KB Shimmer Plum Tuckered Out & Every Nook And Cranberry

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Last year I got quite a few of the KB Shimmer Holiday Collection. This year I limited myself to just two (mainly because all the others were out of stock!):

KB Shimmer Plum Tuckered Out

Plum Tuckered Out is a deep red based purple with duochrome shimmer flecks that shift from blue-purple-pink. I applied two medium coats for full coverage and 1 coat of INM Out the Door for a bit of gloss/,

KB Shimmer Every Nook and Cranberry

Every Nook and Cranberry is a pink leaning red, loaded with glass fleck shimmer, with a matte finish. It's gorgeous and covers nicely in two thin coats. It' ok with top coat but I prefer it matte, myself. 

xxx

NPA

Giveaway Winners & The Battle #10 - Matte vs Holo

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Thank you to everyone who entered my 'Because I Passed My Exams' Giveaway.
Congratulations to Sarah Lundy & Jewell Sparkled who won the Harlow & Co $20 voucher and the NZ Polish Prize Pack, respectively.
Please contact me ladies, I would hate to draw new winners!!!

Yes, The Battle is back. One of these days I'll manage more than 1 challenge a month, I promise!!!!
Today it's holo vs matte... come on there is NO comparison. Holo all the way, baby!

ILNP Grape Alicious

ILNP Grape Alicious with Essie Matte About You

Half 'n half

Even though Grape Alicious looks nice matte, the holo absolutely dies. I can't tell you how happy I was when Orly Glosser magically restored the rainbows!

Now I need to do a Duochrome vs Foil look because I skipped Challenge 9, woops.

Hope your weekends were absolutely amazing in some little way :)


xxx
NPA

Cult Nails In The Garden Wax Finish Swatches

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I picked up the In The Garden Collection from Cult Nails during the pre-sale event when it was 20% off. I really only wanted the pink matte (or 'wax') finish lacquers, but I thought I might as well try the lot since it was better value.

Ay, Poppy! is a great glossy orange, but I don't really need another so I'll probably sell/swap it; and You're My Dandy Lion looked horrid next to my skin so I've already sold it LOL!
But the pinks are pretty great; I love the colours. My camera really struggled to focus on these mattes; so the photos aren't great, but please bare with me because you're gonna love these too!

Cult Nails Let's Get Dirty

Let's Get Dirty is a lightly pink toned taupe/putty matte with a soft shimmer. In my opinion, LGD is the best of the three. It applies quite smoothly (after I had a couple drops of thinner), reaching full coverage in two coats. I recommend thin coats and to avoid dragging; allow each layer to dry before adding the next. As a matte, they dry pretty quickly.
The shimmer is soooooooooooooo gorgeous. It just adds that bit of sheen matte finishes benefit from.

Cult Nails Kiss My Rosebush

Kiss My Rosebush is a bit of a saucy name, no?!! It's a pretty muted pink that reminds me of OPI Sparrow Me The Drama. There is a really subtle shimmer to the formula but you really can't see it on the nail. I wish you could!!!! I also found KMR to have the most difficult formula. It's opaque in two coats, but also really thick and streaky/uneven, so I ended up using a heavy fourth coat to try and fix it. I did add some thinner but it didn't change much. Pity, but it doesn't put me off, I just love the wax finish in the dusty pink.

Cult Nails Morning Glory

 Morning Glory is a dark fuchsia matte, verging on red-violet. A beautiful shade. The formula was a little thick too so I added a few drops of Seche Restore then applied three coats. It's opaque in one, but I just couldn't get it even enough for my liking. I immediately thought it was a dupe for Illamasqua Kink, but upon comparing the bottles I was happy to find MG is a few shades lighter! I do wish there was a hint of shimmer in this one too, but ho hum...

Bottle Comparison: Illamasqua Kink vs Cult Nails Morning Glory

These are touted as a 'wax' finish lacquers and I can kind of see that. But they're really just plain matte. They do not look satin-y or rubbery to my eyes.

This review might not seem favourable but I do adore these Cults, despite the formulation flaws - all mattes are a bitch to apply, right? Just buff your nails before you apply them because they really highlight your ridges.


