Category Archives: Swatch Sunday

Swatch Sunday: Digital Nails’s Run You Clever Boy

Posted on by

This is exciting! For today’s edition of Swatch Sunday, I’m wearing one of my first-ever Digital Nails polishes. I got this little mini bottle of Run You Clever Boy with the very first order I ever placed. I’m wearing three coats of it with one coat of Ciate’s Speed Coat Pro top coat.

IMG_33342

IMG_33422

rycbbottle

Run You Clever Boy is described by Digital Nails as an “oxblood jelly polish with … green to red shifting microflake pigment”. I found this polish very easy to apply; as it is a jelly, the first coat wasn’t perfect, but I had perfect opacity at two coats. The maker warns that two coats will still show a visible nail line, but I didn’t encounter that. Despite that, it’s still really squishy. It dries very quickly and with a glossy finish. You’ll still want a top coat to bring out this crazy-awesome shift and additional jelly shine.

IMG_33652

IMG_33732

IMG_33792

I adore this polish. I feel pretty close to it, as it’s one of my first-ever indies, but I’ve only worn it twice, including now. There’s just nothing else like this in my collection. Depending on where the light is, it looks like two totally different polishes. Facing the light, the shifting pigment is red and blends right into the jelly base, giving it a beautiful ruby sparkle. When the light is behind me, the green pops out and the wow starts. It’s way more fun than it should be to keep moving my nails around to watch the shift. It’s just way too cool.

IMG_33902

IMG_33942

Unfortunately, Run You Clever Boy was recently discontinued. I know, I’m right there with you; it was gone before I had a chance to get my own full-size bottle. It is an absolute tragedy.

I bought this polish myself.

Swatch Sunday: Different Dimension’s Orion Nebula

Posted on by

I’m really excited to bring you this week’s Swatch Sunday! Different Dimension‘s Orion Nebula is a polish I’ve been dying to try since I got it, and today’s the day I finally got around to it. I’m wearing three coats of Orion Nebula with one coat of Ciate’s Speed Coat Pro top coat.

IMG_30962

IMG_31012

 

IMG_31102

IMG_31152

Orion Nebula is a black jelly with metallic hot pink dot glitters in various sizes and large holographic pink dots. It is absolutely laden with these glitters. I had no trouble getting them out of the bottle or applying to the nail. As it is a jelly, the first coat does go on a bit thin, but evens out on the second coat. Considering this and the glitter content, I probably didn’t need the third coat. Drying times were good, and it dries with a glossy finish; top coat was definitely necessary to smooth down the huge glitters, as well as to bring out even more shine.

IMG_31212

IMG_31372

This polish is so much fun to wear, I can’t even tell you. I love this look. The big glitters catch so much light, and the smaller ones add just enough shine to keep it from looking bare. I seriously can’t stop looking at my nails, and I squeed a little looking through the photos. It’s deep and mysterious, but also full of shine and color. I love this and I never want to take it off, but I have to because I actually lost a few of the big glitters washing dishes. Pretty sure this is an issue in my application and no cause for alarm; Speed Coat Pro wasn’t made with these ginormous glitters in mind and didn’t really stand up to them.

IMG_31402

IMG_31462

Orion Nebula is available from the Different Dimension shop. How nice is it to finally see something on this blog that you can actually still buy? I definitely want you to get this.

I bought this polish myself.

Swatch Sunday: Del Sol’s Pretty in Pink

Posted on by

I am so excited about today’s Swatch Sunday! When I was on vacation last year, I happened upon the Del Sol store in Savannah, Georgia, and I bought a few of these fun polishes that change color in the sunlight. I’m so excited to finally feature one of them on the blog. This one is called Pretty in Pink; I’m wearing three coats of it with one coat of Ciate’s Speed Coat Pro top coat.

IMG_29082

IMG_29152

IMG_29242

Pretty in Pink is a pearly white polish with a strong pink flash. In the sun, it turns a deep rose. It’s rather sheer; you can easily still see my nail line, and you can see some brush strokes, but I really like this at three coats. Application was okay; the consistency of the lacquer was pretty nice, but the square brush cap didn’t sit well in my hand and was hard to use some of the time. Drying time was about average, and was glossy when dried. The photochromic change did take a little while to occur, but it does occur, even with a top coat.

