China Glaze Anchors Away Collection - Spring 2011

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Lighthouse, Knotty, Sunset Sail and Below Deck

White Cap, Pelican Gray, Sea Spray and Life Preserver

Hey Sailor, Ahoy!, First Mate and Star Board.

Lighthouse

A very sheer golden yellow base colour with a super concentrated golden sparkle.

Knotty

Again this formula is pretty sheer. A beautiful light champagne beige with light white/silver reflects.

Sunset Sail

Peachy pink nude (appears a lot less peachy in person) with a very subtle shimmer, i just love this nude for spring.

Below Deck

Perfect mauvey grey with a cool purple undertone. Very dirty and ashy the formula is so opaque you barely need 2 coats. This is a great colour to keep on trend with releases from the more high end cosmetic company's like Chanel.

White Cap

I love this polish, the best way to describe it is like MAC pearl reflects in a nail polish. The gold/silver duo chrome shimmer is very concentrated meaning you only need 2 light coats. The base colour is a pearly white but as you can see pretty sheer.

Pelican Gray

This is the least impressive formula of the entire collection, which is such a shame because i was most looking forward to a cool pastel type of opaque grey. In the picture i have applied 4 coats because after only 2 coats it's almost not visible.There is a slight shimmer but it is very fine and sparse. Biggest disappointment.

Sea Spray

Absolutely stunning colour, glossy and opaque in 2 coats the delicate grey blue is the perfect shade for me this season. Again, a very fine shimmer that is almost not visible. Opaque in 2 fine coats. Gem of the collection.

Life Preserver

I really like the name, albeit it's a little cheesy... Bold burnt orange with deep red undertones.

Great for "colouring blocking".

Hey Sailor

Ha, oh how i just adore this name! The suggestive and flirty "Hey Sailor" is so descriptive to the type of scenario's that come to mind when you see such a red. What a vibrant bold beauty! To be worn strictly with your highest heels ;) You'll need about 3 coats to achieve this opacity.

Ahoy!

A magenta/raspberry opaque cream with golden reflect sparkle. The sparkle is barely visible to the naked eye, you really need good lighting to pick up the beauty of this polish.

First Mate

The most nautical nail polish in the collection the formula is a rich and opaque creme. The perfect navy blue. Great for us in the Southern Hemisphere going into Autumn/Winter.

Star Board

I am beyond embarrassed to upload these pathetic pictures....... what a mess! I wish i had taken a picture of the brush applicator itself because it came so messed up and disgusting. This is the exact result i got (a total mess) using the brush as it was. I tried getting a refund but as I purchased it on eBay from the UK the cost of sending it back was more then for me to just purchase a new one so I didn't bother.

It is the truest green nail polish I have ever seen with no real hint of teal or blue as most do. The formula is nice and opaque, love the creme glossy look.

Pricing and purchasing info:

China Glaze is sold all over the US in various drug stores and can retail anywhere from $USD2.99 - $USD6.50 and you can usually pick it up on sale.

If you are in the US Ulta currently has a great buy 2 get 1 FREE deal on China Glaze.

Click here to buy from Ulta online.

If you are in Australia or anywhere else in the world China Glaze can be difficult to get a hold of in stores. There are some salon's and beauty supply stores that stock China Glaze but they are few and far between with very hocked up prices.

You are best to purchase on eBay. 

China Glaze Polishes range anywhere from $AUD2.99 - $AUD14.99 on eBay depending on the location and seller. Just search China Glaze and the shade you are looking for into eBay's search engine and look for the cheapest price including shipping.

Most power seller's will offer combined shipping on more then 1 bottle so be sure to check that out in the seller's description and take full advantage of the discount!

Click here to see where i bought mine. eBay seller Nailetczone.

What is your favourite colour in the collection? Be sure to comment and let me know x

Battle of the Hot Pink Polishes - DUPE ALERT!

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NARS Schiap, Chanel Pulsion, OPI Strawberry Margarita, Eyeko Punk Polish and Avon Viva Pink

Ok, so when I was planning this post for some reason I was thinking I had a way better Dupe then what i actually do. From memory I was 100% certain that the Avon polish Viva Pink was a dupe for BOTH NARS Schiap & Chanel Pulsion. Well it turns out that in the photographs it is a dupe for neither. Bummer right?

