Showing posts with label swatch. Show all posts

Swatched: Nicole by OPI Rougles Collection

If you follow us on Instagram, you may have had a sneak peek at this collection! The Nicole by O.P.I. Rougles (think Ruffles chips) collection should be rolling in to stores now! This collection mixes pastel and texture perfectly, and the shades are reminiscent of a tweedy pastel blazer - we love it. The swatches are two coats with no top coat - we had no problem with opacity or application with any of these polishes! We hate when a polish looks great in the bottle but applies like a mess, so we're happy to say that these apply similar to any other textured polish. As long as you use relatively thin layers and let your previous layer dry for a minute between coats, you shouldn't have any problems.

First up is I'm Stucco on You - this is a pastel purple with blue and a few orange speckles floating around. We absolutely love this colour because it is so unique. We tend to hoard blues, but this purple is definitely one of the stars of this collection.
Nicole by O.P.I. I'm Stucco on You

Next is Rock the Look, a pastel-y pink with a hint of brightness and brighter pink and orange speckles. This colour isn't as standout as the rest for us, but if you love pink texture... this is for you!

Nicole by O.P.I. Rock the Look
On What Grounds? is definitely a polish after our hearts. We are typically mint-obsessed and On What Grounds? has us tempted to do a Monster's Inc. nail art (Sully, anyone?). This is a pastel turquoise blue with some slightly deeper blue speckles. This is another must-have from this collection!
Nicole by O.P.I. On What Grounds?
Finally, Sand in My Shoe is a pastel yellow with pink and orange speckles. This screams baby chick to us, but since we're approaching Easter it totally works! This would be great for a chicken nail art. If your collection lacks yellows (ours can always use another yellow or green shade!), this is definitely a good addition!
Nicole by O.P.I. Sand in My Shoe

What do you think of this collection, and will you be picking any shades up?


Swatched: Misa Bluesy Blues Collection

So excited to share with you the Misa Winter collection - Bluesy Blues! We have always seen Misa around (the full collection is available at Trade Secrets in Canada) but never had the chance to try any of their collections, and we are glad we did! The difference between these polishes are subtle in the bottle, but this three piece collection contains all the deep blue shades you could ever need in your collection. Check out the swatches below!




This shade is Foggy Breath at 3AM - it is super rich and easy to paint. We love the depth of this colour, and totally recommend this polish. This swatch is two coats with no top coat, and we love the shine!


The next shade is definitely a purple, but it leans blue. Icy River is another deep, rich hue and we totally will wear this through spring. We are always looking for the perfect deep purple, and this is definitely our new go-to. If you pick up one polish from this collection, this should be the one! Again, this swatch is two coats with no top coat.



Finally, we have Winter Bluesy Blues - a royal blue with tons of shine! We love this blue, however if you have another blue in your collection that leans to this shade, this is not a must have. The application was great, and this swatch is two coats with no top coat.




We're super happy that we got the chance to try this collection from Misa, and definitely recommend the purple if you happen to spot it out and about. Let us know if you have tried any of these polishes or what you think of this collection!

Push & Shove: OPI Goes Chrome!


We have to admit that we were overly excited when we heard that the O.P.I. Gwen Stefani collection was going to include a chrome shade - Push & Shove. Comparable options such as the Layla Mirror Effect polish ($12 CAD at Nail Polish Canada) and the Formula X for Sephora Foil Look ($30 CAD at Sephora) run a bit unavailable and expensive for our tastes. Not to mention, the O.P.I. set comes with a mini base coat (Lay Down That Base) which should smooth out the nails. Any ridges or bumps can make the chrome polish effect less chrome-y - and will be very visible. 


It is worthwhile noting that this polish is intended to one day wear, which is similar to the other options. Since the chrome finish is more effective without top coat, this is prone to peeling but after testing on two of us, it does seem to last for a solid 24 hours with no terrible issues. The iPhone photo below was taken about 25-26 hours after application, and as you can see there is some tip wear but if you wanted to leave it on 48+ hours and you weren't working with your hands it would likely be okay!


What do you think of this product, would you wear a polish that only promises to last 24 hours? We love this look and can't get over it. 

The Push & Shove set (including mini base coat) retails for the same price as a regular O.P.I. polishes! 







