Lancome 171B Lovered Swatch with Car Nail Art

Good Evening all :o)

I wanted to share with you another Lancome colour, this one is called Lovered, bit odd I know, but lovely all the same. Lancome Lovered 171B is a stunning, almost pillar box, red. It was opaque in two coats which I love as reds can be a little washy if you aren't careful.

Lancome have the most amazing brush, I would say it is bordering on better than OPI and now that is saying something. It could just be that the Lancome brush really suits my nail shape and so I prefer it. A brush is very personal and so everyone's opinions will vary. I would say never to disregard a brand because a blogger says the brush is bad (including myself haha), have a look for yourself, it could be that for you the brush works. I always see if someone I know has the brand I'm curious about, doesn't matter if the colour isn't you just give it a go.

I had a little play with this one as the red reminded me of my car, no my car is not red it is black but the R on it is exactly the same red. With this in mind, and anyone that knows me will know I LOVE my car, maybe unhealthly so, but I just couldn't resist. Yes...you got it...I painted my car on my nail and did the Honda badge. I wanted to do the R but I didn't think it would turn out good enough against the red.

I'll start with the colour itself, Lancome Lovered 171B. I apologise for these photo's, for some reason my camera didn't want to focus on the red nails, just the bottle.

Lancome Lovered 171B

Lancome Lovered 171B

Lancome Lovered 171B, with no direct sunlight or flash, it certainly isn't this dark naturally, you can see the coverage well in this photo in just two coats.

Now for my tiny little Civic. I have a Honda Civic Type R and I love her, I hope you can tell what it is haha.

I like using two nails put together as it adds something fun to it, does look a bit odd if someone isn't sure why you have a black splodge on your thumb nail. For my first go I don't think it's half bad, I had the most annoying brush unfortunately, so I will be investing in decent ones.

To do this, I used black and white varnish rather than acrylic as I find it easier to work with, but acrylic will work just as well. I used a small brush and basically had a very steady hand. Now I know how to do it I will try harder next time to get it 100% perfect.

 Believe it or not the Honda badge was harder than the car!!!

Lancome varnish can wear quickly, especially colours like the reds and glitter bases, but if you give it another top coat a day after your mani you will get 2 more days from it than usual.

I hope you liked this weeks post, I certainly love this post and will try some more art soon.

Love Lola xx

Jacava Cappuccino Cream Swatch

Good Afternoon Pinkies

I wanted to show you one of my most favourite colours, Jacava's Cappuccino Cream. To me it is like a slightly coffee coloured milk chocolate, and so flattering on the nail. Jacava applies well, and although it has a thin brush, the formula is pliable so there are no streaks where you have tried to cover your whole nail. There are also no drips with this formula.

The photo's below are 2 coats and as you can see there is a beautiful finish to them. I really like Jacava polish and have two so far, with the plan of ordering more. The only thing that lets me down with Jacava is that they haven't released any more colours since I found them, which is a little disappointing.

Here it is, Jacava Cappuccino Cream.

Jacava Cappuccino Cream

Jacava Cappuccino Cream

Jacava Cappuccino Cream

All in all Jacava Cappuccino Cream lasts me over a week and more if I look after it, on the average hand I would say you should get 4-5 days out of Jacava.

I would highly recommend Jacava for all nail enthusiasts and curious buyers, it's worth the money and it hasn't disappointed me yet.

I got my varnish from www.feelunique.com as I got my shipping free :)

Love Lola xx

Dupe Swatch Essie Cute As A Button vs Lancome Peach Appeal 362B

Good Evening All :o)

I have made it my mission to get a dupe for the popular Essie Cute As A Button. I think I have found one that is pretty close although maybe ever so slightly more red and not so jelly like.

And that colour is.......Lancome Vernis In Love Peach Appeal 362B. This is the first time I have used a Lancome varnish, and I have to say that I actually quite like it. It had a perfect flat, rounded, square brush which made painting my nails a breeze, not only that but it was a one coater pretty much. I don't love or hate Essie, I think it's ok, I will only purchase it with interest in the colour as the new brush is simply horrendous. 

So here it is, my first attempt at a dupe...Essie Cute As A Button vs Lancome Peach Appeal 362B

I think they look pretty close, maybe the Lacome in this photo looks a little more pink.

Here they are on the nails...Essie Cute As A Button vs Lancome Peach Appeal 362B.

Lancome is on the index and ring finger, Essie is on the pinkie and middle finger.

Essie Cute As A Button vs Lancome Peach Appeal 362B.

Lancome on the index and ring finger, Essie on the pinkie and middle finger. As you can see the finish on the Lancome is beautiful, the finish on the Essie not so great, it is also a thinner formula.

