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Happy Leap Year Day! Doing anything special or taking advantage of any special sales? I have work but I wanted to be a little adventurous with my nails. I had to go back to nubs because I ended up cracking one nail and splitting another and I just said "BYE FELICIA". Today I have LCN sharp as a bullet from the Industrial Innocence collection. As you can see from the printed sticker on the cap, this is a "matt" (matte) effect polish.
I used a base coat of Duri Rejuvacote and 3 coats of polish. Be careful with matte polishes because thin coats is best. I ended up rushing my last coat and ended up putting two large dings in my nails as soon as I put down my camera. For staying power, add your top coat, let dry and then add one more thin coat of polish to keep the matte effect.
No formula issues other than my heavy handedness on the last coat. This polish performs like most blacks. It does have a hint more grey than black in it which is apparent in the first coat of polish and in removal but on the nail, it looks like a nice satin black.
I'm now halfway through the LCN Industrial Innocence collection and will finish posting them soon. Meanwhile, from now until March 31, 2016, you can purchase LCN on their Boutique website with free shipping using the code INDUSTRIAL.
LCN is available in both 8 ml (shown) and 16 ml. You can purchase on their website - 8 ml is $7.50 and 16 ml is $14.00. Join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Pinterest.
Disclosure:
The product[s] in this post was [were] provided to me by the company
for consideration. For more information, please read this post.
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I decided to pull another creme from the Winter Resort 2015 LVX collection so today we have Vamp, a dark purple creme with red undertones.
I used a base coat of Duri Rejuvacote, 2 coats of polish and finished with Glisten & Glow H K Girl top coat. Formula was almost a one coater but I did two to be safe and make sure I didn't have any bald spots.
I love this color. When I look at my nails, I TOTALLY see Branka, the female half of LVX. I can see her rocking this color year round and it just makes me smile. Now for myself, I prefer it to be on more nubs (again, me and nubs and dark polish. Winning) BUT I actually like it on this length - I don't think it looks crazy at all.
Best part? No staining when removing, especially with that red undertone - I was worried at first! But I was happy when I saw nothing but bare nail underneath.
LVX [Website | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube | Instagram] is available on their website. It is 10-free to include Toluene and Camphor, vegan and cruelty free. Use promo code POLISHGALORE for 20% off your purchase!
Disclosure:
The product[s] in this post was [were] provided to me by the company
for consideration. For more information, please read this post.
Nothing To Disclose
I decided to randomly grab from the box next to my desk for today's polish. I was excited that I pulled the brand Polish Me Silly, a mother/daughter "Best Friend" team who loved creating polish together. They were originally under the name LUSH Lacquer but due to copyright issues, they had to change their name to what you see above. Today I have a thermal (oh yes) polish called Lilac Lover.
I used a base of Duri Rejuvacote, 3 coats of polish and finished with Glisten & Glow H K Girl top coat. This polish needs to dry between coats so you don't pull the glitter off with your brush strokes. I inverted my bottle for about 15 minutes so the heavier glitters would float to the top and then I carefully applied each coat. This polish also appeared to dry matte, so I used top coat to bring back the shine in the various shaped neon glitters.
I find this polish to be pretty subtle - it's kind of a milky lilac - chalky, maybe? I really only got the micro and small glitters to come out but there's that one large glitter on my middle finger. I was going through my spreadsheet when I saw I had listed this polish as a thermal, so I went to check and sure enough!
Don't make fun of my 2002 Photoshop animation skills. It's all I have, yo. Granted, I'm sure an Instagram video would have been MUCH easier but well, I'm happy with this. The deeper lilac is when my hands are under cold water and the white is under super hot water. Otherwise it's this milky lilac you saw above. While I didn't have as intense of a color shift as the website shows, I also have to disclose that I purchased this polish in a destash and it had been used once to swatch. I don't know how long the person had it before they sold it to me, and I have definitely had it close to a year myself, sitting on a shelf.
