Swatch Sunday: Shleee Polish’s Beautiful Dreams

Posted on August 7, 2016 by Stacie Wacie

Welcome back, reader! I’m excited about today’s swatch; it’s from a brand I’ve been dying to try forever! This is Beautiful Dreams from Shleee Polish; I’m wearing one coat over LA Girl’s Black, China Glaze’s White on White, P2’s French Kiss (pink), and Nails Inc.’s Baker Street (blue).

ssspbdbcm

Beautiful Dreams is a clear-based glitter topper with a primarily white glitter mix — shapes include stars, moons, hearts, dots, and clouds — with silver moons and stars, iridescent hexes, and a strong blue-to-purple shift. Application was good; I didn’t have to fish for the shape glitters, and the glitters brushed on evenly. Product consistency was also good; it wasn’t too thick or thin. It dried quickly and with a glossy finish; I used top coat for extra smoothness and shine.

When this polish came out early this year, I jumped on it. This was the first time I’d ever seen the cloud glitters, and I still get so excited about new glitter shapes, I have to buy the polish I see them in first. Beautiful Dreams is a great use for them, too; the overall look is ethereal and celestial, and the clouds just belong. It’s a perfect mix of glitter and shimmer. I am crazy impressed with it, as well as with Shleee in general.

The following photos were taken in direct sunlight. The shift gets a little washed out — especially in midday — but still looks gorgeous. You may also be wondering why I used a white polish as a base for white glitter. I think there’s something charming about white over white; it’s giving the shift and the silver glitters a chance to stand out.

Beautiful Dreams is currently not in stock; other Shleee Polishes are available in their etsy shop.

I bought this polish myself.

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

Posted on August 6, 2016 by Stacie Wacie

It’s Saturday, and you know what that means! It occurred to me a few days ago, while looking at my Instagram, that I’ve been on a pretty long blue polish streak. Today we’re extending it! This is Siren Scales from Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer; I’m wearing three coats with one coat of Seche Vite top coat.

Siren Scales is a deep blue jelly with blue, navy, and teal flakies. Application was easy; the polish brushes on easily and imparts good color and coverage on the first coat; coverage builds with additional coats. Most of the flakies are fine, but some are pretty coarse, and don’t lay totally flat on the nail. The product consistency is a little thick due to all the flakies. The polish dries quickly and with a satin finish; I used top coat for extra shine and smoothness.

Siren Scales has an amazing glowing shimmer from all the flakies, and it really makes the polish, and sets it apart from the rest of the deep blues. The large flakies, though uncommon, add a fun texture with the occasional bump in the polish. I’ve enjoyed wearing this; it’s not the most summery shade, but it’s mermaidy, and that’s what counts!

In the sunlight, the flakies really glow. It almost looks metallic. You can see the larger flakies in the outdoor photos a bit better than indoors.

Siren Scales was released as a numbered limited edition in November 2014, and has since sold out. Other Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquers are available in their online shop.

I bought this polish myself.

Manicure Monday: Bridal Gradient

Posted on August 1, 2016 by Stacie Wacie

Welcome back to Manicure Monday! I’m excited about today’s look, because the first-ever Wacie Nail Company polish is part of it. I feel like I made this polish a lifetime ago! This is Bridal Bouquet over a gradient of China Glaze’s For Audrey and Orly’s Water Lily.

Bridal Bouquet was the reason I started making polish. I’d had ideas for polishes and ordered customs from other indie makers, but this was an idea I wanted to do just for myself. I still remember how exciting it was to receive all the glitters and bottles and lacquer supplies in the mail; I still remember the satisfaction of shaking it together, brushing it onto a swatch wheel, and knowing I’d gotten it right. That was two years ago. It feels so good to come full circle.

To keep the marriage motif, I went for a Tiffany-inspired gradient. For Audrey, everyone’s favorite Tiffany blue, had to be used. In testing, I tried Bridal Bouquet over many blues, but For Audrey was my favorite base for it. As an afterthought, I added Water Lily to create a little bit of dimension beneath the glitter. Though Water Lily is a deeper, brighter turquoise, the gradient is very subtle, barely even there. The glitter is such that the gradient is covered up and on display at the same time.

The following photos were taken in direct sunlight. When the sunlight is harsh like this, the iridescent glitters get washed out. The gradient looks fantastic, though, and there is a bit of sparkle yet. I’m pretty happy with this look, overall. How long has it been since I last did a gradient? Much too long.

Follow wacie.com for Bridal Bouquet release info, as well as other Wacie Nail Company polishes. China Glaze and Orly are available in stores nationwide.

