Naily News #6

Helen and Sheenie trial Essie's Damsel in a Dress. Prepare yourself for maximum vamp-ancy. I think I just made up a word - go me!

The beautiful Flinty, of Polish or Perish, has me Spellbound with her manicure.

Mary provides us all with an early Merry Christmas thanks to OPI's Merry Midnight. I am lemming for this polish so badly that my teeth hurt.

Kae is onto another winner. I swear, I've never seen Kae with a hideous colour on her nails. She's amazing.

Katie makes my heart skip a beat, and my wallet sigh with the knowledge that soon it will be raided, with a beautiful YSL.

Pink Ginger channels an Egyptian Goddness using China Glaze GR8.

Millie is marvellous. That is all.

To celebrate 100 followers, Konadomania has the giveaway haul to end them all!

Finally, if you want to see some awesome Halloween manicures, check these out:

Kronicles of a Konad-er

Painted Lady Fingers

Amabile

Fifty-Two Flavours

Naive Nails

All Nail and Cosmetics

KonADDICT

Have a great Halloween everyone!

Australis - Clear Topaz

I have to say, I am seriously impressed with the Australis range of nail lacquers. I've tried three now, and every one of them has been a winner.

Clear Topaz is an absolutely stunning colour. It really does look like a glorious topaz stone.

This is a brown that would be flattering for every skin tone. I lent this to my friend who is - no fooling - like a walking corpse, she is so pale. It totally warmed her complexion and made her hands look fab. It works similar magic on my hands, bringing out the olive tone in my skin.

Application is great with this. The swatch on the right is two coats. The polish glides on easily thanks to the brush which just seems to know intuitively when I want more polish or less.

Do you ladies like browns and, if so, is this a frosty brown you might consider?

OPI - Black Cherry Chutney

Come on ladies, you didn't think I would neglect OPI did you?

Black Cherry Chutney is from OPI's India Collection. I must admit, being Indian myself (well, part anyway), I fell in love with, and bought, alot of the colours in this collection, but Black Cherry Chutney is the one I am constantly reaching for.

It's definitely my go-to dark and vampy cherry hue.

This is a beautiful formula. It's thick, pigmented (although you will still need two coats to get to bottle colour) and, thanks once again to the Pro-Wide brush, extraordinarily easy to apply.

And just take a look at that sheen! Like so many recent OPI lacquers, I don't feel the need (although I still do, for longevity) for a topcoat.

Even though it is very dark, I still find it a really versatile colour. I can wear this easily at work (so long as my manicure is tidy and reasonable conservative), and wear it on a girls' night out.

I think this is a great colour for Halloween, don't you think. Evil Angel, I just know you're so with me on this colour!

Australis - Emerald Star

Australis' Emerald Star is, straight up, the weirdest lacquer I think I've ever tried.

The first coat goes on as a teal. A streaky, dirty, hideous teal. I was sorely tempted to just clean it off. That's how foul the first coat was.

But I persisted. And, like the little ugly duckling, this lacquer turned into a bonafide swan. It literally changed colours between coats one and two. I have no idea why.

Like butter LONDON's British Racing Green, this is an unrepentant green. However, it's subtle enough that it can still be worn for work.

This is a two coat lacquer, although I used three in the swatch just because I desperately wanted to erase the image of that first coat.

Other than the foul first coat, application is easy with this. The brush glides along smoothly and the formula is neither too runny or too thick.

So, ladies, how do you like Emerald Star?

kit - Power Up

kit Cosmetics is an Australian company whose credo is pretty simple: 'Dedicated to you looking good'.

Power Up is described as a patent black with metallic shimmer. For me, it's a little simpler than that. Think a black night sky with little stars - perfect for Halloween - and that is Power Up.

The glitter in this is super fine, which means you get a perfectly smooth finish. No chunky lumpies here! The glitter is a silver colour, which offsets beautifully against the black.

The formula is nothing short of exquisite. It is creamy and wonderfully easy to work with. Ladies, this stuff is up there with OPI and China Glaze in terms of ease of application.

