Archive | May 2015

Pretty & Polished Summer Collection – Review and Swatches!

Provided for Honest Review

I’m very excited to show you three of the upcoming shades from the Pretty & Polished Summer Collection.  I can’t wait…so I won’t!

First up is a patriotic offering, Wham Bam Thank Ya Sam!:

Pretty & Polished - Wham Bam Thank Ya Sam!

Pretty & Polished – Wham Bam Thank Ya Sam!

LOVE!  I love patriotic polishes, I love tiny star glitter, I love crelly-based glitter polishes.  So all of that in one polish spells instant LOVE for me!  This is a squish white crelly base packed with red and blue matte and metallic glitters and especially tiny blue stars!  Looooove.

Pretty & Polished - Wham Bam Thank Ya Sam!

Pretty & Polished – Wham Bam Thank Ya Sam!

Honestly application on this was awesome.  Sometimes crelly-based glitter polishes have a bit of a learning curve but I had no problems with this one, I didn’t have to fish for glitter, and I achieved opacity in two coats.  I couldn’t have asked for better application of this type of polish.  It is a bit chunky so I recommend an extra layer of topcoat to smooth out the glitter a bit this is pretty normal and what I would expect from any glitter polish.

Pretty & Polished - Wham Bam Thank Ya Sam!

Pretty & Polished – Wham Bam Thank Ya Sam!

Polishes used:  Barielle – Nail Rebuilding Protein; Pretty & Polished – Wham Bam Thank Ya Sam!; Digital Nails – Ain’t Nobody Got Time for That Topcoat.

Next up is The Seaglass is Half Full:

Pretty & Polished - The Seaglass is Half Full

Pretty & Polished – The Seaglass is Half Full

The Seaglass is Half Full is a fun polish!  Some magic must have been put in the bottle though because it really looks like seaglass tossed in the sand.  It brought back fond memories that I have of living in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba back in the 80’s.  My friends and I would look for seaglass and one of my friend’s mother made jewelry out of the frosty smooth seaglass.  This is a sand colored crelly polish with semi-translucent matte hexes in green, pink, blue, and lavender.  There is also a smattering of metallic green micro-glitter.

Pretty & Polished - The Seaglass is Half Full

Pretty & Polished – The Seaglass is Half Full

The application was just as magic as the appearance!  No glitter fishing, no glitter placement, just easy peasy swipes of the brush!  Pictures show two coats plus topcoat.

Pretty & Polished - The Seaglass is Half Full

Pretty & Polished – The Seaglass is Half Full

Polishes used:  Barielle – Nail Rebuilding Protein; Pretty & Polished – The Seaglass is Half Full; Digital Nails – Ain’t Nobody Got Time for That Topcoat.

Last but certainly not least is my favorite of the three, Come on Baby Light my Firecracker!:

Pretty & Polished - Come On Baby Light My Firecracker!

Pretty & Polished – Come On Baby Light My Firecracker!

I cannot wait to wear this one again.  I love this color, this polish and everything about it!  Come on Baby Light My Firecracker is a hot magenta linear holo.  As if that weren’t enough it is packed with teensie tiny metallic red micro-glitter.  It is a really unique combination and it’s a color that I will wear a lot!

Pretty & Polished - Come On Baby Light My Firecracker!

Pretty & Polished – Come On Baby Light My Firecracker!

So much shimmer.  Application was flawless on this polish and it sparkles in all lights because of the glitter/holo combination.  I had exactly zero problems with this polish and pictures show two coats plus topcoat.

Pretty & Polished - Come On Baby Light My Firecracker!

Pretty & Polished – Come On Baby Light My Firecracker!

Polishes Used:  Barielle – Nail Rebuilding Protein; Pretty & Polished – Come On Baby Light My Firecracker; Digital Nails Ain’t Nobody Got Time for That Topcoat.

There you have it – three more gorgeous shades from Pretty & Polished.  I’ve been consistently impressed with polishes that I have received from them.  That doesn’t surprise me though they are one of the indies that has been around for a long long time and with good reason!  I also am a diehard fan of their sugar scrubs and can’t wait to try some of their mani-bombs as well!  You can buy Pretty & Polished products on their Web Store.  For sneak peaks, fun stuff, and contests be sure to check out their Facebook Page and Instagram Feed!

