Polished Lifting

Of all the wonderful color formulas out there, holos will always be my favorite. While glitter may be fun, holos are equally pretty and much easier to remove.





Totes Magotes is a light green scattered holo.  Shown above is three coats with Poshe top coat. The formula on this was fairly runny. I had to take extra care to make sure I didn't flood my cuticles while applying it. That being said, I was able to achieve full coverage with three coats. The holographic pigment is fairly subtle and isn't much brighter in direct sunlight. Despite the thin formula, I love the color.

Polishes used: Dollish Polish- Totes Magotes, Orly- Bonder, Poshe- Top Coat

If you are unfamiliar with #HePicksMyPolish, here are a few graphics made by The Sparkle Queen to explain it:





This is my first time participating in such a large hashtag. When I learned of #HePicksMyPolish I knew I had to let Brian give it a try. It was kind of an interesting to watch his process. He carefully pulled out bottles one at a time, compared it to the color he already picked and either kept the color or exchanged it for a new one.

Here's what I ended up with:





I was SHOCKED that Brian picked such nice colors! Shown above is one coat of OPI- Suzi Skis In The Pyrenees Suede topped with Model City Polish- Bobbing For Apples. I did not use a topcoat to keep the suede effect of the OPI.

What do you guys think?

***Disclaimer: Over the next month you will see a variation in the lighting used in my photos. While all polish colors are true to life, my skin tone is not. My lighting was a little wonky, so I replaced it. What you are currently seeing is from my new lighting set-up. I would love to hear your feedback on the new lighting if you have a moment.

 

Hey guys! I'm slowly becoming aware that I keep reviewing colors released last Autumn. I hope you all don't mind. I feel like it would be silly to keep them in hiding for any longer.





Essie's On a Silver Platter is from the Encrusted Treasures Collection released Autumn 2013. On a Silver Platter is a gold glitter base with holographic violet glitter mixed in. Shown above is two coats with no base color. The application was relatively smooth, but I felt like I had too many violet glitters on the brush at one time. They weren't very easy to push around. If I ended up with one on the end of my nail it was difficult to remove. That being said, I feel like the extra work was worth it.

If this looks kind of familiar, Sephora- Law of Attraction is a close dupe. I prefer Essie's version because the price tag isn't outrageous. Right now, On a Silver Platter is going for about half the price of Law of Attraction.

Polishes used: Essie- On a Silver Platter, Revlon- Quick Dry Top Coat

What are your best dupe finds?

Hey guys! I wanted to share a new-to-me indie brand with you today, but was surprised to find that they had closed up shop. I'm not sure if any of you have heard of Nailgasm, but I got this color second-hand. I went searching around for a website or Facebook page and discovered that the shop had closed sometime last year. Regardless, I felt like I couldn't keep this one to myself.





Star Dust is a blue jelly with holographic dots, blue hexagons and the occasional holographic star. Shown above is three coats with no base color. The application was smooth for a jelly, but I had to aggressively fish for stars. It honestly took me 20 minutes to get one star out. I also feel like this should be a bit darker considering that I applied three reasonable coats of polish. If you find the opportunity to pick up this discontinued color & brand, know that you should not buy this color for the stars. I didn't love this or hate it. I will probably wear it again, but I don't recommend hunting it down.

Polishes used: Nailgasm- Star Dust, Revlon- Quick Dry Top Coat

How do you feel about seeing discontinued colors on the blog?

Hey guys! I am seriously starting to develop a KB Shimmer addiction. I only have a few colors from her, but they are all beautiful and have fantastic formulas. Today I have Teal Another Tail is from the Fall 2013 release. While this was released with Fall in mind, I think it is perfect for Spring.





Teal Another Tail is a teal duo chrome that shifts to pink in the right lighting. Shown above is two coats with no base color. The consistency is relatively thin, but I had no issues with getting full coverage in two coats. This dried much quicker than a typical cream, which was nice. I was pleasantly surprised at how prevalent the duo chrome effect appears on the nail. I can't tell you how many times I have purchased a color that looked like a duo chrome in the bottle and then turned out to be a single color on the nail. I like this color way more than I thought I would because it is true to its swatches.

Polishes used: KB Shimmer- Teal Another Tail, Revlon- Quick Dry Top Coat

Do you have any KB Shimmer polishes?

