The PolishAholic

Sunday Spam: Zoya

2012-05-27T05:00:00.000-07:00

Hi guys, today I have a huge Zoya spam to show you...21 polishes in total I think! I'm always done swatching my Zoya collection so there should only be 1 more of these spam for Zoya yay!! Check out all the photos of each one after the jump!

Since there are so many of these for most of them I'll just let you know how many coats I used!

Cola, it was a bit sheer and patchy below is 3 coats!

Creamy a bright yellow, it's very similar to Pippa maybe a tad bit brighter. The formula was okay...a bit streaky. Below is 3 coats.

Elke, nice formula but it was a little watery. Below is 2 coats.

Gabrielle. This polish is very sheer, I don't really care for it on it's own. I have 1 coat over black on my ring finger and 3 coats on it's own for the other fingers.

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Gigi, this was very sheer. Honestly, I'm wonder why I even own this haha. Below is 4 coats and it still wasn't opaque.

Ginessa the formula was okay on this it was sheer but beautiful. I actually preferred it sheer instead of fully opaque. I used 3 coats for the photos below.

Happi, the formula was nice but a bit sheer. I used 3 coats for the photos below.

Ivy, again this was a bit sheer. I used 3 coats for the photos below.

Juicy or should I say "Juicy" this color is very wrong....it's supposed to be purple. It appears as though my bottle has faded badly. I've never personally had a polish do this but I've seen other bloggers talking about this happening to polishes. I emailed Zoya asking about it (thought maybe I had a mislabeled bottle) and their customer service was awesome. I was told they checked with the warehouse and I guess they are having pigment problems with this one...then they offered to send me a new bottle of Zoya, my choice! I picked Charisma since it looked the closest to what Juicy was supposed to be. Gotta love great customer service, I do really like the color even though it isn't correct! Below is 3 coats of "Juicy"

Juno, love this purple but it's SO MUCH BETTER in the bottle...please see the 4th picture below to see why I say that. The formula was really nice, I used 2 coats.

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LOOK AT THAT SHIMMER!!!

Lana, the formula was really nice. I used 2 coats for the photos below.

Lexi, yuck. 2 coats. It does have a nice duochrome in the shade but it doesn't make up for the overwhelming fug in the sun :(

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Lola, one of my favorite Zoya polishes! I used 3 for the photos below. It does dry a little dull so it is shown below with top coat.

Meadow, the formula was really nice...I used 2 coats!

Melodie the formula was nice, it wasn't as sheer as I expected. I used 2 coats for the photos below.

Sienna, I had to steal this back from my Mom to swatch it haha! I used 3 coats for the photos below.

Soho Punch is a very very sheer glass fleck polish. I don't think you'd ever get it opaque on it's own, I used 1 coat over black for the photos below. It's so gorgeous this way, I'm surprised I don't see this polish talked about more! Both photos are in the shade.

Trixie, nice formula but a little streaky. I used 2 coats for the photos below.

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Veruschka is hands down one of my favorite Zoya's EVER. It's the perfect matte emerald green, I love it because it looks awesome matte and even more awesome with top coat! I used 2 coats for the photos below! The first 2 are without top coat and the 3rd photo with with top coat!

Yasmeen another one of my favorite Zoya's...I love the pink shimmer! The formula is really nice, I used 2 coats.

Yummy, the formula is really nice on this polish I used 2 coats!

All Zoya polishes are available on Zoya.com for $8 a bottle!

Hits Air Glow

2012-05-25T04:20:00.000-07:00

TGIF! Anyone have fun plans this weekend? Today after work I'm going to get Lojack installed on my Mini then I have no idea. It's Memorial Day weekend so I'm sure I'll be going to some kind of BBQ before the weekend is done haha!

Today I have another polish from Hits Phenomena Collection to show you guys, this one is called Air Glow! It's a gorgeous multichromatic glitter polish that flashes magenta, orange and gold. The formula was so nice, it wasn't thick but the glitter payoff was pretty awesome! I used 1 coat over Zoya Nina for the photos below. Both photos are in the shade!

Hits polishes are available from shop.llarowe.com the ones in the Phenomena Collection are $10 each!

Gelato Mio Water Marble!

2012-05-24T04:20:00.000-07:00

Hi guys! Today I have my NOTW (nail of the week!) to show you! I've had this manicure on since Sunday and I'll be so sad to take it off! As soon as I got the Gelato Mio Collection from Jessica in the mail I wanted to water marble with it, it's such a beautiful collection and all the colors go together so well..it was meant to be!

I used Sally Hansen Insta Dri in Whirlwind White as my base and water marbled with all of the shades in Jessica's Gelato Mio Collection except for Tangerine Dreamz. I wanted to include it but my Mom has "borrowed" that polish from me and I'll likely never get it back from her haha! I am in LOVE with how this turned out, especially my ring finger!

If you want to see swatches of the Gelato Mio Collection you can check that post out by clicking here.

Degen's May 2012 Barkbox!

2012-05-23T04:20:00.000-07:00

Hi guys! I have a non nail polish post for you guys today, I posted about Barbox last month and got a great response so I thought I'd post what Degen got in his May box. If you haven't heard of Barbox I go over what it is and how you can get it for your dog in my post from last month which you can read here: http://www.thepolishaholic.com/2012/04/barkbox-april-2012.html

May's Barkbox includes a toy, some treats, a very practical doggy gadget and some doggy pampering products. As soon as the mail man brought the box I knew it would be a good one because Degen wouldn't leave me alone...I think he could smell the treats inside of it haha! I had to go outside to take the photos of this months box so that he wasn't trying to take them away while I was taking a photo!

Here is how the box look when it arrived. Everything is packed really nicely with blue crinkle paper and a card that lists everything in the box.

To see everything Degen got click the Read More button below

First in Degen's Barkbox was a toy called The Sqwuggie from a company called Katie's Bumpers, it's an awesome interactive toy made from fire hose material. They are great for tug, fetch or any water excursion. I wasn't sure about this until I realized it squeaks, Degen usually only likes toys that squeak. I think Degen is going to have a great time with this! The Sqwuggie is available from katiesbumpers.com

Next up are peanut butter flavored biscuits from Sloppy Kisses of Saratoga Springs. What a cute name for a dog bakery! Degen loves these, and they smell so peanut butter-y and yummy! You can buy these from Sloppy Kisses website at http://sloppykissesofsaratoga.com/

Next up is the doggy pampering items! First thing I noticed about these was the cuuuuuuuuute dog picture on the labels, Boston Terriers are my second favorite breed (next to Dachshunds, of course). These 2 items come from Warren London at warrenlondon.com (FYI, their website carries dog nail polish...I'll be buying some lol). The black tub is hydrating butter, you rub it into your dog's coat for a moisturizing effect...it's like leave in conditioner for dogs! It smells awesome, I can't put my finger on the exact scent but it's fruity smelling! The little blue square next to the black tub is a fizzing paw tablet, you put it in a tub of water and soak your dogs paws in it. I gotta say, I love that something like that even exists. I'm sure Degen will like it!

Next is a Gulpy, this is actually something I already owned and love. It's a handy portable water dispenser for your dog. There is a water bottle you can unscrew and fill with water. Then you screw it back in and it folds into a tray...whenever you are out with your dog you can unfold it and squeeze some water into the tray for your dog to drink. I really like bringing this on walks and out when we take Degen somewhere. This is from newangledirect.com, I'm pretty sure the other one of these I own I got from a large chain pet supply store like PetsMart or Petco.

