Hi-atus!

Hi everyone!

I'm just popping by for a short while to say hi!... and bye :(
After a short preparatory course, the dreaded bar exam is finally lurking round the corner. All the times spent slacking instead of studying are coming back to haunt me. Looks like I'll have to work extra hard during this revision period so I apologize for not being able to post during this period! xP I'm crossing my fingers that I will be able to survive the papers and make it back to blog sometime in December.

Meanwhile, I've managed to fill up the orders over the weekend:

The army of minis

Oops I didn't include the larger bottles because I was too lazy to arrange them all for a group shot.
Anyway, all of them are mixed and ready to be labelled and packed. I should be able to get them all out by this week. Thank you all so much for your patience and support! <3

Urgh. I'm missing you guys already. :c
Hope to see you when I'm back! Wish me luck for my exams! :k

xoxo,
mich

Essence Colour & Go - Revamped!

Before I go into today's post proper, I would like to say a huge THANK YOU for your support and love when I launched my first collection earlier this morning!

[source]

Most of the polishes were snapped up within minutes (with only two ice-queens left on the shelves) and I'm still in shock because I wasn't expecting such a warm response from all of you! Please accept my sincerest apologies if you were not able to get what you want! If you are still keen on getting the polishes, you can sign up for email notices and/or place a pre-order at the google form here. I will do my best to fill those orders after my exams in December. There will be no need to make any payment until I get your package ready and you are free to cancel the pre-order anytime. For those who have managed to place an order, I will be doing my best to get them ready and out within a week! Thank you for your patience!

Meanwhile, I have more good news for you, Singapore!
If you have not heard, Essence Cosmetics will be revamping their entire Colour & Go range here in early December!

[source: Essence Cosmetics Singapore]

The new and innovative Colour & Go nail polish range will have:

• 44 new and trendy colors
• Brillant gel-shine effect: for a highly intense finish
• Ultra fast-drying formula
• Particularly long durability
• Perfect coverage

In lieu of the launch, Essence Cosmetics Singapore was kind enough to send me one of the new bottles for review. Let's take a look!

The new Essence comes in a larger 8ml bottle (retailing at S$2.90) that sports a sexy hourglass figure *wolf-whistle* instead of the old cylindrical shape. The bottle caps remain color-coded (which I love - makes it easier to see the color without taking it out from the drawer!) but they now include a 'click' mechanism so you know whether you have capped the bottle securely. It is not very obvious though so you wouldn't really notice it if you are distracted. Apart from the bottle caps, they have also replaced the brushes:

New brush on the left and the old one on the right

The brushes are now shorter (the stem is longer though), wider and comes with rounded edges.
If you have read my previous posts, you would know that I am not a fan of very wide brushes. So, I was very apprehensive when I first saw the brush in the new Essence bottle. I tried it anyway and I was rather surprised with the results. Yes, I still had to be careful when using the wide brush to paint my nails (especially the pinkie) but the rounded edges of the brush fit the shape of my cuticles perfectly and I didn't have to do any clean up for this:

Ultimate Pink. 2 easy coats.
A bright pink creme that absolutely screams 'summer time'!
The formula is rather good - a little streaky on the first coat but evens out by the second. And yes, I was able to go very close to the cuticles without messing everything up! :o A+ for that, Essence!

With the release of the new packaging, Essence will also be revamping their range with new colors including the new nude glam polishes with a "gel-shine" effect. The current range of colors will be retired from the shelves though so be sure to grab them now before they are gone!
You can also follow Essence Cosmetics Singapore on Facebook to stay up to date with the latest news and trend edition releases!

Apart from giving us a revamped Colour & Go line, Essence Cosmetics Singapore has also generously provided us three sets of polishes for a giveaway!
And boy, you guys are in for a real treat! I don't remember seeing any of these pretties at the Essence counters in Watsons! Just take a look:

Bottle shots from L-R: Red-y To Go, Mystic Mermaid, Glisten Up, Cracking base color in Sparkling Champagner

Are you thinking what I'm thinking?
That Glisten Up is simply stunnnnninngggg!! And if that bottle shot did not tempt you (seriously?!), check out the swatch by The Polished Perfectionist. Unghhh I need it. :L
Mystic Mermaid is another gorgeous one. It looks pretty in the bottle but layer it over black and *bam* duochrome-goodness! I'll see if I can get swatches up soon! :$

Did these get you drooling already?
This giveaway will be open from now until 8 December. Singapore only - sorry international peeps!
All entries will be verified and three winners will be chosen randomly via Rafflecopter.

So what are you waiting for? Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

xoxo,
mich

**Product was provided for honest review. Please see our disclosure policy for more information.**

The Polish Well: The 7 Deadly Sins Collection

I really ought to be studying for my exams but I couldn't wait to share this with all of you! After a long wait, I'm finally ready to release my first collection!

I have been working on this for a few months now and it sure was hard keeping this exciting piece of news to myself! So without further ado:

Please note that there has been some minor changes to some of the polishes. Please check swatches below!

P.s. Please also excuse the hurried swatches! I didn't manage to find time to do detailed swatches for everything!

First, the jelly glitters...

