GOT Polish Challenge: Pastel with Jindie Nails Swoon

Well, we’ve made it to spring (sort of) which also means we’ve made it to the second quarter of the Golden Oldie Thursday Challenge!  The theme for this week is pastel nails.  How perfect for the season!  I decided to use Jindie Nails Swoon for this week’s challenge.  This is the first polish I ever bought from Jindie Nails, and I hadn’t used it since I got it two and a half years ago, so I thought it would be a perfect choice for the challenge.

Swoon has a pale blue crelly base with large neon yellow, blue, and pink matte hexes, medium-sized blue metallic circle glitters, and tiny blue glitter.  The base color is quite translucent on the first coat, but it builds pretty well.  I ended up using four coats for the photos, but I probably could have gotten away with three.  I really wanted it to last because I knew I wouldn’t be able to photograph it right away, so I added the extra coat hoping it would turn into polish armor.

The application of this polish was not terribly difficult.  I did have to fish for glitter a little bit, but the size of the large matte hexes makes it so that not so many are needed for full effect.  Even though I bought this a while ago, the application and dry time did not seem to be affected at all with time.  I used a glitter base coat and two coats of top coat for the photos.

I didn’t have time to take the photos until a couple of days after I did this mani, so my nails are not pristine in the photos, unfortunately.  My job is extremely hard on my nails, and my index fingers and thumbs tend to take the brunt of it, so you’ll notice that my index finger had some nicks in it and missing glitter by the time I was able to take the photos.  Oh, well.  I’m learning to make do since I no longer really have free time.  As long as I’m enjoying myself, I’m not going to worry about whether things are perfect.  Join me in that!  It feels great. 🙂  Now for the photos.

What do you think?  I’ve learned by now that I tend not to prefer very large glitters in polishes.  But it was nice to try one that I hadn’t used in a while!

If you’re curious about what the next several weeks of the GOT Polish challenge have in store, check out the schedule!

I purchased this mini polish from the Jindie Nails Etsy shop for $4.75.  They have since moved their online shop, and a reformulated version of this polish is still available there.

GOT Polish Challenge: Yellow/Peach with Scofflaw Nail Varnish Insert Lemon Pun Here

This week’s theme for the Golden Oldie Thursday Challenge (details about the challenge can be found in my original blog post about it) is yellow/peach!  I don’t have many yellow polishes, and most of the ones I do have aren’t really that old, but I did find one in my collection that I purchased almost exactly one year ago.  And she’s a beauty!  This week’s challenge will feature Scofflaw Nail Varnish in Insert Lemon Pun Here.

Insert Lemon Pun Here has a bright, shimmery yellow base.  In that base are medium-sized green hex glitter as well as small green, orange, and gold glitter.  The combination is gorgeous and so eye-catching.  This was the first Scofflaw Nail Varnish I ever purchased, and I remember that it was one of the only colors still available in their online shop when I was looking, but I’m not sure why.  It is such a beautiful and unique polish!

The application for this one was easy peasy.  It dried quickly between coats, and the glitter was evenly distributed in the polish as it applied.  I used 3 medium coats for the photos over a glitter base.  I also used my regular top coat for the photos.

Don’t you just love this polish?!  I really couldn’t get enough of it.  I got so many compliments on it while I was wearing it, too.  I tend not to buy yellow polishes because I assume they won’t work well with my very pink coloring, but every time I wear one I love it.  I’m going to have to rethink my attitude toward yellow.  It’s been so good to me. 🙂

I purchased this polish from the Scofflaw Nail Varnish Etsy shop for $8.50.  They have since moved to a new online shop.

GOT Polish Challenge: Purple with China Glaze CG in the City

First, let me apologize for the lateness of this post!  A lot has been going on in my life lately, and it is all generally really positive, but the result is that I have practically no free time.  I haven’t been able to do my nails as much as I used to do, and I didn’t have a chance to photograph/blog about them even when I did.  In truth, things probably won’t slow down for some time, but I am going to try to continue writing blog posts when I am able because I enjoy it so much.   And to top it all off, I broke 4 nails this week!  I realize that I’m going to have to keep my nails shorter now.  But I can work with that!  So my GOT Polish nails are late this week. They may be late again next week.  I hope eventually to figure out a schedule so that I can start posting them on time again soon.

Back to the matter at hand!  (And yes, that pun was intentional.)  This week’s theme for the Golden Oldie Thursday Challenge (details about the challenge can be found in my original blog post about it) is purple!  I love purple, even more than I actually admit to myself.  I have purple accessories, purple clothes, a purple coat, and loads and loads of purple nail polish.  From that heap I chose China Glaze CG in the City for this week’s purple mani.