The swatch here is.... wait for it..... you will be amazed..... I promise.... one coat. Yes, one coat gets you this perfectly opaque finish. Most blacks I wear always have a streaky first coat. Not this one. If you're a lazy manicurist like I am, you will love Power Up.

This was the first kit colour I've tried and I'm super impressed. The formula, the colour, the ease of application. This is a great Aussie polish that ticks all of the boxes for me.

You've Got Duped - Saucy Red Polish vs O'Hare and Nails Look Great

I mentioned earlier today that I thought Eyeko's Saucy Red Polish could be a dupe for OPI's O'Hare and Nails Look Great?

Here they are, side by side.

Now, the lighting is different so you're going to have to trust my eye witness account when I say that, if I were to interchange these on my nails (Eyeko on one nail and OPI on the next), you would not be able to tell them apart.

However, whilst the colour is a perfect replica, I should mention that the lacquer itself is not. Application is also more problematic with the Eyeko versus the smooth gloriousness of OPI's Pro Wide brush and creamy formulation.

Nonetheless, if you want the OPI look, without the OPI price, then Saucy Red is a dupe for the ages.

Eyeko - Saucy Red Polish

I don't think any Halloween would be complete without a splash of red.

Eyeko's Saucy Red polish is like tabasco sauce. Hot and you only need a little to have an impact.

This is a super hot red. I'd say it leans towards the orange side, but it's still a classic, old Hollywood red. I can totally imagine Rita Hayworth wearing this in Gilda (one of my favourite movies of all time).

I also think it might be a close dupe to OPI's O'Hare and Nails Look Great. I'll do a side by side this afternoon and get your opinion. If so, then this is a cheap alternative to an OPI classic.

My only issue with the Eyeko lacquers so far is the brush. Well, not the brush as such, but the lid. It's so diddy and light that I have trouble getting a good grasp of it and, as a consequence, my application is never as good as with other, more substantial lids. Are any of you finding the same problem?

Whatever the application issues, Eyeko lacquers are super good and, now even more cheap than ever. I thought I was getting a good deal at 9 pounds. These are now available for a crazy 5.40 pounds. That's $USD8.80 or $AUD10.50. That's for all SIX lacquers. I think that's an excuse for an Eyeko haul in any language!

Sunday Sneak Peak

Really, did you this week wouldn't be about Halloween?

I've trawled through my collection and found some fabulous Halloween colours. There's a mix of the dark and vampy with some colours that just suit this time of year.

Let me ask you guys something. Many of you are mums, or you're still young enough, to perhaps relate to my current dilemma.

My four year old wants to do Trick or Treat this year. He even has his Spiderman outfit all sorted. Now, in Australia, celebrating Halloween is a very recent thing. Not alot of people celebrate it, and some even violently reject the event as 'Americanism'. Thankfully, my street has a alot of young children so we've all agreed to make it a community event.

My question is, for all you seasoned Trick or Treaters, how do you ensure your kids have a great time but are still safe? What are your 'rules' for your kids? Do you allow them to eat lollies that aren't in a wrapper? How do you make sure they don't eat too much? I am a total Halloween novice.

October Giveaway! We have three winners!

Ladies, yesterday was the final day to enter my inaugural giveaway!

I did a very scientific draw - see, I even used a software system called The Hat (if anyone is wondering, the reason why there are numbers at the end of each name is because followers received three entries, hence I had to enter followers three times) - and the winners are.....

Gilded Angel, who wins the much desired Celia.

Pink Ginger, who wins the sumptuous Francisca (this is going to look so amazing on you, Ginger).

Elaine Gabat, who wins my favourite of the collection, Luciana.

Ladies, if you could please email me (my address is in the sidebar to the left) with your address details, I will post out your lacquers this week!

For everyone else, I've decided to make giveaways a regular feature here at YGN. So, please, stick around for the next one, which I'll be launching in the second week of November.

Naily News #5

Today is your last chance to enter my October Giveaway. Entries close at 8pm ADST and I will announce the winners tomorrow!

Purple glitter? Fabulous nails? Beautiful chick? That can only mean that Skye is back in town.

