Essence Trend: Class of 2013

 I really love Essence products. They are original, trendy and really affordable. Definitely one of my have-to-have brands and I always go to the Essence stand first when I walk into Dis-Chem or Clicks! 

Image from Google

If you go to your nearest Essence stand you may still be able to catch the last of the "Class of 2013" Trend Edition. I was sent a few products to share with you. Here is what I received!

Class of 2013 nail polish in 03 "Ready for rush week?"

 This polish is a beautiful deep red boarding on burgundy. Try one coat to acheive a lighter coat and two layers to get the colour seen on the bottle. The formula dried relatively fast and did not streak or bleed. I paired it with the next polish.

Class of 2013 nail polish in 01 "Collage herd"

Glitter polish is very versatile especially when its silver. This nail polish pair really suits one another. The glitter may be a bit "flashy" for a day time look so I suggest wearing the red at work (lets be realistic, this trend was only made for the American tween market. We wear uniforms here) and then put the silver glitterati top coat on before your night out on the town.

Which ever you decide, these two nail polishes are stunning. Only R39.95 each.

Class of 2013 eye shadow in 01 "Want to be my freshman"

This is my favourite of the three products. Its a beautiful creamy eye shadow stick. You can use it as a liner or smudge it out and blend it with the rest of your makeup. This is a great product for highlighting the inner corner of your eye or even blended under your bottom lashes. I'm not sure about how much this goes for but it shouldn't be more than R35.

Tweens, you might be able to get away with wearing this at school but only use a tiny bit. I really wished we had casual wear as our uniforms back in high school. I would have had a lot more boyfriends if I was allowed to wear make up. We'll save that pity party for another time.

Thanks so much to Essence for these cute back to school themed products!

You can find Essence stands and their trends at Clicks and Dis-Chem stores (FYI: Dis-Chem has a much bigger range of the nail care products and nail polishes than Clicks).

Mavala's new top and base coat on steroids!

Mavala SA was kind enough to send me two newly launched products recently which have been added to their amazing range of polishes. These two products are Mavala 002 base coat and Colorfix top coat.

I did a quick mani to test these two products. Here's what I used:

Mavala 002 Base Coat, Chanel 565 Beige and Mavala's Colorfix Top Coat

Step one? Base coat of course!

I always like to emphasize the importance of a base coat, even if I seem repetitive. It helps prevent yellow nails effected by nail polish pigments and it prevents staining of bright coloured polishes such as red and blue. A base coat is also handy as it "fixes" nails polish to your nails. It usually has a tacky or sticky consistency which helps your next layer adhere to your nail plate better.

The Mavala 002 base coat did it's job really well. It wasn't too thick so it dried reasonably fast. The brush was also soft but firm enough to apply without things turning into a nail polish murder scene.

The colour I applied for this mani is Chanel's "le Vernis" in 565 Beige. The reason I chose this polish was because I had problems in the past with chipping, from day 1, so I though it would be a great candidate to put these two Mavala products to the test. It is also a fresh colour for Spring.

Immediately, I hope you notice the shine this base coat gives your mani (compare the two pictures above). It is really sparkly and you may even notice it brings the pink shimmer of the Chantel polish.

The durability of this "polish sandwich" was pretty impressive. I left my mani on for 6 days before taking it off. This is what it looked like...

...so maybe I could have taken it off a little sooner but seeing as it's such a light colour I got away with the chips that are noticeable in the image above. 

The point to all of this is that these two Mavala products are pretty potent. Since doing this mani I have found myself reaching for the Mavala 002 base coat and Colorfix top coat more often, which definitely says something.

Thanks again to Mavala SA for sending me these Mavala goodies. The press package was put together extremely well. I had a such a ball testing the products out and bragging to my friends, family and blog readers about how great they really are.

Peeps, feel free to follow Mavala SA on Twitter and Facebook. You can also get these fab products at Dis-Chem and selected pharmacies. 

Before moving on, pop over to my review of Mavla's Via Veneto nail polish.

MAVALA Via Veneto

I have a new crush...it's name is MAVALA Via Veneto!!

My new crush ;) 

This colour is beautifully elegant aaand has a hint of sassy-ness! I can imagine Cinderella wearing a shade like this to go with her stunning ballgown and unforgettable shoes. Just imagine what The Prince would have said if she was trying to pull off grotesque coloured nails. This proves that nail polish matters, when trying to make a statement.

