Category Archives: Swatch Sunday

Swatch Sunday: Dollish Polish’s Beauty School Dropout

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Swatch Sunday is here again! Today I got to use a new-to-me brand, as well as a recent purchase. This is Beauty School Dropout from Dollish Polish, which was part of last month’s Grease-themed Beauty Quartet Box. It’s rare that I use a polish so soon after I get it, so this is super fun for me. I’m wearing Beauty School Dropout at three coats with one coat of Seche Vite top coat.

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Beauty School Dropout is a white crelly with glitters in various shapes and shades of pink, holographic silver, and white, as well as a fine pink shimmer throughout. The application process was pretty simple; the crelly goes on thin and translucent on the first coat, as crellies tend to do, then opacity increases with additional coats. It’s pretty typical in that regard. What I found unusual was how few glitters I got on each coat; there doesn’t seem to be much glitter in this polish. Drying times were good, and the polish dries with a semi-gloss finish. I added top coat for shine and protection.

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I love white crelly polishes. It’s been a long time since I’ve had the chance to wear one. This polish has a lot of things I love: the crisp white, the pink glitters, the occasional glint of holographic silver. I only wish there was more glitter. These are things I can never have enough of. It’s a little refreshing to see a crelly that’s not overwhelmed by glitter, but I kind of wish this one was. That’s my only complaint, though; that side, I like this polish quite a bit.

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Beauty School Dropout was a Beauty Quartet Box exclusive and is no longer available as part of the set. You may be able to find one from blogger sales or destashes. Other Dollish Polishes are available from their website.

I bought this polish myself.

Swatch Sunday: Kleancolor’s Neon Orange

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For today’s edition of Swatch Sunday, I’m wearing a new-to-me brand, Kleancolor. I grabbed a couple bottles of Kleancolor polishes during my last trip to Atlanta, and I’m finally trying one of them out. This is Neon Orange; I’m wearing three coats with one coat of Seche Vite.

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was on the thicker side, but this didn’t hinder its quality much. It dried quickly and with a satin finish. My one complaint is that it’s still not fully opaque at three coats; it’s not obvious in photos, but my nail lines were still rather visible.

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Under a black light!

This isn’t a bad little polish. It’s pretty well-pigmented and the neon is as bright in person as it is in photos. It makes my hands tan, and it really lights up under a black light! Unfortunately, neon cremes are pretty easy to come by these days, especially within the indie polish community; this Neon Orange isn’t your only option, but it’s a good option if you can find it.

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I bought this polish myself.

Swatch Sunday: Julep’s America

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Happy Sunday! My swatch today is a patrotic offering from Julep, simply called America. There’s a part of me weirded out by shows of patrotism like this, especially between holidays, but it’s so glittery and flashy that I almost don’t care. For the post today, I’m wearing three coats of America; the first six photos are taken without top coat. All photos were taken in direct sunlight outdoors.

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America is a clear-based glitter topper that consists mostly of fine red metallic glitter, but also contains larger blue and silver glitters and silver stars. Application wasn’t bad; the product consistency was pretty thick, edging on goopy; three coats of goopy polish isn’t fun for anybody. After it dried, which was about five minutes after each coat, it left a finely-textured crust of glitter. I did add two coats of Rica‘s Glossy Glam to smooth it out, which looked fantastic, but added yet another thick layer of stuff to my nails. The tips shrank up right away.

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Patriotic or not, this is a gorgeous polish. The red glitters shine like ruby slippers, and the blues and silver stars are bonus. In fact, it’s entirely possible I bought this just because it has star glitter in it. With or without top coat, this polish is very shiny, especially in sunlight. It’s just a ton of fun to wear. The following photos were taken with top coat.

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America may be discontinued by Julep, as it’s out of stock on their website.

I bought this polish myself.

Swatch Sunday: Jesse’s Girl’s Glee

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Swatch Sunday!! I love today’s polish, even if my thickening top coat doesn’t get along with it. This is Jesse’s Girl’s Glee, a Rite-Aid grab from last year’s vacation. I’m wearing three coats with one coat of Rica‘s Glossy Glam top coat.

