Candy Lacquer Polishes

Today, I have for you three colors by indie polish maker, Candy Lacquer.

Argyle - white, turquoise, and black diamond glitter, as well as white and black bar glitter in a clear base.  As soon as I saw a bottle pick of Argyle on another blog, I fell instantly in love and I knew I had to get it.  As soon as Candy Lacquer's Etsy store was reopened, Argyle was the first one I put in my cart.  Once I got it home, I love it even more... in the bottle.  Unfortunately, it was a pain to put on my nail.  I ended up pouring some out into a palette and then putting individual pieces of glitter on my nails with an orange stick.  Even with this method, it was still bumpy and I had bubbles after I put on a topcoat.  That said, I think it is still super awesome (can you look at my blog redesign and tell me what inspired it? LOL), and I still want to play around with it to see if I can find a better way of application.

Starlight - multi-sizes and shapes (there are stars!) of silver holographic glitter in a clear base.  I threw this one in my cart on a whim and I'm so happy I did.  Of the 3 Candy Lacquers I picked up, Starlight has the best application.  The glitters came out of the bottle easily, even the stars!  

White Wedding - multi-shaped and sized matte white glitter in a clear base.  Okay, so let's be honest... I got this one for the name.  I also thought that it looked super cool in the bottle, but really... I got it for the name.  LOL.  So when I got it home, I was pleasantly surprised.  I love this one over the bright red of Sooki, and think it would look equally as pretty over just about every color.  Application on this one was a little harder than Starlight, but nowhere near as difficult as Argyle.  I did have to go digging for the hearts, but that's to be expected.  

All in all, I really like the 3 polishes I picked up from Candy Lacquer.  Shipping was super quick and the owner, Sandra, was extremely pleasant.  I kind of wish that application on a few of them was a little easier, but honestly, with big glitters, you kind of know going in to it that you may have issues with application.

Candy Lacquers are $8 a bottle are available through their Etsy store (though it is currently closed).  For more information on restocks, please check their Facebook page.  

Argyle, Starlight, and White Wedding were purchased by me.  Links included within this post are not affiliate links.

Rockstar Nails Cotton Candy

I know in the past, I've stated I was over the indie polish craze, but in all honesty, I just said that because I was irritated that so many of them are so hard to get a hold of.  Yes, I'm a five-year-old.  :P  

Because of the scarcity now of the bigger indie polish brands, many people, including myself are turning to the up-and-comers on Etsy for a new source of indie glitters.  

One of these sellers is Rockstar Nails, and I was recently contacted by Erika with Rockstar Nails, asking me if I would review one of her polishes.  As, like many of you, I am trying to find new sources of indie polishes, I happily said yes.  I received my review polish a few days ago, and as it was a complete surprise what I was receiving, I had no clue what to expect when I tore into the bubble wrap.  Here's was my surprise...

This is Rockstar Nails Cotton Candy.  Cotton Candy is a mix of small pink and turquoise blue hex glitters, as well as large magenta hex glitters in a clear base.  At first, the large glitters seemed a little out of place for me and then after I swatched it, I actually like them there.

The two pictures above show one coat of Cotton Candy over 2 coats of Zoya Shelby.  

These pictures show one coat of Cotton Candy over 2 coats of OPI Ski Teal We Drop.

Cotton Candy is a super-fun glitter topcoat.  I know, oftentimes, we see a indie glitter topcoat, just jam-packed with a dozen colors of glitter and while those are so pretty, I also like that this one has just 3 colors.  It actually makes it easier to chose a base color.  

The formula was a little on the thick side, but that's just the nature of indie glitters.  The pink and blue glitters came out of the bottle quite nicely.  I did have to go fishing for the large hex glitters, but, again, that's normal.    

I really liked Rockstar Nails Cotton Candy.  I especially loved it over Ski Teal We Drop.  It was the second one I swatched and if I had had the time, I totally would have done a full manicure with it.  

