Swatch: BeautyUK - Candy Collection

Hi ladies! You may remember a couple days ago I posted this press release of the new Candy collection being released by beautyUK, well today I have those swatches to show you! If you've not heard of beautyUK, they're a British beauty brand which can be found in most Superdrug stores or on www.beautyukcosmetics.com. Here's a little snippet I took from their website describing their brand;

"Born and bred in the UK (hence the name), beautyuk has grown from strength to strength since its humble beginnings five years ago. We are a family run business, which is quite nice really in a world full of big, scary, faceless corporations, and it means we can provide a much friendlier, more tailored service for our customers.

We have big plans to become the number one colour cosmetics brand in the market and we think our website makes our statement quite nicely - we hope you like it."

CLICK THE JUMP FOR MORE SWATCHES!

Swatch: Purple Professional - 36

Hi ladies! Before I get into the post, I just wanted to announce that I have finally purchased my own domain name! Which means my blog is now polishedcriminails.com instead of polishedcriminails.blogspot.com! How exciting is that!? I've been wanting my own domain for the longest time, but never got around to doing so until last night, so it's still in transition mode at the moment, so if certain features of my blog isn't working, that will be why!
I have another Purple Professional polish to show you today, if you haven't seen my previous Purple Professional posts, you can click HERE to be taken to those! Purple Professional is a Portuguese brand which is currently in the process of expanding their line to various other countries, which is exciting news! I thought I would show you Shade 36; a dark Lilac creme. The photos below are 3 coats of 36 without a top/base coat taken Indoors in Natural Light (sunshine, where are you?!?)

Sorry for the short post! But a short one is better than none right? What do you think to Purple Professional? Have you tried any of their products yet, if so which ones?! Purple Professional polishes retail for around €3 and can be ordered through any authorised retailers listed here or directly through their Facebook page. They are also currently looking for distributors! So if you think you'd be interested in stocking Purple Professional products in your shop, please e-mail paula.purpleprofessional@sapo.pt

Swatch: Purple Professional - 10

Hi ladies! Just a quick post to show you another Purple Professional polish in shade '10'. 10 is a dusty Purple creme with Pink undertones. I had no issues with the formula and it was opaque in 2 coats. The photos below are without a Top/Base coat, but I don't even think it needs a Top coat, unless you want long lasting wear, since it's already so glossy.

Indoors, Natural Light

Natural Light

Direct Sunlight

Purple Professional is fast becoming one of my favourite brands, their formula is practically flawless and their range of colours are amazing, I just wish I could get them easily! Stay tuned for some more Purple Professional polishes coming soon!

Swatch: Purple Professional - 14

Hi ladies! I'm back with a new brand to my blog called Purple Professional. Purple Professional is a relatively new brand, which I believe is currently only available in Portugal. Starting out in the Gel Nails market, Purple Professional recently expanded their range regular polish too! Unfortunately, Purple Professional polishes aren't available online, but from select authorised retailers around Portugal. For a full list of those, check out Betty Nails post here to see if they're available near you!

I was lucky enough to receive 6 polishes in a recent swap I did with a lovely Portuguese lady named Rosa from The Nail Polish & The Blog amongst other AMAZING polishes. Unfortunately, Purple Professional polishes don't have names, just numbers, so here's number 14 for you! This didn't pick up too well on my camera, showing up as an almost sky Blue, it actually shows a lot more Teal in real life *is this real life!?*, sorry, I just HAD to...For the photos below I used two coats of 14 without a Base/Top coat. It applied well, without any flooding or streaks and dried quickly too, definitely a trait I look for in my nail polishes. The brush was relatively wide, slightly smaller than OPI brushes, and also flat, making the polish easy to apply.

Indoors, Natural Light

Natural Light

Direct Sunlight

Purple Professional polishes retail for around €3 and as I mentioned previously, can be ordered through any authorised retailers (here) or directly through their Facebook page. I'm told that Purple Professional are currently making plans to expand their brand outside of Portugal, so keep an eye out for updates by liking their Facebook page! How are you liking #14? Do you think you will be purchasing some Purple Professional any time soon? Stay tuned for more swatches!