Wrath. (2 coats over Michelle 55 on index and middle; 3 coats on its own on ring and pinkie)
A blood red jelly with a mix of red, gold and black glitters for that wild, unadulterated fury. In this reformulated version, I added some red-gold shimmer-flakes for that extra oomph - in real life, it is more obvious than what you see here. Honestly, I really love how it turned out *shameless*

Greed. 3 coats on its own.
Inspired by the filthy rich, Greed is a black jelly with gold and brown glitters. There are small brown glitters in the mix that are hard to capture on camera but when the light hits them, they give an added sparkle. You can layer this over a black for a more opaque look but I prefer the depth and squishiness in the jelly base.

Lust. 3 coats on its own.
This is a reformulated version. Lust is a seductive deep plum purple/berry jelly base filled with a whole bunch of glitters - mostly fuchsia, red and black - and a smattering of bronze shimmer-flakes to complete the smoldering look. The original Lust was surprisingly popular so I did my best to replicate the original but they are not identical. Please take note of that before you pound on my door!

Oops sorry for the three-finger swatch! I accidentally bumped my index finger and dented the polish.

Sloth. 3 coats on its own.
Inspired by the puffy white clouds in the sky that pulls everyone into dreamland, Sloth is a white jelly filled with baby blue and iridescent glitters. If I say that the glitters in Greed are hard to capture, the glitters here are about 5 times harder to capture. I nearly pulled out all my hair trying to get decent swatches of this. It's still far from what it looks like in person but it's the best I could do. If you look closely, you will spot patches of blue and tiny sparkles in the polish. In real life, the white is as soft as what you see on the nails but the glitters on the nails look more like what you see in the bottle.

Next, we have the glitter toppers...

Envy. 1 coat over Illamasqua Rampage.
Another oldie but with approximately 20% more glitter. Envy is a mix of green, black and green-gold glitters. I toyed with the idea of giving it a jelly base but I liked what the lovely Marisa (from Polish Obsession) did with it so I left it as it is.

Gluttony. 1 coat over Michelle A47 on my index and middle; 1 coat over China Glaze For Audrey on my ring and pinkie.
I had a difficult time finding inspiration for this because I LOVE food of all kinds! I toyed with the idea of making a chocolate-inspired one, a cheesecake-inspired one... well, you get the idea. In the end, I settled for one inspired by cupcake sprinkles because they are so colorful and fun!

Pride. 1/2 coats over black.
And finally... Pride. The mother of all sins - or so it is said. I had an incredibly hard time coming up with ideas for this one. I nearly gave up completing this collection because I couldn't find the inspiration for this. And then, I had a...

[source]

moment out of the blue. So if you haven't already guessed, this is inspired by the ice queens that are rumored to be cold and haughty. It may look like a piece of unassuming ice block in the bottle but layer it over black (or other dark colors) and watch it explode into shards of icy blue.

Now that we've gotten the swatches done, here are the details of the small 'launch':

• I will be opening my Etsy store tomorrow, Thursday, 8 Nov, at 9am, Singapore Time. Sorry for the late notice but it's either now or we'll have to wait until December!
• There will be very limited stocks because The Wallet and I weren't ready to jump straight into the business without testing the market first.
• Polishes will be available in 2 sizes for now: US$4 for a 5ml bottle and US$8 for a 10ml bottle.
• International shipping will be available and will be fixed at US$5 for the first and US$0.50 for each subsequent. Shipping within Singapore will be a flat rate of US$3. I'm sticking with registered mail for all my packages.
• I will also be making one or two sets of the whole collection available in one listing for those who are interested.
• I aim to have all orders ready and shipped within a week.
• I may consider a restock if there is a demand for it and if I can find the supplies. However, if I do restock, it will only take place in December (after my exams)!
• I've done up an email list for those who wish to be notified of future restocks and/or place a pre-order (to be filled in December after my exams). If you opt to place a pre-order, be assured that you do not have to pay anything now - invoicing for pre-orders will be done only when I am ready to ship out your package. You are also free to cancel your pre-order by emailing me anytime before that. I will be giving priority to the pre-orders before restocking the Etsy store. 

Phew! That was quite a lot of information!

Do let me know what you think of these polishes! I would love to hear from you! :$

xoxo,
mich

Essence: Snow White Trend Edition!

Yes!! The Essence Snow White Trend Edition is finally coming to Singapore!

Mirror, mirror on the wall… these words conjure-up wonderful fantasies of enchanted forests, a prince and the greatest love of all… but what was the story behind that famous line again? In collaboration with Disney, the seven dwarves will not only charm us with their rosy red cheeks and a cheerful song on their lips in November 2012, they’ll be delighting true fairytale fashionistas with the new essence trend edition “snow white”! A snow white look and fairytale glam perfect for the festive season!

essence snow white – nail polish
When snow white chooses the trendiest colors of the season, you can be sure that things are going to be colorful and playful – bright colors with great coverage conquer your nails and create imaginative styles. The highlight: the nail polish “snow white” comes in a 7 ml bottle and is a little bigger than the “seven dwarves” to bring the fairytale into your cosmetics bag in true Disney style.
Available in 01 snow white (7 ml, S$3.90*) 02 grumpy, 03 doc, 04 happy, 05 sneezy, 06 sleepy, 07 bashful and 08 dopey (5 ml S$3.50*).

