Essie - Recessionista
When I saw the name of this polish I knew I wanted it. It’s not a particularly unusual or stand-out shade but it’s still a very pretty burgundy, cream polish. This will probably become a favourite polish when it gets to autumn (although at the moment I’m starting to doubt we’ll get a summer…)
It had full coverage in two coats and was very shiny, even without Seche Vite.
Lex :)
Sinful Colors ‘Ruby Ruby’
This is only my second ever bottle of Sinful Colors polish and I’m glad I went for this striking red. ‘Ruby Ruby’ is a classic, pillar box red polish, with a great formula: this is two coats topped with Essie ‘Good To Go’ (Yes, I cheated on Seche Vite and I don’t like it as much!)
Lex :)
*I am on holiday and this post is scheduled.
Rimmel ‘Apricot Punch’ (scented)
Half of this polish was gone but I don’t think I’ve ever swatched it which is surprising as it’s such a lovely colour PLUS it’s scented - and you know how I love a gimmick.
I think I may have got a dodgy bottle of this as it was really gloopy and thick which is unusual for Rimmel polishes. This was three coats and it took a lot of Seche Vite to get it to dry due to the gloopiness.
It is a good job it’s such a pretty colour - a peachy coral that is a great summer shade. And the smell is lovely!
Lex :)
*I am on holiday and this post is scheduled.
Models Own ‘Gold Finger’
This was unopened in my untried pile. What was I thinking? This is so beautiful! This is 3 coats of dense glitter that didn’t need placement. It is so shiny and sparkly and has attracted so many comments.
I have found a new favourite!
Lex :)
DOUBLE SWATCH: Essie ‘Head Mistress’ and L’Oreal ‘Confetti’
A double post for you today!
‘Head Mistress’ is a beautiful dark raspberry creme polish from the Stylenomics collection. It’s not unusual or different but I have really fallen in love with it.
This is topped with L’Oreal’s ‘Confetti’ top coat: a clear polish with a mixture of large, medium and small black and white hex glitter with tiny holographic particles mixed into it. I got this for my birthday, I had wanted it for ages but it was sold out in every Boots I went to. So glad that I finally have it - it is lovely! The only thing I don’t like about it is that it dries matte (which some people might like about it) - I have other glitter polishes like this and don’t find them a problems as I top everything with Seche Vite anyway. BUT this is SO top coat thirsty. The above photos show this polish with 2 coats of Seche Vite. Two!! And it still looks a bit matte. I can forgive it though, as it’s so pretty.
Lex :)
SWATCH: OPI ‘Lights Of Emerald City’
This is one of my birthday polishes and I absolutely adore it - it is like nothing else I own (which is hard work with so many polishes!). This is a clear base with large, matte, white, square glitter and small holographic square glitter. The four thumb photos show the colour changes in the holo glitter - so pretty!
This layered over Nails Inc ‘The Thames’: one of my favourite grey polishes.
Lex :)
Birthday polish!
My lovely OH Aaron bought me 3 polishes from the new OPI collection, themed around the new ‘Oz the Great and Powerful’ film.
This is ‘Which Is Witch?’, ‘When Monkeys Fly!’ and ‘Lights of Emerald City’. So pretty!!
Swatches soon…
Lex :)
NOTD: Kiko ‘244’
Today’s manicure is Kiko’s yummy, squishy jelly polish, the exotically named ‘244’ (!). This is a dramatic, dark purple - almost black. I was pleasantly surprised that this applied perfectly in two coats, which is unusual for a jelly polish to be so pigmented and not to leave bald spots.
Kiko are rapidly becoming one of my favourite polishes, although I found out recently that they are a lot more expensive in the UK than elsewhere in Europe… who’s up for a trip to Italy to stock up??
Lex :)
NOTD: Gabrini ‘398’
This is a lovely grey polish that I didn’t even realise was matte until I got home. I love matte finishes on manicures, but prefer to paint a matte top coat over a regular polish so that I can do a layer of Seche Vite between. I have found the matte polishes tend to drag and leave a bumpy finish.
