Swatch Saturday: Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer’s Watch the Walls

For Swatch Saturday this week, I’m wearing a neon glitter explosion from Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer called Watch the Walls. I’ve got one thick coat of it over Essie’s Fiji, Navigate Her, and Mint Candy Apple. It’s like there’s a party on my nails, we invited the president for funsies, and he actually showed up. I absolutely adore BEGL glitter toppers because they’re so fun. They really are like dance parties.

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I think my cuticle oil melted the logo off the bottle. :(

I think my cuticle oil melted the logo off the bottle. 🙁

The blue-to-pink shift in the shimmer is the most evident here. Look at it!

The blue-to-pink shift in the shimmer is the most evident here. Look at it!

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Watch the Walls is a clear glitter topper with loads of different glitters; there are so many I can’t list them all. There are stars and butterflies, dots and squares, hexes big and small. There’s even a blue-to-pink-shifting shimmer that adds the right amount of sparkle to an already visually stunning polish. While this polish wasn’t made for me, I almost feel like it was, because it has everything I love: bright colors, big shapes, tons of things going on at once. It’s perfect for me. I felt a little weird putting it on over pastels, though, but I think it works. It definitely looks great over Mint Candy Apple.

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For once, I’m reviewing a BEGL that, as of my writing this, is still in stock in the BEGL store. Not only is it in stock, but it’s on sale! Grab it before it’s gone.

Swatch Saturday: Blue Eyed Girl Lacquer’s Floppy. Hoppy. BUNNIES!

I think this is going to be my favorite Swatch Saturday for a long time. I know I have a tendency to exaggerate, but Floppy. Hoppy. BUNNIES! is probably my favorite polish in the known universe, and I’m so glad I finally got to do a full mani with it. I used it as an accent for my birthday manicure last year, and I was so in love with it that I couldn’t wait to wear it on all my nails. This is three coats of Floppy. Hoppy. BUNNIES! with two coats of Seche Vite.

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This polish is a glitter jackpot. Pretty much every shape, size, color, and texture of glitter is swimming around in this soft blue crelly: pink, green, blue, purple, iridescent, holographic, metallic, hexes, stars, butterflies, and probably still some more I haven’t noticed yet. There’s so much going on in it. It’s like beautiful chaos on my nails. The crelly itself is very sheer; the first coat was so sheer I could barely detect it, but built up as I kept applying it. This definitely works out for the best, because you can see the glitters from the first coat through the third, giving that lovely glitter sandwich look.

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Floppy. Hoppy. BUNNIES! reminds me why I got into indie polish. Every indie offers a fun, bold, and unique look that would be impossible to find anywhere else. I adore this polish in particular; it makes a huge statement, but does so in a charming, cheerful way, sort of like me. Unfortunately, this one had a very limited run, and quite rare since it’s been discontinued. If you’re lucky enough to find this in a blog sale or destash, do not hesitate to grab it.

Wacie Wednesday: Dang

It’s Wednesday, and right on schedule, we’re looking at something new from Wacie Nail Company. This is Dang, a blinding glitter topper, named for the first thing I said after I created it. I’m wearing one coat of it over The New Black’s Black, e.l.f.’s Smokin Hot, and Essie’s Aruba Blue.

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Dang is another happy accident; it’s the result of mixing glitters together without intention. It’s a clear base with various sizes of holo silver hexes and holo silver hearts. Because there’s so much glitter in it, it’s impossible to not get a good glitter payoff. However, the hearts don’t come out very frequently; as you can see, I didn’t get one on every nail. It doesn’t even matter if the hearts are scarce, though. There’s tons of glitter to make up for it.

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Something I like about this mixture is that it’s sparkly (to the point of blindness in the sunlight), but it’s not trying too hard for it. There’s not a ton of different shapes and colors and craziness jumping out at you for attention. I’m not saying there’s anything wrong with that kind of polish; those kinds of polishes are what drew me to indies in the first place. No, this is a glitter that glitters. It’s like a formal gown for your nails. Like diamond earrings for your nails. They’re your nails, but glitterier. I actually wore this to a red carpet party during awards season. My nails were dressed better than anybody.

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Outdoors, shade

Outdoors, sunlight

Outdoors, sunlight

I admit, I thought Wacie Nail Co. would have launched by now. Other projects I’m involved with are taking priority over my nail polish business, and it might be a while before I have a chance to reclaim all the time and money I’m putting into other things. My time is going to schoolwork and other entrepreneurial things; my money is all going to the vacation I’m taking next month. I’d planned eight polishes for the Wacie Nail Co. first-ever spring line, but as of right now, there are only seven; I haven’t had the time or means to save one from prototype limbo. Hopefully, there will be a launch before summer. If not, the spring line will become the summer line, which actually works out since I don’t have plans for a summer line. Either way, it will be soon. Please continue to watch this space for more Wacie Nail Co. news.

