Tag Archives: butter LONDON

Lone Wolf Accents … and Me!

29 Thursday Nov 2012

Posted by in Fingers Crossed, Holiday Wish List, The Nail Files

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A few weeks ago, I received an email with some incredibly exciting news. :-D

Lone Wolf Accents, a jewelry company based here in Los Angeles, had been looking at some local nail bloggers to model their latest collection of hand chains. You guys know I have some fantastic hand modeling experience on my resume, so was it really a surprise that they picked me? (Yes, it was.)

Needless to say, I was thrilled! It was so much fun being a hand model for real this time. Without further ado, I’d love to share some photos from the shoot with you!

First, the manicures. Lone Wolf Accents requested a nice & clean mani with a twist. Something to complement the goods, not vie for attention. I did a sort of Black Swan / White Swan approach and had my hands painted differently so we could have double the options at the shoot.

My left hand was butter LONDON Tea with The Queen with French manicure tips using Revlon Golden. My right hand was Nails Inc. Black Taxi with matching dots.

Oooh, butter LONDON Tea with The Queen. Nude shades are getting a lot of buzz lately, and this color’s got enough pigment to be nude-la-la instead of borrrr-ring.

Some people would say black is black; how can one black polish be better than another? Well, so glad you asked. I own several and I swatched them. Nails Inc. Black Taxi proved to be the darkest, shiniest, best black beauty in my Stash.

And now, the hardware!

This is such an elegant chain. Simple, thin gold with a crisp little knot.

Just like a prayer… this chain will take me there. #madonna

I love the versatility of this chain! Clean lines, a fun shape, a slightly hammered finish. How fresh! Btw, I painted those dots using two different dotting tools and Nails Inc. Black Taxi polish. They wash right off with a little nail-scraping and hot water. Could be fun to try for a night on the town…

Zoolander has “Blue Steel.” I, on the other hand, have “Palmolive.”

The entire Fall / Winter Collection that Lone Wolf Accents has got going on is just beautiful. I haven’t worn many hand chains in my life, and I was really impressed by the range Lone Wolf Accents offers. There were delicate, ladylike chains, on-trend Swarovski statement pieces, and darker, more mysterious “I may be a vampire… or vamp slayer” options. I enjoyed wearing them all!

I <3 this shot. I am dripping with jewelery!

As a special treat for my readers, the brains behind the operation, Molly Pearson and Sarah Macfarlane, gave me a hand chain to feature as a giveaway! What better time than the holiday season?! The chain I picked is as pretty as can be and will make an awesome gift for the trendsetter in your life… but will be quite tempting to keep for yourself, too. ;-)

Recognize those paws?

Come back tomorrow to see which bracelet is up for grabs, and enter for a chance to win.

And be sure to check out Lone Wolf Accents because there’s much more to discover than just hand chains.

xxo, Francesca

butter LONDON — Shag

24 Monday Sep 2012

Posted by in All Thumbs, The Nail Files

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Quite the foxy paw I have here, eh?

And now, another new shade from butter LONDON’s fall lineup — Shag*!

Shag is such a foxy shade, perfect for fall. Here in California, the only rusty shade I see is on old cars… but I remember my days on the East Coast. I recall the reds, yellows, and oranges of crisp leaves, the deep sapphire of late September skies… the comforting scents of cinnamon and apple… Can you tell that I miss my favorite season?

Shag is like autumn in a bottle. A deep, rusty copper with burgundy undertones, Shag has left me feeling festive — well, as festive as I can feel when it’s still hot as blue blazes and feels like midsummer here in Los Angeles.

This was taken indoors. The metallic copper color looks good here…

… but really sparkles best in sunlight. Shag’s just begging for compliments.

The formula was smooth and very pigmented; my look required only 2 coats. I found that it chipped after 5 days, which was a little disappointing, but I still think 5 days is a good run. As always, when choosing a shade as reflective as this, be sure to buff your nails so that you’ve got a smooth surface to work with — or else the gleaming finish will highlight ridges & imperfections.

xx, Francesca

*product provided for honest review

butter LONDON — Dodgy Barnett

12 Wednesday Sep 2012

Posted by in All Thumbs, The Nail Files

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Oi! The birds at butter LONDON have sent me a few colors to try from their fall collection. So, first up is Dodgy Barnett*!

