Lilypad Lacquer True Blood

This is a holo that has been taking the Aussie Nail Scene by storm. And you're about to see why! Lilypad Lacquer has been making some phenomenal holo polishes, but none like True Blood. I have 50+ holos, and NOTHING comes close to this one. It is that unique.

LOOK. AT. THAT. It's a dark red/burgundy base, PACKED with holo goodness. These photos were taken indoor with flash, but it is one of those polishes that has strong holo no matter where you are. The formula is a little thicker than normal holos, but thats not a bad thing in any way. It's also very opaque, this is two coats, with topcoat.

I applaud Lilypad for trying new things, and having results like this. I call this one already into my faves of the year!

Until Next Time,

<3 Bec

Picture Polish BlogFest 2013!

 Celebrating the Year of the Blogger!

IT'S BLOGFEST TIME AGAIN! For those that don't know, every year, Aussie brand piCture pOlish hold what they call 'BlogFest'. It's where they chose a group of bloggers to do something amazing! And just like last year, I am THRILLED to have been selected to take part!

Unlike previous years, this year's BlogFest doesn't introduce new shades. Instead, we were sent 3 shades (everyone got different shades!) and had to create some nail art AND a tutorial for you guys! The colours I was sent this year were Bombshell, a dark blue shimmer, Vegas, a bright red fleck/shimmer and Majesty, a collaboration shade, a nude-y/gold with piCture pOlish's signature holo flakes.

The nail art idea that instantly sprung to mind was something I am yet to try- Nautical! They are the perfect colours for it!

I used only those three polishes, plus striping tape and a fine nail art brush. Despite how it looks, it was actually very easy to do, and here's how you do it:

Step One: Bases

I used 3 coats of Majesty, and 2 of both Bombshell and Vegas and top coated. You'll need to let it dry for a while so you don't rip up your base with the tape.

 

Index Finger:

• Place the striping tape down your nail, leaving spaces that are around the same size.
• CAREFULLY fill in every second stripe with Bombshell.
• Next, again, CAREFULLY fill in the remaining gaps with Vegas. 
• Leave it for around 20 seconds, carefully remove the tape, clean up (it will get messy no matter how careful you are!) and top coat.

Middle and Pinky Fingers:

These were done the exact same way, just switching up the colours a bit! 

• Place the striping tape on your nail, leaving the same size gaps in between.
• Fill in the top space with Bombshell. Again, CAREFUL!
• Fill in the bottom space with either Vegas (Majesty base) or Majesty (Vegas base) 
• Remove thetape after 20 seconds, top coat and clean up.

Thumb and Ring Finger:

The design was exactly the same on the thumb and ring fingers. 

• Using your nail art brush (or a toothpick!) draw a line down the middle of your nail.
• Add a hollow circle on the top of that line.
• Cross the middle line like a 't'
• Paint on the curved bottom of the anchor by pretending you're drawing a smile for a smiley face :)
• Top coat, and done!  

One last thing, every blog fest post from bloggers all over the world will be popped onto a board on piCture pOlish's Pintrest (link below!) and there are 3 awards that will be voted and chosen as follows via the special Pinterest Blog Fest 2013 board:
·         1 x Award - as voted by PP friends and fans.
·         1 x Award  - as voted by all participants of Blog Fest 2013.
·         1 x Award - as voted by Jules & Megs of Picture Polish.
I'd like to send huge THANK YOU to piCture pOlish for the chance to participate this year, and I really hope you enjoyed my 'look!' If you try it out, please, I'd love to see it!

piCture pOlish:    Facebook     Twitter     Pinterest     Instagram    You Tube    Google +
Shipping          Network (international stockists)          Everyday Deals!

