Swatch Saturday: Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer’s 2000 Years

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Happy Saturday! I have the most gorgeous microglitter to show you today! This is Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer‘s 2000 Years, part of the huge Doctor Who collection! I’m wearing three coats of 2000 Years with one coat of Seche Vite.

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2000 Years is a clear-based periwinkle, silver, navy, and lilac microglitter polish. Application was easy; the first coat was sparse, but coverage built with additional coats. I could have gotten away with only two, but I really wanted the third, just to really solidify the glitter. It dried with a slight texture; I used top coat to smooth it out.

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I love microglitters so much. BEGL makes all my favorites because they have the best color combinations. There are so many colors of glitter in this bottle, but you barely notice, because they blend together so organically. It blows my mind that there’s a person actively thinking “yes, these are the glitters”. It’s just consistently beautiful, every single one.

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It comes alive beautifully in the sunshine! It’s crazy sparkly, and I felt so glamorous wearing this outdoors.

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2000 Years and other BEGL polishes are available from their online shop. For once, I’m wearing one that’s not discontinued!

I bought this polish myself.

Manicure Monday: Floppy. Hoppy. BUNNIES!

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Welcome back to Manicure Monday! Today, I’m wearing a favorite from my collection, Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer‘s Floppy. Hoppy. BUNNIES! I’m wearing three coats with Seche Vite top coat and Essie’s Matte About You matte top coat.

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I love this polish so much; it’s so whimiscal and cute I could die. It’s one of my favorite indies, and it’s one of the cutest polishes I own. I like to think it might also be pretty hard-to-find, and that kind of excites me. It was the gift with purchase the first time BEGL’s Buffy the Vampire Slayer-inspired collection came out, and when it was re-released a couple years ago, it was replaced with a holo that was actually pretty stunning. It’s kind of sad to think it might never come back; as much as I love having HTF polishes, I feel bad that so many people missed out.

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I needed a new matte top coat, so I finally decided to try Essie’s. The last time I looked for this, I was buying my first matte top coat ever, and they were just becoming popular. I ended up with the Revlon one because it was the only one my Walgreen’s had. I’m still struggling to embrace the matte finish, but I really like how it looks with this polish. The glitters still shine despite not being glossy, and the milky blue crelly looks like porcelain. I actually do have a few matte looks planned in the coming weeks, and I feel weird that I’m looking forward to them.

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Sunlight photos! The pale blue got washed out in direct sunlight, looking more like a cool white in some photos. The glitters stand out very well though!

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Floppy. Hoppy. BUNNIES! has been discontinued by Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer; other BEGL polishes are available from their online shop. My bow charm is from Claire’s.

This is also one of my most frequently used polishes, as you can see.

This is also one of my most frequently used polishes, as you can see.

This polish was a gift, but was not sent for review.

Swatch Sunday: Revlon’s Sweet Revenge

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Happy Sunday! Today’s post is a little different from the usual Swatch Sunday business, because we’ve got a twofer as the polish this week. Revlon’s French Mix set comes with two colors and encourages you to do some nail art with them. This set is called Sweet Revenge. In the photos below, I’m wearing three coats of each polish with one coat of Seche Vite top coat.

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Before I talk about the polishes, I want to talk about the packaging, because it directly affects the quality of the polish. While this double-ended polish brush seems really stylish and convenient, I’ve had nothing but problems with them. The brush caps break and stops fitting inside the brush cap, or the polish itself dries out. Either way, the polishes end up becoming unusable. When I took this one out to use it, the brush to the purple polish was broken, and the pink polish was totally dried out. If you have any of these polishes and you hate the packaging as much as I do, you may be pleased to know that the brushes and caps from mini polish bottles from TKB Trading are the same size and will fit very well. This is how I was able to separate mine and save the polish inside.

The pink in this set, as I mentioned, was totally dried out, but I saved it with polish thinner. Because of this, and because I had to use so much, I can’t speak for the consistency of this polish, or what it was like before I had to thin it out. When I applied it, it was on the thinner side, and required all three coats for full opacity.

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The purple polish is very opaque, and achieved full opacity by the second coat. The pink shimmer, though fine, appears best in lower light; the studio lights washed it out a bit. The purple polish was the best suited for nail art because of its opacity. Both polishes dried quickly with glossy finishes.

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I did a quick skittle mani just to see how well each one works for actual nail art. The pink, though it does work for some things, isn’t thick enough to fully cover the purple, which is opaque enough to cover anything. I’ll definitely be using the pink as the base color from now on. Photos were taken in both the studio and outdoors in direct sunlight.

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Sweet Revenge, the French Mix series, and the double-ended brushes in general seem to be discontinued by Revlon, because I don’t see them on their website (good). Other Revlon products are available nationwide.

I bought this product myself.