Swatch: GOSH - Silky Mint

Hi ladies! I have a swatch post for you today that has been sitting in my 'to post' folder for the longest time now, so I think it's about time I let it have it's moment in the spotlight, don't you? Silky Mint is a medium toned, Mint Green creme. Released in the Fall 2010 collection, it's definitely a lot more suited to Spring than to Fall, in my opinion anyway. As with most GOSH polishes I have used, Silky Mint went on without any issues and was opaque in 2 coats. I used 3 coats for the photos below without a top coat.

Label Shot

Indoors, Natural Light

Natural Light

Direct Sunlight

I believe Silky Mint has been discontinued, but you can find it on eBay for below UK retail price. What are your thoughts on Silky Mint? Do you agree that it's more suited to Spring than Fall?

Swatch: eye CANDY - Peppermint Dream

Hi ladies! I'm back with another eye CANDY polish for you today. Peppermint Dream is a Turquoise Blue creme with undertones of Mint Green. The photos below are two coats of Peppermint Dream without a base/top coat. The application was good, I did have a little issue with my middle finger, but I think that was due to the fact I applied it a little thicker on that particular nail. Other than that, I had no other issues with any of the eye CANDY polishes I have tried so far! 

Label Shot

Natural Light

Direct Sunlight

Peppermint Dream is definitely keeping in with the Spring/Summer trends this year. I actually wore this on my nails for a couple of days, which is VERY unlike me. As mentioned before, you can purchase eye CANDY Core Colours at 408 Sainsburys stores nationwide for £5 each. Unfortunately, they're only available in the UK, but FEAR NOT ladies! Click HERE to be taken to my eye CANDY giveaway, where one lucky winner will win 2 eye CANDY Magnetic Quilt polishes in Peacock & Arctic AND a Colour Flip polish in Green With Envy!!!

Swatch: eye CANDY - Naughty But Nice

Hi ladies! I thought I would stop by and do a little post whilst I cool down from sitting in the BEAUTIFUL British weather we've had over the weekend and give you a little swatch post. As you all may know if you follow me on Facebook, I have been raving about eye CANDY nail polishes lately. Everything about them is top quality, from the packaging to the formula, everything except the price that is! eye CANDY nail polishes are available from 408 Sainsburys stores nationwide for between £5 - £10. I have a polish to show you from their Core line, in the shade 'Naughty But Nice'.
Naughty But Nice is a gorgeous, Grey-toned, pastel Lilac creme. It applied well with minimal streaking on the first coat, I used 2 coats for the photos below. As with all eye CANDY Nail Polishes I have tried, the formula is amazing, it honestly is up there with the greats such as OPI/China Glaze. The finish is smooth and extremely glossy, the photos don't quite do it justice.

Label Shot

Natural Light

Direct Sunlight

As I mentioned, you can find eye CANDY products in 408 Sainsburys stores nationwide. Their Core Colours range retails for £5 each and come in 12 different shades. Unfortunately for my international readers, eye CANDY Nail Polishes are solely available from Sainsburys, but I am told they will eventually be expanding to selected online retailers in the future! To make sure you don't miss out on the latest news, be sure to add eye CANDY to Facebook (here & here) and also follow them on Twitter! Stay tuned for some more of eye CANDY Core Colours coming soon!

Swatch: GOSH - Sweet Rose

Hi ladies! I have a GOSH swatch for you today in the form of Sweet Rose. Sweet Rose was actually released with their Autumn line either last year, or the year before and is a gorgeous dusty rose Pink creme. The application was good, it applied well and didn't streak or flood the cuticles. Although this was released as part of their Autumn line, I think it's a perfect colour for Spring! The photos below are 3 coats of Sweet Rose without a Top Coat.

Label Shot

Indoors, Natural Light

Direct Sunlight

I do believe this was a limited edition shade, but they can still be found floating around eBay for a reasonable price. GOSH Cosmetics are available to buy in the UK from Superdrug stores for around £5 each. What are your thoughts on Sweet Rose? For a person who isn't a huge fan of Pinks, I really liked this colour!

