Sunday, December 30, 2012

KBShimmer Band Geek Swatch and Review

I spent today preparing for New Years - I like to get the house cleaned and sorted before the new year begins.  That means getting rid of old clothing and items around the house to give away to Goodwill.  My parents are coming back tomorrow so I've got to clean up the house the anyway.  I like starting the year off fresh so I don't mind a bit.  Do you have any New Year's traditions?

I've been saving this one for New Years, it's my favorite blingy indie polish by KBShimmer called Band Geek.  I love how the sheer black jelly base offsets the metallic hex glitters without swallowing them up.  The glitters are comprised of gold, silver and copper multi sized glitters to mimic the shades of band instruments like the saxophone and flute.  I used three layers and had no clumping of glitter during application.  Formula was smooth and easy to apply.  I topped with a layer of Gelous and Poshe for extra shine to celebrate New Years.

KBShimmer Band Geek
KBShimmer Band Geek

KBShimmer Band Geek
KBShimmer Band Geek

KBShimmer Band Geek
KBShimmer Band Geek

KBShimmer Band Geek
KBShimmer Band Geek


KBShimmer Band Geek
KBShimmer Band Geek
KBShimmer Band Geek
KBShimmer Band Geek

I hope everyone has a safe and wonderful New Years!!

Jindie Nails Silent NIght Swatch and Review

Happy weekend everyone!  This is the last weekend of 2012 and I hope everyone gets to finish it out in a gratifying way.  I myself don't have much planned but after my eventful year of travelling abroad, being pregnant and having my first baby, I don't need anything exciting this weekend!

Previously I swatched Kiss Me Under The Mistletoe, one of two polishes that I have from Jindie Nail's Santa Claws collection.  I have my last one from that collection today called Silent Night.  It's a gorgeous blue squishy jelly with a sh*t ton(as my friend likes to say) of silver glitter in it.  I really like the mix of glitter shapes in this polish - there's moons, stars, squares, and hexes.  Unfortunately, I found the formula to be incredibly thick, almost like spackle!  I know this has been mentioned by the creator of Jindie nails and on several other blogs, but I think my bottle may have come from an extra thick batch.  I had to really work the polish onto my nails and I used two coats because the first layer was streaky from glitter drag.  There was some dabbing involved too, and once dried, the polish was semi matte.  I followed with two layers of Poshe to get a wet like finish.






Overall, this is not my best showing for a mani partly due to the terrible formula and application of Silent Night, and partly due to my nails and cuticles not being in the best shape following a few weeks of work and the holidays.  I really want to like this polish, especially after seeing so many great swatches of it, but mine being so thick it's really difficult to see all the gorgeous glitter in the jelly especially in low lights.  That being said, I'm not quite sure what to do about my bottle, whether to contact the maker to see if I can get a replacement or to try and doctor it up myself with thinner and clear polish.  Any suggestions?

Saturday, December 29, 2012

Layla Ceramic Effects CE 54 Green Galaxy Swatch and Review

Hooray!  I got paid today!  This is my first paycheck in about five months so although most will go to my bills, I have a little extra to splurge.  I bought a few polishes(of course), and also went to the mall with DH and LO to take advantage of the B&BW semi-annual sale to get some candles and hand soaps.  I also stopped at Ulta and found a lemming on sale that I'll show you in this post.  Later, I met up with some friends for Korean BBQ so they could meet LO and had a great time showing her off.  Overall, it was a fantastic day!

I've tried Layla Cosmetic holos before and love their application and unique colors, but this is my first time using one of their Ceramic Effects polishes and I hope that they stay true to my previous experience.  Luckily, Green Galaxy did not disappoint me with it's stunning shade of green jelly and green multisized glitters.  I used two layer over Illamasqua Rampage, a green jelly, so that it wouldn't diminish the jelly-ness of the Layla but I think I probably could have used two coats of Green Galaxy on its own and gotten the same result because it was fairly opaque.  I had no trouble with the glitter clumping but it did dry a little rough so it benefited from a layer of Poshe topcoat.  Green Galaxy didn't really play as well as I'd like with the fast drying topcoat so you may see a little bit of shrinkage. 

Layla Ceramic Effects CE 54 Green Galaxy
Layla Ceramic Effects CE 54 Green Galaxy

Layla Ceramic Effects CE 54 Green Galaxy
Layla Ceramic Effects CE 54 Green Galaxy

Layla Ceramic Effects CE 54 Green Galaxy
Layla Ceramic Effects CE 54 Green Galaxy

Layla Ceramic Effects CE 54 Green Galaxy
Layla Ceramic Effects CE 54 Green Galaxy

Layla Ceramic Effects CE 54 Green Galaxy
Layla Ceramic Effects CE 54 Green Galaxy
Greens are my favorite and I adore this color combination.  I compared this to Hare's Supernova Springs and found that the Hare's was lacking in the larger hex glitters but similar otherwise.  I adore the larger hexes in the Layla so it's enough justification to keep both(in the mind of a polishaholic of course).

