The Chain Nail

Faces Cosmetics Lipstick- Barely There (101)

2012-02-04T17:25:00.000+05:30

Barely There(101) is the first lipstick that I tried from Faces Cosmetics. It's a lipstick, but not a lip colour. I would say that it's more of a lip balm - a transparent, glossy lipstick, without even a hint of colour.

The lipstick has a great smooth, silky texture, and glides like butter onto the lips. It's also really moisturising. AND, it does not have that disgusting lipstick smell. It is pleasantly scented, much like the Faces Glam On lip gloss, though not as strong.

The staying power of Barely There is almost twice as much as that of an average lip balm. I will be using this as a lip balm and will definitely repurchase it when I run out of it (which is gonna happen pretty soon, I'm guessing).

Faces Lipsticks cost Rs 499. It's a bit pricey for a 'lipstick', which in reality is a lip balm. But I would recommend getting some other shades, as the product itself is of great quality. It won't disappoint. Faces Cosmetics are easily available in India. They are even available online at Urban Touch and Health Kart.

*The products in this post were sent to me for an honest review*

Faces Cosmetics- Glam On Lip Gloss(Cupcake-051)

2012-01-28T16:53:00.000+05:30

I received a Faces Cosmetics Lip Gloss-Cupcake(051) about a month back for review. It's taken me so long to post it, probably because this was the first Faces product that really disappointed me.

First of all, the colour. It's too light and frosty. It will look good on really fair skinned people. I'm not one of them, so it doesn't work for me.The formula is not that great either. It's quite thick and....sticky. Which also makes it moisturizing and long-lasting. But I don't like how it feels on my lips. It's sad. If it was just the colour that I had a problem with, at least I would have tried another shade.

I love the yummy vanilla-candy-caramelish fragrance it has though. Anther plus point is that it is enriched with Vitamin E.

Here is the swatch. It's way more frosty IRL.

Faces Cosmtics-Glam on Lip Glosses are available on Urban Touch and Health Kart for Rs. 449 and Rs.424 respectively.

*The products in this post were sent to me for an honest review.*

Tip Top- Nail Treatments

2012-01-25T19:31:00.000+05:30

You guys have been hearing a lot about Tip Top on this blog. I have already posted about their awesome nail polishes and their crackle nail polish. Along with them, Joan had also sent me a couple of their nail treatments for review.

As you may or may not know, the swatches for TCN are done on nail extensions. A couple of years back, I had managed to grow my nails out to a length that I liked. But then I moved to Delhi and joined a new school. And this school just had too many rules. I had to file down my nails, and after that the splitting and peeling and breaking started, and I haven't been able to grow out nails ever since.

So I was pretty excited when I received Tip Top- Miraculous Results and Tip Top- Cuticle Oil to try out. Here are the pics of my natural nails that I have been taking throughout this month.

Day 5 (I can't find the pics for day 1, sorry :L)

Day 15

Day 25

Ok, so first I will talk about the Cuticle Treatment. I usually don't have much problems with my cuticles. That is only as long as I moisturize them twice every single day. I have been using the Tip Tip- Cuticle Treatment for a month now, and I am quite happy with it. It moisturizes not only my cuticles, but also works well for the skin around it. The oil penetrates deeply and soaks in within 10 minutes. Overall, it's a good product, though it did not knock my socks off. To be honest, all cuticle oils seem the same to me.

But the product that I've really fallen in love with is Tip Top Nails-Miraculous Results. I am really excited seeing the growth of my nails this month. The peeling and splitting has reduced drastically! I use two thin coats before applying nail polish. It dries quickly, so the number of coats is not an issue. It also works amazingly as a base coat; it prevents staining as well. I mean, is there anything that this product doesn't do?! I think I will have nice long nails very soon. I really hope I do. It's really tiring to file and shape artificial nails for every swatch I do on my blog. I am already worrying about what I will do when I finish my bottle, since Tip Tip is only available in South Africa.

Check out the Tip Top-Facebook Page to learn tips and tricks to grow long, healthy nails. You will also find lots of nail art pics, information about nail conditions, fun contests, etc.

*The products in this post were sent to me for an honest review*

Tip Top Rikki Brest- U Crack Me Up

2012-01-13T10:58:00.003+05:30

Hey guys, this is my 200th post, yay! And today I'm showing you the Tip Top Rikki Brest- U Crack Me Up Polish in Black.

Pink and black is one of my favourite combinations. So I used Viviana-Naughty Pout as a base. I then painted on a medium coat of U Crack Me Up on each nail. The cracks appeared within seconds. I love the effect of this. Sometimes cracks are too big, such it looks like a messed up mani. Some polishes create cracks that are so small that the base colour is hardly visible. But the Tip Top Nails crackle is perfect (Why am I not surprised? :P) The cracks are neither too big, nor too small.

The finish is obviously uneven, so a couple of thick layers of top coat are a must. U Crack Me Up comes with a top coat attached to it, as you can see in the third photo. I really loved this polish...I want more!

I wanted to show you how this compares to ChG- Black Mesh and the Kelier crackle from Born Pretty. But the Kelier has thickened up beyond imagination, and I can't get the bottle of Black Mesh to even open up. It's been stuck for months. I hope U Crack Me Up doesn't meet the same fate :L

Don't forget to check out the Tip Top Nails Facebook Page. It's really awesome. If you love nail polish, you will love this page. Also, if you need any information about nail conditions, that's the place you will find it :)

Tip Top also offers a range of nail treatments. I have testing a couple of them for about a month. I will be posting about that soon :)

*The products in this post were sent to me for an honest review*

Faces Cosmetics Eyeshadows- Pink Sequin

2012-01-10T18:45:00.000+05:30

Today I have for you the Faces Cosmetics Glam On mono-eyeshadow in Pink Sequin.

I am really loving the Faces eyeshadows. Pink Sequin is a beautiful light pink shimmer that is really wearable. It's a great everyday colour that will suit most skin tones. It's not as pigmented as some of the other Faces eyeshadows, but in this case, it's actually a good thing. You can use it either wet or dry, works well both ways.

The staying power of these eyeshadows is amazing. Even with my oily eyelids, they don't crease for about 5 hours. Faces Glam On mono eyeshadows are priced at Rs. 249 for 2g and are easily available.

You can buy Faces Cosmetics online at Urban Touch and HealthKart.

*The products in this post were sent to me for an honest review*

KKcenterHk- Full Nail Water Decals

2012-01-07T11:31:00.002+05:30

KKcenterHK offered to send me some more decals to try out. Of course, I jumped at the offer :) I love animal prints, so I chose this set of water decals to share with you.

This was the second time I was using full Nail Water Decals . It turned out much neater this time, IMO. I applied a layer of clear polish first, as decals adhere better to polish. For a full review of the decals, you can check out my earlier post here.

The packaging is simple and cute. Just how it should be.

A set of 10 decals costs $4.74. Really affordable, so if you are a fan of nail art, you must try them at least once. They are a much cheaper option than going to a nail salon and spending $$$$$ on a similar manicure. Nail Water Decals are available on the KKcenterHK website here and there are lots of designs to choose from. They also sell nail polishes(matte, cracked, glitter, magnetic & more), nail art materials, cosmetics, eyelashes, wigs, hair extensions, sunglasses, shoes, shawls and a whole lot of other stuff.

*The products in this post were sent to me for an honest review*

Faces Cosmetics Eyeshadows- Smoky Look

2012-01-04T18:05:00.000+05:30

Faces sent me a few more products for review. Today I'm showing you the eyeshadow duo in Smoky Look.

I love the sleek packaging of these duos!

Both the colours included are really cool toned. The first one is a light periwinkle blue. It's a shimmer, but at the same time it's quite muted. It was slightly chalky when applied dry. But that's not a problem because I tried applying it wet, and it was just perfect. Blended beautifully! It was less pigmented than the other Faces eyeshadows I tried, but it's buildable. The swatch below is a dry one.

The second colour is a deeper blue, with the tiniest bit of purple in it. This colour is really fresh and vibrant. I love it! It had the fantastic pigmentation that I associate Faces Cosmetics with. It looks amazing, both wet and dry.

I was impressed with the staying power of these eyeshadows. I used them without eyeshadow base and the did not fade or crease for 5-6 hours. They are also water resistant. The duo eyeshadows come with an in-built mirror and an applicator brush, which is useful for touch-ups.

Faces eyeshadow duos are reasonably priced at Rs. 399 for 2 x 2g. They are easily available. Even if you are unable to find them in stores, you can purchase them online at Urban Touch and Health Kart.

*The products in this post were sent to me for an honest review*

Tip Top Nails- Cha Cha Cha

2012-01-02T19:55:00.000+05:30

A Happy New Year to all my readers and followers. Today I'm showing you Tip Top Nails- Cha Cha Cha, which is a divine tiffany blue creme. If I'm not mistaken, this is from the Mardi Gras collection for summer 2012. It's the perfect colour to cheer me up in this gloomy Delhi winter. I think that the colour is quite close to Orly-Gumdrop and China Glaze-For Audrey, but a little brighter.

The polish applies surprisingly well for a pastel. However, now I have gotten used to expecting superior application from Tip Top. Cha Cha Cha had nearly full coverage with one coat, but I used two coats to cover up some bald spots. The brush is just so easy to work with that I didn't have do any clean-up at all :)

Here it is topped with Purple Haze. I think the colours work great together. I wore this combination on New Year's Eve =)

Also check out the Tip Top Nails Facebook Page!

*The products in this post were sent to me for an honest review*

Viviana- Naughty Pout

2011-12-31T11:12:00.000+05:30

I'm pretty sure I wrote a post about Viviana- Naughty Pout. But it's not up on the blog, and it's not saved in drafts. Blogger is really weird sometimes. Hmmm.