Swatch: China Glaze - For Audrey

Hi ladies! Today I have one of China Glaze most infamous polish 'For Audrey'. For Audrey was one of the very first China Glaze polishes I purchased when I started hoarding collecting Nail Polish, I'd seen so much hype and posts about For Audrey, I just had to see for myself. I must admit, although I LOVED this polish when I first got it in the mail, it has since been lost in my ever growing collection. I honestly forgot how much I actually do love this polish until I busted it out for swatching. For Audrey is an almost perfect match for the famous Tiffany Blue, a little more blue than green it is the perfect balance between the two and will compliment most skin tones. This is THE most perfect colour for Spring/Summer and one I will definitely be wearing for more than 10 minutes during a swatch fest. But don't take my word for it, take a look for yourself!

Bottle Shot

Indoors, Natural Light

Indoors,  Indirect Sunlight

Man, I forgot how much I love this colour. The application is a dream, it applies like butter and you only need 2 coats max, you could probably get away with one coat. As I mentioned, this is definitely going to be one of my 'go to' shades for Spring and Summer, I even have a gorgeous pair of sandals this would look AMAZING with. What are your thoughts on For Audrey? Do you think it's overrated or do you think it's hype is deserved?

Swatch: Collection 2000: Fruit Salad

Hi ladies, me again! I have a Collection 2000 polish to show you today, I haven't featured anything by Collection 2000 since way back when my blog was brand spanking new! So again, that needs to be changed and to kick things off (again) is Fruit Salad! Fruit Salad has to be one of THE most annoying polishes to photograph, in some photos it looks like a muted, pinkie Coral, but in others it appears to be almost neon. So just take the photos below with a pinch of salt and picture something in between the two. As I've mentioned in my previous Collection 2000 post, the brushes are a bit TOO wide for my liking, but since my nail painting 'skill' has developed over my blogging lifetime, it has become a bit easier to work with. The photos below are 2 coats of Fruit Salad without a Top Coat. The formula itself is okay, I do find it to be a bit thick and it floods in some areas, but it is manageable IF you have the patience. The drying time is what gives the 'Hot Looks' range an edge, as they do dry pretty quickly (especially for a drugstore brand)

Indoors, Natural Light

Direct Sunlight

Indoors, Natural Light

Indoors, With Flash

Collection 2000 Hot Looks polishes are available in the UK from Boots and Superdrug stores for £1.79, they usually are on a 2 for £3 offer (as they currently are in Boots) but at the moment in Superdrug, they are on 3 for 2. I have a few more Collection 2000 posts lined up for you, so if you'd like to see those then stay tuned!

Swatch: Diego Dalla Palma - Shade 18

Hi ladies! I have a swatch post for you today from Diego Dalla Palma. Before this polish, I had never heard of Diego Dalla Palma, so before I get into the swatch post, I thought I would give you a little bit of background to Diego Dalla Palma.

"The diego dalla palma brand came into being in Milan in the mid 1970s and it was immediately a revolution: professional skills together with revolutionary and non-conventional ideas, an ironic and breakaway language and the capacity to give an unusual and provocative image of oneself, are the distinguishing features of a successful brand for Italian and international professionals." 

As well as make-up, Diego Dalla Palma also have a Nail Polish range which consists of;

• Base Coat; Protects the keratin of the nails from external agents and from the application of nail varnish, apply before all other nail products to prevent nail discolouration. Pink-tinged texture but transparent when applied.
• Nail Gloss; A transparent gloss to apply on top of nail varnish to make it last longer and give incredible shine.
• Nail Polish; Sophisticated shades that quickly become staples, their creamy formula ensures an even application with a bright, high-gloss effect and no chip/no streak finish.

Now that the information is out of the way, lets get onto the polish swatch shall we?!

