Gwen Stefani for OPI collection swatches and review

Happy Monday everyone!! I hope you all had a fab weekend =) Today I have swatches and review of the Gwen Stefani for OPI collection which was released recently. Gwen has been a fashion and beauty icon for years so it was about time she collaborated on a nail line! WARNING: This post is PIC HEAVY.

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What they say:

"OPI joins celebrity partner Gwen Stefani in announcing seven new limited edition nail lacquers for 2014, featuring standout color in breakthrough finishes. Highlights from the collection include a bold red lacquer that pays homage to Gwen’s signature lipstick, a new semi-matte satin finish in shades of gold and black, and a mirrored chrome paired with a special base coat.

Inspired by the 2013 Metropolitan Museum Costume Institute Gala that featured the theme “PUNK: CHAOS TO COUTURE,” OPI Executive VP and Artistic Director Suzi Weiss-Fischmann decided to create a collection of lacquer celebrating the role of music as a major influence in fashion."

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My swatches and review after the jump!

Revlon Parfumerie™ Scented Nail Enamels in Lime Basil and Autumn Spice swatches and review

There is something I find so so cool about scented nail polish. I love pretty much any makeup product that has a scent to it especially when it's sweet! So when polish is scented it makes a pretty awesome combination. I have a few of the scented polishes from Color Club which I love so I couldn't resist treating myself to 2 of the new Revlon Parfumerie™ Scented Nail Enamels during the recent 40% off sale at Priceline. The bottles are really different from the usual Revlon bottles and are shaped like perfume bottles with round tops. They are SO adorable!! Let me tell you it was darn hard deciding which ones to get and I ummmmed and ahhhhed for about 20mins before finally settling on Lime Basil and Autumn Spice.

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What they say:

"A whole new way to experience colour. Vibrant, shiny shades go on smoothly for flawless colour and then dry to light, irresistible fragrances. In 24 scented colours and three beautiful fragrance note collections: Fruits & Florals, Sweets & Spices and Freshes."

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Lime Basil is a bright jade green creme that's slightly more yellow in person than my swatches show. When dry it smells sort of like lemonade or an Icy Pole (a popsicle/ice lolly for those playing overseas!) and is sweet and refreshing. I didn't swatch with a base coat and it stained pretty badly so make sure you use a base coat! 2 coats is pictured.

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Autumn Spice is a bronze-y copper shimmer. My pics don't capture the gorgeous shimmer unfortunately! It just screams Autumn and the scent is gingerbread or some other type of spice. It smells good enough to eat! 2 coats is pictured.

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Overall: Cute bottles, cute scents and cute shades = I need more in my collection! Which means you guys need them too! The formula is thin but super easy to work with and the brush is firm but flexible. I thought the round top cap would be hard to use but it's surprisingly easy to hold and use. The scent is pretty strong when dry and I really enjoyed the scents of Lime Basil and Autumn Spice and kept sniffing my fingers when I wore them xp

Details: The Revlon Parfumerie™ Scented Nail Enamels are available from Myer, Target, Kmart, Priceline and selected pharmacies for $15.95.

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What do you think? Have you tried out the Revlon Parfumerie™ range yet? Thanks for looking as always!

Marc Jacobs Beauty Enamored Hi-Shine nail lacquer in Shocking

Marc Jacobs is one of my favourite designers so I was pretty darn excited to learn that he was launching a cosmetics collection! It's available exclusively at Sephora so obviously us Aussies miss out as usual unless you use parcel forwarding or have a makeup mule. I was going to cave and make a Tarazz order but my sister was gifted one of the lacquers so of course I stole it to try out so I've got some quick swatches of Shocking for you today.

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What they say:

"Get smitten with Marc's fresh take on nail enamel, a superior polish with unprecedented finish, like 30 coats of lacquer. Highest shine with a plasticized, wet look, smooth application and a unique color range inspired by Marc's latest runway delights.. The custom, curve-hugging brush optimizes application and the curvature of the bottle resembles a smile."

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The bottle is round and flat with a glossy black lip that comes off to reveal a smaller cap that's much more manageable to use and the lacquers are 3 free (no toluene, formaldehyde, and DBP) which is fantastic.

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Shocking is an opaque bright hot pink creme. It's not the most original shade but it's gorgeous and definitely a classic shade that I think should be included in every permanent polish collection! The formula is opaque although I found it a little on the thin side which made it difficult to get a clean finish. Dry time was a little slow but not unreasonable and it dried to a high gloss wet look shine which I love.

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The brush is quite narrow and for me the bristles are too flexible - I prefer to use a firmer brush so it gives greater control when applying. I had some issues with balding so I'd recommend allowing plenty of dry time between coats. 2 coats is pictured with no top coat.

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Overall: Shocking is gorgeous and I love the high gloss shine! The packaging is cute and it's consistent with the Marc Jacobs look. However if I was purchasing the lacquers myself, I'd go for one of the more unique shades in the collection as Shocking is easily dupeable and at a cheaper price. I'm a little disappointed with the formula of Shocking so I'm hoping it's just this shade or a dodgy bottle. I'm still super keen to try out other shades!

Details: Marc Jacobs Beauty Enamored Hi-Shine nail lacquers are available from Sephora and MarcJacobs.com for $18US.

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Have you tried any products from the Marc Jacobs Beauty collection? What would you recommend? Thanks for looking as always!

Birthday manicure

Soooooo I am officially another year older! Not sure if I'm really wiser though haha. I got spoiled by the hubby this weekend and had a lovely lunch in the mountains and basically spent most of the time eating! I did a simple birthday mani because I had no idea what I wanted but had to have some gold glitter in the mix!

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What I used:

Pinky: 2 coats of Cult Nails Tempest and added bunting using Bundle Monster BM-H19 using China Glaze Passion.

Ring finger: I used 2 coats of Kester Black Fairy Floss* and created the chevrons using Nail Vinyls and Face of Australia Midnight Fireworks*.

Middle finger: I used 1 coat of Face of Australia Calypso Gold* and 2 coats of Models Own Gold Finger.

Index finger: I used 2 coats of Cult Nails Tempest and sponged Kester Black Fairy Floss* to the tip for a subtle fade.

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Thumb: I used 2 coats of Kester Black Fairy Floss* and stamped balloon design from Bundle Monster BM-H20 using China Glaze Passion.

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I have a love hate relationship with birthdays - I love the fun aspect of them but the whole growing older thing not so much haha. What do you guys get up to on your birthdays?

I hope you all had a lovely weekend! Thanks for looking as always =)

* Product(s) provided to me for consideration but this in no way influenced my review in any way. As always, my reviews are my 100% honest opinion. My Disclosure Policy can be viewed here.

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