Tag Archives: swatch

Swatch Saturday: Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer’s A Snogging Booth?!

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Happy Saturday, reader! This is the final polish in the first phase of Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer‘s masive Doctor Who collection. After this one, I’ve got a couple prototypes, a couple of special editions, and a Halloween collection that’s weirdly appropriate for spring. This final(ish) polish is called A Snogging Booth?; I’m wearing three coats with one coat of Gelous gel coat.

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A Snogging Booth? is a clear-based microglitter polish containing shades of red and black. Application was easy, and a bit similar to the previous BEGL microglitters I’ve worn on the blog recently; the first coat didn’t cover well, but coverage builds with additional coats. It took me all three coats to achieve this level of opacity. The product consistency was thick as well, which is to be expected with the large amount of glitter in it. The polish dries quickly and with a textured glitter finish. I added top coat for smoothness; you can see where it sank in, there’s still a lot of texture left.

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My favorite thing about this polish is the black glitter. The word that comes to mind, for me, is pepper; it adds a dark, cool, vampy element to the polish. I don’t like black glitter in everything, I think it looks weird in light jellies, but I really love it in this. The red is already gorgeous on its own, but the black makes it sultry while also grounding it. It’s a really nice combination.

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In the sun, it warms up quite a lot, and I think that’s just because things tend to look cooler and darker in the studio. The holo effect from the red glitter shows up well here, and that helps it look a bit warmer as well.

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A Snogging Booth? has been discontinued by BEGL, and sadly, the last bottle sold out only recently. Other BEGL polishes are available in their shop.

I bought this polish myself.

Swatch Sunday: Orly’s Space Cadet

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Happy Sunday! It’s been a long day, and I’m excited to finally bring you today’s swatch! I’ve been dying to wear this polish, and I’m thrilled to be showing it to everyone. This is Orly’s Space Cadet; I’m wearing three coats of Space Cadet with one coat of Gelous top coat.

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Space Cadet is a purple, copper, gold, and olive multichrome polish. The polish is a deep indigo base; the mutlichrome effect comes from the larger pigment particles in the polish. If you look closely, you can see where they didn’t cover the nail all the way and the blue color of the base is more visible. Application was easy, and product consistency was good; the polish wasn’t too thick or thin, and the polish spreads well over the nail. I needed two coats for full opacity. The shifting effect is strong and occurs in any lighting condition. It dried quickly with a smooth and glossy finish. I added top coat for extra shine and protection.

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So I’m really, really impressed with this polish. I know it’s been out a while, I know how late I am to the party, but man this polish is awesome. It’s probably the strongest shifter from a mainstream polish I’ve used yet. You can see the pieces in the polish and how large they are; it’s basically a fine glitter in there, so those it’s not as smooth as a multichrome from I Love Nail Polish might be, this one performs about as well as those do. The color shift requires very little effort to see — all one has to do is move their hands a bit and their nails will look completely different. There’s such a wide variety of colors between the shift, too, that one rarely sees the same color twice. It’s absolutely stunning. I tried so hard to capture the shift, but I did not do it justice. The shift is pretty intense, and I guess the camera couldn’t handle it.

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This is my favorite. I got all the colors!

I got some sunlight photos. The colors are warmer in natural light, and you can see the tinted base out here. Again, the shift occurs pretty easily.

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Space Cadet and other Orly polishes are available where salon-quality polish is sold; I got mine from Sally Beauty Supply.

I bought this polish myself.

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

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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 Sunday: OPI’s Y’all Come Back Ya Hear?!

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Welcome back! Swatch Sunday is a fun one this week, because I don’t think I’ve worn a jelly polish alone. This is OPI’s Y’all Come Back Ya Hear?; I’m wearing three coats with one coat of Seche Vite top coat.

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Y’all Come Back Ya Hear? is a tangerine jelly polish. Application was easy; though I admit I took extra care with this polish to avoid streaks and bald spots. The first coat, obviously, was thin, and though color strength built, it never turned fully opaque. The product consistency is good; it’s thicker than one might expect for a jelly. The polish dried quickly and with a glossy finish. I added top coat for extra shine.

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So I remember getting this and a few of the other jellies from the Texas collection and being really disappointed when they were so sheer. Even now that I know what jellies are and what they can be used for, I still feel a bit naked wearing something this sheer on its own. The coverage is actually better than I thought it would be, but it still feels like something is missing. I have that feeling like my nails aren’t polished, but they totally are. I was really afraid of messing up this polish, because jellies aren’t very forgiving if you smudge or dent them; I wouldn’t be able to just add an extra coat and hide it. My favorite thing about this polish is the shine, because it’s wicked smooth and shiny on its own, so shiny it probably doesn’t even need a top coat. I guess maybe trading some opacity for a ton of shine isn’t such a bad deal.

