Saturday Spotlight: Illamasqua

Good evening!  Sorry for the late post but I was up at 7am and out on the soccer fields watching my kids play in a tournament all day long.  No seriously, we didn't finish until 4pm.  Fun day but man I am tired, and sunburnt.  So today I decided to feature Illamasqua.  This awesome brand from the UK has fabulous, buttery cremes that are a dream to apply.  I've also fallen hard for their shimmers.  Of course they have other finishes as well - something for everyone!  This brand used to be much easier to come by as it was stocked at a few US store counters, but they've been pulled from the shelves.  At least we can get them shipped directly from Illamasqua OR you can wait for Haute Look to have a sale with them and pick up odds and ends to fill the holes in your collection!  So enough blabbing, let's look at our spotlight brand today.

*nothing to disclose*

Illamasqua: Website/Shop, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter 

Up first is a real beauty, Melange.  This is a gorgeous soft green, kind of sagey, kind of minty, full of gold shimmer and flecks and some purple sparkles.  The formula was fabulous.  Melange covered perfectly in 2 coats.  I finished with a layer of topcoat.  

Facet is another gorgeous shimmery shade.  This one is a taupey/mushroom/brown color with loads of copper shimmer/sparkle.  I loved this one so much more than I expected to.  This was another fabulous formula.  Facet applied like butter in 2 coats and 1 layer of topcoat.  

Moving along, here's Boudicca.  Boudicca is a bright fiery orange full of shimmery flakes.  This one was a bit more sheer so you can see my nail line.  I probably should have gone for one more coat.  But is still had a great formula and applied nicely.  I used 2 coats and finished with a layer of topcoat.  

And then there was Marquis!  I really love this red-coral texture.  The added gold shimmer is really pretty and makes the color so bold.  The texture has a nice feel, not overly gritty, but not too fine.  While this color isn't overly unique (Zoya Destiny, Julie G Sugar Rush, OPI Jinx are all similar) it's still pretty and I don't mind having it.  I used 2 coats of Marquis and no topcoat.  

Here's Peruzzi.  I didn't even know about this until I saw it on a Haute Look sale.  It was so pretty i just had to have it.  Peruzzi is a golden yellow full of larger metallic silver glitters.  This is a chunky texture polish, created by a mixture of the glitter and base.  The formula was really easy to work with and I reached full opacity in 2 coats.  I did find this one unique and the only other polish I have to compare it to is Zoya Solange.  Rest assured they are not the same as Solange does not have the metallic glitters.  I used 2 coats of Peruzzi and no topcoat.  

While I still have quite a few untried Illamasquas I plucked Hemlock out of my helmer drawer.  This is a very sheer nude/opal base full of green/gold shimmer.  You can actually see that it's green in the bottle but on my nails translates more golden.  I'll be honest that I'm not the biggest fan of shades that are this sheer.  I wanted to wear it alone, but clearly it should be layered over a creme base color.  The formula was just as nice as the others.  I used 3 coats of Hemlock and 1 layer of topcoat.  

Saturday Spotlight: Cirque Holos

Good afternoon and happy Saturday lovelies!  Today I bring you my second installment of the Saturday Spotlight series!  As I discussed last week, the Saturday Spotlight posts will feature a brand, color, finish, etc...  Last week I shared pink polish (you can see that post HERE)!  I decided to share some Cirque holos!  2 of my favorite things - Cirque and holo.  Most of the polish in this post is currently available and Cirque is typically $13 each.  So without too much gabbing, let's jump in to the post!
*nothing to disclose*
Cirque Colors: Website/Shop, Mei Mei's Signatures, Facebook, Instagram
This neon green beauty is Flash and was an exclusive color from the Nordstrom Magic Hour Collection.  I enjoyed the color and the formula was fantastic.  Flash covered perfectly in 2 coats and no topcoat needed.  I only wish the holo effect were a bit more flashy (pun intended).  This color was limited edition and is no longer available.  

Powwow is a gorgeous pink-fuchsia linear holo from the Heritage Collection.  Honestly this is what my notes say, "FAB FAB FAB."  That's it.  I used 2 coats for perfect coverage.  No topcoat.  You need a nice bright pink, Powwow is your polish!  