Wingdust Collections – These Broken Wings

Nothing to Disclose

Hello my dearest readers!  I have a quickie swatch and review for you today.  This polish had been on my wishlist for awhile and I lucked up and managed to snag one in a swap with a fellow indie polish-enthusiast.  If you haven’t got this Wingdust yet, what are you waiting for?!

WingDust Collections - These Broken Wings

WingDust Collections – These Broken Wings

These Broken Wings is a sheer blue-gray holographic jelly polish filled with tiny silver holographic microglitter, iridescent glitter shreds, teensie iridescent bar glitter, and silver foil flakies.  This color is right up my alley and while I did have some reservations about the foil flakes I found that I loved them!

WingDust Collections - These Broken Wings

WingDust Collections – These Broken Wings

You can see a little bit of the holographic rainbow here.  While it is a gorgeous blue-gray base because of the holographic effect and the iridescent glitters it can seem to lean just slightly periwinkle.  It is a sheer polish but it does build to opacity but it still retains the translucency of a jelly polish.  There were no formula issues that I was able to detect.

WingDust Collections - These Broken Wings (Macro)

WingDust Collections – These Broken Wings (Macro)

Polishes used: Barielle – Nail Rebuilding Protein; WingDust Collections – These Broken Wings; Digital Nails – Ain’t Nobody Got Time for That Topcoat.

Of course you can get your own WingDust Collection polishes by visiting her Etsy Store or Llarowe.  You can keep up to date on all the new collections and other fun stuff on Facebook and Instagram!  Go get covered in WingDust you won’t be sorry!

Alchemy Lacquers Lab Report – Moonshard Collection – Swatches and Review

Product provided for honest review

My dearest readers, I cannot wait to show you these gorgeous polishes from Alchemy Lacquers.  I’m sure by now everyone is highly well-versed in the ultrachrome flakie phenomenon.  I waited until I started to see something besides flakies and holo before jumping completely on the wagon because I was skeptical about longevity and what they could truly bring to the table in terms of pretty polish.  But makers quickly starting doing interesting things with the flakies and I was convinced that while the initial craze may die down, these are something that will enhance the polish game for awhile.

Then Rebecca; the amazing, the wonderful, the crazy-busy, the crazy-creative, genius that she is; started working with the flakies and developing gorgeous prototypes that set us all drooling with her sneak peaks.  Now the collection has a name, theme, and is ready to be unleashed upon the masses!  I think I pestered her daily through her entire testing phase.

The Moonshard collection is not a typical collection, it’s going to be released two at a time until they are all released and currently there are eight polishes in the collection, two of which were released at the same time as the Infinity Collection.  Each of the polishes is named after a moon in our solar system.  Without further ado, allow me to introduce you to the first two Moonshard polishes!

First up is Calypso:

Alchemy Lacquers - Calypso

Alchemy Lacquers – Calypso

Yes yes yes…everything about this polish is phantasmagorical!  Calypso is a sheer white-ish jelly based polish with a strong shimmering shifty quality of its own.  Then added to that is a healthy dose of holo and ohemgee the flakies!  A whole slew of ultrachrome flakies were added to the mix.  These gorgeous flakies shift from blue to purple to magenta and green.  Stunning.  There really is hardly a way to describe this polish because there is so much going on.  Suffice it to say it’s a must-have.

Alchemy Lacquers - Calypso

Alchemy Lacquers – Calypso

This is a sheer polish, but utterly buildable.  I didn’t have any problems with the formula or application.  The flakies spread out evenly and laid flat on the nail.  Unlike glitter there’s not a heavy texture to these so no special topcoating procedure needed to be done.  Pictures show three coats plus topcoat.

Alchemy Lacquers - Calypso (Macro)

Alchemy Lacquers – Calypso (Macro)

In my opinion that right there is the money shot.  Seriously if this doesn’t send you running to snag up your own bottle of this magic I don’t know what will!

Polishes Used:  Barielle – Nail Rebuilding Protein; Alchemy Lacquers – Calypso; Digital Nails – Ain’t Nobody Got Time for That Topcoat.

