Monday, December 31, 2012

Essie Bonded

How about a festive red to countdown to the new year? You could not ask for a better polish than Essie Bonded. It's an bright cherry red with silver and red micro-glitter. Super easy application, probably due to the fact that was released in the pre-B3F days. Hands down my favorite Essie polish.



Friday, December 28, 2012

Friday Spam (China Glaze Edition)


China Glaze Champagne Kisses

China Glaze Bizarre Blurple

China Glaze Roguish Red


China Glaze I'm Not Lion

China Glaze I Herd That

China Glaze Shooting Stars
over China Glaze Bizarre Blurple


Thursday, December 20, 2012

Layla Ceramic #31 Pure Black and #53 Killing Red

Layla Ceramic polishes were recently stocked within local Ulta stores in my area. With a coupon in hand, I couldn't resist picking up a few bottles. 

Layla Ceramic #31 Pure Black was bought with the intent to see how it held up against my current favorite black nail polish, Finger Paints Black Expressionism. I used two coats in the photo but would have been fine with just one coat and the polish has a really nice glossy finish. I am impressed, it may actually replace my bottle of Black Expressionism. 


Layla Ceramic #53 Killing Red is a red jelly with gold flakies. Very similar to Barielle's Elle's Spell, except that Killing Red is a cherry jelly and Elle's Spell is a raspberry jelly. I got full coverage with just two coats. I think I do prefer this to Elle's Spell, I love this cherry red color. 



I purchased my Layla Ceramic bottles in store at a local Ulta but they are also online at Ninja Polish

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

OPI Creme de Menthe and China Glaze Limonyte

I am going old school today with two awesome and sadly discontinued green polishes. OPI Creme de Menthe is from the X collection, a very mysterious collection in which Rain Forest and Jasper Jade were also released. I don't have other information on that collection except for the fact that the polishes are rare and hard to find and if they can be found, grab them! While I would love to get those other OPIs mentioned, Creme de Menthe, a gorgeous mint green with gold shimmer, has always been the one that I actively looked for.



China Glaze Limonyte was released in the 2005 Nervy Neons collection. I was very lucky to get this one on eBay for much less than I ever expected to pay for it. Another polish with gold shimmer but this one is a searingly bright neon green. Very much a "WHOA, that is BRIGHT" neon green. China Glaze I'm With the Lifeguard, which came out last year in their 2012 Summer Neons collection, is similar but does not have the same beautiful gold shimmer. 


As I mentioned, these are both discontinued and rare polishes but they do still pop up on eBay from time to time, so be on the lookout. 

Monday, December 17, 2012

CrowsToes Her Goose Got Cooked and Bah F@#$% Humbug

Her Goose Got Cooked and Bah F@#$% Humbug are from CrowsToes Holiday 2012 collection. I ordered a few more but these two are my favorites of the collection. CrowsToes polishes are beautiful but have had very thick polish consistency, making them harder to work with. These two though, were super easy to apply, no formula thickness whatsoever. I don't know what kind of magic CrowsToes has been doing but it's nice to see that improvement.

Bah F@#$% Humbug
over American Apparel Pacific Beach 



Her Goose Got Cooked 
over black (Layla Ceramic 31 Pure Black)




Bah F@#$% Humbug is an Overall Beauty exclusive and can be purchased here. Her Goose Got Cooked is a Llarowe exclusive and can be purchased here.

Thursday, December 13, 2012

China Glaze Hanging in the Balance and Creative Fantasy

Hanging in the Balance and Creative Fantasy are the two polishes I picked up from the China Glaze Spring 2012 Cirque du Soleil collection. I am still looking for It’s a Trap-eze, hopefully I can find that one. 

Hanging in the Balance is a vivid cerulean blue creme. A nice addition to my blue polish collection, though it totally stained my nails after removal. 


Creative Fantasy is a neon purple jelly. Like most neon finishes, it will dry to a matte finish, easily fixed with top coat for those who prefer shine to matte. Since it is somewhat watery and sheer, I used three coats but other wise okay formula.


I purchased my bottles at my local Sally's but I am sure they can be found where China Glaze is sold in your area. 

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Lynnderella Candy Wrapper and Ice the Snowcake

I have two of Lynnderella's latest collection, Season's Glitterings, to show today. Candy Wrapper is a bright ruby red glitter. Similar to Lynnderella Ruby Red Ruby but it has bits of while micro glitter scattered throughout the polish. I layered it over OPI Danke-Shiny Red. 


Ice the Snowcake has tones of soft white glitter and iridescence shimmer throughout. I layered it over Elevation Polish Alphubel though next time I may layer it over a darker color to bring out that iridescence better. 

Lynnderella polishes can be purchased on Ebay at this time. 

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Illamasqua Noble and CrowsToes Tangled Web

I had my doubts about Illamasqua Noble. "Do I really need another blue" I asked myself. And the answer is YES, it's such a vibrant bright blue, I have no regret buying it. Fantastic formula, as usual with Illamasqua polishes.


CrowsToes Tangled Web is a black and blue duochrome glitter mix in a clear base. Perfect polish to be layered over Noble.



Illamasqua Noble can be purchased at Sephora. CrowsToes Tangled Web can be purchased at Overall Beauty and Llarowe.

Friday, December 7, 2012

Elevation Polish Alphubel and Mount Yu

Indie nail polish brands are known for their unique glitter polishes but not many put out creme formula polishes. Elevation Polish is one brand that does sell creme polishes and they are phenomenal. Formula wise they are great, not too thin or thick and easy to apply. At first glance the colors look just another baby blue or mint green, but it's the subtle shimmer throughout each one that make them so good. After wearing Alphubel and Mount Yu, I now want to go through my stash for similar colors and purge them, that's how happy I am with these polishes. These are both currently available to purchase but there is limited stock of each left and then they will be gone.

Elevation Polish Alphubel

Elevation Polish Mount Yu

Elevation Polish restocks her Big Cartel and Etsy shops on the 7th (that's today!) and 22nd of each month. Information about restocks and colors can be found on her blog

Wednesday, December 5, 2012

Essie Butler Please and Beyond Cozy

Butler Please is a vivid blue creme polish, a very nice addition to Essie's color range, though other brands have similar blue polishes. Personally, I don't really need another cobalt blue, I will probably just stay with my bottle of Nails Inc Baker Street and purge this one.



Beyond Cozy is a superfine pale gold and silver glitter. Really nice coverage in a couple coats of polish and very appropriate for a winter collection. 



Butler Please and Beyond Cozy are part of Essie's Winter 2012 collection which can be found in stores and online at various retailers. 

Tuesday, December 4, 2012

La Femme Unica

Though I love the classic light and pastel holo color shades, sometimes I want to see a darker color offered in holographic finish. La Femme Unica, with its sage green color, is definitely what I would like to see more of. The formula is great and there is no need to apply a aqua base coat. 




La Femme Unica can be purchased online at Ninja Polish and Llarowe

Monday, December 3, 2012

Butter London Jack the Lad and Scallywag

I could not resist Jack the Lad and Scallywag from Butter London's Winter 2012 collection, especially after the lovely jyj posted her swatches.

I was a little bit disappointed by Jack the Lad though, I can't say quite why. It is pretty enough but for some reason I wasn't wowed by it. I think this will be going into the purge pile.


Scallywag on the other hand, OH MY is this an awesome blue or what!? It's so vivid, more so in person, these pictures just do not do it justice. Only two coats are needed to get full coverage, which is just what I love in glitter polishes. 


Butter London nail polishes can be found at various stores, including Ulta, Nordstrom, and Macy's.