Holographic Top Coat Comparison!

Oh yay!  Today I want to share my very first comparison post with you!!!

I really want a lime green holographic polish but I haven't gotten one yet, so I decided to try out my holo top coats in my first comparison post.  The common color here is China Glaze's I'm with the Lifeguard.  All of the colors I'm showing you today were purchased by me, excluding the Model City color, which I won in a giveaway.

On my right hand I am wearing Mentality Holo over the CG lime green!  I wasn't in love with this top coat when I first used it because the holo isn't as strong as I would like it to be.  This is one coat and as you can see it is a little bit streaky but not so much so that it's horribly obvious.  The trouble with Holo is that if you add more than one coat it gets very silvery and takes away from the color underneath.  Overall it's really not too bad, although not my favorite.

On my left had I am wearing Model City Seize the Rainbow over the CG green!  This is also one coat and it was not streaky at all.  In fact, the formula for this was quite fantastic and it's super holographic in person.  I thought it was very interesting that I was in love with the Model City top coat in person but in my pics the holo isn't super strong, while in person the Mentality top coat was just the opposite to me and here it shows up quite beautifully in the pic!

 

Overall, I was pretty content with the way both hands turned out!  I am definitely going to need to get a true holographic lime green in my collection, but in the meantime this was a fun experiment!  In person the two top coats were pretty similar and I don't think anyone noticed at all that I was wearing two different manis for a few days.  Thanks for checking out my first comparison post!  What is your opinion of these two holographic top coats?

Reviewing The Vampire Diaries Collection by Paint Shop Polish

Hello, everyone!  Today I have a review of a couple of really cute glitter polishes from Paint Shop Polish to show you.  Candi Clemens is the talented creator of these lovely beauties and the owner of Paint Shop Polish.  Candi provided these glitter top coats to me for reviewing and your viewing pleasure!  It is a specialty of her store to create custom polishes - and she makes wonderful customs!  I will have to show you the one she made for me on another day!

These three glitter polishes are from Paint Shop Polish's Vampire Diaries collection. 

Up first is my favorite of the three: The Doppelgänger.  This polish was inspired by the Petrova Doppelgangers, Elena and Katherine, in The Vampire Diaries.  Purples, blacks, and whites in various sizes and shapes are what make this glitter polish an instant favorite for me.  The consistency of the formula and the amount of glitter are just perfect.  I paired The Doppelgänger over Ellagee's Frozen Concoction (a thermal) for a neat ombré and glitter effect in my favorite colors!  This is one coat of The Doppelgänger and HK Girl topcoat on top.

 

Up next is a fun polish called Hybrid!  This polish is inspired by Klaus and the hybrids from The Vampire Diaries.  I had a blast with Hybrid because it's full of tiny red skull and crossbones, and gold and black circles, and gold moon glitters that I didn't have to fish and fish for.  Gotta love it when you don't have to spend twenty minutes digging for glitter!  I thought I would be head over heels for the little skulls and was surprised to discover that I love the black circle glitter even more!  I paired this one over China Glaze's Gothic Lolita.  This is one coat with a little extra dabbing to place the bigger glitters.

 

Last but not least is Katherine, full of red, gold, and purple glitter with red skull and crossbones.  This polish was inspired by Katherine Pierce from The Vampire Diaries.  The skulls were much more challenging to grab from this one but the color combo is very pretty!  I love that I didn't have a glitter bomb but still had plenty of sparkle on my nails.  This is one coat of Katherine over LVX Cerulean.

 

You can find these available now along with some other beautiful, unique colors from Paint Shop Polish on Candi's etsy shop HERE!  Also, don't forget to check her out on Paint Shop Polish Facebook.  Keep an eye out for more Paint Shop Polish on my blog in the very near future!!!

Belated Valentine!

Hey, everyone!  So I know it's a few days late but I really loved my Valentine's Day mani and I wanted to share it!

I recently obtained my first Cadillacquer polish from a blog sale and I knew it was the perfect color for Valentine's Day.  Cadillacquer's We'll Meet Again has flawless coverage in two coats and is pumped up with red glitters and lots of holographic microglitter.  I haven't ever been much of a fan of red and pink together, but this.... perfection!

As you can see, I also created an adorable accent nail on each hand with Sinful Colors Snow Me White and some pink rose water decals from the Born Pretty Store.  I freakin' LOVE water decals.  I think the pink roses just pop right off my nail surrounded by that Cadillacquer pink!