Swatched: Essie Encrusted Treasures Collection

Today we have some swatches of the Essie Encrusted Treasures collection. This collection claimed to be a game changer in textured polishes, and while I feel that some of the polishes can't be beat, there are definitely a couple that definitely missed the mark. As Essie-lovers, we are sad to say that this collection didn't live up to our expectations as a whole - however, we have still been using the better formulated polishes on the regular and loving them.

We are missing one swatch from today's line up - Peak of Chic - which is a holographic silver and white bar glitter (in a clear base). This polish applied well, and is similar in finish to the feathers collection by Nails Inc. On to the swatches...

Our first disappointment is the headline shade for the collection, and one of the polishes we were most excited about - Belugaria. This polish is marketed as highly textured - and that it is! However, the thick sandy texture causes highly clumped polish in the bottle which just doesn't translate on the nail. The one saving grace, the holographic glitter, is sadly not quite visible through the thick polish. This is two coats with no topcoat, and as you can see it is quite bumpy. While we are all for the textured polishes, this one just missed the mark. The finish is definitely caviar, and we have used on our nails, however we wish that there was a little less texture, and a little more glitter.
Next up we have a potential favourite, Hors D'Oeuvres is a silver glitter in a gold shimmered clear base. This has super incredible coverage and is literally an obsession of ours. This polish would be perfect for a glitter gradient or accent  nail, and we definitely recommend picking it up.
This charcoal-silver matte glitter is another hit from this collection. Ignite the Night is gorgeous on and would also be a great accent nail. This polish applies well and has great sparkle.  We love this for spring mixed with pastels. Stay tuned for some nail art featuring this shade! This polish is not quite textured, but does dry matte and maintain its shimmery goodness, which is a super cool finish.

Another one of the better polishes from this collection is the sparkly blue jean textured polish named Lots of Lux. This polish is not aggressively textured like Belugaria, but has a slight texture and a gorgeous sparkly finish. We love how this looks on the nails and it will definitely get some wear on all of our nails!
Finally we have the most unusual polish of the bunch. Essie is generally not a risk taker with glitters such as this, but the mix of blue glitter with a silvery gold shimmer base is a fun twist on the norm. This polish applies well, and we may try it out in a glitter gradient over a lighter blue to see how it fares. If this type of polish is your thing, we say go for it - but if you're a little less daring, stick with Hors D'Oeuvres for your silver and gold glitter needs.









What do you think of this collection? Have you tried any of these polishes and had a different experience? 

Disclaimer: These products were provided to us by the company/PR for our honest consideration and review

Swatched: Essie Winter Collection 2013


This years Essie Winter collection - named Shearling Darling - was on point with some great deep creme shades (which we're in love with) as well as some great pastels and a browny shimmer. The collection also features a red glitter shade which screams holiday to us, however wouldn't fit in with the Encrusted Treasures collection released for holiday time! Some of the photos have been faded to ensure the photo matches the true colour!



First up is 'Toggle to the Top' a rich red packed with sparkle. This is the perfect polish addition to a holiday ensemble and applies smoothly. 


Next up is what Essie calls an ebony red - 'Sherling Darling'. While we love how deep and rich the colour is, it is a super-stainer (note the cuticles...). Make sure you use a base coat with this polish!


This polish looks like a pastel-y purple, but it is actually quite a rich colour. This creamy pink-purple, called 'Warm & Toasty Turtleneck' is absolutely beautiful on the nails! This is definitely one of our favourites from this collection.


Next up is this rich brown cocoa - 'Sable Collar' has a hint of purple and shimmers beautifully. This polish is absolutely gorgeous and will definitely be getting some winter wear!


This grey-teal is somehow muted and bright at the same time, and we're in love. With the tiniest hint of shimmer, 'Parka Perfect' applies beautifully and somehow works for winter as a 'pastel'.


The final polish from this collection is 'Mind Your Mittens' an ultra deep blue-green polish. We love how this looks on and it applies well - recommend!

Overall, we're loving how this collection looks, even though the glitzy red doesn't seem to fit. If we had to pick just one, we'd go with 'Parka Perfect'. Happy Polishing!


Disclaimer: These products were provided to us by the company/PR for our honest consideration and review.

