Tag Archives: red

Swatch Saturday: Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer’s Sail Her Don’t Sink Her

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Happy weekend, reader! I trust you’re all having a fantastic Saturday. This Saturday’s swatch is Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer‘s Sail Her Don’t Sink Her, which is from last year’s Far From The Sun summer collection. I’m wearing three coats with one coat of Seche Vite top coat.

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Sail Her Don’t Sink Her is a clear-based microglitter polish with pink, purple, red, gold, and orange holographic and metallic glitters. Application was easy; because it is a clear base, it took me all three coats to achieve this level of opacity. The polish dries with a textured finish; it’s not too rough or bumpy, but it is a fine grit. I used top coat for extra shine and smoothness.

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This polish looks so simple in the bottle; it just looks like a lot of glitter swimming around together. On the nail, the complexities really stand out. The colors just come together so well, so organically, that it’s hard to believe someone actually created it. This polish is full of sparkle and it’s hard to stop looking at it. It’s gorgeous and I love it.

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Sail Her Don’t Sink Her, unfortunately, has been discontinued by Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer. Other BEGL polishes are available from their shop.

I bought this polish myself.

Swatch Sunday: Maybelline Mystery Red

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Hello, reader! For today’s Swatch Sunday, we’re looking at a very old polish from Maybelline. Its name has since been lost, but today, we’re immortalizing it in blog form. It’s also one of the polishes I used in my first-ever wacie.com post, so there’s that. I’m wearing three coats of this mystery polish with one coat of Seche Vite top coat.

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This mystery polish is a red jelly with fine red and silver glitters. Application was easy, and pretty typical of a polish like this; the first coat was streaky, but additional coats deepened the color and built opacity. And, for a polish its age — it’s been about ten years since I got this bottle — it applied pretty well. I thinned it myself a few months ago, but there were still some issues with inconsistent thickness, which I believe is a sign of its age, not its formula. The glitters distributed easily. It dried quickly and with a glossy finish. I added top coat for extra shine and protection.

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I have a real soft spot for this polish. I’ve written time and again about how much I love red polishes, and this is a really special one. I’ve had it a long time, and though nothing beats a red creme for me, this may be an exception; it’s like a red creme but with more. It complements my skin tone so well, and it just makes me feel glamorous and sexy. I will truly be sad when it runs out.

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I do not know the name of this polish, nor do I know whether it’s still being made by Maybelline. Other Maybelline polishes are sold nationwide.

I bought this polish myself.

Brag Swatch: Enchanted Polish’s Lobster Roll

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Today is a momentous occasion. I have squashed my ultimate lemming: I now own a bottle ofEnchanted Polish‘s Lobster Roll. As soon as I got home, I tore open the envelope, took off my old mani, and put it on. I have looked forward to this day for so long, and I thought it would never come. Here is my brag-swatch of Lobster Roll; I’m wearing two coats with Seche Vite. All photos were taken outdoors in direct light.

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Lobster Roll is a red linear holo with a strong pink flash. It’s got a gorgeous formula; I actually had full opacity on the first coat. The consistency is rich, smooth, and velvety. It dried quickly with a semi-glossy finish. I used top coat for shine, as well as to bring out the shimmery pink flash.

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I am so happy that I finally own this that I can’t even tell you. I don’t want to be the dramatic nail girl who says that finally finding her holy grail polish is the best thing that has ever happened, and I can’t remember a time when I was this happy, but it’s kind of true. I gushed to my boyfriend about it the day I bought it, and he’s like “Don’t you have enough polish? I don’t care that it’s hard to find, it’s not freakin’ Pokemon.” So this is why I’m writing a post about it. I know that you, dear reader, will understand my euphoria. This is, without a doubt, a very happy day.

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Sorry this isn’t a proper review post. I really just needed to brag.

I bought this polish myself.

Swatch Sunday: Lynnderella’s Chef Kitty

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Did I mention how happy I am to be swatching again? I have missed it so much. I know I’m out of practice, so please bear with me while I get back into the swing of it. This Sunday, I’m wearing my first Lynnderella polish, Chef Kitty; I’m wearing one coat over Mac’s Queen’s Honor (red), Essie’s Roarrrrrange (orange), OPI’s I Just Can’t Cope-acabana (yellow), Revlon’s Posh (green), and Nails Inc.’s Baker Street (blue) with one coat of Seche Vite.

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Chef Kitty is a shimmery glitter topper with mostly white glitters in various shapes and sizes, as well as accent glitters in various colors and finishes. The maker describes it as an “’everything but the kitchen sink’ approach to cuisine”, and I have to agree with that; the variety of glitters in this polish is staggering. Considering the amount of glitter in this bottle, it spread very well over the nail; I had no trouble getting even coverage at all. It dried pretty well, all things considered. I used to top coat to smooth everything down and really bring out the shimmer in the lacquer base.

