Gloss 'n Sparkle Nail Polish Review ~ SpectraFlair

Today I thought I would introduce you to one of my favourite Top Coats by Gloss 'n Sparkle.

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This is SpectraFlair, a molten silver rainbow holographic top coat that you can use on its own or to brighten up any nail polish.  I especially love to use this over polishes that I would not normally wear, I just love the effect it has on brightening dull shades.

SpectraFlair 2 coats
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SpectraFlair is a course grade holographic in a clear base suspension base, so you won't have to shake every time you use it unlike heavier glitter polishes.  1-2 coats is enough, 2 coats really brings out the rainbow effect and I love wearing this on bare nails, the effect in sunlight is mesmerising.

Applies easily and drys smooth to the touch in no time.  Angela the creative lady who makes these lovely polishes suggests applying a top coat for longer wear.  Angela is based in Queensland and sells her polishes on Etsy you can visit her shop here, she also sells internationally through distributors and you can find out more about that on her website here.

Now for the fun bit, some swatches.  I found it interesting while I was going through my nail polish collection I chose mainly earthy flat tones to sample SpectraFlair with, I hope you like them.  All swatches were photographed using a day lamp.

Sapphire Dream  ~  Thanks a WindMillion  ~  Jayd  +  SpectraFlair  (1 coat)

Mineral Fusion   ~   Sapphire Dream
OPI   ~   Thanks a WindMillion
Coral Colours   ~   Jayd

Midnight Madness  ~  do you speak love?  ~  Coraliscious  +  SpectraFlair  (1 coat)
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ModelsPrefer   ~   Midnight Madness ~ gorgeous aubergine, purple first coat almost black 2 coats
essence color & go   ~   do you speak love?
Rimmel 60 Seconds   ~   Coraliscious

Jaded    ~    Muse    ~    wanna say hello
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Revlon Top Speed   ~   Jaded
Revlon   ~   Muse
essence color & go   ~   wanna say hello ~ dark brown

Botticelli Nude    ~    sweet berry    ~    dark room + SpectraFlair 1 coat
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Borghese   ~   Botticelli Nude
Savvy by DB   ~   sweet berry
MUD   ~   dark room ~ black


Well there you are, SpectraFlair certainly makes any polish special.

What are your favourite combinations?   Please leave a comment and let me know.

Nail Polish with Hearts, Stars & Butterflies

Recently I reviewed Face of Australia's Glitterati Nail Polish in Heart of Glass and the lovely Renu from My Beauty Junction left a comment saying how much she loves heart glitter, so I thought I would do a few swatches of my polishes containing hearts just for Renu.  I then found a polish I owned that had hearts & stars so I thought I would throw in a couple of star polishes too AND a Butterfly Polish.


OPI ~ Nothin' Mouse About It ~ this polish is small pink, purple and gold glitter with larger pale pink hearts in a pink jelly base.  The hearts tend to sink to the bottom so the best application is to apply one coat of the pink glitter gel polish, fish out the hearts place them where you want and then when dry seal with another coat of the glitter gel polish.  It's fiddly but I think worth it, looks great if you use a different shade base.

NICOLE by OPI ~ Modern Family ~ She's Lily Something ~ gold, pink and purple glitter in a pink jelly base with larger pink stars.  Very similar to Nothin' Mouse About It.

OPI Nothin Mouse about it & She's Lily Something ~ MODE Blackberry ~ Blackberry base with OPI Mouse & Lily
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I used MODE Blackberry as the base coat for the two OPI polishes.  It is an almost black/purple polish but when you add the two OPI's as a top coat it does something magical and turns into a gorgeous glittering purple base.

Looney Lacquer ~ Love Gold
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Looney Lacquer ~ Love Gold ~ A Gold metallic base with white micro, bar and heart glitter.  This was a limited edition Indie polish no longer available.  I really like this polish looks fantastic on, I just wish there had been a few more hearts to play with as they are hard to find.

Heart of Glass
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FOA glitterati ~ Heart of Glass ~ you can read my review and find more swatches of this polish here.

MODE ~ Pocket Rocket ~ small silver glitter with larger multi-coloured hearts and stars in a clear base.  This is a fantastic polish if you want to add some hearts and stars to decorate your nails.  You need to fish out the glitter but the base doesn't dry too quickly so you have time to position the hearts and stars where you want them and when dry just add a layer of the glitter base or a top coat to seal.