Essie Cute As A Button vs Lancome Peach Appeal 362B.

Lancome is on the index and ring finger, Essie is on the pinkie and middle finger. 

Essie Cute As A Button vs Lancome Peach Appeal 362B.

Lancome is on the index and ring finger, Essie is on the pinkie and middle finger. I apologise of the messy index finger, my lighting wasn't great while doing this swatch!

I think I will definitely invest in more Lancome varnish, I have chosen some other colour which I am sure will arrive shortly, so I'm excited to share those with you.

What lets me down is the Essie formula and brush, against the Lancome one it's poor. The Essie brush, since it has changed, is so wide and disorganised that it is actually bigger than my nail itself, it makes painting the nail impossible at times. I will however continue to buy Essie as their colours can be stunning.

Big thumbs up for the find me thinks and another for Lancome :o)

Do you know of a close dupe to Essie Cute As A Button?

Love Lola xx

OPI Chic From Ears To Tail Swatch - Couture De Minnie Collection

Hey Pinkies

Today I wanted to share with you one of my failed purchases, I thought that the OPI Chic From Ears To Tail was going to be a pretty close match to my adored Dior Tutu, well it wasn't. BUT never mind, it is still a pretty colour that I will wear...eventually :oP

OPI is fast become a favourite, yes I am a polish snob, I can't help it, it's the way I am and how I like my nails to be dressed. I can't be dealing with all the slopping all over the place brush and runny formulas, it literally drives me insane. OPI have great brushes which make application nice and easy, no mess needed. Their formula is coming up close to Jessica's but not quite there for me as Jessica offers us girls something we just can't live with out, yes ladies, flexibility...no no no you get those dirty thoughts out your head, we're talking about nail polish here!!!

Back to the colour, OPI Chic From Ears To Tail  is a gorgeous amped up baby pink. Why is it amped? Well...it has these beautiful glass like shimmer particles in it, not enough to make it a shimmer or a glitter, but it gives is softness and depth. A big pink shimmer dashed lake you could wade into. 

Does it leave shimmer streaks? No it does not, it's not a shimmer in that respect, you wouldn't even see it consciously on the nail unless you looked really close. 

Here you are the beautiful OPI Chic From Ears To Tail.

Isn't it pretty!? This would make a lovely exaggerated french manicure, or a great base for white stamping.

This was a two coat polish which was nice for a pale pink, but that is also why it is the baby pink colour it is, it has more coverage with it.

OPI Chic From Ears To Tail no direct sunlight...

OPI Chic From Ears To Tail without bottle...on second thought I will definitely wear this again, it's very flattering.

In the above photo you just ever such a slight glimpse at those tiny glistening particles.

OPI will last two weeks for me, but if you are active and do a lot with your hands then you should get a really good 4/5 days out of it.

Chic From Ears To Tail is easily removed with no pigment left behind. Over all a beautiful colour with two coat cover and a colour I pleased to own.

Love Lola xx

China Glaze Aquadelic Swatch

Hi Pinkies

Now...I just wanted to do another China Glaze swatch to show that although the neons send me nuts it's not a bad brand, it was just those terrible neons. I wanted to show you another one of my loans, which I think is utterly beautiful, China Glaze Aquadelic. China Glaze Aquadelic is a mint slash aqua creme green/blue. I used three thin coats of Aquadelic to make sure I had the coverage I wanted, as China Glaze can be a little on the watery side.

China Glaze Aquadelic is one of the most beautiful mint's I have seen in a while, and actually a very flattering colour on. It would go with most skin tones as it isn't a horribly cold colour, it has some warmth to it.

I tend not to get on very well with the China Glaze brushes. I find they are too long and don't fan at all so you end up with an uneven finish, especially if you have long nails like mine, it takes some coverage to get it all, China Glaze is the only one that has let me down in that department.

So here it is the beautiful China Glaze Aquadelic, sunlight with flash as my sun wasn't direct this day :o(

China Glaze Aquadelic natural sunlight no flash

As you can see you would never know the finish was uneven with a top coat, a top coat fixes most things!

China Glaze Aquadelic

China Glaze Aquadelic 

All in all I love this colour and will more than likely buy this myself and add it to my collection. You should get a couple of days from this polish, sadly China Glaze just don't last unless you are me and get obsessive you could probably get a decent week from it.

Remember don't use your nails for anything, not to pick a label off, not to open anything and especially not in hot water. Treat your nails like precious stones and they will reward you by staying strong, long and healthy.

Never give up, you will get nice nails in the end you just have to look after them!

So what do we think?

Love Lola xx

China Glaze Sun Of A Peach Swatch - Sunsational Collection

Good Evening All :o)

I thought I would get my second appalling purchase out of the way, so today I am showing you a swatch of China Glaze Sun Of A Peach. Again, the formulation is just the most annoying I have ever used, here is my previous post which will explain a lot of what I think of these fabulously awful neons.