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Hey guys! I have some wonderful colors from Model City Polish to share with you today. I have two out of four colors from the Resident Evil collection being released this Saturday 3/22 at 12:00 pm CST. I am a HUGE Model City Polish fan so I was overwhelmed with joy (and panic) when she asked if I wanted to swatch for her. You might be thinking, why panic? Well, Model City was my very first indie. I fell so in love with her products that I would hate to disappoint. 

On that note, I decided to make an event of my MCP review by re-watching Resident Evil 1 & 2. I seriously forgot how bad-ass Alice was. 

T-Virus

T-Virus is is a blue crelly with square, hexagon blue holographic glitter with a few micro bar glitters mixed in. Shown above is three thin coats with Poshe Top Coat. The consistency was just right for a crelly. It wasn't too thick and allowed you to decide how thick (or thin) of a coat you wanted to put on. I prefer to wear thin coats of jellies and crellies because they tend to have a longer wear time.

I didn't fish for glitter at all, I actually put a few clusters back into the bottle. I think the consistency of the crelly helps distribute glitter in a nice, organic way. I did not manipulate any glitter placement aside from removing glitter from the edge of my nail. The icy blue paired with holographic glitter is a serious stunner. 

Polishes used: Model City Polish- T-Virus, Poshe- Top Coat

Anti-Virus

Anti-Virus is a bright green jelly with two different sizes of green holographic hexagon glitter. Shown above is three thin coats topped with Poshe Top Coat. The consistency is just slightly thicker than T-Virus, but it was easy to manipulate. I want to clarify again that I did not manipulate the glitter placement. It applies smoothly and the glitter seems to distribute itself nicely. I can't get over the depth of this jelly. You can even see that holographic goodness shining through the previous layer. 

Polishes used: Model City Polish- Anti-Virus, Poshe- Top Coat

Conclusion

I was really pleased with T-Virus and Anti-Virus. I feel like both colors make a statement and support the Resident Evil theme. I think the new colors from the Resident Evil collection are a good fit with her other colors and collections. The Resident Evil collection as well as her Spring Collection will be available this Saturday 3/22 at 12pm CST.

 

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*** All colors were generously provided for review

Today I have one new color from Superfine Collection and two older shades to share with you. The Superfine Collection is not just inspired by the micro glitter used to make these stunners. While these do contain super fine glitter, they are also themed after some superfine men we all like to drool over. The other two colors are from Cassandra's previously released Fall collection.

David

David is made up of navy micro glitter with some holographic micro glitter mixed in. This dark, mysterious shade was inspired by Mr. Beckham and Mr. Tennant. Shown above is one coat over one coat of Zoya- Sailor. David can be used both as a dense glitter topper, or as a standalone color. The application was smooth and contained a nice amount of glitter. 

I had to delete and rewrite several sentences of my description because I referred to the polish by name, and it was starting to sound really inappropriate. Thanks for the laugh, Cassandra! 

Polishes used: Sweet Heart Polish- David, Zoya- Sailor, Revlon- Quick Dry Top Coat

Attack of the Crunchy Leaves

Attack of the Crunchy Leaves is a glitter topper made up of brown, gold and bronze circle glitter (my favorite!). This color is part of the Fall release and can be purchased separately or as a package with Wheat Penny. Shown above is one coat of Attack of the Crunchy Leaves over one coat of Zoya- Salior. During the application I had no issue getting all of those circle glitters out. The color is so densely packed with glitter that it was a breeze to get a decent coverage. I did not manipulate any of the glitter around with the exception of making sure all glitter was placed completely on the nail (vs hanging half way off). 

Polishes used: Sweet Heart Polish- Attack of the Crunchy Leaves, Zoya- Sailor, Revlon- Quick Dry Top Coat

Wheat Penny

 

Wheat Penny is a rich copper brown shimmer polish. This color is part of the Fall release and can be purchased separately or as a package with Attack of the Crunchy Leaves. Shown above is two coats of Wheat Penny. I had no issues applying Wheat Penny. The consistency was exactly what I expected it to be. Due to the nature of shimmer polishes, you can see a few brush strokes from the application, but they are hardly noticeable in person.

Polishes used: Sweet Heart Polish- Wheat Penny, Revlon- Quick Dry Top Coat

 

Conclusion

David (in all forms) definitely earned its "Superfine" title! I also loved Wheat Penny and Attack of the Crunchy Leaves. After trying seven colors (and different formulas) from Sweet Heart Polish I think it's safe to say that you can't go wrong with any color you choose. Be sure to like Sweet Heart Polish on Facebook and keep an eye out for upcoming collections.

