A girl and her love of nail polish

Restock Radar: Week Of Sept. 3

Sep. 3, 2012

Here’s a look at some of the indie nail polish restocks scheduled for this week. Check back every Monday to see what’s coming up.

Monday, September 3
available now
Cirque (On CirqueColors.com)
Notables: Launch of limited edition All Hallow’s Eve collection, including Neko (black matte glitter shards in a clear base)  and Kabocha (bright orange glow-in-the-dark)

eveningET
ELEMENTAL STYLES (On Etsy)
Notables: Colors not specified

Tuesday, September 4
3pmET & 9pmET
SMITTEN POLISH (On Llarowe, and Wednesday on Etsy at 2pmET and 8pmET)
Notables: You’re Turning Violet, Violet (purple and dark blue glitter in a purple base) and Strawberry Tart (pink, blue and red glitter in a pink base)

Wednesday, September 5
5pmET
NAIL SAUCE (On nailsauce.com)
Notables: Limited edition polishes launching – limited info available but they look like holo glitter in a black base

8pmET
ALL THAT GLITTERS (On Big Cartel)
Notables: The Princess Collection, including Kissing On A Frog (green and blue glitter in a green/yellow duo base) and Be Home By Midnight (silver holo and blue glitter in a light blue base)

8pmET
PRETTY & POLISHED (On Etsy)
Notables: Halloween collection, including Candy Corn (an orange-to-yellow color shifter), Witchy Woman (shimmery purple), Blood Clot (lives up to the name!) and Them Bones (mix of hex and bar black & white glitter)

Friday, September 7
3pmET & 9pmET
CANDEO COLORS (On Llarowe)
Notables: Melonball (red, pink and green glitter in a clear base), **a Llarowe exclusive**

10pmET
ELEVATION POLISH (On elevationpolish.com)
Notables: Launch of the new Japan collection, including Dasien (light and dark pink, copper and mutli-colored glitter in a sheer pink base), Kita (silver shimmer in a dark gray base) and Matsuda (Elevation’s version of the “perfect red,” two years in the making)

time not specified
PAHLISH (On Etsy)
Notables: Launch of Portals collection, including Marbles On Glass (hex, square and bar black matte glitter in a clear base) and Little Caroline (orange-to-green color-shifting hex and square glitter in a fuchsia jelly base)

Saturday, September 7
5pmET
HAPPY HANDS POLISH (on Etsy)
Notables: Illusions, Michael (red and gold glitter, gold star glitter, orange and holo shimmer)

time not specified
NOSTALGIC NAIL LACQUER
Notables: Halloween collection, including Bitchcraft (black, pink and blue glitter in a green jelly base) and Like Lovin’ The Dead (mix of green and black glitter in a green milky base)

If you know of any planned restocks coming in the future, please let me know at polishgroupie@gmail.com Thanks for stopping by!

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Indies

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30 Day Challenge Day 2: Orange – Zoya Jancyn with Cos Bar Copper

Sep. 2, 2012

Orange (tangerine?) was definitely the “it” color of the spring. I didn’t even own one before I bought Riveting from the China Glaze Capitol Colors collection back in March; now thanks to some I bought and a cool giveaway win, I have six or seven.

For Day 2 of the 30 Day Challenge, we’re moving onto orange. I’m simultaneously doing 30 Days of Untrieds, so both challenges are covered here.

This is three coats of Zoya Jancyn, with Cos Bar Copper (untried) from the special Shops At Target collection on the tips. I finished it off with some orange/red striping tape and a generous coat of Poshe fast dry top coat.

Zoya Jancyn with Cos Bar Copper

Zoya Jancyn is an almost-neon tangerine. It runs a little toward the thin side, so this took all three coats and really could have used one more but I didn’t have the patience.

Cos Bar Copper is more of a shimmery orange than a copper, though that’s what was called on the Target Web site when the line launched. It’s not too frosty, so I like it quite a bit. Can’t speak much to the formula since I only used it on the tips, but what you see is only one coat, so that’s promising.

