Sunday, September 30, 2018

12:00 PM

Top Shelf Lacquer - Sale Sale Sale! (Press Release)


We've reduced prices and restocked our Clearance section.  Use code CLEARANCE for an additional 20% off already reduced prices!  Help us clear out and make room for new!  All Wax, all bath products and MOST polishes are now reduced and eligible for another 20% off!

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9:56 AM

LynBDesigns - October POTM (Press Release)


Our October POTM Quad is Live! Use the code OCTOBER for 50% Off

October POTMs are here. Come check them out

Through the 2nd use the code OCTOBER for half off your entire order (excluding LynB Loves Customs) 

I've made 4 October POTM polishes. Three are inspired by my love of opals and one is dedicated to Watermelon Tourmaline. They are all half off during the sale.

I've also been asking our group for help with future collections and limited editions like PPU. Come join our group to get in on all the fun.
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Halloween Trio

I've restocked the Halloween Trio and they're included with the sale. These are limited edition so don't miss out.

Well Wishes

Since fall is upon us I've created a germ fighting personal diffuser. I keep one in my purse, by my bed. It's a staple.

Thursday, September 27, 2018

6:00 AM

Lustrous Lacquer's Quarterly Favorites Round-up Vol. 3



    It's time for the third installment of my quarterly round-up. I hope you enjoy this look back at the previous 3 months as I do. I've decided to shake things up a bit this time around and share more than just my favorite nail art looks.  Mainly because there are so many things that inspire me, teach me and shape who I am as a blogger and I feel they are worth sharing. Plus I feel that it's nice to get to know a little about the person behind the blog. I know I'm more likely to leave a meaningful comment or even just search out the latest blog post if I feel like I know the person behind the screen a little bit. 

     In July I continued my quest to get through my polish collection and found myself reaching more for older polishes while also sharing the new Wild at Heart Collection from Sinful Colors. It was a slow month for nail art with only 3 looks but they are looks that I really loved. It was hard to narrow down a favorite but I decided on the look I created for the 4th of July.


     I revisited an old technique to create this look while still following the fluid nail art trend and was very pleased with the results. If you want to see my second favorite look from the month check out my Dichotomy post from 1850 Lacquer.  Dichotomy is a thermal polish and I added an accent nail that has a "disappearing" image on it.

     In July I decided to try and take my blog to the next level and see if I could make a small income with a few affiliates. You may have noticed the addition of a few banners in my sidebar, if not take a look and see if there's anything that catches your eye. I've got the ever so popular Born Pretty and Beauty Big Bang banners that people are familiar with. And then I got lucky and was able to become an affiliate with Sally Beauty Supply and Planet Beauty.  I'm not looking to be able to quit my day job but it would be nice to make enough to be able to pay for my blog fee's from it. And a girl can always dream, can't she?

    August saw a new opportunity for me when I joined the Nail Challenge Collaborative group on Facebook. I know art is supposed to be personal and come from the artist's heart but sometimes it's nice to be given a direction. The direction I was given for August was simply Pink and Blue. That inspired my first ever manicure using Sharpie Markers.


    My daughter also got to share her nails on my blog again with her baseball inspired look. She was so happy about this post and checked my site every day for weeks just to see if her post was still in the top spot on my popular posts list. I should probably thank her for all those page views.

     In August, I discovered Naio Nails on Youtube and have become fascinated with the nails that she creates. They are generally over the top and completely inappropriate for my lifestyle but I love them. And I feel like I've picked up a few things that will help my skills.

     September saw me heading back to work and ended up being a slow month for nail art. I only shared one look with you, but it's my favorite one in this round-up. My stone marble nails not only made me proud but actually turned out the way I pictured them.


     I am hoping to have more fun looks to share with you in October, including some techniques that I have never tried or haven't used in years.  Do you ever go back and revisit old techniques? What trends do you wish would come back? Thanks for stopping by and Happy Polishing!

Tuesday, September 25, 2018

6:00 AM

Northern Star - Shards of the Heart Polish Pickup October 2018


    Hello everyone, it's time to start making your wishlists for Polish Pickup! The theme for October is villans and today I will be sharing with you a polish that in my opinion needs to be on that list. Shards of the Heart from Northern Star Polish. Read on to see why I am so pleased with this polish. 

