Saturday, November 30, 2013

My Ten Friends Clusterfrak Swatch And Review

Happy weekend everyone!  Do you have any plans today?  I'm not sure what we're going to do, but hopefully it will involve lots of good food!  I think the in-laws want to go to the OC and that usually means Vietnamese food, yum.  I also need to get LO's pictures done for our holiday card, although I don't know how well that will go considering how stuffy she's been.  Wish me luck!

I've got a marvelous polish for you today by My Ten Friends, called Clusterfrak.  Everything is awesome about this polish, from the BSG reference to the military green shimmery base and contrasting glitters.  I always love myself a nice green, especially for fall, and this is the perfect shade of murky swampy, military green with lots of shimmer and colorful hex glitters in purple and blue, and a smattering of white squares.  Formula was sheer and thick, and I used four thin coats for the mani below, and the extra coats were worth it.  I finished with a layer of my Poshe/GCS mix, which btw, is finally starting to thicken up - usually Poshe or SV thicken up on me a lot sooner than this mix did.  I'll have to break out my Seche Restore(which I hate to do cuz I'm lazy like that).

My Ten Friends Clusterfrak
My Ten Friends Clusterfrak

My Ten Friends Clusterfrak
My Ten Friends Clusterfrak

My Ten Friends Clusterfrak
My Ten Friends Clusterfrak

My Ten Friends Clusterfrak
My Ten Friends Clusterfrak

My Ten Friends Clusterfrak
My Ten Friends Clusterfrak


My Ten Friends Clusterfrak
My Ten Friends Clusterfrak
And just because I can't resist matting out a sparkly glitter such as this, I used a layer of Essie Matte About You.
My Ten Friends Clusterfrak Matte
My Ten Friends Clusterfrak Matte

My Ten Friends Clusterfrak Matte
My Ten Friends Clusterfrak Matte
I can't decide which way I like this polish better, which only means I need to wear it both ways at some point.  I love how the purple glitters pop against the green - it gives it a hint of femininity that I often find lacking in my personal style.  It sparkles like mad too, which is what I love about a great glitter jelly.  Do you like pretty ugly polishes like this?  Which ones do you have?  I'm always looking for more!

Friday, November 29, 2013

Polish Me Silly Lilac And Relax Swatch And Review

Purchased

Oy vey it's Black Friday!  Did you enjoy your holiday and have lots of yummy foods?  My dinner worked out really well overall and everyone was happily stuffed afterwards.  I did manage to sneak off after putting LO to bed to look at the shopping deals.  Have you done any shopping damage?  I think I've been pretty good so far, but I still managed to put a decent dent into my wallet.  Luckily I have to work today so I won't be able to partake in any of the in store or online sales.  The weekend, however, is a different matter! 

For your eyes today I have a new to me indie called Polish Me Silly, formerly known as Lush Lacquer.  It's created by a mother and daughter team and their polishes are whimsical, bright, and fun.  This particular one, Lilac And Relax, is a fabulous representation of them.  It's a light lilac cream base with multi sized hexes in purple, pink, and blue.  Being my first experience with this brand, I was a little disheartened with the formula.  On the nicely bushy brush,  the polish appeared opaque and thick, so I was hoping for easy and quick application.  However, the first layer applied really sheer with little glitter, and it took me four coats to get the opacity below.  I guess the upside was the sparse glitter because four coats built up the density of the glitter nicely on the nail, and there was no dragging or clumping of the glitter during application.  It dried bumpy and needed a thick layer of topcoat to finish.

Polish Me Silly Lilac And Relax
Polish Me Silly Lilac And Relax

Polish Me Silly Lilac And Relax
Polish Me Silly Lilac And Relax

Polish Me Silly Lilac And Relax
Polish Me Silly Lilac And Relax

Polish Me Silly Lilac And Relax
Polish Me Silly Lilac And Relax

Polish Me Silly Lilac And Relax
Polish Me Silly Lilac And Relax

Polish Me Silly Lilac And Relax
Polish Me Silly Lilac And Relax
This isn't a typical fall shade but I needed something to brighten up my jewel tone streak of colors this past season.  This works as a nice palette cleanser, so to say, and is easy on the eyes.  It's also been a while since I've worn a glitter polish and I'm glad it's not a glitter bomb.  Subtle glitter polishes like this are much more up my alley.  Despite the formula, I'm willing to give this indie another try - it's not uncommon that there's a bad batch here and there, and Polish Me Silly polishes are just too pretty to ignore.  Have you given a brand another chance and did it work out for you?

