Beauty. Fashion. Lifestyle.
Posts tagged Violet
Layla Hologram Effect Nail Polish in Ultra Violet
9
8 years
by Naomi in Nails
On my birthday I got quite a few bottles of nail varnish, and the one I chose to wear on the day was this one from my mum – Layla Hologram Effect in Ultra Violet. I’ve always liked the look of hologram nail varnishes but have never got round to buying one myself, so I was very pleased to see this in my pile of presents, especially as it’s my favourite colour. Thanks mum!
Layla isn’t a brand that I’m familiar with, but according to their website they are based in Milan, Italy, and sell a wide range of make up as well as nail products.
This varnish has a fairly thick consistency, but it comes with a decent brush so applies easily and evenly, and despite the glittery look dries smooth to the touch. However, it does take a little while to dry, and if you attempt to apply the second coat whilst the first is still sticky it can cause some streaking, so it’s best to be patient with application if you want to achieve neat coverage! It only takes two coats to create an opaque finish, which is always my test of a good quality varnish, and this one passes.
In the bottle, Ultra Violet looks a dusky purple colour with an undertone of grey, but on the nails it looks slightly paler. However, once you’re in the right light the hologram effect really comes alive, and it’s impressively strong! The hologram looks 3D and shines a rainbow of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, pink and purple in both natural and indoor light, and at the same time the glitter shimmers beautifully underneath. It’s difficult to put into words just how stunning this varnish is, so here are a few pictures of it in different lights to give you an idea…
No hologram effect.
Hologram effect without flash.
(It actually looks a lot more colourful than this in reality but it was difficult to capture on camera.)
Hologram effect with flash.
I have been wearing Ultra Violet for three days now, with a top coat, and it has lasted really well. The ends have started to chip today so I will probably remove the varnish soon, but other than that the coverage still looks neat and vibrant.
Overall, I would definitely recommend Layla Hologram Effect Nail Polish as it is excellent quality and the hologram effect is powerful and very, very pretty. A lot better than the Boots 17 hologram varnish I’ve seen in reviews! The colour is a bit more interesting than the typical silver hologram too. If you’d like to try this range for yourself, it may be difficult to locate in shops, but Ultra Violet is available on Amazon here, and you can find other shades here.
Do you like the look of this varnish?
Naomi x
NOTD: Avon Colortrend Nail Enamel in ‘Violet Freeze’
4
8 years
by Naomi in Nails
I know, I know, this is my second nail post in a row, but I just couldn’t resist sharing this beautiful shade with you all! I received this Colortrend Nail Enamel in my Avon delivery on Tuesday and as soon as I saw it I thought it was so pretty.
In the brochure and online the varnish is called ‘Violet Freeze’, but for some strange reason it says ‘Very Violet’ on all its packaging. I’m not entirely sure what its real name is, but I’m going to go with ‘Violet Freeze’ as it is an icy blue shade with a multi-tonal tinge of pinky purple. It’s by no means a dupe, but think Models Own ‘Aqua Violet’ or ‘Indian Ocean’. As you would expect of a multi-tonal nail varnish, the colour changes in different lights… In inside light, the blue is lovely and reminds me of the colour of the Disney Cinderella’s dress, but outside is where you see the full beauty of it. The violet hues really come through and alter in depth depending on how you look at your nails. I just can’t put into words how stunning it really is!
The varnish is very sheer – to achieve the coverage seen above I had to apply three coats, and you can still see the white tips of my nails through it. It was no fuss to apply though… It covered my nails evenly with no streakiness as the formula is very cooperative, and it dried impressively quickly. The Colortrend nail enamels have DEFINITELY improved since the range was overhauled! It hasn’t chipped yet either which is always good.
All of the Colortrend Nail Enamels are currently on offer for £2.50 each in Brochure 16 (page 75 if you’re interested), which is a great price for such a lovely shade. Even their usual price is a snip at just £3.
What do you think of this shade? Would you wear it?
Naomi x
MUA Lip Booms in ‘Bring It’ and ‘It’s A Situation’
3
9 years
by Naomi in Lips
Earlier this week I ordered two of MUA’s NEW Lip Booms via their website and, after a 24 hour wait, my package arrived yesterday! I have been excited about trying the Lip Booms ever since I heard about them, so I was very happy to get my hands on some so soon to see whether or not they lived up to the hype.
My first impressions were that they look absolutely great. I really like how chunky they are and they look really slick in the classic MUA black packaging with the shiny silver font.
The Lip Boom collection includes 8 stunning shades, and each boom is double ended, featuring a matte lipstick and a glittery highlighting gloss. The two shades I went for are ‘Bring it’ and ‘It’s A Situation’…
MUA teamed up with British pop artist Alexandra Burke to create the Lip Boom range, and they can be worn in four different ways; as a matte lipstick, as a sheer gloss, as a glossy lipstick or to create the illusion of more volume! For the latter look, the trick is to apply the lipstick first, then highlight the centre of your lower lip and the Cupid’s bow on your top lip for ‘fuller curvaceous lips’.