I have a passion for hot pink polishes and over the years have picked up quite a few, to say the least.

After buying the NARS Tainted Love Set (click here for a review) which included quite possibly the most beautiful hot pink I have ever seen I was curious to dig through my collection and see what I already had that might be similar.

So even though I didn't manage to find a cheap dupe for the high end polishes I am still quite pleased that I found a 100% for Schiap and it happens to be the very sought after and limited edition shade by Chanel called Pulsion (keep reading to see photo's of the comparisons). So good news if you are one of the many who have been lusting after Pulsion and watching the price skyrocket on eBay!

  

Another obvious dupe in the line up is Avon Viva Pink which appears to be a good inexpensive dupe for OPI Strawberry Margarita, in Australia the average bottle of OPI polish is around $15AUD and you can get this formula of Avon Polish for around $7AUD usually with some sort of free promotion.

From left to right: NARS Schiap, Chanel Pulsion, OPI Strawberry Margarita, Avon Viva Pink and Eyeko Punk Polish.

Pricing and purchasing info:

NARS Schiap - $USD17 Not available without Tainted Love Set in Australia
Chanel Pulsion - Originally retailed Holiday 2010 for $USD25 $AUD39
No longer available at Chanel but you can find it for around $55AUD on eBay
OPI Strawberry Margarita - Around $USD7.99 & $15-20AUD
My favourite place to buy OPI (and the cheapest) is this seller on eBay EnchantedBeautySpot
Eyeko Punk Polish - $USD6.00 All Eyeko sales are from Eyeko.com and in either USD/Pounds/Euros
Avon Viva Pink - Available on Amazon for $USD2.99 or see your local Avon representative

What's your favourite hot pink polish?

NARS Limited Edition Tainted Love Set

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Angelika by NARS is pretty much my favourite bright pink blusher of all time, i love the bold cotton candy pink with amazing pigmentation and little golden shimmers. When I saw this limited edition release by NARS for Valentines day 2011 I was all over it! I am so glad NARS are starting to adapt a lot of their blush colour's into various products across the range of cosmetics, I hear the next adaption will be Laguna.... How exciting!

Ltd Etd Tainted Love Set - $135.00AUD or $59USD

Description from Mecca Cosmetica: For the girl who can’t get enough of shocking pink, Tainted Love includes Angelika Lip Gloss, Angelika Multiple and Schiap Nail Polish. Following the success of Angelika Lip Gloss, the cotton candy hue with gold particles makes its debut as an iconic Multiple for 

the first time.

Angelika Multiple - Not available individually

The multiple really encapsulates the colour of Angelika blusher but without so much glitter/shimmer. I actually love this fact and it makes for a much more wearable cotton candy pink cheek. This also looks amazing as a sheer lip tint. The lasting power of this multiple in particular isn't that amazing, I only got around 4 hours wear out of it, opposed to the Orgasm multiple where i get more like 7-8 hours.

Angelika Lipgloss 

Individual Price - $24USD, $55AUD

A very cool pink gloss that is just sheer enough that it is wearable on most skin tones. I love using this over a nude lipstick to make any look a little sweeter. Like all NARS lip glosses the formula is non sticky and the taste is horrendous... but i always find myself going back to my NARS glosses regardless, i guess that says A LOT about the quality. Perfect gloss for spring.

Swatches: Angelika Lipgloss (Top) Angelika Multiple (Bottom)

Schiap Nail Polish

Individual Price - $17USD, NARS nail polishes are not available separately in Australia

Described by NARS as a shocking pink, the glossy rich pink is a perfect compliment to all things Angelika. The colour is so sweet i almost want to drink the bottle...... NARS polishes are definitely way over priced for the quality, which is just above average. The good news i have found an exact DUPE for this colour and I will sharing it with you all in my next blog post!!

Schiap Nail Polish Swatches

At the time of purchase (which  was February this year) Mecca Cosmetica had the fabulous promotion going for Valentines day called "from Paris with love" where with every online purchase over $50.00 you got a little gift boxed with a few French samples and even a little treat all the way from Paris!

I just adore the beautiful packaging Mecca always provides with orders........

