Butter London • Rosie Lee • Polishes

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*TOP REVIEWER* XxPRINCESSAxX on 4/27/2013 11:16:00 PM more reviews by XxPRINCESSAxX

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Tan, Warm   Hair: Blond, Wavy, Coarse   Eyes: Other    

Rosie Lee is a rose gold/pink all glitter polish. You definitely need to layer it on. Application on long nails was surprisingly not very difficult, due to the formula. Usually I have issues with glitter polishes and have to paint them on in sections because the glitter particles are not spreading evenly and tend to gather in one area only. That was not an issue with Rosie Lee.



The texture, as with most Butter Londons I've tried is great, and I only needed about 2 coats, whereas I would need several to get such full coverage with a Sephora OPI or cheaper glitter polishes.


The color was very flattering on my NC42ish medium-tan skintone. It is very blingy, and definitely noticeable. Not recommended for anyone who isn't into 'loud' nail polishes, because although the color may not be neon or electric, the sparkle factor is definitely there! I posted two pics on this review of me wearing this, it is the 3rd and 4th pics (long nails), and the sunlight really captures how sparkly it is!!


I really like doing nails as an accessory so I imagine this would compliment a black dress very nicely.


Finally, the nail polish peeled off each nail in a single piece, as if it were a press-on nail. But this is not unique to this shade, this happens with all of my glitter polishes. And it did last a few days before this happened.

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teenofchrist on 4/15/2013 5:43:00 PM more reviews by teenofchrist

Age: 19-24   Skin: Oily, Medium   Hair: Black, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

I just had to write a review on this nail polish. It’s so gorgeous, beautiful, pretty, sparkly, and perfect! I cannot say enough good words about this nail polish. It’s so stunning on the nails. I receive compliments all the time when I wear it. I have many nail polishes but I always come back to Rosie Lee and I wear it for weeks! It lasts so long, looks beautiful, dries fast and doesn’t have all the bad chemicals like other nail polishes. I love Butter London Rosie Lee! It’s the best! I highly recommend this to everyone. Go out and purchase this nail polish now! It’s a must have for your collection! At least give it a try and test it out! It is my HG nail polish and I keep on repurchasing everytime.
This nail polish needs more attention and credit!

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xjenniferclaire on 4/1/2013 9:05:00 AM more reviews by xjenniferclaire

Age: 19-24   Skin: Combination, Fair   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Green    

This is the most beautiful fine rose coloured glitter that is opaque in two coats, I like to give it three. This does have a habit of flaking and chipping quite badly but I have found that if you put a layer of a light nail polish underneath and a good too coat on top it really minimises chipping. I haven't came across any other colour like this in a cheaper alternative and would definitely purchase this again.

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*TOP REVIEWER* Beauty4Ashes on 1/20/2013 2:28:00 PM more reviews by Beauty4Ashes

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination, Tan, Warm   Hair: Brown, Relaxed, Fine   Eyes: Brown    

Rosie Lee is a beautiful, finely-milled glitter polish. The best part of the polish is the color. It's more of a salmon pink shade than a true rose shade. It's not particularly light or deep, so I describe it as a mid-toned shade which means that it's very flattering on all skin tones. The consistency of the formula is somewhat on the thicker side and I suggest applying very thin coats when applying. After two thin coats it was opaque for me. However, the more coats applied the more rosey and less salmon pink the color. I prefer 3 coats. After drying, the texture is like dried sugar or fine sand on the nail. If you're not into that texture, then I suggest applying two coats of topcoat. Overall, due to the unique color and easy application, I recommend.

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kolwink on 1/9/2013 7:36:00 AM more reviews by kolwink

Age: 30-35   Skin: Normal, Olive, Warm   Hair: Black, Straight, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

My neighbor gave me a surprising birthday present this year: Butter London's Royal Navy, Deborah Lippman's Across the Universe, and L'Occitane hand cream. I was taken aback because she's a student and not rolling in the dough ... and also because these were all brands which mentally I'd pegged as 'too rich for my blood'. Still, even though I won't be making these items as part of my regular repurchasing repertoire, I decided to keep them and try 'em out.