Anyways, Naughty Pout is a lovely dusty pink. If you haven't figured out already, I have a thing for such dusty, muted colours. This one is no exception. It's cute and girly, and it's also work-safe, so a lot of you will find it wearable. Even my mum loved it, and it's very rare that my mum and I like the same colour, especially when it comes to nail polish.

Application was like the other Vivianas. I feel like a broken tape recorder when I talk about the application of these polishes. Went on smoothly, opaque in 3 coats, dried glossy, blah blah blah. You already know it :P The swatch is without top coat.

Viviana nail lacquers are DBP and toluene-free. They retail for Rs.129 ($2.5) on their website. Urban Touch currently sells them for Rs.105. That's just a little over $2. Overseas readers can check out the Viviana website and leave a query in the contact column for direct purchasing. Viviana is a direct selling company. So you can join them and get lifetime discounts of 20-25% on all products.

*The products in this post were sent to me for an honest review*

OPI- Jade Is The New Black

2011-12-29T20:32:00.000+05:30

OPI- Jade Is The New Black is from the Hong Kong collection for Spring 2010. I had to get it off Ebay as I couldn't see this listed anywhere on the Indian etailer websites.

Jade Is The New Black is a dusty blue-based green. It's really unique and I don't have anything like it. The soft, muted look makes this green quite wearable.

The formula on this was typical OPI. A little thin, so it took three coats to reach opacity. It applied smootly, without streaking. I didn't need top coat as it was glossy enough on it's own. BUT it chipped within 24 hours :( I will definitely be using a good top coat the next time I wear this polish.

Tip Top Nails- Mango Tango

2011-12-26T21:04:00.000+05:30

Today I have a swatch of Tip Top Nails- Mango Tango.The beautiful pumpkin orange base is blasted with mesmerizing yellow shimmer. I can't imagine a colour more suitable for summer than Mango Tango. It will also make a great pedi colour.

Mango Tango a pretty warm colour, so it works well with my skin tone. I'm in love with this colour; it's like it was made for me :) As pigmented as the cremes, it was opaque in two thin coats. Went on like butter. I think Tip Top uses unicorn pee or something in their polishes. Apart from being a little thick, the formula on these is just flawless.

There's nothing more to say, the pictures speak for themselves!

I loved Mango Tango so much, that I decided to turn the swatch into a full manicure :D

Check out the Tip Top Nails Facebook Page to know about nail diseases, myths and facts, do's and don'ts, nail art and lots of contests with amazing prizes!

*The products in this post were sent to me for an honest review*

Tip Top Nails- Raspberry Cream

2011-12-24T17:06:00.000+05:30

Tip Top Nails- Raspberry Cream is a standard blue-based red with a creme finish. It's such a beautiful, deep colour that just pops on my skin tone. It's the perfect fall red! Like the other polishes from this brand, Raspberry Cream was crazily pigmented. I just needed a single coat, though you may need another coat for longer nails. If only all my polishes were this pigmented!

Tip Top lacquers are a dream to apply, soooo creamy! I would love to get my hands on more. I think the South African gals are extremely lucky to have Tip Top so easily available to them. If the company decides to go international, I have no doubt whatsoever that they will become a rage!

I also love the Tip Top Nails facebook page. Joan, the founder of Tip Top, posts useful information that is a must for any nail addict! :) I have found her tips really useful. I used to think that I know a lot about nails, but after I found their page, I realised that there's a lot left to learn. Also look out for Sam's nail art pics, they are stunning!

*The products in this post were sent to me for an honest review*

Viviana- Party Exotica

2011-12-23T10:56:00.000+05:30

Toady I have a swatch of Viviana- Party Exotica. Party Exotica is a nearly-neon teal creme. The colour was impossible to capture. It doesn't dry matte, so it's not a true neon, but it did freak my camera out, so it does have some neon properties. It's really bright and eye-catching, and I love it!

Party Exotica is way more green than the swatch shows. The colour drop on Urban Touch isn't very accurate either. No problems with application. The polish has a sort of jelly finish, and can take 3-4 thin coats to reach opacity. It dried glossy, so I didn't use top coat.

*The products in this post were sent to me for an honest review*

Tip Top Nails- Crushed Grapes

2011-12-20T10:44:00.002+05:30

Today I have another Tip Top Nail polish to share with you. This one is called Crushed Grapes.

Crushed Grapes is the perfect eggplant creme. The colour is such that it will work equally well with both cool and warm skin tones. It is also a great colour to wear all year round. Fun enough for summer, and vampy enough for fall and winter.

One thing that I have noticed about Tip Top Nail polishes is that they are all highly pigmented. They are also slightly thicker than other polishes, but you will get compete opacity in one or two coats. It is safe to say that these are the most pigmented polishes that I have ever come across.

Crushed Grapes flooded my cuticles a bit during clean up, but that's not uncommon with deep vampy polishes. I did not require a lot of clean up anyway; the brush was really easy to work with.

I used two coats for this swatch. The polish dried to a glossy finish, so I did not bother with topcoat.

Don't forget to check out the Tip Top Nails Facebook page!

Joan, the founder of Tip Top nails posts lots of useful information, that is a must-read for any nail fanatic! Also, if you are a fan of nail art, you must go there to see the amazing designs that their nail artist, Samantha Blumberg posts.

And before I forget, I want to thank Namita for giving me the Versatile Blogger award! : *

Check out Namita's blog, Vivacious Flair, I'm sure you will enjoy it :)

*The products in this post were sent to me for an honest review*

Tip Top Nails- Armourplate and Purple Haze

2011-12-18T11:17:00.002+05:30

Joan from Tip Top Nails sent me a few of their products to try out and share with you :) Tip Top Nails is a South African beauty company which is best known for its nail polishes and treatments. The polishes are free of Formaldehyde, DBP, Toluene and Camphor.

Tip Top has a very active Facebook page. Joan regularly posts very useful information about nail anotomy, diseases, the latest trends, do's and dont's and lots of fun contests. Their nail artist, Samantha Blumberg, posts amazing nail designs and nail art tutorials. She is one talented gal! I have honestly found this page very useful. Though I am not very active on Facebook, I make sure I regularly check out their page.

The first polish from Tip Top that I tried out was Armourplate. This is the best silver foil that I have ever used. The swatch shows just one thin coat. Who doesn't love a one-coater? The brush was really easy to work with. It was flat and flexible. Sort of reminded me of the OPI-Pro Wide, but without the bushiness. It was just perfect for my nails. The swatch did not require any clean-up at all. Which is a really good thing, because cleaning up foils can be an absolute disaster, with silver particles all over your fingers.

I topped off Armourplate with a thin coat of Purple Haze, which is a purple glitter top coat. I absolutely love the subtle holographic effect of the glitter. The manicure looks so festive! I will probably use Purple Haze on New Year's Eve :)

Stay tuned for more reviews of Tip Top products!

And don't forget to check out the Tip Top Nails Facebook page! You won't regret it.

*The products in this post were sent to me for an honest review*

ASK Cosmetics- Gigantic Festive Giveaway

2011-12-17T15:55:00.000+05:30

ASK Cosmetics is hosting a huge giveaway! They are giving away the entire range of their products to 3 lucky (very lucky indeed) winners. The prize package is worth $250 CAD!!! To get more information on how to enter, you can go to their facebook page or you can check out Lisa's post here. Best of luck to all those who enter! :)

Viviana- Eclectic Fascination

2011-12-16T19:03:00.000+05:30

My Viviana reviews will be drawing to an end soon. I've actually lost count of how many of them I have swatched. Today I'm showing Eclectic Fascination. It is a warm brown metallic that screams fall. I wish I had got this sooner, coz now I'm in the mood for winter colours. But hey, fall will come again, and I will be wearing it a lot next year :P

The formula was better than other Viviana polishes. It went on smoothly and was opaque in 2 coats. It dried brushstroke-free, even without using a topcoat! If you are planning to place an order for some Vivianas, I suggest you try this one. And Eco Cool, Perfect Plum, Midnight Enigma, Outrageous Sky and Secret Whispers :P

*The products in this post were sent to me for an honest review*

Eco Cool layered with Secret Whispers

2011-12-14T18:37:00.000+05:30

It's been a long time since I've experimented with layering. But when I got my hands of Secret Whispers, I couldn't resist. I layered a thin coat of it over Eco Cool, which I showed you in my previous post. I LOVE the end result. Eco Cool was already a fantastic colour, but the layering took it to a whole new level. See for yourself :) It also toned down the brightness of the pea green creme and made it a little more wearable, in my opinion.

Viviana- Eco Cool

2011-12-13T18:41:00.000+05:30

Today I'm showing you another Viviana that made it to my list of favourites. Eco Cool is a bright pea green creme, also known as a 'Shrek' green. I have wanted this colour in my collection for a long time. Personally, I feel we don't see enough pea and apple greens from nail polish companies. They either keep releasing mint greens or dark greens, if they even bother to come out with a green. Of course, some people may find Eco Cool a difficult colour to pull off, but I'm sure many of you will love it. I know I do :)

Eco Cool was opaque in three coats. I wish Viviana polishes were a little more pigmented. But I love the colour so much that I cannot complain much about the opacity. The polish was slightly goopy, and it was difficult to get thin, even coats. But the third coat evened it all out and it dried to a glossy finish. The swatch is without topcoat.

Viviana nail lacquers are DBP and toluene-free. They retail for Rs.129 ($2.5) on their website. Urban Touch sells them for Rs.105. That's just a little over $2. Overseas readers can also check out the Viviana website and leave a query in the contact column for direct purchasing. Viviana is a direct selling company. So you can join them and get lifetime discounts of 20-25% on all products!

