Even in writing this I realize I am ten days behind the new year in making a resolution to blog more. Well, quite frankly blog at all it seems. I started this blog with the intention of doing a lot more but I tend to end up posting all my stuff on the Make Up Talk nail forums and do not invest the time to do things here instead. I plan on changing that. I would like to do more in depth swatches of my many recent polish acquisitions. I find that part of my hesitation is a lot of what I have is discontinued or completely unavailable for purchase. I don't want to start putting up pictures of things and disappointing any readers that might happen on this page. With that being said, I have to laugh at myself. My first real posting was on vintage polish which is, in most cases, gone forever. I guess that makes me a liar. I have tons of wonderful polish in my collection as I have been blessed in 2013. I have met some incredible people though the aforementioned MUT forums and even participated in a Secret Santa nail swap! It was an amazing experience and through it I received as one of my gifts the polish most on my want list.... OPI Black Spotted.
I would like to focus more on my nail art. I have an entire thread dedicated to reverse nail stamping and creating your own nail decals that I would like to put on here as well. I am obsessed with stamping but haven't done much in the way of it lately due to too many new polishes I just have to use. I also was gifted several rhinestones and tools for Christmas and am thinking about venturing into the land of 3D nail art as well.
I look forward to the possibilities that 2014 holds for me. I hope to grow my indie collection to epic proportions. I just got a Melmer recently and am looking forward to some acrylic shelving to replace my foam racks.
Friday, January 10, 2014
Thursday, October 24, 2013
Indie Polishes - Hit Polish The Dark Crystal Theme Collection
I am enamored with indie nail polish this is no secret. Just visit the indie lovers thread over at the Make Up Talk forums and you will find me posting constantly. I first tried Hit Polish because she made a Green Bay Packers glitter polish and I had to have it. I am so glad I did. I can not say enough wonderful things about every single experience that I have had with Hit Polish. The wonderful master behind Hit Polish is Rachel. While I do not personally know her, I feel like she's a long lost friend. She's incredibly dedicated to her customers and is really genuine. Her shipping is ninja like and her interaction with her customers is one of my favorite things about the brand. I feel like she's making polish just for me and my closest polish loving friends.
Today I am featuring the Dark Crystal collection that was offered as a mini themed grab back late last month. I had wanted to review it but since it was a limited edition I didn't want to get anyone excited for something they couldn't have. This line has been slightly reformulated and is being reintroduced and will be available for purchase very soon. There will be full sized versions as well.
As always shipping was incredibly fast. Granted, mine only has to come about 8 hours away but I placed an order on Friday and by Monday afternoon it was sitting in my mailbox!!! It was wrapped in the signature zebra print baggie with an adorable Dark Crystal sticker adorning the front. I must confess I tore through the packaging on this one so quickly as I was incredibly eager to see what was inside. I love mystery bags. Especially ones themed after movies I adore. The Dark Crystal does not disappoint.
Aughra's Orrey is a golden jelly packed with tons of golden glitters. It also has what look like holographic pastel glitters. In the light it reflects a teal and purple shimmer for a completely unique combination that makes this golden gem stand out. This is shown with three thin coats but it can easily be layered over other polish. I didn't have a gold base at all to use. There appears to be a defect on the middle finger but in fact that is my reflection while taking the photo. I actually really like it layered over black.
I'm Skeksis & I Know It is a beautiful glitter polish. It's packed with blue and silver glitters and even some burgundy circles and smaller scattered purple glitter all in a clear base. I am wearing one coat over two coats of Essence Grey-T To Be Here.
The Dark Crystal is the namesake of the bunch and truly lives up to it. It's a purple polish with holographic glitters, purple shard glitter and gold glitter. This polish stands out. I searched my stash to realize I had no purple glitter polishes that were not top coats. It's unique, rich, and so incredibly dense with sparkle. In my swatches it appears almost blurple but that is not what this really looks like. It can be worn alone or layered over something which is what I did here. This is over one coat of Wet n' Wild Spoiled in 2 Weeks Sober.
I saved my favorite for last. We Are Again One is a milky white/tan polish crelly with gold and what I would call charcoal colored glitters. It has a shimmer quality that is extremely subtle but really helps this polish stay that one step above the competition. This is in the same vein as the recent Hard Candy candy sprinkles line that was relaunched this spring. What makes We Are Again One different is it's simplicity. The use of just a few colors keeps this from being just your every day jawbreaker looking nail polish and gives it a sophistication that similar style polishes do not have. I think the base not being stark white is a smart choice. The formula is fantastic on it compared to the Hard Candy which get thick and very difficult to use very quickly.
