Sew Psyched

I had originally intended on posting my current favourites today, but when I realised I had a nail post ready to go that matched St Patricks Day I decided it must be fate, and reshuffled the schedule. I love murky colours at the moment and this is certainly one of those! There must be something about this khaki green from essie that grabs peoples attention because the compliments came flying when I wore this - even my lady at the nail salon exclaimed that it was a really nice colour!

 

Sew Psyched is described as a "cashmere-soft sage pewter" on the essie website and while I can totally see the sage and cashmere aspect of it, the pewter from the silver microglitter that shines through in the bottle doesn't particularly translate on the nail and it comes off as a nice crème shade instead (which I prefer, so yay for that) I see this as a neutral with a bit of interest, and was so impressed with it that as I was perusing a display of discounted essie polishes I picked it up to look at without realise I already had it on and owned it! A sign of love for sure, wouldn't you agree?

I bought my bottle of Sew Psyched from The Reject Shop and it was from the fall 2010 collection.
Are you a fan of murky colours like this?
What is your current nail obsession?
-Emma

Mojito Madness

I'm currently in the process of decluttering my overwhelming nail polish collection, and never before has it been more evident that I have a wicked obsession with all manner of green nail polish shades. I'm not entirely sure why I'm so drawn to the grassy fields of green these days, but I do know that the shade makes me happy and tends to suit my pale complexion with ease when other colour families take a lot more work and effort, so there's that...

 

I seriously hunted all over for this gorgeous green Essie shade before coming to the realisation that it was a limited edition shade from the 2012 Summer Collection, the same collection that saw me miss out on Bikini So Teeny! Blinded was I by the hunt that I neglected to research properly! I then popped it onto my mental Honeymoon wishlist (because we travelled to the States where I had a better chance of finding it) and lo and behold, it was the very first beauty product bought on that holiday! Husband and I walked into a corner store in LA for some snacks, I saw how big their beauty section was and the rest, my friends, is nail polish history.

 

I present to you - Mojito Madness!

 

Essie describe this colour as a fun-loving lime green and I can definitely appreciate the lime in it, but it also looks Kelly green to me and in this post I learnt that it is the Starbucks green, too! I love how the crème finish looks chic, even on my short and unkempt nails, and the fact that I can now mentally connect the shade to coffee makes me fall even harder for it. I love everything about this colour and am so glad to have snagged a bottle for my collection, it's definitely one of the best Essie shades I've tried and I commend the brand for pulling off green tones so damn well!

 

What is your 'kryptonite colour'?

What lengths have you gone to in order to procure a bottle of nail polish?

-Emma x

Cozy in Cashmere

Mention the word cashmere and the word cozy immediately springs to mind, along with visions of snuggling up on a couch with the heater blaring drinking some hot tea - at least, that is what springs to my mind! Cashmere is luxe and Essie have clung onto that idea with their new Cashmere Matte collection. At first I was hesitant as I don't always appreciate a matte finish on my nails, but this Cozy in Cashmere* shade is soft and not at all chalky, and I can definitely see the cashmere aspect of the finish on my nails.

The taupe shade has incredible blue microshimmer when you look at the bottle, but because it dries down to a matte finish these are basically undetectable once the shade hits your nails. I took what seemed like a million bottle shots to try and show you the beauty of this shade, and below is the closest I could get to capturing how gorgeous it is. I also went ahead and applied the Kit Cosmetics topcoat* on my ring and middle finger in the two shots below to show you how easy it is to transform a matte polish into a traditional glossy finish - it's like two polishes in one! I realized that this shade is called Comfy in Cashmere in America - something worth noting if you're an Aussie trying to hunt it down at the shops!



with topcoat on middle fingers



topcoat on middle fingers

 

This kind of ladylike-with-an-edge shade is very me, and it's a pretty easy shade to wear. I like the fast drying time (thanks to the matte finish) and the fact that I can transform it into a glossy shade with ease means this is a keeper in my collection! I'm currently weeding through my polishes and giving a whole stack away, and I think I'll be posting as I sort through the stash and make my decisions. My reward at the end will be a nice new nail polish rack installed in my beauty room, something I am very much looking forward to!

Essie polishes retail for $16.95 AUD and are available at Priceline. The Cashmere Matte collection is limited edition August through September, you can see the rest of the shades swatched here.

