THE NAIL LAB NAIL POLISH - SWATCHES & REVIEW

The Nail Lab nail specialists are quickly taking over the Australian nail market with nail polish that is designed in Australia, created in Australia and bottled in Australia, that are not tested on animals and are cruelty free; The Nail Lab polishes also have a 5-Free formula which means their polishes are totally free of Formaldehyde, Formaldehyde Resin, Dibutyl Phthalate, Toluene and Camphor -  providing nail polish that contain biodegradable ingredients with the lowest toxicity, which makes them safe for you and the environment. 

I have four polishes from The Nail Lab to review and share with you today :) 



CHRISTIAN

Christian is a bright poppy red nail polish shade.
The colour is super pigmented and intense. 

The polish is easy to apply and effortlessly glides onto the nail. It isn't streaky or patchy and it self-levels well - the formula is seriously perfect! It dries to a semi-matte finish, so it looks a tad dull, but add a coat of shiny top coat and it's glossy perfection.

It builds up to full opacity in one - two thin and easy coats.

POLLY

Polly is a bright salmon-coral pink nail polish shade.
The colour is super pigmented and intense. 

The polish is easy to apply and effortlessly glides onto the nail. It isn't streaky or patchy and it self-levels well - the formula is seriously perfect! It dries to a semi-matte finish, so it looks a tad dull, but add a coat of shiny top coat and it's glossy perfection.

It builds up to full opacity in one - two thin and easy coats.

FAY

Fay is a beautiful berry pink nail polish shade.
The colour is super pigmented and intense. 

The polish is easy to apply and effortlessly glides onto the nail. It isn't streaky or patchy and it self-levels well - the formula is seriously perfect! It dries to a semi-matte finish, so it looks a tad dull, but add a coat of shiny top coat and it's glossy perfection. 

It builds up to full opacity in one - two thin and easy coats.

ARETHA

Aretha is a gorgeous multi-coloured glitter nail polish consisting of small and medium sized pink, purple, orange and yellow hexagonal glitters in a clear base. 

The polish is easy to apply and effortlessly glides onto the nail. The glitter to clear base ratio is great; meaning the glitter pay-off with each brush stroke is even and the base does not build up too thick. The glitters also lay flat on the nail and don't stick up - a coat of clear top coat will help completely smooth out the nail if the glitter texture bothers you.

This versatile polish can easily be worn on its own and built up to opacity in two - three coats with some possible dabbing needed to fill in some areas of the nail (as shown in my swatch above). It can also be worn as a glitter top coat over another nail polish - it would look great over black or white.

* * * 

These are the first polishes from The Nail Lab that I have tried and I am impressed!

The formulas of the polishes I tried are all lovely and they apply onto the nail effortlessly, and are not streaky or patchy. They all have a slightly thicker formula, but this did not really affect the drying time on the nail or their self-leveling. They are also super pigmented, and build up to full opacity on the nail beautifully.

The Nail Lab have a beautiful range of nail shades that include bolds, neutrals, glitters, metallics and everything in between, plus base coats, top coats and nail treatments. 

I cannot wait to get my hands on some more!

I definitely recommend trying out some polishes by The Nail Lab for yourself!

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RRP: $15.00 each (AUD)

Available at shop.thenaillab.com.au

For more information contact: info@thenaillab.com.au

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*Disclaimer: Elise Garland PR kindly sent me these products for an honest review. All opinions expressed in this Blog post are mine based on my personal experiences through trialling these products.

Thanks for taking the time to read this review
If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask :)

Have a fabulous day 

Doni x

Follow me on Instagram for more nail swatch pics & nail art - @donsnailobsession  

SALLY HANSEN MIRACLE GEL "GEO-MINT-RIC" NAIL COLOUR + NEW 2X VOLUME TOP COAT SWATCH & REVIEW

These days, bigger is better when it comes to beauty.

Following the major success of the first Miracle Gel launch, Sally Hansen has done it again, now developing a new and improved voluminous Miracle Gel Top Coat; as well as 6 new limited edition shades to add to the award winning Sally Hansen Miracle Gel collection line.

Get salon quality nails in two easy steps with Sally Hansen's Miracle Gel  nail polish.

Miracle Gel is a revolution in gel technology, with it's part-lacquer-part-gel formula. 

Get the lasting results of a gel manicure without the hassle and expense. 

Miracle Gel polish promise up to 14 days of Colour and Shine - delivering a high shine, glossy look just like a salon quality manicure.  

