Thursday, May 17, 2018

6:00 AM

Girly Bits - V.I.Polish


     For today's post, I've reached back into my VIP bag from Polishcon Chicago and emerged with V.I.Polish from Girly Bits. I've already shared one polish from the VIP bag with you which was Con Artist and I figured it was about time I shared another. Afterall it has been almost 8 months since the convention and 5 months since I actually wore this polish. 

     

      V.I.Polish is a black to purple duo chrome polish with scattered holographic glitters. In certain lighting, you can get a hint of gold like you see at the top of the bottle. I wish there had been some sunlight when I wore this to really showcase the sparkle. Unfortunately, December in Minnesota is not a sun-filled month and I was in the middle of trying to figure out my new lighting situation after upgrading to a bigger lightbox so the sparkle got a bit lost. 


     The application was smooth and even. I was a bit surprised at the sheerness of the first coat for such a dark polish but that didn't cause any issues. Two coats left me with full opacity and a smooth finish. Shown here is two coats plus a glossy top coat. 


     I'm not sure if I would have ordered this polish just by looking at the bottle but I'm super happy it came in my VIP bag so I didn't miss out. I love it when a polish surprises me and helps encourages me to go outside my comfort zone and try new colors. Have you ever been surprised by how much you like a polish once you wear it? Thanks for stopping by and Happy Polishing? 

Tuesday, May 15, 2018

6:00 AM

Untried A-Z Challenge Letter J


     Can you believe it's already the 10th week of the Untried A-Z Challenge! I feel like it's just flying by, and honestly, I'm falling a bit behind with my planning. Part of that is because life is getting busier and part of it is because my nails have decided to betray me. They are a hot mess right now which is frustrating and making me unmotivated to paint them. anyone else dealing with this same struggle? While I soak my hands in cuticle oil and try to repair the damage our crazy weather has done why don't you enjoy today's Letter J post.


     For my Letter J polish, I chose Juiced from Top Shelf Lacquer. While this is one of my newer untried's its one that is perfect for the warmer months. Juiced was released in 2017 as part of the Drunken Creme Fall Holo Collection. This collection is still available for purchase as a complete collection or individual bottles. 


     Juiced is described on the website as a perfect fall pumpkin orange crème holo polish but for me, it pulls a little pinker giving it an almost salmon like color.  The holo is a bit muted but I actually like it that way, you get a bit of sparkle in the sun but a creme look in regular lighting. 


     The application process was phenomenal, with the polish applying like butter. Everything went on evenly with a nice opacity. I was left with only a slight VNL after the first coat. Shown here is 2 coats plus top coat.


    I actually really like the look of this muted holo. Typically I go for the big holo flame polishes but I might be converting after wearing this. I'm very glad I ended up picking up the entire collection and can't wait to try more of the colors.

     What do you think of the finish on this polish? Are you a fan of the muted holo or do you prefer a stronger holo flame? Let me know what you think in the comments and please consider joining me the week of the 28th for letter K week in the Untried A-Z Challenge. Thanks for stopping by and Happy Polishing! 

Thursday, May 10, 2018

6:00 AM

Parchment Manicure


     Hey Everyone, I'm back today with some nail art and a tutorial video to share with you. Yes, you read that right, I made a video! It's been so long since I've done one that I bet most of you didn't know that I had a YouTube channel. The inspiration for today's nail art was the Messy Mansions stamping plate I picked up from the March Polish Pickup Books theme. The minute that plate was in my hand I knew I wanted to do an antique paper/parchment look. And I have to say I'm very pleased with how it turned out. 


     I started out with a base of Sinful Colors Coco Bae which is a new addition to their core line for 2018. To get the aged parchment look I sponged around the edges of my nails with two shades of brown acrylic paint using the double ended sponge wand from Clear Jelly Stamper. The lighter color is Golden Brown and the Darker one is just called Brown. 


     For my lettering, I used Hit the Bottle polish The Drunken Elf and the Messy Mansions plate mentioned earlier. If you missed out that plate, any plate with lettering will work. I finished everything off with a layer of Matterial Girl from Blush Lacquer. 


     Now I will warn you this is a messy look to create so make sure to cover your cuticles with a latex barrier or similar product if you have an allergy to latex. My current favorite is the Un-Frog-gettable cuticle cover in Plain Toad from Ribbits Stickits. I wish I would have had this back when I did my newspaper manicure in 2014! 

      And as mentioned above, here is my tutorial video. I hope you enjoy it. 


                                  

     I hope you enjoyed today's post. I'll be back next week with my letter J polish for the Untried A-Z Challenge. Thanks for stopping by and Happy Polishing! 

Tuesday, May 8, 2018

6:00 AM

Tonic - Lagniappe


     Today I'm sharing with you a polish that I actually wore back in January. I know I know I'm way behind but I think we can all relate to the statement "So many pretties, so little time." For me, that time I referenced is the time to sit down and actually write a blog post. I was doing really well at the beginning of the year with writing posts in advance but not so much right now. I'm hoping to change that soon but in the meantime why don't we all check out Lagniappe from Tonic Polish.

