Pretty & Polished Pieces Of You Swatch And Review

Nothing To Disclose

Hooray for Fridays!  I feel like today is going to be a really long day, considering all the craziness that I have going on at work.  I'm hoping to have a fun and relaxing weekend to make up for it!  Do you have any plans for the weekend?

I have a really interesting polish for you today, and that's Pretty & Polished Pieces Of You from their Winter 2013 collection.  It's a deep aquamarine blue jelly loaded with silver flakes and shreds, which supposedly shifts colors with temperature.  Strangely, I don't know if I don't notice the color change or the thermal pigment is deactivated, but I haven't witnessed any color shift so far.  Application wasn't difficult at all, although understandably it is on the sheer side due to the jelly finish.  I used a total of three coats for opacity with a tiny bit of VNL, and the formula was smooth without streaking or pooling.  My only complaint would be that the larger flakes can bunch up and stick up on the nail, such as the one on my index finger.  That little guy would not straighten out!  I finished with a layer of Essence Gel Look topcoat followed with NYC GCS.

Pretty & Polished Pieces Of You

Pretty & Polished Pieces Of You

Pretty & Polished Pieces Of You

Pretty & Polished Pieces Of You

Pretty & Polished Pieces Of You

Pretty & Polished Pieces Of You

I adore the color of this jelly base and the wonderful squishy finish.  There's nothing like a glitter jelly because it's like having an easy glitter sammich in a bottle.  I love how unique this polish is with all it's fabulous components and beautiful finish.  I'm not exactly sure how I came across this beauty, but I'm sure glad it's part of my collection!  Do you know of any polishes like this or is it as special as I think it is?

 Nothing To Disclose

Revlon Colorstay Gel Envy Showtime Swatch And Review

Purchased

Hello ladies! Sorry for the lapse in posting - I haven't been able to put LO to sleep without her waking up within minutes of me leaving the room.  I think she must be going through a phase, which I hope passes soon.  I haven't had any time to myself in over a week!  That means no shopping, swatching, posting, internet browsing, or watching tv.  Oy!

I was in dire need of a mani change, so I grabbed what I thought would be the quickest to apply with the most payoff.  I chose Revlon Colorstay Gel Envy Showtime, a multifaceted royal purple flakie based polish.  The flakies range in a multitude of colors from violet, blue, to purple.  From my previous experience, the Colorstay Gel Envy line was easy to apply with saturated pigmentation.  Unfortunately, this did not live up to that previous experience, at least the first coat did not anyway.  It was streaky and patchy and I felt overall clumsy using the brush to apply the somewhat overly thin polish.  The second coat did wonders to even out the first messy layer, and left only a few patches behind.  I left it at two coats which dried fairly quickly albeit matte.  To finish, I used a layer of topcoat for shine.

Revlon Colorstay Gel Envy Showtime

Revlon Colorstay Gel Envy Showtime

Revlon Colorstay Gel Envy Showtime

Revlon Colorstay Gel Envy Showtime

Revlon Colorstay Gel Envy Showtime

Look at all those pretty flakies!!  I adore flakie based polishes like these, and wish that they were easier to find.  I'm willing to put up with the extra attention the application of this polish needs for a payoff like that.   From afar, the different colors glint in the light, and you can easily see sparks of of violet and blue.  Summer isn't really the time for dark vampy colors like this, but this is too irresistible to wait until fall.  I'm not deterred from the Revlon Colorstay Gel Envy line by the experience with this polish, and I hope to try out some more of their cremes in the future for further comparison.  Have you a chance to try this line out yet?  What are your thoughts?

Purchased

CrowsToes Minion Swatch And Review

Happy Friday!  Thank goodness this is a short week, it seems to have gone by like a whirlwind for me, and just like a whirlwind, everything is disorganized and haphazard.  Hopefully I can pick up the pieces and get everything back in its place next week!  As for the weekend, I hope to get some much needed relaxation and de-stressing.  Perhaps a spa visit is required!  Do you have any big plans for this weekend?

From CrowsToes Summer 2013 collection, I have Minion, a delightful purple shimmering duochrome that changes from dark navy to royal purple in the slightest shift of light.  Embedded within are sparkling silver flakes that give break the uniformity of the purple shimmer and give the illusion of outer space and its twinkling stars.  The formula was fluid and easy to manipulate, but use a light hand to avoid brushstrokes.  I used three coats here for maximum opacity and finished with a layer of topcoat of shine.

CrowsToes Minion

CrowsToes Minion

CrowsToes Minion

CrowsToes Minion

CrowsToes Minion

CrowsToes Minion

I'm glad that I'm cleaning out my drawers for untrieds, otherwise this would have sat longer in there without getting any much needed appreciation.  I always get weak in the knees at the sight of flakes, and then to put them into a purple duochrome base is a double whammy to my solar plexus.  CrowToes somehow always manages to take polish to another level, beyond what is imagineable.  It's probably her talented artists eyes that helps her create these lovely beauties.  Oh how I wish I had those creative abilities!

Hare Polish Elysian Fields Swatch And Review

Happy Wednesday!  I can't believe mother's day is right around the corner.  Are you planning anything special for the weekend?  My brother is coming down to visit - I may have to take him sightseeing so I can knock some to-dos off my list!