What's your stance on the matte finish? Yay, or nay?


xxx
NPA

BK Matte Pink Polish from Born Pretty Store

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Hey guys,

It's my first day of clinic!!! I'm hella scared and really hoping it goes well.

For now, I have another review for Born Pretty Store. This time I tried a matte pink polish by BK Nail Polish. The colour doesn't ring true in these photos, so if it appears slightly neon and orange tinted on your screens, ignore it, the bottle shows the shade of pink correctly.

BK Nail Polish #06

#06 is a medium-dark matte pink. The formula was very similar to all other mattes. It wasn't chalky or anything but I did find it tricky getting an even finish like all mattes also! Remember to let your nails dry/harden longer than glossy finishes because it dents more easily.
You can get your hands on this pink HERE (Item ID: 1030).

Tomorrow I'll show you how #06 looks with a glitter top coat.



Born Pretty Store sells lots of nail art supplies, cheaply and with free international shipping. You can use my 10% off coupon next time you order.

BPS are also sponsoring a $20 gift voucher giveaway for my readers. Enter HERE before Sunday 7 April for your chance to win.


xxx
NPA

A Good Friday Mini Swatch Spam

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Good Friday to you ladies!

I have some random swatches for you today:

 Cult Nails Fetish

Fetish is a black wax finish from Cult Nails' Two Year Anniversary Collection. That basically means it's a matte finish, perhaps slightly satin-matte? I applied two easy coats, though one thick coat would do if you are pinched for time. I did get a few bumps on my nails which might have to do with the thickness of the polish. I'll try adding a few drops of thinner next time I wear Fetish. Fantastically naughty name, no?

Specialita HITS Mari Moon Unconventional

I've had Unconvential for at least nine months, and have woefully, only worn it twice!!! This multichrome from the Mari Moon inspired collection is magnificent though! What looks like a red-purple duochrome in the bottle actually shifts pink-purple-blue,orange/yellow-red! Here I've layered two coats over Fetish, but you can get away with 3 thin coats alone. The formula is very thick so I recommend thinning it to avid tip shrinkage. It's the perfect subtle multichrome, to ease you in to the trend!!

Nicole by OPI For Gold Time's Sake

 For Gold Time's Sake is a magnificent mix of micro flakes in a sheer antique gold base. It looks to be primarily made up of gold and colour shifting flakes in purple-blue-fuchsia. It is beautiful and intricate and no matter what the lighting, it is a sparkling sensation!!! I applied 3 thin, not quite watery coats for full coverage.

I hope Good Friday is treating you well, have you been munching on chocolate already?!

xxx

NPA

One polish, three ways: Pahlish Pianos Filled With Flames

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I loved Pianos Filled With Flames by Pahlish so much, I ended up wearing it for several days. But since I can't leave well enough alone, I added something simple each day to satisfy my painting addiction!!!


Day 1: Glossy

Pahlish Pianos Filled With Flames

Pianos Filled With Flames is a bright pink toned red with gold holo, red and pink glitter. There's fine squares and hexes and teeny tiny bar glitter and I think some glowing red shimmer flecks? I applied 2 coats of PFWF and 1 layer of Seche Vite for a glossy, smooth and sparkly look.


Day 2: Matte

Pahlish Pianos Flled With Flames with Essie Matte About You

 I love a good old mattified glitter!!! This was with 1 coat of Matte About You. I hadn't used it for months and I forgot how awesome it can make a polish look.


Day 3: Gold Leaf

Pahlish Pianos Filled With Flames with 24k Gold Leaf franken

I added 1 coat of my gold leaf franken and another layer of Seche Vite on the third day. While I liked this look (especially with the glitter peaking through and glowing all around the bright gold), I need to shake my bottle more to break up the larger pieces of gold leaf. I like the tiny flakes, and too many are a bit chunky still. After I painted it on I shook it up some more and I think it has almost reached the right consistency...

I loved that all I had to do to make my mani look fresh was add a top coat each day!

Do you add little embellishments to your manis in order to extend the wear, or do you like to change it up completely every time?

xxx

NPA