MODE Pocket Rocket  ~  MODE BlackBerry  ~  Blackberry & Pocket Rocket
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Again I used MODE Blackberry as the base and Pocket Rocket as the topcoat.  This time the blackberry remained black but really brought out the colours of the glitter.

Emily de Molly ~  Flutterby Garden ~ Green, Lavender and Pink multi sized hexes and bar glitter in a clear base with larger silver butterflies.  This is another gorgeous Indie Polish and you can find out more about them here.

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The first swatch (far left) shows Flutterby Garden by itself and the three bases show up the gorgeous FB as a topcoat  the three bases l-r are:  

 Australis Sweet Pea  ~  OPI  Pedal Faster Suzi!  ~    Revlon Mischievous

Clear ~ Pedal Faster Suzi! ~ Mischievous ~ Sweet Pea
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The butterflies aren't too hard to fish out and there is plenty of time to position them where you want before the polish dries.

I recently saw in Priceline that Revlon have two new glitter polishes available in Australia that are now on my wish list.

Celestial FX & Hearts of Gold FX

Revlon Top Speed Celestial FX and Hearts of Gold FX;  Celestial contains holographic Stars, Half-Moons and Diamonds in a multi-coloured glitter base.  Hearts of Gold contains holographic Hearts in a gold glitter base.  I really want these.

If anyone has any other great glitter polishes they would like to share please leave a comment below.

I hope you liked my review and swatches Renu.

Jac x0x

Face of Australia glitterati review ~ Boogie Wonderland

(l-r)
Boogie Wonderland - Heart of Glass - Funky Town
Dancing Queen - Studio54 - Saturday Night Fever - Lookin for Some Hot Stuff - Disco Inferno

You can find out more about these Limited Edition Polishes at the Face of Australia Website here.

Heart of Glass

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In my comments for the review of  FOA's Heart of Glass, the lovely Madeleine Lee of Madeleine in Wonderland commented that she would really like to try Boogie Wonderland, so I thought  I would do a little review and show some swatches for you all.

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BOOGIE WONDERLAND

Boogie Wonderland ~ The best way I can describe this polish is An Exploding Lavender Pinata Bomb!  There is so much glitter in there it just explodes on your nails and you can't help but get a thick helping of glitter on every nail.  Has the same tinted milky gel base as Heart of Glass but I found my base was slightly thicker than HoG and I had trouble applying thin coats to my nails. Where'is with  Heart of Glass  I felt I needed 3 coats for good coverage I was happy with 2 coats of  Boogie Wonderland.

Boogie Wonderland has a wonderful mix of glitter, the ones I could pick out were, Green, Blue and White Bars.  Small Orange, Blue, Pink, Purple and Red Hexes and larger White Hexes.  I did find I needed to roll the bottle between application or the heavier glitters tended to sink to the bottom, I had no trouble getting an even coat of glitter all over the nail because there is SO much glitter!

1 coat  ~  2 coats  ~  3 coats
Boogie Wonderland
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I experienced curling with the bar glitter and you need a few layers of top coat to seal them.  This was a bit tedious for me as I don't have time to sit there applying layer after layer of top coat and waiting for it all to dry.  This is not a nail polish I would wear if I was in a hurry.

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I had applied 4 layers of topcoat for this photo and STILL had not managed to seal the curly bars sticking up.  Anymore coats and the whole lot is just going to peel off, I think FOA should have left the bars out of this one, what do you think?

Now for some swatches.  I chose four base coats picking out the shades to match the glitter in the bottle.  I chose strong shades because the milky base makes everything turn pastel except for the last one Revlon Lily which is such a gorgeous creamy pastel I thought it would look good with a layer of glitter.

Let's Talk   ~  Sapphire Dream  ~  A Roll in the Hague  ~  Lily
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SINFUL COLORS ~ LET'S TALK ~ liked this one better with only one coat of Boogie.

MINERAL FUSION ~ SAPPHIRE DREAM ~ This is a new polish I picked up from iherb, you can find out more about the range here.

