Enchanted Polish J'adore

The mani I will be showing you today is very girly yet simple. Enchanted Polish J'adore is a very pale pink which shifts towards light grey with the light holographic effect Enchanted Polish has become known for. 

Enchanted Polish J'adore

J'adore is quite sheer so I used 3 coats but application is easy and the formula is perfect. I may also try this over a light base next time to see how it looks.

I wanted to do some nail art but decided to keep it girly. I chose to do an accent nail so as not to cover up this beautiful polish too much! 

Enchanted Polish J'adore

I used white pearl nail decorations from the BornPretty store and some pink crystals. I placed them in a wave design crossing my ring fingernail using topcoat and a small dotting tool to place them. I finished my manicure with a coat of topcoat. 

Enchanted Polish J'adore

Enchanted Polish J'adore

The holographic effect of J'adore shows up most in direct sunlight but is quite discreet otherwise. The colour shift however is visible in all lighting and the polish seems to glow from within due to the shimmer! 

Enchanted Polish J'adore

What do you think of this one? Are you a fan of Enchanted Polish too?

piCture pOlish Blogger

Hi everyone! Today I'll be showing you a new polish from piCture pOlish named Blogger. Blogger is a multi-coloured glitter polish with a clear base which piCture pOlish describes as an 'indie-esque' glitter creation.

I have seen swatches of Blogger with and without a base colour and it seems to look good either way. I chose to wear it over a black base. I used A England Camelot, my favourite black polish! 

piCture pOlish Blogger

 The coloured glitter really pops against the black base! 

piCture pOlish Blogger

Application was very simple. I found the formula very easy to work with and thicker than a lot of glitter polishes. Coverage is quite dense and the glitter spreads out well with the brush. I applied one coat of Blogger and finished with a coat of topcoat which makes it smooth to the touch, not gritty at all.

piCture pOlish Blogger

I really love multi-coloured glitters and Blogger is certainly no exception. I can't wait to try this over other colours (I'm thinking hot pink...) and for glitter gradients!

What do you think of this one? Will you be trying any of the new releases from piCture pOlish?

Color Club Mrs Robinson & Spring Flowers

Hi everyone! Today I have some nail art for you! 

As it finally started to feel like spring here and the sun came out, I decided to use a recently acquired Color Club polish from my collection. I picked this one up from the Mondial Spa nail and beauty exhibition in Paris not long ago. The bright colour jumped out at me from the stand and I had to have it. 

Color Club Mrs Robinson & Spring Flowers

I used two coats of Mrs Robinson and as usual with Color Club polishes, I found the application and formula to be really great. I also found the drying time particularly fast on this one. Mrs Robinson dries to a slightly matte finish. 

Color Club Mrs Robinson

I chose to add some spring nail art in the form of some simple flowers, sort of like daisies I guess. I painted the flowers using white acrylic paint and a fine detail brush. I then added the white dots between and around the flowers using two different sized dotting tools and added dots of Mrs Robinson for the centres of the flowers. 

Color Club Mrs Robinson & Spring Flowers

This colour certainly is bright and eye-catching and I received quite a few compliments on it! 

Color Club Mrs Robinson & Spring Flowers

What do you think? I hope you like it as much as I liked wearing it! 

Color Club Mrs Robinson & Spring Flowers

Ninja Polish Nebula

Today I have an amazing polish to show you! Ninja Polish Nebula is a holographic and multichromatic glitter in a clear base. A base colour is essential with this polish. I chose to layer it over Lady of Shalott by A England, a black polish with blue shimmer from the Gothic Beauties Collection. 

Ninja Polish Nebula

Nebula is packed with extremely fine holographic glitters and shifts predominantly between green and purple depending on the light.

Ninja Polish Nebula

I applied 2 thin coats over my base colour and added a coat of topcoat. I did not find Nebula to be gritty at all like most glitters and with topcoat it was completely smooth to the touch. 

Application and formula were perfect. 

Ninja Polish Nebula

Here is a blurred shot to show you the holographic glitter!

Ninja Polish Nebula

Ninja Polish Nebula

Ninja Polish Nebula

Isn't it amazing in the bottle? The colours remind me of petrol on the ground when it makes rainbows. 

So what do you think of Nebula? 

Color Club Harp On It

Hi there! Today I have another holographic polish to show you, this time from the 2012 Color Club Halo Hues collection. 

Harp On It is the silver shade and it is definitely my favourite silver holo. 

Color Club Harp On It

Just look at those rainbows!! The holographic effect is also visible when not in direct sunlight or artificial light. 

Application and formula are perfect (like the rest of the Halo Hues in my experience) and no aqua base is required. 
I used a normal basecoat (Essie), 2 coats of Harp On It and a coat of topcoat to finish. 

I was going to do some nail art over this but ended up leaving it as it is because its spectacular on its own! 

Color Club Harp On It

And here is a bottle shot for you...

Color Club Harp On It

Color Club Harp On It

I really loved wearing this and was almost sad to take it off! What do you think of this one? 

Essie Mojito Madness & NfuOh 40

Hi everyone! Today I'll be showing you a mani in a colour I don't often wear...green! Usually if I wear green I choose darker shades or shimmery finishes rather than brights or cremes yet after doing this mani I'm not sure why!

I started out with Essie Mojito Madness from the Summer 2012 Bikini So Teeny collection. Mojito Madness is a bright green creme polish which is striking yet somehow dusty at the same time. This shade is unique in my collection. 