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Glee is a teal jelly with fine blue-to-green iridescent shifting shimmers. Application wasn’t bad; the first coat was thin and streaky, and it didn’t really even out until the third. The jelly is still translucent after the third coat, and not only can you see my visible nail line, you can see how the polish changes color over the whites of my nails. This only really happens in bright light, thankfully; it’s not too obvious anywhere else. The drying times were good, and the polish itself dried with a glossy finish. The only thing that really bugged me was the square brush cap. I thought it was pretty awkward to hold and use. I added top coat for additional shine and protection, but since I’m getting to the end of the bottle, it’s a bit thick and shrank a little. It’s unfortunate for sure.

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I really love this polish, even though I didn’t do the best job applying it. The color is so deep and rich, but only because the shimmers are so potent. It’s either emerald green or ocean blue, twinkling and almost metallic, mermaid polish at its finest.

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Story time: I know, I’ll try to keep it short. I had never even heard of Jesse’s Girl until I was in a Phildelphia Rite-Aid. Believe it or not, my area does not have Rite-Aid stores; there are only two in Florida, and the closest one to me is in Georgia. I pop into Rite-Aids whenever I’m lucky enough to be near one. If I didn’t, I’d miss out on beauties like these. I hope I’ll be able to score some more of these soon!

I bought this polish myself.

Swatch Sunday: Indigo Bananas’s Suneater

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Welcome to Swatch Sunday! I get to swatch a holo today. I haven’t worn one since March; yes, I went back to check. Now that we’re in the summer months, the sunshine is abundant except on the days I wear holo polish. This is Indigo Bananas‘s Suneater, worn at three coats, with one coat of Rica‘s Glossy Glam top coat. All photos were taken outdoors in partly cloudy conditions.

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Suneater is a metallic gold/cool green duochrome linear holographic polish. There’s so much going on! Application was easy; the product consistency was on the thin side, which I sometimes find harder to work with. I made a mess with it a little, but it wasn’t too bad. The coverage is still a bit sheer, even after three coats; I still see a little bit of visible nail line. The holographic effect is strong outdoors, and less so indoors, though it’s visible in most lighting conditions. In dim lighting, or in the shade, the green duochrome effect is more obvious. The polish dries quickly and with a smooth texture; I added top coat to add shine and really bring out the holographic effect.

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Indigo Bananas is still a pretty new brand to me, even though I’ve had a few of their polishes for a while. I bought four at once about a year ago and this is the first time I’ve used one for a full mani. If only I’d known what I was missing! Suneater is a gorgeous polish; even just as a metallic gold, it’s pretty and interesting. The green shift and the linear holographic effect are just cake.

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Suneater and other polishes are available from the Indigo Bananas website.

I bought this polish myself.

Swatch Sunday: I Love Nail Polish’s Nostalgia

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As promised, here is the second Swatch Sunday post for today. With this, I’m all caught up. This polish is a doozy, so make sure you’re sitting down! I’m wearing three coats of I Love Nail Polish‘s Nostalgia with one coat of Rica‘s Glossy Glam top coat.

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Nostalgia is a deep pink-to-deep green multichrome polish. The color shift is very dramatic and occurs easily in any lighting condition. The color turns dark green when frontlit, rosy or red when backlit. Between the extremes is a lovely gold. Application was easy; the product is just the right consistency and went on smoothly. It dries quickly with a metallic finish. I added topcoat for extra shine, but it doesn’t detract from the polish’s original texture.

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I gotta tell you, this is the first time I’ve used a multichrome, and I am in awe. I’ve never worn anything like this before. It’s the coolest thing. I could swirl my fingers around all day and see a color I haven’t seen yet and I would never get tired of looking. I don’t even know what else to say about it. It’s beautiful and awesome.

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ILNP’s multichromes have been around for a while now, and I know there are other companies doing similar things, but I’m not completely over this look. This is easily the most exciting thing I’ve put on my nails in a really long time.

