Pretty Serious Cosmetics Holiday 2016 Ghosts of Christmas Past Collection Swatches & Review

I'm back today with another bunch of gorgeous shades from Pretty Serious Cosmetics, their Holiday collection for 2016, Ghosts of Christmas Past! Last year we got the Ghosts of Christmas Future, so maybe next year we'll get the Ghosts of Christmas Present? Haha on to the pretties!

Press Sample

Very Merry Berry is a deep neutral red jelly crème. This applied easily and was nice and opaque in just two coats.

Fairy Lights is a pale pearly frosted grey with pink and purple shimmer. This is ethereal and glowy, not a frost so there are no brush strokes to be seen! Lovely to apply, three coats.

Enchanting Evergreen is a deep evergreen with flat green shimmer laced throughout. Fabulous, effortless formula. This is two coats.

Tarnished Tinsel is a full coverage gold glitter with sneaky bits of red and silver twinkle here and there. The gold glitter pieces are actually very small, short bar pieces, my friend Peachy Polish has an excellent macro on her review in case you want to see the splendor! I used two coats.

Velvet Bow is a dark buttery smooth metallic red, one of those shades with an internal glow. Insane formula, a one coat wonder but I used two here.

Peace On Earth is a pale minty green with a soft but robust pink shimmer. An almost on the nose dupe for YSL Peace Green, if you've been lusting after that one. The strong shimmer and pigmented base lend to an easy two coat formula.

Mojito is a color shifting topper that flexes from gold to green to subtle blue. I layered one coat over Very Merry Berry. This looks so rad! I bet it would be even extra with a matte top coat, I'm kicking myself for not trying that out and taking a photo.

Jack Frost is an icy shimmer topper with added iridescent glitters that positively glow! I layered one coat over Enchanting Evergreen for a glistening winter look.

This collection is available on the Pretty Serious Cosmetics website now for $9.95 AUD, which is about $7.20 USD with the current exchange rate. I'm very pleased with this collection, we get some traditional holiday colors in unique finishes and some out of the box shades too! Let me know your thoughts!

❤ Kellie

The products mentioned were provided for an honest review.

Different Dimension Intergalactic Collection Swatches & Review

Greetings Earthlings! I have a new space-y collection to show you today from Different Dimension called Intergalactic! It's a five piece set of polishes with spectacular effects designed to channel the galaxy. 

Press Sample

Butterfly Nebula is a violet jelly polish with holographic micro flakies and iridescent red to green color-shifting glitters. This applied easily and was completely opaque in three coats. These are all full of glitter so you may need a layer of thick top coat to get a smooth finish. Please believe me when I say, this is way cooler looking in person than I could capture in a photo.

Helix Nebula is a green teal jelly polish with holographic micro flakies and iridescent red to green color-shifting glitters. Another easy to apply shade, I used three coats here. This one is the least opaque of the bunch, so if you wanted a less translucent look you could layer it over a base color.

Cat's Eye Nebula is a burgundy jelly polish with holographic micro flakies and iridescent red to green color-shifting glitters. This one was also lovely to apply, two coats for opacity. I didn't have any staining on this, but it's very pigmented so you might want to double up on your base coat just in case.

Ghost Of Jupiter is a full coverage glitter bomb with silver holographic glitters and iridescent red to green color-shifting glitters. This has a clear base and is a bit chunkier than the others. It can be layered over another color or built up on it's own, as I've done here. This is only two coats! You might see bits of my nail peeking through in the photo, but in person it's impossible to detect as the holo and bling is so strong.

Hourglass Nebula is a chocolate brown jelly polish with holographic micro flakies and iridescent red to green color-shifting glitters. My swatch shows two coats. This is seriously fall in a bottle!

This collection will be released on Friday, November 11th at 9pm EST on the Different Dimension website. All Intergalactic polishes will be priced at $11, and there will be special discounted pricing when purchasing the full collection, only available for the first 24 hours! Let me know what you think of this bunch, are you into the otherworldly look? My favorite has to be Butterfly Nebula, but they are all stunning!

❤ Kellie

The products mentioned were provided for an honest review.

Shleee Polish Swatches & Review

Happy Halloween! Did/are you doing anything festive for this eerie holiday? I didn't do much but I enjoy this time of year immensly. To get you in the spirit, I have three dark and vampy polishes to show you today from indie brand Shleee Polish. I've know the maker, Ashley, for a while now and I couldn't resist picking up a lacquer that she had teased on Facebook a while ago. She actually included two extra goodies for me in the package, incredibly sweet. Let's take a look!