Until Next Time,

<3 Bec

*these polishes were provided to me by picture polish for the purpose of blogfest 2013*

What's In-die Box: July Edition

What's In-Die Box? is a monthly polish box, created by Rachel of Glam Polish. The box has a different theme every month, and always features a custom polish by Glam Polish, Lilypad Lacquer and Peita's Polish, with 2 other rotating indies every month. The July box was "Little Miss" themed, and the 2 'extra' indies this month were MckFresh Nail Attire and Shades of Phoenix.

This box was a very lovely surprise gift for me from my lovely friend Kat. I was not expecting it, and had already gone to see spoiler pics, so the contents were not a surprise for me, but they were SO much nicer in person!

 I Am Miss Haughty Taughty by Lilypad Lacquer. This is very different to all the other Lilypads I own, and it's the first glitter I have seen her make! And boy, is it a good one! Mainly green and blue glitters, it also has matte yellow and pink glitters in there. It reminds me more of a garden than a Little Miss, but oh is it pretty! I have one coat over Picture Polish Kryptonite with top coat.

 Little Miss Naughty by Glam Polish. This is my first Glam Polish! I love that the box gives us a chance to try something new! This is a violet base with holo micro glitters, and holo, green and pink squares. The glitter is quite sink-y in this though, so you have to give it a good shake first. This is 3 thin coats with top coat.

 Whoops by MckFresh Nail Attire. Another first for me! This is one VERY unique polish. It's almost like an abstract piece of art. The base colour is similar to the Glam Polish, but cooler toned and slightly darker. It has holo flakes, similar to what Picture Polish uses, plus black hexes and bars, large magenta/pink dots, and very large white rectangles. Because this has a variety of glitters, it's best to fish the glitter out and 'dab' it on. The large white rectangles do tend to clump all the other glitters together, but it is worth the effort, I promise! 3 thin coats with top coat here.

 Little Miss Bad by Shades Of Phoenix. This one is truly breathtaking. A pastel blue creme base with pink and blue micro glitter, pink and blue dot glitter, and black square glitter. So complex, but SO pretty! Everything about this one was flawless. The application and opacity were great, especially for a pastel polish. This is only 2 thin coats with top coat.

Chatterbox by Peita's Polish. This is SUPER cool! Think Floam, but add pink! Yeah, it is awesome. Matte, neon pink, yellow and blue micro glitter in a clear base. I've layered it over BYS Color Change in Blue.One coat gives you great coverage, that's all I've used here.

Final thoughts on this months box? I love it! Every polish is so unique, and can't be bought anywhere else. Purchasing for Augusts box ended a few days ago, but keep an eye out for Septembers!

Until Next Time,

<3 Bec

Femme Fatale Mana Ruby

 There are very few pinks I like, and every now and again I find one that is just phenomenal. And Femme Fatale's Mana Ruby is one of those. I'll let the pictures do the talking...

Is that not just AWESOME?! Bright pink jelly with iridescent blue-ish glitters and large and small red/pink hexes. This is 3 thin coats, no fishing required at all. I really think that the iridescent glitters give this polish so much fun and life. I really love it!

Until Next Time,

<3 Bec

Make Up Sunday- Femme Fatale Powder Cosmetics

We all know about the awesomeness of Femme Fatales polishes, but she also makes powder cosmetics. For this weeks Make Up Sunday, I'm going to show you three eyeshadows and a blush. I will warn you now that this is going to be a slightly pic heavy post!

 These are all sample sizes, which I think is an AMAZING way to test them out. I bought these containers on ebay and have emptied the bags they come in into these. Its a bit fiddly, but it does help.

 These are the shades swatched lightly on my arm- Sunkissed Wine (blush) on top, then the eyeshadows- Blood's Shadow, Candied Apple and The Masquerade. All the eyeshadows are duochromes, and the duo shimmers are really strong, even though they don't really photograph that way! They really are in a class of their own.

 The Masquerade- a pale blue/grey with pink shimmer.

Blood's Shadow- black with pink/purple/red/gold shimmers

Candied Apple- brick red with green shimmer.