These should be released on October 26th at 3pm with her relaunch. It appears I'm Skeksis & I Know It won't be being re-released which is unfortunate but I am sure she's going to have something amazing to take it's place. This collection just touches the tip of the iceberg in terms of what Hit Polish is capable of. I have, by far, more polish from her than any other indie brand. The prices are good and she often does sales. Her service is excellent and shipping is second to none.
Now stop reading and go get yours!
Today I am featuring the Dark Crystal collection that was offered as a mini themed grab back late last month. I had wanted to review it but since it was a limited edition I didn't want to get anyone excited for something they couldn't have. This line has been slightly reformulated and is being reintroduced and will be available for purchase very soon. There will be full sized versions as well.
As always shipping was incredibly fast. Granted, mine only has to come about 8 hours away but I placed an order on Friday and by Monday afternoon it was sitting in my mailbox!!! It was wrapped in the signature zebra print baggie with an adorable Dark Crystal sticker adorning the front. I must confess I tore through the packaging on this one so quickly as I was incredibly eager to see what was inside. I love mystery bags. Especially ones themed after movies I adore. The Dark Crystal does not disappoint.
Aughra's Orrey is a golden jelly packed with tons of golden glitters. It also has what look like holographic pastel glitters. In the light it reflects a teal and purple shimmer for a completely unique combination that makes this golden gem stand out. This is shown with three thin coats but it can easily be layered over other polish. I didn't have a gold base at all to use. There appears to be a defect on the middle finger but in fact that is my reflection while taking the photo. I actually really like it layered over black.
I'm Skeksis & I Know It is a beautiful glitter polish. It's packed with blue and silver glitters and even some burgundy circles and smaller scattered purple glitter all in a clear base. I am wearing one coat over two coats of Essence Grey-T To Be Here.
The Dark Crystal is the namesake of the bunch and truly lives up to it. It's a purple polish with holographic glitters, purple shard glitter and gold glitter. This polish stands out. I searched my stash to realize I had no purple glitter polishes that were not top coats. It's unique, rich, and so incredibly dense with sparkle. In my swatches it appears almost blurple but that is not what this really looks like. It can be worn alone or layered over something which is what I did here. This is over one coat of Wet n' Wild Spoiled in 2 Weeks Sober.
I saved my favorite for last. We Are Again One is a milky white/tan polish crelly with gold and what I would call charcoal colored glitters. It has a shimmer quality that is extremely subtle but really helps this polish stay that one step above the competition. This is in the same vein as the recent Hard Candy candy sprinkles line that was relaunched this spring. What makes We Are Again One different is it's simplicity. The use of just a few colors keeps this from being just your every day jawbreaker looking nail polish and gives it a sophistication that similar style polishes do not have. I think the base not being stark white is a smart choice. The formula is fantastic on it compared to the Hard Candy which get thick and very difficult to use very quickly.
These should be released on October 26th at 3pm with her relaunch. It appears I'm Skeksis & I Know It won't be being re-released which is unfortunate but I am sure she's going to have something amazing to take it's place. This collection just touches the tip of the iceberg in terms of what Hit Polish is capable of. I have, by far, more polish from her than any other indie brand. The prices are good and she often does sales. Her service is excellent and shipping is second to none.
Now stop reading and go get yours!
Monday, October 21, 2013
Indie Polishes - Glitter Daze A Garlic A Day Keeps the Vampires Away
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| A Garlic A Day Keeps the Vampires Away |
I was so eager to have this polish I splurged for the 2 day shipping which was considerably more than the regular by weight option. So I waited. I then received my email stating my package was shipping. Without getting into a whole lot of detail, my package was inadvertently delayed and wouldn't be shipping on the 15th as originally thought but would go out on the 18th instead. I sent a very angry email to Glitter Daze in protest. I was met with some amazing customer service. An explanation was given along with an apology and my shipping was refunded from the express amount to the regular shipping rate. This was just over $5.00. I am incredibly pleased with the service I was given by Glitter Daze. I was made a loyal customer by the gestures that were extended for me. My biggest complaint in this entire world is lack of human interaction and decency and I was more than shown this courtesy.
On to the polish. I finally got my package today. With the anticipation of a child on Christmas I unwrapped the beautiful little bundle nestled in pink tissue paper and cuddled with bubble wrap. I am sucker for a pretty packaging .
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| Outdoors in the heat |
Being my first thermal I wasn't sure what to expect. I hope they all act like this. The transitions are quick and so much fun to look at. I love seeing how cold one room is compared to the others. It wasn't just here's the warm color on your nail closest to your skin and your tips are red. There are in between colors and an when it's kind of cool it almost looks pink and reminds me of Ghiradelli Peppermint Bark candy.