I purchsed this set from an Australian cosmetic retailer, Mecca Cosmetica:

http://www.meccacosmetica.com.au/shop/Nars/TaintedLoveSet/

To purchase this product in the US try the NARS website:

http://www.narscosmetics.com/Gift-Sets-C200_makeup_gifts_8.aspx

YSL Spring Makeup Collection 2011

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When i originally saw the promo pictures for this collection on Temptalia i was swooning over all the bright and jewel toned colours, but after I finally got to go into store and have a look (in Sydney) last week i was ultimately underwhelmed. I feel like YSL have released a lot of these colour's already at some point over the years. So i ended making just a few purchases which was needless to say great for my wallet but bad for my shopping addiction! Keep reading for review's on what I got :)

Collection Description: Do not be fooled by appearances. Look for the fire beneath the ice. She hides her wild bohemian side behind a mask of innocence. Delicateness of a bare shoulder. Seduction embodied by her every move. Pink worn next to the skin: carnal pink, passion pink, excitement pink. A touch of powder. Fluttering eyelashes. Stolen kisses. Artist of her own beauty, she is an Yves Saint Laurent woman. The color caresses her bare skin and illuminates her porcelain complexion: her cheekbones intensely flushed. Her lips kissed with in a vibrant pink petal. The intensity of her piercing eyes, heightened with graphic inky blues. Exquisite shades of shadow and light.

“After a rock and baroque themed winter, spring is back with a burst of fresh roses to flush the cheeks while enhancing the complexion with a seemingly innocent purity. Sensual full lips in bright pink or coral light up the face. A bold touch of eyeliner completes the look.” — Lloyd Simmonds.

Ombre Solo - No15 Gold Leaf & No16 Topaz Blue - USD$30.00each

AUD$49.00each

Certain to be a YSL classic, this silky-soft powder sweeps on vibrant, rich color that stays true from day to night. The radiance enhancing formula highlights eyes in every shade, which blend beautifully together, so any look is easy to achieve. Presented in an elegant gold compact with two applicators—a foam tip for blending and a brush for precision—ensure effortless color control.

I just adore these shadows, YSL definitely are the top of the top when it comes to luxurious feeling products and the Ombre Solo's show this perfectly. The gold is just amazing and luminous, the nicest gold eyeshadow I have ever seen. The blue is so spring and dewy, they are the perfect duo.

Creme de Blush in No1 Velvety Peach - US$38.00

AUD$72.00

Unique cream to powder blush offers a luminous, radiant and healthy look. The remarkably soft formulation feels like silk upon application, ensuring a seamless result. And because the non-waxy texture will not break through makeup, it is an excellent touch-up tool for use throughout the day. Suggested application: Using fingertips, gently apply to the apples of the cheeks, blending up and outward toward the hairline. Gently tap into the skin for flawless blending.

I was so excited to try this new formula of blush, i just love creme blushers and these didn't disappoint. This shade is just perfect on me and pretty much anyone with fair skin, it gives a beautiful pinched cheek glow. The texture is so smooth and as YSL suggests silky. If you have darker skin i suggest trying the 5 of the 6 as i don't think the pigmentation of this shade in particular is enough.

Touche Blush - No1 Rose - USD$45.00

AUD$78.00

A true beauty accessory, this unique makeup concept transforms blush application into a moment of pure pleasure. Ever the leader in innovation, YSL was the first to create this exceptional packaging, featuring a companion powder–puff that allows for the use of ultra-fine, iridescent powders to highlight cheeks with a luminous, natural glow. Chiffon-sheer Micronized Pigments ensure lasting, stay-true color that promise a touch of radiance to cheeks, chin and forehead, or wherever you want a subtle, natural-looking flush. For all skin types.

So upon research this isn't a part of the spring collection however I was told by the YSL representative that i was, maybe they need to do a little more research on there own company! Regardless of the release his blush colour is perfect for spring/summer. This is by far the cutest packaging i have ever seen on a blush and although i'm not sold on the idea of applying it with the powder puff attached i like the idea that applying blush could be that easy. The reality is if you do use the puff/sponge application will be a little blotching and hard to place. The major downside I've found with this product is having to reapply half way through the day, for such a ridiculous price you would hope for a lot better staying power.

What collections have you been most excited about this Spring/Summer? 

Be sure to comment and let me know.