28 november 2010

China glaze Pink voltage


Yesterday I matched my nails with a dress and painted my nails neon pink. There is so much red around, with Christmas and all, so I wanted something totally opposite. Something that isn't Christmas, and a neon pink is so far away from Christmas I can think.

I bought Pink voltage from China glaze this summer but has actually not tried it until now. And I must say that it is very pink and looks best in day light. When it gets dark (which it becomes around three o'clock in the afternoon here in Sweden now) the color becomes kind of yellow. 
This is absolutely a color I want to wear on my toe nails this coming summer.

The formula is kind of streaky though and I need three layers to get a cover that looks good. But it works. 

Like all neons it dries matte so I top it with a coat of Seche vite.





27 november 2010

OPI Teenage dream

After coming to the conclusion that the blue glitter polish Last Friday night was best for layering I was expecting the same from the light pink Teenage dream from the upcoming Katy Perry collection from OPI.

But I was wrong. This polish works very well on its own, even if it do need three covers for full coverage. Then it gives you a light, pink, glitter explosion. The base is a pink clear and then it got pink micro glitter and bigger holo glitter. I really like it. It is very mild in the color, very sweet.

I think it also would be beautiful with only one layer over a sheer pink polish like Privacy please from OPI.

The fomula is a bit thick, a lot sticks to the brush. But it works, maybe because it a glitter polish.






26 november 2010

OPI The one that got away

The one that got away is the polish with the most color from OPIs Katy Perry collection. In the bottle it is a rich magenta colour with gold-green dust in it. I looks beautiful.


And it is beautiful on the nails as well. The color continues to be rich and being a foil lacquer it has some glitter, I guess that is the gold-green dust. The effect is similar as some of the polishes from the Burlesque collection. This color may not be unique, but I really like it. It is sophisticated but still got something extra. This I would wear for a night out.

The formula is good, but needs three layers to cover well. It dried quickly as well.








24 november 2010

OPI Last Friday night

The thing I like about glitter polishes is that they turn the nails into little jewels and I like wearing it no mather what I am doing: work or party.

Last Friday night from OPIs Katy Perry collection looks like a really bright blue in the bottle. The base is a clear light blue and got lots of blue, silver and turqoise glitter. Really pretty. But it is thin though. And when I start painting with it it doesn´t take long before I realise that this is a polish for layering. After five layers I have a surface I am satisfied with even if I still have a visible nail line. But I can accept this.
I might not always have the patience for five layers, so I think I will use this for layering. I have a blue polish from Essie, it is called Aruba, that I must try this on.

The color on the nail though is no where near the bottle colour. On the nail it ends up as a light blue with a feeling of silver, very winter but also a glitter suitable for the summer I think.

It was easy to paint with, so no complains there.




23 november 2010

OPI Not like the movies

OPIs collaboration with singer Katy Perry resulted in four polishes and one black shatter polish that crackles on the nail. The first one on my nails is the grey metallic Not like the movies, even though this is not the one that I am looking forward to the most.

Not like the movies has a grey base with a micro glitter. It is iridiscent and shifts from pink to green. I like the effect because it makes the polish to be something more than just a grey. A grey would have been boring. But this is fun, in a subtle way.

The formula is a bit thin though, I need three layers to cover the nail.





I have also tried the Black shatter polish which is supposed to crackle on the nail. Last time I used this kind of polish was about twenty years ago. I didn´t really liked it then, but now this version is cool. I like the effect on the nail. You have to paint fast though because it dries really, really quick. The surface becomes matte.






Tomorrow I will try the blue glitter Last Friday night.

I got OPI Katy Perry collection in my hands

Look what landed in my mail yesterday. The full Katy Perry collection from OPI where Katy Perry herself has been choosing colors she like.

I am quite excited about this. I am among those who thinks that these polishes looks interesting and I am really looking forward to see how they end up on the nail. One thing is for sure, the bling continues. This collection sparkles.

The collection contains of:

Not like the movies. A silver grey that shifts between pink and green in the bottle. Looks cool.
Last Friday night. A bright blue with blue and holo glitter. I wonder if it is opaque on the nail.
The one that got away. A dark pink, fuchsia like, with a gold micro glitter. Nice.
Teenage dream. A light pink with pink and holo glitter. This would make my niece go nuts.
Black shatter. This is the OPI version of crackle polish.

Thats it. I will show the first swatch tonight!


21 november 2010

MNY 265

MNY is a new budget brand where a nail polish costs 29 kronor (about 3 euros). Really cheap I think because I am used to paying 150 kronor (15 euros) for an OPI bottle here in Sweden. So of course I had to try it.

The polish with the quite boring name 265 is a red jelly with silver holo glitter in it. On the nail it becomes a raspberry red and in some lights you can se the small glitter parts. I think it is a nice color. It is not up in your face red, instead it is more subtle.