      For those of you who are unfamiliar with Polish Pickup here's a quick rundown of how it works. Polish Pickup offers a fun, interactive experience that allows you to submit theme ideas, vote for your favorite theme, and selectively purchase your favorite polishes every month. The shop opens at 11 AM ET on the first Friday - Monday of every month. In this case, that's Oct. 5th -8th at www.polishpickup.comYou can pick which polishes you would like to purchase from the previously chosen theme. There is no box commitment. Purchase one or purchase them all! Shipping in the US is $3, $5 in Canada, and does ship internationally. Allow 3+ weeks for delivery. So, in other words, this is a pre-order event. 


    Shards of the Heart is inspired by Miss Havisham from Great Expectations and the Victorian Decaying bride aesthetic. "Miss Havisham is a character in the Charles Dickens novel Great Expectations. She is a wealthy spinster, once jilted at the altar, who insists on wearing her wedding dress for the rest of her life. She lives in a ruined mansion with her adopted daughter, Estella." Quote from Wikipedia

Greyish purple nail polish with scattered holographic glitter

    Shards of the Heart is a dark grey with lavender tint that looks like a creme indoors but contains two type of holographic pigments that sparkle in the sun. Subtle indigo micro flakes complete the polish.  My lighting really accentuated the hint of purple but under regular lighting, you will see more grey coming through.


     You guys the formula on this is phenomenal! The polish has a great consistency and is very smooth but the awesome part is the opacity. I've been showing you one coat of polish plus top coat. that's right, this is one coat coverage. If you are in the habit of applying thin layers of polish you will probably need two but a regular layer will only require one. Shards of the Heart dries to a smooth, glossy finish that is slightly darker than what you see in the bottle.




    I  have been drawn to grey polishes lately, the last three polishes I've worn have been grey and I purchased 5 more at Polishcon earlier this month. I think that the purple hint and subtle holo make this unique from the others and I am more than impressed with the opacity and coverage. The color is also great for the colder months that are soon to be upon us. 

     Shards of the Heart will be $11.75 USD and is capped at 75 bottles. 

    Make sure to check out Polish Pickup on Facebook and don't forget to make your purchases starting October 5th. Thanks for stopping by and Happy Polishing!


Thursday, September 20, 2018

6:00 AM

Rogue Lacquer - VIP2


    Polishcon Minneapolis was last Saturday and I am so grateful that I got the chance to go. I opened up a bit and talked with a few people that I didn't know and overall had a great time. My daughter was my plus one and ended up coming home with more than a few polishes of her own. In today's post, I will be sharing with you a Polishcon VIP bag polish but not one I got this weekend. I decided to reach into the VIP bag from the New York Polishcon last summer and ended up pulling out Rogue Lacquer VIP2.

    For those of you who were wondering, no I wasn't able to attend the event in New York, but I was lucky enough to be able to purchase one of the leftover VIP bags. I'm not sure if there are any bags left from last weekends event but I'd suggest checking out the Polishcon Facebook group to find out. 


     VIP 2 is a medium silver grey polish with scattered holographic glitter in various sizes ranging from micro to shards. 


    The formula is very easy to work with. The polish covers evenly but is a bit sheer on the first coat. Normally I don't think a sheer first coat is a good thing but in this case, it allowed the holo glitters to really come through the polish and add visual interest. My pet peeve with polish is when the base color is so thick or opaque that it covers up the glitter from the previous coat. 

     VIP 2 builds up nicely reaching full opacity after two coats along with a balanced amount of holo glitter on each nail. There is a slightly gritty texture when the polish dries but it's nothing that a layer of top coat can't smooth out. Shown here is two coats plus glossy top coat.


    So confession time, I actually wore this polish back in August but am just getting around to blogging it now. The reason I  mention this is because I liked this polish so much as was impressed that I was able to get a full week's worth of wear with only a teeny tiny bit of tip wear on my pointer fingers.  This is my first Rogue Lacquer polish but I had to buy three polishes from the new Wilds of Arizona collection while at the convention based on this experience. 

    Are you familiar with Rogue Lacquer? Do you have a favorite polish from them or one on your wishlist? Let me know in the comments and as always Thanks for stopping by and Happy Polishing! 

Tuesday, September 18, 2018

6:00 AM

Untried A-Z Challenge - Letter S


     It's time once again for the Untried A-Z Challenge! It's week 19 and that brings us to the letter S. I can't believe there are only 7 more weeks for this challenge, it has flown by but there's still time to join in if you want. Everyone is welcome and the more the merrier. 


