NOTD: Orly Breathable treatment + color in Nail Superfood (20919)

You know how you walk into a store and you are drawn to the same thing over and over again?  And no matter how long you try to be sensible, at some point you just think "ah crap, let's just get it over with and buy it already"?  (Please don't answer no to these questions because you'll make me feel like a freak)  Well, that's what happened to me and this color.  Every time I passed it I just had to take it off the shelve, look at color, roll the bottle in my hand, only to decide that I already have so many similar colors and at €13,49 this is not a cheap nail polish (in my book anyway).  But one day I gave in, I just needed a little pick me up after a day at work (yes, I blame work!).  And can you blame me? If this color doesn't get you in the springspirit than I don't know what will.

Orly has always been a bit of a mysterious brand to me.  I never really knew much about them but at one point a few years ago, there were a lot of beauty bloggers talking about their Bonder base coat and that became my first Orly product.  I loved it!  But when it came to their polishes I never really felt like there was a buzz surrounding them like there is with other brands like O.P.I, Essie, Zoya ... Recently I noticed Di had started selling Orly and my interest was sparked.

According to their website the Breathable formula prevents chipping an peeling, is infused with argan oil, Pro Vitamin B5 and Vitamin C.  No top or base coat is needed and is a 13 free formula*.  It is marketed as a treatment + color for stronger, heathier nails.  I can't really say anything about the treatment part.  My nails are in pretty good shape and really don't wear nail polishes long enough for them to work as a treatment. 

Nail Superfood is described as a Bright Watermelon Creme color, to me it's a warm bright pink color. The formula applies easily, there was no trouble with streaking and it took me 2 thin layers to get the result shown on the swatch.

The brush is great, not too small, not too thick and the bristles don't feather around.  I also love the grip of the top, it feels a bit like rubber (which will make it hard to keep clean) which, combined with the engravings, give you a solid hold on the brush while applying you polish.

*ORLY Breathable Treatment + Color is formulated without: Toluene, Formaldehyde,

Dibutyl Phthalate (DBP), Formaldehyde Resin, Camphor, Ethyl Tosylamide, Xylene, 

Triphenyl Phosphate (TPP), MEHQ/HQ, MIT, Parabens, Animal Derived Ingredients or Gluten

Where to buy:

In Belgium you can buy Orly at DI or online at Orlybelgium.be, the Breathable treatment + color polishes retail at €13,49.

NOTD: L'Oreal Color Riche Vernis A L'Huile in Orange Triomphe (444)

Feeling fierce, yes I am!!  Somehow I always get that feeling when I'm wearing a bright reddish nail polish. This type of color always makes me feel like a woman that's ready to conquer the world!

Pictured above together with the swatch are a few of my healthy nail essentials (and a leopard print makeup bag because hey, it's leopard, the perfect match for a bright red nail).

So far I like every color that I've tried of the L'Oreal Color Riche Vernis à L'Huile range and this one is no different.  The quality is great, I only need two coats of this color to get full coverage which isn't  always the case with a bright red.

The brush is exactly how I like it, a big dense brush that's easy to use.  I already have a few more colors that are ready to be swatches and shown to you so keep your eyes open for them.

Where to buy:

You can buy the L'Oreal Color Riche Vernis à L'Huile polishes at the drugstore or online, in Belgium they cost €9,99.

NOTD: Essie Watermelon

We're officially experiencing a heatwave here in Belgium.  It's crazy hot here and with this kind of weather you have to stay hydrated so enter watermelon.  My man and I are real watermelon addicts.  It's just so refreshing an healthy at the same time, what else could one want right?

So when a colleague at work started talking about Watermelon by Essie I thought this was the perfect time to throw this one on the blog.  It's a classic color that screams summer.  On the US website this color is described as "a creamy and refreshing juicy red", on the Belgian website it's described as "a juicy and refreshing watermelon pink".  It really is a bright pink that navigates towards red so the truth is in-between.

Swatches are made with three coats and as you can see the color still isn't totally opaque.  

Where to buy:

Watermelon by Essie is part of their standard collection so it's available at your local Essie retail.  In Belgium you can find Essie at Di and Kruidvat and one polish costs €12,49.

