Summary of By K Autumn Collection 2014

By K released a small autumn collection this fall and I have shown you them one by one during the summer. Here is a summary though and as usual in the order how I liked them :)

To me these are real fall colors and as the rest of all By K's polishes they are certified cruelty free, vegan and 5-free.

By K Mermaid Cave

By K Confidence

By K Dandelion

How do you like this mini collection?

Would you have put them in this order?

Summary of By K Summer Collection 2014

In case I've got a complete polish collection I usually do a summary of it - and now it's time to sum up the wonderful summer collection from By K! I've listed the nine polishes in the order how I like them. The first one is my favorite and so on.

I've got many questions on where to get hold of these amazing polishes and if you live in Denmark you can order them from By K at: www.by-k.dk/shop

If you live outside Denmark you can get them at: skinstyle.dk/by-k-neglelak-177 They ship all over Europe.

If you live outside Europe you can contact By K directly to see if they can help you. Go to: www.by-k.dk/en-shop

Ok, time for the list! And remember they are all certified cruelty free, vegan and not less than 5-free! Great for you and for the animals :)

By K Blue Lagoon

By K Waterfall

By K Limelight

By K Glacier

By K Lavender Blue

By K Camelia Rose

By K Copper Heart

By K Pretty Nude

By K Sugar Rush

How do you like this collection?

Do you agree on my order? :)

By K Blue Lagoon - swatches and review

Time for an extremely beautiful duochrome polish from By K! This is Blue Lagoon and it shifts easily from a medium turquoise blue to a dark purple and just as easily back to blue again. I'm wearing it right now and I can't stop looking down at my paws to see what color they've shifted to now :)

This is three coats with a top coat. Camera shy to show its purple but live you can easily see it.

GOOD TO KNOW:

Type of polish: Duochrome foil.

Number of coats: Three.

Formula: Good formula, a bit thin but not runny.

Brush: Thin straight cut brush.

Top Coat: Yes. 

Grade: 5/5

Last pic is taken at 5 am. I had to go up and pee and when I saw my nails in the morning light I just had to get my camera and capture it! Totally normal eh? ;)

How do you like Blue Lagoon?

Bamboo Manicure

I've got a MoYou London plate with a bunch of different bamboo patterns and I used one of them on top of the gorgeous duo chrome Electric Apple NYC from Takko Lacquer. The result was a fairly tone in tone look in the sun and strong lighting but in the shade there was a bigger contrast. Pictures of both examples can be found below. I like the tone in tone version best :)

The plate is called Suki Collection-06 and I stamped with Essence Gold Digger.

How do you like this bamboo manicure?

New arrivals!

I'm really, really busy at the moment so today I just want to show you the content of a parcel I got yesterday!

Dance Legend The Knight, Glisten & Glow HK Girl Top Coat
Arcane Lacquer Residuum, Dance Legend It's Hot Here

Soooooo glad to finally got hold of Dance Legend The Knight! It sure looks stunning in the bottle :)

Dance Legend It's Hot Here has been a completely must since I saw it on my dear friend Christine's blog Polished Marvels. Will wear sunglasses while swatching that 8)

Will finally try the hyped top coat HK Girl from Glisten & Glow. Will be interesting.

The Arcane Lacquer was a pure impulse buy. It just begged me to take it home with me and who am I to refuse such a calling? ;)

I tried one of these polishes immediately! Guess which one…? ;)

Duochrome Week: Summary of Barry M Aquarium Collection

Here is a short summary of the duochromes from the Barry M Aquarium Collection. The one I like most is on top an so on.

I'm actually surprised myself that I liked the orange/red/pink Mediterranean so much! They are not normally my favorite colors. But I think I liked the glow of it. Like a sunset :) And it has almost no visible brushstrokes at all.

Caspian was so pale I found it a bit boring. Good for office use though.

Overall a nice formula. Two coats of all of them. Fast drying. Reasonable priced at £3.99 for 10 ml. If you are a duochrome lover - get them! :)

Barry M Mediterranean

Barry M Pacific

Barry M Arabian

Barry M Caspian

Which is your favorite duochrome polish from this collection?

Duochrome week: Comparison Impala Sex Appeal and Barry M Mediterranean

When I tried Barry M's Mediterranean I knew I had something similar in my stash and after some searching I found the bottle I was looking for, Impala's Sex Appeal.

