Tag Archives: shifter

Swatch Saturday: Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer’s Just Admiring Your Skills, Sweetie!

Posted on by

Welcome back to Swatch Saturday! We’re breezing through the first part of the Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer‘s huge Doctor Who collection! After this, there’s only one more polish before we move on to the next phase. I can’t believe it! This penultimate purple polish is called Just Admiring Your Skills, Sweetie; I’m wearing three coats with one coat of Gelous as a top coat.

IMG_55762

IMG_55852

IMG_55892

ssbegljayssbsc

Just Admiring Your Skills, Sweetie is a dusky lilac polish with blue-to-purple shifting shimmers. Application was good; the product consistency was on the thicker side, but was easy to work with. This is more of a creme-style polish than the usual BEGL shimmers, so though it was thick, it was intended to be. This was nearly opaque on the first coat, and I could have stopped at two coats. The shimmer shift occurs in any lighting condition. The polish dries with a satiny finish; it’s not fully glossy, but not very matte. I used top coat for shine and protection.

IMG_56042

IMG_56102

There are a lot of shifters in this part of the collection, and what sets this one apart from them is the creme base. The creamy purple base shade is a unique one on its own, and though the shift isn’t as strong as the others in this collection, it’s enough to set this one off. The jellier polishes like A Long Time Ago Tomorrow and Doctor Martha Jones have the benefit of being sheer and having the shimmers and/or flakies from previous coats come and overwhelm the look, but Just Admiring Your Skills, Sweetie is creamy color first and shimmer second. I think it’s pretty awesome.

IMG_56152

IMG_56212

I did my best to capture the shift in the studio. Even though the shimmer isn’t all that strong, the shift really transforms the look. It’s a much cooler purple when the blue is active, and the purple shift makes it warm and exciting.

IMG_56232

IMG_56342

IMG_56442

These photos were taken in direct sunlight outdoors. Natural light didn’t bring a big change, but the purple looks a bit lighter and creamier.

IMG_55502

IMG_55592

IMG_55632

IMG_55732

Just Admiring Your Skills, Sweetie has been discontinued by Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer; other BEGL polishes are available in their online shop.

I bought this polish myself.

Swatch Saturday: Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer’s A Long Time Ago Tomorrow

Posted on by

It’s Saturday once again, and I have a new swatch for you! This polish is a fun new twist on the classic deep blue. This is Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer‘s A Long Time Ago Tomorrow; I’m wearing it at three coats with one coat of Seche Vite top coat.

ssbeglaltat

ssbeglaltat2

ssbeglaltat3

ssbeglaltat4

A Long Time Ago Tomorrow is a sheer cobalt blue — TARDIS blue, as described by the maker — with flakies that shift from blue to purple to pink. Application was easy; the first coat was thin, but built coverage with additional coats; it took me all three coats to achieve a perfect and even opacity. The product consistency was ideal; it was just the right thickness, and the flakies distributed evenly over the nail. The shift occurs in any lighting condition. It dried quickly and with a matte finish, reminiscent of denim. I added top coat for shine and protection.

ssbeglaltat5

ssbeglaltat6

ssbeglaltat7

A Long Time Ago Tomorrow is the blue sister of I’m Doctor Martha Jones, Who the Hell Are You?; they both have the translucent colored base, the shifting flakies, and the matte finish. Basically everything I said about that polish is true about this one; it’s easy to apply and wear, it’s wicked beautiful, and flakies are just so much fun to look at and play with the light so wonderfully. This polish is packed full of these flakies, and it gives the polish a really cool look. I love it when I can see the definition of all those tiny particles.

I got some sunlight photos! Just like the studio photos, the flakies stand out really well, and the shift occurs when my nails are facing the sun directly.

ssbeglaltat8

ssbeglaltat9

A Long Time Ago Tomorrow has been discontinued by Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer; other BEGL polishes are available from their online shop.

I bought this polish myself.

Swatch Sunday: CrowsToes Nail Color’s That Boy is a P-I-G Pig

Posted on by

Welcome to Swatch Sunday! I’m really excited to show you this week’s polish. I’ve been shopping a lot of destash sales lately on Facebook, and about a week ago, I bought my very first mystery bag, which means I got a lot of new polishes I wouldn’t normally have bought. It was a really fun experience! Today’s polish is one from that set. This is That Boy is a P-I-G Pig from CrowsToes Nail Color; I’m wearing three coats with one coat of Seche Vite top coat.

sscttbispigp

sscttbispigp2

sscttbispigp3

That Boy is a P-I-G Pig is a sheer pale pink with blue-to-pink shifting shimmer and pearly white flakies. Application was easy; the polish went on smoothly and evenly. The product consistency is very easy to work with; it stays on the brush quite well, but isn’t thick. The coverage is very sheer; at three coats, you can still my nail bed through the polish. The shimmer is visible in nearly every lighting level, though more powerful in some than others. The polish dries with a smooth finish; I used top coat for shine and protection.

sscttbispigp4

sscttbispigp5

I didn’t know anything about this polish when I got it, so I did a little Internet homework; it turns out this was in an A Box Indied box last year. I feel pretty lucky to have gotten a box-exclusive polish on accident, and one this pretty to boot.

sscttbispigp6

sscttbispigp7

For the shift!

