Tag Archives: green

Manicure Monday: Serenity Gray

Posted on by

Manicure Monday today is awesome! I got to pair a favorite creme with an insane glitter shifter. I’m wearing two coats of Sally Hansen’s Grey Area with two coats of Digital Nails‘s Serenity on my accent nails. All nails are topped with one coat of Alter Ego‘s She Shines top coat.

IMG_61782

IMG_61842

I almost don’t even want to bore you with the details of my gray polish. I know you’re not looking at it. You’re probably not even looking at these words, and I don’t blame you. Grey Area is a warm charcoal creme that’s pretty versatile. It’s one of the first polishes I bought to use for nail art, and it does everything well, even water marbles. It goes on opaque and smooth and glossy in one coat. It’s the best. I love it.

IMG_61872

IMG_61922

IMG_62092

IMG_62142

 

IMG_62172

Serenity, the show-stopping glitter you see here, is one of the most exciting polishes I have in my collection. The shift is so strong and so dramatic, and occurs in any lighting condition. I cannot stop waving my hands around in front of my computer monitors, just to see it happen. It’s green-to-purple at most angles, and when a light source is directly in front of it, the purple-to-pink-to-gold happens. It’s incredible. I’m just going to stop writing now and let you drool over this glitter.

IMG_61972

IMG_62042

IMG_62442

IMG_62462

I really love this combo. The gray is dark and interesting, and the glitter just makes my eyes fall out of my head. It’s truly stunning. I’m also a little upset I waited this long to try it. Also, I’m trying the accent nails in a different place today because I saw other people do it and it’s cute.

Grey Area is available wherever Sally Hansen is sold; I think I got this bottle from Target. Serenity can be found in the Digital Nails shop.

I bought these polishes myself.

Swatch Saturday: Alter Ego’s Grows Hope

Posted on by

For today’s Swatch Saturday, I’m wearing a brand that’s very new to me. I had not heard of Alter Ego until Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer launched the Lighthouse of Hope Box last October. I didn’t have any of their polishes until I purchased said box. I’m wearing three coats of Grows Hope with two coats of Alter Ego’s She Shines top coat.

IMG_43602

IMG_43632

IMG_43692

IMG_43752

Grows Hope is a frosty metallic green polish. The formula is definitely on the thicker side, but I believe this is by design; to thin the consistency would be to change the intended foil effect. Despite the viscosity, I had no problems at all applying it. It dried quickly with a satin/matte finish, likely due to all of the pigments and magic that comprise the formula. Top coat went a long way in bringing out the metallic look. I ended up using two coats of top coat because the first one soaked right in and didn’t give me as much shine as I wanted. Despite that, I enjoyed working with this polish.

IMG_43832

IMG_43912

Grows Hope and the Lighthouse of Hope Box were created to raise awareness for depression. Each polish in the box was made in the spirit of perserverance, optimism, and support. The maker has this to say about it, taken from the BEGL Lighthouse of Hope Box item page:

“While this woman doesn’t suffer from depression she knows lots of people who do. She Grows Hope for those she know who suffer, trying to make others more aware of how personal these issues can be, and by standing quietly by the side of these people she loves so much, without judgement, to help in whatever way she can.”

Grows Hope is like nothing else in my collection. I can’t get over this finish. I don’t have a single polish like this one. I really am impressed with it.

IMG_43982

IMG_44062

Also, a quick word about the Alter Ego top coat. I’ve actually used it for a couple of manis so far, but I thought this would be the best time to talk about it. It’s really nice. After applying, my hands are bathroom-dry in five minutes. I have had no problems with shrinking or cracking, even with multiple coats. I didn’t know what to expect with it, but I’m really happy with it.

Grows Hope is a Lighthouse of Hope Box exclusive, which you can purchase from the BEGL shop. The box contains seven other polishes, as well as the She Shines top coat. The price is $80, $60 of which is donated to I Need a LightHouse, an organization that works with people who suffer from depression and their loved ones. Polish for a cause!