Wacie Wednesday: Summerboy

I almost didn’t do a Wacie Wednesday this week. I loved my pink gradient so much that it was really difficult to say goodbye to it. Note to self: this is why dishwashers were invented. My Wacie Nail Co. polish this week is called Summerboy. I’m wearing three coats of it with two coats of Seche Vite. Let’s check it out.

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This polish is a little deceiving. It looks like a blue shimmer, but it’s actually a barely-there white jelly loaded down with turquoise blue micro-flakies. Yeah, there’s so much of it, it actually looks blue. This is yet another happy accident where putting things in bottles for fun and chuckles actually paid off. The notes I wrote for this do say “white pigment and turquoise flakies”, but there’s so much color in it that I’m doubting myself. Did I put blue in it and failed to make note of it? Did the flakies bleed? I don’t know where this color is actually coming from, but I love it. It’s vibrant and bright. It might be one of the nicest turquoise polishes I have, and I don’t say that lightly. I don’t even like to talk that way about my own polish, it makes me feel like a jerk.

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Because I don’t dread going outside anymore, here’s an outdoor photo.

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Wacie Nail Company is getting closer to a real launch, so watch this space all month, because it’s going to happen some time this April. I’m also thinking this is a good time to have a giveaway. I poured some minis of the spring collection for a reviewer today, and I may pour another for a soon-to-be winner. Maybe.

Swatch Saturday: Blue Eyed Girl Lacquer’s First Frost

Today’s swatch is yet another Blue Eyed Girl Lacquer, but it’s one I love a lot. First Frost is a white jelly/crelly with tons of blue, silver, and gunmetal gray glitters. I’m wearing three coats of it with three coats of top coat.

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I really do adore this polish. There are so many beautiful glitters, but it’s such a soft look. Given the translucence of the jelly, this almost looks kind of pink on me (it’s more evident in person, I think), but it’s totally not. It’s my nail. While I work from home and have a skewed idea of what’s work-appropriate, I’d say this one is. It’s pretty and glittery, but it can’t be seen from the other side of the room. The name is also evocative of gray skies and light, fluffy snowfalls, the wintry smell of the air and the crush of frozen ground underneath one’s boots; these are things that, as a Floridian, I know absolutely nothing about.

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These were really hard to clean up, and as you can see, I did a horrible job. I tried getting the fine glitters away from my cuticle, but I ended up just making my cuticles dry and sad. I’m kind of embarrassed to post them like this, but the polish looks so awesome I almost don’t even care.

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Sadly, First Frost has been discontinued, but there are some similar white crellies in the BEGL store. One of them is a discontinued limited edition that’s on sale, you may want to get on that before it’s gone.

Wacie Wednesday: White Noise

This week on Wacie Wednesday, we’re taking the black and white glitter topper a little farther. I told you I would. White Noise is the newest Wacie Nail Company polish; I’m wearing two coats of it over China Glaze’s Recycle and For Audrey, and Essie’s Check-Up.

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White Noise is a glitter topper with black and white shreds and tiny gray hexes. It was designed to evoke an earlier time in technology, a time when you were more likely to encounter it on your TV instead of the black, quiet HDMI mode screen. Originally called “Static”, it was inspired by the sound that greeted us after we turned off the Nintendo to change games. It was sometimes alarmingly loud, always unpleasant to hear. Despite that, turning off the Nintendo to change games and hearing silence isn’t the same.

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As you can see, I went a little overboard with the glitter. I probably didn’t need two coats of it, because it covered up the color more than I wanted it to. I believe that’s a fault in my application, not the polish. I wanted to demonstrate the versatility of it by putting it over the light blue and pink. It looks right at home over gray, but it can do so much more over other colors. I’m really pleased with how it turned out.

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I’m still looking at labelling samples, and then I’ll start figuring out shipping logistics. I hope that if you like White Noise or some of the other Wacie Nail shades, you’ll be able to purchase them soon.

Manicure Monday: Turquoise Hologram

This week’s Manicure Monday is an oldie, but a goodie. I admit I hated this polish when I bought it last decade, but now I’m in a place where I can appreciate it. This is three coats of Turquoise Hologram from Claire’s.

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Turquoise Hologram is a light blue jelly with fine holographic glitter. When I bought it, I was just looking for a nice blue polish that would match this light blue eyeliner I was into. I liked the glitter in this one, so I grabbed it, and when I put it on, I thought it was horrible. It took six coats to achieve total opacity and I couldn’t stand it. I put it away and never used it again until now, now that I know what jellies are.

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I think I might still have hated it on longer nails. Because they’re not very long, you don’t see much of a nail line, because I barely have one. I must have smudged it with top coat on the index finger because of that bald spot, and the Seche Vite must have shrunk the edges. I’m not very happy with this manicure in particular, but there is hope for this polish after all.

