Tag Archives: indie

Swatch Saturday: Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer’s We Saved the World, I Say We Party

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Welcome to Swatch Saturday! This Saturday, I’m wearing a polish that’s been languishing in my collection for a year. I spent the past six weeks swatching Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer‘s April Showers collection, and though each polish was a unique beauty, I’d been looking forward to new things. I’m moving into last year’s Fan Favorites collection, a re-release of some of the most popular BEGLs. This is somewhat relevant, since this year’s collection is due to launch soon, and because this week’s polish is actually for sale. We Saved the World, I Say We Party is also part of the recently re-released Once More With Feeling Collection, based on Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I’m wearing three coats with one coat of Rica‘s Glossy Glam top coat.

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We Saved the World, I Say We Party is a light pink linear holo with a darker pink flash. Application was easy; the polish starts out sheer but builds coverage. The product was just the right consistency for smooth application. It dries quickly and with a smooth satin finish. I used top coat to add shine and protection.

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When the Once More With Feeling collection originally launched, I skipped this polish because it was too dainty. Yeah, we’re gonna talk about this again. I mean, it’s not that I didn’t like the polish, because I did. At the time, I just couldn’t afford to buy the whole collection, so I bought the ones I’d like the best: the glitter topper, the black, and the red. When a few were released in the Fan Favorites collection, I got as many as I could; a few of them weren’t offered, and a few were already sold out before I could get to them. It was a long road to get this polish.

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Fortunately for you, for once, you can buy this polish! Because the Once More With Feeling collection is so popular among BEGL fans, the maker just re-released the whole thing. The polishes have been reformulated for better coverage, and a couple of them were totally reworked. You can buy We Saved the World, I Say We Party and her counterparts from the BEGL shop.

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.

Swatch Saturday: Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer’s Dogwood

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For today’s Swatch Saturday post, I’m wearing the last polish from Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer‘s April Showers collection. This collection was so much fun to wear, and I’m a little sad about this being the last one. This is Dogwood; I’m wearing three coats with one coat of Rica‘s Glossy Glam top coat.

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Dogwood is a white crelly with white shimmers and iridescent flakies. As you can see, it’s still pretty translucent after three coats; my nail line is still pretty visible. A fourth coat might have given me full opacity, but as a rule, I don’t like to put on more than three. Application was pretty characteristic of BEGL polishes; the polish consistency is on the thicker side, but still easy to use and apply. As with the other polishes in this collection, the shimmers and flakies were more pronounced in the bottle than on the nail. In this case, since the shimmers are the same color as the pigment, they get lost pretty easily. When I’m in the right light, though, it’s gorgeous.

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My favorite thing about Dogwood is definitely the translucence. I love how it covers yet doesn’t cover at the same time. The shimmer is barely there. Everything about this polish is subtle and soft and wispy, just like the flower it’s name after. I love that. Every polish in this collection really conveyed the delicate non-permanence of spring flowers. No matter how gorgeous it is, it never lasts.

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Dogwood has been discontinued by Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer, but other BEGL polishes are available from their shop.

I bought this polish 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 Purple Phlox

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Happy Saturday! I’m almost finished swatching Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer‘s April Showers collection! This penultimate polish is called Purple Phlox; I’m wearing three coats with one coat of Rica‘s Glossy Glam top coat.

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Purple Phlox is a lilac creme with fine iridescent glitters. Application is pretty typical for a BEGL creme; the product is thick but manageable. It dries quickly and with a glossy finish. The glitter in this polish is pretty sparse, so the focus is on the color and the thickness of the creme, but there’s still a pop of blink-and-miss-it iridescent twinkle. This polish is a joy to wear.

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As I said before, I absolutely cannot choose a favorite from this collection, because all the polishes are so delicate and beautiful in their own rights. This one is surprisingly unique and refreshing. When this collection came out, I remember being most interested in this polish because it was the only one with glitter, and at the time, I wasn’t interested much in indie polishes that weren’t crazy glitter madness. I bought the collection anyway, because I love the BEGL brand and, from past experience, I always hate myself and regret it terribly when I pass on a BEGL release. Imagine if I’d skipped this collection, I’d have missed out on so much! I digress. Anyway, the glitter in this polish is so barely-there that I forget about it; I occasionally see a blue spark from the corner of my eye and smile because it’s so dainty. This polish is just perfect.

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Purple Phlox has been discontinued by Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer. Other BEGL polishes can be purchased from their shop.

I purchased this polish myself.

Weekday Swatch: Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer’s Hydrangea

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Weekday swatch! This was a swatch I intended for Swatch Saturday, but I ended up being out of town all weekend and wasn’t able to post it on time. I hope you’ll love it anyway! This is Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer‘s Hydrangea, yet another dainty pastel beauty from the April Showers collection. I’m wearing three coats with one coat of Rica‘s Glossy Glam.

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Hydrangea is a light blue creme with blue and purple shimmers. Application was easy; the product was thick but still easy to work with. It was still a bit sheer, however; even after three coats, I still have a teeny bit of visible nail line. Dryiing times were good, and the polish dries with a satin finish. I used top coat for a glossy finish and to bring out the shimmers, which give the polish a pearly effect.

