Lustrous Lacquer

Thursday, October 22, 2015

MoYou London - The Explorer Collection Part 2 (Press Release)

What's the latest news from MoYou London? This Friday they will be releasing 2 new plates in the Explorer Collection. Themed Sugar Skulls and Catrinas these images are sure to bring out the Dia de Los Muertos side in anyone. Let's take a look....

✽ Sugar Skulls and Catrinas ✽

Nora travelled to Mexico to bring you these spooky and beautiful two new plates full of traditional sugar skulls and Catrinas.

Now you can celebrate the "Día de los Muertos" with colourful and pretty nails and share your love for tradition, culture and fashion, all in one.

Loving skull themed manis?
Check out our latest Alex McQueen inspired nail art tutorial!

Need a boost of nailspiration?
CHECK OUT OUR
↝ BLOG ↜
for a dose of tips,tricks and trends!

Lots of love!

The MoYou London Team

MoYou plates can be purchased in their shop. As mentioned above these plates will be available Friday October 23rd. Plates are £4.99 each or about $8 US. Thanks for stopping by and Happy Polishing!

Wednesday, October 21, 2015

Lustrous Lacquer 6:00 AM Madam Glam

Madam Glam - Another Glass and High Standards

*Press Sample*

I've got a few more polishes from Madam Glam to share with you today. I hope you're not burned out on glitter after Monday's post because I saved my absolute favorite for last! And just in case you are sick of glitter (insert gasp here) I also have a deep rich creme. Madam Glam is a 5 free AND Cruelty-free, Vegan online nail polish company. If you're thinking of picking up any of these polishes for yourself follow this link: http://madamglam.com/?utm_source=yt-lust and use code YT30 for 30% off your entire order. As I mentioned in yesterday's post you will have to create an account to shop but don't worry, it's completely free. Now let's get to the polish, which by the way will be shown with 2 coats plus top coat.

Another Glass is a deep rich burgundy polish with magenta micro glitter, and also what I'll be having this weekend. Will any of you be joining me? Ok in all seriousness this polish is a little lighter than it wanted to photograph. I've got one macro shot at the end that I was able to get outside before I lost the light and that one is more true to color.

Don't you just love the richness this polish has? Want to know what's even better than the color? The Formula!!! Another Glass went on so smoothly you'd think it wanted to be on your nails. And I had complete control over every drop. You want to know what else is awesome about this beauty... it's a 1 coater. I used 2 for my photos but could have totally gotten away with 1. I really want to try and stamp with this, I have a feeling it will work great since it's so opaque.

Bonus outside color accurate macro shot

High-Standards-from-Madam-Glam-Fall-2015

High Standards is a deep rich mahogany brown creme polish with a hint of red. In certain lighting, it looks slightly more maroon, but a very very dark maroon, or almost a cherry coke color. It's a hard color for me to describe because it looked different in every room of my house, and outside.

The application was consistent with all the other polishes I've used from Madam Glam so far, smooth and flawless. IT had a slightly thicker formula that your typical creme but that had zero effect on how it applied. And this beautiful base was just begging for some nail art.

I used Essie Penny Talk and Messy Mansions Lilly Anna 08 plate to create my accent nail. It's a very similar look to the one I did with Madam Glam Found the One. I like it much better this way than my original version.

So there you have it. 5 polishes from Madam Glam that are perfect for fall, well for anytime really but tis the season right. Id love to hear your thoughts on these final 2 polishes and what color you would call High Standards exactly. And remember if you're thinking about making a purchase follow this link: http://madamglam.com/?utm_source=yt-lust and use code YT30 for 30% off your entire order.

To keep up with all things Madam Glam check them out online on Facebook, Catch the latest twitter buzz or gaze at some photos on Instagram. Thanks for stopping by and Happy Polishing!

Monday, October 19, 2015

Lustrous Lacquer 6:00 AM Madam Glam

Madam Glam - Midnight Lover, Holo Fever and Not Ashamed

*Press Sample*

I'm kicking off the week with a few glitter polishes from Madam Glam that I thought were great for fall. Madam Glam is a 5 free AND Cruelty-free, Vegan online nail polish company. If you're thinking of picking up any of these polishes for yourself follow this link: http://madamglam.com/?utm_source=yt-lust and use code YT30 for 30% off your entire order. You will have to create an account to shop but don't worry, it's completely free and I've never gotten a single spam message. Now, sit back and get ready for some sparkle. All photos are shown with 2 coats plus top coat.