Then I chickened out. I have small, short, and oddly-shaped nails, and am wary of bold, dark, or big glitter. I didn't like the swatches found online of Royal Navy or Across the Universe, so I went to the store and swapped them for Butter London's Rosie Lee and Deborah Lippman's Mermaid's Dream.


I know, I'm almost starting the actual product review now. Finally.


I decided that Rosie Lee would be for-toes-only, and proceeded to apply 3 coats (no base coat or top coat, since I don't own either). Man, I do love the color: a rosy-goldish, pinkishly-coppery glitter hue. It looked so warm and pretty on my toes that throughout the next day I took off my shoes at work a few times- in order to admire my feet. (Husband: "...")


I had read a Scrangie.com review of Butter London Scallywag (another glitter) which she described as drying to "an attractive sugary/sandy matte finish if you don't use topcoat." I'd say the same for Rosie Lee- my toenails definitely feel sandpapery (but not off-puttingly chunky). However, I wouldn't enjoy the gritty feeling on my hands.


Lastly, reviews online mentioned how difficult the polish was to remove. I didn't really care, since I plan to leave the polish on until it wears away on its own. Also, I just finished a 2.5 week trip to India, during which I wore sandals and walked constantly. I was pleased to note that the polish stuck stubbornly- after 10+ days, both big toes finally gave up the fight (husband stepped on one foot, and I dropped a suitcase on the other), but the little guys are still hanging in there, twinkling pinkly away.


Edit: I changed my mind and have been wearing the polish on my hands, because (unexpectedly?) 3 coats doesn't feel gritty compared to 1 coat. I guess because it's evened out? Anyway, here is my report:
- after 1 coat: sparse glitter, gritty feeling
- after 3 coats: opaque glitter, less gritty feeling


Indoor lighting gave 3 coats the coppery hue I love. Outside, beneath a cloudy sky, the copper disappeared and it was plain pink, unfortunately.

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*TOP REVIEWER* NYCBeauty99 on 12/4/2012 6:26:00 PM more reviews by NYCBeauty99

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination, Olive, Warm   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Brown    

I feel very conflicted about this product. The color was absolutely beautiful. I loved the sparkles and the rose color. I wish it were a tad darker, but still, it was lovely. I found the application quite easy. I did my nails at night. By the middle of the next day, the nail polish had chipped quite badly. I'm fairly new to nail polish. I'm just learning how to paint my nails. Still, I used what many consider a very good base coat (Orly Bonder) and top coat. I also don't really work with my hands. I should have been able to go one day without significant chipping.

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JanaFae on 7/8/2012 5:54:00 PM more reviews by JanaFae

Age: 25-29   Skin: Combination, Fair-Medium, Warm   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Brown    

Oh. My. Goodness. Two coats of Rosie Lee and I was in love to the point of adding a completely unnecessary 3rd coat! The glitter builts almost exponentially with each coat, and despite the explosion of glitter, my nails look sweet and feminine instead of wild and kinda immature the way a lot of glitter polish I've gotten in drugstores tends to look.

I read several poor reviews for this color based on how difficult it was to remove later. I don't think there has EVER been a glitter polish that wasn't a pain to remove. Glitter is stubborn and clings to the nail as though you put it on with krazee glue instead of the nail polish base it was applied with. I urge those of you reading these reviews to not base your yay or nay vote on this color from how easy it is or isn't to remove. The color, the application, and the buildability make it impossible not to love. If you are looking for a girly glitter nail polish THIS IS IT!!

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*TOP REVIEWER* MAChostage on 4/12/2012 7:19:00 PM more reviews by MAChostage

Age: 44-55   Skin: Normal, Warm   Hair: Brown   Eyes: Brown    

Beautiful, pink glitter polish. Can't add much more than has already been said, however, you can save yourself a pretty penny by buying Fingerpaint's "Hue Left A Message?" instead. The pink is only slightly lighter, but everything else about it is pretty much the same. It is an acceptable dupe.

