Picture Polish Beige, Fairy Floss & Tiffany - Swatches & Review

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Happy Thursday everyone!  Today I have three beautiful creme polishes to show you from piCture pOlish.  I have quite a decent collection of piCture pOlish polishes in my ever growing collection, and the three I have to share with you make for great additions.  Not only are they perfect Spring colours (or anytime of the year really) but the formulas are fantastic too.  All three of these polishes applied really easily and only needed two coats to be opaque. 

Image from piCture pOlish

Beige is a classic neutral creme.  I think everyone should own at least one nude creme polish in their collection.  It's great on it's own, or as a base for nail art or glitter.  There is so much versatility with a nude shade.  I personally think that this is a great nude for my skin tone.

Picture taken in light box

Fairy Floss is a pastel pink creme.  Now do I really need to tell you that I love this one?  Seriously it's pink and pretty.  Why wouldn't I love it?

Picture taken in light box

Tiffany is described as a soft egg shell blue and is a dedication to Audrey.  Personally this looks a little more green than blue to me, but whatever you want to call it, it is stunning.  I have had this on my wishlist for a lot longer than I should have and I am so happy to own it now.  Definitely one of my favorites from piCture pOlish.

Picture taken in light box

How gorgeous are these polishes?  I love them.  The colours are stunning and the formulas are fantastic as well.  And a fun fact for you, all three of these shades were released back in 2009 and are all still available now.  How is that for a little Throwback Thursday for you?


All three of these piCture pOlish shades are available from piCture pOlish. For my international readers please check the many International Stockists.

Did you know that piCture pOlish not only share beautiful manis from their customers on Instagram (you can follow them here if you aren't already) but they also have a YouTube channel for lots of nail art tutorials.

Pueen Cosmetics Vinyl Nail Stencil Set 09-16 - Swatches & Review

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Late last week I received some surprise nail mail.  Nail mail is always super exciting but surprise nail mail is slightly more exciting because you have no clue what it is.  My surprise nail mail was a lovely package from Pueen Cosmetics.  Inside was the Vinyl Nail Stencil Kit 09-16.   I have been a huge fan of their stamping plates for years now so I was looking forward to trying their stencil kits.

 

The stencil set comes in this cute little cardboard envelope which includes a small pictorial and instructions (as seen in the above pictures) on how to use the stencils inside.  This pack includes eight full sheets on stencils with two different designs on each sheet.  The amount of vinyls varies depending on design.  The full nail designs include ten stencils and are 3cm in length and 2cm wide.  This is great for those with super long nails, but for me I lost a lot of the design.

Image from Pueen Cosmetics

I have had a good amount of attempts using nail stencils from various brands.  Unfortunately the mostly end in various degrees of disaster.  I have used two different stencils from this set and have had a small amount of success.  These vinyls have quite a good amount of stickiness to them but I just can't get them (or any other stencils) to really sit flat on my nails, which means I have bleeding underneath.  I have tried cutting them, adding splits in different places, sponging the polish on....you name it and I have tried it.  I just can't seem to get stencils to work properly for me.  Below is a couple of manis that I have done using this set.

While I haven't had a huge amount of success with these stencils, I have seen quite a few manis from other people and they have beautiful crisp lines.  I'm extremely jealous.

The Vinyl Nail Stencil Set is available from Pueen Cosmetics.

OPI Venice Collection - Swatches & Review

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Today I have a super exciting post - the new OPI Venice Collection.  When I first saw the press release and some swatches start popping up, I just knew that I needed this collection in my life.  Normally when OPI release their Fall colours, it is at the start of our Spring here in Australia.  I personally don't tend to go for darker shades in Spring/Summer but this collection has a great mix for Fall and Spring.  This collection features twelve polishes, however for my international readers there are also three limited edition shades available as well.  Unfortunately, they were not released here (but I will still try to get my hands on them if I can).  Now let's get into swatches and my thoughts on each polish.

A Great Opera-tunity is described as a lush melon.  This polish is most definitely unique in my collection.  I quite like the colour.  I'm not entirely sure it goes with my skin tone, but I still like it.  The formula was easy to use and it only required two coats to be opaque.  Now I apologize for the extra glossy swatch.  When I took the picture in the light box it changed the colour of the polish. 

Picture taken outdoors in shade

Amore At The Grand Canal is described as a ravishing red.  Now I know a lot of people get sick of seeing reds in OPI collections, and I am not normally a fan of red, but this one is actually really pretty.  I am definitely a fan.  The formula was great to work with and was opaque in two coats.

Picture taken in light box

Be There In A Prosecco is described as an opaque creme.  This one actually reminds me of OPI My Vampire Is Buff (I will have a comparison post with these two coming later this week), which I love.  Formula wise this polish was quite patchy and needed three coats for even coverage.

Picture taken in light box

Gelato On My Mind is described as "icy sweet".  Not sure that sweet is a type of colour but this colour is definitely a beautiful light blue creme.  It does apply a little streaky on the first coat but the second coat evens it out.