Not Ashamed is a black base packed full of teal micro-shimmer that looks blue or green depending on the lighting. The sparkle in this was very hard to capture on film. I had to get creative and use several different kinds of lighting, including one that was just awful for my skin tone but really let the sparkle show through.

Bonus shot with cringe-worthy lighting but look at that sparkle!

The application was a little tricky with all that glitter when using a thin coat. The glitter slid around on the nail a bit and caused some streaks. When I used a slightly thicker coat on the second layer everything evened out and covered my nail nicely.

Not Ashamed dries to a matte finish which gives a textured appearance, but each glitter lays smoothly on the nail and there was no real texture when I ran my finger across it. The addition of top coat really brought out the sparkle to this polish and added a lot of depth. In certain lighting, it even looked like a galaxy manicure.

Midnight Lover is a blue toned purple based polish with holographic micro glitter and a few larger lavender hex glitters mixed in.

Midnight-Lover-from-Madam-Glam-fall-2015

This polish fooled me a little bit. It looked thick and chunky on the brush and I was expecting a hard time with the application. Appearances were deceiving with this beauty, the polish applied like a dream. The first coat applied a little sheer but this beauty builds up nicely. Full opacity was reached after 2 sparkle packed coats.

Unlike Not Ashamed, Midnight Lover does dry with a slight texture. Nothing more than you would expect from a glitter packed polish but it is there. 1 coat of a good top coat with smooth everything out.

Holo Fever is a royal purple polish with holographic micro glitters. I'm not sure they could fit anymore glitter in this polish if they tried.

The application was extremely smooth and this could be a 1 coater if applied with a slightly thicker than normal coat. The glitters lay completely flat on the nail and there is a fairly smooth finish.

I was particularly impressed with the dry time on this one. By the time I finished with my thumb my pinkie nail was completely dry. And would you look at that sparkle! Holo Fever is the perfect name for this polish.

I like all 3 of these polishes for different reasons but if I have to pick a favorite it would have to be Holo Fever. I'm a sucker for a sparkly nail polish and that one really delivers. Do you have a favorite out of these 3?

Remember if you're thinking of picking up any of these polishes for yourself follow this link: http://madamglam.com/?utm_source=yt-lust and use code YT30 for 30% off your entire order. Also check out my previous posts featuring Ibiza and Paradise Fiesta, Disco Ball, and Found the One. Thanks for stopping by and Happy Polishing!

Monday, October 12, 2015

Lustrous Lacquer 6:00 AM Polish Pusher

Polish Pusher- South of the Bordeaux

*Gift*

Hey Everyone, Happy Monday! I've got a super quick post for you today because well, it's football season and that means Sunday Fun-day around here. I'm not sure I should be operating a computer at this point, but I'm determined to get a post up so here goes. Ladies and Gentlemen I present to you South of the Bordeaux by Polish Pusher. I was lucky enough to be given this polish as a gift from a blogger meet up several months ago (ok over a year ago) and shame on me for waiting this long to use it.

South of the Bordeaux is a Red jelly polish packed with multi-sized, multi-colored glitters that is just gorgeous. Sadly at this time, the shop is closed so I have no idea if it's still available but, if it is I suggest you snatch it up right away. And here's why...

The formula for this is simply perfection. The polish applied so smoothly you would think it was a high-end creme. And all those glitters came out like they just wanted to be on my nails. No fishing or placement required. All photos are shown with 2 coats plus top coat. Are you impressed yet? What if I told you my bottle had been sitting in my helmer for the last year and I didn't mix it up before application? Yeah, you're impressed now, aren't you!

I really like the color combination this polish has. The blue and magenta glitter flow nicely with the base color but you get a little pop with the gold. And I am a huge fan of any polish that lets the larger glitters show through instead of covering them up with each coat. I'm looking at you milky white crelly polishes... There's nothing that annoys me more than a polish that hides the glitters with the base color. Ok well maybe a polish that looks gorgeous in the bottle but has a terrible formula, or my kids making me repeat myself 10 times before they listen... but hidden glitters in a polish is right up there on the list.

I'll leave you with this macro shot of all those yummy glitters and what an awesome shot that is huh! Not to toot my own horn but, toot toot. Too much? Ok how about I ask if you've tried Polish Pusher before and what polish I should try next? Thanks for stopping by and Happy Polishing!

