NOTD: Essie Peak Show

With winter lingering around for another month or so, I thought it was the perfect time to write a review of one of the polishes released this season.

Spring 2013 Nail Polish Favourites

One of my favourite aspects of spring is the pretty, pastel nail polish shades that show up on store shelves in early March.
This year, my list of spring polish favourites features pinks, greens, peaches, nudes, and, of course, pastels.
Which ones do you like best from my list below, and what will you be wearing on your nails this season?
To see reviews, swatches, and nail designs featuring these shades, check out the Nail Art and NOTD tabs on my blog’s menu bar.

Essie Neo Whimsical, OPI Play the Peonies, Zoya Jaime

Zoya Rory, Zoya Gei Gei, Zoya Barbie, Zoya Erika

Essie Fiji, Orly Cotton Candy, Butter London Teddy Girl

Zoya Jacqueline, Zoya Kennedy

Zoya Bevin, Essie Mint Candy Apple

NOTD: Butter London Teddy Girl

Butter London’s Teddy Girl is a creamy baby pink polish. It is similar to Fiji by Essie but it has subtle hints of lavender, whereas Fiji is more of a true pink. Butter London describes Teddy Girl as a pale retro bubblegum pink. I think that this is accurate because bubblegum often has those slight purple tones mixed in with the pink base.

This polish gives the nails a very clean, polished look, which is why I knew that I needed this shade as soon as I found out about it. It’s perfect to wear year round and can function as an every day, work-appropriate shade, or an understated shade to complement a formal dress.

As you can see from the photos in this post, it is a pigmented cream-finish polish that gives a pop of colour despite its light shade.

I found the application to be a bit streaky after two coats so I needed a third coat to even everything out. Compared to other Butter London polishes that I have tried, Teddy Girl did not last as long. After about three days I began to see a bit of tip wear.

Something else that I noticed was that it took quite a while to dry. I applied it at 4:00 PM and it was still a bit sticky at midnight (I was able to make marks in it with my nails). By morning, it had dried completely and any marks had faded.

Despite these issues, I will continue to get a lot of use out of this polish because the shade is beautiful and works well with my pale skin. I always get compliments when I wear Teddy Girl.

Fall Nail Polish Favourites

At the beginning of each season I wade through my nail polish collection to find the perfect colours to wear for the months that will follow. This Fall I have selected a range of shades from deep purple to vintage green and everything in between. Many of my current favourite polishes have cream finishes but I’m also loving glass-flecked glitter and sheer jelly formulas.
Check out my Fall favourites below…and don’t forget to tell me which shades you will be wearing through mid December!
~Beauty Writer

Butter London Teddy Girl and Essie Fiji

Zoya Shay, Zoya Pandora, and Zoya Minka

Zoya Mia, Essie In Stitches, and China Glaze Fifth Avenue

Zoya Paloma

Essie Island Hopping, Butter London Toff, and Zoya Jana

Zoya Neeka and Zoya Petra

Zoya Daul and Zoya Monica

*Click HERE to see the glitzy Fall look that I created with these polishes*

Zoya Jules, Zoya Bevin, and Zoya Harley

My Top 10 Essie Nail Polishes

I decided to take on a difficult task and pick my top 10 polishes from four of my favourite nail polish brands (OPI, Essie, Zoya, and China Glaze).
Today’s post features 10 of my favourite Essie polishes. My picks range in shade from pastel pink to rich red, and vary in finish from creme, to shimmer, to flaky glitter.

Which shades from Essie are on your top ten list?

My Top 10 Essie Nail Polishes

Essie East Hampton Cottage and Mint Candy Apple

Essie Curve Ball and Topless & Barefoot

Essie In Stitches and Russian Roulette

Essie Neo Whimsical and Van D’Go

Essie Fiji and Shine of the Times

Nail Polish Haul! (Zoya, Essie,Butter London, China Glaze, & More!)

Over the past few months I have accumulated some new polishes. I have posted close up photos and swatches of each polish below.
Hope you enjoy!

Zoya Snow White

Zoya Jaime (post on Jaime: http://putbeautytowords.blogspot.ca/2012/05/notd-zoya-jaime.html)

Zoya Bevin (post on Bevin: http://putbeautytowords.blogspot.ca/2012/05/notd-zoya-bevin.html)

Zoya Shelby (post on Shelby: http://putbeautytowords.blogspot.ca/2012/06/notd-zoya-shelby.html)

Essie Fiji (post on Fiji: http://putbeautytowords.blogspot.ca/2012/04/notd-essie-fiji.html)

Essie Tart Deco

Butter London Knackered (post on Knackered: http://putbeautytowords.blogspot.ca/2012/04/butter-london-spring-summer-2012.html)

Butter London Trout Pout (post on Trout Pout: http://putbeautytowords.blogspot.ca/2012/04/butter-london-spring-summer-2012.html)

China Glaze Fuchsia Fanatic

China Glaze Purple Panic

Misa Polka Dot Bikini

Deborah Lippman What Lola Wants

Purple Magnetic Polish (post on Magnetic Polish: http://putbeautytowords.blogspot.ca/2012/04/magnetic-nail-polish-review-and-demo.html)

Ylin Mood Polish in Purple/Sky Blue (post on Mood Polish: http://putbeautytowords.blogspot.ca/2012/06/colour-changing-mood-nail-polish-review.html)
Which polish from this haul is your favourite?

Summer 2012 Nail Polish Favourites

I like to celebrate every season with a post on my favourite nail polishes. For summer 2012, I’m loving a range of colours and finishes and even a few trends such as crackle and mood polishes.
To find out which nail polishes made my favourites list this season, check out my photos below:

Summer Nail Polish Favourites

Essie Fiji and Zoya Jaime

China Glaze Lemon Fizz and OPI Peach-A-Boo

Essie Tart Deco and Zoya Lianne

Butter London Trout Pout, Orly Cotton Candy, and Zoya Maya

Zoya Shelby, Orly Basket Case, and China Glaze Broken Hearted

China Glaze Fuchsia Fanatic, Zoya Areej, OPI The Lifeguard Makes Me Blush, and OPI La Paz-itively Hot

China Glaze Flying Dragon (neon) and China Glaze Purple Panic (neon)

Zoya Malia and OPI Done Out In Deco

Butter London Knackered, Zoya Jo, and Ylin Mood Polish in Sky Blue/Lavender
Which colours are your favourites for summer 2012?

NOTD: Essie Fiji

I’m always on the search for an opaque pastel pink cream-finish polish. Many of you have recommended that I try Fiji by Essie and I thought that spring was the perfect season to do so.

The polish is a beautiful milky pink shade with maybe a slight hint of lavender. While it is fairly opaque, I found the formula a bit thick and streaky. As a result, I had to apply 3 coats to ensure that the colour applied evenly. Once it dried, I was quite happy with the results and have no doubts that I will get a lot of use out of this polish. It gives the nails a very clean, polished look that is very versatile.