Stash Swatch Initiative: Elixir Lacquers Snowman Suite

Hello!

Elixir Lacquers Snowman Suite. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

I have my first Elixir Lacquers polish to show you! This is now discontinued, but was part of the limited Christmas/Holiday release. This is Snowman Suite.

Elixir Lacquers Snowman Suite. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

This is simple, yet, stunning mix of glitters, which perfectly represents a melted snowman. I love it! There are small, orange hexes; larger white, satiny hexes; and really big, black circle glitters; all swimming in a clear base loaded with small, iridescent glitter. The overall effect is cute, and I couldn't be more pleased with this purchase.

Shown today is one dabbed coat of Snowman Suite plus Seche Vite over Tuesday's OPI I Don't Give a Rotterdam! I thought I Don't Give a Rotterdam! was the perfect wintry color to layer Snowman Suite with because it complements all the glitter colors, is light enough for them all to stand out, but is also dark enough for the fabulous iridescent base glitters to show up.

Elixir Lacquers Snowman Suite. Outdoors, sunlight, no flash.

Formula on this is super easy to work with. It's a little thinner than many of my other indie polishes, which necessitated propping my bottle on it's head before using it as I did see some settling, but this is far from a problem. I didn't have to fish for the black circles. I did a full mani, and wound up with five of them on my nails.

As I mentioned, this one is no longer available, but Elixir Lacquers has released a rocking new collection. Check it out here!

Elixir Lacquers Snowman Suite. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

More soon!! ^_^

Stash Swatch Initiative: Revlon Blue Lagoon

Hello!

Revlon Blue Lagoon. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

Another wintry polish today. This one is Revlon Blue Lagoon (the name, not wintry lol). Swatches today are three coats of Blue Lagoon over a base of Sinful Colors Nail Hardener, and topped with Seche Vite.

Revlon Blue Lagoon. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

Blue Lagoon is a gorgeous pastel blue with sliver shimmer. The formula is okay; a little streaky, but three coats cover well. The shimmer keeps this polish from looking too stark or chalky. Even though the silver shimmer evokes a wintry feel from this for me, I'm still looking forward to using this again come spring.

Outdoors, sunlight, no flash.

I found this bottle last month on clearance at CVS. Win!

Revlon Blue Lagoon. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

More soon!! ^_^

Stash Swatch Initiative: OPI I Don't Give a Rotterdam!

Hello again!

OPI I Don't Give A Rotterdam!. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

I have OPI I Don't Give a Rotterdam! to show you today. This one is from last year's Holland Collection.

I Don't Give a Rotterdam! is a unique grey-blue. A muted periwinkle. The color reminds me of January skies, snow, and the winter stillness. In the bottle, this looks to have silver shimmer. On the nail, I do see the silver shimmer, but I was surprised to see gold/copper shimmer in there as well. I think that little detail makes this polish a winner.

OPI I Don't Give A Rotterdam!. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

I used three coats of I Don't Give a Rotterdam! over a base of Sinful Colors Nail Hardener, and topped it off with one coat of Seche Vite. This was surprisingly a little sheer, but the formula is great. No issues.

OPI I Don't Give A Rotterdam!. Outdoors, sunlight, no flash.

I picked this up on clearance recently, and, while it wasn't on my 'official' wishlist, I'm very glad I found it. It's a unique shade in my stash, and I really like wearing it. Gorgeous!

OPI I Don't Give A Rotterdam!. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

More soon! ^_^

Stash Swatch Initiative: Sinful Colors Nova

Hello again!

Sinful Colors Nova. Indoors, artificial light, with flash.

This is Sinful Colors Nova.

This is a gorgeous deep blue jelly-like base polish with blue and green shimmer. It is well pigmented, needing only two coats for opacity. I see some balding near my cuticles in the sun, so perhaps a third coat or more patient application would have been better. Indoors, however, this was not visible.

Sinful Colors Nova. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

As shown today, I've used a base of Sinful Colors Nail Hardener, two coats of Nova, and one coat of Seche Vite. Formula was pretty good, but I can see the potential for a bit of staining with this one.

Sinful Colors Nova. Outdoors, sunlight, no flash.

I found this in a random display at Walgreens quite some time ago. It's a unique and beautiful polish. I think it looks like the night sky, and it would be a fantastic start for a galaxy mani.

Sinful Colors Nova. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

More soon!! ^_^

Haul: December!

A quick change of plans! I loved the combination of For Audrey and Cauldron Bubble, I didn't want to remove it, so I'm still wearing it! That means no nail art or notw post this week. May I entertain you with a long overdue haul post instead?

One more haul post to catch us up to the present! And speaking of presents, here's what was waiting for me under the tree this year!

Christmas Loot!

My awesome fiance snagged these lemmings from Black Cat Lacquer for me: Discotraxx, Trick or Treat, and Paranormal! And he very sweetly let me open them early to cheer me up (while I was worriedly sitting in the Emergency Room). He's the best!

