12 Days of Round-Up: Indie Favorites

And now... for my indie favorites!
I had such a hard time doing up my list when there are sooooo many to choose from!

source: scrangie

a-england Dragon.
Oh that gold flash is to die for - so dragon-esque. Honestly, I don't know why I don't have this in my stash. I need to remedy that pronto. :L

Cult Nails Toxic Seaweed. 1 coat over Illamasqua Rampage.
A sheer green base filled with silver and green glitters and a scattering of orange-gold flakies. Absolutely stunning combo. I'm sorry if the swatch looks a little gritty. I realized that I forgot to add a top coat until I was editing the pictures. It is completely smooth and glossy with just one coat of top coat. :P

source: fashionpolish

Cult Nails Flushed.
A stunning purple with that magical fiery shimmer not unlike OPI Every Month is Oktoberfest or Max Factor Fantasy Fire. I admit I have a weakness for such polishes. Yes, it is my fault for not getting it early but it is currently on its way to me. *happy dance*

Emily de Molly Harmony. 3 coats.
Another horrible swatch. I've worn this a few times already and each time the sky was overcast so I can't get a good picture of it. It is December after all. Anyway, I digressed. This is a beautiful grey with scatterings of teal, purple, lavender and white glitters and super tiny holographic shimmer/glitter in the base. Completely unique and absolutely chic and gorgeous. You know you need it. <3

Femme Fatale Cosmetics Hydraxia. 2 coats over Cult Nails Living Water.
Another Aussie indie polish that is absolutely fabulous. It looks good in the swatch and I can tell you, it looks even better in real life.

Femme Fatale Cosmetics Winter Hyacinth. 4 coats on ring and 2 coats over China Glaze For Audrey on the rest.
I'm sorry for the mini Aussie indie spam but they totally deserve a spot on the list. Just look at it. I simply can't adequately describe how awesome this is.

HARE Polish Magic Mist. 1 coat over a-england Guinevere.
I love purple and this is one of the prettiest purple glitter I have ever seen. Delicate yet bold at the same time.

source: harepolish

HARE Polish Oceans of Alloys.
It's blue/turquoise so you know it has my heart that wee bit more than the other colors in the collection. The color mix is also perfect. Even my nuggle (nail polish muggle) friend agrees. I've worn this a few times already but never had the time to take a proper picture because I was always rushing some where else after slapping it on.

source: scrangie

Rescue Beauty Lounge Aqua Lily.
I can kick myself in the butt a million times over for missing out on this when it was first released. And I can stab myself in the heart a million times for not grabbing this when it was available the second time. WHAT THE HECK WAS I THINKING?! Ji, please say you will make it available again. :c I promise I will never never let it slip me another time!

source: imfeelingnail-venturous

KbShimmer Hex Appeal.
I don't know why I keep telling myself I don't need this when I obviously do. It's such a rich deep blue and the glitters accentuate it perfectly. I'm so not skipping this the next time I'm making an order.

Yup so these are some of my favorites this year!
Admittedly, these are just the tip of the iceberg - there are still plenty of indie brands that I have yet to try so there may be other gems out there that I've missed out.
Do share some of your favorites so I can check them out! :d

Let's hope that 2013 will be another great indie year, shall we? xD

xoxo,
mich

P.S. Don't forget to enter our year-end giveaway to win amazing polishes from both mainstream and indie brands! Ends 12 Jan 2013.

12 Days of Round-Up: Mainstream Favorites

Whoohoo!! We are officially mid-way through our round-up! I hope you are enjoying the series so far! It is something that I have never tried before but I do like sharing some of my favorites with you and hearing from you about your favorites!

Today, I have some of my favorite mainstream polishes to share with you.
I must confess though, I did not buy many mainstream polishes this year. With the colorful indies everywhere, it is starting to require much more before a polish wow-s me - as if I am not already picky enough. :P

China Glaze Riveting. 2 coats.
Bright and fiery. I am not a fan of orange but I couldn't help falling in love with this.

