The Face Shop - YL701

The Face Shop is a Korean beauty brand that combines the best in nature at an absolutely affordable price.

I've tried pretty much all their products but it's the lacquers that make my heart sing, my wallet squeal with delight, and my husband breathe a sigh of relief. Each of these babies will set you back $3. That's less than the cost of a coffee and - trust me - the high I get from wearing these lasts much longer than any caffeine rush.

The colour I am wearing here is named YL701.

Although this looks like a shimmery yellow in the bottle, there is a fair chunk of gold in it. The gold seems to lift the yellow and stop it from looking like my hands are jaundiced.

Application is super-duper easy. The polish brushes on like a breeze, giving you enough time to get the application right, but drying fast enough so that, by the time you finish all ten fingers, you are ready for the next coat.

And the next.

And the next.

The swatch on the left is four coats. Which I don't mind as I quite like the subtlety of seeing my nails. But if you're an 'it's opaque or nothing' kind of girl, then this is probably not for you. I suspect this would be a fantastic colour for layering, or to jazz up a dark red or even a purple.

YL701 (ok, The Face Shop, we're going to have a serious falling out if you don't come up with a better naming convention) is a little bottle of sunshine in my nail collection. Sometimes (ok, you're all going to think I'm really weird here) I will just hold the bottle up to the light and stare adoringly at it. It's pretty and shimmery and oh-so-very Spring.

Sportsgirl Nail It! - Apple

**First of all, thanks to everyone who has become a YGN follower, left me comments, or sent me emails. I'm thrilled that so many of you are enjoying my addiction to nail polish!**

Sportsgirl's range of polishes - entitled Nail It! - are three free and cheap, so you can understand why I might have a (not so secret) lacquer crush on them.

Apple is exactly like it's title. This is a bright, Granny Smith apple green that is almost a dupe for Chanel's Jade, without the shimmer.

My only gripe with this polish is the formula. It is thick and gloopy, which I don't mind so long as the finish is opaque in one to two coats.

Unfortunately, this never became opaque for me. After three coats (as shown in the swatch), there was still a visible nail line, but the lacquer had become so thick on my nail that I didn't want to add another coat for fear that it would never dry! I think it might be worth trying some thinner to see if that might help with the application.

Despite the problems with application, this really is a lovely polish for Spring and, due to its brightness, Summer too. This is my go-to polish when I need a pick-me-up. It never fails to brighten my day!

Mecca Cosmetica - Spring 2009 Collection

**A very warm welcome to everyone who is visiting from Getcha Nails Did. I hope you enjoy YGN! Stay tuned as, next week, I will be launching my very first giveaway to coincide with my birthday.**

Spring has arrived in Australia and, with it, comes Mecca Cosmetica's Spring Collection 2009.

At first I wasn't sure about this collection. I walked past it in Myer about ten times before I finally decided to take the plunge. The poor shop assistant, who had been cajoling me to buy them for days, must have breathed a sigh of relief when I finally said 'Ok, I'll take them'.

Part of the reason for my reticence is the price. These are a very steep $22 each, which definitely places them up there amongst my more expensive polishes.

Secondly, I wasn't that thrilled with the colour section. A pink, a grey and a coral? These are colours my mother wears (sometimes all at once, and sometimes paired with faux leather fringed boots, which is the equivalent of her declaring war on my retinas). In short, I am biased against these colours.

In the end, these surprised me. In a good way. And perhaps cured me of my general dislike of coral. Perhaps.

Celia

Celia is a two-coat pink.

The key with this is the application. The first coat goes on reasonably streaky, which made me panic at first. Flashbacks of pinks that take five coats to become opaque started to flash through my mind.

But all was forgiven on the second coat. The streaks disappeared and I was left with what you see. A glossy, liquid-like pink.

This also has a hidden depth to it. Through each of these colours is a very faint, almost invisible gold shimmer. The shimmer takes this from being a creme, to a creme with a difference.

Of the three, this is the one that is the most wearable. I can see myself wearing this for work, on the weekends, weddings. Anywhere.

Celia is a colour that will offend no-one, but will delight many!

Francisca

Francisca is the colour that initially drew me into the collection.

I've never been a big fan of greys, but I was hopeful that this one, with the same gold shimmer running through it that Celia has, might change my mind.

And it did.

Like Celia, this is a two coat and you're opaque lacquer (I'm wearing one in the swatch and you can see a visible nail line).

Unlike Celia, however, it applies like a dream (no streaks!) and dries almost instantly.

If Celia is the most wearable colour, then this is the most versatile. It goes with almost everything in my closet, and is the perfect accompaniment when I'm wearing a suit to work and want to scare people (hey, I'm an auditor, scaring people is what I do).

And I feel sexy when I'm wearing it. Which means it's doing its job.

Luciana

Mmmm, Luciana.

