Alix Avien Diamond Nail Lacquer Review And Swatches

I was looking for a super shiny creme nail lacquer and luckily found these. I've used Alix Avien before and was impressed with the quality, so I decided this new range of Diamond Nail Lacquers was worth a try.

Here are the claims from the website:

Brush allows easy application and has excellent fast drying formula. Provides even coverage in one coat with opaque version of structure.

 So basically it claims to:

• Have a good brush for easy application
• Dry fast
• Provide even coverage
• Give full coverage in one coat

Did it live up to the claims? Read on to find out!

Alix Avien Diamond Nail Lacquer Shade 19

This is a hot red with neutral undertones. I wanted a cheaper alternative to OPI Coca Cola Red because I don't see myself wearing this shade of red too often. I applied two coats and no top coat. It did dry fast and was super shiny but did not give full coverage/opacity in two coats. If you want full coverage you will need 3-4 coats and then a quick drying top coat.

Alix Avien Diamond Nail Lacquer Shade 11

This one was my favorite of the bunch. I'm into pinks with neutral undertones lately and this is just perfect. Applied like a dream. I got full coverage in two coats and the polish dried quickly as well. It was super shiny even without a top coat. It was pretty opaque in one coat but I applied two just so it looks evenly applied.

Alix Avien Diamond Nail Lacquer Shade 18

This is the one I had most expectations from and ended up disliking the most. I love pale, peachy shades and this color seemed promising. However, when I applied it, the first layer was pretty sheer and uneven, and after I put on two more coats to get full opacity, my nails became a gloppy mess. If you really like the color, you'll need to apply three coats of it and then use a quick drying top coat. This was also the least shiny.

Claims Revisited

• Have a good brush for easy application? YES.
• Dry fast? YES for the pink and red, NO for the peach (takes too many layers).
• Provide even coverage? YES for the pink and red, NO for the peach.
• Give full coverage in one coat? YES for the pink, NO for the red and peach.

Recommendation

Overall I would recommend getting the pink from this range, because it truly performed like a nail lacquer should. The red is good too but will take some work. The peach is not worth getting in my opinion. The Alix Avien Diamond Nail Lacquers are available at Almas Super Shop for 250 BDT each. I'll be adding one or two more shades of this to my collection!

PINK FOR BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH - Butter London Primrose Hill Picnic Nail Lacquer Review

Butter London makes all sorts of beautiful shades from nudes to neons to deep, dark, gorgeous colors. This shade is Primrose Hill Picnic, a beautiful pink with hints of red. The other two pictures below represent the color better.

This is a modern symbol of breast cancer awareness. Since October is Breast Cancer Awareness month, I did this pink mani to remind myself and remember to remind other women to get checked for breast cancer. Every time I notice the shade on my nails, I will hopefully remember to encourage my friends to get a check-up or at least do a self-exam.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Make sure you and the women in your family get checked for breast cancer, so if you're at risk, you can catch early symptoms and take steps and precautions early.

In this link you will find how to conduct a self exam to determine if you might be affected:

http://www.breastcancer.org/symptoms/testing/types/self_exam/bse_steps

Now on to the review. I absolutely love the formula; it is literally like butter! Applying it is a breeze. I did one thin coat first, then two thicker coats, and finished off with Seche Vite quick dry top coat.

Don't get intimidated by the square cap. You have to pull it off to reveal a small, round handle for the brush. Doing my right hand was surprisingly easy since the formula is so workable. Also, since it's 3-free, it didn't have that disgusting nail varnish smell, so it was a little less painful to work with. 3-free polishes are free of Dibutyl Phthalate, Toluene, and Formaldehyde, the three most toxic chemicals present in most nail polishes.

The final result is great and I will definitely recommend this. This is $15 in the US and 12 Pounds in the UK. I'll definitely be buying some more shades when I'm craving certain colors in a good formula!

Cute Colorful Manicure with Dots, Stripes and a Gold Accent Nail

I recently received my Barry M Gelly polishes and decided to do a cute manicure where I would incorporate one of the colors.

Instructions:

Dotted Nails:

1. Apply 2-3 coats of the base color. Let it dry.

2. Make dots on the base color with the larger end of the dotting tool. You may need to do this twice on the same spot to get opaque color. Let dry.

3. Finally use the smaller end to make smaller dots inside the bigger dots.

Striped Nail:

1. Create one stripe with one colors. Fill up the area above the line with color.

2. Repeat step 1 with the other colors, going slightly above the previous line each time.

Let each nail dry first, then apply a thick layer of quick drying top coat.

Products Used: Nails Inc Mini in Bourne Street, Barry M Gelly Nail Paint in Kiwi, OPI Nail Lacquer in I Just Can't Copacabana, OPI Nail Lacquer in Toucan Do It If You Try, and KBShimmer Clearly On Top quick dry top coat.