Miracle Gel is a two-step gel manicure that does not need to be cured by UV / LED light - so its less damaging to the nail. It also applies just like regular nail polish.

How to use ~

STEP 1: Apply two coats of the Miracle Gel nail colour of your choice. No base coat needed.

STEP 2: Activate curing of the polish with one coat of the Miracle Gel Top Coat.

 

Sally Hansen Miracle Gel polishes have the same amazing wide brush just like Sally Hansen's Complete Salon Manicure range; making it easy to work with and application of the three-stroke method a breeze.

 

Sally Hansen have just released some new shades, as well as a new top coat which supposedly has "double the gel volume". The new shades can be purchased in duo packs along with the new top coat. 

Today I'll be reviewing the new Miracle Gel shade 'Geo-Mint-ric' and the new 2X Volume Top Coat.

 GEO-MINT-RIC  

 

Geo-Mint-ric is a vibrant spearmint nail polish shade. 

It looks absolutely stunning and flattering on the nail! 

The formula of this polish is super creamy and smooth. The polish is really easy to work with and applies just like a regular nail polish - It's easy to apply and effortlessly glides onto the nail, it isn't streaky and self-levels really well. 

The formula is a little bit thin, but the colour builds up nice and easily with multiple coats of polish. This polish is completely opaque in two - three thin coats. The polish can look a little bit patchy on some nails but its pretty easy to cover up by adding an extra coat of polish. 

Sally Hansen claim a Base Coat does not need to be applied before applying the polish; as there is Base Coat built into the formula. However, I definitely recommend wearing one prior to wearing this polish as it stained my nails green. The staining was minor though and did eventually disappear. I did try the polish again another time, after applying two coats of a Base Coat and didn't experience any staining. So I definitely suggest applying a Base Coat to avoid any staining this polish could cause. 


2X VOLUME TOP COAT 

To get the "Gel" look, pair the Miracle Gel Polish with the Miracle Gel Top Coat. 

When partnered with Miracle Gel polish, the Miracle Gel Top Coat volumizes as it hardens the nails. The Top Coat formula delivers 2X the volume to your manicure - creating dramatically fuller-looking nails with a high-gloss, mirror shine finish.

The Miracle Gel Top Coat is truley amazing! It is so nice and smooth and glides efforlessly onto the nail. It is so much smoother than I expected a "gel" top coat to be. It leaves the nails super ssuper super shiny - i love it!

The Top Coat doesn't smudge or pick up the polish colour onto the brush, which is great. 

Apparently the gel Top Coat cures and hardens using natural light (instead of a UV/LED light), hence the more sunlight there is, the quicker your nails will dry. That's not to say it won't dry when its dark, it will just take a little longer. - dry time varies. I tend to paint my nails at night before bed, when there is no sunlight, and I found the polish takes the same amount of time as a standard polish to dry either way.


So getting a Salon Gel Manicure is as easy as paiting your nails with a Miracle Gel Polish and apply a coat of the Miracle Gel Top Coat  -  let the natural sunlight do the rest.

Geo-Mint-ric  is quite glossy and gel-like on it's own so you could probably get away without using the Miracle Gel Top Coat. If you want to ensure the long wear time and durability of your manicure you definitely do need a coat of Top Coat, but I personally don't think you need this specific Top Coat. You could really use any Top Coat over the polish - it just won't give your nails as much of a "gel"  look.

*  *  * 

Sally Hansen claim the Gel polish should last for up to 14 days on the nail. I didn't wear the polish for 14 days to test Sally Hansen's claim but I did have it on for a full week. The polish wears pretty well.The polish only suffered some tip wear (which is to be expected). Other then that I had no major chips and the shininess of the polish didn't dull at all. Really impressive.

I'm really amazed with how easy the polish was to remove with nail polish remover, whether it be acetone or non-acetone remover. It removes just like regular nail polish, so no soaking, wrapping or scraping is required. 

Overall I'm really impressed with the new Miracle Gel system.

I definitely recommend checking out the new Miracle Gel colours and trying some out for yourself - you will not be disappointed!

 *  *  *

RRP (AUD): $19.95 duo packs

             $16.95 each 

Available at Priceline, Priceline Pharmacies, Target, Terry White Chemists, Chemist Warehouse and selected Independent Pharmacies nationally (Australia). 

For details on retail stockists please call 1800 812 663

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*Disclaimer: CotyPR Australia kindly sent me these products for an honest review. All opinions expressed in this Blog post are mine based on what I have experienced through trialling these products. 