CG in the City is from China Glaze’s Fall 2011 Metro Collection.  The color of this one is difficult to pin down; it appears to have black, tan, silver, and purple glitter in a clear base.   To me, the overall effect appears lavender on the nail.  I hadn’t worn this one in a long time, and I found the color as hard to describe this time as I did when I purchased it.  It does have a dusty, aged purple look that I find quite pretty.  I also think that it’s not too splashy if one wanted to wear this to the office.

The application for CG in the City is not difficult.  The glitter is quite fine and provides for even coverage.  I used three coats of CG in the City over a glitter base for the photos.  I used my normal quick-dry top coat as well.

Isn’t the glitter combination in this one unique?  Even though it defies description, I do like the look of it.

I purchased this polish a few years ago for around $3.00.

Swatch and Review: Yogurt Series No. 4

It’s always difficult for me to choose nail polish when the weather is dreary, and this has been quite a dark weekend here.  I finally settled yesterday on an untried glitter polish that seemed like it would be a bright and cheerful contrast to the darkness outside.

Born Pretty Store Yogurt Series No. 4 has a blue-green jelly base with a few different colors and sizes of glitter.  There are large silver hexes, smaller copper and purple hexes, and some thin silver bars.  It’s an interesting combination and not one I’ve seen before.

This polish is not terribly difficult to apply, but the glitter does have a tendency to ‘bunch up’ on the nail a little bit, so some care does need to be taken when applying.  The base color is quite translucent, which allows great visibility for the glitter, but it also allows for a VNL.  It’s not terribly noticeable because of all the glitter, but it is definitely there.  The bar glitter does have a tendency to curl as well, which is a real bugaboo for me.  I only applied one coat of top coat, so perhaps this could be lessened were one to apply multiple coats (as you know, something I’m not really willing to do).  The polish dried quickly, but it does have a strong ‘nail polish’ scent, which will be off-putting for those with scent sensitivities.  I used a glitter base, three coats of polish, and my normal top coat for the photos.

This polish is definitely a bright contrast to this weekend’s weather.  It’s not quite my cup of tea, though, so I’ll probably be adding this one to my “find me a new home” pile.

I purchased this polish from Born Pretty Store for around $4.00.  Definitely search online for a coupon code if you intend to purchase from there, because there are lots of 10 percent off your purchase coupons for this store floating around the interwebs.

 

Swatch and Review: Shleee Polish Mary Jane Holland

I’ve been dying to try out Shleee Polish since I first heard about the brand a couple of months ago.  I just couldn’t resist anymore and bought a couple of polishes from this brand last week.  I don’t know why I waited so long!  They are all gorgeous, and I couldn’t wait to try them.  Of course I chose a green one, Mary Jane Holland, to try first.  This color is from the Shleee Polish Lady Gaga inspired collection.

Mary Jane Holland has a bright, grassy green base that has a prominent yellow gold shimmer.  Added to this is just enough linear holographic sparkle to mesmerize you.  I love all shades of green, but this is one of my favorites.  It’s not a shade that you see every day, especially in nail polish colors, so I’m just loving getting to look at it all day.  It’s truly gorgeous.  I really can’t say enough good things about it.

The application for this one was easy.  The consistency was perfect for me; I didn’t find it too thick or too thin.  It dried quickly and the opacity was quite good even after just one coat.  I used two coats for the photos.  I used an aqua base with this one, and I did not use top coat.

Now…the photos.  I took so many.  I really, really love this polish, so I went a little overboard.  It was so hard to narrow them down, but I did.

Are you drooling yet? 🙂  I am so in love with this polish!  I can’t get enough.  The others that I purchased are equally amazing.  Shleee Polish is definitely my new favorite polish brand.  I want them all!

I purchased Mary Jane Holland from the Shleee Polish online shop for $11.00.  It was worth every penny!

Influenster J’Adore VoxBox Review

Many of you are probably already familiar with Influenster, the online community of bloggers and other social media mavens.  They recently provide me with their J’Adore VoxBox of samples for my honest review.  So, what was in my J’Adore VoxBox?  Read on to find out!