Last, but Degen's favorite...a spiral bully stick. This didn't last long with Degen, I think Barkbox has made him a bully stick-aholic. He took it and ran away to eat it then growled if you even came near him while he was eating it haha! Degen likes these because they taste yummy but I like them because they are good for his teeth. I'm glad that Barbox included one in this months box (there was one in the April box also!). This is from bestbullysticks.com but you can get them anywhere dog stuff is sold...I've even seen them at Target (they are a bit pricey though which is why I like getting them in the Barkbox!)

Overall, Degen approves of this box...so do I! If you want to get a Barkbox for your dog make sure you sign up by June 10th to get the June Box. Barkbox can be purchased on Barkbox.com, it ranges from $17-$25 per month depending on what subscription you buy.

To get $5 off your order you can use the code JEKAR037. This is a referral code but once you sign up you can email them get your own too :D

Duri Keep Your Options Open Collection Swatches

2012-05-22T04:20:00.000-07:00

Morning! Today I have Duri's Summer 2012 Keep Your Options Open Collection to show you guys! It's very different that what we usually see for the summer offering up some gorgeous brights along with a nice vampy shade and a couple of muted colors! If you don't love crazy neons for summer this might be something for you!

To see swatches & reviews of each shade click the Read More button below!

Celebrate The Sunset is a really bright pink/purple creme. This is walking the line right between pink and purple perfectly, it's such a beautiful shade and I love it on my skin tone! The formula was AWESOME! It was almost a 1 coater for me, I ended up using 2 coats but the second coat was barely needed!

How To Pick A Winner is a blue/grey with purple undertones. In person I feel like this leaned a little more purple on my skin tone than it looks in my photos. The formula again, awesome! I used 1 coat for the photos below!

Keep Your Options Open is a dark vampy purple with the most hidden shimmer you could ever imagine. I didn't even realize there was shimmer in this until I got out in the direct sunlight and even then I could barely see it. The formula was great, I used 2 coats for the photos below!

Lazy Day is a dusty pink with lilac undertones that leans towards being mauve. I didn't think I would really care for this in the bottle but it was very flattering on my skin tone!- The formula was a bit thick but so easy and wonderful to apply, I used 1 coat for the photos below!

Steal The Spotlight is a bright orange toned red with golden shimmer! It definitely leans more towards red and not orange unlike a lot of the other red/orange shades we've seen this year. The formula was really nice on this one also! I used 2 coats for the photos below.

The Big Score is a purple/grey/silver foil. It reminds me a bit of Butter London Lillibet's Jubilee but it's more grey toned and a little darker. The formula was good, I used 2 coats for the photos below!

Overall I really love this collection, I was surprised how much I like it! I love that there is a nice mix of brights and more dusty shades, there is a little bit of something for everyone! My favorite part: the formula on these polishes...every single one was great! Duri can be purchased at Duri.com for $5 a bottle!

Models Own Ibiza Mix

2012-05-21T04:20:00.000-07:00

Hi guys, happy Monday! Did anyone see the eclipse last night? We could see it here, it was all cloudy so you could only see it a little bit but it was cool nonetheless. Today I have a pretty glitter from Models Own to show you called Ibiza Mix. Its part of the Hed Kandi collection...maybe that's a UK thing because I have no clue what or who Hed Kandi is haha. Ibiza Mix is a really cool mix of glitter, I feel like it's very different than I a lot of the multi colored glitters we see. It's more of a pastel toned glitter!

I used Ibizi Mix over Zoya Willow for the photos below. The bottle I'm holding is a Color Club top coat...love the Models Own bottles but my fingers look all crazy when I try to hold them for photos lol! Both photos are in the shade!

Models Own is available on ModelsOwnIt.com , if you are in the US/Canada I would recommend ordering from Harlow & Co (where I got mine) or ninjapolish.com since the shipping time and price is a little bit better for us that way!

NOTD: Mini Mani

2012-05-20T05:30:00.000-07:00

Hi guys! Today I have a NOTD that matches my new car!! I went and picked up my new Mini Copper, finally yay! I got home and tried to find a polish that matches the paint color. My mini is an "ice blue" color which is a little bit blue, a little bit green and a little bit grey. Amazingly, I didn't have a match in my gigantic nail polish stash so I mixed a whole bunch of stuff together until I got as close as I could to the color of my car. I wish I could tell you the concoction but I wasn't keeping track of anything. The only things I know for sure are in there are China Glaze For Audrey, China Glaze Aquadelic and China Glaze Sea Spray but there was little bits of other polishes too.

I sponged my mini franken over white (because the roof of my mini is white!) it's not exactly what I was going for but that's okay! My Grandma thought it was cute when I went to show her my car so I consider it a success...Grandma approval wins over my own approval lol

Strangely when I look at the above photo of my nails then the ones below of my car they don't even look close o.O I think it's the difference in lighting ( I should have taken a picture of my hand on the car lol). Anyway...behold my cute new car below!!

For those wondering she has no name yet, I was pretty set on Eleanor but I decided to name the lady voice in the navigation that instead (yes, I name the navigation voice lady too). If you have any good suggestions for snobby sounding British lady name please let me know the in comments!

Also, no car of mine would be complete without a sparkly license plate frame and a Bayside decal!

Saturday Spam: Lynnderella

2012-05-19T04:20:00.000-07:00

Hi guys, hope you're all having a good weekend so far...I sure as heck am, more on that tomorrow! Today I have a big helping of spam for you....this spam is all Lynnderella! I've been waffling on posting this because for the past few months Lynnderella=drama. The drama associated with it turns me off the brand so I had decided not to post pictures of what I have. Then I kind of tested the waters in my Indie spam post with 1 Lynn polish and everyone liked it, so I decided what the heck I'll just post everything I have that I haven't shown before in one post. Hope you guys enjoy!

If you want to buy Lynnderella polishes it's a bit of a process...you have to send in a wish list to Llarowe then wait for your last name to come up in her rotations. I think the 1st rotation of wish lists is still going on so depending on your last name you could be waiting for like 4-5 months, it wasn't too bad for me but I know some people are frustrated with the wait. I know the waiting sucks but I do like that at least you get everything you want eventually. It's worth it just to avoid the mad dash of trying to get things before they sell out in .5 seconds during re-stocks. Right now Llarowe is not accepting wish lists but last I heard she would be taking them again soon-ish. Make sure you sign up for her mailing list at shop.llarowe.com so that you know when she is taking them again. She also updates regularly on the status of the wish lists on her Facebook page located here.

To see lots of glittery goodness click the Read More button below!

Alright guys...I'm just going to tell you what I layered these over (for most of the polishes) instead of writing a little novel about each! Hope ya don't mind!

Boy Girl Party over Zoya Ginessa. FYI there is diamond shaped glitter in this...LOVE!

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Bride of Franken over OPI Black Onyx. this is literally 10 bazillion times better in real life, pictures do it no justice.

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Cauldron Drippings over OPI Black Onyx. I did have a problem with some of the bar glitter in this not wanting to lay flat.

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Chocolotta Love over Zoya Cola

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Forget You Not over Zoya Yasmeen

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Lavendear over Jessica Barely Blueberry. The base of this had a bit of a blue tint to it and also an awesome blue shimmer!

