Models Own Icing Collection* - Swatches and Review

Another blog post, another Spring release, this time it's Models Own's Icing Collection*.  Getting in with the spring pastels trend, Models Own latest collection brings to mind sugar sweet icing from Fondant Fancies or those cream buns you've swore off for Lent.  The polishes come in limited edition frosted bottles so they make a lovely addition to any Models Own fan's collection.  Pop under the cut with me to check out my swatches, what I think of the polishes as well as a comparison with other Models Own shades.

Mint Icing, Lilac Icing, Pink Icing, Peach Icing and Nude Icing

These polishes aren't new Hypergel shades or contain a fruity scent, they're just regular creme polishes in lovely frosted bottles.  After having so many great effect polishes released from Models Own, it's nice to get back to basics with some great creme shades in pretty bottles.  The swatches below are with two coats (unless otherwise stated) and with top coat.

Pink Icing - I'll start with the one shade that I needed three coats for.  Like many pastel shades you come across, Pink Icing needed a bit of an extra push to build opacity but when you get there, it's a pretty pink shade that I'm sure anyone would like to sport this spring.  It's nothing to write home about to be honest but it is a great pink shade if you're a fan.

Nude Icing - This is a lovely darker nude shade (on me anyway but anything not off white is a dark nude for me LOL) that I think would suit cooler skin tones since I think it has a touch of grey in it which might make darker, warmer skin tones a bit of an ashy look but it's a great alternative nude for us pale gals and anyone with cool undertones in their skin.

Lilac Icing - Can I just say wow?!  I'm so glad you can see the vibrancy of this shade in the photo like you can in person because it truly is stunning.  I thought it would be very similar to Barry M's Fondant but it packs a bit more of a punch and is a dead ringer for last year's Pantone Colour of the Year, Radiant Orchid.  I think Purple Orchid from the new Hypergel shades would be a great pairing with this colour.

Peach Icing - Peach, along with coral, is one of those shades I always reach for during the Spring and Summer.  I'm surprised they released another peach so soon after the new Hypergel shade but you'll see below that they're slightly different.  I like this shade, just a great true peach shade that would suit a lot of skin tones.

Mint Icing - In real life, this shade is more green but still looks more like a turquoise rather than a mint green BUT it still is a stunning shade, really eye-catching.

So there are all the swatches!  All in all the formulas for the polishes are standard Models Own, very well pigmented and slightly on the thicker sides so always build up thinner coats but you only need two coats for most of these polishes (with Pink Icing being the exception).  The polishes dried in about 3-5 minutes but I used a fast dry top coat so if you want to speed up the process, just use one of those but the polishes did have a good gloss to them without so if you want to go without then you won't be dealing with dull nails.

Now, with the influx of new shades being added to Models Own repertoire it's inevitable to ask yourself if you already have a shade similar to those in this Icing Collection since Models Own love a good pastel shade so I've done some comparisons below using my own collection.

L-R: Pink Icing, Pastel Pink, Pink Veneer (Hypergel) and Paradise Pink (Hypergel)

This is probably where you might have a pretty good match in your collection already.  Pastel Pink and Pink Veneer are VERY similar to Pink Icing.  You can see that Pastel Pink is a touch more pink and Pink Veneer is a touch more light, it is very subtle though but Paradise Pink is a good bit different, being lighter and cooler in tone.

L-R: Nude Icing, Nude Beige, Utopia and Naked Glow (Hypergel)

There is a bit more of a difference between my nude shades here as Nude Beige is darker, Utopia is lighter and Naked Glow is warmer and lighter so pick this shade up if you like your nude shades.

L-R: Lilac Icing and Lilac Sheen (Hypergel)

I really only included this photo so I had an example for all of the Icing collections but you can clearly see that Lilac Icing is definitely not similar to Lilac Sheen but this is just from my own collection so double check your own but I really do think Lilac Icing is something very unique.

L-R: Peach Icing, Peach Melba (Fruit Pastels) and Long Beach Peach (Hypergel)

You can see that again Peach Icing is quite different from it's peach counterparts, slightly more red than Peach Melba and far lighter than Long Beach Peach (which I think is closer to a pastel coral anyway)

L-R: Mint Icing, Jade Green and Turquoise Gloss (Hypergel)

Last but not least, you can see that Mint Icing is quite different to its colour mates, more blue that Jade Green and more pastel than Turquoise Gloss, it's another one I'd recommend picking up.

I hope this big ass post wasn't too much for you but I wanted to show you guys how different polishes really can be even when you think they look quite similar but this is coming from a girl who has enough polish to do this sort of comparison so I don't know what that says LOL

I really like the Icing Collection and no wonder, I love pastel shades and the frosted bottles look amazing.  They're a welcome addition to my collection and I hope think about picking up some for yourself.  They're released from 6th March on Models Own's website, 7th March from their Bottleshops and then from the 11th March they're available from Superdrug, priced at £4.99.

What's your favourite pastel shade?  Let me know in the comments below and be sure to follow me by the sites below to be kept up to date in all things Flails and Nails!

*these products were provided for review but all opinions are mine