Swatch Saturday: Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer’s Bound to the City Life

Posted on October 1, 2016 by Stacie Wacie

Happy Saturday, reader! I don’t say this often, but I am in love with today’s polish. It’s just so glittery! This is Bound to the City Life from Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer; I’m wearing three coats with one coat of Seche Vite top coat.

Bound to the City Life is a deep indigo jelly with fine holographic glitters. Application was very easy; the product consistency is on the thinner side, but is still able to support the glitter well. The first coat was a deep blue, but still needed additional coats for opacity and deepened color. Though a jelly, it does eventually reach a squishy but opaque shade of blue. The glitter is very fine, leaving very little texture when dry. The polish does dry with a glossy finish; I still used top coat for extra smoothness and shine.

Bound to the City Life is the blue cousin to Noticing Face, another polish I wore recently and loved a lot. I love how deep the color is; it’s dark and dramatic, but obviously still quite blue. Everything about it is pretty perfect. These are absolutely my favorite kinds of polishes, and BEGL always nails them (hah, because polish).

Outdoors, the blueness and the jellyness is most apparent. You can see all the way through it. Every bit of glitter is visible and sparkling, but the things you don’t want to see — visible nail lines, for example — are not visible at all. These photos were taken in direct sunlight.

Bound to the City Life has been discontinued by Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer; other BEGL polishes are available in their online shop.

I bought this polish myself.

Empties Roundup: September 2016

Posted on September 30, 2016 by Stacie Wacie

It’s the end of the month, and you know what that means: Empties Roundup! It’s the end of September, and I’ve got a lot of stuff to share. Let’s get started!

La Lavande French Triple-Milled Soap in Gardenia

So obviously this wrapper has been empty a long time, you can’t really use a bar of soap without wrapping it. But yes, I did hang onto this wrapper longer than I want to admit just to photograph it and then write about it. It was really nice soap; it lathered well, had a strong gardenia fragrance, and didn’t dry me out. It took me a couple months, probably, to use the whole thing. I replaced it with another soap bar from my shamefully large soap hoard.

L’Occitane en Provence Shea Butter Hand Cream, 30ml tube

I love this stuff. I love L’Occitane. This was the last tube from a L’Occitane hand cream sampler from Sephora and I’m so sad they’re all gone now. They all made my hands feel so soft and moisturized, and they were the perfect handbag size. My new handbag lotion is Pacifica’s Tuscan Blood Orange because it was on sale at Target.

Model City Cuticle Oil in Cactus Flower

I’d been using this for so long there’s practically no label left. Believe it or not, I bought three of these bottles and this is the last one. It lasted forever! It did a fanastic job of moisturizing and smelled wonderful. I’m now using an oil from Smokey Mountain Lacquers from my expanding cuticle oil stash.

CeraVe AM Facial Moisturizing Lotion

Here’s another product I use on the regular. I know it’s for dry skin, and as such, it makes me feel a bit oily after a while. It doesn’t break me out, so I just deal with it. I’ve decided to try a new one though, Cetaphil’s daytime moisturizer lotion. I’ll probably come back to it if the new one doesn’t work out.

Revlon’s Photoready Powder in Translucent

Project Pan has its first casualty! This was actually most of the way used-up when I started the project, so I don’t think it counts, but it is nice to use up something. I’m actually undecided on whether I’d buy this again. I really liked it over BB cream; it helped smooth out imperfections that weren’t 100% covered, and made me look more done-up than I was. On the other hand, it wasn’t a setting powder, which was really what I wanted. It didn’t make me feel finished, it felt pretty creamy a long time after applying. For now, I’m using another powder from my stash, Benefit’s The Pore-fessional Agent Zero Shine.

Bath and Body Works’s Butterfly Flower Shower Gel

Another month, another empty shower gel. I forgot how nice this fragrance was! It’s pretty strong in the shower, but after drying off, it’s really subtle. Of course, lotion in the same scent helps with a fragrance’s staying power, but sometimes I don’t want to smell like a perfumery. Also I’d used up the lotion months ago.

Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day hand soap in Peony

I’m so glad I finally tried these! I was complaining to a friend about how hard it is to find a good hand soap. Antibacterial ones break my hands out so bad, and they’re bad for you in general, so I spent a lot of time looking for The Soap. A friend recommended I try this brand out and when I saw this at Target, I scooped it up. I’ve since replaced it with another Mrs. Meyer’s soap, this time in Geranium.

Shea Moisture Manuka Honey & Mafura Oil Intensive Hydration Hair Masque

I love Shea Moisture products, and their hair masques and deep conditioners are products I always rebuy. I probably use them more than I do actual conditioner. This one made my hair feel very soft and easy to detangle. It also smells lovely! I loved it, but as I like to try new things, I’ve replaced it with Carol’s Daughter’s Sacred Tiare restoring hair mask.

Lubriderm Advance Therapy Lotion

This is my favorite lotion. It moisturizes, it smooths unhappy skin immediately, and it doesn’t have any fragrance. The fact that it’s fragrance-free is probably my favorite, because I can use it with any bath product. I hate it when fragrances compete! I have three bathrooms in my house and there’s a bottle of this in each one. That’s kind of a lie, because I haven’t replaced it right away. I bought a JĀSÖN lotion this time because it was on sale at Target.

MAC Prep + Prime Skin Primer

Another Project Pan casualty that doesn’t quite count, because it was basically empty when I pulled it out. I didn’t expect to have to replace this AND the Revlon powder at the same time, but here we are. I’ve been thinking of trying another foundation — maybe NARS or Kat von D — and so I don’t want to buy another primer until I’ve decided on a foundation. For now, I’m using a backup Smashbox sample I’ve had bumming around, but I’ve already had to cut the tube open, so I’m kind of running out of time. It’s also the last empty I need for a Back 2 MAC lipstick, so I’m not too sad about it.

And there you have it, nine products that have gone to the big beauty counter in the sky. I wonder if I’ll ever have an Empties Roundup this large again. What did you use up this month?

I bought all these products myself.

Manicure Monday: Popples

Posted on September 26, 2016 by Stacie Wacie

Happy Monday, reader! Today’s polish is so bright and happy that I’m cool with it being Monday. This is Pretty & Polished‘s Popples; I’m wearing three coats of Popples with one coat of Seche Vite and a bow charm from Claire’s.

So this is super cute, right? This is actually one of the first indie polishes I ever bought. It wasn’t one of the very first, but in the grand scheme of things, it was a pretty early etsy purchase. It doesn’t seem like it, but 2013 was a long time ago! I can’t believe I’m just getting around to trying this polish. I love the neon glitters popping out from the white crelly. It’s one of the cutest things I’ve worn in a while.

White crellies are my favorite polishes to buy (and make, sometimes) because the possibilities are really endless. There’s very little that doesn’t work with the crelly + glitter formula. I’ve always loved neons and white together, so this is really up my street.

I took some photos in the sun, which were not really necessary. The colors pop just as much outdoors as indoors. Still cute though!

mmpnppmm

Popples and other Pretty & Polished products are available in their etsy shop. My bow charm is from Claire’s.

I bought these products myself.

Swatch Sunday: Sweet Heart Polish’s Oh Look, A Firefly

Posted on September 25, 2016 by Stacie Wacie

It’s Sunday!! For today’s swatch I’m excited to be wearing a new-to-me brand called Sweet Heart Polish. Based on Tinkerbell, this green jelly is packed with fairy dust. Let’s get started! I’m wearing three coats of Oh Look, A Firefly with one coat of Seche Vite.

ssswpolaffbcm

Oh Look, A Firefly is a lime green jelly filled with iridescent glitters and gold flakies. Application was good; the product consistency is perfect, being thick enough to suspend and distribute glitter without being goopy or sad. The green base is a very sheer jelly; nail lines are still visible even after three coats. The glitters are pretty fine and don’t leave a texture when dry, though it does dry with a satiny finish. I used top coat for shine and extra protection.