Purchased by Me | Received as a Gift

My Roanoke Nightmare is the polish I had to purchase, it's named for this season of American Horror Story, a favorite of mine in general, but this season is epic-ly great! This has an opaque black jelly base filled with color shifting shimmer and red microglitter. This is two easy coats.

It looks different depending on the lighting, so I tried to show off the shift in indirect sunlight for you. I'm head over heels for this! This shade is not available in their store right now, but they do have a "2.0" version which is almost exactly the same though.

Black Moon is a black polish with color shifting shimmer, holographic shimmers, and iridescent glitter. It can shift more green or purple, I was only able to capture the purple though. This went on without any difficulty, creamy and with great coverage. This had a bit more of a scent to it than the other two, a little like old Kleancolor polishes, but it wasn't nearly that bad. I used two coats here. This polish is not available in their store right now, unfortunately.

Royal Witch 3.0 is a blackened violet with red/pink/copper shimmer, and red microglitter. This was a surprise favorite for me, totally makes me think "witch" and I love it. Effortless formula, opaque in two coats. This is the third version of Royal Witch, hence the "3.0" in the title, in case you were wondering. I think this is a great way of keeping her popular shades in stock while still using small batches!

Shleee Polish is 5-free and handmixed. Their products are available for sale on their Etsy store and range in price from $7 - $13 per bottle. I purchased My Roanoke Nightmare for $12. They put out new shades every Friday morning, so make sure to check out their Facebook page and Instagram to see swatches & previews of what's coming out each week! What do you think of these pretties? They certainly have put me in a proper Halloween mood! Hope your day is spooky spectacular!

❤ Kellie

The products mentioned were either purchased by me or received as a gift.

Powder Perfect The Midlands Collection Swatches & Review

Hi there :) My week is not going all that well so far, but at least I've got some great polish to show you today! The Midlands Collection from Australian indie brand Powder Perfect is releasing this week, yay! The Midlands is a "swathe of land that cuts across the heart of England. It is home to Sherwood Forest, a mysterious place that provided refuge for the legendary renegade Robin Hood & his merry men." I love the story of Robin Hood so I am really stoked for this collection.

Press Sample

Robin Hood is a rich Lincoln Green crème inspired by the color of cloth Robin Hood & his merry men wore for clothing. This seemed a bit thin, but was nice and opaque at two coats. What a beautiful shade of green!

Nottingham is a blackened navy blue with a smattering of scattered holographic glimmers. I love the super fine holo that Powder Perfect does, unique and glowy! This was totally opaque in one coat, but I did two here.

Maid Marian is a multi-faceted character, which is reflected in her namesake polish. It has a muted purple base filled with duochrome glitters and shimmer that shift from gold to dark pink. I detect a small amount of green in this as well. Thin and a bit sheer on the first coat, but I got full coverage in just two layers. This is one you have to see in person to really appreciate, it's gorgeous! My friend Valesha over at Peachy Polish has a jaw-dropping macro of this lady on her review post here.

Watchful Nights is a dark eggplant purple jelly. Lovely shade of purple, but the formula didn't seem to want to apply evenly for me. You can see around the edges on some nails it seems a bit more translucent. This is two coats, but perhaps three would've worked better.

This collection will be available on May 12th at 7pm EST on the Powder Perfect US based website, and on May 13th 10am QLD time (which may be at the same time, idk) on the Australian website. What say you about this foursome of shades? Have you tried Powder Perfect yet?

**EDIT: There has been a coupon code created for my readers to get 10% off any purchase on www.powder-perfect.com! Valid until 7/31/2016 - enter KELLIE when prompted at checkout! (Not an affiliate code, I won't know if you use it, just a help to get you save some money!)

❤ Kellie

The products mentioned were provided for an honest review.

Zoya Spring 2016 Petals Collection Swatches & Review

Hi everyone! Today I have the Zoya Spring collection to show you. It's called Petals and the shades are "inspired by the gardens of spring, this fresh and vibrant collection invites you to revel in the beauty of the season!" There's six polishes in the bunch and they're great for the season!

Press Sample

Tulip is a "pure pastel salmon cream with the slightest hint of sheen to mimic a petal soft finish." I found the color delightful, but the formula was a tad streaky and I needed three coats for opacity. The shimmer is subtle but noticeable.

Aster is a "fresh periwinkle with flecks of fuchsia to create a dewy finish, mimicking the look of spring flowers in the morning." This was excellently formulated, fool-proof application and I had full coverage on two coats! What a pretty color too eh? Similar to OPI Show Us Your Tips but more opaque and slightly more purple toned.

