Max Factor Red Carpet Glam

Get your glasses because we have a bright on today! Today I have Max Factor Red Carpet Glam from their MaxEffect mini polishes collection. I swatched this collection previous here and even then I was wowed by how bright this is!

I used one coat of Sally Hansen Triple Strong base coat and two coats Red Carpet Glam. This was very opaque with one coat but I'm a habitual two coater :) There was the smallest bit of VNL in real life but you can hardly see it in the pictures or from a distance. I finished it off with Revlon Colorstay top coat.


It's good that I chose such a bright polish because there was no sunshine for these photos :(

Max Factor Red Carpet Glam in Artificial Light

Max Factor Red Carpet Glam in the Shade

OMG!!! The entire time this was on my nails I was constantly looking at them because it was just so BRIGHT!! I actually put this on because I thought I haven't worn a red for ages and I wanted something that really shouted - I think I chose well :) What do you think?

Essie Super Bossa Nova

The other mini polish in the Essie set was also screaming my name so I had to put it on :) Also from the Essie Braziliant collection is Super Bossa Nova!

I did my usual one coat of Sally Hansen Triple Strong as a base coat. I then followed this with two coats of Super Bossa Nova. You could probably get away with only using one coat because it is very opaque but I have a habit of always using two coats. I finished my mani off with a coat of Revlon Colorstay top coat.

I was having a bit of trouble photographing this one too because it is really bright!

Essie Super Bossa Nova in Artificial Light

Essie Super Bossa Nova in Artificial Light

 And still not bright enough :(

Essie Super Bossa Nova in Natural Light

Essie Super Bossa Nova in the Shade with flash

 Ooh you can see a bit of that gorgeous shimmer I was talking about!

Essie Super Bossa Nova in the Shade

Love, love, love! Yet another shade that screams summer which I desperately need in this dreary freezing cold weather. Super Bossa Nova is a stunningly bright pink with a gorgeous subtle magenta shimmer. This shimmer also hides like that of Braziliant :( This is really beautiful! Again if you get this in the right light and that shimmer comes to play its amazing!

Essie Braziliant

I couldn't wait to try the new Essie poishes that I picked up and Braziliant was calling my name! Braziliant is a gorgeous bright orange polish.


I applied a base coat of Sally Hansen Triple Strong and then two coats of Essie Braziliant. Braziliant was a breeze to apply, perfect smooth formula. I finished off with a coat of Revlon Colorstay Top Coat.

I did the best I could with the pictures but between the bright colour and intermitant sunlight it was a bit of a pain.

See this is what all my pictures kept looking like :(

Essie Braziliant in Artificial Light

But finally I got this one yay ):

Essie Braziliant in Artificial Light

Essie Braziliant in Natural Light

Essie Braziliant in the Shade

I love this colour! It's crazy bright, not quite a neon in my opinion but it certainly screams summer. Braziliant has a beautiful coral orange shimmer that is mostly hidden but when it comes out to play - WOW! Definitely can't wait to wear this again when we have lots of actual sunlight :)

Essie Sand Tropez

NUBBINS people - I'm down to NUBBINS!!!! Ok crazy outburst over! The reason I'm down to nubbins is that I had a job interview which is why I cut them down so short. It's also the reason I picked Essie Sand Tropez to paint my nails :) A nice nude colour from the Spring 2011 Collection!

I used Sally Hansen Triple Strong for my base coat. Then I applied two coats of Sand Tropez which was a breeze to apply. Finally I topped it off with OPI RapiDry Top Coat which is amazing! It dries not just to the touch but all the layers underneath very quickly. Unfortunately I only have  a mini of it at the moment :(

Pictures ahead! However my shot in natural light was just when the sun was going down.

Essie Sand Tropez in Artificial Light

Essie Sand Tropez in Natural Light

Essie Sand Tropez in the Shade

Sand Tropez is a gorgeous beige cream but I think it just doesn't work with my skin tone. I think perhaps I need something leaning towards pink not more of a mushroom shade. So although I love the colour, I don't love it on me :(

Color Club Shabby Drab

I loved Uptown Girl so much I decided to chose another polish from Color Club. So out came Shabby Drab from the Back To Boho collection :) Shabby Drab is a dusty dark periwinkle blue that is simply stunning!

I used a case coat of Revlon Calcium Gel Nail Hardener (I'm determined to get through this bottle) and then two coats of Shabby Drab. Application was perfect! Then I finished it off with Sally Hansen Mega Shine top coat.

Let's let the photos speak for themselves :)

Color Club Uptown Girl in Artificial Light

Color Club Uptown Girl in Artificial Light

Love this shot in the shade!

Color Club Uptown Girl in the Shade

 It has been crazy overcast and raining non-stop lately but a few days later I finally got these photos in the sunlight so please ignore the tip wear O_o

Color Club Uptown Girl in Natural Light

I'm loving these beautiful dusty colours! I knew I loved cremes but not I think my favourite is dusty cremes :) All I have to say is that this is just such a lovely colour!!