I must say, I didn't think much of the colour by looking at the bottle but once it was brushed onto my nails, I couldn't stop staring!

The shade is washed out pink-caramel colour but it was the stunning shimmer-gloss finish that got me so worked up. It has a certain 'feel' about it, making it irresistible to stare at all day and admire

Due to my carelessness, the polish started chipping from day 2 but was only really noticeable from day 4 because it is quite a light shade.

I used a Mavala base and top coat which I will be reviewing next. I am convinced these products helped add the beautiful finish to my manicure.

I have many light/neutral colours in my polish collection but this one by Mavala is so unique I don't actually want to compare it to the others. It is for this specific reason, I love nail polishes. Even though there are thousands of colours out there, they are all unique and you can never have enough!!

Follow Mavala South Africa on Twitter to get new on fab releases. You can also follow me here as I will be reviewing more Mavala products next week!

Nails Inc "Porchester Square"

I'm back for another Nails Inc review and this time its on the very original lilac-grey colour called Porchester Square.

Need to refresh your memory? Read my previous Nails Inc reviews here.

I am starting to like this brand more and more after my not-so-great experience with their leather effect  nail polish. I really love the quality of this polish. It did not streak and after applying two coats, I realized that I could have gotten away with only one. 

My manicure lasted 5 days with a top coat which is a little above average for nails polishes I wear, but chipping was quite visible from day 3.

This colour is really stunning and can compliment any winter wardrobe. I love that it has a slight lilac tint to the grey as plain grey can be rather monotonous. This is definitely a one of a kind polish!

You can find all Nails Inc products at Edgars and Red Square stores. Follow them on Twitter and like their Facebook page for news on products.

Thanks to Nails Inc for letting me try this pretty polish!

Yardley's Midnight Fever sparkle polish

I have been really excited to do this 'pretty polish' review because this has very quickly become my favourite winter polish and I really wanted to share it with you. This is the 4D polish from Yardley in the colour "Midnight Fever".

 To be honset, I dont really like the 4D claim because it isnt really 4D but none the less, its still pretty awesome.

My first love-factor would definitely be that its purple and it has tons of sparkle. Its perfect for winter but it still gives me a pick me up feeling on cold days.

The durability of this Yardley polish was pretty impressive. It lasted a solid 4 days without a top coat and faded rather than chipped (but everyone's nails differ). 

Colour pay off was so-so. I had to apply 2 coats to achieve the colour in the pictures above but it could  do with 3 coats. Seeing as the colour is so pretty, I don't mind investing the time applying 3 many coats!

This polish got me tons of attention at the office. So much so that I actually had to bring the bottle of polish and paint 2 co-workers' nails. They "just have to have it". I will definitely be wearing it again!

Let me know what your current favourite polish is in the comments below or on Twitter. You can also use the new tagging feature on Instagram to show me your pretty polishes!

Nails Inc - Take 2

After posting my review on Nails Inc's leather effect polish, I received a call from the PR company who explained why I had not received any blogger send-out yet. It was at that moment that I realized, every now and then we need a reminder that we are all just humans and it is impossible to work like machines.

Due to some constraints at the PR company, they had to hand deliver all the blogger send outs themselves. Having to deliver 20 packages to 20 different addresses, as well as still try keep the offices under control and complete their workload, can be horrifically stressful at the least. 

Here are some fantastic Nails Inc products I finally get to brag to you about:

Kensington Caviar Base Coat

Caviar reminds me of three things, the Titanic, giant ball gowns and beautiful crystal chandeliers.  Summed up, utterly indulgent and very classy. Would I want that on my nails? Hells yeah!! 

Base coats are important for improving nail strength, durability of nail polish and helps prevent staining. This base coat did all that and it gave me great protection but it isn't my favourite. I'm just really picky and feel that the 'base-coat-to-nail-polish' strength was stronger than the 'nail-to-base-coat-strength' (I hope that makes sense) which made my polish chip in bigger chunks. I still got a few days from my polish which is all we really need.

"Baker Street"

Over my Kensington caviar base coat, I applied this absolutely gorgeous shade of blue called "Baker Street". I haven't liked a blue this much since Avon's "Arctic Waters". I applied two coats to my nails which did not streak or blotch. This colour makes a big statement because its so bright. It's full of life and simply, puts me in a good mood. A very original shade to welcome to your collection!