Thanks for viewing my post. Have a great weekend! :)

Mani with Pink Stripes and Crystal Glitter

This manicure style has been floating around on Instagram lately, and I wanted to recreate it it in my own way. I used two coats of Jordana Crystal Glitter first, then painted on a bubblegum pink stripe using China Glaze Dance Baby and a hot pink stripe using Butter London Primrose Hill Picnic. I then topped off the manicure with KBShimmer Clearly On Top top coat. Loving my sparkly pink nails!

Flormar M124: A Beautiful Pale Nude Creme!

I know I've already posted a Flormar nail polish review this week, but I'm seriously into these Supermatte polishes right now! The name is a bit of a deception since the polishes don't give a matte finish. These are actually sheer polishes which need to be built up to give glowy lighter-toned colors.

M124 is a beautiful pale nude color with warm tones. It's basically very creamy looking. This is a shade which can work on any skin tone. This would be a "mannequin hands" shade for those with pale skin.

What irked me about this particular polish is the formula. I had to apply four coats (the first thin, and the next ones thicker) to achieve full coverage. I messed up some nails but then my top coat helped cover up the gluggy bits. It was a chore applying this polish. The end result is beautiful, but not worth the wasted time. I like the color (a bit less than the previous color I reviewed though) but absolutely hate how sheer the polish is. I'll have to find this shade from some other brand.

I've already reviewed M123 and that, being a deeper shade, was easier to work with.

If you don't have a problem doing your nails with patience and have a quick drying top coat, you can give this a go. Otherwise you'll just be wasting your time with this.

Flormar M123 - Fabulous Yet Sophisticated!

Flormar is one of my favorite budget brands. They apparently started out in Milan, Italy but then switched to Turkey for production. They have some amazing colors all at very affordable prices.

This is shade M123. It says SuperMatte on the bottle but it's not matte. I'd picked it up on a whim while looking for neutral warm pinks. I'm glad I did because I really like the color!

When I applied the first coat, it was pretty much sheer, so then I applied two more coats and then KBShimmer Clearly On Top fast-drying top coat. This is a gorgeous peachy-brown neutral color which is pretty and at the same time office-appropriate. The formula was the same as every other Flormar polish - not too thick and not too runny. It was a breeze to apply all three coats.

If you want a pretty color that goes with everything and are bored of the typical pinky-beige nude shades, check this color out!

Lakme Color Crush Blue (Shade 27)

I absolutely love Lakme's Color Crush series. The polishes are highly pigmented, creamy and easy to apply. This is shade 27, a tropical blue shade. It's a little darker in person though.

A Beautiful Taupe from Beauty UK

OH MY GOD I have been searching for this shade online for an entire MONTH but didn't buy the ones I found, and kept putting it off. I was going through one of my nail polish boxes today just to see if I find anything cool and found this gem! It's a beautiful deep chocolate cappuccino shade perfect for fall. This was in a Beauty UK Statement Nails set I bought last year. I didn't think I would find this color so HOT and was actually into bright colors and reds then so I left it unused. I love this color so much, I did both hands with long lasting top coat so my nails will have this beautiful shade on for days!

Revlon Beguile

Revlon Brilliant Strength Nail Enamel in Beguile. A beautiful deep dark blue-black shade with blue microshimmer. Perfect for fall!

Colorful Dotticure

Dotticure using OPI Brazil Collections polishes (Toucan Do It If You Try, I Just Can't Copacabana, and Kiss Me I'm Brazilian) and a Flormar aqua blue polish. The white base is from Flormar too.

Sparkly Pink Manicure Using Nails Inc

Sparkly pink nails created with Nails Inc Notting Hill Gate, Nails Inc Cheyne Court, and KBShimmer Clearly On Top top coat.

OPI My Very First Knockwurst

This is one of my favorite nude nail polishes. It's a light flesh color. I usually need two or three coats to get best results. This is a creme polish, so there's no unnecessary glitter or shimmer.

Black And Gold Manicure

One of my most brilliant manicures, if I may say so myself! Black nail polish on oval nails, with two gold accent nails on each hand. Black is sleek and modern, while gold is festive and sexy. This manicure can be worn to parties, dinners or even concerts! If you love black but think it looks too gothic by itself, try out this combination for a sexy, glamorous nail look. I used Deborah Lippmann Hard Rock as a base coat, two coats of polish, and Seche Vite on top. My nails look faaabulous!

OPI Pink Flamenco

This is a beautiful, creamy fuchsia pink. I only had to apply two coats to get full coverage. The formula was thick and creamy. The pro wide brush makes it easy to apply the lacquer effortlessly. Not super shiny on it's own, but looks great with a top coat on.