     My first real experience with Tonix was last fall when I attended Polishcon in Chicago. I had seen the beautiful polishes online but that was nothing compared to seeing them in person. From that moment on I was hooked on Tonic and have ordered a few but this is my first time sharing one on my blog. 


     Lagniappe was released in the fall of 2017 as part of the Secrets and Soulmates Collection. To be completely honest I'm wasn't sure what the name meant or how it fit into this collection theme but I knew that I loved it and had to have it. I have since found out the Lagniappe means something given as a bonus or extra gift.


    This polish is a purple linear holo with green to magenta shifting flakes. The flakes are very subtle and seem to be more visible to the naked eye than on camera. The formula was sensational with a smooth and even application. I've shown it here as two coats plus top coat. 


     I really like this polish and will be wearing it again soon since I feel it makes a great color for summer.  What are your favorite polishes from Tonic? Thanks for stopping by and Happy Polishing!

Thursday, May 3, 2018

6:00 AM

LynBDesigns - Biz Myth-Icorn


     Hey Everyone, I'm back with another quick post to share with you today. I know a lot of my posts have been quick ones lately but what can I say, the weather gets nicer and I get busier. Spring has finally arrived here in Minnesota and with that brings softball, volleyball, camping and a girls weekend away. That last one happens to be this weekend and I am so excited for it. My girlfriends from Highschool and I are getting away to celebrate the fact that we all turned 40 this year. But before I get to celebrating I need to share with you Biz-Myth-Icorn from LynBDesigns. 

     Biz-Myth-Icorn was released in January for the Polish Pickup theme Crystals and Gemstones. The inspiration for this polish was a bismuth unicorn crystal. Not sure what that is? Don't worry you're not alone, I had to google it myself. According to Wikipedia Bismuth is a brittle metal with a white, silver-pink hue, often occurring in its native form, with an iridescent oxide tarnish showing many colors from yellow to blue. The variations in the thickness of the oxide layer that forms on the surface of the crystal causes different wavelengths of light to interfere upon reflection, thus displaying a magnificent rainbow of colors. I bet you didn't think you'd be getting a science lesson in a nail polish post did you! 


     This polish is a brilliant combination of pale lilac purple with UCC flakes mixed in that flash purple to blue to red and gold. I knew the moment I saw this that I wanted to have it. 


     The formula is incredible with a smooth application, even coverage and TONS of flakes on the first coat. The flakes all lay flat against the nail leaving only a hint of texture once the polish dries.  Shown here are two coats plus top coat. 


     Once I had this polish on I started to think it might be too light for me and I was bummed because it is such a stunner. I am happy to say that as I wore this I started to like it more and more. I think it's a great polish for spring and I'm so happy I picked it up when I had the chance. 

    That's all for now, Thanks for stopping by and Happy Polishing! 

Tuesday, May 1, 2018

6:00 AM

Untried A-Z Challenge Letter I


     Hey Everyone, it's time once again for the untried A-Z Challenge. This week is the letter I and I've chosen to share another mainstream polish with all of you. I recently realized that I haven't shown a polish from China Glaze in a really long time, like over a year.  I happen to own quite a few and bonus one of the untired's just happened to start with the letter I. It's like the stars aligned and fate stepped in to bring you today's polish, and it is a beauty.  


     Unlike the last theme, I am only sharing one polish with you today; China Glaze I Truly Azure You. 

Aqua blue nail polish with turquoise micro shimmer

     I Truly Azure You was released in 2017 as part of the Summer Reign Collection. I snagged my bottle during a clearance sale at Sally's and am very glad that I did. This aqua blue nail polish is jam packed with turquoise micro shimmer. Just look at how it glows on the nail. 

     The formula is nice and I was surprised at how opaque the first coat applied. I'd almost call this a one coat polish. I say almost because I was left with just a hint of a VNL on the first coat. Shown here as two dazzling coats plus top coat. 

Aqua blue nail polish with turquoise micro shimmer

Aqua blue nail polish with turquoise micro shimmer


     While I do think this is a spectacular color it's not one that I can see myself wearing alone as a full mani, I do love it for a pedi color though. 

     Just for my general curiosity, I decided to add a little nail art in the form of foils that I picked up off of eBay. 



     It's been quite a while since I've attempted nail foils and you can tell by my application. I've got a few bald patches here and there but overall I like the way this turned out.  For my top coat, I used a layer of G-Force X from Superchic Lacquer which worked well with the foils as far as shrinkage went but it did seem to dull the holo quit a bit.  To fix this issues I simply waited until everything was completely dry and added a layer of Pure Ice Girl on the Run. 


     What do you think of I Truly Azure You? Is it a color you would wear all on its own? Do you have any tips or tricks when it comes to applying nail foils? Thanks for stopping by and Happy Polishing!



     

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