Sunday, May 31, 2015

a-england – Incense Burner

Hello!!

I have a little post today of one of the 4 new a-england polishes. The new collection is called Rosetti's Goddess and every one of the polishes is so very gorgeous! To start with, I have 'Incense Burner'. This is the darkest of the bunch – perfect for the winter weather here in Auckland at the moment.


Incense burner, a england, swatch
This is how 'Incense Burner' appears in most lighting conditions. It is such a beautiful red toned brown. I love this sort of blackened brown colour – I think it's so easy to wear and looks good on anyone and everyone. The red undertones gives this a real rich feeling.


Incense burner, a england, swatch

Incense burner, a england, swatch

Incense burner, a england, swatch
Just to be perfectly clear, this shimmer is not always obvious, but at weird angles of light this polish comes alive!! The shimmer in this shifts from red right through to a golden olive green. It is marvellous when you happen to catch sight of it and such a surprise. What a beauty!


As always, this had the formula we have all come to expect and love from a-england. It was very close to needing only 1 coat, but I have done 2 in these photos to ensure I get the full rich opacity of colour.


a-england polishes can be purchased from a lot of places around the world. You can only order direct from them if you are in the UK, but be sure to check out their list of worldwide distributors to find a place close to where you live. You can also follow a-england on TwitterFacebook and Instagram to keep up with the latest news from them.


This product was provided for review. This is my personal, unbiased opinion.
For more information, see my disclosure policy.

Sunday, May 10, 2015

Colours by Llarowe - Pretty Woman Collection, Spring 2015 - Part 2 The Holos

Press Sample

Hi team!

I'm back with part 2 of the recently released collection by Colors by Llarowe for Spring 2015, inspired by the 25th anniversary of Pretty Woman. Make sure you check out part 1 (the shimmers) if you haven't already, This part of the collection is all holographic and I will start by saying that I love every single one of them (hardly surprising based on the fact I love most every holo I'm faced with).

As with the last post, I didn't have any problems with application - all were amazingly self-leveling and really easy to work with. I will just mention how many coats I used each time.


Well Done Woo Woo Woo, Colors by Llarowe, Pretty woman collection, swatch

Well Done Woo Woo Woo, Colors by Llarowe, Pretty woman collection, swatch
'Well Done! Woo! Woo! Woo!'
'Well Done! Woo! Woo! Woo!' is a gorgeous teal leaning mint green with scattered holo and gold shimmer and flakes. OOOoooooEEEeee it's quite a complex polish that simply can't be captured in a photograph - particularly the warm gold flash of the shimmer. This is one you'll just have to see in real life! I used 2 coats.


A lot more help sucking up, Colors by Llarowe, Pretty woman collection, swatch

A lot more help sucking up, Colors by Llarowe, Pretty woman collection, swatch
'A Lot More Help Sucking Up'
I think this is my favourite of the whole collection, though that was a tough decision. This is the most perfect denim blue, almost periwinkle holo polish. Such a sunny, happy colour. I've worn this multiple times in the short time I've had it. Only 2 coats required.


 Divot Dance, Colors by Llarowe, Pretty woman collection, swatch

 Divot Dance, Colors by Llarowe, Pretty woman collection, swatch
'Divot Dance'
'Divot Dance' is a deep teal and another favourite for me. To me this polish has an air of mystery – it reminds me of the night sky reflecting off the ocean. It really is beautiful. I used 2 coats.


What's your dream?, Colors by Llarowe, Pretty woman collection, swatch

What's your dream?, Colors by Llarowe, Pretty woman collection, swatch
'What's Your Dream?'
'What's Your Dream?' is a purple holo with deep red undertones. A beautifully rich colour that is quite sophisticated in my opinion. One thing to note with this polish is that I had a little bit of staining on my skin when I removed this, but it  didn't last long and wasn't too obvious. I would just recommend using lots of cotton pads so you're not rubbing the already removed polish on your next finger that you're removing (if that makes any sense). I used 2 coats again.


Vivian + edward, Colors by Llarowe, Pretty woman collection, swatch

Vivian + edward, Colors by Llarowe, Pretty woman collection, swatch
'Vivian+Edward'
This is another super happy, bright polish. 'Vivian+Edward' is a brilliant hot pink holo. It is so bright, without heading into neon category - it is definitely eye catching and fun to wear. This polish only required 1-2 coats depending on how thick you do them.


Kit, Colors by Llarowe, Pretty woman collection, swatch

Kit, Colors by Llarowe, Pretty woman collection, swatch
'Kit'
The slightly different polish of this post – 'Kit' is holographic AND is packed full of glitter (what's not to love?). The base is a very red-pink jelly that is full of various different glitters, including iridescent blue hexes. It is these blue glitters that make this polish so spectacular as they really pop against the base colour. Because of the slightly more sheer base (so that you can get the full impact of the glitter), this polish required 2-3 coats.


Babe, Colors by Llarowe, Pretty woman collection, swatch

Babe, Colors by Llarowe, Pretty woman collection, swatch
'Babe'
'Babe' is a deep raspberry pinky red. There seems to be red glow about this polish - one of those classic "glow from within" polishes. 'Babe' only required 1-2 coats for full opacity. Another quick note is that this one stained my skin and very slightly stained my nails. Again this staining didn't last too long (on my skin or my nails) and wasn't too obvious in real life.


Pirates of Penzance, Colors by Llarowe, Pretty woman collection, swatch

Pirates of Penzance, Colors by Llarowe, Pretty woman collection, swatch
'Pirates of Penzance'
Another firm favourite for me. A true red holo that is my perfect polish in every way. If I'm not sure what to wear, I wear red and I know this will become a go-to. This is more red than 'Babe' (less pink). 'Pirates of Penzance' is another polish that appears to glow beneath the surface. LOVE. Again, only 1-2 coats needed. And I didn't get any staining from this polish.


Overall, this part of the collection was spectacular. I loved the shimmers (seen in part one), but holos will always have my heart - especially when they are of such high quality. I love the formula of these polishes - super opaque and very forgiving with their unbeatable self-levelling ability. There was not a single polish in this part that I didn't love.


These polishes are all currently available on the Llarowe website and will be until mid June. After that, keep your eyes out because some of these beauties may be headed for the core line. These shimmers are all $10 each and can be shipped worldwide. Also keep an eye on the Colors by Llarowe FacebookTwitter and Instagram  pages for updates.

This product was provided for review. This is my personal, unbiased opinion.
For more information, see my disclosure policy.