Might. Fight. Urge. Siobhan sends me into a glitter coma with her swatches of Zoya's Ultra Glitter Collection. Seriously, girls, you need to cease and desist with the glitter. My eyes are perpetually rolling into the back of my head.

Mary swatches Essie's Sweet Time of the Year collection. And she's running a giveaway for all three!

Scrangie was my favourite colour from the RBL Blogger Collection. Ginger trials this and I think I jusy fell a little more in love with it.

Katie is Seriously Hip. So are her nails.

Nixxy trials a delicious Australian holo. I have ordered three of these and can't wait until they arrive. I'm an unashamed haul wh*re.

Dear Higher Power, when I grow up, can you teach me how to do nails like Diana. Cos, compared to her, I totally suck.

Kae reminds me why pink is such a beautiful colour.

Amabile does a manicure that reminds me of the night sky. McDreamy.

Amarena does something I could never do. Elegant.

Helen gets to meet Alex Box from Illamasqua. And I'm so green with jealousy that I could pass for grass.

Doo dots her way to doo-licious nails.

Gilded Angel will have your mind boggling with this Konad-icure. I don't think I will ever get close to doing something like this. Sorry, ladies, you're stuck with me and my crappy konading.

Leanne does some beautiful swatches of a recent haul.

butter LONDON - British Racing Green - Part II

The final nail art I'm trying is Pearly Queen on British Racing Green.

Whilst I'm not convinced that the design itself is a winner, I believe the white on green is a runaway star!

So, what do you guys think of this combination?

More importantly, what do you think of the butter LONDON polishes so far?

In the interests of full disclosure, I will mention that I paid full price for these lacquers. So it's a totally honest and unfettered opinion when I say that butter LONDON is up there with some of the best in terms of colour and quality. But I'm interested in your thoughts about them.

As for me, these are my new obsession. I can't wait to try out some more.

butter LONDON - British Racing Green - Part I

Ok, ladies, I know this is the moment you've all been waiting for.

British Racing Green.

Behold it's greatness.

I left this until last because it is my favourite. So why is this my favourite?

For starters, it is an unapologetic green (with some shimmer thrown in). So many dark greens look almost black. You really have to peer at them to see the green. Not with this green. It's out and loud.

Second, the formula is amazing. This glides on like a dream and is opaque in two coats.

It also dries to a high gloss finish. As with all my swatches this week - with the exception of Rosie Lee - this is without a top coat. I can actually see the reflection of my windows in my nails - that's how shiny it is.

So, what do you think? Isn't this a green you could just wear seven days a week?

butter LONDON - Pearly Queen - Part II

I love cupcakes. I could eat cupcakes all day.

I share my work space with two of the nicest girls you could ever meet. Because we are all girls in our work area, we have been termed 'The Lady Pod'.

Each week, a member of the Lady Pod will go out and buy the Pod delicious cupcakes from The Cupcake Bakery. There's nothing nicer than a hot cup of tea, delicious cupcakes and great conversation.

So, what does this have to do with today's Konad-icure?

Well, today's nail art has been totally inspired by the lovely ladies I share my day with, and those delicious cupcakes.

This is Scoundrel over Pearly Queen using a design from Konad Plate M3. I love the way the translucent Scoundrel mixes in with the white, creating a very girly-girly manicure.

After an early disaster, I must say that these lacquers really are amazing when used with the Konad. The colours work beautifully together and really gel together as a collection.

What do you ladies think? Is this a manicure you might try?

butter LONDON - Pearly Queen - Part I

I have definitely saved my two favourite butter LONDON Fall 09 Collection lacquers until last.

Today, it's all about Pearly Queen.

I fully expected to be somewhat 'meh' about this colour. It's a white frost which, normally, is just a little too Duran Duran's The Reflex for me. White frosts bring back bad memories of cheap Cutex frosts (which were all I could afford on my sub-teen pocket money) that chipped, flaked and stained.

Pearly Queen, however, is, in a word O-U-T-S-T-A-N-D-I-N-G.

