Tag Archives: pink

Swatch Saturday: Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer’s Dawn

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I really love today’s swatch! Dawn is a special small batch polish from Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer, and I only have this mini bottle of it because someone was nice enough to decant it for me. I feel super-lucky to have it, and I’m excited to feature it on my blog. I am wearing three coats of Dawn with one coat of Digital Nails‘s Ain’t Nobody Got Time for That top coat. All photos were taken outdoors in direct sunlight.

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Dawn is described by BEGL as a “pale pink linear holo with strong pink flash”. It applies evenly from the first coat, even though the first coat is on the sheer side; I got good opacity in two coats. The drying times were also quick. The formula is very easy to use; it’s not too thin or too thick. I was able to apply with lots of control. I didn’t take any indoor photos, but the holo effect doesn’t show up as well with indoor lighting. However, the pink flash is still quite potent. Outdoors is where I get the best of both.

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My tastes have changed, I think. If you’d asked me a year ago if I’d ever write the words “I sure do love this dainty pink holo”, I’d probably scoff. Two years ago, before I even started this blog or even knew about indie polishes, I definitely would. It wasn’t that long ago I was dismissive of light pinks or nudes, and I wasn’t always a fan of holo polishes. This polish, though, is so sweet and dainty. It’s so ladylike. I keep looking down at my nails and thinking “Man, I’m so glad I came around to polishes like this.” I really do love this dainty pink holo.

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As I mentioned, this is a decant from a full-size bottle. Once upon a time, I cart-jacked a BEGL prototype from Angela at Older Ladies Like Color Too. I felt bad, so I offered her a decant of it. She gave me this in return. It was a good trade. Dawn isn’t a currently available polish; I believe the last time it was for sale, there was one bottle up for auction during BEGL’s Depression Awareness charity auction in October. You can purchase other BEGL polishes from their shop.

Manicure Monday: Pre-Valentine’s Pretties

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My Manicure Monday post this week is accidentally romantic! I’d paired these two polishes together because I just liked the way they looked. Then it turned out their names were funny together. Then it just happened to be the Monday before Valentine’s Day! I actually really hate Valentine’s Day, but I never turn down an excuse to dress up and be pretty. I’m wearing three coats of OPI’s Sprung, one brushed coat of Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer‘s Idealistic Future, and one coat of Digital Nails’s Ain’t Nobody Got Time for That top coat.

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Sprung is a lovely metallic copper with gold and cinnamon shimmers. It’s very shiny and reflective; if you look at the photo where I’m holding the bottle, you can see the reflection of my fingers on the polish. How crazy is that? I’m not sure I’ve ever used a polish that metallic. I didn’t notice it until I put it on. I almost feel a little bad about covering up all that shimmer with glitter, but it shines right through it. It’s awesome.

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I used these two polishes together because I felt like Idealistic Future was the only glitter topper I had that could stand up to Sprung. Sprung has so much going on in it; there’s so much shimmer and color that any glitter I chose either competed with it or demanded too much attention. This was the only glitter that coexisted with it.Even though this look is perfect for the Valentine’s Day weekend, I’m probably not going to wear it that long. I have some super-awesome swatches lined up.

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Sprung is discontinued by OPI, but it looks like a few are still available online. I get my other OPI polishes at Ulta. Idealistic Future has been discontinued by Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer, but you can purchase other BEGLs from their shop.

I bought these polishes myself.

Swatch Sunday: e.l.f.’s Nude

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For this Swatch Sunday, I’m wearing nubs! I broke a nail brushing my hair. I’m also wearing e.l.f.’s Nude at three coats with one coat of Digital Nails’s Ain’t Nobody Got Time for That top coat. Mostly though I’m wearing nubs.

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Nude is pretty much what it sounds like. It’s a nude creme. The lighting in my house is inconsistent, so I find the color changes based on lighting; in some rooms it’s more of a dusty mauve than a nude, and in others it’s a cool caramel. It’s very well-pigmented; I had perfect opacity in one coat, believe it or not. Drying times were very fast, and Nude dries with a satin finish. Top coat gives it a very dramatic shine.

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I’ve heard some pretty bad things about e.l.f.’s polishes, so I’m really surprised by the quality of Nude. I can’t believe that I’d gotten such good coverage in one coat. I can’t believe I didn’t get any streaks or bald spots. I had a fantastic time applying this polish. The formula was a good consistency, and the brush was just the right size for my little nails. I’m really happy with how this swatch went.

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Nude came in a Disney Villains-themed set with eleven other polishes. Specifically, this one is part of Cruella de Vil’s mini-set. I’m sensing a pattern. This set was available at Walgreens a couple years ago, but it looks like, as of this publication, there are a few available from independent sellers. Like the Disney Villains Varnish set I talked about last week, it’s probably not worth hunting down unless you really need the Villains packaging. The polishes are nice, but they aren’t that nice.