*The products in this post were sent to me for an honest review*

Viviana- Secret Whispers

2011-12-11T20:31:00.000+05:30

Viviana- secret Whispers is a light coffee brown shimmer. I didn't like it much in the bottle. But I was in love once I painted my nails with it. It's really shimmery and glowy. A great colour for the winters and will suit most skin tones.

Secret Whispers is quite sheer. It wasn't quite opaque even after 3 coats, but the visible nail line is not noticeable because of the strong shimmer. The sheerness of the polish may make it suitable for layering. I will have to try that out. Overall, I did not have any problems with application.

*The products in this post were sent to me for an honest review*

Viviana- Luxe Lass

2011-12-09T14:18:00.000+05:30

Viviana- Luxe Lass is a sheer pale nude, which hardly shows up with a single coat. With four coats, it turns into a nude jelly. It's not exactly my type of colour, but a nice option for times when I need a break from all the crazy blues, greens and purples.

Sheer nudes tend to be rather thick and streaky. While Luxe Lass was a little thicker than usual, it wasn't streaky or difficult to handle. If you are looking for a good French manicure base, I highly recommend that you give this polish a try.

The swatch shows four coats of Luxe Lass without topcoat.

*The products in this post were sent to me for an honest review*

KKcenterHk- Full Nail Water Decals review & Coupon Code!

2011-12-07T17:33:00.001+05:30

KKcenterHk, an online nail art and makeup store, sent me their Full Nail Water Decals for review. I have tried full nail stickers before, this was the first time I was trying decals.

Each set contains 10 decals. Water decals stick better on polish, so it is a good idea to apply a layer of base coat before sticking the decals. They work just like normal water decals.

What I liked:

They are more flexible and thus easier to use than standard nail stickers.

The packaging is pretty cute.

Such complicated designs are difficult to freehand.

KKcenterHk sells them at a very affordable price of $4.74.

There are a variety of designs available on the KkcenterHk website.

What I didn't like:

There are only 10 decals in each set, so some people might find it difficult to find the right size for their nails.

I got some air bubbles, but this the first time that I used them, so I'm sure the result will be much better the next time :)

I would love to try more of these in the future. These decals are available on the KKcenterHk website here for $4.74. You can use my coupon code BLGB653RH10 for a discount of 10% on your order!

*These product were sent to me for an honest review*

Viviana- Pulsating Purple

2011-12-03T14:17:00.000+05:30

Viviana- Pulsating Purple. I swatched this over a week ago, but I have putting off posting it. I'm really not feeling this lacquer. The color itself is pretty cute. But the polish is sooo frosty & the visible brushstrokes really bother me. It's probably my least favorite Viviana.

I used three coats for the swatch. Application was like that of a typical frost. No matter how careful you are while applying it, you will get brushstrokes. Drying time was average.

Viviana nail lacquers are DBP and toluene-free. They retail for Rs.129 ($2.5) on their website. Urban Touch currently sells them for Rs.105. That's just a little over $2. Overseas readers can also check out the Viviana website and leave a query in the contact column for direct purchasing. Viviana is a direct selling company. So you can join them and get lifetime discounts of 20-25% on all products!

*The products in this post were sent to me for an honest review*

Giveaways!

2011-12-02T16:24:00.010+05:30

Fierce's makeup & nails's giveaway
The Trace Face Phile's giveaway
Ashley is Polish Addicted's giveaway *US only & her 200 followers giveaway (open internationally)

Nailed to the T's giveaways here & here
Prim & Polished's giveaway
Manicure Addict's giveaway
Sonidlo's nail polishes' giveaway

OPI-The Show Must Go On

2011-12-02T16:02:00.000+05:30

OPI- The Show Must Go On is from the Burlesque collection for Winter 2010. I decided to show you this polish because Burlesque premieres on Indian television next week. The Show Must Go On is a really gorgeous glass-flecked shimmer with a slightly metallic finish. The hot pink base flashes orange at certain angles. This was the only duochrome in the collection and I'm glad I got this one. It's really sparkly and very eye-catching. I got loads of compliments while wearing it. It's definitely one of my favorite polishes of all time :)

I used three thin coats for opacity. OPI polishes apply amazingly, and I love their Pro-Wide brush. Trust me, these pictures really don't do this polish justice, you need to see this one in real life!

Viviana- Coy Belle

2011-11-28T20:53:00.000+05:30

Viviana- Coy Belle is a pastel pink frost. Now this is the kind of pink I like! Coy Belle may be a frost, but I had not problems with visible brushstrokes. Like Midnight Enigma, this polish too is just perfect for winters.

Coy Belle was quite sheer and I used 4 coats for the swatch below. It does not dry very glossy, but I did not use top coat as I like the way it looks on its own. It took a while to dry, but that was probably because of the number of coats. I wore this as a NOTD for three days, and all I got was very minor tip wear on a couple of nails. Viviana lacquers do live up to the 'long-lasting' claim.

Viviana nail lacquers are DBP and toluene-free. They retail for Rs.129 ($2.5) on their website. Urban Touch currently sells them for Rs.105. That's just a little over $2. Overseas readers can also check out the Viviana website and leave a query in the contact column for direct purchasing. Viviana is a direct selling company. So you can join them and get lifetime discounts of 20-25% on all products!!!

*The products in this post were sent to me for an honest review*

Faces Cosmetics- Cream Blush

2011-11-27T20:23:00.002+05:30

Faces Cosmetics sent me their Glam-On cream blush in Pinked Mauve for review. Faces offers a beautiful range of wearable blushes. Pinked mauve is more pink than mauve, and will work well for pretty much all skin tones. It blends easily and gives just a little colour to the cheek without making it obvious. In fact, it looks really natural. Like your-cheeks-but-better.

I'm glad Faces sent me this, as I don't own many blushes. I have acne-prone skin and I get break-outs when I use any sort of concealer or blush. But I've worn this a couple of times, and I did not have any such problem. So now I'm thinking of purchasing the one in Peach Glow too. I saw some swatches of it and I'm in love!! But it's not available online :(

EDIT: I'll put up the swatch as soon as I can :)

Ok, here is the swatch ladies! :)

Faces cream blushes retail for Rs.399. You can buy Faces Cosmetics online at Urban Touch and at HealthKart. You don't need to buy them online if you don't want to, Faces cosmetics are easily availbale everywhere.

*The products in this post were sent to me for an honest review*

Viviana- Perfect Plum

2011-11-26T06:00:00.000+05:30

Viviana-Perfect Plum is a stunning purple shimmer with a finish that is very similar to Midnight Enigma. The purple base has specks of silver micro-shimmer that make the polish really unique. The colour is such that it will look great all year round. It is eye-catching, without being in-your face. This is also the most pigmented out of all the Viviana polishes that I have tried. It was completely opaque in two thin coats. The consistency was a little thinner than I'm used to, but it did not pool at the cuticles or anything like that. In fact, it helped the polish to dry faster.

The swatches are without topcoat. Unfortunately, these pics are not colour accurate. The polish leans way more red than the pics show. It's more of a true plum. You can click the pics to enlarge and see the beautiful micro-shimmer.

*The products in this post were sent to me for an honest review*

Faces Cosmetics- Eyeshadows

2011-11-25T12:16:00.000+05:30

I was sent a few products by Faces to review. Faces is a Canadian Cosmetics brand that is widely available in India.To be honest, I was expecting to be sent nail polishes. So I was quite surprised when I opened my package and saw some eye-shadows and a blush. Surprised, but definitely not disappointed. Hey, I love me some cosmetics :D

The first eyeshadow I received was Glam On-Oceanic.

Shown below is just one swipe. Oceanic is very pigmented and very pretty, icy light greenish-blue. The name is spot-on for the colour. It wore well and didn't crease at all.

Glam On- Pure Gold is a warm gold metallic that is great for Indian skin tones and really versatile. Unfortunately, it did not survive the journey. There was gold dust all over the package, lol.

The pigmentation was great on this one too, as you can see in the swatch. I think that it will work great as an eyeliner as well. That's what I'm gonna be using it as most of the time.

The next product I received was the glam-On eyeshadow duo in Amethyst. Eyeshadow duos come with a two sided applicator. Amethyst includes a copper with strong pink undertones and a light golden bronze. What I love about these colours is that they can be easily carried off during the day as well.

The Faces eyeshadows that I tried on smoothly without any primer. They wore well and didn't crease at all. The pigmentation on all of them was AMAZING! They are reasonably priced, easily available and give you value for money.

The mono eyeshadows are priced at Rs.249 for 2g and the duo eyeshadows are priced at Rs 399 for 2x2g.

Overall, I was really impressed by Faces, so much that I am planning to buy some products myself in the near future. I'll post about it soon :) You can buy Faces Cosmetics online at Urban Touch, HealthKart, If there is any other online store that you know of, please let me know in the comments.

*The products in this post were sent to me for an honest review*

Viviana- Midnight Enigma

2011-11-24T17:32:00.000+05:30

Today I'm showing you another Viviana polish - Midnight Enigma. This polish has a very complex finish that is quite difficult to describe. It has blue-grey base which is somewhere between a metallic and a shimmer. It also has tiny gold specks of micro-shimmer, which adds to the complexity of the polish. It's really unique and I couldn't find anything even remotely similar in my stash. The polish gives a beautiful icy look that is just perfect for winter.

Midnight Enigma was opaque enough in 2 coats, but I used 3 coats to eliminate the slight VNL(visible nail line). Since it is not a pure metallic, I did not have problems with visible brushstrokes. Drying time was average.

The swatches show 3 coats of Midnight Enigma with top coat. It is so freakin' pretty! Click the pics to enlarge them.

