Opulent Essences - Taste The Rainbow Collection

I've been after some neon polishes for a while now as it's something I'm lacking in my huge polish collection, so was really excited when I discovered the Taste the Rainbow collection from UK Indie brand Opulent Essences. They're super bright and really didn't disappoint.

For Your Nails Only - Enchanted Holo Collection

I discovered a new UK indie nail polish brand fairly recently, For Your Nails Only, and I excitedly bought the first collection called the Enchanted Holo collection and it is gorgeous.

Effiena's Nail Polish Review - Part 2*

The lovely and talented Effiena of Effiena's Nail Polish very kindly sent me 4 more polishes for review last month, and as I loved the last set of polishes that I reviewed, I was more than happy to receive more. You can find my post about the last set of polishes here. This time I was sent 4 polishes from the Chameleon Collection which is a really unique and interesting collection. Here is what I received and what I thought of them.

I will be showing you 4 photographs of each polish to demonstrate how these polishes change over different base coats. I will show you the polish over the natural nail and then over a black base coat. I will also do a comparison and macro shot of each one.

I'll begin by talking about 'Fresh Glow'.

3 coats over the natural nail.

 1 coat over a black base coat.

 Comparison of the two.

Macro shot.

This polish suits it's name perfectly as it really is such a lovely fresh colour. It looks really pretty over the natural nail, giving a nice subtle colouring which would be great as a base to some nail art. You can really see all the colours come out when it is shown over the black base, and it looks so rich and vibrant. 

Next is 'Periwinkle'. 

 3 coats over the natural nail.

 1 coat over a black base coat.

 Comparison of the two.

Macro shot.

This is the one that I was most worried about swatching as it is so light in the bottle, and I had no idea how to show if off properly. As you can see, it isn't ideal as a stand alone polish as there is visible nail line, and the colour doesn't really pop. However; if you are looking for a really shimmery almost natural colour, then this would be perfect for you. 

What Periwinkle lacks as a stand alone polish, it makes up for in leaps and bounds when it is over a black base. This is hands down my favourite of the 4 as the colour is just pure perfection. It is super shiny and the colour transition between the blue and purple is fantastic. I wore this on my nails for around 3 days and could not stop staring at it.

Next up is 'Plum Ultra Marine'.

 3 coats over the natural nail.

 1 coat over a black base coat.

 Comparison of the two.

Macro shot.

Plum Ultra Marine is a great all rounder as it looks lovely over the natural nail, and looks just as nice over the black base. I really love the green shimmer you can see coming through on the swatch of the polish over the natural nails, it makes for a really pretty effect. The colour transition in this is really interesting as it initially looks almost pure green, but when you take a look at the macro shot, you can really see those pretty purple tones coming through.

Finally we have 'Rich Tan'.

 3 coats over the natural nail.

 1 coat over a black base coat.

 Comparison shot of the two.

Macro shot.

Like the others, Plum Ultra Marine really comes to life over the black base coat and you can really see those beautiful tones coming through. I would say, like Periwinkle, this is probably a little bit too sheer to wear on its own unless you are looking for a really subtle polish, but you can see the purple tones coming through which is nice. This transitions from a gorgeous bronze into a really pretty purple effortlessly, and like the others, it's really sparkly which is always a winner.

 Comparison collage.

Macro collage.

In terms of application, I can't fault any of these polishes at all. Effiena has just released a new bottle shape which these 4 came in, and they have a lovely flat brush which makes application a doddle. They also dry really quickly and last really well.

All of these polishes are £5 each from Effiena's Etsy shop which you can find here.

You can also find Effiena on the following social media pages: Facebook, Twitter & Instagram.

Are you a fan on Indie Polishes? Which of these 4 is your favourite? Let me know in the comments.

Sam x

*These products have been sent to me for review*

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February Beauty Favourites

So February is finally over, which means it's time for a round up of my favourite beauty items for this month. I must admit that I found it really hard to narrow it down this month as I have discovered some real gems. I've picked 5 products that range from skincare to nail polish, and here is what I have picked.

Cyclax Aloe Vera Revitalising Cream, Soap and Glory Hand Food, No7 BB Lips, Glam Polish Bellatrix and No7 Pore Vacuum Mask.

I picked this Aloe Vera cream as I have fallen in love with it again recently. I bought 2 big tubs of this when I was on holiday in Tenerife last October. They cost me just 5 Euros for 2. The Spanish seem to be really into their Aloe Vera products and they were in practically every single shop I went into. 

