Manicure Monday: Sundown

Happy Monday, reader! This is the last Manicure Monday of 2015. I cannot believe another year has gone by and I’m still blogging. The wacie.com anniversary, as well as the anniversary of Wacie Nail Company, are coming up, and I have some really fun things planned, like new polishes! For now though, let’s not get too far ahead of ourselves. For this final post of 2015, I’m wearing Pretty & Polished‘s Sundown; this is three coats with one coat of Seche Vite.

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Sundown, as you can see, is an orange-to-yellow thermal creme polish with glitters in orange, yellow, and pink. The polish coverage is on the opaque side, so glitters from previous coats don’t show up so well in the finished look. That’s especially true for the orange/cold stage; since the yellow/warm stage is much paler, and the darker glitters do actually show through a little. The transition occurs easily. Application was okay; the creme went on beautifully, but the glitters were few and took some manipulating to get them just right. The polish dries with a satin finish.

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I bought this polish in 2015, and I’m actually surprised it still transitions. I’m thrilled with it, really. A lot of the thermals I’ve had that long — even a few I bought more recently — have stopped altogether. I was really unsure of what to expect from it. It’s beautiful, though, isn’t it? It’s so strangely appropriate for this post, and in so many ways: obviously the name is appropriate, since the sun is setting on such an exciting year. Today’s high was 83 degrees, and so the colors are unseasonally seasonal. It’s not a NYE glitterbomb, but it’s a really cool polish to see me through the end of the year.

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Sundown is no longer made by Pretty & Polished, but you can find other polishes (thermals!) on both their etsy store and their official website.

I bought this polish myself.

 

Manicure Tuesday Morning: Winterland Hottie

Happy Monday! My post is late tonight because I just got back from a Christmas party, where these wintry nails were a huge hit. I know I said I never do seasonal nails, but I had the opportunity today and I took it. For this look, I’m wearing Indigo Bananas‘s Klein Trink Wasser as my base and Sinful Colors’s Hottie on top. All nails are topped with Seche Vite top coat.

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So last week I talked a bit about drugstore glitters as a gateway drug; back in the ’90s, Sinful Colors was where it was at. I don’t know if you remember, but Walgreens used to sell it, and they came in indie-style bottles, the barrel ones with the black caps. My mother felt uncomfortable buying something “sinful”. I wanted every color. It’s fun how some things never change; I love these glitter polishes as much as I did when I was younger. The polishes haven’t changed much, either; they’re the same iridescent glitter mixes they always have been. There’s something really nice about that. It might be the same glitter, but it’s a ton of fun finding new and grown-up ways to wear it.

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I love that indie cremes are becoming a thing. That’s not to say Klein Trink Wasser is a new polish; I actually bought it last year, and this is the first time I’m wearing it. I just mean that, even with a seemingly basic color like this one, you’d think that there’d be no more creme colors left without mass market dupes. As surprising as it seems, I don’t have anything like this polish in my collection. All my dark blue cremes are really dark, and all my dark blues are shimmery or glittery. It took me a long time to find a creme in this particular shade. Anyway, I think that the indie creme trend is amazing. Between the Creme a la Mode box and the Pipe Dream neons and brights, there are a ton of exciting cremes without mass market dupes. It’s really cool.

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I’m not sure I’ve ever worn striping tape on its own on the blog; usually I just use it like a vinyl strip. I’ve definitely never worn loose glitter, and that’s fun, too. The snowflakes were bigger than I wanted and they’ve been getting snagged on things. It also feels a little weird wearing snowflakes on my nails when I’m wearing a tube top and shorts. One more thing: I made a scented top coat to wear with this mani. I had a little vial of winter gardenia fragrance oil, so I made a top coat with it because it seemed appropriate. I’ll have these listed in the shop soon, along with a new Wacie Nail Co. collection.

Klein Trink Wasser and other Indigo Bananas polishes are sold on their website. Hottie and Sinful Colors are sold in stores nationwide.

I bought these polishes myself.

Swatch Sunday: Anna Gorelova by Dance Legend’s Кот Баю

Hello reader! We’re looking at yet another polish from a destash sale. I’m really excited about this one; I’ve seen Dance Legend polishes everywhere, and I finally have one! This is a polish from the Anna Gorelova by Dance Legend collaboration; it’s called Кот Баю (Kot Bajun) and I’m wearing three coats with one coat of Seche Vite.

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Kot Bajun is a sheer nude with fine holographic silver glitter. Application was easy; the product consistency was on the thinner side, but still held onto the brush and applied evenly. As you can see, after three coats, there’s no such thing as full opacity when wearing it alone. The glitter shines nicely through the sheer polish; it distributes well and lays flat on the nail, leaving no texture behind. It dries quickly and with a smooth satin finish. I added top coat for extra shine.

