*Press Sample*

     Who's excited for Polish Pickup on Friday? Well, I hope you haven't finished those wish lists yet because I've got a versatile polish to share with you today from Northern Star Polish.  Be Excellent is inspired by Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure. Am I aging myself if I tell you I remember seeing this in theaters when it first came out?

     Be Excellent is a dusty dark blue creme nail polish. The formula is smooth and creamy, truly a dream to work with. I had even heavily opaque coverage on the first coat but not quite 100% full coverage. 

     Now I only wore this for about an hour but I had no discoloration on my nails or evidence of staining. I did use a base coat for swatching and recommend always wearing one under your polish. Not only will it help your polish apply nicer but it will protect your nails from staining. 

     Remember I mentioned this polish was very opaque on the first coat?  This got me wondering if it would work well for stamping and guess what? It does!

      I used Sinful Colors White Lies as my base and image plate UR-21 from UR Beautiful for this manicure. 

     Be Excellent is a lighter version when stamped but I really like the look. And it was so easy to work with, I was able to pick up a clean image each and every time. 

     Along with offering Be Excellent for Polish Pickup, Kristin is offering a cuticle oil set for Indie Pickup.  The Bodacious ‘80s snacks are inspired by the convenience store snack runs every Friday night: cherry slushie, taffy, lemon sour candy, and pink bubblegum.

     Polish Pickup opens on Friday, May 3rd at 11 am Eastern time and runs through Monday, May 6th. For those of you unfamiliar with Polish Pickup here's the breakdown. The Polish Pickup is a new take on the polish collaboration boxes, run by Fair Maiden Polish creators Adrienne and Sarah. Instead of buying one set box, polish lovers have the option to create their own box by selecting from a variety of polishes available each month. Thanks for stopping by and Happy Polishing! 

*Nothing to Disclose*

   I recently stumbled upon a new collection from Sinful Colors at my local Walgreens and of course, had to snatch it right up. I then went home to look up the new collection on their website. What did I find? Absolutely nothing, there is no mention of this new Radical Mattes Collection on their website or social media channels. Huh, I wonder if my store put them out too early? Lucky me I guess! 

    Anyway, I'm going to go ahead and assume that this is their Back to School collection for 2018 and will update the post if I find out otherwise. This collection consists of 7 matte finish cremes and a matte top coat. Now I have to say that in my opinion, this isn't a matte collection, especially compared to the Wild at Heart collection from the summer.  The Wild at Heart Collection dried to what I consider a true matte finish while this new collection dries to a rubbery semi-matte finish. In fact, the finish on these reminds me of the Full Throttle collection from 2014.  Even the matte top coat dries a bit more rubbery than a traditional matte finish but is closer than the polishes in this collection. 

     All polishes are shown as 2 coats plus the Sinful Colors matte top coat and photographed in my lightbox using daylight light bulbs. 

Brave

     Color: A rusty orange creme nail polish with a semi-matte finish

     Application: The formula on this is a bit thicker than I'm used to but still easy to work with. Because of the thicker formula, the polish is very opaque but wanted to apply a bit streaky but not enough to leave bare spots on the nail. So it was almost more like ridges then steaks. Thankfully this polish self-levels so you are left with a smooth finish. 

    Color: A dusty lavender creme nail polish with a semi-matte finish.

     Application: The formula for Defiant is an exact copy to that of Brave. The polish is thicker but easy to work with, again I had issues with the ridge/streaks, and the polish self-levels. The is a beautiful opacity to this that makes me want to try and stamp with it. 

     I find that I actually like this color. I would easily wear it again and use it as a base for nail art. Like I mentioned that high opacity makes me want to try stamping with it, I can see it working for those images with intricate designs to them. Sadly my macro shot made this polish lean more to the blue side, but I assure you it looks just like my full hand images. 

Fearless

     Color: A dark berry pink creme nail polish with a semi-matte finish.

     Application: Fearless has the highest opacity of this collection and could be considered a one coater. I found that I didn't have the issue of steaks/ridges during application with this one which was a pleasant surprise. I didn't wear this one for long but did find that it wanted to stain my skin during removal so I would highly recommend a good base coat when wearing this. Thankfully I was able to avoid any stains on my nails. 