Swatch Saturday: Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer Prototype DW 13.4

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Welcome back to Swatch Saturday! Today I’m sharing with you a Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer prototype. I said last week that I’m getting back into the Doctor Who collection, and while this is true, I’m just wearing things in the order that I bought and received them, so the order is going to be a little mixed up. This prototype was purchased during an annual BEGL depression awareness fundraiser. This is Prototype DW 13.4; I’m wearing three coats with one coat of Seche Vite top coat.

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Prototype DW 13.4 is a white creme with a pink-to-gold shifting shimmer. Application was good; it’s sometimes hard to get complete coverage with a white creme until the third coat, and this one was no exception. I had streaks and bald spots until the very last coat I applied. Also, the white was a bit thick and completely overpowered the shimmer. You can see the shimmer in the bottle, but it gets completely covered up by the creme, making it look like a plain white creme. On the plus side, it dries quickly and has a really nice glossy finish.

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So I like this polish, even though it didn’t really work as intended; I guess this is why it didn’t make it past the prototype stage. This has actually happened to me before with other white cremes with shimmer, indie and mass-market polishes alike. It’s always a shame, but it’s not like a white creme isn’t a good thing to have on hand. Get it, on hand, because nails. This polish will still get lots of love from me.

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I took a couple of photos outside in direct sun; the shimmer was really strong in the bottle in the sun, so I thought that if it was going to show up on my nails, this would be the time. It didn’t.

You gotta look really hard.

You gotta look really hard.

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There is only one bottle of DW 13.4 out there and I have it. Other BEGL polishes are available from their online shop.

I bought this polish myself.

Manicure Monday: Toggle to the Top

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Happy Monday! This week’s look is just one polish, Essie’s Toggle to the Top! I’m wearing three coats of Toggle to the Top with one coat of Seche Vite.

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Toggle to the Top is a fairly unique polish in the Essie lineup. I can’t think of too many others in their core line that have glitter in them. It’s a rich and deep red, gorgeous on its own, but the glitter adds edge and dimension. It makes me feel super sexy.

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I kind of messed this mani up with my new brush. The old brush I used to clean my cuticles with eventually became so ragged I had to toss it, and I’m still learning how to work with my replacement. As sexy as I feel in this polish, I can’t stop looking at the mile between my cuticle and the polish.

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But yeah, I love this polish, and I wish Essie did more like it. I know they (re)released Starry Starry Night, and I failed to get in on that because I couldn’t find it anywhere. I don’t buy too much polish anymore, but that’s definitely one I’d snatch up if I had the chance. I’ve never understood why they shy away from glitter. The LuxEffects collection, while they still have a place in my heart, and kind of old and boring now. Toggle to the Top is a perfect example of an elegant glitter polish that isn’t overdone or tacky.

Toggle to the Top and other Essie polishes are sold nationwide. My bow charm is from Daily Charme.

I bought these products myself.

Swatch Sunday: Reverie Nail Lacquer’s Secret Garden

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Hope you’re having a good Sunday, reader! Today’s swatch is from a new-to-me brand, Reverie Nail Lacquer! I bought this polish because I’d seen Reverie around the nail polish internet, and being so smitten with the sheer amount of glitter in their polishes, I had to try one. This is Secret Garden; I’m wearing three coats of Secret Garden with one coat of Seche Vite top coat.

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Secret Garden is a deep green jelly with, according to the maker, a “pastel rainbow of glitters”. Application is good; though the jelly is dense with glitter, it’s very easy to brush on and apply; you get a great amount of glitter on the brush, but it’s never clumpy. I could have stopped at two coats, or even just wear one coat over a deep green creme like Zoya’s Envy. Three coats was total overkill. Surprisingly, the glitter lies flat on the nail and very little texture is felt with top coat. The polish dried quickly and with a glossy-glitter finish.

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So I am astonished by how much glitter they packed into this bottle. It’s really incredible! There’s no dabbing or sponging to do here, you just brush it on and you get all the glitter you could ever want. I am so impressed by the formula. The intensity of the jelly color, the huge variety — as well as quanitity — of glitters, and the ability to apply it without issue, it’s basically my ideal polish. It may be the best glitter jelly I’ve ever worn.

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In the sunlight, you can see the layers of jelly and glitter interacting with each other. I mentioned wearing this over a creme earlier, and though you could do that, I don’t think I would. Seeing the layers of glitter is just so nice. There is nothing I dislike about this look.

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Secret Garden is out of stock; other Reverie Nail Lacquers are available from the Reverie etsy shop.

I bought this polish myself.

Swatch Saturday: Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer’s Oy, Stupid Face

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Happy Saturday! Last week, we finished up Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer‘s What Wouldn’t I Do collection, and we’re entering the second phase of the enormous Doctor Who collection! Good times! This week’s polish is Oy, Stupid Face; I’m wearing three coats with one coat of Seche Vite.

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Oy, Stupid Face is a bright pink crelly with flakies. Application was good; while most of the flakies were fine particles that laid flat on the nail, the larger ones were very coarse and did sometimes stick up. You can see this in some of the photos, and it’s my only real complaint with this polish. The crelly has really nice opacity, and really only needed two coats. It dries quickly and with a satin finish.