China Glaze I'm Not Lion. 3 coats.
Light champagne holo glitter that is incredibly sparkly and elegant - just the way I like my bling.

Max Factor Fantasy Fire. 1 coat over Zoya Kelly.
Magic in a bottle. I know there are a lot of polishes with the same color-shifting shimmer but I love Fantasy Fire because the shimmer really pops in the sheer purple base. I have never worn it on its own before but I just (like half an hour ago) painted it on a swatch stick. I can stare at it all day long. I will try to take a picture soon!

OPI Every Month is Oktoberfest. 2 coats.
Inky base with fiery red shimmer. This was an instant favorite from all the fall polishes by the mainstream brands. Simple, elegant and smoking hawt at the same time.

Innisfree #101 (Deborah Lippmann Mermaid's Dream Dupe). 3 coats.
A polish that looks like the shimmery scales of a mermaid's tail - or at least it looks like what I imagine a mermaid's tail to be. I didn't even know it was possible to replicate the perfectly textured look in a polish! For sweeping me off my feet like that, it deserves a spot on the list. I'm using the innisfree dupe because I am a pauper but you know I am referring to the original. :i

Of course, the blue-greens are also on this list but I thought I shouldn't bore you with a repost ;)
What are some of your favorite polishes in 2012? :h

xoxo,
mich

P.S. Don't forget to enter our year-end giveaway to win amazing polishes from both mainstream and indie brands! Ends 12 Jan 2013.

12 Days of Round-Up: Best Indie Collection 2012

Oops I apologize for this incredibly late post today! I had been really busy with spring cleaning (where did 2012 go?!) and trying to swatch my collection on swatch sticks during my little "breaks" from all the housework.

Anyway, having looked at some of my favorite mainstream collections yesterday, let's take a look at some of the indie collections that caught my heart this year!

a-england The Legends

source: ommorphia

Gorgeous colors to go with a beautiful story. I have a weakness for myths and legends so I am already slightly biased towards this collection. Add some beautiful holos to the collection and *poof* instant favorite. Although there are many other polishes with stronger holo effect, I still have a soft-spot for a-england's holos because they are softer and look more elegant.

Cult Nails Behind Closed Doors

Source: Chalkboard News

Sexy naughty collection with incredibly rich colors = extremely hard to resist. Right up my alley!!
I tried to tell myself I don't need them but I don't know how long more I can hold out for. I already caved in and got Flushed. :$

HARE Polish Finder's Keepers

source: harepolish

Now, don't look at me like that! I am a HARE fan but I honestly did try my darndest to choose only two or three to buy. I stared at swatches for hours and.... ended up buying everything. I am such a fail. :b In my defense, the colors are all so unique and pretty! I honestly don't understand how Nikole manages to snag my heart again and again...

Rainbow Honey Yokai

Yup, I couldn't resist. Folklores and myths? Check. Beautiful colors? Check. Unique? Check. The formula wasn't the best but I think I can put up with it.

Rescue Beauty Lounge Fan Collection Spring 2012

source: scrangie

This is a collection that made me wish I were rich enough to buy them all. Incredibly gorgeous colors that are so unique. It certainly didn't help that I'm on a blue-green kick this year! The more I look at them, the more I want them. Unfortunately, most of these are no longer available for sale at RBL - I don't know whether to feel relieved (money saved!) or frustrated (because I didn't get them when they were available). :et

What are some of the indie collections that caught your heart this year?

xoxo,
mich

P.S. Don't forget to enter our year-end giveaway to win amazing polishes from both mainstream and indie brands! Ends 12 Jan 2013.

12 Days of Round-Up: Best Mainstream Collections 2012

Before I attempt to list down some of my favorite polishes of the year, I thought it is worth mentioning some of the collections (as opposed to individual colors) that have caught my heart this year.

