Polish Etc.

Whimsical Ideas by Pam - Holiday 2018 Collection

2018-12-13T22:08:00.000-05:00

Hey there!

Remember me? I know...I have been MIA for way too long. But work and traveling got in the way and life was, well, life. Plus, I was just in a blogging rut. But I am hoping to get back into the swing of things for a stellar 2019! So be prepared for a bunch of reviews of older collections in the future as I get through my back log of polishes.

Let's take a look at home new beauties for the holidays from Whimsical Ideas by Pam. There are some very cute glitters in this collection. Some can be worn as full manicures and other need undies. Only one of them screams Christmas but the rest are great for year round wear.

Christmas 2018 - A clear based glitter topper packed with muted green metallic glitters, red holographic glitters and soft, tiny white microflakies. I paired this Christmas topper with a pale pink base. The light shade of the green glitters makes this work for other times of the year besides just the holidays. I am showing you one coat over a colored based with top coat here.

Fa La² - A clear based brassy gold microglitter with pops of red and green glitters. This is a great Christmas shade! I like this darker gold shades a lot during the holidays. They are so shiny. You could probably use this a topper as well, but I am showing you this as a full mani. Here is three coats with top coat. It it pretty smooth, no significant texture.

Seems Like a Dream - A clear based glitter topper with silver holographic hex glitters in all sizes plus three sizes of silver holographic star glitters. Now these are some cool star glitters! They are not the traditional 5 pointed stars, they are fancy 4 pointed stars. I always associated these stars with real stars, twinkling in the sky. So I paired this topper with a cobalt blue base. The stars come out very easily and apply nicely. There is some placement needed with the larger stars. This is one coat of glitter over the base with top coat.

Eight Nights - A silvery shimmer base packed with tiny glitters in shades of blue along with a golden microshimmer. I always like Pam's Hannukah polishes. The glitters in this shade are sparse enough to be worn as a topper but it can cover nicely for a full mani. The base looks mainly silver but at an angle you will get the golden flashes. I am showing you three coats with top coat here.

Flurries - A clear based topper with a mix of white shimmers and white shred glitters. The shreds are all different shades and finishes of white. They are soft and easy to apply. I like to wear toppers like this year round. They just add a little bit of awesome to a cream base with out screaming "hey, look at this glitter!" I am showing you one coat over purple bases with top coat.

Times Square - A clear based glitter topper packed with holographic square glitters and bits of microglitters in a rainbow of colors. This topper really does remind me of Times Square on New Years Eve. Even though I have never been there for NYE before, I have always wanted to go. When they release all that confetti into the street...it seems magical. I paired this with a dark grey base. One coat over the base with top coat here.

Aren't these some fun glitters? I really like flurries. I feel like I will get a lot of use out of that one. Which is your fave? The Holiday 2018 Collection is available now. All polishes are $10 each. You can only order through email via the Whimsical Ideas by Pam Facebook page.

Thanks for stopping by!

*products provided by the maker for honest review*

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Glisten & Glow - Oceanic Overtures (part 1)

2018-08-22T22:42:00.000-04:00

Hey all!

Press Sample

I have some delicious looking holographic from Glisten & Glow to share with you today. They have just released the first part of the Oceanic Overtures collection. This month, we have a nice trio of liner holos packed with shimmer and flakies. Along with the trio, there are also new scents in their cuticle oils available. Yum! Let's take a look at all of the rainbows!

Dolphin Duet - An intense linear holographic packed with pink/red shimmer and ultrachrome flakies in red/bronze/gold/pink. Overall, this polish has a grey and pink kinda vibe going on. The holo is crazy holo! The formula is easy and applied nicely. I am showing you two coats with glossy top coat here.

Beluga Blues - A super linear holographic packed with purple shimmer, blue iridescent flakies and green/gold/pink ultrachrome flakies. I feel like the holo effect is slightly less intense than the previous shade but it is still super duper holo. The overall feel of this shade is blue and darker than the others in the collection. Great formula. This is two coats with glossy top coat.

Sea Turtle Sonata - An intense linear holographic with teal shimmer, blue iridescent flakies and blue/green/purple ultrachrome flakies. This shade is the brightest and lightest of the trio. The holo is very strong, too. Overall, this polish gives off a silverly green vibes. Again, nice formula and I am showing you two coats with glossy top coat here.

Glisten & Glow is also releasing some new and old favorite cuticle oil scents for the month! The click pens are great for your purse and the oil sinks in for total hydration. Not to mention they smell freaking delicious! My faves are Nectars of the Caribbean and Seashore.

- Summer Sorbet- A blend of orange, peach, watermelon, tangerine, & a touch of strawberry.

- Nectars of the Caribbean- Island fun blended with sweet fruit nectars.
- Pineapple Whipped Dreams- Juicy fresh cut pineapples with a touch of whipped cream.
- Papaya Mango Madness- tropical sweet mangos and papayas.
- Seashore- clean scent of waves, air, and sun of a summer day by the seashore.

The Oceanic Overtures (part 1) trio is available now! You can get the polishes individually for $11 each or get a nice little bundle of all three shades and all 5 cuticle oil pens for $48. Its a deal!

Glisten and Glow online store

Glisten and Glow social media (Facebook Instagram Twitter)

Thanks for stopping by!

*products sent by the maker for honest review*

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Cupcake Polish - Radioactive Collection

2018-08-13T23:03:00.000-04:00

Well hello there!

Press Sample

As you have probably noticed, I had an extended break from nail polishing last month. It really wasn't planned or intended but needed. But I am back to share with you a new collection from Cupcake Polish that released today! I hope to bring you even more collection reviews and nail art to round out the summer. The Radioactive Collection consists of six new shades with flakies and holo and bright colors to end the summer on a high note. Let's take a look!

