Above the Curve Fallen Angel

Today's polish is just so beautiful, I can't stop looking at my nails! This is Above the Curve Fallen Angel, which I bought a while back on one of the sales pages. I am not sure why it has taken me so long to try it, but possibly because I only have 5 ATC's and they are really hard to find on the sales pages, so now I have worn this one I don't have any untrieds :(
I have a theory that they are all just so lovely that hardly anyone ever sells them once they've got them!
Anyway, Fallen Angel is stunning. It is a grey holo, but not only does it have that gorgeous depth that holo gives to a polish, it also has fine tealy blue micro glitter too, so when the holo is not visible, there are these tiny blue sparkles.
I did find this one a bit tricky to apply, the brush is very thin, and I think maybe this is an older style - the bottle is not the same as my other 4. Once I got the hang of the bush I was fine, the finish with 2 coats was great and I have topcoated it, without compromising the holo effect at all.
Fallen Angel is a lovely mid to charcoal grey, just the sort of neutral tone I am very comfortable wearing so even if I couldn't see holo or sparkle, I would still love the shade. This is important for me - holos are no good if they don't look pretty even when there's no sunshine - we don't have nearly enough sunshine!
Sorry about all the pics, too difficult to choose which ones to leave out! I think the last 2 shots show the blue glitter and then the holo quite well.

Above the Curve Fallen Angel

 

 

  

 

 

Picture Polish Altered State

This polish has been waiting patiently to be used since I bought it with Illusionist, another in the Picture Polish limited edition range, a couple of months ago. This is Altered State and as with Illusionist, this polish is best layered over darker shades.
I was wearing OPI Road House Blues, almost a blue black, so I thought that would make a great base.
Altered State is a multichrome which shifts from dark blue to purple and finally to deep burnished red at extreme angles, with gorgeous glitter which makes this polish look like a night sky, with millions of twinkly stars. In most lights the glitter is silvery, but in direct sunlight it is holographic and just stunning!
The multichrome effect is more subtle than in Illusionist, but no less beautiful. Most of the time my nails were blue with silver twinkles, but I think the shift may have been a bit more noticeable if I had worn a black rather than blue base. Good reason to leave this one out of the box, and try it again soon!
I have used one coat here over the OPI, it applied and dried well.I then added topcoat and just sat back and admired the stunning transformation from dark blue cream to something rather amazing.
Apologies for the slight tip wear apparent on some of the shots. The OPI had been on for a few days but I was so impatient to try Altered State - you still get the idea of how pretty it is!
I am so pleased I got these 2 Picture Polishes, I love them and I know I'll be wearing them both again soon!!

Picture Polish Altered State

   

 

 

  

OPI Road House Blues

Today's polish is one of the ones I was lucky enough to pick up at the OPI charity sale last month. I generally don't buy polishes without googling for swatches first but when I saw dark blue, I took a chance. Fairly safe bet really, it's OPI, I love dark colours and I particularly like blue, so even if I had something similar I knew I'd love it. Actually, having checked my spreadsheet I think I am OK with this one, only 1 or 2 are close and that's fine as dark blue is almost as much a staple as black.
This painted on nicely although I did go for 3 thin coats for completely full coverage. This is a really dark blue, and does almost look black in some lights, it is also a teeny bit purple which is nice, I guess maybe indigo is the right description. It is such a lovely shade and so wearable. It has a beautiful glossy finish although I have top coated it too.
Something about a nice dark cream, so simple and yet sophisticated. That's was I was looking for with this mani and I was delighted with the finished look. 

OPI Road House Blues

 

 

 

 

Moyra 853 Jasmine's Wish

Today's polish is a gorgeous teal sand effect polish. This is Moyra 853 Jasmine's Wish, from the Moyra Sand Effect range. The are 6 polishes in this particular range although there other Moyra textured polish ranges available and lots of lovely colours too!
These are excellent value for money and they last really well. I have another from this range on my toes, Isis, which is a stunning intense blue sand effect and that's been on for a week, no chipping or tip wear at all.
Moyra UK's website is up now although I bought mine through the facebook page.
Jasmine's Wish is a beautiful intense teal sand effect, packed full of sparkle! Since sand effect polishes came out I have fallen more and more in love with them but I have to confess a preference for the sparkly ones and this one certainly does not disappoint. This really does make me think of the sunlight glinting on the sea, somewhere hot and sunny! The mixture of fine blue, green, silver and gold particles is fantastic. The finish is perhaps a bit rougher than some other brands but only a little. The polish applied well in 2 coats, great coverage but as with some textured polishes it did take a little longer to dry to a hard finish.
This polish looks amazing in the sunshine but the sparkle is just so difficult to capture!