Polish Me Silly can be purchased on their Etsy site. Join the conversation on Facebook and Instagram.
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So I've been noticing that I own a lot of cremes, and as much as I love my glitters and holos, there's something about a classic creme manicure. Pair that with LVX, and you have yourselves a winner. LVX is primarily creme polishes although they have made some metallics in the past. Today I'm wearing Mineral from the Winter Resort 2015 collection which is a grey creme.
I started with Duri Rejuvacote, 2 coats of polish and finished with Glisten & Glow H K Girl top coat. The formula was thin on the first coat but self leveled and evened out with the second coat. I do have quite a few ridges on my ring finger that stuck out at me like a sore thumb while wearing this polish but a ridge filler would take care of that.
This is a really interesting grey. It almost leans teal grey and in other lights it pulled almost green grey to me. It's still not my heart stopping grey that I search for but it's a great base color, palette cleanser, nail art staple polish. My nails are getting too long for me again so I need to trim them down and then I'd really rock this color on my nubs.
Overall I forgotten how much I really liked LVX. The price is up there but it's rare to be disappointed with their formula.
LVX [Website | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube | Instagram] is available on their website. It is 10-free to include Toluene and Camphor, vegan and cruelty free. Use promo code POLISHGALORE for 20% off your purchase!
Disclosure:
The product[s] in this post was [were] provided to me by the company
for consideration. For more information, please read this post.
Nothing To Disclose
When I saw the Spring 2016 China Glaze collection called House of Colour, I made the joke that it should have been Haus of Colour but no one really laughed with me. Such is this acetone life. I decided to get the whole collection because China Glaze was my first love after all and today, I wanted a happy creme to wear. Without further delay, here is About Layin' Out, a salmon pink creme.
I used a base of Duri Rejuvacote, 2 coats of polish and finished with Glisten & Glow H K Girl top coat. The formula was interesting - the first coat was almost like a squishy jelly and I had to wipe the brush a few times because polish was up into the neck of the brush. The second coat was more like a marshmallow dropping on my nails. It's funny because it all evened out before the top coat except that I probably should have done one more coat because I most definitely have visible nail line.
So you can't totally see the VNL but in indirect light, I see it on my middle and ring fingers. It also may be that I'm not used to this length of nails anymore. I used to be Lady Long Fingers, but it's been all Nancy Nubbins since I started my new job. Either way, I really do like this color and I really want to play with it and some white dots ala Casual Contrast.
Did you pick up any colors from this collection? It seemed like such a weird bunch of polishes, and I have a WHOLE box here of polishes to wade through. Any you'd like to see swatched soon?
China Glaze [Website] [Facebook] [Twitter] [Instagram] can be found online through several etailers, including my favorite Head2Toe Beauty, Sally's Beauty Supply as well as TransDesign.
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Happy Monday! I have another LCN polish from their Industrial Innocence collection. This is like a wrecking ball and it's a royal purple with blue shimmer.
I used a base coat of Duri Rejuvacote, 2 coats of polish and finished with Glisten & Glow H K Girl top coat. This is a seriously vampy polish but thankfully there's no staining or pooling with this polish. The formula does need a moment to dry between coats so you don't pull it up on itself.
Now while this is a royal purple with blue shimmer, it does just tend to look dark in low light. Not really a good spring color but great for a girls night out. Overall, I dig.
From now until March 31, 2016, you can purchase LCN on their Boutique website with free shipping using the code INDUSTRIAL.
LCN is available in both 8 ml (shown) and 16 ml. You can purchase on their website - 8 ml is $7.50 and 16 ml is $14.00. Join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Pinterest.
Disclosure: The product[s] in this post was [were] provided to me by the company for consideration. For more information, please read this post.
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Today I'm bringing you a line of polish that is for both professionals and the casual user like myself. LCN professional nail polishes are formulated with a unique patented ceramic nanotechnology that marries natural ingredients with green chemistry. They are 6-free to include Camphor, free of parabens and do not test on animals. From the Industrial Innocence collection, this is WOW, a pink pearl with orange undertones. The pink really does glow on the nails and the orange undertone adds to the depth of the pearl.
