Haul: November!

Hello!

Oh ladies, what a huge month for polish 'round here! Huge!

Let's start right in with late October purchases.

First, Zoya's super fun, Halloween trick-or-treat promo: Buy one, get one free plus free shipping! I picked up the last two PixieDusts on my list: Stevie and Solange.

Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

Second, Llarowe had a pre-order for Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, which is supposed to be a dupe for Essie Starry Night. I missed the whole Starry Night craze. It happened before my polish addiction set in, but I can see why it was lemmed after -- it's beautiful! I also picked up Model's Own Pink Punch on clearance. I've already worn it -- it is super fabulous!

Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

And the FUN 3 plate also had to be mine... it has the cast of the Mario Bros. franchise on it!

Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

I stopped in to Sally's for some reason and walked out with dotting tools and a set of nail art brushes. Sally's has REALLY stepped up their nail art section, it's huge and has everything from striping tape, to decals, and tools!

Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

Next, Zoya brought four polishes back from their Matte Velvet collections. These are my picks: Savita, Dovima, and Posh.

Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

After that, yup, another order from Llarowe. I happened upon the CrowToes restock one Saturday morning, so I bought Indian Summer and Minion. Happily, my last Hare polish lemming was also available: King of Carat Flowers. I've been trying to get this one for like a year!

Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

In addition to all the awesomeness, KBShimmer released their winter and fan collections! I had to have: Snow Flaking Way, Snow Much Fun, and Kringle All the Way.

Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

And I finally caved in and purchased my first Nfu-Oh's! I picked these up from FabulouStreet. This is #51 and #59.

Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

Finally, drug store purchases: L'Oreal's new line of textured polishes look fantastic! I fully intended on going into CVS for some of the new Revlon scented polishes, but these captivated me much more instead. This is Too Dimensional? and Hidden Gems -- Hidden Gems has this gorgeous green to purple duochrome bend in the bottle that I'm super excited about.

Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

And because I thought they were so awesome, even though I initially said "No, I have enough polish", my enabler (aka husband), grabbed two more of them for me when we ran out of toothpaste and he made a quick CVS run. This is I Like it Chunky and Sexy in Sequins.

Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

I also found Sally Hansen Mermaid's Tale, which hopefully can kill my lemming for Deborah Lippmann's Across the Universe. Essie's Sable Collar also called to me from the display.

Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

Okay, seeing it all listed like this.. I admit, it's rather insane! I think I'm going to ask Santa for a Helmer this year....

More soon! ^_^

Stash Swatch Initiative: Sinful Colors Amethyst

Hello! Happy Thanksgiving, America! Enjoy that turkey!

Another quick swatch post for a simple creme polish -- this one is Sinful Colors Amethyst.

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

Amethyst is the perfect shade of grape-purple! I'd been on the hunt for this very thing for awhile. I'm pretty sure I picked up and examined every purple polish in Target the day that I bought this because nothing else matched what I had in mind... until this one!

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

Swatches today are a base coat of Seche Clear, two coats of Amethyst, and one coat of NYC In a New York Minute. This polish has a nice formula, which didn't give me any issues. It's nicely pigmented and smooth.

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

As I mentioned, I found this lovely at Target. Sinful Colors is also sold at Walgreens.

More soon! ^_^

Stash Swatch Initiative: Zoya Pepper

Hello!

Today I have Zoya Pepper to show you!

Pepper is a simple, brick red creme... or red pepper red, I suppose! Rich and warm! I'm a fan of red polish, and I'm glad to have this darker beauty in my lineup.

Zoya Pepper. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

Swatches today are a base coat of Seche Clear, two coats of Pepper, and one coat of NYC In a New York Minute. This has a great formula -- no issues!

Zoya Pepper. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

Along with Hunter, Louise, and Flynn, I received Pepper for free as part of a promotion Zoya was running a couple of months back. They do great promos, announced via their Facebook page, and ordering from their website is easy, if you don't have an Ulta nearby.

Zoya Pepper. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

More soon! ^_^

Stash Swatch Initiative: Maybelline Clearly Spotted

Hello!

Quick swatch post today for Maybelline's Clearly Spotted.

Maybelline Clearly Spotted over Model's Own Pink Punch. Indoors, artificial light, no flash. What a snazzy bottle!

Clearly Spotted is a black and white glitter topper in a clear base. There are small and medium white hexes, and tiny, small, and large black hexes. This provides the perfect glitter coverage with one coat.

Maybelline Clearly Spotted over Model's Own Pink Punch. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

Swatches today are one swiped on coat of Clearly Spotted over yesterday's Model's Own Pink Punch swatch plus one coat of NYC In a New York Minute. This polish is easy to apply. The formula is great, and all you need is one coat.