I bought this polish myself.

Swatch Sunday: Enchanted Polish’s March 2014

Posted on by

What’s this? Two holos in a row? Yes! This is another swatch I am totally thrilled to bring you, because it’s a polish I thought I would never own. This is March 2014 from Enchanted Polish; I’m wearing three coats with one coat of Alter Ego‘s She Shines top coat. All photos are taken outdoors in partly cloudy/overcast lighting.

IMG_44352

IMG_44422

IMG_44442

IMG_44482

March 2014 is a spring green linear holo with baby blue shimmers. I loved putting this on; the holo effect is very powerful right from the first coat. I reached perfect opacity in two coats. The formula was a little thin for me, but it went on evenly. Drying time was good. I’m really impressed by the holo effect in this polish; the rainbow really pops out in nearly every kind of lighting. Only when a room is really dim does it fail to show up.

IMG_44592

IMG_44632

I mentioned that I never thought I’d have my own bottle of March 2014. I hadn’t heard of Enchanted Polish until about March 2014, when I started seeing this exact color all over the nail blogosphere. It was beautiful, and when I found out it wasn’t for sale for very long, I just admired it from afar. I forget when exactly it was, probably the summer or early autumn, I happened to see it for sale in another blogger’s destash sale. I bought it for 24 dollars. At that time, it was the most money I’d ever spent on a bottle of nail polish. I felt guilty for days after.

IMG_44682

IMG_44792

I had really hoped for more sunshine, because I wanted to see just how big and crazy these linear rainbows get. I feel like this is a really good show for just overcast skies. I bet this is crazy stunning on a clear day.

Like I said, March 2014 is only available if you’re lucky enough to find someone selling their bottle. Subscribe to the Enchanted Polish newsletter to find out when the next restock is, so you don’t miss this year’s March polish.

I bought this polish myself.

Manicure Monday: Teal Glitter Gradient

Posted on by

I started this Manicure Monday with no real plan. I had a glitter and a bright base color, but I didn’t really know what to do. I thought at first I would use some nail vinyls to create a pattern, but I screwed it up. I tried stamping and blew that, too. I didn’t want to do a gradient because I always do those, but here we are. I used Sinful Colors’s Nail Junkie (how appropriate) and Essie’s Naughty Nautical, as well as two coats of Digital Nails‘s Ain’t Nobody Got Time for That top coat.

IMG_43262

IMG_43302

Naughty Nautical is a teal polish with fine rainbow shimmer. Nail Junkie is a thin teal jelly with many colors of fine iridescent glitters. I paired them together thinking I would just wear Naughty Nautical as a base for Nail Junkie, but I thought that was boring and forced myself to do some nail art. It’s not as intricate and ambitious as I wanted it to be, but I like the look I got. I acheived it by putting down two coats of Nail Junkie, then doing the gradient. It looks like the glitter is sponged over the teal polish, but that’s not the case. I also considered painting another coat of glitter over the gradient, but I decided that what I had was enough. You can also see the nail with the stud has no gradient; it’s only the base color and glitter.

IMG_43392

IMG_43442

I’m pretty happy with it. It’s been a while since I’ve done anything nail-arty and fun. I really want to do more of that instead of just painting glitter over a base. Also, I’m really embarrassed by how dry my hands look in these photos. I put lotion on before I took them, I swear.

IMG_43482

IMG_43532

You can get these polishes wherever Essie and Sinful Colors are sold. Mine are from Walgreens.

I bought this polishes myself.

Swatch Saturday: Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer’s BEGL Go Bragh

Posted on by

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.

IMG_38292

IMG_38342

IMG_38412

IMG_38482

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.

IMG_38572

IMG_38662

IMG_38832

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.

IMG_38802

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.

Swatch Saturday: Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer Prototype VDay 6.1

Posted on by

On this week’s Swatch Saturday, I’m showing you a rather unique polish prototype from Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer. I’m wearing three coats of VDay 6.1 with one coat of Ciate’s Speed Coat Pro top coat.

