Australia's own - Hello Darling Nail Lacquer

From left to right: Fairyfloss, Mint Slice & Tramonto

Let me start things off by mentioning how awesome Hello Darling's nail polish quality is and its longevity is comparable, if not better, than most nail polish brands I've tried and use almost religiously.

The kicker here is Hello Darling offers a 5-free formula, "NO toulene, formaldehyde or formaldehyde resin, dibutyl phthalate (DBP) or camphor." For someone who wears nail polish on a daily basis, the less I expose myself to cancer causing agents, the better! Now if only I could avoid smokers and what they leave behind in their wake.

What else is there to know about Hello Darling? The company was started by two Sydneysiders who bonded over polish and their mutual love for beautiful nails. They don't test on animals. Their colour naming winks at all things Australian and even extends to favourite holiday escapes. On top of their nail polish range, they also have nail decals, Rockcandy (think caviar) and nail art brush sets!

Recently, I reached out to Hello Darling in order to test a few of their colours -- I figured if one of my favourite nail salons is going to stock Hello Darling, then it must be pretty special :)

Hello Darling

Fairy Floss

Fairyfloss (a.k.a. cotton candy) is a soft, sheer light pink with microscopic flecks of silver glitter. While Fairy Floss is quite pretty, it's translucence was a negative in my book; I applied three coats in order to get decent coverage. With that said, I'd still love to layer Fairyfloss over an opaque white polish in order to see it pop.

Mint Slice

Mint Slice (named after wicked tasty cookies; the US equivalent would be Thin Mints) is a creamy yellow-based pastel green. It only took two coats to reach full opacity. Mint Slice is fun and so sweet -- a breath of fresh air for Spring and Autumn.

Tramonto

Tramonto (the Italian word for sunset) is a creamy blue and also happens to be my favourite shade. Back when Crayola Crayons released 96 colours in one box in the early 90's, they included cerulean; from then on it changed my approach to colouring the sky, the ocean and rainbows. Silly, but oh so nostalgic. Tramonto is a two coater as well.

A quick word about the brush: put simply, it's fantastic! Two to three passes is all it takes per nail.

And the polish, it dries fast!

The Bagful breakdown:

Total amount for Hello Darling's 5-free Nail Lacquer:

• $18.95 AUS 

Value for money spent (performance and quality):

• 9 out of 10 bags – quickly becoming my favourite brand of nail polish!

Would another purchase be on the horizon?:

• Let's see... definitely!

So, what do you think? What colours ticked your fancy?

*PR sample provided –  Thoughts and ramblings written here are completely my own.

Back to school with Erin of Blonde Tiger

I'm not particularly skilled with painting my nails; I'm actually immensely out of practice. However, 12-year-old Nicole reemerged after Erin extended an offer to re-learn the basics and the fine art of bedazzling one's nails.

Erin kicked off our session by having us scan magazines and we, in turn, posed the ultimate question, "how'd they do that?" A lot of the popular nail art featured in magazines, Instagram, Twitter and the Interwebs isn't as difficult as it seems -- Erin believes you need the right tools, a bit of practice, time and a kitchen table to work your magic.

A word of advice: refrain from painting your nails while sitting in front of the TV and balancing atop a glossy magazine (my personal favourite spot). If you want a top-notch base, then gain stability by sitting at a proper table.

Erin demonstrates the proper stance and placement of her hand when applying polish

Before moving onto all that glittered, Erin then asked us what we hoped to walk away with (aside from our very generous goodie bags -- more on that later). We all agreed we wanted to learn fun and simple ways of decorating our nails.

Easy enough.

Practice makes perfect

Then came the necessary step of having to set-up our tools, cotton pads, orange sticks and nail polish -- having everything at the ready helps to reduce your chances of bumping a nail or two.

So what did I learn in class? Here are a few highlights...

• An all-in-one base/top coat isn't as good as their counterparts. While you might be saving money by buying a double-acting performer, you'll also be effecting the longevity of your manicure. Chips abound.
• Paint brushes purchased from the craft store also make for the best and most cost-effective nail art tools. The same goes for glitter and rhinestones.
• A toothpick can be used as a dotting tool. Want fatter dots? Dull the point by firmly tapping it on a hard surface.
• Love blue nail polish, but hate that it stains your nails? Apply a base coat.
• Want perfect lines, shapes and patterns? Just add tape. The trick is to wait at least 24-hours before even thinking about adhering tape to your nails or you'll run the risk of pulling the polish off of your nails.
• Reinforcements work as guides and help with achieving an awesome moon manicure.
• Over your sparkly mani? Wrap your tips with acetone soaked cotton pads and tinfoil in order to expedite the glitter removal process.
• Tunnel vision -- take this into consideration and move your hand away from your face every now and then in order to gain some perspective while decorating your nails.
• Still file your nails in one direction? Feel free to file whichever way you please, because the modern-day emery board won't tear up your nails like its predecessor once did.

Need a boost? You can also look forward to a glass of bubbles (or two) and nibbles -- it was a perfect way to get to know each other a little better as well.

