Tag Archives: Blue Eyed Girl Lacquer

Weekday Swatch: Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer Prototype HFT 1.1

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I know I don’t usually post in the middle of the week, or this late at night, but I have a couple of swatches I did for last weekend and didn’t have time to post because of work stuff. For what would have been last Swatch Saturday, this is Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer Prototype HFT 1.1. I’m wearing three coats with one coat of Alter Ego‘s She Shines top coat.

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Prototype HFT 1.1 is an orange-red jelly with metallic and holographic gold glitters in various shapes and sizes, as well as some red dot glitters. The formula was good; it was a little on the thick side, but was still easy to work with. The glitters were pretty sparse, I didn’t get a lot on every nail, but the ones I did get are pretty good. The jelly opacity is good, too; it was able to cover my nail lines without obscuring the glitters. It dried quickly to a glossy finish; top coat really brought out the additional effects of the glitters.

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This is the second of three red manicures I did last week, and even though I had a ton of fun wearing all of them, this was my favorite. It has so much pop, so much bold color; my skintone really sets it off. The glitter emphasizes the color without detracting from it. I got tons of compliments for it. It was definitely a blast to wear.

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As HFT 1.1 was a prototype polish, there is only one bottle and I have it. Other Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquers are available from their shop.

I bought this polish myself.

Swatch Saturday: Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer Prototype JJ 1.1

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Swatch Saturday is here again! It’s been a busy week for me; in addition to my usual weekly features, I’ve been working on the Wacie Nail Company launch all week, so I’ve done a mani every day since Monday. Crazy. Today’s swatch is of Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer Prototype JJ 1.1. You’ll remember I wore this on Monday as part of my Manicure Monday post, and I liked it so much I wore it a second time. Also because it was next in the queue. I’m wearing one brushed coat of JJ 1.1 over Revlon’s Bare Bones, Deborah Lippmann’s Shape of My Heart, and Ciaté’s Sugar Plum, as well as one coat of Alter Ego‘s She Shines top coat.

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JJ 1.1 is a clear glitter topper with glitters that are primarily purple, bright pink, and deep blue. There are a few other multicolored surprise glitters in red, green, yellow, and aqua. The glitter applies very evenly, leaving a good variety of different glitters on the nail. I did have a little trouble with the glitter sliding into my cuticle, but I’ll say that’s a user error. Drying times were good; the lacquer was not gooey or tacky for very long. It’s very easy to use.

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In the days since I wore this polish the first time, I found out this is a prototype of a custom commissioned by Jackie, who is also in the BEGLove Facebook group. It was made to represent the beauty of Texas wildflowers like bluebonnets and paintbrushes. It’s a really nice image, actually. I haven’t been to Texas yet, but I can’t wait to see the spring flowers there. I can only imagine how gorgeous they are. The flower concept kind of makes my cityscape image seems lame.

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I guess less is more with this polish. Last time I put on two coats because I really wanted a truckload of glitter, but I lost a lot of the finer details. The smaller rainbow glitters are completely invisible. I can’t tell if I got any stars or any other fun shapes. I definitely prefer this look.

As JJ 1.1 is a prototype, I have the only bottle. Other BEGL polishes are available from their shop.

Manicure Monday: Skyglow and Yellow

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Manicure Monday is here! I think this week was kind of a dud. My base polish was pretty hard to work with and the mani quality suffers because of it. I’m wearing three coats of Sally Hansen’s Quick Canary with two coats of Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer Prototype JJ 1.1 on my accent nails. All nails are topped with one coat of Alter Ego‘s She Shines top coat.

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I want to love this mani. I love the big clashing colors, and I love the glitter and how it overwhelms everything else, but I had so much trouble with Quick Canary that I’m put off the whole thing. I just could not get it to dry. I guess it needed to be thinned; the consistency was thick, but was still easy to apply, so I kept going and put down two more coats. Then I put on the glitter and top coat. Those dried, but Quick Canary was still wet, and so while I’m trying to clean up my cuticles, my top layers are sliding around on top of wet, gooey polish. Not cool, Sally. I did the best I could, but my cuticles are still a raging mess.