This polish really is Tinkerbell in a bottle. It’s green, golden, and completely magical. I’m wearing it alone here, but it could be used as a topper over another green polish, maybe even a black one, and looks excellent with its original satin finish. It sounds like a really simple polish — it’s made with some pretty basic ingredients — but it’s a beautiful look and is a ton of fun to wear. Personally, I wanted more coverage, but that’s not a huge gripe at all, I can deal with the sheer.

In the sunlight, the green looks a little washed out compared to the studio photos, but the glitter and sparkle is all there. These photos were taken in direct sunlight.

Oh Look, A Firefly is the second half of a sold-out Peter Pan collaboration with Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer. This duo is sold out in both stores. Other Sweet Heart Polishes are available in their etsy shop.

I bought this polish myself.

Swatch Saturday: Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer’s Sirens Are Made For Water, Not Snow

Posted on September 24, 2016 by Stacie Wacie

Happy Saturday, reader! Today’s swatch is another Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer Siren, Sirens Are Made For Water, Not Snow. It’s a summery take on a winter theme. I’m wearing three coats with one coat of Seche Vite top coat.

ssbeglsamfwnsbscm

Sirens Are Made For Water, Not Snow is a bright blue creme with a strong purple flash. Application was good; product consistency was on the thin side for a BEGL, but was still easy to use. The first coat was worryingly thin and streaky, but it did even out by the third coat. It’s still somewhat sheer; you can see a faint visible nail line in some photos. The purple flash shows up best in low lighting, but can be seen in any lighting condition, so long as the polish is facing the light. The polish dries with a smooth but satin finish; I used top coat for shine and protection.

I think this photo has the best flash capture.

I love when BEGL does a polish that’s seasonally unconventional. They do it pretty often and it’s one of my favorite things about the brand. Of course they’d do a super bright blue for January, right? I kind of relate to it. By the time January rolls around, I’m thinking about spring. I’m thinking about halter tops and swimming pools and green leaves on trees. I am not a winter person and every year I dread its arrival. I totally get what this Siren is about.

The purple flash in this polish was really difficult to capture. It definitely looks best in lower lighting; in my office, it’s very strong. In the studio, it’s there, but kind of latent. In bright sunshine, it’s almost completely washed out. To me, though, the flash is just bonus; I’m completely in love with the blue creme itself. The following photos were taken in direct sunlight.

ssbeglsamfwnsmm

Sirens Are Made For Water, Not Snow was released in a numbered limited edition and has since sold out. Other Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquers are sold in their online shop, though they are still on a break.

I bought this polish myself.

Manicure Monday: Sunburned Sunrise

Posted on September 19, 2016 by Stacie Wacie

Welcome to Manicure Monday! Today’s manicure looks like it was inspired by Reese’s Pieces, but I promise it wasn’t. For this look, I used Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer‘s Sunburned Siren, Smokey Mountain Lacquers‘s Electric Sun, and Digital Nails‘s Enterprise, along with Seche Vite and Essie’s Matte About You matte top coat.

So when I was planning this look, Sunburned Siren was my main color choice. I totally fell in love with it the first time I swatched it. I wanted a nail art look, something that’s bright and fun like the Siren but doesn’t take away from it. I got Enterprise out because of the wild shift; it goes from a deep magenta to a cool gold, embracing the colors of the Siren’s shimmers but also exaggerating them. I added Electric Sun to work with the sunrise motif, to work as a cool shimmery yellow. It’s only just occurred to me that their names work together. I wish I hadn’t added the yellow, because that’s what makes it look like Reese’s Pieces, but it helps the sunrise look like a sunrise, so it works out.