NOTD: & Other Stories Passementerie Blush

Would you believe I've never tried a & Other Stories nail polish?  Even though they've been around the net and they always look great I never tried them.  The reason why is really stupid (and I mean really stupid).  As you can see on the picture on top, there's this sticker that covers the cap and a part of the bottle.  Not only does this assure that the polish you're buying hasn't been tried and tested by random shoppers, I also find it gives the bottle a nice classy look.  Up until now I was under the assumption that by opening the bottle you would ruin the sticker and therefor the whole 'look' of the bottle but of course that's not the case.   The sticker (or label, whatever you prefer) is meant to be pulled off before you open the bottle.  I just felt like slapping myself in the face when I finally figured that one out.  This was one of those moments where I just felt so incredibly dumb ... 

So when I was in Antwerp last Saturday I had no excuse not to buy some & Other Stories polishes.  I bought 4 so I kept it pretty descent in my standards.  The first one I'm showing is called Passementerie Blush, a gorgeous coral.  I gravitated towards this one every time I visited & Other Stories, this color is just so perfect.  Not too pink, not too orange but the right mixture of the two.  

The polish goes on smoothly but it did take me 3 coats and I still didn't achieve a truly full coverage.  I can still see the rims of my nails coming through when I'm standing in bright light. Other than that the formula is great.  It's not streaky and not too watery.

What I really don't like is that the brush is so close to the cap.  The cap has the same size as a Catrice nail polish bottle cap but the bottle itself is much smaller.  The brush is also the same size so it's only normal that the 'handle' of the brush is much shorter.  This makes the application of the polish much harder in my opinion.  

The size of the brush is great though, not too small and not too wide.  

Overall I do like this polish and the color range of & Other Stories polishes is great but the brush thing is annoying.  I have to admit that the aesthetics of the range is one of the main reasons I bought it and probably will be buying more.  They would just look so great in a nail polish display.

Where to buy:

You can buy this nail polish at & Other Stories for €7.  If you're bottle is empty and you return it to the store you get a 10% discount (but really, is there anyone out there that ever totally finishes a nail polish?).

NOTD Maybelline Color Show in Coral Craze (342)

I'm not making the best impression am I.  Being all excited on the first birthday of the blog and than immediately start slacking on the posting.  I wish I had a good excuse but the truth is that I've just been so tired this week I haven't gotten around to it.  Good times are coming though because starting this weekend I have a two week vacation.  I'm going to do some traveling (don't ask me where to because we haven't booked yet), do some work around the house and just relax.  And I promise to squeeze in blogging too ;-)

For now you'll just have to do with this swatch of the Maybelline Color Show nail polish in Coral Craze.  Maybelline is starting with an update of the Color Show nail polish packaging and Di had a promotion going on because of it.  Normally you would pay €4,19 for one, right now you pay €5 for two!  So of course I had to grab 4 :-) but this one immediately caught my eye.  It's the perfect color for summer.

The Color Show polishes are great quality, have a nice brush that makes application easy and you get full coverage in two coats.

Where to buy:

You can buy the Maybelline Color Show nail polishes at your local drugstore.  Like I said Di in Belgium is have a great deal on these right now so grab some asap!

NOTD: L'Oréal Paris Color Riche Vernis à L'huile in Moka Chic (662)

These past few days there hasn't been any sign of spring or summer in Belgium.  The whole weekend was about dark cloudy skies and a bit of rain now and then (some parts of Belgium were flooded) so I wasn't really in the mood for a bright color on my fingernails.  Instead I chose this brown taupe color of the new Color Riche Vernis à L'huile range by L'Oréal.

This range of nail polishes promises to do a lot of things: strengthen your nails, give good coverage and smell like roses (or something).  I've tried polishes that smell like certain things before and I'm generally not a big fan of them.  I usually spent the majority of the day thinking "what is that smell?" and it always takes me a while to remember that it's my nailpolish.  The new Vernis à L'huile range doesn't smell that different while applying but they do smell different once the polish is dry.  I can't really say what it smells like but it doesn't smell like nail polish, it just smells neutral and it's not annoying at all.  Is it a bonus?  Only if you don't like the smell of freshly polishes nails but for me it's not something I get giddy over.

The polish goes on smoothly thanks to the great brush and you get full coverage with 2 thin coats.  I can't say if it does something to strengthen my nails since I tend to change up my polish twice a week changing brands and colors.  But the polish does feel nice on the nails (I know that sounds a bit strange) and the quality is really great.  I have a few more colors ready to swatch and I can't wait to see if they are up there with this one.