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I’m glad the other polish behaved. Prototype JJ 1.1 is a fun glitter topper; I’ve nicknamed it Skyline because it reminds me of a night out in the city; the bright lights of buildings, the glowing sky, the feeling of being swallowed up by the tall buildings and swathes of people. I love the frenetic pace of huge and complicated cities, and wearing this polish is wearing that energy on my nails. It’s the one redeeming thing about this manicure.

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Quick Canary is available wherever Sally Hansen polishes are sold; I got mine at Target. Prototype JJ 1.1 is a one-off bottle and is not available anywhere else. Other BEGL polishes are for sale in their shop.

I bought these polishes myself.

Swatch Saturday: Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer’s Plum Tired of the Cold

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The last winter polish for the season is finally here! This is Plum Tired of the Cold from Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer‘s 2013 winter collection. I’m wearing three coats here with one coat of Alter Ego‘s She Shines top coat.

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The mini-decant is courtesy of Angela at Older Ladies Like Color Too.

The mini-decant is courtesy of Angela at Older Ladies Like Color Too.

Plum Tired of the Cold is described by BEGL as a “blackened plum shimmer base packed with gold micro hexes, red hexes, diamonds, and circle glitters, wine and burgundy hexes, and black hexes and holo dots”. When they say it’s packed, it’s packed. The glitter is varied but still even; I might not have gotten one of every kind of glitter on every nail, but I got one on each hand, which is often enough that I don’t wonder if they’re really in there. The base color itself is pretty dark, which means I could only get by with one coat if I really wanted to. The coverage is buildable and the color darkens with each coat. The formula applies evenly, even with all the glitters. The consistency was on the thicker side, but that’s expected in a polish like this. Drying times were good; the polish dries to a satin finish. Top coat really brings out the shine in the glitters.

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While I loved this entire collection, the big glitter polishes were my favorites. Tacky Winter Sweater has to be my favorite because it’s pink, but I think this one is second fiddle. It’s a deep and rich color, which I love, and it’s full of shimmer and glitter and shine. It’s a beautiful polish.

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Let me get in one last whine about how much I hate cold weather: I hate cold weather. Lately, it hasn’t been as warm as I’d like it to be; it’s been gray and rainy and hovering around 65 degrees. It sucks, but it isn’t cold. On the bright side, since this is the last winter polish, it means we’ll have BEGL spring polishes to liven up the rainy days. I can’t wait to wear them.

Plum Tired of the Cold has been discontinued by the maker and is no longer available. You can buy other BEGL polishes from their shop.

I did not purchase this polish, but it was not sent for review or evaluation.

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: 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: 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.

Manicure Monday: Pre-Valentine’s Pretties

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My Manicure Monday post this week is accidentally romantic! I’d paired these two polishes together because I just liked the way they looked. Then it turned out their names were funny together. Then it just happened to be the Monday before Valentine’s Day! I actually really hate Valentine’s Day, but I never turn down an excuse to dress up and be pretty. I’m wearing three coats of OPI’s Sprung, one brushed coat of Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer‘s Idealistic Future, and one coat of Digital Nails’s Ain’t Nobody Got Time for That top coat.

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Sprung is a lovely metallic copper with gold and cinnamon shimmers. It’s very shiny and reflective; if you look at the photo where I’m holding the bottle, you can see the reflection of my fingers on the polish. How crazy is that? I’m not sure I’ve ever used a polish that metallic. I didn’t notice it until I put it on. I almost feel a little bad about covering up all that shimmer with glitter, but it shines right through it. It’s awesome.

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I used these two polishes together because I felt like Idealistic Future was the only glitter topper I had that could stand up to Sprung. Sprung has so much going on in it; there’s so much shimmer and color that any glitter I chose either competed with it or demanded too much attention. This was the only glitter that coexisted with it.Even though this look is perfect for the Valentine’s Day weekend, I’m probably not going to wear it that long. I have some super-awesome swatches lined up.

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Sprung is discontinued by OPI, but it looks like a few are still available online. I get my other OPI polishes at Ulta. Idealistic Future has been discontinued by Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer, but you can purchase other BEGLs from their shop.

I bought these polishes 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.