Polished Lifting

I spoke with Kirby the other day about nail stamping. I struggled with getting a clean image in the past and had a million questions for her. After getting a ton of help from Kirby, I decided to give stamping another try. I played around with the technique a little bit, and this is what I settled on for Thanksgiving.



Supplies used: Wet-n-Wild Mega Last-"Never Been Kissed", a no-name metallic brown, Bundle Monster plate 225
Do you have any thoughts? Suggestions? Tips? I would love to hear your feedback!

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you who are celebrating today. I could go on a long spiel about who and what I am thankful for, but I am sure we have similar things in mind. 

Thanksgiving can seem like a bit of a "doomsday" for those of us who are trying to live a healthier life. We work so hard throughout the year to achieve pr's and lower numbers on the scale, only to face one of the biggest "food" days of the year. If you had come up to me several years ago I would have told you to eat your Thanksgiving food in moderation, and to have a super healthy breakfast. If you were really concerned that you would overdo it, I would have told you to pack your own food. Looking back, I see how foolish those thoughts are. Thanksgiving only comes once a year. Your family (like mine) is probably slaving away in the kitchen as I type this. Don't worry about what you eat today, just make sure to give thanks to the people who made it happen. 

Please enjoy this Thanksgiving themed cat I found on Reddit =)

Today I have two fun crellies from Cherie at Sinister Benediction. The full collection consists of four colors, Chuck's BikeORama, Spearmint or Fruit, Everyone I Know Has a Big But, and Breakfast Machine. These playful colors are based on Pee Wee's Big Adventure. If you haven't seen the movie before (and you have a semi-twisted sense of humor) I urge you to watch it ASAP. It's rated PG, but there is definitely some adult humor in there. Without further ado please enjoy these short clips and swatches.



Chuck's BikeORama


Chuck's BikeORama is a whimsical blue crelly with yellow, pink, blue and green glitter. Shown above is two coats with no base color. It was really easy to achieve full coverage, and I didn't have to move glitter around at all. I really like the layered effect this crelly gives you.
Polishes used: Sinister Benediction-"Chuck's BikeORama", Rimmel London-"Lasting Finish Pro"
Spearmint or Fruit



Spearmint or Fruit is a shimmery green crelly with pink, light blue, yellow, and black glitter. This color is now one of my most treasured indies. It's partially because of the name and theme, but I also really love green! Pictured above is two coats with no base color.
Polishes used: Sinister Benediction-"Spearmint or Fruit", Rimmel London-"Lasting Finish Pro"
Conclusion
I really dig the Pee Wee Herman theme, and the quality of the polishes definitely lived up to the hype. If you were to pick up only one color from Sinister Benediction, I highly recommend Spearmint or Fruit.
Sinister Benediction is having a Cyber Monday sale. Use code CYBERMONDAY for 25% off your purchase.

Today I have two unique colors from Chrissy at Spy Princess Nail Lacquer. Both colors are from the Archer collection, and are completely unique to anything I have seen commercially or otherwise.

Danger Zone



Danger Zone is a blue, orange and silver glitter topper. I opted to wear this over grey because it seemed like the perfect color to make this pop. I think it would look equally as nice over white. This was really easy to apply, and had plenty of glitter. If you give the bottle a serious shake before applying, make sure you thoroughly wipe off the brush otherwise you will end up with too much polish.

Polishes used: 1 coat of Spy Princess- "Danger Zone", Essie- "School of Hard Rocks", Rimmel London- "Lasting Finish Pro"

Codename: Duchess 



Codename Duchess is a glitter topper filled with silver hexagons, smaller green circles, and orange micro glitter.When applied over a traditional white, it made the base color appear cream, which I really liked. This was also easy to work with and had the perfect consistency.

Polishes used: 1 coat of Spy Princess- "Codename: Duchess", Sally Hansen- "Timeless White", Rimmel London- "Lasting Finish Pro"

Conclusion

I don't know about you guys, but I really enjoy companies that keep a consistent image from lacquer color to their company design. If you like funky and unique glitter toppers, Spy Princess has some pretty cool options. The formula was great to work with and I enjoyed the unique "vial" style bottles.

Today I have some fun polish from Amanda at Yume Lacquer. All of her polish is inspired by fantasy, anime, manga, sci fi, and video games.
Courageous Thunder


Courageous Thunder is a metallic green with pink flecks of glitter based on Sailor Jupiter. I picked this one out because I was really attracted to the subtle pink glitter. The application was very smooth, and only required two coats.
Polishes used: 2 coats of Yume Lacquer- "Courageous Thunder"
Submerged Siren


Submerged Siren is a gorgeous metallic aqua blue based off Sailor Neptune. I did not want to take this color off! I'm definitely going to try to use this for stamping in the near future.
Polishes used: 2 coats of Yume Lacquer- "Submerged Siren"
Detective Prince


Detective Prince is a metallic royal blue based on the Persona 4 game. This color is perfect for this time of year if you wanted to do a winter/snow themed manicure. I think white snowflakes stamped over the top of this would look really cool.
Polishes used; 2 coats of Yume Lacquer- "Detective Prince"
Seventh Generation Weapon



