Tuesday, June 26, 2012

... Cate Ruby - Emerald City ...

Cate Ruby - Emerald City
Purchased from Cate Ruby - $14.95 RRP
As requested for Karen after we were talking about it the other day. This beauty is from the latest Cate Ruby "Ice Box" collection which was released for Winter [yes it's winter down here in the Southern Hemisphere]

This is a fantastic forest green metallic and it's fast drying and super pretty. I've used 3 coats for these swatches.
I must admit I love a metallic!! Not as much as flakies or holos but it's up there!!
As with all the bottles from Cate Ruby you get a free ring! I generally leave mine on the bottles but they are super fun if you need something blingy to wear! It's definitely something that I haven't seen on any other brand.
The wear on this polish is FANTASTIC!! I ended up stamping [and forgot to photo it directly] but this is taken 6 days after I applied. There is slight tip wear and some slight wear on the middle finger stamping but that's it. So impressed!!
For the record I stamped using Cate Ruby in Mulberry using the Konad m63 plate.

** Final Verdict **
If you like green or if you like metallics or if you just like long lasting polishes then this is definitely a polish that you should check out! You'll thank me!!


There are Cate Rubys as the main prize in the giveaway currently running for this month. If you haven't entered then get there now! CLICK CLICK CLICK

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

... Coral Colors Magnetic Nail - Alluring Violet ...

Coral Colors Magnetic Nail - Alluring Violet
Purchased from Chemplus - $7.95 AUD
 Magnetic polishees have finally decided to make an appearance down here in the last few weeks - hurrah! Some of the new kids on the block are looking fantastic although I need to sit down and compare the actual colours as some look similar.

This is Alluring Violet which is a beautiful purple with sparkles. Honestly this would make a beautiful colour without the magnetic fun.
Each the Coral Colors comes with a magnet that's wrapped around the handle [which you can see on the picture] And the instructions are written on the inside ...

1. Remove the Magnet Paper Ring
2. Shake the bottle
3. Apply a thick coat
4. While wet place the magnet directly above for 10 seconds with the guide resting on your nail
5. Add a top coat
There is a finger guide on the cardboard but even before applying the polish you can see that it's really easy for the magnet to hit the polish. I found it a lot easier if I held my finger up so I could make sure it didn't hit ... but it definitely is the best magnet to work with this polish. I tried my essence, ulta3, china glaze and homemade magnets but nothing seemed to work except the Coral Colors for me.  I'm not sure if there are other designs in this range but the ones supplied are diagonal stripes.

All up it definitely is a 1 coater and it dries quite quickly which surprised me. It has a slight gritty feel to it that can be rectified with a top coat. Oh and it also it was a breeze to remove which was a pleasant surprise.
And my first ever macro shot - please be nice!  Just showing how pretty it is without the magnet.
 ** Final Verdict **
Not my favourite magnetic polish in the world but it's so pretty that I might be able to forgive it for that.  I'm not sure if it was just me having the issues with using other branded magnets or if this one is just picky for love from the magnet that arrived with with it I've got another in the series that I'll test another day so I guess we will see then.


Monday, June 18, 2012

... piCture pOlish - Monroe ...

... piCture pOlish - Monroe ...
Purchased from piCture pOlish - $11.50 AUD
[This polish is seriously limited! Get your hands on it fast!]
I can't believe it took me so long to swatch this beauty. I've been in a funk lately due to the weather. I have been finding it hard to get motivated to do nails while the weather has been so cold and miserable and some beautiful suggested to do some stamping.

Monroe is a wonderfully sexy red jelly with a hidden holo surprise in the right light. It's such a beautiful deep colour ...
I've used 3 thin coats for this swatch and I'd definitely recommend going thin and slow. It needs to dry between coats or you just end up with a jelly mess. Also try and stay off the cuticles as it's a pain to remove!
The holo showing up under artificial light ... no sunshine here *sad* Still looks pretty though!!

I knew straight away what to stamp over this although I had major issues in deciding what colour. I originally was wanting a bright yellow or gold for Hollywood but it didn't look outstanding. In the end I went with Ulta3 in Lily White.

The Marilyn stamp came from the Fun 1 plate and the Movie Reels are from the Fun 2 plate - both from Fab Ur Nails. So many great images on these plates - I'd highly recommend them!!
** Final Verdict **
A beautiful polish named after a beautiful lady. Although unless you want it end up with it's life tragically cut short you need to take care and have a lot of patience too apply. Well worth it if you put in the effort!!  Also I found I had great wear from this shade - fantastic!!

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Ask Shatter me Claire - My fave polishes under $5

While I had some time off I've been thinking about where I want my blog to be in the next 12 months. I only have to look back at my first posts to see where I've come [and then cringe with embarrassment over how bad they are!!!].

I could easy continue to putt along posting swatches and trying to own every polish known to mankind or I could actually set myself some boundaries - limit myself to a single helmer and remind myself that I could wear my favourite polish everyday if I wanted too and that I don't have to wear something new and unswatched daily.

Anyway it's become clear to me that majority of the people who ask me questions and keep my inbox feeling loved are those people who I know in real life or have worked with online ... they are everyday people who don't visit many blogs, don't own a vast variety of polishes and have many questions. So I'm going back to basics and collating questions that I get asked.
I'm going to start with what I think is my most asked question ... that is "What is your favourite polish brand?"  and honestly that's like the hardest question in the world. I have so many that I love dearly from different collections so I'm going to seriously narrow it down ... so this is my under $5 list of polishes you can find in stores without resorting to eBay bargains! [$5 Australian that is ... sorry for those overseas].

