later and I think I've done pretty well, my collection is only 40 bottles big (yes this may seem like a lot to some but to me it is a tiny number) and consists of mainly purples, blues and reds. Now, some of them may not be my absolute favourites and yes, some of them I really do need to use more, but how can a girl forgo a new and glorious purple for a green she bought on a whim!? Preposterous. Purple is just far too seductive to me, it can be light and happy, dark and gothic, deep and regal or if I'm feeling particularly feminine, bright and girly. There is simply no colour that matches it in beauty or versatility. J'adore Pourpre!
And therein lies my problem, how do I keep strict with myself when it seems that purple is getting a real look in now in terms of varnish? It's just not fair. Well, there is hope, that being that my involvement in this blog and my continuing rants about my obsession, will not only distract me from buying new varnishes before I have used my existing ones, but it will also help me pay some much needed attention to the long forgotten colours at the bottom of my makeup bag.... Like yellow, green, even sparkly pink! *gasp*
Hanibee out! <3
I am the infamous Hanibee! You may have seen my stunning face around here, in the photos of my amateur attempts at unique eye makeup, on previous posts. I am here at the request of the lovely lady Sammi, to contribute to her wonderful blog and write about my experiences of makeup and more specifically, my obsession with Nail Varnish and the colour Purple.
Let me first begin by saying that when I use the word 'obsession', I do not mean this lightly. Growing up I had well over 200 bottles of varnish in my various and numerous makeup boxes, that cluttered my parents' house.... However! Before I set off for university my Mother made me throw out all of the varnishes I did not use, all the ones that had turned into gloop and all those that were duplicates. This ordeal left me with a mere 10 bottles, my absolute favourite of which, was the gorgeously deep, sanguine red No 17, 'Dragon's Blood'.
I loved this varnish, so very, very much. It was dark, gothic and had the word DRAGON in it's name, it was perfect. So when it came time to apply the last remnants of my beloved Dragon's Blood, I decided that instead of accumulating hundreds of varnishes, that would be left unloved and unworn, never to be mourned when the bottle needed to be tipped to cover the brush enough to apply even one nail... I would be more strict with myself and I would treat all my varnishes as I had my Dragon's Blood.
Five years later and I think I've done pretty well, my collection is only 40 bottles big (yes this may seem like a lot to some but to me it is a tiny number) and consists of mainly purples, blues and reds. Now, some of them may not be my absolute favourites and yes, some of them I really do need to use more, but how can a girl forgo a new and glorious purple for a green she bought on a whim!? Preposterous. Purple is just far too seductive to me, it can be light and happy, dark and gothic, deep and regal or if I'm feeling particularly feminine, bright and girly. There is simply no colour that matches it in beauty or versatility. J'adore Pourpre!
And therein lies my problem, how do I keep strict with myself when it seems that purple is getting a real look in now in terms of varnish? It's just not fair. Well, there is hope, that being that my involvement in this blog and my continuing rants about my obsession, will not only distract me from buying new varnishes before I have used my existing ones, but it will also help me pay some much needed attention to the long forgotten colours at the bottom of my makeup bag.... Like yellow, green, even sparkly pink! *gasp*
Hanibee out! <3
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