Models Own - Mermaid Tears + Red Sea

When life gets you down, add glitter and stare at the sparklies all day. That's what I do anyway. Few  sparklies get prettier than the Models Own Splash collection. Of which, once again, I only own two of. Maybe I have an obsession with the number two... Regardless, here they are!

Models Own "Mermaid Tears" is a clear polish filled with iridescent teal-to-purple glitter flakes.

1 Coat Models Own "Mermaid Tears"; "Pukka Purple" on middle + pinkie

At first glance, you'd think this was a sheer purple rather than a clear one right? I know I did, so I was pretty surprised when it came out see-through. Just goes to show how strong these chunky flakes, despite the fact that they're also sheer and so look see-through at some angles too. That was obviously the effect that MO was going for with this, and I can't say I like it. However, when "Mermaid Tears" throws colours, it chucks them hard. The iridescent beauty is just insane!

Mandatory "glitter is hard to remove" mention, though I find large chunks are easier to remove. Said large flakes are pretty hard to place, on the other hand. I love doing glitter placement with this but with just a normal mani, this wouldn't work. The flakes are all bendy and need to be pressed flat, and it's hard for the brush to pick up a good amount. This is definitely a specialty polish.

★★★✰✰

Models Own "Pukka Purple" is a red sheer polish filled with iridescent orange-to-purple glitter flakes.

1 Coat Models Own "Red Sea" ; "Pink Punch" on middle + pinkie.

Similar pitfalls and benefits with this polish. The main difference is the fact that the base actually has colour, and a surprised amount! With two coats, this could even be opaque and could create a nice pond mani. Then again, the flakes in "Red Sea" are generally much smaller than in "Mermaid Tears", and they get lost in the coloured base. So despite the pigmentation, this is a subtler flakie polish. Smaller pieces are also harder to remove...

★★★✰✰

Models Own - Pink Punch + Pukka Purple

[Oops, scheduling posts doesn't work it seems!]

Today's a real treat day! I didn't have any expectations for the MO Iced Neon collection going in but hindsight is 20-20, as they say. Now I know that I need to finish this collection because these two fine specimens are two of the best polishes I own. Like, wow!

Models Own "Pink Punch" is a neon red semi-sheer creme polish.

3 Coats Models Own "Pink Punch"

The colour, ooohhh myyy gooossh. Neon red is my fave neon colour, probably because it's kind of rare. The rarer, the more delicious! Though the name doesn't really seem that well suited, but the first coat of this is admittedly more pink.

I say first coat because the only flaw with "Pink Punch" is just how sheer it is. After three coats, it's still not opaque and thus takes forever to dry. An undie, preferably white, is necessary and just detracts from the quality of this polish. It's such a shame because I soooo love "Pink Punch"!

★★★★✰

Models Own "Pukka Purple" is a blue-leaning purple creme polish.

1 Coat Models Own "Pukka Purple"

Another delicious polish! Such a rich and beautiful purple that does delight my eyes! So the colour is amazing, but is it sheer? No! This is a perfect one coater polish, so it dries fast too. I really can't think of any flaws for this polish at all! For lovers of purple or for those who're always in a rush, "Pukka Purple" is for you. For novices, it'll be quite messy. On the perfect polish list it goes! 

★★★★★

Models Own - Green Fields

I can do posts of one off collections for a long, long time. Mainly because I have a lot of one offs! This polish comes from the Festival collection (helpful lid label is helpful.)

Models Own "Green Fields" is a neon green creme polish.

2 Coats Models Own "Green Fields"

[Sorry for the messy application!] 

Bad Nail Knight, she never learns to pick greens carefully! Or for that matter, any colours that might lean yellow. This, and them, just don't suit her skin tone! 

Undertones aside, there's nothing else to say about this polish other than that it's a good, solid neon green. Potentially patchy but rectified with carefully applied coats. That is it. It doesn't inspire me to write long lilting poetry about it as all nail polish should, and that's a shame. It just is. 

★★★✰✰

Models Own - Apple Pie

Scented polish - what was that all about? Personally I find the heady smell of chemicals mixed with acetone remover to be the sweetest scent of all but... I guess some people would rather be smelling sweeties. The Models Own Fruit Pastels collection has a variety of sweet smells, which I would be curious to try and compare to this one.

Models Own "Apple Pie" is a cool mint green creme polish with a sweet scent.

2-3 Coats Models Own "Apple Pie"

Sigh. The best kind of dough is stretchy and bouncy to the touch. The same can't be said for polishes, but this is what we have in this bottle. "Apple Pie" really is odd to apply, though not necessarily difficult. It can layers well, but sometimes goes on all gooey-like. It doesn't form puddles like regular liquid, but kind of shrinks inwards like something tacky that's been stretched out... Ehh. 