I used Enterprise as shifty sunrays, and I wish I’d used a gold glitter as well. I used an eyeshadow sponge as my application method; I also used it on the all-glitter accent nail. Enterprise is definitely more suited as a topper than a full-coverage glitter, so I did two brused coats of Enterprise, which gave me good but not complete coverage, and just used the sponged coats to cover what was still showing of my nails. I’m surprised it was able to cover so much. And, of course, what’s a wacie.com manicure without a bow? I love how many of you comment on the bows I use, it makes me feel like people really are seeing my stuff.

In the sunlight, this mani was exactly what I wanted, even if it didn’t turn out the way I’d envisioned. It’s bright, warm, and fun, but it’s also accidentally autumnal, which works out, since the first day of autumn is in just a few days. These photos were all taken in direct sunlight.

mmssm

Sunburned Siren was a BEGL limited edition and has since sold out; you can buy other BEGLs from their online shop, though they are currently on a break. Electric Sun was a Beauty Quartet Box exclusive and is no longer available; other Smokey Mountain Lacquers are sold on their website. Enterprise and other Digital Nails polishes are available in their etsy shop. My bow charm is from Claire’s.

I bought these products myself.

Swatch Sunday: Superficially Colorful’s Breathe

Posted on September 18, 2016 by Stacie Wacie

Happy Sunday! Today I’m trying out a new-to-me brand called Superficially Colorful. This polish, Breathe, is another entry in the Lighthouse of Hope box curated by Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer. This is a charity box that benefits the depression awareness and education network I Need a Lighthouse. For this swatch, I’m wearing three coats of Breathe with one coat of Seche Vite. All photos were taken in direct sunlight.

Breathe is matte-drying aqua linear holo. Application was good; the product consistency was spot-on, and I had no issues using it. The first coat was nearly opaque and everything evened out by the second. The polish does dry matte, so top coat is necessary for shine. Some matte holos don’t look fantastic because the holo flame just blends into the overall look, but that’s not true with this one. You could skip it if you’re a fan of the matte look.

I’m pretty impressed with this polish. It’s got a great color and the holo flame, though a little subdued compared to others, is still visible. The aqua color is very vibrant. And, because it’s a polish for a cause, here’s what the maker had to say about it:

An aqua/turquoise holographic polish with a little silver and blue shimmer. I think it’s what we all need. To take a deep breath and go on. Everything is easier when you can breathe.

I’ve written about the Lighthouse of Hope box a few times, and about some of the other polishes in the box. The box itself costs $80, and $60 of it is donated to I Need a Lighthouse. You get eight polishes from all your favorite indies and you give to charity, what’s not to love? The box is available from the Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer shop, and though they’re currently on a break, do get this box when they get back. Other Superficially Colorful polishes are available from their website.

Here are links to the other polishes in this box I’ve worn so far:
Alter Ego’s Grows Hope
Peita’s Polish’s Serenity
Rica’s Alchemical Seas of Hope

I bought this polish myself.

Swatch Saturday: Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer’s Mickey Smith, Defending the Earth

Posted on September 17, 2016 by Stacie Wacie

Happy Saturday! Though we got into Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer‘s Spark in the Dark collection last week, there is still one more Doctor Who polish to share with you! This lovely is Mickey Smith, Defending the Earth; I’m wearing three coats with one coat of Seche Vite. All photos were taken in direct sunlight.

Mickey Smith, Defending the Earth is an emerald green holo with gunmetal flakies. Application was easy; the product is well-pigmented and smooth, meaning you could get away with one good coat if you really wanted to. However, the consistency is a bit on the runny side. The green color is very strong, and washes out the flakies; the only photo where I can see them is the macro. The holo effect is pretty strong despite the deep color. The polish dries with a satin finish; I used top coat for extra shine.

Mickey Smith was my favorite polish in this collection; before this, I didn’t own a deep green holo like this one. I love green polish and I love jewel tones, so naturally this was going to be my favorite. Unfortunately, it wasn’t the most popular. It’s a deep, lovely shade that has a very nice holo. It’s a shame it was kind of unloved.

