- PROVIDED FOR REVIEW -
Showing posts with label cream. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cream. Show all posts
17 April 2015
Cirque Metropolis Collection April 2015 Releases: Swatches + Review
20 December 2014
Renaissance Cosmetics: The Modern Vamp Collection Swatches + Review
Hi guys, today I have for you some amazing new polishes from Renaissance Cosmetics. They've actually released two new collections this fall/winter, and both of them are incredible - I'll be sharing the Anniversary Collection soon. But for today, we're looking at The Modern Vamp Collection, a collection of six gorgeous and unique polishes inspired by vampires from recent television shows and films. (And I even have a discount code to share with you! Read on for more information.)
I love vampire movies and TV shows, so I was already in love with this collection before I even tried it. But I do think that this collection will be great for people who don't know any of the references as well because the polishes are pretty gorgeous.
As I've come to expect from Renaissance Cosmetics, these polishes are unlike anything I have in my collection. Meghan does an incredible job of combining colors and finishes to create a completely new product. Anyway, all of the formulas on these polishes are fabulous and they feature the wide, flat brush that I love for easy application. As I always say with Renaissance, I think the true beauty of these polishes can be seen in the macro shots, so you'll see close ups of each polish in today's post. Let's get started, shall we?
Footprints in the Snow is a white crelly, almost opaque with one coat (almost all of the colors were practically opaque in one coat, much like creme finishes, but I'm going to refer to them as crellies because they include the added glitters) that features black, red, and blue microglitters as well as a fuchsia and gold shimmer. Seriously, have you ever seen a white crelly like this?! It really is delicate and beautiful like snow. This polish was inspired by Eli from the film Let the Right One In. I haven't seen it, but this gorgeous polish is making me want to! Shown above is two easy coats and top coat.
Here is a close up in the bottle and on the nail. You can really see all the variations in glitter when you look up close. What a complex polish!
Next we have An Eternal Doll, a creamy nude crelly packed with red and gold glitters in various sizes, as well as a gold shimmer. Again, this was practically a one coater, but the true glitter depth comes from the second coat. This polish was inspired by Claudia from Interview With A Vampire. Again, I haven't seen this film, but this polish is so warm and beautiful! It almost has a Christmassy vibe to it, and I'm definitely considering wearing it for the holiday! Shown above is two coats with top coat.
Here is a closeup in the bottle and on the nail. I made the mistake of using a really thin top coat (by Essie) for these swatches, and it didn't do a great job of smoothing out the glitters in this collection. I would recommend using a nice thick top coat like Seche Vite or KBShimmer for these polishes to smooth them out easily!
Next we have Cursed, a dusty medium blue packed with red hexes and iridescent flakes, as well as an intense fuchsia shimmer. Seriously, have you ever seen a shade like this?! It's absolutely beautiful and so unique. This polish is inspired by Aidan from Being Human, which is probably one of my favorite television shows of all time, and it captures him perfectly! Again, this polish was practically a one coater, but you're looking at two coats with top coat.
Here is a closeup in the bottle and on the nail. I think the combination of red and blue is so gorgeous here, and a combination I wouldn't expect to see in a polish.
Next up is Blood/Lust, a super sparkly red jelly polish packed with red and gold shimmer. This is the closest that Renaissance will probably be to a "classic" polish, but I do think that colors like this are just great to have in my collection for a classy and elegant look. Again, I could definitely see this being a Christmas polish! This polish was inspired by vampire Willow from Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and it's a great representation of her character. Shown above is two coats with top coat, but you might want to add a third coat for deeper color and more sparkle.
I don't think my swatch photo accurately shows off the shimmer in this polish, but you can see how wild it is in the bottle shot! Seriously, this polish shimmered so beautifully on the nail!
Out of the Darkness is a black crelly with a seriously strong linear holo finish, as well as blue and fuchsia flakes. I know I'm repeating myself here, but I have never seen a polish like this - it's absolutely gorgeous, and I don't think photos do it justice. The pink and blue flakes shimmer beautifully, even though the black base is completely opaque, and the holographic finish just sparkles! This polish is inspired by Angel from Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and it represents his struggle with good and evil. Personally, I think this polish looks totally badass! It makes me want to rock a leather jacket and some spiky boots. Shown above is two coats with top coat.