Gamma - A bright, hot pink jelly that is packed with blue/purple shifting flakies and blue shimmer. Holy moly! This baby is bright. The blueish shimmers and flakies really pop against the bright pink background. The formula is on the thick side but covers well enough for me in two coats. If you have longer nails then you may like a third. That pretty much goes for all of the polishes in this collection.

Fallout - A teal based multichrome with slight metallic finish and blue shimmer. This is a strong shifting multichrome which still has an overall soft effect on the nail. The main color is teal but it will shift from teal to green to blue to magenta. Again, slightly thicker formula but two coats covers the nail completely. My first two photos are under a single direct light while my last macro is under two light sources to show off the shift better.

Nuclear - A deep teal/jade jelly with warm shifting shimmer and shifting microglitters. I just love coppery colors paired with deeper greens and teals. The contrast of the warm toned shimmer/glitters with the cooler toned teal base is always appreciated. The formula is a little thicker and the jelly base makes it a little sheer. I was happy with two coats (as I am showing you here) but many would prefer a third coat.

Half Life - A deep but bright blue jelly packed with green/teal shifting flakies and green shimmer. Bright blues like these are fun to wear year round. The color comb of base and flakies is similar to a shimmering sea. Again, thicker formula here but I felt that two coats was just fine for my short nails.

Atomic - A deep, warm toned purple jelly packed with gold/green/red shifting flakies. Oh my...this is so cool. I am sure this shade will be the hit. The flakies just jump right out of the nail against that deep purple base. It has such depth on its own with a glossy top coat but add a matte top coat and watch those flakies shine. This is two coats with both glossy and matte top coats here. The formula is also slightly thick.

Beta - A charcoal grey linear holo with a rainbow of iridescent flakies. You have to know that I am in love with this shade. Grey polish is my jam. Plus some flakies and holo! This covers well in two coats but still had a slightly thicker formula. The flakies are visible in real life against that super holo backdrop.

What do you think of this collection? I am digging the bright pink and the grey holo for sure. But that purple with the matte top coat is pretty spectacular, too. Which is your fave? The Radioactive Collection launched today. Each shade is $13 each from the Cupcake Polish site. Go grab your faves today!

Cupcake Polish online store

Cupcake Polish social media (Facebook Instagram Twitter)

Thanks for stopping by!

*products provided by the maker for honest review*

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Cupcake Polish - 5th Anniversary Trio

2018-07-01T19:01:00.000-04:00

Hey there!

Press Sample

I hope you are all enjoying the summer! I have a sweet little trio from Cupcake Polish to celebrate their 5th anniversary to share with you today. This limited edition trio launches today and will only be available through the month of July. 5 years is a long time for this indie nail polish world. Congrats to Sara for creating amazing bottle of sunshine for all these years! Let's take a look at the new pretties.

Celebrate - A light pink metallic foil. What a shiny polish! This light blush pink foil looks bright and reflective on the nail. The brush strokes are slightly visible but not as prominent as you would expect with a metallic. Smooth application. I am showing you two coats with glossy top coat in these photos.

5 Years - A hot pink linear holographic with intense blue shimmer and a sprinkling of holographic microglitters. It is shades like these that scream Cupcake Polish to me. They always have great holos and pink polishes. The blue shimmer in this shade compliments the pink base very nicely. Smooth formula here as well. I am showing you two coat with glossy top coat.

Diamond - A clear based polish packed with multicolored iridescent flakies and bright silver metallic flakies. I absolutely love this shade. It is super versatile. It is great as a topper and it is great on its own. I will be showing you one coat over a black purple creme and one coat over my bare nail. You can even layer this on in three coats and get it pretty much full coverage. Then you can add a matte top coat and get an entirely different look. True story...I have already worn this polish three times.

Isn't this a cute little trio! It is very pink based but each polish is quite different from the others. I think I have already expressed my love for Diamonds but I would love to know which one is your favorite. The Trio is available through the Cupcake Polish store though the end of July. Be sure to grab it before it is gone.

Cupcake Polish online store

Cupcake Polish social media (Facebook Instagram Twitter)

Thanks for stopping by!

*products provided by the maker for honest review*

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KBShimmer - Wanderlust Collection

2018-06-20T21:58:00.000-04:00

Hi friends!

Press Sample

I am back from Polish Con and I have to say it was a blast! It was a little bit different for me this time around because I was working at a booth instead of being a attendee. so I didn't get to wander around and look at other maker's booths as much as I would have liked to. But I did get to meet a ton of people as they came up to our table. Plus, music and food in NYC was awesome as per usual.

You know who had an epic booth? KBShimmer, that's who. The new branding looks so cool and sophisticated. The new holographic logo is perfection. And the new collection was looking bright and summery amongst the black boxes. The Wanderlust Collection launched on Friday and at Polish Con. It is a lovely group of shimmery summer shades that are a welcome departure from typical summer neons. I am in love! I hope you are, too.

Wander-ful Wolrd - A bright raspberry pink linear holographic. This shade is super holographic with a great rainbow flame effect. The color is perfect for summer. It reminds me of hibiscus flowers. Amazing formula that you could likely get opaque in one coat. I am showing you two coats here with Clearly On Top.

Rise & Grind - A light brown linear holographic. Boy do I love a brown holo! This shade of brown is very nice. Not too dark and has a slightly grey undertone to it. Makes me want one of those holographic cappuccinos. Again, the formula is awesome just like all KBShimmer holos. This is two coats with Clearly On Top I am showing you here.

Don't Fear the Reefer - A minty teal linear holographic. This is sure to be a fave. Not only for the name but for the light teal base color of this shade. It is very flattering. Not too mint, not too teal. Perfect formula that is basically a one coater. I am showing you two coats with Clearly On Top glossy top coat.