Thanks for taking the time to read this

Have a fabulous day 

Doni xxx

Follow me on Instagram for more swatch pics & nail art - @donsnailobsession

OPI SOFT SHADES COLLECTION 2015 - SWATCHES & REVIEW

Nail the nude look with OPI's new 2015 Soft Shades collection.

OPI bring the richly pigmented formulas you love to the season’s hottest nude nail trends, 

“Soft Shades nail lacquers make a very powerful statement by being enticingly feminine with a delicate hue”

These pastel hues are the perfect way to lighten up your spring style by adding a nice and subtle hint of colour to your nails appropriate to wear all year round. 


Today i have a review on three of the six polishes from this collection to share with you!


PUT IT IN NEUTRAL "I'm driven to get my hands on this pinkish beige" - OPI

Put it in Neutral is a delicate dusty pink toned nude nail polish shade.

This polish is not a straight up cream formula, it's more of a jelly like polish and looks squishy (but not in a bad way).

This polish was really easy to work with - It's easy to apply, it wasn't streaky or patchy and it self-levelled really well. 

It is really sheer but that is the nature of the polish - It's supposed to have a sheer finish.
The formula of this polish is really sheer but is not too thin, which makes it easy to build up to opacity with enough coats of polish. Building up the colour with multiple coats was not an issue in terms of pooling on the side of your nails and dry time. I found that it actually dried relatively quickly in between layers and your nails don't look too thick with nail polish. It's a very flattering polish on the nail.  

This kind of polish is supposed to be worn with about two coats of polish for a natural look where you can still see visible nail line. 
I am personally not a huge fan of this look and prefer it to be relatively opaque, so i found that about four coats gets it to look opaque enough for my liking. With four coats of polish you can really see the true beauty and colour of the polish - it's so beautiful. 



THIS SILVER'S MINE!  "I totally dig this pearly silver" - OPI

This Silver's Mine! is a very unique rose gold toned silver / champagne nail polish shade with a pearly frost like finish. It's a gorgeous shiny eye-catching colour.

The formula of this polish is perfect. It's easy to apply, it wasn't patchy and it self-levelled really well. It is quite opaque in one coat but needs two thin coats of polish to reach full opacity. 

This polish, like most typical metallic nail polishes, leaves noticeable brush strokes with each nail polish swipe on the nail. Adding topcoat will not help remove the streaks. 
The strokes don't bother me too much but there are ways to eliminate the strokes / make them not as noticeable. I suggest:

• Sponging the second coat of polish onto the nail with a makeup sponge
• Using a matte topcoat directly over the first coat of polish and apply a second coat of the polish directly over the topcoat - this is the method i used in my swatch and found it worked pretty well.

Streaky or not i am in love with this polish!

ACT YOUR BEIGE!  "Age is just a number, but this light beige is #1"  - OPI

Act Your Beige! is a pink toned beige nail polish shade.

It's formula is very similar to 'Put it in Neutral' but it's a little more sheer.
It's not a straight up cream formula, rather it's more of a jelly like polish and looks squishy (but not in a bad way).

This polish was easy to work with - easy to apply, it wasn't streaky or patchy and it self-levelled really well.

It is really sheer but that is the nature of the polish - It's supposed to have a sheer finish.
Although this polish is sheer it's not too thin, which makes it easy to build up to opacity with enough coats of polish. Building up the colour with multiple coats was not an issue in terms of pooling on the side of your nails and dry time. I found that it actually dried relatively quickly in between layers and your nails don't look too thick with nail polish. It's a very flattering polish on the nail.  

This kind of polish is supposed to be worn with about two coats of polish for a natural look where you can still see visible nail line. 
I am personally not a huge fan of this look and prefer it to be relatively opaque, so i found between four - five coats gets it to look opaque enough for my liking. With five coats of polish you can really see the true beauty and colour of the polish - it's so beautiful. 

*  *  *

I'm totally digging these polishes.I don't usually gravitate towards these kind of colours but i am obsessed with these.There is just something different and delicate about these shades. 
I would actually be quite content to wear these weeks on end.

Definitely recommend picking up all three of these shades! 

*  *  *

RRP: $19.95 each (AUD)

Available in April 2015 at selected Myer and David Jones stores and selected Salons nationally (Australia)

For details on retail stockists please call 1800 812 663

For details on salon enquiries please call 1800 358 999

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*Disclaimer: CotyPR Australia kindly sent me these products for an honest review. All opinions expressed in this blog post are mine based on what i have experienced through trialling these products.