Swatched: OPI DS Lapis

OPI has recently released two new additions to their Designer Series, both with a new finish called 'Granite' - a less sandy matte liquid sand! The two polishes are Pewter (a sparkly grey) and Lapis (a deep indigo shimmer). We are in love with the look of these polishes, and are super happy to review one of the shades, DS Lapis!


The texture of the polish really is a smoother version of the liquid sand, the matte effect really shows the glitter off in a cool way! This polish looks sort of like a sparkly jean, and we are in love... We might use this for a jean inspired nail art in the future. The swatch is two coats, and we have to say that we are super impressed with the formula. While the liquid sands can get a bit gritty, this formula applies super smooth - we definitely recommend! 

These polishes retail a bit above the price of a regular OPI, for $14.95. Let us know what you think of these new ones in the comments - happy polishing! 

Swatched: Butter London Wellies, Cotton Buds, and Giddy Kipped (Colour Clash Collection)

Today on the blog, we have a few colours from the recent butter London collection, Colour Clash. We picked our faves, and gave them a quick swatch. Butter London has consistently represented great quality polish for us, and what we've seen of this line does not disappoint! 

First up, we have Cotton Buds - a pure, creme white. Every nail artist knows that a good white is essential. The worst possible thing that can happen when trying to do a white base is streaking.  Luckily, this polish did not disappoint and gave a perfect creme white finish in two coats. This swatch is without topcoat, and as you can see the finish is still quite shiny. This will definitely make it in to some nail art in the future!


Next up we have Wellies, a dusty lime green that edges on the yellow side. Wellies (or rain boots) are essentials in London and we actually love how unique this colour is! Unfortunately, it was a bit on the patchy side for our taste even with three thin coats. However, we do like this colour and will work with it for some fun designs.


Finally, our last pick was Giddy Kipper. This polish is indigo-blue with a silver shimmer. We love this for fall. Can't. Get. Enough. The formula on this is perfection, and it definitely pulls for our favourite wear-alone shade. Two coats are really all you need with this polish - the formula is up to butter London standards! 


There are three other colours in this collection, Pimms (sunflower yellow creme), Cake Hole (bright pink creme), and Silly Billy (orange creme). We love this fun collection, and hope that Cotton Buds stays in the permanent line up. For an easy nail art look using these polishes, cheek out our instagram, @knailart!

Disclaimer: These products were provided to us by the company/PR for our honest consideration and review.

Swatched: Rainbow Honey 199X Collection (Mint Flavor, Magic Cake, Tessie)

Today we have three polishes from the Rainbow Honey Summer of 199X (Part II) Collection! This two-part collection is half glitter bombs, and half pastel shimmers. We can't say no!

First up is Tessie, this is a lilac-y purple polish with blue shimmer. This swatch is two coats, and can we just say that this polish has the perfect formula for a shimmer! We love how this sparkles in the light.





Next up is this beautiful mint polish with silver shimmer, appropriately named Mint Flavor. If you have followed us for any length of time, you may know that Mint is perhaps our favourite pastel, The base colour for this polish is very similar to an ATF (all time fave) of ours, Essie's Mint Candy Apple. The shimmer gives this a nice summery feel in 2 coats and we definitely recommend.

Finally we have this neon glitter topper, Magic Cake. This glitter topper is a mix of pink, neon green, and bright blue glitter in hexagons and small squares. We are definitely going to be trying this out over black and white - the best part? This swatch is one coat. There is tons of glitter in this polish which is perfect for glitter addicts like us!

If you're liking this collection, The Summer of 199X Collection will be available as:
· Complete full-size (15ml, $90) or mini-size (4ml, $40) collection
· Part I or Part II, full-size (15ml, $45ea) or mini-size (4ml, $20ea) sets
· and full-size bottles (15ml, $10ea)


Rainbow Honey will also be offering FREE Shipping and a FREE Limited Edition Lacquer (read: extra secret polish!) on all orders of $50 or more (US & Canada only). 

If you'd like to follow our blog, check us out on Bloglovin!

Disclaimer: These products were provided to us by the company/PR for our honest consideration and review.