Today's eye candy from Hare Polish Viva Los Angeles collection is Elysian Fields, a complex dark aqua leaning green base with tiny matte yellow glitters highlighted with a combination of iridescent and gold colored flakies.  This particular combination is probably the least complex of the collection, but it's namesake is best represented with simplicity.  Elysian Fields is a park located right outside Dodger stadium, which is on a hill next to downtown Los Angeles.  Shame on me again, this is another vista that I have not seen myself, other than driving by every day when I was working on that side of town.  It's funny being a resident in an abundant sightseeing city - I always plan to visit the spots but always chalk it up to next weekend.  Doesn't that happen to everyone?  The formula of Elysian fields is easy to apply but low in pigmentation.  I used three thin coats here but maybe I should have used an extra layer or applied it on more thickly.  The density of glitter is perfect, however, and I got the right amount of distribution across the nail.  This is all finished with a layer of topcoat.

Hare Polish Elysian Fields

Hare Polish Elysian Fields

Hare Polish Elysian Fields

Hare Polish Elysian Fields

Hare Polish Elysian Fields

Hare Polish Elysian Fields

Isn't that a gorgeous shade of green?  It's got a touch of teal to it, and iridescent flakies bring forth images of the cloudless clear blue skies that is always present in LA.  The yellow microglitters are like little sunwarmed dandelions sprinkled along the hillside.  The weather here in LA is amazing, always sunny and clear, with the perfect warm but not hot temperature during the day and cooler evenings.  I mentally curse the price of living here in this city, but I know it's worth it for the weather alone.  It's a love-hate relationship, that's for sure!

Elevation Polish These Boots Were...Swatch And Review

Purchased

Have you ever called your phone or cable company and threatened to cancel, in hopes that they'd lower your rate?  I hate paying a lot for cable, and recently they hiked up some of our fees.  How do you get around those expensive bills?  Cancel cable?

One of my favorite finishes are polishes embedded with flakes, but unfortunately they're not easy to find.  When I saw the finish the on Elevation Polish These Boots Were... I was compelled to order a bottle ASAP.  For a non glitter polish, it's an incredibly complex looking compilation, beginning with a burgundy jelly base and finished with blue shimmer and tiny red flakes.  The formula has a thin consistency but is easy to apply, with minimal pooling and no streaks.  I used two smooth coats here and finished with a layer of topcoat.

Elevation Polish These Boots Were...

Elevation Polish These Boots Were...

Elevation Polish These Boots Were...

Elevation Polish These Boots Were...

Elevation Polish These Boots Were...

Elevation Polish These Boots Were...

A polish like this always makes me melt a little inside.  From afar it doesn't look too complicated but the visual beauty is much more appreciable up close, which is just the way I like it.  It's a special little treat that only I get to see during the day.  Elevation Polish always delivers when it comes to polishes like these, from beautiful creams and shimmers, to holos and well executed glitters.  You can't go wrong with one!  I'm glad that Lulu took the time to make a pretty microflake polish.  Do you have a microlike that you love?

Purchased

Hare Polish Love You To Pieces Swatch And Review

Purchased

TGIF!  I have to say, Fridays are so much more sweeter when you've got a kid.  With no time during the week to do anything, Fridays give me hope that I'll be able to actually get something done for myself over the weekend.  Here's hoping that I get a moment to myself!

Who likes a good polish loaded with flakes?  This girl!  I'm totally loving Hare Polish's newest release called Love You To Pieces, a plum jelly with flakes in gold, silver, and purple.  Application was good and I used three coats here.  As with any jelly, there some streaking if you don't take extra care to make sure the layers are applied evenly.  The flakes were easy to control and didn't protrude once on the nail.  I finished with topcoat for extra gloss.

Hare Polish Love You To Pieces

Hare Polish Love You To Pieces

Hare Polish Love You To Pieces

Hare Polish Love You To Pieces

Hare Polish Love You To Pieces

Hare Polish Love You To Pieces

What is it about flakes that make me drool uncontrollably?  The multitude of colors blend together harmoniously into gorgeous pool of purple on the nail.  The individual flakes glint when hit by light, giving off flashes of different colors.  I must say, I'm mighty pleased by this polish.

Purchased

Cirque Lichen With Piper Polish Spectraflair Topcoat Swatch And Review

Nothing To Disclose Purchased

In the Women's Health Magazine that I mentioned yesterday, I also read that white nails are going to be a trend this season.  Do you think there's going to be a lot of white? What colors do you predict will be big this year, or do you think indies will continue ruling the scene with multichromes and holos?  I think radiant orchid will be popular, but it's going to be hard for some skintones to pull off.

I was drawn to Cirque Lichen today, with it's dark green flecks in the bottle mesmerizing me from afar.  It applied like a dream, with its nicely pigmented formula flowing easily onto the nail with no streaking or pooling whatsoever.  I used two coats here, and finished with a layer of Poshe/GCS topcoat mix to add shine to the satin finish.