Laurel is "a warm pastel pink with the slightest hint of sheen to mimic a petal soft finish." This one was on the streaky side and needed three coats. However, with the slightly crelly-like formula I wasn't surprised. I would choose a formula like this one or Tulip's over something like Zoya Eden which has a chalkier type of feel. I suppose it would come down to personal preference.

Azalea is a "classic spring pink with a captivating white and fuchsia flash". I found the sparkle in this to be so pretty, the same type that Aster has with a similar formula. Very opaque, two coats here. 

Zahara is described as "a brilliant shimmering coral made modern with an opalescent effect." This polish was similar to Aster & Azalea in finish and formula, but was a little less opaque so I needed three coats.This is SO pretty, maybe my favorite in the collection.

Leia is a "sheer, opalescent white with flecks of fuchsia, green and gold". Zoya says this can be worn on it's own or layered over the other shades in the collection. This is it by itself at two coats. I like it but probably wouldn't wear it like this. I bet it would build up a little more with one or two more layers though.

I layered one coat of Leia over the other shades here. You can't tell very well from this photo but there was significant sparkle and a bit of that flash of color. (P.S. my thumbnail is rounded for some unfathomable reason, don't mind her)

These are available right now on the Zoya website for $10 each. I've heard a bunch of people say this collection isn't their favorite because the colors are too similar and they don't like the formulas, but I really enjoyed them! Different strokes for different folks I guess! What do you think? Is this collection a winner for you?

❤ Kellie

The products mentioned were provided for an honest review.

Baroness X Nail Lacquer Ex Libris Collection Swatches & Review

Hi everyone! I have a post today from a new-to-me indie brand, Baroness X Nail Lacquer. I have heard tales of wonder and excellence for this unique brand before but haven't tried them until now. This is a four piece collection called Ex Libris and I received the mini sized 8ml bottles for review. I like their minis because they are tall instead of the short and squat ones you usually see, so they're easier to apply. Let's take a look!

Press Sample

Dulcinea is a violet jelly with red to green color shifting shimmer and large iridescent flakies. This one is quite sheer, and is a little thick, so let it dry between coats to avoid the gummy-ness that some jellies can get. I built it up in three coats but you can still see the nail line pretty significantly. I know some people will like that look, but if you don't, this would look killer layered over a purple crème or a more opaque jelly. I couldn't capture the green shift, but it's definitely there.

Quixotica is a blue-toned green jelly with gold to blue shifting shimmer, silver holographic micro-shards and green & blue metallic flakies. This had the same formula as Dulcinea but was a little less thick and doesn't have that "gummy" jelly quality at all. This is also three coats, still a bit transparent, so again you can layer it over a solid shade for a more opaque look. I love to see multichrome flakes being used in different ways and they are right at home in this jelly base. Amazing shimmer in this too, so hard to do it justice in a picture!

Molino is a juicy berry red jelly with gold to blue shifting shimmer and a mix of rainbow multichrome metallic flakies. I had an easy time with this guy, smooth and effortless to apply. More full coverage than the first two, this is opaque in three coats so it can stand on its own. This would be so beautiful layered over a black though!

Alhambra is a cobalt blue jelly with red to green shifting shimmer, mixed sizes of iridescent flakies and silver holographic micro-shards. This is so stellar and very pigmented! It is also more opaque than the first two shades, but I still used three coats. I would say this is the only one I wouldn't layer over another color though, there is just so much depth that comes through when it's built up, I love it.

These will be available for purchase on November 4th on the Baroness X website and their Etsy store. The full size 15ml bottles will be $12.75 each. The full size set of four will be $46 and the mini 8ml set will be priced at $28. What do you think of these shades? Have you ever tried this brand before? I will have a review of their new cuticle moisturizer up soon, it's a matte formula dubbed the "swatcher's balm", so stay tuned for that!

❤ Kellie

Products mentioned were provided for an honest review.

GlitterDaze The Marie Antoinette Collection Swatches & Review

Hi everyone! Sorry it's been a few days since my last post, it's been a bad month for headaches for me. I suffer from chronic daily headaches and migraines, and different factors like the weather and stress can make things much worse at times. I am feeling better this weekend so I'm back!

Press Sample

Today I have the newest GlitterDaze collection to show you! This is The Marie Antoinette collection, inspired by the infamous queen of France from back around the time before the French Revolution. There are six milky crellys with multichrome metallic flakes.