The formula though is quite sheer. With three coats I have a visible nail line, but still I am stopping at three although I prefer an opaque polish. The formula is also a bit thin and I think the brush is a bit soft.

But hey, for 29 kronor it is a bargain.


20 november 2010

OPI A to Z-urich

Red nails are always a safe card and when Christmas is getting closer and closer I use it more. OPIs A to Z-urich from the Swiss collection is a berry red that looks very mild. It also got a bit of brown in it I think. 

I think it is a nice color, but not fantastic. There is no wow factor, but it is suitable for those occations where you want something colorful but needs to be a bit more subtle. 

The formula is good, nothing to complain about there. And it is opaque in two layers. 



18 november 2010

China glaze Ruby pumps

Hey, it is Thursday, why not put on some red glitter on this lovely day? It is almost christmas!

I bought Ruby pumps from China glaze for christmas last year. I think it is the perfect christmas polish, the red jelly base is rich and it is full of glitter. You really get the feeling of the ruby pumps in Alice in Wonderland.

The formula is a bit messy and hard to control though, I have to clear up on the cuticles several times and that is not like me. But I don´t care, it is worth it because the color is just wonderful. I hope you get the feeling of it in the photos.

To be opacue I need three layers, with two I could see the nail line.




17 november 2010

China glaze First class ticket

After having a lighter purple on my nails yesterday I am now back on something darker. First glass ticket is a purple metallic polish with some blue microglitter in it from the Vintage vixen collection from China glaze. It is a beautiful colour. The color is about the same in the bottle as on the nails.

The formula is quite good, even though I think that the brush holds too much paint sometimes which makes it hard to control. It covers good with two layers.

I like it.


Sometimes you need a knife

You should really be careful with this. Cutting the cuticles isn't easy and if you use too much force it is easy to cut too deep and then it starts to bleed.

When I am cutting my cuticles I always make sure that I have softened them first by using some kind of exfoliating cuticle cream. Then I cut off the parts of the cuticle that is sticking up or has become to thick.

This cuticle knife is made of metal and comes from Sally Hansen. In the other end it has a kind of spade shaped tool that is good to scrape cuticles off the nail.


16 november 2010

Sephora wants to open in Sweden

Wonderful Sephora wants to open in Scandinavia. This is great news to me. I like their concept, a mix between their own brands and others. They also have good tools and brushes that I always shop when I get the chance abroad.
If they come to Sweden I wish that they take with them the nailpolishes Sephora by OPI, they didn´t have those in the Sephora stores in France this summer.

Read more about this in the Swedish newspaper Market

OPI A grape fit

I actually think that créme pastel shades can be a bit hard to paint with sometimes, there fore I don't use them so often. Still I buy them. Escpecially if it is purple, I am very attracted to purple. 

A grape fit from OPI is a little darker pastel purple that needs three coats to cover. But if you have the patience to be careful it is worth it.

I top it all with my new favourit Seche Vite. That top coat is fantastic and makes the polish dry very quickly. I don't like though that it makes the polish shrink a bit on the nail.


15 november 2010

OPI William tell me about OPI

It is dark here in Sweden now. The sun gets up late in the mornings and goes down in the afternoons. To top it all it is rainy and very cloudy here today. So I thought I would match it all with some really dark nail polish.

I have several dark ones in my boxes; blue, purple, grey, all almost black. The choice fell on OPIs William tell me about OPI from the Swiss-collection, a polish I haven´t tried before.

In the bottle this créme polish looks like an aubergine purple, but it becomes darker on the nail. It is almost black, a bit too black because I really liked what I saw in the bottle and wish it would have turned out like that.

The formula was good and it was easy to paint with. With dark polishes I am always extra careful because it gets so messy if I get it on the cuticles.


14 november 2010

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China glaze 2nite

It is funny how I forget sometimes. I was reading different blogs looking for a holographic polish. I have some from OPIs Design series, if they counts as holographic, but wanted something more. So, I found several posts about a nice light blue polish from China glaze that I thought was really nice but then I read in one blog that they thought that it was discontinued. Hmm.
But then I started thinking. Doesn't it look a lot like a polish that I do have? I went through my boxes, and yes there it was. I actually have the discontinued nail polish 2nite from China glaze that I had been reading about. And I have never tried it on. Until today. I just had to use it now.

So, 2nite is a light blue holographic polish. In normal daylight it looks quite plain actually and you don't see so much of the holographic effect. But when I look at my nails under a lamp it is a whole other thing. Then it looks really nice. I can imagine that the same effect would appear in sunshine, unfortunately it is cloudy here today.