They look quite alike in the bottles but they are not dupes. Barry M's Mediterranean has a flash of pink which Impala's Sex Appeal don't have. This is due to the almost foil finish of Mediterranean. Sex Appeal is more smooth and also shows a darker shade of orange too.

Sex Appeal has a much stronger chemical smell than Mediterrean, uncomfortably strong actually, but I still prefer Sex Appeal over Mediterranean. It's more smooth and intense. If you are a big fan of orange/red douchromes you of course need both of these :)

In these pictures I've got Barry M Mediterranean on middle finger and pinkie. Impala Sex Appeal on pointer and ring finger.

Which one do you prefer?

Duochrome week: Barry M Pacific - swatches and review

More duochromes! This is Pacific, a beautiful blue color shifter! I liked this far more than I thought I would!

GOOD TO KNOW:

Type of polish: Duochrome.

Number of coats: Two.

Formula: A nice formula even though there are brushstrokes.

Brush: Thin straight cut brush.

Top Coat: No. 

Color accuracy in pictures: Accurate. 

Grade: 4/5

If it hadn't been for the d--n brushstrokes I'd given this a higher grade because it's stunning!

How do you like Pacific?

Duochrome week: Barry M Arabian - swatches and review

Today it's Green Wednesday and since it's also my duochrome week I will show you a - tadaaa! - green duochrome! ;) This is Arabian from Barry M's Aquarian Collection. Beautiful shifts in blue, turquoise and green!

GOOD TO KNOW:

Type of polish: Duochrome.

Number of coats: Two.

Formula: A nice formula. Annoying brushstrokes though. 

Brush: Thin straight cut brush.

Top Coat: Yes. 

Color accuracy in pictures: Accurate. 

Grade: 3++/5

These color shifts are not unique but I really like that the blue is such a dark cobalt blue. The price is great too, £3.99 for 10 ml.

How do you like Arabian?

Duochrome week: Barry M Caspian - swatches and review

Second out in this duochrome week is Caspian, also from the Aquarium Collection. A soft almost nude duochrome shifting in gold and pink.

GOOD TO KNOW:

Type of polish: Duochrome.

Number of coats: Two.

Formula: A nice formula. Dries fast and surprisingly few brushstrokes.

Brush: Thin straight cut brush.

Top Coat: No. 

Color accuracy in pictures: Accurate. 

Grade: 3-/5

This polish is very office appropriate but it didn't really win my heart. The color shifts are quite weak and they didn't match my skin tone so well.

How do you like Caspian?

Duochrome week: Barry M Mediterranean - swatches and review

It's been a while since I had a theme week so this week will be all about duochromes! I hope you are into them :)

I'm starting with stunning one from the fairly new Barry M Aquarium Collection. In this collection all the polishes are named by different seas. This is Mediterranean, a gorgeous sunset duochrome!

GOOD TO KNOW:

Type of polish: Duochrome.

Number of coats: Two.

Formula: A very nice formula. Very few brushstrokes. The most glittery one of this collection.

Brush: Thin straight cut.

Top Coat: No.

Color accuracy in pictures: Accurate. 

Grade: 4/5

This beauty shifts from red to orange to pink which are not my colors at all really. But together like this - I like them! They make me think of a sunset or a drink :)

How do you like Mediterranean?

Max Factor Fantasy Fire - swatches and review

This polish doesn't need a long introduction ;) most of you already know it. Highly hyped in Sweden and impossible to get hold of here. In England though it's fairly easy to get hold of so lately I tend to buy a bottle each time I'm there :) So far I've got three bottles ;)

Fantasy Fire is a duo chrome best for layering. Mostly it shows its red and orange colors but in some lightings you can see both green and gold. It's really stunning!

In these pics I wear one coat over Rimmel Barmy Blue. There will be a picture spam today because Fantasy Fire really changes depending on the lighting.

In electric light

With flash

In daylight

Sorry for the blur but look at those colors!!

GOOD TO KNOW:

Type of polish: Duochrome.

Number of coats: One coat on top of a blue creme polish.

Formula: Very good! No complaints.

Brush: Thin and straight cut.

Top Coat: Yes. 

