OPI The Nutcracker & the Four Realms Advent Calendar 2018 // Days 22-25

Day 22 - Ginger's Revenge // Dark Red Creme

Nutcracker Collection Shade

Now these are the type of red shades I can get on board with. This is classic crimson and super shiny to boot. I was going to wear just one coat, but the second really adds depth. This is they type of shade I would wear all winter. It looks like we're off to a good start with the final week.

Day 23 - Bogota Blackberry // Red shimmer

Oh be still my beating heart; this shade is beautiful. It reminds me of this velvet two piece I bought from Missguided a couple of years ago. The shade itself is classic and screams opulence. I don't think I could just wear this to the office; it's definitely more for special occasions. I'm wearing one coat and frankly that's all you need.

Day 24 - Black to Reality // Black with red shimmer

Nutcracker Collection Shade
This is a nice shade with a lovely red shine that appears when the light hits it just right. I'm wearing two coats as the second once again gives it hella depth. In normal light shade looks black however, under lighting that red almost cat-eye like shimmer comes out. 

Day 25 - Black Cherry Chutney // Black with purple shimmer

And we end the calendar with what is basically the exact same shade as the last. This shade is ok but can you see a difference? I think because of the shimmer this would go nice with flaky polishes (especially with a matte top coat) but I'm a little disappointed that we didn't go out on a bang; just like the Ciaté calendar. I'm wearing two coats in the swatch and whereas it's darker and slightly more purple I think the previous shade was a much nicer black shimmer.

//Verdict

And we're done! It's finally done...or well I still have the Ciaté 2013 calendar to finish but at least the 2018 ones are out of the way. I'm actually quite glad I bought this calendar though as it's made me realise that OPI isn't really that great and there are much better and cheaper polish brands out there. For example, Cuccio, A-England and Morgan Taylor have impressed me way more than OPI polishes. The formulas have been quite thick and hard to apply and this calendar just didn't excite me the way the Ciaté one did. I think I'll pass on the OPI 2019 calendar now.

// Days 1 - 7
// Days 8 - 14
// Days 15 - 21

OPI The Nutcracker & the Four Realms Advent Calendar 2018 // Days 15-21

Day 15 - Envy The Adventure // Dark Green Creme

Nutcracker Collection Shade

I was not expecting myself to like this but I do. It's a shade of green I don't have in my collection either and is perfect for forest looks. I'm wearing one coat and that's all you need which is a welcome change from these polishes.

Day 16 - Tinker, Thinker, Winker? // Linear Holo

Nutcracker Collection Shade

This is my favourite shade out of the entire collection and I can't stop moving my fingers back and forth in the light to bring out the spectacular holo flame that appears down the middle. I'm wearing three coats with no base and it appears as a light silver however this is the first silver holographic shade that doesn't contain silver glitter; this is all holo. Layered on top of darker colours the flame really comes to life and one layer is just translucent enough to enhance any shade. I'll be buying this full size for sure.

Day 17 - Dreams Need Clara-fication // Sky Blue Creme

Nutcracker Collection Shade

So, this was the shade that made me take notice of the Nutcracker collection, as OPI made it look stunning  on their insta. Now I'm wearing it; I'm just like "meh." It's a nice blue shade but requires at least three coats due to streaky-ness and I could achieve the same look with something much cheaper like Barry M Gelly Hi Shine in Blueberry. At £3.99 they're practically identical.

Day 18 - Less is Norse // Dark Denim Blue Creme

When I was applying this I got hit by deja vu because it is a dead ringer for Ciaté Total Eclipsedwhich I just swatched for Day 15 of the Ciaté Mini Mani Month. However that is a shiny one coat dream and this is watered down version. I used two coats but it doesn't apply as nicely as the Ciaté version. The shade is a nice dark denim blue; just like Total Eclipse, so I don't hate it but if I had to choose between the two, I'd go for Ciaté.

Day 19 - Suzi & The Arctic Fox // Inky Black Creme with Purple tinge

The name of this colour makes absolutely no sense to me. I googled an Arctic Fox and they are pure white...The box also describes it as "bring out the fox in you with this purple kissed hue"...purple? I think this should've been named; Suzi & The Squid Ink because this is an inky black creme with a tinge of purple. I'm wearing two coats, which you definitely need because the first was extremely streaky. The strange name aside; I do like the shade as the purple hint gives it a little more depth than your average creme.

Day 20 - March in Uniform // Dark Navy Blue

Nutcracker Collection Shade

This is actually a shade of blue I've been looking for as it's dark but you can still tell it's blue. Most dark blues I have look almost black but this will be perfect for night skies and galaxy looks. I'm wearing two coats in the swatch.

Day 21 - Candied Kingdom // Dark Red Creme

Nutcracker Collection Shade

For those of you that have been reading this blog you may know I'm not the biggest fan of bright red shades; however I may make an exception for this one because for once it doesn't clash with my skin tone. It's slightly darker with a cool undertone and I could actually see myself wearing this on it's own. It applied beautifully as well (I'm wearing one coat) and clean up was relatively easy with little staining (which is nice for a red shade). A surprising end to the week. 