Color Club Uptown Girl

Today I have Color Club Uptown Girl from their Rebel Debutante collection. Uptown Girl is a stunning dusty mauve, purple creme. I'm so glad I finally got around to trying this!

I used a base coat of Revlon Calcium Gel Nail Hardener. I followed with two thin coats of Uptown Girl. Thankfully, this polish actually got along with my base coat! Application was very smooth and easy. I finished it off with a top coat of Sally Hansen Mega Shine top coat.


So here are the pretty pictures :)

Color Club Uptown Girl in Artificial Light

Color Club Uptown Girl in Artificial Light

Then these ones in natural light.

Color Club Uptown Girl in Natural Light

Color Club Uptown Girl in Natural Light

Just as gorgeous in the shade :)

Color Club Uptown Girl in the Shade

Color Club Uptown Girl in the Shade

The finish on this one is gorgeous! I'm a sucker for these dusty cremes :) This is one gorgeous colour and I think it actually suits my skin tone - although it kind of makes my hand look like one of those fake practise hands! A friend of mine thought I had fake nails on hehe:)

Ulta3 Lemon Tart

Up next was another from the Ulta3 Gelato collection, this time the yellow creme. Lemon Tart is again a muted yellow creme, not quite a pastel but close.

I applied a coat of Revlon Calcium Gel Nail Hardener as a base coat. Then I applied four - yes FOUR!! - coats of Lemon Tart. Let me just say this polish was one PITA! Argh each layer was streaky and for the last two coats I added much thicker coats in an attempt to finally make it opaque. Application was crazy it was too thick and kept coming out streaky and had the same thick brush that I have encountered from other polishes in the Gelato collection. Then finished with a generous coat of Seche Vite to level out the polish.

So onto the pictures:

Ulta3 Lemon Tart in Artificial Light

Ulta3 Lemon Tart in Natural Light

 

Ulta3 Lemon Tart in Shade

So I like the colour but I HATE the formula on this. The formula on this one was so bad that I think I'll keep it to use in nail art only since I really don't have the patience to do four coats each time.

Zoya Areej

Awhile ago I randomly chose a bunch of nail polishes and decided to wear those nail polishes. I did this because it takes me ages to pick what colour to put on my nails because I kept changing my mind when looking at all the pretties. This way the decision is out of my hands!

So next up was Zoya Areej a vibrant dark pink creme from the Zoya Summertime collection. After the unexpected annoyance that was Zoya Minka I was happy to have my faith in Zoya reaffirmed! I applied one coat of Revlon Calcium Nail Hardener and then applied two coats of Areej. You could definitely get away with one coat but I prefer to do two. Obviously it wasn't my base coat that made Minka so difficult to apply because here I used the base coat and it applied like a breeze! I finished it off with a coat of Seche Vite.

Onto the photos! Lol ignore my shiny fingers, I had applied Burt's Bees Cuticle Cream and was impatient to take photos. Then when I took the photos in the sun my hands were wet *oops*.

Zoya Areej in Artificial Light

Zoya Areej in Sunlight

Zoya Areej in Shade

I usually don't choose pinks but this is one is gorgeous. I think perhaps I like it so much because it is so vibrant and it's also a darker shade of pink which I prefer. The Summertime collection is really impressing me!

China Glaze Westside Warrior

When I first saw China Glaze Westside Warrior I had to get since I adore khaki greens and I can't believe it has taken me so long to finally put it on! Westside Warrior is part of the China Glaze Metro collection.

I started with a coat of Revlon Calcium Gel Nail Hardener followed by two coats of Westside Warrior. I'm assuming Westside Warrior didn't like my base coat because it kept forming bald patches RIGHT BEFORE MY EYES! Ignoring this the actual application was smooth. Luckily the second coat worked to give a lovely even finish and a coat of Seche Vite to finish the job :)

These photos were taken in artificial light that night.

China Glaze Westside Warrior in Artificial Light

China Glaze Westside Warrior in Artificial Light

Then the following morning I took these photos in the bright, bright sunlight. Lol please ignore the edges of my nails! I managed to rake my fingers down the stupid front door mesh *sigh*.

Love. It. This is such a gorgeous khaki green creme and it perfectly matches the khaki green clothes I have lol! I would definitely wear this one again it's just so pretty and, ignoring the weird balding tantrum, it was a dream to apply :)

Zoya Minka

I was after a nude nail polish so I chose Zoya Minka from the Touch collection. Minka is a light beige creme, a nude like the other polishes in the Touch collection.

I used a single coat of OPI Nail Hardener for my base. I was surprised because I had quite a few problems with the application of this one. Zoya polishes usually apply like a dream but this one was a bit on the thick side and very difficult to apply evenly over the nail :( I struggled along, applying two coats, because I didn't have time to try again or pick a different colour. Finally I added a coat of Seche Vite top coat to finish it off.

