Category Archives: Swatch Sunday

Swatch Saturday: Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer’s Siren Sweetheart

Posted on by

Hello, reader! Swatch Saturday is going strong in 2017! Today’s polish is Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer‘s Siren Sweetheart; I’m wearing one brushed coat over Zoya’s Chantal and Essie’s Fiji and Mint Candy Apple.

Siren Sweetheart is a clear-based glitter topper with iridescent hex and square glitters and denim blue hexes in a mainly-white glitter mix that includes rectangles, stars, hearts, diamonds, and squares. Application was okay; the consistency was pretty thick, which is not unexpected, seeing how much glitter is in the bottle. The glitter is very dense, so I got tons on the brush and didn’t have to fish for the larger shapes. The polish dried quickly with some texture; I used top coat for smoothness.

The white glitter topper is one of my favorite mixes, because it can be worn over anything. I only swatched it over pastels here, but you could put this over any creme and have an interesting look. The iridescent glitters shift colors based on the lighting, so there’s some color in the polish, the white glitters add texture and fun, and the blue glitters break it all up. I am having a ton of fun wearing this.

These photos were taken outdoors in direct sunlight. In the sun, the iridescent glitters look a little washed out, but out here, you can see just how much glitter is on each nail. The studio photos seem a little deceptive by comparison.

Siren Sweetheart was a numbered limited edition that has since sold out. Other Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquers are sold in their online shop.

I bought these polishes myself.

Swatch Sunday: China Glaze’s Cashmere Creme

Posted on by

Happy new year, reader! My first post of 2017 is a swatch, and the polish is a vintage China Glaze. I’m not sure how vintage it is, but I do know that the label on the bottom is one I’ve ever seen before. I’m wearing three coats of Cashmere Creme with one coat of Seche Vite. Today’s post is very late due to NYE shenanigans.

Cashmere Creme is a cool frosty beige polish. Application was good; the polish was very easy to work with, the product consistency is spot on, and I had no issues. The polish dries quickly and with a smooth satin finish.

I found this polish in a thrift store, and I’ve been really curious about it ever since. It was about half-full when I got it, so it’s had quite the life before it came to live with me. I don’t know how old it is or anything else about it, and any identifying information that might have been on the bottle has long been rubbed away. It’s a mystery! I like this polish for that reason, but I also like it because it’s interesting. I don’t go for colors like this often, colors that are soft, neutral, SFW, because I tend to think they’re boring. The shimmer in this one is just so pretty; it gives the polish an allover coolness that makes it seem more silvery than it is. It’s gorgeous. I regret that it wasn’t sunny on the day I took these photos, I would have liked very much to see what it looked like in the sun.

I don’t know where to tell you to get Cashmere Creme. I know, I’m sorry! I bet you can find it on the internet. Other China Glaze polishes are sold in stores nationwide.

I bought this polish myself.

Swatch Sunday: Chanel’s Provocation

Posted on by

It’s Sunday, and I have a swatch! My swatch today is Chanel’s Provocation; I’m wearing three coats with one coat of Seche Vite top coat. I should note that I took these photos about a day after I put the polish on, so there is a slight bit of wear on the tips.

Provocation is a darkened plum creme. The product formula is very smooth and easy to work with. I had some opacity issues with the first coat, but additional coats evened it out. I think it still looks a little off in photos, but it’s opaque in real life. The polish dries with a glossy finish; I used top coat for extra shine.

This is the second of my birthday Chanel polishes from Nordstrom. The Nordstrom in my city opened on my birthday weekend a couple years ago, which I took as a sign I had to go. I’d also always wanted a Chanel polish, so I got two, this one and Blue Satin. I love the color of this polish. In some of these photos the color on my nails looks a bit darker than what’s in the bottle, and I’m not sure why that is, but it’s exactly the color I wanted: vampy, dark, and sexy.

I think Provocation may have been discontinued, but it’s an easy color to dupe, and any plum polish is probably comparable. Chanel polishes are sold wherever Chanel cosmetics are sold; mine are from Nordstrom.

I bought this polish myself.

Swatch Sunday: Butter London’s Tea & Toast

Posted on by

Sunday, Sunday, Sunday!! Here’s a swatch! This is Butter London’s Tea & Toast; I’m wearing three coats with one coat of Seche Vite top coat.

Tea & Toast is a toffee brown creme. Application was very nice; the product consistency was pretty typical for a creme, and is such that I had an almost-opaque first coat, though I tend to do pretty thick coats. Drying times were good, and the polish dries with a glossy finish. I used top coat for extra shine and protection.

I love this shade! I think it’s a pretty unique color in my collection; despite having so many bottles of polish, I don’t own a whole lot of cremes, and especially not many warm caramel ones. It’s elegant and stylish, and I love the look. I thought it was going to be boring!

I think Tea & Toast is discontinued, unfortunately; other Butter London polishes are sold at Ulta and Nordstrom; I got mine at Nordstrom Rack!

I bought this polish myself.