This is, as I said, two coats of We'll Meet Again over my usual Orly base with one coat of HK Girl on top.  What do you think?  Isn't it sweet!?  Perfect for Valentine's Day!

If you need some Cadillacquer of your own Llarowe.com provides this brand in the US at this LINK.  Here is the link to the main Cadillacquer Shop.

Polish Addict Nail Color, Part II

Provided for Review

Hi, everyone! 

Before we get started I have a quick request.  I received a comment on my last post that my page is hard to read, but she did not give me any specifics as to what the problem is.  When I am on my PC and my iPhone the layout and colors seem fine to me.  I would love to correct this issue if necessary but I need you all to tell me where the problem is. Thanks sooooo much! :)

Thanks for your patience while waiting for this post.  This one is pic heavy :D

Today I am going to show you two more amazing polishes from PANC - but unlike the first two these are HOLOGRAPHIC!  Woo!  Who doesn't love holographic polish?!

First up is Unicorn 2.2, a gorgeous silvery-lavender beauty.  This shimmering, glitter-filled holo polish catches the sun in so many various ways and is still just stunning in regular lighting.  The combination of sparkle in this baby impresses me; I just adore unique polish.  It's sure to please everyone with its lavender base, lavender flakies, and iridescent glitter.  I wore it alone in three coats and was very impressed with the formula.

 

 

 

Up next is a lovely shade called Alter Ego.  Alter Ego is not only beautiful and holographic but it is also a thermal polish!  The PANC store site says this is a "holo thermal that is a light amber when warm and turns darker when cold.  (An Ultra Thermal-Dust which changes from one color to another instead of transparent at temperatures of 86F and warmer. [...])"  I absolutely loved this color when I put it on and wore it for a week.  The neutral amber-brown was just perfect for the cool weather we are having!  I wore two coats of Alter Ego for perfectly full coverage.

 



 

Here is the LINK to the holographic polish section of PANC, and here is the LINK to get to the main shop page.  Don't you just LOVE these holographics?!  They are very strongly holo in all light sources and the formula is just perfect.

Polish Addict Nail Color Review, Part I

Provided for Review

Good evening!

Tonight I want to show you two of four amazing colors sent to me for review by the creative Laura Sanchez!  Laura is the brilliant mind behind the Polish Addict Nail Color line, along with PANC co-owner, Crystal Fernandez.

I have chatted often with Laura lately and she is the sweetest lady!  I have always admired her unique glitter polishes and I was thrilled when she contacted me to do a review.

First up is a really sweet color that my daughter was head over heels for.  Pretty Zombie is a pink crelly packed full of different sizes and shapes and types of glitter!  This polish was inspired by Rob Zombie and his wife, and has something interesting on every brush swipe.  I found stars, hearts, hexies, neons, mattes, metallics... and the best part of all is that it glows in the dark!  I found that the pink base was a bit sheer for me but with three coats it became opaque.  I want to try this one over pink undies and see if I can make the glitter a touch less overwhelming on my tiny nails.  I put this on over my Orly base and used two coats of HK Girl top coat over it.  The top coat did not take away from the glow in the dark effect at all!

 

Up next is another super fun glitter polish that I'm sure you have heard of!  If you read Nail It! magazine then you have probably seen the Indie Spotlight interview in which Laura says one of her favorites from her polish line is Blurred Lines Glow in the Dark polish!  When I put on Blurred Lines I really was super excited to have such a gorgeous piece in my collection and it became one of my all-time favorites, too.  We all know I love my glitter-filled white crème bases--especially when they are unique to my stash!  Blurred Lines is a white crelly with holo dust that glows in the dark with a mix of black, blue, pink, and white glitters.  Oh my gosh it is pretty!  I love that I found so many different glitters in the formula without it being as many different types as Pretty Zombie.  This is three coats of Blurred Lines in all its magnificence!  This is also over my Orly base with two coats of HK Girl on top.  I want to go put it right back on my nails now...........

 

 

 

For all your glow in the dark polish cravings here is a LINK specifically to the Glow in the Dark section of the Polish Addict Nail Color shop!  This LINK is to the Big Cartel shop home page.

 

You have got to see these beauties!!!  I need to go get my hands on Unicorn Galaxy GITD right this second, you guys.  So pretty!