Boots Botanics Shine Away Ionic Clay Mask

I have incredibly oily skin (I really could probably win a contest), so I am the perfect gal to test out the Boots Botanics Shine Away Ionic Clay Mask.  And this one did not disappoint.  I used this after cleansing my skin in the evening, and it applied easily.  I was a little concerned that would be too runny based on the look of the product in the tube, but my impressions were off the mark, as it applied so evenly and easily.  After leaving it on for 15 minutes, I rinsed it off and noticed that my skin’s oily sheen was definitely gone.  My greasy girls out there know, however, that the real test was how my skin looked the next morning.  My skin is normally incredibly oily when I wake up in the morning, but when I woke up the next day after using this, I actually stopped in front the mirror as I was stumbling out of bed in a stupor and thought, “Wow, my skin looks really good this morning.”  I leaned in closer and noticed that it was nowhere near as oily as usual.  Then I remembered, “Oh, yeah, I used that Boots mask last night!”  I’m honestly thrilled with this product.  If it can make my skin less oily, it really can help anyone.

HERSHEY’S KISSES® Milk Chocolates

I do love chocolate, and it is usually the ‘candy’ item I will allow myself to eat from time to time.  That being said, I hadn’t had HERSHEY’S KISSES® in quite some time when I received a bag of them in the J’Adore VoxBox.  How have I gone so long without these in my life?  The milk chocolate in the HERSHEY’S KISSES® just melted in my mouth.  I can feel my mouth starting to water now just thinking about how delicious they are.  When I do eat chocolate, I usually buy more expensive, high-end brands, but now I can’t imagine why.  HERSHEY’S KISSES® are delicious and have that same smooth and sultry quality of high-end chocolates, but at a much more affordable price.  And they included a recipe for peanut butter blossom cookies on the bag!  I used to live for those when I was a kid.  I can’t wait to make some (if I don’t eat the whole bag before I get the chance).  I know I will be purchasing these again.

Frizz Ease® 3-Day Straight™ Flat Iron Spray

My hair has always been fine and frizzy, and it is even more so now that it is starting to go grey.  I have hair that is neither straight nor curly; it’s somewhere in-between and what a hair stylist once referred to as having ‘wacky wave.’  When I style my hair I usually use a blow dryer to straighten it, then go back over it with a flat iron, and it usually still isn’t completely straight, especially around my face, where the frizz has taken up permanent residence.  I’m always trying new products to see if something will make my hair, well, less like my hair, so I was eager to try the Frizz Ease® 3-Day Straight™ Flat Iron Spray.  This product definitely worked for me.  I sprayed it on my clean, damp hair just as the directions instructed.  Then I dried my hair straight, and I definitely noticed that it looked silkier than normal.  I followed this up by flat-ironing the sections around my face that will practically never lie flat outside the walls of a salon, and my hair was actually straight and sleek all day!  Because my hair is so fine, I’m not able to go 3 days in between washes, but I did wear this straightened style for a second day, and it was still smooth and straight the second day as well.  I’m so glad I was offered this product to try!  I’ll definitely be using it again.

KISS Looks So Natural Lashes

I don’t often go through the effort of putting on false lashes.  I think they’re one of those things you have to wear a few times to get used to, and the first few times you wear them you just have to push through feeling a little uncomfortable and fearing that you look bad in order to get to your happy place with them, like hats and wigs.  That said, KISS Looks So Natural Lashes really are a great starter set of false lashes, because they really do have a natural look that isn’t over the top.  They are quite long, but they are more on the wispy side, rather than the full-on baby spider legs look that some false lashes can have.  They use what they call ‘Tapered End Technology’ to make them blend more easily with your own lashes, and this technology really does make the false lashes look and feel more like one’s natural lashes.  I don’t think I’ll be wearing false lashes any more often now that I’ve tried these, but I would definitely wear these on a special occasion and not feel self-conscious about them.

Red Rose Simply Indulgent Teas

I love tea.  I gave up caffeine a couple of years ago, and I now drink herbal tea every morning.  One of the teas sent to me was the Red Rose decaffeinated Lemon Chiffon black tea.  First of all, this tea smells divine.  It has a strong base of black tea, but it also smells of creamy, lemony goodness.  It made me so excited when I opened it.  And the flavor of the tea did not disappoint.  It has that richness that characterizes black tea, but it also has a lightness from the lemon flavor, and the two blend so well.  I really love lemon tea (and pretty much all flavors of tea, really), so this was right up my alley.

Overall I had a great experience with my first Influenster VoxBox!  I’m definitely a fan of the products that were included.  Have you tried any of these products?  What did you think?

These products were provided to me by Influenster for my honest review.

Swatch and Review: Glittering Elements Burning Desire

It was a bright, sunny day today, which means I got to try out a new holo!  Yay for me.  I just recently ordered a couple of polishes from an Australian indie brand I hadn’t tried before, Glittering Elements, so I was eager to try one today.  I chose the shade Burning Desire.