Swatch Sunday: Zoya’s Envy

Posted on by

Welcome to Swatch Sunday! I’m excited about today’s post. I don’t know if you know this, but I list all the polishes I own in my polish list, and this is what helps me decide what I’m going to swatch. Swatch Saturday goes down the list from the top, which it’s always a Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer polish. Swatch Sunday is the first polish from each brand, and the brands are in alphabetical order. So, since today’s swatch is a Zoya polish, next week we’ll loop back around to Butter London, and I’m excited about that. So, to celebrate one go-around of the Swatch Sunday polish list, here’s Zoya’s Envy. I’m wearing three coats of Envy with one coat of Seche Vite.

img_73272

Not sure why the tips look worn.

img_73332

img_73402

Envy is a blackened green creme. Application is good; the product consistency is on the thin side but is still easy to use. The polish dries with a glossy finish before top coat.

img_73432

img_73472

So I’m just going to say this. This stains. It stains bad. This polish has given me the worst yellow nails I’ve ever had. In fact, I used two coats of Seche Base for this swatch in order to avoid — I hope — the staining. It’s a shame, too, because I really love this shade. It’s not as harsh as black, and it’s an unexpected alternative to blackened burgundies and browns. A similar polish might be Essie’s Stylenomics; it looks similar, but I can’t vouch whether or not it stains the same way. I almost went for another Zoya instead, but I’m a blogger, and it’s kind of my job to wreck my nails so you don’t have to.

img_73542

img_73592

Envy and other Zoya polishes are sold at Ulta, though I don’t recommend you buy it. It’s funny, after all these years, I don’t think I’ve ever discouraged anyone from buying anything until now.

I got Envy in a friend’s grab bag, likely because it stained her nails.

Swatch Sunday: Nvr Enuff Polish’s Cieux Romantiques

Posted on by

Welcome back! Swatch Sunday is exciting today, because the polish I’m wearing is a giveaway prize! Kristi from BeginNails went to the Indie Shop event in California earlier this month and had a giveaway for some nail decals that weren’t for her, as well as a little jar of Ever After cuticle crelly. I won! And when I got the package, there was a polish and some scented base and top coats from Dream Polish. How fun! The polish I got is an event exclusive called Cieux Romantiques from Nvr Enuff Polish; I’m wearing three coats with one coat of Dream Polish’s Gem Glam top coat in the Melon Baller scent.

img_71432

img_71482

img_71622

ssnecrbmcm

Cieux Romantiques is a shimmery rose polish with a slight holo effect, holo glitters, and a pink to gold shift. Application was good; the product consistency is thin, but doesn’t drip or flood the cuticle. The first coat was even but still sheer, and the second coat evened everything out. The polish dries with a mostly glossy finish; I used top coat for shine and protection. The only thing I really disliked about using it was the wide brush; the brush reminds me of the wide and flat brushes used in the Wet ‘n Wild Megalast line, or Sally Hanse’s Insta-Dri line. I have small nails and I find wide brushes are usually more trouble than they’re worth.

img_71672

img_71742

Nvr Enuff is a new to me brand; I’d heard of them, of course, but had yet to try anything. I really love this polish, even though I have to admit I didn’t think much of it in the bottle. The rose is a lovely color and intensity, the holo sparkle is just the right amount, and the shift sends it right over the edge. It’s glorious.

img_71792

img_71822

I got some sun shots. It’s been overcast here for days, and this is the first time in a while we’ve had some sun. These are day-after photos, so there is a bit of wear from having washed dishes the night before.

img_71912

img_72102

ssnecrbmcmo

img_72002

img_72252

img_72042

A few things about the other things I won in this giveaway: I used the Gem Stick and Gem Glam base and top coats and liked them a lot. The scents, Grammy’s Treats and Melon Baller, lasted a pretty long time, and they were nice, fresh, not overpowering scents. Gem Glam is something I’ve heard a lot about and I’m happy it lives up to the hype. The Ever After cuticle crelly is awesome. It holds together like a cream, but feels and applies like a lotion. The pumpkin spice scent makes it smell good enough to eat. I’ve got ideas for the holo decals, so you’ll get a better look at those next week.

img_72342

Cieux Romantiques was an Indie Shop exclusive and is no longer for sale. Other Nvr Enuff polishes are sold in their online shop.

I won these products in a giveaway.

Swatch Sunday: Wet ‘n Wild’s Everybody Loves Redmond

Posted on by

Welcome to Swatch Sunday! Here’s the second swatch of the weekend. I’m wearing Wet ‘n Wild’s Everybody Loves Redmond today; here’s three coats with one coat of Seche Vite.

img_69902

img_69952

img_69992

Everybody Loves Redmond is a red creme. Application was good; at the first coat, the color goes on really nicely, though it has a jelly/crelly-like sheerness. With additional coats, the coverage gets better, but my nail lines are still visible even after three. The polish dries quickly and with a glossy finish; I used top coat for extra shine and protection.

img_70052

img_70112

I like this polish. It’s not fancy, but I’m really impressed with how it looks alone. The VNL is kind of annoying, but the color intensity and shine are both really gorgeous. Of course, this polish is also suitable as the color for a glitter sandwich, or anything you may need a jelly-ish polish for. I’ve enjoyed wearing it! It’s definitely not bad for the price.

img_70132

img_70202

So I did some checking to see if Wet ‘n Wild still sells this Fast-Dry line; they do, but on their website it’s marked down and some shades are unavailable. Wet ‘n Wild polishes are sold in stores nationwide.