IMG_29322

IMG_29372

I love this polish! Indoors, it’s demure and soft, but in the sunlight, it’s bold and summery. Wearing this polish in the middle of January is a ton of fun. I mean, I’m already dying for summer to be here right now; thinking about how much fun this polish will be to wear by the pool or at the beach is making me even more impatient.

IMG_29402

IMG_29462

IMG_29512

Here are the sunlight photos! These were actually taken the day after the first set, because there wasn’t enough sunlight the same day to get these photos. Unfortunately, there is some tip wear because of that, and I do apologize. As I mentioned, it takes a couple of seconds for the UV light to effect the change, but it does happen. I admit I was skeptical at first when it didn’t change immediately like a thermal might, but I was surprised when it did. It’s such a subtle change that I didn’t notice it happening until it was finished.

IMG_29592

IMG_29632

IMG_29662

I have a few more Del Sol polishes, and I can’t wait to try them out! I only got four because I was “exercising restraint”, but they had a ton of different colors and glitter toppers. I really want to buy a few new bottles, because I don’t know if my summer will be complete without them.

IMG_29742

IMG_29812

IMG_29852

IMG_29902

IMG_29932

So, yeah. Can it be summer now?

Swatch Sunday: Deborah Lippmann’s Happy Birthday

Posted on by

It’s time for another Swatch Saturday. For this edition, I’m wearing one dabbed coat of Deborah Lippmann’s Happy Birthday over two coats each of Disney Villains Cruella de Vil, Color Club’s Almost Famous, and Ciate’s Offshore, along with one coat of Ciate’s Speed Coat Pro top coat.

IMG_27432

IMG_27492

IMG_27602

IMG_27652

Happy Birthday is a clear-based glitter topper with a rainbow mix of metallic glitters. The glitters didn’t spread well just brushing them on, but dabbing gave me much more coverage. There’s a ton of glitter on each nail, but you can still see the undies. The glitters are very shiny, and very much so with top coat. Drying times were very fast. I’m pretty happy with it.

IMG_27722

IMG_27782

I am still a huge fan of these rainbow glitter polishes. Remember when OPI had that Muppets collection with Rainbow Connection? Would you believe I don’t have it? Would you believe that I had gone to Ulta, picked it up, held it in my hands, and then PUT IT BACK because I “didn’t need it”? That was the biggest mistake of my life. Somewhat luckily, the rainbow glitter fad caught on, and every brand had their own version of it. Deborah Lippmann’s take on it is pretty nice. It’s a good consolation prize.

IMG_27862

IMG_27902

I got my mini bottle of Happy Birthday in a set with She-Bop. I don’t think this set is around anymore, but you can buy full sized bottles at Sephora, Ulta, and (I think) Nordstrom. The good news is, as I mentioned, every brand has their version of this polish now, so you don’t have to drop twenty dollars on this particular one.

Also, quick apology for my cuticles. Every undies polish I used for this mani stained the crap out of my cuticles, and I didn’t notice just how bad it was until I was processing photos. I do apologize. I’m quite embarrassed by them.

Swatch Sunday: Crayola’s Bubble Gum

Posted on by

A scented polish is being featured on the blog for the first time! It’s a Swatch Sunday miracle. This is Crayola Bubble Gum; I’m wearing three coats alone. And yeah, nubs are back.

IMG_24222

IMG_24292

Bubble Gum is a bright shimmery pink that smells like bubble gum. The scent is not very strong; I have to put my nails directly under my nostrils to smell it, but it does smell. (Update: the scent disappeared entirely after I washed dishes.) Application was pretty easy; the color is well-pigmented and I had very good coverage on the first coat. The consistency is just right, and dried to the touch a bit quickly. I did forget that without a speed dry top coat, it does take a bit longer, and I smudged the crap out of one of them and had to redo it. Even after a couple of hours, it’s still susceptible to denting and imprinting. Bubble Gum dries with a satiny finish, but it’s still shiny enough that a top coat for shine may be unnecessary. The shimmer is very strong, which may add to that. I’m pleased with it.