The formula is a bit thick, still it needs three layers for full coverage. You have to be careful because the brush holds a lot of polish and it is easy to get to much on the nail.

I like this, but I think this is more of a nail polish for the summer. Then I will get the full effect out of it.






13 november 2010

Nubar Violet Sparkle

I am a glitter girl, especially on the weekends. Tonight we are off to a dinner party so then I want some glitter on my nails, even if I keep the rest of my outfit quite simple.

My choice tonight is Violet sparkle from Nubars Sparkles collection. The color is purple and is full of purple glitters in a clear base. I think it is so beautiful. It is a very rich color.

To make it opaque I need to use three coats which I don't think is much for being a glitter. And since it becomes quite matte when it dries (and it dries quickly) I cover it with two coats of Seche Vite so it sparkles. In daylight though it doesn't sparkle so much but when I put my nails under a lamp it sparkles a lot, then it also becomes a bit darker which you can see on the photos.




Gettin' short

Okey, one thing I find boring is shortening my nails. My nails are very hard and they grow fast. So it takes a long time to file them and I have to do it quite often. I can't have too long nails because it doesn't work for me when I am writing on a computer all day in my job.

Earlier I always used a glass file but now I have started using a sandpaper file with three steps from strong to fine. I start with the strong side and finish with the fine. I just goes quicker and my nails doesn't get bad from them.

I always trim my nails when I have nail polish on. Then I think it is easier to see how the shape turns out.

I buy my files at the Swedish beauty store Kicks (www.kicks.se).

Isadora Combat Khaki

Swedish make up brand Isadora is quite quick at picking up different nail trends. From their Trend collection that they launched this autumn I so far tried the red polish Red Alert and the purple Mauvement. Both really nice colors.

Combat Khaki is a light green, kind of pale and a bit dirty that I would describe as a retro green, like from the fifties. Or maybe hospital green, but that might not sound so fun. Like wearing scrubs on your nails. The color is nice, but not fantastic. It doesn't go very well with my skin tone which is really pale.

The formula is good, it is a bit thick but still easy to control. Two coats makes it opaque.

The thing I don't like is the brush, it is too wide.  I am having a hard time getting used to it, especially on the smaller nails.


11 november 2010

OPI Yodel me on my cell

OPI totally dominates my nail polish collection. It started with a bottle of Kinky in Helsinki that I got from a friend in Canada and then I was hooked. Most of the time the quality is really good, they are easy to paint with and wears long. Todays choice is the polish Yodel me on the cell from the Swiss collection that came out this autumn. 

The polish has a nice ocean green colour that is on the boarder to being blue. You can also say that it is a mixture of gren, blue and turquise. It looks more blue in the bottle than it becomes on the nail. It also has micro glitter which makes it sparkle.Unfortunately it became more turquise on the photo than it is in realilty.

It is easy to paint with and covers with two layers. 


10 november 2010

OPI Purple with a purpose

I felt for something bright on my nails today. After a quick choice in my boxes I took OPIs Purple with a purpose, a polish that I bought two years ago.
The shade is really beautiful, a lilac purple polish with a frost shimmer.

The formula is a bit messy though. I don't remember if it has been like that all the time or if it is because the polish is two years old. But I think that the OPI polishes usually keep their quality for long, I have polishes that are four-five years and works perfectly.

I used two layers, but now I can see that I could have used a third one because of some lighter spots.


OPI Avoplex High-intensity hand & nail cream

Avoplex High-intensity hand & nail cream is supposed to be good both for the hands as well for as the cuticles. It should also penetrates the polish and take care of the nail. How the last part works I don't know, and I can't say that my nails feels or look better after using the cream for a couple of weeks, a couple of times everyday.

But I like the feeling it leaves on my skin. It penetrates through the skin quickly, doesn't leave a sticky surface and has fresh and discreet fragrance. I don't like it when a cream has a fragrance that is too much up your face. And also, my hands has become softer and I think my cuticles are looking better.

So I can recommend this.


9 november 2010

Illamasqua Scarab

Det finns några nagellacksnyanser som ligger mig extra varmt om hjärtat. Som lila. Jag faller alltid för lila lack. Men också rött. Röda naglar kan liksom aldrig bli fel.
Så att jag köpte Illamasquas Scarab var inte så konsigt, det har en rubinröd nyans som jag faktiskt inte har.

Men det är rödare i flaskan än vad det blir på nageln. Det finns en svart bas i lacket som syns tydligt vilket gör att det drar åt mer dramatiska hållet, ibland blir det också lite kopparbrunt. Det har också ett guldskimmer i sig som ger en metalliclook. Snyggt!

Formulan är bra, ett lager täcker nästan men jag tar två. Dock tar penseln upp väldigt mycket lack vilket gör att det börjar rinna och kan hamna fel.

