Tag Archives: swatch

Swatch Sunday: Different Dimension’s Orion Nebula

Posted on by

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.

IMG_30962

IMG_31012

 

IMG_31102

IMG_31152

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.

IMG_31212

IMG_31372

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.

IMG_31402

IMG_31462

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

Posted on by

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.

IMG_28412

IMG_28432

IMG_28512

IMG_28582

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.

IMG_28622

IMG_28702

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.

IMG_28752

IMG_28862

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

Posted on by

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.

IMG_29082

IMG_29152

IMG_29242

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.

IMG_29322

IMG_29372

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.

IMG_29402

IMG_29462

IMG_29512

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.

IMG_29592

IMG_29632

IMG_29662

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.

IMG_29742

IMG_29812

IMG_29852

IMG_29902

IMG_29932

So, yeah. Can it be summer now?

Swatch Saturday: Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer’s Flash Forward Fantasy

Posted on by

As the Valentine’s Day merch pops up in stores, it’s also popping up on blogs, specifically this blog. The next few of Swatch Saturdays are going to cover some of Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer‘s 2014 Valentine’s Day collection, My Indecisive Valentine. The first one I’m going to show you is Flash Forward Fantasy; I’m wearing three coats with one coat of Ciate’s Speed Coat Pro top coat.

IMG_26502

IMG_26672

IMG_26722

fffcomp

Flash Forward Fantasy is a sheer nude with iridescent flakies and a gold-to-pink shift. Application was very easy; the consistency was just right, and though the polish is sheer, I had no issues with streaks or patchy coverage. It dries quickly to a matte finish. The shift is very delicate and was hard to capture in photos. It’s a very lovely polish indeed. I love wearing nudes; they’re like mascara for my nails. And dare I say it, this might just be my perfect nude!

IMG_26972

IMG_27262

I love the BEGL seasonal collections because they’re so loosely based on the occasion. Though this is a Valentine’s-themed collection, most of the polishes reflect this in concept, not in appearance. There’s a glitter topper with heart glitter in it, obviously (we’ll see this next week), as well as a pink and a red, but those polishes were not the favorites from the collection. The best ones were the unconventional ones, like the blue (blue in a Valentine’s collection, how striking!), the nude, and the orchid holo (which I was not lucky enough to get).

fffcomp2

IMG_27152

As this collection was from last year, it’s been discontinued. A few bottles from the collection do still linger in the BEGL shop, but not this particular one. Sorry!

Swatch Saturday: Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer Prototype PCFS 1.0

Posted on by

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.

IMG_25322

IMG_25372

IMG_25462

IMG_25502

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.

IMG_25542

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.

IMG_25702

IMG_25762

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.

Swatch Saturday: Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer’s Newborn Solstice Sun

Posted on by

First Swatch Saturday with nubs! For this Saturday, I’m wearing another Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer holiday limited edition called Newborn Solstice Sun, made to celebrate Yule. I’m wearing three coats of Newborn Solstice Sun with one coat of Ciate’s Speed Coat Pro top coat.

IMG_23462

IMG_23502

IMG_23592

IMG_23602

Newborn Solstice Sun is a garnet jelly polish with silver and red holographic microglitters. The jelly is quite dark, but the glitters shine through easily. In very bright light, you can see all the way through the jelly and see the bottom layer of glitter; in lower light, it’s murky, and though the glitter isn’t as defined, the shine is still there. Application was smooth and easy; the polish dried very quickly, in about five minutes, and with a matte textured finish. As you can see, it’s still bumpy, even with a layer of top coat. I thought about adding another, but didn’t want to risk shrinking or pulling. It could definitely use another.

IMG_23682

IMG_23742

While Yule has many traditions rooted in early Germanic paganism, this polish takes its name from Wicca tradition. Yule celebrates the Horned God, who is reborn as the new Sun God on the winter solstice.

IMG_23802

IMG_23902

This is the last of the BEGL holiday limited editions. There’s actually a Hanukkah-themed polish that is absolutely gorgeous, and it’s the only one of them I don’t have. Like the others, it’s been discontinued and is no longer available in the BEGL shop. A shame, really.

Swatch Sunday: Crayola’s Bubble Gum

Posted on by

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.

IMG_24222

IMG_24292

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.

IMG_24512

IMG_24382

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.

IMG_24632

IMG_24692

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.

Swatch Saturday: Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer’s Tacky Winter Sweater

Posted on by

For this Swatch Saturday, we’re looking at a selection from Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer‘s 2013 Winter collection. I’m wearing Tacky Winter Sweater at three coats with one coat of Ciate’s Speed Coat Pro top coat.