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Love, Lace and Lilacs over Jessica Lime Cooler.

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Similar-ish to Snow Angel but not a dupe

Matter of the Heart, 2 coats over Zoya Gigi. There is heart glitter in this, I couldn't even get any out of the bottle though. :(

Mlle. Violet de Bleu over Zoya Elke. This one is almost identical to Bibbitty Boppity Boo Blue, I took a picture of the bottles side by side but by the time I edited my photos I forgot which was which so I didn't include it below LOL. I do think Bibbitty is denser but I believe Lynn will not be making it anymore so if you missed it and wanted it this will probably kill the lemming.

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Nosegay over Zoya Melodie. I needed 2 coats to get a good amount of glitter on the nail

Ruby Red Ruby over OPI Black Onyx. This combo is very Deborah Lippman Ruby Red Slippers lol

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She Lived In A Swamp over Zoya Veruschka

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Sweets To The Sweet over Jessica Banana Peel. I needed 2 coats for good glitter coverage on this one...there is awesome sheer-ish white glitter in this that I love! Also, this combo makes me want some funfetti cake...nom!

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The Glittering Crowd over Zoya "Juicy". I put Juicy in quotes because the color is not right...more on that when I post it in my next Zoya spam post though! Also, I believe Lynn also discontinued this one...what a bummer :(

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Very Pretty Vampire over OPI Black Onyx. I actually really don't love this combo but I was losing daylight so I couldn't re-do it. My favorite way to wear VPV is over purple!

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Borghese Almondine

2012-05-18T04:20:00.000-07:00

TGIF! Today I have an awesome neutral polish to show you guys, this was sent to me by my love Kirsten from Glitta Gloves. She sent me pretty much the most awesome package ever a little bit ago and this was one of the pretty polishes she included. I've had my eye on Almondine for a while, ever since Kirsten posted it and said it was her favorite nude.

I am SO glad Kirsten included this beauty for me, I went searching for it after she posted it and I guess Borghese is gone forever or something because all the Rite Aid stores near me cleared out all the stock and made their displays into other things :(

Almondine is a gorgeous beige nude with black shimmer/glitter/flecks (I don't really know what to call it haha) There is also a very subtle pink shimmer in here. It reminds me a bit of Cult Nails Cruisin Nude ...if Cruisin Nude had awesome black whatevers in it. The formula was nice, a little sheer at first but it built up so nicely! I used 3 coats for the photos below.

Colorphase Nail Polish

2012-05-17T04:20:00.000-07:00

Morning! Today I have a polish I found at Rite Aid to show you from a brand called Colorphase. The bottle doesn't seem to have a name on it (I hate that) so I've been calling it blue...very creative of me, I know.

I saw the Colorphase display and was intrigued because the bottles look like little barbells and it said that when you apply the top coat it changed colors. I decided on the blue because it looked the prettiest in the bottle. I have to say, the polish was much nicer than I expected. It went on so smoothly and was a 1 coater!

Without top coat the color from the bottle is a silvery blue foil like polish. The get the color change you are supposed to apply the top coat on the other end of the bottle. The brush in the top coat side is long and skinny like a nail art brush. Once you apply the top coat it turns the color in to a really pretty blurple. If you don't want to do just lines with the long skinny brush because you want the color the polish changes to on the entire nail you could just use regular top coat...you get the same effect.

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Here is what the bottle looks like!

I've only seen these out at Rite Aid, I'm not sure where else can you can get the brand...I think they were around $5 (somewhere in that neighborhood!)

Sally Hansen Pacific Blue + A Comparison!

2012-05-16T04:20:00.000-07:00

Hi guys! I have a quick random polish & comparison to show you today. This polish is one that I always mean to buy but for some reason never got around to actually getting until a few weeks ago. It's Sally Hansen Pacific Blue! Pacific Blue is a beautiful cobalt blue! The formula was fantastic, a 1 coater for me!

I also have a little comparison for you with Pacific Blue! Below is Pacific Blue vs. Nails Inc Baker Street and Deborah Lippmann I Know What Boys Like (that was one requested!)

As you can see, no dupes. Baker Street is darker and also brighter and the Lippmann polish is darker and more purple toned.

Jessica Summer 2012 Gelato Mio Collection Swatches

2012-05-15T04:20:00.000-07:00

Good morning! Guess what guys, my new Mini Cooper is here...kind of! It arrived from England on the boat yesterday! It has to go through the BMW/Mini distribution center then it gets loaded on a truck and brought down the dealership where it goes through inspections and whatnot but I should hopefully have it by the weekend *fingers crossed*! I am SO excited! I gotta say, these past few days of having to drive a huge SUV has made me appreciate my little cars so much more. I've learned that I cannot for the life of me park a giant SUV in a parking space within the lines...it also sucks to go through a half tank of gas in like 3 days, especially when gas is almost $4.50 a gallon :(

Anyway, today I have a super gorgeous Summer Collection from Jessica to show you! The first thing I thought of when I opened the box of these 6 beautiful pastel creme polishes was ice cream. I laughed when I opened up the envelope with the press release and wouldn't you know...a collection inspired by gelato. I'd say Jessica did an awesome job interpreting the theme, it's pretty rare that I can guess a collection's inspiration without hearing a thing about it beforehand!

For swatches and reviews of each shade click the Read More button below!

Banana Peel is a creamy pastel yellow. I adore yellows like this (who am I kidding, I love all yellow nail polish), it's soft and creamy without looking chalky. The formula was nice, a little thick but easy to apply and not overly streaky. I used 2 coats on my index and pinky nails but the other 2 nails needed 3 coats to even them out.

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Barely Blueberry is a very light blue pastel. It's a very white blue, it kind of reminds me Nubar Blue Hydrangea but minus the shimmer a touch lighter. The formula was surprisingly very nice, it was a little sheer on the first coat but I only needed 2 coats for full opacity. Gotta say, I was shocked about the opacity. Usually colors this light need 3-4 coats to get opaque.

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Lime Cooler is a yellow based green pastel. This initially reminded me off Essie Navigate Her, it's not a dupe but it's close. Navigate Her is a bit more dark and dusty. The formula was really nice, my favorite formula of all 6! It went on so smoothly and was just like the perfect consistency, I used 2 coats for the photos below!

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Strawberry Shake It is a very light pink pastel. This pink is much lighter and more white based than any of the light pink's we've seen for Spring/Summer 2012. The formula was nice, a little thick but easy to apply and not overly streaky. I used 3 coats for the photos below, it looked good at 2 coats but I needed 3 to even it out.

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Surfer Boyz 'n Berry is a green toned aqua creme. It's very very close to China Glaze For Audrey, it's just the smallest bit darker but it's not very noticeable. The formula was much nicer than I've ever experienced when I've used For Audrey, a little thick but easy to work with. I used 2 coats for the photos below.

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Tangerine Dreamz is a creamy pastel orange. This is such a beautiful change from the bright and neon orange's we've seen this year! Side note, does it seem like we've gotten like a bazillion orange polishes this year...like one in almost every collection. I think that's pretty random, and awesome! The formula was a little bit thick, but again very easy to apply. I used 2 coats for the photos below.

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Overall, this collection is awesome! I love the pastels and all 6 of these are beautiful! The only ones I'd probably pass on are Lime Cooler and Surfer Boyz 'n Berry, both are awesome but I already have polishes very close to them. My number 1 pick is Tangerine Dreamz, it's just such an awesome creamy orange...I can't get enough of it!

