Maybelline MNY - 549 Midnight Taupe

Dark taupe creme  

549 Midnight Taupe is a dark, slightly purple leaning taupe creme.  The name suits it very well.

Swatches are 3 coats, no top coat.  This polish was pretty sheer on the first coat but does build eventually.

I'm not sure how long I've had this polish but check out that pigment separation?!  I did shake the bottle vigorously to mix it back up but it wasn't shifting.

This reminds me of buying custom mix paint colours from a DIY store -  it starts with a tin of base colour (usually pretty pale) and then type in a code for the colour you've chosen.  Intense pigment gets squirted into your pot but often you're watching thinking 'Why is that mustard yellow going into my blue paint?! - did they type in the wrong code?'  But somehow it comes out right once it's all mixed up.

Who would've thought that this purply taupe would contain so much khaki green pigment!

Debby Gel Play - 23 Milk White

White creme  

23 Milk White is a gel-effect slightly soft white creme - the softness stops it looking too much like I've painted my nails with tippex!

Swatches are 3 coats and for a white polish, application was pretty good.

I don't have a lot of white polishes, I don't think I'd ever wear white as a regular polish and I'm yet to dabble in nail art where finding the perfect white polish is key.

Who'd have thought, out of the Debby polishes I've shared so far, this is definitely the best.

White Space - Red

Bright red crelly  

 

'Red' is a classic mid-toned red in a jelly finish,  application was good although there were a few rogue hairs in the brush.

Swatches shown are 3 coats, there was just too much VNL at two coats for me!  No top coat but it's super shiny without.


White Space Beauty is not a brand I've come across before - I picked this up on a whim at TK Maxx - and their branding/style is certainly interesting.

The bottle itself is completely blank on the front,  there's a label on the back with the shade name, Red, and the inci.

The company is registered to an address in Essex that looks like a residential property (gotta love a google maps snoop!).

I presume they've gone out of business as the website address now redirects to KeepMe Cosmetics, a white label manufacturer who seem to manufacture products/packaging for ModelsOwn, Ciate, Nip&Fab and Lottie.

Rococo - Brown Button

Deep burgundy creme  

Another of my bargain Rococo's - this time the slightly oddly named Brown Button

Odd because Brown Button isn't actually very brown at all - it's more of a deep burgundy creme.

Brown Button also leans purple unlike the burgundy classics like Chanel's Rouge Noir or Nails Inc Victoria which tend to lean red and have more of a crelly finish.  Instead Brown Button has a slight creamy/opaque aspect to it rather than the sheer of a crelly.

Application was great, swatches shown are 2 coats, no top coat.  But look at that shine!

Nails Inc - Moonlight Shadow

Khaki/grey creme

Oooh I love this.  And it's a freebie!

Moonlight Shadow is a super glossy green-with-a-big-dose-of-grey creme that was a Nails Inc cover mount giveaway with Marie Claire magazine back in April.

Although I'm a subscriber to Marie Claire (along with 10+ other magazines) several years ago Marie Claire changed the subscription model so you don't get any of the free gifts - gggrrgghh.

So I waited a few weeks and then started scouring eBay - sure enough the polishes started appearing - I think it must be from newsagents returns as they're usually available as a set of all 4 colours.

The four colours available were inspired from Moon-themed music.

I didn't have any issues with application and the swatches are 2 coats, no top coat.

Debby Gel Play - 51 London Grey

Blue/grey creme

Another Debby Gel Play, this time 51 London Grey, a blue leaning grey creme.

Swatches shown are 2 coats, no top coat but looking at the pics now I think I could've done with a third coat really.

These were super cheap from a private sale site, only £1.70 each so I suppose I shouldn't complain too much!

Lola Barcelona - Gracia

Mid Pink creme  

 

Lola Gracia is a mid pink creme with some very hidden fine microshimmer - if you click on the pics to show them full size you might be able to make it out.  As ever with a super fine shimmer it adds depth to the polish without being super visible.

Formula and application were great and you can see the polish has a great shine.  Swatches shown with 2 coats, no top coat.

I got this polish in a Birchbox and it seems to be a different brand from the Lola polish I previously hauled and that's available in Marks & Spencer in the UK.

Sinful - Cabana

Rose pink creme  

My first Sinful on the blog!

This shows how out of control my unswatched stash is - I bought a number of Sinfuls in the USA when they weren't available in the UK.  I think at least 7 or 8 years ago, maybe when I spent 3 weeks in Boston writing a technical book.

I found a swatch of this polish from 2009 so it's at least that old - eeek!  But of course proof, as if any of you nail obsessives need it it, that you don't need to throw polish out after a year or two!

And of course now you can get Sinful easily in the UK from Boots and Superdrug!

Cabana is a pretty but not particularly unique rose pink creme.  It's slightly dusky and warmer, more coral looking in sunlight.

Application was good and swatches are 2 coats, no top coat.

Debby Gel Play - 11

Deep red crelly  

Debby Gel Play 11 is a deep red crelly.

Application was ok, despite that 'maxi brush' tag but for 3 coats it's still very patchy

This one is not a win for me, the crelly effect is pretty patchy even with 3 coats and for a gel-effect polish it isn't super glossy or plumped.

Debby is an Italian brand, part of the same group as Deborah which I've had more success with. Based on the branding I think Debby is a lower cost brand aimed at a slightly younger audience.

I picked these up from a French private sale site and apologies for the gunk on the bottle, they were packaged badly and two bottles broke and covered everything in turquoise and glitter polish!

Nails Inc Gel Effect - Colville Mews

Beige gel-effect creme

Colville Mews is pale beige creme, I think there's a definite hint of pink in the shade pictures, almost like a putty shade.

This is a gel effect polish, according to Nails Inc it has 'revolutionary plasticiser technology' and a 'plumping agent to level out imperfections'.

Swatches shown are 2 coats with no top coat