butter LONDON Fall-Winter 09 Swatches & Review

I’ve been champing at the bit to get my hands on butter LONDON‘s British Racing Green ever since I eyed it backstage at Vena Cava during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week last February. A couple months ago we got a peek a the rest of the Fall/Winter collection and now I finally have it in my hot little hands.

A set of five diverse and unique shades, Creative Director Nonie Creme designed this collection to give women colors with personality that punch up the muted tones seen on the runways. Check them out after the jump!

First off, let’s talk about what’s new for Fall 2009; a revamped butter LONDON bottle. Hearing your criticism regarding the hard to remove outer cap, bL has replaced it with an easy glide version. No longer shall we debate whether you’re supposed to polish with the outer cap on or off. The decorative raven printed on the inner cap solves that mystery.

Now on to the polish. The formula with these is on par with a couple noted exceptions. Rosie Lee, being a clear based glitter, required three coats as did Pearly Queen (the frosty white). Unfortunately my travel schedule to NYC limited my time so rather than wait until next week when I return, I did some quick one finger swatches for you.

Of course I had to do a full mani with British Racing Green. How could I resist?? The shade reminds me of a vintage MG convertible only better because of the shimmer. We’re not talking standout sparkle but the shade is so vivid that even in incandescent light I can pick up on it. Hand this polish a prize because it’s a winner!
The name Rosie Lee kind of speaks for itself. A sweet, dazzling rosy pink it becomes foil-like in the sun.
Scoundrel is a medium reddish lilac creme that’s just dark enough for me to avoid “alien hand” syndrome. It’s not bright but it definitely has a kick!
Can you say pumpkin? Minger‘s warm undertones give this nontraditional fall bright a sesonally appropriate feel.
Pearly Queen is my only disappointment in the bunch. It’s plagued with brush stroke issues and the hue just doesn’t work on me. To put up with brush marks I better LOVE the color.
The butter LONDON Fall/Winter 09 collection retails for $14/ea or get the Fashionista’s Favourites Fall 2009 pack and receive all 5 polishes for $45. The collection is on sale now at butterLondon.com and coming soon to Beauty.com.

What do we think Fanatics? Are you dying over British Racing Green like I am? Which fall bL’s do you plan to purchase?

butter LONDON on The Fairest

Hey Fanatics! Have I got news for you. The butter LONDON sale on The Fairest starts TODAY! Whether you’re new to the brand or a long time fan, now is the time to stock up on their amazing line of polishes and treatments. All items are 50% OFF!!

If you’re unsure what to buy, head over to the Who’s The Fairest? blog and read about my favorite butter LONDON products. The sale only lasts 3 DAYS so get to shopping and then come tell us what you hauled.

Peace, Love & Polish, Michelle

Matte Top Coats – Let’s Compare

Love it or hate it, Matte Nails are the big trend for Fall. With all the matte nail polish collections coming out, it will be a hard style to ignore. If you’re not ready to jump in feet first, why not try a matte top coat instead? Using them to mattify any polish in your arsenal makes it a more versatile and budget friendly way to embrace the look. Give your tried and true shades an update with a new finish. From flat to satin there are a plethora of choices in the non-glossy top coat realm and I’ve tried them all so you don’t have to. Check out the results after the jump!

First things first. There are certain things you give up in using a matte top coat.

1. These are not fast drying products so you have to be willing to put in the time to get the look.
2. The more matte the top coat, the more unforgiving it is. Brush strokes or unevenness can plague you if your application isn’t perfect. As with all new things, practice, practice, practice.
3. Matte top coats absorb oil and water as you go about your daily routine so the finish will become more satin over time.

Essie Matte About You ($10, essie.com) and Rescue Beauty Lounge Matte Top Coat ($18, RescueBeauty.com) are the most mattifying top coats I’ve come across. If you desire that truly flat finish this is your best option. The cloudiness does lighten the shade a touch but not significantly.

Nubar V For Men Matte Finish Nail Protector ($8.99, ByNubar.com) comes in a close 2nd to Essie and RBL in terms matte-ness and I love that it’s more forgiving in terms of application. It applies smooth and even every time.

Now for those wanting a satin style nail, the next three options are ideal. They take down the gloss giving a more buffed look. Orly Matte Top Coat is actually discontinued but still available on Head2ToeBeauty.com for $4.95 so get it while supplies last.
Orly Nails for Males ($6.99, SallyBeauty.com) performs similarly to the Matte Top Coat in spite of its dark appearance.

Finally, Barielle’s Matte-inee Top Coat will be launching soon on Barielle.com.

I received quite a few questions regarding InStyle’s June issue. One of the tips in the Summer beauty section was about matte nails. They suggested using “your base coat as a top coat to remove the shine from your lacquer.”

Here’s my problem with that. They showed ="font-weight: bold;">butter London’s Nail Foundation ($18, butterLondon.com) as an example yet they neglected to explain that only ridge filling base coats dry matte. Using your clear or tacky base coats won’t achieve that look. Overly opaque or shimmery ridge fillers won’t get it done either.