The Gelato Mio Collection can be purchased on JessicaCosmetics.com for $7.50 each. When I looked last night I didn't see these up there yet but all the info I have says available May 2012 so hopefully they will be added soon!

Orly Magnetic FX Collection Swatches

2012-05-14T04:20:00.000-07:00

Happy Monday, hope you all had a wonderful weekend. Did you do anything fun for Mother's Day? I went to dinner with my parents and my Grandma to a yummy italian restaurant named Villa Nova! I love that restaurant, it's right on the harbor in Newport Beach and the view is so pretty. Last night I saw a lady paddle boarding and her dog was standing on the board with her I was like :O I wish Degen wasn't crazy, I'd totally do that with him. He's such a weirdo that he'd probably jump off the board to attack a fish swimming by...or he'd bark at boats, maybe both.

Today I have a brand new Orly Collection to show you called Magnetic FX, yep...Orly is doing magnetic polish too. Honestly I haven't heard much about this other than 1 post from Orly on their Facebook with a promo photo saying they would be out for Summer. I wandered into my favorite local beauty supply on Friday looking for the China Glaze Summer Neons (which the still didn't have *sad face*) and found these instead!

To see swatches and reviews of each shade and the magnets click the Read More button below!

Photos of the packaging and magnets (along with my thoughts on them) will be towards the end of the post!

Force Field is a purple/magenta. There are also little bits of red glitter/shimmer that come out once you use the magnet! The magnet that comes with this bottle is kind of a curved design, reminds me a bit of the design from Nails Inc...you know, the one every brand did haha. It's a bit different but not by much. I used 2 coats of polish for the photos below.

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Opposites Attract is a navy blue magnetic. Once you use the magnet there is a bit of blue shimmer that comes out! The magnet that comes with this one kind of looks like a curvy X, can't say I have a magnet like that! I used 2 coats for the photos below.

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Paint On Electron is a grey magnetic. The magnet is a squiggly line, just one o.O this magnet kind of mystifies me, like why didn't they put more lines so it would look wavy and not like a weird snake or something. I used 2 coats for the photos below.

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Alright, so now here is how these are packaged. The magnet is on a little plastic ring kind of thing that snaps on to the handle of the bottle. The whole top part is shrink wrapped so you cannot switch out the magnet designs, so pretty much every Paint On Electron will have the squiggle magnet, every Opposites Attract will have the X magnetic etc... They also have a little hang tag that shows the design of the magnet and has instructions for how to use the polish.

Here are the bottles without the shrink wrap. The plastic magnet clippy thing does not wrap around the entire bottle cap, you will see what I mean in the photos of the magnet by itself below.

Here is the magnet not on the bottle. It's pretty small, it doesn't cover my entire nail. The lip thing is also pretty useless, if you hold it with the lip over the cuticle it didn't seem to pull out the design very well because it was too far away. I ended up holding the magnet with the lip part at the free edge of my nail. There is also an extra little lip which you can see in the second photo, really not sure what the point of that is. Maybe you set the free edge of your nail on it or something, but then you can't wrap your tips with polish. hmm

Here are the back of the hang tags on the bottle. They have instructions and a little picture of the magnet design at the bottom of each.

Close up!

To break down my thoughts on the magnets I've made a little list!

Pros:
* I like the designs (except for the weird squiggle one). I feel like we haven't seen that X design before!
* The magnets do seem strong, I didn't have issues with getting them to work.
* I love how the magnets snap onto the cap, it's easy to keep them together and they snap on pretty securely so you don't need to worry about them slipping off.

Cons:
* The magnets are hard to use...the lip is useless. I cannot even tell you guys how many times I had to re-do nails because I hit the magnet on my nail while trying to maneuver around the useless lip.
* The magnet part is very small, it didn't even cover my whole nail. If you have longer nails than mine...good luck. I'd suggest using another brands magnet if you get these.
* If you follow Orly's directions of using 1 coat you need to use such a thick coat for opaque coverage that the magnet ends up pulling the polish onto the magnet and you have to re-do the nail (and clean the magnet)

Overall, I do like these. My favorite is Opposites Attract, both for the color and the magnet design!

I haven't seen these in regular stores yet (the beauty supply I got them at is a local non-chain kind of place). They are however already on Ulta.com for $15 a piece. I'm sure they will be a bit cheaper at Sally's with their beauty club card but I have no idea how much cheaper or when they will show up there.

Cosmoprof North America 2012 Discover Beauty Overview

2012-05-13T07:00:00.000-07:00

Hi guys! Today I have a press release to share with you about the brands that will be featured in the Discover Beauty section of Cosmoprof North America this year. I will be attending again this year (yay!) so this is something I will definitely be checking out. Last year Discover Beauty introduced me to Layla and we all know about the amazing polishes they have brought us since then. If you are wondering what exactly Cosmoprof North America is you can check out my posts from last year's show by clicking here!

I am so excited to see what all the brands will be giving us for the rest of the year and the beginning of next year. I'm also really looking forward to seeing some of the awesome bloggers I met last year again, and meeting a bunch of lovely new bloggers. If you'd like to see who some of the other bloggers are that will be going to Cosmoprof North America click here!

DISCOVER BEAUTY 2012 OVERVIEW

ANNOUNCING THE INITIAL LINE-UP FOR THIS YEAR’S PROGRAM

Las Vegas, NV (April 18, 2012) – The Discover Beauty program, an exclusive initiative of Cosmoprof North America (CPNA), returns for its sixth successful year of matching leading retailers with emerging beauty brands in 2012. Companies from all over the world must be selected to participate in Discover Beauty, ensuring an exclusive array of unique, cutting-edge brands that are sure to be the "next big thing." For these brands, CPNA show organizers arrange pre-scheduled sales meetings and events with important retailers, although, all show visitors are invited to discover these brands. CPNA is proud to announce the initial Discover Beauty line-up for 2012, which include: GOLDFADEN MD, Hevia Skin Science, Layla Cosmetics, KARORA Cosmetics, Marula The Leakey Collection, Niki Saint Pierre Botanical Cosmeceuticals, Recipe for men and TEMPTU.

Below is the initial list of the 2012 Discover Beauty exhibiting companies:

GOLDFADEN MD – USA
GOLDFADEN MD is the only physician strength, dermatologist developed, natural skincare line in the industry. The highly efficacious, non-prescription skincare solutions utilize state-of-the-art technologies with active plant cells and anti-oxidant rich botanicals. GOLDFADEN MD’s problem-solving skincare remedies target a range of specific skin concerns inspired by treatments developed in Dr. Goldfaden’s South Florida dermatology practice.
goldfadenmd.com

HEVIA SKIN SCIENCE – USA
Created by Oscar Hevia, MD, cosmetic dermatologist and founder of The Hevia Center for Research, the Hevia Skin Science line uses scientifically formulated active ingredients to help prevent skin aging and encourage rejuvenation. Highly effective and innovative, this line also contains proprietary, patent-pending and exclusive ingredients.
heviaskinscience.com

LAYLA COSMETICS – ITALY
Layla Cosmetics has been creating trend setting and cutting edge products from Milan for over 70 years. Fusing the latest in technology along with an Italian fashion influence, Layla reveals their newest collections for the first time to the U.S. market unveiling ground-breaking innovation and nail art to the industry.
luxcongroup.com