Picture taken in light box

Gimme Me A Lido Kiss is described as a red shimmer.  This is one of those red shades that I don't love but I don't hate.  Formula wise, it is a little sheer (you can still see a visible nail line after two coats) but it applies beautiful and is so easy to work with.  I used three coats for my swatch.

Picture taken in light box

Picture taken in direct sunlight

I Cannoli Wear OPI is described as a pale grey.  I am in love with this one.  It's a really pretty grey and has a good formula.  I used two coats for my swatch.

Picture taken in light box

It's A Piazza Cake is described as persimmon creme.  This is definitely not a "me" colour at all, but it is definitely great for Fall.  I think maybe with some nail art over it I could be converted.  Formula is great and only needs two coats to be opaque.

Picture taken in light box

My Gondola Or Yours? is a smokey black.  It's actually quite interesting.  I quite like it for the cooler weather.  The formula is a little odd though.  It's like it was trying quickly and dragging the polish off leaving bald patches.  I had to have extra polish on the brush to go over these spots.  The second coat applied normally and gave even coverage.

Picture taken in light box

O Suzi Mio is described as a bold eggplant.  I really like the colour of this one, although I wise that it looked more like it does in the bottle.  On the nail it dries quite dark that it nearly looks black.  It is easy to use and only requires two coats to be opaque.

Picture taken in light box

Purple Palazzo Pants is described as a pastel lilac.  Super pretty and quite Spring like in my opinion.  Formula was great and it only needs two coats to be opaque.

Picture taken in light box

Tiramisu For Two is described as a coffee cream.  I love this one and the formula is awesome.  I used two coats for my swatch.

Picture taken in light box

Worth A Pretty Penne is described as a shimmery copper.  This is another one that I really like.  The formula is great and it only needs two coats to be opaque.

Picture taken in light box

Overall, I really like this collection.  I think there is a great mix of colours so there is something to suit everyone, and the formulas for the most part are easy to use and are opaque in two coats.  My personal favorites are Be There In A Prosecco, Gelato On My Mind, I Cannoli Wear OPI, O Suzi Mio, Purple Palazzo Pants, Tiramisu For Two and Worth A Pretty Penne.

I do plan on doing some swatch comparisons for these polishes, so let me know in the comments below if there are any particular ones you would like to see.

The OPI Venice Collection is available now in Australia from David Jones and Myer.

Pretty Serious Cosmetics Absence & Presence - Swatches & Review

The most used polishes within my collection hands down would have to be black and white.  I have gone through so many of each colour (I know black and white aren't technically colours but lets just go with it for now) in so many different brands that it's not funny.  When Pretty Serious Cosmetics announced that they were releasing a black and white polish that were both one coaters -  I was all over it.  Today I have my swatches and my thoughts on both of these polishes.

Now before I jump on into my thoughts I thought it might be helpful to explain what I except from a one coater polish.  It's quite simple really, it needs to have even coverage and it needs to be fully opaque that if I hold my nails up I can't see through the tips.

Absence is a black creme.  The polish did want to pull up and leave bald spots, but careful application and it was fine and fully opaque in one coat.  I would quite happily replace my current black one coater polish for this one as I don't think this one will stain my nails like the other does sometimes.

Picture taken in light box

Presence is simply a white creme.  Now this is the one that intrigued me the most because seriously who wouldn't want a one coat white polish?  I have been using OPI Alpine Snow for years and it is quite opaque.  Close to a one coater but not quite there.  Presence?  Not a one coater.  I have used it multiple times now and have tried applying different levels of thickness to try and make it fully opaque in one coat, but it just doesn't cut it.  You know when you have a three coater polish - the first coat has bald patches, the second coat covers the bald patches but it's still not even - that is was what this polish is like.  Two coats of this polish is perfect though.  My first picture shows one coat (the streaks are definitely more visible in person) and the second shows two coats.

Picture take in light box - one coat

Picture taken in light box - two coats

Overall, I like these both and will continue using them.  I will most likely repurchase Absence but not sure if I would grab Presence again.  Maybe over time it will thicken up and become opaque in one coat?  Guess time will tell.

Both of these polishes are currently sold out but keep checking the Pretty Serious Cosmetics site for when they pop back up.

Emily de Molly Exclusive Duo for Color4Nails - Swatches & Review

I feel like I am on a bit of an Emily de Molly kick at the moment.  Not that there is anything wrong with that, they are all stunning and the formulas are amazing.  I just know I have a lot of them untried and Hayley keeps bringing out new pretties which I can't say no too.  Recently, Australian Facebook group fans were given the chance of purchasing the Color4Nails exclusives directly from Hayley rather than us having to import them back in again from Color4Nails.  I jumped at the chance and have my swatches and review to share with you today.

 

Corsetry is an off white (or really light grey) holo.  The holo in this one I found quite difficult to capture.  It's definitely more on the subtle side.  Such a pretty polish and amazing formula.  I used two coats for my swatch.