You can find Cotton Candy, as well as other glitters in Rockstar Nails' Etsy Shop (I'm totally eyeing Taste the Rainbow and Retro Dots. LOL).  However, I don't see Cotton Candy currently listed, though, I'm sure it will be restocked soon.  Rockstar Nails polishes sell for $8.50 a bottle and currently, Erika is giving away a toe separator in your choice of color, with each purchase.

Rockstar Nails Cotton Candy was sent to me for review.  The above links link to Rockstar Nails' Etsy shop and are not affiliate links.

Jessica Cosmetics Gelato Mio! Collection Review

It seems like we have been seeing neons as the nail trend this summer, with every major brand releasing a neon collection, and like with almost all trends, I embrace it early on, and then get a little tired of it as the season wears on.  That's why when I saw the press release for Jessica's Gelato Mio! collection, it was a breath of fresh air.

Gelato Mio! is a collection of six ice cream inspired creme nail polish shades, that, while not at all neons, practically screamed summer to me...

Banana Peel - light banana-pudding yellow.  As I've mentioned several times, I have really fallen in love with yellows over the past few months, and while I think I prefer brighter yellows on my skintone, I really like Banana Peel.  And I'm not sure if you can describe a nail polish as "fluffy", but that's the word that came to mind while I was swatching and reviewing this polish.  It's so light and airy, and like all of these polishes, perfect for summer.   

Barely Blueberry - light blue.  It seems like I have been searching for the perfect sky blue for years with no luck.  Then over the last few months, I find three that I love... Julep Jessica, Deborah Lippmann Let's Hear it for the Boy, and this one.  Honestly, I would have a hard time choosing a favorite between the three, but if Juleps are out of your comfort zone because of bottle shape and expense, and the Lippmann is no longer available, then Barely Blueberry would be a fabulous option.  It's is such a pretty sky blue, and unlike some blues I've tried along these same lines, it doesn't give me red-hands.  

Lime Cooler - light, kiwi green.  Gorgeous light, yet bright green, that is pretty unique in my collection. If you are looking for a lime green that isn't too yellow, definitely check out Lime Cooler.   Sometimes, like with certain pale blues, this type of color can my skin look red or dirty, but this one doesn't.  It also had one of the thicker formulas.  

Strawberry Shake It - pale candy pink.  To me, this one is color of strawberry taffy.  Like Banana Peel, the color was almost "fluffy".  It is a gorgeous shade, but I think for me, it's almost too light to work with my skin.  It's still super pretty, and I think it would look fantastic on darker skin or tanned skin.

Surfer Boyz 'n Berry - light aqua.  This one is a great marriage of blue and green and reminds me of the color of the water in some exotically tropical locale.  It seems similar to Zoya Wednesday, but I think Wednesday has more green in it.  I love this kind of color, and Surfer Boyz 'n Berry is no exception.  It's my favorite of the collection.  It also has one of the the thicker formulas.

Tangerine Dreamz - light-toned, creamy, medium orange.  This one is the color of orange push pops.  It's also a lighter orange that works with my skintone.  Looking at it makes me want ice cream or an Orange Julius.  :P  This one is one of the brighter shades in the collection.

As you will notice, I didn't really say much about the formulas or the number of coats in my descriptions.  That's because the formulas are very similar.  The lighter colors, Banana Peel, Barely Blueberry, and Strawberry Shake It, had the thinnest and streakiest formulas, but they were still manageable and opaque in 2 coats.  The darker shades, Lime Cooler, Surfer Boyz 'n Berry, and Tangerine Dreamz, had thicker formulas and were two-coaters.  

As I said above, I think this is a perfect summer collection.  My favorites is Surfer Boyz 'n Berry, but there isn't a one of them that I don't like.  I would probably not pick up Strawberry Shake It, simply because it did look a little chalky on my, but it's still beautiful and if you have more olive in your skin, it would look super pretty.  

Jessica Gelato Mio! is currently available at Jessica Cosmetics' website.  Jessica polishes retail for $7.50 a bottle.