 

Laura and Crystal also have a fantastic selection of other types of polish including holographic, thermal, and even an extremely popular Mystery Box subscription!  Be sure you go check out the PANC Facebook, too.  If you want to see that interview in Nail It! magazine you can find the link HERE.

 

Here is a little tidbit from the PANC site regarding the GITD polishes in case you are wondering about the glow: "A Photo-luminescent Powder that when charges with natural or artificial light will absorb photons, then re-radiates them and gives a glow. Sunlight and UV black light provide the best effect for a charge."

 

Thanks for dropping by - and come back to see some amazing holographics from PANC that will knock your socks off!!!

Emily de Molly Cosmic Forces

Good morning!
I just laid the little one down for his morning nap and looked over my blog a little.  I am very sad to see that some of my photo quality is very poor!!  They really lost their quality in translation from my iPhone app posting to the PC view....  I'm incredibly sorry about this!!!

Today I am working from the desktop and I want to show off another Emily de Molly to make up for my crappy pics before.  This is the famous Cosmic Forces!  I did take these photos inside, but I don't think they turned out badly.

 



This mani is two coats of this lovely, squishy purple jelly polish.  I especially adore the big holo circles in there that just make the whole thing pop!  My only issue with this polish is that where the big circles stick on my nails it always leaves a violet stain.  It's still totally worth it!!!  I use on coat of Seche Vite on top and it is nice and smooth.  I have never had any glitter problems with Cosmic Forces, whether it be with placing the glitter or any catching.

What do you think of this one!?  Love it!!

The Devil Does Holo!

This polish was generously provided to me for review by Tami Willis, owner and creator of The Devil Wears Polish. The provided polish is graciously accepted and kept, and does not affect my opinions regarding the product.  This blog review post is my honest opinion for the owner's and any consumers' benefit.  Thank you, Tami, for the opportunity to review these awesome polishes!



Hi everyone!  I have a very pretty holo from The Devil Wears Polish's new collection The Lust-Rous Linears to show you!

Suck My Peach is a pastel peach linear holo that I think is a perfect demure shade that you can wear to work all day but has a lovely, light holo effect that takes you from work to the evening out!  This color was very easy to apply and was opaque in two coats.


Suck My Peach shown outdoors

I kinda wish the holo had been as pronounced on my nail as it was in the bottle, but I wasn't disappointed with the polish because it really is a beautiful color! The light sparkle in it made me feel girly and fun and I think the nearly nude shade of peach worked well for my skin tone. Suck My Peach was a big hit when I wore it around!

Suck My Peach, indoors with flash



Look at the sparkle!!!

I truly cannot wait to own more lovely colors from The Devil Wears Polish because Tami really has an eye for unique color combinations and has done a spectacular job with the formula of her polishes!

To find this and other beautiful colors from Tami, go check out The Devil Wears Polish HERE.

A Cosmic Gradient, and New Ellagee Polish Goodies!!!

Hi darlings! Remember those Avon Cosmic Collection holographic polishes I was so excited about? Well I got my order in: Starlight, Saturn, and Starburst! I was inspired to create a gradient with these as soon as I saw them. Scattered holographic sparkle galore!!!! Problem is that I failed pretty miserably at my gradient; it just didn't flow from one color to the next because of my quick application. We all have our off days! But before grabbing the acetone to nix the whole mani I decided to try my hand at some quick stamping with E napped. What do you think? ;)

Cleaned up with my lovely E.L.F. Concealer Brush and voíla!

Here is what Starlight looks like on it's own:

I pretty much drooled on my hand when I saw this one outside, you guys. Drooled. The color is smashing and the holo is very vibrant. This is two coats (my usual base & top, also) of Starlight to make it completely opaque. It's pretty typical of a good holo; kind of a creme and goes on flawlessly. Reminded me of CC Halo Hues application, actually. I'm also really proud of this pic! I wish it showed more of the holographic effect, but golly that's a great signature shot. Now if only I can duplicate it. :p

So if you have stuck around this long I want to show you my nail mail from the last two days!!!