Cirque Lichen

Cirque Lichen

Cirque Lichen

Cirque Lichen

Cirque Lichen

Cirque Lichen

Look at all those colorful flecks of green!  This was gorgeous alone, but being the holo addict that I am, I decided to add some visual interest with Piper Polish Spectraflair topcoat.  I haven't used a topcoat before, aside from one that I made myself a couple years ago and lost in my stash.  After applying a coat, I noticed that it dramatically lightened the base color and added a tiny bit of silver sheen.  The Spectraflair topcoat is linear, and the holo particles seem a bit on the larger side which produce a strong rainbow effect that is slightly snowy looking, like a tv channel with no reception.  This is shown with no additional topcoat.

Cirque Lichen With Piper Polish Spectraflair Topcoat in Light Tent

Cirque Lichen With Piper Polish Spectraflair Topcoat

Cirque Lichen With Piper Polish Spectraflair Topcoat

Cirque Lichen With Piper Polish Spectraflair Topcoat

Cirque Lichen With Piper Polish Spectraflair Topcoat

Cirque Lichen With Piper Polish Spectraflair Topcoat

Cirque Lichen With Piper Polish Spectraflair Topcoat

 In the pics the topcoat seems to overwhelm the base color, but IRL the green definitely shines through and the topcoat acts more like an accent, as it's intended to be.  I love a good green holo, and the topcoat delivers that promise when applied over Lichen.  The only thing is now I miss those flakes!  I guess I can't have it all, can I?  I plan on experimenting some more with the Piper Polish Spectraflair topcoat, especially over cream colors.  Have you tried any holo topcoats before?  Being a newbie to holo topcoats, what makes a holo topcoat a good one?

Nothing To DisclosePurchased

Hare Polish Oh What Fun It Is To Love And The Knockouts Of The Double R

Purchased

Yikes!  So I've been gone for three days - it was totally unintentional and probably a much needed break.  Normally I make my posts at night after putting LO to bed, and these past three nights I ended up falling asleep with her each night.  I blame her cuddly cuteness for my neglect!

Today I have two of Hare Polish's creations from her newest collection based after the show Twin Peaks.  I didn't watch the show myself, but maybe one of these days I'll Netflix it and see what the hub bub is, bud.  The polishes themselves speak volumes about the show - there's mystery and darkness, with hints of clarity and salvation.  I'm not sure if those descriptions correlate with the show, but hopefully they do because that's what I think of when I see the colors all lined up.

The first is Oh What Fun It Is To Love, and this a new favorite for me.  It's a dusty rose jelly packed with gold and matte white in varying sized and shaped glitters.   It's not overly complicated but it's really lovely.  To top it off, I think it's a pink that actually compliments my skin tone!  Formula for this was stellar and correlates with my earlier observation of better pigmentation - I used only two coats for this mani and I had no difficulty at all with application other than some stray glitters wanting to come off the free edge.  No surprise there!  I finished this with Gelous and topcoat.

Hare Polish Oh What Fun It Is To Love

Hare Polish Oh What Fun It Is To Love

Hare Polish Oh What Fun It Is To Love

Hare Polish Oh What Fun It Is To Love

Hare Polish Oh What Fun It Is To Love

Hare Polish Oh What Fun It Is To Love

What's that you say?  Why yes, yes I did.  I done did it.  During those three days of not polishing or swatching, my nails just seemed to grow like crazy.  I got some wonk on the sides, and because of curve, I kept envisioning almond shaped nails.  So I went ahead and took a file to them.  It didn't take as long as I thought it would, but I did have some difficulty making sure everything was symmetrical and even.  And now I'm having difficulty adjusting to typing as well, I guess because I'm use to the extra nail to tap with.

And wouldn't you know it, one of my favorite nail bloggers put up a post of Oh What Fun It Is To Love as well.  Great minds, you know.  Check out Lacquer Slacker Liz for her take on ths polish - her descriptions always knock me off my seat!

Next I have The Knockouts Of The Double R, an azure blue jelly packed with silver flakes and matte white glitter, the cooler opposite of former polish.  This was a bit sheerer than Oh What Fun It Is To Love, maybe due to the jelly formula.  I had a tiny bit of VNL after two coats, so it needed a third coat to bring it home.  Again, no difficulty with application as long as I waited long enough in between coats as this seemed to dry a bit slower than I'm accustomed to.  I finished this with Gelous and topcoat.

Hare Polish The Knockouts Of The Double R

Hare Polish The Knockouts Of The Double R

Hare Polish The Knockouts Of The Double R

Hare Polish The Knockouts Of The Double R

Hare Polish The Knockouts Of The Double R

Hare Polish The Knockouts Of The Double R

So far I'm really digging these colors by Hare because they seem so season appropriate for winter, with the warm brown and golds contrasting with the cool blues and silvers.  It's like sitting by a nice toasty fire while it's snowing outside.  Nikole has a fabulous eye for color and always knocks it out of the park with her combinations.  It's no wonder I'm a diehard fan of Hare Polishes!  Have you picked any up from this collection?  IMO, these are worthy of eating ramen every day for lunch so I can buy all the Hares!  Oh, and what's your preference, squares, almonds, or squovals??

Purchased