KARORA COSMETICS – IRELAND
Irish beauty brand KARORA, offers modern women a glamorous choice in the natural beauty category with a true skin caring approach to faux tan. KARORA’s botanical bronzing collection delivers World first custom colour technology, with natural and organic bronzing formulas enhanced with signature ingredients of açaí berry and argan that provide intense skin treatments. This is pure bronzed perfection with a botanical twist at luxe for less price points.
karoracosmetics.com

MARULA THE LEAKEY COLLECTION – USA
Marula The Leakey Collection, is an oil that boasts higher levels of antioxidants than Argan or Grape Seed Oil, offering better absorption and hydration. Clinically-proven and physician-endorsed, this product offers superior protection against environmental stressors and damaging free radicals, which can lead to signs of premature aging. marula.com

NIKI SAINT PIERRE BOTANICAL COSMECEUTICALS – USA
Niki Saint Pierre Botanical Cosmeceuticals is a groundbreaking facial skin care line of intensive overnight treatments that support the skins natural functions, restores nutrients and revitalizes suppleness. Free of parabens, mineral oil, synthetic fragrances and coloring, the end result is a healthy, radiant and youthful look.
nikisaintpierre.com

RECIPE FOR MEN – SWEDEN
Created by men specifically for men, Recipe for men is pure hydration and energy for the skin. Developed in the harsh winters of Scandinavia, the formulations are carefully selected to fit a man’s needs. With oil-free textures that guarantee quick absorption and minimize shine, Recipe for men stands for logical skincare without fuss.
recipeformen.com

TEMPTU – USA
TEMPTU, the leader in AIRbrush Makeup was founded in 1981. With the introduction of the AIRpod Makeup System, TEMPTU has revolutionized makeup application for every woman – it’s fast and easy to use, and in just three steps and less than three minutes, you get results that are truly flawless.
temptu.com

Saturday Spam: Zoya

2012-05-12T04:20:00.000-07:00

Hi guys! It's another edition of spam woohoo!! Today I have a bunch of Zoya's to show you! After I made my spreadsheet I decided my next project would be swatching everything. I've decided to start with Zoya. I own a lot of Zoya and a lot of them I've never shown here, mostly likely there will be a few more Zoya spam posts in the future! I like having these kinds of posts for myself to look back on but I think Zoya posts like this are helpful for you guys too. It seems like every time Zoya is having a promo I see a lot of traffic from people looking for swatches!

Check out the bazillion photos by clicking the read more button below the collage!

Alright, this is going to be short on words, hope you guys don't mind! All photos below are in the sun, in case you're wondering :)

Bekka is a right yellow with green undertones and gorgeous golden shimmer. Why do I never see this on blogs? It's freaking awesome, one of those ugly/pretty colors that I love! It was a little sheer, I needed 3 coats for full opacity.

Christinna is a pearly white. meh, I don't care for this one much...I didn't expect it to be so pearly from the swatches I found before I bought it. It was on the sheer side, I used 3 coats for the photos.

Dovima is a shimmery grey matte. I love love love the Zoya Matte Velvet polishes, I'm kind of shocked I'd never posted this polish before! The formula was great, I used 2 coats for the photos below. I did not use top coat for the photos.

Indigo is a dark shimmery navy blue. There are also little bits of holographic glitter but once this is on the nail it kind of gets eaten by the blue base. The formula was good, I used 2 coats!

Nina is a dark red toned brown. Again, one of my favorite Zoya's, they do awesome brown polishes! The formula is great, I used 2 coats.

Perrie is a bright, yet light lavender. This dried a little darker than I expected it to from looking at the bottle but it's pretty awesome! The formula was nice, I used 2 coats.

Pinta is a rich dark blurple. It's looking a bit blue in photos but it leans more purple in real life. A good dupe is Essie No More Film in case you're wondering haha. The formula is awesome, a 1 coat wonder!

Robyn is a bright blue! This polish was on my "need to buy" list forever, I finally picked it up when Zoya had their last promo...man it's so gorgeous, I can't believe I never got it sooner. The formula was nice, I used 2 coats. My only negative, it stained...I was able to get the staining off with Orly Cutique but next time I'll double up on base coat.

Sloane is a dark purple with bits of reddish looking shimmer. The formula was okay, I needed 2 coats but could have used 3 on some nails since there were some bald spots.

Suvi is a dark emerald green shimmer in a smoky greyish base. Not one of my personal favorites but I like it. It was on the sheer side, I used 3 coats.

Tallulah is a bright shimmery blue! This is another that was on my "to buy" list forever, so glad I finally got around to buying it! The formula was a bit thick but easy to apply, I used 2 coats.

Willow is a pinky peach shimmer. It's walking the frosty line but it's not frosty enough for me to not like it. The formula was a little thick but easy to apply, I used 2 coats!

Whew, done! Hope you guys like this post and find it helpful if you're ever looking for Zoya swatches for one of their promos!

Zoya can be purchased at www.Zoya.com for $8 a bottle!

Layla Hologram Effect Ocean Rush

2012-05-11T04:20:00.000-07:00

TGIF! Anyone have fun plans this weekend, I sure don't! No car = me being a hermit all weekend. Today I have the last of my Layla holographic polishes to show you guys :( I need Layla to make more ASAP! This one is called Ocean Rush and it's a gorgeous blue holo! It's more much holo than my photos make it look, I had some trouble capturing this one it's all it's glory!

For my base on this I tried out Essie Matte About You. I've heard from a lot of people that matte top coats are good bases for difficult holos. While that may be true for some holos it is not true for these Layla's. It completely killed ALL the holo, like it just ate it right up. If you have these Layla's I suggest staying far far away from Essie Matte About You as a base coat.

After that disappointment I ended up taking my holo-less mani off and redoing it using Nubar Foundation as my base coat. It worked really well! I only needed 2 coats for Ocean Rush!

Layla Hologram Effect polishes are available a whole bunch of places, they have finally landed at Ulta stores so if you have one an Ulta near you there is no need to buy online now(plus then you can use coupons yay)!! If you do want to buy online these can be found on AveYou.com, Zappos.com and HarlowandCo.org (and probably other places but those are the first that come to mind!)

Jessica Awakening Collection Swatches!

2012-05-10T04:20:00.000-07:00

Hi guys! Today I have a gorgeous Spring Collection from Jessica Cosmetics to show you called The Awakening Collection! This gorgeous collection brings us 5 really beautiful creamy neutral shades and 1 coral-y orange shimmer! I love collections with great neutrals like this, they feel like a comfy old sweater....you know what I mean? They always fit perfectly and you love wearing them!

To see swatches & reviews of each shade click the read more button below!

The formula on every polish was very consistent, they were all fantastic. A bit on the thick side but very easy to apply. I used 2 coats for each polish in this post!

Flutter is taupe/brown creme. I'm sure I have a lot of these in my stash, I'm a sucker for taupe but this is a gorgeous one!

Monarch is a medium grey creme. This looks like it has a little bit of brown in the mix, I love grey's like this!

Sky High is an awesome muted blue with a nice bit of grey mixed in. This is a pretty good dupe for Zoya Kristen, I wore this on Sunday along with Kristen to see if either color was a match to the Mini Cooper I'm getting (they aren't)...anyway, I was surprised how close they were!