Seventh Generation Weapon is a silver based color with gold hexagon glitter, and irregularly shaped silver glitter. It can be used as a topper or worn alone. This is one coat of Seventh Generation Weapon over Detective Prince. I wasn't a huge fan of this in person because I discovered I am not a huge fan of irregularly shaped glitter. The application was smooth, and I did not have to fish for glitter
Polishes used: 1 coat of Yume Lacquer- "Seventh Generation Weapon"
Time Distortion


Time Distortion is a simple metallic silver based on Sailor Pluto. The color really speaks for itself. The application was easy-peasy. If you are looking for a simple silver and want to support an indie maker, this is it!
Polishes used; 2 coats of Yume Lacquer- "Time Distortion"
Conclusion
Yume Lacquer has a great assortment of metallic colors. I was pleased with the formula and application of all of the colors I tested. I was not partial to Seventh Generation Weapon because I don't care for irregularly shaped glitter. This is in no way a reflection of the polish quality, just a personal opinion.
*All colors were generously provided for review

I have a real treat for you all! Jennifer of Mod Lacquer sent me six gorgeous shades to review. This was my first time working with Mod Lacquer and I am overwhelmed by these gems!

Magestic





Majestic is a rich plum that almost shifts between purple and red depending on what lighting you are in. I honestly can't think of any color mainstream (or otherwise) that even compares to this deep plum hue.

Polishes used: 2 coats of Mod Lacquer- "Majestic"

Mothman





Mothman is a black jelly with holographic micro glitter, holographic grey hexagon, and red hexagon glitter. I decided to do something a little different with this one, and chose to shoot it in a low light setting. While wearing this around the house I couldn't help but notice that my fingers looked as though they had been encrusted with beautiful, color changing jewels. I did my best to capture exactly what I found so mesmerizing about this color.

Polishes used: 2 coats of Mod Lacquer- "Mothman", Rimmel London-Lasting Finish Pro top coat

Earthbound





Earthbound is a medium green to olive duochrome. It's a little different than other duochromes out on the market because it is made up of slightly larger pigment. I really like the subtle shift and the larger pigment.

Polishes used: 2 coats of Mod Lacquer- "Earthbound"

Jersey Devil





Jersey Devil is a gorgeous black jelly with orange micro glitter, and pink and orange holographic hexagons. In all honesty, I wasn't sure how I felt about this color at first. I was never really an orange fan, and certainly not a fan of orange and pink being together. It really took me wearing Jersey Devil to fall in love with it. This is my new go-to color for Autumn. It really encompasses everything I associate with this time of year. The glitter reminds me of all the leaves changing colors, and the black jelly makes me think of the shorter days. If you don't already own Jersey Devil, you should definitely consider picking it up!

Polishes used: 2 coats of Mod Lacquer- "Jersey Devil", Rimmel London-Lasting Finish Pro top coat

Sideshow





Sideshow is a blue crelly loaded with various sizes of yellow, and pink hexagon glitter. The formula went on very smoothly, and I didn't feel the need to hand place any glitter. As you can see, the glitter is a little lumpy without a topcoat. I recommend using a thicker topcoat to smooth it out.

Polishes used: 2 coats of Mod Lacquer- "Sideshow"

Cherry Fizz





Cherry Fizz is a delicious bright red holo. I've been searching for the perfect red holo for a long time, and I think I have finally found it. I really don't have adequate words to describe how much I love Cherry Fizz.

Polishes used: 2 coats of Mod Lacquer- "Cherry Fizz"

Conclusion

I enjoyed all the colors Jennifer sent over for review. My favorites were Mothman, Earthbound, and Cherry Fizz. All formulas were a breeze to work with. Mod Lacquer currently has a few LE colors in her shop that are worth checking out. I strongly suggest picking up a few of them to add to your collection.

I have yet another brand new indie maker to share with you today. Rebekah of Kaayli Nail Finish sent me three lovely metallics to share with you.

Icy Blue





Icy Blue is a super light blue metallic. It's so light that it could almost pass for a silver/grey. The formula was really smooth and easy to work with. While both photos show two coats of Icy Blue, I would suggest using three coats for full coverage.

Polishes used: Kaayli Nail Finish- Icy Blue

Sea Green





Sea Green was by far my favorite color of the three. It's a light-medium blue with a gold duochrome effect. The formula on this was a little odd because of the large amount of pigment used. When I opened it up there was a ton of lumpy pigment in the upper portion of the cap. After resealing it and giving it a couple good shakes everything mixed in nicely. I would recommend shaking the bottle in between coats to keep everything thoroughly mixed, but it is definitely worth the extra effort.

Polishes used: Kaayli Nail Finish- Sea Green

Christmas Green





Christmas Green reminds me of wandering aimlessly through Christmas tree farms searching for the right Douglas Fir. It's rich and velvety color is perfect for this time of year. This color is completely opaque in two coats, and was a dream to apply.

Polishes used: Kaayli Nail Finish- Christmas Green

Conclusion

I honestly haven't touched metallics in years because I never found anything special about them. Kaayli Nail Finish showed me how far metallics have come over the years with an assortment of unique colors. Sea Green was my favorite color in the collection because of it's duochrome appearance. I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed this collection, and highly recommend checking them out.

