Charming Tale Haul Swatch & Review

Today I have a haul to show you!  Leanne, @LeasNails on Instagram, recently launched her own indie brand called Charming Tale polish and I'm obsessed. She sent me one nail polish to review before her launch, check it out here!, and I purchased 6 minis. Leanne has created 2 collections, The Fairy Godmother collection and Fairest Of Them All collection, as well as some nail care items.

As always, I have live swatches of all of these polishes on my YouTube channel!

I'll start off with the Fairy Godmother collection!

This is Flora a slightly pink toned red.

Anyone that knows me, knows that I'm obsessed with reds.

Flora has the most amazing formula. It is a little bit on the thick side, which I love, but because of that it only required ONE coat.

I just used 1 coat for the swatch and no topcoat. It's perfection in a bottle.

The second polish from the collection, which is unfortunately not available anymore, is Fauna.

This is a Shrek green. It's a weird colour to describe, it's quite a yellowy chartreuse but definitely still olive green. You know?

Anyway, it's a gorgeous polish. Definitely not something I'd usually go for, but still very pretty.

I used 2 coats for the swatch and no topcoat.

The first coat was slightly streaky and not fully opaque, but the second coat covered everything up.

The third creme in this collection is Merryweather.

This is a bright medium blue.

This was another ONE coater!

The formula was the same as Flora, it was a little thicker, but super easy to work with, and was opaque in just 1 coat.

Again, I didn't use a topcoat.

The last polish in this collection is called Fairy Dust and it's a silver holographic glitter polish with some very fine silver shimmer.

I used 3 coats for the swatch.

It's a very dense glitter and it was very easy to apply. It has a very full coverage on the first coat so I wouldn't recommend using this as a topper.

The silver shimmer really helps build up the opacity and makes it different from other silver holographic glitters.

The next few polishes are from the Fairest Of Them All collection.

This first polish is Mistress Of All Evil.

This is the polish I previously reviewed on my blog so I won't go into much detail.

I used 2 coats for the swatch and no topcoat.

It's beautiful!

The newest polish to Charming Tales is The Huntsman, and this has been added in the second restock.

This is a dark blue base filled with silver shimmer.

I used 2 coats for the swatch.

It was a little sheer on the first coat and there was a definite visible nail line. The second coat really deepened up the colour and covered up any VNL.

The last polish I have to show you today is Magic Mirror and this is a gold holographic glitter.

I used 2 coats for the swatch. I had a bit of a weird brush so it was picking up too much nail polish. I would recommend doing 3 thinner coats rather than 2 thick ones.

This is a gorgeous glitter and it looked very bling on the nails. Again it was very dense so I wouldn't recommend using it as a topper.







Those are all my Charming Tale polishes, I think they're all great quality and it's an amazing start for such a new indie brand.

Check out Charming Tale on Instagram for more info and swatches!

Illamasqua TK Maxx Haul Swatch & Review

I recently went into TK Maxx and saw a whole bunch of Illamasqua polishes for only £3.99!! I think Illamasqua is a great brand, but I never want to spend the money on them full price. They're also difficult to find in store in the UK so it's not a brand I'm easily tempted with. When I saw them at TK Maxx for a fraction of the price, I went a little crazy...

I have live swatches of all these polishes on my YouTube channel so check it out!! 

First up is Superstition.

this is a super beautiful bright pink. It's not quite neon, but it's almost there.

This is fully opaque in just 1 thicker coat. I used 2 coats for the swatch as I had a very slight visible nail line on a few nails, but if you're in a rush, this could easily be a 1 coater.

The formula is so smooth and easy to work with, it almost applied itself. I had absolutely zero issues.

It dries a little dull, so it definitely needs a topcoat.

For all swatches, keep reading after the jump!

OPI Venice Collection Swatch & Review

Ever since I first saw the OPI Venice Collection press release I knew I had to have them. I don't have a lot of will power when it comes to OPI... I picked up 8 of the 12 shades. The collection is set to release in August, but tnbl.co.uk had them early! It's a Autumn/Winter 2015 collection, but if you look at the colours, they're very pastel, nude, red, spring, summer. I don't really mind because I wear these types of colours all year round (especially the nudes!). Another reason I picked these up is because some of these are so unique in OPI's collection. A minty green! A warm pastel purple! A melon shade! It's all so new and exciting!