OPI ~ A ROLL IN THE HAGUE ~ I did not like this combination, too milky and ruined the gorgeous vibrancy of Hague.

REVLON ~ LILY ~ This would probably be my favourite combination.

Let's Talk  ~  Sapphire Dream  ~  A Roll in the Hague  ~  Lily
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All of the swatches above are with two coats of Boogie Wonderland, personally I didn't feel that two coats of Boogie looked too good on a different shade base except for Sapphire Dream.

In the photo below I did like Boogie as a one layer topcoat on Let's Talk (middle) it's not too busy and Lily (R) but I prefer two coats on Sapphire dream (see above) but I don't think Boogie did anything at all for OPI A Roll in the Hague (see above).

Sapphire Dream  ~  Let's Talk  ~  Lily
One coat Boogie Wonderland
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My final verdict:  I don't like this polish as much as Heart of Glass, what ruins it for me is the curly bars of glitter.  I think they detract from an otherwise gorgeous glitter and look like loose strands of eye lash or broken bits from the brush.  I felt two coats of Boogie on my nails without a base colour looked the best but I am not in love with this polish.

I picked up the complete set for $4.95 per bottle online at Makeup Express and they are also available at Fashion Addict and Priceline.  Love to know what you think,  please leave a comment below I would love to hear from you.

Jac x0x

Sandpit Nail Polish by Alanna Renee - Oz Indie Polish

Today I would like to share with you all one of the Australian Indie polishes I recently picked up from Alanna Renee.

www.alanna-renee.myshopify.com

This is Sandpit and Alanna describes her inspiration for this polish as;

"Sandpit has a mix of blue and yellow shreds, large green hex glitter, large and small red hex glitter and small black, white and brown glitter in a creamy brown base.  It's supposed to look like children's toys partially buried in the sand."

Alanna recommends to apply a base coat first, then 2-3 coats of Sandpit, allowing the polish to slightly dry between coats and finish with a top coat.

I love this polish, from a distance it appears nude and doesn't look like there is much going on with your nails but once you get up close and take a good look you see just how busy it really is.  To me all these lovely crayon colours reminds me of a Kindy Art Room.  Makes me smile every time I wear it.

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One coat of Sandpit to show just how much you pick up with one layer.

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After 3 coats coverage is opaque and very very busy, don't you just love it!!

Personally, I prefer to wear only one or two coats with a different shade base coat.  Drying time is shorter and it's not as thick, base coat, 3 layers of polish and top coat is too much for me.  You don't have to apply a top coat but it is important if you want a smooth finish.

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OPI ~  Did you 'ear about Van Gogh with two layers of SandPit

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CoverGirl Outlast Stay Brilliant ~ Toasted Almond and one coat of Sandpit

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Revlon Top Speed ~ Ocean and two coats of Sandpit.  This last one was a bit of an experiment, I wanted to see what would show through Sandpit if I used a completely different shade on the spectrum.  I was surprised by how opaque Sandpit was, a little of the Ocean shows through and I think it brightens the blue shreds but I am not enamoured by this blend.

This polish is thick with assorted hex glitter and it really isn't hard to apply, I did shake the bottle a little between each couple of nails just to keep the heavier hex mixed.  Sandpit stays wet long enough if you want to reposition the larger hex to your satisfaction.  I like to simply brush it on with no particular pattern because each nail is different and you just don't know what your going to find, chaotic and full of surprises just like a Kiddy's Sandpit!

Alanna if you read this I hope I did your polish justice as it is truly delightful and one of my favourites.

Alanna is one of the nicest Indie Polish makers I have come across and if you would like to visit her website and try her fantastic polishes for yourself please follow the link here.  Her polishes are $7.99 each, shipping is a flat $7 and FREE is you spend over $50 (Aus only).  These polishes are available internationally and you can find out more about that here.

I highly recommend you try this brand for yourself.  This is Alanna's latest collection and they are ALL gorgeous!!

www.alanna-renee.myshopify.com

Let me know what you think in the comments, I would love to hear from you.