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MusicMaker92 on 3/25/2012 2:51:00 PM more reviews by MusicMaker92

Age: 19-24   Skin: Normal, Olive   Hair: Brunette, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

I'm a new fan of Butter London and nail polishes in general. Rosie Lee is probably my favorite of the bunch so far. I was originally a bit put off by the massive quantities of pink and sparkles, but I loved it after layering it over Butter London's "All Hail the Queen." The polish kinda reminds me of rose gold or something. It's not nearly as obnoxious/gaudy looking as I thought it would be. Application of this polish was pretty easy. It went on nicely and dried fairly quickly. It took about one coat to cover the nail with a decent layer of glitter. You'll probably need about 3 coats if you're wanting it to be opaque. I'd recomend a layer of top coat or two since it will feel rather rough. The wear of the polish is pretty good too.

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missalexandre on 1/11/2012 10:14:00 PM more reviews by missalexandre

Age: 18 & Under   Skin: Combination, Olive, Warm   Hair: Red, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Hazel    

I bought this over the summer but am just getting to writing a review. For starters, I LOVE the color. I had been eyeing this shade since the Butter London display first went up in my Ulta, and caved and bought it for myself as a treat. Rosie Lee is an opaque pinky-rose glitter with warm undertones. It isn't too glaring or obnoxious. It goes on very smoothly, dries fast, and as others have said, the thick glitter texture makes it easy to repair chips.
The first time I wore it it lasted with no chips for over a week. Then I went to the beach, and after a few days in the surf it began to dull. So I decided to repaint. It took nearly an HOUR to get the stuff off my nails! This was a little unnerving and inconvenient, but since I had no other polish and deeply loved the color, I repainted with Rosie Lee. This time it lasted not even a night before it began peeling off of my whole nail like it was a sticker. I thought it might be the humidity at the beach, so I waited until I was home to repaint again. Again, it took forever to get the polish off of the nails it hadn't already peeled off of, and it started peeling off again within the day. One strip even came off in the shower, and my boyfriend (disgusted) found it tangled in my hair. :(
I stashed the polish and moved on to other colors. Later I went back to my nail polish stash and found a bright red matte Butter London nail polish in there. I couldn't remember buying a red one, just the Rosie Lee...then it dawned on me that that WAS Rosie Lee. Some kind of chemical reaction must have occurred. Last week was my first time buying BL since this fiasco (Yummy Mummy), and I have had much better luck with that polish. Rosie Lee gets two stars based on the fact that Butter London does make good polishes, as based on my experience with YM, and Rosie Lee is a beautiful color, but I would not recommend.
I saw a dupe for Rosie Lee in CVS from Wet and Wild...bought it for $2 and its everything I wish Rosie Lee was. HIGHLY recommend the W&W version if you're looking at this polish :)

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mellieheart on 10/26/2011 5:16:00 PM more reviews by mellieheart

Age: 18 & Under   Skin: Combination, Fair   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Hazel    

I absolutely adore this nail polish. It's a pretty glittery rose color. And not a pathetic streaky excuse for a glitter polish.. It's a full on glitter. Two coats of this and your nails are opaquely covered in bronze-y rose flecks of glitter. I'm not the best at painting my nails.. I usually mess up around the edges; this masked all the flaws. My nails looked perfectly manicured. For a less gritty finish, top this off with a top coat. The only problem with this is that it's hard to remove because of the glitter. Overall, completely worth the $$!

