[Review] Ulta3 Speckled Egg collection

Just in time for Easter, the Australian brand Ulta3 has released a new limited edition speckled-pastel collection that is so incredibly adorable and boasts some of the cutest themed names you could ever dream to come up with! This collection includes six shades that apply as creme and contain two different sized black glitters – plentiful fine glitter and sparser hexes.

Excuse me while I tell you in delight, my love for the names of these polishes. From L-R: Hop Pink, Bunny Bloom, Hot Cross Fun, Egg-cellent, Blue Bunny and Hippidy Hop. 

Ulta3 ‘Hop Pink’ – Medium pink with black fine and hex glitters.

This is most definitely my pick for the whole collection. I absolutely love the medium pink colour and how much the whole look screams ‘watermelon’! I find that this polish has the best formula and applies like a dream. There is also great glitter payoff without having to dig for it. Note: my camera didn’t capture the colour of this exactly, it actually has stronger pink tones.

Ulta3 ‘Bunny Bloom’ – Baby pink with black fine and hex glitters.

This is a pale, baby pink polish that screams pastel and springtime. The colour is what I would define as being ‘cute and delicate’. The glitter payoff is decent for this polish but the base colour itself is a little opaque for my liking.

Ulta3 ’Hot Cross Fun’ – Pale yellow with black fine and hex glitters.

This would probably be a close second for my favourites from this collection. The amount of glitter, colour and application are all very good. I was happy with the opacity and consistency of the polish! The overall look is very poppy seed cake-esque. Yum!

Ulta3 ‘Egg-cellent’ – Dusty green with black fine and hex glitters.

On first glance, I thought I wouldn’t like this colour at all, but it turned out to be very nice. It borders on being a dull pastel green with undertones of grey. The polish is thin and not fully opaque, which works well with layering the glitter. The glitter payoff for this polish is very good. 

Ulta3 ‘Blue Bunny’ – Bright baby blue with black fine and hex glitters.

This was probably my least favourite polish from the collection. As you can probably see, the formula on this is the most opaque and the glitter is very sparse. It is a pretty colour, very pigmented and a shade darker than one of my favourites Ulta3 ‘Soft Hydrangea’, but I wish it was a little more transparent for this look.

Ulta3 ‘Hippidy Hop’ – Medium purple with black fine and hex glitters.

The colour on this polish is not as pastely as the others. It is quite dark and a little dull, but still pretty. The formula is thin and the polish goes on quite opaque. The glitter is also quite sparse compared to some of the other polishes.

All these swatches are 2 decent coats of polish. If I had to rank the polishes from my favourite to least favourite, it would be, ‘Hop Pink’, ‘Hot Cross Fun’, ‘Egg-cellent’, ‘Hippidy Hop’ and then ‘Bunny Bloom’. This is definitely a collection worth getting if you love pastels, want Easter themed nails or want something a little different in your collection! 

These polishes are $3 each and are in stores in April. It's also limited edition so get in quick!

*The products were sent to me in a press release, but I maintain that the views in this post are my most honest opinions.*

[Tutorial] The Trend: Gradient Nails

The Trend

Gradients have become one of the most popular techniques for nail artists, whether they stand on their own or are incorporated as a base for a design. What makes gradient nails so great is that they are so customisable and can easily be achieved by anyone with the right tools. This look uses a sponge to dab on various polishes and has the effect of creating well-blended colours.

The Look

This is the look that can be achieved with the tutorial below. There are many gradient tutorials on the web, some using other techniques, but this is the way that I personally do it. I chose to do a gradient with different colours and I have just realised I unintentionally made the gradient the same as my blog background!

The Technique

The polishes I have used for this manicure from L to R are: OPI 'Alpine Snow', OPI 'Mod About You', Revlon 'Charming', Ulta3 'Soft Hydrangea', OPI 'Gargantuan Green Grape', Seche Vite fast drying top coat and China Glaze 'Fairy Dust (optional). This may seem like a lot of different polishes but the look is customisable to whatever colours you have and wish to use, whether it be 2 or 3 or more.

You will also need a makeup sponge of some sort. These may come in various shapes and sizes.

1. Apply a white polish onto your nail until opaque. I used 2 coats. Let dry.
2. Paint the colours you wish to have in your gradient straight onto the makeup sponge (see below). Dab the sponge 1 or 2 times onto a piece of paper and then sponge onto your nail. Let dry.
3. Repeat step 2 again and again until the gradient is at the intensity that you would like it. Make sure you wait for the previous layer to dry before dabbing on the next layer. If the layer below is still wet, the sponge may pick up previous layers and it may ruin the gradient.
4. Apply a fast drying top coat onto the gradient. This should smoothen out the gradient and make it look well-blended.
5. Clean up the edges of your nail with acetone. I used a cotton tip to do this.
6. (Optional) Add a glitter of your choice onto the gradient. 

This is what my sponge looked like in step 2 above. I painted the lines so they would match the length of my nails and I used this small part of the sponge for the whole manicure.

The possibilities for this look are endless. I chose to create a gradient with different colours but you may choose to use monochromatic colours or as little or as many colours that you wish. For other gradients that I have done previously you can look here and here. You may also wish to incorporate this look into a design as I have done here, or as a background for other art.