Category Archives: Swatch Saturday

Swatch Saturday: Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer’s Toasty Warm

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It’s another winter polish this Swatch Saturday! This is the next-to-last of the Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer winter collection from 2013. This is Toasty Warm; I’m wearing three coats with one coat of Alter Ego‘s She Shines top coat.

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Toasty Warm is a deep and rich blackened red with red glitters. It applies very easily; it was almost opaque on the first coat, and had perfect coverage on coat two. The glitters are suspended well in the polish; there’s no digging for it or struggling to even it out. The polish consistency was just right, not too thick or thin. It was pretty quick-drying; it reached its dried satin finish in about five minutes. I added a top coat to really bring out the beautiful amber shimmer.

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I have a deep affinity for these dark and vampy colors; they’re so dramatic and striking. They also shine like crazy with top coat on. I love this a ton. I wore these colors a ton when I was younger, because I wasn’t allowed to wear black nail polish. Every time I wear a deep color like this, 13-year-old me is giving almost-30 me a high-five.

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It’s a little weird wearing it this time of the year, though. As I write this, it is 83 degrees outside. It’s sunny, it’s warm, it’s gorgeous. “Toasty warm” doesn’t even begin to describe how I feel right now; right now, I do not have socks on. I do not have on a hoodie or long pants. It did not take my 13 year old LCD monitor 25 minutes to warm up. This is the beginning of the year for me, when I can crawl out of my flannel and wool cocoon and bask in the sunlight. Unfortunately, I understand that a lot of you got snow on the first day of spring. I am so sorry. Hang in there, my northern buddies. This too shall pass.

Toasty Warm is long discontinued and is no longer for sale from the maker. Other Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquers are available from their shop.

This polish was a gift. It was not sent by the maker, nor was it sent for review or evaluation.

Swatch Saturday: Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer’s Snowfall at Dusk

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Hello! Swatch Saturday is late today due to website maintenance. If you were here earlier and the site was down, I apologize. That said, Swatch Saturday is digging into the rest of Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer‘s 2013 winter collection. Yeah, I know. It was 80 and sunny and springtime now, but here we are. This polish is called Snowfall at Dusk; I’m wearing three coats with one coat of Alter Ego’s She Shines top coat. Also, that’s lotion stuck in my cuticles. Sorry.

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Snowfall at Dusk is a cornflower blue jelly with various shades of blue glitter in hexes, dots, and squares. There are also white snowflakes in the bottle, though I didn’t get any on my nails. The formula was fantastic; the glitters and the color apply easily and evenly over the nail. It dried quickly. It dried completely smooth, even before top coat. The jelly is a great translucence; you can see all the glitter through all the coats. It’s a fun and easy polish to put on and wear.

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I really like this polish. I love the blue winter motif, because it’s seasonal without being holiday festive. Blue is also a pretty cheerful color to me; sometimes winter is just so gray and dreadful and any pop of color, even one this soft, is a welcome sight. This polish says to me “Hey, it’s cold and wet and you’re miserable, but we’re gonna get through it”. That said, winter in Florida is over and I could not be happier.

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I even got some pics in the sunshine! This polish almost looks like it wants to melt out here. The jelly is beautiful; you can see right through it. The glitters shine so well. Glitter in direct sunlight in the best thing in the universe.

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Snowfall at Dusk has been discontinued, but BEGL‘s most recent winter collection is still available in their shop.

I bought this polish myself.

Swatch Saturday: Alter Ego’s Grows Hope

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For today’s Swatch Saturday, I’m wearing a brand that’s very new to me. I had not heard of Alter Ego until Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer launched the Lighthouse of Hope Box last October. I didn’t have any of their polishes until I purchased said box. I’m wearing three coats of Grows Hope with two coats of Alter Ego’s She Shines top coat.

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Grows Hope is a frosty metallic green polish. The formula is definitely on the thicker side, but I believe this is by design; to thin the consistency would be to change the intended foil effect. Despite the viscosity, I had no problems at all applying it. It dried quickly with a satin/matte finish, likely due to all of the pigments and magic that comprise the formula. Top coat went a long way in bringing out the metallic look. I ended up using two coats of top coat because the first one soaked right in and didn’t give me as much shine as I wanted. Despite that, I enjoyed working with this polish.