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I admit, I had to do some homework on this polish. There’s no shade name on the bottom on the bottle, only a number. The destash shop I bought it from called it Кот Баю, which also turns up in a Google search. It also turns out that this polish shares a name with an animal from a Russian folk legend; Kot Bajun is apparently a giant cat that lives in the forests of Siberia. I couldn’t find much about it in English. I just love the international appeal of this, though. I’m a huge fan of  products from other countries; my kitchen pantry is a mishmash of international foods, but I only have a few polishes that aren’t from the United States.

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I love this polish. It’s another soft neutral that’s both sparkly and work-appropriate. It’s weird how many of these I’ve been wearing lately. The glitter is a lot like the same stuff that’s in Fairy Dust; it’s the same single-serve portion of sparkle, even with three coats. This would definitely pair well with a white tip or over a nude base.

Кот Баю seems to be discontinued. Check Dance Legend’s site for international stockist info.

I bought this polish myself.

Swatch Saturday: A England’s Her Rose Adagio

It’s Saturday, and it’s time for swatches! As I mentioned last week, I’ve been shopping a lot of destash sales, and that’s how this beauty came into my life. This is A England‘s Her Rose Adagio; I’m wearing three coats with one coat of Seche Vite top coat. All photos were taken outdoors in partly cloudy conditions.

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Her Rose Adagio is a rosy champagne scattered holo polish. Application was a breeze; the formula is thick but potent; I had an opaque first coat. The scattered holo effect occurs both indoors and outdoors, but is stronger outdoors, though it’s still quite muted. The polish dried quickly and with a smooth holo finish. I added top coat for shine and to emphasize the holo effect.

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This polish is gorgeous. The color is mostly neutral with just a hint of coolness. It’s perfect for those of us who need professional or career colors, but still want a bit of sparkle. It’s delicate, elegant, and I think it would flatter any skintone. It really captures the essence of the dance. Definitely go for this one.

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Her Rose Adagio and other A England polishes are sold on their website and through other international distributors.

I bought this polish myself.

Manicure Monday: Confetti Dreams

Happy Monday, reader! This week has all the hallmarks of being a holiday mani without actually being one, and might just be the closest I get to one all year. For this look, I used Julep’s Alexandra as the base color, Octopus Party‘s Universal Loner as the tip color, and LA Colors’s Confetti as the glitter topper, all with one coat of Seche Vite. Here we go!

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I think that, until this mani, I forgot drugstore glitter toppers were a thing. I mean, how could I; after all, they were my gateway to glitter addiction. Even now, I have tubs of them. It’s just that every glitter topper I’ve worn for the past year or so (at least) has been an indie polish, and I’ve gotten used to that sort of polish. Indie glitters just have so much going on: big glitters, small glitters, shimmer, flakies, crazy shapes. This one, though it was a pretty cool polish when I bought it, I’m having a hard time finding a word other than quaint to describe it. I’m not trying to say it’s bad, I’m really not, it’s just that glitter polish has come a long way since this one. This is two coats of glitter, by the way.

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I chose Alexandra for the base because it was neutral, and I needed a color that wouldn’t interfere with any of the glitter colors. I ended up adding the red tips as an afterthought, hoping to tie everything together. That, and I already had it out to put on my toes. Both of these polishes performed very well; Alexandria had a bit of streakiness left after two coats, but the glitter hides it well. Universal Loner went on really easily; I didn’t have to deal with any coverage problems. It’s my first OPNL, too, yay.

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I think it all came together really nicely. Like I said, red and glitter usually means a holiday mani. I actually plan my manicure combinations out way in advance, so it’s lucky it landed on a day so as to be seasonal as well as pretty.

LA Colors is sold nationwide, as is Julep. Octopus Party Nail Lacquers are sold from their etsy store.

I bought these polishes myself.

Swatch Sunday: CrowsToes Nail Color’s That Boy is a P-I-G Pig

Welcome to Swatch Sunday! I’m really excited to show you this week’s polish. I’ve been shopping a lot of destash sales lately on Facebook, and about a week ago, I bought my very first mystery bag, which means I got a lot of new polishes I wouldn’t normally have bought. It was a really fun experience! Today’s polish is one from that set. This is That Boy is a P-I-G Pig from CrowsToes Nail Color; I’m wearing three coats with one coat of Seche Vite top coat.

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That Boy is a P-I-G Pig is a sheer pale pink with blue-to-pink shifting shimmer and pearly white flakies. Application was easy; the polish went on smoothly and evenly. The product consistency is very easy to work with; it stays on the brush quite well, but isn’t thick. The coverage is very sheer; at three coats, you can still my nail bed through the polish. The shimmer is visible in nearly every lighting level, though more powerful in some than others. The polish dries with a smooth finish; I used top coat for shine and protection.

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I didn’t know anything about this polish when I got it, so I did a little Internet homework; it turns out this was in an A Box Indied box last year. I feel pretty lucky to have gotten a box-exclusive polish on accident, and one this pretty to boot.

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For the shift!

For the shift!