Purchased

Thursday, November 28, 2013

I Love Nail Polish Birefringence Swatch And Review

Happy Thanksgiving ladies!!  I hope you're having a wonderful time with your loved ones today and enjoying lots of good food!  My in laws are arriving today and I've already started preparing the feast for the day.  I did as much cooking as I could yesterday and today hopefully all I'll have to do is make the mashed potatoes and pop the rest of the items into the oven to finish baking.  What plans do you have for today?  Are you cooking or do you get to relax and enjoy the food?

Ok, to wrap up my duochrome/multichrome saga of polishes, I have for you today the last of my I Love Nail Polish Ultra Chromes called Birefringence.  A quick google shows the definition of birefringence as "the optical property of a material having a refractive index that depends on the polarization and propagation direction of light."  I don't quite understand what all that means, but I can tell that it has something to do with refracting light, and with the refraction of light means change of vision or color.  I think Birefringence is an apt name for this multichromatic polish - it's mostly a blue teal that then shifts to purple, fuchsia, and hints of gold and orange if you're lucky.  It's slightly similar to Cygnus Loop but more teal and not as dark and vampy looking.  Consider it the lighter colored version of Cygnus Loop.  I used three coats here as it had a similar formula as the previous two that I've swatched.  You can see some brush strokes here again, but they're fairly minimal.  No topcoat in these pics.

I Love Nail Polish Birefringence
I Love Nail Polish Birefringence

I Love Nail Polish Birefringence
I Love Nail Polish Birefringence

I Love Nail Polish Birefringence
I Love Nail Polish Birefringence

I Love Nail Polish Birefringence
I Love Nail Polish Birefringence

I Love Nail Polish Birefringence
I Love Nail Polish Birefringence

I Love Nail Polish Birefringence
I Love Nail Polish Birefringence

I Love Nail Polish Birefringence
I Love Nail Polish Birefringence

I Love Nail Polish Birefringence
I Love Nail Polish Birefringence
I'm thoroughly hooked with these multichromes and I'm excited to see what else ILNP has up her sleeve.... I saw a teaser photo of a Christmas themed multchrome getting released soon and I'm anxious to see more!  Of course, with all these launches and polish Black Friday sales, my wallet is going to be crying.  Do you have your trigger finger ready to go for the sales this week?  What's on your list?



Wednesday, November 27, 2013

I Love Nail Polish Mutagen Swatch And Review

Purchased

Sorry I've been amiss these past few days, work has been crazy and then LO got a really bad fever.  I had to call out to take care of her.  The poor thing was burning up and so listless, but she's much better now.  She's still having some difficulty sleeping so I haven't been able to get any time to myself these past few nights.  Hopefully she'll be back to 100% by the time the in laws get there for the holiday!

I'm loving all these duochrome and multichromes, and I have another one to show you today called Mutagen by I Love Nail Polish.  This was released as part of the Ultra Chrome collection that was released late this past summer.  This one's an enigma and quite difficult to describe - it looks mostly green in the bottle but there's some flashes of purple in the edges of the bottle.  Once on the nail, it is mostly green, but then the gold duochrome reveals itself quite easily.  The purple is more elusive and can be seen at odd angles, and with the purple flash a surprising bit of teal can be seen as well.  It's the secret hidden inside the bottle, and it gives me quiet satisfaction knowing that it's there and only I can see it.  Formula was a bit on the sheer side and I used three coats for opacity here, and once dried, the brush strokes rear their unruly heads.  The strokes are more visible on camera than IRL because the multichrome swallow up the imperfection.  The only weird thing is the wonky finish on the end of my ring finger - it looks like I missed a spot but I went back and wrapped the tip and added a extra layer for good measure and still the bald appearing spot didn't budge.  I think it's the way it dried because I know it's not bald there.  Whomp whomp.  No topcoat in these pics, you can see that it dried to a satin finish on its own.