For the shift!

This is the daintiest polish I have ever worn. I think I say that every time I wear a pale pink, but this time I mean it. This is gloriously dainty. It’s so pink and soft and girly. The strong blue shimmer and flakies set it apart from every other sheer pale pink in my collection. I feel a little exposed with my visible nail lines for everyone to see, but overall, this polish gives a clean and elegant look to my nails.

That Boy is a P-I-G Pig is no longer in production. Other CrowsToes polishes are available from their shop.

I bought this polish myself.

Swatch Saturday: Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer’s Fare the Wind

Posted on by

Happy Saturday! We’re deep into the Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer Far From the Sun summer collection. I like to think it’s why it’s still so warm in December. This is runaway hit from the collection, Fare the Wind. I’m wearing three coats with one coat of Seche Vite. All but one photo were taken outdoors in direct sunlight.

ssbeglftw

ssbeglftw2

ssbeglftw3

ssbeglftw4

Fare the Wind is a purple holo with blue-to-purple shifting shimmers. Application was smooth; the consistency was just right to work with and achieved opacity in two coats. The holo effect is most powerful outdoors; indoors, the color shift is more easily seen, and the tone changes from cool to warm depending on lighting conditions. It dried with a smooth finish; I used top coat to bring out the holo effect.

ssbeglftw5

ssbeglftw6

ssbeglftw7

It’s easy to see why this was such a big seller; in fact, BEGL released it again in their Fan Favorites collection this year, and it was the first to sell out. This polish does everything: not only is the holo effect stunning, but the color shift and shimmers just send it over the top. It’s gorgeous. It just couldn’t get any better.

ssbeglftw8

ssbeglftw9

Fare the Wind is sold out (again). Other BEGL polishes are available in the Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer shop.

I bought this polish myself.

Manicure Monday: Freehand Grey

Posted on by

Welcome back to Manicure Monday! As you noticed, I took the holiday weekend off from swatching, so we have some nail art to check out this week. My base color is Wet ‘n Wild’s Gray’s Anatomy, and my freehand painting was done with a striping brush and OPI’s We’ll Always Have Paris. All nails are topped with one coat of Seche Vite top coat.

mmfg

mmfg2

I’ll just get this out of the way: I don’t know how I feel about the freehand. I’m a little embarrassed that I still suck at hand-painting, but in a way, it’s sort of charming. I wanted something simple but uniform, but it’s a bit irregular. It doesn’t look as irregular in real life as it does in photos, so I feel a little weird about that. I never do this stuff, so it’s really no wonder it’s not perfect. Maybe it’s okay that it’s not perfect. It looks arty-crafty and like it was done by a real person.

mmfg3

mmfg4

mmfg5

We’ll Always Have Paris lends a lot to the DIY mani look. These burgundy/wine polishes are always a little translucent, and I guess that’s why there’s a lot of unevenness. I just wanted a dark color, something that was as severe as black, that would complement the color shift in the base polish. I think this one worked pretty well.

mmfg6

mmfg7

mmfg8

The shift in Gray’s Anatomy is the focus of this polish, as it should be. You can totally see past the wonky freehand painting and really enjoy the colors. The writing on the label wore off a long time ago, but I almost forgot this is a Wet ‘n Wild Polish. I paid two dollars for it at the most. Not bad for two dollars!

I bought these polishes myself.

Manicure Monday Night: Plain White Tips

Posted on by

Happy Monday (or Tuesday, east coast)! This week, I found myself doing something basic and absolutely shocked myself. The polish I wanted to use, Revlon’s Nude Nightie, is something that’s just so pretty and dimensional on its own that I didn’t want to cover it up with anything else. I just painted my tips and wore the polish alone. I’m wearing three coats of Nude Nightie, and I used China Glaze’s White on White for my tips. All nails are topped with one coat of Seche Vite.

mmpwt

mmpwt2

As you can see, Nude Nightie is a well-loved polish. Of all the bottles I have, very few are only half-full. Today, though, I’m seeing it in a new way. As I was editing these photos, I never realized just how bigthe shimmers are. They’re practically flakies! I’ve had this polish for the better part of a decade, and I’ve just noticed what makes this polish beautiful. Macro magic!

mmpwt3

mmpwt4

mmpwt5

So my tips are kind of ugly. About half of them were done freehand, and that’s because those are the ones I messed up using the guide stickers. I’d just been seeing so many French acrylic sets on Instagram lately, and I’d kinda missed when I wore them, too. I can’t remember the last time I wore just a plain white tip with a natural color. This is seriously some 2006 throwbacks for me, in both the polish choice and the execution. I feel stylish, but also really basic. I don’t have much else to say about it, just hoping I get my mojo back for next week.

mmpwt6

mmpwt7

Nude Nightie is discontinued; Revlon is stored in stores nationwide. My White on White is from Sally Beauty Supply.

I bought these polishes myself.

