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Hello lovely people!
Femme Fatale's October collection is as stunning as the rest of their releases and this time around it also happens to be based on one of my favourite Shakespeare plays - A Midsummer Night's Dream. For fun (and because I'm a giant nerd) I've included the speeches in the play in which the name of each polish appear. Here's what Femme Fatale say about the collection:
The Midsummer Night’s Dream collection is an ethereal 7 piece interpretation from the classic Shakespeare play. Our primary visual influences were from the 1988 illustrations by Sylvie Monti found in the children’s retelling by Naomi Lewis.
Swatch all the things after the jump!
Jewels From The Deep
Femme Fatale Cosmetics - Jewels From The Deep, 3 coats + top coat
Out of this wood do not desire to go.
Thou shalt remain here whether thou wilt or no.
I am a spirit of no common rate.
The summer still doth tend upon my state.
And I do love thee. Therefore go with me.
I’ll give thee fairies to attend on thee.
And they shall fetch thee jewels from the deep,
And sing while thou on pressèd flowers dost sleep.
And I will purge thy mortal grossness so
That thou shalt like an airy spirit go.—
Peaseblossom, Cobweb, Moth, and Mustardseed!
Titania to Puck - Act 3, Scene 1, Page 7
Jewels From The Deep ($10.50AUD) is a medium teal with emerald green metallic flakies and microglitter, turquoise hexes, holo - it's hard to name everything that is going on in here! The shimmery jelly base gives the polish an incredible depth and really lives up to the name. I added topcoat for shine, but it wasn't dull or overly textured by itself. This is one of my favourites in the collection.
*
But A Dream
Femme Fatale Cosmetics - But A Dream, 4 coats + topcoat
If we shadows have offended,
Think but this, and all is mended—
That you have but slumbered here
While these visions did appear.
And this weak and idle theme,
No more yielding but a dream,
Gentles, do not reprehend.
If you pardon, we will mend.
And, as I am an honest Puck,
If we have unearnèd luck
Now to ’scape the serpent’s tongue,
We will make amends ere long.
Else the Puck a liar call.
So good night unto you all.
Give me your hands if we be friends,
And Robin shall restore amends.
Robin - Act 5, Scene 1, Page 18
But A Dream ($9.50AUD) is a vivid aqua with strong pink to gold shimmer. It reminds me of Rescue Beauty Lounge Aqua Lily, but with more of a glass fleck shimmer and But A Dream has the added bonus of being a thermal! I have quite cold hands and the evenings, which are my usual swatching time, are still cool here in New Zealand, so But A Dream is shown in its cold state for most of these swatches. It does have a sensitive, quick colour change though - after snuggling up with my kids while putting them to bed I found my nails had changed to a pale, pastel aqua due to the warmth.
Ring & pinky nails dipped in warm water to show the colour shift.
*
Spangled Starlight
Femme Fatale Cosmetics - Spangled Starlight, 4 coats (index & pinky)
Sayuri Nail Lacquer - Licorice Laces + Femme Fatale Cosmetics - Spangled Starlight, 1 coat (middle)
Kleancolor Black + Femme Fatale Cosmetics - Spangled Starlight, 1 coat (ring)
All topcoated
The king doth keep his revels here tonight.
Take heed the queen come not within his sight.
For Oberon is passing fell and wrath
Because that she, as her attendant hath
A lovely boy stolen from an Indian king.
She never had so sweet a changeling.
And jealous Oberon would have the child
Knight of his train, to trace the forests wild.
But she perforce withholds the lovèd boy,
Crowns him with flowers, and makes him all her joy.
And now they never meet in grove or green,
By fountain clear or spangled starlight sheen.
But they do square, that all their elves for fear
Creep into acorn cups and hide them there.
Robin - Act 1, Scene 2, Page 2
Spangled Starlight ($8.50AUD) is a lavender holographic microglitter with larger silver hexes of varying sizes and blue microshimmer. It's equally lovely alone or as a topper and applies easily without any dabbing required. As with Jewels From The Deep, I added topcoat for shine but it wasn't rough or dull the way some glitter polishes are.
*
Maiden's Patience
Femme Fatale Cosmetics - Maiden's Patience, 3 coats (middle & pinky)
Color Club - Taboo! + Femme Fatale Cosmetics - Maiden's Patience, 1 coat (index)
Kleancolor - Black + Femme Fatale Cosmetics - Maiden's Patience, 1 coat (ring)
All topcoated
Out, dog! Out, cur! Thou drivest me past the bounds
Of maiden’s patience. Hast thou slain him then?