*The products in this post were sent to me for an honest review*

Viviana- Outrageous Sky

2011-11-20T18:00:00.001+05:30

Today I am showing you Viviana-Outrageous Sky. This is my favourite Viviana from the ones that I have tried till now. Outragoeus Sky is a stunning azure blue creme that applied like a dream and was opaque in three coats. It is really vivid and in-your-face. My type of colour :) Like all Viviana cremes, this dried to a really glossy finish. I might even get a back-up bottle, it's so pretty.

My camera freaked out on this one. The colour is a bit deeper than my pic shows. The swatch is without top coat.

All Viviana nail lacquers are DBP and toluene-free. They retail for Rs.129 ($2.5) on their website. Urban Touch currently sells them for Rs.105. That's just a little over $2! Overseas readers can check out the Viviana website and leave a query in the contact column for direct purchasing. Viviana is a direct selling company. So you can join them and get lifetime discounts of 20-25% on all products :)

*The products in this post were sent to me for an honest review*

Viviana- Starless Galaxy

2011-11-19T19:28:00.000+05:30

I love the name of this one! It's so nice to see an Indian company actually bothering to name their lacquers, instead of just numbering them. Viviana-Starless Galaxy is a pitch black creme that applied like a dream and dried to a high shine. It was really pigmented and completely opaque in 2 coats. Starless Galaxy will make a great base for nail art. Ideas are going through my head already. I couldn't find a 'Starless Galaxy'on the Viviana website. I think it is listed as 'Black Shade'.

The swatches show 2 coats of Starless Galaxy, without top coat.

*The products in this post were sent to me for an honest review*

Viviana- Feisty Fairy

2011-11-18T18:07:00.000+05:30

Viviana-Feisty Fairy is a vivid Barbie-pink creme. This is not really my type of colour. If I'm gonna wear pink, it has to be pastel, neon, dark or with shimmer. But that is just a personal preference. No dupes in my stash. Just like all other Viviana cremes, the application was perfect. Drying time was good. I used three coats and topcoat in the swatches.

Viviana nail lacquers are DBP and toluene-free. They retail for Rs.129 ($2.5) on their website. Urban Touch currently sells them for Rs.105. That's just a little over $2. Overseas readers can also check out the Viviana website and leave a query in the contact column for direct purchasing. Viviana is a direct selling company. So you can join them and get lifetime discounts of 20-25% on all products!!!

*The products in this post were sent to me for an honest review*

Viviana- Ravishing Diva

2011-11-17T21:33:00.000+05:30

Viviana-Ravishing Diva is a gorgeous tomato-red jelly. I love jellies! My skin-tone is warm, and Ravishing Diva is a blue-based red. So this is obviously not the right red for me. But I love it and am gonna wear it nonetheless. It applied like butter. Drying time was comparatively better than the other Viviana polishes. I just cannot find a fault with this one.It took three coats to be eliminate VNL(visible nail line), but I don't mind that because it helps to build that squishy jelly look.

Here are the swatches. 3 coats of Ravishing Diva + topcoat.

Viviana nail lacquers are DBP and toluene-free. They retail for Rs.129 ($2.5) on their website. Urban Touch currently sells them for Rs.105. That's just a little over $2. Overseas readers can also check out the Viviana website and leave a query in the contact column for direct purchasing. Viviana is a direct selling company. So you can join them and get lifetime discounts of 20-25% on all products! They have a great range of colours, so it's definitely worth a look.

*The products in this post were sent to me for an honest review*

Vivinana- Blinding Splash

2011-11-16T23:45:00.002+05:30

Viviana-Blinding Splash is a fun, bright, cool-toned yellow creme. Unfortunately, this one did not have the amazing application of Dark Desire. It was uneven and streaky. I had to use 4 coats to even it out and get rid of bald spots. I highly recommend waiting for at least 5 minutes between coats. Application issues were expected though. It's a yellow, after all.

Blinding Splash dried to a high shine. I did not use top coat in these swatches. The end result is definitely worth the tricky application. I will let the pictures speak for themselves :)

I found a dead-on dupe for Blinding Splash in my stash- ColorBar Lemon Drop. The colours are exactly the same. The application is exactly the same. I prefer the ColorBar brush though. But if these polishes were poured into two unnamed bottles, I wouldn't be able to tell the difference. I love this shade of yellow, so I don't mind owing two bottles :P

Viviana nail lacquers are DBP and toluene-free. They retail for Rs.129 ($2.5) on their website. Urban Touch currently sells them for Rs.105. That's just a little over $2. Overseas readers can also check out the Viviana website and leave a query in the contact column for direct purchasing. Viviana is a direct selling company. So you can join them and get lifetime discounts of 20-25% on all products!!!

*The products in this post were sent to me for an honest review*

Viviana- Dark Desire

2011-11-16T17:07:00.002+05:30

Viviana is a direct selling cosmetics company in India. Sadiq from Viviana kindly sent me some of their nail lacquers to review and share with all my readers :)

The first one that I tried was Dark Desire. From the colour drops on their website, I was expecting this to be deep dusty blue. But it was actually a beautiful purple! Purples can be very difficult to capture on camera. I tried to capture the colour as accurately as I could.

Ok, now lets talk about the application. Honestly, when it comes to Indian nail lacquers, I haven't had the best experience, with the exception of ColorBar. So I was pleasantly surprised by how smoothly Dark Desire applied. It was also highly pigmented, completely opaque in two coats and dried to a smooth glossy finish. You don't really need top coat if you change your manicure every couple of days, like me.

Drying time was average. It wasn't the best I've seen, but not that bad either.

Here are the swatches. 2 coats of Dark Desire. No top coat.

Overall, Dark Desire may not be the most unique polish ever, but I couldn't find a dupe for it in my nail polish stash. I was definitely impressed by my first Viviana polish. I'm hoping the rest will be equally awesome.

Viviana nail lacquers are DBP and toluene-free. They retail for Rs129 on their website. Urban Touch sells them for Rs.105. That's just a little over $2!!! Overseas readers can also check out the Viviana website & leave a query in the contact column for direct purchasing. Viviana is a direct selling company. So you can join them and get lifetime discounts of 20-25% on all products. That's amazing!

*The products in this post were sent to me for an honest review*

Andreia No. 43

2011-11-13T10:15:00.000+05:30

Andreia is a Portuguese brand and I was lucky enough to win Andreia no.43 in a giveaway. If there was anything like a neon red, this would be it. I tend to gravitate towards bright reds that pop on my skin tone, rather than deep, dark ones. No. 43 would look good on both cool and warm skintones. Although the polish is slightly on the thicker side, it's not difficult to work with. I had slight VNL(visible nail line) after 3 coats, but I liked the glossy jelly finish.

Colorbar- Orange Mimosa

2011-11-11T19:02:00.001+05:30

Orange Mimosa is from Colorbar's Riot collection. It is a really bright, almost neon creme. This beautiful medium shade of orange applied like a dream. The consistency is just right. No clean-up was required as the Colorbar brush shape is perfect for my nails. 3 coats were needed for opacity.

The swatches shown are 3 coats of Orange Mimosa + 1 coat of topcoat.

OPI- Yodel Me On My Cell

2011-11-09T19:11:00.001+05:30

My first OPI!!! It's Yodel Me On My Cell from the Swiss Collection for Fall 2010. I've put off purchasing OPI for ages now, as they are so expensive here and on Ebay(if you include international shipping rates). But I couldn't resist any longer, and I caved in. And having tried this one, I need to get my hands on more!

Yodel Me On My Cell is a medium teal blue shimmer with specks of micro-glitter. The finish is sort of difficult to describe. The edges of the nail don't appear darkened, but the polish seems lit and glowy nevertheless. Two medium coats are sufficient for opacity, but a third coat builds up the depth and complexity of the polish. The formula was neither too thick, nor too thin. Drying time was impressive as well.

I used three coats and a top coat in these pics. The colour is actually deeper and more green than my photos show.

Sally Hansen- Plum It

2011-11-07T20:11:00.000+05:30

The only Sally Hansen I own, Plum It, is a gorgeous deep purple with just hints of shimmer. It's highly pigmented and was completely opaque in two thin coats. Plum It dried to a high shine as you can see in the swatch, which is without top coat. This polish has a tendency to look black in dim lighting. But I'm not really complaining because I already have too many medium and light purples, but nothing like this one.

Water Marbling

2011-11-06T10:26:00.000+05:30

This is a water marble I did using Orly-Lemonade and China Glaze- Flyin High. Water marbles are fun to do and I love how you get a different design every time. I would do them more often if clean up wasn't such a pain. I apply scotch tape on my fingers to minimize the mess though. Water marbling can be really time consuming, but the result is always worth it!

Matte is Murder

2011-11-05T13:03:00.000+05:30

My current NOTD is ManGlaze- Matte is Murder. Black matte polish with rainbow shimmer. Words cannot describe how much I LOVE this polish. The colour, finish, application, even the bottles, are amazing! <3 <3 <3 Manglaze! Manglaze stopped shipping internationally a while ago, but hopefully they will start soon.

Glitter Gal- 3D Red Holo- Revisited

2011-11-04T19:34:00.000+05:30

Glitter Gal's 3D Holo in Red is hands down my favourite red polish of all time. I don't wear it very often though. Glitter Gal's bottles used to hold just 9ml of polish, and I was afraid that I would use up my bottle too quickly.

But I just received an email from Kerry at Glitter Gal- they are increasing the size of their bottles to 15ml! And they want our help to name them, so they are holding a competition. Winners will receive the collection of 15ml bottles! Awesome, right? You can watch this video for more information.

Till then, enjoy swatches of the most beautiful red holo ever!

*Information about the competition provided by Kerry at Glitter Gal*

China Glaze- Jolly Holly

2011-11-04T16:40:00.000+05:30

Jolly Holly is from the China Glaze Holiday collection of 2010. I can't believe I waited this long to wear this beauty. It is impossibly glowy and seems to be lit from within. I couldn't stop staring at my nails! The only thing that could have made this forest green shimmer better(IMO) was if it had been just a tad lighter.