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It’s kind of satisfying using one of the oldest polishes I own. It was probably 2008 when I bought this one, seeing it was about that time I stopped biting my nails and put some effort into nail care. I’d been painting my nails since before then, but growing up, we always had family bottles; my mom, sisters and I all shared one collection. I left home in 2005, but didn’t really bother with my nails much, since I was still a raging nailbiter. I had a handful of polishes for myself then, and maybe a hundred when my boyfriend moved out in 2012. Now I’m hoarding it. I don’t know how I survived with only a hundred bottles of nail polish.

Swatch Saturday: Blue Eyed Girl Lacquer Prototype PSB1

My swatch this week is a Blue Eyed Girl Lacquer prototype. They turn up in the BEGL store occasionally; they’re early versions of polishes or rejected customs. Most of the time there’s only one, so it’s cool having a one-of-a-kind polish. Keep an eye out so you can snag your own.

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I am super sorry about those edges. Breaks suck.

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The label is smudged from the last time I used it.

Note the handwritten label.

Note the handwritten label.

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PSB1 is a creamy aqua crelly with a fine pink shimmer, red stars and various glitters in pink and blue. It was a little thick; and the first time I applied it, it was gummy and never fully dried, even after allowing 30 minutes between each coat. I put some thinner in it and that fixed it. It was much easier to apply after that. The end result is a bit sheer, which I like. I like being able to see the glitters on the first coat through the last coat. I like the dimensional glitter. This is most evident on the middle nail.

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I don’t know what was meant by the cryptic name, so because PSB1 doesn’t really roll off the tongue, I’ve been calling it PROTOFABULOUS. I like the idea that just because it’s not finished, that doesn’t mean it can’t be awesome.

I’m sure I had more to say about this, but I’m hungover and my brain is still hazy from tequila.

Swatch Sunday?: Blue Eyed Girl Lacquer’s Operation Hennesy

Yeah, I have two swatches this weekend, completely by accident; let me begin with a PSA: Protect your floors when you work with nail lacquer and lacquer accessories. Otherwise you might knock an open bottle of blue dye on your floor and spend the hour before your party starts on your hands and knees scrubbing the floor and crying, ruining your floor and your mani in the process. Put something on your floor so it doesn’t end up like this.

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As my last swatch mani was marred by tragedy, I took it off and put on Operation Hennesy, yet another Blue Eyed Girl Lacquer I’ve had for quite a while that’s just been sitting around. Since the weather is dreadful today, I’m using my boyfriend’s new photography lights for my nail shots today. I like how these came out, so I might do this from now on. Now you won’t have to look at my vintage Radio Shack hi-fi anymore. As usual, I’m wearing three coats of Operation Hennesy with three coats of Seche Vite. I purchased this polish myself. These opinions are my own.

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Operation Hennesy is a navy blue jelly with green, blue, gold, and purple glitters. You know what working with jellies is like; that first coat is kind of scary because it doesn’t cover much, but then the color builds and it looks fantastic. This is just like that. On its own, it’s quite shiny; with the dark jewel blue and the many glitters, it has a lot going for it. When I applied the top coat, I just said “Wow”. There was so much shine, so much sparkle. Just “Wow”.

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Unfortunately for you, Operation Hennesy is yet another discontinued Blue Eyed Girl Lacquer that’s no longer carried in their store. However, if you haven’t gotten in on the Valentine’s Day collection, I highly recommend you do, or you might miss out forever.

Swatch Saturday: Blue Eyed Girl Lacquer’s It’s Smaller on the Outside

My swatch this week is of It’s Smaller on the Outside, and it’s one of the first Blue Eyed Girl Lacquers I ever bought. I’ve had it for a really long time, and this is the first time I’ve ever worn it. You may notice a trend here. It’s Smaller on the Outside is shown here at three coats, topped with three coats of Seche Vite.

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It’s Smaller on the Outside is a shimmery cornflower blue loaded with various blue glitters, including blue hearts. The formula is a bit thick, almost creamy, which I’m going to attribute to all the shimmer. It’s really sparkly. It’s opaque in two coats, though I added a third for personal tastes. The glitter spreads easily, and it doesn’t take too much effort to get the hearts out. One thing, though: the polish is so thick and opaque is covers any hearts on the middle coats. I had one or two on each nail per coat, and they just got covered up. Whatever. It’s still cute.

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For funsies, I put a matte coat over it, just because it’s so shiny you can’t really see the glitter and creamy texture in the photos. The matte coat killed it. It looks like a chambray shirt. It totally worked though, you can see all the glitters. There are so many!

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One last note: I know this is a Doctor Who-inspired polish. Doctor Who is a thing that’s completely beyond my area of expertise. I know lots of indie-scene polishes are inspired by something, and because Doctor Who has such a wide fanbase, it’s inevitable that the two blend together. This isn’t the only DW-inspired polish I have, and they’re all gorgeous. I don’t care about the inspiration as much as I do about the polish, but I do admit it’s a little weird having so many and not really knowing where it came from.