kit - Shop Loves Nude

Kit Cosmetics, I love you, but this I do not love.

Don't get me wrong. The formula is gorgeous and easy to work with.

It's just... well, its the colour. It does not suit me at all. There's just too much orange in it and not enough brown. I imagine that, on people with lighter or even dark skin tones than myself, this would work beautifully.

On the bright side, I didn't pay for this. It came as part of a buy two items, get a nail polish free. And I LOVE those kinds of deals.

kit - Island Hopping - Take II

I hate for you guys to think I'm neglecting you but I'm a little frantic at the moment. It's Chuffy's birthday party today and there's party bags to pack, cake to be picked up from the bakery, and outfits to be selected (mostly mine, one has to look fine at one's son's birthday).  All to be done in the next 1.5 hours.

So it's another quick and dirty post from me. I promise you will get more smack talk next week once things calm down around here. Never fear, I have an endless supply of stupid sitting in my brain, so you're not missing anything.

Enjoy the beauty of Island Hopping, which is a kit online exclusive.  I don't think this is available anymore so I'm glad I snapped it up when I did!

kit - Power Up - Take II

Continuing on my series of, 'wow that was an embarassing swatch', here is a resurrected Power Up by kit.

Diffused Light

Excuse the boo-boo on my index finger.  I seem to have issues with index finger application at the moment.  It's a rebel finger and, were it not for the fact that it is attached to my hand, I'd be giving it its marching orders.

Man, kit lacquers are good.  This is one coat and it's freaking awesomesauce of a thousand flavours.

I also managed to get a few shots of this in the sunlight (note the redone index finger - I warned it that a grounding was on offer if it did not behave).  This is strictly a black with silver shimmer so it doesn't reflect a huge amount of colours, but it's still delightful.

Jumpity jump!

kit - Blue Surf

kit's Blue Surf is part of the Dulux Collection.

Yes, kit partnered with a paint company to come up with some pretty vibrant colours.  Forget about matching your handbag and shoes.  Clearly, this season is all about matching nails and walls!

Diffused Light

This is a lovely blue.  Although it appears quite light here, the colour in real life is more dusty, like distressed denim.

And it has the best formula of all the kit lacquers I've tried so far.  Big call but kit totally nailed the formula with this one.  Creamy without being thick.  Glides on easily and you only need two coats to get the above result.

I heart this like I heart blue cheese!  PS. That's alot.

kit - Poolside Party

  With flash.  I know this is bright but the picture is totally colour accurate. This is one super bright lacquer.

I don't know what the inspiration is behind kit naming this Poolside Party (a limited edition online-only lacquer).  If I went to a party where the pool looked like this, I'd be worried about fungal infections.  But if the name refers to Mojitos, or even Mint Juleps, then I'm totally behind that.

This is a Granny Smith Apple style green, which I rather like.  Unfortunately, the formula on this is.... well.... thick.  This is one of those frustrating lacquers where the formula is thick enough to be opaque in one coat, but where you end up doing three because the finish on the first and second coats are just streaky-city.  The brush also creates major cuticle drag.  Not a deal breaker but this is a lacquer that takes some work to get looking right.

Do you guys like this type of green?  And do you have  a lacquer that is a genuine one-coater but you end up doing more just to get a good finish?

Stay tuned as I'm announcing the winner of the March Giveaway this afternoon.  It's taken me a couple of days to go through all the entries but we have a winner. :-)

kit - Speed Demon + Happy Birthday Boo!

kit's Speed Demon is dedicated to my younger son, Boo, who is 3 years old today!

Some of you already know this, but Boo (not his real name, just a nickname) has autism and a Global Developmental Delay.  Up until six months ago, he was non verbal, delayed in pretty much everything and possessed limited social skills.  Thanks to early intervention therapies, and the fact that he is like a trencherman in his stoic efforts to catch up, he is now speaking in full sentences and is only six months behind his peers in terms of his development and social skills.  If he keeps this up, he will be able to start school with his peers.  He's freaking awesome. 

And he has teeth like a dinosaur.

Speed Demon is a colour that, when I bring it out to wear, he goes crazy. 

I tried teaching him to say 'turqoise' but all I get is 'toy-keys'.  He talks like he's from Jersey. 

Speed Demon is a really lovely, shimmery turquoise.  Definitely click to see the larger picture.

The formula is a little runny and sheer with this.  It took four coats to get to opaque which, as you all know, is one more than I have the patience or inclination for.

But I can't argue with the colour and, ultimately, that's what it comes down to for me.  This is just a superb colour.  In some lights, it looks like a creme.  In others, a bright shimmer.  A true chameleon.

What do you guys think?  Is this a 'toy-keys' you could fall in love with?

kit - Island Hopping

**This is the last photo taken with my old camera.  Check out that great hand position!  I just need to translate that to my new camera and we'll be set.**

All through the month of February, kit Cosmetics have had weekly online exclusive lacquers.  Each Monday, a new lacquer is released, and is only on sale for that week before it disappears forever.

Some of the lacquers I didn't like.  But Island Hopping was one I 'hopped on' (don't pardon the pun, it's intentional) straight away.

This is a magnificant, glorious, [insert superlative here], shimmering blue.  In some lights, it can look quite muted, whilst at others - like here - it is like a shimmering pool of water.

Formula wise, this is kit at its best.  Smooth, intuitive, two coats to opaque and dries quickly.  If you want a glassy finish, I'd recommend a coat of Seche, but it's not really that necessary.

Ladies, what do you think of Island Hopping?  Care to come away with me?!

Hey There, Wait A Minute Mr Postman - Kit + A gift from the UK

Ladies, I've been shopping.

So, throughout this week, along with some killer Valentine's Day manicures, I'll be posting evidence of my terrible, terrible habit of buying lacquer on a near daily basis.