Manicure Monday: Polka.com/thermal

Posted on by

Happy Monday! It’s late, but here’s this week’s Manicure Monday post. I’m wearing OPI’s Polka.com over Digital Nails‘s Nox with one coat of Seche Vite top coat. I love this mani, let’s get started!

mmpdcst

mmpdcst2

I love thermals. I have so few and I don’t wear them often, but I adore them. Nox is especially beautiful; it morphs from a pale periwinkle to a deep indigo and dries with a matte finish. Unforunately though, because it’s been so warm here, I’ve rarely seen it in its cold state. It goes right back to the warm state pretty much instantly. I had a glass of ice water in the studio while I was taking these photos for a quick dip, and I got one photo where you can see the transition. One thing that’s constant, though, is the shift in this polish. This delicious shimmer shifts from blue to pink, and it’s amazing. It’s definitely the best part of this manicure.

mmpdcst3

mmpdcst4

Polka.com is a pretty simple topper; while colorful, there aren’t a ton of crazy shapes and the colors are muted. This is pretty typical for an OPI topper; there’s a bit of excess lacquer, so without dabbing or sponging the glitter on, there isn’t much coverage. I usually hate this, but today I’m thankful for it, because I didn’t want to cover up the thermal. I could have done with more, but I didn’t want to risk another coat and then having too much.

mmpdcst6

My one photo of Nox doing thermal things.

mmpdcst5

I’m really happy with how they look together. I thought the glitter would overpower the shimmer in Nox, but they work together well. The darker glitters blend into the thermal when it’s in its cold state, but that’s forgivable, especially since the cold state is unlikely to happen. I really want to try this look in the winter, when the thermal effect will actually get some play.

I bought these polishes myself.

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

Posted on by

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.

ssbeglfiye

ssbeglfiye2

ssbeglfiye3

ssbeglfiye6

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.

ssbeglfiye4

ssbeglfiye5

ssbeglfiye7

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.

ssbeglfiye9

ssbeglfiye8

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

I bought these polishes myself.

Swatch Saturday: Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer’s Sordid End

Posted on by

Welcome to this week’s installment of Swatch Saturday! I’m excited to bring you one of Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer‘s most popular shades, Sordid End! I’m wearing three coats of Sordid End with one coat of Seche Vite top coat.

ssbeglse

ssbeglse2

ssbeglse3

ssbeglse4

Sordid End is a periwinkle blue creme polish with blue-to-purple shifting shimmer. Application was smooth and flawless; the product consistency was a little on the thinner side, which is unusual for a BEGL polish, but it was still easy to use and control the color. It’s quite rich; I had almost-perfect opacity in one coat, and full opacity in two. The product dries with a satin finish; I used a top coat to brighten the shimmer. Even without the top coat, the shimmer is still pretty intense. Some white pigment settled on the bottom of the bottle, but it doesn’t affect the color or product at all.

ssbeglse5

ssbeglse6

ssbeglse9

Released twice — it debuted with the My Indecisive Valentine collection, then returned with the Fan Favorites collection of 2014 — it sold out quickly and is still sought after by collectors and fans. It’s easy to see why Sordid End is such a popular shade. The periwinkle creme on its own is a deep and rich color, but the shimmer just makes it glow. It is incredible. I couldn’t capture that beauty on camera, I’m sorry to say. This is definitely a polish you have to see to believe.

ssbeglse7

ssbeglse8

Sordid End is currently not in stock, but other Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquers can be purchased from their shop.

I bought this polish myself.

Swatch Sunday: Jesse’s Girl’s Glee

Posted on by

Swatch Sunday!! I love today’s polish, even if my thickening top coat doesn’t get along with it. This is Jesse’s Girl’s Glee, a Rite-Aid grab from last year’s vacation. I’m wearing three coats with one coat of Rica‘s Glossy Glam top coat.

IMG_87402

IMG_87452

IMG_87502

jggb

Glee is a teal jelly with fine blue-to-green iridescent shifting shimmers. Application wasn’t bad; the first coat was thin and streaky, and it didn’t really even out until the third. The jelly is still translucent after the third coat, and not only can you see my visible nail line, you can see how the polish changes color over the whites of my nails. This only really happens in bright light, thankfully; it’s not too obvious anywhere else. The drying times were good, and the polish itself dried with a glossy finish. The only thing that really bugged me was the square brush cap. I thought it was pretty awkward to hold and use. I added top coat for additional shine and protection, but since I’m getting to the end of the bottle, it’s a bit thick and shrank a little. It’s unfortunate for sure.

IMG_87662

IMG_87732

IMG_87872

I really love this polish, even though I didn’t do the best job applying it. The color is so deep and rich, but only because the shimmers are so potent. It’s either emerald green or ocean blue, twinkling and almost metallic, mermaid polish at its finest.

jggs

IMG_87812

Story time: I know, I’ll try to keep it short. I had never even heard of Jesse’s Girl until I was in a Phildelphia Rite-Aid. Believe it or not, my area does not have Rite-Aid stores; there are only two in Florida, and the closest one to me is in Georgia. I pop into Rite-Aids whenever I’m lucky enough to be near one. If I didn’t, I’d miss out on beauties like these. I hope I’ll be able to score some more of these soon!

I bought this polish myself.