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Grows Hope and the Lighthouse of Hope Box were created to raise awareness for depression. Each polish in the box was made in the spirit of perserverance, optimism, and support. The maker has this to say about it, taken from the BEGL Lighthouse of Hope Box item page:

“While this woman doesn’t suffer from depression she knows lots of people who do. She Grows Hope for those she know who suffer, trying to make others more aware of how personal these issues can be, and by standing quietly by the side of these people she loves so much, without judgement, to help in whatever way she can.”

Grows Hope is like nothing else in my collection. I can’t get over this finish. I don’t have a single polish like this one. I really am impressed with it.

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Also, a quick word about the Alter Ego top coat. I’ve actually used it for a couple of manis so far, but I thought this would be the best time to talk about it. It’s really nice. After applying, my hands are bathroom-dry in five minutes. I have had no problems with shrinking or cracking, even with multiple coats. I didn’t know what to expect with it, but I’m really happy with it.

Grows Hope is a Lighthouse of Hope Box exclusive, which you can purchase from the BEGL shop. The box contains seven other polishes, as well as the She Shines top coat. The price is $80, $60 of which is donated to I Need a LightHouse, an organization that works with people who suffer from depression and their loved ones. Polish for a cause!

I bought this polish myself.

Swatch Saturday: Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer’s Dawn

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I really love today’s swatch! Dawn is a special small batch polish from Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer, and I only have this mini bottle of it because someone was nice enough to decant it for me. I feel super-lucky to have it, and I’m excited to feature it on my blog. I am wearing three coats of Dawn with one coat of Digital Nails‘s Ain’t Nobody Got Time for That top coat. All photos were taken outdoors in direct sunlight.

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Dawn is described by BEGL as a “pale pink linear holo with strong pink flash”. It applies evenly from the first coat, even though the first coat is on the sheer side; I got good opacity in two coats. The drying times were also quick. The formula is very easy to use; it’s not too thin or too thick. I was able to apply with lots of control. I didn’t take any indoor photos, but the holo effect doesn’t show up as well with indoor lighting. However, the pink flash is still quite potent. Outdoors is where I get the best of both.

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My tastes have changed, I think. If you’d asked me a year ago if I’d ever write the words “I sure do love this dainty pink holo”, I’d probably scoff. Two years ago, before I even started this blog or even knew about indie polishes, I definitely would. It wasn’t that long ago I was dismissive of light pinks or nudes, and I wasn’t always a fan of holo polishes. This polish, though, is so sweet and dainty. It’s so ladylike. I keep looking down at my nails and thinking “Man, I’m so glad I came around to polishes like this.” I really do love this dainty pink holo.

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As I mentioned, this is a decant from a full-size bottle. Once upon a time, I cart-jacked a BEGL prototype from Angela at Older Ladies Like Color Too. I felt bad, so I offered her a decant of it. She gave me this in return. It was a good trade. Dawn isn’t a currently available polish; I believe the last time it was for sale, there was one bottle up for auction during BEGL’s Depression Awareness charity auction in October. You can purchase other BEGL polishes from their shop.

Swatch Saturday: A England’s Jane Eyre

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I’m really excited to to show you today’s swatch. I got my first A England polish! When I saw they had a polish based on Jane Eyre, I had to have it. I’m wearing three coats of Jane Eyre with one coat of Digital Nails‘s Ain’t Nobody Got Time for That top coat.

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Jane Eyre is a black polish with red-to-gold shifting shimmers. I got perfect opacity in the first coat, so the three I added were completely unnecessary. Drying times were very fast, and it dries with a satiny finish; top coat is definitely a must if you want to bring out those red shimmers. In my experience, the black is very opaque, and as you can see in my indoor studio photos, it obscures most of the shimmer, with or without top coat. In the sunlight photos below, it’s much more reactive and visible. The consistency of the formula was just right; it was really easy to apply.

