Butter London Spring/Summer 2012 Collection (swatches, comparisons & review) – Happy Easter!

Butter London (does’t that name simply just roll off the tongue so easily?!) has released five fresh, yet totally unique shades, just in time for the spring/summer season that is upon us. With provocative-sounding names to further sweeten the deal – half the fun is in figuring out what they all mean – these vibrant hues can be mixed & matched for some fabulous mani/pedi combinations … be ready for some major compliments! All swatches are with base and top coats.

‘Bossy Boots‘ [a derogatory name for someone who is pushy or bossy, usually reserved for children], is a medium-thick formula pale celadon green crème hue, with pistachio-yellow undertones in its base, that levelled off fairly well for a pastel but not without some work involved. Two coats can give decent coverage, but I applied 3 here for swatching purposes and to ensure that the surface was free of any patchiness. Beautiful high-gloss finish at the end.

in sunlight

indoors

with flash

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Three of the lacquers in my collection that I felt would be closest to ‘Bossy Boots’, and how they compared:

index finger – Illamasqua’s ‘Milf’ (previously reviewed here): 2 coats, similar viscosity but more minty green
middle finger – ‘Bossy Boots’
ring finger – Essie’s ‘Da Bush’ (previously reviewed here): 3 coats, thinnest formula and more grey leaning
pinkie finger – Essie’s ‘Navigate Her’ (previously reviewed here): 3 coats, similar flow but yellower undertones

in sunlight

indoors

with flash

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‘Trout Pout‘ [slang for a woman who has overdone collagen lip injections, lending her a somewhat fishy face], is a paradoxically vivid yet dusty-looking salmon crème hue with some coral hints in the base for added depth. The formula was simply spectacular, flowing easily, levelling off perfectly and leaving a gorgeous glossy finish behind. With 2 coats you can reach good coverage, but I applied 3 here for consistency in the swatches.

in sunlight

indoors

with flash

Looking through my collection, I was surprised to find that I only had one shade, Essie’s ‘Cute as a Button’ that came even remotely close to ‘Trout Pout’ – how they compared:

middle & pinkie fingers – ‘Cute as a Button’: thinner, runnier formula almost jelly-like in consistency, colour more deeper pink based
index & ring fingers – ‘Trout Pout’

in sunlight

indoors

with flash

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‘Slapper‘ [Brit-speak for “slut”], is indescribably beautiful! A vivid teal/aqua crème-jelly hybrid that literally flows like silk across the nails, 2 coats would definitely give full coverage, but I prefer to apply 3 thin layers with this type of formula. Ultra glossy and levelling off perfectly smooth, this lacquer is THE epitome of a perfect summer shade. The most intense “Tiffany Blue” colour I’ve seen to date (and completely unique in my collection), this is nothing less than pure gorgeousness – LOVE!

in sunlight

backlit

indoors

with flash

‘Disco Biscuit‘ [a club term from the rave days of the early 90’s for a tablet of ecstasy], has got to be one of the “happiest” lacquers I’ve ever come across! An über-vibrant fuchsia jelly hue filled with tiny prismatic glitter, the formula was a touch sheer, if somewhat gelatinous – needing at least 3 coats (as I applied here) to give a deeper opacity. While the shine at the end was fine, this shade definitely does not finish in a high gloss, and as the glitter seems to be suspended near the surface level, I recommend applying between 1-2 layers of top coat for a smooth surface. I absolutely love this colour; the vivid hue reminds me of the pink Popsicles of my youth, and the electric blue dots of light that come flashing from within its base, are totally mesmerizing!

NOTE: alternately, you can also apply ‘Disco Biscuit’ over a similarly hued crème base for a deeper tone.

in sunlight

closeup

indoors

with flash

‘Knackered‘ [to be tired or exhausted. “Wow, you look knackered – what did you get up to last night?”], is magical … it truly is! A chameleon-like shade, this is a sheer yet iridescent hue filled with ultra-fine polychromatic glitter that can flash either silver, turquoise, green or purple – depending on the light and your angle of view. For the following swatches I applied 3 coats, but I was surprised to find that good coverage was also achieved by the 2nd layer. As with ‘Disco Biscuit’, this varnish definitely benefits from at least 1-2 layers of top coat to really bring out all its intricate nuances.

in sunlight

closeup

indoors

indoors/secondary view

shaded light/green tint

shaded light/secondary view

with flash

Even though I already own a couple of shades similar to ‘Knackered’, I was surprised (and pleased!) to see how different they each were:

index finger – OPI’s ‘Not Like the Movies’ (previously reviewed here): similar sheer formula but with a touch more heft to it, more green/grey leaning while its fine glitter is not prismatic
middle & pinkie fingers – ‘Knackered’
ring finger – Deborah Lippmann’s ‘Wicked Game’ (previously reviewed here): same sheerness, but more silvery/purple tinged, bearing no glitter and can be prone to some faint brush stroke marks

in sunlight

indoors

indoors 2

indoors 4

with flash

Lastly, I was curious to see how ‘Knackered’ would perform if layered over a black crème, and so reaching for my absolutely favourite ebony shade, a-england’s ‘Camelot’ (previously reviewed here), I began with 2 coats of this gorgeously luxurious glossy black, then added applied 2 coats of ‘Knackered’, topping it all off with a layer of base coat.

The verdict: Perfection! The deep black of ‘Camelot’ did everything right for ‘Knackered’, making all the colours that go into this unique duo chrome lacquer simply pop with a new dimension and vibrancy.

in sunlight

closeup

backlit

indoors

indoors/alternate view

with flash

Final thoughts: There is not one shade from these five, that I wasn’t impressed with; ‘Bossy Boots’ can be a bit of trouble to apply, but its unique hue makes it worth the extra effort. I love the versatility of ‘Knackered’, and how you can opt to leave it sheer for just a light wash of colour, or deepened to a truly romatically gothic tone. ‘Disco Biscuit’ can perk up even the gloomiest of days, and as to ‘Trout Pout’ and ‘Slapper’? Well let’s just say that those two beauties will be getting plenty of attention from me this summer! Available the The Bay (Canada) and fine retailers across the US, please feel free to visit Butter London for more information – or to brush up on your Brit slang!