The formula did not disappoint either. Jolly Holly was perfectly opaque and glossy in two thin coats; it's an extremely pigmented polish. There is absolutely no doubt that I'm gonna be wearing it a lot this winter.The only bad news is that now I am lemming Glittering Garland, Emerald Sparkle, Peace On Earth, Cha Cha Cha and a whole bunch of other greens from China Glaze :P

Striped Nails

2011-11-02T21:53:00.000+05:30

Hey guys! Today I'm showing you a striped nails manicure. As much as I enjoy the dark, vampy polishes of fall, I was in the mood for some colour on my tips! I started with a base of Catrice-Sold Out Forever and then added random stripes using Sally Hansen-Plum It, China Glaze-Jolly Holly, China Glaze-Flying High and Revlon-Red Hot Tamale. It took a while to complete this mani, but the result was well worth the effort :)

Giveaways!

2011-10-29T12:28:00.007+05:30

<333 Life's Giveaway
Short n' Chic's OPI Miss Universe Giveaway
Emerald Sparkle's Birthday Giveaway
Deuce Beauties' OPI Muppets Giveaway
Gold Speck Nails' 50 Follower Giveaway
A Polish Change's Giveaway
Konad Nails' Giveaway
Shimmer Spark's Giveaway
Nails Adored Giveaway
You Nailed It's Giveaway

Lotus Herbals

2011-10-28T18:57:00.001+05:30

Hey everyone, hope you all had an amazing Diwali! Today I'm reviewing a couple of Lotus herbal Products that they sent me as a Diwali gift.

I received A MoistPetals lip color in Red Rover(112). I love the packaging, it's really pretty and eye-catching. The lip colour was moderately pigmented and went on smoothly. I like that it's not too pigmented, so it's possible to have just a soft colour with a light-handed swipe. Red Rover is a warm red, with golden shimmer. You can enlarge the pics to see the shimmer. Perfect for the festive season!

I also received a Seduction Lip Gloss in Lychee Squash(40). The quality of the gloss is decent, but I don't like the colour. Too frosty!!! I definitely want to try the other shades though, because as I just said, the gloss itself isn't bad.

Here is by itself & over Red Rover.

(Over Red Rover) Pretty, isn't it? :)

*These products were sent to me by Lotus Herbals as a Diwali Gift.*

The Half-Moon Manicure

2011-10-22T22:02:00.000+05:30

There are already loads of versions of the half-moon manicure all over the blogosphere. But I decided to show you mine anyways :) The half-moon mani has been around for almost a century. In the 1920's, the nail was painted, while leaving a half moon unpainted near the base. However, now, the half moon is commonly painted white, or with other colours. I also added added dots around the moon because, well...I wanted to :P

London's Weather Forecast

2011-10-17T08:00:00.000+05:30

Catrice- London's Weather Forecast is a slightly blue-leaning grey with subtle shimmer. I had a bit of a problem with application as the polish was kinda thick and goopy, but nothing that a few drops of thinner cannot fix. The Catrice brush is flat and really easy to work with. I hardly ever need to clean up with Catrice polishes :)

The colour is chic and elegant without being boring. I really love the colour in the bottle, but I'm not sure if it works with my skintone :L

Here is London's Weather Forecast topped off with a Maybeline multi-coloured sparkle. I couldn't find any name on the bottle.

Black Holo French

2011-10-15T10:40:00.000+05:30

French manicures in crazy colour combinations are a great option when you are short of time, but don't want to go with plain ol' polish. Today, I used a stunning sapphire blue shimmer as the base and added French tips using my Glitter Gal- black holo. I think it looks gorgeous, and it hardly took me fifteen minutes to do :)

Rhinestone Flowers

2011-10-09T08:00:00.004+05:30

Manicures with rhinestones are not something that one can do everyday. They require a lot of care; the rhinestones fall off easily if one isn't careful. But I love a little bling occasionally! Here is what I came up with, using the rhinestones from Born Pretty. I did not use topcoat in this manicure because the stones lose their depth and sparkle when covered with topcoat. However, it's better to use topcoat if you want your manicure to last longer.

I'm Ready for Fall!

2011-10-07T19:36:00.000+05:30

I noticed that most of the manicures I had been doing recently were spring themed. So I've decided to do ones more appropriate for fall :) I painted my nails with Orly Enchanted Forest & randomly added dots to the tips with my Born Pretty acrylic paints.

BTW, I'm going to try & post more regularly from now on. It's not that I don't get time, it's just that I follow so many amazing blogs. So whenever I come online, I end up spending my time looking at swatches on other blogs :P There are so many collections coming out & I'm really lemming a number of polishes. But with the ridiculous shipping prices at etailers, I don't think I can order any right now :L

Skittle French

2011-10-04T17:41:00.000+05:30

This is a Skittle French manicure that I did a while ago. Sometimes I just sit down with my polishes, with no idea of what I'm gonna be doing. And I usually end up with a random design which is simple, but eye-catching. Just like this one :) There's nothing much to this design. All you have to do is pick out a neutral base, and paint the tips with vibrant colours, a different one on each nail.

Giveaways I'm Entering!

2011-10-02T17:27:00.001+05:30

Blushing Noir's giveaway
TraceFacePhile's 1600 followers giveaway
TraceFacePhile's 1700 followers giveaway
Manicured Monkey's giveaway

I'm back :)

2011-09-17T19:13:00.001+05:30

Hello my lovely readers! I'm back from my trip to Tokyo. And I know that I promised loads of new nail art designs when I'm back, but I'm really pressed for time as my exams start on Monday. So I guess I won't be posting as frequently as I wanted to. Anyway, today I'm showing a a blood splatter design that I did a couple of weeks ago. Everyone who saw the design was in love with it :) It's looks so freakin' cool and is definitely one of my favourite designs till date.

And here are a few photos from my trip :)

Nails of the Day

2011-09-03T14:48:00.000+05:30

I am really in the mood for nail art nowadays. Today I'm showing you a Funky French. There's not much to say about it. I just randomly painted the design, but it does look cute. I used the acrylic paints from Born Pretty for the manicure.

I will be unable to reply to comments and emails this week as I'm off to Japan for a school trip :) I will get to moderating comments and answering mails as soon as I return. I also have some fun nail designs that I cannot wait to show you :)

Orly- Lemonade

2011-08-14T12:51:00.000+05:30

Orly Lemonade is from the 2010 Sweet Collection. I can't believe that I let this one sit in my untrieds for so long. It's beautiful!!! The light pastel yellow actually looks really bold and pops out on my skin tone. Such a cute happy colour; looks yummy enough to eat :P

I had read on a number of blogs that it was difficult to apply, but I experienced no such problem whatsoever. The Orly brush is very easy to work with and of just the right width and length for my nails. The polish basically applies itself. It applied without streaking, was opaque in 3 thin coats and dried quickly to a glossy finish. The swatches are without top coat! This polish is definitely in my top 10 favourite polishes of all time.

And check out the cute little lip gloss that was attached to the bottle. Smells like lemonade :D

Tuxedo Nails

2011-08-12T20:29:00.000+05:30

I have often seen tuxedo nail art manicures all over the web. So, I finally tried it myself. I actually prefer this uncomplicated version to the other detailed ones out there as it looks cleaner.

This manicure really makes a statement and was quite simple to do. I just painted my nails with a pigmented white polish and added the design with Born Pretty Acrylic Paints.

Omega Labs- Nail Art Striper

2011-08-11T20:46:00.001+05:30

Nail de Royale sent me an Omega Labs Nail Art Striper for review. I always love to try new nail art products from different companies. Also, I was pretty excited since I'm always on the look out for the perfect nail art striper.

The brush on the these is long, thin and flexible, just the way I like it. The art polish itself was quite thin and I would have preferred it to be more opaque. It works well over light colours, but I doubt that it would show up in the same way on darker colours. Since this is art polish, it takes a while to dry. So, is it the perfect nail art striper? Well, not really. However, I do like the way this manicure turned out. It was really easy to do and looks super cute.

It's important to top off the manicure with a thick layer or two of top coat to level it out and to make the manicure last longer.

The Omega Labs- Nail Art Striper is available at Nailderoyale.com. They ship internationally.

*The Omega Labs- Nail Art Striper was sent to me for an honest review*

China Glaze- Entourage

2011-08-07T16:57:00.000+05:30

China Glaze- Entourage, from the 2009 Kicks Collection is an absolutely gorgeous lime green with subtle shimmer. A clean, fresh looking lacquer that is great for summer. I love how the colour is so vibrant without being over-the-top. However, the application wasn't as impressive. The formula was a bit runny and I had problems with cuticle-drag. While it was opaque in 3 coats, I had to use 4 to even it out. Also it stained my nails like crazy!!!

In spite of all this, the is no denying how beautiful this polish is, so I will definitely wear it again very soon :P

China Glaze Crackle- Black Mesh

2011-08-06T11:59:00.001+05:30

Nail De Royale is an online store which sells various nail products, including nail polishes and nail art. They have sent me some stuff to review and today I will be showing you Black Mesh from China Glaze's Crackle Collection.

It's best to use a contrasting color as the base, so I chose a bright orange creme, and topped it off with a medium coat of Crackle mesh. The polish is quite than normal polishes, so you need to be careful with application. It's also a good idea to shake the bottle well before applying it. The polish cracks with seconds and creates a really cool effect as shown in the swatch below. A thick layer of top coat takes care of the uneven satin finish. I love this polish and cannot wait to try it with other base colours and finishes :)

Black mesh and other China Glaze Crackles are available at Nailderoyale.com. International shipping is available.

