Savvy Polish Reviews: Part 1.

Hey to all you Lovely People,

I'm going to mix it up for you all today and take a break from all the bulk Essie reviews to show you an awesome Australian brand called Savvy.

Savvy polishes can be bought at any Priceline Pharmacy within Australia. These polishes are of really good quality and they are only $1.00 per polish which is perfect for any nail addicts budget.

The following polish reviews are a small portion of the Savvy polishes that I own, there definitely will be other posts reviewing the rest of my collection.

Sally Hansen: Ginger Ale.

"Ginger Ale" is a light and refreshing gold glitter polish that contains a majority of micro light gold glitters and a small scattering of larger hex glitters to add a bit of variety.

This polish would be perfect as a glitter topper but I managed to get the look above by applying roughly 3 coats. As you can probably see I really like this glitter and have used it many times. I highly recommend this polish for those who are on a budget but also want quality.

Savvy: Flaming Blue.

"Flaming Blue"is a semi-translucent, navy blue jelly polish that has a subtle blue to green duo chrome effect.

This polish is great quality for a budget price, although you wouldn't think that it is a transparent jelly, instead of a really pigmented opaque polish. This is a great thing because you can use it on its own and also can be used for a jelly sandwich with a difference.

The duo chrome that is visible in the bottle is really subtle once is on the nail but also allows for a pleasant surprise that occasionally catches your eye when the light hits it. I hadn't been using it that much, but looking back, think I will be using this one a lot more.

Savvy: Green Tea Martini

 

"Green Tea Martini" is a forest green polish with a subtle green shimmer. It is really pretty both in the bottle and of the nails but is a lighter green once applied on the nail.

This deep green polish looks amazing on short nails, it also looks incredible against my pale skin. The green shimmer makes it look a lot luxurious and turns it sort of into an Emerald richness. It was opaque after 2 coats, although it photographs lighter than in person, it is definitely worth a try.

**UPDATE**

Once I had removed the polish, I noticed a bit of staining on the cuticles and a slight staining on the nails (Although this was removed easily using a stain removing home method).

Please stay tuned for more installments!

xoxo
Queen Bee

Review: Sally Hansen "Blue Me Away".

Hello My Gorgeous People!

Today I am reviewing Sally Hansen "Blue Me Away".

  

I used "Blue Me Away" as part of the above tape manicure with Orly "Honey Ryder".

This polish is a vibrant, bold blue that is perfect for a summer manicure that is a little bit different. The application is really smooth and even, it is a strong colour and only needed 2 coats to become completely even and opaque. The drying time is really impressive as I found it dried a lot faster than some of my other Xtreme Wear Sally Hansen polishes.

One problem that I had with this colour is that even though the polish was completely dry when I applied my tape some of the polish ripped off when I was removing the tape. I'm not sure if this problem was user error on my behalf or due to the polish.

**Update**

Now that I have removed the polish I have noticed that it unfortunately permanently stains the nails, surrounding cuticles and skin. (Please excuse the crappy condition that my nails are in, these were taken pre nail care ritual)

Talk to you all later!

xoxo
Queen Bee

Review: Orly "After Party".

Hey to all my lovely people!

Today I'm going to be showing and going through my crazy tribal look and the base polish used to create the look. You can see the results below.

I used Orly "After Party" as the base coat for this look, it is a gorgeous and sultry deep blue with pink, purple and blue shimmers. I loved the look of this polish from the first time I saw it, it kind of reminds me of a nightclub on my nails, dark yet with the constant presence of coloured light.

After Party is absolutely amazing to work with. It applies really smoothly and only took me 2 coats to get it completely opaque. It has an impressive drying time, it didn't take long at all for each coat to completely dry which allowed me to complete this manicure in just under an hour from base coat to top coat. I don't recommend using this polish if you have your aircon/fan on in the same room, it will dry out too quickly and produce an uneven look, I did this when I first bought it and thought that it was the way it applied and shoved it to the back of one of my Helmer drawers. I'm really glad I revisited this one as it is such a gorgeous colour and is unique.

The removal of the polish is awesome, it comes off with nail polish remover and doesn't need to be soaked off using the foil method like a glitter would (BONUS! Sparkly polish without the drama!).