Nonie Creme of butter London used her Nail Foundation over Yummy Mummy backstage at Alexander Wang to matte down the shine and in this instance using a base coat totally worked. She even sent me a pic from her iPhone to share with you (above).

However when I used it over my test shade, OPI No Room For The Blues, it didn’t turn out as well. The nude pigmentation in the base changed the color drastically. If you don’t mind that, it’s a simple mattifying solution but I still prefer a matte top coat.

So did this clear up a lot of your questions reagarding matte top coats? Which do you prefer… matte top coats or matte polish? Or do you wish this whole matte thing would just go away already? Sound off Fanatics!

butter London Fall/Winter 2009 Fashionista’s Favourites Sneak Peek

OK so you remember that ah-mazing green from butter London that I spotted backstage at the Vena Cava show during New York Fashion Week? At the time, it seemed like forever until we’d get the chance to wear it. Well, the launch date is getting closer and closer and I have a preview of British Racing Green and the rest of the Fall 2009 butter London collection. Nonie Creme, butter London Creative Director: Designers were firmly focused on retail-friendly clothes this season. The collections were monochromatic, with shape, drape, and structure being the main story and lace used across the board for lingerie style details. Nails will be a huge part of your F/W wardrobe this year. Interesting nail colours with specific “personalities” will give you an opportunity to reinvent the many black, grey, and neutral outfits on offer. I designed a broad spectrum of colours for the Fall/Winter 2009 Fashionista’s Favourites.

British Racing Green – The international motor racing colour of Great Britain. This green used to be the standard paint colour on all Formula One racecars in the days before sponsorship.

Dark, “hunter green” that was the backstage darling when used at the F/W 2009 shows.

Minger – British street slang for an ugly person. “Did you see that face? What a minger!”

An edgy burnt orange like the one featured on the Philip Lim and Prada catwalks. This shade “ups” the fashion factor of any outfit.

Scoundrel – An unprincipled, dishonorable person, villain, or scamp. Your ex-boyfriend, your builder, and your boss rolled into one.

A medium tone purplish-mauve that can appear darker or lighter depending on what clothing you are wearing.
Pearly Queen – A Pearly Queen is a woman dressed in a traditional Cockney costume covered in mother-of-pearl buttons.

A winter white with an added pearl sheen for softness and depth, making it beautifully wearable.

Rosie Lee – Cockney Rhyming slang for a cup of tea. “Put the kettle on Love, I fancy a Rosie Lee.”

A parade of pale pink glitter that will lift your spirits AND your outfit.

I won’t have actual samples to show you for a bit but according to Nonie, we should expect new packaging with this collection. Hmm, I wonder what it will look like. The bottle of Thames I have from over two years ago was square with a thin rounded cap, then came the flat wide bottles & caps.

Any predictions on how the shape will change? Which colors tickle your fancy? Share!

Butter London Fashionista’s Favourites

Happy Friday Fanatics! I hope you’re gearing up for a fun weekend and 4th of July celebration (for US readers). Today I have the butter London Spring/Summer Fashionista’s Favourites to show you. It’s a lineup of five new colors, four cremes and one metallic, created by high fashion manicurist and Creative Director Nonie Creme. Take a peek after the jump!

As I’ve come to expect from bL’s 3 Free formula, the consistency is on the medium-to-thick side yet the polishes apply very smooth and even, with one noted exception (Muggins). The lacquer dries fast and glossy and even though pulling off the outer square cap can be a struggle, it does make application much easier using just the round inner cap.

You saw Artful Dodger on me when I discussed Miley Cyrus’ nails. It’s my favorite shade in the collection and it’s been sitting on my desk for a few weeks now so I can stare at it while I work. It’s just such a happy color, a shade I’d LOVE to see in the sky if these darn rainclouds would ever vacate the CLE. So I’ll continue to stare at Artful Dodger and wait for some much needed sun.

The Old Bill is a warm old gold metallic. You know how I feel about the issues metallics bring to the party but guess what?? The Old Bill isn’t plagued by them. There’s no streaking, no monster brush strokes, no weird pooling or anything. It applies like a freakin’ dream in two thin coats. LOVE IT!!

Muggins is my problem child of the bunch. I’m already leery of pale purples but this one applied terribly. After three streaky coats I gave up. I tried with this one but for a color I know won’t work with my skin tone, it wasn’t worth it. I even added top coat to try and even it out and it STILL looked lumpy. PASS!

Cheeky Chops is perfect for the whole yellow trend that’s happening. It’s a vibrant banana pudding type shade. Bright but not neon, buttery but not pastel. Pretty dead on perfect if you ask me.

Blowing Raspberries doesn’t really blow my hair back, no pun intended. It’s a rich berry red creme not overly unusual. Though what did impress me was the application and pigmentation. It’s almost a one coater and so damn smooth. I’d call it a goof-proof red.
The butter London Fashionista’s Favourites are currently on sale through butterLondon.com or Beauty.com. Individual polishes retail for $14 or you can buy the entire set for $45 (bl) or $50 (Beauty.com).

So what do we think fanatics? Who’s got big plans for the 4th? Or just fun plans in general?

AND DON’T FORGET TO ENTER MY CHANEL GIVEAWAY THAT ENDS TONIGHT!