Butter London Majesty's Metals Glazen Eye Gloss Set for Holiday 2017

Today I have another holiday kit to share with you- one that actually checked my spending during Ulta 21 Days of Beauty. Say hello to the Butter London Majesty's Metals Glazen Eye Gloss Set ($32). I purchased mine at Ulta when I had the 20% off coupon that included prestige.

I'm not brand-new to the Glazen Eye Glosses, but they are new within the past two months to my collection. After having reactions to a couple of creme eyeshadows, I've been leery. I'm happy to say that these are just fun.

You get four minis in this kit- which is still a great deal since who really is able to finish a jelly eyeshadow? These are four neutral shades that I can see myself actually using up. Let's dig into them a bit. According to the brand, two of these four are brand-new shades.

I love that brands go all-out these days- these are identical to the full-sized Eye Glosses, just mini!

And when they're in wearable colors, it's even better. These contain 2.8g/0.1g of product each.

If you'd like a comparison, I've got my two full-sized Eye Glosses for comparison:

Let's jump into the shades and really dissect this kit, ok? One quick note- I used a MAC 242 for all swatches.

First up is Starlight. According to the brand, this is a brand-new shade.

It's described as "soft shimmering champagne."

These have all of the full-sized details, from the stickers to the internal protective lids.

I find these to be an odd texture, but that doesn't mean I don't like them. They're jellies.

When it comes to Starlight, I find it to be a warm-leaning champagne neutral that's perfect all over the lids for work. And I'm one of those people who has to keep it neutral at work.

I find this to be really pigmented and opaque. This is a lovely shade, but it's not groundbreaking in terms of creme or liquid shadows to be honest. I do suspect this will be the first that I finish though.

Let's take things a bit cooler, shall we?

Next shade is Moonshine. This is a part of the permanent lineup, and I was ready to purchase it from Ulta when I found out about this kit.

Moonshine is described as "cool sparkling taupe."

Perhaps it's a reaction to all of the warm things shoved down our collective throats the past couple of years, but I've been reaching for cooler shades as of late. This is right in my wheelhouse.

This photo just shows the unique texture of these shadows. They do dry down- just keep your eyes closed until they do. Give it 3-5 minutes for best effect and you'll avoid any creasing.

This is a little more sheer than Starlight, but it's the type of shade I'm apt to use as a one-shade wash of color when I'm running very late for work.

Next up is the shade that caught my eye in the initial release of this formula and the one I've wanted ever since.

The third shade in the kit is Icing. It's described as "cool sparkling mauve."  I disagree.

This is straight-up rose gold, kids. I'm not seeing mauve. It's a glorious rose gold!

This is a classic shade- it was one of four initial releases for the brand, before they got into mermaids and unicorns. (Yes, that's an illusion to the two full-sized ones I own but never featured on the site.)

I could just dive into this pool of rose gold jelly.

Here's the swatch that makes me just warm and gooey inside.

Icing's so pigmented and opaque- and glorious on my lids. This type of color is perfection for me and my blue eyes.

Last up is the shade that made me super nervous. I'm going to readily admit that I've only swatched and played up to this point- and longtime readers who saw the Stila incident will understand why I'm side-eyeing deep purples. If you're not familiar, please click that link and educate yourself. It's a consumer issue that the brand NEVER responded to.

Now that I have that off my chest, let's talk about Amethyst.

The brand describes this all-new shade as "rich warm sparkling eggplant."

It's a really warm red purple- with a different texture than the others. That's part of why I'm nervous about it. This one's very liquidy compared to the normal jelly I've seen in all others shades.

See how thin it is? It doesn't translate to being patchy. This was smooth and pigmented- with less obvious glitter.

I didn't have any issues with staining, and I'm going to go a few more patch tests before eventually putting my big girl pants on and putting this on my eye.

Here's a look at how the whole set looks at once:

Overall, I think this is a highly-giftable, high-value set. Even though these are minis, they're plenty big- but finishable before they turn. I love these colors- and will eventually stop being afraid of purples- and am happy to have this in my collection. If I had someone to give this kit to, I wouldn't hesitate to gift it.

As far as performance- the minis are just like the full-sized ones. They do dry down, but make sure that you let them dry before opening your eye in order to prevent creasing or transfer.

NOTD: Butter London Fruit Machine

Today's Butter London is what I consider the perfect spring shade: Butter London Fruit Machine.

This white-based cool pink creme has a fantastic formula. I have three coats plus Butter London Hardware on my nails here. It's not streaky, and it self-levels well. Although we're well past the cool spring pastels, this is a nice palette cleanser during the summer heat!

NOTD: Butter London Primrose Hill Pink

Today's NOTD is Butter London Primrose Hill Pink, a saturated fuchsia creme.

