Enchanted Polish Awesomeness

Today I have a gorgeous purple holographic polish for you guys from Enchanted Polish. I had seen swatches of Awesomeness and me (being a purple AND holo hoor) had to get my paws on it before it was discontinued. When I got it in the mail, at first I was a little disappointed. I expected a BAM in your face holo effect and that just wasn't what I got. BUT...after getting over that initial disappointment, I really began to appreciate the true beauty of this polish. It is such a rich, deep, pigmented purple...unlike any purple I own (and that is saying a LOT because I have tons of purples!). It is SO purple! It is one of those purples that is so hard to photograph just how purple it is because it freaks the camera out a bit. And the holo effect, while it is more subtle, it really makes the polish glow.

The formula is opaque in 2 coats and is slightly metallic. This purple is just fantastic, and I am so glad that I was able to get it before it was gone!

2 coats of Enchanted Polish Awesomeness

As I said, this polish is now discontinued, but you can buy other polishes from the Enchanted Polish line at Llarowe. If you want to order some of her holographic polishes before they are gone, there are some shades still in stock there, so act quickly!

Candeo Joker and Divebomb

So today I have some pretties from Candeo to share with you. I absolutely adore these glitters!

First up is Joker. I love the glitter mix in this one. The colors are so soft and they look amazing together. I chose to wear a favorite of mine as undies for this one, Essie Smooth Sailing. I think that they are a perfect pairing.

1 coat of Joker over Essie Smooth Sailing



Next up is Dive Bomb. This picture was from a few months ago, but I wanted to include it because it is one of my favorite glitters ever!! I was inspired by Jamie over at The Posh Polish with this mani. She posted pictures of Dive Bomb on Make Up Alley and I had never even heard of Candeo and I flipped. I ordered it ASAP! I told her the mani with Dive Bomb over New York Summer Hot Sky Blue reminded me of fish swimming in a fish tank. I dubbed it the "fish tank mani" and I had to recreate it for myself.

1 coat Candeo Dive Bomb over New York Summer Hot Sky Blue

Candeo Colors area available from Melinda's Big Cartel shop here and they are also now available at Llarowe.

Layla Coral Glam

It's sort of dreary and rainy here today, so here is a holo mani from last week to bring some rainbows. This is from the Layla Hologram Effects collection (first set), and I absolutely adore these polishes.

Now (soapbox) I have heard tons of people complain about them being difficult to work with, but I have found that if you invest in some Aqua Base and let it dry beforehand, they apply like butter. I know it is a pain for some people because Aqua Base isn't readily available, but let me tell you...I was one of the nay-sayers myself for the longest time and refused to buy Aqua Base. I tried to use all of the other suggested methods for applying "finicky holos" such as the Make-Up Sore Holos, Layla Holos, Jessica Hologram and the Nfu-Oh holos, but when I FINALLY gave in and ordered Aqua Base...it changed my whole perception of these types of holos. I used to avoid them, but now I adore them because they are so super holo and the rainbows are worth the extra trouble of acquiring some Aqua Base, in my opinion. If you need some, they sell the Nfu-Oh brand at Fabulousstreet.com. I just don't want to people to write them off because they have tried them, but haven't been using them right. They are so amazing if you do!!

*steps down from soapbox*

Ok so...for my mani I used Layla Coral Glam. The name of this one has always thrown me off, because it is in no way coral. It is actually more of a peachy nude. I really loved this polish (which is odd, because I usually don't "love" nudes), but I found it to be super flattering. I even told someone that I felt like it made my nails and fingers look longer and more elegant (which is a stretch since I have such fat fingers, LOL!).

So here is 3 coats of Layla Coral Glam over 1 coat of Jessica Retro Revival Aqua Base (I let this dry for 10 minutes before applying the polish on top...though some people recommend 20-30 minutes)



I love when the light hits them from different angles and they throw off all sorts of pretty colors! This is with indoor light (my bathroom lights, actually).

Sorry for my soapbox, but I just adore these and I don't want ANYONE to miss out on how fantastic they can be!! Thanks for looking everyone!



A Few Drugstore Finds!

I recently picked up a few drugstore polishes when I was out and about that are gorgeous and affordable!

First up is Spoiled Are Mermaids Real. This is from the Spoiled line sold at CVS. They are made by the same company that make Wet N Wild polishes, and some of them are actually re-bottled Wet N Wilds. Although there are some really pretty colors in the line, the horrid brush has kept me from buying many of them (only the most interesting ones). This one is totally worth dealing with the not so amazing brush. It is a gorgeous purple with golden shimmery flecks.

This is 3 coats (I probably could have gotten away with 2 coats, though).

I have heard some people ask how similar it is to the discontinued Sally Hansen Arabian Night. Here is Arabian Night on index and ring finger and Are Mermaids Real on the middle and pinky finger. As you can see, Arabian Night is darker and a touch more blue toned purple with less blingy shimmer than Are Mermaids Real. I think they are both great in their own way, and it is worth it to have both to me, if you are lucky enough to find Arabian Night.

Up next I found 2 pretties at Rite Aid. First up is a polish from the L.A. Girl Fruity line called Blissful Blackberry. These polishes have a gorgeous glass flecks in jelly bases, and I actually went back and got 2 more from the set because I liked this one so much!

This is 3 coats (It was a little sheer, but buildable).

Last up was Color Club Metamorphosis from the Take Wing collection. This polish has a slight duochromy look in the bottle, so I decided to layer it over black to try to bring that out. It is a gorgeous teal shade in most lights, but it does occasionally flash purple/pink.

This is 2 coats over black.

I love finding treasures at the drugstore! Cheap thrills are always fun! Thanks for looking!

