NCLA United States of Glitter

Nothing To Disclose

Happy 4th of July! I'm spending this day working on PolishGalore because I'm packing my husband and son up to fly to Maine for three weeks.  PAAAARTY!  Meanwhile, I will be heading to Vegas next weekend for Cosmoprof North America and I'll get to see the lovely girls of NCLA again and I will finally figure out again HOW to spell their name when you write it out. I will then fix all my posts. (I'm not OCD, just precise.)

So for today's holiday, I thought I'd do it up with United States of Glitter, a red, silver and blue hexagonal glitter in a clear base. The glitter is reflective on its self like taco glitter but it doesn't curve up at all. I layered one coat of United States of Glitter over 1 coat of Cult Nails Tempest. My base coat was Cult Nails Get It On and I topped it with Cult Nails Wicked Fast.

The glitter behaved really well. I didn't dab it on, instead I brushed the nail two or three times lightly.

Love! I really debated on a base color but ended up going with white. I almost thought about a holographic top coat underneath but I think that would have been a little much. I am really appreciatively that the glitter laid flat and you didn't have to worry about it curling up or catching on your hair.

In the shade, the glitter still catches any light it can find and just dances around.

Love. I'm really glad I bought this when it went on sale. It was shipped out quickly and was here in plenty of time for Independence Day.

Have fun and be safe!

NCLA [Website] [Facebook] [Twitter] [Tumblr] [Pinterest] [Instagram] is available on the website for $16.00 a bottle and in a variety of stores.

PolishGalore on Nail It!: Trend Report - White Nail Polish

Sponsored Post

Howdy howdy!  I have another article on Nail It! online up today! This one is about white nail polish being the newest trend to hit the fashion world. The featured China Glaze polish was seen on the hands of models at the Tadashi Shoji Fall/Winter 2013.

Photo used with permission from Gotham Polish

Check out the article here and while you're looking, here's a little more information on the polishes.

Salon Perfect “Sugar Cube” – 2 coats, available for $3.98 in WalMart stores

JulieG “White Orchid” – 2 coats, available for $3.99 at Rite Aid stores or jessesgirlcosmetics.com

Sally Hansen “Sheer Bliss” – 4 coats, available for $7.99 at chain drug stores and mass retailers nationwide

China Glaze “Dandy Lyin’ Around” – 2 coats, available for $7 at salons and professional beauty supply stores nationwide.

LVX “Fantom” – 2 coats, available for $16 at shoplvx.com

Cult Nails “Tempest” – 1 coat, available for $12 at cultnails.com 

essie “Marshmallow” – 3 coats, available for $8 chain drug stores nationwide
OPI “Solitaire” – (liquid sand) 2 coats, available for $9 at professional salons.

Cult Nails Tempest

Press Sample

I don't know if I can tell you enough how much I love Cult Nails polishes.  I literally own all the ones you can buy and I continue to buy their new collections because they really have a product I want to stand behind. Especially THIS.  This is my Holy Grail. This is my staple! I actually own a backup (and I don't own backups).  This is the ONE COAT white creme named Tempest.

One coat?  Yes, ONE coat.  Uno.

So I started with a base of Cult Nails Get It On, and then one coat of polish, followed by Cult Nails Wicked Fast.  This polish is a "self-leveling" lacquer which means it's a little thick but it settles into an opaque coat on the nail. Do not thin the polish, just wipe more off your brush.  With my Wicked Fast, I'm dry to the touch in less than 5 minutes.

Just one coat!

If I haven't persuaded you enough, how about this?  Starting in June 2013, ALL domestic orders no matter how big or small, includes FREE shipping.  But wait, there's more!

Yesterday, the Cult Nails Facebook Page reached 20,000 fans, so they are offering a discount until June 9th (Sunday). $15 off an order of $50 and $30 off an order of $100. For the International fans, you will get free shipping over $75! How awesome is all that? I'm thinking I may need more Tempest.

Originally this was a press sample bottle but I had purchased a bottle before I knew I was getting a press sample, and I will definitely be buying again!

Cult Nails [Website | Facebook | Twitter | Blog | Instagram: CultNails] is available in their shop for $12 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.