My father gave me this polish for Christmas last year, haha.

Swatch Sunday: Urban Decay’s Naked

Posted on by

Swatch Sunday is back again! I’m excited about this week’s swatch. Remember when Urban Decay released the six mini Naked polishes? I’m showing one off on the blog! This is Naked, the nude creme from the collection. I’m wearing three coats with one coat of Seche Vite.

img_68282

Posing with mini bottles is the worst.

Posing with mini bottles is the worst.

img_68372

Naked is a nude creme polish. Application was easy; the product consistency is just right and is very easy to use. The first coat is almost opaque, and the second solidifies it. Of course, it’s in a mini-bottle, and applying polish with the mini-brush is not my favorite thing. The polish dries with a glossy finish; I used top coat for extra shine and protection.

img_68462

img_68552

Naked is one of a set of six polishes inspired by the hugely popular Naked eyeshadow palette. The set contained polishes that went all the way down the Naked spectrum; there are nudes, plums, browns, even a black with silver glitter. I regretted buying this set at first, because it was $28 for six minis, or something like that, and then the set was discontinued and I felt good about having them. I kinda feel for everyone who missed out on this; the polishes are very high quality, and the packaging is sleek and modern, just like the Naked palettes.

img_68602

img_68652

If you’re one of the unlucky ducks who missed out on this set, I have some good news for you. Urban Decay recently released a new set of Naked polishes on their website! The six from this set aren’t part of it, but they’ve drawn inspiration from the other palettes and have shades that are similar, and some I like much better. Commando is probably the closest to Naked; these polishes are exclusive to urbandecay.com. Grab some!

I bought this polish myself.

Swatch Sunday: Ulta’s Blue Streak

Posted on by

It’s Swatch Sunday again! This week’s polish is an old Ulta creme. Remember these square bottles? I’m not even sure they have these anymore, I think their polishes come in the round bottles with the big caps now. I’ve probably had this since 2010 or something. I love these blasts from the past, old polish is still good polish! This is Blue Streak; I’m wearing three coats with one coat of Seche Vite.

img_66082

img_66122jpg

img_66182

Blue Streak is a deep blue creme polish. Application was good; I have no issues to report with the product consistency or formula. The first coat was a little streaky, but the next one evened it out nicely. The polish dries quickly and with a glossy finish; I used top coat for extra shine and protection.

img_66222

img_66272

I’ve had this polish a long time, but it still goes on like it’s brand new. It’s a great creme with a great formula that wears well and looks fantastic. And, much to my surprise, it’s still available. I actually can’t believe it. I forgot how nice this polish is, and I feel sorta bad that I’ve been ignoring it.

img_66352

img_66372

Blue Streak and other Ulta Collection polishes are available from Ulta.

I bought this polish myself.

Swatch Sunday: The New Black’s Gold Leaf Foil

Posted on by

Welcome back for Swatch Sunday! Today’s swatch is of a mystery polish from The New Black I’ve just been calling Gold Leaf Foil. The New Black doesn’t label any of their shade names, which is kind of frustrating. I’m wearing Gold Leaf Foil over Sally Hansen’s Black Out (black), Octopus Party’s Universal Loner (red), and Indigo Bananas‘s Klein Trink Wasser (blue) with one coat of Gelous.

img_63292

img_63362

img_63402

img_63442

Gold Leaf Foil is a clear-based glitter topper with metallic gold shredded glitter. Application was easy enough; the product consistency delivered the glitter well enough and wasn’t too difficult to work with. The glitter itself was the troblesome part. The glitter pieces are unevenly shaped; some pieces are very large and others are barely there. The very coarse pieces don’t always lie flat, which sometimes leads to them getting snagged and/or pulled off. It does dry quickly and with a good shine; I used top coat for extra smoothness.

img_63502

img_63562

Coarse shredded glitter is probably my least favorite glitter shape. I mean, I love how they look, their shine and madness is unmatched. I love how this looks over the cremes. I just don’t like how these large glitters stick up. If you look at the sunlight photos in the next set, you’ll actually see that my pinky nail has more glitter on it than the studio set. That’s because, between the time I took the photos outdoors and indoors, the glitter actually got pulled off somehow. In the studio photos, you can just see where it used to be.

img_63602

img_63652

Here are the sunlight photos. I took these a bit late in the afternoon so it’s not the harsh sunlight I usually shoot in. Like I said, this is a pretty cool looking glitter, even if working with it is kind of annoying.

img_63062
img_62832

img_63012

img_62902

img_62942

sstnbglfmm

So I can’t find a source on where to get The New Black these days. I got this set — this polish came with a black creme and a set of gold studs — from Ulta when it was in the clearance section. Sephora’s website has a two bottle set in their clearance section as of this writing. Other than that, they seem to have been discontinued.

I bought these polish myself.