What's not to love about a pink holographic OPI polish? DS Reserve debuted way back in 2008, but still at reasonable prices today (ahem DSORIGINAL). It's not as holographic as the really old DS polishes, but its still pretty and more unique compared to the normal cremes, shimmers and glitters that dominate OPI's lines.

Cost - RRP AUD$20-ish?

ALL PHOTOS HAVE:

• Innisfree Eco Base Coat
• OPI DS Reserve 3 thin coats

Application

I'm a fan of the Pro-wide brush because it makes it easy and quick to paint an even layer of polish on. DS Reserve was of a good consistency, extremely easy to apply and there was no cuticle flooding. I tend to paint thin coats because I have no patience to wait for my nails to dry. My first coat was very sheer and there was still visible nail line on my second coat, so I opted for a third coat for insurance but you could probably get away with two thicker coats.

Colour + Finish

The colour is a gorgeous rosy pink with a scattered holo. It's soft and feminine, but the sparkle gives it a little extra impact that you don't get with a simple creme polish. The pink is versatile enough to work with most skin tones and (hopefully) won't make your fingers look lobster-y. I reckon its a office-safe colour because it's subtle and muted enough to go largely unnoticed, until you stick your fingers into the sunlight (:.

My photos show the polish without a top coat, which was quite glossy but I would recommend adding a layer of top coat to bring out the gorgeous holo even more.

Longevity + Removal

Polish doesn't tend to chip and lasts about a week on my nails. This polish wasn't any different, even without top coat. Removal was smooth and easy, with no staining and my fingers didn't look like they were glitterbombed.

Rating: 9/10

Thank you for reading !

[FRAGRANCE REVIEW] Roses De Chloe

What they say:

“Roses de Chloé is an invitation to grace. Luminous and subtle, it inspires and evokes a unique facet of the signature Chloé rose, capturing the spirit of the Chloé woman. The fragrance exudes an immediate and incredible freshness, derived from the top note bergamot. This sensation is gradually joined by a heart of Damascena rose essence, modernized with a magnolia accord. The trail on the skin is of white musk and amber, the signature base of the Chloé house.“

•••

I can honestly say I’m a true & loyal Chloe fangirl. The first ever scent that I’d ever coveted (and owned) was the signature Chloe perfume- and that started me off on a whirlwind romance with perfumes. When I saw that Chloe launched Roses, I had to see if it lived up to my expectations of Chloe fragrances in general, and it didn’t disappoint. Roses de Chloe maintains that trademark Chloe aura, not too overpowering but enough to allow those around the wearer to ponder “what is that?” Roses is quite a bit softer than the original Chloe and it has a wonderfully not quite girl but not yet mature woman feel. Just right I think, for someone in their 20’s to 30’s. It’s light, soft and the rose makes it just that tad more feminine than the original. It’s not an overly complicated scent- it doesn’t really change much (on me, at least) as the day goes on- but it’s wonderful and allows for just that touch of floral romance to accompany you throughout your day.

I currently own around 30 different perfumes, and Roses is one of the fragrances I find myself reaching for the most. I don’t really have a signature scent anymore as I feel like my tastes are shifting as I mature but as you can see in the photo I’ve used a generous amount for a year! It’s a lovely gem to have in your collection- and I find that I really like Chloe’s take on a rosy fragrance better than other brands :)

One thing though: The bottle can get a little rusty and gross- so make sure you polish and clean it often if you want to keep it looking pretty on the vanity!

•••

Strength (Sillage):  6/10 (moderate) A faint trace at arms length

Longevity: 6/10 (moderate) I would say maybe 4-5 hours

Scent: 8.5/10 

Packaging: 9/10 

Rating:  8/10 

Would buy again? Let me get through one bottle first.

$140 for the 75ml in Myer

[SWATCH] Butter London: Two Fingered Salute

Sometimes I feel as though the market is completely saturated and polish creators are hard-pressed to produce something unique that doesn't look like an abomination (ahem OPI Pineapple's Have Peelings Too!). But then I get my grabby hands on Butter London's Two Fingered Salute, which was released a few years ago, and all is well again.

Cost - RRP AUD$19.95

ALL PHOTOS HAVE:

• Orly - Bonder
• Butter London - 3 coats of Two Fingered Salute
• 3CE Nail Lacquer - Top Coat

Application

Application was no fuss, but it did need 3 thin coats for me to be decently happy with the final product. Butter London's brush is thin and flexible, which allows for good application. I've had my ups and downs with different polishes, but this one was a good brush. The polish was very easy to apply and spread even with the glitter in it. It spread evenly, albeit sheerly due to the fact that I tend to apply thin coats.

