Kester Black: Sugarplum

I'm really starting to embrace the autumn colour palette now so cue the purple polish.

Sugarplum is from Melbourne-based brand Kester Black who specialize in 5-free, vegan nail polishes in fashion-forward shades so they are right up my alley these days!  Sugarplum is a bright warm-toned purple that reminds me of a berry that fruits on the Lilly Pilly tree (now go Google that if you're interested). Being a warm shade of purple this doesn't drain the life out of my hands so it was very flattering to wear, and the application itself was easy - smooth, no flooding etc. The polish wore well for around 5 days before it started to look a little ragged at the edges. I think that's all you need to know!

All pictures taken in indirect daylight:

Cruelty Free: Yes (Leaping Bunny certified)

Vegan: Yes

Certified Organic: No

Until next time!

(This product was purchased by me.) 

OPI Venice Collection: Purple Palazzo Pants

I'm getting so fussy when it comes to buying nail polish these days and as the never ending stream of new collections roll out I see less and less in them to really interest me.  I find myself doing a mental stocktake of what I already have and then decide that I've already got something the same or similar and I pass on the purchase.

This is why I only bought one shade from OPI's new Venice Collection - and to be honest this shade isn't unique either. It's just my weakness for purple that bit me again! Purple Palazzo Pants is a lavender cream that is absolutely to my taste so that's why I was tempted and of course it sings of spring too.  Application was typically easy and done in two coats, although I very nearly ruined it with a top coat that's starting to thicken and is now prone to bubbling...  

All pictures taken in indirect daylight

Were you tempted by any of the shades in the Venice collection?

DB Quick Colour Nail Polish: Aubergine

 Australian budget beauty brand Designer Brands (also known as DB Cosmetics) has been around for years but for whatever reason I'd never stopped to have a proper look at their lineup.  That changed when I spotted this very polish being worn by Lou in a recent Instagram post.  A few things caught my eye: the colour first of course for this purpleholic, but also the packaging which looks very chic and reminds me of a very high end brand - for reference I've included an image of the bottle later in the post.

Aubergine is a very rich shimmery pink-toned purple and the colour was not a disappointment when I finally bought my own bottle - it is exactly what I hoped! However, the polish formula was rather thick and it was virtually impossible to apply as thin a coat as I normally like to - fortunately the polish did dry very quickly so I had no issues with smudges or dents.  My final niggle is the manicure wasn't particularly durable and I experienced significant chipping within the week, even with a top coat.  I don't know if I was just unlucky so I will buy another shade to try before I come to any conclusions.  I hope I was unlucky because the colour is a stunner for winter.

All pictures taken in afternoon sunlight:

Now as I mentioned the bottle design did look uncannily familiar to me.  Does the bottle below remind you of any high end brand?? Let me know in the comments below.

[Source]

DB Quick Colour nail polishes are free from formaldehyde, toluene or DBP, are Certified Cruelty Free and Certified Vegan.

Until next time!

Ulta3: Orchid

It's one of those weird little 'themes' I've been unknowingly following - I've just realized that this is the third consecutive nail polish post featuring an Australian brand.  It's a happy accident so I'll just go with that - and maybe dig out another right after I write this post?! Who knows?? Anyway let me tell you about this polish before I get too sidetracked!

Orchid is one of the many polishes I have lurking around from Australian discount brand Ulta3, where you can still buy a bottle of nail polish for less than the price of a takeaway coffee.  Just choose your vice for the day - coffee or a new polish - or not choose and have both! Tangents...I'm going off on tangents today... Getting back to the point, Orchid is true to its name as it is a sumptuous looking polish, and quite an exotic shade of deep purple, with an underlying rich pink shimmer throughout.  Because this is such an inexpensive polish ($3 I think?) I did expect this to be sheer but two coats of colour were enough for full coverage, and I finished with the usual top coat.

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Partial sunlight

Until next time, my nubbies and I bid you adieu!

OPI Hawaii Collection: Lost My Bikini In Molokini

A good mid-tone purple is one of those colours that can be worn any time of the year and Lost My Bikini In Molokini from OPI's Hawaii collection is definitely one of those.

I've a well documented love of purple so of course I enjoyed wearing this colour.  While OPI say Lost My Bikini In Molokini is "reef inspired", to me this cool blue-toned purple is reminiscent of Iris flowers, another reason that I love it.  The application itself was trouble-free and done in 2 coats and this manicure graced my nails for the working week with minimal chipping.  All pictures were taken in indirect daylight:

What's your favourite shade from the Hawaii collection?


(This product was provided for my consideration.  All comments and opinions are my own.)

Island Girl Nail Color: Island Paradise

I'm way behind in my nail swatch posts so here's another summer swatch although we're well into autumn down here!

 

Island Paradise from US brand Island Girl is a magenta purple cream and just so damn pretty without being cutesy. I was pretty much obsessed with it over summer so it made it onto my toes as well as fingertips and I look forward to wearing it again when spring comes around.  In terms of application this was average - in all fairness this is an inexpensive polish - and care is needed for even coverage.  Still the result is worth it for the colour alone! This is two coats with top coat.