OPI ~ OZ The Great and Powerful Collection

www.opi.net.au

This is OPI's limited edition release to celebrate the Disney Movie OZ The Great and Powerful.  Now while I do love all the shades in this collection, I wonder why there were no darker colours?  The closest was a rich Taupe Liquid Sand representing OZ (James Franco).  Lots of light soft shades but not an Emerald to be seen, I feel there needed to be some darkness and a bit of bite.  I would have liked to have seen a Black/Emerald Liquid Sand to represent Evanora (Rachel Weisz)  and a Deep Plum/Mulberry for Theodora (Mila Kunis).

In the following photos I apologise for some fuzziness my camera doesn't like glitter and no matter what I did I couldn't pick up the colour in the nudes until I put a layer of glitter on top as you will see in the last photos.

Don't Burst My Bubble ~ Palest of pale, pink it's almost white.

Three coats

Glints of Glinda ~ Creamy beige

Three coats

I Theodora You ~ Sheer Pink

Three coats

Don't Burst My Bubble- Glints of Glinda- I Theodora You

What Wizardry is This? ~ Textured Matte Taupe, this would have to be my favourite, has an old gold look about it.

Two coats

When Monkeys Fly ~ Large gold confetti which tends to curl at the edges, smaller holographic confetti, this one needs topcoat to seal the glitter.

One coat

Two coats

Which is Witch? ~ Silver glitter & bars with holographic sparkle, this is really pretty but nothing that hasn't been done before.

One Coat

Lights of Emerald City ~ Square white confetti on a base of gold/pink/purple/blue glitter.  Where is the Green? After all this is Emerald City were talking about.   This one better represents the Horse of a different colour!

One Coat

Glitter shades over nude bases.

1.                                  2.                                    3.

1.  Glints of Glinda & When Monkeys Fly
2.  I Theodora You & Lights of Emerald City
3.  Don't Burst My Bubble & Which is Witch?

The first two glitters really need to be positioned while wet or they clump together and it doesn't look so good.

And.... my favourite combination What Wizardry is this? & When Monkeys Fly.

Two coats Wizard & One coat Monkeys

Ok to sum it all up, great polishes love them all, but... for me they are too repetitive.   There should have been more variety of colour,  after all OZ is a very colourful place.  Three nude shades is two too many,  the glitters all have very similiar silver holographic bases with different coloured larger confetti thrown in and there should have been at least one polish with EMERALD!  Not a bit of green to be seen.

My favourites?  What Wizardry is This? ~ Glints of Glinda ~ When Monkeys Fly ~ Lights of Emerald City

What do you think of OPI's latest collection and which ones do you like?

OPI Liquid Sand Nail Polish ~ Stay the Night

My OPI nail polish arrived this week and of the three I purchased  I couldn't wait to try this one.

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Stay the Night is one of four liquid sand nail polishes available from the Mariah Carey range.

This is a textured matte polish with red glitter, I think it looks like volcanic rock that's cooling down so you can still see a glimmer of heat. .

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 Depending on the lighting I think the colour changes from black to charcoal and purple with red glitter.

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The texture is rough like sandpaper but once dry you can rub your nail and there is no fallout, I applied two coats and it didn't take long to dry.  What I did notice when I applied the gloss coat to my ring finger was that the polish was very thirsty and it ended up taking 4 coats before I achieved a glossy effect.  I am still not happy with the gloss finish and would like to see it smoother.  I really like the way the gloss enhances the colour of this polish, I just need to perfect the finish to my liking.

I was concerned due to the rough texture the polish might crumble off but I have been wearing it for two days and rubbing it with my finger, so far no wear or chipping except for the middle finger but I think that was application and I missed a bit.

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Being a dark polish you have to be very careful how you apply because it can get messy. Try to clean up before it dries because I found the sandy bits a little hard to remove from around the skin.  I usually use a little vaseline around the cuticles so the polish doesn't stick but I was in a rush and got lazy, I should have spent the extra time.  My nails look a bit messy in this photo but it's a good example to show why you should take a little extra time.

Other than that I really love this nail polish, I think it certainly looks vampy and people notice your nails.  I find it's a real good way to meet other like minded women who love to paint their nails, I rarely get out the shops these days without having a chat to someone about nail polish lol.......

There a four Liquid Sand Shades available, have you tried any, what did you think? Please let me know in the comments which is your favourite.

Stay the Night~Get Your Number`~Can't Let Go~The Impossible

I think I would like to try The Impossible next...