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MikiKaneohe on 10/26/2011 5:07:00 PM more reviews by MikiKaneohe

Age: 25-29   Skin: Acne-prone, Olive, Warm   Hair: Black, Straight   Eyes: Black    

This polish is very expensive, but the colors are so beautiful and the formula is easy to work with-it is just SO worth the price. I have tried 4 of these polishes and the colors all look awesome on me. I almost never wear glitter polishes, but I know Butter London makes some truly flattering colors, so I went ahead and got Rosie Lee. It is full-on GlitterBall sparkly, but the color and tone make it look really classy and understated. In some lights it is just a pretty rose, otherwise it is a rich pink bronze. Up close you can appreciate the glitter, but from far away it looks more like a twinkly flesh-toned mani. I have just used this on its own, 2 coats. It would probably look great with a rose-colored polish too. I am not the best at painting my nails. I do it all the time, but I still get streaking, uneven coverage, polish on my cuticles and little bubbles on my nail from the polish going on too thick and degassing (?). With this polish ,all flaws are taken care of. My nails look like I got some kind of fancy holographic manicure! So happy with Rosie Lee, and Butter London in general. My hands are pretty tan, and this color looks so beautiful. ULTA often has coupons and sales, so I would get a bottle with one of those offers since this product is expensive.

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BluegrassGal on 10/19/2011 2:42:00 PM more reviews by BluegrassGal

Age: 19-24   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair-Medium, Warm   Hair: Brunette, Wavy, Coarse   Eyes: Blue    

This polish is to die for!! the color is a gorgeous dusty rose and the glitter is beautiful!! I just recently discovered Butter polishes and I love them--the consistency of this polish is a little different from my other butter polishes. Its kind of goopy and a little more difficult to apply... but since its a glitter polish it looks amazing when you're done so I can handle the goopiness! I applied two coats to get the color to really come out. All in all I love this polish and highly recommend--gorgeous addition to any nail polish collection!!!

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*TOP REVIEWER* RachaelSpiffy on 10/7/2011 2:32:00 PM more reviews by RachaelSpiffy

Age: 19-24   Skin: Acne-prone, Fair   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Green    

Rosie Lee is a pink rusty copper glitter nail polish. You can do two coats and it's pretty much opaque but I went 3 anyway. This polish looks so cool on your nails. It doesn't feel chucky or gritty on your nails either. This is a totally must have polish.

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*TOP REVIEWER* JuliaLee67 on 9/20/2011 5:02:00 PM more reviews by JuliaLee67

Age: 44-55   Skin: Combination, Medium, Cool   Hair: Brunette, Curly, Medium   Eyes: Green    

Saturated pink glitter in a clear base, gorgeous and sparkly in the bottle and reminisent of NARS's 'Arabesque' or the new Hard Candy's 'Date Night'. It went on streaky and took three coats for full coverage, and in spite of that, it chipped in two days. I have NEVER had a glitter polish chip after a couple of days; usually glitter polish stays on like cement until I'm ready to take it off, with only a bit of tip wear. But as another reviewer mentioned, any mistakes or chip repairs you have to make with this shade will be virtually undetectable, which is really the only other positive thing about this polish besides the color. I soak off glitter polish with pure acetone, and even that was a chore with this polish: it took forever to soak off. I wouldn't recommend this or repurchase.

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*TOP REVIEWER* CJCJ on 8/27/2011 6:21:00 PM more reviews by CJCJ

Age: Unknown   Skin: Dry, Fair   Hair: Brunette   Eyes: Brown    

Purchased this at Ulta as I had a gift card plus coupon for 20% off entire purchase. I am a HUGE Debrah Lipmann fan and have heard that Butter London was just as good as hers. Many of the shades I've used by DL are not available and I decided to get a few at Ulta. This was one of the shades.

I LOVE how it looks in the bottle. On the toe? Not so much. Took 4 coats to get that "bottle" look. Plus base coat plus top coat. In 3 days, it chipped. I have NEVER had my polish chip in a MONTH when using DL polish, so I was NOT happy. Touched it up, applied another base coat, 2 days later another toe chipped and another and by the end of the week, my toenails looked terrible.

I do have to say this: in the right light, my toes looked like gemstones due to how the color sparkled. When NOT in the right light, they looked like bronzy- pink sandpaper. NOT PRETTY.

