Monday, July 22, 2013

Guilt-Free Butter

The other night, I stumbled upon Sarah Wilson's blog and her post on the best toxin-free cosmetics. A couple of the people she contacted to provide a list of their "safe beauty" buys mentioned Butter London nail polish for being "3 Free", i.e. free from dibutyl phthalate, toluene and formaldehyde. I have to admit to being fairly apathetic about toxins in cosmetics, but her advice about gradually phasing out existing products and replacing them with toxin-free versions, being wary about chemical nasties in ingredients lists and generally using less stuff made me think about the potential harm I'm exposing myself to as a beauty junkie. When it comes to nail polish, I've always been under the impression the vast majority of big companies are already 3 Free, so it was never of particular concern to me to make sure that was the case. Regardless, the mention of Butter London encouraged me to dig out and dedicate an entire post to my small collection.


Thumb to pinky: Yummy Mummy, The Black Knight, No More Waity, Katie, Tart with a Heart, Pink Ribbon

I don't know what it is about Butter London polishes, but I simply adore the packaging and most of the shades they come out with. If they weren't so exorbitantly priced in Australia ($22 each), I'd probably count more in my collection. My experience with the formula has been inconsistent — the glitters tend to chip on me very easily, but the cremes and sheers are very smooth and long-wearing. I find some of the glitters to be invariably lumpy when applied, even with multiple coats, base and top coat. They also dry to a brittle texture that doesn't adhere well to the nail's surface, making the polish prone to chipping and easy to peel or flake off.






l-r: The Black Knight, No More Waity, Katie, Tart with a Heart, Pink Ribbon

Thumb to pinky: Yummy Mummy, The Black Knight, No More Waity, Katie, Tart with a Heart, Pink Ribbon

I've already written an entire post on Hen Party, so I haven't swatched it again here. My first Butter London polish was the smoky light taupe Yummy Mummy, a freebie with Madison magazine a long time ago. Yummy Mummy is an office-friendly neutral made up of a mix of purple, tan and grey with extremely delicate silver microshimmer that prevents it from being a straight up creme. Madison were also offering Trout Pout as the other freebie polish — to this day I regret not picking it up since the magazine itself was only $8 or so. Pink Ribbon was another, more recent magazine freebie (the alternative free polish was Pillar Box Red which I passed on, as I'm not a big red wearer). It's very reminiscent of Revlon Peach Nectar with its sheerness and pale orange hue.

I purchased the three glitter shades, The Black Knight, No More Waity, Katie and Tart with a Heart from the Spa & Beauty Expo in August last year (there was a 3 for $30 deal which proved irresistible). Tart with a Heart has iridescent round pieces of glitter much like China Glaze Snow Globe, but with a peachy-yellow shimmery base and bizarrely, tiny black dots of glitter that I don't think add anything to the polish. I suppose the combination makes Tart with a Heart more unique than your usual iridescent glitter in a clear base (like Deborah Lippmann Stairway to Heaven or Revlon Heavenly). The Black Knight looked stunning in the bottle, but each time I've worn it, I've always felt it falls a bit flat on the nail. The pink, blue, silver and green glitter doesn't pop against the black and isn't as glimmering as hoped. While the glitter is fairly dense, there's not enough contrast with the base and it's a bit too small in size to make an impact. No More Waity, Katie (except for the end of her pregnancy, it seems) is my favourite of the bunch, a slate grey-leaning medium purple with lavender sparkle. The two work harmoniously to create a sophisticated but still playful glitter.

48 comments:

  1. I have 3 butter london nail polishes and 3 of them are all glitters. I am not really impressed with the formula, but the fact that Butter London polishes are '3 free' is new to me. At least that may explain why they are expensive..
    I think I should pay more attention to the ingredients of cosmetics now but I know very little about those chemical names >,<

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  2. I love Tart with a Heart, I've been looking for a gold glitter nail polish with a natural finish and not that blingbling finish. They look great but quite expensive!

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  3. Haha love the title! My favorite's the one on your thumb and ring finger :) Gorgeous colors!!

    http://itsjessicachoy.blogspot.com/

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  4. No more waity Katie is by far my favorite; VERY pretty :) I love butter london polishes and really wish I had more in my collection but D*MN their high prices!! Makes it nearly impossible for me.

    ♥Cassie
    thriftthick.blogspot.com

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  5. There are some really lovely colours here :) I've never tried them before, I normally just stick to my Barry M :P

    Katie xx
    katiesworld13.blogspot.co.uk

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  6. My favorite might just be the one on your ring finger. It's so girly.

    Lynn | Makeup With Tea

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  7. I've wanted Black Knight for a while now and I'm glad I found this review first.
    How easy do these polishes remove? I'm always terrified of glitter polishes because they're such a pain to take off.
    xx

    Celina | The Celution

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    Replies
    1. They always just flake or chip off before I have to remove them, so I guess in that sense - they're a cinch to remove :p

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  8. I have a lot of Butter London but NONE of these shades! Stop making everything look so pretty!

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  9. i love tart with heart, it's so pretty! x

    Miho @ Wander to Wonder

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  10. I've never tried Butter London polishes before but I really want to! I like Tart with a Heart and No More Waity, Katie.

    Kimberley x

    www.kimberleysbeautyblog.com (currently running an international MAC giveaway)

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  11. I never tried any of Butter London varnishes but The Black Knight is now tempting me to go ahead and purchase my first bottlle, a-hem.

    Isabela
    fusels.com

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  12. I have one polish and love it! I love the look of The Black Knight

    Sarah
    morethanadored.blogspot.com

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  13. The black knight is gorgeous! I can never bring myself to buy butter london polishes because of the price, but I may need to pick some up if I see a sale!