I have live swatches of these colours on my youtube channel, so if you want to see me applying these only my nails and really see what the formula is like, click here!

Anyway let's get started!

First up is Worth A Pretty Penne.

How cute is that name!??

This is like a rosey gold type of colour. When you look at the macro shot below you can see it's actually silver and copper shimmer instead of rose gold.

The formula is so easy. A lot of the time these shimmery shades are super sheer and need at least 3 coats to build up opacity. This was opaque in just 1 coat. I applied 2 for the swatch to see if it would make a difference. It didn't. You only need 1 coat!

Next is Gelato On My Mind.

This is the perfect minty green. It's right in the middle of a blue and a green.

This is quite similar to Essie Blossom Dandy, but I don't have a comparison yet.

The formula on this was really easy to work with. It's a little bit on the thin side, and the first coat was quite streaky, but the second coat covered everything up.

I used 2 coats for the photos.

Next is Purple Palazzo Pants.

This is a beautiful warm toned slightly dusty pale purple. This is something I've never seen from OPI. I have a pale lilac, Rumple's Wiggin, but that's much much cooler toned, and other dusty purples, such as Planks A lot, are much darker.

Autumn/Winter? No. Pretty? Yes.

The formula is the same as Gelato On My Mind. A little on the thin side and streaky on the first coat. The second coat covered everything up beautifully.

Next is A Great Opera-tunity.

This is described as a melon shade. It's a pale dusty orange. If that's a thing.

It's another beautiful unique shade. This leans a little more autumn, but like a warm autumn, not a grey cold english autumn.

The formula was similar to the others. It was on the thin side and streaky on the first coat. This was more streaky than the previous 2. The second coat covered everything up perfectly.

Now on to the neutrals.

This is Tiramisu For Two.

This is a slightly pink toned neutral and I love it! These types of shades really suit my skin tone.

The formula was slightly thicker on this one, which made it easier to work with.

It wasn't quite as streaky as the other on the first coat, but it definitely needed a second coat to cover everything up.

My favourite of the collection is I'll Be There In A Prosecco.

I've been loving these types of ivory creme colours lately. I think they look so sophisticated and elegant.

The formula was the same as Tiramisu For Two, it's slightly thicker and easier to work with. Not quite as streaky as the first few cremes, but definitely needs a second coat.

Next is My Boyfriend Scales Walls I Cannoli Wear OPI.

I'm pretty sure this is exactly the same as My Boyfriend Scales Walls from the Spiderman collection. Unfortunately I used up my entire bottle so I can't do a comparison for you.

It's a white with maybe 1 drop of grey. It's really beautiful and great if you just want white nails, but not too white.

The formula was easy to work with. A tiny bit thicker than the first few cremes and streaky on the first coat, but the second coat covered everything up perfectly.

Last up is a red. Of course I had to pick up the red polish from the collection since I have an unhealthy obsession with red polish.

This is Amore At The Grand Canal. It's a beautiful slightly deeper darker red.

It has more of a crelly formula which I love. I think I prefer crelly's over cremes!

The first coat was really even and didn't have any streaks. I could see a very slight visible nail line so I did apply a second coat for the swatch.






That's it for the OPI Venice Collection! There are 4 more shades which I wasn't too bothered about and there are also 3 limited edition glitters that haven't been released yet.

I really love this collection, OPI rarely disappoints. The collection isn't very Autumn/Winter, but OPI has gone into a different direction. I know China Glaze and Color Club both have camping collection which have browns and other more Autumn-y colours, but it's nice to see a brand do something different for a change. I would use all of these colours, whereas the Nordic Collection from last year, I haven't touched since I swatched them!

What do you think of the Venice Collection? Will you be picking up any of the shades, or are you going to wait until spring 2016 to pick these up?
xx Elaine

Polished By Leanne Swatch & Review

I've been following Polished By Leanne of Instagram for a while now and I decided it was time to try out some of her polishes.

When I ordered she has an offer if you spend over a certain amount you will get a freebie. I haven't swatched that one yet, so it'll show up in a later post sometime!

The three polishes I bought are Nice Ice Baby, Under The Sea and Sky High.

Polished by Leanne is a new UK Indie brand. Leanne sells a lot of gorgeous glitter combos and has just come out with a brand new holographic collection! If I hadn't just bought a whole bunch from Freckles Polish, I'd definitely buy them!