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I know Lynnderella is old news for most people, but I had to see what the fuss was about and, last March, purchased Chef Kitty. I loved the mental image; I pictured my own fat fluff wearing a chef’s hat and knocking every herb and spice I own into a bowl. I was amazed by this polish and its quality, so impressed that I bought 24 more since then. They’re just so gorgeous! Lynnderella’s been in the indie polish game a long time, but everything they make is still creative and gorgeous.

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Chef Kitty is available from Lynnderella’s Storenvy; other Lynns can be purchased via eBay auction.

I bought this polish myself.

Manicure Monday: Autumn Moons

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Happy Monday, reader! Today’s Manicure Monday finds me with very short nails; I went bowling on Saturday night and kind of trashed them. At least they grow back. I went for a mature yet cute look today to remind myself that these are, in fact, not a child’s hands. I used Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer‘s Newborn Solstice Sun, Essie’s As Gold As It Gets, and China Glaze’s Angel Wings. All nails are topped with one coat of Seche Vite.

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I wore Newborn Solstice Sun on its own quite some time ago when I swatched it. Even though it’s gorgeous on its own, I wanted to try something new with it. I went through the bag of tricks: rhinestones and loose glitters, vinyls and striping tapes. I wanted to get really crazy with it. Once my nails were unexpectedly cut down, though, I decided to keep it simple. I’m wearing Newborn Solstice Sun alone on two nails, as well as the darker shade in the half-moon. It’s a beautiful polish; the color is so deep, and the glitters add depth and sparkle. This is a huge BEGL favorite for sure.

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I used Essie’s As Gold As It Gets as the undies for my half-moon. It’s so soft, you can barely tell I used anything there. I wanted just a hint of sparkle, and that’s exactly what I got. I used China Glaze’s Angel Wings as an afterthought; I actually had an accent ring finger nail that was just covered with red and gold rhinestones, but it looked too Gryffindor, so I took it off and just used the gold glitter instead. It still looks out of place to me, but at least it’s not as ridiculous as the rhinestones were.

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Newborn Solstice Sun was a limited edition polish; other BEGLs can be purchased from the BEGL shop. As Gold As It Gets and Angel Wings are available wherever Essie and China Glaze are sold. I got my rhinestones from Amazon. The red bow vinyl is from Monster Polish as part of their Doctor Who collaboration with BEGL. I always associate the red bowtie with Pee-Wee Herman, though.

I bought these polishes myself.

Swatch Sunday: L’Oreal’s Target Red

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We’re seeing red this Swatch Sunday! L’Oreal’s Target Red is one of my favorite and most well-loved red cremes. I’m wearing three coats with one coat of Seche Vite.

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Target Red is a red creme. Application was easy; because this is an old bottle, it was actually pretty dried out and I was able to create my perfect consistency with thinner. I used three coats, but I had really nice opacity after two. Drying times were good, and it dried with a very glossy finish. I added top coat for even more shine and protection. I had no issues with this polish, but during cleanup I did notice it gets really smudgy with acetone. Seriously, I looked like a murderer.

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Target Red was a Target-exclusive shade way back in 2010. There was a liquid lipstick, a traditional cream lipstick, and this nail color. This really is an old polish, and it’s been used a lot; there was a time when I used this polish — together with the liquid lipstick and a pair of matching red glasses — almost exclusively. As a result, and you can’t really tell this from the photos, it’s only about a quarter full. It’s been good to me. I ran out of the lipstick years ago, but I’m glad there’s still some of the polish left.

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Target Red appears to have been discontinued, but other L’Oreal polishes are available in stores.

I bought this polish myself.

Swatch Sunday: LA Colors’s Animated

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Welcome back! I’m excited to be wearing a red polish for this week’s Swatch Sunday. This is Animated from LA Colors, worn at three coats with one coat of Seche Vite top coat. Also, unfortunately, I had a break and now my nails are awkwardly short. Please bear with me for the next few weeks while they grow back out.

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Animated is a red polish with a matching shimmer. Application was good; the product consistency was thin but well-pigmented. After three coats, though, I never really achieved full opacity. I can still see the moon of my thumbnail through the polish. The shimmer effect is very subtle, but does stand out more in certain lighting conditions. The polish dries quickly and with a glossy finish.

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I paid a dollar for this polish, and I’m really impressed with it. I had no issues at all with it. The color is vibrant, and the polish wears well; I’m actually on my third day of this manicure and it looks exactly the same as in the photos. I cannot believe this only cost me a dollar. It’s definitely one of the best dollars I’ve ever spent.

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LA Colors is sold at drugstores and other shops. I got mine from Dollar General.

I bought this polish myself.