*Black Mesh was sent to me for an honest review*

Check Out These Fantastic Giveaways

2011-07-30T12:14:00.012+05:30

Konad Addict's Glitter Gal Giveaway
Konad Addict's PiCture POlish Giveaway
Konad addict's Essie Giveaway
Pretty Edgy Nails Giveaway
Love, Varnish, Chocolate and More's Giveaway
Colores De Carol's Giveaway
Polished To the Nines' Giveaway
Lacquered Lover's Giveaway
The Trace Face Philes' 900 follower Giveaway
The Trace Face Philes' 1000 followers giveaway
Cherry Glam Girl's Giveaway
Das Experiment's Giveaway
Beauty Crazed's Summer Giveaway
Fab-la-icious' Giveaway
Closet Voyage's 200 Follower Giveaway
Rebecca Likes Nails' piCture pOlish Giveaway
Manicure Addict's Giveaway
I'm Feeling Nail-venturous' 100 follower Giveaway
Noelie's Nails' Giveaway
Polish Fixation's Giveaway

Colorbar-Lemon Drop

2011-07-29T19:20:00.000+05:30

Lemon Drop is a bright, happy-looking, medium yellow creme. It quite cool-toned, so it is probably wearable for most people.

Application was like that of a typical yellow polish. The polish was sheer, streaky and it took 4 coats to even it all out. It also took more time to dry than most Colorbar polishes. However, this won't stop me from wearing it since I don't have anything else like it. And it definitely gets a lot of attention whenever I wear it :)

Catrice- Big Spender Wanted

2011-07-18T20:39:00.000+05:30

Today I'm showing you Catrice-Big Spender Wanted. The dusty rose base of this polish is loaded with beautiful gold shimmer, which gives it depth. While the polish is pretty, I wasn't in love with it. It's a very typical colour and I got bored with it within a couple of hours of wearing it.

I love the Catrice Brush. It is flat and not too wide, and very easy to handle. But one needs to be careful while applying Big Spender Wanted to avoid brushstrokes.

Lakmé Swatches

2011-07-15T20:16:00.000+05:30

These are swatches of a couple of the Lakme nail polishes I picked up a while back.

D416(Freespirit collection by Manish Malhotra): A deep reddish-brown creme. Like most of Lakme's polishes, it was a little thick. It covered well in two thin coats and dried to a glossy finish. First coat was sort of streaky, but the second coat evened it all out.

404-Siren Red(Classics collection): Beautiful red jelly, but nothing unique at all. It applied well and covered in three medium coats. Incredibly glossy finish even without a topcoat, thats why I love jellies :)

Catching Up!

2011-06-03T13:14:00.000+05:30

Ok, so I have loads of photos that I still have to edit, and polishes waiting to be reviewed. So I'll just post all these manicures in a single post itself. I created all of them using my Born Pretty acrylic paints; I really love that stuff!

Red Allure

2011-06-01T19:18:00.000+05:30

Today I have a swatch of another nail polish from an Indian brand- Lakme. I rarely buy nail polishes from Lakme as their collection is filled with reds, pinks, browns and nudes. But recently I picked up a few that caught my eye.

The shade I'm wearing is no. 402- Red Allure, from the Classics collection. Application was average, the polish was kinda thicker than what I'm used to. I really like the colour though, it's a beautiful deep red loaded with golden shimmer, which unfortunately, my camera refused to pick up.

I used two coats for the picture. It doesn't dry to a glossy finish, so I used topcoat as well.

Colorbar Exclusive 15 and 56

2011-05-27T13:38:00.001+05:30

Colorbar nail polishes are my favourite when it comes to Indian brands. They are of great quality- they are chip resistant, apply smoothly, don't bubble(unlike many Indian brands) and dry to a glossy finish. Colorbar also has a reasonably huge selection of colours available.

Here I'm wearing three thin coats of Colorbar Exclusive 15(Mint). It's not exactly a mint shade, more of a light jade. Like all other polishes from Colorbar, the application was a breeze :)

While the color is pretty by itself, I was in the mood for some sparkle. So I added a thin coat of Colorbar Exclusive 56, which is a silver sparkle topcoat. I loved how it looked on Mint.

Gradient Stripes

2011-05-14T22:04:00.000+05:30

Today I have for you another freehand nail art manicure using Born Pretty acrylic paints. This was a quick and simple one. A pale mint base with diagonal gradient green stripes, topped off with two thin coats of topcoat.

Blue Blossoms

2011-05-03T19:29:00.000+05:30

Here is a manicure that I recently did for my mum. I used a nude base with subtle shimmer, and painted blue flowers using the acrylic paints from Born Pretty. I absolutely love these paints, they are so smooth and saturated.

It was a quick manicure, which turned out better than I had hoped, and prefect for the season IMO. The design is not over-the-top, but people are bound to notice it. Mum got a lot of compliments on this one :)

Lotus Herbals Professional PHTORx range Rejuvina™ Herbcomplex Protective lotion

2011-04-30T12:38:00.000+05:30

Hey everyone, hope you are having a great weekend. Today, I have a review of the PHTORx range Rejuvina Herbcomplex Protective Lotion from Lotus Herbals.

About Lotus Herbals(from the website):

Lotus Herbals products are honest herbal formulations. Inspired by Ayurveda, a 5000 year old science of life, each product contains combination extracts of different herbs to protect, heal and enhance the face, body and hair.

Lotus Herbals is a reputed, trusted and valued natural products' brand. Formulated in India, it has the distinction of being one of the most sought after brands in many asian and european countries.

India is acknowledged the world over for her rich bounty of herbs, and even more for her ancient practices of applying them effectively. Lotus Herbals brings forth the same wisdom, in the form of scientifically developed products that generate the same powerful effect, in a shorter time and last you longer. At Lotus Herbals we actively engage herbal ingredients instead of chemical-based, synthetic and cruel animal tested cosmetics. Our wide range of holistic health-care and enhancement products capture the purity of nature and the strength that lies therein.

The Rejuvina Protective Lotion is a daily moisturizing sun protector with SPF 15 made for normal to oily skin It not only locks essential moisture, but also protects the skin from the ill effects of the sun, wind, UV radiation and heat. I have been using it for about two weeks and I think it's a great lotion for these extreme Delhi summers. The best part if that it feels very light on the skin and keeps it fresh. It is also effective against minor rashes and sun burns.

It is preservative free and free from artificial fragrance and colour. The colour is similar to that of calamine. It's active ingredients include Rose, Aloe Vera, Chamonile and Wheat extracts.

I loved the packaging of the product. It is a lovely shade of green that gives a pleasant a fresh appearance.You feel like you are holding a good quality product in your hand :)

Even though my overall experience was fantastic,I did have one minor problem. The pump of the bottle was really tight in the beginning and it was a huge pain to get the lotion out. At first I thought I may have received a defective bottle, but this problem got solved withing a week of using the product. The pump is working fine now.

My readers in India can check out the salons where the PHOTORx range is available here. It costs Rs 225 for 100ml. For all my overseas readers out there, You can get information on how to purchase Lotus herbals products in the international FAQs section on their website.

*This product was sent to me by Lotus Herbals for review*

More Designs

2011-04-22T17:34:00.000+05:30

As promised, here are a few nail art designs that can be created using the 3d coloured steel balls that are available at Born Pretty.

You can buy a wheel of these 3d beads here at Born Pretty for $3.33.

* The products in this post were sent to me by Born Pretty for an honest review*

Born Pretty- 3D Steel Ball Nail Art Glitter Decoration

2011-04-17T17:00:00.000+05:30

Today I have a cute manicure that I did for Mum using the 3d coloured steel balls that I received from Born Pretty. These are basically really tiny beads that add a 3d effect to your nail art. They are pretty simple to use, just pick them up using a moist orange wood stick and place them onto your wet nail polish. It takes more time than usual to create this kind of a manicure, but it's defnitely worth the final result.

These beads can be used to create both, funky and elegant designs. I will show you a few more designs that I created in my next post, so don't forget to check back :)

You can buy a wheel of these 3d beads here at Born Pretty for $3.33.

* The products in this post were sent to me by Born Pretty for an honest review*

Born Pretty- Water Decals

2011-03-25T11:57:00.000+05:30

I had loads of fun this morning playing around with the water decals that I received from Born Pretty for review. Each pack has 11 small sets of decals. The selection includes Hello Kitty, Snow White and various floral designs. Application is easy, the designs are cute and I have no complaints whatsoever. These are great for a quick manicure and for those who want a professional look but are not comfortable with freehand nail art.

Here are a few looks that I created with the Born Pretty water decals. I think these designs are perfect for spring =)

Each pack of Born Pretty water decals costs $4.73 and you can buy them here. Born Pretty has a HUGE variety of nail art products at affordable prices, so be sure to visit their website.

And here are a few pics from my recent visit to Udaipur.

Me n mom :)

*The water decals were sent to me by the company for an honest review*

Born Pretty- Kelier Crackle Nail Polish

2011-03-18T19:56:00.000+05:30

I have been wanting to try crackle nail polish for a long time. So I was really excited about this particular product that Born Pretty sent to me for review- Kelier crackle nail polish!

I started out by painting two thin coats of Catrice-Sold Out Forever and waited for it to dry completely. It's best to use a contrasting base colour so that the crackle effect would be more visible. I then painted a medium, even coat of Kelier crackle polish in black. In a couple of minutes I got a really cool, funky crackle effect! It dries glossy without a top coat. I really like novelty polishes, I love how people always ask, "wow, how did you do you nails like that?!"

