Tag Archives: green

Swatch Sunday: Love, Angeline’s Emeralds Are a Girl’s Best Friend

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Welcome to this week’s Swatch Sunday! I’m excited to show you a polish from a new-to-me brand called Love, Angeline. This polish, Emeralds Are a Girl’s Best Friend, was a Beauty Quartet Box exclusive, so it’s also not a common one. I’m wearing three coats of Emeralds Are a Girl’s Best Friend with one coat of Seche Vite top coat. All photos were taken outdoors in direct sunlight.

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Emeralds Are a Girl’s Best Friend is a deep emerald green holo with fine emerald glitter throughout. The holo effect is pretty subtle; indoors, it’s basically invisible, but outdoors it’s much more potent. The glitters are visible in any light and give the polish a jewel-like finish. Application was easy; the product consistency was on the thicker side, but I had no problems with it. It dried quickly and with a somewhat glossy but smooth finish. I added top coat to really bring out the glitter shine.

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This is a really lovely polish. The jeweltone effect is really cool. The holo isn’t the focus of this polish, and I think that’s really interesting; there’s just enough of it to be pretty, but the glitter is the real star of the show. It makes the polish.

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Emeralds Are a Girl’s Best Friend was a box exclusive polish and is no longer sold new. Other Love, Angeline polishes are available in their shop.

I bought this polish myself.

Manicure Monday: Jazzy Mint Glitter Gradient

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Happy Monday, reader! Hope you had a good one. I present to you this weekend’s edition of Manicure Monday; I tried my hand at a glitter gradient for the first time in ages, and I’m pretty happy with the result. My base color is Sinful Colors’s Mint Apple, and my glitter is Essie’s Jazzy Jubilant. I also used one coat of Seche Vite top coat.

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A quick few words about the polishes I used: Mint Apple is a minty green with some silvery shimmer. It’s a very nice polish; I like the color and shimmer together, and I feel like it’s a unique piece in my collection, despite being so simple. Jazzy Jubilant is like the grown-up version of the classic rainbow glitter; the colors are muted and deeper, but each color is respresented well. I actually didn’t like it much when I first got it, but wearing it has totally changed my mind. It looks way better on the nail than in the bottle, especially over a base color like this one.

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I tried the gradient from the cuticle for the first time, and I like it. I just wish I had more nail real estate. I only wanted a smattering of glitter instead of the dense coverage I got. I applied the glitter with an eyeshadow applicator sponge, and while the sponge absorbed the excess lacquer, the dryness meant I couldn’t push the glitter around like I wanted to, and of course once there’s too much, I can’t take it off, so I got stuck with it. It’s not bad, and if my nails were longer, there would have been more room to fade out the gradient, so to speak, but I’m pretty happy with it as is.

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Mint Apple and other Sinful Colors products are sold in stores nationwide, as are Jazzy Jubilant and other Essie shades. I got mine from Walgreens.

I bought these polishes myself.

Swatch Saturday: Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer’s Get Too Close to the Flame

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Happy Saturday! We’re finally caught up on swatches from last week, so let’s look at some new ones! Today’s swatch is a special-edition glitter topper from Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer called Get Too Close to the Flame. I’m wearing one coat over Revlon’s Bare Bones, Essie’s Good Morning Hope, and Sally Hansen’s Kelp Yourself, as well as one coat of Seche Vite top coat.

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Get Too Close to the Flame is a clear-based topper with glitters in shades of pink and orange and various sizes (including stars), as well as a fine pink shimmer throughout. Application went well; the glitters spread evenly, though I did employ a bit of dabbing/placing to cover bare spots and spread out the glitters that clumped together. There was no extra cuticle-flooding lacquer, and the base was the right consistency to support the glitter without being too thick or goopy. Drying times were quick, and it dried with a smooth texture and glossy finish. I added top coat for extra smoothness and shine.

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This is a summer polish for sure. The color is bright and bold, even if it’s not that colorful, and the variety of shapes and sizes make it interesting to look at. I love the big dots and tiny stars, the hexes large and small. I love the pink shimmer and its perfect amount of sparkle. I love that it looks fantastic over any polish, soft or bright. This is the first BEGL topper I’ve worn in months, and I forgot how nice they are.

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Get Too Close to the Flame was a limited edition and is no longer for sale. Other Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer polishes are for sale in the BEGL shop.

I bought this polish myself.

Weekday Swatch: Lavish Polish’s Mint to Be

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Happy Thursday, reader! Today’s post would have been this week’s Swatch Sunday if I hadn’t gone out of town. This is Lavish Polish‘s Mint to Be. I’m wearing three coats of Mint to Be with one coat of Seche Vite top coat.