Zoya Jancyn with Cos Bar Copper

For the Cos Bar Copper tips, I used Scotch tape as a stencil to get a clean edge. Your base polish has to be really hard and dry for this technique, and even then I recommend putting the tape on your skin a few times before you apply it to your nails just to reduce the stickiness a bit. I read that tip on a blog somewhere but cannot remember where.

I then added the stripping tape. Calling this vintage is not an exaggeration. I’ve had it in my little nail art box since I was in junior high or maybe early high school, so around 20 years. Perhaps not surprisingly, it’s not staying down all that well on the edges despite the top coat. Alas.

Did you go orange-crazy this year? Still loving orange polish or are you so over it?

Please visit some of the other bloggers that are participating in the 30 Day this month. I know we will need a lot of encouragement to get through!

30-Day Challenge, 30 Days of Untrieds

Click here to see all of the other bloggers that are participating in the 30 Day Challenge:


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30-Day Challenge, NOTD, Swatches

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30 Day Challenge Day 1: Red – Savina Ruby and Hearts

Sep. 1, 2012

Here we go! Today I’m embarking on my first-ever blog challenge, and actually not just one but two. I’m going for both the 30 Day Challenge and 30 Days of Untrieds, inspired by Rachel from Polished Criminails, who is doing the same.

Savina Ruby, Savina Hearts

Day 1’s theme is Red. Not only does this manicure include untried colors for me but also an untried brand, Savina, which is available at Nordstrom Rack. This mani includes:

  • Savina Ruby (untried)
  • Savina Hearts (untried)
  • NYC French White Tip (untried)

Savina Ruby, Savina Hearts, NYC French White Tip

Savina Ruby, Savina Hearts
For my nails I used two coats of Savina Ruby, followed by one coat of Poshe fast dry top coat. On the accent nails, I used three coats of NYC French White Tip, one coat of Savina Hearts and one coat of Poshe.

I didn’t think of myself as a fan of red nail polish, but I actually liked this one quite a bit once it was on. It’s more of a jelly polish with a red shimmer. It went on very smoothly and seemed to dry pretty quickly, though the finish was a little bit bumpy. Definitely needed the Poshe.

Savina Ruby, Hearts

White polish can often be tricky, and NYC French White Tip was no exception. First coat was extremely streaky, second mostly covered, third did the trick. I was a little disappointed with Savina Hearts. Since the bottle is jam-packed with heart-shaped glitter, I hoped it would go on with decent coverage. But that wasn’t the case for me. I had to fish out and place the glitter.

I tried dabbing; that didn’t work so well because I was just getting lots of the base with none of the hearts. In the end I grabbed a toothpick and used that to place them on the nail. It turned out a little messy.

Savina Hearts

Next time I will try to apply a coat of Savina Hearts that has no glitter at all, just so I can build up a good base of the iridescent shimmer first, and then fish out and place the hearts.

What do you think? Any tips and tricks for applying polishes with large glitter?

Please visit some of the other bloggers that are participating in the 30 Day this month. I know we will need a lot of encouragement to get through!

30-Day Challenge, 30 Days of Untrieds

Click here to see all of the other bloggers that are participating in the 30 Day Challenge:


Category:

30-Day Challenge, NOTD, Swatches

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Sally Hansen Magnetic Nail Color Silver Elements

Aug. 29, 2012

Today I’m showing you Sally Hansen Magnetic Nail Color in Silver Elements, my first foray into the world of magnetic nail polish.

I actually don’t own this one but was able to borrow it (sorry, no bottle shot!). We were at a family gathering in Rhode Island when all of the pre-teen/barely-teen cousins started an impromptu polish party on the front porch. I of course had to check it out to see what they were doing, and what they were doing was putting on this polish, which one of their moms had purchased for them.

This was the tail end of our gathering, and all of the menfolk were champing at the bit to go home, so this was a very quick application for me. Really I just wanted to see how it worked, and I have to say that I was more than pleasantly surprised.

The polish went on very easily and looked great on its own (like a silver foil). But then the magnet creates darker black holographic-ish waves, eye-catching but not too flashy.

