Thursday, April 26, 2018

6:00 AM

Contrary Polish - The Juice Fiend


     Today I've got a polish to share with you from Contrary Polish which was released for the November Polish Pickup Fandom theme.  The inspiration for this polish is Buster from the show Arrested Development. I have to be honest here and let you know that I've never watched the show. But it did inspire one gorgeous polish.

Purple jelly base with scattered magenta flakes and blue micro shimmer nail polish

    The Juice Fiend has a purple jelly-like base filled with scattered holographic flakes and blue micro-shimmer.

     This is my first polish from Contrary Polish and I have to say that I was pleased with what I experienced. The formula what I typically experience with a nail polish. The first coat applied thinly and was a bit patchy like a lot of jelly polishes are. The Juice Fiend builds up nicely and has even coverage after two coats. Shown here is two coats plus top coat.


     The purple jelly base, the beautiful blue shimmer, and the holographic flakes add depth and Character to this polish. In fact, there are so many aspects to this polish I had a hard time capturing them all on film. 


     I have since ordered a few more polishes from Contrary Polish but I have a feeling The Juice Fiend will always hold a special place in my heart. Thanks for stopping by and Happy Polishing!

Tuesday, April 24, 2018

6:00 AM

Neutral Nail Art


    Sorry for my little absence last week. I got home from my vacation to find out we had a death in the family and I was busy taking care of the details which didn't lead to much social media time. And to be honest I'm still dealing with everything and not back to my old blogging self which will make today's post another quick one.  Today I've got some nail art that is neutral enough to wear to work to share with all of you. 


     For this look, I started off with a base of OPI Dulce De Leche from the South American Collection released in the summer of 2002. My accent nail is done with Stella from 77 Nail Lacquer which was part of their advent calendar for 2017. I really like the way these colors work together. 


         I did the stamping using Hit the Bottle A Glint of Gold with a stamping plate from My Online Shop GPS - stamping #5. 

     I have to admit that when this manicure was first finished I wasn't a huge fan. I thought it was boring and a bit blah but as I wore it it started to grow on me. What do you think of today's look? Is it something you'd wear? Thanks for stopping by and Happy Polishing!

Tuesday, April 17, 2018

6:00 AM

Untried A-Z Challenge Letter H


     We are up to the eighth week of the Untried A-Z challenge and that brings up to the letter H. What is the Untried A-Z challenge? Well, it's simple really, every other week we share a polish that corresponds with the appropriate letter. You can go be the brand name or polish name, share one polish or more. Really it's just a laid-back way to work through your untried polish and have a little fun doing it. I opted to go in alphabetical order as a way to help narrow down which untried polish to use since I often have a hard time picking out which polish I want to wear. This challenge is open to anyone who wants to participate, and you can do as many or as few prompts as you'd like. Now let's get letter H week started. 



     Once again I'm switching things up and sharing more than one polish with you today, in fact, I've got 3 polishes from Milani and two nail art looks for today's post! 

Hot Orchid
     
Medium pink metallic nail polish with subtle silver shimmer

     Hot Orchid is a medium pink metallic polish with a subtle silver shimmery micro glitter. This polish was released in 2012 and I believe was part of the core line. 

Medium pink metallic nail polish with subtle silver shimmer

    The formula for Hot Orchid has a nice consistency, it applied smoothly and evenly with a nice opacity on the first coat. Shown here is 2 coats plus top coat.

Medium pink metallic nail polish with subtle silver shimmer

      Hot Orchid is a highly pigmented polish but like most metallic polishes suffers from brushstrokes. Thankfully they are minimal and don't distract from the pretty color. You can also avoid the brushstrokes by using the tip I shared in my recent review of the Pastel City Collection from Orly

Hi-Tech

Spring green scattered holographic nail polish

     Hi-Tech is a spring green scattered holographic nail polish released in 2012 as part of the 3D Holographic collection. 

Spring green scattered holographic nail polish

     The formula on this is a little thin but applies evenly on the nail. The first coat was a bit on the sheer side but Hi-Tech builds up nicely and full opacity was reached after two coats. Shown here is two coats plus top coat. 