Jessica Gelato Mio! collection was sent to me for review.  The above link links to Jessica Cosmetic's website and is not an affiliate link.

Rescue Beauty Lounge Aqua Lily

Just a quick little review for you all, as I just received the 2 polishes I ordered from the Rescue Beauty Lounge Fan Collection.  Tonight, I will review one for you and then review the other one, IKB:2012, in the near future.  This is Aqua Lily...

Aqua Lily is a beautiful turquoise shimmer with pink micro-shimmer.  I have a lot of colors in this same vein and this one is completely unique.  The shimmer that you see in my picture is just the tip of the iceberg.  I find that it's not as pronounced on the nail, as it is the bottle, but it is still beautiful.  

Also, while this one applied incredibly well, it is, after all, a RBL, I also found it to be a bit thick.  Nothing out of the ordinary or hard to use, but it was a little thicker than I expected it to be.  The color is worth it though.  It makes me want to go on vacation.  :)

This picture is 3 coats, but honestly, 2 would have been fine.  I did 3 because I kept bumping my nails, as I was trying to polish them.

RBL polishes are $18-$20 with her new polishes being all $20 from this collection forward.  I read that now that all the pre-orders have been sent out, Ji will be offering the collection for purchase by the general public on 4/23/2012.  You can purchase RBL polishes at www.rescuebeauty.com.

Nubar Jellybeans Review 2.0

No, you aren't having a case of deja vu, I did indeed previously review the Nubar Jellybeans collection.  However, recently I discovered that one of my pictures from that review, the one for Nubar Blueberry, had been stolen, linked back to this blog, and was being bashed because of my nail shape on a Russian LiveJournal group.  I had wondered why my traffic for that particular post had jumped from approximately 200 views to 1000+ views in a matter of days.  Well... that was why.  :(  I have since removed that post because it was being linked on the LiveJournal group.

At first I was going to ignore it.  No, at first I was going to close my blog and hide in my closet, but I quickly decided that was not the best course of action.  So, I then decided to ignore it.  Then I made the mistake of checking all of my traffic for the past year and I discovered that this was not the first occurrence of this happening.  I found where my blog had been linked on several international forums with the comments "horrible nail shape", "nasty nails", "disgusting", etc... always accompanying the posts.  

As you may know from my previous post regarding my nail shape, my skin is not thick, and I honestly don't know of anyone that likes to read negative comments about themselves.  But at that point, I figured I could no longer ignore it.  I could be upset and I could be heartbroken, and I could be mad (all of which I was), and then I decided to look at the comments constructively, even if that was not their intent.  

You see, I am always trying to grow as a blogger.  From my very first post, until now, 3+ years later, I feel that I have grown by leaps and bounds.  However, that's not to say that there isn't room for improvement.  I feel that you should never settle.  Your next post should always try and be better than your previous post.  With that idea in mind, I took a long hard look at my nails through a constructive eye and decided, that yes... I could better my nails and my pictures.

So I took my glass file and proceeded to rethink the shape of my nails.  I was able to thin out the flare on the sides and really taper them in.  Now, they aren't perfect, but I really do see an improvement.

With that long introduction said, here are the new and improved pictures for Nubar Jellybeans...   

Blue Raspberry - light aqua.  I love this color.  It's so pretty, and one of my favorites for spring this year.  Like I mentioned with Zoya Wednesday, a similar color, it reminds me of sea glass.  As I was applying this one, it really reminded me of RBL Bikini Bottom, though I no longer have that one to compare.  This one had one of the better applications in the collection.  3 coats. 

Blueberry - Blueberry - bright royal blue.  I don't own Revlon Royal, but judging on pictures, it seems very similar, only this one has a jelly-like finish.  I loved the color, and this go-around, the formula was much easier to work with.  3 coats.

Cherry - bright red.  Previously, I didn't like this one my skin.  However, I loved it this time.  It does have a bit of orange in it, but not as much as I previously thought.  his one had the thickest formula and it took me less coats to reach opacity.  2 coats.