First up is Nice Ice Baby.

This is a super super super light pale blue. It's so light that it almost looks like a white! I love these types of off white shades and they're perfect for all year round.

It has a very smooth easy formula. It's not too thick or too thin. It has great coverage on the first coat, but it was a little streaky. It would be fully opaque if you used a thicker 2nd coat, but I do quite thin coats. I would recommend 2-3 coats for full opacity. It dries quick and glossy.

More swatches & review after the jump!

Color Club Halo Hues 2013 Holographic Swatches

Recently I have been obsessed with anything holographic, so I finally bought the Color Club Halo Hues. This is the collection that came out in 2013 and it's amazing.

It consists of 6 darker darker linear holographic polishes.

This post is going to have more photos than writing because I don't want to keep repeating myself.

Each swatch has 2 coats plus topcoat. The formula on all of them was amazing. Some holos have a tricky formula where the second coat pulls the first coat creating bald spots. I had absolutely no issues. They're very opaque, smooth and easy to work with.

They dry with a dull shine, so I applied topcoat. It doesn't need topcoat.

They're all extremely holographic, it doesn't even need to be in direct sunlight to see it.

All photos are taken with a flash, apart from the close up macro shots and if stated otherwise.

All swatches & Review after the jump!

Freckles Polish Holographics Haul & Swatches

Freckles Polish is a UK indie brand who sent me a few polishes to review a couple weeks ago. I fell in love with the polishes so I bought a few more! Julieann, the creator of Freckles Polish, makes some amazing holographic polishes. I literally want them all, but unfortunately I have to pay rent :(

I bought 4 polishes. From left to right: Papa Legba, Blue Lagoon, The Seven Wonders and Birthday Suit.

Full size bottles of 10ml cost £6.50, and minis of 5ml cost £3.50.

First up is Papa Legba.

This is a stunning deep blood red linear holographic.

I didn't have any sun on the day of swatching these so this is a photo with flash. In real sunlight (macro shot coming up) it's much more holographic.

This is inspired by the TV show American Horror Story.

More info and swatches after the jump! 

Let It Glitter! Haul & Swatches

Let It Glitter is a Dutch indie brand created by Suzanne. I'm seriously in love with her polishes, but unfortunately I can't afford to buy every single one.

To check out my first haul click here!

I picked up a few random polishes. Three are from her new Anniversary collection, and I have 3 randoms.

I'll start off with my favourite.... and the most difficult polish to photograph. EVER.

This is Soulmate. This is from the Anniversary Collection.

It's a really bright neon medium warm toned pink. It's unlike any other pink I own. The picture isn't 100% colour accurate, but it's as close as I could possible get it. I actually swatched this 3 times on 3 separate days. It was frustrating.

Luckily it has an amazing formula.

I used 2 coats for the swatch. The coats are super easy, smooth and streak free. The second coat fully covers up the nail line.

It dries to a semi matte finish so I did apply topcoat to the swatch.

More info and swatches after the jump! 

Kester Black Haul Swatches & Review

A few weeks ago Kester Black announced they were going to start international shipping! I discovered Kester Black when I was living in Melbourne and instantly fell in love with the polishes. When I moved back to the UK I wasn't able to buy Kester Black anywhere! And the worst thing was that they kept releasing new collections!! Finally, after many many months, I can buy them again.

The service was fantastic! The polishes cost $20 each, but for international orders the tax is taken off so they're $18.18. The shipping costs $34.

The polishes arrived after just 5 days. Incredible. They were sent with DHL so I was updated every step of the way and I was given a time slot of when they'd arrive. Super super quick.

I bought a few of the new core shades and a few from the O&M collab collection.

First up is Know Knott.

This is a limited edition colour in collaboration with O&M.

This kind of reminds me of OPI Don't Pretzel My Buttons, I haven't done a comparison, but I think this is a little more orangey blush toned.

I used 2 coats for the swatch. It had a very easy application without any issues.

The polish dries to a semi glossy finish.

More info and swatches after the jump!

Isadora Haul Swatches & Review

I keep seeing swatches of the brand Isadora on my instagram feed, and I couldn't resist any longer.

Isadora is a Swedish beauty brand. They offer a wide range of make-up, but of course I was only interested in the nail polishes.