My awesome sister did some Llarowe shopping and gifted me Jade Deja Vu, Hare Polish Electric Flame, Smitten Polish Glass Elevator, and Dollish Polish A Peachy Princess. I love that she randomly picked polishes she liked off my GIGANTIC wishlist. What fun!

My awesome mother gave me some nail art items from Avon this year. The red polish has a tiny striper brush, which will be awesome to use. I suspect it's pigmented well-enough to be used as a stamping polish, too! And some intricate rhinestone decals!

Avon Loot!

For the first of my two allotted purchases of the month, I was enticed by Llarowe's awesome deals of the season and picked up Naild'It Candy Corn, Girly Bits Indian Summer, and Girly Bits Candy Corn. The second purchase was from Trelly's Misc! The mini was free! Yay!! The mini is called Berry Christmas (I used it in a mani right on over here), and the others are The Moon Sees Me, Sugar Plum Dance, and Hopeful.

Trelly's and Llarowe Haul!

I got some money sent to me as gifts as well, and I firmly believe that any money/giftcards that are given as a gift should be used on something fun you wouldn't normally splurge on (no paying for an oil change or groceries with that unless it's dire!). So, I did a massive Cult Nails haul! And a Bundle Monster Haul! I couldn't resist getting both the 200 series and the 300 series sets and a set of nail art wheels. 

Bundle Monster Loot!

I totally owned myself on the Cult Nails order though--I had Seduction and Vicious switched in my head, so even though I WANTED Seduction, I ordered Vicious instead. No flakies for me this time around :( but Vicious is a great purple creme, anyway. I got Scandalous, Doppleganger, Bitten, Alter Ego, Charlatan, Untamed, Deception, Cruisin' Nude, Vicious, and Let me Fly.

Cult Nails FTW!

Finally, two polishes I snagged at CVS. Nicole by OPI Kim-Pletely in Love and Revlon Blue Lagoon were both on clearance for 50-75% off, so those came home with me.

Random Drugstore Loot!

There are a few more giftcards yet to use, so I suspect January will be fun! I had a GREAT December! How about you?

More soon! ^_^

Stash Swatch Initiative: Zoya Gilty

Hello again!

Zoya Gilty. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

I snagged Zoya Gilty during one of Zoya's promotional sales. This is a limited edition gold flake topcoat.

I used one coat of Zoya Gilty over a base of China Glaze For Audrey (sick of seeing that one yet? I can't seem to wear it enough lately.), plus a coat of Seche Vite. No issues with application, and I was pleased with the coverage for one coat. Not too busy, but not too sparse either.

Zoya Gilty. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

Gilty is still available, if you're interested. Check it out, here!

Zoya Gilty. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

More soon! ^_^

Stash Swatch Initiative: OPI Koala Bear-y

Hello again! Halfway to the weekend.. hang in there!

OPI Koala Bear-y. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

Real quick post today to show off one of my favorite pink polishes. This is OPI Koala Bear-y.

OPI Koala Bear-y. Indoors, artificial light, with flash.

Koala Bear-y is a lovely, deep pink. Swatches today are a base coat of Sinful Colors Nail Hardener, two effortless coats of Koala Bear-y, and one coat of Seche Vite. The formula on this is superb. Zero issues, and it's nearly opaque enough to be a one coater. At one coat, you will still get a hint of nail line, but if you are in a hurry, this is a good go-to, basic creme.

OPI Koala Bear-y. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

More soon! ^_^

Stash Swatch Initiative: Trelly's Misc Cauldron Bubble

Hello again!

Trelly's Misc Cauldron Bubble. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

I am so excited about this polish! This might be my favorite polish ever! And it's not even pink, which surprised me!

Trelly's Misc Cauldron Bubble. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

This is Cauldron Bubble from Trelly's Misc. This was a Halloween release, but there's nothing witchy about it. It is a stunning mix of glitters in a clear base. I used one careful coat over yesterday's China Glaze For Audrey. Love!

Trelly's Misc Cauldron Bubble. Outdoors, shade, no flash.

I see matte, white heart glitter; shiny hex glitters in lime green; two sizes of shiny, turquoise hexes; shiny turquoise squares; two sizes of matte, white hexes; small holo hexes; holo dust; super tiny turquoise bar glitter; and, finally, a sparse smattering of tiny, deep purples hexes. The shiny glitters catch the light and sparkle something fierce in the sun.

Trelly's Misc Cauldron Bubble. Outdoors, sunlight, no flash.

No issues with the formula. Most fingers just got one swiped coat. A few needed a little dab to fill in a spot or two, but nothing tricky. I was more careful with the placement of the heart glitters than I was with the moons from The Moon Sees Me swatch. I did not have to fish them out, but I only wanted a few on my nails, so I ended up wiping them off the brush unless I wanted them.

Trelly's Misc Cauldron Bubble. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

Miss Cassie should be re-opening her Etsy store soon. I hear she has some new polishes out for Valentines Day! Check her out! I'm fairly certain that Cauldron Bubble is no longer available, but it might come back around next Halloween. Happy shopping!

More soon! ^_^

Stash Swatch Initiative: China Glaze For Audrey

Hello again!!