Sally Hansen Magnetic Nail Color Silver Elements Magnetic Nail Polish

The magnet, which comes as a separate cap over the top of the bottle, has a small guide to help you line it up at the cuticle end and not hit the top of your nail. I found it very easy to use. My trick was to turn my finger so that I was basically pointing at myself; that let me see where to place the guide and how far it was from the top of my nail so that I could make sure it was level.

I followed the instructions on the bottle: put one coat on all of your nails, apply a thick second coat to one nail and then hold the magnet over it for 10 seconds. Move onto the next nail and repeat.

Sally Hansen Magnetic Nail Color Silver Elements magnetic nail polish

I happened to have a small stash of polish, including my Poshe topcoat, so this is two coats of Silver Elements plus one coat of Poshe. I got a little over-confident in Poshe’s drying ability — maybe not taking into account that it was a thick second coat — so I ended up dinging my index finger in the bathroom, which is why it’s not included in these photos. *sigh*

But all in all I really liked this polish. It’s an easy way of applying “nail art” without requiring too much time, energy or skill.

Sally Hansen Magnetic Nail Color Silver Elements magnetic nail polish

I recently used my Ulta Rewards to procure a bottle of Layla Magneffect, so we’ll see how that one goes. Right off the bat, the magnet on it looks like it will be harder to use than the Sally Hansen one, but who knows. Will show you what I end up with!

What magnetic polishes have you tried? Any favorites?

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Swatches

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Restock Radar: Week Of August 27

Aug. 27, 2012

Here’s a look at some of the indie nail polish restocks scheduled for this week. Check back every Monday to see what’s coming up:

Monday, August 27
Tuesday, August 28
time not specified yet, but usually its 3pmET & 9pmET
Candeo Colors (On Llarowe)
Notables: small restock, colors not specified

Wednesday, August 29
8pmET
PRETTY & POLISHED (On Etsy)
Notables: Halloween set, including Candy Corn (an orange-to-yellow color shifter), Witchy Woman (shimmery purple), Blood Clot (lives up to the name!) and Them Bones (mix of hex and bar black & white glitter), plus Midnight Rider and other new color-shifters

Thursday, August 30
~7pmET
ONCE UPON A POLISH (On Etsy)
Notables: Launch of reformulated version of Ursula (purple square and and black hex and shredded glitter in a clear base)

time not specified yet, but usually its 3pmET & 9pmET
PAHLISH (On Llarowe)
Notables: Includes four colors: Slow Fade of Love (purple jelly with hex and square holographic glitter), Glittoris (sheer pink base with pink and red glitter), Prayers for Rain (blue jelly base jampacked with iridescent glitters, small blue and green hex, blue and some flakies)  and Chemical Swirl (purple base with mix of metallic and matte glitter)

time not specified
FANCHROMATIC NAILS (On Etsy)
Notables: Several new-for-fall shades, including Broken Holo Theory (holographic shards and micro glitter in a clear base) and The Man In The Moon (described as a white jelly-ish base with silver and pale blue matte glitter and white glass fleck shimmer)

*Also see below for details on a pre-restock sale.*

Friday, August 31
time not specified
MAISIE SHINE (On Etsy)
Notables: Maisie Daisy (yellow daisy glitter with pink, white and green matte glitter in a clear base, with a portion of the proceeds going to the ASPCA) and new fall colors, including Octopus’s Garden (turquoise shimmer-y base with teal and purple hex glitter)

Saturday, September 1
time not specified
KBSHIMMER (At KBShimmer.com)
Notables: New fall collection, including Oh Splat! (white base with multi-colored glitter), Quantum Leaf (yellow-gold base with red, orange and copper hex glitter), Toucan Touch This (green base with yellow, blue and red hex glitter plus bar glitter), Don’t Teal Anyone (teal base with gold and blue hex glitter plus pink hex and bar glitter), I Made A Bleu Bleu (royal blue shimmer), No Whine Left (burgundy base with blue and purple hex glitter), Witch Way? (blackish-purple base with holographic glitter) and Jack (orange hex and bar glitter in a black jelly base)