Picture taken in light box

Picture taken in direct sunlight

Vintage Lace is a cashmere rose holo.  Super pretty (and holo) and the formula is amazing.  I used two coats for my swatch.

Picture taken in light box

Picture taken in direct sunlight

Now I could help myself with these, this duo just screams gradient to me.  Well any nail art with these two polishes together.

Picture taken in lightbox

Picture taken in direct sunlight

I really love both of these polishes.  They are both great colours and the formula of both are fantastic.

I had a look on the Color4Nails site and I couldn't actually find this duo.  I assume that it is sold out.  I haven't heard that it was limited edition so hopefully it will be restocked soon.  I would recommend following the Emily de Molly Facebook Group to keep up to date with everything.  Or just keep checking Color4Nails to see if it pops back up.

I Scream Nails DIY Nail Art Book - Review

Today I have something completely different to share with you - a nail art book review.  I actually already own a couple of nail art books but couldn't resist getting this one from I Scream Nails.  It's bright and colourful and has 15 step by step freehand designs.  I would love to improve my freehand skills so figured this book may help me.

 

I Scream Nails are a nail salon (located in both Melbourne and Sydney) who specialize in freehand nail art designs and are all about putting fun and colour on your fingertips.  Not only do they do appointments and host private parties in their salons, but they also can come to you to host events, parties and pop-up salons.  If you follow their Instagram account you will see that they often have free pop up events at various locations.  How cool is that?

Inside cover page

The book features a hard cover and is 64 pages full of bright colours and cute little pictures (as seen above).  Inside you will find a section where you get to "meet the crew" who designed the book (and the creator of I Scream Nails - Celia), some information about nail art tools, prepping your workspace, how to paint your nails, some "creative space" and of course the 15 step by step tutorials.

The creative space pages are placed in three sections throughout the book, and are about 6 single pages in each section of blank white nail shaped spaces.  Each of the creative space sections come with a theme (eg. animals) so you can test out some of your ideas.  Personally I am not a fan of these.  I can understand why they are there but I don't think they are needed (that and I don't draw in books.  It's a pet hate of mine.  Along with folding corners of books.  Ahhh!).

Example of one of the creative space pages

The step by step tutorials are super easy to follow and provide pictures for each step so if you don't understand the written description you can go by the pictures.   I love that each of the tutorials comes with a real life picture of the mani as well as a rating of the difficulty of each design.  Designs range from one ice cream (super simple) to five ice creams (super challenge).

Tutorial difficulty rating

Example of one of the tutorials

Mani created following the tutorial

Overall, I think this book is great for a complete beginner in the nail art world.  It's very easy to understand and follow and it has a good range of difficulty in the designs for everyone to try.  For me personally I can't say that I need the tutorials so much, but the book will provide me with lots of colour inspiration and designs (not necessarily from the tutorials but there is lots of patterns in the background of the pages).  Plus it will make a great fun addition to my shelves in my polish room.

I Scream Nails DIY Nail Art Book is available from their online store.

Have you purchased any nail art books before?

Throwback Thursday: OPI Not Like The Movies & OPI Teenage Dream

I have mentioned a number of times that I have a lot of untried polishes and in particular some of these untrieds were limited edition or I have had them for so long that they are no longer available.  Usually I try my hardest to only share the newer polishes and nail art goodies (I know how frustrating it is when you see a blog post and then you go searching for something) but I still want to share some of these beauties that I have.  So I have decided to introduce "Throwback Thursday" to my blog.  These posts may be weekly or just posted randomly depending on what else I have going on and will feature one or more swatches of some "older" polishes.

 

For today's Throwback I wanted to show you two of the polishes from OPI's Katy Perry Collection.  This collection was originally released back in late December 2010/early January 2011 and consisted of five polishes including Black Shatter (who remembers the whole shatter trend?).  I was so excited for this collection and was in a huge "buy all the OPIs" stage (I literally would only by OPI and no other brand then) so purchased them all.  The two I am sharing two of my favorites from this collection.

Not Like The Movies is a silvery green to purple duochrome with fine silver glitters.  This was my first ever duochrome and boy did I love it (I still do.  It is really pretty).  The formula is on the sheer side so needed three coats to make sure there was no visible nail lines but it was easy to work with,

Picture taken in lightbox

Teenage Dream has a sheer pink tinted base and is filled with ultra fine pink glitters and small circular holographic glitters.  This is so sparkly and girly.  Of course I love it.  I especially love layering this one over OPI Not Like The Movies.  I used one coat of OPI Not Like The Movies for my swatch.

Picture taken in light box

Picture taken in light box with flash

Picture taken in direct sunlight

I am such a fan of both of these polishes.  I think they are both really pretty and have been some of my favorites since I really began collecting polishes.  Did you pick up any polishes from the OPI Katy Perry Collection?

What do you think about this Throwback Thursday idea?  Let me know your thoughts in the comments.  Also let me know if there are any older polishes you would like to see.