Maybelline Clearly Spotted over Model's Own Pink Punch. Indoors, artificial light, no flash. I loved this combination with a matte finish!

I snagged this a few months ago during a shopping trip at Target. I think I've seen this collection around at places like CVS and Walgreens too,

Maybelline Clearly Spotted over Model's Own Pink Punch. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

More soon! ^_^

Stash Swatch Initiative: Model's Own Pink Punch

Hello!

I have a neon to liven up your Monday! This is Model's Own Pink Punch!

Pink Punch is a super bright, neon coral. It is fabulous!

Model's Own Pink Punch. Indoors artificial light, no flash.

Swatches today are a base coat of Seche Clear two coats of Pink Punch, and one coat of NYC In a New York Minute. The formula on this polish is great. It is super smooth, has good opacity, and is easy to apply. It even dries glossy... a neon that dries glossy? Whoa. How? Perhaps I did not wait long enough for it to dry fully?

Model's Own Pink Punch. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

Overall this is a fantastic neon polish. It's super bright, the formula is awesome, and it looks great both glossy and matte (coming soon)! I purchased this recently on clearance at Llarowe. It looks like they're gone from that site, but several e-tailers carry this brand.

Model's Own Pink Punch. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

More soon! ^_^

Stash Swatch Initiative: Jessica Pumpkin Delight

Hello!

This is Jessica Pumpkin Delight!

Jessica Pumpkin Delight. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

Pumpkin delight is a gorgeous, deep coppery-orange foil in most light. My pictures failed to capture the richness of this polish, and, sadly, my cellphone picture from last Friday's NOTW is the most true-to-life. You can, however, see the beautiful mix of particles in these photos -- copper, orange, gold, and pink. Perfectly autumn.

Jessica Pumpkin Delight. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

Swatches today are a base coat of Duri Rejuvacote, two coats of Pumpkin Delight, and one coat of Seche Vite. No issues with this one at all -- it flows smoothly on to the nail for easy application.

Jessica Pumpkin Delight. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

I had to search through the blog to figure out where this one came from -- my Birthday Haul last March! It says I got this from Ninja Polish, where it is out of stock at the moment.

More soon! ^_^

Stash Swatch Initiative: Essie Sable Collar

Hello!

I have a polish from a new collection to show you today! This is Essie Sable Collar!

Essie Sable Collar. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

Sable Collar is a taupey-purple with plum shimmer. This is a unique color to my stash of 375 or so polishes, and I love the warmth of the shimmer.

Essie Sable Collar. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

Swatches today are a base coat of Seche Clear, two coats of Sable Collar, and one coat of NYC In a New York Minute. This has what I find to be the typical Essie formula -- it is thin and watery, but surprisingly opaque needing just two coats. I don't much care for this type of formula, in fact it put me off Essie as brand for a long while, but even so, I had no problems with application.

Essie Sable Collar. Indoors, filtered sunlight (window), no flash.

I picked this up recently at my local CVS. I had a coupon plus some Extra Bucks to burn, so this one came home with me. This should be readily available now; I think this is from Essie's winter collection, which was just released.

Essie Sable Collar. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

More soon! ^_^

Stash Swatch Initiative: Rainbow Honey Star Stuff

Hello!

Here is another Rainbow Honey limited edition polish! Star Stuff!

Rainbow Honey Star Stuff. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

Star Stuff is a simple but gorgeous glitter topper consisting of gold and silver holographic glitters. There are small and medium squares, stars, and micro glitter. It is incredibly shiny and a bit magical.

Rainbow Honey Star Stuff. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

Swatches today are one coat of Star Stuff over yesterday's Zoya Louise swatch, plus the usual, Gelous plus NYC In a New York Minute. I swiped this on, taking care to place the stars strategically. No problems with this polish, the stars came out readily, and one coat is the perfect amount of glitter for me! Love this one!

Rainbow Honey Star Stuff. Indoors, filtered sunlight (window), no flash.

I purchased this bottle directly from Rainbow Honey. Sadly, this is listed as sold out at time of writing the post. It hasn't been removed from the site yet, so there's a small chance it could return. I get my restock and new polish information from announcements on Rainbow Honey's Facebook page -- check them out! This is one of my favorite polish makers!

Rainbow Honey Star Stuff. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

More soon! ^_^

Stash Swatch Initiative: Zoya Louise

Hello!

Today I have Zoya Louise to show you!

Zoya Louise. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

Louise is a rich, milk chocolate-colored brown creme. Delicious!

Zoya Louise. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

Swatches today are a base coat of Seche Clear, two coats of Louise, and one coat of NYC In a New York Minute. Like Flynn and Hunter, Louise has a great formula. No issues.

Zoya Louise. Indoors, filtered sunlight (window), no flash.