Friday, December 28, 2012

Jindie Nails Kiss Me Under The Mistletoe Swatch and Review

Whew, what a day!  I worked the early shift today and so my day felt much later than it actually was.  I ended up taking a nap in the evening but now I'm up and can't get back to sleep.  Lucky for you, I've got a new to me indie brand to show you!

This is Jindie Nail's holiday release Kiss Me Under The Mistletoe.  I was really drawn to the red jelly of this polish and if I'm not mistaken, it has gold and green circle glitter in it!  I've been fixated on circle glitter lately so I'm pleasantly surprised by the unexpected circle glitter in this.  There's also green and silver hex glitter but the green hexes don't really pop as well as I'd like. I think it's because of the red jelly masking the green to appear almost blackish.  The red jelly  base has orange undertones and was sheer as expected so I used three layers and had no trouble with the glitter clumping or becoming too dense.  In fact, I found the formula to be of a perfect consistency and easy to apply.  It did dry on the matte side so I used a layer of Poshe to add shine.

Jindie Nails Kiss Me Under The Mistletoe
Jindie Nails Kiss Me Under The Mistletoe


Jindie Nails Kiss Me Under The Mistletoe
Jindie Nails Kiss Me Under The Mistletoe

Jindie Nails Kiss Me Under The Mistletoe
Jindie Nails Kiss Me Under The Mistletoe


Jindie Nails Kiss Me Under The Mistletoe
Jindie Nails Kiss Me Under The Mistletoe


Jindie Nails Kiss Me Under The Mistletoe
Jindie Nails Kiss Me Under The Mistletoe
Jindie Nails Kiss Me Under The Mistletoe
Jindie Nails Kiss Me Under The Mistletoe

Don't you love how juicy and squishy that red jelly is?  I just want to bite into it.  If the rest of Jindie Nail's jellys are as yummy as this one, I think I'll have to get more!

Wednesday, December 26, 2012

Emily De Molly Muted Madness Swatch and Review

The day after Christmas usually means going to the Saks Fifth Avenue 50% off after Christmas sale but this year I managed to keep myself at home to prevent any damage to my wallet.  I don't need anything but I can't help wondering what bargains I missed out on!
  
I adore matte glitters and when I saw Emily De Molly's variation of a matte glitter in a black jelly base I knew I had to give it a try.  In Muted Madness there's a colorful array of matte glitters in blue, red, orange, and gold offset by a colorful holographic shimmer packed into a black jelly base.  I found application to be standard for a black jelly polish - it was sheer so it took three coats to get this opaqueness, and fortunately the glitter wasn't overly dense so there wasn't any dragging or clumping towards the ends.  I would suggest to allow the layers to dry completely before another coat because of the jelly nature.  It dried fairly shiny on its own too, but I used a layer of Poshe to speed the drying and add a touch of shine.
 
Emily De Molly Muted Madness
Emily De Molly Muted Madness

Emily De Molly Muted Madness
Emily De Molly Muted Madness


Emily De Molly Muted Madness
Emily De Molly Muted Madness

Emily De Molly Muted Madness
Emily De Molly Muted Madness

Emily De Molly Muted Madness
Emily De Molly Muted Madness

I really enjoyed the subtle glitter effect of the matte glitters against the black base of this polish, but in some lights it was too subtle to me and looked like a standard black polish.  I think next time I might try it over a dark purple base, preferably a jelly, to see if the glitters pop a little more.  If you have this, have you tried it over a colored base?

Tuesday, December 25, 2012

Hare Polish Holiday Hoopla Swatch And Review

I hope everyone enjoyed their Christmas!  I had a quiet holiday that I spent with my family.  We opened our presents on Saturday night because one of my brothers left on Sunday so not much present action today.  Lunch was lovely, it's been a long time that I've had my mother cook on Christmas for me so I enjoyed that immensely.

I have the 2nd polish from Hare's LE holiday set, called Holiday Hoopla.  This is a gold and red multi sized hex glitter and red squares in a clear base, and as far as I know, one of the few glitter toppers made by Hare.  I used this over Illamasqua jelly green Rampage for contrast.  I found it to a touch thick and slightly dense with glitter so only one layer was needed.  I had to push some of the glitters around to make it spread evenly across my nails.  I used a layer of Poshe to smooth over the mani.

Hare Polish Holiday Hoopla
Hare Polish Holiday Hoopla
Hare Polish Holiday Hoopla
Hare Polish Holiday Hoopla
Hare Polish Holiday Hoopla
Hare Polish Holiday Hoopla

Hare Polish Holiday Hoopla
Hare Polish Holiday Hoopla

Hare Polish Holiday Hoopla
Hare Polish Holiday Hoopla
There might be a reflective curl to the square glitters but nothing that didn't smooth out with the topcoat.  I really liked this topper and will probably use this over a red or gold polish to make it more year round appropriate.