Seriously, can we drool now?! Here is a photo in the bottle and on the nail - this polish clearly loves to pick up light, and my camera almost had a meltdown trying to capture the holographic finish.
Last but definitely not least, we have Sex, Death, & Rock 'n' Roll. I honestly wasn't even sure how to describe this incredibly unique polish - gray? gold? blue? - so I checked out Meghan's review, and decided it's a black base packed with gold shimmer and a strong linear holo, as well as holographic hex glitters. Can we just take a second to look at the bottle in the above photo? It seriously looks like the galaxy exploded! The polish itself was practically opaque in one coat, but I just had to add a second for more depth. This polish is inspired by Spike from Buffy the Vampire Slayer (is anyone else seeing a theme here? I think it's safe to say Meghan loves Buffy!), and again, I think is describes him perfectly. Shown above is two coats with top coat.
Here is a closeup in the bottle and on the nail. Incredible!
Overall, I'm totally in love with this collection. I honestly couldn't pick a favorite - even the polishes that I didn't understand the references to are amazing! I also want to point out that these polishes could be perfect for any male polish lover, especially the last two - even the inclusion of sparkle and holo doesn't make them distinctly feminine, and I love that, since they are inspired by male characters. (And hey, Oz from Buffy wore nail polish, and he was pretty badass!)
This collection is available from Renaissance Cosmetics for $9.50 USD each or $51.30 USD for the entire collection. Make sure you use the code "nailpolishchallenge15" for 15% off your order of $10 or more! I believe some of these colors are currently out of stock (and they sell out pretty quickly in general), so you'll want to follow Renaissance on Facebook for restock information.
What do you think of this collection? Do you recognize any of the vamps?
*These polishes were provided for my honest review.
I love vampire movies and TV shows, so I was already in love with this collection before I even tried it. But I do think that this collection will be great for people who don't know any of the references as well because the polishes are pretty gorgeous.
As I've come to expect from Renaissance Cosmetics, these polishes are unlike anything I have in my collection. Meghan does an incredible job of combining colors and finishes to create a completely new product. Anyway, all of the formulas on these polishes are fabulous and they feature the wide, flat brush that I love for easy application. As I always say with Renaissance, I think the true beauty of these polishes can be seen in the macro shots, so you'll see close ups of each polish in today's post. Let's get started, shall we?
Footprints in the Snow is a white crelly, almost opaque with one coat (almost all of the colors were practically opaque in one coat, much like creme finishes, but I'm going to refer to them as crellies because they include the added glitters) that features black, red, and blue microglitters as well as a fuchsia and gold shimmer. Seriously, have you ever seen a white crelly like this?! It really is delicate and beautiful like snow. This polish was inspired by Eli from the film Let the Right One In. I haven't seen it, but this gorgeous polish is making me want to! Shown above is two easy coats and top coat.
Here is a close up in the bottle and on the nail. You can really see all the variations in glitter when you look up close. What a complex polish!
Next we have An Eternal Doll, a creamy nude crelly packed with red and gold glitters in various sizes, as well as a gold shimmer. Again, this was practically a one coater, but the true glitter depth comes from the second coat. This polish was inspired by Claudia from Interview With A Vampire. Again, I haven't seen this film, but this polish is so warm and beautiful! It almost has a Christmassy vibe to it, and I'm definitely considering wearing it for the holiday! Shown above is two coats with top coat.
Here is a closeup in the bottle and on the nail. I made the mistake of using a really thin top coat (by Essie) for these swatches, and it didn't do a great job of smoothing out the glitters in this collection. I would recommend using a nice thick top coat like Seche Vite or KBShimmer for these polishes to smooth them out easily!
Next we have Cursed, a dusty medium blue packed with red hexes and iridescent flakes, as well as an intense fuchsia shimmer. Seriously, have you ever seen a shade like this?! It's absolutely beautiful and so unique. This polish is inspired by Aidan from Being Human, which is probably one of my favorite television shows of all time, and it captures him perfectly! Again, this polish was practically a one coater, but you're looking at two coats with top coat.
