Candeo Colors Joker

Candeo Colors Joker has been one of my longest indie lemmings.  It seems like whenever Melinda would add it to the sale on her site, I wasn't fast enough.  So when I saw it in stock on Llarowe a few weeks ago, I jumped on it.  I know that Llarowe has been a bit of a drama llama lately, so I was a little nervous about ordering, but the power of the lemming was stronger than my trepidation.  LOL.  

She came in a couple of weeks ago, but that was when packages from Llarowe were still being sent with signature required, and it actually took me almost a week to have a chance to go the post office.  And then she sat in my purse for another week.  So much for a hardcore lemming, right?  :P

Anyway, I finally had a chance to put her on my nails (am I the only one that refers to nail polish as "her"?) and I am so happy I got her...

This is 2 coats of Joker over 3 thin coats of Essie Boxer Shorts, a soft periwinkle blue.  I also used one coat of Barielle No Chip Speed Dry.  

Joker is a mix of purple glitter, purple microglitter, blue glitter, periwinkle matte glitter and large silver and holo hex glitters.  Any other color you see in my swatch above (i.e. pink, orange, and green) was created by the flash off the holographic glitter.  It's a little brighter than I thought it would be, as I initially thought it would kill my lemming for Lynnderella Nosegay.  It doesn't... but Lynn's crazy kinda kills that on it's own.  :P  That said, it's still really, really pretty and I think it would fantastic over tons over colors (can you imagine it over a bright blue like Zoya Song?).  

Also, in the future, I think I may go lighter with my application.  It actually looked really pretty at just one coat, but I never know when to stop, so that's why you see two above (my second coat was much thicker).  The base on Joker is clear and I had no issues with the formula being thick or with the glitter not wanting to transfer to the nail.  That's one of the best things about Candeo Colors glitters.  

If you can snag it, Joker is occasionally available at Candeo Colors' website.  That said, they only restock about once every 4-6 weeks and when they do, the stuff is loaded into carts within seconds.  You probably will have a better chance of getting Joker through Llarowe (where I got mine), but keep in mind that she charges $12, about 25% more than purchasing directly from Candeo Colors, plus shipping costs.  For me, if it's something I really want, I'd actually rather pay a little more and get it, rather than deal with a long wait and fight a stampede.  

Joker was purchased by me.  Boxer Shorts was provided for review.

Candeo Colors Jellybean

Okay, so here's the deal... I hate to say it, but I am pretty much over the indie polish craze, and it I has nothing to do with the polishes themselves or the creators of the indie polishes (both of which can be fabulous), and everything to do with the purchasing process.

I just hate feeling like I'm in the middle of a derby or Black Friday when I go to purchase something.  I like to take my time, stare at swatches and pore over reviews.  But with the popular indies, those are luxuries of time you just don't have if you want to snag one of them.  Thus, I've declared that I've (almost) given up on purchasing these polishes.  Almost, because even though I'm not a fan of the process, there are still some indie polishes that I want to add to my collection.  

One of those polishes was Candeo Colors Jellybean.  In fact, I tried to get a couple of months ago, but it sold-out in minutes.  So the other day, when I happened to see on Facebook that the creator, Melinda, was offering 40 mini bottles of several of her top-sellers, including Jellybean, I set the alarm on my phone and made plans to be at home when the product hit her site.  I also had plans of getting Orchid (my other Candeo Colors lemming), but it was put into carts before I could add that one to mine (it was a matter of seconds. LOL).  So, I figured I'd get Orchid at a later date and just got Jellybean, and I am soooo happy I did...

This is 2 coats of Jellybean over 2 coats of Zoya Pippa.  Jellybean is a sheer, pale yellow base loaded with large blue, pink, and purple glitter and small pink, green, and yellow glitter.  I had a hard time reaching opacity with this one on it's own so, in my opinion, it's best to layer this one.  I like it over a brighter yellow base, Pippa, because it makes the colors of the glitter pop against the background.  Although, this would look just as pretty over a lighter yellow base, as the base on this one is a soft yellow (see below).  

Alternatively, could also "sandwich" this with a yellow jelly, such as Nubar Lemon, or a sheer yellow.  I tried it with the latter and used a previously-frustrating sheer yellow, BB Couture for Nails Kokomo...

This is one coat of Jellybean sandwiched between 4 coats of Kokomo.  I used 3 coats on the base and 1 coat over top of Jellybean.  Unfortunately, Kokomo is now discontinued, but any pale, sheer-ish yellow would work.

Candeo Colors Jellybean is available, in a mini-size (what I have) and in a full-size, from Candeo Color's website, though the product, in either size, is currently sold out.  When available, the mini retails for $3.50 and the full-size is $8.  For information on availability, please be sure to like their Facebook page, as Melinda will update there when she is re-stocking colors.  

Candeo Colors Jellybean was purchased by me.  The above link links to Candeo Color's website and is not an affiliate link.

Candeo Colors Dolce

So apparently, while I was taking my blogging hiatus, the latest trend became hand-mixed glitters.  Right when I came back, the Lynnderella drama was reaching a head, so I kind of avoided this craze.  That was until I found myself bored one night and poking around Etsy.  Before I knew it, I had bought 3.  This baby was the first one I received.

Candeo Colors had several glitters at the time, so I'm not sure what drew me to Dolce, just that it appeared really pretty.  This is a pale pink base loaded with white, pink and holo hex glitter.  There is also pink micro glitter and larger white glitter, as well as half-moons and holo bar glitter.  It's a glitter-explosion.  This is 3 coats of Dolce, and what I love about it as that you can layer the glitter for a deeper effect.  I love the imbedded look of the glitter from the first and second coats.  I also applied 2 coats of TC to even it out, but it honestly wasn't that bumpy without TC.  

I love this indie brand and I am so excited to try some of their new colors (please let me be able to get Jellybean next time.  LOL)

Candeo Colors are available on Etsy.  Their shop is currently open, but they are sold out of Dolce at the moment.  You can also follow them on Twitter at @CandeoColors.