Grape - Dusty medium purple.  This purple is quite nice, and it does have a bit of dustiness to it, like Julep Charlotte or RBL Purple Haze, though I think it's no wear near as dusty as Purple Haze.  I didn't really like the formula on this one.  I kept having an issue with it leveling.  Hence, the bumpiness.  And though it's one of the darker colors, it was also one of the sheerest and took me a few more coats to reach opacity.  4 coats.  

Kiwi - light lime green.  I'm calling this a lime, but it's more of a mix between a light spring green, mint green, and lime green.  I kept waffling on my color description, so I just gave up and called it "lime".  LOL.  I did get a slight case of red-hands with this one. This one was sheer, but easy to work with.  Like Grape, I did have an issue with the leveling.  4 coats.

Lemon - daffodil yellow.  This one is brighter than a pale yellow, but it's not a neon.  It's also not a medium yellow, such as China Glaze Happy Go Lucky.  The formula is thinner, but if you go slow and watch your strokes, it shouldn't be an issue.  Now that I've had a chance to revisit it, this one is probably tied with Blue Raspberry as my favorite of the collection.  4 coats.

Strawberry - light pink creme.  This one is very candy-like both in it's color and it's finish.  I really does remind me of strawberry candy.  It did take a few coats to reach opacity, but the formula on this one was very nice, so it wasn't an issue.  4 coats.

Toasted Marshmallow - light brown.  In my previous post, I erroneously called this one "Toasted Coconut".  In the bottle, this brown leans slightly pink, though I didn't really see that on my nails.  The formula was like that of Strawberry and Kiwi.  4 coats.

I still like this collection, probably even more so, now that I've had a chance to re-review it.  The jelly-like finish can be a bit hard to deal with, but nothing that would make me say not to purchase these if there was a color you were lemming (like say Blue Raspberry. LOL).

 
Again, this collection is now available at bynubar.com (as well as other outlets).  Nubars retail for $8 per bottle.

These were sent to me for review

Zoya Surf Collection Review

Earlier today, I posted my review of Zoya's summer 2012 Beach collection.  I now bring you the companion collection to Beach, Zoya's other summer collection, Surf.  This is a collection of foil metallics, and it, like Beach, is absolutely fabulous...

Carly - deep purple metallic.  Of all the polishes in this collection, this is the one with the most variation in the shimmer.  Rather than being simply silver or gold, the shimmer in this one is pink and blue.  It's almost like a foil-y, lighter version of OPI Ink.  This one had perfect formula and was almost a one-coater.  It was also had the glossiest finish of the six polishes in this collection. 2 coats.  

Kimber - bright, strawberry red-pink with golden shimmer.  The shimmer in this one is golden, rather than silver, and it reminds me of a foil-y version of China Glaze Strawberry Fields.  I loved this one on my nails and I can't wait to wear it as a manicure.

Meg - lime green foil.  This one, like Tracie from Beach, had me struggling a little for a color descriptor.  It's a little darker than what I consider a lime green, but it's very close.  However, it's not as bright as Zoya Apple from last year's Sunshine collection.  Zoya describes it as a "mermaid green", but in my mind, that means it has a good amount of blue in it, and this one has no blue.  This one had a satiny finish due to the amount of foil.  2 coats.  

Myrta - red-orange metallic.  This one gave me the most problems in trying to describe it.  It's not a true orange, and it's not a true red, and it's not a true pink, though it has elements of all 3.  It kind of reminded me of OPI The Show Must Go On from the 2010 Burlesque collection, though Myrta is more orange-y and brighter.  Like Kimber, this one had golden shimmer, though it is much more subdued in this polish.  3 coats, but it was fine at 2.

Rory - light pink foil.  If Glinda the Good Witch had her own Zoya polish, this one would be it.  This one had so much silver in the finish.  The pink is light and very girly.  I think this one would look fantastic in the summer.  Like Meg, this one dried to a satin finish, because of the amount of foil in the polish.  3 coats.