This was my problem child when I bought it. I think, besides orange, coral is my most hated colour. It just never looks good on my hands. The colour always seems insipid, like a watered down hot pink.

Luciana, though, has turned my mind around on the whole coral issue. Out of all the colours, this is the one I love the most.

Like the others, this has a gold shimmer running through it, which seems to give it a warmth and oomph that other creme corals don't have.

So, ladies, all that remains to be answered (beside the perennial question of why the heck my mother makes such poor colour choices, and the answer is she's menopausal and doesn't give a hoot), is which of these is your favourite?

Celia, Francisca, Luciana?

Sunday Sneak Peak

This week, my lacquer choices have been inspired by the colours of Spring.

Here in Melbourne, Australia, I look out my bedroom window each morning to see trees blossoming, flowers blooming and birds singing. If that sounds idyllic, that's because it is!

This week, I'll be bringing you the Mecca Cosmetica's Spring 2009 Collection. Mecca Cosmetica, for my international readers, is a higher end, niche Australian beauty and cosmetics company. The Spring 2009 Collection is a beautiful representation of spring in Australia. I love it, and I'm sure you will too!

Another Australian brand that is forcing me to love it is Sportsgirl. Sportsgirl is an Australian clothing brand that appeals primarily to the teen market. I love their Nail It! line of polishes, especially Apple, which is a bright green to die for.

The Face Shop is a Korean based brand that offers extraordinary good value for money. Each of these little beauties costs just $3, yet the colour pay off is worth ten times that.

My Eyeko polishes have finally arrived, although one of the bottles (the black polish) broke in transit. I haven't been able to stop wearing Pastel Polish. It's just a bottle of blue goodness that makes me smile every time I look at it.

I've also completed my first, half-way decent looking nail art, which I'll show you on Friday, using one of the above colours. Which one did I use? You'll have to wait until Friday to find out!

Naily News #1

Polish Mayhem trials OPI's Midnight Blue Glitter, with red carpet results.

Michelle from All Lacquered Up takes me to a happy place with her swatch of the classic Dorothy Who?

Nixxy creates the perfect storm - and it's seriously glorious.

Grace of Spades has sent me into a glitter / holo coma ** No fooling - this is a glitter addict's catnip**

Want to see glow in the dark goodness. Enamel Coated has it covered.

Brooke totally stuns and amazes with one of the best manicures I've ever seen.

The one and only Scrangie goes Color Club Halloween on us.

Painted Lady Fingers does a fab spring manicure that I will be trying to replicate. No doubt poorly.

Magic Maid just keeps on adding to the list of polishes I must have. This time it's China Glaze Fortune Teller in all it's golden glory.

I never get sick of seeing China Glaze for Audrey. This time, it's Naive Nails providing the goodness.

Sky from Nailz in Aus creates a China Glaze love child to die for.

Nani's Nails trials Dazzle Dry Nail System with some amazing results.

Amarena uses a sponging technique on her nails. She is truly the master of innovative nail solutions!

**Special thanks to everyone who has read You've Got Nail this week, and have become a follower and/or subscriber. I really appreciate the emails, comments and your presence on the site!**

Casual Friday - Worst. Nail Art. Ever.

Ok, everybody....

On the count of 3, lower your expectations.

You are about to witness the most ghetto nail art in the history of nail art.

Behold, Pop Art Blue with a French Manicure.

I must admit, this looks a whole lot better in person than it does in the photo.

In person, the blue pops like it always does, whilst the white provides a fabulous contrast.

In the photo, it looks like I have been assaulted by a chop shop.

But enough of this monstrosity.

I bought a Konad stamper earlier this week and I have been practicing each night. The first night was a disaster but, after looking at some You Tube videos, I think I might have mastered the ability to Konad my brains out.

So, if we can all agree that this was a nail art misadventure (hey, my banner doesn't lie - there will be misadventures at You've Got Nail), let's look forward to next week when I show you some decent nail art.

Bloom - Miss Connie Neon Orange

The final polish from Bloom's Designer Collection is Miss Connie Neon Orange.

Neon Orange isn't quite a bright orange. It isn't quite a red either. It's what I would call an orange with very strong red undertones.

Unlike it's Pop Art Blue cousin, application is a breeze on this one. You could probably get away with one coat but, if you really want the orange to come through, then two is best.

This is also the colour I get the most compliments on. Normally, I dislike oranges. I find they just don't complement my skin tone.

But, thanks to the generous dollops of red in this, Neon Orange actually makes my hands look more tanned than they really are. I love it when a nail polish doesn't just make my nails look pretty!

This is also a great polish for longevity. I wore this when I spent the afternoon at my son's kinder washing paint brushes. Even after two hours in soapy water, there was no tip wear or chipping. That's impressive.

I've embedded yet another Sneaky Sound System video below, only because the gorgeous Miss Connie is wearing an orange frock in the video. I love that this collection isn't just a marketing ploy. The colours she has designed appear to be colours she actually wears in person.

