Grace-full Autumnal Pruglies Collection Part 2

This is part 2 of the Grace-full Autumnal Pruglies collection. You can view part 1 here. 

'Appily Ever After - described as "a tri thermal that is brown/deep red at it’s coldest, and a chartreuse green as its warm colour". 

I used 3 thin coats of this thermal creme. Inbetween the thermal changes are gorgeous shades apples usually comes in - notably blush to Indian red. A super fun and sensitive transition. 

Evergreen Envy - described as "a jelly teal coloured base with a smattering of holo flakes". 2 coats of this deep pine green jelly filled with silver holo flakies. Formula is smooth and easy as per usual, easy to apply and has a deep glow IRL that doesn't translate to camera. Does stain slightly so use a base coat.

Garnet Wine - "not a crème and not a jelly this falls somewhere in between. In a deep maroon, it’s a plain colour and very vampy and rich in colour". 

3 thin coats or 2 coats with a thicker second coat to float over the first. A dark, vampy garnet that builds up to a glossy chocolate-tone. If polish touches the sidewalls of your nails it is hard to remove due to how pigmented this polish is so be careful with application.  

Pumpkin or Another - described as "a dirty pumpkin colour creme". 

2 coats of this delicious orange squishy creme. Grace-full always does nice cremes and this is no exception - this is my favourite polish from this half of the collection. It's the perfect base for autumn / Halloween nail art or just to wear matte! 

The collection releases on 26th September at 8pm AEST. 

You can follow more updates and view more swatches in their Facebook fan group. 

Grace-full Autumnal Pruglies Collection Part 1

This is my first half of the Grace-full Autumn Collection that I collaborated on with Theresa when I won a fan group contest! You can view part 2 here.

I'm very excited to show you all my swatches. Unless otherwise mentioned all my swatches use one layer of Hit the Bottle's 'Varnish Without a Trace' top coat.


Autumn Prism - described as 'an aurora shimmer that moves through tones of red, green and gold'. I used 2 easy coats that built up easily with no patchiness. To me it's a 'rusty' take on the traditional red to green multichrome. In direct light it looks like a glowy brick red. 

Be-leaf in Magic - described as "a forest green crelly base with ultra chrome chameleon flakes in red/gold".

I applied this in 3 thin coats, letting each layer dry (which it did quickly) before applying the next, building up to a dark green shade with red / gold / green multichrome flakes that mimics the shades of autumn leaf shed. The polish was mostly smooth with 1 layer of top coat, though it was slightly textured in spots over larger flakes.

Finally on Taupe - "a taupe base with an orange aurora shimmer flash". 

A beautiful grey/greige/taupe crelly with orange shimmer that built up on 2 thin coats. At extreme angles the shimmer shifts green. Would suit a large variety, if not all, skintones.

Mustard the Courage - described as "a mustard colour linear holo". Last but not least, my favourite polish from this half of the collection. I had to put it next to some of my favourite yellow cushions from IKEA, which really helped to show what sets this polish apart in terms of shade. 

2 thin easy coats: first coat was a marigold yellow, thin but not streaky; second coat built to opacity. Result is a burnished, slightly brassier tone that leans more green/gold than orange in shade. In direct light a linear holo is visible. A very unique colour I'd love to see on other skin tones!

The collection releases on 26th September at 8pm AEST. 

You can follow more updates and view more swatches in their Facebook fan group. 

Polish Pickup Aug 2018 / You Have No Power Over Me from MckFresh Nail Attire - Swatch & Review

Mckfresh Nail Attire have drawn upon the film 'Labyrinth' (which was inspiration of their inaugural collection way back when!) for this month's Polish Pickup theme of Musicals and created You Have No Power Over Me! Purchase information will be at the bottom of the post.

All 3 states of 'You Have No Power Over Me' in natural direct sunlight

Kate has drawn inspiration from this movie still and if you've ever seen this Bowie / Connelly 80s classic I think you will agree with me about it being bang on!

Still from the movie 'Labyrinth' / MckFresh's inspiration image

Polish Pickup August 2018 / Agrabah from Femme Fatale - Swatch & Review

After the month of July off, the Polish Pickup is resuming in August with the theme of 'Musicals'. Femme Fatale have picked the classic Disney cartoon Aladdin! Agrabah is described as "yellow-toned warm terracotta with a strong pinkish glow and brilliant red iridescent shifting flakes."