Having a good polish doesn't mean going down to David Jones and forking out $20 for an OPI. Just because the price is expensive doesn't mean you are getting a better product. There are plenty of great brands in Australia that you can afford that will not break the bank or your budget.

Ulta 3/ NYC Color
Don't let the price fool you on these. Cheap doesn't mean nasty!! While there are some that aren't worth a second glance - for around $2 why not give it a try as there are some beautiful colours in these bins if you have time to dig around for them!

Essence
I am amazed that a brand from overseas can arrive here in Australia and be so cheap in price!! Why can't others learn from this example? The racks at my local Target are generally empty as soon as it's restocked! Also I enjoy these smaller bottles and the larger ones are usually limited editions and cost slightly more but they are generally still worth investing in.

Face of Australia
I really do love this range as it seems to pretty much do anything. I use FoA for nail art and stamping aswell as just painting my nails. 

Apart from this there are many other brands around that fall into the $5 category when on sale!! Things like Chi Chi, Rimmel and Maybelline spring to mind.

End of the day - if you like the colour ... just buy it!!

** As we live in the age of smartphones - if you are worried that the bottle will not look like the finished product then just google the name and look at the images. There is generally some sort of swatch for all the brands I'm listing below. I used to be the biggest dud finder. If I had a dollar for everytime I brought something that looked pretty in the bottle but didn't translate in real life then I'd have some serious savings going on. So if you have the time before heading to the checkout then do this!! **

I'll continue this series in the future on other favourite brands that cost that bit more!

Monday, June 11, 2012

... Butter London - Lillibet's Jubilee ...


Hey Howdy Hey Readers :)

I've had some well deserved time off lately and squeezed in a vacation so I'm back and ready for some loving! I'll hopefully have some vacation pics and nails for you soon!!

As you would have gathered from the giveaway in the last post - I've hit my first blogversary. I can't believe a year has passed so quickly. I have met so many extremely beautiful people over the past year and I thank you!  It has been a major learning curve and it's given me a creative outlet.

Butter London - Lillibet's Jubilee
Purchased from the Butter London website - $14 USD
[Aussies ... They don't ship here *sad* I had ask someone to ship it to me]



I recently got my hands on this beautiful Butter London that was named for the Queens Diamond Jubilee and with the Jubilee celebrations last week and it being the Queens Birthday public holiday here today this seems rather appropriate.
This is a beautiful purple and silver combo that makes a fantastic foil polish. It really does depend on how you look at this one to whether it shows silver or a light purple. The little glitter pieces sparkle even without direct sunlight and you could seriously get away with a single coat for it! Wow!!
And showing the purple ... which my camera hated to pic up. It is totally not like this in real life. Promise!!
** Final Verdict **
Pretty polish for a grand occasion. I definitely have no issues recommending this as it's exceptionally beautiful and the fact you could get away with a single coat is a plus for those days when you are rushing out the door with limited time on your hands.

I'll leave you with a picture that's doing the rounds of the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh. How much of a stunner was she back in the day! Regardless of what your personal opinions of the Royal Family are - 60 years in the same job deserves some credit. Prince Philip just makes me laugh as he generally seems to blurt out what everyone is thinking. I'm sure when I'm his age I'd want to do that aswell!
[Anyone know where this pic originated? I'd love to give it some proper credit. I know it was featured in Vanity Fair but I'm unsure if they nabbed it from somewhere ... Ta!]

Sunday, June 3, 2012

Super Aussie Blogversary Giveaway!!!

In June a year ago, two South Aussies were unleashed onto the blogging scene and their lives [and wallets!] have never been the same again.

Em from Nails in the Desert and Sarah Claire from Shatter Me Claire have joined forces to give you this fantastic Aussie giveaway to celebrate their past year and it's chocka-block full of all the Australian things that we love and cherish.

** SUPER AUSSIE PRIZE #1 **
Cate Ruby - Fudge * 
Cate Ruby - Midas Touch * 
Australis  - Speck-tacular Top Coat
Australis -  Limited Edition 1
Glitter Gal - Light as a Feather
Koala Keyring
Caramello Koala
Clip on Koala
Fuzzy Australia carrybag

* Kindly donated by the lovely Tracey at Cate Ruby
[both Cate Ruby polishes come in beautiful silk carry pouches]


** SUPER AUSSIE PRIZE #2 **
Chi Chi - Bimbo
Chi Chi - California Gurl
Chi Chi - Hissy Fit
Kangaroo Keyring
Caramello Koala
Clip On Koala
Koala Coin Purse

 ** SUPER AUSSIE PRIZE #3**
BYS - Quake Blue
BYS UV Reactive - Tension Rising

NYC Color - Feather Boa
NYC Color - Polka Dot
Ulta3 - Confetti
Ulta3 - Sunset Pink
Love Thy Polish Unscented Cuticle Oil
2x Roxby Downs Postcards
Roxby Downs Bumper Sticker

** SUPER AUSSIE PRIZE #4**
Face of Australia Barbados - You Blue Me Away
Face of Australia Barbados - Let's Go Scuba Diving
Face of Australia Barbados - I Like To Mauve It
Caramello Koala
Clip On Koala
Kangaroo Coin Purse


** RULES **
To enter you must be a GFC follower of either blog [or both!!!]
This giveaway is open WORLDWIDE
Multiple entries will be removed and disqualified
Entries close June 30

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