Where to buy:

You can buy the L'Oréal Paris Color Riche Vernis à L'huile nail polishes at the local drugstore.  In Belgium they cost €9,99 (but I'm sure you'll find a good promotion like I did if you look around or if you're patient)

NOTD: H&M Beauty nailpolish in Peach Creamsicle

If you're still looking for a nice peachy nail polish now that summer is approaching than this is definitely worth taking a look at.  The H&M polishes are great quality, have great coverage and they have a wide range of colors.

H&M polishes have the perfect sized brushes for me.  Not too small and not too wide, just perfect!

Where to buy:

You can buy H&M beauty products at selected stores and online.  Unfortunately you can't buy the polishes online in Belgium so you have to search for a H&M store that sells the beauty range.  Their polishes cost €4,99 a piece.

Catrice LE Zensibility Nailpolishes

I felt it in my bones, there was a new LE by Catrice in store any day now and sure enough when I walked in to Kruidvat on Saturday there it was, Zensibility by Catrice.  As usual I grabbed all of the nailpolishcolors and off I went.  The whole Zensibility LE is about being zen, focussing on what's really important in our lives and finding peace and harmony in our day to day life.  To embody this Catrice went for colors that radiate peace and strength.

The first thing I noticed was the design of the nail polish bottles.  Cute but not that practical.  I was a bit scared that the tops would break  off on my way home and I don't know how I'm going to stock these.  A drawer won't do for these as they are too long.  Not practical at all.  

I was wondering how I was going to paint my nails with these but that went remarkably well.  The long handle actually made it very easy and the Catrice brushes are always fun to work with.

C01 Greatly Greyish

C01 Greatly Greyish is described as a warm grey color and it is just that.  Nothing too exciting about this color but just a nice neutral grey.

C02 Sheer Silence

C02 Sheer Silence is a cold light pink color.  Nothing special either but a nice spring color that gives you hands a polished look.

C03 Zensible Rose

C03 Zensible Rose is a warm peachy pink color.  I love this color but one's again it's not a very special color.  Ideal for spring and summer when you want to tone it down a bit but nothing out of the ordinary.

C04 REDiant Energy

C04 REDiant Energy is described as a bright red but it is more of a muted raspberry red.  A nice color, not too bright and not too flat but again, nothing special.

C05 Turquoisensai

C05 Turquoisensai is described as a fresh light blue.  I really like this color and it is the only color of this LE that I find somewhat different.  Most turquoise colors are a lot warmer and the fact that this is cool toned makes it quite unique.  I don't think I own a similar color.  For me, it's not an everyday color but I do think it's a great color for spring.

I don't know what it is with this collection but this is the first time that 2 coats of Catrice polish don't give full coverage and not just with one color.  You can see my nails coming through with some of the swatches.  

This whole collection feels a bit uninspired by me as far as the nail polishes go.  Aside from the bottle design there's nothing really special about these colors.  A bit disappointed because I know Catrice can do better than this!   

Where to buy:

This LE is available at Kruidvat until the end of June, the polishes are €3,59 each.

NOTD: Catrice Mauve To The Beat (117)

I feel like I've been a bit silent on the nail polish part.  Nailpolish was the main reason why I started this blog, I was (and am) a total addict but I admit that things have slowed down on that front a bit.  I can't really say why, maybe it's because I don't feel like there's anything and excited going on at the moment and so my attention has shifted a bit to other products.  

But no fear, there are still plenty of nail polishes that I haven't shown you yet.  Take this one, Mauve To The Beat by Catrice.  I like this color a lot, it's a mauve that's perfect for every day.  Quite a neutral color but nog boring at all.

As usual Catrice doesn't disappoint in de quality department.  Two coats was all I needed for a perfect coverage and application was easy thanks to their perfect nail polish brush.

Where to buy:

In Belgium you can buy Catrice polishes at Kruidvat, this one costs €2,99.

Essie Retro Revival collection

This collection has been out a while now and I finally found the time to swatch all the colors.  It did take me a while to get all the colors since Starry Starry Night sold out quite fast and it took DI a while to restock.  

On Essie's website you'll find this subscription of the collection:

"For essie's fabulous anniversary, we're celebrating vegas style in honor of the ultimate party town where it all began. in honor of this iconic birthday, the legendary essie color archive has been opened with a thrilling glimpse into the brand's dazzling history. the result is a limited edition collection of six iconic shades that all promise a sparkling night of thrills."

