Manicure Manifesto

https://shopprettyandpolished.com

Hello readers,
Today I have polish from Pretty & Polished's Dark Arts collection to show with you. So many indies have been coming out with metallic flakes over the last year, but P&P did something a little different.

Maleficium features a white crelly based filled with a rainbow of tiny metallic flakies. The formula was a breeze to work with and it dried completely smoothly. I used 3 coats and it got about 95% opaque. You can see the whites of my nail tips look a bit lighter than the rest of the nail. If you wanted a 100% opaque finish you could always layer a coat or two of Maleficium over a white creme base. Photos show three coats of Maleficium with one coat of CND Super Shiney top coat in daylight spectrum lighting.

I really love how Pretty & Polished used the flakies in a crelly base instead of mixing them in a clear base. You can find Pretty & Polished on:

Purchased Myself Press Sample

Twitter

Happy polishing,

Michelle

May 11, 2015

Colour Blocked Lead Lighting Nail Art

Hello readers,
I went a little crazy with the nail art and combined 6 polishes into one mani. I started out with a base of Pretty & Polished Maleficium. Over top I did two tone stamping using Julep Michelle, Zoya pinta and Cheeky jumbo plate D. Finally, I filled in the design with sheer polishes to give it a colour blocked look. The jellies I used were Finger Lickin' Lacquer Terrapin, Finger Lickin' Lacquer Here I Go and Zoya Frida. Finally, I sealed everything up with a coat of CND Super Shiney top coat. Photos were taken in daylight spectrum lighting.

Happy polishing,

Michelle

May 08, 2015

China Glaze Violet-Vibes Swatches & Review

Hello readers,
Today I have one of the polishes from the China Glaze Electric Nights collection to show you.

Violet-Vibes is a bright pink leaning purple creme. The formula was a bit sheer but easy to work with. Keeping an eye out for sheer spots, I was able to reach opacity in three coats. The polish dries with a very squishy look and a satin finish. Unfortunately, I did have a slight issue with bubbling. This is most apparent on my middle finger. Since it didn't happen on all my nails I'm hoping this was just a fluke because I really like the polish otherwise. Photos show three coats of Violet-Vibes with one coat of CND Super Shiney top coat in daylight spectrum lighting.

You can find China Glaze on:

https://chinaglaze.com/

Twitter

Happy polishing,

Michelle

May 06, 2015

Products I Finished This Month - April 2015

Purchased Myself/Gift

Hello readers,
It's finally May (aka the first month without snow here in Southern Ontario) which means it's time to go through April's empties.

Bath & Body

My standouts this month (again) were my citrus bath salts and the I love... bubble bath. As I've mentioned before, the Julep Pomegranate scrub isn't my favorite due to the sticky residue it leaves on my skin. I think I have one more of these to go through and I won't be purchasing any more after that. The Whish shave cream I got in January's Birchbox was mediocre. It did an alright job of moisturizing but gummed up my razor really badly which was quite annoying. I wouldn't buy it again. Regular shaving gel does a much better job.

Face

My favorite item this month was the Embryolisse Lait-Creme Concentrate moisturizer that I got in March's Birchbox. A little bit of this stuff went a long way and it didn't cause me to break out. I would consider buying this in full size if the prize was right. I didn't like the Garnier Ultra-Lift Transformer. It didn't blend well with my skin at all. The Yves Rocher clay mask continues to be a staple in my assortment of masks and the Lemon Zest mask was very cooling and refreshing.

Hand & Nails

I love quick dry drops and was very happy with OPI's version. They help speed up drying time without causing your polish to shrink like some quick dry top coats. I also like the Bliss high intensity hand creme. It smelled very nice and was quite moisturizing but I do find their products a bit overpriced.

Hair

Like the past few months, Herbal Essences Naked products got used up again. I'm having trouble finding the hairspray again though which is disappointing. Hopefully it hasn't been discontinued. I also finished the No.4 shampoo I got in March's Birchbox. It was nice but nothing special. I wouldn't buy it considering it's $39 price tag.

Happy polishing,

Michelle

May 04, 2015

Reverie Nail Lacquer Rosebud Swatches & Review

Hello readers,
Today I have another glitter-tastic polish from Reverie Nail Lacquer to show you.

Rosebud featurs a sheer pink jelly base filled with silver and pink shimmer and pink, blue, peach, pink and magenta glitters is various shapes and sizes. The formula on this one was surprisingly good. I was expecting to have to do some dabbing due to the amount of glitter in there but it brushed on very easily. I used to two coats in the photos below. The formula dried a little uneven due to the glitter but I used a coat of gelous to smooth everything out. Photos show two coats of Rosebud with one coat of Gelous and one coat of CND Super Shiney top coat in daylight spectrum lighting.

I was really happy with this glittery polish and I hope the others I ordered from Reverie have the same great formula. You can find Reverie Nail Lacquer on:

Etsy

Happy polishing,

Michelle

May 01, 2015

Femme Fatale All Sanity Is Lost Swatches & Review

https://femmefatalecosmetics.com.au

Hello readers,
Today I have an amazingly complex polish to show you. This is from the Femme Fatale January 2015 release, but lucky for you guys, it is making a comeback. More details on where to find it at the end of the post.

All Sanity Is Lost features a teal jelly base packed with silver shards and holo microglitter, red shimmer and teal sheen. The formula was spectacular. I was expecting this polish to be a little thick due to the amount of stuff packed into the jelly base but it was a dream to work with. It took three coats to become opaque, but if you don't have a super distinct nail line like I do, then you could definitely get away with two. It dried the slightest bit uneven due to the flakes, but a single coat of top coat was more than enough to smooth everything out to a glossy finish. Photos show three coats of All Sanity Is Lost with one coat of CND Super Shiney top coat in daylight spectrum lighting.

Do you love this polish as much as I do? Then head over to Femme Fatale Cosmetics right now because this polish is back for pre-order until May 5th 2015 along with some of the other polishes from the last couple Femme Fatale releases. You can find Femme Fatale at: