Indie Spotlight: Femme Fatale Swatches and Review

Hi everyone!

I know what you're thinking, "WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?!"

Four days without sharing my nail adventures with you all has incredibly hard.

With the packing and moving well underway, I've had no choice but to devote all my time to emptying the house.
We expect to be fully moved into our new home by the end of next weekend and I can not be more excited.

You all have been incredibly supportive during such a hectic time, and I cannot thank you enough.

Even though my hands have been overworked, beat up and reak of cardboard, I haven't stopped polishing.

I'm been testing a lot of new nail products include strips, press-ons, and new nail care items,

but my shining stars for the week have been none other than my new beauties from Femme Fatale Cosmetics.

Femme Fatale Cosmetics is one of the most highly coveted Australian indie brands and international distributors.

Femme Fatale Cosmetics are quality tested and 3 Free.

All of the stress and exhaustion of this month immediately melted when I received notice that I'd have the opportunity to share a few of their polishes with you all.

Today I have four of the following glittery shades:

From left to right:

Eventide
Jadefire
Keeper of the Grove
Suspended Starlight

No more jibber jabber, let's see 'em!

Jadefire is a yummy mix of coral, red, green, and gold hexes of different sizes, along with red and gold fine glitter in shimmery yellow-green tinted base.

(One coat shown over Sinful Colors "Unicorn.")

The base is very thin which allows this to easily be built up on it's own or worn over a base color.

The glitter is a bit clumpy on the brush, but spreads easily and does not require dabbing.

To reach full opacity on it's own you'll need three coats and will result in a more muted, darker yellow-green.

I chose a base to saturate the color, but I recommend choosing a shade as close to the yellow tint as possible, otherwise a bit of patchiness may show (intentionally displayed in the second photo).

Something about this combo makes me crave a fruit salad.

I have no idea how that relates to the name Jadefire, but who cares!

It's a smart choice of colors that can be appropriate for spring, summer and even fall, and is unique to my collection thus far.

Keeper of the Grove is a slightly green-tinted shmmery base packed full of all sorts of different glitter: 

from tiny green and gold hexes to small blue and fuschia round glitter, slightly larger gold and fuschia hexes and even large pink hearts!

(One coat shown over Fingerpaints "Tough Art To Follow.")

This one is definitely a full coverage glitter, but can still be used as a topper if so desired.
Most swatches I have seen of this shade use a matching lighter green as a base, so I thought I'd change it up with a darker shade to fully emphasize on just how diverse this glitter mix is.

Like Jadefire, the base is thin and the tint is extremely subtle to the point that it almost isn't there.

The glitter is very dense, but still doesn't need dabbing.
Fishing is necessary to obtain the hearts, but because the base is so thin it's not a big effort.

This is absolutely beautiful.
Whether or not you catch the possible gaming inspiration behind the name, the combination is simply a winner.

Eventide is a feminine mix of fuschia and gold glitter of all shapes and sizes -- small and medium hexes and small and large squares all stirred in a clear base.

(One coat shown over China Glaze "Purr-fect Plum.")

The base is slightly thicker than the previous two, but not by much.

The formula is pretty much perfect proven by the fact that I didn't even have to fish for the large squares!

The only important note to make is that a top coat is a must. 

Without one or two good layers, the top layer of the square glitters will begin to peel off if snagged or meddled with too much, leaving you with just the patchy holographic underlayer.

The options are endless with this one - light base, dark base, no base or jelly sandwhich, you can do it all.

It's so sparkly and regal and I can't get enough of it.

Suspended Starlight is blue jelly packed with turquoise and deep royal blue shredded, fine, small and medium hexes, along with large silver moon and star glitters!
(One coat shown over Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear "Pacific Blue.")

This has the most prominent base out of the four, and can definitely be built up on it's own.

Like Eventide, a top coat is required to prevent the moon and star glitters from peeling away.

Fishing isn't really necessary for them either, unless you have a specific placement pattern in mind.

 Are you as over the moon for this one as I am?

Even at one coat this has so much depth and and is the perfect emulation of a twinkling night sky.

Overall I think that Femme Fatale Cosmetics are carefully thought out color combinations that are sure to catch attention.
With so many ways to wear each shade you'll love them more and more with every mani.

With one of these is your favorite?
Let me know in the comments below and give them some love on Facebook, Tumblr, Instagram, and Pinterest!

Want Femme Fatale Cosmetics for yourself?

To see the entire line of Femme Fatale Cosmetics and to see the other available artisan lines carried, you can visit Femme Fatale's website.

While purchasing Femme Fatale Cosmetics through their website is only available to Australian lovelies,

the rest us international beauties can see access stocklists through the following carriers:

United States
Llarowe - $13.00 per full size 12ml bottle.

