Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Colour in B Girl and Blacky O

Sally Hansen recently launched their innovative Miracle Gel Colour (A$16.95/14.7ml) nail collection featuring a hybrid lacquer/gel formula that delivers lasting gloss, shine and colour! Another key attribute of this new gel formula is that you could achieve long lasting colour without the need for a light source! Available in 18 gorgeous shades, all you need is a coat or two of Miracle Gel polish and then a single coat of Miracle Gel Top Coat to protect the colour surface of Miracle Gel polish. 
  
The two shades of Miracle Gel Colour that I used to create the nail look in the above image are 'B Girl' and 'Blacky O'. B Girl is a gorgeous creamy and pastel Tiffany green shade and Blacky O is a solid black glossy shade. These two shades are my favourite shades from the range and are perfect to wear during this Spring season! If you're looking for some Miracle Gel nail inspiration and you have an Instagram account, be sure to check out the mesmerising nail art under the hashtag 'OMGel'.

I love love love the new Miracle Gel range by Sally Hansen as the Miracle Gel Colour polish lasted on my nails for more than 7 days before small chips start to become visible. This is the longest time that I've applied nail polish/top coat and my nails remain bold, glossy and full of colour for a full 7 days!

What is your opinion on Sally Hansen's brand new Miracle Gel formula?

xx Rose

  Products were provided for consideration only. This review is 100% based on my own thoughts and opinions. I am not affiliated with Sally Hansen and did not receive remuneration to post this product review. 

NEW Illamasqua Snow Glitter Nail Varnish in Blizzard

Illamasqua Snow Glitter Nail Varnish in Blizzard (A$22/15ml) is one of my favourite beauties that is part of the limited edition Illamasqua Christmas Collection. I absolutely adore the white speckled snow glitter scattered in clear nail varnish. The formula is relatively dense and the snow glitters are abundant, so you don't need to spend so much time fishing for the glitters for even distribution across the nail bed. The formula dries up super quick and you could apply Blizzard over any shade of nail varnish to enhance the glitter effect. Double thumbs up for this oh so pretty snow glitter formula!

Are you planning on creating some festive nail art this Christmas season?

What's on your nails today?

xx Rose

Product was provided for consideration only. This review is 100% based on my own thoughts and opinions. I am not affiliated with Illamasqua and did not receive remuneration to post this product review. 

NEW Illamasqua Nail Polish in Swarm

The latest offering by Illamasqua is the spooky limited edition nail polish in Swarm (A$22/15ml), which is part of the Illamasqua Halloween Collection - the first ever Halloween Collection launched by Illamasqua! Swarm is described as a matte black speckled glitter with a clear jelly base. Swarm is quite similar to those speckled nail polishes that were a part of the Illamasqua I'm Perfection Collection. In the swatches below, I applied 1 generous coat of Swarm over Sally Hansen's Gray-t Escape (reviewed here). I love the mysterious look of Swarm as you could work this effect with any coloured base.

Have you painted your nails in prep for Halloween?

xx Rose

 Product was provided for consideration only. This review is 100% based on my own thoughts and opinions. I am not affiliated with Illamasqua and did not receive remuneration to post this product review.  

NEW BYS Velvet for Nails in Blue Suede Shoes

Textured nails have become increasingly popular since the Caviar Manicure hit the beauty-world by storm! BYS has thus far launched their 'Caviar for Nails', 'Sugar for Nails', 'Glitter for Nails' and now... they've welcomed 'Velvet for Nails'!! BYS Velvet for Nails come at an affordable price of A$7.95 per kit and there are 12 vibrant colours available. 

Today I will be giving you a simple step-by-step tutorial to apply BYS Velvet for Nails in Blue Suede Shoes!

Included in the BYS Velvet for Nails kit is a pot of coloured velvet powder, a brush and a bottle of nail polish. There was also a metallic square to be used as a mat to ensure you don't leave a mess from applying the velvet powder. I prefer to use an A4 sheet of paper, because I tend to make a huge mess when it comes to applying these.

Now, on to my Blue Suede Shoes!

Step 1. Apply 1-2 coats of nail polish to each nail.

Tip: Ensure that you apply a nice even layer of nail polish and try not to apply a thick layer. Applying a thick and uneven layer will lead to clustering of powder on your nails and it won't look neat at all. 
 