Chemise A La Reine has an off-white crelly base with multicolored metallic color shifting flakes and a sprinkle of holographic shimmer. This went on very easily and dried quickly. I was surprised at how opaque it was in only two coats. I recommend a top coat as these don't dry particularly shiny.

Off With Their Heads has a greenish browny grey base with shifting metallic flakes that turn from gold to pink to bronze, red/bronze shimmer and gold holographic shimmer. This one had some chunkier pieces of flakes than the first one, but was no different in application. Two coats.

Versailles has a lovely mint green crelly base with shifting multichrome flakes in green and blue tones with some holographic shimmer. This also had an easy formula, opaque in two coats.

Reign of Terror has a mauve pinky purple crelly base with purple shifting flakes that turn blue, gold and magenta as well as holographic shimmer. I feel like a broken record, but this has the same wonderful formula. Two coats.

Louis is a pale cornflower blue crelly with multichrome metallic flakes that flash purple to blue, silver shimmer and holographic sparkles. Same great formula, two coats for full opacity.

Eat Cake has a crelly base in a peachy pink nude tone with color shifting metallic flakes in pink/green/gold and gold holographic shimmer. Also great, also two coats. The brand mentions that this polish may cause light staining, though I swatched this without a base coat and wore it for a good twenty minutes or so and didn't notice anything. But please heed their warning and use a good coat of base or two.

These colors are stunning and they fit right into what I think of for the fashion at the time of Marie's life. These polishes were just a pleasure to put on, no fuss and super easy to work with. Maybe they won't be everyone's cup of tea, but they are really beautiful in person and very sparkly, it was difficult to show that in the photos. The Marie Antoinette collection is available now on the GlitterDaze website for $12 each. Tell me what you think of these, any favorites? I think Chemise and Louis are tied for mine!

❤ Kellie

The products mentioned were provided for an honest review.

Cult Nails - The Deceptive Collection

Cult Nails, run by my beautiful and extremely talented blogger buddy Maria, has put out my absolutely favorite top coat ever (Wicked Fast 4 LYFE!), and now has put out my absolute favorite black polish ever. Nevermore is a rich luxe pitch black crème that is opaque in one buttery coat. Amazing.

I used Nevermore as the base for the Deceptive Collection, Cult Nails' limited edition collection of color shifting top coats. The collection is made up of five shimmery sheers that enhance the base color they're layered over.

Image via http://www.cultnailsblog.com/

Thumb - Two Timer, Index - Alter Ego, Middle - Charlatan , Ring - Doppelganger, Pinky - Deception

Two Timer appears to be liquid gossamer gold in the bottle but over black we see a beautiful iridescent emerald green. Alter Ego looks like an angel pink opal-like lacquer in the bottle but on the nail it turns to antique gold! Olive gold shimmer comes out over the black. Charlatan is a cheeky show off, it has large shimmer particles that look hot pink in the bottle but show up as a blue/pink/purple multichrome on the nail. Doppelganger is an interesting shade, it's got a creamy white base with multicolored microshimmer bits. I am not 100% sold on this as a layering shade, at least not over dark colors, the base is sheer but not enough. However, I have made two kickass frankens with it! And last is Deception, which appears soft pinky orange in the bottle but shows up as a purple and magenta shimmer on the nail. Each of the nails shows one coat of Nevermore and two of the layering shade.

What do you think of these guys? I am super into the hotness of these, and I can see myself using them over lots of colors even though I'm not usually a layering type of girl. You can get these while they last on http://www.cultnails.com/ for $10 each. Nevermore is a core color so you can grab that whenever you need it, which is nice. Did I mention it's my go-to black? Did I?! Well it is :)

Products provided for review.

OPI Exclusive & Max Factor Fantasy Fire

Hi folks! Happy Memorial Day :) Today I wanted to show you another gorgeous polish I got from my fab friend Scandalous. OPI Extravagance (oops!) Exclusive is one of the last Designer Series polishes that I wanted that I had yet to acquire and now it's mine! This one is a fab magenta purple with awesome linear holo that jumps out like 3D. I freaking love this. Two coats.

Here is Exclusive with two coats of Max Factory Fantasy Fire, the Clarins 230 dupe! Also a present from my girl :D I freaked out when I saw this in my package from her, how generous can you be my Southern Suga? I love how it looks over this OPI, so fab and color-shifty and holo!

And just because, here are some more shots of Fantasy Fire over Nicole by OPI Di-Vine is Divine, a deep berry purple smooth metallic. Gaaaaaahhhhh, amaze-a-balls!

Hope you all had a great day and will have an even better week!