Rococo Nail Apparel In Deadly Nightshade & New Geisha

Today I have for you a post from a brand that I feel does not get the respect it deserves in the nail world. Rococo Nail Apparel is a luxury brand that can be purchased at spacenk and cult beauty. They are a wonderfully consistent, smooth and buttery polish that is just a dream to work with. The ONLY issue I have ever experienced is a little frustration with Gold Leaf which still stands as my favourite LOOK for a gold leaf polish but its really rather frustrating to work with. It may have taken three years, but other brands finally got on that band wagon and made their own versions of it!

But I am getting off topic! These polishes I have had for a loooong time and can not believe I have not yet posted swatches of them! They were part of the Geisha collection which was composed of five colours: Deadly Nightshade (dark ballpoint blue), The Darkest Emerald (glimmering teal green), Hypnotic Luxe (a bright magenta), Flower Town, (ballerina pink) and New Geisha Luxe (metallic mushroom). The Darkest Emerald is still on my wishlist and I need to track down at some point! They came out a year ago (in December 2011) and so it would seem I am A YEAR BEHIND on my swatches! EEK!

So I have the Blue Ink and the Metallic Mushroom shades to show you today. I guess there is not much to say about these that I have not yet already said. The colour descriptions are very accurate and the blue ink is inky without being so dark it looks black. The brush on these polishes I will show you below but it is a very nice, stiff brush that is easy to work with. The polishes are all perfect and streak free in two coats and I really just LOVE this brand!

Battle Of The Gold Flake Top Coats - Zoya Or Rococo Nail Apparel?

I have been in love with the look of the gold leaf top coat since I got the Rococo Nail Apparel 24K Gold Leaf Nail Lacquer about two years ago. It retails for £35.00 which is about $56. I absolutely love it but rarely wear it. But I still JUMPED at the opportunity to get the New Zoya Gilty gift set with 18K gold leaf top coat. Let me show you the two items and the differences regarding them.

Look at the packaging of the Zoya set! A box INSIDE a box. It really does have a luxuriousness about the packaging that just makes it seem like something special!

This is the little book that comes with the set. It explains what you get in the set, and then it gives you some visuals of some different combinations that you may wish to try with the top coat!.

And then the polish itself!!

And now the Rococo Nail Apparel Gold Leaf Lacquer. The first difference (though meaningless to me) is that it is 24K instead of 18K Gold. I really think that is irrelevant. Im ok if its 10K gold as long as it looks pretty!

Now here are the two side by side. As you can see, the Rococo version is slightly more yellow and the flakes are slightly larger. They also are heavier and sink to the bottom of the suspension base.

Now this is why I love the Zoya one (and why I very very rarely where the Rococo one!!

Here is the Zoya brush when you take it out of the bottle. See the gold flakes on the brush?

And here is the Rococo one. See the flakes on ITS brush? No? EXACTLY!!! Its a PAIN IN THE YOU KNOW WHAT to fish out the stupid little flakes!!!!

I used Zoya Raven as the base coat for both of these swatches. On the right is the Zoya and on the left is the Rococo Nail Apparel. I do like the larger flakes slightly better but its not worth the hassle in general. The Zoya is easy peasy to use!

And here is an action shot! This is one coat of Zoya Raven and two coats of Gilty.

Secret Cupid Nail Polish Swap - Take Two

I posted a while back the first of the two secret cupid nail polish swap packages I received. I was so excited and loved everything in it. Both Secret Cupids got the same form with my likes, dislikes and wishlist. There is always a chance you will get some duplicates when getting two packages. It happens. But not this time. I have received some AMAZING packages recently that have all been full of beautiful polishes that I have loved (many of them on my wishlist). How my cupids managed to get me such wonderful packages that in NO WAY SHAPE OR FORM overlapped is beyond me. But it happened!

But now on with the reveal! I have now received both my secret cupid gifts and my beauty blogger exchange gift and am just waiting on Amy to get the gift I sent her. THEN Valentines Day is really over. Not til then! Now I was STUNNED when I saw how big this box was! Seriously! What in the world could be in this??

Look how pretty and themed the box is! Opening card last! Got it!

Some perfume samples and snacks. 

