Essie "Cute as a button" dupe?

You guys probably already know the brand KIKO Milano, I tend to compare lots of nail polish shades with their vast (and cheap) collection. I probably have around... 15-20 KIKO nail polishes. Amazing quality, great brush which makes application a breeze, no strokes to be seen, and SO INEXPENSIVE!

So, dang, when I'm able to pass on a more expensive colour for a KIKO dupe, I'm quite happy to, but as I have to look at swatches online, I don't know if it really is similar or not.

I wanted to ask you guys: is KIKO 281 (below) a dupe for Essie's "Cute as a button"? 

I used a fisheye effect on my camera, that's why the pictures look a bit distorted! 

What do you think? Are they dupes or not remotely alike?

Love,

Maria.

Upgrading my camera.

I had some issues with my compact camera (a 5-year-old Casio), and some weeks ago, it definitely stopped focusing at all, and I was left without a compact camera to take on my trips this summer! 

So yesterday, I bought a Canon IXUS 230 HS, and I couldn't be happier with my purchase. It takes the most amazing macro shots, and is a great camera all around. I definitely see the huge difference between my last camera and this one. 

This also means, better blog pictures, yay!

Eye candy

Trial picture:

(My lashes without mascara)

It's amazing for macro pictures! 

I'm having a blast with this camera! 

NY/US Haul

My mother went to New York last week (she's an air hostess) so I asked her to please bring home some things that we can't buy in Spain or that are very difficult to get. It's a little haul, I wish I had asked her for more things that I had forgotten, but when you have the chance, you tend to forget all those things you wanted to buy.

So here are the products she bought for me in the US:

1. Revlon Just Bitten Kissable in Lovesick and Sweetheart

Top: Sweetheart, Bottom: Lovesick

Top: Lovesick; Bottom: Sweetheart

I really love these!

They give a HUGE punch of colour, even if they're supposed to be balms, they're not like the Clinique Chubby Sticks, because these also leave a very strong stain behind, which stays on for the rest of the day. It has a peppermint smell and taste at the beginning, but once you have it on for more than 5 minutes, it's gone, so don't worry about it too much. They are really soft and buttery, so they won't dry out your lips.

I have "Sweetheart" (a very bright, warm toned pink that really suits my warm skin tones) and "Lovesick" (a more cool-toned pink, mauvey even, that works for a more natural look but adds that pop of colour that makes me look polished.)

I deeply regret not asking her to buy me Rendezvous, even if it's a very bright orange, in summer you can pull that off. I just wanted to be safe and ask for colours I knew I'd definitely wear. 

On my lips: Sweetheart

On my lips: Lovesick

2. MAC Impassioned

MAC Impassioned

If you love bright lipsticks like I do, be sure to check this one out, because it has blown my mind! It's the perfect hot pink with a hint of coral/orangey tones, which makes my eyes pop and is great for summer, but it will definitely be my go-to in winter too! 

It's an Amplified type of lipstick, which means it's a strong colour and not sheer at all, but it is creamy and not matte and drying. I really love the finish, and you can blot it so that you get a more matte finish too! 

(& I LOVE the scent of MAC lipsticks!)

MAC is available in Spain, don't get me wrong, but so often they are out of stock, and they receive items every now and then, so it was easier to get it from the US.

On my lips: Impassioned

3. NARS Soft Touch Eyeshadow Pencil in Celebrate 

NARS Celebrate

I have a thing for bright makeup, and I definitely never wear two bright things at the same time, but if I wear a nude lip, what's better than a very bright eyeliner? 

This chartreuse liner is BEAUTIFUL, definitely makes green eyes pop, and I use it to line the waterline too, which I just tried yesterday (sorry, not on the picture below), and it's just the best look for a summer night! It's very soft, and yet very pigmented, and doesn't seem to move once on the lid, although I have "Aigle Noir" and that DOES move sometimes. So wear primer, just in case! 

I'd pair this with a bit of black eyeliner in the top waterline to make the eyelashes stand out more, and some black mascara (I'm not a huge fan of fake eyelashes). 

As with MAC, NARS is also available in Spain, but this eye pencil was out of stock. 

Celebrate, on my eyelid. 

(Sorry for the blurry picture, I was unable to make my camera focus at such a short distance)

I really hoped you like these products, and I definitely recommend all of them, because there's not one of them which has disappointed me, and especially if you can get hold of the Revlon Just Bitten balms, you'll be glad you did, really! 

