This is a blog that caters specially (but not only to) Singaporean girls who didn't have much resources in the quality, types, and brands of nail polishes that are available locally!
As a Nail Polish addict, I do surf the web often, browsing various amazing nail polish review blogs, nail art blogs, nail art/polish tumblrs, etc. But, there isn't any that I could relate or to find information from locally!
Have you ever saw or came across a pretty nail polish blog and saw a shade/brand of nail polish that you like? And as you scroll along and found out that, DAMN! It is not available in Singapore.
Pretty bummed out isn't it?
Well, I had thousands of encounters with such issues and hence, I've decided to create my own blog!
I have supports from my family and friends who love my nail art and who are also *giggles* AMAZED by how many bottles of nail polish I have!
This is my current stash.
I separated my nail polishes into categories!
Those from the "Expensive Nail Polishes" are my O.P.I , Orly, China Glaze, Anna Sui, Chanel, NARS, ZOYA and Sephora Polishes.
The "Favourite Lower Grade" are mostly BRANDLESS, meaning they do not have a reputable brand, or just imitations of the exquisite brands and my L.A. Girl stash.
"Cheap Nail Polishes" comprises of nail polishes that cost not more than SGD3 per bottle! Some brands are like 'The Face Shop', 'Rainbow', 'Aries', etc. I would only use polishes from these stash when I want to do extreme nail-art painting.
There is a need to categorize your bottles, especially if you have a huge collection like mine. It will be easier to find, replace, replenish. I do not sort them out by colors because I do not have much space for that (I will definitely do it if I have a proper rack).
My plastic rack can be bought in any provision shops, and the blue tray and transparent box are from Daiso at SGD2 each.
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Most of my nail polishes are found in Singapore. Let me present to you you my pride & honor collection... ...
**Note: I do not have all the colors of the rainbow, as I do pick out colors that I love (:
1. O.P.I. Nail Polish
I do understand that many of you have at least a bottle of O.P.I bottles at home. With all the mega sprees, flea markets, and toyoutpost cube shops, it is hard to resist such beauties in a classy bottle.
However, please do note that there are many despicable shops around selling FAKE O.P.I. Always remember to look at the bottom seal for the Name/Code/Ingredient List/etc.
I had my first bottle of O.P.I in 2005? It was a gift to my elder sis, but somehow she gave it to me instead. That is when I was like, "Wow! The quality of the polish is amazing!"
Subsequently, I have many other bottles of it. :P
I love O.P.I for their creativity in the naming of the colors. I am always excited to see the upcoming color collections. But as time goes, I realized that the quality of O.P.I is dropping. It is less opaque and needs numerous application for a full coverage. :( not good. But, I am still going to keep a lookout on their collections!
2. China Glaze
China Glaze only came as a hit to the shores of Singapore in recent years. I rarely/do not see China Glaze polishes in the retail shops. It is considered a rarity and you could buy it only at certain cosmetic shops that imported them over.
However, now you could purchase them online, in flea markets, or at Sephora(SGD 15).
This is my puny stash of China Glazes. I love how it is easy to apply! All I need is just 2 coats for a total coverage. My favorite color is For Audrey (2nd from the right), it is a Tiffany blue shade.
I will definitely stock up more China Glaze nail polishes! :)
3. ORLY
ORLY nail polishes are super rare in Singapore. But damn, they are good, especially in their recent collections of the interesting colors. The quality of ORLY is reputable as they are super opaque with 1 application!
You can find ORLY colors in selected toy outpost stores, flea markets, and cosmetic stores located at Far East Plaza Level 4 or Bugis Village Level 2.
My favourite color of ORLY is none other than Space Cadet (1st on the left) of the Cosmic FX Collection. Shimmers in Green, Magenta and Gold. AWESOME! I wish that there are more updated collection of ORLY nail polishes in Singapore :(
4. Chanel
Yes, I know, Chanel. Mad expensive at SGD36 per bottle. But it is so pretty and nice and ooooooOO~!