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Soar is a yellow toned nude. I don't love this on my skin tone but I have a feeling I'll be using this a lot for underneath glitter!

Sunrise is a pink toned nude. This is more my speed, it makes me look a little tan!

Wing It is a peachy orange shimmery coral. I don't really know quite how to describe this, it's a really interesting shade! It does walk the line of being frosty but it's not brush strokey looking which is always a plus!

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Overall I love this collection, I am a sucker for nudes. I don't think it's the most unique bunch of colors out there but these are colors that I would consider a good staple in any collection. The formula was great on all of them! My big pick is Wing It, I don't think I have anything like it in my collection and the color is so interesting!

Jessica polishes can be purchased on their website, JessicaCosmetics.com for $7.50 each! I don't see this on the Jessica website yet, but the info they sent me about it says available May so they should be up soon!

Butter London Lillibet's Jubilee

2012-05-09T04:20:00.000-07:00

Good morning guys! Tonight is the night, I'm getting rid of my Jetta :( I won't have a car for over a week until my Mini Cooper arrives from England! It's going to be so weird, I think the last time I had to depend on anyone else for a ride somewhere was like 10 years ago. It will probably be the best money saving thing ever, no car= no shopping lol!

Today I have a gorgeous new Butter London polish to show you called Lillibet's Jubilee! It's a beautiful silvery lilac foil! According to Butter London's website This commemorative color honors the international celebration marking the 60th anniversary of the Queen’s accession to the throne. I have a lot of silvery foils but nothing quite like this beauty, I was worried that once I got out in the sun you wouldn't be able to pick up the lilac in the formula but that turned out not to be the case at all!

The formula was great, a little thick but easy to apply. This was almost a 1 coater for me. I ended up using 2 coats to cover up a couple of patchy spot!

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Lillibet's Jubilee is available now on ButterLondon.com for $14!

Enchanted Polish Swatch Spam!

2012-05-08T04:20:00.000-07:00

Hi guys! Today I have a ton of polishes from Enchanted Polish to share with you! In case you haven't heard yet Enchanted Polish is now going to be carried by Llarowe!! Swatches all of these this past weekend was my big project so I'm excited to show them to you guys today! I was going to split this up in a couple posts since there are 16 polishes in total but I decided it would easier to just post them in 1 post. Becuase of this it is VERY picture heavy, just wanted to warn you in case it takes forever for the photos to load haha. Check out all the photos by click the read more button below the collage!

I suggest making a snack and maybe a grabbing a napkin for wiping up drool before clicking the read more button ;)

Austin Powers is a gold holo, there are also little bits of reddish looking glitter mixed in there so it looks great indoors also! Now, I am normally not a fan of gold polish...even holographic gold polish! This is just OMG you guys...hands down this is my favorite of the entire post. It was insanely holo, the photos below don't do it any justice! Formula wise it was a little bit thick but it was easy to apply and more opaque than I expected. I used 2 coats for the photos below.

Cranberry Cosmo is a cranberry red holo. This was much more holo in real life! The formula was fantastic, I only needed 1 coat!

Cray Cray is a mix of purple, magenta, blue, silver, gold and opal glitter in a clear base...oh and it's HOLO! yep, all that awesome in one polish! The holo isn't cray (heh) like the previous polishes but you can definitely see it (more than you can in my photos). This was a little bit sheer but it built up to full opacity in 3 coats!

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Dizzy Mizz Lizzy is another glitter packed holo in a red jelly base. The glitter in this reminds me of Kleancolor Firework if you've ever seen that polish. It's a nice mix of gold, blue and red glitter along with bar glitter! The formula was really nice, it was easy to apply and nice and more opaque than I expected. I used 2 coats for the photos below.

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Frosted Icicle is a blue and silver glitter along with an awesome holographic effect! The holo in this was pretty strong, one of the stronger ones out of the holos with glitter in them. It was so cool looking in person! This one was a bit sheer but mostly opaque at 3 coats. It was so glitter and holo and you couldn't see the visible nail line in person even though you can a tiny bit in the photos!

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Fun Dip is a super strong silvery lilac holo! This one was much much more holo in real life! The formula was really nice, I used 2 coats for the photos below.

Gummy Worm is a lime green with a golden shimmer and subtle holo. The holo in this was very subtle, even out in direct sunlight. I think it gets eaten a little bit by the base color, but man who cares. This polish is fantastic, holo or not! The formula was awesome, almost a 1 coater! I used 2 coats for the photos below.

Hey Jude is a green duochrome holo! This was much more holo AND duochrome in real life. I loved this one because the duochrome was very evident even in the sun depending on how you move around your hand. In the shade this went from green to a kind of greyed out purple looking shade, very pretty! This looked like it was going to be a bit on the sheer side so I used 1 coat over a black polish for the photos below. I'm guessing it would look great layered over dark greens or purples also!

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Jitterbug- is a light pink holo! The formula was really nice, I used 2 coats for the photos below!

Midnight is a charcoal grey holo. I love every holo with this kind of base color, this one is so beautiful! The formula was also pretty much amazing, I used 1 coat for the photos below!

Ocean Potion is an aqua blue holo. This one is a bit more holo in real life but not as crazy as a lot of the others from Enchanted Polish! The formula was nice, a little thick but easy to apply. I used 2 coats for the photos below!

Octopus's Garden is a purple multichrome holo. Imagine Ozotic 505 with holo and this is what you get. This was much more holo in real life! I layered 1 coat over Zoya Dovima (which is a dark matte grey) for the photos below!

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Once Upon A Time... is a greyed out blue base packed with purple, green and blue glitter...and it's holographic! Out of all the glittery holos this is one of my favorites, I love the mix of glitter and how it looked indoors and in the shade! The formula was a bit sheer, I used 3 coats for the photos below.

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Sour Patch Kid is an aweszome burnt orange holo! I can't say I have anything this color in my massive hoard of holos haha! The formula was great, I used 2 coats for the photos below!

Starbright Sparkles is a ton of multicolored glitter in a grey-ish base with a pink/purple flash and an awesome holo. Yeah, I can't believe that's all happening in one polish but it is, and it's awesome! I really loved how it looked like the holo was laying on top of the glitter on this one, you can kind of see what I mean in the photos. This was also great in the shade and indoors! Formula wise it was pretty sheer at first but built up to full opacity in 3 coats!

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Vampire's Dessert is a dark burgundy holo. The more I looked at this the more brown it seemed but Enchanted Polish says it's burgundy so I believe her lol! The formula was awesome on this one, I used 1 coat for the photos below!

Whew, well I'm exhausted now...how about you? Overall I love them all what can I say...I am holo obsessed and I want all the pretties haha. My standouts are Austin Powers, Fun Dip, Hey Jude and Once Upon A Time...

Enchanted Polish is available direct though Chelsea's etsy: http://www.etsy.com/shop/EnchantedPolish and will be available shortly (it hadn't been added yet when I looked last night!) on http://shop.llarowe.com/...yay international lovies, you can get your paws on these now!

Layla Hologram Effect Mercury Twilight

2012-05-07T04:20:00.000-07:00

Happy Monday!! Hope you all had a good weekend! Today I have another one of the Layla holos to show you! This one is Mercury Twilight, the silver holo! I have a lot of silver holos but man...this is such a good one! I used Butter London Nail Foundation for my base coat with this, it was no bueno...I don't recommend it for these Layla holo polishes :( I needed 4 coats to even everything out since it was a patchy nightmare. It was worth the work because WOW but yeah...next time Aqua Base haha!