Spring green scattered holographic nail polish

     While this polish doesn't have a strong holographic flash it still packs a pretty punch. While I tend to wear more traditional nail polish colors I actually like this one and can see myself wearing it during the warmer months. 

Hi-Res

lilac purple scattered holographic nail polish

     Hi-Res is a lilac purple scattered holographic nail polish. It was also released in 2012 as part of the 3D Holographic collection. 

lilac purple scattered holographic nail polish

     Just like Hi-Tech, Hi-Res has a thin formula but even coverage. Once again I had a sheer first coat but nice buildability. Full opacity was reached after two coats. Shown here is two coats plus top coat. 

lilac purple scattered holographic nail polish

     This is a bit light for my personal tastes but I still think its a pretty color. I feel like the holographic flash is just a bit stronger in Hi-Res than it is in Hi-tech but still wouldn't consider it a strong flash. 

     After swatching these polishes I noticed how nicely they seemed to flow together and wanted to try them out in a gradient. 


      Because of the thinner formula of the holographic polishes the gradient ended up being very subtle. I used Hi-Tech as my base color which caused Hi-Res to look more silver than purple. 


     Of course, I couldn't stop there, so I added some stamping using the marble paradise 01 plate from Pueen and Straight Up Black from Bundle Monster.


     Straight Up Black is an intense stamping polish! It's a bit thicker than my other stamping polishes and I found that I needed to cover more of the image before scraping to get the image fully covered. The messy pointer finger is because I was impatient when taking photos and smudged it rather than a result if the image plate or polish used. 


     What did you think of my letter H polishes, do you have a favorite? Remember this challenge is open to anyone and everyone so please feel free to join in! Did you review a polish from Heather's Hues this week, feel free to add it to the link up! I'd love to get the word about this challenge out more so others can join. Thanks for stopping by and Happy Polishing! 





Thursday, April 12, 2018

6:00 AM

Purple, Green and Blue Drip Marble Nail Art


     Hey everyone, I've got a quick post to share with you today. And I do mean quick, I just got back from vacation and walked in my front door 20 minutes ago and I am exhausted and ready for bed! But I had to share my latest drip marble creation with all of you before drifting off to dreamland. 



     To create this look I reached for the newly released colors from Sinful Color. There are actually 6 different colors here but a few of them were overpowered but the darker shades and didn't really show up.

     The polishes I used are Rave New World, Positive Vibes from the Target LE tri, Sassy Lassie from this year's St. Patrick's collection, Unicorns R Real, Coco Bae and Forbitten Fruit which are core line additions this year. 



     Just like my previous drip marble manicure, I opted to show this one both glossy and matte. I honestly can't decide which look I like better. Although the glossy version is slightly ahead of the matte look for me on this one. 




     Although this look turned out a bit darker than I was expecting I'm still very happy with the results. This technique is quickly becoming one of my favorites. Have you tried this technique yet? Do you like the glossy or matte version better? That's all I've got for you today, now it's tie to unpack and settle in because I have a feeling reality is going to hit hard tomorrow. Thanks for stopping by and Happy Polishing! 



Tuesday, April 10, 2018

6:00 AM

Supermoon Lacquer - Moon Crystal Power


    Today on the blog I've got my thoughts on Moon Crystal Power from Supermoon Lacquer. I recently used this polish is my art deco nail art and as promised, now I'm showing this beauty all on its own. 

     Moon Crystal Power was released in January in the Polish Pickup Pack as part of the Crystals and Gemstones theme. If you haven't checked out Polish Pickup yet I highly recommend that you do. It's a great way to discover new brands and have a variety of polishes available for one flat shipping rate. I've got the basic information in my review of Northern Star's Scream of Nature post from the very first month PPU was available. The group has grown quite a bit since then and now offers nail polish, nail care items and jewelry from 70 different makers! I've picked up a few cuticle balms and oils, a sugar scrub, wax melts and a shot glass over the last year. I've gotten off topic though so now it's back to the polish.