IMG_31882

IMG_31992

IMG_32032

IMG_32122

VDay 6.1 is a pale green jelly with dark green and navy glitters and golden shimmer. It was really easy to apply; the glitters weren’t difficult to remove from the bottle or brush onto the nail. The first coat was thin and sheer; more shimmer than color. It could be worn as a topper over a similarly green polish. A second coat gave some color back, but was still quite sheer. At three coats, it’s sheer enough to allow each layer of glitter to shine through, but the color is as strong as it is in the bottle. Drying times were fast; the polish dried with a satin finish. Top coat gives this polish extra golden shine.

IMG_32162

IMG_32232

Since this polish is green and Valentine’s Day-related, it reminds me of the French term of endearment mon petit chou, which, literally translated, means my little cabbage. I’ve also heard it can mean my little pastry, but that’s not as fun. It’s perfect, though, right? This polish has such a crisp and vegetal color, and cabbage was the first thing I thought of when I saw it. I’m such a weirdo.

IMG_32312

IMG_32392

Unfortunately, as this polish was a prototype, this is the only bottle like it. Sorry! Other Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquers are available from their shop. I heard there’s a new Valentine’s Day collection coming out next month.

I bought this polish myself.

Swatch Saturday: Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer’s Idealistic Future

Posted on by

My swatch this Swatch Saturday features the gorgeous glitter topper from Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer‘s 2014 Valentine’s Day collection. I’m wearing one coat of Idealistic Future over L’Oreal’s Broadway Boogie, Julep’s Martha, and Essie’s Navigate Her, as well as one coat of Ciate’s Speed Coat Pro top coat.

IMG_28412

IMG_28432

IMG_28512

IMG_28582

BEGL describes Idealistic Future as a clear glitter topper “packed with gold, pink, purple, and red glitters in hexes, squares, glass dots, diamonds, and hearts.” These glitters, even the big shapes, were easy to get out of the bottle and spread well over the nail. Drying time was about what I expect now from a BEGL, about five minutes, even where it’s applied thickly. It was really easy to put on and wear.

IMG_28622

IMG_28702

I love BEGL glitter toppers, and I really love this one. I love the colors in it: romantic pink, soft lilac, rich gold, fiery red. I especially love the glass dot glitters. This was the first time I’d ever seen them in a polish, and though they’re elusive, it’s so much fun to see one on the nail when you finally discover it. Can you see the one I got on my middle finger? I didn’t notice it myself until I was looking at the photos. It just looks like a round clear circle in the photo, but in real life it’s about the same color as my undies polish. Fun, right? I think it’s fun.

IMG_28752

IMG_28862

The very last bottle of Idealistic Future sold out a couple days ago, so unfortunately, this one is no longer for sale. As of this publication, one of the My Indecisive Valentine polishes is still available, and supplies are limited. That polish is Newly Impassioned Soul; we’ll see it next week on Swatch Saturday.

I bought this polish myself.

Manicure Monday: Green and Galaxy Glitter

Posted on by

Thanksgiving is over, and we’re back on schedule! I missed you guys! For this week’s Manicure Monday, we’re sticking with the usual glitter accent nails, but I don’t think you’ll be disappointed. I’m wearing three coats of China Glaze’s Exotic Encounters, with one coat of Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer’s Prototype AG 1.1 on my accent nails. All nails are topped Ciate’s Speed Coat Pro top coat.

IMG_19272

IMG_19312

Exotic Encounters is a deep jungle green creme. It’s rather dramatic; it dries so smoothly and with such a high gloss that it makes top coat nearly unnecessary. It does dry quickly, and achieves opacity in two coats. The consistency is just right, and application was perfectly easy. This polish was a total win for me. It’s an absolutely gorgeous shade of green, and it’s so shiny!