Today I have the elusive, China Glaze For Audrey swatched up for you.

China Glaze For Audrey. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

This is a gorgeous Tiffany Blue creme. The formula is fantastic. It is thick, but it doesn't drag and cause bald spots and is very forgiving, tolerating a fair bit of manipulation. I used two easy coats over a base of Sinful Colors Nail Hardener and topped it all with one coat of Seche Vite. It is perfection!

China Glaze For Audrey. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

For Audrey wears like iron. The first time I wore this, I ended up keeping it on for eight days... and when I did finally remove it, it didn't even look like it had been on that long. There was some minor wear, but was still going pretty strong, which I thought was incredible.

China Glaze For Audrey. Outdoors, sunlight, no flash.

As I mentioned in the haul post for this, it's been sold out everywhere I ever looked for it. I happened upon my bottle at Ulta one day, but I don't think my Ulta normally has this one. Good luck if you're after it!

China Glaze For Audrey. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

More soon! ^_^

NOTW: Snowflakes!

Hello!

Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

January (not to mention the entire winter so far) has been rather tame here in the Mid-Atlantic states. We even had a fail Winter Storm Warning this week (That's right. Storm warning issued for four to six inches of snow and ZERO fell.). Being from Minnesota, I find myself missing the wintry weather (yep, I'm one of those crazies who love the snow!). So, this week, I brought the snow to my nails. I started with my go-to base of Sinful Colors Nail Hardener and layered two coats of Color Club Worth the Risque over that. Once that was dry, I sponged on Zoya Ibiza to create my gradient. The snowflakes were stamped on from the first series of Bundle Monster plates with Orly Luxe, Zoya Zuza, and Konad Special Polish in white. Everything then got a coat of NYC's In a New York Minute!

Outdoors, sunlight, no flash.

Zoya Ibiza is incredibly pigmented, and, for the life of me, I could not get it off the skin around my nails entirely. I scrubbed with qtips, my normal cleanup brush, and an orange stick. I got most of it, but wound up taking more polish off the tops of my nails than I intended. Le sigh... can't win 'em all.

Have a good weekend! More soon!! ^_^

Stash Swatch Initiative: Cult Nails Bitten

Hi!

Cult Nails Bitten. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

I am so excited to show you this one! I finally placed a Cult Nails order last month, and this beauty is from the newest collection. This is Cult Nails Bitten!

Cult Nails Bitten. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

Isn't is great? For swatches today, I've used a base of Sinful Colors Nail Hardener, three coats of Bitten, and finished with one coat of Seche Vite. The formula is wonderful--the first coat was a bit streaky but it evens itself out with two coats, and the third was just to deepen that lovely cranberry color.

The matching shimmer in the jelly base is gorgeous out in the sun!

Cult Nails Bitten. Outdoors, sunlight, no flash. Not sure what is going on with my  pointer finger here... did I smudge it? Lol.

Cult Nails can be found here, and a lot of information (and sometimes sales!) is announced via their Facebook page.

More soon!! ^_^

Stash Swatch Initiative: Trelly's Misc The Moon Sees Me

Hi there! Today I have another Trelly's Misc creation to show off! This is The Moon Sees Me.

Trelly's Misc The Moon Sees Me. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

The Moon Sees Me is a gorgeous combination of pastel and holo glitters. I used one coat plus a coat of Seche Vite over yesterday's Kim-Pletely In Love swatch. No issues with the formula, however, I'll be careful in the future to keep it to one moon per nail. I thought multiples looked too busy, but that is just my personal preference.

Trelly's Misc The Moon Sees Me. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

Anyway, I see pastel hexes in pink, blue, and green; bigger pastel, blue hexes; tiny holo hexes, holo bar glitter; and, of course, the holo moon-shaped glitter. I'm loving this and can't wait to try this over all the colors! I think soft grey and muted teal would be lovely as well. The moon-shaped glitter did lay flat on my nail, however, you do need to be mindful about placement--you'll see in the last picture that I wasn't and one or two are hanging off the edge.

Trelly's Misc The Moon Sees Me. Outdoors, sunlight, no flash.

Trelly's Misc can be found on Etsy, and I think the best place to keep an eye out for info about restocks and new releases is here, on Facebook.

Trelly's Misc The Moon Sees Me. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

More soon!! ^_^

Stash Swatch Initiative: Nicole by OPI Kim-Pletely in Love

Hello!

Nicole by OPI Kim-Pletely In Love. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

Today's post is just a quickie to show you Nicole by OPI's Kim-Pletely In Love.

Nicole by OPI Kim-Pletely In Love. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

This is a soft and pretty pink loaded with iridescent shimmer that flashes green and blue. Swatches today are a base of Sinful Colors Nail Hardener, followed by four coats of Kim-Pletely In Love, and topped with one coat of Seche Vite. Formula was nice on this one, but it is very sheer.

Nicole by OPI Kim-Pletely In Love. Outdoors, sunlight, no flash.

I found my bottle on clearance at CVS a few weeks ago, happy hunting!

Nicole by OPI Kim-Pletely In Love. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

More soon ^_^