Would you have kept this Essie Cozy in Cashmere shade, too?
What are your thoughts on the matte nail trend?
-Emma


*Provided for consideration. Honesty, always.

Grey Day

Something about winter is just so lovely; the big pots of peppermint tea, bringing the throw rugs out and snuggling up after dinner to read a book (or play some Trivia Crack on the iPad, let's be real) The dark winter wardrobe I favour lends itself quite nicely to a wide variety of makeup looks - I can flit between a bold blush one day, bright Bourjois-velvet clad lips the next before getting smoky with some dark shadows...for this winterfied palette, I've gone down the fresh grey path when pulling things from my makeup drawers.

Hazy Grey Eyes
When I think winter, I automatically think grey and wearing it on the lids is definitely easier than rocking something like the much lauded Chanel Notorious, don't ya think? I prefer greys with a hint of brown to them to warm it up a notch, and my fall back grey palette is this Lady Grey MAC quad (especially the lower right hand shade, Hazy Day!)

The Classic Grey Mani
I love a good greige mani all year round truth be told, but it's never better than when it's chilly outside and you're all rugged up in a cozy knit scarf rocking the most elegant nails out there. I initially overlooked essie Take It Outside* but I love love love it on the nails - even on my nubbins it manages to look decent, so imagine it on perfectly shaped ones...*sigh* The magpie factor made me throw a coat of essie Hors D'oeuvres* over the ring finger, because bling bling!

Flush of Blush
I'm breaking away from neutral cheek shades for a second to dally in pinks flushes, but nothing screams "hi there I just came in from the cold can you pour me a cuppa?" than a RED flush - so natural on the cheek, yet so scary in the pan! Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in Natural Beauty is just that, but the deep red tone of essence Renesmee Red is my personal favourite for a red cheek. Crème blushes aren't really my fortay but the old discontinued YSL Crème de Blush is the bees knees regardless - it's a nice powdered finish that I like in the winter. I've also turned a bit icy this season, with the new essence highlighter Enter Wonderland from the brand new Hidden Stories collection.

What is the best part of winter for you?

I'd love to know what your favourite hot drink is, I'm totally obsessed with big mugs on the couch right now!

-Emma

 

*Provided for consideration. Honesty, always.

essie Bump Up The Pumps + Jiggle Hi, Jiggle Low (Winter 2014)

I know that some of my followers live in countries that are freezing cold in winter, but I can't help but whinge about how frosty cold Melbourne is at the moment! I needed a pop of bright in my life and my dark work wardrobe wasn't going to fulfil that for me, so I looked to my new nail polishes for some inspiration. The latest essie collection* released for Winter 2014 hit that mark for me!

 

Bump Up The Pumps is described on the American essie website as a 'raucous coral mauve' but I don't see any mauve tones and wouldn't jump to the word raucous to describe this happy shade. A super pigmented pink-based coral creme, this jumped out as my favourite in the collection immediately and it was the first to hit my nails! It applied nicely and is the perfect coral shade for chilly weather, and would look just as gorgeous in summer. I can totally see myself wearing this on my toes for summer 2015...

 

Jiggle Hi, Jiggle Low has me a little bit torn - the name makes me giggle and I love the pewter edge and bronze flecks that saves this from being a standard silver foil (which I find pretty hard to wear in general) but it just doesn't seem like the kind of shade I'd reach for often, unless it were for a festive manicure or something like that. It's described as a molten gold but my eyes see more silver than anything else...Mumma Bovary called dibs on this one when we opened the press parcel and I think it's going to live at her house, but I'll definitely borrow it for a festive mani when December rolls around (is anyone else excited about Christmas at this point of the year, or is it just me? It's already JUNE for crying out loud!)

Overall I am really pleased with the quality of these shades and am very much enamoured with Bump Up The Pumps. For another look at all of the shades in this collection, check out this wonderful Ommorphia Beauty Bar post.

-Emma

*This essie collection was provided for consideration. Honesty, always.

February Purchases & Pick-Ups

THE PURCHASES

Another tame month of spending for this little blogger - a back-up of my staple shampoo and a gorgeous blue printed scarf from Ishka were the things I first picked up in February. The dog print is so sweet and since bringing Charlie into our family I've been dog-mad, so it suits me to a tee. I've worn it a stack so far and the cold days seem more inviting now that I have this to wear!

