Illamasqua Phallic - Swatches and Review

Yes, you read that correctly, it's called Phallic. Maybe I'm extremely naive, but a blue phallic symbol? Not sure I get it. Now I could understand the blue part a little better if it were something ELSE, maybe. LOL!

Regardless, Illamasqua Phallic is a gorgeous deep navy blue with lots of royal blue micro-glitter, giving it that "lit from within" look we all seem to love so much. It applied smoothly and evenly and was opaque in 2 coats. Dries to a very shiny finish.

My only issue with this one, which will be a plus to a lot of  you, is how dark it looks against my washed-out skin. But if you have any color in your skin at all, you'll love it. Shown below with 2 coats of color and no top coat.

Illamasqua Phallic

Illamasqua Phallic

Illamasqua Phallic

Illamasqua Phallic

Illamasqua Phallic

Illamasqua Phallic

If you are a fan of blues, this one is probably a must-have. I have nothing else like it in my stash.

Illamasqua polishes are available at Sephora stores in the US and sephora.com or you can buy straight from Illamasqua.com in the UK. Polishes retail for $14.00.

What do you think? Do you have it yet?



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China Glaze Traffic Jam - Swatches

Having a migraine day, so I'm posting a polish from last year - quick and easy!

China Glaze Traffic Jam is from the China Glaze Metro Collection, which has several colors that I adore. Traffic Jam is a smooth, muted berry creme that goes on easily and is opaque in two coats (or one, depending on your application.)

China Glaze Traffic Jam

China Glaze Traffic Jam

China Glaze Traffic Jam

China Glaze Traffic Jam

China Glaze Traffic Jam

China Glaze Traffic Jam

China Glaze Traffic Jam

I love all sorts of polishes, but it's no secret cremes are still my favorite. What do you think of this one? Do you have it? In my opinion, the Metro Collection had a LOT of winners and this is one of them.

China Glaze polishes are widely available at various retailers and e-tailers in the US and range in price from around $3 to $8, depending on where you buy them and if they're from a new collection or not. The Metro Collection was from Fall 2011. "Like" China Glaze on Facebook for announcements, updates and information.


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MASH Matte Top Coat - Swatches and Review

Today I received the MASH Matte Top Coat in my nail mail!  I've been looking for a good matte top coat for a while now. I tried Essie's before I went Cruelty-Free, so it's gone on to a new home. Then I tried NYC's Matte Top Coat, again before I went CF. Meh. It came out only about semi-matte, if that. So when I tried this one out today, I was pleasantly surprised.

The formula was smooth and easy to apply and it didn't leave the polish underneath with that milky look you can sometimes get. The brush was flat and a bit wider than normal and splayed nicely. It dried quickly, but not quite as quickly as some others, leaving you a tiny bit more time to spread it evenly, avoiding brush ridges.

First I'm showing it over what I was already wearing...Sinful Colors Pink (neon)

MASH Matte Top Coat

MASH Matte Top Coat

MASH Matte Top Coat

Then over Milani Black Swift so you can really see the effect it has...

MASH Matte Top Coat

Next up, I'm showing it over flakies! Milani Black Swift with Golden Rose Scale Effects #02

MASH Matte Top Coat

MASH Matte Top Coat

MASH Matte Top Coat

And finally, a comparison test. We can see the effect it has on shiny polish above, but how does it compare to a regular matte nail polish?

Index and Middle Fingers were matte polish made shiny with Poshe and then mattified with MASH Matte Top Coat
Ring and Pinky Fingers are just the regular matte nail polishes, Zoya Harlow and Savita

And how does it compare the the best matte top coat I've found so far? I'm showing Kleancolor Madly Matte on the thumb and MASH Matte on the index and middle fingers below. You can see that MASH Matte actually turned out to be more matte than the Kleancolor one.

MASH Matte vs Kleancolor Madly Matte

MASH Matte vs Kleancolor Madly Matte

I finally have a matte top coat that I can not only use to mattify other polishes, but one I can use over already matte polishes as protection and a wear extender! Honestly, my only gripe about the matte polishes has been  that you couldn't use a top coat to seal and protect it without reducing the matte effect. Well now you can!