This is unlike any other white frost I've ever seen. It's like silvery snow on my nails. There is not a hint of beige or cream, as I've seen with other white frosts. This is pure, unadulterated, take no prisoners white.

I know Michelle from All Lacquered Up had brush stroke issues with this. And she's right. This can and does apply streaky. The only way around this, I've found, is to apply one thin coat and then follow up with a thicker second coat. For whatever reason, if I apply a thicker second coat, the brush strokes are more forgiving and the streaks tend to disappear. Even if you do have streaks after the second coat, a quick splash of Seche Vite erases all errors in a single brush stroke.

I love it when a polish surprises me. This surprised me and what a glorious revelation it has been.

I've taken another quick photo. This is Pearly Queen holding my first hot chocolate of the day. Sorry for the pinkish undertones coming through on the photo. This photo was taken with my crappy little point and shoot camera that I drag around with me. But, still, how nice does that look?

Mmm, butter LONDON, can we get married and stay together forever and forever because I truly believe you are my nail soul mate.

butter LONDON - Rosie Lee - Part II

I was truly stumped trying to figure out whether I could do a Konad with Rosie Lee.

I tried a couple of designs but, realistically, any design I tried got lost in the glitter orgy that is Rosie Lee.

So, instead, I did a layering experiment with another lacquer from the butter LONDON Fall 09 Collection - Pearly Queen.

This manicure is three coats of Pearly Queen with one coat of Rosie Lee over the top.

I don't think these photos do it much justice but, in person, this looks like so so so pretty. I wore this manicure last week at work for a couple of days and I was constantly complimented on how pretty it looked. This is the perfect manicure if you want a bit of bling without the side eye from the boss.

butter LONDON - Rosie Lee - Part I

YGN-ers, for your own protection, I suggest you put on sunglasses to read this post.

Are we all set? Glasses on? Good.

Allow me to present to you, Rosie Lee, the third lacquer I am trying from butter LONDON's Fall 09 Collection.

Rosie Lee is a dense pink glitter that turns almost foil like when it's in the sun. As you can see in the swatch, this colour can veer from being a sweet pink to something that astronauts could see from space.

Gorgeous.

However, whilst I love the colour pay off - it really is extraordinary, isn't it - this is an absolute pain in the a** to apply. The swatch on the left is four coats and, even with those four coats, I had a couple of bald spots.

Also, because the glitter is quite chunky and large, I found it impossible to get a good finish on the nail. In attempting to get close to the cuticle, I couldn't help but get some of the glitter onto my hands.

As you would expect with such a dense glitter, this dries to a lumpy finish, however a coat of Seche Vite smoothes out most of the rough edges. Be prepared, however, for a few hanging edges. These don't bother me, but some of the more finicky amongst you might want to file the edges off.

Despite all of the problems with this, I consider this colour to be a crown jewel amongst my vast collection of lacquers. It is, in my opinion, completely unique. I don't have anything even close to it, although I wonder if Bloom's new shade, Las Vegas, might come close. Love it.

So, for those of you who haven't gone blind, does Rosie Lee tickle your fancy?

Event: Nails Night Out

It's times like these I desparately wished I lived in the US, although I will be making the trip next November for Thanksgiving (I am inordinately obsessed with the concept of Turduckens).



Nails Night Out kicks off in New York in partnership with today's top lacquer brands including Rescue Beauty Lounge, Nailtini, Priti NYC, Color Club Nail Polish/Forsythe Cosmetic Group, Barielle, Jesses Girl Cosmetics, Nailtini, OC Nail Art, Carol's Daughter, White Lies l Color Truths and PeaceKeeper Cause-Metics.

Nails Night Out is a gathering of bloggers, beauty editors, creative directors, lacquer lovers, and beauty/cosmetics junkies for a night filled with polish splendor. Traveling the nation, Nails Night Out will stop in multiple cities to fulfill their mission of spreading color and beauty to the world.

Ok, if I win the lottery, this will be my first stop. After I buy the entire collection of Rescue Beauty Lounge of course. And a Turducken.

butter LONDON - Minger - Part II

Woohooo!