Colour + Finish

This colour is absolutely unique. It's a beautiful muted sage green base with bronze flecks scattered throughout. I honestly have never seen a polish quite like it and I totally recommend that you check it out. It may clash a little with olive/yellow skin tones as it is such a warm colour, but I would personally advise you to maybe see it in person and colour match it to your skin. Due to it's muted tone, I think it would be a refreshing and gorgeous office-safe colour. It's a great way to test a different colour without looking like a unicorn peed all over your fingers.

Longevity + Removal

Polish tends to last decently well on me no matter what, and honestly I haven't had many issues with any nail polish, including this one. Removal was not super smooth, because the brassy flecks will take a little elbow grease to get off and if you're not careful, it will get all over your fingers.

Rating: 8/10

Thank you for reading ! 3 thin coats - easy to apply not very glossy - needs top coat medium to remove - brassy flecks dificult to remov e + all over fingers

[REVIEW] Holika Holika White Wine Therapy Sleeping Mask

White Wine Therapy Sleeping Mask

What they say:
“Whitening sleeping pack that makes your skin moist and bright with water drop moisture membrane of white wine .“

A+ packaging - indulge in some white wine without the side effects HAHA

Okay first off let me just tell you that the packaging is simply so appealing to me. It’s a wine barrel!!! And (not pictured) but the box that it comes in is an octagonal wine box shape too… aaaah cannot deal. Anyway, the smell of this product is pretty freaking amazing also. It’s kind of fruity, not too overwhelming when it dries and makes applying so fun, especially with a little spatula that it comes with. I chose the white wine version (Holika Holika also does a Red Wine mask, same visual concept) because I sometimes have pretty dull skin and I need that brightening effect- which I believe this product really achieves for me. Whenever I stop using it, there is a noticeable difference with my skin in the morning- less soft, less supple and less bright. 

I really do like this product, but if my skin is feeling raw(?) I don’t know if that’s the right word but anyhow- when I use this I get a tingly, slightly burning sensation. If you don’t like that feeling or if your skin is extra sensitive then I would recommend getting a sample and testing it out first. But other than that this is one of my favourite sleeping masks! I’ve also got the raved about Pumpkin mask but I’m waiting till I finish this first- then I’ll make a comparison :) 

Feel on the face :  8/10 - can get sticky when applying/ also that burning feeling (but won’t affect your sleep!)

Effectiveness: 9/10 

Scent: 8/10 

Packaging: 10/10 

Rating:  9/10 

Would buy again? YAS

Around $15 on eBay 

[SWATCH] Essie: Ballet Slippers

On my never-ending search for a pretty pink polish, I came across Essie's Ballet Slippers. It's been more difficult than I originally anticipated to find a decently opaque baby pink polish. Ballet Slippers seemed to be one of Essie's more popular colours and a staple in their collection, so naturally I had to go out and see for myself. Continue reading to find out if Essie's Ballet Slippers reached my expectations.

Cost - RRP AUD$16.95

ALL PHOTOS ARE IN INDIRECT SUNLIGHT AND HAVE:

• Orly - Bonder
• Essie - 4 coats of Ballet Slippers
• 3CE Nail Lacquer - Top Coat

Application

The Essie brush is thin and flexible, allowing for precise application. Ballet Slippers applies smoothly and self-levels well. I found that it was easier to apply in thinner coats and build up the opacity in that way. Overall, it applied fairly easily, as expected for a creme/jelly polish.

Colour + Finish

Ballet Slippers is a sheer creme/jelly baby pink polish, and that's all it was meant to be. It's a very flattering neutral, tending cool-toned pink that would work on most skin tones. It's a great colour for the office and would make the perfect pair with a white wedding dress.

The photos show a painstaking 4 layers with a thick coat of top coat to boot. My impatience whilst applying, meant that I didn't wait for each layer to dry completelt and so my nails became bubble central. It does dry glossy but top coat definitely gave it a better shine and kept the bubbles at bay. I recommend keeping Ballet Slippers as it was intended - a sheer polish. It's definitely not worth the blood, sweat and tears I went through to just obtain visible nail line.

Longevity + Removal

Polish tends to last around a week regardless of brand and Ballet Slippers was no exception. Removal wasn't difficult, but did take a little longer due to the four coats.

Rating: 6/10 as an opaque pink polish, but I would rate it a 9/10 sheer polish.