    I've gone back to my mainstream collection of polishes this week to bring you a beautiful polish from Color Club. To be honest, I don't reach for Color Club polishes all that often, but that may be because I don't own that many. I haven't bought any in about 3 years and I think I had maybe 6 polishes from the brand until they released the new holo's at Walmart which added 12 more to my stash. Which explains why I completely forgot that Color Club came out with some duo-chrome polishes. They had an entire collection actually called the Oil Slick collection which was a limited edition collection back in 2015. 

Pink to gold shifting duo-chrome nail polish wirh hints of copper

     Sorry Not Sorry is a pink to gold shifting metallic duo-chrome polish that takes on a hint of copper depending on the lighting. 

pink to gold shifting duo-chrome nail polish with hints of copper

    While this is a very pretty color and great for fall the formula can be a bit tricky. The consistency is really nice but wants to steak when applied thinly. A regular coat will not cause any issues and leaves behind even coverage with no VNL but not quite full opacity. Shown here is 2 coats plus top coat.

     Sadly this polish suffers horribly from brushstrokes, I avoided them by using the sponging trick I shared in my review of the Orly Pastel City Collection. I absolutely hate brushstrokes in my polish and love that I've found a way to avoid them. 

Pink to gold shifting duo-chrome nail polish with a hint of copper.

     I know I must have really liked this color when I bought it but when I pulled it out of my helmer I was experiencing buyers remorse. Until I had it on my nails that is. It's actually a pretty nice color and I like the subtle color shift. I actually own two more colors from this collection and I've become inspired to pull them out and try them.

    Now its time to share my the mani fail. I mentioned last week that I've been hooked on watching Naio Nails on Youtube. Well, she always does these over the top nails with lots of bling and I've got lots of nail bling gathering dust in my nail room so feeling inspired I decided to bling up my nails.


    I definitely need practice with this, and a better way to apply them to my nails. Dipping my dotting tool into top coat and then applying the rhinestone resulted in lots frustration. Especially when it came to placing all the tiny microbeads between the larger stones. I'd like a way to be able to place them and then move them a bit if needed. I think I need to invest in some nail glue. 

    This didn't turn out quite how I wanted but it was fun to play around with my rhinestones again. And we all have mani fails whether they get shared or not, and I think they help us grow as nail artists. 

      Do you have any tips on how to apply them? What do you think of Color Club polishes? Let me know in the comments and don't forget to check out what other people picked for their letter S. Thanks for stopping by and Happy Polishing!



Saturday, September 15, 2018

11:18 AM

LynBDesigns Halloween Collection (Press Release)


It's that time again, Halloween is coming!

Through the 18th use the code SPOOKY for half off almost the entire store including the new Halloween Trio

In July I posted several polls in my Facebook Group asking about our next group custom. It turned into a quad of group customs that are releasing tomorrow. Each polish will be 10 dollars, but if you're a member of my Facebook Group you will get a special discount code for the quad. So follow the link above and join the group.

I've also created a fun Halloween Trio inspired by various potions and concoctions. These are half off with the code SPOOKY through the 18th.

As the month is drawing to a close, I want to remind everyone that the retirement home polishes will be going away on October 1st. They're also half off during the sale.
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Halloween Cursed Box

I've collaborated with three amazing makers to bring you this special box only available through the 4th

The Shade of It All

The Shade of It All collection is restocked. Check it out and get them all for half off during the sale

Thursday, September 13, 2018

6:00 AM

Minnesota Nice Box for Polishcon Minneapolis


     Polishcon Minneapolis is just 2 days away and the excitement in this house is building. Not only will I be attending but my daughter gets to be my plus one. As some of you know I attended the event last fall in Chicago and had a pretty good time. My daughter begged and pleaded to go along but sadly it wasn't in the cards for her. As a bonus for her, her birthday is 4 days away so Polishcon is sort of her early birthday present, plus she will be buying her very own bottle of indie polish. I have no idea what she will get for her first indie but I'm pretty sure it will have lots of sparkles and possibly the word unicorn in the name if that's an option. Another fun item for this event is the Minnesota Nice collab box from 4 local makers which I will be sharing with you today! 

     There is a saying I hear all the time called Minnesota Nice, I honestly have no idea what that really means, I've just heard it all my life and thought hey that's a nice thing to be known for. I do however know each and every reference made in this collab because they are all 100% Minnesotan. So let's get to it. 

SKOL!