Cactus If You Can - A soft minty sage green creme with soft holographic microflakies and bright pink shimmer. If you are a fan of succulents like I am, then you know this shade fits them perfectly. It just looks soft and squishy and fuzzy just like those little cacti do! The pink shimmer is nice touch. I thought this shade would be on the sheer side but it was just fine in two coats.

Succ It Up - A soft, slightly warm toned purple with soft holographic microflakies and an intense aqua shimmer. Another succulent inspired shade! KBShimmer really captured the fuzzy quality of these plants in these polishes. It all has to do with the shimmer. This will be another crowd favorite, I am sure. I am showing you two coats with Clearly On Top.

Now & Zen - A aqua blue scattered holographic with soft pink to purple to blue shifting shimmer. This is an excellent summer shade! It reminding me of sparkling pool water. The shimmer is really nice, too. It does shift nicely to pink at an angle which contrasts nicely with the cool blue base. This is two coats with Clearly On Top glossy top coat.

Hakuna Moscato - A slightly pink tinted base packed to the brim with rose gold and golden flakies with a sprinkling of holographic shimmer. This is a stunner! I don't feel like my photos do this polish justice. It is shiny and shimmer and girly. I am showing you three coats with top coat here but you can also use it as a layering polish. I wore it in one coat over my bare nail and was in love! (not sure why I didn't get a photo of it, I will have to do it again and share on IG)

Meet Me At the Barre - A pale pink creme. This is the lonely creme of the collection. It is a nice, opaque pale pink which can be hard to come by. The formula is slightly chalky but that leads to a good two coat opacity. I am showing you two coats with Clearly On Top here.

Don't you love this collection?! I do. I feel like it is very different from typical summer collections and is very soft and delicate. I especially love the shimmery shades inspired by succulents. The Wanderlust Collection is available right now. All polishes are $10 each but you can snag the entire collection for $75. There are still a few bottles of the Polish Con shade left on their site as well. Be sure to add it to your cart before it's gone!

KBShimmer online store

KBShimmer social media (Facebook Twitter Instagram)

KBShimmer international shipping from Harlow & Co, Color4Nails

Smooches!

*products provided by the maker for honest review*

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Delicate Print Nails for the #31DC2018Weekly

2018-06-11T22:49:00.000-04:00

Hi lovelies,

Purchased by Me

I have a simple little stamping mani to share with you today for the delicate print prompt of the #31DC2018Weekly. I tend to be drawn to stamping plates with delicate floral or abstract images. They stamp well and you don't have to be very precise with them. You get a fly manicure every time!

For this look, I started with a base of Zoya "Easton" which is a purple toned medium grey creme. Then I used a pretty floral image from the UberChic Plate 17-01 which had lots of swirls and vines and flowers for the stamp. The polish I used for stamping was a magnetic shade from Bow Polish called "Motivation". It stamped very nicely but the magnetic effect was not strong. I haven't tried it out as a full mani yet. But it is a pretty purple. Everything is topped off with a glossy top coat.

Do you see how long there nails are?!?!?! They are driving me bananas. I was planning on nubbinizing this past weekend but was too busy at work. Plan on seeing these babies go this week before Polish Con!

We are offically half way through the challenge! There are 16 weeks left. Still plenty of time for you to catch up with you want to join in. Or just go ahead and do the weekly prompts starting now. See everyone else doing the challenge with the tag #31DC2018Weekly on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. Plus...be sure to check out what my German bestie, Lotte, is creating each week on her blog!

Thanks for stopping by!

*products purchased by me*

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Floral Nails for the #31DC2018Weekly

2018-06-06T22:21:00.000-04:00

Hi all!

Press Sample Purchased by Me

For this week's prompt in the #31DC2018Weekly, we are doing floral nails! Flowers are always a staple in the nail art world. There are a billion and one ways to paint them on your nails. This my manicure this week, I was totally inspired by an old manicure by Nails by Miri. I have had it saved in my collection of nail art inspiration photos for a year now. It seemed like this week was a good time to give it a try! I used different colors and no studs in my look. Overall, I am happy with the outcome. It was approved by Lotte, so I had to share!

First, I started off with a clear base coat. I then placed Deep V vinyls from Whats Up Nails down the center of my nails and painted a peach creme along the sides to create the negative space V. Next, I used a pink and lavender creme with a dotting tool to create the flower petals down each side of the V. I gave each of the flowers a sparkly center for good measure. With green, I painted on some little leaves and then topped it all off with a glossy top coat.

Most of the creme shades I used in the mani are from indie brands that are not in business any more. But you can use and combination of colors you would like for this mani! It is best to use more opaque shades for the flowers to they cover the line of the V well. Of course, I just had to try this with a matte top coat. It looks pretty darn awesome mattified!

I was iffy about posting this mani. I wasn't totally happy with my color choices. But I showed it to Lotte today and she said she liked it. It has grown on me :) Which do you prefer: glossy or matte?

If you want to keep up with everyone else doing the challenge this year or want in join in yourself, be sure to use the tag #31DC2018Weekly on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. Plus...be sure to check out what my German bestie, Lotte, is creating each week on her blog!

Thanks for stopping by!

*some products purchased by me, some sent for review*

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Animal Print Nails for the #31DC2018Weekly

2018-06-03T16:03:00.000-04:00

Hey there!

Purchased by Me

I am officially caught up with the challenge now! Today, I have my animal print nails for you. Mine aren't exactly an animal print but they do have bits of real animals on them. I used some real feathers from the craft store on my nails in a fun little brown skittlette mani for the prompt. Let's take a look!

I used two nail polishes in this look. The brown and bronze sparkly textured polish is "What Wizardry is this?" by OPI. The light nude creme is "Cala" by Zoya which is the base of the two feather nails and on my pinkie.

With the base color still tacky, I gently pressed the tip of the small feather onto the nail. I applied glossy top coat over the entire feather and off the end of my nail. Once it dried, I came back and clipped the hardened feather excess off the tip of my nail. Adding a gel top coat or another layer to glossy top coat and wrapping it around the tip will keep the feather on more securely for regular wear.

