Swatch: GOSH - Holographic

Hi ladies! It's been a while since I did a swatch post and what better way to kick things back off with than the elusive Holographic! I was lucky enough to score this from eBay for a pretty good price, mostly being that it was completely covered with polish that had leaked out, but armed with a cotton pad and some acetone, the problem was quickly 'wiped away' so to speak. There are rumours that GOSH will be re-releasing Holographic this summer, but going by previous re-releases of holographic nail polishes, I thought I'd better snag the 'original' formula whilst I can - just in case it has been changed. 

In the bottle, Holographic looks like an average 'sparkly silver' (when not in direct sunlight) and even looks like an average silver when it's first painted onto the nail, but as soon as it starts to dry...the magic happens. I did have a little bit of trouble with the application; I found that if I went over the same bit with the brush it would create a little bald spot, but patience helped deal with that. The photos below are 3 coats of Holographic with no base or top coat, there was a special base coat released with Holographic, but I don't have that!

Label Shot

Indoors, Natural Light

Indoors, Natural Light

Direct Sunlight

Direct Sunlight

Direct Sunlight

So there you have it! My two cents on GOSH - Holographic. As you can see, even when indoors, the holographic shows up on the nail needless to say I was pretty impressed when I saw that but what really took my breath away is how it just sparkles in the sun! I'm completely in LOVE with this polish, as I always knew I would be, and I'm SO glad I was able to find it cheap!

Swatch: Color Club - Worth The Risque

Looking dull in Natural Lighting

Hi ladies! Today I have an absolutely beautiful polish to show you! I received this in my swap package from Nicel @ Operation: Nail It! (you can see that post *here*) and I can't believe I've waited this long to post it!

Worth The Risque comes from the Femme Fatale collection of Spring 2009 and is a gorgeous silver holographic polish! In my opinion, the holo effect is both linear and scattered. Why? I hear you ask; well, in the bottle you can see the scattered holographic particles, but when on the nail the linear side starts to peer through. Don't believe me? Take a look at it in direct sunlight!

As you can see, scattered in the bottle, slight linear on the nails. This aside (not that it's even THAT relevant) it's still the most beautiful polish in the world, okay not the most beautiful, but until I own another silver holo such as OMG by China Glaze or Holographic by GOSH, it is the most beautiful silver holo in my collection.

What are your opinions on holographic polishes? Are you pro holo or anti holo? Let me know in the comments!

Swatch: BarryM - Silver Glitter (Limited Edition)

Hi guys! Yesterday I showed you BarryM Silver Foil and today I have a little layering post for you *ooooh* aren't you lucky! This polish has been sitting in my collection for a little while now, just waiting to be used and shown off to the world. It's a special Limited Edition polish that was only available in Boots stores in the UK, you could either pay £3.99 for just the polish or you could get it free when you spent £6 on any BarryM cosmetics. I was actually sent this by a lovely lady in my polish group called Eve as my Boots stores were completely out! Unfortunately she doesn't have a blog currently, so I can't send you guys over to her to show some love!

Oooh pretty!

Silver Glitter is just your basic Silver rectangular glitter in a Clear Base, you can wear this on it's own with a couple of coats, but as I already had Silver Foil on, I thought I would layer it over the top. I love the cuteness of the bottle too! It has a holographic lid!! *yay for holographicness*

I'm unsure if the offer is still available in Boots, I'm guessing not as it was over the Christmas period, but if you managed to snatch it up what do you think? It is just an average glitter, but it's BarryM and Limited Edition - so I had to get it, right?!

Swatch: BarryM - Silver Foil (Instant Nail Effects)

I realised something today, I've never actually swatched a BarryM polish on my blog (besides the Croc Effects post) which is completely shocking to me as BarryM is the reason why I fell (so hard) in love with Nail Polish! At the beginning of 2011, my now vastly growing nail polish collection only consisted of 14 BarryM polishes, yes 14! I was completely captivated by their wide range of bright, eye catching colours and their inexpensive price tag. For those of you that have been living on another planet, BarryM are a UK based cosmetics brand whose products are all cruelty free (which is amazing in my opinion) and offer high-end quality products for a fraction of the price.

BarryM Nail Paints are priced at £2.99 for their regular Nail Paints or £3.99 for their Instant Nail Effects which include their Foil and Crackle lines. You can purchase BarryM products from their website as well as any UK Boots or Superdrug stores and online, the best thing is THEY SHIP INTERNATIONALLY TOO. So all you non-UK polish lovers don't have to miss out!

Anyway, back to the polish at hand! Today I have for you one of BarryMs' Instant Nail Effects Nail Paint in Silver Foil, a Metallic Silver polish with subtle Silver shimmer. I absolutely love their Foil polishes, they apply like a dream and are opaque in one coat as well as having super quick drying time, which does seem to be a common trait in most Foil polishes. The only downside I can see to Silver Foil are the visible brush strokes, I actually like how they look and the 'messy depth' it brings, but I know this isn't every ones cup of tea. 

Tip: To minimise the visibility of the brush strokes, paint the side of the nails first and finish with a stroke down the centre of the nail.

What are your thoughts on BarryM Nail Paints? Or even their cosmetic range in general! What are your 'must have' BarryM polishes? Let me know!

Disclaimer: This polish was purchased by me. I am not affiliated with this company in any way. I just LOVE the brand!

Nail Trends: Autumn 2011 - Below Deck & Devotion

Today we have two by China Glaze - Below Deck and Devotion.
Below Deck comes from the Anchors Away collection and is a lovely creme polish. One of those ever-popular purple/grey shades. Apparently, this was supposed to be a replica of Channelesque, and although only seeing photos, they do look pretty similar! It's high gloss and very pigmented! Can wear with just one coat.

• Application: 9/10
• Pigmentation: 10/10
• Coats: 1/2

Devotion comes from the Romantique collection and is a metallic polish. The colour itself is a frosty silver with a lavender undertone. I've noticed with this polish that you get the brush lines in the polish, I like this effect, however some people may not.

• Application: 6/10
• Pigmentation: 7/10
• Coats: 2/3

What are your opinions of this? Let me know!