     I am a sucker for pink nail polish and this one is a must have for me for fall. It also makes me a bit nostalgic for my high school years because I used to have scented candles all over my room that were almost this exact color. Anyone else? 

Rebel Yell

     Color: Brown leather creme nail polish with a semi-matte finish.

     Application: This polish has the thinnest formula of the collection. I did have issues with traditional streaks and this polish does not self-level. A second coat evens everything out and gives full opacity.

     Honestly, this is not a color for me. It's too dark for my taste when it comes to plain polish. I am going to keep it though because I have a feeling ti will come in handy for nail art or could look nice with a topper.        

Roar

     I think this color belongs with the other colors in this collection and it is a nice blue, but not one that's really for me. At least not on its own. Maybe as an accent nail, under a topper or used in nail art, but not alone. I do like how opaque it is which will come in handy if I try to stamp with it.

Rise Up

     Color: A pale blue creme polish with a semi-matte finish. I'd call this "It's a Boy Blue"

     Application: The formula on this one was a bit like Renegade but not quite as thin. I did have an issue with streaking and the polish not wanting to self-level but it wasn't too bad. Just a few streaks here and there. Application of a second coat evens everything out for a smooth finish.

    I feel like this color is the odd one out for the collection. All the others have a nice rich tone to them and then this one is a pastel. I do like this blue a bit better than Roar but again I'm not sure if I would wear it alone. 

    Overall I like the potential for versatility this collection has with the highly pigmented colors and am anxious to see how they will work for stamping. The colors do have an Autumnal feeling to them for me with the exception of Rise Up. Are they colors I will wear again? That's about 50/50. 

     If you're looking for this collection I have heard it's starting to pop up in stores around the U.S. Hopefully Sinful Colors will have some information on it up on their site soon and it will be available nationwide. I know I'm getting kind of tired of searching all over for the latest collections, driving up to an hour away because someone spotted it on shelves in another town. 

     Sinful Colors if you're reading this please stop picking and choosing which stores/markets get the collections and have them be available to those of us who want to purchase them. I know the 5 stores within 30 minutes of my home never received The Indie Sol or Boho Beat collections this spring. Don't you want my money?

     Ok, I'm done with my little rant. I hope you enjoyed today's post. Let me know what your favorite color from this collection is in the comments and as always, Thanks for stopping by and Happy Polishing!

*Nothing to Disclose*

     With summer vacation coming to an end I've found myself leaning more towards the darker, muted shades of fall. Don't worry I haven't put away all my fun bright colors I've just tucked them away for today to bring you Aubrey from Zoya with a fun glitter accent nail thrown in.

    This is actually the manicure I wore when I went on a paranormal investigation at the beginning of the month. I've been a big fan of the paranormal tv shows for a long time but they can come off as pretty fake and I've always been open to the possibility that ghosts and spirits exist so when a co-worker invited me to go along with them two years ago I jumped at the chance. I want to have one of those experiences where you know 100% it was real, where you can't debunk it as a building shifting, or bugs caught in the camera flash. Here's a photo I tool overlooking the gymnasium at the old school we just investigated. Did I catch orbs on film? 

 I have gone on 4 overnight investigations in the last two years and we are already making plans for our next one, which I am excited for. You could say I'm just as hooked on doing these investigations as I am on nail polish.  But you are here for the polish so let's get back to that. 

      I think Zoya Aubrey was a great color to highlight the brown tones in the glitter while also adding a little hint of color. Not to mention the fact that these types of colors have been calling my name since mid-July. The formula was great just like I've come to expect from Zoya.

     My accent nail is done in a loose glitter mix from Glittertastrophe called But First Coffee. A blend of cream, mocha, browns, and espresso glitters in a range of sizes from large hex to extra fine glitter. 

     The application was extremely easy. I painted on a layer of Orly Bonder and once it dried to a tacky consistency I simply dipped my finger into the glitter pot. I repeated this process twice to get complete coverage. While this way worked out beautifully I think the next time I will use an eye-shadow applicator to dab it onto my nail. 

   Because I ended up with so much glitter on my nail there was a ton of texture that even two thick layers of top coat couldn't smooth out. That's another reason I think I'll go with the applicator method the next time. But I am open to any tips or tricks you might have for applying loose glitter. 

