Models Own - Beetlejuice 2012 - Indian Ocean

Sheer blue/grey duochrome

Upfront warning, this is a sheer polish.  This is a duochrome/multichrome polish.  I took pictures both sheer and layered.  There are *lots* of pictures!

Last year Models Own launched a very successful collection of 5 polishes (which I haven't yet posted swatches of but I know you've all seen them already!)

This year, as a Spring/Summer 2012 Collection, they announced the addition of 3 new Beetlejuice polishes  Indian Ocean, Copper Pot and Tropical Summer. 

First up is Indian Ocean, in my view the prettiest and most duochrome of the three.  And the most sheer.

First up I tried it alone - these swatches are 3 coats with no top coat.  As you can see it's pretty sheer with loads of visible nail line.  And I think my delightfully stained nails may make it look greener than it is.  I've seen other blogs that went up to 5 coats, but it was not fully opaque.

Oooooh, but look at the pretties...

To me, Indian Ocean is a sheer grey toned blue with masses of pink/gold duochrome shimmer.  Models Own describe it as "a calming iridescent blue with soft pink undertones"

So then I thought I'd try layering it.  First over a mid blue, OPI What's With the Cattitude.  In hindsight this blue was a bit too bright and strong.

This is 2 coats over 3 coats of What's With the Cattitude.

Then I tried it over a more muted, but slightly too dark blue - Nails Inc Queensgate Terrace, a slighty dusky, mildy periwinkle mid blue creme

Again two coats over 2 coats of Queensgate Terrace.

Finally I thought I'd give it some underwear and try it over a nude base, Nails Inc Instyle Bare

Again 2 coats, over 2 coats of Bare.  I think this is close to the bottle colour but not quite there, perhaps a pale grey would work...?


But what can I say, it's gorgeous, if a little tricky!


The duochrome is fantastic, sparkly, foily with a strong colour change and it's looks gorgeous in sunlight and shade.

Make sure you pick this one up, just don't bother with it alone, layer it up!

What do you think of Indian Ocean?

George Quick Dry - Martian

Lime green creme

Here's my green for St Patrick's Day, the wonderfully named Martian from George (Asda)

Martian is a Quick Dry polish from George is a, not particularly flattering for me, light lime green creme.  I haven't compared them yet but it looks pretty similar to OPI's Who the Shrek are You?

Swatch is 2 coats with no top coat.  Formula and brush were good and the quick dry didn't cause a problem.

Are you wearing green, nails or otherwise for St Paddys?

Butter London - Victoriana

Muted tealish blue with silver microshimmer

I'm slowly building up my Butter London collection, this is one of my latest acquisitions courtesy of ebay.

I'd seen Victoriana on several blogs and really liked it but for some reason I'm reluctant to pay full retail for Butter London so when it popped up on ebay I snapped it up if not for a bargain price then less than the RRP of £12.

Victoriana is a slightly dusty, muted teal leaning blue with masses of silver shimmer, so much so that it almost looks speckled.  And as you can see in the third pic it looks more teal in the sunlight.

Swatch shown is 2 coats, no top coat.  And application was great.   This has the new style bottle with the removable cap.

Victoriana was from the 2010 and I think was part of the Alexander McQueen collection

I'm really glad I picked this up, it's a gorgeous and unique polish.

American Apparel - African Violet

Mid Purple Creme

I pulled this one out as I needed a fast drying opaque purple as the underwear for some layering of a Max Factor mini polish (coming soon).

I'm not going to comment too much on the politics of American Apparel, I know lots of folk are very uncomfortable about their owner and culture and some won't buy them,  but they do make mighty fine polishes, which is a bit shallow I know...

American Violet is a gorgeous mid purple creme.  Easily opaque in 2 coats and look how shiny it is...

Swatch shown is 2 coats, no top coat.

Boots.com are giving away 200 bottles of Max Factor's Fanstasy Fire!

200 bottles free with pre-order of 24 False Lash Effect Mascara on Weds 7th March

For all the UK folk who haven't been able to track down an elusive bottle of Max Factor's Fantasy Fire, there may be another way.

Get ready girls because Boots.com is giving away 200, yes 200 bottles, of Fantasy Fire!

And, as if free Fantasy Fire wasn't enough, one lucky person will win a fantastic trip to Ibiza

Here's the release from Max Factor's PR.