Zuza - aquamarine metallic foil with faint golden shimmer.  I think Zuza my second favorite in this collection, behind Carly.  This one had a silvery foil finish and like Rory and Meg, it was also very satiny.  The formula on this one was fantastic.  2 coats.  

All in all, like with Beach, I am in love with this collection.  Perhaps, I love it even more than beach.    I stated that Carly and Zuza are my favorites, but honestly, there isn't a single color in this collection that I was "meh" about.

Zoya polishes are available at zoya.com and retail for $8 each.  This collection, with Beach, should be available starting 4/1/2012.

To view my post on Zoya Beach, please click here.

These were sent to me for review

Yesterday's Nails - Zoya Robyn with OPI Gone Gonzo!

Yes, I realize I just did a "glitter tips" NOTD a couple of days ago, but I'm telling you guys... I am obsessed with glitter right now, so this might be a common occurrence.  LOL.  

Anyway, this is 3 coats of Zoya Robyn topped with one coat of OPI Gone Gonzo!  Robyn is from Zoya's Summer 2010 collection and Gone Gonzo! is from OPI's Holiday Muppets collection from last year. 

I am really liking blues right now, and this turquoise blue is no exception.  One thing I will say... it reminds me of my prom dress, and that's not a good thing.  I went to prom in 1993 when the dresses were glittery, shoulder pads were thick and hair was a mile high.  Anyway, my dress was just a tad darker than this shade, and had lace, pearls, and... sequins going down the lace sleeves.  It was god-awful and in fact, my best friend wore it as part of her Halloween costume a few years later.  It was that bad.

Sally Hansen Nail Prisms Turquoise Opal

I waffled on posting this all day.  Thing is, it took this about 2a, after taking a sleeping pill, so my cuticles look awful.  I'd been swatching Zoya's summer collection and I must have been high when I removed the last one.  However... this color is too amazing to not post it.  So, my apologies in advance for my bad cuticles and for any lemmings this may have created.

This is one coat of Sally Hansen Turquoise Opal over 2 coats of Illamasqua Boosh.

Remember all my whining about wanting an oilslick polish.  Well girls, this *almost* kills the lemming.  I still want something a bit more pastel, but this is so gorgeous that I may forget about the oilslick.  LOL.

Then, just a little bit ago, I got a little creative.  I was getting ready to take this off, so I figured I'd play with it. This is ChG Crushed Candy over my original mani.  I used a swirl/circular motion.  I also topped it with another coat of Turquoise Opal and then TC.

Unfortunately, Turquoise Opal is HTF and you have to resort to eBay.  I hate to say it because scalpers make me stabby, but if you can afford this... you need it.

These were all purchased by me.

OPI DS Desire with ChG Crushed Candy and Lippmann Boom Boom Pow

Okay it is crazycakes how much I love this.  :D

I was inspired by this post on the MUA NB.  I don't have WNW Prancer, so I figured I'd do the gold one instead.  I had on OPI DS Desire and because I can't go 6 hrs without doing something to my fingers, I figured I'd add some crackle (me thinks crackle is the new konad.  LOL).  Then it still needed something so I added Boom Boom Pow.

I love it so much and I will be a little sad when it's gone.

KOTD: ChG Atlantis with ChG Adore

I'm going to start with pics first and yakking later.

Pics:

Atlantis alone

Inside

Outside

Out of focus to show off the sparklies

Konad

Left


Right

Isn't this kah-razy? Like nuts, right? I love this color. I mean, I have turquoise glitter on my nails with a design on top and it doesn't feel weird. It's that awesome.

Okay, back down to earth. Atlantis is from the new ChG glitters collection. I'm not sure of it's official name because I have seen any real PR stuff concerning it. I saw the display at Sally's (where I got this) and VNS has about 6 colors in stock (but not Atlantis). I think they are calling the collection Glitters, Shimmers, and Cremes, but I have no clue if that's the official name.