Kensington Caviar Top Coat

The Kensington caviar top coat is great! You can see an immediate difference between the two above pictures. This base coat sealed the polish really well and provided fantastic shine that lasted 3-4 days. Again, caviar is indulgent so using the Kensington caviar base and top coat makes a neat little caviar sandwich to compliment your nails.

Vitamin E cuticle oil pen

My new handbag must-have; Nails Inc's vitamin E cuticle oil pen. How pretty is the floral design on the  pen itself? I love the attention to detail and it has the best scent I have ever smelt in a cuticle oil. Haul this out during lunch with your girlfriends and you'll get tons of attention! I encourage all my readers to use cuticle oil. It really helps your nails grow strong and longer!

All these Nails Inc products can be found at selected Red square and Edgars stores for under R200 per item.

Follow Nails Inc South Africa on Twitter and like their Facebook page. Do the same for me here and here!

Thanks so much to Nails Inc South Africa for these fantastic products. They really are great!

My Winter Nail Polish Collection

Here are some of the nail polishes I plan on wearing throughout winter (with links to my reviews on each polish, if I have done a review for that polish) to compliment my wardrobe and to appear a little 'trendy'.

 From left to right: "Random category" Tip Top Nails - Brownie Points, Rimmel London - Reality Chic, Tip Top Nails - Night Rider

 "Purple category" Essence - Where is the party, Yardley - Midnight Fever, Tip Top Nails - Funfair Madness, Rimmel London - Chic cherry

 "Nudes and browns category" Nails Inc - Porchester Square, Essence - Mother Earth is watching you,  Chanel - Beige, Ralo - 39, Wow - 312, Nails Inc - Soho Mews

 "Blue category" La Lu Nails - Fortune teller, Rimmel London - Rock Royalty, Essence - Crack me! blue, Catrice - Alluring Night

"Red category" Cherimoya - C89, Nails Inc - Shoreditch lane, Bobbi Brown - Valentine Red, O.P.I - Woka Woka

What colours will you be wearing this winter?

Ralo Champagne Nail Polish Review

Ralo cosmetics is a fun, innovative brand that produces cosmetics and accessories in South Africa. As far back as I can remember (std 8/grade 10) I purchased basic cosmetics from Ralo, so you can say that our relationship goes quite far back. 

Not being able to wear makeup at school, limited me to beige face powder (to cover oily pubescent skin *gross*), clear nail polish and a light pink lip gloss. After high school I got to play around with Ralo eye shadows and tons of mascara which was exciting but since blogging, I have only purchased nail polishes from Ralo, seeing as there were tons of other brands that I had to be introduced to.

Here is my most recent (about a year ago) purchase from Ralo. A stunning champagne nail polish for 20 bucks!

The Ralo polish in the shade.

The Ralo polish in the sun *So shiiiiny* 

For a 'cheap' polish I really love the colour pay off and durability. I only had to apply two coats to get this sparkly shine and I only had to take the polish off after 5 days.

This is an almost nude champagne shade so I consider it to be an office friendly polish to wear. The colour is number 39 (*sigh* no name, what a bore) but not sure if it's still available seeing as I bought it a while ago.

I have found myself reaching for more nude, gold and brown colours to kick off the wintery vibe.

Look out for Ralo's big comeback as they have just redone their website aaaand opened an online store. Yes please! Check it out here. They literally have every cosmetic and accessory you can think of!

You will definitely hear me talking about Ralo cosmetics again in the near future.

L.A Girls ombre nail polish kits

I just thought I'd give you ladies a heads up. Dis-Chem is stocking these really fantastic ombre nail polish kits from L.A Girls.

You get 5 bottles of polish as well as a top coat for 89.95. That's quite a bargain and you get to pull off a really simple but classy ombre look. I am loving the grey and purple kits for winter!

Essence Twins

Woah, talk about delay. I saw these "Twins" nail polishes on one of my favourite beauty YouTuber's channel middle of last year and they only made it to our shelves now. Still, I think they are as cute as a button!

Edward and Bella

I spotted these at Dis-Chem for R19.99 each. They come in "Edward and Bella", "Romeo and Juliet" and someone that goes with "Connie"? "Connie's" partner was missing.