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This makes me dream of another trip to Hawaii...

Until next time!


My (eclectic) MAC lipstick collection...

This post has been sitting around patiently, waiting to be written for so long that I've literally finished one of my MAC lipsticks in the meantime!  It's just that combination of being busy, feeling obliged to do PR posts first (beauty blogger problems clearly!) AND suffering three internet outages in as many weeks, but now I finally have that window of opportunity to do one of my just for fun posts. 

 

Let me open up my MAC lipstick wardrobe and share - I love reading other people's lipstick posts (lipstick is my other obsession besides nails) so this was definitely fun to do!  It did actually serve another, "practical" purpose too because I was well and truly ready for a Back 2 MAC lipstick so I wanted to do a bit of a colour inventory first and see where the gap is in my own collection.  Read on and you shall see!

 

Reds

I'll start with classic reds because that's where my MAC obsession started all those years ago - as you might have spotted in the picture one of these is very old too (original packaging!) but I've been keeping it for sentimental value and because it - amazingly - hasn't gone bad otherwise it would be going Back 2 MAC for sure! I'm going to list everything throughout the post from left to right so here we go...

• Lady Danger (Matte) - Described by MAC as a vivid bright coral-red.  I've been fixated with orangey reds over the past year and this was my most recent addition to my MAC family by way of Back 2 MAC actually! It's screechingly bright to the point I have to be feeling confident to wear it but it adds confidence once it's on so it's worth that first step.  While some of my MAC matte lipsticks are dry and apply with a lot of dragging across the lips Lady Danger positively glides on in one swipe.

• RiRi Woo (Matte) - Matte cool red with a retro matte finish.  Now this one literally is a drag unfortunately so it needs the help of balm to get it onto my lips without tearing them up. I love the blue red but it doesn't love me back.  I've hung onto this lipstick mostly because of the rose gold limited edition packaging.

• Russian Red (Matte) - I'm not sure what the official shade description is but to me this is probably the truest red lipstick in my entire lipstick collection! It's obviously old judging by the packaging and I've only worn it a couple of times a year on average because again it's a serious red and unfortunately that powdery matte formula dries out my lips.

• Dubonnet (Amplified) - The deepest red in my MAC collection and my favourite of the four.  This is brownish slightly vampy red which adds impact in a more toned down way than my brighter shades.  Being a fan of the Amplified formula I love how this piles on the colour in a single swipe and has a slight creamy sheen. Best of all it's the one red which doesn't dry out my lips! Without sounding depressing Dubonnet is the perfect austere red for autumn and winter in Melbourne when I wear my black clothes in all their glory.

 

Now for some rather messy swatches in the same order as above!

Nudes

One of these nudes has literally been worn to death since I took these pictures because I loved it to death...

• Peach Blossom (Cremesheen) - A soft pink-nude with a shiny finish.  I've been enjoying this as my nude of choice over the summer because it's a swipe and go kind of colour.  Cremesheens are up there as being one of my favourite finishes in the MAC family for their shiny formula but for one significant drawback:  a lot of mine have snapped at the stub.

• Modesty (Cremesheen) - This was the nude lipstick I loved to death and finished off.  The mauve-nude tone perfectly emulated and embellished my natural lip colour so it was the 'my lips but better' lipstick of choice and I can definitely see it being repurchased.  Despite being a Cremesheen the bullet held fast without snapping so that's another reason it was/is a favourite. 

• Brave (Satin) - This is the 'other' Modesty if you like as it has a very similar, ever so slightly more mauve nude tone and is my current MLBB choice.  Being a satin it can look a bit flat and lifeless on my lips worn on its own so I prefer to top it with a bit of gloss. I've just been reading this is one of the shades for the Kylie Jenner lip if you're into that look although I bought this lipstick a couple of years before the craze.  Apparently I was ahead of the trend!

• Plastique (Frost) - Caramel frost.  I bought this one more than a couple of years ago and it only comes out to play as a topper these days because it's just a little too beigey on its own.  I'm considering putting this lipstick in my Back 2 MAC pile.

 

The swatches:



 Pink & Purples

 

This is a bit of a motley grouping of colours but close enough for me...

 

• Impassioned (Amplified) - Described by MAC as a bright warm pink this - HOT coral pink in my words - is the most screamingly bright MAC lipstick in my collection hands down!!!  I jumped on the bandwagon with this one when it felt like everyone was raving about it.  Honestly whenever I wear this statement shade my lips enter the room before I do! I really need to pluck up every ounce of courage to put it on - although right now I can feel my little inner voice daring me to again!

• Up The Amp (Amplified) - The official description for this shade is lavender violet - a pinkish purple!  I don't shy away from purple because it works with my complexion, whitens my teeth and it's an unexpected alternative to pink.  I've worn this lippy a lot but because the Amplified formula is a one-swipe wonder and super pigmented it's going to take forever to wear down the stub.