It took me until the end of the month to find something to spend my Priceline voucher on - a friend of mine always had great 'lipstick' on and each time I'd ask the shade she'd mention an essence lipliner, so it made sense to pick up some to try. Totally converted and I've even picked up two more to add to my March purchase tally, such is my instant love for these!

PICK-UPS

L'Occitane are really pumping out the new releases, and I'm loving it! This slightly-nanna scent reminds me of my aunty in the best way, and I like how soft but fragranced the Iris Bleu & Iris Blanc seems to be. I'll be trialling these during the month and will let you know how I fare with the powdery purple products...

Yep, eye mist, I know right? Hardly the usual suspect on this blush and palette loving blog, but Mister appreciates a good eye mist and we've been wanting to try this Murine release after seeing the television ads! When the opportunity popped up I was happy to oblige - it really works like the ad says, you spray it on closed eyes, wait and open. You feel instant moisture on your eyeball, it is freaky cool and is yet to smudge my eye makeup, so hurrah!

The Electric Paradise lipstick from Mineralogie is making my heart beat faster, let me tell you right now. The shade is a true stunner and I've got posts in the works for this bad boy. The palette (also from the Mineralogie Mai Tai collection!) is so different to what I usually go for but I was intrigued by the two right hand shades - that purple looks very wearable to me, and the fun deep pink 'MAC Cranberry-esque' shade is so, so pretty...

The last interesting release I was sent was the new Essie Fall 2014 nail colours - all deep, murky and perfect for the cooler weather ahead! I am particularly intrigued by the red Dressed to Kilt (I am of Scottish heritage after all!) but Mumma Bovary has clapped eyes on it and plans to snaffle is as soon as my swatches are complete!

How much did you get around to buying in February? Anything more exciting than my scarf, shampoo and lip liners? ;)

-Emma

*Pick-ups are all press samples - for more info on this new blog series please check out the first instalment here. Honesty, always.

Makeup Pile Inspired by Fifty Shades of Grey

I’m sure by now some of you have spotted the racy Fifty Shades of Grey film trailer online – I know a few people on my Facebook feed have been counting down and can't wait to see the film when it is released tomorrow! I feel a little hint of shame when I admit that I have indeed read the three books in the series, and am actually rereading the first in the line-up now…perhaps that stems from studying literature for so many years!

The 50 Shades franchise definitely isn’t the best written works I’ve ever read (so far from it that it’s laughable to be honest) but I will step up to the plate and say that I’m planning on seeing the film, if only for curiosity’s sake. Using the title as inspiration, I played around in my makeup and nail stash to grab some of the rare greyscale pieces that live within my drawers.

Eyeshadows in grey are always wonderful in theory, but sometimes they make me feel a bit too ‘rock chick’ unless they verge on taupe or I warm them up with another shadow in the crease. I think it has something to do with having dark hair and very pale skin...

If I ever need a true silver or grey look I reach for my Australis Paparazzi Perfect Palette in Frock and Roll, which I used in this frosted winter makeup look. I also have a few grey and grey/brown shades in my custom Inglot palette, and one of my most loved grey shades is Too Faced Garter Belt from the Boudoir Palette. I’d consider Mercury from Topshop a taupe shade more than a true grey as the purple tones pull through enough on me to make this something a bit out of the ordinary. Two other pops of grey in my stash that haven’t yet been touched are the Bourjois single eyeshadow in 14 Gris Delicat and the Maybelline Charcoal Smokes quad*.

The best way that I know how to inject some smooth grey shades into my beauty routine are on my fingernails – I’m always up for a deep metallic blue, but a grey tone also doesn’t go astray and these are some that are residing in my polish drawers right now. 

For an elegant and simple greige shade, essie Master Plan* is my very favourite – but for a bit of bling essie also brings it to the table with Ignite the Night*! It’s a darker more charcoal sort of glittery colour and I’m thinking it would work perfectly in an ombre nail look. An affordable nail polish comes via German brand essence and their dark metallic grey Movie Star. The final beauty product we have is not technically a grey shade but I'm taking inspiration from the sleek gunmetal tube - Smashbox lipstick in Flirty is a true stunner of a bright pink and one of the first ‘higher end’ non-Priceline lipsticks I ever bought myself. Memories…

I really enjoyed rustling through my drawers to pull colours for this post – fingers crossed I have that much fun watching the Fifty Shade of Grey film at the cinema!

-Emma

*Provided for consideration, honesty always.