This polish would have been near perfect had clean-up not been impossible. And I really mean it when I say impossible, even with acetone! I'll be careful the next time I apply it. So...yeah, although I haven't tried to remove this polish yet, I suspect it's gonna be pretty difficult. But that won't stop me from wearing this polish again, the effect is awesome. I ~~want~~ need more of these crackle polishes :D

Here is a photo of day 5.It's still looks decent enough; a very durable polish.

You can buy Kelier crackle nail polish here for $4.52. It's available in other colours too- purple, green, blue, yellow and red. Born Pretty also has a lot of other stuff for all you nail art lovers out there, so be sure to check it out. Also, don't forget to use the coupon code BP299 to get a free Hello kitty stamping plate!

*These products were sent to me by the company for review*

Born Pretty- False Full Nail Tips

2011-03-12T18:46:00.001+05:30

Born Pretty, the now quite popular nail art e-tailer, kindly offered to send me some more products to review. Of course I jumped at the opportunity; I had loved their products the last time I had used them.

I was sent a set of pre-designed false full nail tips, black with the Chanel logo in white. Each packet has 70 nail tips, so you can get quite a few manicures out of one pack. For the first time, I had absolutely no trouble finding the right size for my nails. The sizes included are ones that you can actually use. Usually, many companies include too many gigantic nail tips, some of which are probably twice the size of your thumb nail, so it gets really frustrating to find your size, But thankfully, that's not the case with these.

The tips are not too curved, and not too flat, so they will suit a majority of women(and men?) out there. However, my nails are really flat, and I still to find falsies that are flat enough for me. But the Born Pretty nail tips were thin and flexible enough, so it wasn't such a huge problem. As they are thin, these tips look comparatively natural than many others I have tried.

I should add that the pack does not include nail glue, so you need your own. I used BYB nail glue, also available at Born Pretty. The last time I used this glue, my false nails lasted for more than a week. A good option if you like your nails to last for a long time. But it takes a lot of time and acetone to dissolve this glue, so be warned.

Each pack of these false nails costs $5.45. 70 nail tips for $5.45 is not bad at all. I love how Born Pretty reasonably prices their items, without compromising on quality =)

You can check out these false nails here. If you are planning to buy false nails from Born pretty, these are some other designs that I would suggest: the blue leopard print, pink tiger stripes, and this very sexy black and red dotted gradient design.

*These items were sent to me by the company for review*

Hey..

2011-02-26T12:07:00.002+05:30

Just popping in to say hi. I feel terrible about ignoring this blog, but I am in the middle of my final exams for this year. I will be back to blogging regularly by mid-March. Till then, take care everyone :)

La Playa

2011-02-05T20:30:00.000+05:30

This one is a part of the 4-piece Viva! Collection that Orly released for summer 2010. It's a dark inky blue, which doesn't look black even in dim lighting. The consistency was thinner than what I'm used to with Orly's polishes. But it was pigmented enough to cover in two coats. The application was smooth and even, typical Orly. The colour is not really unique at all, so I wasn't blown away by this polish. It's still pretty though, and I will end up wearing it more than a couple of times this spring/summer :)

Spring's coming again soon!

2011-01-29T13:20:00.000+05:30

I am so happy to finally see the bright spring colours coming back to blogs. I'm just not a big fan of the dark, reddish fall-winter shades, nor do I like such extremely chilly weather. But now the weather is improving, and the new spring collections will start releasing soon, so I'm really excited! And to celebrate that, here's a rather spring-appropriate manicure. I took the photos before clean-up, so excuse the mess :P

Enchanted Forest

2011-01-22T18:46:00.000+05:30

Today I have swatches of one of my favourite green polishes, Orly-Enchanted Forest. I love Orly's polishes, and this one is no exception.

Enchanted Forest is a rich forest green creme. It's dark but never looks black, which is great. This one leans more blue than most forest green cremes, and that's what makes it different. The polish is a tone darker and deeper on the nail than in the bottle.

I used two coats for the swatch. No issues with application, the first coat goes on kinda thin, but the second coat makes it even, opaque and creamy :) Orly's rubberized caps makes the grip so much better during application. There was no need to add top coat as the polish dried to an incredible shine. I'm glad I bought this one, even though the international shipping prices at most etailers suck.

Look at the little butterfly charm it comes with, so sweet!

Gradient Funky French

2011-01-12T18:21:00.000+05:30

I had another go at the acrylic paints sent to me by Born Pretty. Last time I showed you a couple of designs on fake nails, this time I tried an actual manicure. I made the funky French tip a gradient and I think it turned out pretty cute. I like having bright yellows and greens on my nails, they cheer me up in these dull, dark winter days. I used Gosh-Golden Dragon as the base, and the acrylic paints for the designs.

(Sorry for poor clean-up, didn't realize it till I enlarged them for editing.)

*The acrylic paints were sent to me for review by the company/ PR firm for the company*

Gosh- Golden Dragon

2011-01-08T19:29:00.000+05:30

I know I have not been posting very frequently. That's because winter has been harsh on my hands. They were really dry and my cuticles were in a terrible state. I tried moisturizers and creams from quite a few brands but nothing seemed to work. And then I tried plain ol' inexpensive petroleum jelly and it worked wonders for my cuticles! Sooo, I'm back to swatching =)

I dug through my untrieds and found this beauty, Gosh-Golden Dragon, can't believe I waited this long to try it. It's a blue leaning green blasted with gold micro-glitter, which unfortunately my camera didn't pick up very well. But trust me, it's there. The finish is somewhere between a foil and a metallic, more of a foil, I guess. Opaque in two thin, smooth coats. Golden Dragon would have been near perfection, if it didn't take so long to dry. But a quick dry top coat fixed that.

Swatches are with one coat of top coat, no base coat.

Happy New Year!

2010-12-31T13:26:00.000+05:30

Just a short catch-up post for today. I used mostly frankens for this manicure, except for the black heart, for which I used a nail star nail art pen. I probably won't be posting tomorrow, so wishing all my readers and followers a very happy new year! =)

A Fun Ruffian

2010-12-24T20:28:00.000+05:30

I still have Raunchy Bitch on my nails, which I wore for the X-mas party. It's so gorgeous that I don't wanna remove it just yet. But being a nail maniac, there's always the urge do do a new mani, I'm sure most of you know what I'm talking about ;-) So I did my mom's nails today. She loves ruffian manis, and so do I, So that's what I did for her, with a cute flower at the corner of each nail.

I used China Glaze- Flyin' High for the base, Orly- Enchanted Forest for the ruffian and nail art pens for the flowers. Finished off with a thick coat of topcoat.

Hema Nail Polish- 83 (Plus some random bonus pics)

2010-12-21T20:00:00.002+05:30

Today I have for you a beautiful polish from the Dutch Brand, Hema. This is Hema no.83, a pretty lilac shade that is soft, but bold enough to escape the pastel category. It went on smootly and was opaque in two medium coats, no streaking at all. Dries to a glossy finish, so I did not use top coat. I have had a lovely experience with Hema nail polishes and if I get the chance, I would love to try more.

As with most purples, it was really difficult to get a colour accurate pic, but the bottle pic is pretty accurate.

And here are some pics of our Christmas party at school today. I missed out on the actual 'party' part of it, as I had won a prize in some competition and I had to leave for the prize distribution in the morning itself. Unfortunately, I could not get many pics as it was so early in the morning that only a few of my friends had reached school. But I did manage to get some. Our class had crappy lighting, so excuse the quality if the pics :P

BTW, I'm the one in the black top and jeans.

Flyin' High

2010-12-17T21:38:00.000+05:30

'Whaaa...?! Medium teal creme in winter???' Yeah yeah, I know I shouldn't be wearing all these colours in winter. But the weather is so gloomy, and these polishes cheer me up :)

I'm having a tough time surviving the Delhi cold. These are my first winters in Delhi, so I'm not used to such freezing temperatures. I loved Mumbai winters, pleasant weather, not that cold at all. In fact, Mumbai had the same kind of weather all year round, apart from raining like crazy in July and August. *sigh* I really miss Mumbai, Bombay Scottish(my old school), Raheja Vihar(where I lived). I miss shopping in Bandra and Hiranandani. I miss eating chaat and pani puri at Galleria. Most of all, I miss my friends, Vasundhara, Jemima, Renuka, and everyone else at Bomaby Scottish. I may not be in touch with many of them, but they all hold a special place in my heart. We used to have our annual concert at this time of the year at Bomaby Scottish. Loads of music, dancing, bunking classes all December for rehearsals, and just going crazy! It used to be amazing, it was like one HUGE party! There are so many times when I wish I was back in Mumbai.... I still think of it as home, I can't help it....Ok, I'm babbling now, getting depressed writing this :'( .... I'll shut up.

Onto the polish, Flyin' High is a beautiful teal creme which dries to a really glossy finish. It leans more blue than green, closer to an aqua, and dries darker and greener than the bottle colour. It has sorta a dusty feel, yet it's so bright and cheerful.Flyin High is a very pigmented polish and was smooth and opaque in two thin coats. It was a dream to apply. Perfection. Swatches are without base or top coat.

(Did I mention that I miss Mumbai?)

Gradient Nails

2010-12-17T20:38:00.001+05:30

Here is my first try at gradient nails using the layering method. This looked much better in real life than in the pics. Macro picks up all the imperfections :| The mani did not look so patchy IRL. The base is two coats of Catrice-Plum Play with Me, which I layered with BB Couture-Horened Devil. I wasn't too happy with my choice of colour combination, so I consider this a fail. But I'll give gradient nails another try later.

Layering with Lakme and BB Couture

2010-12-11T18:30:00.003+05:30

I've had a polish called Iced Plum by Lakme since a long time.While it is pretty, I got bored of it after wearing it once. But I hate wasting a good polish, I mean it applies nicely, it's affordable(less than $2) and it's a one coater. Yup, what you see in the photo is one coat! Fortunately, it makes a really nice base for layering! And since it becomes opaque in one coat, there are no drying issues after layering another polish.