Pale lilac polish with holographic falkes

     Moon Crystal Power is a pale lilac polish with a pink undertone and scattered holographic flakies. Mardi's inspiration was the Maboroshi no Ginzuishou (illusionary Silver Crystal) from the anime Sailor Moon. 

pale lilac nail polish with holographic flakes

      The Formula for Moon Crystal Power is perfection. The polish applies smoothly and evenly with a nice opacity on the first coat. It's not quite a one coat polish but its pretty darn close. Full opacity was reached on the second coat. I felt just a hint of texture on my nails once the polish dried but it was nothing that a little top coat couldn't take care of. Shown here is two coats plus top coat.

Pale Lilac nail polish with holographic flakes

     This is my first polish from Supermoon lacquer but it won't be my last. I was really impressed with the formula and I absolutely love the color.  I'm actually wearing it on my toes as I write this. Mardi has mentioned bringing back every polish she's ever made and releasing them sometime this summer. What I want to know from you is, which Supermoon lacquer is your favorite and should be added to my wishlist? Be sure to come back on Thursday to see my latest drip marble creation. Thanks for stopping by and Happy Polishing!


Thursday, April 5, 2018

6:00 AM

Watermarble manicure featuring Bee's Knees Lacquer


     Hey everyone, I've got a quick post to share with you today featuring a watermarble I did with a few polishes from Bee's Knees Lacquer. You might remember I recently reviewed Which Witch Trial? and I'll be using that polish again in today's look.  


       Last November my daughter was playing around making watermarble designs and I'd just received my order of Bee's Knees polishes. Yes, you read that right, I originally did this look in November and am just now getting around to sharing it. Anyway, after she was finished creating her designs I decided to see if my new polishes would work in a watermarble this is the results. 

     
     I used the Illuminating base coat from Sinful Colors as my base and Bee's Knees polishes in Which Witch Trial?, House on Haunted Chill and Salty Anon for the design. Because I was just playing around I dipped all 4 fingers in at once which caused the design to get a little messy and filled with bubbles, but I still like the results. By the way, I wouldn't recommend dipping all 4 fingers at once. It did save a little time but not enough to sacrifice the finished look.


     What do you think of the end results? That's all I've got to share today, now I need to go finish packing for my first trip to Las Vegas. We are flying out this weekend for a friends wedding and I can't wait! WHich reminds me I'll still be in Vegas when my post goes live on Tuesday. I won't be able to do much sharing of that post because that's the wedding day but I'd love it if you all came back for that and if you like what you see give it a share. You can share it easily by using the buttons located all the way down at the very bottom of my post. 

    I've got one last bonus shot to share with you before I go.  This one was taken in the sun and really shows off all the sparkle. Thanks for stopping by and Happy Polishing!



Tuesday, April 3, 2018

6:00 AM

Untried A-Z Challenge Letter G


     It's the 7th week of the Untried A-Z Challenge and that brings up to the letter G. This week I've gone back to the mainstream side of things with a polish from Jordana. Now I'm not even sure if Jordana still exists because I never hear anything about them and the only store I ever found their products in has closed almost all of the locations in Minnesota. 


     Good Luck Charm fit's this weeks theme in two ways, not only does the name of the polish start with the letter G but the color does also. Any guesses as to what color it might be? Well with a name like Good Luck Charm it has to be green.


     This Granny Smith Apple green polish is packed with green shimmer and has a jelly finish.  Originally when I purchased this 5 years ago the shimmer is what caught my attention. 


     The formula is nice and smooth with an even application but that's about all the good things I have to say about this polish. It is so sheer and builds up very very slowly. The first coat looks yellow and has a distinct VNL. After two coats you are left with a yellow tint and thin coverage. 

     By the third coat, you start to get a hint of green but a bug VNL. The fourth coat starts to build up the opacity and the fifth gives a nice green color and 98% coverage. Yes, you read that right, 5 coats! At this point, I was done with this polish, 5 coats is more than any polish should need in my opinion. And I say that with the knowledge that this wasn't advertised as a sheer tint or topper but a polish to be worn like any other regular polish. 


     While I am a bit disappointed in this polish I'm not ready to count it out yet. I want to try it as a tint rather than a regular polish. I think it might work for leadlighting but that's only if the green will show through and not look yellow. It might also work for pond manicures so I'll have to give that a try also. What are your thoughts about this color and the fact that it takes 5 coats? That's all I've got for you today, but be sure to check out the other G polishes from this week. Thanks for stopping by and Happy Polishing!


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