Color accuracy in pictures: Accurate. Much more amazing irl of course! :)

Grade: 5++/5

I liked this polish far more than I thought! I almost always get put off by a super hyped polish but now when the worst hype is over I felt like trying it ;) and I will wear it again (I must - I've got three bottles of it! Lol!)

How do you like Fantasy Fire?

H&M Nail Polish Amazon - swatches and review

This is a fairly new polish from H&M! New bottle logo and the new wide brush.

It's a great bright grass green color! I fell in love with it the minute I saw it and it was amazing on the nails too! And perfect for Green Wednesday :)

GOOD TO KNOW:

Type of polish: Cream.

Number of coats: Two - but it's definitely a possible one coater.

Formula: Ok, but a bit weird. It's both a tiny bit thick AND comes with a cuticle flood warning at the same time :/

Brush: Very wide and rounded. I love it!

Top Coat: Yes.

Color accuracy in pictures: Accurate. 

Grade: 4+++++++++/5

I loooooove this color! It's so bright and green! ;) The formula could have been a bit better but I love the brush and I'll wear it again and again :)

How do you like Amazon?

Smitten Polish Haul!

I love the film "Love Actually" so when Smitten Polish released a Love Actually Collection I just had to get it ;) Not only for the theme but for the glorious colors too! It's holo, shimmer and duo chrome - all in the same collection! :D

I've seen the film so many times by now that I know exactly when they say the lines the polishes are named after… Impressive or creepy…? ;)

To Me, You Are Perfect and You Saucy Minx

The First Lobster and
A Wedding Dress That Isn't Bright Turquoise

Just in Cases and Love Actually Is All Around

Which one is your favorite?

Have you seen the film "Love Actually"?

Comparison of Essie For the Twill of It and H&M Wintersky

Lately I've been reading on several blogs that H&M Wintersky is extremely similar to Essie For the Twill of It. Some bloggers even call them dupes! This is NOT true! They are definitely not dupes and not even that similar either as a matter of fact!

I have the pleasure of owning both polishes and I let my pictures speak for themselves :) This is two coats of each polish.

Essie on pointer and ring. H&M on middle and pinkie.

As you can see Wintersky is much more pale and silvery whereas For the Twill of It is much more dark grey. Yes, the both have a duo chrome effect to lilac and green but they are not dupes! They both have a much deserved place in any collection! :)

Speaking of grey/lilac/green duo chromes released this fall, For the Twill of It is much more similar to OPI Peace & Love & Opi! I don't have the OPI one but here's a bottle comparison.

From what I have seen on other blogs they are VERY similar but not dupes either. Apparently there is a tiny difference in the shade of the lilac and in the amount of visible brush strokes. This is not my own conclusion but only what I've read.

I think the H&M is the best alternative here. I like that it's so pale and that it is the most unique one of these three. It also has by far the best price!

Which one is your favorite?

H&M Wintersky - swatches and review

H&M has released a bunch of new polishes recently. Both new colors and new bottles and brush design. The new bottle has a much thinner cap which is much easier to hold. The brush is much wider which I personally really like.

This beautiful duo chrome polish is part of the new release and it's called Wintersky. The name is so suitable for this wintry cold duo chrome. It goes from silver to pale green to cold grayish lilac and in some lighting to pale gold and orange. I instantly thought of mother of pearl when I saw it! It's absolutely amazing!!! And remember, I'm not even much of a duo chrome lover and I still say that it is to die for!! I'm telling you, this will be a hype! Get a copy before they run out! ;)

Pictures speaks louder than words! Sorry for the picture spam but this polish deserves it ;)

Old H&M brush vs the new H&M brush

GOOD TO KNOW:

Type of polish: Duo chrome.

Number of coats: Two, but I actually think you can get away with one coat. Yes, one!

Formula: Very good! Don't do too thick coats and use a light hand to avoid brush strokes and the application will be a breeze! :)

Brush: Very good! Wide and rounded. Much better that the old H&M brushes.

Top Coat: Yes, one coat. 

Color accuracy in pictures: Accurate. It's really hard to capture the beauty of a duo chrome but I think I did quite a good job with this one ;)

Grade: 5++++++/5

This is an amazing polish! So beautiful and with great qualities! And cheap too! 40 SEK or £4 or $5.50 is a bargain for this darling!

How do you like Wintersky?