Det här målar gärna med igen.




7 november 2010

Klick, klick, klick...

Jag har klickat hem ännu ett lack: Illamasquas Scarab. Jag beställde det på en söndag från England och tre dagar senare får jag hem det på posten. Smidigt.
Dessutom blev jag så himla förtjust i hur det har förpackats. Fint!
Nu ska jag bara testa lacket också. Har aldrig använt Illamasqua förut så det ska bli intressant.


5 november 2010

OPI Simmer & shimmer

I dag har jag verkligen blingat till det och målat med ett av OPIs lack från nya Burlesquekollektionen. Hela kollektionen är verkligen fantastisk, alla lacken gnistrar på ett eller annat sätt. Och det ljusblå glitterlacket Simmer & shimmer är en av mina favoriter. Det består mestadels av blått glitter men det finns också rött, rosa, guld och silver. Väldigt vackert. Finast är det nästan i lampljus på kvällen. Partykänslan är total.

Lacket är lättmålat och jag målar med tre lager för att få full täckning. Jag avslutar med två lager Seche vite för att få ytan så slät som möjligt men känner ändå lite knottror. Kanske skulle använt ett lager överlack till.

Jag älskar nagellack med glitter men använder dem tyvärr inte så ofta. Jag tröttnar snabbt på ett lack och målar om var och varannan dag, därför har jag inte alltid tid för borttagningen av glitterlack. De tar oftast så himla lång tid och slutar ofta med att jag får skrapa bort de sista glitterresterna. Men ibland är det värt det.


4 november 2010

China glaze Midnight mission

Ju mörkare det blir ute desto mörkare blir också mina naglar. Jag fastnar hela tiden för nyanser i blått, grått, lila och rött. Gärna med glitter eller metallickänsla.

Midnight mission från China glaze är ett av mina senaste fynd. Det är från deras höstkollektion som finns nu i svenska butiker. Lacket är ett foillack med en midnattsblå bas och ett mikroglitter i silver. Helt underbart. Jag tänker på en stjärnhimmel när jag tittar på mina naglar nu.

Lacket är lätt att lacka med och täcker bra. Jag målar med två lager.


3 november 2010

Couvent des minimes Gardeners hand healer

I somras var jag inne i en fin sminkbutik i den franska staden Rennes. Jag gick runt och tittade, provade, klämde och luktade på produkter som jag brukar göra på jakt efter något utöver det vanliga. Precis innan jag går ut provar jag den här handkrämen och fortsätter sedan gå mot dörren. Men så stannar jag, vänder och går tillbaka. Den där handkrämen skulle jag bara ha.

Den skapade en underbart silkeslen känsla på handen direkt. Utan att vara klibbig på något sätt. Den håller sedan handen mjuk länge. Inte heller behövs det mycket kräm för att smörja in händerna så den är dryg.

En klar favorit.


2 november 2010

China glaze Bogie

Hört om uttrycket Så tråkigt att klockorna stannar? Så känns lacket Bogie från China glaze. Visst den mörka auberginelila nyansen är fin och det silvriga mikroglitter ger det hela ett fint skimmer, men det är bara så tråkigt. Det här måste jag ta bort ooch måla om snarast även om det bara är jag som blivit bortskämd och letar efter lack med en Wow-effekt.
Men, lacket är i alla fall lättmålat, har en bra formula och täcker med två lager. Så det är ett stort plus.


1 november 2010

Orly Gorgeous

Orly Gorgeous föll jag för direkt när jag såg det på skärmen och kvickt klickade hem det. Jag har flera fuchsiarosa lack hemma, men det här är duokromt och har skiftningar i blått. Helt underbart!

Men, men, men. Formulan är så tunn att jag behöver fyra lager för att få det någorlunda täckande. Det är dessutom så rinnigt att jag får snygga till på nagelbanden minst tio gånger under målningen, och så är det sällan. Sådant gör mig frustrerad.

Fast, är jag bara medveten om det här, att lackningen tar tid, så är nyansen värd allt jobb. För den är verkligen så härligt åttiotalsrosa. Under helgen fick jag till och med två komplimanger från helt okända människor om nagellacket. Då blir jag glad!

Så jag målar nog med det igen...


MAC Nightfall

Nightfall är grått nagellack som nästan drar mot svart. Asfaltsgrå skulle man kunna säga.  Det har ett silverglitter i sig vilket ger en metalliclook på nageln.

Lacket är lite rinnig i konsistensen vilket gör den lite okontrollerbar på nageln. Att det är tunt gör också att det absolut behövs minst tre lager för full täckning. Men nyansen blir väldigt vacker.

Det jag inte gillar med MAC-lacken är korken. Dess form gör den svår att hålla i och då blir det ännu svårare att få lacket på rätt plats.