The only thing I don't like about this polish is that the lettering is wearing off the bottle. The formula is great, and I've got three coats plus topcoat on my nails here.

NOTD: Butter London Lilibet's Jubilee

Today's NOTD is Butter London Lilbet's Jubilee.  This is a beautiful Lilac metallic foil.  Swatches are with two coats, no top coat.

Again, full disclosure: this is an old draft post that I discovered in the depths of blogger!  I'm amazed at how my swatching skills have improved in just six months.  And to think I wasn't doing any cleanup...

Since my nails are somewhat shredded at the moment (it's a cyclical thing for me), I'm doing my best to save some of these draft posts to keep NOTDs coming.

Butter London Sweet Somethings Set

It's May, which means we're headed into peak wedding season here in the US.  Despite not being a bride, I generally enjoy the various bridal nail collections (I'm thinking of you, Essie).  When Butter London introduced their "Sweet Somethings" Set, I knew it would be mine.

The Sweet Somethings Set retails for $35 and contains 4 fashion-sized (mini) nail lacquers, weighing in at 6ml each.  It's currently available via Butter London's website, Nordstrom, and Ulta.

Here's the product description, straight from the brand's website:
"Ever the fashionista, the butter LONDON bride is a head-turner. She loves wedding classics paired with a modern edge. With a twist on the four ‘somethings’, we've created a palette what offers endless possibilities: a gorgeous overcoat, subtle finishes, and of course a little something blue. Create a signature look for the big day…and the happily ever after!

FASHION SIZE SET INCLUDES
- Doily - "Something Old" (Light-pink lace overcoat)
- Alabaster Gaze "Something New" (Opaque, pearl-white shimmer)
- Pink Ribbon - "Something Borrowed" (Sheer pale-pink créme)
- Petticoat - "Something Blue" (Periwinkle-blue shimmer)"

 I've been digging lighter nail shades lately, so I knew I could have some fun with this.  I have three different looks to show you.

First, here's a nail wheel with the shades (in order):

You'll note that, aside from Something Blue, they hardly show up.  Luckily, I've got on-the-nail swatches to share.  

Index: Petticoat (2 coats)
Middle: Pink Ribbon (3 coats)
Ring: Alabaster Gaze (3 coats)
Pinky: Doily (2 coats)

I have Butter London's Hardware topcoat on my nails in each case. On the nail, the colors jump out.

Doily is a glitter "topcoat" suspended in a pale pink base which reads natural nail on your hand.  It's comprised of bar, round, and hexagonal white glitter.  It works nicely over a "natural" nail (I have Butter London Nail Foundation on my nail in the photo), over a light shade, and over dark colors for a dramatic look. I didn't pull any dupes because I know I don't own any. I'd purchase a full bottle of this if it's available.

Alabaster Gaze is a white pearl with an off-white tinge.  It becomes clear when it's compared with a true white pearl like Chanel Attraction. This had lovely formula- It was nearly streak-free with two coats, which is nearly unheard-of. It's a nice, soft alternative to stark whites for summer. I didn't pull any dupes because it's quite clearly off-white compared to Chanel Attraction, which is my go-to in terms of a pure white metallic shade. Plus, it's hard to see the differences in white polishes via photographs, to be honest.

Pink Ribbon  is a light pink creme with a bit of a jelly finish. This has the potential to be the hardest to work with, formula-wise. It took three coats to create an even finish. It's a very flattering shade with my rosy undertones; many off-white/very light pink read too beige to flatter. I thought this was available as a standalone shade in the past, but it's not currently on Butter London's website.

Petticoat is the brightest shade. It's a soft blue creme that's nearly opaque with one coat. When searching for a dupe, I found that I couldn't easily find one. I think this would actually be a lovely pedicure shade.

One of the great things about Butter London's sets are the various nail looks.  Here's my take on the "Posh Petticoat" look:

To get this look:
1. Butter London Nail Foundation
2. 2 coats of Alabaster Gaze
3. One thin, dragged out coat of Petticoat
3.  Second coat of Petticoat just at the tip
4. One coat of Doily over the whole nail
5. One coat of Butter London Hardware


I also went for a soft look with 3 coats of Pink Ribbon topped with one coat of Doily.

Overall, I think this is a really beautiful and feminine set.  I don't have any bridal reasons to use these sets, but I adore it. Even the glitter is soft and wearable. I recommend this set for both bridal and non-bridal purchases.

NOTD: Butter London Squatter

Today's NOTD is a vivid, pigmented creme from Butter London.  I'm not sure what the correct season is for Squatter, but it brightens up any mani.  There are two coats plus Butter London Hardware on my nails here.