Bottom line: You need this polish.
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| Transitioning from cool to hot |
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| Naturally with a cool drink |
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| Cold (achieved after chopping tomatoes) |
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Just added: With a topcoat after a full day of wear. Still stunning! Glitter comes out so much better with topcoat. |
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| Seriously doesn't it look like this?? |
Tuesday, September 3, 2013
31 Day Nail Art Challenge 2013 - Day 3: Yellow Nails
For the third daily challenge we have the color yellow. I love yellow. I knew immediately what I wanted to do for this day as well. This design has been done to death recently with the release of Despicable Me 2 but I wanted my shot at it too and it will have a tie in or two come the rest of the challenge.
I am so happy with the way it came out. I had some camera issues and should be updating this with better pictures as soon as I can but still even with a blurry iPhone camera these are adorable. For the yellow I used Sally Hansen Insta-Dri in Lightening. The blue is Revlon Top Speed in Superstitious. This is a fantastic blue polish. I can not say enough about it. The black is Sinful Colors in Black on Black. The eyeballs are Sinful Colors Snow Me White. For the goggles I used China Glaze Holographic in Cosmic Dust. That was genius! The eyes to me are my favorite part. My boyfriend said they looked like real googly eyes. Lastly the mouth is Sally Hansen Insta-Dri in Fuchsia Flare.
I hope I can do this again when my nails grow out so I have more room for facial expression and for hair or perhaps I will make shorter pants. I am loving how due to my inconsistent nail lengths I have short fat minions and tall skinny ones.
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| The middle finger is my favorite. |
I am so happy with the way it came out. I had some camera issues and should be updating this with better pictures as soon as I can but still even with a blurry iPhone camera these are adorable. For the yellow I used Sally Hansen Insta-Dri in Lightening. The blue is Revlon Top Speed in Superstitious. This is a fantastic blue polish. I can not say enough about it. The black is Sinful Colors in Black on Black. The eyeballs are Sinful Colors Snow Me White. For the goggles I used China Glaze Holographic in Cosmic Dust. That was genius! The eyes to me are my favorite part. My boyfriend said they looked like real googly eyes. Lastly the mouth is Sally Hansen Insta-Dri in Fuchsia Flare.
I hope I can do this again when my nails grow out so I have more room for facial expression and for hair or perhaps I will make shorter pants. I am loving how due to my inconsistent nail lengths I have short fat minions and tall skinny ones.
31 Day Nail Art Challenge - Day 2: Orange Nails
There is a bit of a rainbow effect in this challenge for the first few days. After red comes orange. I have 40 different shades of orange in my current stash and was stoked to create nail art with this color. I knew immediately what I wanted to accomplish with the design. Initially I wanted to do 5 little cat faces on my nails using the Bundle Monster stamp M91 but it was just too tiny. The background was too dark and it didn't show up. Thankfully I have a very honest boyfriend who gives me legitimate and critical feedback and I was able to change things up. I am thrilled with how it turned out. It was even better than I imagined it.
This ended up being so appropriate as well because I had just bought tickets to a speaking engagement with Jackson Galaxy the cat behaviorist. I am a huge fan and actually applied to be on his show "My Cat From Hell" but I never heard back. My nail art is a tribute to a very special cat named Link. He's one of the reason's I wanted Jackson to come here. Link belonged to a friend of mine named Kurt. He was rescued by Kurt at a flea market in 2008 and is a little on the strange side. In 2010 Kurt was diagnosed with Leukemia and was told he could no longer keep his cats due to health reasons and was forced to give up Link. At the time I had already just taken on a new kitten that showed up and had enough cats but knew Link would never make it in a shelter due to his issues.
Kurt passed away in February of 2011 and now Link is all I have left of him. It means the world to me to have saved this little guy and every time I look at him I think of my best friend.
So without further ado, here is my Link inspired nail art.
For this I used some older polishes including the base which was Cover Girl Peaches & Cream from the mid 90's. It was part of a parfait collection. I then used the saran wrap technique to add Sally Hansen Insta-Dri in Man-go Team!. I hand painted the rest of the designs. The black is my trusty Sinful Colors in Black on Black and the white is also from Sinful Colors in Snow Me White. I sponged on the chin with a makeup sponge. For the eyes I used Sally Hansen Insta-Dri in Chartreuse Chase and the nose is China Glaze textured polish in Itty, Bitty & Gritty. I smudged a bit when I used Seche Vite which isn't supposed to happen but it was perfect because his nose felt like a kitty nose. Seriously too cute for words!!!
