... piCture pOlish - Monroe ...

... piCture pOlish - Monroe ...

Purchased from piCture pOlish - $11.50 AUD

[This polish is seriously limited! Get your hands on it fast!]

I can't believe it took me so long to swatch this beauty. I've been in a funk lately due to the weather. I have been finding it hard to get motivated to do nails while the weather has been so cold and miserable and some beautiful suggested to do some stamping.

Monroe is a wonderfully sexy red jelly with a hidden holo surprise in the right light. It's such a beautiful deep colour ...

I've used 3 thin coats for this swatch and I'd definitely recommend going thin and slow. It needs to dry between coats or you just end up with a jelly mess. Also try and stay off the cuticles as it's a pain to remove!

The holo showing up under artificial light ... no sunshine here *sad* Still looks pretty though!!

I knew straight away what to stamp over this although I had major issues in deciding what colour. I originally was wanting a bright yellow or gold for Hollywood but it didn't look outstanding. In the end I went with Ulta3 in Lily White.

The Marilyn stamp came from the Fun 1 plate and the Movie Reels are from the Fun 2 plate - both from Fab Ur Nails. So many great images on these plates - I'd highly recommend them!!

** Final Verdict **
A beautiful polish named after a beautiful lady. Although unless you want it end up with it's life tragically cut short you need to take care and have a lot of patience too apply. Well worth it if you put in the effort!!  Also I found I had great wear from this shade - fantastic!!

Ask Shatter me Claire - My fave polishes under $5

While I had some time off I've been thinking about where I want my blog to be in the next 12 months. I only have to look back at my first posts to see where I've come [and then cringe with embarrassment over how bad they are!!!].

I could easy continue to putt along posting swatches and trying to own every polish known to mankind or I could actually set myself some boundaries - limit myself to a single helmer and remind myself that I could wear my favourite polish everyday if I wanted too and that I don't have to wear something new and unswatched daily.

Anyway it's become clear to me that majority of the people who ask me questions and keep my inbox feeling loved are those people who I know in real life or have worked with online ... they are everyday people who don't visit many blogs, don't own a vast variety of polishes and have many questions. So I'm going back to basics and collating questions that I get asked.

I'm going to start with what I think is my most asked question ... that is "What is your favourite polish brand?"  and honestly that's like the hardest question in the world. I have so many that I love dearly from different collections so I'm going to seriously narrow it down ... so this is my under $5 list of polishes you can find in stores without resorting to eBay bargains! [$5 Australian that is ... sorry for those overseas].

Having a good polish doesn't mean going down to David Jones and forking out $20 for an OPI. Just because the price is expensive doesn't mean you are getting a better product. There are plenty of great brands in Australia that you can afford that will not break the bank or your budget.

Ulta 3/ NYC Color

Don't let the price fool you on these. Cheap doesn't mean nasty!! While there are some that aren't worth a second glance - for around $2 why not give it a try as there are some beautiful colours in these bins if you have time to dig around for them!

Essence

I am amazed that a brand from overseas can arrive here in Australia and be so cheap in price!! Why can't others learn from this example? The racks at my local Target are generally empty as soon as it's restocked! Also I enjoy these smaller bottles and the larger ones are usually limited editions and cost slightly more but they are generally still worth investing in.

Face of Australia

I really do love this range as it seems to pretty much do anything. I use FoA for nail art and stamping aswell as just painting my nails. 

Apart from this there are many other brands around that fall into the $5 category when on sale!! Things like Chi Chi, Rimmel and Maybelline spring to mind.

End of the day - if you like the colour ... just buy it!!

** As we live in the age of smartphones - if you are worried that the bottle will not look like the finished product then just google the name and look at the images. There is generally some sort of swatch for all the brands I'm listing below. I used to be the biggest dud finder. If I had a dollar for everytime I brought something that looked pretty in the bottle but didn't translate in real life then I'd have some serious savings going on. So if you have the time before heading to the checkout then do this!! **

I'll continue this series in the future on other favourite brands that cost that bit more!

... Butter London - Lillibet's Jubilee ...

Hey Howdy Hey Readers :)

I've had some well deserved time off lately and squeezed in a vacation so I'm back and ready for some loving! I'll hopefully have some vacation pics and nails for you soon!!

As you would have gathered from the giveaway in the last post - I've hit my first blogversary. I can't believe a year has passed so quickly. I have met so many extremely beautiful people over the past year and I thank you!  It has been a major learning curve and it's given me a creative outlet.

Butter London - Lillibet's Jubilee

Purchased from the Butter London website - $14 USD

[Aussies ... They don't ship here *sad* I had ask someone to ship it to me]

I recently got my hands on this beautiful Butter London that was named for the Queens Diamond Jubilee and with the Jubilee celebrations last week and it being the Queens Birthday public holiday here today this seems rather appropriate.

This is a beautiful purple and silver combo that makes a fantastic foil polish. It really does depend on how you look at this one to whether it shows silver or a light purple. The little glitter pieces sparkle even without direct sunlight and you could seriously get away with a single coat for it! Wow!!