So let's take a look at the collections that had me going "BUY-ALL-THE-COLORS!!" :fire
At least until I realize I don't have enough money to cart them out :P

OPI Holland

source: fab fatale

Brights, dusty faded colors and even darks - this collection has them all! It is really hard to ignore a collection that has something for everyone. It didn't help that the colors are so pretty too! Just looking at this picture makes me all ready for spring. :rainbow

OPI NYC Ballet

source: scrangie

An unexpected favorite of mine - this is a collection that I had dismissed time after time (even after seeing swatches) until I saw Scrangie's post. She captured the softness and squishiness of the jellies perfectly and I couldn't help falling in love with them. :L Because I don't usually wear soft shades, I only got Barre My Soul (the first on the left) and Pirouette My Whistle. But I am definitely thinking of getting more for work though - the formula was perfect.

Color Club Halo Hues

source: color club

Now this is a highly-anticipated collection that set many holo-lovers' hearts racing. It is said to have an excellent formula (i.e. no need special base coats, etc) without compromising the holographic effects so it definitely deserved a spot on this list. I have my eyes on this collection but I am holding back for now and waiting to see the China Glaze Hologram to be released in 2013! :P

Zoya Designer & Diva

Source: scrangie.com

Ahh... fall collections are my favorites of the year - I am such a sucker for rich, dark, vampy colors. I must say that I have at least a favorite from each of the fall collections but Zoya's fall collections, as a whole, stole my heart. I love the range of sparkly colors in the Diva collection. They also had me ooo-ing and ahh-ing at the smoky cremes in the Designer collection - if there is anything that I love more than a vampy color, it is a smoky vampy color. I swear, if Zoyas were more readily available here, I would have snapped them all up in the blink of an eye.

Zoya Ornate

Source: scrangie.com

Another Zoya collection! This time, we have Zoya's first holographic polishes! Extremely beautiful colors to go with the scattered holo particles - you can't go wrong with black, purple and red. I believe they are similar to some of the Ozotic polishes so if you have been holding back because of the price tag on the Ozotics, you should not miss out on these Zoyas. Apart from the holographic polishes, I also fell in love with their foils. Instead of being a plain and boring foil, they have a little something to keep them from looking too flat on the nails. I don't really like Electra because of the bar glitters but if you are a fan of bar glitters, you will love how sparkly it is. For the unique and beautiful colors, Zoya stood out amongst all the other holiday collections for me. :h

What are some of the mainstream collections that have caught your heart this year?

xoxo,
mich

P.S. Don't forget to enter our year-end giveaway to win amazing polishes from both mainstream and indie brands! Ends 12 Jan 2013.

12 Days of Round-Up: Favorite Color

I must confess, I don't usually have a particular color preference. Admittedly, I had my pink and blue moments back when I was young but I've since grown to love a wider range of colors. But of course, I still find myself having a soft spot for certain colors every now and then.

This year, the official Pantone color of 2012 is Tangerine Tango. Butttt... that color never really caught my eye. >.<
Instead, I've noticed that the newer members of my stash in 2012 are largely... blue-greens! :h

Let's take a look at some of the blue-greens that caught my heart this year:

China Glaze For Audrey. 2 thin coats.
This was the color that started it all off. A friend of mine asked about turquoise nail polishes and I stumbled upon For Audrey. It was not love at first sight because I wasn't sure how it would look on me but I am glad I bought it. It is such a pretty color that I don't really care whether it looks good on me or not. It is one of the colors that I reach for very often - so much so that I have only about half a bottle left now. :$

Zoya Bevin. 2 thin coats.
A soft dusty sage green that is incredibly elegant and beautiful. It wasn't love at first sight either but I fell hopelessly in love with it after seeing it on my friend. :L It is not easy to get Zoyas in Singapore and I nearly went crazy with need. I know that OPI Thanks A Windmillion is very similar but for some reason I really wanted Bevin. It took me months before I was able to satisfy my lemming but it is well worth the wait. It is surprisingly eye-catching for such a soft color and I received many compliments while wearing it. <3

Rescue Beauty Lounge Halcyon. 2 thin coats.
This is another beautiful dusty medium sage green from RBL's Fan Collection for Spring 2012. I know that Aqua Lily was the one that caught the hearts of many others but Halcyon was the first to call my name when I saw swatches of the collection. It took me a lot of willpower to close the browser tab but as fate would have it, a friend of mine accidentally bought an extra and asked if anyone wanted it. The rest was history. I didn't expect to love this as much as I do but, boy, those gold-copper-pink shimmer-flakes are simply stunning. They are subtle but very visible on the nail and catch the light so beautifully. I never knew pink would go so well with green, copper and gold!