If you are looking for a sultry polish with a little bit of extra drama, then this polish is for you. You can pick up Orly at selected pharmacists and department stores. Just head over to their website to find your nearest stockist or to order online.

See all of you beautiful people later...

xoxo
Queen Bee.

Review: Revlon "Blue Lagoon"

Hey lovely people!

I recently created some basic level nail art using Revlon's "Blue Lagoon".

I thought I would mix things up a bit and review this polish out of order as a part of Swatchfest 2013, so here goes!

Revlon: Blue Lagoon.

This polish is incredibly creamy and a dream to apply, I have used it countless times as a plain manicure or as a base for more elaborate nail art. It is a baby blue creme with a slight silver sheen that is still visible when applied on the nail. It has an amazing coverage with no patchiness and/or streaking, it goes opaque in as little as two coats.

I have absolutely fallen in love with this colour since the first time I saw it on the shelf. It was very appealing to me as I love good strong creme polishes and I have always been a sucker for a good pastel.

The formula goes on incredibly smoothly and has an amazing consistency (not too thick and gluggy but not so watery it goes everywhere). The drying time varies from incredibly quick (if you normally apply multiple thin coats) to moderate (if you tend to apply your polish thinker with fewer coats).

I have used this polish as a base for stamping, it was really helpful as it dries evenly and doesn't 'smoosh' (aren't you loving my serious terminology lol!) when the rubber stamper is rolling over the polish to apply the stamp. It is also awesome for things such as dotted manicures because it doesn't tend to go stringy as the polish dries out and you continue stamping.

So overall, I would have to give this polish a (perfectly manicured) thumbs up and recommend you all to go out and buy it and give it a try. It should be available anywhere Revlon is sold such as, department stores and you local pharmacy.

See you later lovely people!

xoxo
Queen Bee

Swatchfest 2013: Essie Collection Part 2.

Hey lovely people!

This post is a continuation of Swatchfest 2013. I am really enjoying doing this challenge because I am finding some amazing gems that I have previously overlooked.

To add to the challenge, I have decided to go on a self-enforced no-buy until I have completed Swatchfest. This will be a real challenge in itself because (as most of you fellow nail addicts can understand) I have a serious polish buying problem.

So, now on to the reviews!

Essie: Lilacism.

This gorgeous, girly polish is a light purple pastel with subtle grey undertones which is absolutely perfect for a spring manicure or simply a mani to brighten your day and make you feel a little girly. The formula is amazing, it goes on the nail really smoothly with no patchiness and it has an impressive amount of pigmentation. It is completely opaque in as little as two coats. I would definitely recommend this polish for those looking for a softer look or just those that want their manicure to make them feel girly.

Essie: Navigate Her.

Firstly, I have to admit that my husband (being the dirty minded male that he is) absolutely cracked up when he first heard the name of this polish. Personally, I don't see what he finds so hilarious. Anyway, on to the actual serious review.
Navigate Her is a strong khaki green creme pastel. It is incredibly pigmented, needing a maximum of two coats to become completely opaque. Personally, I didn't really like this colour against my pale skin tone (seriously, my skin hasn't properly seen sunlight in over a year, let alone become tanned). But this is most certainly won't be the case with everyone, I'm just stating my personal experience, I encourage everyone to give it a go if you want to. the formula applies beautifully with an amazingly even coverage. I would recommend this polish for those that don't mind doing things a little different.

Essie: Bikini So Teeny.
 

I have to admit that this polish was a HUGE lemming of mine and still remains as my favourite Essie polish, so much that I have three bottles (oops!). This gorgeous polish is a creamy sky blue with a slight blue to silver shimmer. It doesn't apply evenly for the first coat (as I find is the case for most Essie polishes) but after 2-3 coats it is completely even and opaque. I love this polish because it give a freshness that I really look for in a summer polish. I don't like wearing dark polishes during summer as I find that they can drag down a colourful summer outfit. Also, sadly the shimmer that is so strong in the bottle sort of disappears on the nail but then also gives it more of a lightening effect.

Anyway lovelies, keep your eves peeled for the next instalment in this challenge.

Love you all!
xoxo
Queen Bee