Step 2. While your nails are still wet, quickly dip each finger into the velvet pot and ensure each nail contains surplus powder. Wait for about 5 minutes for your nails to dry.

Tip: Instead of dipping your finger into the pot, you could pour some powder onto a plate. 

Step 3. Using the brush, gently sweep away any excess velvet powder around the cuticle.

Tip: If you have excess powder on the bed of your nails, gently tap your nails onto the sheet of paper.

Ta-da! My furry and fluffy BYS Velvet for Nails in Blue Suede Shoes are complete! The velvet feel adds a nice touch to the bed of my nails and I just can't stop caressing them! The Velvet Powder lasted a full day until it started to separate from the the surface of my nails. So, if you intend to go for the velvet look on your nails, it would be best to apply the powder earlier on the same day.

 

BYS Velvet for Nails are available in-store at K-Mart, Glassons, Cosmetics Plus, Bardot and The Reject Shop, or online at Fashion Addict and GLOSS.

Have you attempted the Velvet Manicure yet? 

What do you think of the new trend of textured nails?

xx Rose

 Product was provided for consideration only. This review is 100% based on my own thoughts and opinions. I am not affiliated with BYS Cosmetics and did not receive remuneration to post this review. 

Monday Manicure: Sally Hansen Fuzzy Coat in Tweedy and Chanel Le Vernis in Pink Mink

A combination of Chanel Le Vernis in Pink Mink and Sally Hansen Fuzzy Coat in Tweedy* is what's on my nails right now! Chanel Le Vernis in Pink Mink is one of my luxe nail colours which is a sheer pink/beige shade with a smooth jelly finish. Under certain lighting, subtle shimmers of silver and pink can be seen. The formula applies on like a dream without any streaking and 3 coats is adequate to give an elegant and classy nail look. Sally Hansen Fuzzy Coat in Tweedy (reviewed here) is such a versatile textured nail colour with white and black bar glitter that would compliment any shade of nail lacquer. I love the combination of pink, white and black hues on my nails that would suit my pastel pink blouse I'm going to wear to work today :) 

What's on your nails today?

xx Rose

*Product was provided for consideration only. This review is 100% based on my own thoughts and opinions. I am not affiliated with Sally Hansen and did not receive remuneration to post this product review. 

NEW Sally Hansen Fuzzy Coat Textured Nail Colours

Sally Hansen recently introduced the innovative fabric finish Fuzzy Coat Collection (A$9.95/9.17ml) to not only keep your nails looking warm and snug, but also trendy and fashionable to suit your favourite knits! 

There are a total of 7 Sally Hansen Fuzzy Coat Textured Nail Colours which feature bar glitters with a clear base. The colours in the Sally Hansen Fuzzy Coat Collection include the following textured nail colours:

• Wool Lite - Pastel pink bar glitter  
• All Yarned Up - Orange, blue and yellow bar glitter
• Peach Fuzz - Orange and yellow bar glitter
• Tight Knit - Navy blue and white bar glitter
• Fuzz-Sea - Turquoise and yellow bar glitter
• Wool Knot - Light blue and white bar glitter
• Tweedy - Black and white bar glitter

Five of the 7 shades have two differently coloured bar glitter, whereas All Yarned Up (one of the most popular shades) has 3 colours and Wool Lite has only 1 colour of bar glitter.

I was kindly sent three bottles of Fuzzy Coat Textured Nail Colours to play with and these were Peach Fuzz, Wool Knot and Tweedy.

The bar glitters are quite well dispersed that I really wish there were more bar glitters formulated in each bottle. Despite this, you can easily build up the amount of bar glitters on each nail by applying additional coats. Just remember to allow each layer to dry for a few seconds before re-applying. Applying up to 3 coats is sufficient to give a nice and well covered 'fuzzy coat' finish. Alternatively, these Fuzzy Coats nicely compliment any other shade of nail lacquer you have, so you can create an endless array of nail looks to your hearts desire!

3 coats each of Peach Fuzz, Tweedy and Wool Knot.

 What is your take on textured nail colours? 

Are you a fan of these 'fuzzy' textured nail finishes?

xx Rose

Products were provided for consideration only. These reviews are 100% based on my own thoughts and opinions. I am not affiliated with Sally Hansen and did not receive remuneration to post these product reviews. 

Kit Cosmetics Diamond Nail Bows

The latest offering from Kit Cosmetics is the gorgeous and glamorous Diamond Nail Bows (A$15.95/set of six), which reminds me a lot like the glitz and glam on the set of The Great Gatsby movie! This set features six diamond nail bows, nail glue (1ml) and glue remover (5ml). These diamond nail bows are the cutest nail embellishments to add some bling bling to your nails!

Directions:

1) Apply a base coat to protect and strengthen your nails - I used Manicare Base Coat & Strengthener (reviewed here).

2) Paint your nails - I'm wearing the shade Monroe by piCture pOlish. 

The shade Monroe is one of my favourite red shades as it looks so elegant and feminine on my nails. Monroe is described as a blood red jelly which contains minuscule iridescent holographic shimmers. The quality if great and the formula is excellent, where the consistency is not too thick and the finish is ultra smooth and reminiscent of jelly! 

3) Place a small amount of nail glue to the bed of your nail and hold the diamond nail bow in place for a few seconds until the glue has dried. 

4) To remove the diamond nail bow, use the glue remover provided or alternatively use regular nail polish remover.

Voila! These diamond nail bows are so easy to apply and they sit nicely on the nail bed. They add a touch of spark and are just so adorable! I've already received compliments after wearing them on this morning!

Kit Cosmetics Diamond Nail Bows are limited edition and currently available at Kit Cosmetics, Mecca Maxima, Mecca Cosmetica and selected Myer department stores nationally.

Have you come across these gorgeous diamond nail bows before?

xx Rose

Heart-base Manicure

I've been inspired by the latest of nail art designs that I decided to opt for the simple French manicure, however, instead of horizontal tips I painted two strips which meet at the centre like the base of a love heart. Also, I wanted neon tips, since neons are the hype of this season, so I chose a neon-red in Sunday by Bloom Cosmetics on a vibrant pink base which is called Cascade Cool by Essie. I purchased Cascade Cool when I was in Berlin (see my Travel Photo Diary here) and the shade is part of the Summer 2013 Essie collection, yet to be launched in Australia. The overall look is fun, vibrant and colorful, great for this Spring season.

Have you painted you nails using neon shades?

xx Rose

Freckles anyone?

3D Nail art has become a huge hit this year! Just think of Freckles, 100's and 1000's, beads and Caviar on your nails!

Creative Director Charlotte, from popular UK beauty brand Ciaté, created a new and exciting nail art trend called Caviar Manicure which can be achieved by using tiny little pearls which can be scattered onto the surface of the nail bed after applying any shade of nail lacquer to create a 3D effect which looks very sophisticated and elegant! I fell in love with the Caviar Manicure almost instantly and have been completely mesmerised about the 3D look. The Caviar pearls are currently only available in three different kits: Rainbow, Mother of Pearl and Black Pearls and I think the only way I can buy these kits is from the Ciaté online store. Shipping costs for delivery to Australia is hefty, so that has just steered me away completely.

Recently, Makeup Academy (MUA) also released their own version of the Caviar Manicure called Nail Constellation. I love the look of the little cute containers which come with an in-built funnel. MUA Nail Constellation is available in five gorgeous mixed shades namely Libra, Gemini, Scorpio, Pisces and Leo. Shipping is relatively decent when buying from the MUA online store and their range of makeup is incredibly cheap too. Definitely worth checking out.

I have not seen any of these little pearls for nails being sold in Australia, so I did some research and found that you can buy a wide range of colours of 'micro beads' from eBay and you can purchase a set with 12 different single shades for as little as A$2 to A$4 per set! I thought it would be better to buy the micro beads as individual shades so that I could mix and match a few colours to create different looks each time. 

I was inspired by the vibrant red lilies in the Botanical Gardens in Brisbane that I decided to combine the red, pink, green and taupe coloured pearls together. 

To get the look:

1. Paint your nails in any shade you like. I painted my nails using MaxFactor Nailfinity in Ruby Fruit.

2. Immediately, while your nails are still wet, dip the bed of your nail into a pot containing the pearls.

3. Use your fingers to gently press the pearls to ensure they are kept in place.

4. Apply two coats of base/top coat to prevent the pearls from chipping off.

The pearls stay on really well and the best way to remove them is to scrap them off using a nail file, then use nail polish remover to remove any residues.