    If you are a fan of loose glitter I highly suggest checking out Glittertastrophe. The prices are extremely reasonable and the shipping was extremely quick. Thanks for stopping by and Happy Polishing! 

*Nothing to Disclose*

     Welcome back to my blog, I hope your week started off on a good note. Mine started out with cleaning and straightening our camper from our last trip so I can get it ready for our next one. I will be off and running for the next two weekends with friends out camping and attending a music festival of sorts. I'm currently thinking up mani ideas for each event but in the meantime, I thought I'd share with you my letter N polishes for the Untried A-Z Challenge. 

     

     Yes, you read that right I said polishes, this week I'm sharing two polishes with you from China Glaze.  I'll also be sharing my thoughts on a new to be base and top coat. This post is chocked full of untried products! I'll get to the top and base coat at the end of this post but for now, let's get to the polish. 

     New Birth is a white creme nail polish with just a whisper of a blue tint. While you can easily see the hint of blue in the bottle, I found it looks mainly white on the nail until you get it next to something truly white.   Released in 2014 as part of The Giver Collection this pale beauty has been sitting around unloved in my helmer for almost 4 years. It was way past time to get it on my nails. 

   
     I wish the blue was a bit more evident in this, I'm not sure I would wear this on its own again. Even though the formula is thin it still applied easily and I'd be willing to use it again. I'd like to try it in a watermarble or as a base for some floral leadlighting.


      Naked is a Begonia pink polish with silver micro-shimmer. This polish was released as part of a Breast Cancer Awareness set in 2012 that included this color and a bottle of Seche Vite top coat. It took me hour and hours of scouring the internet to find out that little tidbit of information. Why would I put so much effort into it? Well, I wanted my China Glaze Collection list to be complete!


     Instead of using Pure Ice Girl on the Run, which is my typical go-to quick dry top coat, I reached for one called Show Stopper from 77 Nail Lacquer. I honestly have no idea when I picked this up, or how long it's been in my helmer. Show Stopper was dry enough to lightly touch after 4 minutes, still dentable after 10 and, fully dry after 30 minutes. Once dry I was left with a super glossy finish and is UV reactive. I didn't test the UV part because after moving, I have no idea where my black light has ended up!

     That all I've got for you today, time to get back to my preparations. I hope you enjoyed this post, I'd love to hear your thoughts on any of the products I mentioned. Thanks for stopping by and Happy Polishing!

*Nothing to Disclose*

     It was just a few days ago when I shared my letter K polish for the Untried A-Z Challenge and here it is, time for my letter L polish. I guess that's what happens when you get behind on blogging! So here is my Untried A-Z Challenge letter L polish, enjoy!

     Since it's summertime and been abnormally hot here lately I chose to go with a bright shade this week. And there's no better way to go bright than with a neon polish. Or in this case a Not Really Neon. Check out Lemonade from the Not Really Neon's Collection released last summer from Polish 'M.

     Lemonade is a bright lemon yellow creme polish. Typically yellow is a hard color for me to wear but I actually like this one. It's so fun and bright plus it makes me look like I have a nice tan. Any polish that makes my tan look better gets bonus points from me. 

     

     Like most neons Lemonade applied a bit streaky on the first coat, thankfully it's a self-leveling polish so the streaks weren't a major issue. This polish builds up nicely on the second coat and I probably could have stopped there if I'd used white undies. I had a few places on my nails that appeared to be patchy so I opted to use 3 coats. Shown here is 3 coats plus a matte top coat. 

     Lemonade dries very quickly and with a matte finish. Just what I would expect from a neon polish. Like I mentioned above I like this polish and would probably wear it on its own in the future. But for this post, I opted to add a little nail art to the mix.

    For this marbled look, I used Creative Shop plate 31 and stamping polishes Straight Up Black and Bami White from Bundle Monster and Slate Stamping Sauce from Sassy Sauce Polish. 

    The completed look is a bit much for me but I do really like how my middle finger turned out. In this case, less is more and I'll have to keep that in mind in the future. And as you can see once again I was inpatient when applying my top coat and smeared my pinky finger terribly. 

     What are your thoughts on yellow polish? Is it a color you can easily wear? If you'd like to join in on the Untried A-Z challenge we will be staring letter M week on June 25th and ending on the 29th. Thanks for stopping by and Happy Polishing!

     

*Nothing to Disclose*

     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!