What do you think? I always enjoy attaching weird things to my nails. I have done feather nails many times in the past and always like the effect. Have you tried feather nails before?

Thanks for stopping by!

*products purchased by me*

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Takko Tuesday! - Gemini

2018-05-29T22:07:00.000-04:00

Happy Takko Tuesday!

Press Sample

I have the last shade in the second installment of the Zodiac Collection from Takko Lacquer to share with you today. Preorder for the three new shades just ended but you can be sure to see these beauties up for sale after the preorders go out. And you can always pick them up at Polish Con in a few weeks! Are any of you guys going? I'll be there helping out at the Takko booth, so be sure to stop by and say hello. Let's take a look at Gemini!

Gemini - A lemony yellow creme that is packed with golden and green microshimmer. The green shimmer shifts around nicely against the bright yellow background. I feel like this shade of yellow would be flattering on a variety of skin tones. And the formula is quite good for a yellow polish! I am showing you two thick coats with top coat here and I had good coverage. You may prefer three thinner coats though.

We are half way through the Zodiac Collection. There will be two more installments of three polishes released later this year. Sheryl will cover all 12 Zodiac signs. Stay tuned here and on the Takko Lacquer social media for the most up to date info on releases and restocks!

Takko Lacquer shop and restock info

Takko Lacquer Instagram and Twitter

Takko Lacquer stockists: Color4Nails, Mei Mei Signatures

Thanks for stopping by!

*product provided by the maker for honest review*

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Striped Nails for the #31DC2018Weekly

2018-05-28T20:44:00.000-04:00

Hello!

Purchased by Me

I am almost caught up! Today, I have my striped nails to share with you for Week 12 of my weekly version of the 31 Day Nail Art Challenge. I chose of calming colors and a little image of a succulent for this mani. I have been obsessed with succulents over the past few years. I am a brown thumb but my mother can make any plant thrive. So, for Mother's Day this month, I got her a few succulents to start her rock garden off right. Hopefully, I can watch her grow these beauties now! My manicure today combines regular stamping with a little reverse stamping. I think it all ties in well together!

I started off with a base of a minty cream, "For Audrey" by China Glaze. I stamped over it with AEngland's "Captive Goddess" using the Candy Plate from Color Club. This holographic blue/grey shade has a lovely aqua blue shifty shimmer. You can see it nicely in the stripes when the light hits it! Next, I used OPI's "Fly" and Zoya's "Flynn" to color in a little potted succulent stamp from the UberChic Succulents plate and popped that on the ring finger. Everything is topped with a glossy top coat.

Again, another simple mani with multiple components. These single image coloring in stamps are the perfect beginners step to advanced/reverse stamping. You must give it a try!

Keep up with everyone else doing the challenge this year by checking out the tag #31DC2018Weekly on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. Plus...be sure to check out what my German bestie, Lotte, is creating each week on her blog!

Thanks for stopping by!

*products purchased by me*

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Polka Dot Nails for the #31DC2018Weekly

2018-05-27T21:31:00.000-04:00

Hey there!

Press Sample

I am finally catching up on the challenge! Apologies for being behind these past few weeks but that is the cool part of the challenge. You have plenty of time to catch up! Today, I have my manicure for Week 11, Polka Dot Nails. I used two shades from a new to me brand which I definitely enjoyed. the design is simple but can be recreated easily with any combo of colors and finishes. Let's take a look at some easy polka dot side chevron nails!

I started out with a base of Dip Into Pretty "Dip into Pink" which is a medium toned hot pink with subtle silver shimmer. It was opaque in just two coats and applied smooth and easy. Once that dried, I used a small dotting tool and Dip Into Pretty "On Pointe" to create a single chevron off the side of my nail. "On Pointe" is a baby pink creme that has good coverage over the darker pink shade. Not watery at all! I topped it all off with a glossy top coat.

This is quite a girly manicure with all of the pink but I still really like the two polishes together. You could do this with any combo of colors. And even different finishes. Like a matte base and metallic dots (kind of like the manicure I did last year for the same prompt). Let me know if you try this simple nail art look yourself!

Thanks for stopping by!

*products sent by the maker for honest review*

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Road to Polish Con - Week 11 (Contrary Polish, Noodle Nail Polish)

2018-05-26T23:24:00.000-04:00

Hi friends!

Press Sample

I have one of the last weeks of the Road to Polish Con Series for you tonight. The Polish Convention is so so close. Only three weeks away! Are you going? I am. You should make the trip to New York for the weekend and come visit me at the convention :)

For Week 11, we have two exclusive shades from Contrary Polish and Noodles Nail Polish. both of these polishes are beautiful and a must have. They will be available next week from the Polish Con store only. Be sure to pick up your faves!

We Sleep, We Dream by Contrary Polish - A deep navy blue with shifty multichrome shimmer and tiny holographic flecks. The shimmer is subtle but shifts softy from green to gold to copper to red. It compliments the dark base very nicely. I was loving it with a dark navy blue shirt I was wearing the other day. This will be a great fall/winter shade! I am showing you two coats with glossy top coat here.

Enchanted Love by Noodles Nail Polish - A deep raspberry pink that is packed to the brim with silver holographic microflakies and subtle golden shimmer. A gorgeous shade with a super opaque formula. You can get this opaque with just one coat! I am using two coats with top coat here but I was fine with just one. The sparkle is great here and the base color is great for summer and fall.

The Week 11 polishes are available for purchase from The Polish Convention store from May 27th though June 2nd. Polishes are $11 each and there are two options from shipping. You can have your purchase shipped now or you can hold all of your polishes from each week to be shipped at a later date. Be sure to check out the latter option on the site because I know you are going to want more shades from this series in the upcoming weeks. Also...they ship internationally!!