I made this polish. Other polishes were purchased myself.

HPB Presents: Project Orion

Posted on July 27, 2016 by Stacie Wacie

Welcome to the Hobby Polish Bloggers link-up for the month of July! Each month, this Facebook group chooses a mani theme; it’s up to the participant to decide how simple or elaborate their mani will be. Anything goes as long as it adheres to the theme! July’s theme is space, and I decided to take my mani in a different direction; I attempted to recreate NASA’s Project Orion insignia in mani form. For this look, I used Monster Polish‘s I was Hoping for Minimalism, but I Think I Came Out With Magician as the base, and the logo was done with Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer‘s Terrific Twos (the planet), Sally Hansen’s Magenta Moves (the whoosh), and China Glaze’s White on White (the stars). All nails were finished with Seche Vite top coat and Essie’s Matte About You matte coat.

Orion_logo

It’s probably no secret that I’m a big spaceflight nerd. I follow rocket launches, planetary science updates, and ISS experiments almost as closely as I follow indie polish releases. When Orion was launched for its first experimental flight test in December 2014, you better believe I was watching it online. It was delayed a few times due to weather violations, and once because there was a boat in the launch zone. I didn’t trust myself to not sleep through it, so I just stayed up for three days. It was really the most exciting thing I’d been since Curiosity landed on Mars.

My interpretation of the logo is a little sloppy, but I think it’s recognizable at the very least. I think the logo is actually pretty clever; the Orion constellation is hidden inside it. My nail wasn’t quite big enough for the whole design, so it’s a little cramped. The Monster Polish I used as the base is the perfect spaceflight blue. I love that the planet depicted is now a mound of glitter. I’m happy, overall, with how it turned out.

Part of the reason I did this mani was to raise awareness of what’s going in modern spaceflight. It’s disappointing to me that more people either don’t know about or aren’t interested in the gains we’ve made in the past few years. There’s so much happening now: science is done on the ISS every day, SpaceX is continually innovating, and missions to Mars — likely on the Orion spacecraft — will be inevitable. This is like near-Disneyland levels of excitement to me.

This is an Orion model at Kennedy Space Center. It was a little more convincing in person.

I was Hoping for Minimalism, but I Think I Came Out With Magician and other Monster Polishes are available in their online shop. Terrific Twos was a BEGL limited edition and has since sold out; other Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquers are for sale in their online shop. Sally Hansen and China Glaze are available in stores nationwide.

I bought these polishes myself.

Loading InLinkz ...

Manicure Monday: Dreams of Mermaids

Posted on July 25, 2016 by Stacie Wacie

Hello reader! I’m so excited for today’s post. I’m wearing a thermal polish! Dreams of Mermaids was a very early indie polish purchase, and today’s the day I’m giving it some love. I’m wearing three coats with one coat of Seche Vite top coat.

Dreams of Mermaids is a green-to-teal thermal polish with gold, blue, and green glitters, as well as a green shimmer throughout. Unfortunately, because it’s a very hot day in sunny Florida, I wasn’t able to capture the thermal effect well. In July, it doesn’t matter how long my nails are, the polish is always in the hot stage. Dunking my nails in ice water effects the change, but as soon as I pull it out, it goes right back to hot. This is why my cold stage and transition photos are so watery; I had to work fast. I do apologize.

I’m actually surprised the thermal effect still happens at all; this is a three year old polish, after all. I bought it at the same time I bought Pretty Chameleon, another beautiful Pretty & Polished thermal. Not only does it still change, it still has a pretty dramatic change. Something I notice about old thermals is that even though the effect still happens, it doesn’t happen as quicky or as powerfully as it used to. This one still works like it’s brand new.

In the sunlight, you can see exactly why this polish is called Dreams of Mermaids. The colors are definitely evocative of the ocean, and the shimmer really lights up out here! These photos were taken in direct sunlight.

mmpnpdommc

It looks like Dreams of Mermaids has been discontinued by Pretty & Polished; other P&P polishes — including thermals! — are for sale in their etsy shop and on their website.

I bought this polish myself.

Swatch Sunday: Sephora by OPI’s Skinny Jeans

Posted on July 24, 2016 by Stacie Wacie

Swatch Sunday this week is a trip down memory lane, though maybe not as far back as we’ve ever been. Remember Sephora by OPI? This was a line I loved, and wearing it now takes me back to a simpler time when a nine dollar nail polish was a real splurge and top coat wasn’t yet a regular part of my manicure. This is Skinny Jeans; I’m wearing three coats with one coat of Seche Vite top coat.