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Jane Eyre is my favorite book, and that may or may not be the reason I bought this polish. I actually don’t really know what led me to it; I found myself on A England’s website for some reason, saw this polish as a monthly special, and I started browsing the US stockists to see who had a bottle in stock. I probably looked for three or four before I found one. I think it’s a beautiful color, and I can absolutely see how the book might have inspired the polish: resentment, secrets, fire. (Seriously, go read the book.)

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As I mentioned, the polish completely changes in the sunlight. It’s mostly black indoors, but in the sun, the red really pops out. It’s gorgeous. I’m really curious about A England’s other polishes; I’m definitely going to try others in the future.

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Check A England‘s website to see who stocks them in your country. I live in the US and got my bottle from Color4Nails.

I purchased this bottle myself.

Swatch Saturday: Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer’s BEGL Go Bragh

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Today might be Valentine’s Day, but I’m looking ahead to St. Patrick’s Day, because beer is better than love and candy. Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer‘s BEGL Go Bragh was a limited edition polish released last year to celebrate the holiday and the Irish in all of us. I’m wearing three coats of BEGL Go Bragh with one coat of Digital Nails’s Ain’t Nobody Got Time for That top coat. Also, these photos were taken last week before I broke one and had to cut down to nubs, hence the wild difference in nail lengths.

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BEGL Go Bragh is a bright green polish with orange shimmer. I put on three coats, but I got great opacity in just one. Drying times were good, and the polish dries to a satin finish. Applying a top coat brightens and intensifies the shimmer. The consistency was perfect; it was just the right thickness to deliver smooth and strong color in one go. There was some separation, hence the white settling on the bottom of the bottle, but it doesn’t seem to affect the color much, if at all. Overall, this polish is a dream to apply and use.

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It’s fun to wear, too! I really love how the green and orange play off of each other. The shimmer is really subtle, too; it tends to pop out only when the light hits it. The green itself is already a bright pop of color; the orange shimmer is a colorful bonus. I feel like this makes the polish pretty versatile for a holiday polish. That’s my favorite thing about BEGL holiday polishes; I’m not sure I would have pinned it as a St. Paddy’s-themed polish if I didn’t already know it was one.

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As this polish was a limited edition from a year ago, it’s no longer for sale. However, you can find other BEGL polishes in their shop.

I bought this polish myself.

Swatch Saturday: Blue-Eyed Girl Prototype CTA 2.0

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I have another prototype to show you this week! This is Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer Prototype CTA 2.0. I’ve got on three coats with one coat of Ciate’s Speed Coat Pro top coat.

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CTA 2.0 is a white creme with multicolored shimmers. There’s something iridescent in it, something that shines blue to purple. There also seems to be something that shifts from gold to lilac. The shimmer in the bottle is absolutely beautiful, but it does not transfer to the nail well at all. You can see a few subtle stray shimmers in photos and that’s about it. The shimmers are a little stronger in person, but even then they’re mostly covered up by the thick white creme. It’s still pretty, but likely not what the maker intended, which is why it never made it past the prototype stage. CTA 2.0 dries matte with a fine texture. The drying time was pretty nice. It’s still a good polish overall.

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In my own records, I call this polish Snowshine, just because I tend to lump everything that’s white with snow and winter. Based on the one time I got to stomp around in some day-old bargain bin snow, this polish really does remind me of snow. It’s all white until you get up close to it, and then you can see it sparkling in the sunlight, melting delicately into the earth. This polish is exactly like that. You have to look a little harder for the sparkle, but you know it’s there.

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As CTA 2.0 was a prototype, the bottle I have is the only bottle and no others were made. You can buy other Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquers from their shop.

I bought this polish myself.

Swatch Saturday: Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer Prototype VDay 6.1

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On this week’s Swatch Saturday, I’m showing you a rather unique polish prototype from Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer. I’m wearing three coats of VDay 6.1 with one coat of Ciate’s Speed Coat Pro top coat.

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VDay 6.1 is a pale green jelly with dark green and navy glitters and golden shimmer. It was really easy to apply; the glitters weren’t difficult to remove from the bottle or brush onto the nail. The first coat was thin and sheer; more shimmer than color. It could be worn as a topper over a similarly green polish. A second coat gave some color back, but was still quite sheer. At three coats, it’s sheer enough to allow each layer of glitter to shine through, but the color is as strong as it is in the bottle. Drying times were fast; the polish dried with a satin finish. Top coat gives this polish extra golden shine.