Lots of photos of this polish, including it being used as a topper to follow. Purchase information will be at the bottom of the post!

Collage of Agrabah by Femme Fatale / Polish Pickup Aug 18

Femme Fatale's inspiration screencap from Aladdin of the city of Agrabah

Fancy Gloss 'Pocketful of Pansies' (Thermal)

A couple of weeks ago I placed a small order with Fancy Gloss, a US indie polish brand known for their amazing thermals and formula. They have monthly restocks and new releases and there was a sale on so I had to nab some polishes I had been eyeing for a while.

I picked up 3 thermals; images here are swatches from Jackie, Fancy Gloss' owner & creator. They were what was used on the website listing.

From L-R: A Pocketful of Pansies, Seraphinite, and Black Thermal Top Coat

Today I have some pictures of A Pocketful of Pansies with some nail art! This polish is sooo beautifully squishy, and I used just 2 thin coats in these photos. You do have to work fast as the polish dries quickly to get a smooth, even coat. No overworking here!

Transitioning state of 'A Pocketful of Pansies' from Fancy Gloss.

Return to Blogging / MckFresh June Polish Pickup

Unfortunately my health has been very up and down these last few months, along with some family commitments so I haven't been present on this blog. I'm going to get back into the swing of things with MckFresh Nail Attire's Polish Pickup exclusive shade for June 2018!

SWATCH - 'Clever Girl' from Femme Fatale (Thermal)

Today I'm sharing some shots of 'Clever Girl' from Femme Fatale's 'Welcome to Mars' collection. Femme Fatale is one of my favourite indie nail brands and I own some amazing thermals from them. Clever Girl is shifts from a bright candy red when cold to a clear jelly base when warm, leaving full view of the multitude of golden glitter on display.

I believe the red jelly base leans pink, but the gold glitters in the mix can make it look orange-leaning. It's one of those little details that elevates a good polish into a complex beauty. It is indeed the transitioning state of 'Clever Girl' that really caught my eye - it becomes this lovely sheer pink-red gradient polish with that gold glitter peeking through. It makes me think of a juicy ripe peach, for whatever reason. Do you see that, or is it just me? I've saved my final image for last so do endeavour to make it to the end of the post!

Here I have applied 3 thin coats with a Seche Vite top coat. 

Full mani in cold state (red)

Full mani in transitioning state (cold to warm)

SWATCH - Femme Fatale Cosmetics 'Fields of Treasure' and 'Heavenly Rainment'

Today I have swatches of two older polishes from Femme Fatale Cosmetics, Fields of Treasure and Heavenly Raiment (more images after the jump)! I'm hoping doing quick posts like this prompt me to update more frequently.

NAIL ART - Spooky Sailor

Just a quick post of some nail art I forgot I did. The polish I was wearing made me think of ocean waves under moonlight. When thinking of glinting bits (okay that sounds a bit suspicious) and rolling waves, my brain conjures up haunted ships and unyieling fog. I decided to go with a spooky nautical / ghost pirate theme. Yes, really. More photos and details post-jump.

SWATCH - SM Polish (Part 2 of 2)

Today I bring to you the second half of my SM Polish Haul. If you missed Part 1 (where I spoke about the polish formulas in general), you can find it here. Shopping links will be at the bottom, like before. I've also started adding watermarks to my images so I can have them nice and large without fear of them being stolen. I think it's fairly subtle, anyway.

I will be showing you Envious, Violetta (with nail art), The Emperor's New Clothes, and I Blue Up the Dance Floor in this half. I didn't get to doing photos of Pink Fizz as I'm midst Fibro flare-up, and I wanted to have this up as I've taken long enough. I might add it retrospectively. Anyway, let's get on with it!

SWATCH - SM Polish (Part 1 of 2)

Today I have my very first order from SM Polish to share with you! I ordered 7 polishes (pictured below) and was sent 2 mini bottles with it. I am going to split this swatch / review into 2 posts because of how many pictures I have. 

(Pictured, from L-R) 

Top Row: Envious, Desire, Mum's the Word, First Glow, Sly as a Fox

Bottom Row: Violetta, The Emperor's New Clothes, (Sample) Pink Fizz, (Sample) I Blue Up the Dance Floor

Here is Part 1, Part 2 shall be uploaded shortly. This part shall cover Desire (+ stamping with the 'I Blue Up the Dance Floor' sample), Sly as a Fox, and Mum's the Word.