Tag Archives: white

Swatch Sunday: Nina Ultra Pro’s Solar Flare

Posted on by

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.

ssnupsf

ssnupsf2

ssnupsf3

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.

ssnupsf4

ssnupsf5

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.

ssnupsf7

ssnupsf8

ssnupsf9

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

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.

Swatch Sunday: Lynnderella’s Chef Kitty

Posted on by

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.

sslck

sslck2

sslck3

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.

sslck4

sslck5

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.

sslck6

sslck7

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

I bought this polish myself.

Manicure Monday: Nighttime Blizzard

Posted on by

Happy Monday, reader! Welcome to this week’s manicure. My look this week is simple but striking. I used Sally Hansen’s Blazing Blue as the base, Digital Nails‘s Winter is Coming for the glitter accents, and one coat of Seche Vite to finish it off.

mmnb

mmnb2

Blazing Blue is a polish I’ve had a long time. You can’t tell from the photos, but this bottle is about half-full. Of course, this was a well-loved polish back when I only had 20 bottles or so; this is one of the stalwart veterans from when I first started my collection. This is actually the first time I’ve used it in a couple of years. I must admit, however, I hated using it today. First, I had to thin it, because it was a goopy mess when I first opened it. I also hate the Insta-Dry brush; it’s too wide for my small nails, and so I didn’t get a good application. Even worse, the formula is really smudgy; when I applied the glitter, some blue came off on the brush and left some holes in the color. Some smudged on the glitter, too. When I cleaned up my cuticles, I had so much smeared blue on my hands it looked like a pen exploded. I still couldn’t get some of it off, and my cuticles are still a mess. Cleanup took ages. I love this color, but it was such a hassle to use today.

mmnb3

mmnb4

Winter is Coming is amazing. It is packed with white and various colors of blue glitters in a myriad of shapes. There are also some rose-gold glitters in there that I didn’t notice until today. It all comes together in a light blue jelly base. Some of the glitters are the same color as the base, but that’s kinda cool; you see the glint without being able to see where it comes from. The lighter ones stand out very well. It’s a great glitter topper and I suspect it would look fantastic over anything.

mmnb6

mmnb5

You guessed it — my DSLR is still out for repairs. I took it to a local repair shop, and they ended up having to send it to Canon. So yeah. I do apologize; I had no idea it would be gone this long, and I’m dying to start swatching again. I’ve got so many polishes I want to use, and so many I thought I would have gotten to by now that are just sitting on my desk. Hopefully it won’t be too much longer.

I bought all these polishes myself.

Wacie Nail Company Release: Whitewash

Posted on by

Surprise! There’s a Wacie Nail Company release today! I wanted to do it sooner; a couple of weeks ago, I showed you a manicure featuring Whitewash, a white jelly polish, as part of a jelly sandwich. I wanted to release it then, but as I’d just cut my nails back, I wanted to wait until I had a little more growth. Whitewash is being released on the Wacie Nail Company etsy shop when this blog goes live. I’m wearing two coats of Whitewash with one coat of Seche Vite.

wncrw

wncw2

wncw3

wncrw4

I’ve always loved the look of whitewash over wood; wood, especially when battered and weathered, has a wonderful amount of character. Whitewash emphasizes it; it covers yet highlights every splintery, grainy detail. I wanted to see if this applied to nails as well. I mixed a very small amount of white polish into clear lacquer base, and I got a result that was creamy and pleasantly sheer, just like a good whitewash. It covers the imperfections while highlighting what’s beautiful beneath.

wncrw5

wncrw6

Whitewash and other Wacie Nail Company polishes are for sale in the Wacie Nail Company etsy shop.

wncrw7

wncrw8

Also, just for fun, I’ve decided to give a bottle of Whitewash away to a lucky giveaway winner. Contest is open to US residents 18 years or older. No giveaway accounts, please. Entrants outside the US or under 18 years of age will be disqualified. Contest ends Saturday, August 8, at 11:59 PM. Winners will be notified on Sunday, August 9. Good luck, players!