essence snow white – special effect topper
Sigh, what a wonderful happy ending – three magical top coats give your nails an enchanting finish. From mystical to romantic – holo effects and glitter particles conjure fairytale looks onto the tips of your nails. These special effects won’t be lost on any princes!
Available in 01 evil queen, 02 the huntsman and 03 prince charming
S$4.30*

essence snow white – nail art sticker
Who is the fairest of them all? Everyone is! Because with these cheerful apple and dwarf stickers, one nail is more gorgeous than the next. The “snow white” nail art stickers are the crowning glory for the cute and colorful nail polishes. Let’s go – an exciting adventure awaits you!
Available in 01 heigh-ho, heigh-ho (1 design with 5 foils)
S$2.80*

essence snow white – nail file
For a change, even the evil stepmother is useful for your nails without any wicked ulterior motives. This queenly nail file is super practical when you’re on the go and will whip your nails into shape in a flash – magical!
S$2.80*

essence “Snow White” will be available in stores from this Saturday, 10 November 2012 so start googling for swatches and mark your calendars if you don't want to be disappointed! ;)
I know I've got my eye on Dopey and maybe the nail art stickers because they are so cute! :$

essence cosmetic is available at these Watsons stores:
Anchorpoint, Beauty World Centre, Bedok Central, Lot 1 Shopping Mall, Lucky Plaza, Ngee Ann City, Park Lane, Parkway Parade, Rivervale Mall, SMU, Sun Plaza
Also check out their new outlets at IMM and Plaza Singapura!

xoxo,
mich

p.s. I have an exciting piece of news tomorrow! You might have already seen it on my Twitter or IG but if you haven't, do stay tuned!! xx

Born Pretty Stamp Plate: M60 & How I Re-Learnt Stamping

I've always thought that nail stamping is like cycling - once you've picked it up, you will never forget how to do it. So, when I was asking to pick an item from Born Pretty Store for review, I happily opted for a plate with full-nail designs, thinking that I am able to stamp easily like a pro. WRONG. My first few tries after a long hiatus were complete disasters and almost left me in tears. :c Thankfully, I managed to re-master the skill to try the beautiful designs on this stamp plate:

The Born Pretty stamp plate M60* is a dupe plate for the Konad M60. I was drawn to this plate immediately because I love almost all of the designs on it.

As much as I love the designs, I nearly gave up on the stamping because I couldn't get enough polish in the grooves to stamp with. I tried polishes from different brands and ran into the same trouble each time. After googling around a bit, I found out that I was scraping off too much polish because I was holding the scraper at too low an angle. After I reposition the scraper at approximately 45 degrees, I finally managed to get enough polish in the grooves for stamping:

Polishes used:

Megan Miller Roja* - base color

Black from Essence's My Sparkling Acrobat duo - stamping color

Hmmm, I definitely need to work on my positioning - the design is slanted on some of the nails.

Having learnt a huge lesson in stamping, I've decided to include it in my tips for nail stamping. Here's the revised list:

• It helps to paint a (fast-drying) top coat over the base color before stamping.
• If the stamping goes wrong, just lightly wipe it off the nail immediately with some nail polish remover and you can stamp away without repainting the whole nail again.
• As a follow on from the previous tip, you need not be worried that the french tips designs on the plates are too big for you - just clean up with a little remover to keep the design on the tips only.
• Experiment with different polishes for stamping - but any pigmented one-coater should get the job done.
• Try to avoid quick-dry polishes if you are new to stamping and can't work that quickly.
• Work fast to scrape excess polish and pick up the design with the stamper before the polish dries.
• It helps to leave the polish bottle uncapped when you're doing your stamping.
• If you are scraping off too much polish from the design
• Make sure that the plate is dry (no acetone, etc) before you paint on the plate
• Make sure that you position the scraper at approximately 45 degrees - you are likely to remove too much polish if your scraper is angled lower than that. 
• If you are not picking up the design,
• Clean the plates with some remover to get rid of the dried polishes in the grooves,
• OR check if there is a thin plastic film covering the plate - peel that off first! Don't worry, you're not the only one who didn't know that (speaking from personal experience o"o).
• You can take some time to position the image over your nail before stamping. The image will still transfer onto your nail even though the polish has sort of dried. (I am not too sure how long you can wait but I sure took a few seconds to position the stamper before I stamped)
• I rest the edge of the design against the side of the nail before stamping the whole nail in a rolling motion - this helps to get the stamping straight.

You can find this stamp plate at the Born Pretty Store here. They provide free worldwide shipping! Feel free to quote "HDL91" for a 10% discount when you checkout:

On a random note, my sister seems to like nail stamping a lot - each time I take out my stamping kit, she will ask me to stamp her nails for her. Hmmm, I wonder if I can persuade her to get me some stamp plates for Christmas. ;)

Do you have any stamping tips to share? Let me know in the comments below! :$

xoxo,

mich

**Products marked with an asterisk are provided for honest review. Please see our disclosure policy for more information**