I used a base coat of Duri Rejuvacote, 2 coats of polish and finished with Glisten & Glow H K Girl top coat. The formula was really nice - the brush is thin and round but I didn't have any issues with pooling. Because this is a pearl, there are some brush strokes to the polish but being a light color, it's not glaringly apparent when someone looks at your nails.
You can see a little bit of visible nail line that maybe go away with additional coats of polish but it wasn't as noticeable while wearing the polish during the day. Much like the pearl effect, it's only really visible when you're up close and personal. Oddly enough, the website lists this color as a hot pink creme but there's definitely a pearl finish and orange undertones in my bottle.
From now until March 31, 2016, you can purchase LCN on their Boutique website with free shipping using the code INDUSTRIAL.
LCN is available in both 8 ml (shown) and 16 ml. You can purchase on their website - 8 ml is $7.50 and 16 ml is $14.00. Join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Pinterest.
Disclosure:
The product[s] in this post was [were] provided to me by the company
for consideration. For more information, please read this post.
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Need a palette cleanser polish? You know, that barely there, no fuss polish? Well Milani Lady-Like Sheer is just that. Despite me giving it a side eye on the name, I was actually not too mad at this polish.
I used a base of Duri Rejuvacote, 2 coats of polish and finished with Glisten & Glow H K Girl top coat. The formula was really nice and may have even been totally opaque with another coat but I figured this was supposed to be a lighter take on color.
Okay, so you can definitely see my natural nail without question but again, this doesn't appear to be a full creme polish - hello, read the name again. So what is this polish good for? Office appropriate, an undie color for glitters or when you don't want to just be using naked nails for a polish... Good stuff for those who need it and especially at just $4 a bottle.
You can visit Milani on their website and purchase directly or buy it in stores like CVS/pharmacy or Walgreens for around $3.99. You can Like them on Facebook, follow their Twitter, follow on Instagram and subscribe to their YouTube Channel.
Disclosure:
The product[s] in this post was [were] provided to me by the company
for consideration. For more information, please read this post.
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I swear, that's not an octopus up there. Today I have the tweexy, the original wearable nail polish holder. Wear it on two fingers and be able to polish pretty much anywhere on the go.
The tabs on the side serve a purpose. Instead of trying to jam your fingers through the "ring" holes, you squeeze the tabs to open the finger rings, put your fingers around the rings, and let go of the tabs.
Then put your bottle of polish into the opening and push down to make sure it's in there sturdy.
Now polish!
So the good thing is that you can put this on any fingers - most people will probably decide to use their middle and ring fingers like so.
But for that super unfashionable claw look, you can use your index and middle fingers.
For reference, I'm using a bottle of Milani in "Lady-Like Sheer". The opening appears large enough for just about every type of bottle I own. I do wish the space was a little deeper so the bottle sat down even further, but I didn't have any issues while using it.
I'm keeping Bonbon Pink for myself but let's have a giveaway for the Sapphire Night (shown above) and Spa Green! Open internationally to all those ages 18 and up - ends on 29 February 2016!
tweexy can be purchased through Amazon (affiliate widget is on the right hand side of the screen). Join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Pinterest.
Disclosure:
The product[s] in this post was [were] provided to me by the company
for consideration. For more information, please read this post.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
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Are you a mint person? I have a love/hate with mint polishes. Sometimes I love them and sometimes I'm more on the fence. Which one am I with Milani Mint Crush?
I used a base coat of Duri Rejuvacote, 2 coats of polish and finished with Glisten & Glow H K Girl top coat. This polish was a little on the runny side and I got it all over my cuticles. I did try to clean up the best I could but I'm still see a little. No staining from the polish though, which is always good.
