Max Factor Fantasy Fire

I’m sure you’ve all seen this before, or at least heard of it. Max Factor Fantasy Fire is a Clarins 230 dupe that really whipped the nail polish community into a frenzy this spring. And with good reason, because it’s a really gorgeous polish. Like its big sister 230, Fantasy Fire has a rainbow of multichrome shimmer in a sheer purpleish base.

Because it’s so sheer, it’s actually more of a topcoat than a polish to wear on its own, especially also since the bottle is so tiny (only 4.5 ml). Obviously, it looks stunning over a dark color like for instance Verity Deep Violet or Sally Hansen Purple Pizzazz, but the other day I saw a picture of FF over a hot pink creme, and I just had to copy that. This is two coats of Fantasy Fire over two coats of OPI Dim Sum Plum.

Applying this wasn’t without problems, maybe mostly because the brush is so tiny. It seems like the polish almost dries out before you have time to cover the entire nail, making it hard to get even. I would have preferred one coat, but I had to use two to avoid the streaks. (I didn’t have this problem when applying it over a dark jelly base, though.)

Even though we have the Max Factor Max Effect line in Norway as well, for some reason Fantasy Fire is only sold in the UK. Luckily, I got a British nail polish friend to send me a bottle, but if you live in the UK, you can buy Fantasy Fire for £3.99.

Max Factor Nailfinity Fresh Rain

Here’s another one of those polishes I’ve put in my drawer and forgot to show you. I have actually used this a couple of times pre-blog, though.

Max Factor Nailfinity Fresh Rain is a light grey shimmer. I think the name is great, I think that was a big reason why I bought it in the first place. This one is beautiful and sparkly in sunlight, almost like silver, but not as flashy. In shade, it’s almost steel-like. I like it because it’s light, but not stark like a completely white polish. I don’t have China Glaze Cords, but I’d love to see how it looks compared to this.

The formula is good, a little thin, but not too thin. It’s quite sheer, so I had to use three coats. This polish has the tendency to be a little bit brushstroke-y, so you have to have that in mind when you apply it.

All in all, I really like this grey. It’s a nice alternative to silver, and it’s light without being too harsh.

Thanks for looking, guys!

Max Factor Nailfinity Wine Red

It really hurts to remove OPI DS Glamour, but I have to show you other polishes as well. Oh, the things I do for you, dear readers!

This is one of my drawer-dwellers, Max Factor Nailfinity Wine Red. It’s a very slightly orange-leaning red shimmer. A very pretty, classy red, and a nice alternative to other red shimmers like China Glaze Thunderbird. I don’t understand why it’s called wine red, it doesn’t look a lot like wine to me. I like it very much, so I don’t really know why I don’t wear it more often. Too many distractions, I presume.

The formula is a bit thin, but quite manageable. It’s opaque in two coats, but I used three coats to get a deeper, richer color.

Hope you like this red!
Have a nice day, polish addicts!

Nail Art: Antique Look

I have to give credit to Nihrida for this mani. Her blog is one of the greatest inspirations for me, she always has interesting techniques and tricks to show. Check out her excellent tutorials on marbling, nail foil and gradients, to mention a few. Today’s nail art is inspired by this post, where she uses a simple trick to make an antique-looking mani.

I used Max Factor Angel Nails, a foil metallic, and Gosh Nero, a black creme. My mani isn’t as nice as Nihrida’s, but bear with my newbie skills.

Cool, or what?! Check out Ballz & Thinner for a great video tutorial. This mani is super easy, fun and creates an unique look for you nails. What could be better?