Bloom - Miss Connie Pop Art Blue

Another Australian celebrity that has joined forces with Bloom for its Designer Collection is Miss Connie, of fab Australian band, Sneaky Sound System.

Pop Art Blue is hands down, pants down, my favourite Bloom nail lacquer. Look at that neon glow!

Unlike other Designer Collection hues, Sangria and Myrtle Green, (which are effectively one coat and they're opaque polishes) Pop Art Blue is a minimum two coat lacquer. The swatch on the left is two coats and, as you can see, there is visible nail line (particularly on my ring finger).

Pop Art Blue is also an absolute pain in the butt to apply. The formula is extremely thick and gloopy which means you don't get the luxury of being able to run the brush over the nail a couple of times to get it smooth. One shot is all you get so you have to apply very carefully.

Ok, so far this is a polish that requires three coats and is a pain to apply. So why do I love it? Because of that colour pay off. This is an extraordinary and vibrant blue that... how can I describe it..... pops! And, despite the pain of application, this dries to an amazing glossy finish.

If you want to know more about Miss Connie herself, I've embedded Sneaky Sound System's debut single 'Love it' below. If this song doesn't make you want don a rah-rah skirt, and do your best impersonation of Simon Le Bon circa The Reflex then you have no heart. Or you were born after 1985.

And Miss Connie herself wears a frock in this video that looks near identical to Pop Art Blue. Well, almost. This truly is a colour that reflects her personality.

Bloom - Jessica Mauboy Myrtle Green

Myrtle Green is the second lacquer from Bloom's Jessica Mauboy Designer Collection.

There are so many reasons why I absolutely adore this colour.

Firstly, this applies like a dream. One coat is all that it needs to be opaque. I put on two for the swatch but, really, the colour didn't intensify or change with the second coat. So, if you're a gal that likes a quick manicure, this is the colour for you. One coat and you're done and out the door.

Secondly, this is not a wild and wacky green which means I can - yay - wear this in the office without feeling like I'm pushing the boundaries of what constitutes appropriate office nail polish wear.

Thirdly, it lasts forever. I wore this for five days before I started to see minor tip wear. Given I am rough with my hands - I wash dishes without gloves, I'm a little lax on the moisturising, and I have two young sons who run me ragged - the longevity of this polish is something miraculous to behold.

Finally, it's green and - well - how can you not love this season's hottest hue?!

So tell me - which of the Jessica Mauboy colours gets your tick of approval. Sangria or Myrtle Green? Or are you Switzerland and love both?

Bloom - Jessica Mauboy Sangria

I love a good Australian Red (wine, that is) so it's totally fitting and appropriate that my first swatch is a fabulous Australian red lacquer.

Jessica Mauboy's Sangria is from Bloom Cosmetics' Designer Collection. The Designer Collection teams the powerhouse that is Bloom with Australian celebrities. The results are some pretty amazing hues.

For those of you who don't know who she is, Jessica Mauboy is a former Australian Idol contestant who has developed her own, thriving, career since finishing as the 2006 runner up.

Sangria is a stunningly beautiful red. I tried for a good hour to get a photo that showed the many dimensions of this polish. And failed. This is a polish that never photographs or looks the same way twice.

Indoors, this colour looks like it does in the swatch - a luxurious, complex red, complete with a mysterious gold swathe that peeks through.

Outdoors, it turns into a bright deep pink-ish garnet that seemingly sparkles and dances in the sunlight.

This is a great colour for those of us with olive skin tones, although I suspect it will work for any skin tone, thanks to the pink and gold through it. It's subtle enough for work (I never fail to get compliments) but sexy enough for a night out.

Sunday Sneak Peak

Hello, and a very warm welcome to You've Got Nail!

My name is Jacie (pronounced Jussy or Jay-see, depending on your inclination) and I am a mad lacquer lover from Australia. I spend a great deal of time - not to mention money - on snapping up nail polishes wherever I can find them.

Coming up in this very first week of You've Got Nail, it's all about Australia cosmetics company, Bloom, and their Designer Collection, which takes its inspiration from Australian celebrities.

Bloom have radically altered their approach to nail polish (it used to be all about pink, pink and more pink) and have branched out to more daring - and subsequently more interesting - colour combinations. As you can see, these colours are anything but traditional, especially that glorious neon blue, which is my personal favourite.

Also this week, you will get to see my very first nail art. And it's overwhelmingly underwhelming! But I have been totally inspired by some very talented and creative ladies so, over the next few weeks, look forward to me going nuts every Friday. I've even bought a Konad Stamper, although I happily admit to having no clues as to what to do with it.

Once again, welcome to You've Got Nail. I'd love to get your feedback, comments, requests or recommendations. Also, if you're another nail blog, and you'd like to link exchange, please let me know!