Mickey Smith, Defending the Earth and other Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquers are available in their online shop, which is currently on a break.

I bought this polish myself.

Swatch Saturday: Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer’s She’s Electricity

Posted on September 10, 2016 by Stacie Wacie

Welcome back to Swatch Saturday! Yep, it’s another BEGL polish! I’m getting into a new collection with this week’s polish, the Spark in the Dark collection from winter 2015. I’m really excited to be getting into some newer BEGLs. And by newer, I mean it’s only a year old. This is She’s Electricity; I’m wearing three coats with one coat of Seche Vite. All photos were taken in direct sunlight.

She’s Electricity is a bright pink holo with pink shimmers. The maker’s description lists aqua shimmers and iridescent microglitters as well, but I didn’t pick up on those. Application was good; the product consistency is pretty great with this polish. It’s easy to work with but there’s a lot of pigment to get full coverage right away. Get this — one coat gave me all the coverage I needed. I didn’t stop there, of course, but I definitely could have gotten away with one if I wanted. Because it’s so pigmented, it dries with a matte finish. Top coat was definitely necessary for the shine and holo effect.

This pink holo is so much fun to wear. I didn’t really do it justice in these photos. The holo effect is pretty subtle here, but it was a lot more vivid in person, though still subdued. I don’t know if using fewer coats would have meant a bigger rainbow or not. Fewer coats might have helped me find those iridescent glitters. In any case, I love this polish. It’s so pink and I love it.

She’s Electricity has been re-released as part of the Fan Favorites 2016 collection, however, as of this writing, the BEGL shop is closed and will reopen later this month.

I bought this polish myself.

Swatch Saturday: Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer’s Noticing Face

Posted on September 3, 2016 by Stacie Wacie

Welcome back to Swatch Saturday! Today’s swatch is a gorgeous glitter jelly from Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer. This is Noticing Face, and it’s one of my favorites from their massive Doctor Who collection. Yes, I’m still working through it! I’m wearing three coats of Noticing Face with one coat of Seche Vite top coat.

Noticing Face is a deep purple jelly with fine gold and purple holographic glitters. Application was easy; the product consistency was very nice to work with. The jelly isn’t streaky or too thin, but is still thin enough to let the glitter show through. My first coat was nearly full-coverage, which, how often does that happen for you with a jelly? The second coat evened everything out. The fine glitters dry with a slightly gritty feel, and the jelly had a slight satin finish when dry. I used top coat for extra shine and smoothness.

This could be the most perfect glitter jelly I’ve ever used. The color is deep and still squishy, and the glitters add sparkle without overwhelming the polish. The gold glitters in particular are my favorite, adding a complementary element that’s still luxe and natural. It’s gorgeous.

My outdoor photos don’t do it any justice, but of course, when I took these photos, there was a hurricane outside and it wasn’t very sunny. These photos were taken in mostly cloudly, somewhat hurricaney conditions.

Noticing Face and other BEGL polishes are available in their online shop, though at the time of this writing, they are taking a break.

Wacie.com

Home of Wacie Nail Company

Tag Archives: indie

Swatch Saturday: Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer’s Bound to the City Life

I bought this polish myself.

Empties Roundup: September 2016

I bought all these products myself.

Manicure Monday: Popples

I bought these products myself.

Swatch Sunday: Sweet Heart Polish’s Oh Look, A Firefly

I bought this polish myself.

Swatch Saturday: Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer’s Sirens Are Made For Water, Not Snow

I bought this polish myself.

Manicure Monday: Sunburned Sunrise

I bought these products myself.

Swatch Sunday: Superficially Colorful’s Breathe

I bought this polish myself.

Swatch Saturday: Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer’s Mickey Smith, Defending the Earth

I bought this polish myself.

Swatch Saturday: Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer’s She’s Electricity

I bought this polish myself.

Swatch Saturday: Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer’s Noticing Face

I bought this polish myself.