Since my camera failed to capture the awesome I took a little video with this one! Sometimes photos just really does not capture how amazing holographic polishes like these are...it's seriously dangerous to drive while wearing this polish! If the embedded video below doesn't work you can check the video out here: http://youtu.be/f8OgjCACf9o

Layla Hologram Effect polishes are available a whole bunch of places, they have finally landed at Ulta stores so if you have one an Ulta near you there is no need to buy online now(plus then you can use coupons yay)!! If you do want to buy online these can be found on AveYou.com, Zappos.com and HarlowandCo.org (and probably other places but those are the first that come to mind!)

Sunday Spam: Indie Edition!

2012-05-06T04:30:00.000-07:00

Hi guys! Hope you all had a safe and fun Cinco De Mayo...I'm sure I did (hopefully I did, I'm not sure since I'm typing this before it happens lol!) Last time I did a spam post I got a bunch of people asking me to do them more often! Here you have it, spam #2...the indie polish edition! I don't now how frequent these spam posts will be, maybe once or twice a month but I like doing them...hope you guys like them too! Today's spam includes polishes from a whole bunch of different indie sellers including Dollish Polish, Lac Attack, Candeo Colors, Whimsical Ideas by Pam, All That Glitters, Girly Bits, Kays and Lynderella! This post is ridiculously picture heavy so the bulk of it can be found by clicking the read more button under the collage! I suggest grabbing a snack, it's a long post!

Also....all info for where to buy every brand will be at the very end of the post :)

All That Glitters Spottie Dottie Light is an awesome mix different sizes and shapes of flat white glitter in a clear base. I was SO excited for this but I'll be dammed if the formula wasn't the biggest pain in the rear I've come across with an indie polish. It was like there was way too much base and not enough glitter...even after shaking my bottle for upwards of 5 minutes I was struggling to not get 95% clear 5% glitter on my brush. I mentioned it on twitter and no one else seemed to have this problem, so I guess my bottle is a special snowflake. It's still awesome so I'll use it again, I just need to figure out how to strain out some of the base or something.

I have Spottie Dottie Light over Orly Beach Cruiser in the first photo below and Jessica Love Story in the second photo.

Next up are a whole bunch of Dollish Polish pretties...all the formulas on these were nice, it was easy to get a bunch of glitter on the brush and application was simple!

Hylian Princess is gold, purple and white glitter in different sizes and shapes in a clear base. I used 1 coat over Jessica Flirtation for the photos below.

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It's A Me, Mario is red and blue glitter in various shapes/sizes and big silver star glitter in a clear base. Best named indie polish of all time? I think so haha! You do need to place the stars with this one but they were easy to get on the brush. I have this one over Orly Skinny Dip!

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Sweet Dreams Are Made of Glitter is blue, purple, red and yellow (and probably more colors!) in an off white base. There is also a little bit of a greenish shimmer going on that you can see in person but not in my photos. I used 1 coat over Orly Decades of Dysfunction for the photos below. This was pretty opaque and you could wear it on it's own without a problem if you wanted to!

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The Hero of Time is an awesome mix of green, gold and brown glitter in different shapes/sizes in a clear base. I love this combo so much! I used 1 coat over Jessica Soar for the photos below.

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Girly Bits Hippity Hop over Butter London Trout Pout. Hippity Hop is SO MUCH BETTER in real life, I feel like photos don't do it any justice! There is super tiny microglitter that is just gorgeous!

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Kays Achene Lime is a gorgeous red with an intense golden/green shimmer. The shimmer in this was stunning and plentiful, no need to squint to see it in direct sunlight (or even inside). The formula was pretty much amazing, I only needed 1 coat! Both photos below are in the sun!

Kays Lolita is a mix of silver and purple glitter in a clear base. This is very dense and it would be easy to get it opaque on it's own if you wanted to. I used 1 coat over Jessica Sunrise for the photos below!

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Next up I have 3 Whimsical Ideas by Pam polishes to show you guys. I gotta say, I am in love with her labels and bottle. There is the cutest little bow on the caps...it's such a nice touch!

Peanut Butter and Jelly is a medium purple jelly packed with coppery/rose gold glitter of varying sizes. You can definitely wear this on it's own. I layered it over Zoya Perrie for the photos below and you can't even see the base color!

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Kismet's Pajamas is pink and silver glitter in a black/grey base. I thought this was going to be more sheer than it was so I put 1 coat over Zoya Christinna for the photos below. This one is one I'd probably wear over black or on it's own...I don't love my combo :( Gorgeous polish though, I love these colors together!

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Seuss is a bright blue jelly packed with silver, white and red glitter. Talk about an appropriately named polish! This one is opaque also, I've seen it on a bunch of other blogs looking fabulous at 3 coats. I used 1 coat over Zoya Robyn for the photos below. The base color of Seuss and Robyn are pretty much exactly the same!

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Candeo Colors Plumage is a mix of green, blue and gold glitter in different sizes and shapes in a clear base. I love this one because it has big square glitter...my favorite! I like the formula on this one also, it was really easy to get a lot of glitter on the nail in only 1 coat! I used 1 coat over Zoya Talullah for the photos below!

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Lac Attack Jewel Of The Nile is matte neon glitter in green, blue and pink in a clear base. If you like Floam you will love this, it's the same type of glitter! I wish there was matte neon glitter in everything, I seriously cannot get enough of it. I think I might die from awesome overload if someone makes a matte neon glitter that is square like the glitter in Plumage. I used one coat of Jewel Of The Nile over Zoya Bekka for the photos below, kind of a weird combo but I'm not gonna lie, I love it!

In the photos below I'm holding a Color Club top coat, my bottle of Jewel Of The Nile is a mini and a pain to hold for photos! :)

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Last but not least is Lynnderella One Nutty Fruitcake which is packed with tons of square glitter in a million different colors in a clear base. I did a jelly sandwich with this one using OPI Don't Touch My Tutu. I totally copied this idea from Kirsten at Glitta Gloves....her jelly sandwich (which you can see here!) is what made me want One Nutty Fruitcake in the first place. I dedicate the upside photo below to Kirsten lol

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Where to buy:

All That Glitters: http://www.etsy.com/shop/allthatglittersnails
Candeo Colors: http://www.candeocolors.com/
Dollish Polish: http://dollishpolish.bigcartel.com/ and http://www.overallbeauty.com
Whimsical Ideas by Pam: http://www.facebook.com/whimsicalideasbypam
Girly Bits: http://girlybits.bigcartel.com/ and http://shop.llarowe.com/
Lynnderella: http://shop.llarowe.com/ (via wishlist, please make sure you "like" Llarowe on Facebook or sign up for her email list on her website to be informed about when wish lists will be taken again)
Lac Attack: http://www.etsy.com/shop/lacattack
Kays: http://www.ninjapolish.com

*Lac Attack, Kays & Girly Bits polishes were sent to me for review, all other were purchased by me with my own money out of my bank account which is now empty due to all these awesome indie polishes*

Jessica Bliss Is This Collection Swatches!

2012-05-05T04:20:00.000-07:00

Happy weekend guys! Today I have Jessica's Bridal Collection for 2012 to show you! It's called the Bliss Is This Collection and it consists of 3 gorgeous creme polishes that are not what you would typically expect for a bridal collection! Not only are these not the norm I think they could possible be dupes of Chanel's April, May & June polishes...unfortunately I don't own those to compare but they look close from photos I've seen!