The Nail Polish Declutter

Following on from my 2015 goal of slimlining my skincare and makeup stash, I decided to also rifle through my ridiculous nail polish stash and get rid of a few bottles. I must admit that I had hopes of trimming it down in anticipation of gaining some new nail polish racks and storage in the New Year, something that the husband hinted at looking into to help get my beauty room looking neater. It sure would help selecting manicure colours, which is often frustrating with my collection being spread out in various storage units in that office!

colours I have given away or am about to

I knew I needed to relinquish my hold on ‘nice colours’ that I would never wear – using excuses about future nail art enterprises and how pretty they looked in the bottle just isn’t going to cut it anymore. I basically know what I like to wear when it comes to nail shades, and yet here I sit with a veritable tonne of baby pink shades that will never see the light of day on my fingertips! I have to admit that it was hard for the hoarder in me to look at beautiful bottles from Australis, Darling and Essie and make the decision to add them to the pile, but ultimately they are too nice to waste away collection dust and the shades will better suit the deeper skin tones of my family anyway.

My plan is to go through and get rid of a few polishes at a time (judging by these photos I'm keeping all of my cool-toned shades, ha!) and whittle down my collection bit by bit, that way it won't feel overwhelming for me. Seriously though, if you saw how many polishes I have...

Charlie being most helpful during my nail polish declutter!

Most of the ladies in my family wear nail polish regularly so giving these away shouldn’t be too hard, and I’m looking forward to displaying my beloved nail shades once we decide on what racks would suit the room best. Would you be interested in a polish storage post when that day comes?

-Emma x

Haute in the Heat with Essie for Summer 2014

Being the namesake of the recently released Essie summer collection, I was expecting Haute in the Heat* to be my very favourite from the shade range. It's described by Essie as a hot guava pink raspberry (quite fruity, right?) and it's nice alright, but not a patch on the stunning Ruffles and Feathers that was also released for the hot summer season. I am yet to do a full post on R&F but did feature it in my 2014 favourites, so you know it's a good 'un!

This shade actually graced my nails for my recent birthday celebrations, which this time around were quite low-key with a Doncaster shopping trip in which I only bought one beauty item. One! Times are a-changing, my friends. I also indulged in some delicious Thai food with my family and it was a nice way to celebrate turning a year older. It was also my first birthday as a wife which I thought was pretty cool!

Ultimately I was impressed by the formula of this polish, but I can't say the colour is going to be in any of my favourites any time soon. In a lot of lights this appeared red on my pale skin and while still pretty, that wasn't what I was going for and I probably should have turned to a true pink to satiate my bright needs. Having said that, the colour gathered a lot of compliments for me and I actually ended up gifting Mumma Bovary a bottle of Essie Style Hunter, which is a spot on dupe for this colour, after she raved about how much she loved my nail colour one time too many. If this colour is up your alley and you don't have anything similar, I would recommend it; otherwise, check out Ruffles & Feathers and get ready for your socks to be blown off...

Emma x

*This product was provided for consideration. Honesty, always.

Festive Five #1 - five beauty products to take you through the festive season!

I decided to whip up 5 festive posts to see you through until Christmas Eve, beginning today! Each day will see a new 5 product line up for you to peruse, and today brings you 5 miscellaneous stunners that I personally rely on at the moment for bringing me some nice festive cheer in the midst of some horrible things on the news in Australia.
1. Bath & Body Works Vanilla Bean Noel Fine Fragrance Mist
This scent is all I can wear at the moment, it's absolutely delicious and I love layering it over the matching body lotion (the haul for this is coming soon, promise) The notes are: Fresh Vanilla Bean, Warm Caramel, Sugar Cookies, Whipped Cream & Snow-Kissed Musk and it makes me feel warm and cozy without being too heavy for the Australian summer.

2. Dior Fairy Golds Quint
You all must be sick of seeing me mention this, but I want to write about the things I love and this beauty gets pulled out of the drawer every December! I love how I can wear the champagne shade for an easy day look (or maybe to go with a brighter lip colour) and then deepen up the look at night with the darker or more glittery shades for a night out.

3. Essie Hors d'Oeuvres*
The hype around the Essie Encrusted collection in 2013 seemed to be all about 'On A Silver Platter' but I'm currently wearing the platinum gold Hors d'Oeuvres which is filled with different sized silver glitter and it is seriously off the hook. It's warm and cool at the same time, and I'm enjoying how full on it looks as a full mani!

