Sinful Colors - Secret Admirer + TBN Glitter Mashup

A very quick one today because I have the Melbourne Beauty Blogger Event to get ready for, and go to!  So there will be more pictures than words in this post.

Sinful Colors' Secret Admirer is a gorgeous black with silver shimmer.  Two coats and I was done.  It dried a little rough so, if you want a shiny finish, grab the Seche Vite.

But it doesn't end there.  I added a coat of TBN's Glitter, just to see what would happen.  Peep it after the jump.

TBN - Glitter

TBN, you called this lacquer Glitter. Really? I've farted more interesting things than that name. Trust me.

Terrible name aside, this is a lovely layering lacquer.  It would never get to opaque on its own as the base is clear and the glitter too sparse.  But for layering, it's perfection.

Layered over Miss D Catch Up for Coffee

Layered over Le Beauty #200 (review coming up)

Layered over Christian Dior #987

I think it works best over darker colours, where the glitter is able to create a contrast.  I think this would look stunning over a dark blue or black.

And can someone think of a better name for this? Leave your suggestions in the comments.

TBN - Aqua

As I've mentioned before, TBN have totally mastered creams.  The shimmers and glitters, not so much.  And this is a perfect example.

Seriously, look at that bottle.  Isn't that one of the most beautiful colours you've ever seen.  A wonderful greenish aqua with shimmer through it.  The reality is that this lacquer is super sheer and, as a consequence, the green all but disappears on the nail.

Don't get me wrong.  The colour on the nail is super pretty.  But I really wanted the colour in the bottle!

TBN - Raspberries and Cream

Every so often you get a lacquer that looks precisely like it's namesake.

And so it is with TBN's Raspberries and Cream.  Well, minus the cream part.

I don't think I need to sell the merits of this one.  Blue red (albeit marginally more orange than a regular blue red), two coats, high shine, makes me look ten times better looking than I actually am.  I may or may not have made that last bit up.

TBN is fast becoming one of my favourite Australian brands.  Their cremes are like Barry M cremes, totally dependable in terms of formula.  And their colours, whilst not being entirely cutting edge, are colours everyone should have in their basic nail arsenal.

And they cost less than a cup of coffee.

TBN - Blue Fluoro

Imagine your favourite blue highlighting pen.  Now imagine how that would look as a lacquer.  Actually, forget about imagining because it's right here!

TBN have totally nailed this.  It's a true blue fluoro.  I feel like Sexy Smurf (is there any other kind) wearing this.

Unlike other brights, this only took two coats and it dried to a high shine.  No semi-matte finish here.

Why do I have a hankering for office supplies right about now?

TBN - Purple Rain

As you all know, I really like the TBN range of lacquers. They're cheap and the colours I've tried to date have been lovely.

Unfortunately, Purple Rain is not one of the TBNs I love.  In fact, I think I can safely say that this lacquer is the worst lacquer I've ever had the misfortune of having to work with.  It is so hideous that I've hidden the photographic evidence under a jump lest you all have your last meal repeat on you.

TBN - Midnight Blue + China Glaze Dupe

Poor TBN.

It's not as beloved in Australia like it's discount brand cousins, Ulta3 and BYS, but I'm here to change that!

Diffused Light

I LOVE THIS COLOUR!  It's just beautiful.  Three coats to opaque and it dries smoother than a gigolo at ladies night. 

For those not in Australia, never fear because there is a dupe for this in China Glaze's Eyes like Sapphires.

Yep.  Pretty much identical colour-wise.  Formula wise - and I know this is going to be controversial - but the TBN is far superior.  Ok,  it only takes two coats to get opaque with the China Glaze, but the finish is gritty.  I'd rather do the three coats with TBN and have that glorious, glass-like sheen.

So would you guys like to see more TBN lacquers?  There's a big vat of them at my local chemist containing a huge range of colours.  And, since they're only a couple of dollars each, I can buy 20 and not feel guilty for it!