This is the daintiest polish I have ever worn. I think I say that every time I wear a pale pink, but this time I mean it. This is gloriously dainty. It’s so pink and soft and girly. The strong blue shimmer and flakies set it apart from every other sheer pale pink in my collection. I feel a little exposed with my visible nail lines for everyone to see, but overall, this polish gives a clean and elegant look to my nails.

That Boy is a P-I-G Pig is no longer in production. Other CrowsToes polishes are available from their shop.

I bought this polish myself.

Swatch Saturday: Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer’s Fare the Wind

Happy Saturday! We’re deep into the Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer Far From the Sun summer collection. I like to think it’s why it’s still so warm in December. This is runaway hit from the collection, Fare the Wind. I’m wearing three coats with one coat of Seche Vite. All but one photo were taken outdoors in direct sunlight.

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Fare the Wind is a purple holo with blue-to-purple shifting shimmers. Application was smooth; the consistency was just right to work with and achieved opacity in two coats. The holo effect is most powerful outdoors; indoors, the color shift is more easily seen, and the tone changes from cool to warm depending on lighting conditions. It dried with a smooth finish; I used top coat to bring out the holo effect.

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It’s easy to see why this was such a big seller; in fact, BEGL released it again in their Fan Favorites collection this year, and it was the first to sell out. This polish does everything: not only is the holo effect stunning, but the color shift and shimmers just send it over the top. It’s gorgeous. It just couldn’t get any better.

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Fare the Wind is sold out (again). Other BEGL polishes are available in the Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer shop.

I bought this polish myself.

Manicure Monday: Sweetie

Happy Monday, reader! Here’s my mani this week. I used a textured polish alone, so it’s simple. It’s Sweetie from Sally Hansen; I’m wearing three coats without top coat.

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Sweetie is a flat yellow textured polish. There’s no glitter or shimmer; it’s just a yellow creme with bumps. I really like the color; I like these cool light yellows a lot. I’m having a hard time getting into the texture, though, like is it truck bed liner, or is it polish? Don’t get me wrong, I like the way the texture feels, but the look is just lacking. The absence of glitter just makes it look like thick nasty polish.

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I’m trying to make the best of it. Honestly, I don’t hate it or anything. I just had really high hopes for this polish. I wanted more. I at least wanted sparkles.

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Sally Hansen polishes are sold nationwide. My bow charm is from Claire’s.

I bought this polish myself.

Swatch Sunday: Model City Polish’s Sheena is a Punk Rocker

Happy Sunday, reader! This week I’m wearing an oldie-but-goodie, a first polish from a beloved indie. This was even one of my first-ever indie polishes. All the way from 2013, here’s Sheena is a Punk Rocker from Model City Polish; I’m wearing three coats with one coat of Seche Vite.

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Sheena is a Punk Rocker is a black jelly polish with magenta dots and silver holographic hex glitters. Application was easy; the jelly base was thin at first, but built up to deep black in three coats. The glitters spread evenly and lay flat on the nail. The polish dries quickly with a glossy finish, though with a little bit of texture from the glitters. I used top coat for extra smoothness and shine.

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The shine is probably the first thing you noticed about this polish. It is shiny. The shine from both the glitter and the jelly gloss overwhelmed my camera, so the focus is off in a few of these photos. The shine is probably my favorite thing about the glitter jelly polish, especially in black. It’s the icing on top of a very glittery cake.

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I totally bought this polish because it was named after a Ramones song. Believe it or not, this is actually my second bottle of it. I bought a mini in my very first Model City order, and I loved it so much that I went back for the full size when it was restocked, as well as the other two polishes in the collection. These are very special polishes to me and I’m so sad MCP doesn’t make it anymore.

Sheena is a Punk Rocker has been discontinued; other Model City polishes are available from their etsy shop.

I bought this polish myself. The Ramones are awesome.

Swatch Saturday: Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer’s Sail Her Don’t Sink Her

Happy weekend, reader! I trust you’re all having a fantastic Saturday. This Saturday’s swatch is Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer‘s Sail Her Don’t Sink Her, which is from last year’s Far From The Sun summer collection. I’m wearing three coats with one coat of Seche Vite top coat.

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Sail Her Don’t Sink Her is a clear-based microglitter polish with pink, purple, red, gold, and orange holographic and metallic glitters. Application was easy; because it is a clear base, it took me all three coats to achieve this level of opacity. The polish dries with a textured finish; it’s not too rough or bumpy, but it is a fine grit. I used top coat for extra shine and smoothness.

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This polish looks so simple in the bottle; it just looks like a lot of glitter swimming around together. On the nail, the complexities really stand out. The colors just come together so well, so organically, that it’s hard to believe someone actually created it. This polish is full of sparkle and it’s hard to stop looking at it. It’s gorgeous and I love it.

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Sail Her Don’t Sink Her, unfortunately, has been discontinued by Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer. Other BEGL polishes are available from their shop.

I bought this polish myself.