Friday, October 9, 2015

Lustrous Lacquer 6:00 AM Themed Manicures

40 Great Nail Art Ideas - Teal

*Affiliate Link*

Today is the start of a 52-week nail art challenge put together by the Crumpet. Now I know what you might be thinking.... but Katie, you're not posting very much lately. How the heck are you going to pull off a 52-week challenge? Want to know the secret? I only have to post every other week. That gives me two weeks to get a mani painted and a post done, and that should help get my mojo back.

The first prompt I am doing is teal. Now all the other ladies will be doing teal manicures also but the catch is we each have a different pattern. I can't wait to see what everyone comes up with, but first, let's get to my manicure.

For the teal color, I went with Maybelline Antique Teal from the Vintage Leather Collection. A matte finish dark teal with scattered flakies. The application was a little tricky when doing multiple strokes on one nail. The flakes wanted to drag and cause streaks. I had no issues with dragging when only doing 3 strokes per nail. You might notice that the flakies are highly visible in the bottle but on the nail, they tend to disappear.

However, it works great for stamping! I used 2 images from Bundle Monster plate BM-11 to create this look. A positive and negative of the same image so to speak. For my white polish, I used Sinful Colors Snow me White.

I really like how this turned out, with the stripe of image going down the center of my nail instead of a full coverage. How do you feel about using both the positive and negative sides of an image in a manicure? Or didn't you notice that until I pointed it out? Let me know in the comments and then check out the other amazing manicures. Thanks for stopping by and Happy Polishing!

An InLinkz Link-up

Thursday, October 8, 2015

Lustrous Lacquer 6:00 AM Press Release

MoYou London - The Enchanted Collection (Press Release)

*Press Release*

This Friday, October 9th, MoYou London is releasing the second part to their Enchanted Collection. 8 plates full of whimsical images that are sure to bring fairy tales to mind. If animals aren't your thing there are a few geometric and floral images to get those creative juices flowing. Personally I have my eye on plate 16. Let's take a look.....

⚘ Add something charming to your look! ⚘

Take a look at the second part of our Enchanted Collection!
Channeling the cozy charm of fading nature and furry animals,
this collection is both adorably vintage and innovative.
With its seasonal flora and fauna,
this is the perfect addition to your fall style!

Inspired by the timeless art of aquarelle, here it is our latest tutorial!

Need a boost of nailspiration?
CHECK OUT OUR
↝ BLOG ↜
for a dose of tips,tricks and trends!

Lots of love!

The MoYou London Team

MoYou plates can be purchased in their shop. As mentioned above these plates will be available Friday October 9th. Plates are £4.99 each or about $8 US. Thanks for stopping by and Happy Polishing!

Monday, October 5, 2015

Lustrous Lacquer 6:00 AM Nanacoco

Nanacoco - Illusionist

*Affiliate link*

So looks who's got a post up today! This whole working 2 jobs while raising 3 kids situation has really done a number on my time management. And my heart hasn't been into blogging for a few months so it's been easy to come up with excuses to put it off. In order to try and jump start my mojo, I've got a quick post to share today, and I've committed to a 52-week nail art challenge that will start on Friday.

Today I'm sharing a polish from a brand that I have a feeling isn't very well known. But feel free to correct me if I'm wrong. Nanacoco was a brand I stumbled upon on a website called Stucco which sells bulk polish as well as single bottles for a very reasonable price.

Illusionist from Nanacoco is a beautiful duo chrome that shifts from amethyst to bright cerulean depending on the lighting.

The application was smooth and even with flawless coverage after 2 coats. Shown here is 2 coats plus top coat. I really wish I had swatched this during the day so I could have captured the color shift in natural lighting.

As much as I liked this polish on its own with its intense color shift I had to dress it up a bit. So I reached for some nail stickers from Born Pretty Store # 6pcs 3D Nail Art Stickers Gold Embossed Texture Heart Star Lace Pattern Decals.

I thought the little gold swirls were just the right amount of bling without taking away from the duo chrome base. And I still like the look it gave especially since the stickers have an almost cross stitched look to them, but not the execution. As you can see even after 2 thick layers of top coat the outline of the stickers is highly visible.

It's not very noticeable in pictures but the nail on my ring finger has a big C curve and the sticker kept wanting to lift up at the edges. Needless to say, this manicure didn't last very long after applying the stickers.

Well, that's all I've got for you today. I'm going to try really hard at getting 3 posts up this week and back to my regular posting schedule but if I don't I will see you back here on Friday for my first post in the challenge. Thanks for stopping by and Happy Polishing!