NailsIT Giveaway!

Hey guys! Just wanted you to know about this awesome giveaway that NailsIT is hosting to win some of her wonderful polishes!

Click here for details!

http://nailsit.blogspot.com/p/giveaways.html

Best of luck to everyone!

Cult Nails Coco Untamed Collection

Today I have swatches from the Cult Nails Coco Untamed Collection for you. These polishes blew me away and my favorites were the ones I figured I would like the least when I pre-ordered the collection. The inspiration for this collection was Cult Nails' owner Maria's daughter Coco, who actually designed these polishes herself!

First up is Untamed, a bubblegum pink jelly with delicious shimmery flecks. I can't believe how much I love this polish! It is so squishy and fabulous! This is 3 coats.

Spontaneous is a dusty purple creme with fine pinkish purple glitter. This polish is lovely, but it is a little thick (I plan on thinning it a bit before using it next time). The glitter is hard to capture on film, but it is very pretty in person. This is two coats.

Annalicious is my favorite from this collection. It is a glowy, glass flecked red and it is just lucious to apply and wear. This is 2 coats.

Deal With It was the biggest surprise for me in the collection. I DO NOT WEAR greens like this. EVER. But I put this on and was completely smitten. It is just fabulous and the formula is fantastic to boot. The golden shimmer really make it something special. This is 2 coats.

I Got Distracted is a crazy mix of holo and slightly larger green glitters in a black jelly base. The name is so fitting because it is definantly distracting! It is such a fun polish! This is 2 coats.

These polishes are available individually starting today on the Cult Nails website. Be sure to pick some of them up because they are so fun and perfect for summer!

HARE Polish Swatches: Part 1

Hi everyone!! Today I have a few swatches from another one of my favorite indie brands: HARE Polish. These polishes are from the newest spring and summer releases. Nikole, the creator of HARE polish, made these available for pre-order on Etsy back in June and I will have to say, these are my favorite HARE releases to date (and that is saying a lot, because I adore all of my HAREs).  Every one that I try just keeps getting better and better!

Today I have 3 to show you, but more are on the way!

First up is Magic Mist. This was from her Cumulus Excellence Spring/Summer Duo. I usually don't love glitters in milky bases, but this one blew my mind. This is one coat over Illmasqua Jo'mina.

Next up is The Sky Was Pink. This is from her Summer collection, Where's Summer, B? When I ordered this collection, I thought this one might be my least favorite because I typically don't go for pinks. WRONG. It is so amazing! I didn't want to take this mani off. This is 1 coat over China Glaze Under the Boardwalk.

The third one that I have for you is also from the summer collection and is called Why So Igneous? (I have one of the test bottles, that was originally called Aurora B.) This polish is the embodiment of my idea of the perfect glitter polish. Purple and green square glitters in a purple jelly base (plus all sorts of others sizes of purple and green glitter). This is two coats over 1 coat of Verity Deep Violet. This polish is (and will probably forever be) in my top 20 polishes because it is just so perfect!

HARE Polish is available from Nikole's Etsy shop (follow HARE polish on Facebook for updates about restocks). Also, starting on July 27, HARE Polish will be available at Llarowe.

Pahlish Swatches!!

Hi everyone! I wanted to share some swatch spam from one of my very favorite Indie brands...Pahlish! I have lots of swatches, so let's get to it!

First up is Sullen Girl. This polish is a mix of iridescent blue glitters (like the glitters in Lynnderella Bride of Franken) and holographic glitters in a grey jelly base. Here I layered 1 coat over Zoya Kelly.

Next is Slow Fade of Love. This is a deep purple jelly base with purple and holographic glitters. It has amazing depth! It is so lovely, and must be seen in person to truly appreciate all of it's beauty.

Next up is Great Wide Open. This one is a mix of multicolored hex and bar glitter with with a smattering of white bars and hexes (and even diamonds!) in a clear base. It does have some lovely shimmer which is difficult to photograph, but looks lovely on the nail. This is two coats over China Glaze First Mate. It is such a fun polish!

Next is the first Pahlish that I ever owned, Train Underwater. It is a blue jelly with all sorts of gorgeous glitters (some color shifting) going on in it. It is impossible to photograph all of it's gorgeousness. Mine is from the first batch that was made, but I know that the polish is even more fantastic now (I'm going to be ordering a back-up soon so that I can have the new and older formula!). If you are only going to own one Pahlish...this is the one to go for! (but I suggest getting as many as you can!)



Next is Sunlight Shooting Through Pine Trees. This is a sheer golden flakie/shimmer polish. I layered 1 coat over Orly Lucky Duck for my swatches. This was one of the original Pahlishes and has recently been discontinued.

Up next is a fun Pahlish, Glittoris! This polish is unique in her collection, because as she states on her Etsy page, no two batches of this are the same. It is always a mixture of pink and red glitters in a jellyish base, but you never know exactly what it will look like until you get it. This is one 1 coat of Glittoris over Essie Watermelon.

Up next is Typewriter Keys. This is a black and white shard glitter topcoat with holographic glitter. It is so much fun! One of my favorite Pahlishes! Here it one coat layered over Orly Snowcone.

Last, but not least, is Dark Parades. This is a multicolored glitter in a shimmery purple jelly base. This is 1 coat over Sally Hansen Purple Pizzazz. I just love this one!

Pahlish is available from Shannon's Etsy page. She usually restocks on Friday evenings at 7 pm, but follow her on Facebook for more detailed restock information. Also, starting July 25th, Pahlish will be stocked at Llarowe as well. I hope you enjoyed these swatches! She is always coming out with new things that I HAVE TO BUY!