Henceforth be never numbered among men!
Oh, once tell true, tell true even for my sake—
Durst thou have looked upon him being awake,
And hast thou killed him sleeping? O brave touch!
Could not a worm, an adder, do so much?
An adder did it, for with doubler tongue
Than thine, thou serpent, never adder stung.
Hermia to Demetrius, Act 3, Scene 2, Page 3
Maiden's Patience ($8.50AUD) is an opalescent white with teal shimmer. Honestly, I wasn't expecting to like this at all, but the shimmer and glitter pair together beautifully for a delicate manicure that can only be described as ethereal. Because of the cloudiness of the base I didn't like it layered over dark colours so much, but it's certainly possible, especially if you are better at painting thin, even coats than I am. I might try it over lighter shades next, but for now I'm content with how lovely it is alone.
*
Love's Wound
Femme Fatale Cosmetics - Love's Wound, 3 coats + topcoat
That very time I saw (but thou couldst not)
Flying between the cold moon and the Earth,
Cupid all armed. A certain aim he took
At a fair vestal thronèd by the west,
And loosed his love shaft smartly from his bow
As it should pierce a hundred thousand hearts.
But I might see young Cupid’s fiery shaft
Quenched in the chaste beams of the watery moon,
And the imperial votaress passèd on,
In maiden meditation, fancy-free.
Yet marked I where the bolt of Cupid fell.
It fell upon a little western flower,
Before milk-white, now purple with love’s wound.
And maidens call it “love-in-idleness.”
Fetch me that flower. The herb I showed thee once.
The juice of it on sleeping eyelids laid
Will make or man or woman madly dote
Upon the next live creature that it sees.
Fetch me this herb, and be thou here again
Ere the leviathan can swim a league.
Oberon to Robin, Act 2, Scene 1, Page 6
Love's Wound ($8.50AUD) is a bright orchid purple with intense green shimmer. It applies very smoothly with a touch of brush strokiness and dries matte, so I added topcoat for shine. Love's Wound is so gorgeous in its simplicity and I couldn't love it more. Another favourite for me!
*
Liquid Pearl
Femme Fatale Cosmetics - Liquid Pearl, 3 coats (middle & pinky)
Femme Fatale Cosmetics - Love's Wound + Liquid Pearl, 1 coat (index)
Kleancolor - Black + Femme Fatale Cosmetics - Liquid Pearl, 1 coat
All topcoated
Helen, to you our minds we will unfold.
Tomorrow night when Phoebe doth behold
Her silver visage in the watery glass,
Decking with liquid pearl the bladed grass
(A time that lovers' flights doth still conceal),
Through Athens' gates have we devised to steal.
Lysander to Helena, Act 1, Scene 1, Page 8
Liquid Pearl ($10.50AUD) is a glassfleck sheer white with purple to blue shimmer that appears amber at extreme angles. As if that wasn't glorious enough, it's also speckled with multichrome flakies. Like Maiden's Patience, I found the base colour too opaque for me to be happy with application over black, but enjoyed it much more over the complimentary tones of Love's Wound. It's nice worn sheerly too and applies without streaking.
*
Night and Silence
Femme Fatale Cosmetics - Night and Silence, 3 coats alone, 1 coat over Kleancolor Black
All topcoated
Through the forest have I gone.
But Athenian found I none,
On whose eyes I might approve
This flower’s force in stirring love.
(sees LYSANDER and HERMIA)
Night and silence! Who is here?
Weeds of Athens he doth wear.
This is he, my master said,
Despisèd the Athenian maid.
And here the maiden, sleeping sound
On the dank and dirty ground.
Pretty soul! She durst not lie
Near this lack-love, this kill-courtesy.
(squeezes flower juice on LYSANDER’s eyelids)
Churl, upon thy eyes I throw
All the power this charm doth owe.
When thou wakest, let love forbid
Sleep his seat on thy eyelid.
So awake when I am gone,
For I must now to Oberon.
Robin - Act 2, Scene 2, Page 4
Night and Silence ($10AUD), the final shade in the set, is a warm bruised purple with heavy turquoise shimmer and a mix of turquoise and fuchsia shards, microglitter and microshimmer. This builds up nicely on its own, but I truly adore Night and Silence over black, it just sets the shimmer off brilliantly.
- Shiro Cosmetics (USA)
- Color4Nails (USA)
- Beautometry (USA)
- Rainbow Connection (UK) (Use this link to get 10% off your first purchase at Rainbow Connection)
- Beauty So Fly (SNG)
- Dope Nails (NEW! Russia)
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