NOTD: Butter London Dodgy Barnett

Today's NOTD is Butter London Dodgy Barnett. This is a beautiful silver holo shade that I couldn't quite capture in pictures.  There are three coats plus Butter London Hardware on my nails here.

NOTD: Butter London Slapper

Today's NOTD is another one of my Butter London favorites. Slapper is a highly pigmented, bright teal.  I've got two coats plus Butter London Hardware on my nails.  It just seems right for summer, which is allegedly right around the corner.

Butter London Patent Gel Top and Tails Set

Although I mentioned wanting to try Butter London's Patent Gel Top and Tails Set ($40) many months ago, I never got around to trying it and actually repurchased my favorite Deborah Lippmann Gel Lab set in the meantime. However, as part of a once-in-a-lifetime event, I got the chance to play with the set for free.  And I took this set for a serious test drive.

I had the mani of a lifetime on my nails when I tested this, so I was rooting for as long of wear as possible (and I was ready to accept chips because I wanted to keep this mani on my nails as long as possible!).  Let me tell you: if you ever have the opportunity to have a manicurist-to-the-stars do nail art on one of your nails, you baby that mani.  And stare at it. A lot.  (Yes, I'll share this story in-depth in the future.)

I actually started this blog post the day that I got the mani and updated it daily, rather than relying upon my memory.  This is my experience with my first mani; my subsequent experiences are below.

For reference, I used the following products: Butter London Melt Away, Butter London Patent Gel Base coat, 2 coats of Butter London Lady Muck, very thin layer of nail art using Butter London polishes, top coat of Butter London Patent Gel Top Coat, and Butter London Handbag Holiday Cuticle Oil when everything was dry.  In my experience, gel topcoats tend to behave best with polishes in the same line.

Day 1- Initial observations: Dry time was about average, although I was petrified to touch anything for awhile because well- I did NOT want to mess this mani up.  I did little typing to preserve the mani

Day 2: I had purposely not written a lot of blog posts/done a lot of typing/ done much to disturb my nails.  Even after finally breaking down and cooking (and doing dishes), I didn't notice any imperfections in my mani. I did not work on this day, so I could limit my computer time.

Day 3: I had the day off from work. However, I did notice one small chip on one nail and slight tip wear on a second- despite having wrapped the tips incredibly carefully.  It survived some outdoor duties, but I was wearing gloves.

Day 4: The first real work test. Sadly, I noticed a substantial chip on my thumbnail on my dominant hand.

Day 5: After two days at work (and a lot of typing), I can see regrowth on 2-4 nails, some minor tip wear on most fingers, the large chip in my thumbnail, and cracks in the upper left corner on three nails.  However, due to the design it's not noticeable unless you're really paying attention.

Day 6: No more additional damage, but I noticed that the light had gone out of my mani, so to speak.  It just looked dull and boring- and the design is anything but.  Some minor repair work to take care of the chips, regrowth, and cracks (because I really want this nail art to last for awhile) followed by another coat of topcoat and my nails look literally brand new again.  While they weren't being further damaged, the shine had dissipated from the topcoat. I feel like this mani is ready to roll for a few more days. I have to admit that it's odd not to be doing my nails every night! I've got 4 wheels of nail art to show for it though.

If I had been wearing a bright or dark shade, I likely would've attempted a repair after Day 5. 

Day 7: The topcoat helped my nails, but my cuticles are starting to look a bit sad. I don't want to do much with them because it would simply expose the regrowth. Rubbing some Dior Creme Abricot helps a bit, but I'm afraid of exposing the regrowth. I have a feeling that this mani is on its last legs. For one thing, I have the first Summer 2014 nail release to review... (among other things)

Day 8: Another beauty event, and the reason why I was hoping that the mani would last.  I've never had a mani last through 8 days before- it either needs to be removed or I get bored.  There are obvious chips and cracks along the edges; the nature of the nail art helps to disguise them.

Some of the wear. Notice the regrowth and chipping on the edges.

On average, I tend to get chips in my nails within 1-2 days with a standard mani. I can get 4-5 days from Tom Ford Nail Lacquer, and with Deborah Lippmann Gel Lab + certain polishes (Modern Love, Careless Whisper) I've gotten 5-6 days. So I was incredibly pleased by the performance of this product.

At $40, it's not inexpensive. However, it's $5 less than Deborah Lippmann's version. I like both of them, and I think personal preference and your stash should really determine which brand to gravitate towards. If you have more Butter polishes, go with their version. If you have more DLs, go with that version.

Subsequently, I've tried this duo with a few other polishes and haven't been able to replicate the results with non-Butter London polishes. Chanel Tutti Frutti actually chipped within one day, unfortunately. It does seem to be better with polishes of the same brand.  I haven't had the same chipping issues with other Butter London base/top coats.

Overall, I loved my experience with Butter London's Patent Gel