4. Yves Saint Laurent Volupte Sheer Candy in 07 Sheer Fig
I find red lipstick a bit tricky to pull off, so when I saw blog raves for this sheer and pretty silver bullet I needed to have it. I don't wear it as often as I should (especially considering how pricy YSL lipsticks are!) but when I think Christmas, I think red lips, and this is a mirror-free touch-up kinda shade and that is right up my alley.

5. Skindinavia Makeup Finishing Spray*
I've been testing this for a little while now and I'm surprised to say that I actually think that it's making a difference! I apply in an 'X' motion from a distance (as recommended) after applying all of my makeup (making sure my mascara is dry!) and by the end of the day/night I am shocked to see my face still looking fresh when I peek in the mirror. A miraculous discovery and one I'll definitely be whipping out over the party season...

So there you have it, the essentials for a fun festive season - nice scents, pretty shadows, blingy nails, an easy red lip and something to lock it all into place! Hope you're having a wonderful lead-up to Christmas and that you're fitting in some rest and relaxation along the way!
-Emma xx

*Provided for consideration, but popped into the festive five out of pure love! Honesty, always.

Roller Coaster

My lemming for Essie's Mojito Madness is still going strong, but I've bought myself a wee cheap green polish to tide me over until I hit the US and get to run into Sephora for the first time ever. I mentioned it briefly in this haul post and am pretty happy with the quality and opaque nature of essence Roller Coaster!

Roller Coaster is a mid-toned green that has the most subtle green sparkles, and though I could've done with another coat in these shots it applies with ease (I am a fan of fat wide brushes like the essence ones!) It's not the perfect Kelly Green/Starbucks shade that I can't get out of my head (seriously, look at the Essie swatched...) but it will do for now.

I like my nail polishes to generally have a bit of kick to them, and this definitely fits the bill in that regard! For a mere $2.75 I don't think you can go wrong with these essence polishes, they are always great value and an easy way to satisfy a strong lemming for a specific shade. 

Emma x

Essie Snakeskin Collection Swatches- a slithering success?

Essie have tapped into the winter months in Australia so well with their new Snakeskin collection*. I love the strong theme running through the launch and the fact that the shades are gorgeous as plain metallic is definitely a strong selling point for those who may not be fans of the ever popular magnetic patterned nail trend. I actually really like the snakeskin print that this particular magnet adds to the nail, and think that it would look incredible on longer nail lengths. Unfortunately some tough weeks at work mean my nails are too short to really do this collection justice, and I have only worn four of the shades so the navy blue Snake it Up and the bronze Repstyle are overlooked for now.

The easiest path to success for this reptilian look is to apply a thin coat of the polish, wait for it to dry and then add a second coat before holding the lid with magnet as close to the nail as you can. Working one nail at a time is pretty much the only way this will work out, so keep in mind that it generally takes longer than a plain manicure.

 

Crocadilly, Snake Rattle and Roll, alternating
(I did not use the magnet for the first two nails to show how the shades look by themselves)



beginning with Crocadilly on the thumb and alternating, last two nails are left plain to show colour

Crocadilly is a metallic hunter green shade, and Snake, Rattle and Roll has a beautiful taupe tone that Essie describes as a pewter. I would definitely wear both of these with or without the snakeskin effect, as the metallic shades applied easily and not as streaky as others metallic I've tried. Crocadilly isn't so green that it is hard to wear, it just adds a nice tone to the metallic finish. Snake, Rattle and Roll is seriously stunning and I can see this getting whipped out a helluva lot in the Bovary housegold.

last two nails have been magnetised, first are plain two coaters

sssssexy is a beautiful deep shimmering sanguine shade that reminds me of the festive season, but the name definitely isn't something I'm feeling 'sexy' about. lil' boa peep is a pale beige shade, sort of like an icy taupe titanium. Of the four swatched, these are my least favourite purely due to my bias towards deeper shades for nails. I would recommend Crocadilly and Snake, Rattle and Roll if you are interested in a nice serpent manicure, and if you grab your bottle from Priceline ($16.95 AUD) you can get a snakeskin bracelet for a limited time only.

Are you a fan of magnetised nail art, or are you traditional at heart?
I think part of my affection for these is because I've mentally linked them to Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets...
Which of these four shades do you like best?

Emma x

*Press sample. Honesty, always.