Tag Archives: swatch

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.

Swatch Saturday: A England’s Jane Eyre

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I’m really excited to to show you today’s swatch. I got my first A England polish! When I saw they had a polish based on Jane Eyre, I had to have it. I’m wearing three coats of Jane Eyre with one coat of Digital Nails‘s Ain’t Nobody Got Time for That top coat.

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Jane Eyre is a black polish with red-to-gold shifting shimmers. I got perfect opacity in the first coat, so the three I added were completely unnecessary. Drying times were very fast, and it dries with a satiny finish; top coat is definitely a must if you want to bring out those red shimmers. In my experience, the black is very opaque, and as you can see in my indoor studio photos, it obscures most of the shimmer, with or without top coat. In the sunlight photos below, it’s much more reactive and visible. The consistency of the formula was just right; it was really easy to apply.

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Jane Eyre is my favorite book, and that may or may not be the reason I bought this polish. I actually don’t really know what led me to it; I found myself on A England’s website for some reason, saw this polish as a monthly special, and I started browsing the US stockists to see who had a bottle in stock. I probably looked for three or four before I found one. I think it’s a beautiful color, and I can absolutely see how the book might have inspired the polish: resentment, secrets, fire. (Seriously, go read the book.)

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As I mentioned, the polish completely changes in the sunlight. It’s mostly black indoors, but in the sun, the red really pops out. It’s gorgeous. I’m really curious about A England’s other polishes; I’m definitely going to try others in the future.

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Check A England‘s website to see who stocks them in your country. I live in the US and got my bottle from Color4Nails.

I purchased this bottle myself.

Swatch Sunday: Elevation Polish’s Pitaraq

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Hello, reader! For Swatch Sunday this week, we’re going to look at Pitaraq by Elevation Polish. I’m wearing one coat of Pitaraq over two coats each of Maybelline’s Poolside, OPI’s OPI… Eurso Euro, and Marc Jacobs’s Midnight in Paris with one coat of Digital Nails’s Ain’t Nobody Got Time for That top coat.

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Pitaraq is described by Elevation Polish as a shimmer topper; it consists of a clear base packed with blue, silver, and white flakies and blue shimmers. This topper is very easy to apply; one brushed coat is enough to cover the nail in wintry shimmer. The consistency is perfect; it’s not thick or goopy like toppers sometimes are. Drying times were good; I didn’t notice any excessive or prolonged periods of wetness or stickiness. It’s really easy to put on and use.

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Inspired by the icy winds of Greenland, Pitaraq evokes, to me, the fierceness and cruelty of nature, as well as inclement weather and extreme conditions. It’s like an ice storm in a bottle. The cremes I used for undies were completely transformed; they are now shimmery, metallic, artcic versions of themselves. This is such a fun topper; even though it looks tame and demure in the bottle, but it really packs a punch.

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Because spring is coming, we’re getting more sunshine, and so I’m able to start taking outdoor photos again. Look at this in the sunshine! It’s crazy. Every flakie reflects light and makes it super shiny. It’s absolutely mesmerizing.

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As of this publication, Pitaraq is for sale at the Elevation Polish shop, though it has been discontinued. Act soon if it’s something you’re after.

I bought this polish myself.

Swatch Saturday: Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer’s BEGL Go Bragh

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Today might be Valentine’s Day, but I’m looking ahead to St. Patrick’s Day, because beer is better than love and candy. Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer‘s BEGL Go Bragh was a limited edition polish released last year to celebrate the holiday and the Irish in all of us. I’m wearing three coats of BEGL Go Bragh with one coat of Digital Nails’s Ain’t Nobody Got Time for That top coat. Also, these photos were taken last week before I broke one and had to cut down to nubs, hence the wild difference in nail lengths.

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BEGL Go Bragh is a bright green polish with orange shimmer. I put on three coats, but I got great opacity in just one. Drying times were good, and the polish dries to a satin finish. Applying a top coat brightens and intensifies the shimmer. The consistency was perfect; it was just the right thickness to deliver smooth and strong color in one go. There was some separation, hence the white settling on the bottom of the bottle, but it doesn’t seem to affect the color much, if at all. Overall, this polish is a dream to apply and use.

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It’s fun to wear, too! I really love how the green and orange play off of each other. The shimmer is really subtle, too; it tends to pop out only when the light hits it. The green itself is already a bright pop of color; the orange shimmer is a colorful bonus. I feel like this makes the polish pretty versatile for a holiday polish. That’s my favorite thing about BEGL holiday polishes; I’m not sure I would have pinned it as a St. Paddy’s-themed polish if I didn’t already know it was one.

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As this polish was a limited edition from a year ago, it’s no longer for sale. However, you can find other BEGL polishes in their shop.

I bought this polish 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 Prototype CTA 2.0

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I have another prototype to show you this week! This is Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer Prototype CTA 2.0. I’ve got on three coats with one coat of Ciate’s Speed Coat Pro top coat.

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CTA 2.0 is a white creme with multicolored shimmers. There’s something iridescent in it, something that shines blue to purple. There also seems to be something that shifts from gold to lilac. The shimmer in the bottle is absolutely beautiful, but it does not transfer to the nail well at all. You can see a few subtle stray shimmers in photos and that’s about it. The shimmers are a little stronger in person, but even then they’re mostly covered up by the thick white creme. It’s still pretty, but likely not what the maker intended, which is why it never made it past the prototype stage. CTA 2.0 dries matte with a fine texture. The drying time was pretty nice. It’s still a good polish overall.