This cream is so moisturising and smells lovely. It sinks in really quickly so you aren't waiting around for ages before getting dressed. I love the fact that its so soothing, and its absolutely perfect for the horrible winter months. I have seen this brand in the UK before in a few random budget beauty shops, but if you come across it then I would definitely recommend picking a tub up.

I got this Soap and Glory hand cream in a gift set which I bought in the half price Boots sale after Christmas. I'm a massive fan of hand cream and have one in practically every room in the house, as well as in my handbag and on my desk at work. 

This is one of the nicest hand creams I think I have ever owned. I have tried Soap and Glory Hand Food before, but I have never owned a tube, and I already know that I will be buying another one as soon as this has gone. It sinks in so quickly, doesn't leave a horrible greasy residue on your hands like a lot of hand creams do, and it smells gorgeous. It has helped my hands so much over the past couple of months, and has really helped to keep away those dreaded dry knuckles and cuticles.

No7 BB Lips in Belle Pink might just be my favourite lip product ever. I was really sceptical when I bought it as I thought it would be just another lip gloss that I don't use, but that isn't the case at all. It is a lipstick-lipgloss hybrid and give such a beautiful subtle colouring to the lips. It's also really moisturising and doesn't completely dry my lips out like most lipsticks do. It's long lasting and doesn't have a sticky finish like most glosses. I definitely want to get more of these in some brighter colours for spring and summer.

Next is Glam Polish in Bellatrix. I wasn't 100% sure which nail product to pick as I've tried some really lovely ones this month, but this is definitely one of my favourites. Everything about it is perfect from the application to the colour. This is a great all round colour, and I will be using this again and again as a base coat for nail art. Please see below for a swatch of this polish and a beautiful macro bottle shot that I took.

You can really see the gorgeous colours come through in the macro shot.

Finally, I chose the No7 Pore Vacuum Mask. I have written a full review post about this product which you can find here. I love this product as it has really helped with my clogged pores, and has made my skin so much clearer and fresher. I have been using this once a week for the past month, and it's one of the best skincare investments that I have made.

Have you tried any of these products? What are your favourite beauty products from February? Let me know in the comments.

Sam x

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Effiena's Nail Polish Review - Part 1*

The lovely Effiena of Effiena's Nail Polish very kindly asked me to be her permanent swatcher at the beginning of the year and I was super excited, so of course I had to say yes! Effiena is a new UK indie polish maker, making a range of colours and finishes. Her polishes are all completely handmade and are 5 Free. I will put links to her Etsy shops and social media pages at the bottom of this post so that you can check her out. Right let's move onto the good bit...the polish!

Effiena sent me 4 polishes to begin with that vary in finish and colour. Here is what I was sent.

L-R: Fire, Destiny, Bewitching & Cherry.

I'll start by talking about Fire as that is the one I was desperate to use first. It is a gorgeous gold-pink duochrome and the colour shift is really beautiful. I used 3 thin, really easy, coats of this to get full coverage. I wore this polish for 2 days and it didn't chip, and I had minimal tip wear. I got quite a few compliments on this one while I was wearing it, and I know that it is one I will keep going back to in the future.

Here is Fire in in gold state.

And in it's pink state. As you can see, it is pretty in both lights.

Next up is Destiny. This is a really interesting polish as it can be used in many ways. I used 3 coats of it to get a really nice light purple shimmery colour, but you could also use just 1 coat to give a really nice natural sheen. What I like about this polish is that it is so versatile. I also layered this over a dark purple, almost black, polish and it created a really stunning effect.

3 coats of Destiny, no undie.

And here it is layered over the dark purple.

When I opened my package of polishes from Effiena, Bewitching jumped out to me straight away. It is such a gorgeous rich polish and the colour is really intense. Like with Fire, I used 3 coats of this but you can definitely get away with 2 coats. The colour is so unusual and I don't own anything like it all. There is also a really lovely shimmer running through it which gives it that extra depth and makes it a little more special. This was my firm favourite of the four.

Finally we have Cherry. This is a really great gelly polish. It is very similar to the OPI Sheer Tints and Sally Hansen Triple Shines that were popping up in Poundworld a few months ago. I was initially really unsure what to do with this polish and how to swatch it to show if off properly. I decided to swatch it over my naked nails to show off the pretty colour, and then again over white. It has a completely different finish to it in both swatches, so hopefully you can see what can be done with it. This would also be great for leadlighting when stamping, but I am yet to try that.

Cherry over my naked nails, no undie.

Here is is over the white base. It turns it into a really cool neon pink!

Effiena has an Etsy shop to sell her polishes, which are priced at just £3 each. Bargain! You can find the shop here.

You can also follow her on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram.

Sam x

*These products have been sent to me for review*

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