Butter London Illusionists collection (Holiday 2013) : Bramble, Petrol, Stardust, and Stratford Honey review + swatches

Butter London Bramble, Petrol, Stardust, and Stratford Honey (clockwise from top left)

         As winter nights grow longer, inky purples and starshine decorate the sky, adding a sense of mystique to this wonderful season. Naturally, I've been inspired by these twilight tints - and have been showcasing these shades at my fingertips!

         As you can imagine, I've been enjoying the Butter London Illusionists nail lacquer collection (Holiday 2013) courtesy of Butter London. This ensemble features four new night-sky-shades perfect for layering and includes Bramble, Petrol, Stardust, and Stratford Honey.

Butter London Bramble

         Butter London Bramble nail lacquer is a beautiful dark purple creme. I love how flattering this shade looks on my nails! I've been wearing it on and off all week. (It helps that the color complements Baltimore Ravens purple --- you know I'm a big fan!)

Butter London Bramble and Butter London Petrol

        Butter London Bramble nail lacquer is a dark blue toned purple creme. You can see my comparison swatches below.  I've compared it to Butter London Pitter Patter (reviewed here), which has more red tones.  

        Butter London Petrol overcoat is meant to be worn over other nail lacquers, however with 3-4 coats it can stand on its own (see swatch above). Petrol exudes a complex iridescence, much like an oil slick; it's a pink-purple base that reflects blue in the light. I've compared it to another iridescent polish, OPI Not Like the Movies (Katy Perry collection) to give you an idea of how exactly it reflects.

Butter London Union Jack Black

            I've really been loving black nails as of late, which is unusual for me. They are an appropriately mod statement for the current season and they look chic with shorter nails. Butter London Union Jack Black is a part of the brand's regular lineup and the Illusionists collection. It's a perfect background for the three new 'overcoats' (more on that below). 

Butter London Stardust and Butter London Statford Honey

            I've swatched the three new Butter London Illusionists collection overcoats atop Butter London Union Jack Black. Butter London Stardust overcoat is a very dense collection of silver holo microglitter. With a few coats, it could probably stand on its own. The finish isn't particularly glossy. If you want more shine, it would be worth adding a clear topcoat. Butter London Stratford Honey overcoat is a significantly less dense collection of small gold glitter particles. Even with several coats, you'll never achieve full opacity with glitter. As you can appreciate from the bottle above, the gold is a lighter yellow (as opposed to a 24K) type of gold. The finish of this topcoat is very glossy. I showed Butter London Petrol overcoat alone above, and atop black polish below. You can see that the pink-purple base is less visible. The special bluish sheen is the final effect.

          With layers of Butter London Illusionists nail lacquer collection (Holiday 2013), I can keep shades of the night sky at my fingertips! I'm most fond of the new creme color, Bramble. (You know I love my cremes). That said, I love the touch of starshine that Butter London Stratford Honey adds to my tips as well!

          Thanks for reading! Which shades from the Butter London Illusionist collection strike your fancy? What hues have you been wearing this holiday season?

Love, Dovey.
Disclosure: This post contains product(s) sent to Cute and Mundane for consideration. The ideas and opinions in this post are genuine and my own.