Ninja Polish Sticks 'n Stones

While I was at Cosmoprof North America Las Vegas, I got to meet the ninja creators behind Ninja Polish and they gave me this awesome gift bag that had goodies including Cover Band Sticks 'n Stones, which is very reminiscent of Lynnderella Connect The Dots.  I decided to layer it over my NCLA Dirty Martini manicure.  This is one (yes one!) coat of Sticks 'n Stones.

Check it out in the sun!  We have it all - bar shapes, small hexs, dots - oh yeah buddy.  Please ignore the hand written label - this was one of their first prototypes and the bottles for sale have the official labels on the bottom.

Shade picture!  Not much different - still see all the shapes and it looks awesome and dude, it's fantastic.

Indirect light!  Pow!  The major difference I can tell from this and the Lynn is that this does not have tiny microglitter running through the clear base.

Indoors with the flash - howdy.  I'm glitter.  I look cool.  Less people, you can't really go wrong with this polish.  

So where to buy?

BAM.  You can get it from Ninja Polish here for only $9.00.  Yes, nine dollars.  Win.  Go get it.  Ninja Polish: Website | Facebook | Twitter

(PS: I may or may not be watching Jenna Marbles on YouTube while blogging.)

(PSS: I MAY)

Disclosure: The product[s] in this post was [were] provided to me by the company for consideration.  For more information, please read this post.

Glitter Gal Light As A Feather

After Christmas, I decided to finally put in a purchase of Glitter Gal Light As A Feather (3D/holo) - a white linear (rainbow looking) holographic polish.  This is the old bottle design at 0.3 fl oz, right before Glitter Gal went through a redesign (and renaming) of their bottles & polishes.  You can still find this bottle available at Overall Beauty, where I purchased mine.  I was really excited to try this polish because it just looked amazing - a white (not silver) holo?  I used a base of Duri Rejuvacote and 4 coats of polish.  I did not use a top coat.  Sadly, on top of needing 4 coats, I found this polish to be on the watery side.

Here in the sun, you can see an amazing holo in the bottle, but not nearly as much on the nails.  You can also tell that the white is a bit milky - not opaque as I'd like it.  I need to try this over a white polish to see if that helps.

YAY for blue skies!  BOO to not a strong holo.

As always, shade pictures completely hide and dim any holographic properties of a polish.

Finally indoors with the flash can you see that this is a holographic polish.


Frankly, for $14, I felt let down by this polish.


Glitter Gal [Website] [Facebook] [Twitter] may be purchased directly from their website but be prepared for a steep shipping cost if you're located outside of Australia.  For other e-tailers, there is Llarowe who has the 0.3 fl oz/9 ml (above size) selling for $14, and the new 15 ml bottles (a China Glaze bottle is 14 ml) are being sold for $20; and Overall Beauty who has the 0.3 fl oz/9 ml (above size) selling for $14, and the new 15 ml bottles (a China Glaze bottle is 14 ml) are being sold for $20.  As for shipping, both US e-tailers offer free US shipping for purchases over $50.

CND Brilliant White

I realized that I use this color a lot but have never dedicated a post to it.  CND colour Brilliant White is a core color - a nice bright white.  For this, I used a base of CND Stickey, 2 coats of polish and a top of OPI Top Coat (it's all I could find at the moment).

Okay, so ignore the huge nick in my middle finger.  I bumped it right when I walked out the door.  Now I've had my bottle for quite some time, so I'm not sure if the formula has been affected, but I noticed that this color was a bit patchy for me.  Not what you'd hope, but pretty typical for whites.

Here in the shade, the color looks a bit dusty?  I think it's just the reflection of the light off my roof that I was shooting under.  It's still a good base but I have to layer something over it to feel better.

Oh the flash.  It tells how streaky this color is, and uneven - patchy as I explained before.  I still love it and am glad I have it, but I'm still on the search for a "perfect" one coat white. :]


CND is available for $9 per colour, and $11 per effect and you can find locations to buy here.

TransDesign and Head2ToeBeauty has the colours for $4.50 and effects for $5.50.