Love,

Maria.

Butter London: Disco Biscuit

Butter London "Disco Biscuit"

I am in love.

What else can I say? Lately I've been loving fuchsias and pinks, not only for nails but for lips too! When "Disco Biscuit" arrived, I was so excited I couldn't even open the box properly! (BTW, I bought this on The Beauty Booth, and they have free international shipping! Hallelujah!) 

For starters, let me tell you this isn't a very opaque nail polish, but it's VERY bright, so it's a combination I'm not very used to. It has the consistency of a gel, and it dries pretty quickly.

1 coat

As you can see, it's quite a translucent gel so you need to apply 3-4 coats depending on how much product you put on every coat. However, drying time is short so it doesn't make application a nuisance but more of a ritual. 

1 coat

2 coats

When it's already dry, it has a matte and gritty finish, which I personally don't love. But, don't worry, a coat or two of clear shine top coat (mine is by KIKO cosmetics) will do the trick. 

With a thick layer of top coat

As you can see, the colour is a bright pink/fuchsia infused with blue micro-glitter, which just adds to the sensation of gel nails, and you can't stop looking at them. It is a wonderful colour for summer! 

3-4 layers of "Disco Biscuit" and 1-2 layers of top coat

Veredict?

I have a thing for pinks, and I can't get over this nail polish. I literally sat waiting at a bus stop looking at my nails, that's how much I adore them! 

It is a bright and amazing colour for summer, really, and if you love brights, then you will definitely adore this. And take into account that, while there are MANY pink polishes out there, I haven't seen one to compete with how beautiful this one is! 

Price?

It's £12 - 15,2€ - $18.6, on The Beauty Booth, but maybe you can get a lower price in different stores.

Have you ever tried any Butter London polishes? Any recommendations? Would you try "Disco Biscuit"?  

Love,

Maria.

Best coral nail polish: H&M Check Me Out

I love coral. But I REALLY love corals to be more pink than orange, for some reason. I thought maybe NARS' "Trouville" would be a great acquisition, even Butter London's "Trout Pout", which certainly makes my heart skip a beat! (I think they are both VERY similar, but Trouville is lighter.)

The other day, I discovered the most beautiful coral nail polish, although not pastel like "Trout Pout" and "Trouville", was H&M's "Check Me Out", thanks to a friend's recommendation.

It's 3,99€ so it's not a very expensive nail polish at all! It's not the cheapest either, but I think it's one of the cheapest in my collection. So, in other countries, this might me around 4-5$, and 2£, more or less. 

(It doesn't look that soft in this picture, but believe me or not, 

I took this picture at 2pm and I don't know why it turned out so dark!)

It definitely looks pink on flash pictures, and under the sunlight it's a very soft pink with orange undertones. It's bright, but at the same time, not TOO bright to be inappropriate in formal occasions such as work interviews, but it adds a pop of colour that looks very summery but at the same time, acceptable all year round. 

(The colour shown on the thumb here is a very accurate representation of what the colour really looks like,

and not the previous darker pictures)

It's a very warm pink, and I think it suits many different skin types! It looks positively neon-esque under the sunlight, and for summer, it creates a beautiful look!

(The right side of the bottle is a very accurate way of seeing 

what the colour really looks like under the sunlight)

The packaging is very similar to Butter London's, as you can see here, although if you take H&M's polish's cap off, there isn't a second cap, but I think H&M's brush makes application more comfortable than Butter London's. 

I've been wearing H&M's "Check Me Out" for three days now, and there are no chips. I have to say, however, that you need three coats to achieve full opacity. 

I don't know if this is a limited colour, because I don't really know too much about the permanent line of H&M's nail polishes, but there are very bright and beautiful colours (I actually saw a similar colour to Butter London's "Slapper") so I definitely recommend you to check them out! 

Veredict?

I definitely love this nail polish, in case you still hadn't noticed! This is the perfect summer nail polish, I really fell in love with it from the start, and this will be my go-to colour for the rest of the summer, and probably, the year! 

The only possible perk? It MIGHT be limited edition, so I'm thinking it might be useful to buy a couple more just in case...

Have you ever tried H&M's single nail polishes? Will you give them a go after seeing what "Check Me Out" looks like?

Love, 

Maria.