Nostalgia and other I Love Nail Polish polishes are available at ilnp.com.

I bought this polish myself.

Swatch Sunday: Hot Topic’s Light Blue

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Happy Sunday, reader! Because I got behind on swatches, I’m posting two Swatch Sunday entries today. This particular installment is a throwback to one of my first-ever jobs; as a young adult I worked at Hot Topic and I bought tons of polish for super cheap. Only two bottles survive from that time, and this is one of them. There’s no shade name, so I call this Light Blue. I’m wearing three coats with one coat of Rica‘s Glossy Glam top coat.

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Light Blue is a — you guessed it — light blue creme. To call it light might be an understatement, it’s definitely a bright and maybe even a neon blue. The color is very vibrant and the polish is well-pigmented. Application was easy; I had full opacity in two coats. The polish dries very quickly, and to a matte finish. I’m not a fan of the matte finish so I added top coat. After all these years, however, the consistency was uneven and goopy. Despite the age and price point of this polish, I’m impressed with its quality.

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I loved my job at Hot Topic. It was my favorite retail job, and maybe even one of my favorites overall. I had the best time working there. I got to wear whatever I wanted — pink hair, jeans, even flip-flops — and showing up to work every day was like going to a party. You know, a party where I folded shirts for seven or eight hours. Looking at this polish on my hands now reminds me of one of those long folding sessions, when I remember thinking that even though my feet was perpetually sore and I couldn’t remember the last time I had a break, my nails looked pretty good. I’m a little embarrassed telling you this, but I think it’s good to remember where we started; this is how we realize we’ve grown as people.

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Well, this was a fun little trip back through time. In case you’re interested in taking your own stroll back through your cringe-inducing past, it looks like Hot Topic sells a blue polish similar to this one. It doesn’t come in the little tincture bottle anymore, but I’m willing to bet it’s the same stuff. Go on in there, grab yourself a bottle, and try not to be embarrassed for everyone involved.

I bought this polish myself.

Swatch Sunday: Hard Candy’s So-So Sequin

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Here comes Swatch Sunday! I’m wearing another polish I bought while I was on vacation last year. This is Hard Candy’s So-So Sequin; I’m wearing three coats with two coats of Rica‘s Glossy Glam top coat. All photos are taken outdoors in direct sunlight.

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So-So Sequin is a full-coverage glitter polish with fine lilac holographic hex and larger metallic teal hex glitters. The glitter is pretty dense, so I don’t recommend it as a topper. Because it’s so dense, the consistency of the lacquer is thick and was difficult to apply to my smaller nails. The coverage is pretty even, as is the glitter distribution; both glitters brush on easily with no fuss. The drying times were fantastic, and it did dry with a gritty texture, which is why I used two coats of top coat. Even then, it wasn’t entirely smooth, but it did help quite a lot.

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Story time: Like with last week’s story about Greed, I forgot a lot of stuff when I went on vacation last year, and while I was buying the essentials, I was also buying nail polish. This purchase happened on the second day of the trip; we were driving through some forgettable small town in North Carolina, and we passed by a Wal-Mart. I never go to Wal-Mart, but I needed a toothbrush and deodorant, so we stopped. I also took this opportunity to grab a few Hard Candy polishes. Black Tie Optional and its cohorts have been all over the nail polish internet for years, but since I don’t really shop at Wal-Mart, I hadn’t had the chance to try any of them out. I bought this one and three others. I also left my phone in the bathroom and had to go back inside to grab it.

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Now that it’s consistently sunny here, I knew I had to take these photos outside. This polish is definitely shiny, and the photos don’t really convey that. Maybe the glitters throw too much light, but there’s a very strong holographic effect from the glitter; it even makes a linear effect like Spectraflair does. It’s amazing. And blinding. I love it.

So-So Sequin and other Hard Candy polishes are available from Wal-Mart stores and walmart.com.

I bought this polish myself.