I'm glad I followed my hunch and used the British Racing Green on Minger.

I think this manicure looks totally AMAZING.

The dusty orange, mixed with the slightly transparent green, gives the appearance of shabby chic.

It reminds me of my parents' country house in France (yes, my gorgeous parents own a country house in France that was, in a previous life, the village prison), which is full of 200 year old bureaus with this style of stencilling on it. When I look at it, I think of them. Suffice to say, this manicure makes me happy. :-)

So, what do you ladies think? Better than yesterday?

butter LONDON - Minger - Part I

Ahhhh, that's better. After yesterday's bad hand day, I'm so relieved that today's manicure is looking fabulous.

The second colour I'm trying from the butter LONDON Fall 09 Collection is Minger.

As you guys know, I'm not often a fan of orange. But, like Scoundrel, this is a more dusty muted colour which totally rocks with my olive skin.

Also like Scoundrel, whilst the formula is runny, it goes opaque in two coats and retains a high gloss shine without the need for a top cat.

The only thing I don't like with this polish? The name.

For the uninitiated, 'minger' is English slang and is used as an insult. If you hear someone say 'She's a minger', it means the woman is unattractive, smelly, loose etc.

Why butter LONDON would call this gorgeous orange Minger escapes me but I'm sure there's a great explanation.

So, ladies, are your retinas soothed by this lovely manicure? I'm going to try another Konad-icure later today, so hang around to see that. I still haven't decided which colour combination to use, but I'm leaning towards using the British Racing Green.

Tag - You Make Me Smile

The beautiful, talented, gorgeous Ginger of Pink Ginger tagged me for You Make Me Smile.

The rules are super simple: I post a song that makes me smile and why, and then I tag those blogs that make me smile and why.

So, the song I've chosen is Guster's Satellite.

The reason why this song makes me smile is because I - rather cornily, I admit - see this as a metaphor for my husband and kids, and how much I love them. The chorus is particularly poignant for me:


You're my Satellite.
You're riding with me tonight.
Passenger side. Lighting the Sky.
Always the first star that I find.
You're my Satellite.

My boys light my way through life. That's why that song makes me smile.

Blogs that make me smile are:

Leanne from Do Not Refreeze. She is seriously like the little sister I always wanted. Her zest for life is infectious. I always walk away from her blog with a smile on my face.

I know I can't really tag back but I do heart Pink Ginger so badly. She does flawless manicures and I love the stories behind them.

Nixxy never fails to make to me smile with her fab manicures and the man meat she insists on posting.

I won't tag anyone else in particular (really, you all make me smile), so please tag yourself and let me know the things that make you smile.

butter LONDON - Scoundrel - Part II

I told you I would have a Konad-icure disaster this week. I think this might be is it.

This is butter LONDON's Scoundrel with Minger, the orange colour from their Fall 09 collection.

I thought orange on purple would work really well and provide a great contrast. However, because these colours aren't 'in your face' colours - they are quite subtle and subdued - the contrast just didn't come through like I had hoped it would.

Perhaps it might have worked better if I had put the purple on the orange?

The raggedy a** photos don't help either. I have no idea whether my lighting is off, or if my hands are having a bad hair day. Pffft. I think I should, as we say in Australia, 'take my bat and ball and go home'. That is, I should just give up on trying to justify this atrocity and look forward to tomorrow's colour.

butter LONDON - Scoundrel - Part I

** Apologies for the terrible photography in this post. I have the shakes and just couldn't get my hand to behave today! In the end, I gave up and hoped you guys would forgive me :-) **

The first polish I am trying from butter LONDON's Fall 09 Collection is Scoundrel.

This is the type of colour I typically avoid. I'm just not into purples and, generally speaking, purples just aren't into me either. We're like frenemies - we accept each other's existence but we're not entirely thrilled.

Scoundrel, though, is completely different to other purples. I know this makes kinda no sense but it's more 'creamy' than other purples. Dusky even. It's like a neutralised purple and, for that reason, it totally works on me and I, in return, love it.