Swatch Saturday: Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer Prototype Summer 1.1

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Happy Saturday! Swatch Saturday is upon us once again. I’m done swatching the 2014 Fan Favorites collection from Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer. I’ve got a few one-off prototypes to try out, and then we’ll get into the Far From the Sun collection from last summer. This first prototype, Summer 1.1, is a non-final version of a Far From the Sun polish. I’m wearing four coats of Summer 1.1 with one coat of Seche Vite top coat.

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Prototype Summer 1.1 is a clear-based microglitter polish with glitters in red, orange, gold, green, pink, and violet. Application was all right; the lacquer-to-glitter distribution was fantastic, I got an even mix with each coat. This isn’t a polish where you get flooded with lacquer but only with a little glitter. At three coats, I didn’t have the full coverage I wanted; there were still some small holes through which I could see my bare nail. It dries quickly and with a textured glitter finish. I used top coat for smoothness and extra shine.

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Summer 1.1 is a fantastic polish. There’s just so much color in it. All of the different glitters complement each other well, and the many colors add dimension. In the sun, this is especially obvious; it’s almost difficult to look at, there’s so much sparkle. I don’t know if you’ve ever moved a ring or something with a gemstone in it to watch all the facets glint in the light, but this polish has that effect. This is definitely one that dances in the light when you move your fingers. I love it.

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Prototype Summer 1.1 is not available, but as of this writing, there’s one bottle of Sail Her Don’t Sink Her, a very similar polish, left in the Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer shop.

I bought this polish myself.

Manicure Monday: Red Luxe

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Welcome to Manicure Monday! I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised to see that I got off my duff, got the dotting tool out, and did some real nail art. I still kind of suck with the dotting tool, but I’m really pleased with my results. For this look, I used Maybelline’s Red Relic as my primary color, Ciaté’s Gold Digga as the secondary color, and caviar beads in Gleam, also from Ciaté. I also used Seche Vite and Hard Candy’s Just Matte top coat.

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Red Relic is a fun little polish. It’s a red jelly with iridescent pink flakies that dries matte. I was a little disappointed when I first tried it out, because I’m not a huge fan of the matte finish. I supposed then that it wasn’t anything top coat couldn’t fix, so I kept it. The finish has grown on me, though. It’s actually the reason I made the whole manicure matte. Gold Digga has a metallic shine, and I needed to even it out with a matte top coat, so the finish you’re seeing is actually the matte coat, not the original Red Relic finish.

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Gold Digga and the Gleam beads came together in a caviar nails set that was in the sale bin at Sephora. Gold Digga is a pretty nice polish; it’s a burnished gold with a rich metallic finish. It also looks fantastic mattified. The matte coat hides the brush strokes and evens out the color. It’s rare that I think a polish looks better without a glossy finish, but this one definitely does. I feel like it helps emphasize the luxe feel Ciaté was going for.

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The two colors together are gorgeous. I got the elegant and opulent look I wanted. I’m just a bit unhappy with all the nail art horrors my camera captured. In the photos you can see just how uneven the crosses are, you can see all the gaps in the caviar, you can see the glue spots where I put the studs down. I know nobody probably noticed them until I mentioned them, but when I look at these photos, they’re all I see. In person, though, this mani is perfect.

Red Relic was a limited edition and has been discontinued by Maybelline, though you can find it if you look around the internet. Gold Digga and the caviar nail kit are available from Ciaté’s website. Hard Candy’s matte coat is from Walmart. My studs are from an outlet store.

I bought all of these products myself.

Swatch Saturday: Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer’s Fire In Your Eyes

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Welcome back, reader! I trust you’re having a lovely Saturday. I’m taking a break from swimming and sunbathing to bring you this week’s Swatch Saturday. The polish I’m wearing this week is Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer‘s Fire In Your Eyes; I’m wearing three coats with one coat of Seche Vite top coat.

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Fire in Your Eyes is a red jelly polish with blue-to-pink shifting shimmers. I don’t feel like I need to tell you yet again how easy BEGL polishes are to apply and use, and this is no exception. This polish glides right on without any drag or fuss. I got nearly perfect coverage on the first coat, and full coverage by the second. Despite being a jelly, it’s quite opaque; I don’t see any hint of a visible nail line. It also dried pretty quickly and with a satin finish. I added top coat to add shine and really bring out the shimmers.

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I love this polish. Like Sordid End, it just seems to glow when the light touches the shimmer, all while maintaining a vibrant base color. It doesn’t sound like much when I describe it, and it does seem to lose something in photos, but this is a polish you have to see in person to really appreciate it. It’s just absolutely beautiful.

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Unfortunately, though, Fire in Your Eyes has been discontinued. Sorry! Other BEGL polishes are available from their shop.

I bought these polishes myself.