Great Aussie Swatch Watch - TBN

Welcome to the April Great Aussie Swatch Watch!

This month's lacquer is Totally Beautiful Nails.  This lacquer doesn't get as much as love in Australia as Ulta3 or BYS, but it's a lacquer brand I absolutely rate.  The lacquers are great quality, they're cheap ($2.50) and the brush is, as I've mentioned before, just as good as an OPI Pro-Wide.

The rules of this competition are the same as always.

1. Pick your favourite TBN lacquer.

2. Scroll down to the entry form.

2. Select your favourite TBN Lacquer from the drop down box.

3. Fill in your name and email address.

4. Click 'Submit Entry'.

5. Do a happy dance because you've just got your entry in.

6. This competition is open to everyone (so long as your postal service can accept nail polish) and will close on 4pm, 17th April 2010, Australian Standard Time.

If you're the lucky winner, you will win the lacquer you voted for PLUS you can choose one other lacquer from the ones swatched. 

And now, for the additional prize.  If you are selected as the winner AND you are also a follower of YGN (this is mandatory if you want to win the additional prize - I want to be able to offer followers an additional 'Mwah, I love you lots' prize), you will receive, in addition to the two lacquers of your choice, a bottle of Ulta3's Spring Shower.

So, what are you waiting for? Get voting!

Totally Beautiful Nails - Gilt

Sometimes, I'll pick up lacquers on the cheap and think to myself 'You know, if you don't turn me blind, I'll consider it a success'.

Totally Beautiful Nails is one of those brands where I had really, really, really low expectations.  $2.50.  Bought from a bin inside a dingy pharmacy in Chinatown.  And, afterwards, I bought fried ice-cream from a sorry looking street vendor (the less said about my obsession with buying food from street vendors, the better).

Gilt, however, is proof positive that I should never, ever judge a book by its cover.

This is a beautiful gold shimmer lacquer that applies like a dream.  I'm not exaggerating when I say that the brush on this is the equivalent of OPI's Pro-Wide.  There I said it.  And it's true.

The lacquer itself is creamy and only requires two coats to become opaque.  You will need a top coat, though, if you want a high shine.  The swatch on the right is without top coat because I quite like the grainy finish.

And is it just me or do these bear a strong passing resemblence to the finish of the new Orly Foil FX lacquers? 

I will be buying plenty more of these (and they will be the feature in an upcoming Swatch Watch).  What do you guys think?  Are you feeling the power of Gilt?  Are you hankering for fried ice-cream like I am?

Hey There, Wait A Minute Mr Postman - I come from the Land Down Under

As you all know, I love promoting Australian lacquers.  The only thing I love more than promoting them, is actually buying them and wearing them!

Here are three Aussie treats from my recent Haulage-palooza.

The first lot is from a brand called Ulta3.

These are legendary in Australia for a number of reasons - they're cheap ($2 for a whopping 13.5mls), the colour range is huge and they wear well.

I picked up five that really grabbed me..  I won't give away too much but... oh what the heck, you guys will get a chance to win one of these in a few weeks.  I'd be so useless in a war - I can never keep secrets.

The second lot of haulage is from a brand that I have never heard of: Totally Beautiful Nails.

Bought in the same place as the Ulta3 lacquers (for those of you in Melbourne, you can get the Ulta3 and TBN lacquers from Creelman's Pharmacy in the Target Centre), these caught my eye immediately.

For a start, they are shaped like Chanel.  Except that they're around double the size.  And the colours seem super similar to Chanel.  The first lacquer on the left seems to be a Vendetta dupe.  I have no idea how these will perform on the nail but, for a crazy $2 each, I'm willing to give them a go.

The final haulage is from my old favourite kit Cosmetics. 

I'm really starting to have a full on love affair with blues, hence when I saw these at the kit counter, I was all over them.  I'm pretty sure the shop assistant was somewhat scared when I blathered to her how beautiful these were, and how much I loved them already, and..... you get the idea.

So, what do you guys think?  Any early favourites?