February 2020 Favourites

At the start of the week I sat down with my planner (it's something I always do so that I stay on top of everything).  Anyway, I sat down and saw that the page was open to Monday 24th and ends March 1st.  My brain couldn't comprehend that it was going to be March at the end of the week so turned the page back.  Yep - that week had already flown by.  So here we are again saying good bye to another month and preparing for yet another crazy month ahead.  I need a nap!

Nail Art

After having a look on my blog for what I have posted this month it appears that I really haven't had many blog posts at all this month - even though I haven't stopped swatching.  Given I tend to swatch things in advance that probably makes sense.  Anyway, in March I will be posting my swatches and review of the new Just For Claws stamping plates from Uberchic Beauty but given I have posted some of the manis I have done so far on my Instagram account I figured I can include them in my nail art favourites for the month.

Stamping Plates

I haven't actually done any reviews of stamping plates on my blog this month so I am going to skip this section but know that the Uberchic Just For Claws plates will be in my favourites for next month. 

Mainstream Polishes
This month I got to play with Jessica Cosmetics California Girls Collection and I am a big fan.  The colours are really pretty and the formulas are good (even though some are a little patchy). 

Indie Polishes 
Aside from swatching the Jessica Cosmetics polishes I have only swatched Grace-full Nail Polish shades this month.  No complaints from me.  I love my Grace-full polishes.

Grace-full Nail Polish Mystery Girl (Hella Handmade Creations February 2020)
If you saw this post then it is no surprise that this polish landed in my favourites.  I love, love, love this polish.  Hopefully you guys managed to grab this polish for yourself.

Grace-full Nail Polish Retro Bros Collection
This is Grace-full's first full collection for the year and it was a great collection.  My favourites from the collection are Warui, Super Bros 2, A Peach For A Princess and Evil Twin.

That brings us to the end of my February Favourites.  It definitely has been a really quiet month here on my blog.  March will definitely have some more blog posts from me.  There is some really good things coming (or have just been released). 
  

Jessica Cosmetics California Girl Collection - Swatches & Review

PRESS SAMPLE

Spring is definitely my favourite season of the year.  It's not too hot and it's not too cold, plus there is usually plenty of sunshine and lots of pretty colours.  Jessica Cosmetics have brought out a great collection for Spring (although now that I write this I have a feeling that it is actually a summer collection).  No matter what the season it's a good collection.

Cool In The Pool is a light blue creme.  I think this is such a pretty colour and would look really cute with some floral nail art over it (I wish I had thought of that earlier).  The formula is easy to use, although it is a little streaky over the first coat so I needed three coats for full coverage.

Desert Sunset is light pink/orange creme.  This is such a pretty and fresh colour.  Like with Cool In The Pool the formula is easy to work with and is a little patchy on the first coat.  I used two coats for my swatch, but I did do a thicker second coat.

Malibu Barbie is a coral pink shimmer.  This is really pretty polish but it is super sheer.  If you know me then you will know that I don't like visible nail lines and I believe that this polish won't build up enough to cover that.  With that said, I am a big fan of this polish as a topper.  It's applies well and has a good amount of shimmer.  For my swatch I used one coat over Desert Sunset. 

Ocean Waves is a teal creme.  Like all teals this one doesn't play nicely with my camera.  My camera turns it a little more blue when in fact it leans more green toned.  The formula is fantastic - in fact I would say that it is in this collection.  It has good opacity and applies easily.  I used two coats for my swatch.

Popsicle Kisses is a coral pink creme.  This is my favourite polish in this collection.  I am a huge fan of the colour and the formula is great.  My swatch shows two coats.

Valley Girl is a pink creme.  Really pretty colour with a good formula.  It does apply a little patch on the first coat but a second thicker coat does even it out.  My swatch shows two coats.

How pretty is this collection?  I am a big fan.  I think the colours are all really pretty and the formulas are easy to use (even if some are a little patchy).  What do you think about this collection?  Let me know in the comments.

The California Girls Collection is available from Jessica Cosmetics.

Grace-full Nail Polish Retro Bros Collection - Swatches & Review

PRESS SAMPLE

Grace-full Nail Polish have released a few polishes so far this year.  There has been a couple of shades for Polish Pick Up, a shade for Hella Handmade Creations and of course there was the polish that was auctioned off as part of the Hand In Hand Bush Fire Relief, but so far there hasn't been any new collections....until now!  Grace-full are bringing us a Nintendo inspired collection called Retro Bros and it is full of great polishes!  Let me show you what I am talking about.