Next up is Oberon:

Alchemy Lacquers - Oberon

Alchemy Lacquers – Oberon

Oberon is amazing.  This is a metallic teal-based polish that shifts like crazy, is holographic, and oh yes has a healthy mixing of fabulous flakies.  It’s no secret that I’m a glitter junkie.  Not a lick of glitter exists in this polish and yet I am strangely addicted to how beautiful it is!  This is one that I may need back ups of back ups of.

Alchemy Lacquers - Oberon

Alchemy Lacquers – Oberon

Just look at that!  Gorgeous.  Anyway formula on this one was amazing.  Perfect coverage in two coats.  Flakies dispersed nicely throughout the polish.  Sometimes polishes with a strong metallic feel like this one get a little streaky and/or show every flaw on your nail but not this one, it self-leveled like a dream and I had a perfect smooth application.  Pictures show two coats plus topcoat.

Alchemy Lacquers - Oberon (Macro)

Alchemy Lacquers – Oberon (Macro)

Can we just bask in the glory and amazingness of this polish for a few moments?

Polishes Used:  Barielle – Nail Rebuilding Protein; Alchemy Lacquers – Oberon; Digital Nails – Ain’t Nobody Got Time for That Topcoat.

Well what do you think about the first two releases from the Moonshard Collection?  Hit me up here or on Facebook, I promise I don’t bite…much.  You should totally go and snag these up before the masses catch wind of how gorgeous they are because you know how that goes!  You can find these at Alchemy Lacquers’ Etsy Shop.  If you want to keep up to date on all the news and sneaky peaks of upcoming polishes you should DEFINITELY follow Alchemy Lacquers on Facebook and Instagram.

Oh, and I don’t mention it much, but if you like what you read here you should totally follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and Bloglovin’.  There are buttons up at the top right of your screen that will take you where you need to go!  On my Instagram you’ll see swatches but also a lot of my NOTD as well!

Royal Lacquer – Prototypes!

Product sent for Honest Review

Hello my lovely and devoted readers!  Recently Tiffany from Royal Lacquer sent me an assortment of prototypes to review, now these will be available only in limited quantities and they aren’t part of any collection so if you see something you like you’ll need to snag them up because there is a distinct possibility that they won’t come around again!  If you like purple, teal, or blue then perk up buttercup because there’s some loveliness coming your way!

Let’s start with the purples!  First up I have Violet Twist!

Royal Lacquer - Violet Twist

Royal Lacquer – Violet Twist

First, I apologize in advance about the wonky skin tone in these pictures.  I wanted you to see the polish as close as I could get it to the actual color and this is one of those blurple shades that cameras just don’t handle well!  Violet Twist is a blurple-leaning grape purple jelly scattered holo with pink and blue shimmer.  It’s gorgeous and would be perfect for nail art, leadlighting and other stamping technicques, and it just looks good on its own!

Royal Lacquer - Violet Twist

Royal Lacquer – Violet Twist

Again, very sorry about my weirdly pink skin.  But this is the closest approximation to the color I can get it!  This is a jelly formula so it did take two good coats for opacity and I routinely top with topcoat as well.  There were no issues with the formula and I found it very easy to work with and to build to opacity!

Royal Lacquer - Violet Twist (Macro)

Royal Lacquer – Violet Twist (Macro)

Oh look this is new…I’m still working on perfecting these macros to try to give ya’ll a closer look at what is going on inside a polish.  You can see some of the blue shimmer playing off here.  When I’m able to capture a good macro I’ll start including it here!

Polishes used:  Barielle – nail Rebuilding Protein; Royal Lacquer – Violet Twist; Digital Nails – Ain’t Nobody Got Time for That Topcoat

Next up is my favorite of the two purples…Jeweled Orchid:

Royal Lacquer - Jeweled Orchid

Royal Lacquer – Jeweled Orchid

Looooook at that ya’ll!  It’s so pretty!  I’m going to reach for this one again and again I already know.  Jeweled Orchid is a lovely deep orchid colored crelly base with golden shimmer and a smattering of ultrachrome flakies.  The flakies shift from purple to magenta to a sort of brass or orange gold color.  It’s just a stunner!