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Good morning everyone! I have a few new colors to share with you from a brand new indie. Conjured polish was created by a fellow redditor. Each color is mixed to order, and $1 from every bottle sold will be donated to the Wounded Warrior Project. Her two lines are inspired by Back to the Future and Magic: The Gathering. 

John Wayne

John Wayne is a light pink metallic. Shown above is three coats with no base color. The application was smooth, but did require a few extra swipes to eliminate odd shaped streaks. While it appears fairly light under incandescent lighting, John Wayne is a bit darker in natural lighting conditions.

Polishes used: Conjured by Amanda Wampler- John Wayne, Revlon- Quick Dry Top Coat

Ancient Forest

Ancient Forest is a dark green metallic. Shown above is two coats with no base color. The application was smooth, and could almost have one coat coverage if you manipulated it a bit. This was my favorite in the whole collection because of its rich pigmentation. 

Polishes used: Conjured by Amanda Wampler- Ancient Forest, Revlon- Quick Dry Top Coat

Life Preserver

Life Preserver is a sheer grey jelly topper with red square glitter, irregularly shaped gold glitter, and holographic micro glitter. Shown above is one coat over Sally Hansen- Timeless White. The application was smooth, but like many glitter toppers with larger glitter, I did manipulate a few of the red squares around. I did not have to fish for glitter at all. 

Polishes used: Conjured by Amanda Wampler- Life Preserver, Sally Hansen- Timeless White, Revlon- Quick Dry Top Coat

Conclusion

I was really pleased with Amanda's choice of colors. Ancient Forest was my favorite of the three. I heard rumors that the next line will be World of Warcraft inspired, and may contain holos! 

 

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I wanted to do some festive St. Patty's themed stamping, but discovered that my Bundle Monster plate wasn't etched deep enough. Instead, I have a super sparkly green mani for you!

Sinful Colors- Innocent



Innocent is a medium green cream. It really reminds me of Shrek! Shown above is two coats with no top coat. It really is that shiny on its own. The application was smooth with no streaking.

Orly- Sparkling Garbage





Sparkling Garbage is a green/blue holographic glitter topper. Shown above is one coat over Sinful Colors- Innocent. The application was smooth and covered the nail evenly. While this is similar to China Glaze- Fairy Dust, Sparkling Garbage has more of a blue/green tint to the base as well as the glitter. When multiple coats are applied it appears more sea green. If you like holographic polish, I recommend picking up a bottle of Sparkling Garbage.

I was recently contacted by Fit Approach about trying custom oatmeal from My Oatmeal. I've been making granola for breakfast for a few weeks now, and was thrilled at the opportunity.

 The process of making your custom oats is really straightforward. You pick your size, choose what kind of oats you want, pick your flavor(s), fruits, nuts, sweeteners and you are good to go! I kept mine really simple by choosing regular oatmeal with graham cracker and brown sugar flavoring and brown sugar to sweeten it up. I was really surprised at how many healthy oatmeal options they offered. The number of combos you could create are nearly limitless.

 Instead of just making oatmeal, I decided to turn my custom oatmeal into granola. Here's the recipe with photos:

  Graham Cracker & Brown Sugar Granola

• 3 cups graham cracker & brown sugar custom rolled oats
• 3 tablespoons packed brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter (melted)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

1. Mix oats, brown sugar, and salt in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, mix together honey, melted butter and vanilla. Pour liquid mixture over the dry ingredients and mix until thoroughly coated. 
   
2. Spread evenly over a cookie sheet and bake for 15 minutes. After the first 15 minutes, stir the mixture and add an additional 5-15 minutes to the baking time. Bake until golden. 
   
3. Place cookie sheet on a wire rack to cool. Add in chopped nuts (or other stir in items) and stir to combine. Stir the granola every few minutes as it cools to keep it from sticking to your cookie sheet. 
   
4. Once the granola has completely cooled, store in an airtight container. It should keep for about 2 weeks. 
   

There were more clusters in the batch, but I couldn't keep my hands off of the cookie sheet while they were cooling. I have a serious granola addiction. 

I was recently given Poison Apple as a gift, and was beyond excited to try it. I love thermals, but I didn't own anything in the red family. I had been drooling over Poison Apple and Evergreen for months, so I couldn't believe one of them was going to be mine!