And showing the purple ... which my camera hated to pic up. It is totally not like this in real life. Promise!!

** Final Verdict **
Pretty polish for a grand occasion. I definitely have no issues recommending this as it's exceptionally beautiful and the fact you could get away with a single coat is a plus for those days when you are rushing out the door with limited time on your hands.

I'll leave you with a picture that's doing the rounds of the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh. How much of a stunner was she back in the day! Regardless of what your personal opinions of the Royal Family are - 60 years in the same job deserves some credit. Prince Philip just makes me laugh as he generally seems to blurt out what everyone is thinking. I'm sure when I'm his age I'd want to do that aswell!

[Anyone know where this pic originated? I'd love to give it some proper credit. I know it was featured in Vanity Fair but I'm unsure if they nabbed it from somewhere ... Ta!]

Super Aussie Blogversary Giveaway!!!

In June a year ago, two South Aussies were unleashed onto the blogging scene and their lives [and wallets!] have never been the same again.

Em from Nails in the Desert and Sarah Claire from Shatter Me Claire have joined forces to give you this fantastic Aussie giveaway to celebrate their past year and it's chocka-block full of all the Australian things that we love and cherish.

** SUPER AUSSIE PRIZE #1 **

Cate Ruby - Fudge * 

Cate Ruby - Midas Touch * 

Australis  - Speck-tacular Top Coat

Australis -  Limited Edition 1

Glitter Gal - Light as a Feather

Koala Keyring

Caramello Koala

Clip on Koala

Fuzzy Australia carrybag

* Kindly donated by the lovely Tracey at Cate Ruby

[both Cate Ruby polishes come in beautiful silk carry pouches]

** SUPER AUSSIE PRIZE #2 **

Chi Chi - Bimbo

Chi Chi - California Gurl

Chi Chi - Hissy Fit

Kangaroo Keyring

Caramello Koala

Clip On Koala

Koala Coin Purse

 ** SUPER AUSSIE PRIZE #3**

BYS - Quake Blue
BYS UV Reactive - Tension Rising
NYC Color - Feather Boa
NYC Color - Polka Dot
Ulta3 - Confetti
Ulta3 - Sunset Pink

Love Thy Polish Unscented Cuticle Oil

2x Roxby Downs Postcards

Roxby Downs Bumper Sticker

** SUPER AUSSIE PRIZE #4**

Face of Australia Barbados - You Blue Me Away

Face of Australia Barbados - Let's Go Scuba Diving

Face of Australia Barbados - I Like To Mauve It

Caramello Koala

Clip On Koala

Kangaroo Coin Purse

** RULES **

To enter you must be a GFC follower of either blog [or both!!!]

This giveaway is open WORLDWIDE

Multiple entries will be removed and disqualified

Entries close June 30

a Rafflecopter giveaway

... Me Me Me Cosmetics - Elegant ....

MeMeMe Cosmetics - Elegant

Available from MeMeMe Cosmetics - $12.95 AUD

I won this recently in a competition from the Me Me Me Cosmetics Australia Facebook page and I'm super glad it came my way as it's awesome and I'm not sure it would have come my way otherwise.

Elegant is from their Metallic collection it is a beautiful golden foil. I originally though it was going to be close to piCture pOlish Goldfinger hence the post yesterday but I'll do a comparison at the end so you can see how it's not anywhere alike. While it's definitely gold it's more of a cool gold tone than the vibrant gold in Goldfinger.

Definitely shiny!

This is 3 coats and honestly you could get away with just 2. While it shows brushstrokes it's still extremely pretty. It reminds me of C3PO from Star Wars - gold and shiny! I would highly suggest using a ridge filler before using this just to make sure you don't get any extra streaks but considering the streak marks I usually get using foils I was quite impressed. It was surprisingly fast drying between coats aswell

Whoops - my middle nail looks a bit unattractive here!

Now this polish has quite a thick brush which really helps with getting a great application. It's not as wide as some that I have hiding in my helmer but it's definitely nothing to be overlooked as it really does help cut down those pesky brushmarks that may appear.

Random ... does anyone else get pinky/red fingers in cold weather?? Surely it's not just me.

** Final Verdict **
While this is a beautiful polish that requires little effort to look gorgeous it is definitely not a long lasting polish. After doing household jobs I already had scratches and dents to ruin the perfect shiny finish. If that's not worrying you then I'd look into this collection and give it a whirl!

Now as promised here it is compared to piCture pOlish Goldfinger ...

So as you can see they are no way similar. Goldfinger is still beautifully gold ... but Elegant is more of a metal looking colour.

******

I'm trying out a new camera today so feedback is appreciated if you have time to leave a comment!! I've decided rather than just taking the plunge and buying one I'd play around with friends and family members cameras [well those who have newer cameras!] and see which photographs the best and work from there! Thanks in advance!