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  14. I haven't tried any Butter polishes but they sound soooo nice! Too expensive for me haha. They have some really beautiful and unique shades.

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  15. It's nice to know the Butter London polishes are toxin free! I only own one of these (Yummy Mummy) and the wear is actually pretty good. I'll have to try out a few more of these - though I might stay away from the glitter shades!

    www.beautibop.com

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  16. Beautiful nail polishes!
    www.adoramehitabel.blogspot.co.uk

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  17. I have yet to get my fingertips on a bottle of Butter nail polishes because of the hefty price tag. But the fact that they're 3 Free is rather tempting me. Tart with a Heart and Pink Ribbon both catch my eye. They also look like they might go well together. Pink Ribbon as a base and Tart with a Heart as a finishing touch. :)

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    Replies
    1. I wonder why I never thought of that combination before - I'm sure it'd be super pretty!

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  18. they´re so pretty! love the colours :D

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  19. Cute colors! I've had my eyes on Tart with a Heart for a while now. Butter London always has such awesome and unique shades! :D

    ~ Yun

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  20. I have yet to own any Butter London polishes and your post makes me want them even more badly! The three glitters that you have are SO pretty! *_* And I do agree that we should be exposing ourselves to less toxins, especially after taking this course toxicology course from last semester. Near the end of the semester the class had group presentations and there were substances that was researched included a lot of beauty and makeup products. I was quite....shocked. :(

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    1. It's definitely something to just keep in mind ... I try to limit my exposure to harmful chemicals in other ways, like I never dye or treat my hair and I don't normally wear deodorant (not to be gross, I just don't need to unless it's the height of summer). But still - I could be doing a lot more!

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  21. I honestly haven't tried any Butter polishes because everytime I want to indulge I always want to opt for Deborah Lippmann or Chanel. DL polishes are the best!

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    1. Never tried DL but I really want to - they're sooooo pricey though! :p

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  22. I love Butter London's creme polishes! They have the prettiest colours and I agree, love their bottles too!

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  23. Tart with a heart is my favourite here :) I own two butter london polishes and they get used a whole lot! I love the packaging too, it feels really high end.

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  24. This is a lovely collection you have, I particularly like 'Yummy Mummy', it's a lovely shade.

    Amy x
    -A Little Boat Sailing-

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  25. These look so nice :) I especially like the glitter polishes! xx
    http://xtouchofbeautyx.blogspot.co.uk/

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  26. Tart with a Heart looks GORGEOUS!!!!!! I don't have any Butter London polishes yet though, xx

    Gemma | ♥ Miss Makeup Magpie

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  27. These are absolutely beautiful, I love Tart with a Heart and Pink Ribbon <3 Gorgeous :) xxx

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  28. I absolutely LOVE the Butters you have with glitter in them! They're so subtle but have that extra something I'm always looking for in polish.

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  29. They've started to sell Butter London polishes in my uni co-op bookshop, which I just find so weird! I like the collection you've amassed, the colours are beautiful. I think I'll stay away from the glitters from this brand and just look into the cremes. I've come across Sarah Wilson's blog before and while I side-eye at quite a lot of the stuff she writes, I think she does have a point about chemicals in cosmetics. Best to do our own research. x

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    1. Hahaha I know what you mean, the way she writes is a bit scare-mongering in a way, but I guess it's something she feels passionate about. The harm of cosmetics and personal hygiene products (and even things like detergents and bathroom/kitchen cleaning products or whatever) have kind of floated in my mind, but I never thought about it seriously. I only started to investigate actual chemicals and whatever research had been done on them when I began to be more interested in skin care (reading ingredients lists is like my #1 hobby now, lol). I'm still a n00b through and through, but at least it's quite interesting and something to consider in terms of minimising any exposure to potential harm. (Not that that's happening with 329402834 cosmetic products in my possession.)

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  30. I find the quality of Butter London nail polishes a bit disappointing for such a hefty price, but they have so many lovely shades! I currently have 3 (well, one is my sister's), and I'll probably get a few more despite the sometimes not so great formula.

    Sandra - The Puzzle of Sandra's Life

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    1. I agree - for being so pricey, the formula isn't spectacular. But still, I just really love the packaging!

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  31. I've never tried one but they just look so pretty :)

    xoxo

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  32. Such lovely polishes :)
    I saw Butter London polishes in Helsinki when I went there a few weeks ago but I did not buy any cause they were so darn expensive :(
    All of the ones you show above are really pretty and right up my alley :) I think Id buy The Black Knight, No More Waity, Katie and Tart with a Heart :)
    Hugs
    xx

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  33. Eek this is so pretty! I love all the shades! I only have two of these ones (and in different colours) but I'm definitely interested in picking up more! I'll be a bit selective though, I think!
    xx

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  34. I love 'Tart with a Heart'! Both for its name and how pretty it is! haha

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  35. I've never tried Butter nail polishes before. I love Black Knight and Tart with a Heart, so pretty! :) xx

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  36. Uh, been dreaming with these nail polishes for a long time.. They are perfect and the packaging is lovely. Tart with a heart is just amazing xxx

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  37. Ooh I'm loving the navy glittery one!:)

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  38. Yummy Mummy and Tart with a Heart are now on mah LISSSSTTTT

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  39. Tarte with a heart is so gorgeous, but all the colours are amazing really !

    Madeline | Its a Mads Mads World

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  40. I love Butter London polishes, Yummy Mummy, Hen Party are my favourites!

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  41. I don't own any Butter London nail polishes, everytime i think i'm ready to fork out $20 to buy it, i chicken out. I don't think i own any nail polishes over $15. But my heart just skipped a beat after seeing your swatches of No More Waity, Katie and Tart with a Heart! They sell these in my Uni bookstore too, whyyyyyyyyyyy

    à la foliee

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