Bottle & Box Shot

The colour I have to show you is Shade 18; a vibrant, high gloss, true Red creme. Is it just me or do you get a little disappointed when the name is just a number? The application itself was perfect, the photos below are 3 coats, but it's so pigmented you could have easily gotten away with 2. Drying time was spot on too, by the time I had finished painting my second hand, the first was ready for another coat.

Indoors, Natural Light

Direct Sunlight

Direct Sunlight

After countless searches, I think I have found my new 'go-to' Red and it compliments my pale complextion perfectly! Diego Dalla Palma Nail Polishes are available to buy at Tesco stores, if you're in the UK for £10 each for 10ml of product. You can also purchase Diego Dalla Palma from BeautyBay for £10 (with free worldwide delivery!)
What do you think to Diego Dalla Palma? Have you ever tried/Do you ever see yourself purchasing some of their products?
You can find Diego Dalla Palma on Facebook and Twitter @DDPBeauty

Swatch: Essie - Bone Chilling

Hi ladies, I have one of the polishes I got recently in my Morticia's Nails set for you today. Now I've never really been a fan of pure white nails, they just remind me of Tip-Ex and how I used to 'paint' my nails when I was younger (anyone else ever do that?), but for some unbeknown reason I wanted to give them a shot. Bone Chilling is nothing more than a white creme, there's no shimmer or subtle glitters, it's just a flat out creme polish. Now, I don't know what it is with white polishes, but they are a NIGHTMARE to apply! The swatches below are 4 coats of Bone Chilling, which took forever to dry! After 20 minutes I still managed to smudge it, so I cracked open my bottle of China Glaze Fast Forward Top Coat (which I cannot STAND the smell of, seriously, it smells like anti-freeze) in the hope that it will finally dry!

Label Shot

Indoors, No Flash

I wore this proud for all of 10 minutes when I decided that it needed something extra. So I decided to put a thin layer of Revlon - Whimsical over the top of my ring finger for an accent nail and added some extra hearts which I got in my Secret Bunny Package from Betty Nails to give it some extra 'pazazz'.

After adding the accent nail, I think it looks a lot better and almost 'cute'. I'm not sure if I'll ever be 100% over white nails, they're pretty boring in my opinion. They do however, make great bases for Neon's and also some duochromes (I'll have a post coming soon to back up that statement). What are your thoughts on White nails? Do you love them or are you like me and loathe them! Let me know in the comments!

Swatch: Essie - Sew Psyched

Okay, so I have been seriously slacking in the swatching department lately, mainly because the weather in the UK has been awful and we've had nothing but rain! I do however, have a few swatches in my computer folder that I have post. I'm not too happy with them, but at the end of the day, I need to post them as I can't really reswatch in this weather.

Today I have for you Essie - Sew Psyched which I received in my swap box from Marisa. As always, excuse my sorry excuse of a clean up and the horrendous gash on my pointer! I had an accident with cuticle cutters >.<

Sew Psyched is a muted green-grey creme with subtle golden shimmer. It's so subtle that you can barely see it on the nail! The application was pretty easy and I only needed 2 coats for opacity. I'm a bit of an Essie noob as far as my collection goes, but I have to say I am in love with their colour range and the formula.

Natural Lighting (sorry for the orange tint)

Direct Sunlight

Sorry this post is so short, but there really weren't enough good photos for me to pack the post out with! I do however have a pretty layering combo with this polish coming up for you tomorrow, so stay tuned for that! What are your thoughts on Essie polishes? Do you have an all time favourite colour? Let me know in the comments!

Swatch: China Glaze - Light As Air

Hi ladies! I'm back with a China Glaze polish for you today. China Glaze has to be one of my all time favourite 'international' brands. I remember when I first got some from eBay, I just stared at them so happy to have a 'high end' brand in my then BarryM only collection. Now I mention it, I think this was amongst the first ones I had! *nostalgia*

Light As Air was released with the 'Up & Away' collection in Spring 2010 and is a gorgeous greyed out, pastel lilac creme with subtle pink undertones. The finish almost looks matte in the photos, but I promise it isn't.