What do you think of the 3D pearl effect on nails?

xx Rose

NOTD: OPI Care to Danse? and Lucerne-tainly Look Marvelous

OPI Care to Danse? and OPI Lucerne-tainly Look Marvelous (Irre-Swiss-Ables Collection) look like a perfect match on my nails! OPI Care to Danse? is a milky light pink/lilac which applies on very sheer and smooth. I had to apply a few coats of Care to Danse? just to get a decent opaque finish. To add a touch of winter's grey clouds, I applied OPI Lucerne-tainly Look Marvelous on my nail tips.

Here's a look at OPI Care to Danse?

What's on your nails at the moment?

xx Rose

Silver Strip Half Moon Mani with Bloom Cosmetics and OPI

I've been having so much fun doing the half moon manicure on my nails. I'm not much of an expert when it comes to nail art, so I'd say the half moon mani is a very basic technique.

One of my favourite shades that I've been wearing is Bloom Cosmetics *'The Casette Society II' nail polish (gunmetal grey). The gunmetal grey shade suits the winter season, however, you can jazz it up and wear it to suit the Christmas season.

 I've used The Casette Society II as the base with Bloom Cosmetics 'Sibella II' (a gypsy gold shade) nail polish as the half moon (applied over the base) and a strip of OPI 'Lucerne-tainly Look Marvelous' (from the OPI Irre-Swiss-Ables Collection) to highlight the half moon. Another reason why I love to use a strip of silver is to disguise an uneven half moon. I don't use any stickers or tape to acheive the half moon mani as it just gets too messy, so the best way for me to apply Sibella II is to simply swipe the nail polish across the base of the nails.

Are you planning on wearing the half moon mani this holidays?

Which shades are you loving at the moment? 

Rose 

*Products were provided for consideration only. This review is 100% based on my own thoughts and opinions. I am not affiliated with Bloom Cosmetics and did not receive remuneration to post this product review.

Gold Strip Half Moon Mani with Bloom Cosmetics and Hello Kitty

The half moon mani has become so popular these days that I decided to attempt this look using Bloom Cosmetics *'Sunday' nail polish and Hello Kitty Cosmetics 'Gun of Roses' nail polish. I also decided to emphasise the half moon by using the pointed tip of a bamboo skewer to apply Bloom Cosmetics *'Goldie' (opalescent gold) nail polish. 'Dabbing' the baboo skewer across my nails using the shade Goldie gives the effect of gold Christmas rope tassels.

Are you in the craze of half moon mani's?

Which combination's of shades would you reccomend wearing this holiday season?

Rose

 *Products were provided for consideration only. This review is 100% based on my own thoughts and opinions. I am not affiliated with Bloom Cosmetics and did not receive remuneration to post this product review.

Review: b collection- Crackle Top Coat in White

b collection by Bloom is a bold and stylish collection of 12 products (face, cheeks, lips, eyes, nails), available exclusively at Target stores in Australia.

Bloom Cosmetics Creater, Natalie- “b collection by Bloom is an expression of my love of bold colour. Whilst this range is modestly priced, that doesn’t mean we’ve compromised on quality – I could never put my name on a product that I wasn’t proud to use myself”

 b collection welcomes a brand new addition to their collection of nail polish.
Introducing... the Crackle Top Coat- ''The essential tool for express nail art''! Crackle Top Coat adds the unique finish to your nails this season!

Crackle Top Coat in Black

Crackle Top Coat in White

Crackle Top Coat is very simple to use! Just apply one coat over your favourite nail colour and watch as the top coat shatters, allowing the base coat to peek through. Application using different brush strokes will create different crackle effects. Accomplish funky looks by applying Crackle Top Coat horizontally or vertically across the nail cuticle.

Crackle Top Coat comes in black or white. I was given the chance to trial the white Crackle Top Coat and I've been having a lot of fun watching my nails 'crackle'. The base colour I'm wearing is OPI Yodel Me On My Cell from the Irre-Swiss-Ables collection that I reviewed here.

The white Crackle Top Coat formula was a little thicker than the regular nail polish and you can see that streaking effect which matches the 'crackle' effect. 

b collection Crackle Top Coat (A$12.95) will be available from 3rd October 2011, exclusive to Australian Target stores.

What do you think of the increasing trend in these 'crackle' top coat nail polishes?

What's the best combination of shades you have created?

Rose

Product was provided for consideration only. This review is 100% based on my own thoughts and opinions. I  did not receive remuneration to post this product review.