Desire is a dark red creme. I really enjoy this shade of red, it's not too vampy but it's also not too bright...it's just right! I *think* it might be a dupe of Chanel April, like I mentioned before I don't have it to compare though. The formula was nice, a little thick. If you get this make sure you wait a couple minutes between coats because it did drag if the 1st coat was too wet when you tried to apply the next coat. I used 2 coats for the photos below. Sorry about the glare-y photos, the weather here has been super crappy and cloudy so I had to run out when the sun came out for a quick second to take the photos which is why you can see the clouds reflecting off the polish haha!

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Flirtation is a light pink creme. I do feel like I have this polish several times over but it's pretty. Maybe a dupe of Chanel May? The formula was really nice on this, I expected it to be a little sheer but I only needed 2 coats for the photos below.

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Love Story is a gorgeous cantaloupe orange! I love this one, it's such a nice soft shade of orange. This definitely kills my Chanel June lemming woohoo! The formula was just okay on this one, it was a little thick and patchy, I used 3 coats to even it all out.

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Jessica nail polish is available on JessicaCosmetics.com for $7.50. When I looked last night I didn't see these 3 polishes available yet but they should be soon!

Color Club Summer 2012 Take Wing Collection Swatches!

2012-05-04T04:20:00.000-07:00

TGIF! Anyone have any fun plans this weekend? Tomorrow I'm going up to LA for the day/night and then on Sunday...recovering haha! Today I have an awesome summer collection show you guys from Color Club! I did a water marble with these a couple weeks ago which you can see here in case you missed it!

Color Club's Take Wing Collection for Summer brings us 6 beautiful glass flecked polishes. Polishes like these are a favorite of mine, they are so vibrant and sparkly! Perfect for summer, I think! I've been a little bit disappointed with what Color Club has put out the past few collections and ones like this remind me again why I love them!

To see swatches and reviews for each shade click the read more button below!

Daisy Does It is a bright golden yellow glass fleck. This is not my favorite on my skin tone but that won't stop me from wearing it because I love it anyway! The formula was really nice on this one, I only needed 2 coats for full opacity!

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Fly With Me- is an awesome lime green! Ahh love, I'm a big fan of all things green and I love this yellow toned lime! The formula on this one was a little bit sheer but very nice, I used 3 coats for the photos below.

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Metamorphosis is a bright green leaning teal! In the bottle this was my favorite, it left me wanting more. The formula was my least favorite out of the bunch, it was more sheer than I was expecting it to be. I used 3 coats for the photos below. In person I could still see a little bit of visible nail line.

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Sky High is a bright blue! This is another that I was wowing over in the bottle but ended up not loving on the nail. The formula was a lot like Metamorphosis, I used 3 coats for the photos below. I'm thinking I need to try layering this or something, maybe it's just not doing anything for me on it's own but I'll love it that way.

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Sparkle and Soar is a beautiful golden orange! I love love love this one, for some reason I always grab for orange polishes like this during the summer. Usually I gravitate towards a couple of Zoya polishes but this might take their place! The formula was nice, a little sheer though. I used 3 coats for the photos below.

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Wing Fling is a bright pink! I feel like I probably have some polishes like this but I do like it! The formula was very nice! I used 2 coats for the photos below!

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Overall, I love this collection! I could do without Sky High and Metamorphosis but the other 4 are awesome!

The Take Wing Collection is available now! If you have a Rite Aid near you I've seen this out at all the stores near me. If you don't have a Rite Aid near you Color Club is available on several etailers including Transdesign, Victorias Nail Supply and Head2ToeBeauty!

Layla Hologram Effect Jade Groove

2012-05-03T04:20:00.000-07:00

Hi guys!! Today I have another ones of the awesome Layla hologram effect polishes to show you! Next to Flash Black this is my favorite, I really like the base color which is like a very light green. This one is also super holo, much like the others...but it seems like it's SO holo that that's all you see and I'm a fan of that haha!

For my base on this one I used Essie's Ridge Filling Base Coat. It was an okay base, not as good as an Aqua Base like Nfu Oh but if it's all you've got it certainly works if you are patient. This went on a bit patchy...it's best if you use a very light hand and do not go over spots multiple times. I used 3 coats to even Jade Groove all out!

All photos are in direct sunlight! As holo as it looks in this photos it was even better in real life!

Layla Hologram Effect polishes are available a whole bunch of places, they have finally landed at Ulta stores so if you have one an Ulta near you there is no need to buy online now!! If you do want to buy online these can be found on AveYou.com, Zappos.com and HarlowandCo.org (and probably other places but those are the first that come to mind!)

Orly Dark Shadows Collection Swatches!

2012-05-02T04:20:00.001-07:00

Morning! Today I have Orly's Dark Shadow Collection to show you guys! This collection is coming out in conjunction with the move Dark Shadows which is in theaters on May 11th. I love me some Tim Burton and Johnny Depp but I'm actually not very excited about the movie...it does nothing for me based on the commercials I've seen for it. I'm sure I'll see it anyway haha!

I've been waiting for this collection to come out and when I finally found it at my local beauty supply I was like "that's it" when I saw them in person. I went back and forth with myself about buying all 4, finally the hoarder in me won out and I decided to buy all 4 instead of just the brown one. Check out swatches and a couple comparisons for this collection by clicking the Read More button after the collage photo below!

Buried Alive is a shimmery dark brown. This is the only one I was ohh-ing and awe-ing over in the store, it's beautiful on the nail also! If you like brown polishes this is a really nice one! The formula was ok, a bit thick but it was easy to apply. I used 2 coats for the photos below!

Shade

Decades of Dysfunction is a creamy off white. Love this color, which is not surprising since I also loved it when Orly released it last Spring under the name Pure Porcelain. The formula was great, 2 easy coats for full opacity!

Shade

Here is Decades of Dysfunction vs. Pure Porcelain. They are exactly the same...color wise and formula wise.

Grave Mistake is a dark red. I was hoping this would be more a darker blood red shade...after all Dark Shadows is a vampire movie. I do like it but it's nothing we haven't seen a thousand times already. The formula was great, I used 2 for the photos below.

Shade

Mysterious Curse is a dark bluple with very strong blue shimmer. Look familiar? It's pretty much a dead on dupe for another shade Orly gave us last Spring called Royal Velvet. The formula was okay, a little on the thick side and it started getting a bit goopy and hard to worth with on the second coat...probably nothing a little thinner couldn't fix though. I used 2 coats for the photos below.

Shade

Here is Mysterious Curse vs Royal Velvet. In the bottle it looked like Mysterious Curse might be a little bit less shimmery but on the nail I couldn't tell them apart. I do however much prefer the formula Royal Velvet has, it's not nearly as thick which made it easier to apply.

Overall this collection is big snooze and a huge disappointment for me. Other than Buried Alive I'm not thrilled. I hate when brands do a movie tie in collection that has so much potential and then we get something like this...2 re-promotes, a been done a bazillion red and a nice brown. I dunno, what do you guys think? Do you like the collection, will you be picking any of these up?

Orly's Dark Shadows Collection is out now! I've seen it locally at Sally Beauty Supply already and online on Head2ToeBeauty.com.