Keep in mind, the things I listed above is only a fraction of what you'll take away from attending Erin's three hour nail art workshop.

It's all in the hands

All that glitters

Aside from leaving with polished nails, you can also look forward to taking home a goodie bag. Whee!

The goods

The setting was very much an open forum -- no question or idea was judged or thought to be stupid and not once did I feel intimated to test my newfound skills.

Put that in your pipe, Klutz Nail Art book!

Want a night out with your Mom and your sister? Have a hen's night on the horizon? Or, you're looking to hone your skills? Visit Blonde Tiger for more information.

If you do go, don't forget to ask Erin about one of the many ways to use Elmer's glue :)

And the woman behind Blonde Tiger, here's a glimpse inside Erin's makeup bag.

*This class was complimentary (thanks for a fun night in, Erin). Thoughts and ramblings written here are completely my own.

Fun nails for Tough Bloke

Ombre in blue

Tomorrow I'll be participating in Tough Bloke, a 7km course filled with running, climbing, mud, more climbing and did I mention mud? As a way to boost my spirits and to help quell my fears during the run, I opted to paint varying shades of blue on my digits.

If you'd like to try this look for yourself, here are the colours I used to complete this look:

• Essie's Mint Candy Apple on my pinky
• Hello Darling's Tramonto on my ring finger
• Essie's Mezmerised on my middle finger
• Butter London's Royal Navy on my index finger
• Butter London's Union Jack Black on my thumb

Here's to jumping in mud pits and climbing walls twice my height without taking the girl out of Nicole.

Pictures of my journey to follow.

Essence Circus Circus

After seeing posts of the Essence Circus Circus collection popping up, I've been stalking my closest Priceline for weeks! The fun theme, packaging, and shades drew me in. I picked up 02 My Glammy Acrobat Lip Lacquer; 01 Applause, Applause Lip Lacquer; 04 Cotton Candy Colour3 Nail Polish; 01 It's Magic Highlighter Powder; 02 Raise the Curtain for... Longlasting Eyeshadow; and 01 It's Magic Lip Topper.

Essence Circus Circus swatches

The Lip Lacquers come with a doe-foot applicator; the texture of these is similar to a lipstain, yet it remains shiny on the lips like a gloss. I found My Glammy Acrobat to have a slight cherry scent. My Glammy Acrobat is a vivid hot pink and Applause, Applause is a cool strawberry red. Both are comfortable to wear, but application was a bit tricky since the watery texture made it a bit difficult to get a sharp, clean line.

Wearing My Glammy Acrobat Lip Lacquer

Wearing Applause, Applause Lip Lacquer

It's Magic Highlighter Powder is a fantastic value, 9g/0.31oz of product for less than $6! The texture is smooth, however, it's not as finely milled as higher end products given the price, but I can't complain. In the powder there is a big-top tent embossed that should last through several uses. I swatched it alongside my favourite highlighter, TheBalm's Mary-Lou Manizer; It's Magic is more yellowy gold and a bit less pigmented -- I think it would make a great everyday highlighter because it's not too flashy.

Left - Essence 01 It's Magic & Right - TheBalm Mary-Lou Manizer under direct sunlight

Left - Essence 01 It's Magic & Right - TheBalm Mary-Lou Manizer

Cotton Candy Colour3 Nail Polish consists of a vivid pink creme on one side and a pink glitter top coat on the other side. The pink creme was surprisingly opaque as I was able to cover my nail line in just one coat. The pink glitter top coat is suspended in a clear base and contains pink glitter which flashes a bright purple shade. So far I've been wearing it for one day and notice no chips or dents, just barely noticeable tip wear on the middle finger.

Essence Circus Circus Colour3 Nail Polish in 04 Cotton Candy

Essence Circus Circus Colour3 Nail Polish in 04 Cotton Candy in direct sunlight

Raise the Curtain for…Longlasting Eyeshadow is a shimmery taupe cream eyeshadow. The texture has a little bit of slip like a mousse product and when I applied it I had to pull my finger across my eyelid to deposit colour instead of patting my finger like I do for most cream eyeshadows. I wore this over a primer and it lasted all day without fading and experienced just a tiny bit of creasing, which is not bad considering I didn't set it with a powder eyeshadow. It's almost as if Maybelline's Colour Tattoos in Audacious Asphalt, Bad to the Bronze and Tough as Taupe had a baby.

Essence 02 Raise the Curtain for...comparisons

It's Magic is also the name of the Lip Topper, a glittery gold lip gloss. It comes out of the tube looking quite yellow, but it adds a nice golden shimmer to the lips. It's especially pretty when applied the to centre of the lips to create a fuller look.

Wearing It's Magic Lip Topper + Applause, Applause Lip Lacquer

As with any Essence Trend Edition, I recommend going to check them out sooner rather than later as the products fly off the shelves quite quickly! The Circus Circus collection is exclusive to Priceline. The Lip Lacquers are $3.50, It's Magic Highlighter Powder is $5.95, It's Magic Lip Topper is $3.95, Colour3 Nail Polishes are $5.50, and Longlasting Eyeshadows are $5.50.

Essence is cruelty-free :)