IMG_21882

IMG_21952

IMG_21992

IMG_22062

BEGL describes Tacky Winter Sweater as “light pink based polish with sapphire hexes, holo violet hexes, and holo bright pink hexes, diamonds, and dots, purple iridescent hexes, and light pink snowflakes”. It’s somewhere between a jelly and crelly; it’s creamy, but still very sheer, and all the glitters show nicely through. Application was very easy; the glitters spread well over the nail, and the sheer base gives even and streak-free coverage. Drying times were fantastic; I had no problem with dents or smudges. My one issue is that I couldn’t get any snowflakes. I really tried; I stood the bottle upside-down, I shook the bejeezus out of it, and I got one that ended up on my right hand. They’re all just hanging around the walls of the bottle, mocking me.

IMG_22122

IMG_22182

This was definitely my favorite from the BEGL winter collection. None of the polishes in that set were overtly holiday-themed, but this one was definitely the most unconventional of them all. Also, I admit that I went for this one first because it was pink. It’s so unlike a winter polish, but it’s no less festive or shiny than its wintry counterparts.

IMG_22242

IMG_22252

Unfortunately, you just missed out on buying one of these for yourself. While this was my favorite from the collection, it was not the favorite of anyone else, and it sat neglected in the BEGL shop for a year before it finally sold out last week. When it came up in the queue, I thought “Yes, I’ll finally be swatching something that’s actually still for sale.” I’m sad I didn’t get to say that, but I am happy it finally sold out.

Swatch Sunday: Cover Girl’s Grapevine

Posted on by

Swatch Sunday!! Cover Girl is the brand we’re looking at today, and this oldie but goodie is called Grapevine. I’m wearing three coats of Grapevine with one coat of Ciate Speed Coat Pro top coat.

IMG_22362

The smudge on my index finger is actually a spot where a bit of nail lifted and peeled away. That sounded way less gross before I typed it.

IMG_22472

IMG_22512

Grapevine is a frosty purple polish. This is a pretty nice formula; the consistency was just right, application was super easy, and it dried quicky and with a satin finish. It’s also really shimmery; I forgot for a second that I wasn’t wearing Fairy Dust over it. It doesn’t look that shimmery in photos, but it’s definitely all there. It’s really nice to wear.

IMG_22592

I have had this polish for a really long time. I’m thinking 2008 or so. It’s one of my oldest bottles, but has barely been used. This particular brand and formula have been discontinued, and while there is still a Cover Girl color called Grapevine, it does not appear to be the same. I do not have it, but I should probably buy it and do a comparison.

IMG_22702

IMG_22792

Final word: Surprisingly sparkly.

Swatch Saturday: Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer’s MIL-Induced Mimosas

Posted on by

Swatch Saturday is here again! We’re looking at a beauty called MIL-Induced Mimosas. Last autumn, Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer released a Thanksgiving-themed duo. Here’s half of that duo. I’m wearing three coats of MIL-Induced Mimosas with one coat of Ciate’s Speed Coat Pro.

IMG_20182

IMG_20272

IMG_20322

IMG_20352

MIL-Induced Mimosas is a golden yellow with red shimmer. The polish itself is on the sheer side, and definitely required three coats for full opacity. A fourth might even do it some good. It dries very quickly, and with a semi-glossy finish. It was very easy to apply and clean up. The shimmers stand out very well.

IMG_20492

I really love this polish. I love that it’s inspired by insufferable relatives and holiday stress, by that slender glass full of fizzy relief, by the calm and courage only champagne and orange juice can bring. Even though it has an autumn theme, this polish could be worn any time of year, especially in the summer. It’s a vivid, sunny, cheerful color, which is kind of funny considering mothers-in-law do not have that effect on people.

IMG_20592

IMG_20732

One little detail I absolutely adore about this polish: it is exactly the same color as a mimosa! Painting with my nails with this polish made me want a mimosa, so I made one; lo and behold, it is exactly the same color as orange juice. I don’t know how Julie, the mastermind of BEGL, pulled this off. I am blown away that it is just the right shade of orange juice yellow. It is simply incredible.

IMG_19952

IMG_20032

As I said, MIL-Induced Mimosas was part of a fall duo; Turkey Coma, a festive fall glitter topper, was also available. Unfortunately, I do not have Turkey Coma. Also, MIL-Induced Mimosas is discontinued, which is sad for you. If you like yellows, though, you may want to check out Intersecting Lines in the Sand from BEGL’s summer collection. It’s not a perfect dupe for a mimosa (I made another mimosa, just to check), but it’s definitely my favorite from that particular collection.