These photos were taken in artificial light and you can see the pearl finish :)

Zoya Minka in Artificial Light

Zoya Minka in Artificial Light

I was lazy and took these photos in natural light a few days later.

Zoya Minka in Natural Light

Zoya Minka in Natural Light

 Although this is primarily a creme it has a subtle shimmer/pearl finish to it that is easy to overlook. This colour was a great beige but since I have such pale skin it seemed like liquid foundation painted onto my nails but in a colour too dark for my skin tone. I like this colour but I'm still searching for the perfect "nude" shade for me :)

Ulta3 Blue Heaven

I chose another Ulta3 nail polish from the Gelato collection. This time I chose Blue Heaven, a gorgeous blue creme, since I plan to use it as a base for another polish.

I applied a coat of OPI Nail Hardener for my base coat then followed it with two coats of Blue Heaven. Blue Heaven applied much the same as Mango Mayhem. The brush was still too thick collecting too much polish and the formula was also thick like Mango Mayhem. Again when I finished the two thick layers it was uneven and dried to that same vinyl/semi-matte finish. My bottle also has these solid white particles that I mostly picked up in my first coat so thankfully they were covered with my second coat but no matter how much I tried mixing the contents I couldn't get rid of them :( I applied Sally Hansen Mega Shine top coat and as with mango Mayhem the top coat worked to smooth the polish giving it an even finish *sigh of relief*. I used Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Drops to hasten the drying time of my top coat.

I took these photos straight away that night in artificial light.

Ulta3 Blue Heaven in Artificial Light

Ulta3 Blue Heaven in Artificial Light

The following morning I took photos in the natural sunlight. I'm surprised that you can't clearly see where I whacked my index finger after taking photos the night before. Yay lol!

Ulta3 Blue Heaven in Natural Light

Ulta3 Blue Heaven in Natural Light

And then this lone photo in the shade :)

Ulta3 Blue Heaven in the Shade

I really love this colour, well blues in general! Blue Heaven is a gorgeous sky blue creme and with a top coat the finish looks fantastic - not bad for a AUD$2 nail polish :) Both the Ulta3 nail polishes I have tried dried very quickly on their own, probably because they dry to that semi-matte/vinyl finish.

Ulta3 Mango Mayhem

I'm so embarrassed to say that even though I live in Australia this is the first Ulta3 nail polish that I have tried! I picked Mango Mayhem from the Ulta3 Gelato collection. Mango Mayhem is a muted orange creme and the first orange I have tried.

I applied a base coat of OPI Nail Hardener and then two coats of Mango Mayhem. I'll tell you now the brush was a PITA to work with. It doesn't sit flat and is very thick, not broken but fanned out. It made it very difficult to apply the polish because the brush kept picking too much nail polish up at once and I couldn't brush most of it off. To top it all off the formula was very thick which made trying to apply a thin even coat impossible. I was really frustrated when I finished the two coats and some areas were so much thicker than others. It also dries to a vinyl/semi-matte finish which would look OK if the polish applied evenly. I still added a top coat of Seche Vite and was SO HAPPY that I did because it managed to level out the nail polish and give it a shiny finish. With the top coat levelling out the nail polish I loved this manicure!

These photos were taken in artificial light.

Ulta3 Mango Mayhem in Artificial Light

Ulta3 Mango Mayhem in Artificial Light

The following morning I took these photos in the natural light.

Ulta3 Mango Mayhem in Natural Light

Ulta3 Mango Mayhem in Natural Light

I have to say I don't think this colour suits me. However, I ADORE THIS COLOUR! I just didn't want to take it off, it is such a gorgeous colour. It's not quite a pastel more a muted orange instead. For AUD$2 I am so happy I finally decided to try Ulta3! And since I'm allergic to mango this is as close as I'm going to get :)

Zoya Mira

Going for a bright and vibrant colour I decided to apply Zoya Mira from the Summertime collection. Mira is a bright purple colour which reminds me of grape flavoured candy!

One coat of my usual Revlon Quick Dry base coat and then two coats of Zoya Mira. It's important that you get the same thickness across the entire nail because in some areas it applied thinner and the nail polish didn't level out. I used a thick coat of Seche Vite Dry Fast top coat to level my nail polish out and then used Sally Hansen Insta-Dri drops.

The following photo's I took in artificial light as soon as my manicure was dry.

 Zoya Mira in Artificial Light

  Zoya Mira in Artificial Light

The next day I took these photo's in the sunshine.

 Zoya Mira in Natural Light

 Zoya Mira in Natural Light

Candied purple creme PERFECTION!!! This colour is beautiful, just beautiful! The formula and application was as fantastic as all the Zoya nail polishes I have tried. I think perfection sums up how I feel about this nail colour, enough said!