Swatch Sunday: Gosh’s Greed

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This installment of Swatch Sunday is a fun one for me, because I finally have a chance to wear a polish I bought on vacation last year. Surely this is what it means to be a hoarder. I’m wearing one coat of Gosh’s Greed over Sally Hansen’s Black Out and OPI’s I just Can’t Cope-acabana, as well as one coat of Rica‘s Glossy Glam top coat. Please note: I took these photos about a day after I did this manicure, so there is some tip wear. Sorry about that.

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Greed is a glitter polish with metallic gold hexes in various sizes, holographic gold glitters, and tons of cloudy gold shimmer. I used it here as a glitter topper, but I think that with multiple coats, one could achieve medium to full coverage. The polish applies very easily; the glitter is always even and well-distributed. The gold shimmer stands out very nicely on darker polishes; you can see how it warms up my black polish. It dries quickly; about five to eight minutes to be dry to the touch. It also dries with a smooth texture; with one coat of Glossy Glam, I feel no glitter ridges or bumps.

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While I was on vacation last May, I had to duck into drugstores every other day or so. I’d forgotten to pack a lot of things like deodorant and dental floss, so lots of emergency drugstore runs occurred early in the trip. As I got further from Florida, however, the stops were more out of curiosity; Florida doesn’t have Rite-Aid stores, and I’ve only been in two my entire life. Same for when I got to New York and I saw Duane Reade stores. I had  heard of Duane Reade, but only because the logo is printed on the back of my Walgreens card. I never thought I’d see one in real life, so when I did see one going through Penn Station, I knew I had to go inside. My powder compact was running low, so I went in to grab another one, but on my way in, I saw the Gosh polish display. I’d seen Gosh polishes on the internet, but again, it was something I never expected to see in person, so I grabbed a couple. I didn’t really get to look at it, since I had to be in and out in like five minutes, but I probably would have bought them all if I’d had the time to really check them out. An unrelated note: I don’t know how I can remember when and where I bought a nail polish one year ago, but I can’t remember where I put my keys.

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I like Greed. It makes me feel fancy and rich, and not just because I went to New York to track it down. All the gold glitters are so luxe and shiny. It’s like my nails are wearing a haute couture gown. Perhaps there’s some truth in the polish’s name.

If you’re in the US, I have no idea where to tell you to get Gosh products, except for the Duane Reade in Penn Station. Sorry.

I bought this polish myself.

Swatch Sunday: Girly Bits’s Blue Eyed Beer Drinkin Music Lovin Lawyer

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For Swatch Sunday, I’m wearing my first and — so far only — Girly Bits polish! This is Blue Eyed Beer Drinkin Music Lovin Lawyer, a collaboration with Julie from Wishes of a Blue-Eyed Girl to celebrate the blog’s first anniversary. I’m wearing three coats with one coat of Rica‘s Glossy Glam top coat.

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Blue Eyed Beer Drinkin Music Lovin Lawyer is a deep royal blue jelly with iridescent microglitters. From the first coat, the polish has fantastic coverage and rich color; it builds with each additional coat. Even though I have three coats on, you can see my visible nail lines. This is the first time I’ve seen it though, so I think it only occurs in harsh, bright lighting. The glitter spreads evenly and comes out of the bottle without any fuss. The consistency is just right, even with all the glitter in it. Drying times were good as well; my nails were dry to the touch in about five minutes. It dries with a smooth and glossy finish.

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This polish is definitely a winner in my book. I love the way the color and glitter play together. The color on its own is already deep and powerful, and then the glitter just makes it. There’s not so much glitter it makes the polish bumpy or coarse, but it’s just enough to make it sparkle. It’s so lovely. I also love that it was a blogger collaboration; I love seeing makers and regular folks working on things together. I feel like it really strengthens the indie community. The reason I even have this polish is because it’s a collaboration. And if you’re wondering why it’s a mini bottle, this is a decant from my friend Angela at Older Ladies Like Color Too. See? Community!

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Blue Eyed Beer Drinkin Music Lovin Lawyer and other Girly Bits polishes are available from the Girly Bits website.