I have two special codes for you to use during check out. By using my code, you will get extra special goodies in your package for each week that you use it. If you want to get your package shipped now, use the code MCPOLISH. If you are going to be using the hold shipping option, use the code MCPOLISHHOLD and the you will get the hold shipping plus the extra goodies for each week all in the end. The extra bits are different each week!

Polish Con online store

Polish Con social media (Facebook Instagram)

Thanks for stopping by!

*products provided by the makers for honest review*

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Takko Tuesday! - Cancer

2018-05-22T17:32:00.000-04:00

Happy Takko Tuesday!

Press Sample

I have another new Takko Lacquer to share with you all today! On May 24th, the second trio from the Zodiac Collection will be available for preorder. And believe me, you will need this gem! “Cancer” is so so so cool looking. A great addition to the collection this year.

Cancer - A deep red toned purple crelly packed with teeny tiny bright blue metallic flecks and sprinkled with tiny red flecks. The constant between the base and shimmers is amazing. I am impressed! The formula is smooth as all. I am showing you two coats with top coat here. If you don’t have fresh nuns like me, you may prefer a third coat.

You can really see the little blue flecks in the macro. So very cool!

The second trio of Zodiac Collection polishes will be available for preorder on May 24th thru May 27th. And then it will be available at Polish Con NY in June (see you there!)

Takko Lacquer shop and restock info

Takko Lacquer Instagram and Twitter

Takko Lacquer stockists: Color4Nails, Mei Mei Signatures

Thanks for stopping by!

*product provided by the maker for honest review*

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Takko Tuesday! - Leo

2018-05-15T23:47:00.000-04:00

Happy Takko Tuesday!

Press Sample

I have a brand new Takko Lacquer to share with you today! The second installment of the Zodiac Collection is about to launch. For the next set of three, we will be looking at the summer signs. Today, I have Leo to share. I really love this shade because it's orange. You know me...I love orange polishes. Takko has done quite a few oranges in the past. This one is darker in tone than previous oranges but has the same great shimmer that we all love from Takko Lacquer!

Leo - A deep salmon toned orange crelly that is filled with soft golden microflakes and bright pink shimmer. I very much enjoy the tone of this orange. There is a lot of red in it. The gold and pink shimmery particles compliment the base color very nicely. Very smooth formula here. I was happy with two thicker coats and top coat like I am showing in my swatch photos. If you have longer nails, you may prefer three thinner coats. There was still a little bit of squishy quality to the polish even with all of the shimmer. I like it!

Takko Lacquer Instagram and Twitter

Takko Lacquer stockists: Color4Nails, Mei Mei Signatures

Thanks for stopping by!

*product provided by the maker for honest review*

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Gradient Nails for the #31DC2018Weekly

2018-05-14T22:08:00.000-04:00

Hey there!!

Purchased by Me

People...I will catch up with the challenge. I am currently still a week behind but I will remedy that this week. Pinkie swear! but I do have my gradient nails for you today. And I love them! My fellow nail art pal, Gianna, recently did this amazing muted neutral toned gradient floral manicure and I knew I needed to recreate it. It spoke to me! See the original mani on Nailstorming's IG page. I took her idea and changes it up slightly. But it is very similar. Not as perfect as hers but I still dig it.

I used three Cirque Colors creme for this look. I started with a base of Carpe Diem which is a white creme with an incredible subtle gold shimmer. Next I did a gradient using Carpe Diem at my tips fading into Don't Forget the Cannoli and ending into Jane on Jane St at my cuticle. The transition between Carpe Diem and Don't Forget the Cannoli is not super obvious.

Next, I painted on a splotch of Don't Forget the Cannoli in the corner of each nail and used Jane on Jane St with a tiny bruch to add detail the rose like flower. It is a very loose concept of a rose but I hope you can visualize it. I really, really liked this tone on tone muted neutral pink look! Even though you can only see two main colors in my gradient, I promise there is a third at the tip. :)

It is pretty simple design but I bet you could do it in a variety of tones. Maybe some browns or blue? That would be sweet! Would you try this nail art on your own? Let me know :)

Thanks for stopping by!

*products purchased by me*

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Girly Bits Cosmetics - Sparrow of the Dawn

2018-05-09T22:49:00.000-04:00

Heeeeeeey!

Press Sample

I have something extra, extra special to share with you today. As many of you know, I am a music fiend. I love to see live music and especially like to travel to see shows in new places. Vacationing and good tunes all in one go! Well, I have found another fellow music lover in the nail polish world. Pam, the creator of Girly Bits Cosmetics, is a huge music lover as well. We have spent the past 6+ months gushing over out love of Greta Van Fleet. I have mentioned this band before on the blog and I am still totally obsessed with them. They are bringing back Rock and Roll! Girly Bits Cosmetics has created a new polish to add to their Concert Series Collection inspired by Greta Van Fleet and it is awesome. I, of course, am completely biased but I really do think you all will love it.

This is exactly the polish I will be wearing to see the band with Pam in Detroit in less than two weeks! Yay! My favorite band with a cool AF nail polish chick...I am stoked :)

Sparrow of the Dawn is a deep navy blue packed with shifting multichrome shimmer and sprinkled with super holographic tiny glitters. The shimmer is quite shifty going from pink to orange to green at an angle. It generally looks like a deep vampy purple on the nails in low lighting but shifts and sparkles in the light. The distribution of holo glitter is perfect. It is not overpowering and lets the shimmer shine. I am showing you two coats with glossy top coat. These first three shots are done under a single light source.

The next two shots were taken under two light sources at different angles to show off the shift better. You can see how green it gets at an angle!