Okay, so let's talk about this polish. My index is a bit of a mess and probably needed one more quote to be opaque. The rest? Eh - I'm not sold on the color. It's more of a white based green mint which I'm not a huge fan of. This polish may end up in my charity box.
You can visit Milani on their website and purchase directly or buy it in stores like CVS/pharmacy or Walgreens for around $3.99. You can Like them on Facebook, follow their Twitter, follow onInstagram and subscribe to their YouTube Channel.
Disclosure: The product[s] in this post was [were] provided to me by the company for consideration. For more information, please read this post.
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Happy Monday! Ready to get a little vampy? How about the Holiday 2015 "Gifted With Style" collection from Morgan Taylor? This is A Little Naughty, a red toned plum creme that is nicely office appropriate.
I used a base coat of Duri Rejuvacote, 2 coats of polish and finished with Glisten & Glow H K Girl top coat. This polish was thin-thick in that I needed to wipe the brush well so it didn't run down my brush but also it was thicker than I'm used to with Morgan Taylor. I needed to clean up quite a bit around my cuticles after applying but I didn't have any staining.
Nice and simple! I have to say, it's been weird having nubbins but it's so much easier for my job. I am on my computer a LOT more in this job and typing with nails isn't easy. I also love the way that dark cremes look on short nails, so maybe this is my chance to get through all my vampy dark colors! I sure have a lot of them.
Morgan Taylor [Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Pinterest | YouTube] is available at CosmoProf for $8.50 a bottle. Online, non-professionals can purchase Morgan Taylor at Ulta Beauty.
Disclosure: The product[s] in this post was [were] provided to me by the company for consideration. For more information, please read this post.
Nothing To Disclose
Happy Valentine's Day! I'm super proud of myself for actually making it through all 14 days - especially when I thought I wasn't going to make it towards the end. I also want to thank all those bloggers who participated with me! It's a lot of work to come up with 14 different polishes, nail art designs or just blog postings in general! To close this all out, I have Glam Polish POW! from the Knockout Part 1 collection.
I used a base coat of Duri Rejuvacote, 2 coats of polish and finished with Glisten & Glow H K Girl Top Coat. I really liked the brush on this polish - it's round but it's also fluffy which I like fluffy brushes when it comes to holos.
So overall, this is a pretty pink - it goes well with my skin tone and the holographic sparkles just make me feel like Barbie threw up glitter - but in a good way. The sparkles are much more pronounced than yesterday's F.U.N Lacquer but that may also be because of the lighter base (pink vs rust red). It seems rather accurate to call this POW!
Glam Polish can be purchased via their website or through International Stockists. Join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram.
Nothing To Disclose
Last summer, I went through this "BUY ALL THE THINGS" phase and one of my brands to try was F.U.N Lacquer, which stands for Fabulously Unique Nail Lacquer. I purchased the entire Summer 2015 collection which included Goodness Of The Dawn, a candy apple red polish with gold and red holographic glitters.
I used a base of Duri Rejuvacote, 2 coats of polish and finished with Glisten & Glow H K Girl top coat. The polish dries slightly bumpy and matte so a top coat is essential.
I'm not a huge fan of this polish despite how beautiful it is. The base red just isn't my cup of tea - it has more brown to it than I'd prefer. Also it's a scattered holographic polish so yes, glittery but only in direct sun. The linear holographic look is very hard to see.
F.U.N Lacquer can be purchased through their website or their authorized stockists. Join the conversation on social media with Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Pinterest.
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I almost didn't make it today for my 14 Days of Valentine's. It's been another rough week so what better way to celebrate than with some butter LONDON? Today I have Pillar Box Red, a red-orange creme. I don't own a lot of butter LONDON polishes but I do love how they line up so pretty in their bottles. The black cap is a false cap that can be pulled off to reveal a smaller round handle.
I used a base coat of Duri Rejuvacote, 2 thin coats of polish and finished with Glisten & Glow H K Girl top coat. The formula was really nice - a little thin with the first coat and then totally opaque with the second coat. I got a little on my sidewalls but was able to easily clean up with red staining.