Swatch Saturday: Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer’s Newly Impassioned Soul

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Happy Saturday, reader! I have another fantastic polish from Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer‘s My Indecisive Valentine collection. My swatch this week is of Newly Impassioned Soul; I’m wearing three coats with one coat of Ciate’s Speed Coat Pro.

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Newly Impassioned Soul is a bright pink crelly polish with tiny green pearl flakies. It was very easy to apply and dried pretty quickly to a semi-matte/satin finish. For a crelly, I found this to be pretty thick and opaque enough that two coats was enough for full opacity, but depending on your application style, you may need three or even four to get your desired opacity. You’ll notice the white pigment that settled to the bottom; no amount of shaking the bottle could mix it back in. However, this settling does not affect the integrity of the color. I’ve had this happen with a few other indie polishes, and it’s a problem that’s bottle-deep, if you will. You can see it in the bottle, but on the nail the polish looks exactly as it should.

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I like this polish because it’s pink and sparkly. There’s no better way to win me over. Polishes that fit this description, though, tend to be outside a lot of comfort zones. Though this is a really big color, I don’t think it’s so bright that it’s garish or distasteful; the flakies give a subtle elegance to a beautiful pop of color. It’s gorgeous.

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As of this publication, Newly Impassioned Soul is currently available in the BEGL shop. It has been discontinued, so what’s left in stock is all that remains. It’s also been discounted, so grabbing this lovely at a low price is a win/win.

This is the last of this collection we’ll be seeing for a while; I have others, but since they were part of a second fan-favorites collection, they were purchased later and are lower in the swatch queue. I can’t wait to bring them to you. In the meantime, we’ll be looking at some BEGL prototypes, the last of the 2013 winter collection, and the spring collection from 2014. Most of those I haven’t even used yet. I’m so excited.

I bought this polish myself.

Swatch Sunday: Different Dimension’s Orion Nebula

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I’m really excited to bring you this week’s Swatch Sunday! Different Dimension‘s Orion Nebula is a polish I’ve been dying to try since I got it, and today’s the day I finally got around to it. I’m wearing three coats of Orion Nebula with one coat of Ciate’s Speed Coat Pro top coat.

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Orion Nebula is a black jelly with metallic hot pink dot glitters in various sizes and large holographic pink dots. It is absolutely laden with these glitters. I had no trouble getting them out of the bottle or applying to the nail. As it is a jelly, the first coat does go on a bit thin, but evens out on the second coat. Considering this and the glitter content, I probably didn’t need the third coat. Drying times were good, and it dries with a glossy finish; top coat was definitely necessary to smooth down the huge glitters, as well as to bring out even more shine.

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This polish is so much fun to wear, I can’t even tell you. I love this look. The big glitters catch so much light, and the smaller ones add just enough shine to keep it from looking bare. I seriously can’t stop looking at my nails, and I squeed a little looking through the photos. It’s deep and mysterious, but also full of shine and color. I love this and I never want to take it off, but I have to because I actually lost a few of the big glitters washing dishes. Pretty sure this is an issue in my application and no cause for alarm; Speed Coat Pro wasn’t made with these ginormous glitters in mind and didn’t really stand up to them.

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Orion Nebula is available from the Different Dimension shop. How nice is it to finally see something on this blog that you can actually still buy? I definitely want you to get this.

I bought this polish myself.

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

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

Swatch Sunday: Del Sol’s Pretty in Pink

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I am so excited about today’s Swatch Sunday! When I was on vacation last year, I happened upon the Del Sol store in Savannah, Georgia, and I bought a few of these fun polishes that change color in the sunlight. I’m so excited to finally feature one of them on the blog. This one is called Pretty in Pink; I’m wearing three coats of it with one coat of Ciate’s Speed Coat Pro top coat.

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Pretty in Pink is a pearly white polish with a strong pink flash. In the sun, it turns a deep rose. It’s rather sheer; you can easily still see my nail line, and you can see some brush strokes, but I really like this at three coats. Application was okay; the consistency of the lacquer was pretty nice, but the square brush cap didn’t sit well in my hand and was hard to use some of the time. Drying time was about average, and was glossy when dried. The photochromic change did take a little while to occur, but it does occur, even with a top coat.

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I love this polish! Indoors, it’s demure and soft, but in the sunlight, it’s bold and summery. Wearing this polish in the middle of January is a ton of fun. I mean, I’m already dying for summer to be here right now; thinking about how much fun this polish will be to wear by the pool or at the beach is making me even more impatient.

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Here are the sunlight photos! These were actually taken the day after the first set, because there wasn’t enough sunlight the same day to get these photos. Unfortunately, there is some tip wear because of that, and I do apologize. As I mentioned, it takes a couple of seconds for the UV light to effect the change, but it does happen. I admit I was skeptical at first when it didn’t change immediately like a thermal might, but I was surprised when it did. It’s such a subtle change that I didn’t notice it happening until it was finished.

