Autumn dotticure

On top of By K Pull Up I did a autumn inspired dotticure using only By K polishes :)

I used the following polishes: By K OY-MAK (bright red), By K The Sky is the Limit (dark red) By K Jump and Slide (brown red) and By K Bravo-Yankie-Kilo (gold).

I'm really pleased with the result! I like the colors and the diagonal rainbow feeling to it. A perfect autumn manicure :)

How do you like my autumn dotticure?

Floral nails

Even though gorgeous By K Jump and Slide looks totally stunning on its own I wanted to add some nail art to it. Being a florist I couldn't resist to stamp on some flowers :)

The plate used is MoYou London Princess plate 14 and the pink metallic polish is Kiko #620. To cheer it up even more I added a pink dot in each flower with By K Camelia Rose.

I really like the result! The pattern doesn't hide the beautiful base and I like the childish look of it :)

How do you like this nail art?

By K Jump and Slide - swatches and review

Wow! I'm in love with this squishy dark red jelly! It's so beautiful and shiny! This is Jump and Slide from By K.

Since it's a jelly it will never be truly opaque but I don't mind. Because in return I get an incredible shine and squishiness! It's so vampy and elegant! Classic beauty at it's best!

This is three coats and the formula was great! It's also vegan, 5-free, certified cruelty free and allergy certified.

GOOD TO KNOW:

Type of polish: Jelly.

Number of coats: Three.

Formula: Very good! No complaints at all!

Brush: Thin straight cut brush.

Top Coat: Yes, but just as shiny without. 

Grade: 5+/5

This vampy red jelly will look good on both longer and shorter nails. It's released as an autumn polish but this classic color can be used all around if you ask me. A winner in my book!

How do you like Jump and Slide?

Psychedelic Leaves Nail Art

I'm so happy with this nail art! The color contrasts are amazing! The bright orange red OY-MAK from By K and the neon cobalt blue from Mundo de Unas. A match made in heaven if you ask me ;)

A stampicure with a leaf pattern from MoYou London Tropical Collection-10. I call them psychedelic leaves because it's a flirt with the crazy patterns and colors from the 70's. :)

How do you like this crazy nail art? :)

By K OY-MAK - swatches and review

Time for color! Real in-your-face-red brought to you by By K! This is OY-MAK. Quite a strange name but the whole collection has got to do with flights and flying and air plans. OY-MAK is a kind of number plate and OY means Danish and MAK is the code for a specific person.

I adore this shade! It's so bright without being a neon! Great formula too! This is two coats. Cream is what By K does best! Always flawless and spot-on-colors! And as always 5-free, vegan and certified cruelty free and now also allergy certified! This polish will be released in the beginning of May.

GOOD TO KNOW:

Type of polish: Cream.

Number of coats: Two totally effortless coats.

Formula: Excellent! Perfection! It just glides on to the nails!

Brush: Medium straight cut.

Top Coat: Yes. 

Grade: 5+/5

This amazing cream will be used again and again! I love it!

How do you like OY-MAK?

Misa High Brow - swatches and review

Even though it's Wednesday there will be no green polish today. I haven't worn green for a while actually. I've been more into fall colors and today I've got a fall show stopper for you! This is High Brow from Misa.

The base is actually purple so depending on lighting it can look both red, brown or purple! Totally stunning! I wore this polish for almost a week! I couldn't bare myself to take it off! The glow from within is magic!

GOOD TO KNOW:

Type of polish: Shimmer.

Number of coats: Two, but it's a possible one coater if you do one thicker coat.

Formula: Excellent formula! Applies totally effortless!

Brush: Medium straight cut brush.

Top Coat: Yes. It actually dries semi matte without a top coat. 

Grade: 5+/5

A perfect shade for autumn! I love it!

How do you like High Brow?

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?

Dollish Polish Redrum - swatches and review

Today it's both Holothon 2.0 and Holo Friday and I've got quite a gem for you actually! I haven't seen this polish on any blogs and that really surprises me because it's really beautiful! Dark copper red with a strong holo effect. I don't see many Dollish polishes at all actually nowadays… Strange.

Redrum was released in 2013 with the Halloween Frights Collection. If you find the name strange - read it backwards… yes, it says murder ;) The expression redrum comes from the film The Shining and even though it's not a very pleasant name it's still a very appropriate name for a Halloween polish ;)

This is two coats and the formula is excellent.

GOOD TO KNOW:

Type of polish: Holographic.

Number of coats: Two.

Formula: Excellent formula! You're in full control and there are no bold spots if you avoid double dragging on your brush strokes.

Brush: Medium straight cut brush.

Top Coat: Yes. 

Grade: 5/5

This is a great holo with quite an unusual base color. Unique in my collection. Even holographic, ok weak but still, in the shade, see last picture.

How do you like Redrum?

This is what the other Holothon ladies are showing today:

An InLinkz Link-up

Funky French Leafs Nails

This is a manicure I did a few weeks ago. The base is the vivid OPI Red Lights Ahead…Where? and the leafs are made with MoYou London plate Artist Collection-05 and By K Pink Dahlia . Before stamping I attached a strip of scotch tape to get straight edges of the tips.

I like the result. Less is more ;)

How do you like this manicure?

Traffic sign nails

The theme for today's Nail Art Sunday is "Traffic Signs" and I've done a "beware of upcoming traffic light" sign :) I believe my inspiration is an Italian sign. Here in Sweden we have a yellow background instead of white.

The base is Smitten Polish The First Lobster and then I did a striping tape manicure and added OPI My Vampire Is Buff. Three dots completed the look. Top coat on top.

My inspiration :)

How do you like my traffic sign manicure?