I Love Nail Polish Mutagen
I Love Nail Polish Mutagen

I Love Nail Polish Mutagen
I Love Nail Polish Mutagen

I Love Nail Polish Mutagen
I Love Nail Polish Mutagen

I Love Nail Polish Mutagen
I Love Nail Polish Mutagen

I Love Nail Polish Mutagen
I Love Nail Polish Mutagen

I Love Nail Polish Mutagen
I Love Nail Polish Mutagen

I Love Nail Polish Mutagen
I Love Nail Polish Mutagen

I Love Nail Polish Mutagen
I Love Nail Polish Mutagen
I love how this turns so vibrantly green at some angles and then changes completely at other angles.  Duochromes were the gateway to my polish addiction, and I'm so happy to see that the indies have entered the multichrome arena and are blowing it out of the water(so to say).  It's about time someone put out duochromes that kick ass!  Have you been loving any duochromes lately?
 

Purchased

Monday, November 25, 2013

Sephora+Pantone Universe Antiqued Gold And Purple Wine Swatch And Review

Purchased

Having a great Monday so far?  I had a quiet weekend, in lieu of preparing for the festivities that are coming this week.  I got my tires changed, which put a big dent into my spending money for the month.  I wanted to partake in some of the Black Friday sales but now I'm going to have to be more frugal on my expenditures.  Safety first I guess!

I'd been wanting to try Sephora+Pantone Universe for some time now, and when I noticed two of the colors were on sale during the last VIB sale, I snatched them up.  I really love the vibrant colors and square shaped bottles, and with this purchase I'm hoping the formula is up to par.

The first I have for you is Purple Wine, a gorgeous shimmer that isn't quite purple but rather fuchsia.  It's got some blue microshimmer within that gives it a hint of purple.  I found the formula easy to work with and used two coats here for full opacity.  I didn't have nearly as many brushstrokes as I feared, but it did dry a to a satin finish so I used topcoat to add some shine.

Sephora+Pantone Universe Purple Wine
Sephora+Pantone Universe Purple Wine

Sephora+Pantone Universe Purple Wine
Sephora+Pantone Universe Purple Wine

Sephora+Pantone Universe Purple Wine
Sephora+Pantone Universe Purple Wine

Sephora+Pantone Universe Purple Wine
Sephora+Pantone Universe Purple Wine

Sephora+Pantone Universe Purple Wine
Sephora+Pantone Universe Purple Wine

Sephora+Pantone Universe Purple Wine
Sephora+Pantone Universe Purple Wine
Next I have Antiqued Gold, a metallic gold with green duochrome shift.  I have to admit, I wasn't very interested in this color because it reminded me of the multiple Chanel Peridot dupes, but boy was I wrong.  After swatching this, I couldn't bring myself to remove it.  It definitely leans more gold, but the green shift is strong and almost turns teal in some lights.  What I love about it is the strong metallic finish - it has a near chrome look to it when dried.  I used three coats here for good measure, and it dried to a satin finish similar to Purple Wine.  I chose not to use topcoat in these pics.

Sephora+Pantone Universe Antiqued Gold
Sephora+Pantone Universe Antiqued Gold

Sephora+Pantone Universe Antiqued Gold
Sephora+Pantone Universe Antiqued Gold

Sephora+Pantone Universe Antiqued Gold
Sephora+Pantone Universe Antiqued Gold

Sephora+Pantone Universe Antiqued Gold
Sephora+Pantone Universe Antiqued Gold

Sephora+Pantone Universe Antiqued Gold
Sephora+Pantone Universe Antiqued Gold

Sephora+Pantone Universe Antiqued Gold
Sephora+Pantone Universe Antiqued Gold
I don't own any true chrome finish polishes so I'm stoked that this made it into my shopping basket at Sephora.  If you're interested, they're both still available in the sale section last I checked.  I'm glad it's a little different from Peridot(I think), if anything, it's a more vivid version of it.  I really liked Purple Wine as well, the blue shimmer is fairly strong and gives the bright fuchsia eye appeal.  I like these both so much that I've got my eye on the new releases.... have you tried any of the Sephora+Pantone Universe polishes yet?  Have you ever been pleasantly surprised by a polish that you thought would be a dud?