What do you think? Do you like the matte look?

You can purchase this matte top coat through the MASH website for $7.99 for a  full .50 ounce bottle. Right now, for a limited time, they have Free Shipping, so go check it out.

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Disclosure: The product(s) in this post were provided to me by the manufacturer or their PR company for consideration. 

For more information, please visit my Disclosure Tab.

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Add a Link to Your Blog for Photo Gallery/Nail Snapshots!

One of the last things I do before I turn in for the night is catch up on my bloglovin reading. Tonight, Sarah at All This Polish had a great post about how to add a photo gallery to your blog! Once you've added the link/tab/page, you can view all the photos you've ever published on your blog with just one click! I realize the text is important, but get this: just click on any photo in the gallery and it brings up the entire post! Done looking at just the photos? Click on the Blog Title and you're back to normal.

There are several options: Flipcard, Classic, Magazine, Mosaic, Sidebar, Snapshot and Timeslide. I've chosen to leave mine with Flipcard for now. Click my tab that says Snapshot Photo Gallery under the header photo on the right to see what I'm talking about.

Below are a couple of different views:

This is the Tab on my blog

This is the Snapshot view. Clicking on any pic brings up the entire blog post.
Where it says "Snapshot" is the pull-down menu for the other choices.

This is the Flipcard view. Hovering over any pic "flips" it over to reveal the polish name and post date.
Click on the pic and it brings up the entire post.

How COOL is that?

It's very easy to do. Just make sure you're in the new blogger interface and go to "add a page," but instead of choosing Blank Page, choose "link" and put your bloglink with /view/snapshot (mine is http//:pointlesscafe.com/view/flipcard.) Now when anyone clicks on that tab, they can see the alternate view.  Clicking on the Blog Title returns it to regular view.  You might find Sarah's instructions a little more clear so go check her out!



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Nails Inc. Chalk Farm - Swatches & Review & Some Lynnderellas for Kicks

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As I mentioned yesterday in my post on Holland Park Road, recently I've fallen in love with Nails Inc. polishes. I've reviewed several here already and have a TON more to do because once I got started, I couldn't stop! The formula is consistent, which is a huge plus for me. I like to know what to expect. Consistently good, I might add. I especially love their cremes. I've yet to get a Nails Inc. creme that doesn't have a smooth formula, easy application and opacity in 2 coats. 


Nails Inc. Chalk Farm was no surprise, formula-wise. Perfect. The color, however, was a bit of a surprise! It's the perfect periwinkle! You wouldn't think the perfect periwinkle shade would be so hard to find, but it was for me. VERY happy with Chalk Farm!  Photos are with two thins coats and no top coat. Afterwards, I played around a little with a few Lynnderellas.

Nails Inc. Chalk Farm

Nails Inc. Chalk Farm

Nails Inc. Chalk Farm

Nails Inc. Chalk Farm

Nails Inc. Chalk Farm with Lynnderella Bride of Franken on accent nail

Nails Inc. Chalk Farm with Lynnderella Bride of Franken on accent nail

Nails Inc. Chalk Farm with Lynnderella Bride of Franken on accent nail

Nails Inc. Chalk Farm with Lynnderella Attitude Adjust-Mint on accent nail

Nails Inc. Chalk Farm with Lynnderella Mercury's Rainbow on accent nail

Nails Inc. Chalk Farm with Lynnderella Mercury's Rainbow and Connect the Dots on accent nails

Nails Inc. Chalk Farm with Lynnderella Bride of Franken,
Mercury's Rainbow, Connect the Dots and Attitude Adjust-Mint

My favorites over Chalk Farm are Bride of Franken because it's lovely and subtle. I ended up going with that one over all the nails in the end. I also liked Connect the Dots. But what doesn't CtD look good over?

A limited selection of Nails Inc polishes are available through Amazon.com or Sephora.com for around $9.50 in the US and the entire line is available through Nails Inc's own site nailsinc.com for around £11.00.  Lynnderella polishes are available exclusively through the WishList with Llarowe. Go to the site and sign up to be notified when they are accepting WishLists again and "like" her on Facebook for updates. Lynnderellas retail for $15 each.