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Since this polish is green and Valentine’s Day-related, it reminds me of the French term of endearment mon petit chou, which, literally translated, means my little cabbage. I’ve also heard it can mean my little pastry, but that’s not as fun. It’s perfect, though, right? This polish has such a crisp and vegetal color, and cabbage was the first thing I thought of when I saw it. I’m such a weirdo.

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Unfortunately, as this polish was a prototype, this is the only bottle like it. Sorry! Other Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquers are available from their shop. I heard there’s a new Valentine’s Day collection coming out next month.

I bought this polish myself.

Swatch Saturday: Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer’s Newly Impassioned Soul

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Happy Saturday, reader! I have another fantastic polish from Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer‘s My Indecisive Valentine collection. My swatch this week is of Newly Impassioned Soul; I’m wearing three coats with one coat of Ciate’s Speed Coat Pro.

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Newly Impassioned Soul is a bright pink crelly polish with tiny green pearl flakies. It was very easy to apply and dried pretty quickly to a semi-matte/satin finish. For a crelly, I found this to be pretty thick and opaque enough that two coats was enough for full opacity, but depending on your application style, you may need three or even four to get your desired opacity. You’ll notice the white pigment that settled to the bottom; no amount of shaking the bottle could mix it back in. However, this settling does not affect the integrity of the color. I’ve had this happen with a few other indie polishes, and it’s a problem that’s bottle-deep, if you will. You can see it in the bottle, but on the nail the polish looks exactly as it should.

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I like this polish because it’s pink and sparkly. There’s no better way to win me over. Polishes that fit this description, though, tend to be outside a lot of comfort zones. Though this is a really big color, I don’t think it’s so bright that it’s garish or distasteful; the flakies give a subtle elegance to a beautiful pop of color. It’s gorgeous.

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As of this publication, Newly Impassioned Soul is currently available in the BEGL shop. It has been discontinued, so what’s left in stock is all that remains. It’s also been discounted, so grabbing this lovely at a low price is a win/win.

This is the last of this collection we’ll be seeing for a while; I have others, but since they were part of a second fan-favorites collection, they were purchased later and are lower in the swatch queue. I can’t wait to bring them to you. In the meantime, we’ll be looking at some BEGL prototypes, the last of the 2013 winter collection, and the spring collection from 2014. Most of those I haven’t even used yet. I’m so excited.

I bought this polish myself.

Swatch Saturday: Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer’s Idealistic Future

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My swatch this Swatch Saturday features the gorgeous glitter topper from Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer‘s 2014 Valentine’s Day collection. I’m wearing one coat of Idealistic Future over L’Oreal’s Broadway Boogie, Julep’s Martha, and Essie’s Navigate Her, as well as one coat of Ciate’s Speed Coat Pro top coat.

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BEGL describes Idealistic Future as a clear glitter topper “packed with gold, pink, purple, and red glitters in hexes, squares, glass dots, diamonds, and hearts.” These glitters, even the big shapes, were easy to get out of the bottle and spread well over the nail. Drying time was about what I expect now from a BEGL, about five minutes, even where it’s applied thickly. It was really easy to put on and wear.

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I love BEGL glitter toppers, and I really love this one. I love the colors in it: romantic pink, soft lilac, rich gold, fiery red. I especially love the glass dot glitters. This was the first time I’d ever seen them in a polish, and though they’re elusive, it’s so much fun to see one on the nail when you finally discover it. Can you see the one I got on my middle finger? I didn’t notice it myself until I was looking at the photos. It just looks like a round clear circle in the photo, but in real life it’s about the same color as my undies polish. Fun, right? I think it’s fun.

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The very last bottle of Idealistic Future sold out a couple days ago, so unfortunately, this one is no longer for sale. As of this publication, one of the My Indecisive Valentine polishes is still available, and supplies are limited. That polish is Newly Impassioned Soul; we’ll see it next week on Swatch Saturday.

I bought this polish myself.