BUK nail enamel in Nr. 168 and 169. Cute names, huh? lol

Finally I manged to put my fingernails on this post which was sitting in my drafts for several months. :)

Remember me taking about this great "no-name" brand of nail polish?

This time I present you 2 pretty much alike nail polishes with very cute names 168 and 169. lol

From L to R: 168, 169

Natural light, flash

Nr. 168 on my left hand

Natural light, flash

Nr. 168 on my left hand

Natural light

The picture is crappy (it's from those winter days with bad lighting and horribly dry hands), but at least it shows the orange "glow"

Nr. 169 on my right hand

Natural light, flash

Nr. 169 on my right hand

Natural light

The picture is crappy (it's from those winter days with bad lighting and horribly dry hands), but at least it shows the pink "glow" with golden glass flecks

Note: I took these pictures after 3-4 days of wear. As you can see the tip wear is not yet that visible. Definitely a plus in my book.  And, yes, I wore two different nail polishes on different hands just to check if it's worth it to have two very similar polishes. lol

9 ml, exp. date: 24 months after opening, made in EU for Coop Bergerac NC France.

Colour: Nr. 168 pale milky orange with fine golden glass flecks. Nr. 169 pale milky pink with fine golden glass flecks. These shades are so versatile! Nr. 169 reminds me of my all-time-favourite shade of nail polish Wet'n'Wild Rock Solid Nail lacquer in Pink Sapphire. Unfortunately, 169 doesn't provide the same optical illusion "tip whitening" effect.

Finish: creme-jelly with fine glass flecks.

Application: pretty smooth application , but very sheer. I usually apply 3-4 coats for a full coverage, but as you can see from these pictures - the white nail line is still visible, especially on my right hand with Nr. 169 on.

Retail price: ranges between 0,5-0,7 EUR. How cool is that? :)

Pros: versatile shade, unique finish, nice brush, pretty bottle, comparably long lasting, dirty cheap.
Cons: sheer, smelly (!), no list of ingredients, no info about the brand, limited availability, no names - boring!

PS Wear these shades anywhere and anytime! They also make a perfect base for a French mani!

My favourite lip combos...or... how losers become winners! :)

Yay! I'm back! I missed you! And a special hello to my new followers! Thank you! :) On to the topic. I got this idea several weeks ago. However, a couple of days ago I decided to do a major change in my lip products collection. I'll tell you at the end of this post. :)

My favourite lip combos...or... how losers become winners! :)

Have you ever regretted you bought a lip product that appeared to be a total fail? I experienced it 4 times! And what did I do? I decided to pair those losers! lol Guess what? These two pairs are one (well, it makes 2) of my favourite "everyday shades" (I counted, I have 5 faves at the moment)!

So, here they are!

Combo Nr. 1: "Peachy Juicy Fruit"

Loser 1: L'Oreal lip pencil in Nr. 655 Rose Beige - too freaking drying and the colour is kind of dirty (if it makes any sense). Is absolutely pointless with other shades.

Loser 2: Gosh On stage Cool lip jam in Nr. 102 (cool name, isn't it? lol)- quite sticky (one of the stickiest lip glosses I've tried), quite sheer (it's much more sheer than on this generous swatch), tingles at the beginning (because it's "cooling"). I quite like the pale shimmery peachy shade though. If only it would be MORE opaque (it's not buildable, unless you want to end up with greasy lips)! And the scent is very yummy - Wrigley's Juicy Fruit, anyone? :)

Winner: Opaque shimmery peachy shade. Less sticky and no tingling, plus it's long lasting!
Note: I apply L'Oreal pencil all over my lips.

Natural "light", flash

Natural "light", flash

From L to R: L'Oreal l/p, Combo, Gosh l/g

Natural "light"

Combo Nr. 2: "Indian Peachy Pink"

Loser 1: NYX round lipstick in shade Indian Pink - too freaking drying, frosty and orange (it's more orange IRL than picture shows)!

Loser 2: NYX lip gloss with Mega shine in Sweet Heart - very pale "ghosty like" shade, nauseously sweet cherry scent, quite sticky.

Winner: Gorgeous peachy pink shade. Somehow the smell doesn't bother me that much when I wear these two together. Strange. :)

 

Natural "light", flash

Natural "light", flash

From L to R: Indian Pink l/s, Combo, Sweet Heart l/g

Natural "light"

Hopefully, I inspired one of you to rediscover some pearls in your stashes! :)

Tell me your story of unwanted lip products that when paired became your heroes! :)

PS The big change - I decided to get rid of all my lip products that contain mineral oil. Unfortunately, all 4 of the mentioned above favourites have to be disqualified. But fear not, the replacements are coming! Stay tuned! :)

Orly Country Club Khaki (plus comparison with OPI)

Sunlight (!), flash

Sunlight

Natural "light", flash (might look a little bit cooler under the certain lighting)

Natural "light"

Note: I managed to get a dent on my Index finger somehow... And my hands are super dry again... :/ Just a little confession! lol

18 ml (0,6 oz), exp. date: 36 months after opening, made in USA.

From Prepster collection, spring 2009.

3 Big free.

Claims: "A fast drying, long lasting, high gloss nail lacquer." (Can't comment on these, because I used a fast drying top coat.)

Colour: pale dusty "mushroomy" taupe-brown with a tiny-tiny hint of lilac (it's still on the warm side though). At first, when I saw the bottle, I was very skeptical (read: that is why it was sitting in my nail polish box for almost 6 months!), because I thought it looked like hmmm... plain light dirt? lol Now I think this colour is very interesting and unique. I bet it looks stunning on darker skin tones! I'm a little bit tanned now and I really like how it enhances my tan.

Finish: creme. I would call it milky! Definitely! VERY light "milky-chocolate-y". :)

Application: very smooth application , 2 coats is enough for a full coverage.

Retail price: ranges between 3 USD - 12 EUR.

Pros: versatile flattering shade, perfect coverage, easy application, nice brush, pretty bottle, very comfortable rubber handle, big 3 free.
Cons: the fact that it's so expensive here!

PS Suitable for school, office, beach, party, etc.:)

Comparison with OPI Tickle My Francey

Natural "light", flash

 Orly CCK (left) vs OPI TMF (right)

Natural "light", flash

OPI TMF (left) vs Orly CCK (right)

It looks that they're almost dupes, but IRL they're absolutely different (well, not drastically, but still the difference is obvious). OPI TMF is more gray than brown, and is with a rose-mauve-lilac hint.

PS OPI's can make your hands look dead, whereas Orly's will make them look alive. lol