I am so excited about this polish! It is especially exciting to me because I am going to get to experience a Greta Van Fleet show with the creator. It will be super special, I am sure. You should check out the info in the listing of this shade. Pam goes into detail how it was created and how she fell in love with Greta Van Fleet. "Sparrow of the Dawn" is a lyrics from one her favorite songs by the band, "Flower Power". My favorite song is "Safari Song". The bridge is mind blowing.

Sparrow of the Dawn released today! You can grab this beauty from the Girly Bits Cosmetics site now for $12.73 USD. This is a Canadian brand but they offer world wide shipping. This will also show up on stockists sites as well. Let me know if you pick this up. Also...let me know if you are a GVF fan as well. Hopefully, you will be one after this!

Girly Bits Cosmetics online store

Girly Bits Cosmestics social media (Facebook Instagram Twitter)

Rock on!

*products provided by the maker for honest review*

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Rainbow Nails for the #31DC2018Weekly

2018-05-07T21:37:00.000-04:00

Hiya!

Purchased by Me

I am still a week behind with the #31DC2018Weekly. But I really, really like what I created for the Rainbow Nails prompt! I tried out a new to me nail art technique and I just love it. It's called fluid nail art and has become very popular with the release of Sinful Colors HypnoticTransforming Top Coats. I never saw these top coats in the stores around me. But when I saw the cool nail art people were doing with them, I snatched up a set on Ebay. I have used similar polishes like these in the past. OPI's Black Spotted and Takko Lacquer's Pandamonium are the ones I have tried. They were both black. The colors of the Sinful Colors polishes are awesome! I am so happy with the results playing with these polishes for the first time. I can't wait to do more!

For this mani, I made a few decals of polish using 6 colors. 3 of them were regular nail polish and 3 were the Sinful Colors Hypnotic Transforming Top Coats. I picked a rainbow of shades: red, orange, yellow, green, blue and purple. I watched a few tutorials on how to create the best splotchy look and settled on using my UberMat and dripping the polishes together on it to form a decal. I did a combo of dragging a pin through the wet colors and folding the mat over on itself to smoosh the colors together.

Once the polish was dry, I peeled it off the mat and cut out decals to fit my nail. I tacked them down using base coat and then sealed it in with top coat. There were so many cool areas to choose from! It was difficult to narrow down to 10 little snapshots. It is hard to chose a favorite nail!

Here are s few extra photos of large decal I made. There are little gems throughout but I especially like lots of little bubbling cells of color packed together. I looks like something you would see swirling around Jupiter!

So cool, right? I can't wait to play with these again. Just think of all the color combos you could put together?!?! Have you tried this technique out before? Ever used the Hypnotic Transforming Top Coats before? Tell me everything!

Thanks for stopping by!

*products purchased by me*

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Road to Polish Con - Week 8 (Great Lakes Lacquer, Poetry Cowgirl Nail Polish)

2018-05-04T21:54:00.000-04:00

Hi friends!

Press Sample

Are you guys ready for another week of exclusives in the Road to Polish Con series? For Week 9, we have two delightful polishes from Great Lakes Lacquer and Poetry Cowgirl Nail Polish. I think these two shades fit the theme of Midsummer's Night Dream very well. They have an ethereal feel to them. The will be available starting this Sunday from The Polish Convention site. Let's take a look!

WTF Puck by Great Lake Lacquer - A grass green jelly filled with iridescent chameleon flakies and a shifty shimmer. There is a slight holographic effect in this shade as well. I rally love the base color of this polish. The green is bright but subdued at the same time. And the jelly finish allows for the flakies to pop through. I am showing you three coats with glossy top coat here. If my nails were a little shorter, I would have been fine with just two coats.

Cupid is a Knavish Lad by Poetry Cowgirl Nail Polish - A light baby pink crelly packed to the brim with shifting microflakie shimmer and green shifting aurora pigments. Ooh that shimmer! This shade is light and airy and girly to the max. The formula is a little tricky. All that shimmer makes it apply a little thick and streaky. I would recommend thin coats that you don't manipulate around. I am showing you three coats with glossy top coat here.

The Week 8 polishes are available for purchase from The Polish Convention store from May 6th though May 12th. Polishes are $11 each and there are two options from shipping. You can have your purchase shipped now or you can hold all of your polishes from each week to be shipped at a later date. Be sure to check out the latter option on the site because I know you are going to want more shades from this series in the upcoming weeks. Also...they ship internationally!!

Polish Con online store

Polish Con social media (Facebook Instagram)

Thanks for stopping by!

*products provided by the makers for honest review*

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Glisten & Glow - Mother Earth Collection

2018-05-02T23:11:00.000-04:00

Hi there!

Press Sample

I have a lovely set of indies creme polishes to share with you today. Glisten & Glow make some amazing cremes and these four Spring shades are no exception. They are buttery and smooth and apply like a dream. This quad has a more muted feel than your typical chalky pastels for the season. I am digging how well they all work together. Let's take a look!

Mother Moon - A light dove grey creme. I am pretty sure I don't even need to state that this color is my fave. A perfect grey creme?!? Yes, please! I know I am biased towards grey polishes but this one is truly great. The formula is wonderful and the tone is slightly cool. Not too dark but not too light. Perfect! This is two coats with glossy top coat.

Mother Flora - A light lilac pink creme. This shades skates the line between pink and purple. There is just enough purple in there to give it some interest. It screams Springtime for sure! Again, the formula is just super. This is two easy cots with glossy top coat.

Mother Sea - A blue toned mint creme. This shade was so difficult to photograph! It looks very minty in the bottle but came out much more blue/aqua on my nails. Even in my bottle shot, the color is different in the bottle than it is on my nails. But if you place it next to the other colors (like in my nail art photos at the end of this post) it will look very minty. It is a very nice color though! Smooth formula. I am showing you two coats with glossy top coat here.

Mother Sky - A blue periwinkle creme. I very much enjoy this color. The slightly grey/purple undertones make this a great color for year round. Lots of spring blues turn out too baby boy colored for my liking. This one leans more towards periwinkle. Excellent formula as well. This is two coat with glossy top coat.