Moyra 853 Jasmine's Wish

 

 

 

 

Lilypad Lacquer Aquadisiac

Today's polish is the very pretty Lilypad Aquadisiac. Aquadisiac is a pale mint green holo. This is quite a subtle holo but comes to life in direct sunlight. The polish is quite sheer Coverage with 2 coats was enough to cover the VNL although if I was going to wear this for longer, I'd have been tempted to go for a 3rd coat just to be on the safe side.
It painted on well and dried nicely, but I am afraid the love just wasn't there. I struggle a bit with pale colours, unless they are nude cremes and, if I am honest, I was in 2 minds as to whether I should get this one. I went for it because there was always that chance that I'd love it and I'd have kicked myself for passing up the chance.
There is no denying that it is a lovely polish, and I can't help feeling bad that I don't like it but I guess we are all different. Hopefully I'll put this on a sales page and someone will love it!
In real life it is less blue than the pictures - although the name would imply a blue green polish, it is to my eyes definitely a minty green. Pictures are taken without a top coat.

Lilypad Aquadisiac

 

 

 

 

A England Briarwood

Today's polish is another of A England's Burne-Jones Dream collection, released back in May 2013. This is Briarwood and it is "Gem of the Month" on the A England website for June 2014, which means £6 instead of the usual £9, so it's well worth picking one up if you like this collection. There is a summer sale going on too so there are also other polishes at £6, with free shipping.
I have already reviewed three of this particular collection, Briar Rose, Rose Bower and Sleeping Palace, all are beautiful, and this one is no exception.
Briarwood is a deep red brown holographic polish, but it almost has a duochrome quality to it as in some lights the red fades away and I am sure  I can see a greener tinge to the brown. As usual with A England polishes the quality is fantastic, I very nearly stopped after 1 coat as coverage was so good, but decided 2 coats would probably last better. It dried nicely and I have top coated it. The holo is beautiful, lending a delicate shimmer to the polish when not in direct light but stunning in the sunlight.
This is deliciously vampy, and perhaps not a summery shade, but it will certainly be on my nails again in the autumn.
Picture overload time, as I attempt to capture and share the beauty of this polish.

A England Briarwood

 

 

 

 

 

  

Dark Metal Lacquer The Boo

I have an utterly stunning polish for you today, from one of the very new UK Indie polish makers, Dark Metal Lacquer. I did buy a few, but when they arrived I knew straight away which one I wanted to try first as I have nothing remotely like this in my ever growing collection.
The Boo is a lime green holo and it is absolutely gorgeous, the colour is so vibrant, and the holo is strong without being crazy strong.
The quality of this polish is fantastic, the brush seemed really easy to control and coverage was great with 2 coats - this is one of the quickest mani's I have done in a while and it dried in good time. I have top coated it, and that hasn't spoilt the holo at all.
I generally don't go for warm toned polishes and I think I'd class this as warm but it's just so zesty ( is that a proper word?), that I can't stop looking at it - I absolutely love it!! It makes me think of lemonade and fizzy Haribos, and it also reminded my of a lovely woollie I made a couple of years back in a bright lime green aran wool, so that had to come out for a picture too! I am so in love with this polish!!!

Dark Metal Lacquer The Boo

 

 

  

 

Too Fancy Lacquer A Currant Affair

A couple of months back I was lucky enough to pick up the Too Fancy Lacquer Viola Trio on one of the sales pages. I wore Shrinking Violet back in April, and today I am wearing A Currant Affair. This is a beautiful curranty red purple holo. It is a very wearable colour, not too bright, quite a soft neutral shade and I'd say of the 3 in the set this is probably my favourite.
The holo is lovely, and gives the polish a real velvety depth. To the naked eye the holo is apparent in almost all levels of light but the colour is great even when the holo isn't visible.
Application was good, coverage was perfect in 2 coats and the pics are taken with a top coat which does not seem to have harmed the holo at all. As with Shrinking Violet, the polish has a delightful buttery, creamy consistency and was very easy to apply.
I really like this colour, having a preference for softer muted shades this is one of those colours I am instantly comfortable with.
I took a couple of pics with my latest gloves, despite the warm weather, just because the colour match was so good! Sorry! couldn't resist :) and there are flowers on my passion flower again, and anything vaguely purple-like gets a pic taken with this amazing flower.

Too Fancy Lacquer A Currant Affair