Thanks for taking the time to read this

Have a great day 

Doni xxx

Find me on:

Instagram ~ @donsnailobsession

Twitter ~ @donsnails

SALLY HANSEN MIRACLE GEL "GAME OF CHROMES" NAIL COLOUR - SWATCH & REVIEW

Get salon quality nails in two easy steps with Sally Hansen's Miracle Gel  nail polish.

Miracle Gel is a revolution in gel technology, with it's part-lacquer, part-gel formula. 

Get the lasting results of a gel manicure without the hassle. Miracle Gel polish promises up to 14 days of Colour and Shine - delivering a high shine, glossy look just like a salon quality manicure.  


Miracle Gel is a two-step gel manicure that does not need to be cured by UV / LED light - so its less damaging to the nail. It applies just like regular nail polish.

How to use ~
STEP 1: Apply two coats of the Miracle Gel nail colour of your choice. No basecoat needed.
STEP 2: Activate curing of the polish with one coat of the Miracle Gel Topcoat.

Sally Hansen Miracle Gel polishes have the same amazing wide brush just like Sally Hansen's Complete Salon Manicure range; making application of the three-stroke method a breeze.

Sally Hansen Australia have just released five new shades including US best sellers.

Today i have a  review on US best seller 'Game of Chromes' to share with you.

GAME OF CHROMES

Game of Chromes is a GORGEOUS metallic gold foil polish. It seriously looks like you've dipped your nails in liquid gold! Absolutely STUNNING!!

This polish appears to be made up of gold and silver shimmers - 
to me indoors, the polish looks like a definite gold colour, but in direct sunlight, you can kind of see a shimmery duo-chrome look to it, with a gold to silver kind of shift.

I've only had this polish for a couple of weeks and I've already worn it three times! That's a record for me.
I am seriously OBSESSED with this shade! 
I am drawn to anything shiny and metallic, so i knew this would be a polish i'd love!

The formula of this polish is perfect! It is slightly thicker then normal polish but it's still a dream to work with. It's nice and smooth and easy to work with - it effortlessly glides onto the nail. It's also not streaky, unlike other metallic polishes. 

It needs two coats of polish to look fully opaque. There's nice and even coverage with each coat and it self-levels really well with each coat of polish. 

The polish wears pretty well. I didn't wear the polish for 14 days to test Sally Hansen's claim but i did have it on for a full week. The polish only suffered some tip wear (which is to be expected). Other then that i had no major chips and the polish shine didn't turn dull. Really impressive. I couldn't stop looking at my nails the whole week. 


You don't need to wear a base coat before applying the polish, but i wore a coat of ridge filler just to make my ridges and imperfections not look as prominent - as metallic polishes tend to overexpose imperfections. 


To get the "Gel" look, pair the polish with the Miracle Gel Topcoat. Apply a coat of the topcoat and let natural light do the rest.
The topcoat is nice and smooth and glides right on the nail. It also doesn't smudge!
Apparently the gel topcoat cures and hardens using natural light, hence the more sunlight there is, the quicker your nails will dry. That's not to say it won't dry when its dark, it will just take a little longer. - dry time varies. I tend to paint my nails at night before bed, when there is no sunlight, and i found the polish takes the same amount of time as a standard polish to dry.

Game of Chromes alone is shiny and sparkly enough so you could probably get away without using the topcoat. But if you want to ensure long wear time you definitely need a coat of topcoat.

I personally don't think you even need this specific topcoat though. You could really use any topcoat over the polish - it just won't give your nails a  "gel"  look.

*  *  * 

I was surprised with how easy it was to remove with nail polish remover, whether it be acetone or non-acetone remover. It removes just like regular nail polish, so no soaking, wrapping or scraping is required. 

I did notice however that some silver shimmer residue remains on the nail, but it wasn't too hard to remove while washing hands.

Game of Chromes is a versatile shade great to wear all year round no matter the season and is sure to compliment any skin tone.

I am actually so impressed with Game of Chromes and cannot wait to try out some other polishes from the Miracle Gel range.

Definitely recommend getting  your hands on this polish - it's to die for!

*  *  * 

RRP: $16.95 (AUD)

(well worth the price - especially for Game of Chromes)

Find Sally Hansen polishes at these retailers: http://au.sallyhansen.com/store-locator

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*Disclaimer: CotyPR Australia kindly sent me these products for an honest review. All opinions expressed in this blog post are mine based on what i have experienced by trialling these products.