I received this polish free with a qualifying purchase a few months ago. As I've said before, Zoya does great promos announced via their Facebook page.

Zoya Louise. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

More soon! ^_^

NOTW: Fall French

Hello and happy Friday!

Here's what I ended up wearing this week:

Cell phone picture (my new HTC One!). Indoors, artificial/harsh office lighting, no flash.

That's a base coat of Jessica Pumpkin Delight with tips done in Orly Luxe. Interestingly, I used a paper hole reinforcer ring as a guide for the tip of my pointer finger, actual french tip guides for the middle and ring fingers, and freehanded the tip for my pinkie. I think I prefer freehanded... I couldn't center the round stickers perfectly (which drove me crazy looking at it the unevenness on my pointer all week), and the tip guides can be too straight and can cause imperfections if not seated properly. I've gotten pretty good and steady at the freehand technique over the years! ^_^

I didn't even photograph this like I normally would. I snagged this picture at work midweek, and it was intended to be an 'in progress' picture. I had really wanted to add some stamping to this to up the autumnal factor, but I don't know where the time went. Here it is already Friday and the tipwear and growth are to the point where I need a new mani! Oh well, off to swatching! Maybe simple is better anyway?

More soon! ^_^

Stash Swatch Initiative: Rainbow Honey The Frizz

Hello!

Another Rainbow Honey LE up for swatching today. This one is still available as of posting! Yay! This is The Frizz.

Rainbow Honey The Frizz. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

The Frizz is a clear-based glitter topper. There's a lot going on in that bottle... it is a crazy glitter bomb made up of hexes, squares, circles, and stars in yellow, orange, bright blue, light pink, neon pink, lavender, green, and white. Maybe more... I think there are some iridescent bits in there too. Some shimmer/microglitter? Check it out:

Rainbow Honey The Frizz. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

Swatches today are one dabbed coat of The Frizz over yesterday's Zoya Flynn swatch. I added one coat of Gelous and then one coat of NYC In a New York Minute to get a smooth finish. I found this polish to be a tad bit thick and the glitters wanted to clump together at first. I added a few drops of polish thinner, which fixed this right up. From then on, it applied easily.

Rainbow Honey The Frizz. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

The Frizz is crazy-fun! Just like the inspiration behind this polish. Check it out here! I purchased this bottle directly from Rainbow Honey.

Rainbow Honey The Frizz. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

More soon! ^_^

Stash Swatch Initiative: Zoya Flynn

Hello!

This is Zoya Flynn.

Zoya Flynn. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

Flynn is a simple, warm tan creme. Perfect as a base for all those fall-inspired mani's!

Zoya Flynn. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

Swatches today are base coat of Seche Clear, two coats of Flynn, and one coat of NYC In a New York Minute. No problems with the formula -- it's amazing for a creme. It flows smoothly onto the nail, stands up to manipulation without balding, and is nearly opaque in one coat. Zoya perfection.

Zoya Flynn. Indoors, filtered sunlight (window), no flash.

Flynn is a part of the recent Cashmeres & Satins collection from Zoya. I got this bottle freely included in my order as part of a promotion where I got four (!) of the cremes from the fall collection free with a qualifying purchase. Zoya often runs amazing promos -- and I always hear about them from their Facebook page.

Zoya Flynn. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

More soon! ^_^

Stash Swatch Initiative: Rainbow Honey The Changeling Queen

Hello!

Today I have another fabulous Rainbow Honey creation to show you! This is The Changeling Queen.

Rainbow Honey The Changeling Queen. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

The Changeling Queen is a glitter topper in a clear base. There are large, black circles; small and large lime green squares; green, teal, and blue colored small hex glitters; tiny black bars; and black microglitter. In addition to that, there is shimmer in this that is duochromatic! It shifts from blue to green to yellow.

Rainbow Honey The Changeling Queen. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

Swatches today started with yesterday's Zoya Hunter. I added one coat of The Changeling Queen and topped it off with one coat of Gelous plus one of Seche Vite. I didn't have any problems with the formula on this polish. It swiped on easily, but I did take care to place those giant circles where I wanted them.

Rainbow Honey The Changeling Queen. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

I am not a big fan of green nail polish, but I love this combination!

Rainbow Honey The Changeling Queen. Indoors, filtered sunlight (window), no flash.

This gorgeous polish is a Rainbow Honey limited edition. I snagged it directly from their website a few months ago. Unfortunately, this polish is long gone. Rainbow Honey does incredible limited edition polishes, adding one or more each month. They're always introduced with swatches on their Facebook page along with release date and time. Keep an eye on it so you don't miss out on future LEs!

Rainbow Honey The Changeling Queen. Indoors, artificial light, no flash.

More soon! ^_^