(Currently carries Eventide, Jadefire, and Keeper of the Grove)

Canada

Harlow & Co. - $13.50 per full size 12ml bottle.

Singapore

Shop Ecclectico - $18.00 per full size 12ml bottle.

(Currently carries Jadefire)

 **Participating Austrailian brands currently 20% off (FF currently priced at $16.00)!

Norway

Norway Nails - NOK159 per full size 12ml bottle.

(Currently carries Eventide, Jadefire, Keeper of the Grove and Suspended Starlight)

France

Ledouxnage - € 8.64 - € 14.40 per full size 12ml bottle.

No matter where you go to shop, you will notice these babies sell fast,

so make sure to keep up with Femme Fatale on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for restocks, new releases and more.

Thanks for reading!

-Melody

Indie Spotlight: Hit Polish "Pretty in Paisley" and "Tropics" (Swatches and Review)

Hi everyone!

Today I'm hitting the blog with another indie brand, Hit Polish Nail Lacquer!

Hit Polish, formally known and D&R Apothecary, is the creative endeavor of Rachel from South Carolina.
With over 300 different polishes under her belt she continuously releases new, limited edition shades that keeps her customers coming back for more.

Rachel was kind enough to send me two baby bottles of two shades included in next month's line-up, "Pretty in Paisley" and "Tropics".

This is only a couple of the  wide selection of new glittery beauties that are coming soon!

Pretty in Paisley is a gentle mix of silver fine glitter sprinkled with mint, lavender, pastel pink and red hexes all swirled in a clear base.

(One coat shown over CQ "Candy Grape" with one layer of Out The Door top coat)

The glitter is dense without the base being thick. 

The consistency is pretty flawless with no fishing or dabbing needed.

The glitter applies evenly and you aren't left feeling like a certain color got left behind.

Because the glitter is so packed, you can build this up with an extra layer or two and wear it on it's own or use it as a topper as I did here. I personally recommend a base color that is dark enough to not overshadow the light hues of the glitter.

The pastel colors are a match made in heaven, and then adding the red for that extra pop sent this combo over the top.

It's precious, basically.

Tropics is fresh, bright mix of gold fine glitter and metallic rainbows hexes of varying sizes in a clear base.

(One coat over Over Avon Mega Watt "Shock" with one layer of Out The Door top coat.)

The formula is consistent with PiP and just as easy to apply.

This one is also able to reach full coverage on it's own, but because the fine glitter-to-base ratio is lower than PiP, it takes at least three coats if not four.

There is something definitely more tropical feeling to this mix compared to other rainbow glitters. 

I think it's the light metallic blue against the shiny and citrusy yellow, orange, green and hot pink that really sold me.

While it can be paired with just about any base color, I couldn't think of any more fitting than a jelly blue, ocean-like hue for the glitters to swim in.

(Not to mention the glitter remedied the exposed flaws in the base color's formula, but I'll get to that collection later.)

Most indie polish makers release at least one glitter combo, and a lot of them can be pretty similar. 

What sets each brand apart, in my opinion, is the quality and consistency of  the base and Rachel "nails it" every time.

Even though these are glitters you can count on, the amount of Hit Polish lacquers you'll want is something you can't count.

There's just so many shades I feel I must have, but they're always limited edition so I have to grab them while I can!

Want Hit Polish for yourself?

You can find the current line up of Hit Polish nail lacquers at Rachel's Etsy shop.

Currently, all stock is being cleared for the July release, so ALL polishes are 20% off!
Full size 15ml bottles are currently marked down to $6.40 each, and minis ave been reduced to either $2.60 or $3.20 a piece.

Grab what you can, because the new line up (which includes the to I shared today) are expected to be released on July 15th, so grab what you can now!

What do you think of these Hit Polish beauties?

Will you be hitting Etsy to purchase any Hit Polish?

Let me know in the comments below and give these shades some love on Facebook, Instagram, Tumblr and Pinterest!

And for Hit Polish updates, sneak peeks and more, keep up with Rachel on Hit Polish's Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Thanks for reading!

Indie Spotlight: My Pink Dreams Polish Swatches and Review

Hi everyone!

It's time for another indie brand spotlight, and today I have My Pink Dreams  to take the stage.

My Pink Dreams is the vision of Lily Gudinas from the sunny state of Florida, who not only has created a unique line of polishes, but also offers a variety of deliciously fragrant, soy wax "scent shots" in her Etsy shop.

I picked up the following shades at the end of a recent sale:

Fruity Pebbles

Pop Art

Casa Blanca

Lily was generous enough to include the following shades as gifts with purchase.