China Glaze Exotic Encounters. 2 coats.
A dusty green-leaning teal. By the time the China Glaze On Safari collection came out, I was hopelessly in love with blue-greens so naturally this was a love at first sight for me. Even the holographic glitters in that collection did not distract me from this gorgeous creme.

a-england Galahad. 2 thin coats.
A bright yet slightly-dusty blue-leaning teal this time. Slightly more teal than what my camera picked up. Not a very common shade but I do love it. I also love how pigmented this is. I could get away with one coat if I had been more careful.

Cult Nails Living Water. 2 thin coats.
A dark teal jelly with tiny brillant blue and green glitters. I love my darks so there was no way I could leave out this beauty. Even after wearing it so many times, I still lose myself in this dark sparkly polish each time I put it on. :L

What is your favorite color this year?

xoxo,
mich

P.S. Don't forget to enter our year-end giveaway to win amazing polishes from both mainstream and indie brands! Ends 12 Jan 2013.

12 Days of Round-Up: Favorite Indie Brand

This year, all of us were spoilt with many offerings from various indie brands that sprung up and literally took the nail community by storm so much so that my round-up would be incomplete without them.

For the new and uninitiated, indie polishes are usually made by small polish companies or individuals. They exploded in popularity because of the unique and incredibly beautiful polishes that these brands offer. Glitter polishes are the most common but recently, indie brands are also offering other finishes such as holographic and shimmer polishes.

Despite the hundreds of indie labels out there, not all indie brands are equally successful and only a few excellent ones manage to build a loyal following in the nail community. Even though I did not try every single brand, I have been keeping a watchful eye on the indie market and remained very selective with my purchases (The Wallet has been tight on funds lately).
I have caved in only on a few occasions and going by the number of polishes I have bought from each brand, my favorite indie label of the year is...

Yup! HARE polish!
No surprises, right? I haven't been keeping my love too secret... hehheh

So what got me so crazy over HARE?

I first fell in love with the Nikole's first few creations for their simplicity - simple yet stunning and unique. The glitters go very well with the base color and the ratio of glitter-to-base is just perfect - eye catching without being glitter bombs.

Nikole's newer collections are a marked departure from her old style. The glitter mixes are now more complex and the glitters are more dense. And yet, my love affair continues. Each of polishes sport a bold yet well-thought-out mix of colors that never fail to catch me by surprise. Yes, that girl got an eye for color I say! I can't help falling in love with her polishes even though I am not usually adventurous with color combinations. <3

Of course, I absolutely love her labels too! Who could resist such a cute bunny?! :$

In short, I am a diehard HARE fan. :L
I have had a few questions asking where I get my HARE fix. I follow them on Facebook for information about their restocks - ok that's an understatement, I also selected "get notifications" (hover above the "like" button) so I wouldn't miss a single update. After that, it is really a matter of battling it out at her Etsy store - fastest fingers (and network) first!

Now, tell me, which indie brand has your heart? ;)

xoxo,
mich

P.s. Don't forget to enter our giveaway for a chance to win polishes featured in this 12 Days of Round-Up series!

12 Days of Round-Up: Nail Polish Trends in 2012

Good morning everyone and MERRY CHRISTMAS to all of you!! May each Christmas be the warmest and most wonderful one for you and your family! Of course, I trust that we have been good all year so I hope that our Christmas stockings are filled all that we wished for too! ;)

Today also marks the first of our 12 Days of Round-Up series so let's begin with a brief recap of the nail polish trends that have fought for the spotlight in 2012!

Perhaps they were feeling the heat from the indie polish makers... 2012 turned out to be a busy year for the nail polish companies. Apart from cranking out new shades, they have worked very hard, sometimes too hard, to put out innovative nail polishes to satisfy our never-ending demands for fresh new manicures. 