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In my own records, I call this polish Snowshine, just because I tend to lump everything that’s white with snow and winter. Based on the one time I got to stomp around in some day-old bargain bin snow, this polish really does remind me of snow. It’s all white until you get up close to it, and then you can see it sparkling in the sunlight, melting delicately into the earth. This polish is exactly like that. You have to look a little harder for the sparkle, but you know it’s there.

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As CTA 2.0 was a prototype, the bottle I have is the only bottle and no others were made. You can buy other Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquers from their shop.

I bought this polish myself.

Swatch Sunday: Disney Villains Varnish in Cruella de Vil

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For Swatch Sunday this week, I got to do something I rarely get to do: wear a red creme polish. I know I’ve talked lot about how red cremes are my favorite, but I don’t wear them often. I’m glad one turned up in the queue. This is Cruella de Vil from the Disney Villains Varnish set. I’m wearing three coats plus one coat of Ciate’s Speed Coat Pro.

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Cruella de Vil is a pretty run-of-the-mill red creme. What you see is what you get with it. The consistency was just right; it was wet enough that it was easy to apply, but not enough to flood into cuticles. It dries quickly to a glossy finish; I added top coat to make it super-glassy and to protect the color. The one thing that sucks about this polish, though, is how smudgy it gets. You’ll notice the stained cuticles; it also stained my cleanup brush. It also would have turned my top coat red if I didn’t wipe the brush off between applications. My cuticles actually look worse in photos than they do in real life, but it’s still frustrating to look at. I spent ages trying to get all the red off and it just wouldn’t come off. That’s a pretty big issue for me, but other than that, this is a lovely red creme.

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Cruella de Vil is no stranger to the blog; it was part of the first-ever mani I posted, and has been featured in a few others since. I love the polish, but to tell the truth, it’s not really any different from any other red creme. There are probably others that aren’t as smudgy, but considering price (this came in a set that was pretty pricy, if I recall correctly), quality, and availability, this one isn’t worth seeking out unless you really love the Disney Villains motif.

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The Disney Villains Varnish set has been discontinued, unfortunately, so this polish and its sisters are no longer for sale. I bet you can find them if you look hard enough, though.

This polish was a gift, but was not sent for review or critique.

Swatch Saturday: Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer Prototype VDay 6.1

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On this week’s Swatch Saturday, I’m showing you a rather unique polish prototype from Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer. I’m wearing three coats of VDay 6.1 with one coat of Ciate’s Speed Coat Pro top coat.

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VDay 6.1 is a pale green jelly with dark green and navy glitters and golden shimmer. It was really easy to apply; the glitters weren’t difficult to remove from the bottle or brush onto the nail. The first coat was thin and sheer; more shimmer than color. It could be worn as a topper over a similarly green polish. A second coat gave some color back, but was still quite sheer. At three coats, it’s sheer enough to allow each layer of glitter to shine through, but the color is as strong as it is in the bottle. Drying times were fast; the polish dried with a satin finish. Top coat gives this polish extra golden shine.

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Since this polish is green and Valentine’s Day-related, it reminds me of the French term of endearment mon petit chou, which, literally translated, means my little cabbage. I’ve also heard it can mean my little pastry, but that’s not as fun. It’s perfect, though, right? This polish has such a crisp and vegetal color, and cabbage was the first thing I thought of when I saw it. I’m such a weirdo.

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Unfortunately, as this polish was a prototype, this is the only bottle like it. Sorry! Other Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquers are available from their shop. I heard there’s a new Valentine’s Day collection coming out next month.

I bought this polish myself.

Swatch Sunday: Digital Nails’s Run You Clever Boy

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This is exciting! For today’s edition of Swatch Sunday, I’m wearing one of my first-ever Digital Nails polishes. I got this little mini bottle of Run You Clever Boy with the very first order I ever placed. I’m wearing three coats of it with one coat of Ciate’s Speed Coat Pro top coat.

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Run You Clever Boy is described by Digital Nails as an “oxblood jelly polish with … green to red shifting microflake pigment”. I found this polish very easy to apply; as it is a jelly, the first coat wasn’t perfect, but I had perfect opacity at two coats. The maker warns that two coats will still show a visible nail line, but I didn’t encounter that. Despite that, it’s still really squishy. It dries very quickly and with a glossy finish. You’ll still want a top coat to bring out this crazy-awesome shift and additional jelly shine.

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I adore this polish. I feel pretty close to it, as it’s one of my first-ever indies, but I’ve only worn it twice, including now. There’s just nothing else like this in my collection. Depending on where the light is, it looks like two totally different polishes. Facing the light, the shifting pigment is red and blends right into the jelly base, giving it a beautiful ruby sparkle. When the light is behind me, the green pops out and the wow starts. It’s way more fun than it should be to keep moving my nails around to watch the shift. It’s just way too cool.

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Unfortunately, Run You Clever Boy was recently discontinued. I know, I’m right there with you; it was gone before I had a chance to get my own full-size bottle. It is an absolute tragedy.

I bought this polish myself.

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.