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Y’all Come Back Ya Hear? has been discontinued by OPI. Other OPI polishes are sold in stores nationwide; I got this one from Ulta back in the day.

I bought this polish myself.

 

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

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

HPB Presents First-Ever Indie Brand!

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Hello reader! Today’s post is a special post. This is the Hobby Polish Bloggers link-up for the month of February! Every month this Facebook group does a themed mani, and February’s theme is all about our first indie brands. The first indie brand I ever bought from, as well as my first-ever etsy order, was from Pretty & Polished, so I decided to try some products from them I hadn’t used yet. This is Me, Myself, and Cacti at three coats, with one coat each of Seche Vite top coat and the Pretty & Polished Wax on Wax effect top coat.

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Way back in June 2013, after reading about indie polishes on Reddit and talking to other nail enthusiasts about them, I took the plunge and ordered some of my own. I was drawn to Pretty & Polished for their thermals, but I loved their chunky glitters and crellies. I bought two polishes that day, one of which was a thermal, and it kind of changed my life. It took my nail polish addiction to an incredible high. I placed orders with three other makers that same day.

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I had other P&Ps I’d bought first and hadn’t tried, but I really just wanted to use this one. I have always loved the look of this polish, because it’s not like anything else I own: the green jelly is rich but still transparent, and the glitters add just enough to break it up and make it interesting. Unfortunately, the glitter was a bit hard to get out; I only got one or two pieces on some nails, but I’m still happy with the look.

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In the sunlight, it looks about the same. The nail line is a bit more visible, but that’s about it. These photos were taken in direct sunlight outdoors.

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I also decided that this would be the day I tried out the Wax on Wax effect top coat. I bought these two products together and have never used them until today. I like the way it looks over the jelly; there’s still some shine, but it’s subdued. It’s like a satin finish, but more to the glossy side than the matte side. It really does look like I dipped them in molten candle wax. I don’t actually know how often I’ll use this in the future, since I really loved the jelly shine, but it’ll be fun to try out again.

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Me, Myself, and Cacti has been discontinued, but the Wax on Wax effect top coat and other Pretty & Polished polishes are available at their etsy shop.

I bought this polish myself.

 

Swatch Sunday: Octopus Party Nail Lacquer’s Universal Loner

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Happy Sunday! It’s Valentine’s Day, so it’s a great day to wear red! This beauty is Octopus Party Nail Lacquer‘s Universal Loner. The name is kind of appropriate, too, isn’t it? I can’t tell. I’m wearing three coats of Universal Loner with one coat of Seche Vite top coat.

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Universal Loner is a true red creme polish; it’s meant to be equally balanced between warm and cool. Like a lot of red cremes, the tone changes in lighting; my outdoor photos leaned more warm, and my indoor photos were cooler. The product consistency is very nice; the polish is a bit sheer on the first coat, but works up to full opacity on the second. It dries quickly and with a glossy finish; I used top coat for extra shine and protection.

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This polish was one of the four indie creme offerings in the inaugural Creme a la Mode box. I love this box because some awesome makers — some of my favorites, even — realized that cremes are an overlooked but necessary part of a great indie manicure. Cremes are common in any polish addict’s kit, but it weirds me out sometimes when I’m still using polishes that might not be five-free or cruelty free or what have you. I know these brands and I know their reputations for quality products, and it puts my mind at ease knowing there’s nothing in this polish that’s going to harm me or be ethically questionable. I have a dozen red cremes, but I trust this one.

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Here’s the outdoor shots, where it looks way more tomato than cherry. I still love it. The shine kills me. It’s my favorite thing.

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And because it’s Valentine’s Day, I used it as a base for a quick-and-dirty Valentine’s mani. The glitter here is Lynnderella‘s Love the Nail Mail. Nail polish is totally my valentine this year.

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Universal Loner is out of stock; other Octopus Party Nail Lacquers are available in their etsy shop.

I bought this polish myself.

Swatch Saturday: Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer’s You Just Want to Mate?!

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Happy Saturday! Here comes this week’s swatch; it’s Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer‘s You Just Want to Mate?!; I’m wearing three coats with one coat of Seche Vite top coat.

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You Just Want to Mate?! is a red polish with red and gold shimmers. Application was easy; it was nearly opaque on the first coat, achieving full opacity in two coats. Product consistency is just right; it’s not too thick or thin, it just goes on. The shimmer is strong, and strongest where the light touches it. It dries quickly and with a semi-glossy finish. I added top coat for extra shine.