Diana

 Miami Sun Rise (mini)

80's Melt Down (mini)

The more the merrier right? Let's take a closer look.

Fruity Pebbles is a shredded mix of matte rainbow glitter in a milky white base.

The name is so fitting.

The base is thin but creamy and is very easy to build up. How many layers you will need to reach full opacity can depend on how thick each layer is applied. If you prefer a more sheer milky-like base you can leave this shade at two coats, but I used three to fully saturate the white.

The glitter doesn't quite apply evenly, but it's balanced in the end. It's easier to maneuver and doesn't require dabbing.

There are a lot of white and rainbow combos out there, but the shreds in this one make it special.
And with all of the colors against the white base, it'll go with just about any outfit. Nice bonus eh?

Pop Art is a crazy combination of small neon lime hexes, small white squares, medium red and green squares, large pink squares, and skinny blue bar glitters.
(One coat shown over Wet 'N Wild "Tickled Pink")

Andy Warhol, eat your heart out.

Formula wise, the only concern is that the neon glitters bled in the bottle, so it will transform the base color you use. Believe it or not the Wet 'N Wild shade underneath was a very light baby pink to start with.
In this particular case, it turned out to be a happy accident because this looks a million times better!

The base is on the thicker side and will require dabbing, but the real fishing involved is for the larger pink glitters. They are a little large to sit completely flat on the nail, so I recommend a good lyer of top coat to keeps things smooth.

Possibly one of my favorite glitter mixes to date. 

I'm all for the unique and unusual and this is seriously a work of art on the nail. 

Pictures just can't do it justice.

80's Melt  Down is fine neon mix of blue, pink and yellow glitter sprinkled with medium blue and lime green hexes and small pink squares, all in a milky white base.

I'm pretty sure I melted too after seeing this baby.
Not only is the combination incredible, but so is the formula.

The white base isn't as saturated as Fruity Pebbles, but I think it's more fitting. It softens the overall look  and lets all of the colors shine through.

Application was a dream and reaches full coverage at three coats. Since this is fine glitter mix, it has the smoothest finish of them all which makes it a great option as a base for nail art!

I definitely be getting this one in full size.

Miami Sun Rise is happy mix of hot pink medium hexes, small yellow  hexes, and small neon green squares.

(One coat shown over Julep "Dianna.")

In suit with all the clear based glitters, the formula for this one was pretty thick.
I had to do a bit of fishing for the pink hexes and overall the glitter applied a bit more sparse, but keep in mind this is a mini bottle and application can be a bit more difficult.

It's so cute that I personally don't mind the extra effort. Paired with seafoam green it's the perfect spring and summer combo that's eye-catching, but a bit more delicate. 

The options are endless with this one, and it's another full size purchase I'll have to make.

Diana is a purple shimmer leaning on frost with hidden, hot pink small glitters.

Diana isn't quite what I had hoped.
The formula is pretty thin and runny, causing it to pool, drag, and overall apply pretty thin. 

At three coats as shown in the photos it sill had not quite built up to the rich purple I saw in the bottle.

The glitters are close to non existent, and look more like an accident. They get lost in the base and just can't manage to shine through whatever light you put it under.

Below shows the same shade in direct sunlight. The color itself begins to shift to a beautiful blue, but it still seems a bit washed out. However, not even the sun could make the glitter come out to play.

When asking about the availability of this shade to Lily, I went ahead and gave her my feedback regarding this shade. It turns out we were on the same page and she agreed that this one is not up to par with the quality of her other polishes.

She deserves a lot of respect of that. She understands her potential, listens to constructive criticism and would rather rework a shade than release something she's not proud of.

I'd buy her polishes just for that reason.

Despite the issues, Diana has the potential to be a gorgeous shade.
I loved how it transformed in the sunlight. 

With a little TLC I'd love to see it reworked and released.

Casa Blanca is a white mix of large and extra small hexes, mini squares, large rectangles, and fine glitter.
(One coat shown over "Diana")

This one had a pretty thick base.
While the smaller glittesr apply nicely, fishing and dabbing are required to obtain anything else.
With a good shake of the bottle it really wasn't any trouble.

I love this one. The large rectangles make a monotone mix stand out from the rest, and you can bet you'll be seeing me whip this one more than once come the winter months.
It's like a giant snow storm on the nail, and I love it!

Overall I'm really impressed at the small unique touches each polish has. 

Even though Diana is the odd one out, it can still be put to good use as is for a glitter base as shown with Casa Blanca.

Want My Pink Dreams for yourself?

You can find all of the available My Pink Dreams polishes through Lily's Etsy shop.
Full size 15ml bottles are $8.50, and mini 7ml bottles are also available for $3.50.

