Beauty. Fashion. Lifestyle.
Posts tagged Swatch
Ciate Velvet Manicure in ‘Mink Cashmere’
10Just before Christmas I was lucky enough to win a Ciate Velvet Manicure set in one of Baobella’s 12 Days of Christmas giveaways on Twitter – thank you Baobella! Baobella are a new online beauty community who are all about ‘the beauty of sharing’. They haven’t launched yet, but there is a lot of excitement surrounding their new website which is almost ready to go live, and they are already making a name for themselves on Facebook and Twitter. Keep an eye on their social feeds for more information about the community!
When Ciate first launched their Velvet Manicure many moons ago, my first impressions weren’t good. I initially thought the velvet looked too thick on the nail, and somewhat unhygienic, but that was before I knew exactly what it was. As I found out more, my opinions soon changed and I was intrigued to try it for myself. So, as you can imagine, I was very excited when this arrived in the post.
My prize was delivered in a bright metallic pink bag, and even contained a little certificate of congratulations – lovely touches which made the parcel a pleasure to open. The set I received is Ciate’s most neutral velvet manicure – Mink Cashmere – which contains a full-size Ciate Cream Soda Paint Pot, an 8.5g bottle of grey crushed velvet powder, and a Little Black Brush. The box also contains a set of instructions, and a plastic tray to catch the excess powder in.
I was slightly worried that the Velvet Manicure would be tricky to apply, but true to Ciate form it is actually extremely easy. It’s really important that your nails are clean before using this, so before I started I wiped my nails with Sally Hansen nail varnish remover, and painted on my favourite Sally Hansen base coat.
The first step in the manicure is to apply a thin coat of Cream Soda to each nail – easy peasy. As with every other Ciate Paint Pot I have ever tried, Cream Soda has a nice, creamy formula which applies evenly, with no fuss, and dries quickly. Once the first coat is dry, a second, slightly thicker coat, is applied. At this stage, the velvet powder is sprinkled over the wet nail, so it’s best to do one nail at a time so the varnish is wet enough to hold the powder.
The pot that the velvet comes in has a secure lid with five holes in it, which allows for mess-free, simple application. All you do is shake the pot gently over your wet nails until they are completely covered with a thick layer of velvet. Just make sure you have the tray underneath to catch the bits that miss!
Next, use the Little Black Brush to tidy up. My advice is to wait a few minutes for the velvet to set before doing this, or you might brush off a bit too much and make a mess of your nails, and nobody wants that! Just lightly sweep over the nail to knock off the excess fibres, and then sweep around the edge of the nail, as the powder tends to stick to the skin a little. Then, again using the brush, gather the fallen velvet together in the tray and tap it gently back in to the pot.
And that’s it! Easy, right? The velvet sets firm in around 10 minutes, and so far has stayed put, which is a good sign. It’s survived a good few hand washes too. Here are a couple of swatch photos of the Velvet Manicure. Since this was a test run I have only used the velvet on one nail for a ring finger manicure, but now that I know it’s up to scratch I will be doing a full velvet manicure next time!
Without Flash
With Flash
On the nail, the velvet feels really soft and smooth, like real velvet, and isn’t too thick at all. Because the fibres are so fine, they don’t clump together, rather, the coverage is very even and looks and feels no thicker than two coats of nail varnish. Both the varnish and the velvet are a delicate grey colour, not my usual choice, but they look extremely classy and I love them both. I’m definitely a Velvet Manicure convert! I think I’ll be asking for the other two shades, Berry Poncho and Blue Suede, for my birthday in February.
To see the full range of Ciate’s Velvet Manicures, visit their website here. The sets retail for £14.00 each, which is excellent value considering they include a full-size Paint Pot! Oh, and don’t forget to check out Baobella too.
Naomi x
NOTD: NYC In a Minute in ‘High Line Green’
5
2 years
by Naomi in Nails
When I was doing my Olympic Nail Art earlier this week I realised that I didn’t have many green nail varnishes, and the ones I did have were all shimmery or multi-tonal. I decided I needed to rectify this, so when I was in town the next day I picked up this creme green colour from Superdrug for £1.79. This ‘In a Minute Quick Dry Nail Polish’ comes from the NYC (New York Color) range, and is shade ’298 – High Line Green’
Considering its small price tag, this varnish has a really nice brush. The lid is a good size and easy to grip which makes application a lot easier, and the brush spreads quite wide so you can cover your nail in only a few strokes. The formula is great too… Not too thick and not too thin, it gives opaque coverage in one coat, but I applied a second for good measure. As you would expect from the name, this nail varnish is quick dry, and does in fact dry ‘In a Minute’, but it takes a good 15-20 minutes or so to set properly. All good so far, but I do have my reservations about this product… As you can see below, coverage isn’t exactly smooth. It left bubbles on some of my nails and lots of little imperfections, which is slightly disappointing, but it could have been due to the base coat I was using. I’ll have to give it another try and get back to you!