*FREE*

Max Colour Effect Mini Nail Polish in 

FANTASY FIRE

We’re excited to announce that Boots.com is set to give away

200 Max Colour Effect Mini Nail Polishes in Fantasy Fire!

At 10am on the 7^th March, Boots.com is launching an exclusive pre-sale of 200 new 24 from False Lash Effect mascaras and is giving away a free Fantasy Fire with each purchase!

This new mascara innovation is the latest from False Lash Effect – as Max Factor’s No 1* mascara it is now available in a formula that lasts up to 24 hours!   The secret to its staying power is it’s built in primer which wraps each lash from root to tip.  Combined with the False Lash Effect formula and big bold bush, 24 from False Lash Effect mascara delivers volume that lasts up to 24 hours. 

Not only is this a chance to get your hands on this summer’s two must-have beauty products – 24 from False Lash Effect mascara and Max Colour Effect Mini Nail Polish in Fantasy Fire - one lucky person will also be able to win two tickets to the island that never sleeps – IBIZA!

Regarded as the world’s non-stop party island, the lucky winner can polish off her clubbing style with jewel lacquered nails and long-lasting super volumised lashes, thanks to 24 from False Lash Effect and Max Colour Effect Mini Nail polish.  The VIP prize includes flights, accommodation and a pair of tickets to a main stage event party at Ibiza Rocks, one of the most sought after and exciting summer stages and all with an additional £250 spending money!  Plus, a pair of the hottest tickets in town - a super cool DJ boat party with resident DJ sets, acoustic performances and very special guest appearances.

Hurry – as stocks are strictly limited to 200!

*False Lash Effect Mascara has won 10 awards in the UK since launch in 2008

** RRP £11.99

George - Jester

Red sparkly jelly 

A lovely sparkly red quick dry jelly from supermarket brand George at Asda.

Jester (46) is a pinky red jelly which is packed with a fine microglitter in what looks like gold and pink.

As this is a jelly it never reaches opacity but it's still yummy.

Swatch shown is 3 coats, no top coat.

George Quick Dry polishes are pretty dinky at only 5ml but are also cheap at £2, from your local Asda of course.

BYS - (Pastel) Kung Fu Blue

'Tiffany' blue/green creme

Kung Fu Blue is a pale green toned blue creme with slight jelly tendencies, it has a slightly squishy look although I wouldn't say it was a full jelly.

Swatch is 2 coats with no top coat and again it's super shiny.

Application/formula was slightly tricky for me, it was a little streaky especially on ring finger but that could be because of the different surface due to the repair...

This is reportedly similar to the infamous For Audrey by China Glaze but I don't have that polish to compare I'm afraid.

This was a bargain at only £1.99 from the sadly departed TJ Hughes, a UK discount store.

BYS - Lilac Love

Dusky light purple creme

Lilac Love is a dusky mid to pale purple creme
This is pretty much a one-coat-wonder although the swatch is 2 coats, no top coat.

And look how shiny it is without topcoat?!

Apologies for the dodgy pics, I had a repair on my ring finger (for a very low break/split that needed to grow out) which looks pretty lumpy here and looking at the pics now this polish seemed to bubble on me, not a problem I usually have with BYS or any other polish.

Mavala - Cedar Green

Very dark pine green jelly with secret shimmer

Gah - 3 weeks without a post!  How did that happen?!  Well, I was on holiday for part of the time, a wondeful 5-day trip to Finnish Lapland with my beloved and the youngest step son (aged 13) but the rest of the time, I really don't have a reason.  I just lost my posting mojo.  Did lots of swatching though!

So to get back in the saddle here's Mavala's Cedar Green

Mavala Cedar Green

As you can see it's a super dark green with a fairly hidden secret shimmer.  I'd say the colour is a smidge more green/less black IRL but it's still pretty damn dark!

I'd describe Cedar Green as a pine/cedar green jelly with slight silver secret shimmer
It was very streaky on first coat, overall a bit tricky to work with and took 3 coats to really even out

Swatch is 3 coats with top coat

Apart from the streaky/jelly issues application was ok, the tiny bottle/tiny brush seems to work well for me.

And apologies for the stumpy pinkie - I know I should cut them all back when I break one but I find it really hard to do that!