I won't buy this again and threw out my bottle. Terrible polish. I hope the non-glitter ones wear better. Oh, I also bought this glitter polish in the red shade again, it's beautiful in the bottle. We'll see what happens.

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missameliax on 5/9/2011 8:47:00 PM more reviews by missameliax

Age: 18 & Under   Skin: Oily, Fair-Medium, Warm   Hair: Brunette, Wavy, Medium   Eyes: Brown    

I purchased this at Ulta a few weeks ago and I was SO excited to buy it. I opened it the minute I got home and there was one dissapointment right away: the brush. I was expecting a nice brush for the polish being so expensive but it was this little dinky brush I would expect from an NYC nail polish. I applied it on my nail and it went on smoothly and it looked wonderful. It only took about 2 coats to have enough color so it would look like the bottle. It stayed very well for a few days and then there were a few little chips. When it came time to switch my nail polish I found this was HORRIBLE to take off. It was so hard to get off so now I rarely use it. That is the only reason I took off a lippie.

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*TOP REVIEWER* skwpt on 11/25/2010 8:33:00 AM more reviews by skwpt

Age: 44-55   Skin: Combination, Fair, Cool   Hair: Blond, Straight, Fine   Eyes: Blue    

butter LONDON's Rosie Lee is rose-gold glitter suspended in clear polish. This sparkling color is quite festive, but it should be appropriate for all ages. It complements my very fair, cool, pink skin. Because there is no pigment (aside from the glitter), you can skip a base coat, but resist the urge to apply thickly or you'll end up with glitter buildup around the cuticle, and there is also the risk that after a day or two, the polish will peel off in large chunks. I did not find this to be the case with other butter LONDON colors, so I blame the glitter.


During application, the glitter goes down a bit unevenly, so I needed 3 coats to get the same look as what I see in the bottle. It dries quickly, and applying additional coats does not appear to significantly soften the previous layer, so you can give yourself a manicure pretty quickly and be using your hands in about an hour.


After the third coat, my nails felt oddly thick. In fact, I agree with karens below in that the finish is extremely rough, a bit chunky. One positive aspect about the texture is if you mess it up while it's wet, just put a small drop into the smear and no one will be able to see the patch--not even you.


This is such a unique look, perfect for this holiday season. In fact, I have just given myself a manicure for Thanksgiving dinner today, and this will look lovely on my toes on Christmas --as long as I am inside. Unfortunately, the beauty of this nail polish is apparent under incandescent or firelight only. Outside in daylight, it looks muddy and dull, completely devoid of sparkle or shine. In fact, I thought using hand cream ruined the surface, but when I got inside I saw the shine again.


I am head over heels in love the color, but I said I would not buy it again. Who wants a polish you can wear only inside (or at night) that peels off in huge chunks after 48 hours (and a leisurely 48 hours where I wasn't using my hands for any chores). Also, if you don't use at least one top coat, FORGET about wearing stockings or or a beautiful silk shirt because your nails will cause runners and snags all over the place. i agree that for the parts that don't chip off, this polish is very hard to remove, the hardest I have ever worn! Beautiful polish but for special events only.

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karens on 9/30/2010 3:58:00 AM more reviews by karens

Age: Unknown   Skin: Combination   Hair: Blond   Eyes: Brown    

I saw this polish in Harvey Nichols a few weeks ago and resisted temptation (DH was making fun of me for buying too many nail polishes) but I finally gave in and I'm glad I did.

Rosie Lee is a pinky/bronzey glitter in a clear jelly. The particles are a uniform size and the glitter is 'muted' rather than disco ball shiny. I used 4 coats of this to get a dense opaque finish but be warned, the texture is very rough - almost like sandpaper rough. To overcome this I used a shiny topcoat, although I don't know if this effects the glitter effect.

I love the shape of the bottle and the brush is just the right size for my small nails.

The only negative was removing this polish. This has to be the most tenacious polish I've ever tried to remove. None of my CG or OPI glitter polishes are as difficult to get off, but it didn't stain.

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