//Verdict

I'm almost done!! Just four more shades to go and then I have the Ciaté Mini Mani month from 2013 to finish. This week was actually quite a surprise and probably my favourite so far as the colours are more usable to me. I'm still not as wowed at the Ciaté 2018 calendar but I've found some good shades.

// Days 1 - 7
// Days 8 - 14

OPI The Nutcracker & the Four Realms Advent Calendar 2018 // Days 8-14

First off, what is up with the OPI shade names?? So many are practically sentences and super annoying as the mini ones have no label so I have to make stickers for them all...I feel like I'm going through Fallout Boy or Panic! At The Disco track names here.

Secondly, Happy New Years everyone! I have a feeling that 2019 is going to be a good one, especially since me and even numbered years just don't get along (the odd ones have always been better). Either way I hope you had a lovely holiday. This was my 2nd time since I was 13 that I've not had to work it and it really makes a difference being with friends and family. But onto the shades!

Day 8 - Reykjavik Has All The Hot Spots  // Pale Berry Shimmer

Finally a shade I really like! This applies well and has a subtle holo shimmer in the background. It is a little streaky as it appears to have a metallic finish but it's not bad for a muted polish. That said this is now the fourth pink/purple shade in a row....

Day 9 - A-rose at Noon, Broke by Dawn // Bright Pink Shimmer

And now it's five in a row! I'm wearing one coat in the photo but I'm not feeling this shade; it's too bright pink. It also has that streaky finish that a lot of OPI metallic shades have. 

Day 10 - Berry Fairy Fun // Purple Shimmer

Nutcracker Collection Shade

Another purple shade. I swatched all the shades onto a swatch wheel and almost half are in the pink/purple spectrum. I've noticed quite a few of the shades so far seem to have the same blue and purple shimmer bits in them as well, the last shade was the same. I'm wearing two coats as one is hella streaky but the overall effect is just a bit to 'eight-year-old' for my liking.

Day 11 - Dazzling Dew Drop // Gold Shimmer

Nutcracker Collection Shade

This looks much better than I thought it would. I imagined it to be a tacky yellow gold but it's actually a nice metallic foil-esque shade. I'm wearing two coats and that's really all you need for some shimmery goodness. This is perfect for special occasions and I can imagine it going nice with some white nails and gold stripes...gonna have to work on my striping tape skills though as this doesn't stamp well.

Day 12 - Samoan Sand // Light Peachy Nude Creme

I stopped at three coats of this watery creme but if you look close enough, it probably needs another one. I do like this shade though as it blends really well with my skin tone. For some this could be the perfect 'nude' polish. I imagine this would look nice matte with some 80's style Miami Vice designs stamped on top.

Day 13 - Berlin There Done That // Muted Lilac Creme

Well this was surprising. Last month I received the Infinite Shine version of this shade in Mani & Lola and as you can see they are completely two different shades...I'm not sure why you would give them the same name when the Infinite Shine version is clearly 2 shades darker. I'd also say the original formula is more of muted lilac and the Infinite a soft cocoa. Very strange. Regardless, another winning shade for me as this is more like what I use and I got away with just one coat. Also, the top photo makes the shade look lighter than it is; it's just a very bright light.

Day 14 - Lavendare to Find Courage // Bubblegum Pink Creme

Nutcracker Collection Shade

This was one the shades that made me want to purchase their new Nutcracker range, however once I got it on myself, I'm not that keen on it. It's a lovely shade but not for my skin tone. It also reminds me of the colour used in the Mean Girls font. I ended up using two coats as it's a little streaky but nothing too bad. I'd say this is definitely more pink than lavender though. So now we've had nine pink/purple shades in 14 days. That's a bit excessive.

// Verdict

Looking at the colour swatch wheel so far, you'd think this is an advent calendar focusing on pink shades; there's barely any variety. So, I'm glad to announce that there are NO pinks next week. But it is hella moody with lots of dark cremes. 

OPI The Nutcracker & the Four Realms Advent Calendar 2018 // Days 1 -7

(psst..before we get started, I'd just like to point out that I started writing this on the 8th December so some parts may seem a little out of sequence as I went back and edited it, sorry it took so long to be uploaded...)

I'm starting to feel like my fingers are all swatched out! 21 swatches in 1 week, only another 63 to go...Why did I think three nail advent calendars was a good idea????

Anyway, this was the first one I bought and dear god is it annoying me. First, OPI minis don't have the name on the bottle so I've had to stick stickers on them. That was after the fight to get them out of the box; I resorted to using a pair of scissors to pry them out as they were not coming out. Who tested this product??

Then the doors are all in numerical order so no rooting around to find the day and the shades are in order by colour. This week is the silver to berry/reds. When I opened today's (8th) it was a purple so it looks like next week is going to be all purple to maybe blue shades. I think this kind of takes the fun out of it a little as you know what's coming.

But anyway, onto the shades!