... piCture pOlish - Goldfinger ...

piCture pOlish - Goldfinger

Purchased from piCture pOlish - $9.50 AUD

*sings offkey* ♫ GOLDDDDDDDDFINGAHHHHHHHHHHHHH ♫

I won't lie. I'm a Bond groupie ... I've seen every movie [and own most on DVD] ... I'm also in that rare breed who thinks that Roger Moore was the best Bond *ducks for cover*  Even if you haven't seen this movie the odds are you've seen a parody or something from it.

The piCture pOlish tag line is "you can be a bond girl too" - although I'm not sure how many of you want to be the Bond Girls in this film. One dies after being sprayed in gold and the other is called Pussy Galore *insert immature giggle here*

"Auric Goldfinger.

Sounds like a French nail varnish!"

I was so excited to get this - mainly because of that swatch that appeared on the piCture pOlish homepage for so long that made it look so beautifully awesome but it's taken me forever to blog about it and I had to go dig out these forgotten photos off my memory card as I wanted to compare it to something else [thankfully my nails are no longer like this and I like to think my swatching has improved!!!]

This is 3 coats of Goldfinger and I really love the colour as it looks like you are wearing a foil rather than looking like a metallic which I love. But I'll be honest - I was really disappointed by this polish. It streaks, it doesn't dry fast, it's sheer and it applies unevenly with bald spots everywhere. I've tried twice now to love this polish but both times I'm getting the same results.

Surprisingly the photos don't show the streaks so bad but as soon as I took this it smudged beyond recognition *sad*. I was hoping to stamp on top but that's not going to happen.

** Final Verdict **
This is a really beautiful colour but the application really doesn't help to give it justice which is such a shame. I wouldn't put it top of my list of polishes to buy from piCture pOlish ... but ... I'm hoping to fix this polish at some stage in the future ! *grabs the franken gloves*

I'll leave you with a random fact about me ... I always sing the "Max Power" song from the Simpsons everytime I hear the Goldfinger tune throughout the movie!!

... Nudie Streak ...

It's not often that I'm nude so have a quick flash!!

Oooh ... my nails definitely don't look this yellow in real life!!!!

As you can see I've turned to ovalish nails lately ... don't get me wrong I love square nails and square ovals are still my favourite but I keep breaking the corners off them and generally resulting in some sort of pain [either emotional or physical!!] so I'm trying something new for me and we'll see how we go with them.

I must say that filing these is a pain in the butt! I still don't think they are totally the right shape but I'm working on it!!

... Face of Australia Barbados - Party At The Gap ...

Face of Australia Barbados - Party At The Gap

Available from Big W, Priceline, Kmart - $4.95AU

Finally the last one in this beautiful series. This is Party At The Gap and it's a beautiful shimmery charcoal. It took me forever to work out what this actually reminded me of and I ended up deciding it reminded me of art class back in high school. Something about the colour of graphite pencils ... hmmm ... memories!!

This is 3 coats and really I could have got away with just using 2. It's fast drying and everything I expected from the other colours in this series.

** Final Verdict **

I was expecting a lot from this collection and while I don't rate it as highly as the Molten Metallics collection from last year it still is up there. Plenty of variety for everyone. The only thing I didn't find is that it didn't stamp as well as I would have liked it too but that doesn't mean it's going to the swap pile. Definitely going to be ones to keep!

... Face of Australia Barbados - Orange You Glad You Came? ...

Face of Australia Barbados - Orange You Glad I Came

Available from Big W, Priceline, Kmart - $4.95AU

Hello BloggerLand!!
Thanks for being patient and waiting for me to return. Sadly I've been without a computer and I cannot figure out for the life of me how to make a decent blog post using a smartphone ... actually that goes the same for reading blogs. I can read you all via a RSS reader but I cannot reply using it ... and I can't reply using the webpage as it will not let me sign in with my Google Account to comment with sucks badly. [If anyone has a solution for this I'd love you forever!!!]

Anyway now I've got my laptop back I've managed to come down with a bad case of Bronchitis. So between coughing up a lung I'm hoping to get a post up!

So finally I'm getting to the last 2 polishes in the Barbados series and this is a beautiful orange. I was surprised with how much I liked it to be honest as Oranges and I are not always friendly. It has a beautiful shimmer throughout just to add some more magic. As with the other colours it was fast drying with no lumps or bumps.

** Final Verdict **
I found it to be a really happy colour. I enjoyed wearing this on the days where the weather was cold and wet as it made me smile everytime I looked at my nails as it overcame the doom and gloom of the day!

... No Nails Today but We Have A Winner ...

I have found myself computer less this week so please bare with me. Hopefully I'll have a regular post up tomorrow if the photos I've been taking turn out decent [do you know how hard it is to check the quality of photos on your camera without using a computer?? Ugh]

Anyway ... I've popped on today to announce the winner for my April Glossybox giveaway

Felicity Sutton

Who won with her entry for Liking ShattermeClaire on Facebook!

Congratulations!!

An email has been sent your way!