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Even though the pointy flakies were kind of annoying, they absolutely glow in this polish, and I’m glad they’re there. The fine sparkles are beautiful as well, but the bigger ones have this deep iridescence that shines up through the layers. It’s crazy gorgeous.

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The iridescence is especially evident in the sunshine. The finer flakies look best out here as well. These photos were taken in direct sunlight.

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The color looks a bit off in this one. My camera really struggles with bright pinks and oranges in the sunlight.

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Oy, Stupid Face has been discontinued by BEGL; other Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquers are available in their online shop.

I bought this polish myself.

Manicure Monday: Lemon Lolly

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Happy Monday! I’m excited to be wearing a textured polish this week. I know everyone else has moved on from them, but I still think they’re cool. This is Lemon Lolly from Nicole by OPI; I’m wearing three coats alone.

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Lemon Lolly brings a bit of brightness to my Monday. As of this writing, Tropical Storm Colin is on its way to my house, and as such, it’s been gray, stormy, and foreboding. It’s the perfect day for yellow! I am a fan (to a point) of inclement weather, so it’s kind of fun to listen to it. If you’re reading this from Florida, stay safe!

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I wear textured polishes so infrequently that I haven’t had time to get sick of them, and honestly, I don’t know if I ever could. I mean, I know it is kind of gimmicky, but this one is just so golden, so sparkly, and so cheerful. I don’t think I could wear this polish and be in a bad mood. It’s a look that could only come from a textured polish.

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On a somewhat unrelated note, I used to have the perfect clutch. It was bright yellow, leatherette, and studded with silver spike studs. I went through a yellow phase a few years ago and it was absolutely perfect for me then. My cat peed on it and ruined it. Today I got nostalgic for it, and that’s why I used the spike studs on my accent nail. I miss that bag so much, and this is my dumb little homage to it.

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Lemon Lolly has been discontinued by Nicole by OPI; other NOPIs are available in stores nationwide. I got mine at Target. My spike studs are from Daily Charme.

I bought these products myself.

Swatch Sunday: Island Girl’s Mahalo Color

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Happy Sunday! I promised an Island Girl polish swatch, so here it is! Mahalo Color was the first one I grabbed off the rack, so it’s the first one I’m going to swatch. Here is three coats of Mahalo Color with one coat of Seche Vite.

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Mahalo Color is a neon pink creme polish. Application was all right; the polish was difficult to control at times. It would leave streaks in the color if you went over a wet place a second time, and it didn’t self-level, leaving some ridges in the color if my application wasn’t 100% smooth. Luckily, my top coat evened a lot of these problems out. The polish dries quickly and with a matte finish.

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I don’t feel like this is very high quality polish. If I didn’t use top coat, I would have absolutely hated the way this polish looks. The matte finish wasn’t a good matte finish, and the unlevelled color made it look like latex paint. It was sad. I mean, I guess I shouldn’t be disappointed, since the polish is more of a souvenir curiosity than anything else. It gives my hands a good tan, which was something I actually didn’t get in Hawaii.

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Something that really bothers me about this polish is that it’s not the same color in my nails as it is in the bottle. On my nails, it looks more red than pink. I mean, it’s still bright and neon and awesome, but it’s not the color I wanted. I decided to try Mahalo Color over a white base to see what happened. I expected it would be a little truer to the bottle color, but it’s not. It’s more or less the same, maybe a touch redder with the white base than without. Again, it’s a souvenir. I’ve got other neon pinks I like better.

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Island Girl is available at ABC Stores in Hawaii and Las Vegas, as well as their website.

I bought this polish myself.

Swatch Saturday: Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer’s I Wished For You, Too

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Swatch Saturday is here again! It’s the first one for almost a month. My swatch today is Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer‘s I Wished For You, Too, the last polish in the Practical Magic Halloween collection. After this polish, we move onto the next phase of the BEGL Doctor Who collection! I’m wearing three coats of I Wished For You, Too with one coat of Seche Vite top coat.

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I Wished For You, Too is a deep purple with orange and green shimmers. Application was very good; the color is deep and well-pigmented from the first coat, and the shimmers are very well distributed. There was only some slight streaking on the first coat, and was completely opaque by the second. The polish dries quickly and with a satin finish.

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Like the others in this collection, I Wished For You, Too is subtly Halloweeny. This polish may be the most subtle of them all. The base is vampy and dark; the purple looks navy in some lighting conditions, and the shimmers just whisper Halloween. You’d never know this was a holiday polish if you encountered it in, say, June. I’ve mentioned this in every post in this series, but every time, it’s true: BEGL makes the best holiday polishes because they do not resemble holiday polishes.

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The following photos were taken in direct sunlight! This is where the purple is its purplest, and the shimmers stand out the best.

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I Wished For You, Too has been discontinued by Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer; other BEGL polishes are available in their online shop.

I bought this polish myself.