Having said that, I love the colour of this nail varnish. It is very highly pigmented, quite impressively so for a budget brand actually. The green is very bright and vibrant and I’ve had several compliments whilst wearing it. I think it looks very much like a dupe of Illamasqua’s ‘Smash’ as well, so if you like ‘Smash’ but want to save £11.71, I’d go for this shade!
Overall, this is great quality for £1.79. Okay, there are bubbles, but until I try this over a different base coat I won’t blame the varnish for that one. The colour is stunning and the formula is excellent. Time to buy some more NYC colours I think!
Naomi x
NOTD: Models Own ‘Disco Mix’
15
2 years
by Naomi in Nails
I have been lusting after this Models Own nail polish shade since my birthday in February, and yesterday (after a very busy day) I decided that I deserved a treat, so I nipped into Boots and bought ‘Disco Mix’ for £5! I was so excited that I finally had it that I applied it as soon as I got home, and I wasn’t disappointed.
I have many Models Own nail polishes, but this is my first glitter polish by the brand. I have lots of glitter polishes by other brands though and, to be honest, most of them don’t give great coverage and are best layered over coloured polish. However, I applied ‘Disco Mix’ over a clear base coat and after three layers the coverage was surprisingly opaque! It has a nice consistency and applies smoothly like most Models Own polishes, despite the glitter. I added a single layer of Models Own top coat on top and it seemed to sink in between the glitter, making the coverage sturdier, but also leaving the nail surface feeling slightly gritty rather than smooth, but that’s to be expected with glitter.
The absolute best thing about this nail polish is the colour. My favourite colours are purple, turquoise and pink, and ‘Disco Mix’ combines turquoise and pink glitter to create a polish which looks purple at a distance. The glitter colours are SO bright and bold – I’ve already had several comments on how good my nails look and I’ve only been wearing it for a day! I can’t get enough of how pretty this is – I keep staring at my nails from all different angles haha.
I can’t really comment on the lasting power as I’ve not had it on for long enough, but there is already a little bit of wear at the tips – it’s hardly noticeable though, and other than that there has been no chipping or peeling so far. Looks promising! If other Models Own nail polishes are anything to go by, I imagine this will stay on for a good while (I’ll let you know!)
What do you think? Isn’t it pretty? I am very glad I finally invested in this and it is worth the fiver I paid. A definite repurchase once it runs out!
Naomi x
NOTD: Models Own Nail Polish in ‘Pearly Queen’
4
2 years
by Naomi in Nails
Today’s Nail of the Day is another from my recent nail varnish haul, Models Own Nail Polish in ‘Pearly Queen’.
This shade is a beautiful opalescent cream which shines baby pink and mint green in the sun, just like a real pearl! My photographs really don’t do the delicate hues justice. I usually go for bright, bold coloured varnishes over pale, pastel tones, but this one really is stunning so I thought I’d make an exception for today.
The varnish is a nice consistency – smooth and thick without being gloopy. I really like Models Own brushes as they are just the right size for me, so are easily controlled and make very little mess. I am wearing three coats of ‘Pearly Queen’ in my swatch as I found that, though it went on evenly, one or two coats left the coverage quite streaky, so I painted on one more for good measure which improved the overall look.
The varnish dries fairly quickly – quite impressively I was outside taking photographs about 5 minutes after I’d applied it, and as you can see, it didn’t smudge! Though I can’t yet comment on how long it lasts on fingernails, I’ve been wearing ‘Pearly Queen’ on my toes since Wednesday and it still looks good as new! Hopefully it’ll look just as nice on my fingers in a few days time (if I don’t change my varnish before then, that is).
Models Own polishes retail for £5 per bottle, 3 for £12, 5 for £18, or in special £20 box sets on their website, and are also for sale in Boots stores across the UK. I personally think they are excellent value as the bottles are all 14ml, so you get a lot of great quality nail varnish for your money! I have the Beetlejuice set (I got it for my birthday) and a few other Models Own polishes which I will review in the not too distant future. I also want to try their purple and blue glittery ‘Disco Mix’.
Which is your favourite Models Own shade?
Naomi x