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Mint to Be is a mint green crelly with sky blue, fuchsia, white, and baby pink glitters, as well as hot pink and white heart glitters. Application was challenging; the product consistency is quite thin and didn’t really stay put on the nail. It also didn’t seem to be able to support the glitters, because they didn’t distribute well inside the bottle, no matter how much I rolled, shook, or stirred it. This is especially true for the large glitters; I just could not get them out on the brush and really had to dig for them. On a positive note, the crelly looks fabulous with the bright matte glitters; the translucence is perfect for the layered glitter effect. This polish dried pretty quickly, about five minutes per coat, and dried with a semi-glossy finish. I added top coat to smooth out the glitters and add shine.

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Even though I had a tough time applying it, I really like the look I got. This is part of a Valentine’s Day trio, but it’s not overtly, obviously lovey-dovey. It’s colorful and cheerful, it’s perfect for springtime, and it’s not mawkish or over the top romantic. It’s adorable. This is my first Lavish Polish, and I’m looking forward to trying some new ones.

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Mint to Be may be discontinued, as it’s no longer listed in their inventory. Other Lavish Polishes are available from their shop.

I bought this polish myself.

Swatch Sunday: Jesse’s Girl’s Glee

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Swatch Sunday!! I love today’s polish, even if my thickening top coat doesn’t get along with it. This is Jesse’s Girl’s Glee, a Rite-Aid grab from last year’s vacation. I’m wearing three coats with one coat of Rica‘s Glossy Glam top coat.

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Glee is a teal jelly with fine blue-to-green iridescent shifting shimmers. Application wasn’t bad; the first coat was thin and streaky, and it didn’t really even out until the third. The jelly is still translucent after the third coat, and not only can you see my visible nail line, you can see how the polish changes color over the whites of my nails. This only really happens in bright light, thankfully; it’s not too obvious anywhere else. The drying times were good, and the polish itself dried with a glossy finish. The only thing that really bugged me was the square brush cap. I thought it was pretty awkward to hold and use. I added top coat for additional shine and protection, but since I’m getting to the end of the bottle, it’s a bit thick and shrank a little. It’s unfortunate for sure.

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I really love this polish, even though I didn’t do the best job applying it. The color is so deep and rich, but only because the shimmers are so potent. It’s either emerald green or ocean blue, twinkling and almost metallic, mermaid polish at its finest.

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Story time: I know, I’ll try to keep it short. I had never even heard of Jesse’s Girl until I was in a Phildelphia Rite-Aid. Believe it or not, my area does not have Rite-Aid stores; there are only two in Florida, and the closest one to me is in Georgia. I pop into Rite-Aids whenever I’m lucky enough to be near one. If I didn’t, I’d miss out on beauties like these. I hope I’ll be able to score some more of these soon!

I bought this polish myself.

Swatch Sunday: Indigo Bananas’s Suneater

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Welcome to Swatch Sunday! I get to swatch a holo today. I haven’t worn one since March; yes, I went back to check. Now that we’re in the summer months, the sunshine is abundant except on the days I wear holo polish. This is Indigo Bananas‘s Suneater, worn at three coats, with one coat of Rica‘s Glossy Glam top coat. All photos were taken outdoors in partly cloudy conditions.

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Suneater is a metallic gold/cool green duochrome linear holographic polish. There’s so much going on! Application was easy; the product consistency was on the thin side, which I sometimes find harder to work with. I made a mess with it a little, but it wasn’t too bad. The coverage is still a bit sheer, even after three coats; I still see a little bit of visible nail line. The holographic effect is strong outdoors, and less so indoors, though it’s visible in most lighting conditions. In dim lighting, or in the shade, the green duochrome effect is more obvious. The polish dries quickly and with a smooth texture; I added top coat to add shine and really bring out the holographic effect.

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Indigo Bananas is still a pretty new brand to me, even though I’ve had a few of their polishes for a while. I bought four at once about a year ago and this is the first time I’ve used one for a full mani. If only I’d known what I was missing! Suneater is a gorgeous polish; even just as a metallic gold, it’s pretty and interesting. The green shift and the linear holographic effect are just cake.

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Suneater and other polishes are available from the Indigo Bananas website.

I bought this polish myself.

Manicure Monday: Bedspiration

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It’s Monday again, and you know what that means! My nails this Manicure Monday were inspired by the bedding set in one of my guest rooms. I’m wearing Julep’s Korin and China Glaze’s Recycle with OPI’s White Shatter, all with one coat of Rica‘s Glossy Glam top coat.

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I know lots of you look at something and can automatically translate it to nail art. It’s impressive and I’m totally envious. I’m not as big into intricate nail art as I used to be (even when I was, I was awful at it), so it’s rare that I look at something and think “Yes, I want my nails to look like this”. It’s even rarer that I act on it. When I saw this comforter, even before I realized it, I knew I could do a quick-and-dirty nail art version. Green polish, gray polish, and white crackle. It could be done. When I grabbed Korin out of the storage container, I knew I had to try it out.