Day 1 - Alpine Snow // White Creme

We start off with a basic white creme to help with all the snow looks needed this month. This is quite a streaky white that appears to separate quite easily. You need at least three coats or more. It is a nice white shade that isn't cream but it's not stark white either. That said when the full size is £12.95 I would rather shell out on a much cheaper white shade. This is identical to Essie Blanc (which is my go to white base) and you can pick that one up for far less (and Blanc only needs 2 coats max). 

I stopped at three coats but it really needs four which is ridiculous for a white base coat. I can understand if your going for that translucent look that you get with gel nails (I actually really love that look) but this just looks like separated skimmed milk. It's not the best.

Day 2 - Dancing Keeps Me On My Toes // Silver Shimmer with slight holo

*Nutcracker Collection Shade

I thought I would like this one but it's a little too streaky and a little too sheer. It does have a nice holo shine but the light has to hit it just right. I left Alpine Snow on my middle finger so you can see what it looks like on top of another polish and it just makes my nails look lumpy. Not my favourite silver shimmer.

Day 3 - It's A Girl // Sheer Pink Creme

This is practically identical to Sweet Memories (seen here). I'm wearing three coats and you can still see my nail tips peeking through. That doesn't bother because I love that sheer ultra shiny gel look and this almost got there if it weren't for the milky white streaks. They're not as noticeable in the photo due to the light reflections but trust me they're there. Sweet Memories is a little more opaque but doesn't have that milkyness to it so I'd say go with that one.

Day 4 - Princesses Rule // Sheer Pink Shimmer with slight holo

Now this is the kind of sheer I like. 1 coat gives a lovely pink blush to the nail and then it's chock full of glitter and holo pieces. They're extremely fine but in the right light it's very soft and pretty. I definitely prefer this polish on it's own as it looks a bit childish on top of other shades...or well it does to me anyway. I'm wearing 2 coats in the swatch but the second one didn't really do anything.

Day 5 - Charged Up Cherry // Dark Pink Creme

I don't know how this is a Cherry shade? It's more hot pink and Cherries round here are dark red. That said I do like it. Normally I don't like super bright pinks but because this is on the darker side I think it's quite different. It's more of a summery shade though and will go well with tropical flamingo looks. I'm wearing 3 coats as you could see some streaks with just 2.

Day 6 - Toying With Trouble // Dark Pink/Purple Creme

*Nutcracker Collection Shade

I'm not sure why they put almost three identical shades in a row as I'm running out ways to describe pink. I had to put two coats on to cover some streaks but it cleaned up easily without staining the nail fold. 

Day 7 - Aurora Berry-alis // Muted Berry Creme

And rounding out the last pink shade is Aurora Berry-alis; the muted version of Toying With Trouble. I like these shades just fine but I don't have anything more to say about them; what else can you say about pink polish three times in a row? I used two coats again with this one and I think out of the the last three this is the one I would wear the most.

Verdict

Well, week one has finally been posted and I'm a little underwhelmed. I've already swatched 14 days of the Ciaté 2018 calendar and the quality of those polishes have blown OPI clear out of the water. It's becoming hard for me to be excited about this calendar mainly because it contains a lot of creme's and weak shimmers. Also, 5 pink shades in a row! I love pink but I'm ready to try something a little different.

Days 8-14

The Nutcracker And The Four Realms // Birchbox November 2018 Beauty Box Nails

Another month, another Birchbox nail post! This months Birchbox is in collaboration with the new Disney film; The Nutcracker and the Four Realms. Personally I'm not interested in the film in the slightest (it's not really my thing) but I am super interested in the OPI collab...so much so that I asked mum to get me the Advent calendar for my birthday (which was last month). The Advent calendar is now patiently sitting there waiting to be opened and I've seen the colours...I can't wait.

But onto the box. It's a stunning box again and perhaps my most challenging nail design to date. This one took me a while and it actually turned out much better than I was expecting. The box contents are not as exciting but I've got some new cuticle cream to try out as well as a night cream and primer so it's not completely awful. 

With the nails though, I started out with a white base coat then sponged on an ombre of Boundless Berry, Raspberry and Sweet Escape. The colours weren't a complete match to the box but overall it doesn't look too off.

After a layer of quick dry top coat I added a chain link stamp design using One Heckla of a Colour and the BP-109 plate. This turned out perfect and I can't believe I had a stamping design similar to the one on the box. It's missing all the acorns and keys however I think it would of made the design too busy.

I then added the gold detail. The detail on my middle finger is from the Geek 05 plate, the stars are Scandi 10 and the bars at the bottom and the top are Harunouta L010. I was going to mattify everything before the gold detail but I'm glad I left it shiny.

Polishes/Tools Used:

- Essie // Blanc (white) (base coat)
- NYC New York Color // Boundless Berry (deep plum)
- Barry M Nail Paint //Raspberry (raspberry....)
- Morgan Taylor // Sweet Escape (bright orange/red)
- OPI Infinite Shine // One Heckla of a Colour (lilac)
- Born Pretty Stamping Polish // #1 (gold)
- Revlon // Quick Dry Top Coat

- Revlon // Colorstay Diamond Top Coat
- Born Pretty // Stamping Plate BP-109
- Harunouta // Stamping Plate L010
- MoYou London // Geek Plate 05
- MoYou London // Scandi Plate 10