But this one was different. This is two, easy to apply, coats and as you can see the finish is perfect. I also like that it’s not as flat or dull as most matte polishes - it’s softer looking and almost rubbery.
Anyone else tried any Gabrini polishes? Every one I try makes me sure that I’m robbing them somehow by getting them for 99p!
Lex :)
NOTD: Pacific Rapsodi ‘12’
This is a Turkish brand (it owns Gabrini as well - a brand I have raved about before). I have only seen these in one wholesale beauty shop that’s in North London and I now have to go get some more of these neons as this is just beautiful. And it was 99p. BRILLIANT.
I did a white undie to make the neon pop, and this was two coats of pink. I like that this is a bright neon without being too garish - it’s quite a pretty pink.
Has anyone else tried Rapsodi polishes?
Lex :)
NOTD: Essie ‘Fear & Desire’
Essie make such beautiful colours and this is no exception. A bright, true orange polish from the 2012 ‘Bikini So Teeny’ collection.
This only needed 2 coats which I was surprised at, I thought it was going to be streaky and patchy. This is going to be my summer colour, I can tell.
Lex :)
NOTD: OPI ‘It’s Totally Fort Worth It’
This is a polish from the 2011 Texas collection.
It is a pale grey sheer base with pink micro-glitter. This needed 4 coats for full coverage and is shown with a Seche Vite top coat.
This is my third polish from the Texas collection: I also own ‘Y’All Come Back Ya Hear?’, which I love (reviewed here: http://talontedlex.co.uk/post/25235288255) and also ‘Do You Think I’m Tex-y?’ (reviewed here: http://talontedlex.co.uk/post/35480587445). Would anyone recommend any other polishes from this collection?
Lex :)
NOTD: Kiko ‘Electric Blue (336)’
Attention everyone! Call off the wedding! Sorry Aaron, but I have a new love and it is called ‘Electric Blue (336)’.
And before anyone says anything,YES this is a blue polish and YES I love it, I KNOW. No one is more surprised than me. Down is up! Left is right! I love a blue polish!! I don’t do blues. I don’t really get the appeal. Or didn’t. Until now.
I have wanted this polish ever since I heard it was the perfect dupe for Nails Inc’s ‘Baker Street’. It is a vibrant, cobalt blue that just seems to glow. This only needed 2 thin coats and was so shiny I almost didn’t top with Seche Vite (but obviously I did - it’s like a compulsion).
Is this polish the turning point in my relationship with blue polish? Would I love Baker Street even more? I am so confused!
Lex :)
NOTD: Kiko ‘Jade Green (345)
As my nail varnish collection expands it gets harder to find polishes that catch my eye because they’re different to anything else I have. I thought this would be a little bit similar to Models Own ‘Grace Green’ (review here: http://talontedlex.co.uk/post/35285122525 …oh how I miss my talons…)
But it’s a lighter, more minty colour. It’s still a nice unusual version on the pastels which are everywhere. It’s good to see something a bit different.
If you haven’t tried Kiko polishes, I highly recommend them: only £3.90, great colours and good formulas.
This was 3 coats with Seche Vite.
Lex :)
NOTD: Models Own ‘Banana Split’ (scented polish)
I am a sucker for a gimmick. I am also a sucker for pastels. So when I heard that Models Own were doing a pastels collection that were scented I was all over it. Like spots on a dalmation.
This one is a baby yellow creme polish that isn’t as opaque as it looks. I wish I had done a white undies layer because this needed 3 generous coats. But it all smoothed out and dried fine with Seche Vite on top.
This polish didn’t smell like real bananas - even BETTER - it smelt like the foam penny sweetie bananas! Mmmm…I was craving pick ‘n’ mix every time I smelt my nails!
I actually realised after posting this that I already own a Models Own pastel yellow (lemon meringue) which is IDENTICAL to this but doesn’t smell of bananas so obviously I had to have both. I have a problem.Has anyone tried any of the other polishes in this collection?
Lex :)