In Britspeak, “Dodgy Barnett” means “a bad hairdo,” but that’s way harsh. I don’t see what this color has to do with wince-worthy hair whatsoever.

We’ll get to basics straightaway. Yes, it goes on smoothly; smooth as silk since butter LONDON’s formula is, as you may know, one of the best. (Like most of my manis, I wore this for a full week and only started to get little chips on the 6th day, and even then they were barely noticeable.) I strongly considered putting down a coat or two of ORLY Mirror Mirror, a pale creamy gray, to give myself a good base, but I decided against it. I wanted to see Dodgy Barnett in its full glory.

It’s a holographic polish, but it’s a bit unusual in that it’s not a true holo that goes on opaque and is crazy crazy bling, like Nfu Oh 61. Instead, you can see that the holographic specks (too small to even call them microglitter) are suspended in a translucent base — almost clear, but not quite.

The first coat did amazing coverage and no streakiness at all. The second coat nearly satisfied me. If you have naturally beautiful nails with pretty moons and tips, then two coats may be the perfect way for you to show off. I, however, wanted GLITTERO MAXIMO, so I applied a third thin coat and got just what I asked for. Awesomeness.

My trademark claw in shade. This is how Dodgy Barnett looks when it’s just chillin’.

But add a little sunlight and BAM, you’ve got yourself a stunner.

Just so, so pretty.

I’m not just holding this bottle; I am clutching it with love.

The thing to remember, my Polishment pal, is that you and I… we know nail polish. We are no stranger to holos. We’ve seen so many pictures online, we’ve been left with the feeling that holos are not particularly unusual. And you’re right, they are not. To polish people, they aren’t. But to the average Joe or Jane…

You guys, this rocked my coworker’s (and friends!) worlds. Dodgy Barnett was treated liked a big time celeb around here. Kind of comical, actually. I haven’t gotten compliments like this in a while. Of course I was flattered, but I was also terribly amused. It was just so… quaint. All this hubbub over a holo? Oh, you silly, silly noobs.

Then I looked back down at my nails and thought, huh. Maybe you all have a point.

While it’s true that Dodgy Barnett is not as early-2000s BAM holo as it could be, that’s exactly why I like it. It’s a pretty, (somewhat) sophisticated holo that is a great addition to your Stash if you’re looking for a little pizazz. And as a side note, although this is part of butter LONDON’s Fall 2012 collection, I think this color’s totally appropriate all year round.

holothere, Francesca

*product provided for honest review

butter LONDON — Fall / Winter 2012 Collection

03 Friday Aug 2012

Posted by in Lacquer Lust

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Those wily Brits have been at it again! Here’s my Friday scoop, as promised. The birds at butter LONDON have rallied up a fantastic array of tweed-inspired, earthy colors for Fall & Winter.

I love butter LONDON’s packaging, I love their formula, but most of all I love their naming scheme. butter LONDON embraces all things English, right down to the Britspeak theme.

Now, I consider myself slightly above average when it comes to Britspeak. First off, I have read all of the Harry Potter canon, so there’s that for starters.

Add to that, I’ve had two Brit bosses in my professional life, and they gave me unique insight into British vernacular and personal habits. The tea thing? It’s no joke. Neither are pocket squares. I also learned that “Franchesker” is how you say my name in British.

I googled “British disapproval” to capture the spirit of British bosses, and this was the first image. Ha! Grace van Cutsem during Will & Kate’s royal wedding.

So, if Britspeak is completely new territory for you, let’s start with the essentials.

Easy peasy, right? Roight. So now let’s meet butter LONDON’s Fall/Winter line-up. News of the collection came complete with Britspeak translations.

Lovely Jubbly. “A vibrant magenta flecked with red, blue and gold particles.”

Trustafarian. “A sage green with a golden holographic (!) finish.”

Gobsmacked. “A heavily-pigmented charcoal grey glitter with a slightly textured finish.”

Shag. “A high-shine, metallic, warm orange-burgundy.”

Toff. “A darker, dustier, brownish variation on a rose pink.”

These next few need no translation.

Queen Vic. “Red wine meets cranberry.”

Tea with the Queen. “On the pink side of tan.”

La Moss. “Vampy and full of red wine, just like its inspiration.” Kate Moss, natch!*

What colors are you saving your hay-pennies for? Must. Have. Gobsmacked. Loving Lovely Jubbly, too.

cheers, Francesca

*natch. Here’s an American word for you globetrotters.