Lynnderella Connect The Dots

So unless you're a blogger or a frequent blog reader, you may not have heard of Lynnderella before.  She hand mixes custom nail polish creations and when they are available, they are available then only.  This last time that she had a sale, it was $12 a bottle, with a minimum order of 5 bottles.  Gia from Bottles and Bottles of Polish was kind enough to place a large order and ship individually out to each person, so that is how I ended up with this gem - the only one that I knew I HAD TO HAVE.


Connect the Dots is from her Halloween 2010 collection but she brought it back for 2011.  It's a black and white hexagon, square and bar glitter with a slight sparkle in a clear base.


I used the previous day's manicure (China Glaze Rose Tea) and put 2 coats on my pinkie and ring finger, 1 coat on my middle and index finger.  Sealed both with Seche Vite.

I really like the look of just one coat - I tried 2 coats just to see.  On my nail polish stick, I have about 10 coats (I do that) and I just hate the way it looks... with this, less is more.

Shade picture - sometimes the bar glitter wouldn't sit right (as you can see) but you can just push it into place with your brush or a needle.

Finally indoors with the flash.  Very stunning and like Lynnderella has said - it's instant nail art!


For those wondering, this came straight from her blog: 

Lynnderella Lacquers contain cosmetic and other polyester glitters, as well as cosmetic-grade pigments, mica and synthetic mica. There may also be traces of non-B3-free nail polishes used to tint bases. The main ingredient is TKB Glamour Base. Blends may differ from month to month depending on new glitters and ingredients I find for you—they are always evolving and may vary from batch to batch. From the research I have done on glitter, minimum orders from manufacturers are ten pounds per colour and size. If we look at other multi-glitters being sold, it's easy to see that they are less complex than most of the blends offered here. I think that it's unlikely that nail polish manufacturers would be purchasing as many different glitters in ten-pound lots as I am purchasing in smaller amounts from various distributors. Complexity, beauty, colour saturation and luxury are some of the energy ingredients that makes their attitudes unique. Another ingredient is extensive experimentation and research over years. It has been a labour of love that required a significant investment of time and resources. I hope you will all feel that love—and enjoy and luxuriate in it. 


For some amazing Lynnderella swatches, please check out steffel's blog.


Lynnderella is only available through the etailer Llarowe.  Currently, you have to contact Llarowe at the email address lalas.lynn.network@gmail.com in order to get on a shipping list which is sorted in 4 ways, so if you'd like to find out how to order, email that above address.


Lynnderella is available for $15 a bottle.

Jesse's Girl Pixie Dust

The final eye dust from Jesse's Girl is Pixie Dust, a very sparse white with gold running in it.  It's no where near as opaque as Angelic from yesterday, but it's still a very pretty color to have.

In the shade, the gold is lost completely but you can at least tell that there is plenty of white in there.  Still not an opaque color but no fall out either.

Jesse's Girl sells for $4.99 a piece online or at Rite Aid stores. You can visit Jesse's Girl on their website, Like them on Facebook and Follow them on Twitter.

Disclosure: The product[s] in this post was [were] provided to me using store credit for external work I provided.  For more information, please read this post.

Jesse's Girl Angelic

Second to last Eye Dust from Jesse's Girl is Angelic, a white shimmering dust with lots of little blue and green sprinkled in.  Definitely a good highlight shade.

In the shade you can see it's nicely opaque without any primer and has very little fall out with it.  Nice color to keep as a staple!

Jesse's Girl sells for $4.99 a piece online or at Rite Aid stores. You can visit Jesse's Girl on their website, Like them on Facebook and Follow them on Twitter.

Disclosure: The product[s] in this post was [were] provided to me using store credit for external work I provided.  For more information, please read this post.

Nicole by OPI White Texture

Call it Texture, call it Crackle, call it Shatter, or call it Grafitti - crackling top coats are all the rage for 2011.  Nicole by OPI announced in late May that they would be throwing their hat into the ring with 6 colors.  Nothing new to the game - still the same kind like OPI... the one down side is that while Nicole by OPI changed to their new "Perfect Stroke" brush back in January, there are still some issues with getting all their bottles with the same new brush.  That was the case for most of my Texture collection (confirmed with the Nicole by OPI press relations representative).