Here is a closeup in the bottle and on the nail. I think the combination of red and blue is so gorgeous here, and a combination I wouldn't expect to see in a polish.
Next up is Blood/Lust, a super sparkly red jelly polish packed with red and gold shimmer. This is the closest that Renaissance will probably be to a "classic" polish, but I do think that colors like this are just great to have in my collection for a classy and elegant look. Again, I could definitely see this being a Christmas polish! This polish was inspired by vampire Willow from Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and it's a great representation of her character. Shown above is two coats with top coat, but you might want to add a third coat for deeper color and more sparkle.
I don't think my swatch photo accurately shows off the shimmer in this polish, but you can see how wild it is in the bottle shot! Seriously, this polish shimmered so beautifully on the nail!
Out of the Darkness is a black crelly with a seriously strong linear holo finish, as well as blue and fuchsia flakes. I know I'm repeating myself here, but I have never seen a polish like this - it's absolutely gorgeous, and I don't think photos do it justice. The pink and blue flakes shimmer beautifully, even though the black base is completely opaque, and the holographic finish just sparkles! This polish is inspired by Angel from Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and it represents his struggle with good and evil. Personally, I think this polish looks totally badass! It makes me want to rock a leather jacket and some spiky boots. Shown above is two coats with top coat.
Seriously, can we drool now?! Here is a photo in the bottle and on the nail - this polish clearly loves to pick up light, and my camera almost had a meltdown trying to capture the holographic finish.
Last but definitely not least, we have Sex, Death, & Rock 'n' Roll. I honestly wasn't even sure how to describe this incredibly unique polish - gray? gold? blue? - so I checked out Meghan's review, and decided it's a black base packed with gold shimmer and a strong linear holo, as well as holographic hex glitters. Can we just take a second to look at the bottle in the above photo? It seriously looks like the galaxy exploded! The polish itself was practically opaque in one coat, but I just had to add a second for more depth. This polish is inspired by Spike from Buffy the Vampire Slayer (is anyone else seeing a theme here? I think it's safe to say Meghan loves Buffy!), and again, I think is describes him perfectly. Shown above is two coats with top coat.
Here is a closeup in the bottle and on the nail. Incredible!
Overall, I'm totally in love with this collection. I honestly couldn't pick a favorite - even the polishes that I didn't understand the references to are amazing! I also want to point out that these polishes could be perfect for any male polish lover, especially the last two - even the inclusion of sparkle and holo doesn't make them distinctly feminine, and I love that, since they are inspired by male characters. (And hey, Oz from Buffy wore nail polish, and he was pretty badass!)
This collection is available from Renaissance Cosmetics for $9.50 USD each or $51.30 USD for the entire collection. Make sure you use the code "nailpolishchallenge15" for 15% off your order of $10 or more! I believe some of these colors are currently out of stock (and they sell out pretty quickly in general), so you'll want to follow Renaissance on Facebook for restock information.
What do you think of this collection? Do you recognize any of the vamps?
*These polishes were provided for my honest review.
05 September 2014
KBShimmer Fall 2014 Collection, Part 1: Swatches and Review
Hello everyone! I'm so excited to be sharing some swatches of the soon to be released KBShimmer Fall 2014 collection today. I've decided to split my review into two posts, since there are ten polishes in this collection. Today, I will be showing off five cool-toned polishes - three creams, a holo, and a crelly. As is expected of KBShimmer, these polishes are gorgeous!
I have to say, I am really impressed with KBShimmer's cream and holo formulas - both finishes are relatively new to the indie brand, but they are already flawless! Today's polishes are no exception. Let's take a closer look:
Hugs & Wishes is a slightly dusty cool-toned lavender cream (almost a periwinkle color) with a gorgeous shine. I'm totally loving this one! Normally, I wouldn't associate this shade with fall, but I think the slight dustiness makes it perfect for transitioning into colder weather. Shown above is two super easy coats and top coat.