Follow me on Twitter and Instagram for more window shopping finds :)

Getting Leather-ed Up with Nails Inc.

Since pledging with LadyBloggers, to give honest reviews (not that my posts haven't been honest this whole time), I have decided to add my own "transparency" principal to all future posts. I want you to know exactly how my blog is run and exactly how I feel about the content I share with you on a daily basis, starting with the review titled above.

As a beauty blogger, I get sent some pretty awesome products to put in my interrogation chair, shine my huge spotlight in their faces and grill them till they sweat! After that painfully dirty process, I put all the info I sucked out of them, into a pretty blog post and report back to you.

Not having a degree in creative writing, a three year PR internship to my name or a best friend in the cosmetic industry, I miss out on a lot of press packs and blogger send outs. I wont lie and say it doesn't bother me because it really does. It's my party and I can cry if I want to!!!

After moping, I remember the amazing brands that have sent me fabulous products, invited me to their mind blowing events and have supported my blog throughout its first year of life on the inter-web  They are absolute angels and I would not have come this far without them (We'll save that speech for another time though).

My point and relevance to the title? I didn't make it onto Nails Inc's product send-out list, which smashed my heart into pieces. I am a nail fanatic and I couldn't be apart of an amazing International brands' welcome to South Africa.

I built a bridge and got over it and for a while I had completely forgotten about the brands' trek to SA. A few weeks ago I went shopping at Red Square and immediately went to the GOSH stand to see if they had the colour of nail polish I had seen online. They didn't have stock so I ended up just browsing and that is when I spotted Nails Inc.

All the products were placed on a plain shelf without any banners or signage and there was like zero order to the colours of polish. Another thing that peeved me off was the fact that there were no price labels on any of the product so I kept running up and down to the counter to ask how much each thing cost (I had a gift card so I had to stick to a budget). Eventually I was tired of asking and decided to buy their leather polish in nude because I didn't have a polish like that in my collection.

Better pictures will be posted soon!

The "leather" polish applies as a normal gloss layer and once it dries it turns into a leather-like texture. I only had to apply one thick layer and drying time was relatively fast. To get the best textured effect, it is suggested that you do not apply a top coat. If you are worried about durability of the polish I would suggest using a decent base coat to anchor the polish nicely. I used a base coat by Zoya and my leather mani lasted a good four days before I took it off.

My thoughts on the actual texture and likability is still pretty indecisive. You can definitely see the leather-like texture but only up close. From far away it like regular polish, nothing fancy at all.

My reviews are also based on how people react and what they say. Not one of my friends or family commented on the colour or the leather effect. At one point I actually went around the office, throwing my hands in front of my colleagues' faces to find out what they thought.

This polish does not make a statement and I was the only one who really appreciated its leather-like effect.

Taking all the facts above into consideration, I still like this new polish. This may be because it's a new toy to play with or my nail fanatic-ness has consumed my judgments. I can see myself applying this throughout winter. I am even considering purchasing the black bottle as well. Love is better than like so my feelings are still pretty "bleh".

I was taken by their cupcakes & sprinkles inspired polish as well as their feather effect polish (which wasn't in stock but I spotted it online)

At a heavy price of R129 for a 10ml bottle, you should choose wisely before making your way to the payment counter.

Nails Inc,  you have not quite wormed your way into my heart but cuddles and marshmallows by the fireplace are on the card for us.

Follow me on Twitter and like my Facebook page to keep up with my posts :)

Miss Claira-Bella

Xoxo

Holographic Pizazz

 

Follow my Holographic Pizazz Pinterest board here.

Bobbi Brown - Valentine Red

I am always very wary of huge brands that carry a very big price tag on otherwise very normal products. I ask myself, can nail polish really be that amazing and different to others, that you end up paying insane amounts of money? This Bobbi Brown polish was up against lots of criticism from my side.

I LOVE THIS COLOUR!! It's such an intense yet versatile colour that is so pleasing to the eye. One coat will give you a light red that says "I'm fun and flirty". Two coats will give you an intense blood red that could say "I only date vampires". Either way, this colour is there to make a statement.

I was scared to mess the red on my clothes so I cheated and used Yardley's speed finish nail drying spray. The fact that I had to do this means that drying time was nothing special.

