Hello lovelies,

A new Australian brand of nail polish has come on my radar and it's called Sienna Byron Bay! There has been quite a bit of buzz on social media which you might have noticed yourself. The distinctive bottle shape and wooden caps caught my attention straight away and I couldn't say no to couple of bottles.

Sienna Byron Bay nail polish range is 7 Free (No Formaldehyde, No Toluene, No DBP, No Synthetic Camphor, No Formaldehyde Resin, No Xylene and No Tosylamide), vegan and cruelty free - that's quite impressive. Their whole eco-friendly and local philosophy really appeals to me, here's a short excerpt from their ABOUT page:

"Everything we do is aimed towards creating a cleaner alternative. Not just as a product but as an overall lifestyle. We’re as local as can be, vegan & cruelty free, we use 100% renewable soy, and we source sustainable non-native timbers from our own backyard."

I realised that everything about this brand is well-thought through right after I unpacked the products. The packaging is made out of recycled paper with an embossed mandala. A nice smell of eucalyptus (or perhaps tea tree oil) hit me straight away, I suspect it's the treatment for the wooden caps - it's little things like this that make a brand stand out to me. My favourite are the wooden caps. I really like the texture of the wood, the patterns on each cap (every cap is different of course) and of course they smell lovely. Here's how they source the wood for the caps:

"If you’ve ever been to the Byron shire you would have seen the thick scrub everywhere… We have a major weed that’s overgrown in this area; it inhibits the growth of our natural rainforest. We source this timber to make our sustainable timber caps, keeping in Harmony with our environment."

Then there's the pretty vintage-style 10ml bottle, the only thing sourced from outside of Australia (sourced from Europe) - I haven't seen this bottle shape before again, that's another thing that instantly differentiates this polish from others. Some bottles have gold and some black printing on them (I obviously like the gold one more ;). The brush is thin and easy to work with.

First polish I've tried is Blush, a mauve purple with warm undertones. My camera was playing up so really the first picture is most true to the colour of Blush. The formula was really good which surprised me (I don't have overly high expectations from new brands) - it applied so easily and smooth and the polish was fully opaque in two coats. Drying time was good as well and I've used the Sienna Byron Bay Lightning Top Coat that I was sent as well.

My second polish was Grace, metallic rose gold with foil-like finish. It has a mixture of metallic rose gold and copper particles. I chose Grace because it looks beautiful when paired up with Blush (yes, there will be nail art!) but it's a gorgeous colour just on its own. It took two easy coats for full coverage and the formula was great again. I've applied the Sienna Byron Bay Lightning Top Coat that.

I'd also like to tell you a bit about the Lightning Top Coat. I've tested it over some other brands and nail art manicures. It is quite nice topcoat - it is not thick like Seche Vite but rather watery but it dries fast. Generally, allow at least 20 minutes for it to dry enough for you to start doing things (carefully) it of course depends on how thick your nail polish underneath is. It can smear nail art a bit if you're heavy handed but if you can float the brush like with Seche Vite, then you'll be fine. It's a nice topcoat and I'll use it all up for sure. 

Overall, I'm very impressed by these polishes, brand philosophy, packaging, just everything. Polishes are little bit on the pricier side with $22.73 per bottle but that's in AUD and you can be sure that they weren't made in some asian country and that it supports local economy. They also offer free shipping in Australia on orders over $50. If you want a treat, try Sienna Byron Bay polishes. They can be purchased on their website and at the following international stocklists:

New Zealand: Collect Living   Flo & Frankie   The Rock Box

Europe: Sanikai Ethical Vegan Store

USA & Canada: The Green Jungle Beauty Shop

Scandinavia: Ovidia Bay Drobak   Clean Living

Have you tried Sienna Byron Brand yet? What's your impression of this brand? let me know in the comments and for now, have a lovely day! Lucie x

*PR samples

Hello lovelies,

Today I want to share with you swatches and review of the latest Models own collection - Soft Pop. I'm a bit late to the party because I've received these just before I left for my New York Holiday/honeymoon and didn't have time to swatch them earlier.

This collection features five pastel neon polishes which are also an addition to the HyperGel range. And what's more, they all glow beautifully under UV light!

"Models Own takes pastels to the next level with the launch of Soft Pop HyperGel, a collection of five pastels that POP! This bold new spin on pretty pastels will add an instant colour injection to your mani allowing you to see in spring with a twist. Bright and highly pigmented to ensure maximum payoff, amplify your look with these deliciously sweet shades."

Lemon Popsicle - neon pastel yellow - a pastel version of a 'highlighter' yellow shade with green undertones. The polish was quite easy to apply in thicker coats but was prone to patching when applied in thin coats. I'm wearing two thicker coats and no topcoat.

Cosy Posy - zesty, lime sherbet - this pastel green with a hint of neon is very eye-catching and I can see myself pairing it up with the other shades from this collection. The formula was a bit trickier. I've had to apply three coats to get full coverage and I've experienced patching. No topcoat.

Sugar Rush - crisp and cool powder blue - The formula was on a thin side and I needed three coats for full coverage. Unfortunately, I've experienced patching again. I'm not wearing topcoat. This pastel blue is a bit darker than Blueberry Muffin shade (Fruit Pastel collection), definitely not a dupe.

Candyfloss - a sugary sweet pink treat - Candyfloss is pastel pink with a hint of neon and it has a strong glow under UV light. It has the same formula as Sugar Rush - I needed three coats and experienced pathing. I didn't apply topcoat.

Lilac Flush - intense, overexposed lavender - bright neon purple that I absolutely loved! I've applied two thicker coats as this shade is slightly better pigmented. If you plan on applying thin coats then you'll need three of them as it can also be patchy. It dried fast and glossy and I am not wearing topcoat.

I'll be completely honest with you even though I hate being negative. I was so excited to see this collection and I was looking forward to trying it. Unfortunately, the formula just didn't work for me. Most colours needed three coats because they weren't pigmented enough and each of them was patchy, making bald spots that ultimately required the third coat. I really like the colours but the formula could have been better. The brush that comes with this collection is the wide tapered brush which felt a bit bulky but that might be because I was already frustrated with the formula and my nails are smaller than most people's.

If you'd still like to try the Soft Pop collection it is available at modelsownit.com and at the Bottleshops around the UK.

Have a lovely day! Lucie x

*PR samples