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Kaayli Nail Finish is currently hosting a giveaway. The announcement on her Etsy shop reads:

ENTER NOW TO WIN! To celebrate our Etsy launch, Kaayli Nail Finish is running a contest starting November 6, 2013 and ending on December 31, 2013. Three lucky winners will receive a $10 Kaayli Nail Finish gift certificate; no minimum purchase required! To enter, simply email your name to kaaylinails [!at] gmail.com and use "I Want To Win!" as your subject line. The drawing will take place on January 2, 2014 and winners will be notified the same day.

Today I have a new indie brand to share with you. Nail Tisane is run by Danii and encompasses many different types of polish. You can find everything from jellys to holos. Danii was kind enough to send me five unique colors to swatch and review.

Holographic Steam





Holographic Steam is a taupe/sandstone color loaded with sparkle. I found the formula excellent to work with.  I have a few brown holos, but this one is truly unique in color. This is currently a prototype, and is not yet available in her shop.

Polishes used: Nail Tisane- Holographic Steam (2 coats)

Ultros Glam





Can we just take a moment to appreciate how gorgeous this is? I really enjoy the low-key blue and red sparkles. It's subtle, but just enough to catch your eye. The application on this was incredibly easy and it dried quickly.

Polishes used: Nail Tisane- Ultros Glam (2 coats)

Pale





Pale is a translucent, milky base with several shapes of iridescent glitter and white diamond glitter. I wish there had been more iridescent glitter (of all shapes and sizes) as well as a few more diamonds. The formula was a bit runny, and was difficult to control. I spoke with Danii, and she said that she was transitioning over to a new suspension base. It sounds like the runniness will not be a problem in the future.

Polishes used: Nail Tisane- Pale (2 coats)

Snow Queen





Snow Queen is a very light blue jelly. I personally thought Snow Queen looked nice over white, but I didn't care for it on its own. I wish this would have been as blue on the nails as it is in the bottle. The formula was a bit thick, and had some trouble drying.

From left to right: 2 coats no undies, 1 coat over white, 1 coat no undies

Polishes used: Nail Tisane- Snow Queen

The Horseman's Head





The Horseman's Head is a green jelly made up of iridescent glitter, green hexagon glitter and a flat grey glitter. The formula was also a bit thick, but I found it worth the effort. This is two coats over white.

Polishes used: Nail Tisane- The Horseman's Head, Sally Hansen- Timeless White

Conclusion

Holographic Steam and Ultros Glam were definitely unique to anything I have ever used. I liked Pale, Snow Queen, and The Horseman's Head, but I felt like the formulas were difficult to work with. I would love to see more pigment in Snow Queen and The Horseman's Head to make them true jellys.

Right after Danii sent me these colors she added new holos to her shop. Some colors I found noteworthy are: Wintermint Frosting, Lavender Frosting, and Raven's Wing.

Do you see where this is going? THE MUMMY. Cassandra of Sweet Heart Polish released a whole line based on The Mummy. I don't think you guys understand my excitement here.
I decided to take this in a non-traditional direction to see all the fun ways you can wear these gorgeous holos.
Book of Amun-Ra


Book of Amun-Ra is a perfect description of this ultra sparkly color. This is a yellow/gold holo with slightly larger holographic glitter. It was a little bit thick, but I still found it easy to work with as long as you removed excess polish from the brush.  I'm going to be totally honest with you guys, I hate yellow and wasn't excited about this one. The crazy thing is, I FREAKING LOVE THIS! I swatched it over yellow and started to warm up to it, but then I put it over white and fell in love. You win Cassandra, I actually love this yellow holo!
Polishes used: From left to right: two coats of Sweet Heart Polish Drink Book of Amun-Ra no undies, two coats over Sinful Colors Unicorn, two coats over Sally Hansen Timeless White, and one coat over Orly Liquid Vinyl.
Oasis of Ahm-Shere


Oasis of Ahm-Shere is an emerald holo. As you can see it is incredibly sparkly in a low light setting. Despite it's more pigmented appearance, I felt like this polish was a little easier to work with than Book of Amun-Ra. I did a quick test of this over white (not pictured) and it made the green appear lighter and more mermaid like. I personally prefer it over black to add more depth.
Polishes used: Orly Liquid Vinyl, two coats of Sweet Heart Polish Drink Oasis of Ahm-Shere
Drink From the Nile


Drink From the Nile is a super rich medium blue holo. I found it dazzling in a low light setting as well as in the sunlight. I caught myself staring at the sparkles several times throughout the day. The formula was a great consistency and applied very evenly. I have been wearing this color for a few days now and have received several compliments.
Polishes used: Orly Liquid Vinyl, Sweet Heart Polish Drink From the Nile
Conclusion
I am really impressed with this whole collection. Cassandra really surprised me with Book of Amun-Ra, and I am 99% sure I will burn through the whole bottle. Sweet Heart Polish definitely hit a home run with this collection. I am looking forward to seeing upcoming collections from Sweet Heart Polish.

All colors were generously provided by Cassandra for review.