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Nails Inc. Holland Park Road - Swatches and Review

Recently I've fallen in love with Nails Inc. polishes. I've reviewed several here already and have a TON more to do because once I got started, I couldn't stop! The formula is consistent, which is a huge plus for me. I like to know what to expect. Consistently good, I might add. I especially love their cremes. I've yet to get a Nails Inc. creme that doesn't have a smooth formula, easy application and opacity in 2 coats.

Nails Inc. Holland Park Road is no different. AND it's on one of my favorite colors. A color I've yet to find a name that I think accurately describes it. It's described as a "classic purple" but I've just been calling it a rich mulberry.  The only gripe I have with Nails Inc. so far is their naming of polishes. The one I'm showing you is Holland Park Road...not to be confused with Holland Park Avenue, which is a taupe color. Then there's Holland Park, which is a neon. C'mon Nails Inc! Surely you can come up with a different name for each polish, no? It can get very confusing!

Unfortunately, I didn't think to take photos until the 2nd or 3rd day in, but at least this way you get to see how it wears. Two coats and a top coat of Poshe for all photos...

Nails Inc. Holland Park Road

Nails Inc. Holland Park Road

Nails Inc. Holland Park Road

Nails Inc. Holland Park Road

What do you think of this one? Have you tried Nails Inc. yet?


A limited selection of Nails Inc polishes are available through Amazon.com or Sephora.com for around $9.50 in the US and the entire line is available through Nails Inc's own site nailsinc.com for around £11.00.


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Ever Wanted a Black and White Glitter Guide?

If you ever have wondered just what the exact differences are in all the black and white glitter polishes, your wait is over!

My friend Sarah at Chalkboard Nails put in a ton of time, effort and work creating the ULTIMATE Black and White Glitter Guide using 20 (yes TWENTY) black and white glitter polishes!

I suggest you go see it and bookmark that sucker!

Chalkboard Nails' Ultimate Black and White Glitter Guide

I'll tease you with her photo of the first five...

Now go check it out!


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Silver Holo Comparison! Which One is Best?

Which silver holo is the MOST HOLO? I've been wondering for a long time. So today I'm going to show you what I think and plenty of photos so you can decide for yourself!

I compared 4 silver linear holos and one tightly scattered silver holo just so my thumb wasn't naked...

Pinky:  Nfu-Oh 61 (the new version)
Ring:  Make Up Store Greta
Middle:  GOSH 549 Holographic
Index:  Layla Hologram Effect 01 Mercury Twilight
Thumb:  Color Club Worth the Risque

Thanks to Ashley at AshleyIsPolishAddicted for lending me her GOSH Holographic to compare! Wish she didn't want it back!

Showing you different angles and lighting so you can be the judge. I am one of those people who hates "aqua base" so I didn't use any special base but applied to naked nails. Your mileage may vary, but I have never had issues with linear holos needing a special base. I have also never noticed any of the top coats I've used diminishing the holo effect at all. When initially applied, it turns murky but once it dries, it's totally clear and the holo is just as strong. I only use Cult Nails Wicked Fast or Poshe for holos. But all photos are shown here without a top coat.

Silver Linear Holo Comparison

Silver Linear Holo Comparison
L to R: Layla, GOSH, MUS and Nfu-Oh

Silver Linear Holo Comparison

Silver Linear Holo Comparison
L to R: Layla, GOSH, MUS and Nfu-Oh

Silver Linear Holo Comparison

Silver Linear Holo Comparison
L to R: Layla, GOSH, MUS and Nfu-Oh

And the thumb just for kicks. As you can see it's a tightly scattered holo in the same vein as Color Club Wild at Heart or some of the a Englands.

Color Club Worth the Risque

My "best silver linear holo" award goes to:  GOSH 549 Holographic.

Second place:  Layla Hologram Effect 01 Mercury Twilight

Third Place:  Make Up Store Greta

Nfu-Oh 61 is the "new" version which definitely isn't as holo as the old version was. Add to that the gloppy formula and it's definitely a dud in my book. Application is thick, gloppy and horrible in general.

The application on the top three is dead even in my opinion. No issues with any of them and they all applied very smoothly.



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