Durability was hardier that I thought it would be. Only problem with such an eye catching colour, as soon as you have the tiniest chip, it's noticeable. I had my first chip after day 1 and had to take my manicure off on day 4. This was also nothing new or mind blowing.

One thing that I wasn't expecting to love its the bottle design. I love how it's simple and just says "BOBBI BROWN". There are no bar-codes on the sides, no stickers or name labels, just plain clean bottle. I would definitely put this polish on display!

Overall this is great colour and has a very unique bottle. the formula was a dream to use and lasted as long as the average polish does. I think that if you do have some spare change lying around and would like to invest in a pricier brand then you should totes get this polish!!

How much would you pay for a bottle of your favourite polish?

Miss Claira-Bella

Xoxo

Essence's "Night in Vegas" Nail art topper

My new favourite polish is Essence's special effect nail art topper in 08 "night in Vegas". Every time I paint my nails I just cannot resist applying one coat of this to add character to otherwise lifeless polish.

The best way to describe this polish: Stunning nail art flakes with a unique multi colour changing shimmer. Photo's do not do this polish justice. I suggest taking the opportunity to see the polish in person. I purchased my "night in vegas" at Dis-Chem for an extremely affordable price of R24.95.

(Above) I applied two coats of Tip Top's "Fantasy" and one coat of the very purdy nail art topper. I give you permission to go completely overboard and apply 3-4 layers if you'd like! I was honestly too distracted by the sparkles that I didn't take any note of drying time.

After trying this polish, I have been persuaded to try out the other nail art toppers that Essence has to offer and at such a low price, I don't see why I can't have them all!

Follow me on Twitter and like my Facebook page for all things Essence and to get more news on pretty polishes.

What do you think?

Miss Claira-Bella

Xoxo

Avon's Nailwear Pro+ - "Arctic Waters"

How gorgeous is this colour!?

Arctic Waters

I have been collecting many "firsts" lately and this is my first Avon polish. I am currently obsessed with this nailwear pro polish. It has the most beautiful deep blue shimmer which make me stare in a stupid gaze for a few minutes until I snap out of it. Seriously, love it!

The bristles of this polish are very firm which makes application really easy because you can guide them where ever you want them to go. It unfortunately does not have a rounded edge but I did not find it difficult to work with.

Drying time and durability was average. Chipping was visible from day 4.

Overall this is a stunning polish and I hope to see more great products from Avon.

Follow me on Twitter and like my Facebook page to keep in touch with any nail news I may have. You can also subscribe via email in the top right block on this page.

Do you have any Avon polishes?

Miss Claira-Bella

Xoxo

O.P.I's new liquid sand technology!

I just cannot wait to get my hands on these amazing new polishes from Mariah Carey's O.P.I collection! It's the new liquid sand technology and it is definitely a trend that will stick around for years.

 

 

Get more information from O.P.I South Africa by visiting their Facebook Page.

What do you think about this new polish?

Miss Claira-Bella

Xoxo

 

*All images from Google

Rimmel's "Reality Chic" nail polish

Here is another pretty polish review and it is on Rimmel London's Lycra Pro nail polish in "Reality Chic".

This has become one of my favourite colours to wear this time of year but I have restrained myself from wearing it too often as it is more of a rich wintry colour. I find a warm feeling of sophistication with this beautiful oxblood-red nail polish and I think that it can be quite a powerful statement worn by a strong woman around the office (if there are no strict rules prohibiting bold colours in the office).

Application was a dream with the curved bristles and the non-gooey formula. The bristles are also quite thick so it grabs just the right amount of polish for each nail.

Drying time was average and slight chipping occurred after 3 days but note that I did not apply a top coat. After wearing the polish for a day, I experimented with another pretty polish which was "Lovely Sinner" from Catrice's Welcome to Las Vegas collection. The results were stunning!! I really fell in love with the light sparkle of the glitter which also contributed to making a softer, more feminine, finish to the nails.

I know it's really early to think about but this is definitely going to be a staple colour in my wardrobe and beauty collection in winter. I love it!!

You should be able to find this polish at any Rimmel London stand at Clicks, Dis-Chem or even Edgars! Follow me on Twitter and like my Facebook page. I am also on Instagram so follow me for more pretty polishes :)

Miss Claira-Bella

Xoxo