IMG_24512

IMG_24382

Bubble Gum comes in a set with four other colors and scents: grape, blueberry, green apple, and orange. I have not tried or tested any others in the set, but I expect them to be about the same quality. This set is inspired by the scented Crayola crayons of long ago. Actually, they’re probably still around in some form or another, but I think of them as a memory. Those crayons were so much fun. Everybody wanted to be your friend if you had a box. I don’t know where you can still get those crayons, likely wherever crayons are sold. If you’re looking for this polish set, I got mine at Rite-Aid while I was on vacation in Philadelphia.

IMG_24632

IMG_24692

Yeah, so about the nubs. I had a series of catastrophic breaks caused by washing dishes and had to chop everything down. It’s the weirdest feeling. Nothing but my nails have touched my actual fingertips in months; they’re kind of ticklish. Also, I have a hard time getting used to the way my hands look with short nails. The longer my nails are, the longer and thinner my fingers look, and the more feminine and sophisticated I feel. The shorter my nails are, the more they look like kindergarten baby hands, which I guess is appropriate for swatching crayon-inspired nail polish.

Swatch Sunday: Cover Girl’s Grapevine

Posted on by

Swatch Sunday!! Cover Girl is the brand we’re looking at today, and this oldie but goodie is called Grapevine. I’m wearing three coats of Grapevine with one coat of Ciate Speed Coat Pro top coat.

IMG_22362

The smudge on my index finger is actually a spot where a bit of nail lifted and peeled away. That sounded way less gross before I typed it.

IMG_22472

IMG_22512

Grapevine is a frosty purple polish. This is a pretty nice formula; the consistency was just right, application was super easy, and it dried quicky and with a satin finish. It’s also really shimmery; I forgot for a second that I wasn’t wearing Fairy Dust over it. It doesn’t look that shimmery in photos, but it’s definitely all there. It’s really nice to wear.

IMG_22592

I have had this polish for a really long time. I’m thinking 2008 or so. It’s one of my oldest bottles, but has barely been used. This particular brand and formula have been discontinued, and while there is still a Cover Girl color called Grapevine, it does not appear to be the same. I do not have it, but I should probably buy it and do a comparison.

IMG_22702

IMG_22792

Final word: Surprisingly sparkly.

Swatch Sunday: Color Club’s Wing Fling

Posted on by

For this week’s Swatch Sunday, I’m wearing a brand I’m a little new to: Color Club! I scored a few collection sets in outlet stores, but I’ve worn all of two since then. I see this brand everywhere, so I’m excited to join the club. Pardon the pun. The beauty I’m wearing today is Wing Fling; I’m wearing three coats with one coat of Ciate’s Speed Coat Pro.

IMG_20872

IMG_20922

None of the bottles in the set had name labels, so I had to improvise. Behold my terrible handwriting!

None of the bottles in the set had name labels, so I had to improvise. Behold my terrible handwriting!

Wing Fling is a sheer and shimmery magenta. Some of the shimmers even shift from pink to orange, giving it just a hint of duochrome fun. Coverage is buildable; I got okay coverage by coat two and good coverage by three. Four might be necessary if you want full opacity. This polish did dry quickly, though, and though it dries with a nice gloss, a top coat is definitely required to bring out as much of the shimmers as is possible. It even looks a bit metallic/foil-like after top coat application. The lacquer consistency was thin, but left no streaks or holes in the coverage. Application was very easy.

IMG_21032

I adore this color. It’s very deep and bright, but it’s not wildy bright or tawdry. I feel like this could be a polish for everyone; there’s just the right amount of sparkle, shine, and color to appeal to everyone and no more.

IMG_21242

IMG_21122

IMG_21172

Wing Fling is part of the Take Wing collection from 2012, and is still available on Color Club’s website.