While a b*tch to apply, the shade of mint is really very pretty! It has a nice shine to it (though this can be a bit bubbly looking). As for the smell... Well, I'm not sure it's apple necessarily but it's definitely sweet. Obviously it improves when dried down. Last time I wore it for a good amount of time, with chlorine, salt, and regular water thrown on top, the scent lasted about three days before vanishing. But for the novelty of having people sniff your fingers, it was good.

★★★✰✰

Models Own - Valerian

What is it with me and never having a complete collection? It's a real shame, especially when there are collections like Models Own Velvet Goth. A collection of dark glitter polishes that go matte? Velvet lids? Named after precious gems and metals? Sign me up! I've worn "Absinthe" in the past, but the bottle belonged to a friend. This is one collection I really want to complete. 

Models Own "Valerian" is a sheer navy matte polish with navy and silver glitter.

2 Coats Models Own "Valerian"

Oosh! What a beautifully deep and rich colour! There really is no way to describe this other than how deep and stunning it is. It layers well, and becomes a brighter, beautiful ultramarine when layered over white. How delicious! 

I'm always a bit iffy on matte finishes (as if the glitter would be hard enough to take off as is.) Glitter, IMO, looks better when glossy. But what's that spice of life? Ah yes, variety. So it's good to have things that are different and outside of our comfort zones. "Valerian" and his gothic brothers and sisters are a uniquely bold, beautifully dark collection that I highly recommend.

Unless you don't like velvet. 

★★★★✰

[Side note: the friend who owns "Absinthe" hates the feeling of velvet... Slow clap.]

Models Own - Chrome Pearl

Yesterday was all about love, but today we have to sit down and have a serious chat. I'm very disappointed, guys. I've already talked about one Models Own polish that was just underwhelming. Now we have to look at her sister, which is actually, somehow, worse. Brace yourselves.

Models Own "Chrome Pearl" is a pale silver chrome polish.

1-2 Coats Models Own "Chrome Pearl"

Shall we talk about the good or bad first? Bad first, so we can end on a high note.

So yeah, this is not meant to be a textured polish. The MO website states that the Chrome collection has a "super shiny foil finish" which is just yas! But oh no, you can see here and in my other swatch that this is neither shiny nor a foil finish. This is lumpy and streaky af. I know I probably have a bad bottle or "Chrome Pearl" has a terrible formula. There's bad separation in the bottle, making application inconsistent. In the swatch, I needed one coat on my pointer and pinkie, and two on my middle and ring fingers. So yeah, that's weird. 

Now a silver lining, to this silver polish: it dries down relatively fast, and the colour is quite pretty. Not what I was expecting (that bottle is totally different), but pretty regardless. If you can work out the lumps, the finish is also kind of nice too. It works well with tans! But that is it.

★★✰✰✰

Models Own - Hayley's Comet + Pinky Brown

Woo, onto Models Own, my second favourite brand! They're just as innovative, fun, and British as Barry M, but they're in second place because I can only buy them online unless I'm willing to trek many long and windy miles... Anyway, we're starting with my two favourite polishes from Models Own's Beetlejuice Collection (cosmic), and they're both surprising. Neither of them are usually my thing but here they are, on my favourites list. 

Models Own "Hayley's Comet" is a sheer orange-to-teal duochrome.

3 Coats Models Own "Hayley's Comet"; 

I dribble, I really do, just looking at this. You wouldn't think orange and teal would go so harmoniously, and yet look at it! The teal is pretty bright in this picture, and usually it's a more subtle, pretty orange colour. I've worn this to an interview before and not felt too wacky. It's only shortcoming is how sheer it is, as after three coats it's still not covering my white tips. Then again, the teal really shines through over a darker colour. "Hayley's Comet" really is cosmic, and in its subtlety, it's easy to wear every day while still feeling like a space unicorn. An absolute fave of mine!

★★★★✰

Models Own "Pinky Brown" is an orange-brown through hot pink duochrome polish.

2 Coats Models Own "Pinky Brown"

Now this is one polish I never thought I'd love this much. Brown? Bleh! Oh but when you look more closely, it's not brown at all. The orange shift can be quite bright in some lights, and the pink is really hot. An unusual choice of colours for a space-themed collection and a weirdly specific name, "Pinky Brown" is nonetheless, one of those rare yet perfect polishes. Just like the above, it's a subtle, sensible colour from afar, but has pink aliens and nebula dancing through it just to satisfy one's inner polish diva. I really recommend this polish to anyone, any skin tone, whether a lover of subtle colours or bright. Bravo, Models Own!

★★★★★