IMG_19372

IMG_19632

IMG_19662

Prototype AG 1.1 kind of steals the spotlight. It guess it kind of deserves it. AG 1.1 is an icy blue-to-warm violet shifting polish with white glitters in various shapes and sizes. Each fun shape is in here: moons, stars, diamonds, rectangles, dots, and squares, along with some smallers dots and hexes. There are no hearts, but I’ll let it slide. It’s a bit thick, but it’s so loaded up with glitter and pigment that it’s expected. It goes on easily and is so much fun to wear. I’m very surprised by how it transforms a creme polish. It doesn’t even look like the same color with this shifty glitter madness on top of it. It’s amazing. I actually call it SPACELINGERIE in my own personal files, because it’s celestial, sultry, and leaves just enough to the imagination.

IMG_19762

IMG_19822

IMG_19942

I almost feel like this look is a bit dull, since it looks like all the accent nails are having all the fun. That might be true. I love it, though. I simply cannot get enough of AG 1.1. It’s also my Swatch Saturday this week — surprise! — so look forward to it. It’s amazing.

Swatch Sunday: China Glaze’s Rare and Radiant

Posted on by

China Glaze’s Rare and Radiant is our Swatch Sunday polish. Great way to start the week, right? I’m wearing three coats of Rare and Radiant with one coat of Ciate’s Speed Coat Pro top coat.

IMG_09702

IMG_09732

IMG_09852

Rare and Radiant is a duochrome that shifts from gold to emerald green. It’s very shimmery and almost somewhat metallic. The shift occurs very easily and in just about all lighting conditions. Application was pretty nice, but the consistency is on the thinner side, so three coats was necessary to achieve full opacity. Visible brush strokes do occur in fewer coats. Drying time was pretty quick. The dried finish was semi-glossy. It’s very nice to apply and wear.

IMG_09992

IMG_10012

IMG_10102

I love wearing shifters and multichromes even more now that I know how to actually capture the effect. It used to be like “Oh, there’s a shift, you can’t see it, but it’s there, I wouldn’t lie to you”. I am so glad to be past that bit of amateur nail photography. The shift in Rare and Radiant is so beautiful. They never quite look the same any time I look at them. They go from bronze to green patina anywhere you are. It is magnificent.

IMG_10152

IMG_10242

I know there’s a series of these duochromes from China Glaze, and I’m sorry to say I don’t have any of the others. I really want the rest, and I’ll definitely keep my eyes peeled for them.

Wacie Wednesday: Millefleur

Posted on by

Today’s Wacie Wednesday post is super exciting, because my brand new Wacie Nail Co. labels are making their debut on the blog! I am really excited about these, because labels were the last big hurdle to get over before I could finally open my shop. Now that I have them, Wacie Nail Company is super close to opening. We’re only five months behind schedule! To celebrate, we’re going to look at a new Wacie Nail Co. polish called Millefleur. I’m wearing one coat over Sally Hansen’s Hard to Get and Essie’s Mint Candy Apple and Navigate Her.

IMG_08412

IMG_08482

IMG_08552

IMG_08652

This bottle of Millefleur was kind of a dud. The name suggests it’s only flower glitter in this bottle, and the swatch suggests that as well. It’s not true, though. Besides the holo red hexes, there are holo red hearts. There are pink glass dots in addition to the pink slices, hexes, and dots; those are also nowhere to be seen on my nail. I don’t know what the deal is with that. The flowers came out easily, but everything else was at the bottom, I guess.

IMG_08752

IMG_08832

There’s a lot I could have done to improve this polish. Thinning it would be the best for it, I think; the consistency was too thick and dry time was rather long. It would probably help the elusive glitters distribute a bit more evenly. I’ll definitely keep these things in mind when I’m reformulating it. Maybe some color variety would help too; I do admit that I just dumped every pink and red glitter I had into one bottle. It could definitely do with some iridescent glitters, or maybe some Spectraflair. As it is, it’s rather one-dimensional, but that’s an easy fix.

IMG_08872

IMG_08932

I’m really excited about where Wacie Nail Co. is and where it’s going. Big things are coming up, so watch this space for the big news. For real this time!