They have a wide range of different polishes including a no UV gel line, graffiti (crackle), wonder nail (extra long lasting) and more.

I was mainly interested in the gel lacquer as I've heard such excellent reviews. I placed my order from Fruugo as they shipped internationally.

I didn't test the longevity of the polish as I'm not allowed to wear nail polish to work.

The bottle shape is very unique and not something I've seen before. The cap pulls off so it's easy to hold. The bottles itself are very small and only hold 6ml. That's basically the same size as most minis which is a little disappointing considering the price. I paid £7.95 for the fuel polishes.

The brush is beautiful. It's a very wide flat brush that easily covers my whole nail.

First up is Skyline.

This is the reason for my haul, I saw this on instagram and I literally had to have it.

It's a really beautiful light blue shade with maybe 1 drop of purple.

I used 2 coats for the swatch.

The first coat was slightly streaky, but the second coat covered everything up. It dries quick and glossy.

It is recommended to wear the Gel top coat with these polishes, but for the swatches I didn't apply any top coat.

More info and swatches after the jump!

Yes Love Swatch & Review (part 1)

I discovered the brand Yes Love through instagram and thought they were gorgeous polishes. After a bit of research I found that they are only €2 each! I believe Yes Love is a Portuguese brand, but I ended up purchasing from eBay (from a Portuguese seller). I bought a set of 6 polishes for only £9.95 and free shipping!!

I have the first 4 to show you today.

They're all crelly polishes with neon hex glitter. It's a very indie thing to do so seeing these types of polishes from a mainstream brand is very exciting. Especially for being so affordable!

The bottles come with a full off cap, which I accidentally discovered when I thought I broke the bottle.

First up is the white base. Unfortunately they don't have names, just codes. This is G11-5.

I swatched this over Barry M Cotton, a white polish. I'm not sure whether these would be opaque on their own, but decided it would be easier to just layer them over similar colours.

It contains 2 sizes of hex glitter in purple, pink, orange, yellow, green and blue.

I used 2 coats for the swatch (over 1 coat of Cotton).

It would have been fine with just 1 coat over a white base, but I wanted to add a bit of depth to the polish.

It looks like a party on my nails. The matte glitter is so bright and it really pops on the white base.

It was very easy to get the glitter on my brush.

Next is G11-4, the pink polish.

I thought this would be my favourite, but it actually turned out to be my least favourite of the 4.

It's a light but bright pink base and has purple, orange, yellow and green matte hex glitter in 2 sizes.

I don't think the colours of the glitter really match with the pink base.

I used 2 coats over 2 coats of Pink Friday by OPI.

Again, 1 coat would have been fine, but I wanted to add a bit of depth.

The glitter was a little tricker to get on the brush. I could easily get the small hex glitter onto my nail, but the larger hex glitters were very difficult to get on my brush. I ended up having to dab the hex glitter off the stem of the brush. I didn't really care too much, but it's just something to be aware of.

This is my favourite of the 4. This is G11-1, the purple polish.

This is a light purple base with pink, purple, blue, yellow green, orange large hex glitter and small purple and pink hex glitter.

I used 2 coats over 2 coats of Go Ginza by Essie.

This one needed 2 coats. It was really difficult to get glitter on my brush, as you can tell from the brush shot! I put the bottle upside down, swirled the brush around... tried everything and I had the hardest time getting the large hex glitter out!!

Again I had to dab the glitter on the stem of the brush onto my nail just to get anything on there.

It was totally worth it though, I love this colour combo!!

The last one I tried is G11-3, the blue polish.

It's a gorgeous sky blue with pink, purple and yellow large hex glitter and orange, purple, yellow and green small hex glitter.

I used 2 for the swatch over 2 coats of Essie Blossom Dandy. Blossom Dandy is much more of a mint shade and much lighter.

Again, it was tricky to get the large hex glitter out. As you can see from the brush shot, it's very easy to get the small hex glitter out. I had to dab the large ones off the stem of the brush.

I think this is a really fun shade and something you don't see too often in the indie world.

The other 2 colours I haven't swatched yet are a yellow and a peach.

I'm really impressed with these polishes, I know I used a base underneath them, but I think they're stunning! I had some issues with the larger hex glitter, but I didn't really mind the extra effort. Especially because I bought a set of 6 for only £9.95!!