Swatch Saturday: Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer Prototype FOJ 1.0

Posted on by

Happy Saturday, reader! I have another fun Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer prototype to show you. This is FOJ 1.0; I’m wearing three coats with one coat of Seche Vite top coat.

ssbeglfoj10

ssbeglfoj102

ssbeglfoj103

ssbeglfoj104

FOJ 1.0 is a white crelly polish with glitters in white, blue, and holographic silver, as well as some fine red glitters throughout. Application was easy; the crelly went on evenly and the glitters spread well. Drying times were good. It dried evenly and with a glossy finish. I still used top coat for extra shine and smoothness.

ssbeglfoj105

ssbeglfoj106

I like this polish, even though it’s not terribly exciting. The white glitters blend into the crelly pretty well, avoiding detection. The same is true for the holographic glitters; they’re pretty when they’re not too obscured. The blues and the tiny reds stand out pretty well and add a small touch of color. As it said, it’s nothing groundbreaking, but it’s still pretty fun to wear.

ssbeglfoj107

ssbeglfoj107

FOJ 1.0 was a one-off prototype and is not for sale. Other Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer polishes are available in their shop.

I bought this polish myself.

Manicure Monday: Opal Sandwich

Posted on by

Happy Monday! I’m excited and nervous to show you today’s manicure. It didn’t turn out quite the way I envisioned, mainly because I expected to have longer nails when it was time for it. However, I get to tell you about a brand new Wacie Nail Co. polish, and that’s cool! For this manicure, I’m wearing Revlon’s Heavenly between layers of Wacie Nail Company‘s Whitewash, topped with Seche Vite top coat and Hard Candy’s Matte-ly in Love matte coat.

mmos

mmos2

Heavenly is one of my favorite glitters, and if you’ve been reading for a while, you’ve seen it on the blog like five times. It’s just the right topper for when you want a little iridescent sparkle. It looks great all over or as a gradient, and its appearance changes over different colored polishes. It’s truly a versatile and beautiful polish.

mmos3

mmos4

I made Whitewash because I wanted a white jelly polish. I actually made this quite some time ago as a franken, long before I’d even really started Wacie Nail Company. I checked a lot of etsy stores and didn’t see any, so I just made one for myself. Today is the first time I’ve used it. It’s still on the creamy side, and maybe it’s just not possible to have a true white jelly, but I quite like the way it layers over glitter. I hope to have proper swatches of it alone soon.

mmos5

mmos6

Heavenly and Whitewash, along with the matte top coat, create a look that’s soft and opalescent. I really love the look, but I wish some things were different. Maybe I should have used an opaque white base. I used three coats of Heavenly to ensure I had a good glitter cover, but it’s still very translucent; I can see where my nails are still stained from a lime green polish I wore a few weeks ago. I wish my nails weren’t so short, because the whiteness and the shortness make my hands look grubby. It’s still a cool look, but today I don’t feel like it suits me.

Revlon is sold in stores nationwide. Whitewash will be available soon from the Wacie Nail Company etsy shop.

I bought these polishes myself.

Swatch Sunday: Dollish Polish’s Beauty School Dropout

Posted on by

Swatch Sunday is here again! Today I got to use a new-to-me brand, as well as a recent purchase. This is Beauty School Dropout from Dollish Polish, which was part of last month’s Grease-themed Beauty Quartet Box. It’s rare that I use a polish so soon after I get it, so this is super fun for me. I’m wearing Beauty School Dropout at three coats with one coat of Seche Vite top coat.

ssdpbsd

ssdpbsd2

ssdpbsd3

ssdpbsd4

Beauty School Dropout is a white crelly with glitters in various shapes and shades of pink, holographic silver, and white, as well as a fine pink shimmer throughout. The application process was pretty simple; the crelly goes on thin and translucent on the first coat, as crellies tend to do, then opacity increases with additional coats. It’s pretty typical in that regard. What I found unusual was how few glitters I got on each coat; there doesn’t seem to be much glitter in this polish. Drying times were good, and the polish dries with a semi-gloss finish. I added top coat for shine and protection.

