Cremes from Kokie

Samples provided for review

 

I recently got a package from Kokie with some polishes to try. Rather than try to cram all six polishes I received into one post and not get to play with them as much as I'd like, I decided to split them up, starting with a trio of classic cremes I thought looked good together: Café Ole, Chill Seeker, and Playing Games.

 

Café Ole is a rosy tan that's almost "mannequin hands" on me. Though on the pale side of brown, it's pigmented enough that two coats was enough for full coverage.

 

 

Chill Seeker is a dusty rose. I used only one coat for my swatch.

 

 

Playing Games is a deep berry and another one-coater.

 

 

I plussed Playing Games with dots of Café Ole and Chill Seeker, then dotted those dots with more Playing Games. I used clear topcoat to smooth over the dots (which made it a bit more shiny than my lighting and camera setup was quite ready for, though I think you can see enough beside the glare to get the idea).

 

 

Because I thought these three looked good together, I also did an ombre with them. For my pinky, I mixed some black into a small pool of Playing Games I poured out onto a plastic tray I use for such things. (If I'd done my thumb, I probably would have done the same with white and Café Ole.) I think this is a great way to wear classic shades in an interesting way.

 

 

You can see (and buy) the full range of shades on the Kokie website. There's also a store locator if you'd prefer to shop in person. I've bought them before at Rite Aid and Bed Bath & Beyond; they're also now at Sally Beauty (in stores and online) and some Albertson's locations.

 

 

The polishes shown in this entry were provided to me free for review purposes. The content of the entry was not dictated by the provider, and I get to keep the polishes for my own use.

Swapping Fun

If you've been reading this blog a while, you know I've done a swap around Halloween time every year for the last several with Akuma Kanji of Under the Gravity's Nails. Last year, that got a bit messed up, what with me dealing with my mom's passing and estate stuff, and Akuma was perfectly understanding. Still, I'd bought a few things very early in the year in anticipation of our swap, so it seemed good to add a few more and get a small package off to her last fall. Except I didn't get it off quite in time for Halloween, so now she's got party supplies for 2017. Ah well.

Even though this wasn't a usual swap, Akuma had some things for me as well; since I was traveling so much the last few months, she waited to mail until I got back, so earlier this month I got what's essentially an early Christmas present. Just look at all this fun stuff she sent:



The fishy notebook and matching zip bags are so cute! The five Kiko Smart Fast Dry lacquers are perched on some jams that look very tasty.

Here's a closer look at the polishes:



Left to right—34 Cool Gold, 14 Rouge Noir, 4 Rosy Nude, 32 Peacock Green, 43 Silver.

I just had to try Peacock Green first. This is a green-leaning blue shimmer; two coats was plenty for full coverage, and it did dry quickly. I think it's a really pretty color, just not green like Kiko seems to think it is (maybe that's a translation issue on the US website).





I also tried the other four colors all together, starting with a base of Rosy Nude, which is indeed rosy, a pale dusty rose creme. It's not quite the same shade of nude that I am, but it definitely complements my skintone. I used two coats of this.



Then I added dots of the last three colors. The gold and silver didn't really pop against the rose, but they do add some glimmer and gleam for sure.



Many thanks to Akuma for my new pretties!

More Swap Goodies

I was lucky to do a second international swap late last year, with Maria of Un poco de esmaltes. In a twist, she was traveling to the US so I shipped to her at her hotel and she shipped to me via the US Postal Service, which meant less expense and customs hassle. She packed a lot of lovelies into this cute bag:



She also wrote a note telling me which brands came from which countries, so I grouped the bottles that way for their photos, starting with the ones from Brazil. Left to right: Risque Color Effect in Granulado Rose and Nuvem de Paete, Linha Degradê da DNA Italy ombre kit in Lilás, Hits Phenomena in Air Glow, Miss Rôse unnamed color in an adorable apple bottle.



Brands from Columbia: Masglo in Brillo Escarlata and Vogue Fantastic Efecto Tornasol in Centella.



Brands from Argentina: Diva Duo Chrome Lilacblue, Cuvage 50, EV Arandano Dorado, Desseo Fantasia 1, Dulce Diallo Japon Okinawa, Amodil Spiagge (not sure of shade name), Laqueada in Clone Wars.



I couldn't resist the apple bottle, so started with the Miss Rôse, which is an autumnal orange creme. I used two coats.



The cap of this is unusual, too—sort of a wing shape.



I added two coats of Risque Granulado Rose to three of my fingers because glitter is usually a good idea.