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Is Hydrangea lovely or what? I gotta tell you, I had the best ’90s flashbacks while I was wearing this. I still remember the pastel blue polish craze like it was yesterday, and wearing it now still makes me feel like I’m super-trendy and maybe even a little edgy. I mean, it’s been twenty years, and any envelope I’m pushing now is part of a dainty grandma stationery set, but it’s still a fashionable look for me, and one that I could wear over and over again.

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Hydrangea has been discotinued, but other BEGL polishes are available from their shop.

I bought this polish myself.

Manicure Monday: Wanna Be Your Boyfriend

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Happy Monday night! After a long day and a busy weekend, I’m finally getting around to sharing some new manicures. For this installment of Manicure Monday, I’m wearing Wanna Be Your Boyfriend from Model City Polish. I’m wearing three coats with one coat of Rica‘s Glossy Glam top coat.

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Wanna Be Your Boyfriend is a black jelly polish with blue metallic dot and fine teal holographic hex glitters. Application was pretty standard for a glitter jelly polish: it was thin on the first coat, but the other two coats evened out the opacity and created a beautiful dimensional layered effect with the glitter. Drying times were good, and the jelly dries with a glossy finish, though also with a texture from all the glitter. I used a top coat to smooth it out as well as make it extra shiny.

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So uh, I love The Ramones. In the summer of 2013, I was first discovering indie polish, and when I saw Model City had a little Ramones collection, I was all over it. At the time, these three polishes were unique little gems in my collection, and the fact that they were named after some of my favorite songs were a total bonus. It’s been almost two years since I bought this polish, and even though it’s simple, it’s still special to me and I still don’t have anything quite like it.

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I wanted a little extra punk, so I got the studs out. I actually ordered some real metal spike charms to put on; they were set to arrive today but didn’t. I had to get the lame-o Claire’s studs out instead. They’re plastic with silver paint, and you can see that the paint is coming off the points. One of the studs on my right hand is entirely black by now. Oh well, I still think it’s cool.

Wanna Be Your Boyfriend has been discontinued by Model City, but you can find their other polishes in their etsy shop.

I bought this polish myself.

Manicure Monday: Brown and Color

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Another week, another Manicure Monday! Today’s mani is interesting — to me — because both of the polishes I used are ones I’ve used before. Since I have well over 1,100 bottles of nail polish, it’s rare for me to go a Monday without using something new. LA Colors’s Twisted Affair and Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer‘s Prototype PFCS 1.0 have been featured on the blog, but not together. I love how well they pair! I’m wearing two coats of Twisted Affair and one generous coat of PCFS 1.0 on my accent nails, all with one coat of Rica‘s Glossy Glam top coat. Also, to explain the exposed tip on my middle nail, an emergency occurred that required me to don a pair of gloves right after finishing the manicure. Thankfully all the other nails escaped unscathed.

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So yes, the manicure. Twisted Affair is a color I like a lot, even though it’s a bit odd. In the bottle it looks like a cool milk chocolate, but in certain lighting conditions t looks bruised and sickly. I don’t mind that it’s occasionally ugly, but when it does, it needs a little help. This is why I chose PCFS 1.0 as the accent; it’s just so complex and colorful. I love looks that are colorful and neutral simultaneously.

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Twisted Affair applies easily and with good color: I expected it to be streaky and thin until the third coat, but I got full opacity in just two. The drying times were nice as well; I definitely bumped a nail on my desk a couple of minutes after I finished painting it and it didn’t dent or smudge. PFCS 1.0 took a little more work; I had to let the bottle sit upside-down for a while to get all the sunken glitters out, and really went at it to get good coverage. This manicure looks exactly as I imagined it would, but I am a little upset by the one that got messed up.

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Twisted Affair and other LA Colors polishes are available all over the place; I got mine from Dollar General. Prototype PCFS 1.0 was a one-off and is not available, but other Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquers can be purchased from their shop.

I bought these polishes 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.

Wacie Wednesday: Dang! (Again)

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Get ready! I’m showing you the last Wacie Nail Company polish that’s part of the official launch. Even better, you can buy it today! We’ve seen Dang! as a glitter topper and as an ingredient in a jelly sandwich, but never on its own. In this post, I’m wearing three coats of Dang!, with and without top coat, in party cloudy outdoor lighting.

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Dang!, as you remember, was a glorious accident brought on by boredom and a spark of creativity. Maybe it was just the desire to make something with what I had. Anyway, I was bored in a room full of glitter, so I threw all the holographic glitters I had into a bottle, shook it up, brushed it out, and said the word — “Dang!”This is actually how it happened. This is the story of one of my favorite Wacie Nail Co. polishes, and one of the only ones so far to make it out of prototype limbo.

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Dang! dries with a matte glitter finish and a somewhat coarse texture that can be smoothed down by top coat. The following two photos do show Dang! with top coat.

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Dang! and other Wacie Nail Co. polishes can be purchased from the Wacie Nail Company etsy shop.