Smitten Polish The First Lobster - swatches and review

Smitten has really cracked the code on how to make awesome holo polishes! Every single one I've tried so far has been fantastic formula wise! So is this one from the Love Actually collection. This is The First Lobster and it's my contribution to Holothon 2.0 :)

I love that film Love Actually! I've seen it so many times and every time I look down on my nails I can hear that little girl proudly announce that she has gotten the part of the first lobster in the nativity play. Her mother surprisingly asking if there was more than one lobster present at the birth of Jesus and she's answering with a simple duh? and an offended expression on her face. Lol!

Anyway, this is two coats with a top coat.

A blurry pic to show off the pretty rainbows.

GOOD TO KNOW:

Type of polish: Holographic.

Number of coats: Two.

Formula: Excellent formula! You're in full control and no bald spots.

Brush: Quite thick straight cut brush.

Top Coat: Yes. 

Grade: 5+/5

This is a wonderful holo polish! Great formula and such a vibrant base color! I wasn't sure I liked it first but once on the nails I loved it! Perhaps not quite the color of a lobster in my eyes, more of blood oranges in my opinion. Really pretty when not showing its rainbows too which is not always the case of holo polishes.

How do you like The First Lobster?

An InLinkz Link-up

By K Confidence - swatches and review

This is a beautiful red based polish infused with loads and loads of multi chrome shimmer. The shimmer shows in red, orange or pink depending on lighting. The result is a sort of multi chrome foil! Stunning! Also 5-free, vegan and cruelty free!

This is three coats. One pic above water and one under water to enhance the multi chrome effect on the shimmer :)

GOOD TO KNOW:

Type of polish: Hm… multi chrome foil? ;)

Number of coats: Three.

Formula: A tiny bit thin but not runny. Fairly easy to apply.

Brush: Thin straight cut brush.

Top Coat: Yes.

Color accuracy in pictures: Accurate. 

Grade: 4+/5

This is a unique polish in my collection and if the formula had been tip top I'd given it a 5 but a strong 4+ from me. I got many compliments from my customers wearing this! It seemed to drive men crazy… lol! ;)

How do you like Confidence?

London Skyline Silhouette Nails

Today it's Nail Art Sunday and for me it's the last work day for four weeks! The theme for today is "Silhouettes" and I've done a stampicure of the London skyline in the sunset :)

Well, skyline is a slight exaggeration ;) but at least you can see London Eye and Tower Bridge :)

The base is the magical Confidence from By K's new summer collection. The pattern is made with Misa I Will Survive and MoYou London plate Tourist Collection-05. To really get the illusion of a sunset the picture is taken under water to enhance the multichrome effect of Confidence.

I was quite happy with this nail art and when I wore it yesterday at work at got quite a lot of compliments actually :) And the base polish is absolutely stunning! I will do a separate review of Confidence later.

How do you like my London nails?

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…? ;)

Throwback Thursday: OPI Red Lights Ahead…Where? - swatches and review

I'm a fan of sometimes bringing forward older polishes. So today I'm having a throwback Thursday! This is one of my absolute favorite red leaning to orange polishes! It's so bright and juicy!

GOOD TO KNOW:

Type of polish: Cream.

Number of coats: Two. For long nails I think three coats would be better.

Formula: A nice formula. I wish it could be a bit more self leveling though.

Brush: Wide straight cut brush.

Top Coat: Yes. 

Color accuracy in pictures: Accurate. 

Grade: 5/5

I've got loads of new untried polishes but I still want to wear this one from time to time. That's how much I love it :)

How do you like Red Lights?
Do you have a polish you always return to?

H&M Stop Sign - swatches and review

The name of this polish had me a bit confused at first. It's called stop sign and it's a super bright orange leaning to red. Here in Sweden the stop signs are pure red so I didn't really get the name. After a quick google I found out that in several countries the stop signs are actually this orange-red. So no more confusion :)

A lovely polish! Fairly new. Very good value for money!

GOOD TO KNOW:

Type of polish: Cream.

Number of coats: Two. If you are super fussy, do three coats ;)

Formula: Very nice formula! Easy to control and self leveling.

Brush: Wide and rounded. Very nice to apply with!

Top Coat: Yes.

Color accuracy in pictures: Accurate. 

Grade: 4+/5

This is a perfect polish for summer! Both for lazy days on the beach or for long party nights :) If it had been a one coater I would have given it a 5 ;)

How do you like Stop Sign?

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 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?

Flower Nail Art

Spring is here and I always feel the need for brights and flowers at this time of the year :)

So here's a manicure with both flowers and a brights! The base is a fairly new polish from H&M called Stop Sign. That name puzzled me a bit because in Sweden stop signs are red but now I've learned that in some countries the stop signs are orange :)

I used a black Misa polish called I Will Survive and MoYou plate Suki Collection-06 to stamp on the flowers. The pattern is actually with black in the middle of the flowers but I dotted on a bright purple dot in each flower to get a contrast of orange and purple. It was hard to cover the black but I think you can get the idea ;)

Many of my customers thought I had done lady bug nails and looking at a distance I can understand them :)

How do you like my flower manicure?

Which version do you like best?

Inspired by a red leather jacket nail art

Happy Easter everyone! For today's Nail Art Sunday I've got a nail art for you which is inspired by a picture of a gold studded leather jacket. I think it's pretty obvious once you've seen the pics ;)

The base is the wonderful The Sky Is The Limit from By K. The dots aka "studs" are made with dotting tools and Essie Good As Gold. I used the same gold polish to make the zipper with Bundle Monster plate BM-202.

I used a top coat on the zipper nail so the stamp would last but I didn't use a top coat on the stud nails in order to enhance the texture and the feeling of studs.

How do you like this manicure?