OMG!!! SMARTIES!!! I know it may seem like nothing exciting to most Canadians since they are readily available here. But let me tell you. I LOVE SMARTIES. They totally kick M&Ms butt. Completely and totally. BUT........ They changed the recipe in Canada and the dye they use to colour the red smarties contains beetle blood. So much so that at one point they had a warning on the website that they are no longer considered a vegetarian snack. It also mean they were no longer kosher and therefore no longer able to be enjoyed by yours truly! The European ones however are still kosher and still have the original recipe! So they are already gone, but I got to enjoy smarties for the first time in YEARS AND YEARS!! And yes. I ate the red ones last. Of Course!!!

The rest of the box:

The cute pink and orange bags are so cute! Will certainly be using them in future exchanges to send others thier gifts! Super Cute! Inside the first bag was a bunch of samples and candies. And some makeup!

A little broken but it will still work just as well! Its a pretty brown shadow. Cant wait to try it!

In the second bag was more awesomeness. Yes. Awesomeness. 

I LOVE the look of these nail stickers. Just cut my nails back off to nubbins. Soon as they grow a tad longer I will try these out!

The cupcake nail file is so cute! I seem to be getting lots of cupcake themed things lately! Look how cute the lollypop washcloth! And the tissues are so cute! But I dont want to use them up! I may actually refill the package when its empty! TOO CUTE!!

A cute little lip balm. That comes with a confession. I HATE coffee. Hot liquids totally and completely creep me out. I know how crazy that sounds, but its true. No tea, coffee or soup in my world! And I really do not love iced coffee though I love Iced Tea. I do however LOVE the smell of coffee. Weird huh? To hate something yet love the smell? But thats me! A total weirdo!

Next up on to one of the boxes. 

I squealed and squealed when I got to the contents. Without opening the bubble wrap I knew exactly which polishes they were! I have been wanting the Beetle Juice polishes since they came out, yet never mentioned it and always forgot to put them on my wishlist! How she knew....... I have no idea! I cant wait for my mom to get home tonight! She has wanted them too!

OK. I was ALMOST completely correct. Its not the full Beetle Juice set. Its 4 of the 5 and one called Peacock Green. I have never seen this one before or heard of it but I LOVE LOVE LOVE it!! So 4 beetle juice and  bottle of teal awesomness! 

At this point I am not sure what can top this package, but I grab another one! 

No idea what this is. Not even the peeking in gives me a hint. But I dont think its polish. 

EEK!! It totally IS polish! And its nails inc. A TON of those are on my wishlist. So excited! Love the box too! Wonder if my frakening materials would fit in it? Hmmm.....

So much awesomeness! Two wishlist polishes and an awesome limited edition one I have never seen before. It looks similar to my Chanel Paradoxal but seems to have more shimmer and depth? Will have to compare them to each other later!

Another box! After nails inc and models own I have NO idea what to expect! But I am giddy!

OH. EM. GEE. What in the world???? Little Miss Splendid nail polish?? 

This is the tenth book in the series. Published in 1981. The same year as me! Ok, I wasn't  published. But its my birth year too! 

Little Miss Splendid lives in a mansion with a golden bathtub, and thinks she is better than everyone else. When she goes to town and sees a new hat in a store window that she thinks she simply must have, she buys it. When she is walking home and her friends ask her if she wants to take the bus, she refuses – but then it starts to rain, and her new hat is ruined.

Look at the gorgeous shimmer! I have nothing even close to similar in my stash!

And there is still more! 

The first one I KNOW is Maddox Street, another wish list polish. The other two I try to read off of the bottoms but its near impossible to make out the names. I can read the word Court on one of them, so I google the mini set to figure it out. Crown Court and Clerkenwell are the other two! Both other ones are gorgeous and totally "me" colours.  And look how cute the little 4ml bottles are!

Comparison of the sizes of the bottle! 

Now I try to rack my brain to figure out what brand has a box these sizes and I just cant put my finger on it. So I have to open it to figure it out!

A box I SHOULD have been able to recognize but I just didn't expect or think it could be an option! TWO Rococo Nail Apparel polishes in the last few weeks! So excited!!

Now this one I dont even try to guess what it is. I have ZERO idea! 

  Still HAVE have ZERO clue what it is!

 To be totally honest, I still have NO idea what polish this is! But its pretty and looks like liquid silver! 

And last, but certainly NOT least  this little package!

A polish I have never seen or heard of before. Reminds me of Girly Bits Shift Happens and Clarins 230. Will have to compare the three at a later date!!

And everything all together!