Swatch Sunday: Claire’s Mystery White

Posted on by

For this edition of Swatch Sunday, I am bringing you a super oldie. This is a polish I’ve had since about 2008, and I almost thought this would be this bottle’s last mani. This is a mystery polish from Claire’s; there’s no indicator of the shade name anywhere. I’m wearing this at three coats with one coat of Ciate’s Speed Coat Pro top coat.

IMG_17112

IMG_17202

IMG_17232

This mystery polish is a milky and frosty white with small iridescent glitters. Before I put this on, it was thick and goopy. I might have put too much thinner in it, because the application was quite streaky, and three coats was still pretty sheer. The white pigment is very chalky and dries matte, which doesn’t do any favors for the glitter. The finish is gritty and the glitter is covered up, leaving it to look like chunks and bubbles in the finished look. It’s not ideal, and probably wasn’t intended. This polish did dry quickly, so it has that going for it, which is nice.

IMG_17322

Like I said, I’ve had this bottle for many years. It’s one of the oldest bottles in my collection. I remember I grabbed it because I just wanted a white polish, and this was the first one I saw. This wasn’t long after I’d finally stopped biting my nails, and is one of the first bottles of polish I owned as an adult. Even though the polish itself is kind of sucky, I’ll be sad when this runs out, just because I’ve had it forever. It’s like one of my oldest children. When it’s finally gone, it will be kind of sad. I might even feel the need to recreate it in the future.

IMG_17442

IMG_17522

If anyone reading this happens to know the same of the shade, I’d love to know what it is!

Swatch Sunday: Ciaté’s Love Letter

Posted on by

For today’s Swatch Sunday, we’re looking at more delicious shifty goodness. This is Ciaté’s Love Letter. I’m wearing three coats with one coat of Speed Coat Pro top coat, also from Ciaté.

IMG_14492

IMG_14602

IMG_14732

Love Letter is a clear polish — I think it’s a clear base, it’s either clear or very, very lightly tinted — with a boatload of gold to pink-shifting shimmer and pink glitters. I think maybe this was meant to be a glitter topper, but I tried it at three coats to see what I would get. At three coats, I have full and even coverage. Application was easy. Drying time was very quick, and the finish is smooth and unexpectedly, delightfully metallic.

IMG_14882

IMG_14982

IMG_15052

IMG_15302

Yeah, I was not expecting this at all. I didn’t think the coverage would be so full, and I didn’t think the shift would be so pronounced. I am completely gobsmacked. Seriously. I don’t think I have anything else to say, except that I don’t think I ever want to wear this as just a topper. That would be cheating it.

loveletterbottle

lovelettercomparison

You can find Ciaté’s Love Letter online at CiatéLondon.com. I happened to get my bottle from Sephora, but I longer see this particular polish on their site. They do still carry Ciaté, though.

Swatch Sunday: China Glaze’s Rare and Radiant

Posted on by

China Glaze’s Rare and Radiant is our Swatch Sunday polish. Great way to start the week, right? I’m wearing three coats of Rare and Radiant with one coat of Ciate’s Speed Coat Pro top coat.

IMG_09702

IMG_09732

IMG_09852

Rare and Radiant is a duochrome that shifts from gold to emerald green. It’s very shimmery and almost somewhat metallic. The shift occurs very easily and in just about all lighting conditions. Application was pretty nice, but the consistency is on the thinner side, so three coats was necessary to achieve full opacity. Visible brush strokes do occur in fewer coats. Drying time was pretty quick. The dried finish was semi-glossy. It’s very nice to apply and wear.

IMG_09992

IMG_10012

IMG_10102

I love wearing shifters and multichromes even more now that I know how to actually capture the effect. It used to be like “Oh, there’s a shift, you can’t see it, but it’s there, I wouldn’t lie to you”. I am so glad to be past that bit of amateur nail photography. The shift in Rare and Radiant is so beautiful. They never quite look the same any time I look at them. They go from bronze to green patina anywhere you are. It is magnificent.

IMG_10152

IMG_10242

I know there’s a series of these duochromes from China Glaze, and I’m sorry to say I don’t have any of the others. I really want the rest, and I’ll definitely keep my eyes peeled for them.