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I’ve talked at length before about how BEGL shimmer polishes are the best ones they do. This is an aboslutely great example of that. Shimmer is already a beautiful addition to a creme, but BEGL takes a step further and adds it in such a way that it adds complexity and and depth. This is a pretty simple combo; the red shimmers add monochromatic sparkle, but the gold adds warmth and a little something extra. I’ve also talked at length about how much I love red polish, so it’s safe to say this is a winner in my book.

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Outdoors, the shimmer is incredible, but the sunlight overwhelmed it while I was trying to photograph it.

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Swatch Sunday: Nina Ultra Pro’s Solar Flare

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Hello reader! It’s still Sunday somewhere, so let’s a have a look at this Sunday’s swatch! This is Nina Ultra Pro’s Solar Flare; I’m wearing one coat of Solar Flare over a base of China Glaze’s White on White and with a coat of Seche Vite top coat.

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Solar Flare is a highlighter yellow neon polish. It’s one of those translucent neons; even at three coats, it never achieved full opacity, so a white base is imperative with this polish. Because it’s so translucent, one must take care to avoid streaks when applying; because it never becomes opaque, streaks and imperfections are never covered. Product consistency is thin yet manageable. It dried quickly and with a matte finish. I used top coat for shine and protection.

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Blogger’s note: Let me preface this by saying that since this is an older bottle, I may have an older formula. Newer bottles may have a newer, improved formula. However, since this is what I have, this is what I’ll review. I’ll just go ahead and say it: this is not my favorite neon. It was just really tricky to work with, and I’m not really happy with the result I got, even when being really careful and meticulous. Even over the white base, I still see streaks, though I didn’t notice them until after I was working through the photos. A second coat over a white base might have done some good. Even though the potential is there for a super neon look — this was way brighter in person, believe me — there are just so many better neons out there, neons that do reach opacity and do not require a white base, this polish is rendered obsolete.

For informational purposes, I’ve included photos without the white base. Here’s three coats of Solar Flare alone and without top coat. I’m not really a fan of this look; it really needs the white to pop and to cover the visible nail line. However, I won’t deny the potential for a neon jelly sandwich.

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Solar Flare and other Nina Ultra Pro polishes are sold at Sally Beauty Supply.

I bought these polishes myself.

Swatch Saturday: Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer’s I’m Doctor Martha Jones, Who the Hell Are You?

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Happy Saturday, reader! This week’s Swatch Saturday finds us beginning a new (new for me at least) Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer collection called It Got Away From Me, Yeah…, which is all about Doctor Who. What was once planned as a small collection ultimately grew into a huge collection that was released in three phases throughout 2014; one based on the lady companions, one on the male companions, and one based on the Doctors themselves, which was also a collaboration with Monster Polish. (If you remember the Monster Polish swatch I did a couple of weeks ago, that polish is part of this collection as well.) To call it collection might be too light. It’s very aptly named.

Anyway, the first polish from this first phase is I’m Doctor Martha Jones, Who the Hell Are You?; I’m wearing three coats with one coat of Seche Vite top coat.

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I’m Doctor Martha Jones, Who the Hell Are You? is a magenta jelly polish with flakies that shift from gold to green to blue. Application was very easy; though the polish is loaded with these flakies, they’re very fine and don’t impact the polish consistency at all. The consistency is pretty middle-of-the-road; it has a bit of stuff in it, but it is, after all, a jelly. Because it’s a jelly, the flakies from previous coats shine through the final coat, and because it’s a jelly, a slight bit of visible nail line does come through. The polish dries with a matte finish; I used top coat for shine and protection.

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So on this blog, especially when reviewing a polish, I try not to get hyperbolic or silly in my writing; I’m very much a fan of the just-the-facts-ma’am review. I’m going to throw that completely out the window for this review, because HOLY CRAP LOOK AT IT. I have never enjoyed photographing a polish this much, because it just could not take a bad photo. In every position, from every angle, in every lighting condition, it just looks flawlessly gorgeous and gorgeously flawless.And the flakie shift, HOLY CRAP. This is easily the best part. It goes from gold to green pretty easily; the blue is harder to get but is the prettiest. There is nothing I don’t like about this. I hate that I have to take it off so I can swatch other stuff. I did not expect to like this so much.

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In direct sunlight, it’s a bit brighter and pinker, but is still freakin’ beautiful.

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I’m Doctor Martha Jones, Who the Hell Are You? has been discontinued by Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer. Other BEGL polishes are sold in their online shop.

I bought this polish myself.