Skinny Jeans is a turquoise polish with a greenish shimmer. Application was very easy; though the product formula is a little on the thin side, it’s still very silky and covers well. The first coat was nearly opaque, the second filled it out nicely. There are some slight brush-strokes, but they’re barely noticeable and fade into the shimmer. The drying times were good, and it dried with a smooth, glossy finish. I used top coat for extra shine and protection.

I believe this is the first time I’ve ever worn this polish alone with top coat. I think I’ve used it as a base for glitter once since I started the blog, but yeah. It’s a little weird. It’s yet another reminder that it wasn’t that long ago I was 25 and wore a lot of blue nail polish (without top coat).

In the sunshine, the blue is a lot warmer than it is in the studio, but the green shimmer is still as potent. It’s a lovely ocean blue in any lighting!

The entire Sephora by OPI line has been discontinued. You can still find bottles on Amazon.

I bought this polish myself.

Swatch Saturday: Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer’s Void Stuff

Posted on July 9, 2016 by Stacie Wacie

Happy Saturday, reader! I’m so excited to share today’s swatch with you, because it’s an incredible polish, possibly even my favorite BEGL holo to date! This is Void Stuff from Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer; I’m wearing three coats with one coat of Seche Vite top coat. All photos were taken outdoors in direct sunlight.

Void Stuff is a deep turquoise linear holo with color-shifting shimmers. Sometimes the shimmers appear pink, sometimes they disappear into the green polish. Application was so easy because the consistency is so smooth and velvety; though it was a bit thin, it glided right on and gave me near opacity on the first coat. The linear holo effect was a bit stronger in Void Stuff than in previous BEGL holos. It dries quickly and with an almost glossy finish; I used top coat for shine and extra sparkle.

Though it’s a deep color, it’s very appropriate for the season! It’s the color of the happiest ocean. In the shade, the turquoise is still very vibrant and has a metallic finish, and in the sunlight, the holo is very intense. I could seriously look at this polish all day. I think it might look even better on the nail than it does in the bottle! It is summer happiness.

Void Stuff, unfortunately, has been discontinued by Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer. Other BEGL polishes are available at their online shop.

I bought this polish myself.

Swatch Saturday: Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer’s The Innuendo Squad

Posted on July 2, 2016 by Stacie Wacie

Welcome back to Swatch Saturday! I absolutely love today’s polish. This is The Innuendo Squad from Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer; I’m wearing three coats with one coat of Seche Vite top coat. Al photos were taken outdoors in direct sunlight (by the pool!).

The Innuendo Squad is a powder blue linear holo polish with silver shimmer. Application was very good; the consistency was thin enough to glide on, but thick enough to be very pigmented. I had near-opacity on the first coat. I had no issues at all with this polish. It dries quickly and with a satin finish; I used top coat for shine and extra holo goodness.

I’m really enjoying this polish. The holo is on the softer side; there’s no crazy rainbow action here, but I’m okay with that. I feel like too much holo would spoil the beautiful color of this polish. The silver shimmer is really subtle as well, a soft addition you’ll miss if you don’t know it’s there. It’s very delicate, and very charming.

Outdoors is where you’ll see the holo effect best, obviously. I think the shimmer might look best indoors, but the holo looks best out here for sure. Really, just the color of this polish is a huge win for me. The holo and shimmer are bonus.

The Innuendo Squad is discontinued by Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer; other BEGL polishes are available from their online shop.

I bought this polish myself.

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

Posted on June 25, 2016 by Stacie Wacie

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.

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.

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.

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

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!

Posted on June 20, 2016 by Stacie Wacie

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.

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.

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.

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!

mmbeglfhbmsc

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.

Wacie.com

Home of Wacie Nail Company

Tag Archives: blue

Swatch Sunday: Shleee Polish’s Beautiful Dreams

I bought this polish myself.

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

I bought this polish myself.

Manicure Monday: Bridal Gradient

I made this polish. Other polishes were purchased myself.

HPB Presents: Project Orion

I bought these polishes myself.

Manicure Monday: Dreams of Mermaids

I bought this polish myself.

Swatch Sunday: Sephora by OPI’s Skinny Jeans

I bought this polish myself.

Swatch Saturday: Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer’s Void Stuff

I bought this polish myself.

Swatch Saturday: Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer’s The Innuendo Squad

I bought this polish myself.

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

I bought this polish myself.

Manicure Monday: Floppy. Hoppy. BUNNIES!

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