I was curious about the DNA ombre kit, so tried that next. I first put the creme shade on; this was nicely pigmented and only took two coats, which was great for a light color like this. Then I added the sheer purple topcoat: one coat on my index finger building to four coats on my pinky. The topcoat was very thin so even adding four coats to the two of the creme didn't make that nail look too overloaded with polish.



I topped two coats of the Vogue duochrome shimmer with one of the Masglo glitter. I unfortunately didn't get a really good picture of the combination but hope this shot shows how the glitter blended with the brown/rust side of the duochrome shift and contrasted but still coordinated with the olive green side.



The black and white Laqueada glitter topper went perfectly over a base of two coats the Cuvage hot purple creme.



I finished my swatching session with the two milky glitters, putting two coats of the Dulce Diallo on my index finger and three coats of the Desseo on my other digits.



Even in retirement, I still run out of time to swatch before I run out of polish, but I hope to try the other lovelies from this swap one day soon.

Pretties from Portugal

As we've done the past several years, Akuma Kanji of Under the Gravity's Nails and I did a swap in the fall. Portuguese customs being what they are, she barely got the package I sent with Halloween goodies and polish in time for Halloween. I didn't have any trouble getting the package she sent, just trouble finding time to enjoy the contents, what with the house stuff and getting ready to relocate. But now things are settling down some, thank goodness, so I can share all the pretties she sent.

Let's kick off the fun with some bright colors from Inocos. These three are from the Maria Vaidosa (Vain Maria) collection: Verde Neon (Neon Green), Laranja Neon (Neon Orange), and Violeta Neon (Neon Purple). I know the translations because Akuma wrote out labels for me and stuck them on the back of the packages; she makes it so easy for me. :)



Two more from Inocos: Pequeno Pónei Fofinho (Cute Little Pony) from the Pequenos Póneis (Little Ponies) collection and Lindo como o Céu (Beautiful as the Sky) from the Raquel e Tufão collection.



Two from the Risqué Jóias Místicas (Mystical Jewels) collection: Topázio Púrpura (Purple Topaz) and Pedra Granada (Garnet Stone).



Kiko Power Pro (my first from this line): 37 Ocean, 30 Taupe, 04 Rose Sand, and 20 Cyclamen.



Catrice Limited Edition Lumination colors: Cosmic Pink, Stargazer, Interstellar, and HoloGREYphic.



More Catrice, Greyday Greyday and She Said Yes in Her Red Dress, and two Kiko Velvet Satin shades, 690 Misty Pink and 697 Midnight Blue.



Essence #secret party colors flanking one from the gel line: Pink Up Your Life, Too Pool for School, Bubble Gum, Swimming Pool to Go, and Keep Calm and Party On.



Andreia Higicol 85, Layla Softouch Effect 11 Mudhattan, Layla Hologram Effect 07 Ocean Rush, and Miyo Mini Drops 43 Menta.



Adorable little bag and a caviar nail kit with some of the sweets (others were eaten before they made it to photography).



With so many lovelies, it was hard to know where to start, especially knowing I couldn't try them all right away. I bravely proceeded with the Catrice Lumination colors, pairing them up so as not to use up too much at one time.

Top two fingers below are Stargazer and the bottom two are Interstellar. I used two coats of each, which I thought was great for such light colors. I might have even been able to get away with one thick coat of these.



Below, the top two fingers have three coats of HoloGREYphic (not holo, not grey on the nail, but pretty), the next has two of Cosmic Pink topped with one of HoloGREYphic, which turns out is not really a great layering polish even though I thought it might be, and the bottom finger has two coat of Cosmic Pink alone.



I decided to throw caution to the wind and do full hand swatches of the Kiko Velvet Satin colors, starting with 690 Misty Pink. This covered beautifully in two coats and wow, did I love the finish. I fancied I could see a bit of shimmer in the bottle, but on the nail it was just a soft glowy satin look.



The other Velvet Satin, 697 Midnight Blue, was also beautiful, and the shimmer in this one did show on the nail, very subtly. I used two coats but one might have sufficed.



I went from the elegance of the Velvet Satins to having fun with brighter colors from Essence. I combined Keep Calm and Party On, a soft orange creme, Pink Up Your Life, a coral pink creme, with The Gel in Bubble Gum, a sheer shimmery jelly. Top to bottom: Keep Calm alone at 3 coats, Keep Calm tips with two coats of Bubble Gum, Pink Up alone at 3 coats, and Pink Up tips with two coats of Bubble Gum for a funky French. The shimmer in Bubble Gum is scattered and invisible from some angles, but a nice surprise when it does pop.



Thanks to my friend I've never met for sending all these lovelies I'd not be able to get otherwise!