Thanks for taking the time to read this

Have a great day 

Doni xxx

Find me on:

Instagram ~ @donsnailobsession

Twitter ~ @donsnails

RIMMEL LONDON VELVET MATTE NAIL POLISH COLLECTION - SWATCHES & REVIEW

Discover a new take and finish on nails. Rimmel London have just introduced the new 'Velvet Matte' nail polish, the ultimate matte collection in the most opulent must-have shades of the season.

Who needs shine when you have nails with real matte-itude?!

Now for the first time, you can get matte Rimmel nail colour all in one bottle - no matte topcoat needed. Watch the formula go from glossy to a smooth velvety matte finish on the nail in seconds.

These Vampy shades are great for autumn / fall and winter - perfect for those of us currently in the southern hemisphere.


All four of these polishes have got really smooth and creamy formulas, are pigmented and cover really well and they're not streaky! 

This nail polish also dries instantly, so you are free to do whatever you want and not worry about smudging or dinting a nail - great if you're in a hurry. 

The colours are all pretty opaque and can be easy one coat wonders depending on how thick your coats of polish are. I found that one generous coat or two thin coats of polish will achieve full opacity with most of these polish colours. 
However, i personally believe to further enhance, build up and intensify the colour to make it look more vibrant ,  two - three thin coats are ideal.


*Tips for best results with application: 

• You need to be quick with your painting swipes because the polish literally starts drying instantly. I found that  the more swipes of polish you play around with, the more you'll struggle with the formula.Ideally you should use the quick three stroke method of application - these polishes have a fantastic wide bush, so you could even get away with only one or two brush swipes.

Look at that brush!

• If you are going to apply multiple coats of polish, ensure the first coat underneath is completely dry. 

• I also found that the polish is easiest to apply with no base coat - the formula can be a little bit tricky to work with if you've used a base coat. The only issue with not using a base coat is that the matte nature of the polish exposes all ridges and imperfections on the nail, but with the more coats of polish you do, the less prominent the imperfections look. 

So...these polishes have pretty awesome formulas, dry super fast, require minimal coats of polish and they're matte - aah-mazing!

 *  *  *  

Here are some swatches of the Velvet Matte range: 

VELVET TOUCH   #013
Velvet Touch is a lovely dark grey nail polish colour. The formula is nice and smooth and the polish is not streaky.The polish colour is highly pigmented and covers really well.  
It takes one thick - two thin coats of polish to achieve full opacity. 
Grey polishes are really 'in' and trendy at the moment, so i definitely recommend adding this to your collection.

SUMPTUOUS RED   #014
Sumptuous Red is a dark crimson-purple-plum nail polish colour. It's a gorgeous colour. The formula is nice and smooth. The polish colour is highly pigmented. 
This polish takes one - two coats of polish to achieve full opacity. I found that the more coats used and built up intensifies the colour, making it look even prettier.
This colour is quite unique and i think an essential colour to have in your collection for autumn / fall.

MIDNIGHT KISS   #015
Midnight Kiss is a beautiful deep blue nail polish colour. The formula is perfect, nice and smooth.The polish is highly pigmented and covers really well. 
This polish takes one - two coats to achieve full opacity. 
This is such a stunning colour that looks great matte, but would also look amazing if a shiny topcoat were added. 

MATTE-ITUDE   #017
Matte-itude is a typical black nail polish colour. The formula is perfect - Nice and smooth and not streaky. The polish is highly pigmented and covers extremely well.This polish takes only one coat to achieve full opacity. 
Who doesn't love matte black nails? Personally speaking, i prefer matte black nails to shiny black nails. 

*  *  *  

If you're not a fan of the matte look, simply topcoat the polish with a shiny topcoat!

But why would you?! These colours look gorgeous matte. 

Matte polish vs adding topcoat and making it Shiny 

*  *  *

The polish only lasts two days or so without chipping and turning a little dull (less matte), that's due to the matte formula nature, so it's to be expected - but it's perfectly fine with me because the polishes dry pretty much instantly when applied, so why not just paint your nails everyday... like i do ;)

I am really impressed with these polishes and their formulas. I definitely recommend you pick up the whole range! 

Cannot wait to see Rimmel release more velvet matte shades!

*  *  * 

Find these polishes at these selected retailers: http://au.rimmellondon.com/where-to-buy-rimmel

RRP: $8.95 each (AUD)

*Disclaimer: CotyPR Australia kindly sent me these products for an honest review. All opinions expressed in this blog post are mine based on what i have experienced by trialing these products.


Thanks for taking the time to read this
Have a great day 
Doni xxx


Find me on:
Instagram ~ @donsnailobsession  - https://instagram.com/donsnailobsession/
Twitter ~ @donsnails  - https://twitter.com/donsnails