Translation: it's a party collection that was launched for the 35th birthday of Essie!!  These are all colors that have been released in the past in limited editions so the thought of bringing these back is just brilliant.  You see, when these came out I wasn't really into nail polish so I never had a chance to buy them, I even doubt I would've been able to find them in Belgium (but you know that that wouldn't have stopped me).

As usual the collection contains 6 colors: Starry Starry Night, Life Of The Party, Bikini With A Martini, Sequin Sash, Birthday Suit and Cabana Boy.

Starry Starry Night

Starry Starry Night is a bright dark blue color with glitter in it, a very festive color! This color was originally released in 1997 (mind you, that's another century) and became a cult color for many polish addicts!

Starry Starry Night close up

Look at the glitter in there, it's so beautiful!

Life Of The Party

You can never go wrong with a red poilish when partying, this is a dark brownish red with a pearly finish.  This color was originally released in 2002.

Bikini With A Martini

A frosted iridescent pink is how Essie describes this color and I can't describe it any other way.  This color was originally released in 2006.

Sequin Sash

Described as a sheer glittery bronze polish with silver flecks, it's a very sheer formula.  Swatches are made with two coats of polish and you can still see my nails through it.  This color was originally released in 2005.

Sequin Sash close up

Here you have a better look at the silver flecks.  They're not prominent but they are there.

Birthday Suit

A nice nude polish that's quite sheer. This color was originally released in 1981!

Cabana Boy

A cool toned pearly nude with a bit of a lilac/grey undertone.  This color was originally released in 2005.

I love the philosophy behind this collection and I can totally understand why Starry Starry Night was sold out all the time.  For me that one is definitely the star polish of this collection!

Where to buy:

In Belgium this collection is sold exclusively at DI for €12,49.

Catrice LE Denim Devine Nailpolishes

Catrice came out with a new LE at the beginning of April and as usual I couldn't resist buying all the nail polishes.  And I haven't regretted buying these for one minute.  I love this whole collection, the colors are great.  Nothing special but now and again you have to go back to the basics.  And that's exactly what these are to me: basic colors that everyone should have.  There are 5 colors in this collection and I've swatched them all for you.

C01 Dark Denim Blue

Dark Denim Blue is a very dark cold blue color with a grey undertone.  I love that it's not too blue which makes it very wearable.

C02 Fabricot

Fabricot ... I guess that means it's an apricot color,  much credit to Catrice for coming up with original names that fit the name of the LE. It's an orange apricot coral color.  Great for spring and summer.  Whenever I'm wearing a color like this I can't help but stare at my fingers while working.  I don't have a window at my desk which means that I have to make my own sunshine while working and this color does exactly that for me.

C03 Woman's Cut

Once again, a classic to have in your collection.  A tomato red nail polish that suits every skin tone.  A classic!

C04 Comfort Fit

I have to admit, when I first saw this color I thought "why??".  I thought it would be one of those colors that come across harsh and make it seem like you have some sort of off-white paint on your nails.  But that's not the case at all.  I feel like it makes my nails look fresh, clean and ready for spring.  It has a bit of  a pink undertone which softens the color somehow.  Since getting these polishes I've put this one on a number of times which is quite rare for me and it has earned a spot in my special little basket*.

C05 Gold Miners

This is the lesser color of this collection for me but I like it nevertheless.  It's not too brown/taupe and it's not too naked looking.  It's just a perfect nude brown.

Like I said, there's nothing adventurous about this LE but it has been a while since all the colors of a LE appealed to me.  Usually there are one or two colors in there that aren't really that wearable, especially if you're my age.  I love this whole collection!!  And as usual the Catrice nail polishes are great quality, I applied two coats for the swatches.

* my special little basket: I have this little basket where the nail polishes that I feel I'm going to use a lot go in so I don't have to go through all my drawers every time, the polishes that go in there are the one's that I have an instant connection with and there are usually 4 or 5 polishes in there

Where to buy:

This LE is still available at Kruidvat until mid May.  The polishes are €2,99 a piece.

NOTD: Catrice You R On My Mint (113, new color)

Another new color in the Catrice Ultimate Nail Lacquer Range: You R On My Mint (113).  A mint color with a bit more of a blue than green tone to it.  Perfect for spring/summer!

The formula is great (which isn't always the case with this kind of color) and I needed 2 coats for perfect coverage.

I feel like I'm repeating myself but I can't say it enough: I love this type of polish brush.  I'm no fan of the small nail polish brushes, they just make applying nail polish so much harder.  

Where to buy:

You can buy Catrice at Kruidvat and the polishes cost €2,99.