Swatched: Revlon Haute Tropics Collection (Summer 2013)



Today we have some more fun summer swatches for you! The Revlon Haute Tropics Collection is limited edition and in stores now until the end of June. This collection is a mix of colours and finishes - it borderlines on cohesive as a collection, but shade by shade it definitely has a polish for everyone!



First up we have Belize, Please - this is a bright pink with a subtle shimmer - a classic summer polish. This polish applied super well (this swatch is three thin coats) and we're happy with the results. This is definitely something we would pick up for a pedicure colour!


Next up is Cabana Queen. This is a pearly white, and the swatch is three thin coats. You really need to wait between layers until the polish is fully dry to avoid balding - but this does build up to mostly opaque pretty well for a white shimmer! This would also look great over a true white polish for a twist on white nails which are currently trending...


This polish looks great in the bottle, but we have to say we were a bit disappointed with the sheerness. It is a jelly with a bit of shimmer, but we wish it built nicely to a full coverage colour (because it's so pretty!) This is Coast is Clear, a shimmery mint polish. This would look great with a layer of glitter in between two coats, called a jelly sandwich (are you hungry?)!


Next up is Hello, Bali which is a purpley-wine jelly. We love how this polish builds and the colour is perfect for a summer to fall transition shade (August is calling our name already!). This swatch is three thin coats and the colour is perfect - not to red and not too purple.



Next up is Lagoon Afternoon, a creme grey-blue polish which is true to its name - we're imagining a lagoon right now (or at least a beach!). This polish applied super well in two thin coats. You could probably get away with one slightly thicker coat, but we like the faster dry times that come with thin coats!



Next up is a mauve-y beige with pink shimmer, called Secluded Beach. This is the perfect colour if you want a laid back mani, but don't want to be too boring! If you're going on vacation and can only bring one polish to touch up your tips - go with this one! This is two thin coats and the coverage on this was great!


Next up is the brightest colour in the collection; if you've been following us, you know we're obsessed with brights right now. This is Mai Tai Ask? and it is an orange crelly (creme jelly), which means that it is fully opaque but still gives that plush jelly polish look! This is probably in competition with the next polish to be our pick of the collection!





Finally, we have Plunge Pool, a royal blue metallic polish which is absolutely gorgeous. Surprisingly, we have nothing like this in our collection and are totally obsessed. This is one of our favourites and applies perfectly in two coats.







Have you seen these out and about, and which of these polishes are you loving? Show us on Facebook, Twitter or Instragram - @knailart or #knailart

If you'd like to follow our blog, check us out on Bloglovin!





Disclaimer: These products were provided to us by the company/PR for our honest consideration and review.

Swatched: Essie Summer 2013 Nautical Collection

Fresh off the boat… Essie's Nautical themed Summer collection is ready to go - even if the weather hasn't quite got the memo yet. This collection is half bold brights and half soft shades, (almost) all with a sprinkle of glitter. The shimmer in these is a bit hard to catch with the proper shades, so we used different lighting between pictures to ensure our swatches are colour-accurate. 


First, we have Full Steam Ahead - a dusty lilac with silver shimmer. This polish is definitely a mix of creme and jelly. Three coats to opacity (and in this swatch) really give the shimmer depth, and we love the result.


Next up is our favourite from the collection (and it has the best name!) - Naughty Nautical. This is a teal polish with the same silver shimmer as the last. This swatch took two coats, and it applied beautifully. If you only pick up one from this collection - it should be this one.


Rock the Boat reminded us of a previous Essie summer hit, Bikini So Teeny, however this polish is actually a bit lighter. This one was the most difficult to capture, and to apply. With three coats we had opacity, however there were still some balder spots. Not super impressed with this formula - but we do love how well it pairs with Full Steam Ahead.


A perfect mix of brightness and shimmer lead to this coral masterpiece, Sunday Funday. This applied super easily with two thin coats required for opacity. This polish continues the shimmer-y theme and we love this bold polish paired with a pastel look.


Our second favourite of the collection is The Girls are Out - although the name is a bit awkward! This is a bright berry with the silver shimmer. This applied super well and with two coats looks perfect. We have been wearing this on our toes for the perfect summer pedi.


Last is the oddball of the collection, a chartruese (described by Essie as a lime green - it is not!) with no shimmer. This poor guy got left out when the nail polish people were dumping in the shimmer. It applies well and looks good with just two coats, but we wish it fit in a bit better with the rest of the collection.