Anywho... Atlantis is dusty turquoise base (well, as dusty as it can be with a shitload of glitter) with uniform, square glitter in turquoise, silver, and holo (which look like little disco balls on your nails). The glitter in this is fairly dense and the base is opaque at 2 coats, so there's no need for a base color. I'd say this is a stand-alone glitter, more than say, a glitter topper (like a lot of the Sinfuls and Luv My Nails I own). My nail was almost completely covered in one coat, but I did 2 just to make sure there were no bald spots or streaks.

The one thing I didn't like about this polish was it had that annoying glitter application problem where the polish has a tendency to pull out past the free edge of your nail, especially if you are trying to apply too much at once. It's easily rectified by simply pressing the free edge of your nail straight down on to a flat service. If you go slow and do thin coats, you will lessen the chance this. Plus, it's not a problem that's exclusive to Atlantis. I happens to me with all glitters.

Also, it's bumpy. Like cobblestone, bumpy. It took 3 coats of TC (over the coarse of today) to even it out. There are still places where it's not super smooth, but since it's a glitter, no one can see the uneven-ness. It's just a problem for the wearer. I could see this driving me crazy if I was OCD about my polish being even. However, as long as no one can tell... I'm cool.

Annnnnnnnd, because I have ADD and am never content with anything, I added a konad design. This is a full-nail design from plate m64. I used ChG Adore (blah, blah, blah Romantique, blah, blah, blah perfect Konad application... LOL) which is a pretty turquoise metallic. I wanted something subtle and yet not subtle at the same time. Meaning, that it's not "in your face" like say a silver or a white would be, but it's not like a secret konad either, like a deeper turquoise creme or shimmer would be. You can definitely see this design.

All in all, I am so pleased with this mani. I think I'm part parakeet because I keep looking at it. It was difficult getting anything done today because I wanted to keep staring at my nails. LOL.

Lastly, you may notice that my nails are still short. I opted to use Nailene nails this go around. 1. I was in a hurry and using the tips requires a bit more time due to cutting and filing, and 2. it's so much easier to type with shorties. I'll probably go back to long nails for my next mani (I may have some cool nail art decals to show you... we'll see how they turn out).

That's it for now. Hope you all like this one. Don't forget to register for my WnW giveaway. See above for info and link.

NOTD: BB Couture for Nails Kokomo with Orly Sol Cabana and ChG Turned Up Turquoise

First off, I apologize for all my designs being upside-down, but I konad like I am looking at the design, so when I take the picture with my fingers bent (which I find is the best angle for np photos), the design is upside-down. I should konad so I am looking at the image upside-down, as I see a lot of NBers do that, but it would drive me bananas. LOL.


This KOTD is BB Couture Kokomo with Orly Sol Cabana flowers and ChG TuT butterflies. I have both butterflies and flowers on my thumbs.



I really like Kokomo as a color. It's a soft buttercream yellow color. It was a bit difficult in applying if only that it was a bit streaky. This is 2 coats, but it could have used a third. However, sometimes 3 coats + TC has a hard time drying on glue-on nails, so I just did the 2. Plus, I was planning on doing a konad so I wanted to limit my number of coats. I don't think Kokomo alone necessarily works with my skintone, but once I added the konad designs, I like it much more with my skin.

This was the last of my 4 BB Couture polishes to try and the one I was the most apprehensive about. I really like it though, especially as a base color. It's such a soft, pretty color that I think this will be a go-to color as a base for konadding. I'm already planning a mani in my head using Kokomo and Misa Chocolate Icing. That would be so perfect for fall. Maybe the CI and a darker red.

As for Sol Cabana and TuT, I specifically got both of these colors to use for konad designs, but I could definitely see using them as pedi colors, for the 4x a year, I don't leave my toes nekkid that is. :P I may even try a mani using TuT as a base and my go-to Misa Got to be Real silver as the design color.