A Peach For A Princess is a hot pink scattered holo with gold shimmer.  I love this one!  The colour is stunning and the formula is great.  For my swatch I used two coats.

Picture taken in light box

Picture taken in light box

Picture taken in direct sunlight

Picture taken in direct sunlight

Captain Toad is an old school crelly glitter with a blue base, dot glitter in a red holo and matte white, and blue, red and gold size hex glitter.  Now this is a cute polish.  I am a big fan of the colour and glitters.  The formula is pretty easy to work with but some of the larger glitters to like to stick together.  For my swatch I used two coats, however I do question if I should have done a third coat as I thought it was a little see through at the tips for me.

Picture taken in light box

Picture taken in light box

Evil Twin is a thermal that moves from dark blue to purple.  It has a purple shift and ultra chrome chameleon flakes.  I love this one.  Both the warm and cool colours.  I think they are both pretty.  The formula is good (although I did find it was a little on the sheer side on the first coat) and easy to use.  it also transitions well between the states.  For my swatch I used three coats.

Picture taken in light box (cold)

Picture taken in light box (cold)

Picture taken in light box (warm)

Picture taken in light box (warm)

Picture taken in overcast lighting (warm)

Picture taken in overcast lighting (warm)

Little Green Dinosaur is described as a tri thermal that starts in lime green - mid green - dark green.  Now I'm not sure I saw three colours in the this one but it was pretty hot when I swatched this so it did change very quickly so I may have just missed it.  The formula is great and applies evenly.  I used two coats for my swatch.

Picture taken in light box (transitioning)

Picture taken in light box (transitioning)

Picture taken in overcast lighting (transitioning)

Picture taken in shade (transitioning)

Picture taken in light box (cold)

Picture taken in light box (cold)

Pink Alien is a super soft baby pink crelly packed with contrasting gold shimmer.  This is such a pretty polish.  Formula wise it is a little on the thick side and does apply slightly unevenly, but it's still easy enough to work with.  For my swatch I used three coats but it potentially can be left at two coats but it will depend on how uneven your coats are.

Picture taken in light box

Picture taken in light box

Super Bros 1 is a red base with iridescent colour shifting flakes in pink, gold and blue and a smattering of chrome chameleon flakes in pink-gold-purple-blue with a pinch of red aurora shimmer.  This is such a vibrant colour.  The formula is great and while you can stop at two coats, I did three coats because it was a little see through at the tips for me.

Picture taken in light box

Picture taken in light box

Picture taken outdoors in shade

Picture taken outdoors in shade

Picture taken in direct sunlight

Picture taken in direct sunlight

Super Bros 2 is a blue base packed with blue-green aurora shimmer that shifts when you move your nails.  Now I know this is inspired by Luigi but this is actually a perfect colour for mermaid nails.  So much so I actually wore this polish of my daughter's first day back at school because she has a mermaid theme (for all of her school belongings).  Anyway, I love this shade.  It's gorgeous and the formula is fantastic.  I used three coats for my swatch.

Picture taken in light box

Picture taken in light box

Picture taken in light box

Picture taken outdoors in shade

Picture taken outdoors in shade

Picture taken in direct sunlight

Picture taken in direct sunlight

The Sorcerer King is a scattered holo with shifting colours of gold and bronze and a subtle red flash.  This is such a cool and unique shade.  I am a big fan!  The formula is great and so easy to use.  It is definitely so much more holo than it looks in my pictures.  The day that I used this it was unfortunately a smokey day.  My swatch shows two coats.

Picture taken in light box

Picture taken in light box

Picture taken in light box

Picture taken in overcast lighting

Picture taken in overcast lighting

Picture taken in overcast lighting

Warui is a purple shimmer with purple, pink and gold aurora shimmer and ultra chrome chameleon flakes.  No surprise that I love this one!  The colour is gorgeous and the formula is fantastic.  For my swatch I used two coats.

Picture taken in light box

Picture taken in light box

Picture taken in light box

Picture taken indoors in natural lighting

Picture taken outdoors in shade

Picture taken outdoors in shade

Picture taken in direct sunlight

Picture taken in direct sunlight

How great is this collection?  My personal favourites are Warui, Super Bros 2, A Peach For A Princess and Evil Twin.

The Retro Bros Collection will be available on Wednesday 19th February at 11am AEDT.