I think it captured his sad face perfectly.
I loved this design. I can't wait to do it again.
This ended up being so appropriate as well because I had just bought tickets to a speaking engagement with Jackson Galaxy the cat behaviorist. I am a huge fan and actually applied to be on his show "My Cat From Hell" but I never heard back. My nail art is a tribute to a very special cat named Link. He's one of the reason's I wanted Jackson to come here. Link belonged to a friend of mine named Kurt. He was rescued by Kurt at a flea market in 2008 and is a little on the strange side. In 2010 Kurt was diagnosed with Leukemia and was told he could no longer keep his cats due to health reasons and was forced to give up Link. At the time I had already just taken on a new kitten that showed up and had enough cats but knew Link would never make it in a shelter due to his issues.
Kurt passed away in February of 2011 and now Link is all I have left of him. It means the world to me to have saved this little guy and every time I look at him I think of my best friend.
So without further ado, here is my Link inspired nail art.
For this I used some older polishes including the base which was Cover Girl Peaches & Cream from the mid 90's. It was part of a parfait collection. I then used the saran wrap technique to add Sally Hansen Insta-Dri in Man-go Team!. I hand painted the rest of the designs. The black is my trusty Sinful Colors in Black on Black and the white is also from Sinful Colors in Snow Me White. I sponged on the chin with a makeup sponge. For the eyes I used Sally Hansen Insta-Dri in Chartreuse Chase and the nose is China Glaze textured polish in Itty, Bitty & Gritty. I smudged a bit when I used Seche Vite which isn't supposed to happen but it was perfect because his nose felt like a kitty nose. Seriously too cute for words!!!
I think it captured his sad face perfectly.
I loved this design. I can't wait to do it again.
31 Day Nail Art Challenge 2013 - Day 1: Red Nails
When I think of red nails I think of two things. I think sophistication and I think rockabilly 1950's. I am neither of those things. I have only wore a few red manicures in recent years and mostly upon request from the other half because he happens to find red nails to be sexy.
What I had in my head and what I finished are not the same. I ended up choosing a simple matte finish polish called Get It On by Sinful Colors from the Leather Luxe collection. These polishes are awesome. I picked up 4 of them and want to get the rest. The formula on this one was bit tricky because it did not want to level out. I then just did a simple stamp with China Glaze Ruby Pumps using Mash plate 48 for the flames. It looked way different under different lighting and I found that to be a fun and unexpected "feature" of this manicure. I preferred it with the darker shade of red and more of the obvious flame showing but it's still pretty both ways. I was warned this polish stains but it didn't really stain for me which was a plus. I wasn't over the moon with this design but I didn't hate it either. I spent way too much time figuring out what to do.
I would like to revisit the idea of red nail art in the near future. I didn't give it as much love as I should have.
What I had in my head and what I finished are not the same. I ended up choosing a simple matte finish polish called Get It On by Sinful Colors from the Leather Luxe collection. These polishes are awesome. I picked up 4 of them and want to get the rest. The formula on this one was bit tricky because it did not want to level out. I then just did a simple stamp with China Glaze Ruby Pumps using Mash plate 48 for the flames. It looked way different under different lighting and I found that to be a fun and unexpected "feature" of this manicure. I preferred it with the darker shade of red and more of the obvious flame showing but it's still pretty both ways. I was warned this polish stains but it didn't really stain for me which was a plus. I wasn't over the moon with this design but I didn't hate it either. I spent way too much time figuring out what to do.
I would like to revisit the idea of red nail art in the near future. I didn't give it as much love as I should have.
31 Day Nail Art Challenge 2013
Good morning. I am a bit behind in this post as the challenge actually started on the 1st of September. I have been participating just not blogging about it. Today I will be making several posts to catch myself up to speed.
What exactly is the 31 day nail art challenge? Every day for 31 days a different theme or idea is given and the participant must create nail art to match. This is the 3rd year this has been going on. There is a hashtag for this year's event to show your art off #31dc2013. Here is a list of the challenges.
Since I change my polish pretty much every day anyway I am confident I can get through this! What I am looking forward to is pushing myself to think outside the box and also get outside my own comfort zone.
What exactly is the 31 day nail art challenge? Every day for 31 days a different theme or idea is given and the participant must create nail art to match. This is the 3rd year this has been going on. There is a hashtag for this year's event to show your art off #31dc2013. Here is a list of the challenges.
Since I change my polish pretty much every day anyway I am confident I can get through this! What I am looking forward to is pushing myself to think outside the box and also get outside my own comfort zone.
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