Taking it back to a much older collection, Cypress from the 2013 Objet d'Art collection

is a "rich metallic copper" holo and I LOVE IT!  I always like these shades, they are so luxurious and classy.  Cypress had a wonderful formula and application.  2 easy coats for full coverage and perfect holo rainbows!  No topcoat.  

Twilight is another from the exclusive Nordstrom Magic Hour Collection.  Since it was limited edition it's another that is no longer available.  This is a perfect medium-toned, neon blue.  Loved the shade and of course the formula.  Twilight applied like butter.  Truthfully, you could apply these polishes with your eyes closed they are that nice.  2 coats and no topcoat.  

Never Nude, from the 2013 Dark Horse Collection, is a soft and totally wearable champagne nude linear holo.  This is another shade I am a total sucker for.  If the listing says "nude" and "holo' I'm sold.  Yes, it's that easy to take my money.  I love the strong liner effect in Never Nude too.  Another fabulous formula and perfect application here!  2 coats and no topcoat.

And last but not least for this post (I figure more than 6 is a bit overwhelming) is Plur, yet another limited edition, exclusive shade for the Nordstrom Magic Hour collection.  Now THIS is a neon pink!  I adore the color and the formula - like buttah, literally applied itself.  I do wish the holo effect were stronger though, that would have made for a truly perfect pink.  I used 2 coats of Plur and no topcoat.    Sadly this is another polish that is no longer available  

LOOK Nail Color LOOK Proud, 4th of July Collection

Good afternoon!  Hope your Thursday is going well!  I found myself running around taking care of errands and I forgot to eat lunch, oops!  My kids are down to their last 4 days of school and I can't believe how much has been going on in the past few weeks.  I will definitely embrace the summer with a big sigh of relief and a tall glass of frozen adult beverage.  Today I have a new to me brand to share with you.  LOOK Nail Color is a brand that you can find in your local drugstores and they promote self-expression with nail color and nail art!  There are currently a few collections available as well as a nail art kit that comes with art brushes and dotting tools.  The collection I received to review is LOOK Proud, the 4th of July set.  Of course this means it consists of red, white and blue!  LOOK Proud hit Walgreen's shelves on 5/1/15 and are $6.99 each!  I happened into my local Wags and saw the full display sitting there looking quite inviting!  Let's jump in and talk about polish, you ready? *press sample* LOOK Nail Color: Website, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter Here was the display in my local Walgreen's...

I received Oh Say Can You See, Rocket's Red Glare and Broad Stripes Bright Stars for review.  I enjoyed the bottle shape and the shorter brush, which made for easy handing when I did art.  

Since LOOK encourages nail art I thought that's what I'd do!  I did 2 very simple nail art styles and am sharing them now.  For this mani I started with 2 coats of Broad Stripes Bright Stars.  It's a nice creamy white that wasn't chalky or patchy.  It covered well and made for a great base for my art.  I then used Oh Say Can You See, a royal blue jelly.  You would need about 3 coats to build up the opacity on this polish, but it had a very glossy finish.  I free handed the 2 thick stripes on my nails.  I then sponged Rocket's Red Glare, a red jelly, onto the tips of my nails, trying to stay within the white area.  This jelly was a bit more full coverage, but it would still probably take 3 coats.  I finished with 1 layer of topcoat.  

This second look is my favorite of the 2.  I decided to do a splatter mani.  So messy, but I haven't done one in ages.  Once again I started with Broad Stripes Bright Stars because it really makes a prefect base for nail art.  I used ellagee Likety Split Latex Mani Mask to cover my fingers and help keep the mess at bay.  

The next step for the splatter mani is to get a straw.  I cut mine in half to make for easier handling.  You'll need 1 straw per color you are using.  You will also want a paper plate to "splatter" over.  

Dip your straw into the polish getting a good amount into the tip.  

Hold the straw over 1 nail (over the paper plate of course) and....blow!  Blow hard enough to cause the polish to fly out all over your nail in random blobs and drops.  Re-dip the straw and do it again for each nail.  Below is my picture of each nail after the splatter treatment with Oh Say Can You See.  

Here's another picture showing what my nails (and fingers) looked like after being splattered with Rocket's Red Glare.  

After removing the latex and a little clean up here's what I created!  I did finish it up with a layer of topcoat.  You want to make sure everything is nice and dry before using topcoat so you don't smear any of the colors.  I think it's a super fun way to show off your patriotic side and celebrate the holiday.