Matesse Elite Je Taime Over Cult Nails Bitten

If you celebrate Christmas, I hope you're having a wonderful day and enjoying lots of yummy food and spending time with your loved ones.

Another quick Christmas mani for you today, this is Cult Nails Bitten from the Behind Closed Doors collection with my favorite commercial glitter topper, Matesse Elite Je Taime.  Je Taime is a unique and glorious mix of golden iridescent hex glitters in a clear base that works great over a multitude of colors, and I thought the golden hue would be great for Christmas.  It's a bit thick like most glitter polishes and I used one coat over Cult Nails Bitten.  If you'd like to see Bitten alone along with the rest of the Closed Doors collection, click here.

Matesse Elite Je Taime Over Cult Nails Bitten
Matesse Elite Je Taime Over Cult Nails Bitten

Matesse Elite Je Taime Over Cult Nails Bitten
Matesse Elite Je Taime Over Cult Nails Bitten


Matesse Elite Je Taime Over Cult Nails Bitten
Matesse Elite Je Taime Over Cult Nails Bitten

Matesse Elite Je Taime Over Cult Nails Bitten
Matesse Elite Je Taime Over Cult Nails Bitten

Matesse Elite Je Taime Over Cult Nails Bitten
Matesse Elite Je Taime Over Cult Nails Bitten
Merry Christmas everyone!!

Sunday, December 23, 2012

Orly Under The Mistletoe Swatch and Review

Keeping this one short because of the family staying over.

With the holidays coming upon us, I had to break out Orly Under The Mistletoe.  Great application although still a bit streaky after two coats so I used three in these pics.  No topcoat.







Happy Holidays everyone!

Saturday, December 22, 2012

Pahlish Train Underwater Swatch and Review

Happy post apocalypse everybody!  I hope everybody got to spend their last day on earth in a peaceful and happy way.  I was with my family once again, which is the only way I'd ever want to do it.  It was wonderful.

Tonight's polish is an oldie but goodie from Pahlish called Train Underwater.  This is one of the popular combinations of dark blue jelly with water inspired glitter to create an appearance of the mysterious deep sea.  This one is a gorgeous version of it with the blue multisized hex glitter and purple microglitter.  I layered two coats of this over the OPI's Ulta miniset's Giftcards For Everyone!, and finished with a layer of Poshe.  I had no problems with application and I found the glitter to disperse evenly on the nail with the perfect density after two coats.

Pahlish Train Underwater
Pahlish Train Underwater 


Pahlish Train Underwater
Pahlish Train Underwater 


Pahlish Train Underwater
Pahlish Train Underwater 
Pahlish Train Underwater
Pahlish Train Underwater 

Pahlish Train Underwater
Pahlish Train Underwater


Pahlish Train Underwater
Pahlish Train Underwater 

What do you think of this version of underwater polish?  Does it transcend the other versions that are out there are is just another forgettable version?

Thursday, December 20, 2012

Hare Polish Swanky Soiree Swatch and Review

When I read Hare was going to release a limited edition last minute release, I knew I definitely needed to snatch it up, regardless of what it looked like.  This time, Nikole put out two polishes, and I have the one of them tonight, Swanky Soiree, to review for you.  I also purchased the other, Holiday Hoopla, but I was too excited to try out Swanky Soiree and now don't want to remove it, so you'll have to wait until I tire of it.  Swanky Soiree is a taupey grey crelly base with red and silver mutlisized hex and square glitters.  I found the formula to be on the thick side but not overly dense with glitters.  I used three coats in these pics for full opacity, but might have been able to get away with two thick layers instead.  I topped with Gelous and Poshe for shine.  Apologies in advance for the photos not being my normal style - my parents have overtaken my house so I had to hide in the bathroom to take these!  I'll try to update later with more pics.

Hare Polish Swanky Soiree
Hare Polish Swanky Soiree 

Hare Polish Swanky Soiree
Hare Polish Swanky Soiree 

Hare Polish Swanky Soiree
Hare Polish Swanky Soiree 

Hare Polish Swanky Soiree
Hare Polish Swanky Soiree

Hare Polish Swanky Soiree
Hare Polish Swanky Soiree 
So what do you think, is this festive enough for the holidays?  I really like the combination, and I like that it's not overly festive because it makes it more year round friendly.  I love the base color too, it's not something I've seen from Hare before but I find that it really works well with her unique collection of polishes.

BONUS: Daylight pics!

Hare Polish Swanky Soiree
Hare Polish Swanky Soiree 

Hare Polish Swanky Soiree
Hare Polish Swanky Soiree 


Hare Polish Swanky Soiree
Hare Polish Swanky Soiree 

Hare Polish Swanky Soiree
Hare Polish Swanky Soiree 

Hare Polish Swanky Soiree
Hare Polish Swanky Soiree