OPI Spotted

No doubt, the shatter/crackle trend is so two-thousand-and-eleven - yes, that includes glitter shatters/crackles *looks at OPI and CG* But when OPI released Spotted exclusive to France as part of the Amazing Spiderman Collection, the nail community went into a frenzy and everyone wanted a piece of it. And it is not hard to see why! Leaving aside the fact that it has been labeled with the magic word "exclusive", OPI Spotted creates a more elegant and mysterious shrouded effect as compared to shatters/crackles. While the latter gives a punk-rebel look, Spotted exudes more style and class. 

Application is not easy though. The base color must be completely dry or Spotted will crack. For the best results, you must use very very thin coats or the effect won't show. Clearly I still need to work on my application. Wear time isn't fantastic either and it peeled off with the top coat (leaving behind the base color) on my second day. For more details, you can check out Nailderella's post. 

Unfortunately, this is (was?) only available in France because of a substance that was prohibited in some other countries. Alternatively, you may consider the Layla Bubbly Effect polishes in a range of colors - although I think black is the most elegant color for this effect.

Caviar / Fishegg Manicure

Craft beads on the ring finger; Jelly sandwich with OPI Houston, We Have a Purple and Pirouette My Whistle on the rest

Now, this is a trend that got entangled with some controversy when Ciaté attempted to claim intellectual property rights over it. That aside, I was not too impressed with the look when I first heard of it. Being a typical pragmatic Singaporean, I wondered if the beads will even stay long enough on the nails for the day. It would look pretty ugly if bald patches start appearing on my nails.

I finally took the plunge and wore it for my mum's birthday dinner since it is just a quick and small family affair. Instead of putting the beads over a wet mani, I stuck them over a coat of PVA glue and they held up pretty well. Removal was also easy since I could just peel the beads off in one sheet. The only downside was that the glue turned wet each time it comes into contact with water so I think I will try something else next time, if I even do it at all. It didn't look too bad but it wasn't very impressive either. I ended up touching it the whole time just because I was fascinated with the texture. lol!

Velvet Manicure

Source

Right after opening a can of fish-eggs, Ciaté forged ahead by launching velvet manicure sets. Hmmm.. I'm not too impressed with the look but it does look classier than the caviar. I have yet to try it for myself though so I may change my mind. But for now, I am not in a hurry to get my hands on those flocking powders.

Magnetic Polishes

Source: scrangie

Strictly speaking, magnetic polishes may have been around even before 2012 but most of the big brand companies jumped onto the bandwagon this year. Before we knew it, the whole market was flooded with magnetic polishes from high-end brands like Deborah Lippmann to drugstore brands... you get the idea.

I had been really attracted to the idea at the start of the year but my interest kind of withered out even before I bought one to try for myself. There are just too many of them! Admittedly, there are some that stood out from the rest by having different magnetic designs or adding holo glitters (OPI) so those are the ones that I would try if I ever decide to.

For a useful post on how to work with magnetic polishes, please see this on Scrangie's.

Goldleaf Toppers

Zoya Gilty over China Glaze For Audrey

Gold - the one metal that has captured human hearts since time immemorial. So, it is really not that surprising to see a brief gold craze when the big brand companies (OPI and Zoya) started to release their own goldleaf toppers late this year. They were not the first to have goldleaf toppers but they definitely made a huge wave with their large followings.

I did my best to resist but my resolve crumbled into pieces in no time at all (I'm only human!). Thankfully, Lacey from Lace and Lacquers offered to help me get Zoya's limited edition (damn those magic words) Gilty set. She also sent me a freaking awesome swap package but that's a story for another day (I really need to stop procrastinating with my blogposts).

To be honest, I am not a normally a gold lover because it can come across as being too heavy sometimes but I love how the goldleaf topper adds just the right amount of class and luxury without overdoing it. I think it is the only way I will ever wear yellow gold. It is also versatile and goes really well with several colors. This is one of the rare times I splurge but at least I know I won't be buying real diamond polishes. :et

If you have missed the boat for Zoya's Gilty, you can also consider Ninja Polish's gold (The Midas Touch) and white gold (He Went to Jarred) topper.