ssdpbsd5

ssdpbsd6

I love white crelly polishes. It’s been a long time since I’ve had the chance to wear one. This polish has a lot of things I love: the crisp white, the pink glitters, the occasional glint of holographic silver. I only wish there was more glitter. These are things I can never have enough of. It’s a little refreshing to see a crelly that’s not overwhelmed by glitter, but I kind of wish this one was. That’s my only complaint, though; that side, I like this polish quite a bit.

ssdpbsd8

ssdpbsd7

Beauty School Dropout was a Beauty Quartet Box exclusive and is no longer available as part of the set. You may be able to find one from blogger sales or destashes. Other Dollish Polishes are available from their website.

I bought this polish myself.

Swatch Saturday: Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer’s Dogwood

Posted on by

For today’s Swatch Saturday post, I’m wearing the last polish from Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer‘s April Showers collection. This collection was so much fun to wear, and I’m a little sad about this being the last one. This is Dogwood; I’m wearing three coats with one coat of Rica‘s Glossy Glam top coat.

IMG_84402

IMG_84432

 

IMG_84522

IMG_84542

Dogwood is a white crelly with white shimmers and iridescent flakies. As you can see, it’s still pretty translucent after three coats; my nail line is still pretty visible. A fourth coat might have given me full opacity, but as a rule, I don’t like to put on more than three. Application was pretty characteristic of BEGL polishes; the polish consistency is on the thicker side, but still easy to use and apply. As with the other polishes in this collection, the shimmers and flakies were more pronounced in the bottle than on the nail. In this case, since the shimmers are the same color as the pigment, they get lost pretty easily. When I’m in the right light, though, it’s gorgeous.

IMG_84632

IMG_84662

IMG_84692

My favorite thing about Dogwood is definitely the translucence. I love how it covers yet doesn’t cover at the same time. The shimmer is barely there. Everything about this polish is subtle and soft and wispy, just like the flower it’s name after. I love that. Every polish in this collection really conveyed the delicate non-permanence of spring flowers. No matter how gorgeous it is, it never lasts.

IMG_84792

IMG_84832

Dogwood has been discontinued by Blue-Eyed Girl Lacquer, but other BEGL polishes are available from their shop.

I bought this polish myself.

Manicure Monday: Bedspiration

Posted on by

It’s Monday again, and you know what that means! My nails this Manicure Monday were inspired by the bedding set in one of my guest rooms. I’m wearing Julep’s Korin and China Glaze’s Recycle with OPI’s White Shatter, all with one coat of Rica‘s Glossy Glam top coat.

IMG_83972

IMG_84062

I know lots of you look at something and can automatically translate it to nail art. It’s impressive and I’m totally envious. I’m not as big into intricate nail art as I used to be (even when I was, I was awful at it), so it’s rare that I look at something and think “Yes, I want my nails to look like this”. It’s even rarer that I act on it. When I saw this comforter, even before I realized it, I knew I could do a quick-and-dirty nail art version. Green polish, gray polish, and white crackle. It could be done. When I grabbed Korin out of the storage container, I knew I had to try it out.

IMG_84102

IMG_84122

Unfortunately, I think it looked better in my head. Crackle polish is unpredictable sometimes, and though that’s the one thing I love about crackle polish, I really didn’t think it would cover up most of my nail. It defeats the purpose of the whole thing. I was hoping for a jagged but even grid of crackle, leaving the colors beneath somewhat visible. Oh, well. I still like it, even if it’s not what I was going for at all.

IMG_84202

IMG_84262

IMG_84362

I got Korin from julep.com, Recycle from Sally Beauty Supply, and White Shatter from Publix. If you’re curious, the bedding is from Target.

I bought these polishes myself.