The best thing about this polish is that *I think* it looks amazing with my skin tone. Being two fangs away from a vampire, not a lot of pale polishes suit my skin tone, let alone pale purples. But this! Oh my word, I LOVE it. I know I say this a lot, but I can't believe I've left it to hibernate in my collection for so long! This is definitely perfect for Spring!

So, what are your 'go to' polishes this Spring? Will you be rocking the pastel shades, going bold with brights or are you still loving the dark shades? I'd love to hear from you!

Swatch: Finger Paints - Tough Art To Follow

Hi ladies, I have another Finger Paints polish for you today. I'm completely in love with Finger Paints polishes at the moment, the main reason being that they're completely new to me and I have been wanting to get my hands on some for so long now. The other reason being that they are amazing.

Tough Art To Follow is a dark, forest green creme. It can look almost black in some lighting and reminds me of OPI - Here Today...Aragon Tomorrow which I swatched here. I'll try and get a comparison post up on my Facebook page as soon as possible. As you can see in the second photo, when in direct sunlight, you can definitely see the green a lot more. I'm sorry this is such a short post today! I'm actually writing this at 2:30am and I am exhausted! 

I'd love to try even more Finger Paints polishes, so if you're able to get a hold of them, let me know in the comments or send me an e-mail at polishedcriminails@gmail.com and we can discuss a potential swap in the future!

Swatch: Color Club - New Bohemian

Hello! Me again ^.^ Now lets be honest, how many of you are surprised that I am STILL posting daily? I know I am. You may remember me saying a while ago that I wasn't going to buy any more polish until I have swatched at least a third of my collection...well as you can see from my haul posts (not including polishes I got from swaps) that hasn't really worked out too well. BUT I am determined to continuously swatch my stash until I feel I have the right tried to untried ratio. I'm also trying to cut back on buying polish until I have my Helmer (which I am still to order!) Anyway enough of the babble, lets get into the post.

New Bohemian comes from the Back to Boho collection released in Autumn of last year. It's a gorgeous bright, pastel turquoise creme that is opaque in 2/3 coats. When I first saw this polish I thought it was a dupe for China Glaze - For Audrey, but when paired together New Bohemian is a lot more greener than For Audrey. I'll try and get a comparison up on my Facebook page in the next couple of days, so keep an eye out for that! I was really surprised with Color Clubs formula, especially since it's one of the cheaper American brands (I believe). It's not thick but not watery either, it's 'just right' as Goldilocks once said. Have you tried any Color Club before? If so what is your favourite colour?

Swatch: BarryM - Cyan Blue

Hi ladies! Can you believe this is Day 7 of BarryM week? I mean I actually committed to posting something every day for the past week?! Granted all of them were scheduled posts, but if I hadn't have done that I don't think I would have ever gotten them up on time!

I'm quite sad to see this end, but I do have a couple other swatches from brands that have yet to make an appearance on my page coming pretty soon!

I thought what better way to end this week with my very first BarryM I ever bought at the age of 14, and yes, this is still that same bottle, 6 years later - no thinner has been added at all. Amazing right?!?

Cyan Blue is a gorgeous medium toned blue, high gloss creme polish, some could even call it a jelly, but I don't think it's watery enough to be counted as one. It's quite a bit darker than Blueberry Ice Cream, but light enough to be considered a 'Pastel shade'. The pigmentation of this particular polish is amazing, this is two coats, but you can easily get away with one thick coat. The wear is also out of this world! I wore it for a whole week whilst on holiday in Spain a couple of years ago, and it didn't chip at all! Granted there was a tiny bit of tip wear, but nothing major. If you have yet to try out a BarryM Nail Paint, then I suggest you start now, amazing quality for amazing prices.
Remember if you're in the UK you can purchase BarryM Nail Paints directly from their website or from Boots/Superdrug stores nationwide for £2.99 or £3.99 for their Instant Effects range. For international readers you too can order directly from their website or you can head over to Harlow & Co (who have just restocked, FYI) and pick one up for $7 or $8 for their Instant Effects range!