So, after hearing so much talk from me, what do you think of the nail polish trends in 2012? :i
Which nail polish trend caught your heart and which did not make the mark?

xoxo,
mich

Celebrate Good Times, Come On! [CLOSED]

Now, this is a super overdue post and I am really sorry for being such a horrible procrastinator!! Time flew and before I knew it, it is already December and I have yet to celebrate our bloggiversary that was in October! Shame on you, mich!

To make up for that, I've decided to have a mega-celebration for Christmas and our various milestones all at once! :party

The Game Plan

After a lot of thought and planning, I have decided to do a "12 Days of Round-Up" series that will round up 2012 and start us off on 2013. This series will start from the 25 Dec and go on for 12 days. This is my first time doing such posts so please be kind! :P

On top of that, I will be holding a GIVEAWAY in conjunction with the 12 Days of Round-Up Series.
In keeping with our usual tradition of letting the winners choose the polishes they want, this is how it will be done. It is a little complicated so please read this carefully!

• The giveaway will run from now to 12 Jan 2013, 12am SGT.
• This giveaway is open internationally. 
• There will be 2 winners for this giveaway:
• First Prize: 
• 1x HARE Bisbee (yes, it is that little bundled up polish you see in the first picture of this post!)
• Any polishes featured in the 12 Days of Round-Up series up to a limit of US$25 
• Second prize: 
• Any polishes featured in the 12 Days of Round-Up series up to a limit of US$25
• **shipping costs (to acquire the prizes) above US$5 will count towards the prize limit**
• CONDITION: polishes chosen must be "available for sale" within 2 weeks from the end of the giveaway
• A polish is not considered to be available if 
• it is not possible to be bought in or have it shipped to Singapore; 
• it is not in stock in the original shops or the authorized stockists; or
• To minimize possible complications, I will only be buying the polishes from the original shops or the authorized stockists. No eBay, etc.
• I am not able to cart them out during the restock.
• I promise to do my best to grab them but I will not be responsible if I got cart-jacked (which happens very frequently especially for popular indie brands).
• I will contact the winners at the end of the giveaway and they will have 48 hours to reply with their choice of polishes. I will then let them know if the polishes they have picked are available. If they are not, winners will have to choose other polishes for their prize pack.

This is also the first time I am doing a giveaway in this manner so please feel free to clarify matters via email or in the comments below if you have any questions! I will get back to you as soon as possible.

I've tried to keep the entry requirements simple so, if you are ready, just enter in the Rafflecopter widget below!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Remember to stay tuned to the blog to know what's in store for you! ^_^

Before I end this post proper, here's an earworm for you!
You're most welcome! ;)

xoxo,
mich

Femme Fatale Cosmetics: Winter Hyacinth & Hydraxia

Today, I have a new-to-me Aussie indie brand to share with you! Femme Fatale Cosmetics is a home-based business owned by the talented Sophie and specialize in hand-blended mineral based cosmetics. They have a stunning range of eyeshadows (I don't usually pay attention to makeup and such but the colors are really interesting!) and have recently started to offer an impressive range of nail polishes as well!

I first heard of this indie line through the Aussie nail girls on Instagram and couldn't stop drooling over the swatches! Unfortunately, FFC does not offer international shipping so when I heard that Shoppe Eclecticco started carrying their polishes, I quickly jumped on the bandwagon and grabbed these two pretties to try:

Winter Hyacinth. 2 coats over China Glaze For Audrey except for ring finger which has 4 coats on its own.
A beautiful medium turquoise filled with white, rose and fuchsia glitters. Apart from the usual hex glitters, it also contains white diamonds and pink dots that make it so unique. I didn't know that pink and turquoise would go so well together but the I'm hopelessly in love with the color combination. :L The base color is on the sheer side and took about 4 thin coats to be opaque. It is similar to China Glaze's For Audrey - just one or two shade darker and not as bright. Did I mention, I have a thing for teals and turquoises this year? :$

Hydraxia. 2 coats (dabbed on the second) over one coat of Cult Nails Living Water.