And how about a little easy nail art? You don't need any tools for this look. Just paint on a base coat of Mother Moon then lightly drag the three remaining colors from the edge of your nail toward the center and top coat. Easy peasy! I like how well these colors work with each other!

The Mother Earth Collection is available now! You can buy the shades individually for $8.50 each or get the whole collection of 4 for only $32. Seriously, what a steal. You should definitely check out the other cremes that Jill carries. They all have this wonderful buttery formula that you will fall in love with.

Glisten and Glow online store

Glisten and Glow social media (Facebook Instagram Twitter)

Thanks for stopping by!

*products sent by the maker for honest review*

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Metallic Nails for the #31DC2018Weekly

2018-04-30T22:45:00.000-04:00

Hey hey!

Press Sample Purchased by Me

I am a week behind (I am sorry) with the challenge but I plan on catching up this week! I had a little bit of a nail fail this week. But instead of putting it off even longer, I figured I would share anyways. You guys like to see nail fails everyone once and a while, right? Don't get me wrong. In real life, this mani looks fly. But up close, it is a bit of a mess. And the process was a hassle (I don't love gel polish). But here it is!

I started with a base of P2 Cosmetics "Funky Babe" which is a bright, almost neon pink creme. I put gel top coat over the entire mani so I could burnish on metallic gold chrome powder from Born Pretty Store. It goes on the smoothest and most dense over gel polish. The gold over the pink made for an awesome orange shade, so bonus there!

Before I sealed it all in with another coat of gel polish, I added these fun little 3D nail stickers from Sally Hansen. You have to cut them to fit the nail length and they can go under regular nail polish (not just gels). They actually work well under regular nail polish. I tried that technique out first but the gold chrome powder didn't stick to the regular polish well. So I had to start over. But it really did look cool on it's own without the powder and gel.

Well...I am happy with the overall concept of these nails but not totally in love with the finished product. I will definitely play around with these textured appliques again. I purchased two types of designs to try out. Have you guys ever used them before?

If you want to keep up with everyone else doing the challenge this year or want in join in yourself, be sure to use the tag #31DC2018Weekly on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. Plus...be sure to check out what my German bestie, Lotte, is creating each week on her blog!

Thanks for stopping by!

*some products purchased by me, some sent for review previously*

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Road to Polish Con - Week 7 (Glisten & Glow and Different Dimension)

2018-04-28T22:50:00.000-04:00

Hi friends!

Press Sample

Week 7 of the Road to Polish Con series is about to start! And we have two stunning thermal shades from Glisten & Glow and Different Dimension to choose from. These two brands are favorites at Polish Con (and in general). They always have great booths, tons of colors to choose from and the makers are just doll faces. Let's take a look at what they have to offer for the series!

Fairy in Love by Glisten & Glow - A soft teal holographic with intense orange and pink microshimmer with specks of holographic microglitter. The transition on this thermal shade is subtle. In its warm state it is more of a soft aqua while as it cools ti become more a a deeper teal color. Regardless of the state that it is in, it is beautiful! The contrast of the base color and the shimmer is awesome. I am showing you two coat with glossy top coat here. These first two photos are the polish in transition with the cold state at my tips.

Now here is the polish in warm and then cold state over the whole nail.

Plus a little nail art for you. I did some wave stamping in white using a MoYou London Sailor 04 plate image and added some half pearl studs. The polish is mainly in the warm state in this photo.

Eat, Drink & Be Fairy by Different Dimension - A soft silvery pink holographic with a fine bright pink/orange shimmer and fine holographic microglitter. The base color transitions from soft silver when warm to an orchid pink when cold. The transition is much more obvious here as the colors are very different. I like that the pink shimmer matches the pink cold state well. It makes the transition flow nicely and not be as abrupt. I am showing you two coats with glossy top coat here. The first two photos are showing off the transition.

Next, we have a photo of the polish in its warm state followed by a photo of it in its cold state.

Plus, we needed a little nail art for this color, too!. I used some striping tape and a black creme with added black studs for this look. I dig it!

I wanted to also create a nail art look that used both of the Week 7 colors. Here, I started with a base of white. I sponged on Glisten & Glow's Fairy in Love onto my tips with an eye shadow brush. Then I added a reversed stamping flower colored in with Different Dimension's Eat, Drink & Be Fairy. It is all topped off with a glossy top coat. In these photos, the polishes are in more of their cold state.

The Week 7 polishes are available for purchase from The Polish Convention store from April 29th though May 5th. Polishes are $11 each and there are two options from shipping. You can have your purchase shipped now or you can hold all of your polishes from each week to be shipped at a later date. Be sure to check out the latter option on the site because I know you are going to want more shades from this series in the upcoming weeks. Also...they ship internationally!!

Polish Con online store

Polish Con social media (Facebook Instagram)

Thanks for stopping by!

*products provided by the makers for honest review*

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Whimsical Ideas by Pam - Spring 2018 Collection

2018-04-25T21:05:00.000-04:00

Hi there!

Press Sample

Some new Spring lovelies have released from Whimsical Ideas by Pam! She has created a very fun collection for the season with a nice mix of glitters and crellies to choose from. I love that her collections are a mix of finishes. Plus, there are glitter toppers! Let's take a look.

Mac 'n Cheese - A bright warm yellow crelly with the slightest hint of shimmer. This yellow is not as orange as you would expect from a Kraft Mac and Cheese powder. It is more of a classic cartoon cheese wedge with holes in it. Are you visualizing that cartoon cheese right now? The formula is very smooth and squishy. As with most yellow polishes, this does benefit from few coats. I am showing you three coats with glossy top coat here.