Popped up as “Word of the Day” for me recently. Word of the DAY? Really?! I haven’t seen this word since 1998 in a YM magazine with Yasmin Bleeth on the cover. Pssssht.

Whitty’s butter LONDON Flash Sale Haul

01 Wednesday Aug 2012

Posted by in Lacquer Lust

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My friend Whitty took advantage of last week’s butter LONDON Flash Sale, and she picked out three splurge-worthy shades.

From left: All Hail the Queen, Bossy Boots and Lady Muck.

I really love this color palette. The shades are sophisticatedly subdued; I think these will be staples as Whitty’s wardrobe transitions into fall. Which reminds me…

I’ve got the inside scoop on butter LONDON’s new Fall 2012 collection, so check back Friday to see what those cheeky Brits have got up their sleeves!

cheerio, Francesca

butter LONDON — FLASH sale! 3 for $30!

25 Wednesday Jul 2012

Posted by in Five Finger Discount

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Want to get your paws on some butter LONDON on the cheap? Well get the step in because they’ve just launched their “Sprint to the Games” flash sale!

You can get 3 lacquers for $30 when you enter the code CHAMPION at checkout. (Please note that this offer is valid in the US only, with one coupon per order.)

AND IT’S TODAY ONLY!

Click the pic to head straight to the butter LONDON site!

goteamgo, Francesca

butter LONDON — Teddy Girl & More

18 Wednesday Jul 2012

Posted by in All Thumbs, The Nail Files

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‘Ello there!

May I introduce one of my new favorites: butter LONDON’s Teddy Girl*. I’ve been hoarding this color since spring; I was waiting until I had a whisper of a tan so that I could really show her off. And oh, some things are truly worth waiting for. I LOVE this color.

The feminine Teddy Girl with a perfectly matching lipgloss, also called Teddy Girl. I’ve tried the butter LONDON glosses and they are more like a liquid lipstick, I’d say.

At first glance, Teddy Girl looks very similar to Essie Fiji. I know, I know — I was thinking that, too. My issue with Essie Fiji is that it is very streaky. You must have a light hand, and even then, the consistency tends to be a bit thick, so the only manicures with Essie Fiji that I’ve been satisfied with are when I glopped on three coats. And I really hate to do that.

Possible dupe. Or so it seems…

I brought my brand new butter LONDON Teddy Girl to my nail appointment at Bellacures recently. I warned the nail technician — with colors like this, they tend not to go on evenly, so three coats might be a necessity. He admitted that this sometimes happens.

Together, we watched with anticipation as he worked on my right hand. The first coat was done… time to inspect. I raised my eyebrows in disbelief as I turned my hand this way and that.

It looked like I had two coats on already! Incredible! I hmmmmed with pleasant surprise. He nodded in agreement. This was fine polish. Nail polish of The Quality. Smooth, highly pigmented and such a great color for anyone’s stash. [Side note, it's not a dupe for Fiji, don't let your eyes deceive you. Teddy Girl is a cooler, brighter, whiter pink. Fiji is softer and warmer; somewhat more subtle.]

I love this shade so much that I even got a pedicure with it, too! For the first time in eons, all 20 of my nails matched. I felt like such a lady.

Fancy feet!

So pink! So chic!

Two days passed. I was staring at the pale pink canvases that were my ladylike nails and I thought, well I suppose I could spice it up, just a little bit… and BAM! Leopard nailz.

So wild! So fun! (And so easy to do!)

Leopard spots are a piece of cake. I used a dotting tool to make small, irregular gray dots using ORLY Mirror Mirror. Then I used my bottle of ORLY Instant Artist in black to outline the dots I’d made. The outline doesn’t need to be perfect (in fact, if it’s a little sloppy…or we can be kind and say “organic,” all the better). I was inspired by some of my pins on Polishment: THE BOARD!

I love these little bottles, and they’ve got a great brush. This is ORLY Instant Artist in Jet Black.

Have you guys tried any DIY leopard spots? I was thinking it might look cool if I added some smaller dots next time, like this:

I cannot for the life of me find the original source for this photo, so if one of you guys happen to know, please share! Whoever this is, they did a fantastic job! I call this mani “Lemonade Leopard.”

dotdotdot, Francesca

May the fierce be with you.

*product provided for honest review

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