Hi Guys! As you might have noticed Crackle is huge these days: Crackle is back! There are quite some brands releasing crackle top coats at the moment, IsaDora, BYS, P2, OPI, Barry M and I think I'm still forgetting a bunch. Last year I ordered a Krackpolish from TransDesign and it did Jack. So don't order that one! But today I'll be showing you a crackling top coat that actually works: Instant Nail Effects by Barry M! There is a reason I'm posting this today, it's Halloween! And don't you think this polish makes you look like someone who just crawled out of their coffin? Muahaha.
What I like about this matte black top coat is the fact you can see it work, it dries and crackles FAST. In fact, it starts cracking while you apply it, so you'll have to be rather quick. There is no need or time to apply it perfectly, just slap it on and you'll be fine. You'll only need one thin layer and make sure you don't overlap, because it messes with the crackle. It doesn't really work well will all kinds of top coats though. I found it works best if you apply your base color, use a quick drying top coat, let it dry and then apply the Crackle. And that way the matte effect stays intact!
Barry M Instant Nail Effects applied over 4 colors by Catrice: Clayton My Hero, Sold Out Forever, I Scream Peach! and London's Weather Forecast.
As you can see the crackle comes in big chunks, almost making it look like the print of a giraffe. Seems like the new crackle is more like this, Black Shatter by OPI has a very similar effect, but if you like the dense crackle from back in the day I suggest looking into the one by BYS!
I applied Instant Nail Effects on top of several colors, and it looks very hot against a contrasting color, but I like the more subtle effect it gives on a closer color as well! I've seen this Barry M top coat applied over gold, and it looked smoking hot.
If you really like this Crackle effect I'd definitely recommend this top coat. It applies alright, but you do have to be quick. I love the fact it dries matte, it definitely adds to the deconstructed look! The price is alright too, depending on where you buy it, it will cost you around £3.99 / $6.40 / €4.60 for 10ml.
I noticed it's out of stock everywhere, but as soon as they'll restock you can buy Barry M Instant Nail Effects directly from their website or from Alice and Jo's Havesentials.
ETA: If you're Dutch you can check out this shop: www.beautyfocus.nl
Hi everyone! It's saturday, woohoo! Finally a little time to spend on the blog. For today I have something that will mostly interest Europeans since these brands are not (that easily) available elsewhere, so sorry about that!
I know there are a gazillion matte top coats out there, but I know a lot of people don't like to buy online, so for the people who can get their mitts on these brands I decided to compare three low budget matte top coats!
The top coats in question, are made by Hema, Essence and Catrice. I'll be mainly focusing on their mattifying abilities and their price, and not so much the wear as this is different for everyone.
As you can see there is one top coat that noticeably falls behind: the Hema matte top coat. It applies very nicely, but it's more satin looking. If this is your thing, I'd say check it out, if you're more into true mattes: skip it! I have reviewed this product before, saying it was not streaky, but today it definitely was! Not so cool. The other two are pretty much identical. They're both made by Cosnova, applied the same way, so I was wondering if these might be the same product in different bottles? Unfortunately I couldn't find ingredients anywhere - which is a major letdown - I think all products should have their ingredients attached to their back.
What I didn't like about the Essence and Catrice top coats was the fact the brushes pick up color. You don't want your top coat to change color, so don't forget to clean up the brush if it got dirty.
The Essence Matt top coat costs €1.75 / 8ml, the one by Catrice is €1.99 / 12ml and the Hema will cost you €2.50 / 11ml. As you can see the one by Hema is the most expensive, but the least matte looking. If you want to go for a true matte, I'd suggest you look into the ones by Essence and Catrice. The Essence looks the cheapest, with its price of only €1.75, but is it REALLLLY? A little breakdown:
Hema Top Coat Matt | Catrice Matt Top Coat | Essence Matt Top Coat | |
| Price in € | 2.50 | 1.99 | 1.75 |
| Per ml | 11 | 12 | 8 |
| Price per 100ml | 22.73 | 16.58 | 21.86 |
So, if you're looking for a decent, true matte top coat, for the smallest price, the one by Catrice wins hands down!
One product in this post was provided to me by the manufacturer or their PR company for review. For more information please read my disclaimer
Hi guys! For today I have a review about Lush's one of their hand creams. The reason why I'm reviewing it today is it's discontinued but still available! I already reviewed and really liked Handy Gurugu, do I like this one just as much? Read on to find out.
According to Lush, Smitten is a protective, almond scented hand cream. It's a lighter hand cream with the same fragrance as the famous Snowcake soap. "Smitten is made with natural oils, calming chamomile and beeswax to protect the hands from extreme weather or nourish them when they need it most. Use it regularly for nice soft mitts. Chamomile is anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, bactericidal and sedative. Aromatherapists have used it to treat bruises, allergies, stress and depression. It is helpful for sensitive skins."
Smitten has a very creamy texture and is definitely moisturizing. I do feel like the effect is quickly evaporated, but I still like it. The smell is famous, and while it does reminds me of almonds, I immediately thought: Play Doh! I thought I was crazy for thinking it smelled liked Play Doh, but a quick Google search showed me I'm not alone! So, Play Doh.. I think it's quite a funny smell, and it makes me a bit nostalgic, at times I love it, at times I hate it. The scent does wear off after an hour or so.
The ingredients look rather nice, Chamomile, Almond and other nice oils. I love the fact Lush is cruelty free, if you're vegan you can't use Smitten though, as it contains lanoline and beeswax. The one thing I don't get is why a company like Lush still uses parabens, but okay.
Overall, I quite like this product, even though I haven't decided on the smell yet. It's a good cream to take with you on the road, since it's quite light and quickly absorbed. For a more thorough moisturizing effect I'd recommend Handy Gurugu over this though! If you want to get this cream, get it fast as it's discontinued!
Chamomile Matricaria Infusion (Chamomilla recutita), Almond Oil (Prunus dulcis), Marigold Infusion (Calendula officinalis), Cold Pressed Flaxseed Oil (Linum usitatissimum), Glycerine, Stearic Acid, Cocoa Butter (Theobroma cacao), Cetearyl Alcohol, Cold Pressed Wheatgerm Oil (Triticum vulgare), Cold Pressed Avocado Oil (Persea gratissima), Coconut Butter (Cocos nucifera), Lanolin, Beeswax (Cera alba), Benzoin Resinoid (Styrax benzoin), Rose Absolute (Rosa centifolia), Cassie Absolute (Acacia farnesiana), Perfume, Triethanolamine, Methylparaben, Propylparaben.
Lush Smitten costs € 11,75 / 100g, or $17.95 / 3.5oz. Visit www.lush.com for more information.