All the eyeshadows are CRAZY pigmented, and they last quite nicely without primer. But, with primer, they'll last all day and then some. They all blend easily, and are just so unique. 

Sunkissed Wine is a matte blush. This is a very versatile colour, and will suit most skin tones. It is also VERY pigmented, and blends easily. It is a very strong colour, and because of the high pigmentation, if you are pale like myself, you'll need to be very light with it. In my swatch I have used a bit more than I usually do. I also prefer to use it as a contour colour on myself, it does work perfectly for that.

The beauty of the FFC powder cosmetics is that even with the small sample sizes, they will last you a while. I've had these for around two months, and have used them a fair bit, and still have plenty left. I highly recommend these to anyone who likes makeup!

Until Next Time,

<3 Bec

Femme Fatale Winter Hyancinth with Some Random Art!

I love me some Aussie indies. There is something about them that makes them so good, you don't want any other. Femme Fatale Cosmetics is no exception to that. The way Sophie makes polishes combinations never fails to blow my mind, and Winter Hyancinth is the perfect example.

Winter Hyancinth is a green crelly base, with white glitters including large diamonds and hexes, and pink circles. It really is a unique, beautiful polish. It doesn't need undies, nor does it require any fishing to get the glitter out. It's one of FFC's best sellers for a reason!

Here I've matched it with some studs, a dotted gradient and a zig zag. The additional colours I used were Ulta3 Lily White, China Glaze Something Sweet and CG Refresh-mint.

Until Next Time,

<3 Bec

Aussie Nails Monday- Purple!

Quick post tonight, I am EXHAUSTED! There's a hashtag over on InstaGram called #bestietwins. I bestie-twinned recently with my lovely friend Eboni and I'm going to show you my half today, because we used a purple theme, and it matches this weeks ANM.

I used a lot of polishes for this so I won't list them. I will however, show you how our nails looked together, and admit that Eboni's looked SO much better than mine, haha!

Until Next Time,

<3 Bec

Makeup Sundays- My Go-To Red Lipstick!

This was the first lipstick I bought for myself when I started playing with lipsticks, and now, I've been wearing it almost everyday and have just bought a second while they were half price at Priceline!

Rimmel Kate Moss Matte lipstick in #111- Kiss of Life. Oddly, the only one of these lippies that has a name! It's a gorgeous, matte, cool-toned red that will suit EVERYBODY. I adore this lipstick. It smells AMAZING, applies very smoothly, wears well, doesn't bleed/feather, and is very pigmented. When I say it wears well, I mean it. I have been wearing it at work for 6-8 hours without touching it up and it still looks good! And that's through lunch and a lot of coffee too!

I haven't tried any other of these matte Rimmels, but I do have one of the 'normal' ones and I adore that too!

Until Next Time,

<3 Bec

Born Pretty Store 4 piece Nail Art Brush Set

I am forever on the hunt for the perfect nail art brushes, and I have started a rather large collection lately! These brushes from Born Pretty Store have been all I use lately!

They come in 4 sizes, and the thickest is still quite fine. If you've been looking for some uber thin brushes, give these a go! Heres some nail looks I did using these:

 My Daleks were done with the thinnest and the thickest brushes, and acrylic paints.

 These were done with the third largest and acrylic paint.

And these were done with the second largest, and Ulta3 Black Satin.

I really do love these brushes, they are very easy to control and use, and they can be easily used and cleaned when using both acrylic paints and nail polish. These would be really great for people just starting to try nail art, they are really simple to use. 

Don't forget to check out Born Pretty's nail art selection, they have some amazing stuff! And feel free to use my discount code AFL91 for 10% off! 

Until Next Time!