I still haven't gotten in to get my nails handled but I tried to file them bit and used my Weleda Cuticle Softening Pen. I'm hoping next week will be a little smoother so I can get a manicure in. This is a great red for not just manicures but I'm actually pretty interested in using it for a pedicure too!
butter London [Website] [Facebook] [Instagram] [Twitter] [YouTube] is available for $15 a bottle.
Disclosure: The product[s] in this post was [were] provided to me by the company for consideration. For more information, please read this post.
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Are you ready for this? Today I have Different Dimension Cosmic Ray, an intense pink holographic polish with added flakies and holo microglitters from the Cosmologically Speaking Part 2 Collection. This polish is wild.
I used a base coat of Duri Rejuvacote, 2 coats of polish and finished Glisten & Glow H K Girl top coat. The formula was amazing. I could have been happy with just one coat.
Bam.
The holo on this is insane. I cannot wait to wear this polish to work because while it's slightly muted in the shade, it's crazy bling in the sun. This is also a purple based pink which is one of my favorite colors.
Different Dimension is available on their website. Follow on social media: Facebook and Instagram.
Disclosure:
The product[s] in this post was [were] provided to me by the company
for consideration. For more information, please read this post.
Nothing To Disclose
Winding down now on this 14 Days of Valentine's and I knew I had to include a Zoya in there! Eden is from the Delight collection which came out in Spring 2015. It's a very basic bubblegum pink creme.
I used a base of Zoya Anchor, 2 coats of polish and finished with Zoya Armor. The formula worked well and I didn't have any issues with pooling.
Happy little bubblegum. Nom nom.
Zoya [Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram | YouTube] can be purchased on their website for $10/bottle.
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Today is another polish brand that I haven't used before - BFE by Cacee. BFE stands for "Best Friend Ever" and each polish is a person's name. It's 5-free, and comes in over 160 colors. It also claims to be a single-coat lacquer.
I used a base coat of Duri Rejuvacote, 2 coats of polish and finished with Glisten & Glow H K Girl top coat. I found that I needed 2 coats to make sure there weren't any brush strokes or bald spots. My brush was very firm and was pulling lines in the polish with the first coat.
So this is more of a Barbie pink for me - happy little creme, not many issues. I definitely needed that second coat though, even on my swatch stick. This is definitely office appropriate for me and I think it looks nice on my nubbins.
You can purchase BFE on the Cacee Beauty website for around $6 a bottle. You can follow on social media: Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter and Instagram.
Disclosure:
The product[s] in this post was [were] provided to me by the company
for consideration. For more information, please read this post.
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One of my goals in my 14 Days of Valentine's prompt was to pull polishes I hadn't used before. FABY is an Italian nail line that launched in 2013 by a family owned company. It is big 5 free to include toluene and camphor and is cruelty free as well. Today I have Hollywood Party from their Classics collection. This is a bright bubblegum pink creme.
I used a base coat of Duri Rejuvacote, 2 coats of polish and finished with Glisten & Glow H K Girl Top Coat. The formula was really nice on this polish - no pooling or flooding, and with their 400-bristle flat brush, it was easy for me to get some of my nails in one even stroke.
The shine on this polish without top coat is amazing. I actually thought I had top coat already on when I hadn't put it on yet. So this is shine on shine because this is with a top coat. Regardless, very shiny polish which makes me happy. It's definitely a great base for nail art if you're so inclined, and actually I think it would be a great base for some red hearts.
The only downfall I have with this polish is the price - on their website, FABY retails for $18 a bottle. Also I noticed my bottles (which were produced in 2014) say "Laquer" but the newer ones do have "Lacquer" - not a huge deal by any means.
You can purchase FABY on their website. Join the conversation on social media with Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram.
Disclosure:
The product[s] in this post was [were] provided to me by the company
for consideration. For more information, please read this post.