I decided to use my existing (and botched) manicure from yesterday with OPI Houston We Have A Purple, and just add one coat of White Texture.  I topped it with OPI Top Coat.

One good thing about texture/shatter/crackle is that it can hide a bad manicure.  I don't like that this white isn't as crisp as OPI White Shatter but it still works.  Part of it, for me, was having that thin brush instead of the "perfect stroke."

By accident, I caught a picture with natural lighting.  Pretty stuff!

Here it is in the shade - still nothing new.

And finally indoors with the flash.  Not bad, not great, not unique, not terrible.  I will, however, stick with my OPI White Shatter for my white crackle/shatter/texture needs.

Nicole by OPI is available beginning at ULTA, Meijer, Harmon, HEB, Sears, Wal-Mart and more for around $8 a bottle.  For more information, visit their website, follow Nicole by OPI on Twitter or become a Facebook fan.


Disclosure: The product[s] in this post was [were] provided to me by the company for consideration.  For more information, please read this post.

Jesse's Girl Starshine

Today's Eye Dust from Jesse's Girl is Starshine, a snow white glitter pigment.  Not much surprise there - good for the inner eye or just to layer with another color.

Pure sun, and you can see that just one pat (no primer) has a lot of payout.

Shifted slightly to show opacity.

And once in the shade for good measure.  ^_^  If I was still in my early 20s, I'd probably wear this a LOT as a highlight, but I'm just going to have to see how I want to use it now.

Jesse's Girl sells for $4.99 a piece online or at Rite Aid stores. You can visit Jesse's Girl on their website, Like them on Facebook and Follow them on Twitter.

Disclosure: The product[s] in this post was [were] provided to me using store credit for external work I provided.  For more information, please read this post.

OPI White Shatter

Hey it's time for more crackle polish! OPI White Shatter comes as part of the Serena Williams Glam Slam! Collection, currently partnered with Spark de Triomphe but I decided to check it out of my e.l.f. Black for a classic black and white look.  This is one coat of Shatter followed by a top of Seche Vite.

This crackled pretty well!  I know a lot of people had issues with China Glaze Lightning Bolt not crackling "enough" and being rather stringy (I didn't really have that problem) but this is definitely a nice bold crackling polish and a very nice white I might add!  I'm still on the search for a perfect one coat white creme - wish this was it!

Not much to say in the shade - I'm still giggling how it tends to give a horizontal crack at the smile line (not on my pinkie though).  I wonder if that has anything to do with body heat?

Indoors with the flash - I'm in love with how clean this white is!


OPI is available at Professional Salons, including Beauty Brands, Beauty First, Chatters, Dillard’s, JCPenney, Pure Beauty, Regis, Trade Secret, and Ulta, for $8.50 ($10.95 CAN) suggested retail for each Nail Lacquer. Please visit their website for details [official website].  

Disclosure: The product[s] in this post was [were] provided to me by the company for consideration.  For more information, please read this post.

China Glaze Broken Hearted

The finale to the original Crackle Glaze colors is this pink number, Broken Hearted.  It's not a neon, but it is a bright one.


Here it is over Sinful Colors Glass Pink from a few weeks ago (months?)

I do love how shimmers look under crackles!

And even more so in the shade!  It's so lovely!


Next I shook the living daylights out of it, let the bubbles set, and then put it over a base of e.l.f. Black (because I'm super low on my CND Blackjack) and OPI Alpine Snow.

I LOVE THIS OVER WHITE.  Over black, I found that it was a bit streaky (see the middle finger) but over white?!  Love it.

Same thing in the shade - still loving it over the white.

Need I say more?  Seriously?  I haven't seen any other pink shatter/crackles out there, so as far as uniqueness - yay!

China Glaze can be found online through several etailers, including my favorite Head2Toe Beauty, Sally's Beauty Supply, and TransDesign.

Disclosure: The product[s] in this post was [were] provided to me by the company for consideration.  For more information, please read this post.