Hi, Drangea - A clear based glitter topper with a mix of periwinkle, navy and holographic glitters. There are small dot glitters and a variety of hexes. This nice muted blue mix of glitters would look great over a variety of base colors. I chose to layer one coat over Mac 'n Cheese here. Nice glitter playoff in one layer.

Kitschy Koo - A bubblegum pink creme packed with variety of pastel hex and dot glitters. The glitters are matte and satin with colors of pink, orange, yellow, purple and mint. This shade is girly and fun which is perfect for spring. Application was okay and I only needed two coats for full opacity. It does dry down a little bumpy because of the glitters, so a thick glossy top coat it recommended.

Force of Nature - A clear based glitter topper with a mix of neon yellow, bright aqua and raspberry glitters. Another nice variety of dots and hexes in several sizes. I am digging all the dot glitters in this collection! Good glitter playoff and formula here as well. I am showing you one coat over Zoya Dot with top coat.

Spring in her Step - A blue toned purple creme with small hex glitters in shades of purple, blue and pink. Another great shade for Spring! I really like the tone of this purple. The formula was okay and it was fairly opaque. I am showing you two coats with glossy top coat here. Again, you will want a good thick layer of top coat to smooth out the glitters.

Cute Buns - A clear based glitter topper with metallic green shreds, tiny red hexes, holographic glitters and white satin bunny head shaped glitter. The bunny glitters are cute and playful. They may not be everyone's cup of tea but the other elements of this glitter topper work well together as well. This topper works well for Easter and Spring but if you didn't use the bunny glitters on your nail, then it would work great for Christmas, too! The bunny glitters do need to be fished out and placed on the nail for best results but the rest of the glitter mix applied great with one coat. I am showing you one coat over China Glaze Grape Pop with top coat here.

Aren't these fun? I usually don't go for glitters these day but I really dig the glitter toppers in this collection. Which is your fave? All polishes are $10 each. You can only order through email via the Whimsical Ideas by Pam Facebook page. Stop by and get your orders in before Valentine's Day!

Many thanks!

*products provided by the maker for honest review*

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Takko Tuesday! - Fairyland

2018-04-24T23:07:00.000-04:00

Happy Takko Tuesday!

Press Sample

Today, I have a very special Takko to share with you! This summer, Takko Lacquer will be participating in Polish Con for the first time. You will get to see all of the shimmery delicious takkitos all lined up and ripe for the picking in person. I am not sure what all Sheryl has in store or the Convention but I am sure it will be fabulous. Takko Lacquer is also participating in the Road to Polish Con series as the Week 6 exclusive. Want to see the special exclusive polish that has been created for the series? She is a beauty!

Fairyland - A pale grey lavender linear holographic with an intense pink shimmer. This little lady is stunning! First, the base color is gorgeous. There is enough purple in this grey is make it dainty and girly, but still enough grey to make it chic. Secondly, that pink shimmer is eye catching! It really glows off of the nail when the light catches it. It is even more obvious in real life.

The formula on this shade is nice. Easy to apply and opaque enough for me in two coats. It can dry a little dull with the Vitamin E infused base, so glossy top coat is recommended.

The Week 6 polishes are available for purchase from The Polish Convention store from April 22nd though April 28th. Polishes are $11 each and there are two options from shipping. You can have your purchase shipped now or you can hold all of your polishes from each week to be shipped at a later date. Be sure to check out the latter option on the site because I know you are going to want more shades from this series in the upcoming weeks. Also...they ship internationally!!

Polish Con online store

Polish Con social media (Facebook Instagram)

Thanks for stopping by!

*products provided by the makers for honest review*

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Black and White Nails for the #31DC2018Weekly

2018-04-18T22:45:00.000-04:00

Hello!

Purchased by Me

I have a super simple, super easy, anyone can do nail art look for the #31DC2018Weekly to share with you today! I feel like this look is old news and something that everyone has done in the past but it was a first for me. Just a fun take on a french manicure.

I started off with a ridge filling base coat from Butter London. This has a slight nude tint to it, so I feel it gives a nice canvas for negative space nail art. Next, I used my some of my favorite one coat white and black polishes to create the tips. I swiped on Digital Nails "I See London" diagonally across the tip of each nail. Then I used a stripper brush and Digital Nails " I See France" to trace the edge of the white line. Once it dried, I topped it all off with a glossy top coat.

I know it is simple, but I really liked this overall look. A small step up from basic :) Have you worn a modified french manicure like this before?

Thanks for stopping by!

*purchased by me*

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Takko Tuesday! - 2017 Sample #3

2018-04-17T23:57:00.000-04:00

Happy Takko Tuesday!

Purchased by Me

I am out of new Takko Lacquer shades to share with you, so back to some previous releases. This is my last sample shade from the 2017 Black Friday sale that I haven't shared yet. There is still one more out there that I don't have. If I find it, I will be sure to share it here! Today, we are going to look at Sample #3.

2017 Sample #3 - A light teal/aqua jelly base that is filled with pink iridescent microflakies and tiny holographic gold hex glitters. The glitters and flakies shift around very nicely in the jelly base. It is hella sparkly! The formula is pretty sheer though. I am showing you three coats here and you can still see my nail line. All of the blingy glitters make it less noticeable in person.

This sample shade is very similar to Peacock Returns but the base in the sample is a lighter teal color, more blue. Peacock Returns was a special polish exclusive to MeiMei Signatures, so if you missed out on that one, try looking for this shade in destashes!

The sample shades from 2017 are no longer available. But you may still be able to find them in destashes around the internets. I may try to look for Sample #4 to complete the series. Takko Lacquer should be having a restock of spring shades in the future. Be sure to follow them on social media for announcements of restocks and new releases.

Takko Lacquer shop and restock info

Takko Lacquer Instagram and Twitter

Takko Lacquer stockists: Color4Nails, Mei Mei Signatures

Thanks for stopping by!

*purchased by me*

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