Royal Lacquer - Jeweled Orchid

Royal Lacquer – Jeweled Orchid

I love how it just seems to GLOW from deep in the depths of the polish.  This was another easy breezy application.  This picture shows two coats plus topcoat!

Royal Lacquer - Jeweled Orchid (Macro)

Royal Lacquer – Jeweled Orchid (Macro)

I love how you can really see the flakies here!  This is just a gorgeous polish you should definitely grab this one!

Polishes used:  Barielle – nail Rebuilding Protein; Royal Lacquer – Jeweled Orchid; Digital Nails – Ain’t Nobody Got Time for That Topcoat

And now we’re onto the blues!  First up is Mermaid’s Treasure:

Royal Lacquer - Mermaid's Treasure

Royal Lacquer – Mermaid’s Treasure

Looooove jelly based glitter polishes.  I just LOVE THEM.  This one is a perfect squishy translucent teal-leaning lagoon blue with silver holographic glitters floating throughout.  The glitters are hexes and squares in varying sizes.

Royal Lacquer - Mermaid's Treasure

Royal Lacquer – Mermaid’s Treasure

Ok, I do realize that folks who are not familiar with applying chunky glitter polishes may have a bit of a learning curve but this would be a great polish to start with because I had no need to fish for glitter and I did get good coverage.  The picture shows three coats plus topcoat and while there is a very slight VNL it didn’t show up outside of the pictures.  I’m guessing with the lights and my crazy prominant nail line it picked up for these pictures.

Royal Lacquer - Mermaid's Treasure (Macro)

Royal Lacquer – Mermaid’s Treasure (Macro)

Look at all that gorgeous glitter!  LOVE!

Polishes used:  Barielle – nail Rebuilding Protein; Royal Lacquer – Mermaid’s Treasure; Digital Nails – Ain’t Nobody Got Time for That Topcoat

Next we have Baybreeze:

Royal Lacquer - Baybreeze

Royal Lacquer – Baybreeze

Squee!  Perfect ocean teal shimmer jelly holo polish!  This makes me think of the ocean and summer and the beach!  Also because it is a jelly it’s PERFECT for leadlighting and other stamping techniques and nail art.

Royal Lacquer - Baybreeze

Royal Lacquer – Baybreeze

Again the VNL is showing but I could not see it before I photographed it.  This is a jelly so it is sheer but it builds to opacity (unless you’re a camera under bright lights I guess!) in three coats.  This would be a perfect polish to use for pond manicures or stampwiches, whatever term you like to use.

Polishes used:  Barielle – nail Rebuilding Protein; Royal Lacquer – Baybreeze; Digital Nails – Ain’t Nobody Got Time for That Topcoat

Last but not least is Midnight Rider, my favorite of the blues:

Royal Lacquer - Midnight Rider

Royal Lacquer – Midnight Rider

This is a gorgeous navy blue crelly based holo with ultrachrome flakies.  Most boring description ever of such a pretty polish.  I am ADDICTED to navy blue polish.  I love navy blue nail polish so much and this one has so much going for it that I’m sure it’s going to become a staple in my collection.

Royal Lacquer - Midnight Rider

Royal Lacquer – Midnight Rider

Application (and most importantly clean up!) was really nice with this.  Darker polishes tend to be hard to clean up but this one really didn’t give me a lot of trouble.  It’s beautifully self-leveling and I had no formula issues whatsoever.

Royal Lacquer - Midnight Rider (Macro)

Royal Lacquer – Midnight Rider (Macro)

Can you see the pretty little flakies shimmering away in that gorgeous midnight navy blue polish.  Gorgeous!

Polishes used:  Barielle – nail Rebuilding Protein; Royal Lacquer – Midnight Rider; Digital Nails – Ain’t Nobody Got Time for That Topcoat

You can get Royal Lacquers nail polishes at her Etsy store (I HIGHLY recommend the Vynails as well!)  To keep up to date on all the latest offerings you should follow Royal Lacquer on Facebook and Instagram.  So tell me will you be picking up some of these beauties?  You definitely should!