Purchased

Friday, November 22, 2013

Marc Jacobs Petra Swatch And Review

I'm an addict in more ways than one - a while back I started lusting after handbags, and the gateway that started that addiction was a Marc Jacobs black Multipocket.  It was supple black calf leather with shiny silver pushlocks on the exterior pockets and lined with sumptuous cream suede.  The quality was superior to anything I'd ever owned, and it led me down a long spiraling addiction into high end handbags.  Back then, I was a D.I.N.K.(dual income no kids) and could afford luxuries like that, but I've since learned my lesson and have been trying to be more frugal with designer purchases.  Being the former Marc Jacobs addict that I am, when I found Marc Jacobs finally released a beauty collection, I had to take the bait!

Petra is the gem of the collection - it's a rose gold foil with hints of black, silver, and gold.  It's complex and gorgeous.  The Marc Jacobs bottle is uniquely Marc Jacobs-esque, short and wide with rounded corners.  The black lid pops off to reveal a small round wand that's easy to grasp.  The brush is a normal flat brush, not too thin but not wide either.  The formula was incredible and flowed off the brush easily.  It nearly applied itself on its own and took no effort or clean-up on my part, and best of all, this is only one coat!  It dried to a satin finish on its own which I think helped bring out more of the colors in the foil.

Marc Jacobs Petra
Marc Jacobs Petra

Marc Jacobs Petra
Marc Jacobs Petra

Marc Jacobs Petra
Marc Jacobs Petra

Marc Jacobs Petra
Marc Jacobs Petra

Marc Jacobs Petra
Marc Jacobs Petra

Marc Jacobs Petra
Marc Jacobs Petra
I'm so impressed with this polish.  So. Impressed.  It's in par with the quality of Marc Jacob's handbags, and I shouldn't be surprised by that.  The price tag is on the higher end, at $19 a bottle, but considering the cute unique bottle, the packaging, and excellent formula, I would say that it's superior to the other polishes that are in this price range.  Of course, I've only had experience with this one particular shade, but don't doubt that I'm planning on trying more from this line.  I'm hoping that I don't become as addicted to the polishes as I did with his handbags.  Have you had a chance to try any of his polishes yet, and what did you think of the quality?

Wednesday, November 20, 2013

Zoya Payton Swatch And Review


The rainy season has officially started here in LA, which means we'll get actual rain for a day or two each week for a couple months at most.  It's the only precipitation we get all year round, and it's equivalent to the snow that other areas of the country get during the winter.  Although it's only rain, the people in LA react to it like it's snow - they don't go to work and they drive badly(worse than usual). Sadly, I'm starting to understand that mentality after living here for nearly 12 years.  I think I'd be a crying baby if I was stuck in some snow!

Tonight's polish completes the Zoya Zenith collection that I presented in an earlier post. Payton is a deep plum colored jelly with holo flakes that create a scattered holo effect.  This had a Zoya's impeccable formula and applied easily and smoothly despite being a jelly.  I used two coats here with no topcoat.

Zoya Payton
Zoya Payton

Zoya Payton
Zoya Payton

Zoya Payton
Zoya Payton

Zoya Payton
Zoya Payton

Zoya Payton
Zoya Payton
Zoya Payton
Zoya Payton
The holo effect is so difficult to capture here on camera but you can see a hint of it in some of the pics.  The color of the jelly is a gorgeously rich plum shade that could be the love child of Zoya Aurora and Blaze if they got together.   I love these scattered holos that Zoya puts out each winter, and I would love to see them in other colors, like grey or teal.  Have you considered picking any of these up, or any other colors of the Zenith collection?