I only have a couple of photos of this colour, the finished colour was nice, but not worth the stupidity of application, again that poor stranger got the brunt of my rant again with this formula. I have read a post about these that say they are a great formula. I have to disagree, there are so many neons out there that offer better coverage, fantastic finish and none of this watery nothingness formula. As for the sheers in this collection I actually don't know why China Glaze even bothered, the sheer's aren't worth the glass they are stored in.

I mean come on, really, who wants a polish that is still sheer in 4 coats and looks like you have gammy blue nails, no one that's who. What did they do, shove some colour in some bottles and say "Yeah that will do, these fools buy anything!" I say no, do not conform, refuse China Glaze Sunsational!

Anyway, back on track here are my photo's of China Glaze Sun Of A Peach.

China Glaze Sun Of A Peach (natural light)

China Glaze Sun Of A Peach (natural light) sadly the sun wasn't impressed by this colour also and said he wasn't coming out until I took this tripe off my nails. Half way through painting this colour on I actually had to take a breather, sought out my boyfriend and told him how ridiculous this was, shaking my hand full of neon at him, sounding like a mad banshee. The reaction? "Umm...sorry?" No, no, not sorry, not sorry at all, bloody silly man, what the hell was he apologising for!? "On behalf of China Glaze a company I know nothing about, I am sincerely sorry for your poor purchase"

Over all another terrible formula, I wont be buying any more and I'm so very sorry for all the people I may have offended with the Sunsational posts, I just can't hide my thought's.

This colour had a heavy coat of Seche Vite and needed it. This is the colour with three coats, the last coat I did a little on the thick side to try and hide the noticeable bald patches, but with Seche Vite, yes it's full of nasties, but it had hidden all of the lumps and bumps due to the impractical formula.

This colour dries matte as many neons will, so if you want that gloss give it a super shiny top coat.

Again, apologies to those of you who love these, but please do look into Jessica's neons!

Love Lola xx

China Glaze Neon & On & On Swatch - Sunsational Collection

Good Evening All :o)

A friend and I did a joint, over the top purchase on NailPolishDirect and so here come the fist post of a long line of swatches from the haul. I wont say everything we brought as to be honest I can't actually remember and plus it can be a surprise! 

The first colour I want to show you, and between us we actually have two from the China Glaze Sunsation Collection, is China Glaze Neon & On & On. I can't even begin to express my disappointment, the appalling formula and to boot a rubbish brush to try and paint it on with, effecting in a poorly varnished nail, there is nothing I hate more!! China Glaze Neon & On & On does not self level, it doesn't cover the nail in two coats, even in three it was streaky. All in all if it was mine I would have 'lobbed' it out the window.

Apart from the formula, which is utter cat urine, it was so watery it ran down the nail and now looks like I have a misshapen nail, (I do because I read too much) but I didn't need that drip forming making it obvious. Yes it was probably my fault for applying too thickly but I just couldn't get the coverage how I wanted it. The brush was just as bad, you may as well use a tooth pick, the colour was actually pretty cool though...in the end. I had given it a mega coat of Seche Vite Top Coat to try and even out the bumps and lumps, and true to form it did that, and actually made me warm to it a little more. I really really would not recommend this polish without a topcoat.

Here you are China Glaze Neon & On & On with Top Coat. (Natural sunlight)

On the up side also, is the fact that its really easy to remove, if you make a mistake it doesn't take much to correct it, although it is very easy then to take away too much.

China Glaze Neon & On & On, natural light.

China Glaze Neon & On & On, natural light with flash. I would say this a true representation of the China Glaze Neon & On & On in direct sunlight, pretty isn't it?! I thought so too, then I suddenly get flash back of application and start frothing at the mouth, I then get an urge to rant and rave to a stranger. Nahh not really...but I do get annoyed ha ha ha!!!

One more for you...China Glaze Neon & On & On

Over all, I would say only to buy the polish if you REALLY want the colour, if you are undecided on the colour I wouldn't waste the money, I won't be using this colour any time again soon.

Just a little trivia out there, I was once told by a rep that neon nail varnish is impossible to get in gloss finish, due to the neon pigment used they dry matte. So...never buy a neon and expect it to be glossy, they all need a top coat if you want the gloss finish...

Removal was really easy, but longevity wasn't great, without a decent top coat you may get 2 days if you are lucky.

I'm so sorry to all those that love the Sunsational Collection and sorry if I offend you in this post, I'm just not a fan, Jessica neons beat these hands down. I will swatch my Jessica Pink Explosion shortly and you can see for yourself.

Love Lola xx