Poison Apple



Poison Apple is a dark red to medium red thermal. It appears dark when it's cold and lighter when it's warm. Shown above is two coats topped with Revlon- Quick Dry Top Coat. While I love the color of this thermal, I had several huge issues. It arrived with separated pigment that appeared to be a rusty red color. No matter what I tried I couldn't shake it back together. In addition to this, some of the separated pigment was towards the top, and ended up on the brush. When I painted my nails it left chunks that could not be smoothed out. This is most noticeable on the upper portion of my pinkie finger nail.

I contacted the owner of Black Cat Lacquer about this, and she promptly wrote back saying this was normal. I was rather astonished, so I asked around to see if my incident was an isolated experience. While searching, I came across a post by Sarah of Tunay Na Mahal. She has only owned her bottle of Poison Apple for four months and it has separated worse than mine has. Here's a link to her original post with photos and more info.



Seeing as I was not the only one with this issue I contacted the owner of Black Cat Lacquer stating the facts and requesting a replacement bottle. It has been nine days, and I have not gotten a response. She has been active on her Facebook page as well as Instagram. At this point, I am really disappointed with Black Cat Lacquer and have no intention of purchasing from them in the future. I understand that things happen from time to time, but I have not been contacted at all. The lack of integrity to remediate the problem bothers me.

I really like supporting indies, but when something like this occurs it makes me wary of purchasing from unfamiliar brands.

What positive experiences have you encountered with a brand (indie or otherwise)?

I was gifted this color a while back, and decided I needed to swatch it for you. I want to add a HUGE disclaimer before you fall too deeply in love. This color stains big time. It stained my nails, and all of the skin around my fingers were stained a medium blue. Some of it came off when I showered, but it took a few days to completely get rid of the color. I can't imagine what kind of damage this would do if I had worn it for longer than an hour.





Halley's Comet is a rich medium blue and green shimmer. The green shimmer is really subtle and only noticeable in certain natural light settings. Halley's Comet is super sparkly with or without direct light. I think that's one of the many reasons I like it. Unfortunately, the intense staining ruins this color for me. I will probably only wear it on my toes from here on out so that it doesn't stain my hands again. Shown above is two coats topped with Revlon- Quick Dry Top Coat.

How do you feel about colors that stain? Are they a deal-breaker?

It is my pleasure to bring you another review from the Octopus Party Nail Lacquer nail line. Today's review includes a few colors from the Spring collection.

Twice As Ice

Twice As Ice is a light blue, non-linear holo. Shown above is two coats with no base color. This appears more silver with typical house lighting or under overcast skies. If you are able to stand under a halogen light or find sunlight in your area the holo effect really pops and brings out the subtle blue. I haven't had the opportunity to try to stamp with this, but based on the consistency, I think it would stamp nicely.

Polishes used: Octopus Party Nail Lacquer- Twice As Ice, Revlon- Quick Dry Top Coat

Peach Buzz

Peach Buzz is a super light peach cream. It looks off-white when worn alone, but appears more peach-like when topped with a glitter in the pink family. Shown above is two coats with no base color. I was rather surprised at how evenly this applied. I don't own a single nude, white or off white that applies smoothly and dries completely. This would be an excellent choice if you need a more professional looking color.

Polishes used: Octopus Party Nail Lacquer- Peach Buzz, Poshe- Top Coat

Sex With My Ex

Sex With My Ex is a pink and black holo glitter topper. Shown above is one coat over Peach Buzz. The application was smooth, but I had difficulty getting the larger black glitters out of the bottle. It wasn't impossible, but I did have to hunt for them. While the name is quirky, I feel like it didn't really suit this color. I feel like a color named "Sex With My Ex" should be more of a dirty, sexy color rather than one that contains several shades of pink. Regardless of the name, I like the color composition. I wore it over Peach Buzz, which does a nice job of showing off the glitter, but I personally think it would look gorgeous over a gray. 

Polishes used: Octopus Party Nail Lacquer- Sex With My Ex, Octopus Party Nail Lacquer- Peach Buzz, Poshe- Top Coat

 

Conclusion

I was pleased with the composition of each color I reviewed. Peach Buzz was the front runner for me because of its consistency and dry time. While I enjoyed the color, I didn't feel as though Sex With My Ex accurately portrayed the thoughts/feelings that go along with the name. 

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*** All colors were generously provided for review