Treats from Across the Sea

Yesterday I caught up with my display posting; today I am catching up with my swap posting. I haven't been swapping much at all recently, just with a few special friends where we've got a good rapport established and the swapping is easy (well, the communication and shopping and such is easy; the parts we can't control like the postal service and customs isn't always). The proprietess of Under the Gravity's Nails is one of these friends; we did another big swap with each other last fall, and it's taken me this long to say a public thank you. Not because I didn't love what she sent but because I am so easily distracted.

As often happens, I don't appear to have taken any photos of the edible bits before I started eating them. I am only slightly embarrassed to admit that I sucked some of the honey right out of the packets rather than putting it in my tea, the better to appreciate it. There were other sweets, too, besides the honey, tasty little sugared jelly squares and the like. Maybe someday I'll have the self control to snap photos first, then eat, but perhaps not. There are reasons I'm not a food blogger.

On to the non-edibles now ... there was a charming little notebook and two exotic to me soaps:



Postcards of places maybe I will one day be fortunate to see some of with my own eyes:



And then the polish ... so much polish! There was a set of three liquid metals polishes:



Another set of ombre polishes in purple:



O Boticário make B. polishes in fancy boxes—Cacau, Verde, Azul Sixties, and Lilás Sixties:



A quartet from Flormar—413, 454, BT01 Cookie Monster, and BT03 Princess Castle:



Some cuties from Essence—Kiss Me Freddy, Sparkle Sand in Hello Rosy, It's Raining Men, and Electric Feathers That's My Pop Cake (there's another polish that should be here but I'd pulled it aside to admire and neglected to put it back; you'll see it on my nails in a bit):



A bounty from Catrice—Be My Violetine, Glitterazzi, Blue and a Half Men, London Calling, Mind the Red, English Rose, Brit Chick, and Hyde In the Park:



Plus two of the Catrice Luxury Lacquers Million Brilliance line, My Big Green Wedding and Plum Fiction:



A sextext of Kiko—Quick Dry 856 and 859, 387 and 373, Quick Dry 857 and 813:



Essence Hello Autumn Thermo Effect—Charlie Seen in Green, Meet My Pumpkin, and Keep Calm & Go for a Walk:



MO by Beaty Express in 22 and 02:



Inocos Cinzento Real and Bola de Pêlo:



My Label Perfect Cover 35 and Risqué Bali:



Catrice My Big Green Wedding was the first of these to get on my nails, as an accent in my pre-Christmas meetup mani, so that's where I started, with the two Luxury Lacquers. This is two coats of Plum Fiction (almost a one-coater) on all but my accent nail, which is two coats of My Big Green Wedding. All nails have topcoat to smooth things out. I love the depth of these; if Catrice were on offer here, I'd hunt down more of the collection.



MO by Beauty Express 22 reminded me a lot of my beloved Essie Bikini So Teeny, balanced between blue and purple with a subtle shimmer. I need to do a comparison someday, but this strikes me as leaning more purple and with a less shy shimmer than the Essie. It's gorgeous regardless. This swatch is two coats, no topcoat.



I topped it with the Essence missing from the group shot, Essence Effect Party Jewels in Party Never Ends. I did two coats, the second one more dabbed than stroked on, and added clear topcoat as well. There is quite a party going on in that glitter, with everything from tiny tiny needles of bar glitter to flashy silver holo diamond glitter. Quite fun!



I liked the first MO by Beauty Express so much I tried the other one immediately. 02 is a pinkish light tan creme, wonderfully behaved, especiall for such a light color; my swatch is two coats.



02 was elegant and sophisticated on its own, but it could mix it up with the party crowd, too; I topped it with two coats of Essence Electric Feathers That's My Pop Cake plus topcoat. This glitter has small reddish pink particles accented by slender silver holo bars.



I did another combination with the other Essence Electric Feathers, Gold Fingers, which has small gold glitter and slightly bigger silver holo bars than That's My Pop Cake. I did one coat of it over two coats of Flormar 454, an olive green creme. I didn't add topcoat over the glitter and was pleased to see it wasn't especially bumpy.



I wrapped up my play session by combining Kiko Quick Dry 813, a mossy brown shimmer, with an accent nail of Inocos Bola de Pêlo, a tan with subtle silver shimmer. I used two coats of each color. The Inocos was fine without topcoat; I think the Kiko would have benefitted from some extra shine.



I would have loved to try the rest of these but unfortunately I do have to go to work and do other things. Someday maybe I will manage to get the rest of these on my nails—or at the very least nail wheels. Even if that takes a long while, I'm very happy to have them all in my stash.