And Keep An Eye Out For …
FANCHROMATIC NAILS is running a birthday sale, 27 percent off if you use the code 27BIRTHDAY during checkout, good until 10pmET on Monday, August 27

365 DAYS OF COLOR is offering free shipping until Sept. 1; use the code FREE at checkout.

Llarowe has tentative plans for CROWSTOES and ENCHANTED POLISH restocks on Thursday, August 31, plus the launch of a new line, SABRINA SATO PASSE NATI (a Brazilian line, not an indie, but I’m throwing it in here anyway).

If you know of any planned restocks coming in the future, please let me know at polishgroupie@gmail.com. Thanks for stopping by!

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Indies

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Aphrodite Lacquers RumRunner

Aug. 22, 2012

In honor of today’s launch of the Aphrodite Lacquers Friday Night Glitter Bombs collection, here’s a look at one of Rebecca’s older polishes, RumRunner.

Aphrodite Lacquers RumRunner

Aphrodite Lacquers RumRunner

Aphrodite Lacquers RumRunner was actually the second-ever addition to my ever-growing collection of indie nail polishes, but for some reason I hadn’t swatched it yet.

RumRunner is part of Aphrodite’s The SandBar Collection, which celebrates summer-y cocktails. Genius!

Aphrodite Lacquers RumRunner

The polish is a berry-colored jelly with dark pink and silver glitter.

Aphrodite Lacquers RumRunner

RumRunner was a dream polish for me. It went on smooth with great application; the formula was perfect for me and it was easily removed, no staining. Plus not too many stray glitters left stranded on my skin, which is often a problem with glitter polish after removal.

This is a base coat of Gelous, two coats of RumRunner, another coat of Gelous and a coat of Poshe.

Aphrodite Lacquers RumRunner

RumRunner is currently available via the Aphrodite Lacquers shop on Etsy, along with the new Friday Night Glitter Bombs. And check out my weekly Restock Radar blog post for more indie polish launches coming this week.

Category:

Indies, Swatches

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Restock Radar: Week Of August 20

Aug. 20, 2012

Here’s a look at some of the indie nail polish restocks scheduled for this week. Check back every Monday to see what’s coming up:

Monday, August 20
7pmET
NAILD’IT (On Etsy)
Notables: Use code facebook20 for a 20% discount

8pmET
THE POLISH BAR (On Etsy)
Notables: Strawberries ‘N Cream (various red, pink and white glitters in a clear base) and Lilac Blooms (green and purple glitter in a clear base)

time not specified
NAIL SAUCE (Nailsauce.com)
This one’s not a restock per se, but Nail Sauce is celebrating the grand opening of its new online home, Nailsauce.com. It has moved off of Etsy.
Notables: New fall collection, including Wine & Dine (small and medium burgundy glitter plus matte white hex glitter in a clear base) and Whoa, Nice Brass (fine copper and brass glitter with a gritty finish)

Tuesday, August 21
time not specified
TRELLY POLISH (On Etsy)
Notables: Launch of the new Movies Collection, including Hunger Games-inspired Catching Fire (orange, red, pink, black and white glitter)

Wednesday, August 22
time not specified
APHRODITE LACQUERS (On Etsy)
Notables: Launch of the new Friday Night Glitter Bombs Collection

time not specified
D&R APOTHECARY (On Etsy)
Notables: Launching several new shades in its Hit Polish line, including three limited editions and five new neons.

Thursday, August 23
8:30pmET
CHAOS & CROCODILES (On Etsy)
Notables: Several new colors, including In The Light Of the Moon (bluish-purple shimmer)

Friday, August 24
1pmET
TAKKO LACQUER (On Etsy)
Notables: shades not specified

time not specified
NAIL POTIONS (On Etsy)
Notables: Full restock

Saturday, August 25
time not specified
SONNETARIUM (On Etsy)
Notables: Shades not specified

If you know of any planned restocks coming in the future, please let me know at polishgroupie@gmail.com

Category:

Indies

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