The formula is runny, which does take getting used to. The first time I applied this to my nails, I had to remove it immediately, because it had run all over my cuticles and fingers. However, once I learnt to work with the formula - thin coats are best, which you then build up to bottle colour - I didn't have any more unfortunate accidents.

Despite the runniness, this is a two coats and it's opaque colour (as shown in the swatch). It dries quickly to a high gloss finish. I took this photo before I applied my top coat. Check out that gleam!

Longevity on this is amazing - if you do the right thing. And, by right thing, I mean apply a good top coat. I wore this for four days last week, during which time I did dishes and washed my hair (twice) and it didn't chip, wear or fade.

So, ladies, are you a fan of purples and, if you are, does Scoundrel appeal? Stay tuned, as I'm going to try a konad-icure later today using Scoundrel and another colour from the butter LONDON Fall 09 Collection.

Sunday Sneak Peak

I was going to make this week all about the glitter. I even had a great name to celebrate my love of all things sparkly - Bling It On.

That was before my butter LONDON Fall 2009 collection arrived in the post. Since it landed on my doorstep, I haven't stopped playing with it. I love love love this collection. The quality. The colours. The longevity (I wore a manicure for four days last week using two of the colours and it didn't chip, wear or shift). The fact that it's three free. Outstanding.

So, this week will be dedicated to butter LONDON's Fall 2009 collection. However, this week won't be about straight swatches (although there are those). This collection is amazing when it's mixed and match with the Konad. Each day, I'll bring you a basic swatch AND akonad-icure using another lacquer from the collection.

I can't guarantee success every day - indeed, knowing how terrible I am with the Konad, there's bound to be a disaster somewhere along the line - but I'm hoping there will be some great color collaborations.

Suffice to say, I am now lemming butter LONDON lacquers something fierce. Indeed, I've scheduled a little 'field trip' in a week's time to visit a store here in Melbourne, Klein's Perfumery, that stocks a limited range. My mission: to obtain the shade, Muggins. This lavender hue features heavily in my dreams at the moment. I won't rest until I have it.

PS. I just got onto Asos in the UK who are stocking the butter LONDON Christmas Edition and, yep, you guessed it, I couldn't resist and bought all three. I am having them delivered to my lovely English mother in law, who will be visiting Australia in three weeks, and will bring them out with her. I also bought some Ciate Paint Pots. Uh, I think I may have an addiction!

Naily News #4

Have you entered my October giveaway as yet. Click here for your chance to win one of three lacquers from Mecca Cosmetica's Spring 2009 Collection. Entries close October 24 2009.

Siobhan lengthens my Christmas Lemming List with her Urban Decay Apocalyptic Nail Polish Kit swatches.

Who likes chocolate truffles? All of you? Then check out Scrangie's Chocolate Truffles from Nubar preview. It's chocolicious.

Doo shows us her favourite green for Depression Awareness Month.

Skye trials a China Glaze classic. I won't spoil the surprise, but think beautiful roses.

Do you want to see a beautiful Konad-icure? Then check out Gilded Angel's OPI Russian Navy mixed with China Glaze for Audrey.

Oldies are goodies. Flinty, from Polish or Perish, has done a fab summer manicure. Perfect for us Aussie ladies heading into summer.

Kae wants us to shower together. No, she doesn't. She does love a certain China Glaze hue by the same name.

If my nails ever grow long enough, I am going to do this fab Konad-icure. It's wickedly awesome.

It's time for Halloween manicures, and Thriszha has does an amazing job with hers. I am speechless.

Katie is a very bad person. She has me wanting to buy Chanel again.

Inabul trials an Israeli polish.

Thanks to Mary for introducing me to Cosmo. I'm adding it to my list of polishes to try.

Diana always makes me feel like a Konad 1st grader when I see the designs she does.

This is totally non nail related but, if you want to see where I live, check out Nixxy's post on Melbourne. I love my city!

** I've had a few of you email me about being included on Naily News. If you have a nail related blog post you really want to share, please email me the link by 8am Australian Daylight Savings Time each Saturday and I'll try to include it. **