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Unfortunately, I think it looked better in my head. Crackle polish is unpredictable sometimes, and though that’s the one thing I love about crackle polish, I really didn’t think it would cover up most of my nail. It defeats the purpose of the whole thing. I was hoping for a jagged but even grid of crackle, leaving the colors beneath somewhat visible. Oh, well. I still like it, even if it’s not what I was going for at all.

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I got Korin from julep.com, Recycle from Sally Beauty Supply, and White Shatter from Publix. If you’re curious, the bedding is from Target.

I bought these polishes myself.

Swatch Sunday: I Love Nail Polish’s Nostalgia

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As promised, here is the second Swatch Sunday post for today. With this, I’m all caught up. This polish is a doozy, so make sure you’re sitting down! I’m wearing three coats of I Love Nail Polish‘s Nostalgia with one coat of Rica‘s Glossy Glam top coat.

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Nostalgia is a deep pink-to-deep green multichrome polish. The color shift is very dramatic and occurs easily in any lighting condition. The color turns dark green when frontlit, rosy or red when backlit. Between the extremes is a lovely gold. Application was easy; the product is just the right consistency and went on smoothly. It dries quickly with a metallic finish. I added topcoat for extra shine, but it doesn’t detract from the polish’s original texture.

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I gotta tell you, this is the first time I’ve used a multichrome, and I am in awe. I’ve never worn anything like this before. It’s the coolest thing. I could swirl my fingers around all day and see a color I haven’t seen yet and I would never get tired of looking. I don’t even know what else to say about it. It’s beautiful and awesome.

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ILNP’s multichromes have been around for a while now, and I know there are other companies doing similar things, but I’m not completely over this look. This is easily the most exciting thing I’ve put on my nails in a really long time.

Nostalgia and other I Love Nail Polish polishes are available at ilnp.com.

I bought this polish myself.

Swatch Saturday: Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer’s Lady Slipper

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Swatch Saturday is going strong! With this swatch, we’re halfway through Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer‘s April Showers collection. I love this collection; I love each polish more than the last. My latest favorite is Lady Slipper; I’m wearing three coats with one coat of Rica‘s Glossy Glam top coat.

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Lady Slipper is a mint green creme with blue-to-purple shifting shimmer. Application was very nice; the consistency was on the thicker side, as BEGLs tend to be, but it was still quite easy to work with. It took all three coats to get even, streak-free color. However, since the creme opacity is quite full, the shimmers aren’t as potent as they appear to be in the bottle. Drying times were good, and the polish dries to a semi-glossy satiny finish.

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I’m really impressed by this polish. As with Peruvian Lily, I don’t even mind that the shimmers aren’t very strong, because the base color is just so beautiful. I’ve worn a lot of nail colors over the years, and whenever I find one I haven’t tried yet, I’m really in awe. Also, pastels tend of be outside my comfort zone, as odd as that sounds. They’re so soft and ladylike, completely not my style. Whenever I wear them, I always wonder if I’m doing them justice. I hope I’m doing Lady Slipper justice. I think she might be too good for me.

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I did get a good glimpse of the shimmers, oddly, when I was swimming. Under the water in direct sunlight, they jump right out.

Lady Slipper is unfortunately discontinued, but other Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquers are available from their shop.

Swatch Sunday: Fantasy Makers’s Night Glow

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I know I said all the unseasonal polishes were over with, but I lied. Swatch Sunday’s subject is a Halloween-themed glow in the dark polish, complete with gravestone-shaped bottle. I’m wearing three coats of Fantasy Makers’s Night Glow with one coat of Alter Ego‘s She Shines top coat.

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Night Glow is a pretty typical glow in the dark polish. It’s very sheer; even at three coats, I can still see my whole nail bed. I’m not sure full opacity could be achieved. The polish did dry quickly and with a gloss. The formula isn’t bad, but I won’t say much about it; my bottle is pretty old — at least five years, if not closer to ten — and it was quite thick when I opened it, so I did have to thin it out. This is probably irrelevant. What really matters is that it glows in the dark. I got one good photo of the effect in action; it glows a vibrant green.

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I love glow in the dark polish. It is so fun and so satisfying to wiggle my fingers around in the dark when I go to bed. My boyfriend think it’s annoying but I love it. It feels a little weird, though, to wear such a sheer color without any glitter or other adornments. I’m wearing practically nothing at all. It’s like wearing a revealing dress, I suppose; when I first put it on, I’m a little insecure, but the longer I wear it, the more it grows on me, and at the end of the night I feel sexy and empowered. The analogy is a bit of a stretch, but I think you get it.

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Final word: the polish isn’t anything special. It’s probably the most available and affordable glow polish out there; I see it everywhere around Halloween. However, the quality is comparable to the glow polishes I’ve tried from China Glaze and American Apparel, so it’s whatever. If you need a glow in the dark polish, this would be a good one, but this particular one isn’t at all a must-have.

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Fantasy Makers is usually available in drugstores during Halloween. I got mine at a costume shop.

I bought this polish myself.