<3 Bec

*the products mentioned in this post were sent to me for my honest review. This in no way affects my opinion of them*

Femme Fatale Cosmetics Planar Anomalies

*I cut all my nails down last week. I still have a lot of posts to do with longer nails, so please don't get confused! Haha!*

Femme Fatale Cosmetics Planar Anomalies is a sheer black jelly base, with an intense purple-pinkish shimmer and full of grey, holo, big black hexes, purple and teal glitters. It's a very dark, glam glitterbomb!

I've used 2 coats + Seche Vite. It's a very dense glitter, and that makes the formula quite thick. It's not hard to apply, but you need to be careful. Some of the bigger black hexes have started curling slightly, but my nails are quite curved, so if they lay on one side there's no problem.

While this is a gorgeous polish like this, I want to show you how it looks at one coat, cos I think it looks super cool!

You can really see all the elements of this polish at one coat! I would wear it like that too. I've also paired this with China Glaze I'm With the Lifeguard and some studs:

Until Next Time,

<3 Bec

*the products mentioned in this post were sent to me for my honest review. This in no way affects my opinion of them*

Makeup Sundays: Help Me Ronda - Massage & Aromatherapy!

Not exactly a makeup post, but skincare for you today. Help Me Ronda is a massage and aromatherapy business run by the lovely Ronda. I've been trialling her facial oil for severe acne, and I'll be telling you about it today!

During my course, I was having to have different facial products and makeup used on me and a lot of it was causing havoc with my skin. I'm quite oily normally, but some products would make me very very oily and with that would come alot of acne, mainly on my chin and cheeks. It was getting unbearable, and to the point where it was just depressing me, I was very self conscious. So I started using the oil, and fell in love. It helped me SO much!

This was my face before using the oil. You can see lots of redness. With my face, where there is redness, there is a bump. And they usually hurt.

Using 2 drops of the oil every second night after cleaning my face, after a month and a bit, my face looked like this:

There are still a bump or two, but nowhere near as many. Nor are they as big, or as painful as they were before.

It's a miracle product for me, and for those with oily skin nervous about putting an oil on your face, don't fret! It helped with oil control a little for me!

Until Next Time,

<3 Bec

Blinged Out Camo!

I've been wanting to try a Camo pattern for a while now, so I finally sucked it up and did it! It was surprisingly easy, I used a dotting tool to do it. I used a base of Ulta3 Black Satin, then did the camo print with China Glaze Peachy Keen and Milani Purple Gleam. Not a traditional camo print, but I like it!

Until Next Time,

<3 Bec

Rainbow Honey Annual Emotion!

I'd been dying to try Rainbow Honey's polishes for a while, so when Femme Fatale Cosmetics sent Rainbow Honey to me to review I was thrilled!

Annual Emotion was released as part of the Christmas collection RH put out last year. In the jar it just looks like another standard silver foil, take it out in the sun and it is slightly holographic! I thought that was SO cool, because silver foil + holo, an amazing combo!

 Enlarge these photos to see the holo effect better! The formula on this was nice, slightly thicker and opaque in two coats. It dried quickly too. So then, I turned it into some cute nail art!

I added some Born Pretty studs on top of Annual Emotion. My zigzag nails were done with Ulta3 Black Satin and white acrylic paint, and my ring finger is Celestial Cosmetics Pink Posy.

I was very pleased with my first Rainbow Honey, can't wait to try more!

Until Next Time,

<3 Bec

  *the products mentioned in this post were sent to me for my honest review. This in no way affects my opinion of them*

Aussie Nails Monday- Sci Fi!

I was really looking forward to this weeks theme so much! I love me some sci-fi! This mani today is the one I instantly thought of when I got the Born Pretty Store Stud Wheel but decided it needed its own glorious post, and then Sci-Fi week came! So here it is, my Extermi-nails!

Daleks! I used 2 coats of Kleancolor Midnight Sapphire, and then I used acrylic paints to paint on the Daleks. And then I put the studs on to finish them off! I love these so, so much ahaha! I LOVE Doctor Who, and I was watching it when I was painting these.

Until Next Time!

<3 Bec