We know it as the Vikings war chant, the rally cry, the word that brings the fans together – skol! “Skol has been in our lexicon since the very beginning of the franchise in 1961,” says Erin Swartz, Director of Brand and Creative for the Minnesota Vikings. “It was really like a Cheers! Vikings! We’ve scored, we’re celebrating, we’re winning.”

Purple glitter polish with iridescent flakes

     Skol! is the contribution from Darling Dive and is described as a purple tinted base with purple micro glitter, scattered holo glitter and, tiny iridescent shards. 


    The formula has a nice smooth consistency which made application a breeze. There was a bit of VNL left after the first coat but full opacity can be achieved with a second coat. Shown here is two coats plus glossy top coat.


     While I am not a Vikings fan myself (Go Packers) the Mr. is a die-hard fan so I get to watch the team quite frequently during the season. I have to say this polish is spot on for the inspiration and I will be wearing it again, probably on game day. (Just not when the Vikings play the Packers 😉)

Hotdish

hotdish is a casserole which typically contains a starch, a meat, and a canned or frozen vegetable mixed with canned soup. The dish originates in the Upper Midwest region of the United States, where it remains popular, particularly in MinnesotaSouth Dakota, and North Dakota. Hotdish is cooked in a single baking dish and served hot (per its name). It commonly appears at communal gatherings such as family reunionspotlucks, and church suppers.

blue/violet multichrome nail polish with holo sparkle and chameleon flakes

     Hotdish is the contribution from Fair Maiden as is described as a mix of all that we love about polish - a blue/violet multi-chrome that shifts magenta-gold-green, holo sparkle and iridescent chameleon flakes in pink-blue-gold-green-violet.


    The formula for Hotdish is wonderful. The polish applies smoothly and evenly but is semi-sheer leaving a slight VNL after the first coat. Full opacity was reached after two and I've shown it here as two coats plus glossy top coat. 


   Small known fact, I have lived in Minnesota for 40 years and have never had hotdish. My mom never made it growing up and it's not something that shows up at get-togethers with my friends. The school I work at serves it monthly for lunch but I've never tried it. I do however love this polish as a transition color from summer to fall and think it would be great to wear in the winter time too. My only thing is I wish the flakes were a bit more visible. They seemed to get a bit lost but that may have been due to my application. I tend to apply my polish in a slightly thicker layer than most. I will be wearing this again and will use thinner coats to see if that changes things for me. 

Land of 10,000

 Minnesota is known on its license plates as the “Land of 10,000 Lakes,” but Minnesota actually has almost12,000 lakes.


     Land of 10,000 is Leesah's Lacquers contribution to the collab and is described as a turquoise lake blue with a strong gold shift and a smattering of holo, reminiscent of a sunset off of any of our 11,842 lakes.


     Land of 10,000 has a nice formula with smooth even coverage. It is the sheerest of the collab and I thought for sure after the first coat that I would need three coats for full opacity. I was pleasantly surprised when I achieved full opacity after only 2 coats. This polish has some serious building power. Shown here as two coats plus glossy top coat.


     I really am reminded of days spent on the lake when I look at this polish.  I have seen the sun shimmering off the lakes in northern Minnesota and Leesha nailed it in this polish. This is another polish that will get lots of love from me.

Uff Da

Uff da (sometimes also spelled huffda, uff-dauffdauff-dah, oofda, ufda, ufdah, oofta, or uf daa) is an exclamation or interjection expressing bafflement, surprise, or dismay.


      Uff Da is Northern Star's contribution to the collab and is described as a hibiscus red with gold shimmer, and pink to gold shifting micro flakes.




     The formula for Uff Da is fantastic. The polish has a high opacity and I almost got away with only using one coat. The polish flows smoothly off the brush and evenly onto the nail. Shown here is two coats plus glossy top coat. 


     I have been known to say Uff Da but not as often as the movie, Fargo would lead you to believe. While I chose to show these polishes in alphabetical order it just worked out that I saved my favorite for last. I am so into fall colors right now it's insane and Uff Da falls perfectly into that category. Plus it will work great for the winter months as well. 

     This collab will be available at Polishcon (9/15)at the Darling Diva, Fair Maiden, and Leesha's Lacquers booths. Sadly Northern Star is not a vendor this year but I heard a rumor that she may be in attendance. The collab will be $32 for all 4 polishes plus a charm bracelet. As of right now, the polishes will not be available individually but I will keep you updated if that changes. 

     Which polish is your favorite? Are you attending Polishcon this Saturday or have you attended one in the past? Thanks for stopping by and Happy Polishing!

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