• Rebel (Satin) - This scary looking bullet wears as a bright pink plum on my lips and this is my favourite MAC lipstick shade of all time and the first MAC lipstick I have repurchased.  I love how this shade can be built up from a sheer raspberry to a deeply vibrant colour depending on my mood.  I opt for this in the cooler months as an alternative to dark red but I can also get away with it as an unexpected summer evening lipstick choice when I want to wear a statement lip.

 

And the vibrant swatches!





 

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After going through all the lipstick shades in my collection I realised there was indeed a gap and I needed a soft pink lipstick to fill it.  My selection when I finally did go the MAC counter?  Angel!

 

What's your favourite MAC lipstick shade?



Australis: bethatgirl

The nail polish I'm featuring today has gone straight to the top of my favourites list because - this is a rarity - I've worn it more than once this summer on my fingers AND toes!!!

 

I've found Australis nail polishes to be either hit or miss in the past so I've tended to overlook them unless they were on sale and so that's how I came to buy bethatgirl.  Bethatgirl is a neon purple cream from their Limited Edition range and it delivers in colour punch and coverage.  Two coats glided on and with the customary topcoat wear time has been easily a week on my fingernails and 3 weeks on my tootsies!  It's all about the colour of course, and being a neon it was a complete diva to photograph colour true but this is the most gloriously vibrant pink-purple in real life.  I think it will translate well for the change of season too.

 

 

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Bethatgirl is still available on the Australis Cosmetics website here.

 

 

Until next time!

Sally Hansen Triple Shine: Vanity Flare

 Today I'm posting another shade from Sally Hansen's Triple Shine range and after the last two pearly polishes this time it's a cream.

Vanity Flare is a high shine grape purple and just the right kind of polish to ease me into winter.  It's subdued enough for the season but it still has a kick to it at the same time so I still feel as though I'm wearing colour.  This is two coats with top coat.

Indirect daylight

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What do you think of this kind of shade for winter?

Sally Hansen polishes are available from Woolworths, K Mart, Target, Coles, Chemist Warehouse and Priceline stores around Australia.

 

 

 

(This product was provided for my consideration.  All comments and opinions are my own.) 

Rimmel Space Dust: 006 Moon Walking

I was going to ignore Rimmel's Space Dust line of nail polishes but then I saw someone sporting Moon Walking on their nails.  Of course I had to ask what they were wearing and - of course - once I knew what it was, I had to have it! Just to reassure you this was a few months ago before I swore off buying any more polish for a while...

  

Moon Walking is a super duper sparkly, glittery, textured silvery-lilac hued polish.  It's a very dense polish filled with multi-sized glitter which gives nails that crazy rendered look which I still love - the only downside was removal was on the stubborn side due to the larger glitter chunks.  I've forgiven it though because I enjoyed wearing it so much!

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Thanks for putting up with my glitter obsession again.

Until next time!



Face It Nail Polish: PP409

I've been wearing a lot of cream polishes lately so it's time to mix it up with a bit of glitter!

 

Face It nail polish is from Korean brand The Face Shop. I love venturing in to their Melbourne Central store from time to time for skin care - in particular sheet masks -  and to "incidentally" check out their affordable nail polish as the range is largely made up of bright colours and some pretty glitter mixes.  PP409 is one of two Face It glitters I bought around a year ago and it's a medium-dense mix of round pink glitter with blue and purple micro-glitter in a clear base polish.  I applied two coats over my L'Oreal Flaming Lilac base then sealed it with a thick layer of top coat for a glassy finish.

 

All pictures taken in indirect daylight:

 

 

 

I hope you enjoy this combination :)

 

Until next time.



Sally Hansen Sugar Coat: Bubble Plum

I remember when I thought smooth and glossy was the only way to go with polish but I have really embraced textured polish in a big way these days.  Sally Hansen got in on the act a few months ago with their (unfortunately) all too limited edition range of Sugar Coat polishes.  When they originally released I passed them over, only buying 2 shades when they'd already started to disappear from stands.  I'm actually kicking myself now for hesitating because my first impressions as posted here are really positive. 

Bubble Plum is a matte pink-purple (or purple-pink) which obviously brings bubble gum to mind but I also think it's a good candidate for a variation on Pantone's colour of the year Radiant Orchid.   Two coats applied really easily and precisely, and dried down quickly to reveal the textured finish.  Because there's no sparkle or glitter it looks like a crazy coloured concrete render job on my nails but I really fell in love with it. I was expecting removal to be challenging but it was extremely easy, and much the same as a more conventional polish.

I'd really love to see this finish in dark autumnal shades like burgundy, navy blue or a regal purple too.


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Until next time!

Covergirl: Grapevine

Here's another jewel-toned Covergirl nail polish for you!

 

Grapevine is a wonderfully warm pink-toned purple with a metallic shimmer.  Application wasn't quite as seamless as my first experience but still pretty smooth and the rich colour is perfect to feed my purple obsession.  This is the usual two coats plus a top coat which adds the mirror shine...

 

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That's all for now!