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I have a few more Del Sol polishes, and I can’t wait to try them out! I only got four because I was “exercising restraint”, but they had a ton of different colors and glitter toppers. I really want to buy a few new bottles, because I don’t know if my summer will be complete without them.

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So, yeah. Can it be summer now?

Swatch Saturday: Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer Prototype PCFS 1.0

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Happy new year, readers! My first mani of the year is a Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer prototype. I’m wearing one coat of PCFS 1.0 over China Glaze’s Pelican Gray, Julep’s Martha, and Essie’s Mint Candy Apple, as well as a coat of Ciate’s Speed Coat Pro top coat.

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PCFS 1.0 is a clear glitter topper with glitters in matte white, royal blue, pink, and holographic turquoise. Shapes include pink hearts, holographic turquoise stars and shreds, white rectangles and dots. There are also some iridescent glitters. Most of the glitters spread out evenly; rectangles and shreds came out easily, but the hearts and stars eluded me. Regardless, I still got a fun look and good glitter coverage. Drying times were fast. Application was easy. This was a pretty nice polish to use and wear.

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Because this is a prototype with a prototypey name, I gave it a nickname: RETROLOVE. I don’t know why it’s all caps, but it is. These colors together just scream Miami Vice to me.

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As this is a prototype, it’s a one-of-a-kind polish and there aren’t anymore in existence. Sorry! The BEGL shop will reopen on the ninth of January, with a new winter collection launching on the 12th.

Manicure Monday: Double Pink and Fairy Dust

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Happy new year, readers! This is my last manicure for 2014. Yeah, I can’t believe it, either! I’m wearing three coats of Pretty & Polished‘s Pretty Chameleon, one coat of China Glaze’s Fairy Dust, and one coat of Ciate’s Speed Coat Pro top coat.

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Pretty Chameleon is a thermal polish that goes from bright pink to light pink with body temperature. Applying this polish was a dream; the consistency is thick, but this is typically the case with the way thermal polishes are made. Drying times were quick, however, and the polish dried with a matte finish. It’s a very easy polish to put on. There are also some scattered holographic pigments hanging around in it, which aren’t easy to see with the Fairy Dust on top. I really love thermal polishes. The effect occurs almost instantly, depending on how warm or cool my hands are. This is tricky when applying multiple coats; it’s one color on the brush and another color on the nail. It’s so fun, though!

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Everyone loves Fairy Dust, right? This was actually the polish I wanted to feature today, but the thermal kind of stole the show. It’s such a beautiful polish, and I wish I had the chance to use it more often. Maybe it’s good that I show restraint and don’t put it on everything, even though I’ve been tempted.

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Pretty Chameleon, cold

Pretty Chameleon, cold

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It’s a pretty tame NYE mani, but I’m happy with it. I thought wearing a thermal on nubs would be boring, like they would just always be the warm pink and I’d never get to see a change. Additionally, it was 80 degrees here today, and I was counting on cool outdoor temperatures to effect the change. I saw it change in the supermarket earlier, though, so that’s something.

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See you guys in 2015!

Swatch Sunday: Crayola’s Bubble Gum

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A scented polish is being featured on the blog for the first time! It’s a Swatch Sunday miracle. This is Crayola Bubble Gum; I’m wearing three coats alone. And yeah, nubs are back.

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Bubble Gum is a bright shimmery pink that smells like bubble gum. The scent is not very strong; I have to put my nails directly under my nostrils to smell it, but it does smell. (Update: the scent disappeared entirely after I washed dishes.) Application was pretty easy; the color is well-pigmented and I had very good coverage on the first coat. The consistency is just right, and dried to the touch a bit quickly. I did forget that without a speed dry top coat, it does take a bit longer, and I smudged the crap out of one of them and had to redo it. Even after a couple of hours, it’s still susceptible to denting and imprinting. Bubble Gum dries with a satiny finish, but it’s still shiny enough that a top coat for shine may be unnecessary. The shimmer is very strong, which may add to that. I’m pleased with it.

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Bubble Gum comes in a set with four other colors and scents: grape, blueberry, green apple, and orange. I have not tried or tested any others in the set, but I expect them to be about the same quality. This set is inspired by the scented Crayola crayons of long ago. Actually, they’re probably still around in some form or another, but I think of them as a memory. Those crayons were so much fun. Everybody wanted to be your friend if you had a box. I don’t know where you can still get those crayons, likely wherever crayons are sold. If you’re looking for this polish set, I got mine at Rite-Aid while I was on vacation in Philadelphia.

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Yeah, so about the nubs. I had a series of catastrophic breaks caused by washing dishes and had to chop everything down. It’s the weirdest feeling. Nothing but my nails have touched my actual fingertips in months; they’re kind of ticklish. Also, I have a hard time getting used to the way my hands look with short nails. The longer my nails are, the longer and thinner my fingers look, and the more feminine and sophisticated I feel. The shorter my nails are, the more they look like kindergarten baby hands, which I guess is appropriate for swatching crayon-inspired nail polish.