Burning Desire is such a beautiful and complex color.  It has a cool-toned medium pink base, and added to that are what appear to be golden and darker pink sparkles.  It also has a tightly scattered holographic flash.  In the sunlight, all of this combines to form a sparkle bomb on my nails.  It really is so gorgeously flashy.

The application for this polish was a dream.  It was the perfect consistency, and it didn’t flood or streak at all.  If applied in thicker coats, it really could be a one-coat polish; most of my nails were fully opaque at one coat (once I realized that it might be possible).  I used two coats for the photos.  I used an aqua base for this mani, and I did not use top coat.

Isn’t it just gorgeous?  Let me tell you, it looks even better in person.  This is definitely one of my new favorites!

I purchased Burning Desire from the Glittering Elements online shop for around $11.50 USD.

Swatch and Review: Enchanted Polish January 2014

I definitely had a “Get On My Nails” moment when I got my latest Enchanted Polishes, and I was so lucky that the sun was actually out the day after I received them.  Since the weather has been very cold and wintery of late, I decided to try the shade January 2014.

January 2014 has a shimmery blackened teal base with linear holographic sparkle.  This is a decidedly blue-leaning teal, and in some lights it was almost making me question whether it was navy.  Whatever you want to call it, this color is gorgeous and a perfect winter shade.

January 2014 was not difficult to apply for a holographic polish.  It was a touch on the thick side, which could be remedied with a few drops of thinner if the consistency doesn’t suit you.  The advantage of its consistency is that it works as a one-coat polish.  Since I used a very thin coat on the first couple of nails I painted, I ended up using two coats to even everything out, but I was able to achieve full, opaque coverage at one coat once it occurred to me to try (I can be slow sometimes).  I used an aqua base with this to ensure even application, and I did not use top coat for the photos.

How much do you love this shade?  This was sold as one of her “Mystery” polishes, and it just made me so happy when I saw it.  I’ve been wanting a holographic polish in a deep teal for a few months now, so I’m just thrilled with it!

I purchased this polish from the Enchanted Polish online shop for $16.00.

Swatch and Review: Model City Polish Ghost Stories

I took advantage of the sunny morning we had a couple of days ago to use one of my untried holo polishes.  I got Ghost Stories from Model City Polish as a Christmas present, and I’m thrilled that the weather was finally nice enough for me to give it a try.

Ghost Stories has a charcoal gray base and a TON of holo pigment.  This gives it a bright tightly-scattered holo finish in the sunlight.  The holographic effect is also visible in artificial light, it is just not as vivid.  This one really sings in the sunlight.

Like other polishes with loads of holo pigment, this one was a bit tricky in terms of application.  I used my standard base coat, and there was some balding with the first coats.  Applying each coat with as few brush strokes as possible mitigates this effect.  I ended up using four coats of Ghost Stories to even out any patchiness.  The final effect was a little uneven when examined up close, but in a way that no one but you will ever notice.  The dry time was quick, though, so this mani didn’t take long to do even with four coats of polish.  So the photos are four coats of Ghost Stories over base coat, with no top coat.

The holo effect of this one in the sun is pretty spectacular, isn’t it?  I’m glad it was sunny for a while so I could give it a try.

This polish was given to me as a gift; it can be purchased from the Model City Polish online shop for $8.50.

Swatch and Review: butter London All Hail the Queen

I was in the mood for a neutral shade when I was last selecting a polish hue, and I settled on butter London’s All Hail the Queen.  I was lucky in that the sun came out for a little while around the time that I finished painting, so I was able to enjoy the holographic shimmer in this one as well.

All Hail the Queen has a cool-toned, neutral beige base.  This polish is on the deeper end of beige, which makes it a nice choice for winter when it will contrast well with the stark white outdoors.  Added to this base is a sprinkling of scattered holographic sparkle.  In indoor lighting, the shimmer adds a dimension of silver sparkle to the neutral base.  In the sunlight, flashes of color reflect from the shimmer, giving it a subtle holographic look.

The application for this polish was without issue.  It applied easily and was my perfect consistency.  The dry time was a touch longer than some polishes, but nothing terrible.  It is on the sheer side; I used 3 coats for the photos, and the coverage was completely even and opaque at that point.  The staying power of this polish is also fantastic.  I wore this for 3 days without top coat and did not have a single chip or knick in my nails after all that time.  Color me impressed.  I used a base coat and 3 coats of All Hail the Queen for the photos.

Do you like this more subtle, workplace appropriate holo mani?  I really love this color as a beige that doesn’t wash out my skin tone.

I purchased this polish a while ago from the butter London online shop for $9.00 or $10.00.  I only purchase from them when they are having sales, which happens a few times a year.  They are regularly priced at $15.00.