Stonewashed is a gorgeous dusty navy blue cream with an exceptional formula. You know, I often find myself with one-coater polishes, but I can't bring myself to photograph swatches with just one coat (just in case there's the tiniest bit of visible nail!), but this polish completely blew me away after one coat. Yes, that's right, you're looking at one coat with top coat, a truly opaque polish! Not to mention, this color is just gorgeous.
How You Dune? is another gorgeous cream, this time in a "greige" color (somewhere between grey and beige!) This one is another one coater, but since it is fairly light, I had to layer a second coat just in case my photo showed any flaws. I think this polish actually looks better with just one coat, since the second coat made it slightly thick! You may remember this color as the base to my recent challenge manicure - it's perfect for some fall nail art! Shown above is two coats and top coat.
Up & Cunning is described as a deep teal holographic polish. I absolutely love this one! Like I said, KBShimmer really hit the nail on the head with their holo formula - this one had a crazy sparkle, even indoors. Shown above is two thin coats, without top coat.
And finally, we have a classic crelly called Flannel Surfing. This light dusty blue is packed with silver, orange, and turquoise hex glitters in various sizes. As is usual with KBShimmer crellies, no fishing or dabbing was required. And what a gorgeous combination of colors! Shown above is two easy coats and top coat.
I honestly don't think I could choose favorites out of these - I'm in love with them all! And I love how cohesive this collection is so far. All of these polishes will be available from the KBShimmer online shop starting on September 15th. Creams will be $7.50 USD each, and the crellies, glitters, and holos will be $8.75 USD each. I will be posting the other five polishes in this collection - the warm tones - soon, so stay tuned! Don't forget to follow KBShimmer on Facebook and Instagram for news and updates.
And of course, you can find my Instagram page here, where I will also be posting all of my swatches!
These polishes were provided for my honest review.
I have to say, I am really impressed with KBShimmer's cream and holo formulas - both finishes are relatively new to the indie brand, but they are already flawless! Today's polishes are no exception. Let's take a closer look:
Hugs & Wishes is a slightly dusty cool-toned lavender cream (almost a periwinkle color) with a gorgeous shine. I'm totally loving this one! Normally, I wouldn't associate this shade with fall, but I think the slight dustiness makes it perfect for transitioning into colder weather. Shown above is two super easy coats and top coat.
Stonewashed is a gorgeous dusty navy blue cream with an exceptional formula. You know, I often find myself with one-coater polishes, but I can't bring myself to photograph swatches with just one coat (just in case there's the tiniest bit of visible nail!), but this polish completely blew me away after one coat. Yes, that's right, you're looking at one coat with top coat, a truly opaque polish! Not to mention, this color is just gorgeous.
How You Dune? is another gorgeous cream, this time in a "greige" color (somewhere between grey and beige!) This one is another one coater, but since it is fairly light, I had to layer a second coat just in case my photo showed any flaws. I think this polish actually looks better with just one coat, since the second coat made it slightly thick! You may remember this color as the base to my recent challenge manicure - it's perfect for some fall nail art! Shown above is two coats and top coat.
Up & Cunning is described as a deep teal holographic polish. I absolutely love this one! Like I said, KBShimmer really hit the nail on the head with their holo formula - this one had a crazy sparkle, even indoors. Shown above is two thin coats, without top coat.
And finally, we have a classic crelly called Flannel Surfing. This light dusty blue is packed with silver, orange, and turquoise hex glitters in various sizes. As is usual with KBShimmer crellies, no fishing or dabbing was required. And what a gorgeous combination of colors! Shown above is two easy coats and top coat.
I honestly don't think I could choose favorites out of these - I'm in love with them all! And I love how cohesive this collection is so far. All of these polishes will be available from the KBShimmer online shop starting on September 15th. Creams will be $7.50 USD each, and the crellies, glitters, and holos will be $8.75 USD each. I will be posting the other five polishes in this collection - the warm tones - soon, so stay tuned! Don't forget to follow KBShimmer on Facebook and Instagram for news and updates.
And of course, you can find my Instagram page here, where I will also be posting all of my swatches!
These polishes were provided for my honest review.