Also offered is a $35 mystery box which will contain 4 full size polishes, two minis and may include fun extras such as nail art accessories, hand and cuticle care samples, soaps and more.
For more details, see the listing here.

Of the polishes I shared with you today, here is the current availability of each:

Fruity Pebbles: Currently available.
Pop Art: Not currently in stock, but will return during summer.
80's Melt Down & Miami Sun Rise: NEW! Not currently available but summer release expected.
Casa Blanca: Not Currently available, re-release expected in winter.
Diana: Not currently available. Possible reformulation before release.


Which My Pink Dreams polish was a dream to you?
Will you picking up any of these shades?

Let me know your comments below and gives these beauties some love on Facebook, Instagram, Tumblr, and Pinterest!

Remember I've having a giveaway at 500 Facebook likes, so share, share, share!

And don't forget to check out My Pink Dreams on Facebook and Instagram!

Thanks for reading!

-Melody

Indie Spotlight: Windestine Peach Ice, Moana and OOAK II (Swatches and Review)

Hi everyone!

I am very excited to share with you a few more Etsy treasures, this time from the indie brand Windestine.

One of the primary reasons people flock to indies is for the uniqueness of the polishes. From the collections to the glitter combos, their is so much more imagination in handmade polishes that just can't be matched by the big box brands.

Windestine is a prime example. With no prior knowledge of the brand, I stumbled across the shop on Etsy and immediately fell in love. There is a subtle quality in each and every polish that makes it stand out, and I couldn't wait to purchase.

I have the following  three shades to showcase today:

Moana

Peach Ice

OOAK II

Moana is a jelly-based deep teal with coppery orange, hot pink and pastel green hex glitters of multiple sizes.

The application between the first and second coat was almost night and  day.

Intially I was prepared to be disappointed when first layer went on uneven. The glitters grouped together and dragged along the nail, but don't fret! The actual consistency was kind enough to make spreading the glitters an easy fix.
Once the first coat is down, the second goes on perfectly smooth with the glitters applying as they should.

How is that possible? I don't know, but I'm happy for it! 

This secondary color-combination is simply incredible. It's fresh and festive and strays far from the average jelly. It's as if you've got the depths of coral filled ocean on your nails.

Speaking of jelly...if left at two coats it will display the usual translucent jelly-like finish, but with a third layer (as shown in the photos) it managed to become completely opaque with no shrinking or excessive thickness.
Not many jellies can really achieve this.

Peach Ice is a true peach with different size white glitters.

The formula of this one is more opaque than Moana, and only required two coats to reach full coverage. There was no glitter dabbing or spreading required. Easy peasy!

It leans more orange depending on the amount of light, but no matter what is an extremely flattering color (atleast on light skin tones). The name is so appropriate and literally made me crave frozen yogurt when wearing it. 

Oh the wonders of color theory/psychology. 

OOAK II is a clear-based glitter bomb of lavender hexes, white fine and shredded glitters and yellow moon glitters! How cool!
(I have one coat over China Glaze "Aquadelic")

One coat is really all you need! The base was on the thicker side of average, but considering how dense the glitters are it's understandable. 

The white and lavender glitters spread evenly with no clumping and the moons sit nice and flat on the nail. The moons did take a bit of fishing as there's not as many of them, but were easy to obtain with one good swirl of the brush. 

The end result is completely worth it.

I mean, how stinkin' precious is this?! Light base, dark base, it's all a dream. 

Paired with CG Aquadelic created a look that was like a childhood lullaby come to life. 

I am so smitten.

If I could force all you lovelies to go out and make a polish purchase, it would be for these. 

These combinations are chic and original and a worth every penny. Even the name "Windestine" is whimsical in itself.

Want Windestine for yourself?

You can find all of the available Windestine polishes on Etsy priced between $5-8 per 15ml bottle.
Peach Ice is currently available for $5 on clearance. Get it while you can!
Moana is available for $9 (the only shade currently marked at this price).

Bonus! If you buy two or more full size polishes you get a random full size OOAK for free, which is how I obtained OOAK II. So worth it!

Make sure to check out Windestine on Facebook and Twitter for updates on promotions, new releases and more!

Don't forget to give these beauties some love on my Facebook, Instagram, Tumblr, and Pinterest!




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If you know already a fan on Facebook, now's the time. Why? 

I'm having a giveaway once I reach 500 Facebook likes!
I'm not just a Manicured Amateur, I'm a social media amateur too.

You all have been so wonderful and supportive and I want to give something back.
But this little wallflower needs your help to spread the word!
So make sure to follow on Facebook, Twitter, and Bloglovin' for more nail art, new collections and more!

Thanks for reading!

-Melody