Here is a demo of each look in each shade. Sorry about all the pictures! The top shade is ‘Bring It’, and the bottom shade is ‘It’s A Situation’. As you can see, the glosses are very similar.
Sheer
Matte
Glossy
Volume
I really love both lipsticks when worn matte as they’re easy to apply and nicely creamy. They also stay on for AGES and are fairly difficult to remove, but I see that as a good thing as it means they have the potential to last all day! I thought the gloss looked great as a highlighter too. However, the gloss isn’t just shimmery, it’s glittery, and the glitter is quite coarse, so when there is a lot of gloss on your lips it is really quite irritating! Every time I rubbed my lips together when wearing the sheer and glossy looks, the glitter felt gritty and uncomfortable, so I’m not sure I’d actually wear the gloss like that very often. The gloss also has a VERY strong scent, like creme brulee, which I initially found quite overpowering, but the sweetness soon grew on me. If you don’t like scented lip products though, you probably won’t like the Boom gloss, but give it a chance as the scent fades eventually and leaves no taste.
In terms of colour, both are absolutely stunning! ‘Bring It’ is a bold, daring red which is perfect for a sultry evening look. ‘It’s A Situation’ is a deep violet purple, which happens to be my favourite lipstick colour so this one is definitely my favourite!
Overall, MUA Lip Booms have lived up to my expectations (despite the gloss issue) as they’re versatile, look great and are amazing value for money. Lip Booms are currently available online via the MUA Store and cost just £3 each, and will be in Superdrug stores from 9th May. I think I’ll be getting ‘LMK’ too once they’re in shops!
Which shades will you be trying?
Naomi x
NOTD: 2 True Crystal Nail Polish – Shade 4
3
9 years
by Naomi in Nails
This morning, after a week of waiting, my huge eBay nail varnish haul arrived in the post! I am a sucker for all things purple and sparkly, so when I saw this I had to try it out straight away. The 2 True Crystal Nail Polish is from a limited edition range in Superdrug, and is described on their website as ‘Regal Purple’. If I remember correctly, 2 True nail polishes retail at just £1.99 each or three for £5.
The dainty 7ml bottle advises to ‘Apply 2 coats’ and use a base coat, so this is what I did, and this is what my nails looked like (with Avon’s Peeling & Brittleness Solver underneath and L’Oreal Manicure Shine on top)…
I have to say, for such a cheap nail varnish I am very, VERY impressed! The brush is easy to control and the varnish applies extremely smoothly. After one coat it looked fantastic but the second coat added that extra bit of even coverage. It dries quickly too so there’s not much waiting around required.
The colour is absolutely stunning – a pinky violet purple with delicate multi-tones of blue and bronze (which can be seen above). The swatches were photographed in natural light so you can get a good idea of the true colour from the picture. The shimmer looks great, even indoors, and unlike a lot of glitter varnishes this one is smooth in texture so it doesn’t feel horrible!
I have noticed that one of my nails is already slightly scuffed/chipped, but I did start moving boxes a little while after I painted them so they might not have completely dried yet – my fault, not the varnish’s!
I think this shade may become one of my most used. What do you think of it?
Naomi x
LUSH Tuca Tuca Gorilla Perfume
0
I first discovered Lush’s Tuca Tuca Gorilla Perfume in store last month when browsing with a friend. I tried out all of the Gorilla Perfumes, but this one really stood out and I fell in love with it, so onto the birthday list it went! Luckily for me, my wish was granted and I was gifted this for my birthday on Tuesday.
Lush’s Gorilla Perfumes come in 12g tubes and are solid perfume sticks made of natural oils and scents, and are designed to melt directly onto the skin when rubbed onto the wrist. Just push up gently from the bottom and apply, easy!
Tuca Tuca has a very sweet, earthy scent, combining vanilla, sandalwood, vetivert, violet leaf and ylang ylang, amongst others. The natural scents are so concentrated that you really only need to use a small amount. I applied a little of this to my wrists this morning and I can still smell it just as strongly now, and I’ve received lots of compliments on it already! In fact, the scent lasts such a long time that you really don’t need to reapply it (which is good for the bank balance as one tube will last for ages), and even after a shower the delicate notes still linger which is lovely.
Another great thing about this perfume is that it is Vegetarian and Vegan friendly, meaning that everybody can enjoy it with a clear conscience!
Lush’s Tuca Tuca Gorilla Perfume reminds me of summer with its raw aroma, and it is the perfect size to pop into your handbag and use as and when you wish.
Which is your favourite Gorilla Perfume?
Naomi x