Barbara Daly Makeup - Midnight

Navy shimmer

Midnight is a blackened navy with a silvery blue shimmer

makeup is the cosmetics brand created for Tesco (a UK supermarket) by Barbara Daly, one of the first  professional British makeup artists to be well known.  Barbara Daly was certainly the first makeup artist I knew by name back in the late 70's.  Yes I'm as old as that sounds!

This one is a mini-ish bottle, at 7ml it's quite generous for a mini!

Formula was good, it's nicely opaque and I didn't have any trouble with the small brush.

Swatch shown is 2 coats, no top coat.  Apologies for the line on my ring finger, I have a silk patch holding a break together and it wasn't very well buffed or covered in this shot

Overall a nice polish, good colour although nothing unique. I do have a fair few navy shimmers but they call to me, like a siren!

The mini bottles retail for £3.

Max Factor - Fantasy Fire

Gorgeous sheer purple/green duochrome and possible Clarins 230 dupe?  

I'm sure most of you have heard of and seen Max Factor's Max Effect Fantasy Fire 45 by now.  It's a newly released potential dupe to the elusive, HTF, Clarins 230 aka Unicorn Pee.

I have to say straight up that I don't have Clarins 230.  I've toyed with those ebay auctions but always managed to talk myself down from paying £50+ for a single polish.  So this won't be a comparison post, I'm just gonna bombard you with pics of Fantasy Fire because whether it's a dupe or not (and it's certainly similar) it's still totally gorgeous.

I picked up Fantasy Fire in in a tiny branch of Boots a couple of days ago.  There were several new colours including some interesting metallics. This afternoon the sun came out long enough for me to grab the following pics.  As the weather was pretty variable I didn't know how long the sunlight would stick around I just popped a couple of coats over my existing manicure, a-England's Elaine.  As it turned out it was a pretty excellent base coat for FF.  I'd already seen swatches of the polish alone on BeneBelles blog and knew it was super sheer and that layering was the way to go

So first up a couple of bottle shots

In the bottle it's predominantly a pinkish purple with lots of shimmer and a duochrome of blue and some green and maybe a hint of gold around the edges.

The bottle is tiny, just 5ml and they cost £3.99, pretty expensive for such a weeny amount of polish but in this case totally worth it!

All the following swatch shots are 2 coats of Fantasy Fire over my existing mani of a-England Elaine, a dusky purple.  Looking at the swatches now I wished I'd added a topcoat to really make the shimmer sing but never mind....

With all of these pics you can click for bigger versions.

 This was the only shot I got that just about showed all the different colours - I think 230 maybe more overtly duochrome.

Love how it looks like a gradient in this shot, just wish my ring finger had been at the same angle!

 One of the few times you can see the green strongly in the bottle.

I hope you can see the range of the duochrome in these shots which starts as a sheer purple with a red shimmer and then switches between gold shimmer and a strong green with a green/gold shimmer.

Out of the sunlight the shimmer is much redder and there's no hint of the duochrome.

These are both under electric light and IRL the shimmer is redder still.

It is totally gorgeous and to be honest it's close enough to 230 for me!

There doesn't seem to be any information about the new colours on the Max Factor site, they still only have the old colours up so I can't tell you if this is part of a collection or just a new release of colours.

So, what do you think?  Totally stunning or what?!

Ciaté - Sharp Tailoring

Warm grey with secret shimmer 

A blast from the past this one, I've shown a fair few of my Ciaté Paint Pots collection before but this one got missed for some reason

So here is Sharp Tailoring

Sharp Tailoring is a warm grey with a white gold secret shimmer.


It's an unusual colour/shimmer combination,  at first I thought it might be similar to Zoya Harley but as you can see from the comparison...

...Sharp Tailoring is much warmer and the shimmer is less pronounced.

Swatch shown is 2 coats, with no topcoat.

Application, brush and formula were all good.

I'm a fan of grey polish anyhow but this is a clever twist on regular grey, being warmer, with perhaps even a nod to the 'greige' trend of old (that was probably current when this was released) and an unusual secret shimmer.

Overall, a complete win for me, what you you gals think?

George - Prairie Green

Bright green creme

Prairie Green is a mid green creme, a classic grass green colour although I can't say I have a lot of grass green polishes in my collection!

Swatch shown is 2 coats, application and brush were fine, especially for such a cheap polish.  And it's very shiny.

As I mentioned before George is a supermarket brand and this polish was priced at a very affordable £1.50!

Anyone else tried any George polishes?