A sheer jelly base of deep sea green full of multiple teal, turquoise, ocean blue, bright blue and soft flecks of yellow in various shapes and sizes.

- Femme Fatale Cosmetics

Yup, a complex polish that I can't even begin to describe adequately. This was the polish that first got my eye on FFC. I saw this on Bec of Nail Gun XS on Instagram and it was love at first sight (she layered it over China Glaze Man Hunt (a beautiful dark blue) here.)! :L I was about to bust out my Cult Nails Time Traveler when I saw Living Water next to it and in that instant, I knew it was The One. The dark teal base and tiny glitters complemented Hydraxia so well as if they were meant for each other! Needless to say, I fell in love all over again. <3

The formula on these was very good. The consistency was just right and I did not have to fish around for the glitters. Just a note though: the larger glitters in Winter Hyacinth tend to stay at the bottom of the bottle so it helps to give it a few hard shakes before use.

I must say, having tried these, FFC is definitely on my indie radar now. I'm impressed with the range of colors they offer and their excellent formula. On top of that, they have also gone beyond my expectations by having a very professional packaging for their bottles and website. What more could I ask for?

So, what do you think of these polishes? What other FFC colors caught your eye?

FFC polishes are available for sale in Australia on their website.
If you are living outside Australia, you can grab these beauties from their international stockists such as Shoppe Eclecticco here. Shoppe Eclecticco is also having weekend sale for Aussie indie brands and polishes are at S$1.50 off per bottle! There are only a few FFC polishes available on the site at the time of writing so you better be quick! The next FFC re-stock is tentatively scheduled for mid-end Jan 2013 and will come with new colors - I simply can't wait!!
For more FFC updates, you can follow them on Facebook or Twitter!

xoxo,
mich

HARE Polish: The First Collection (Reformulated)

Ok... it is no secret that I am a huge HARE polish fan right? Right. :e
And so it should not come as a surprise that I did a mega haul of shame during her last few Etsy restocks, right?

In my defense, my brain was malfunctioning during that period (revision for exams!) and I badly needed some retail therapy... Oh, scrap that. Who am I kidding?? There is no way I could miss HARE polish's restock! :brow

So let's start off with some swatches of the reformulated First Collection, shall we?

A Positive. 2 coats over 2 coats of OPI Houston, We Have A Purple.
A super squishy bright magenta red jelly filled with a mix of silver hexes of three different sizes. The base color was a little sheer so I decided to layer this over HWHAP lest the silver hexes cover up the entire base color if I try to build it up to opacity on its own. I had contemplated skipping this but I'm really glad I didn't. :L If you love jelly glitters, this will be right up your alley too.

Pegasus. 2 coats over China Glaze Light As Air on the first three fingers & 2 coats on its own on the pinkie.
Another silver hex glitter mix but in a soft lilac base this time. The silver hexes are colored white by the base color, giving it an unexpectedly delicate and feminine look. :angel I'm so glad I managed to snag this one after lemming for it for so long!

Bisbee. 3 coats on its own.
And finally, the star of the collection - this little bunny was wiped out within seconds in each of the restocks and I was really lucky to get it before it was gone. It was literally the fastest shopping I had ever done - I was in and checking out in under a minute. The adrenaline was still coursing through my body long after the damage was done.... Oops, I digressed.
Bisbee is a bright green-leaning turquoise filled with a mix of gold hexes of different sizes. I had some problems with the larger glitters clumping and curling a wee bit but nothing a little prodding and manipulating can't solve. In any case, how could I hold it against a pretty polish like Bisbee? You know you want it too. ;)

There is one other polish from the First Collection, Archipelago, but it is not ready to be included in this reformulated collection. :( I am hoping that Nikole will be able to find the right materials to make it once again! It's a stunning beauty and I would hate to miss it.

So, what do you think of HARE polish's First Collection?
Stay tuned for more swatches soon!

xoxo,
mich