Overall, we are loving the brights in this collection, but think its safe to leave the pastels! Have you seen this collection, and which have you picked up?

Disclaimer: These products were provided to us by the company/PR for our honest consideration and review.

Swatched: Essie Neon Collection

Essie released their 6 polish Neon Collection May 1st, and since then we have been going a bit neon crazy with these polishes! We are happy to finally have them swatched here so you can see how they look on the nails! With the exception of Boom Boom Room (first up in this post) these all go great if you're looking to do some neon rainbow-y type nail art. We used them and Orly's Glowstick to create a fab tie dye nail art tutorial, our first venture in to YouTube! Let the swatching begin!

First up is Boom Boom Room. Admittedly, this is not a true neon. The best way to describe this polish is a bubblegum pink. It is bright, but it is not neon. This polish is also a creme polish, unlike the rest of the collection. As neon lovers with high expectations, this did leave something to be desired. This swatch is two coats with topcoat.


Next up is Bouncer, It's Me! This polish is the perfect royal blue jelly, Essie has not strayed from their past blue masterpieces (Bikini So Teeny, Mint Candy Apple, Butler Please, etc.) - they have anything in this shade under control. The polish applied well, and dried without shine like most true neons. This swatch is three thin coats with topcoat.


This purple, DJ Play That Song, is the ultimate shade of violet (lighter than true purples, if you were wondering the difference!). This is the most opaque of the jellies, and this swatch is only 2 thin coats, with no visible nail line! This is probably our favourite polish in this collection.


This next shade is Saturday Night Fever, a coral-orange (or perhaps just an orange with a hint of red) neon jelly that is really too bright to handle. This swatch is two coats, and although you can still see a bit of my nail underneath (calcium spot on my ring finger!) - the colour is so intense that you wouldn't really notice.


The second last polish is a green, Shake Your $$ Maker. Great name aside, this polish is a bit too jelly sheer for our liking. This swatch is 3 think coats, and on some nails you can still see a visible nail line. Disappointing. Over white polish, this doesn't matter as much and it actually has a much more neon effect.


Finally, we have Bottle Service, a super-bright fuchsia. This polish is a jelly, and goes on great. The swatch below is just two coats and it is fully opaque - yet still has that 'squishy' jelly appearance. We love this!


What neons are you loving for Summer, or are you going for a totally different trend altogether? 

Check us out on Instagram to see a dupe for Bottle Service, and if you'd like to see more follow us on Bloglovin!

 Disclaimer: Some of these products were provided to us by the company/PR for our honest consideration and review.


Swatched: Rainbow Honey for Fab Summer Set

Rainbow Honey is a new to us indie brand best known for their shimmer and glitter polishes. We were happy to review their Summer collaboration with Fab.com which is now available for $25 (for the three full size/15mL lacquers). When we first saw pictures of the collection, we have to admit our minds went to Christmas (red, green… you can't blame us!) - however, when you see these polishes in person they really reflect the bright colours of a south american vacation. And now we're just dreaming. 

First up is Schrammi, described by Rainbow Honey as a deep coral with gold shimmer. We found this to be more of an orange-based red with gold shimmer, but you can see for yourselves! This swatch is two coats for full opacity. The polish went on smooth and the gold shimmer looks amazing when it catches the light. This is our favourite of the two shimmers in this collection.


Next up is Costa del Sol, which we've swatched over black, which is a golden holo glitter extravaganza. Bar, hex, and gold shimmer galore, this polish is definitely an eye-catcher. This swatch is one coat, and the glitter applied evenly and didn't create any unwanted texture (a major plus!).


Finally, we have Tenda, a true kelly green with gold shimmer. While we don't usually gravitate towards greens for summer, this is so bright and beautiful that it will get its wear in. This swatch is three thin coats, and like the rest of the polishes, applied super evenly and has great shimmer distribution.


Overall, we're loving the quality of these Rainbow Honey lacquers, and would definitely recommend them. If these colours are speaking to you (they may be asking you to go on vacation and bring them along!), you can check the set out on the Fab website. If you'd like to see more from Rainbow Honey, check them out on their website, Facebook and Instagram.