I pampered myself with my first bottle of Chanel nail polish in 2011. Bought the classic RED color, DRAGON. I was super amazed on how just by 1 application, the color was so vivid hence there was no need for a second layer (unless you are anal about layers)!!
Despite the small & thin brush, I could cover my whole nail in just 2 strokes.
After Dragon, I was so O_O on the new color, Peridot. The color is like melted Nickel metal! Damn pretty! Same as the Dragon, all I need was 1 application and my nails are covered in pretty Peridot!
Gold Fingers was given to me as a birthday present by my friends. It is a slight translucent gold shimmer!
I will only buy Chanel Nail polishes when the color is exclusive to theirs. Meaning that I will not find it on other brands.
** I'm so angry that OPI and Sephora had recently launch a color similar to Peridot. How could they?!
5. NARS, ETUDE HOUSE, ZOYA, ANNA SUI
I frequent nail blogs a lot, that is when I knew about the cosmetic brand, NARS. I bought my NARS nail polish in Taiwan, Taipei. The bottle is similar to Chanel, but instead of a separate cap, it was a whole brush cap.
The shimmery metal Purple Rain caught my eye! It cost SGD31, worth it as you can't find NARS cosmetics in Singapore :P
I bought this Shimmer Blue (BL009) from Taipei's Etude House. It cost SGD10. It is under their Dear Darling Nails Bling Bling Series. I can't find it in Singapore when I was back, therefore I assumed it is an exclusive collection to Taiwan!
I bought my ZOYA Gemma online. Was in love with its unique Olive Green color.
Anna Sui is another splurge but not an impulsive buy! It cost at SGD33 per bottle. All Anna Sui's nail polishes will have the Signature Rose Scent. And the shimmer green was opaque after 2 application! Super rare for shimmer nail polishes!
6. Sephora & L.A. Girl
Sephora is a new cosmetic mega store in Singapore. I was quite surprised that they have their own collection of nail polishes! I've received gift vouchers for my birthday, so I've decided to put a good use to it!
These 4 bottles caught my eye among the major array of colors available. Pastel Purple, Lime Green, Cement Grey and Curacao Blue. It has a wide brush, and thick polish which will give an opaque color with just 1 application. Price at SGD9 per bottle.
L.A. Girl used to be my favourite brand of unique nail polish color, till I found ORLY. haha.
I almost had at least 1 bottle from each collection.
I withdrawn my craze for L.A. Girl due to that the quality of their nail polish will drop after certain time. :( My favourite was the MATTE Series, it was AMAZING! It gives a leathery matte texture.
Rock Star Series was all glitter, METAL was all shimmers, Black Light DISCO Brites had glow-under-UV-light polishes which I have yet to tried it out and Glitter Addict with all the chunky glitters, mine was BLACK, extremely unique black glitter which is hard to find!
7. Sally Hansen
I am not a Sally Hansen fan because I dislike their long and thin brush. It is very hard to achieve a smooth surface with it as it dries up easily. And then, they launched their huge wide brush series (right) which is TOO BIG -_- that it creates smudges around the cuticles, which meant messy clean up after application.
Therefore, I only have 2 bottles of Sally Hansen. In addition, their price are not worth it in comparison to their quality.You could find them at Watsons or Guardians.
But I love their Nail Care Collection, because it really works! I would rather much purchase from their Nail Care Series rather than their Nail Polish Collection.
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And there you have it. Some of the common nail polish brands that you are able to find in Singapore.
I know I have left out a few of them, but these are the ones that I have! My collection is growing, and I'm loving every single bottle of it. ♥♥♥
Time after time, I will throw away old, sedimented bottles that are spoilt and un-usable.
(( Please remember do not store your nail polishes at places with direct sunlight!! ))
I hope my first review post gave some insights to you on the products (: and perhaps clarify your doubts before your purchase! I will do an in depth post on each brand with pictures and comparisons!
Thank you for reading this little space of mine.
Please look out for the next post on: "CHEAP NAIL POLISHES THAT WORKS!"
xoxo, Miranda
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