Here it is with one layer of BB Couture Horned Devil. I *love* the end result. It's not like any other finish I own and transforms the sort of spring-ish colour of Iced Plum into a more fall and winter appropriate shade. Horned Devil is awesome, for layering as well as by itself. I still need to try it over black. I've finished half the bottle and I feel I need a back-up. *sigh* My poor wallet. Or should I say, my Dad's poor wallet, haha :P

Is it a Pastel? Or Neon?

2010-12-11T16:48:00.003+05:30

Today I'm showing you this dirt cheap nail polish I picked up recently.The bottle says the company is VOV, but the nail polish itself is unnamed and unnumbered. I bought it for Rs.15, that's less than $0.35! This beauty was lying in the middle of boring old pinks, mauves, nudes and other blaaah colours, so I only got this one.

It's a green creme, which changes drastically in different lightings. Check it out, in some lightings, it's almost as pale as a pastel, in others(second photo), it's as bright as a neon! The application was average. Streaky at first coat. Nice and opaque at three. It dries to a glossy enough finish, but I still suggest top coat because these cheap polishes have a tendency to chip. Another thing worth mentioning is that this polish has a horrible, strong, suffocating smell. Definitely not Big-3 Free. But considering the price, it's hell of an awesome deal.

Swatches are shown with base and top coat.

Rhinestone Nail Art

2010-12-08T19:16:00.000+05:30

I was goofing around with the rhinestones that were sent to me by Born Pretty. Here are couple of manicures that I came up with.

Since Christmas is coming, I used green and red colours, so that you can get a few nail art ideas for the holidays. These came out pretty neat, and I wish I could have worn them as full manis. But I've got swatching to do, so I had to remove them soon after clicking photos. Oh well, these are really easy to do, so I'll probably try them again later on.

The rhinestones are so cute, they add a little bling to the manicure, perfect for the season =)

*The rhinestones were sent to me for review by the company/ PR firm for the company*

St. Lucia Lilac

2010-12-05T16:53:00.000+05:30

Today I have a swatch of a beautiful polish by Essie, which is St. Lucia Lilac. This polish is very special to me as it was my first Essie =)

The application was okay, I guess. The polish was kinda thin and it took three coats to become opaque. It's better to apply thin coats and let them dry in between to avoid bald spots. However, the end result is definitely worth it. A squishy pastel lilac; soft, subtle, but chic and trendy at the same time. People usually wear pastels for spring, but I think they are pretty awesome for winter as well!

So what do you think about this polish? Do you wear pastels in winter too?

Accent Nails

2010-12-03T21:30:00.005+05:30

What do you do when you want to give your manicure a little something extra, but are feeling lazy or maybe just don't have enough time? I add accent nails! They look edgy and are eye-catching, and the best thing is that they are hardly time consuming. Just get the colour combination right, and you are sure to get poured with compliments.

These are fun to do and the possibilities are endless. I love experimenting with different colours and finishes. Here's an accent nail manicure that I did for my mum. I also added white stripes, because well, I felt like :P My nail art striper has become thick and goopy, so I needed two coats of top coat to even it all out.

I love how it turned out. These red accent nails remind me of candy canes, yummmmmm!

Come Hither

2010-12-03T12:00:00.000+05:30

There are a number of nail polish brands that have included a dark burgundy jelly in this year's fall/winter/holiday collections(Essie, OPI, China Glaze). I dug through my stash to see if I could find a similar polish, and here's what I found, Cheeky Monkey Cosmetics- Come Hither. I had almost completely forgotten about this polish, and I'm surprised, because it's beautiful. I guess it's because I only wear such colours during winters...

In my opinion, this is very similar to the vampies being released recently, so I won't be needing those. Come Hither is a gorgeous, sexy, almost-black burgundy jelly, that dries to a ridiculously glossy finish. I could do my hair looking into my nails! :P And the great thing about this one is that it never looks completely black, except in very dim lighting.

This was two coats, without top coat, I don't think this polish needs top coat =)

Just Catchin' Up

2010-12-01T12:00:00.000+05:30

I've got so many more polishes to swatch and show you, and some photos left to edit. So this is just a short catch up post, so that I don't lag any further behind.

For this manicure, I used Catrice- Sold Out Forever and Glitter Gal Black holo polish. I couldn't find my French tip guides, so I used scotch tape for the funky French instead. I made the dots using a toothpick, and slapped on one thick layer of topcoat in the end. Quick and easy, the manicure hardly took twenty minutes, but the end result was cute =)

Blues in the Night

2010-12-01T11:38:00.000+05:30

This is a polish that I've been wearing a lot recently; it's Nicole by OPI-Blues in the Night.

The name pretty much says it all. The polish has a black base packed with teal micro-glitter, and a pink/purple duochrome at the edges of the bottle. But the duochrome shows up on the nail only when strong light hits it. I don't mind that, the polish is gorgeous even without it, and I love the depth it has. I'm not comfortable wearing plain black polishes, but this one has a nice twist to it and is hence a good substitute for me =)

The first coat goes on sheer, and a slightly thicker second coat makes it opaque. I did not have any problems with the application. Although there is quite a lot of glitter in it, the surface dries smooth, without any gritty feel to it. The polish isn't very glossy, so I added one coat of topcoat.

Check out the duochrome! See, it's there on the nail too =)

The Chain Nail is on the list of Top Blogs!

2010-11-30T08:36:00.000+05:30

This morning, I got an email informing me that The Chain Nail is one of the Top Manicure & Pedicure Blogs by Online Cosmetology School!

I'm truly honoured to be featured on this list, and I'm glad that people out there find my blog to be a helpful resource. I would like to thank the Online Cosmetology School, and also my fabulous readers, as this blog is nothing without all of you =)

You can find the list here. Also be sure to check out all the other great blogs that have been listed there :)

CosmetologySchool.org

Hema Nail Polish- 81

2010-11-28T13:07:00.000+05:30

Hema is a Dutch drugstore brand which sells nail polish, among other products. Unfortunately, it's one of those brands which numbers their polishes instead of naming them *meh*

This one is number 81. It's an aqua blue which was impossible to photograph. I tried all lightings and settings, with no luck :( The colour is so bright and vivid in real life that it freaked my camera out. My camera refused to focus on the colour. I've honestly had lesser problems photographing purples and neon yellows! After about an hour of dancing on one leg and standing on my head trying to photograph this polish, this was the closest I got to the colour....Imagine it with a bit more green to it, and deeper than what my photos show.

As far as application is concerned, the polish is neither too thin nor too thick, and requires three medium coats to become completely opaque. The colour is bright and in-your-face, which I like and it has a very glossy finish. Swatches are with top coat.

Born Pretty- Acrylic Paints and Glitter

2010-11-27T12:17:00.000+05:30

I will be reviewing some more Born Pretty products today. I received a box of acrylic paints and a set of glitters.

The acrylic paints are great for freehand nail art. They are quite easy to use and as you can see, my first try wasn't bad. I love gradients on nails, they look different and eye-catching but they can be a pain to create with regular nail polish. However, it was a piece of cake with these paints; they blend so well and are very saturated =) I also painted black hearts on the first nail and I think it looks pretty darn awesome! The set consists of 12 acrylic paints, 2 brushes(size 000) and 2 mixing palletes, so it's got everything you need to start with freehand nail art.

The glitters are sooo pretty! Some of them flash different colours, like the orange glitter that I used below flashes lime green . Born Pretty also sells nail glue which I used to stick the glitter dust.

Born Pretty ships internationally at affordable prices. There is such a huge variety of products, which are inexpensive and are of great quality to go along with that =) It's a dreamland for all nail art enthusiasts!

*These products were sent for review by the company/ PR firm for the company*

Another Fauxnadicure!

2010-11-26T18:39:00.000+05:30

I'm really loving the image plates by Born Pretty and I did a manicure for Mum using one of them.

First was a base of Essence-Surferama, which went on really smoothly and took two thin coats to be opaque and even. I then stamped the floral design with unnamed white polish and Born Pretty plate m05. Still, I felt that the mani need a little something extra, so I got out a Nail Star nail art pen and did a random dot pattern.

I'm having loads of fun experimenting with these plates and they have widened the options of the different types of nail art designs and combinations I can create =) They are a great product for all those interested in nail art, being really affordable and easy to use!

There are a variety of nail art stamping sets available at Born Pretty, ranging from $3.49 to $22.32. Born Pretty ships internationally for really low prices. So what are you waiting for? Go check em out!

*These products were sent to me for review by the company/ PR firm for the company.*

Love Ya!

2010-11-20T17:52:00.000+05:30

Today I have a manicure using one of the image plates that were sent to me by Born Pretty. Born Pretty is an etailer which sells a wide variety of nail art products at really affordable prices.

For this manicure I used two designs from image plate m07(scroll down for a pic of image plate). I think it turned out really cute. The Born Pretty stamper is a little stiffer than the Konad one, you need to apply more pressure while picking up the image. The scraper though worked pretty much the same as the konad one.

The image plates themselves have some really interesting and cute designs. Unfortunately, it took me took about one hour to realize that these plates have a thin plastic protective sheet, which you need to remove before use. You should have seen me at first, desperately trying to get the stuff to work, I was hysterical :p And then I think I scraped a bit hard, and scraped off a bit of the plastic, only then did I realize that there was a protective sheet on the plates, haha :P

I am looking forward to playing around with these image plates and creating more manicures with them =) I'm sure I'm gonna be using these a lot. I'm one happy girl right now!

Image plate m07:

There are a variety of nail art stamping sets available at Born Pretty, ranging from $3.49 to $22.32. Be sure to check them out =)

*These products were sent to me for review by the company/ PR firm for the company.*