Essie Mojito Madness

Application was perfect and I achieved perfect opacity in 2 easy coats. I LOVE Essie cremes! Mojito Madness dries to a shiny finish and the above photo was taken without topcoat. 

Next, to add some sparkle, I applied a coat of NfuOh 40 from their Opal flakies series. In my opinion, NfuOh make the best flakies and they have a large variety of shades. 

Essie Mojito Madness & NfuOh 40

 And just because it is so gorgeous, here is a close up of NfuOh 40! 

NfuOh 40

 What do you think of green manicures? Is green a colour you wear often? 

Chanel Taboo - Swatches & Stamping

Hi there! Today I have a gorgeous polish to share with you, one I knew I HAD to have as soon as I saw the first promo pics! This is Taboo by Chanel (583) from the Revelation de Chanel collection for Spring 2013.

Chanel Taboo

This is an amazing blackened purple polish packed with red and blue shimmer! I was thrilled to see that the shimmer really does translate onto the nail too! It makes me think of galaxy nails. 

Photos show 2 coats of Taboo with topcoat. The application and formula were perfect, just as I have come to expect from Chanel. 

Chanel Taboo

Chanel Taboo

Just look at that shimmer!! 

Chanel Taboo Shimmer Close Up

After wearing Chanel Taboo on it's own for a couple of days I decided to add some nail art! I used one of my favourite stamping plates by Cheeky, the Jumbo C plate, and Barry M Foil Effects 319.

Chanel Taboo stamped with Barry M Foil Effects 319

Chanel Taboo is already one of my favourite polishes. My favourite colour, shimmery and Chanel - what's not to love? 
What do you think of this one? Will you be picking it up?

Hard Candy Pee Wee Purple and Dots

Hi everyone! 
Today I'll be showing you a relatively recent polish and a new to me brand. This is my first Hard Candy polish. I bought 3 of them with the help of a sweet friend when the new collections hit shelves in the USA. I will be swatching my other two here soon! 

Purple is my favourite colour and I just could not resist this vibrant violet microglitter. The bottle shows a flash of gold which is not really visible on the nail once applied.

Hard Candy Pee Wee Purple

I had no problems with the formula or application at all. I used two coats of Pee Wee Purple. 

I then used various sized dotting tools to add golden dots from the base of my nail towards the tips. The gold polish I used is the Barry M Foil Effects 320 (which also happens to be my go-to polish for stamping!). It dries really quickly and works brilliantly for quick nail art designs such as this one.

Hard Candy Pee Wee Purple & Barry M Foil Effect 320

Hard Candy Pee Wee Purple & Barry M Foil Effect 320

I definitely recommend Hard Candy polishes. They are a good thrifty option and I am impressed with the complexity of the colours and glitters in their newest releases, the likes of which we are more used to seeing in indie lines rather than 'mainstream' collections. 

Spring Bunnies for Easter

So it's a little late but today I'll be showing my Easter weekend manicure. I had just received some new polishes and found a way to combine 3 of them to create this mani.

I started out with Julie G Sharks Cove, a beautiful mint colour with a strong silver shimmer and Flamingo Kisses by Dandy Nails, a soft pink full of multicoloured glass flecks. I used 2 coats of each. I had no issues with application at all and they both have perfect formulas.

Julie G Sharks Cove, Dandy Nails Flamingo Kisses, Lynnderella Ghost of A Chance and a bunny accent nail

I then added Lynnderella Ghost of A Chance to all nails except one. For my accent nail I painted a bunny face using acrylic paints and a dotting tool. I used Flamingo Kisses for the nose and the inside of the ears. 

Julie G Sharks Cove, Dandy Nails Flamingo Kisses & Lynnderella Ghost of A Chance, in sunlight

 

Julie G Sharks Cove, Dandy Nails Flamingo Kisses & Lynnderella Ghost of A Chance

I was happy with how this mani turned out and loved wearing it over the sunny Easter weekend. What do you think of it? 

Light It Up Blue Blogger Collaboration Manis for Autism Speaks

Today I will be showing you a blue mani in collaboration with some blogging friends for Autism Awareness Day (April 2, 2013).

To learn more about Light It Up Blue click here.

For my Light It Up Blue mani, I chose to wear Kiko 336 topped with NfuOh 53.

Kiko 336 & NfuOh 53

Kiko 336 is a bright blue creme with an easy application and glossy finish. I used 2 coats for my base then added 2 coats of NfuOh 53, a blue jelly base with copper coloured flakies.

Kiko 336 &NfuOh 53

Color Club Over The Moon & Cirque XX

So...Where to start? Hi and welcome to The Mani Café, a glimpse into my obsession with nail polish and nail art. I'm looking forward to sharing my passion here and joining the blogging world. 

So here goes...

I recently received the new Color Club Halo Hues 2013 collection and couldn't wait to test them. This is the blue from the collection called Over The Moon, a vibrant blue with a strong linear holographic effect. I was in the mood to wear a flashy manicure so I added a glitter gradient using the gorgeous XX by Cirque, a mixed, holographic pastel coloured glitter in a variety of shapes and sizes. 

Color Club Over The Moon & Cirque XX

Color Club Over The Moon & Cirque XX

Color Club Over The Moon & Cirque XX

I really enjoyed wearing this mani and am looking forward to wearing the rest of the Halo Hues 2013! 
So what do you think of this combination?