The first haul is from Kit Cosmetics.  From left to right, we have Blue Surf (from Kit's Dulux Nail Polish Collection), Pool Party (which is part of Kit's February promotion where, each Monday a new lacquer is made available online.  Each lacquer is only available for one week before it disappears forever), and Speed Demon (which is part of Kit's High Velocity Collection.

The second is a gift from my mother in law.  This came courtesy of a care package.

Mint is from Marks and Spencers. I had no idea these guys even made nail polishes.  This is such a beautiful, pale mint.  I don't think I have anything even close in my collection to this.  But, tell me, what is up with the dodgy off center label?  Quality Assurance Fail.

So, ladies, do you like any of these lacquers?

Oh, and can someone please check on green and blue loving Nea because I suspect her eyes have rolled into the back of her head right about now.

Stay tuned later today for a blisteringly bright manicure.  Ladies, I'm not your nagging mother, but you might want to wear new underwear and sunglasses for it.

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?

You've Got Duped - Channelesque vs Wild Ride

This only came to me this this morning, but I was wondering if kit's Wild Ride could be a dupe for China Glaze's Channelesque. So I lined them up side by side and this is the result (click for larger version).

Mmm, ladies, I think we have a dead ringer.  I can't tell these apart.  They literally are the same lacquer.  Colour-wise, at any rate.

The difference is in the quality.  And, I know I'm going to be controversial when I say this, but I think kit's formula is marginally better (Wild Ride glides on that little bit smoother and, best of all, I only need one coat for it to be opaque).

So, for my ladies who live overseas and can't get kit, if you liked the look of Wild Ride, you will get the same result with Channelesque!

kit - Wild Ride

Well, you guys saw the matte version of Wild Ride this morning.  And it was glorious.  Now here's the gloss version.

Mmmm, equally glorious!

A creamy, mushroom taupe that I can see my own reflection in?  What's not to love?!

Application of this is just as good as Dream Run.  It glides on smoothly and is opaque in one coat.  Yes, this is yet another one coater from kit.  Without top coat.  Truly extraordinary.

Ladies, without exaggeration, kit Cosmetics have one of the best formulas I've seen in recent years.  Creamy, one coat, high shine lacquers in on trend colours.  I don't think you can ask for more. 

I really hope they start selling overseas because it seems totally unfair that it's just us Aussies who get to enjoys these beautiful gems.  I think I might have to start a petition.  Or start praying more.

kit - Wild Ride + Matte

Today, I decided to show you guys the matte version first. Because I'm just a crazy and unpredictable girl. Or just contrary. You decide.

Wild Ride is another limited edition lacquer from kit Cosmetics.

Although many people find them boring, I love mushroom taupes.  I mean, one of my favourite lacquers - Channelesque - is a mushroom taupe.  I find them to be a great alternative to pale pinks for work and, seriously, I don't think there is anything that says understated elegance, with a touch of sexy, more than a taupe.

But even I, with my love of this type of colour, could not predict how utterly scrumptious this colour would turn out as a matte.  Ladies, I don't want to overstate the situation but I am going to wear this manicure like a rented prom dress - often, with a glass of wine (which I will no doubt spill) and with wild abandon.

kit - Dream Run + Matte

Ladies, set your faces to stunned.

I thought Dream Run was beautiful as a gloss, but it rocks my world as a matte. Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous!

I have a theory about how mattes work on cremes versus glitter.  Let me run it past you and tell me what you think in the comments.

I think matte top coats work much better on cremes than glitters. 

Ok, so I've only trialled one glitter and one creme so far this week, but I'm finding that matte top coats have a tendency to 'flatten' the impact of glitters.  Conversely, the matte topcoats seem to bring out the colour in cremes.  Almost as if they add another dimension to the colour.

What do you think?

Do you prefer the matte effect over glitter or cremes?

kit - Dream Run

Walking into kit Cosmetics is like beauty catnip for me.  I ALWAYS walk out with something, whether it be nail lacquers, face products (I am loving Mario Badescu's Drying Lotion at the moment), or oodles of samples (the kit shop assistants are always uber generous and lovely).

Dream Run is a limited edition lacquer that is described by kit as a 'pink grape'. I prefer to describe it as 'OMG, come to Mama right now and never leave'.

This is the kind of grape colour that I love with a passion. It's conservative enough for work, but it's still sexy and utterly feminine.  Perfectly versatile and goes with everything.

The formula on this is MAGICAL.  One coat, ladies.  This is one coat. Without top coat.  Seriously, this is the type of lacquer you want around when you're short on time but don't want to sacrifice quality.

I cannot wait to see how this looks as a matte.  I think I might just love it a little more.

kit - Move Up

Last week, I trialled kit Cosmetics' Power Up, a magnificant black with fine silver particles strewn throughout. So I had high hopes for Move Up, which is described by kit as a 'chrome pewter'.

First off, the formula for this is entirely different than Power Up.

Where Power Up was like liquid silk and opaque and shiny in one coast, Move Up is typical of many shimmery chromes. This took two coats to get to bottle colour, and has a 'gritty' finish (which can be made glossy with a good top coat).

This has the potential to be streaky, as with all chromes. Thankfully, the shimmer does make it a little more forgiving. Marginally. I found that, if I wanted a perfect finish, it was better to wait until the first coat had dried before applying the second.

This is a colour that can be worn at work, but would also work for evening functions. Which I love because the idea of not having to change lacquers from day to night really appeals. I'm so lazy!

This is another success story from kit Cosmetics. I have another two left to try (a berry creme and a taupe creme) and I can't wait. Whilst these are a little on the pricey side, I can't fault the quality or colour pay off.

So, what do you think Ladies? I feel like I'm channeling Cleopatra with this colour!

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.