First up is my giveaway winnings from the lovely Alexis of XOXO Alexis Leigh (http://www.xoxoalexisleigh.com/?m=1)  from the Spring Beauty Essentials Multi-Blogger Giveaway! Here is Sugarpill's Junebug, a loose eyeshadow, and LVX's Cerulean. I can't wait to try them!!! Thank you, Alexis! :D

Next up is my awesome purchase from ellagee's new Cocktail Hour thermal polish collection! This is Frozen Concoction & Blue Hawaiian!

And last but not least, Laura kindly provided some goodies for me to review for you all! I can't waaaaait to try them! This is Tequila Sunrise and Little Black Dress! Gorgeous, shimmering polish!!!!

Thanks for sticking around through my long post! :)

For fellow bloggers and/or polish makers: I am about to start working on a Giveaway! Just because! Would anyone be interested in joining in? :)

S-watch This!! Some Indie Holographics!!

Hey, lovelies!!! I have sooo much energy today! Five hours of straight sleep does a nursing mommy good - thank you to the hubby for taking the 2 am shift! ;)

E is napping so I wanted to share a couple stunning Holographics from Enkelini. If you asked me to suggest a high-quality, super holographic Indie polish I would send you straight to the Enkelini Etsy shop.

I purchased three stunning shades a while back: Pimp My Pink, Calliope, and Midnight's Rainbow. The application: completely smooth. Opaque in two or less coats. Super holographic! I used my good ol' usual top & base coats for each of these. Enjoy the eye candy!!!!!!

Pimp My Pink is what Barbie would wear if she wore holo pink polish lol. This baby is HOT pink & it is a stunner!!!!!!

I did a lot of research on red holos before this purchase, you guys. I did a ton of comparison checking and when I found this blatantly linear, shining red holo I knew I had found a winner. Some reds are much less holographic and I wanted something eye-popping. Ta da!!!

Last, but in no way least, is Midnight's Rainbow. This black holo goes on BLACK and the rainbow explodes out of it with holo-y goodness!!!!!! No shortage of amazing here! (Blurred a little to show all the colors my camera couldn't easily pick up.)

I'm still working off my phone but here is the link to the Enkelini Etsy shop & Facebook!

Shop: http://www.etsy.com/shop/Enkelini

FB: https://www.facebook.com/EnkeliniNailPolish

20% Cooler & Mermaid Spell

Hi, darlings! Thanks for hanging in there for me while I try to sort out a good balance for myself and the family while we run on less (minimal for me!) sleep.

Before I show you my mani here is a quick update, if you're interested! Baby E is doing so well! I am breastfeeding so I am usually feeding him every 2 hours and I'm so sleepy! But of course R is a big help and sometimes takes a night shift with a bottle. C is an amazing big sister! She is very attentive and helpful and always wants to hold the baby. E was a month old yesterday, you guys! Can you believe it?! I can't. If you are a FB friend of mine you have the pleasure of watching my babies grow! ;)

Ok, ok, on to business! The day before yesterday I was determined to wear Rainbow Honey's 20% Cooler from the Equestria Collection. It was a lemming of mine for a very long time and I finally got it from a blog sale a while back. I love this polish! I have no complaints about it at all. It's a mix of rainbow colored glitter in a very sheer blue base, just as it appears in the bottle. Application is super easy, no digging for glitter and it's easy to place evenly. This is one coat. I also used my usual G&G HK Girl top coat over the mani.

I wanted to put 20% Cooler over a similar blue base, and I chose to use Layla Hologram Effect #06, Mermaid Spell. I really wanted to see how the holographic undies would look with the array of glitter colors! Application for Mermaid Spell was miserable, you guys. The first coat practically didn't exist because it was so sheer. I let it dry - IT WAS DRY - and the second coat drug the first one around and created patches. UGGGH. Don't you hate when that happens? And then I dabbed & applied coat 3 to try to even it out and got the almost same results. Oh for crying out loud. So I gave up on it because I was putting that sheer blue based glitter on top. But I assure you I am holding a grudge. Also, if you did not have this problem or don't mind multiple layers of polish to reach opaqueness & want to buy (or swap) my Layla Holograms (I have 3, 1 unused) feel free to make an offer! I have other holos that impress me more. 

What do you all think of this mani?! Heck, comment me anything! I miss you ladies! What are you wearing on your nails? What is new in your world? Next post will be so fun: I am gonna try out my new polish from Glitter Guilty called Wonder Woman. It is sooooo pretty! Jess of Glitter Guilty did a spot on job with this creation for her mom for Mother's Day!