Guest Post for Secretary’s Nail Art

Hello reader! I hope you like guest posts, because I’ve got another one to share. Dina from Secretary’s Nail Art recently had a baby, and I got to step in and help her out. It’s look that’s a little of everything, but mostly it’s pink.

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HPB Presents: Silly Halloween Cats

It’s that time again: It’s the Hobby Polish Bloggers linkup for the month of October! Every month, the HPB Facebook group gets together to do a themed mani. Of course, October’s theme is Halloween! I’d been seeing the cat tips around, so I decided to try it out myself. I used Zoya’s Chantal, the no-name glow in the dark polish from Rite-Aid, Sally Hansen’s Black Out, and Enchanted Polish‘s Ectoplasm.

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I don’t really like doing holiday nails, so I wasn’t that excited about the theme. I went with the black cat tips because it’s more cutesy than Halloweeny, and also resembles one of my own cats. It fits the theme while also dodging it, and I’m happy about that.

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I started with three coats of Chantal; of course, I wanted fewer but could never get it even until the third. I also used two of the glow in the dark, since the glitter is so sparse. I’m pretty happy with the art job I did with the cats; I did the head shape with the polish brush itself, did the ears and pupils with a thin art brush, and used the dotting tool to apply the iris. That part is a little wonky, but I’m happy everything else looks the way it should.

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Remember I said I used glow in the dark polish? This part didn’t turn out quite the way I wanted, though it looks really cool in the photo. In real life it just looked weird. This photo was taken in complete darkness.

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I got some sun shots, too! There’s not much to see here but the glitter. There’s not much, but this is a gentle reminder that it’s there. These photos were taken in direct sunlight.

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And there you have it! I mentioned earlier that this mani looks like one of my cats, so I’ll leave you with a photo of that dear kitty. This is Quaker. She actually crossed the rainbow bridge last August at the ripe old age of 20. Sorry to bring this post down with a sad pet story, but this mani made me miss her.

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Chantal and other Zoya polishes are sold at Ulta. Check Rite-Aids and other drugstores for the fun pumpkin GITD polish. Enchanted Polishes are sold in their online shop. Sally Hansen is sold in stores nationwide.

I bought these polishes myself.
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Swatch Sunday: Mystery Brand’s Glitter Glow in the Dark Polish

Hello reader! This Sunday’s polish is one of those fun novelty ones from around the holidays. I don’t have a brand or a shade name, just this cute pumpkin face — looks strangely sinister in the dark — and a dainty, glowing look. I got this from Rite Aid in Atlanta a few years ago, and that’s really all I can tell you about it. I’m wearing three coats with one coat of Seche Vite top coat.

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This mystery polish is a translucent glow in the dark polish with a fine iridescent glitter mix. Application was good; the consistency was about what I expected, not too thick or thin. The glitter is well-distributed and evenly applies to the nail. It’s very sheer, so building to opacity is not what this polish was suited for; however, this doesn’t have a grainy appearance that some glowers have with multiple coats, making it a good polish for layering. It dries quickly and with a glossy finish, though there is still a bit of texture from the glitter.

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I bought these — I also have a pink equivalent — because I couldn’t turn down glow in the dark polishes with glitter. I’m not the kind of person who (usually) goes after novelty products, but these were so cute and not really something I expected to find, so I got them. I like how barely there it is; I forget I’m wearing polish at all. Even the glitter is inconspicuous unless the light is shining right on it. And, of course, the glow is pretty powerful if you’ve been holding it under the light. One thing I worry about is wear length and quality; a few hours after finishing the mani, I got a chip.

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I took some outdoor photos. The sun didn’t come out for me today, but it looks nice regardless. These photos were taken in mostly cloudy conditions.

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I have these polishes listed as Rite-Aid, since that’s where I got them, and there’s no branding or anything else on it. I’d love to learn more about who makes these!

I bought this polish myself.